Siheyuan: A Family of Loyal and Brave People

On a winter night, the wind was howling outside the window and the cold was biting.

Inside the He family's house, the red-hot charcoal under the hot pot emitted a scorching heat, dispelling the coldness in the house. The boiling water gurgled, and the constantly rising steam urged the people sitting around the pot to add ingredients to the pot as soon as possible.

"The water is boiling, you can add the ingredients."

He Yuzhu opened the lid of the pot, smelled the aroma wafting from the pot and said with a smile.

Today we had a clear soup hotpot, using the soup made from chicken bones as the base for the other ingredients.

He Yushui, who had been waiting for a long time, couldn't wait to pour his favorite ingredients into the pot, which caused He Daqing to rebuke him with dissatisfaction.

Cheng Hao and He Yuzhu didn't mind. They just couldn't help laughing at the frustrated He Yushui.

He Yushui, who was scolded, pouted her face and looked at her two brothers with resentment, looking like she was difficult to appease.

But it didn't take long for He Yushui to be tempted by the meat cooked in the pot. He turned around, picked up a few pieces of chicken, and tasted them impatiently.

Because he ate too quickly, He Yushui burned his tongue, which caused everyone to laugh.

"Don't worry, Rainwater. There's enough for you to eat."

He Yuzhu comforted his sister, and He Daqing shook his head helplessly.

Cheng Hao was not shy, he picked up a piece of chicken, put it in the dipping sauce dish, waited for it to cool down a little before putting it in his mouth and chewing it carefully. The freshly killed chicken was very fresh, the meat was firm and elastic, the aroma was rich, and it was very delicious.

Cheng Hao, who tasted a piece, praised it highly: "Zhu Zi, your knife skills are outstanding."

He Yuzhu smiled and said happily: "Brother Hao, eat more."

He Yuzhu is most proud of his cooking skills. Being recognized by others makes him feel refreshed and all his previous hard work has been worthwhile.

"It's a pity that we don't have butter and chili peppers at home, otherwise we could make a spicy hot pot, which would taste even better." He Yuzhu said with a little regret.

He Yuzhu's two best cuisines are Shandong cuisine and Sichuan cuisine. Sichuan's spicy hot pot is extremely delicious, but due to the limited ingredients, he was unable to show off his unique skills.

“The clear soup hotpot is already delicious.

I'll try your spicy hot pot again when I have a chance." Cheng Hao didn't feel any regret.

In the days of material scarcity, people didn’t pay much attention to details. Meat and vegetables were considered a feast. This meal tonight was more delicious than most families’ dinners in Beijing.

The people in the room said nothing more and ate with relish, enjoying the delicious food. They ate until sweat broke out on their foreheads and their bodies felt refreshed.

Winter is indeed a good season for eating hot pot. If the weather is not cold enough, the hot pot will taste bland.

Cheng Hao was enjoying his meal when there was a knock on the door, followed by a hoarse voice.

"Uncle He, open the door."

The three adults in the room put down their chopsticks one after another, but He Yushui was still eating recklessly, as if even the falling sky could not stop her from eating.

"It's Jia Dongxu. What is he doing here?"

He Daqing recognized the person by the voice and murmured something in a low voice.

Without waiting for He Daqing to think about it, He Yuzhu got up and opened the door.

Cheng Hao held He Yuzhu's shoulders and shook his head to signal him not to move. Jia Dongxu had come with ill intentions, so Cheng Hao thought it was best to ignore him.

"You guys continue eating, I'll go out and take a look."

No matter what Jia Dongxu intends to do, He Daqing, as the head of the family, has to deal with it.

He Daqing got up and went out to open the door. As the door opened, the cold wind outside rushed into the house. The charcoal fire burning under the hot pot swayed slightly. Yu Shui shivered and looked at his father with a resentful look on his face.

Outside the door, Jia Dongxu, wearing a worn cotton coat, was leaning on a crutch. His gray face was cracked from the cold, his lips were blue and purple, and his body was swaying in the wind, as if he would fall at any time.

"Dongxu, what's the matter?"

He Daqing stood at the door, resisting the cold wind, and spoke in a deep voice.

Being called out for some fresh air in the middle of a meal was not a pleasant experience. He Daqing just wanted to send Jia Dongxu away as soon as possible so that he could go back and continue eating.

Jia Dongxu stared into the room with his eyes wide open, and said with his cracked lips moving, "Uncle He, my mother hasn't come back yet..."

He Daqing interrupted before she finished speaking: "She was taken to the police station by the police and may not be back until tomorrow. Don't worry, go back to bed early."

Jia Dongxu's intention to eat for free is obvious, but He Daqing will obviously not do as he wishes.

The ingredients for the hotpot that night were bought by Cheng Hao, so He Daqing had no reason to use Cheng Hao's things to do a favor.

"not me……"

Jia Dongxu was a little anxious and hurried to explain.

However, He Daqing did not give him a chance to explain himself and immediately interrupted him.

“I know you’re anxious, but there’s no point in being anxious.

Your master Yi Zhonghai went with them, so your mother will be fine.

Go back to sleep now."

After saying this, He Daqing didn't wait for Jia Dongxu to continue explaining. He slammed the door shut and turned back into the house.

“The Jia family is really troublesome.

During the day, Jia Zhangshi and Yi Zhonghai had just started fighting, and at night Jia Dongxu came over to cause trouble again."

Cheng Hao spat out a chicken bone, looked outside the door and complained.

There are few good people in the courtyard, but the Jia family has its disgusting people, and the conflict between them and Cheng Hao is the most acute.

If Cheng Hao hadn't spent most of his time in the army, they would have suffered.

"Hey, we're all neighbors. We'll see each other sooner or later. Don't take it too seriously. If you don't get along, just stay away from them."

He Daqing has lived in the courtyard for many years and has become accustomed to the grievances and disputes between neighbors, and his mentality is very balanced.

"I would like to stay away from them, but if I don't go looking for them, they will come to my house and cause trouble."

Cheng Hao had no intention of harming anyone, it was just that the Jia family was determined to make things difficult for him.

And there are some things that you can't avoid just by wanting to.

After finishing the meal, Cheng Hao was full and returned home.

After He Daqing and his family packed up their things, they went to bed quickly.

Inside the Jia family's house, Jia Dongxu, who was so hungry that his stomach was sticking to his back, had a gloomy look on his face. His eyes were as big as bells, staring straight at He Daqing's house.

"Damn He Daqing, damn He Yuzhu! And the neighbors in the yard, all deserve to die!"

Jia Zhang was taken to the police station, and Jia Dongxu completely lost his support. The food at home was all gone, and he couldn't even make a steamed cornbread.

Jia Dongxu was so hungry that he had to go from house to house to ask for food.

Who knew these neighbors were so vicious that no one was willing to help.

The most hateful is He Daqing's family. They live such a comfortable life eating hot pot and humming songs, but they are unwilling to help their neighbors.

Jia Dongxu felt jealous, hateful and extremely angry.

The more he endured, the angrier he got; the more he retreated, the more he suffered. As the night deepened, Jia Dongxu's anger not only failed to subside, but became more and more intense.

Seeing that all the neighbors were asleep, he got up and walked towards the He family on his crutches.

If he can’t afford to offend Cheng Hao, then how can he afford to offend He Daqing?

Today, Jia Dongxu will let He Daqing know the consequences of angering him!

Inside the He family's house, He Daqing and his son were sleeping soundly, snoring loudly, completely unaware that a disaster was about to happen.