Siheyuan: Starting from Building a Village

"Huai Ru, you must not let Sha Zhu off. It's fine if he hit me, but he actually dared to hit Bang Geng. This matter cannot be let go."

After returning home, Jia Zhang sat beside the stove angrily, hitting it with tongs.

"Huai Ru, did you hear me?"

Qin Huairu sat there in a daze, not knowing what she was thinking, until Jia Zhang asked her twice in a row, she came to her senses.

"Mom, I'm also angry about the silly stick joke, but what can I do as a woman?"

Bang Geng was beaten, and Qin Huairu was even angrier than Jia Zhang. Neither she nor Jia Zhang had any solution. They would certainly not be able to beat him, and if they scolded him, they would be beaten. Sha Zhu didn't care whether you were a man or a woman, as long as he got angry, he would slap you in the face. Jia Zhang had just experienced this.

"Then find someone. Don't you have a good relationship with Li Huaide?"

There was an unusual shrewdness in Jia Zhang's triangular eyes. She knew everything Qin Huairu had done in the past few days, but she couldn't say it out loud. She had to pretend she didn't know, especially at home. Banggeng was ten years old, and a ten-year-old could still understand some words.

"Mom, you're overthinking it. It's no problem to get some food and drinks, but we can't bother Director Li with the rest."

Do you think Qin Huairu doesn't want to? She doesn't dare.

Some time ago, when Li Huaide was arranging for her to become a regular employee, he warned her that if she wanted to live a good life, she should put away the inappropriate thoughts in her mind, and the money and tickets each time were compensation to her.

"Only some food and drinks? Can't you get a higher level of work? Or maybe a leader position, like working in an office or something?"

"Mom, you really dare to think so."

Qin Huairu was warned by Li Huaide because she wanted Li Huaide to transfer her to his side to be an assistant or something, but she was scolded by Li Huaide for a long time.

"Bang Geng, just play in the main room, don't go out. Huai Ru, come to the inner room, I want to talk to you about something."

There were some things that Jia Zhang didn't want to say in front of Bang Geng.

"Mom, what's the matter?"

"Huai Ru, can't I use the baby in your belly as a bargaining chip?"

"Mom, this child is Cui Dake's."

"Li Huaide doesn't know, isn't it up to you?"

"No, no, the risk is too great. No one who can be a deputy factory director is a fool. If he wants me to go to the hospital for a checkup, the time will definitely not be right. By then, our family will have to hide back in the countryside."

"That's true, Huairu. Didn't I tell you to go to the hospital to get the IUD removed? Why are you so horny?"

"Alas, plans cannot keep up with changes. I didn't expect Cui Dake to be so bold."

"What should we do now?"

"Mom, don't worry about this. Everyone around here and in the factory knows that Cui Dake and I are already discussing marriage. Just say the child is Cui Dake's."

Qin Huairu was also helpless. According to her plan, she should have been able to control Cui Dake, but on the day of her wedding, she was reported by some bastard and Cui Dake was directly sentenced to ten years in prison.

“One more child, one more mouth to open.”

"Mom, don't worry about this. Your pension money will not be reduced. You don't have to worry about food, clothing and daily necessities. Director Li is not a stingy person. As long as I don't interfere, money is not a problem."

"I'm not worried about that. What I want to say is that this house can only be inherited by Bang Geng in the future, no matter whether it's a boy or a girl in your belly. We have to agree on this in advance, otherwise I won't agree."

"Okay, that's all fine. There will be someone like me who can take over my job in the future, right?"

"That's pretty much it."

Jia Zhang was quite satisfied with Qin Huairu's attitude. Besides, the baby in Qin Huairu's belly did not belong to their Jia family.

"By the way, Mom, have you felt anything unusual recently?"

"Qin Huairu, what do you mean? I gave you face, right? You cursed me, right?"

Jia Zhang's face changed on the spot. She felt that Qin Huairu had been living a stable life these days and didn't take her seriously anymore.

"No, Mom, what are you thinking? I noticed that you seem to have lost some weight."

"Lose weight? No way? I have a good appetite recently. I get hungry soon after eating. My digestive ability is just right. It has been like this for a while. I think it must be because the food is not nutritious. Huairu, ask Li Huaide to get some sugar coupons and buy some white sugar for me to replenish my body."

"Really? Why don't we go to the hospital?"

"Qin Huairu, if you have the money to go to the hospital, why not buy me some sugar instead? I can just drink more sugar water."

"Is this okay?"

"Don't I know my own body? I can tell you, as long as you have enough candy, I will help you take care of the baby in your belly after it is born."

"Well, let's put it this way. As long as you take good care of the children at home, you don't have to worry about their food and drink. We can also buy some meat every few days to improve the food."

"Okay, let's make it a deal."

Jia Zhang is quite satisfied with her current life, which is why she doesn't care that Qin Huairu and Li Huaide are together again.

As long as Qin Huairu provides her with good food and drink, she doesn't care what Qin Huairu does outside. As for the face of the Jia family, don't joke, which is more important, face or hunger?

Besides, the Jia family has no dignity left now, which is why she can get along with Qin Huairu on the surface.

Jia Zhang needs to have good food and drink, and she also has an income of five dollars a month.

Qin Huairu needs Jia Zhang to help her take care of her children, and also try her best to establish the image of a good daughter-in-law.

"Oh, by the way, Mom, you better keep a close eye on Bang Geng from now on. Don't let him pick the lock of Sha Zhu's house again. Otherwise, if he gets beaten, we two women won't be able to do anything about it."

"That idiot Shazhu is a piece of shit. He is so ruthless and doesn't recognize anyone."

"Yeah, but I don't know why Sha Zhu suddenly changed so much? Did He Yushui say something to him? This shouldn't be the case."

"In my opinion, Shazhu must have a lover. The only one who can defeat you is another woman."

"No, is there really anyone who would like someone like Shazhu?"

"Huai Ru, didn't you also go to the criticism meeting today? As long as those women have money, they don't care whether you are old or young, handsome or ugly."

After hearing what Jia Zhang said, Qin Huairu felt a little uncomfortable. She always felt that Jia Zhang was pointing at a bald man and scolding a monk. She, Qin Huairu, had followed Cui Dake first, and after Cui Dake went to jail, she followed Li Huaide. Aren't all these things she did for money?

"Don't people say that what a man can't have is the best?"

"Haha, there are always some special people in this world, such as Shazhu, a bad guy. You say he is a romantic, but it is better to say that he is a stupid guy. Once he makes up his mind, he will go all the way to the end. I dare say Shazhu also went to watch the criticism meeting today."

"This is a requirement of the factory. Many people have gone, but this doesn't mean anything."

"Did that silly Zhu do anything suspicious?"

"You're right, it really happened. At that time, Shazhu kept staring at the girl called Sai Yuhuan. To be honest, Sai Yuhuan's figure is better than mine, but her face is a little scary."

"That's right. During this period, Sha Zhu and Yan Jiecheng were very close. You have heard about how Yan Jiecheng died, right? Sha Zhu must have been a frequent visitor there as well."

Qin Huairu looked at Jia Zhang in disbelief. She was a little afraid to recognize her. Was this still the Jia Zhang she knew who was always making trouble?

"Huai Ru, look at me - what are you doing? Is there something on my face?"

"No, no."

"By the way, where did you talk about just now?"

"Sha Zhu is a frequent visitor to Pan Yinghong's place. According to what you said, Sha Zhu's heart is all on Sai Yuhuan. But how can Sha Zhu face that face?"

"It's the same if you cover your head."

"Forehead..."

"Stop it. Go buy some paper outside and ask Banggeng to deliver it to Old Man Yan's home when you come back."

"I see."

.............

Yan Family

The atmosphere was very depressing. Yang Ruihua's eyes were swollen from crying, and Yan Bugui sat listlessly beside them.

The three children also lowered their heads and knelt in front of Yan Jiecheng's urn, burning paper for their good brother. Even though they did not feel anything in their hearts, they tried their best to pretend to be sad.

"The boss"

Yang Ruihua's voice was a little hoarse.

"Ugh!"

Yan Bugui sighed before he spoke.

Although I am disappointed with Yan Jiecheng, I would be lying if I said I wasn't sad. One would have feelings for a cat or a dog, let alone his own son whom he has raised for twenty years.

It was because Yan Jiecheng had brought death upon himself after raising him for twenty years that Yan Bugui became even more angry.

"Boss, what should we do about this funeral?"

"Just leave it at home overnight and bury it in a suburban cemetery tomorrow morning."

“Isn’t that too casual?”

"Whatever? It's Jie Cheng's fault for not living up to his expectations. I've done him justice by not scattering his ashes."

Yan Bugui suddenly became furious. Yan Jiecheng said that this was a discredit to the Yan family. In the future, the Yan family members would be pointed at wherever they went. The most important thing was that Yan Bugui didn't know how to face those colleagues when he went to work after the New Year.

In Yan Bugui's opinion, Yan Jiecheng's death was of no value at all. It was just a workstation, which he had paid for. He had not even earned back his investment, let alone making money.

Now the person is dead, and I don’t know whether there will be any compensation.

"But.."

"Don't say buts. That's it. Tell me, is Yan Jiecheng a waste? He didn't choose the right time to die. After we bury him tomorrow, the steel mill will be closed for the holiday. The issue of the workstation will have to wait until after the New Year to deal with it. Waste, waste, real waste."

Yang Ruihua looked at Yan Bugui in disbelief. Is this what a father can say? Even if Yan Jiecheng is useless, he is still his son.

"What are you looking at me for? Was what I said wrong? There is no value in dying."

"Humph!"

"And you three, will you cry? Your eldest brother died, and not one of you shed a tear?"

Looking at Yan Jiefang and the other two kneeling on the ground, Yan Bugui became even more furious. He didn't know since when had his family members become so cold and indifferent. This house no longer felt like a home.

"Brother, you died tragically..."

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"

"Big brother..."

Faced with the furious Yan Bugui, the three did not dare to resist. Without tears, they could only bow their heads deeply and howl a few times.

The sound spread to the courtyard, and people from the compound came one after another to pay their respects and say words of comfort.