Siheyuan: Starting from Building a Village

Banggeng hummed a tune that only he could understand and staggered back to the courtyard.

Xu Damao did not treat him as a child. He was very happy in his heart because this was a recognition of him.

Being recognized by others is certainly a happy thing.

When he saw Yan Bugui with shining eyes at the gate of the courtyard, Banggeng's good mood immediately disappeared and he forgot to put the sausage in his pocket.

As a child who grew up in the courtyard, he naturally knew Yan Bugui's character. He would taste the saltiness of the food whenever a dung cart passed by. So when he saw the sausage in his hand, he would of course try to see if he could take advantage of it.

In Yan Bugui's eyes, as long as one entered the gate of the courtyard with something in his hand, there was no distinction between elders and juniors, and they were all under his calculations.

Banggeng was right. Sure enough, Yan Bugui looked at the sausage in Banggeng's hand and said, "Banggeng, you were smart when you were young, and you are capable when you grow up. You found a good job two days after you came back. Don't you think we should celebrate?"

"Uncle, no, I should call you Teacher Yan now." Banggeng's mood suddenly became bad, and he continued unhappily: "Teacher Yan, how can you let a junior treat you?"

"Banggeng, I still like the name of Third Uncle," Yan Bugui smacked his lips, his eyes still fixed on the sausage in Banggeng's hand, and said, "I said it was a celebration, not a treat, these are two different things."

"Teacher Yan..."

"Stop it, it's Uncle Three."

Yan Bugui interrupted and emphasized again.

"Teacher Yan, please stop it. You guys stopped being the boss five years ago. Is there any point in still fussing over a title?"

"Besides, you've been beaten up like a nobody now, so just be content that I can call you Teacher Yan."

Banggeng's words were like reopening Yan Bugui's wounds and rubbing salt into them. Yan Bugui's face changed immediately, with a look of pain and confusion on his face. The dim light shone on Yan Bugui's face, and from Banggeng's perspective, Yan Bugui's painful expression was actually mixed with a hint of ferocity.

If a good teacher had not been suddenly overthrown, Yan Bugui might not have used his reputation to seek a temporary job for the brothers Yan Jiefang and Yan Jiekuang.

"Bang Geng, forget it, Teacher Yan is Teacher Yan. I'll mix a bottle of good wine, and you mix two, no, three sausages. Let's have a drink and talk."

In Yan Bugui's opinion, verbal address is not as real as a calculated meal.

"Good wine? Hahaha, Teacher Yan, are you serious?"

"Of course it's true, kid. I'm telling you, I've kept that bottle of good wine for years. I have to say you're really lucky."

"Teacher Yan, if others say they have good wine at home, I believe it. But I don't believe you. Ask around in our courtyard. Everyone knows that your wine is diluted with water."

After saying that, Banggeng dodged, passed by Yan Bugui, and trotted into the middle courtyard.

"I...oh, I lost again."

Seeing Banggeng running into the middle courtyard, Yan Bugui stomped his feet in anger.

He was standing at the door today just to wait for Banggeng. He wanted to see if Banggeng would bring back anything good. Young people are shy, so if he praised himself a few words, he might really be able to get something back from Banggeng.

It was both cold and tiring, but in the end, the kid Banggeng escaped.

"Humph, old Yan, you still want to plot against me, but you can't plot against me."

Banggeng muttered a few words, put the sausage in his arms, pushed the door and went home.

"Bang Geng is back, let's eat."

Seeing Banggeng coming in, Qin Huairu brought up the fried steamed buns. The dish was even simpler, pickled radish strips, cut into sections and placed on a plate. That was dinner.

Taking a look at the food on the table, Banggeng's eyes were full of disgust. This was not as good as the food in the juvenile detention center.

"I have no appetite, so I won't eat."

After saying that, Banggeng went straight back to his bedroom. He didn't say that he was back from dinner. If he did, Qin Huairu would nag him again, telling him to save money and so on.

Moreover, he didn't even think about sharing the sausages he bought. They were two money-losing guys who didn't even call him brother when they met. They were not worthy of eating the sausages he bought.

The sausage is a snack I prepared for myself, as the little boy always gets hungry quickly.

"You kid."

Qin Huairu lowered her head and placed the dishes and chopsticks. She did not notice the disgust in Banggeng's eyes, but she could also imagine that Banggeng must be dissatisfied with the food.

She believed that if the dish on the table was braised pork, even if he had already eaten, Banggeng would sit down without hesitation and eat it with relish.

At home, Banggeng has never eaten steamed corn bread since he was a child.

It’s not that the Jia family was well-off, but that they were spoiled by the whole family. The only white flour buns and two-grain flour buns they had were always eaten with rice stalks.

"Bang Geng, eat a little, or you'll get heartburn from hunger at night."

Although she knew that Banggeng disliked the food, as a mother, Qin Huairu subconsciously wanted to persuade Banggeng to eat a few bites. This is also a "common problem" of all mothers, who are afraid that their children will not have enough to eat or will not be warm enough.

"Hey, are you annoying? I told you I have no appetite. I am the only one who is hungry. You don't need to worry about me."

Like all children, Banggeng dislikes and even resents the care from his mother. He thinks that he is an adult now and can make his own decisions. He does not need to live under his mother's reminders every day like he did when he was a child.

"Ugh!"

Qin Huairu was stunned for a moment, then she sighed and started to invite Xiaodang and Huaihua to eat.

Fortunately, the two girls ate with great relish and did not complain about the food like Banggeng did. This was a comfort to Qin Huairu.