Siheyuan: Big City, Small Love

Winter has gone and spring has come. Another cold winter has passed and the weather is gradually warming up. I no longer have to curl up in bed as soon as I get off work.

The winter in the old city feels colder every year, so He Lai doesn't want to move. Even Yu Shui has to accompany He Lai to lie on the bed and read.

On this weekend morning, Wu Juan brought over two bowls of noodles and placed them on the bedside table as usual.

"Mom, why are there no eggs in my bowl? Is there no eggs at home? I'll bring you some tomorrow."

He Lai asked. After all, he raised chickens in his space, and the eggs were big and plentiful!

"Stay away. If you want to eat eggs, go cook them yourself. A grown man just lies in bed every day when he gets home. It's really getting worse as he gets older. Look at your father. He won't let you sleep a little longer every day even if you ask him to."

Wu Juan complained.

"Mom, are you jealous?" He Lai said with a bit of amusement.

"I envy your height, you don't respect your elders, little Laizi, let me tell you, if you keep lying on the bed with rain water, your mother won't serve you. I can't take care of the three little ones, and I have to serve meals to the two of you."

Wu Juan rolled her eyes at He Lai and said angrily.

How can I not be envious? He Zhan is so dull and old-fashioned. All he does every day is to be on duty and stick to his post. I can't even let him sleep with me for a while longer.

"Mom, why don't I do it myself from now on." Yu Shui said a little embarrassedly.

"What are you doing? You just gave birth to a baby. If you don't eat well, how can you feed the baby milk? Eat the eggs quickly and don't give them to him. Do you understand?"

Wu Juan sat beside the rain bed and said.

“Mom, it’s been almost half a year since Yu Shui gave birth to her child, and she just gave birth to her child!”

"What, you have an opinion?"

"No."

……

After eating the noodles, He Lai got up and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Naturally, he put the bowls into the space and washed them using his mind. Otherwise, it would be a torture to wash them by hand in such a cold day.

When He Lai came back after washing up, he found Wu Juan was already lying in the same position as He Lai.

Seeing this, He Lai didn't dare to object, so he could only smack his lips, leave the house and go next door.

Once we arrived at Yard 95, it was much more lively. A group of children were playing there, and a group of women were sitting nearby basking in the sun.

Second Aunt said, "Xiao Laizi, you finally went out. Second Aunt hasn't seen you for several days."

"What's wrong, Second Aunt? I can't get enough of my daughter-in-law. What's so good about me?"

He Lai joked.

Liu Guangtian and Chun'er got married during the Chinese New Year. Since Chun'er's family fled here and had few relatives, they only invited a few classmates and colleagues. The same was true for Liu Guangtian, as most of the guests were invited by Liu Haizhong, the second uncle.

After the marriage, Second Aunt was also very happy. Just like Wu Juan, she helped Liu Guangtian with their housework every day.

"What nonsense are you talking about, you naughty monkey!"

"Where are Guangtian and Chun'er?"

"I learned this from you. I'm still lying in bed. Among all of you, only Zhuzi is diligent. He knows how to get up early and cook for the family with Huairu."

The second aunt continued.

"Uh..." He Lai was speechless for a moment. He couldn't say that Sha Zhu didn't have a good mother.

At this time, Wu'er ran over and threw herself into He Lai's arms.

"Brother, brother, Xiao Yangzi said that his father once made a fishing bet with you, and you lost to Brother Zhuzi. Is that true?"

Wu'er asked.

"Uh... well, it seems like there is such a thing." When He Lai was asked this by Wu'er, he immediately remembered the "calling mother" incident that night.

"Brother, you are so useless, huh." Wu'er said and ran away.

He Lai was speechless at this time. This Sha Zhu was exposing his own dark secrets again. Fortunately, he didn't tell him the bet, otherwise He Lai would have planned to fight with him.

With He Lai joining, the chat group became larger and larger, and many people participated.

After a long while, Wu'er came over with a bowl.

"Brother, this is for you! I can't eat anymore." Wu'er gave the bowl and chopsticks to He Lai.

"What is this?" He Lai took it, picked up one with chopsticks and started looking at it.

Uh, it looks like Chinese cabbage. Oh my god, shouldn't Banggeng be the one who steals the Chinese cabbage? How come Wuer got it? If Wu Juan finds out about this, Wuer will not be able to escape her first beating of the year.

He Lai quickly carried Wu'er away from the crowd and entered Wu Juan's house. While Wu Juan was still in the rain, he quickly asked, "You are causing trouble for your eldest brother. Tell me, where did this vegetable heart come from?"

Wu'er looked at He Lai's serious expression and said truthfully, "I picked it from the cellar."

"Who taught you this!"

"Brother Zhuzi said that the heart of the cabbage is the most delicious! I just lost a bet, so I picked a little. Brother, please don't tell mom, okay?" Wu'er pleaded.

"Now you're scared. Come on, take me to the cellar and see how many cabbages you've destroyed."

After He finished speaking, he carried Wu'er to the cellar.

The cellar in the middle courtyard belongs to Sha Zhu's family. It is also the largest cellar in this courtyard. Many residents store their cabbage for the winter here.

When He Lai and his companions walked to the middle courtyard, He Lai discovered that Xiao Yangzi and his group were also eating cabbage hearts. He suddenly got a headache. How many cabbages had been wasted?

"Still eating, come here!"

As soon as He Lai spoke, Xiao Yangzi and others immediately ran over.

"Tell me, whose idea was this?" He Lai looked around at the crowd. There were more than a dozen children together, including Bang Geng, so he asked.

"Ah, what?" Xiao Yangzi still didn't understand what He said.

"What? Who asked Wu'er to pick these cauliflowers? And who cooked them?"

"This...is me..." Xiao Yangzi said with his head down.

"Well, Xiao Yangzi, you are getting bolder and bolder now, and you dare to lead Wu'er astray. Believe it or not, your uncle will spank you for your mother first!"

He Lai said.

"Uncle Lai, I was wrong. I won't do it again next time." Xiao Yangzi lowered his head and admitted his mistake.

"Do you know that without the heart, the cabbage will go bad in a few days?"

He Lai explained.

Although cabbage is not valuable, it is a very important daily necessity in that era, and almost every household stores a lot of it.

The cabbages without the heart will rot very quickly, and once they rot, the other cabbages piled together will also be infected. It won’t be long before the entire pile of cabbages will rot, and the loss will be serious.

"Ah, I don't know. I just heard my father say that cabbage heart is delicious, but he didn't say that cabbage will rot." Xiao Yangzi was also panicked now. He didn't expect that cabbage would rot without the cabbage heart.

“How many did you pick?”

Xiao Yangzi and the others did not answer but looked at Wu'er. It was obvious that it was Wu'er who did it.

"I forgot." Wu'er lowered her head, as if she knew she had made a big mistake.

"Xiao Yangzi, go and call your father to the cellar. Let's go down and take a look first. Remember, don't let anyone else know about this."

He Lai ordered.

"Got it. Come here, uncle (brother)." The children nodded obediently.

Soon everyone came to the cellar, where there were several piles of cabbage.

Wuer pointed to a pile of cabbages on the left side of the cellar door and said, "Brother, these are all."

He Lai lifted the curtain and took a look. Sure enough, there were more than thirty cabbages with their hearts dug out underneath.

Fortunately, fortunately, the quantity is not too much, enough for everyone in the hospital to have a meal.