Siheyuan: The Counterattack of Passerby

Before returning to the courtyard, he took out the cotton cloth, melon seeds and peanuts, a bow and a pot of arrows he had bought today from the space. He also took out a piece of pork belly weighing about one pound, carried it on his back or in his hand, and staggered back to the courtyard. Yan Bugui had already skipped work and ran back home at this time, but he continued to guard the gate, staring at it with a sly look in his eyes, while pretending to tidy up the flowers and plants in front of his house.

When he saw Lin Geng coming in, especially when he saw the bag of cotton cloth and snacks such as melon seeds and peanuts in Lin Geng's hand, his eyes lit up and he asked with a smile: "Xiao Lin is back! You really bought a lot of things! Oh! This piece of pork belly is good!"

However, he did not reach out his hand, because he had made up his mind to have a good relationship with Lin Geng, and he also heard what the third aunt told him today, that Lin Geng would give their family a few tomatoes today, so that everyone in the family could have one. Yan Bugui was very happy and ate the small tomato left by the third aunt happily. It tasted really good.

So he also understood that Lin Geng was not a stingy person. As long as he had a good relationship with him and helped him in the future, Lin Geng would not be stingy with him. He would always get the benefits. So when he saw Lin Geng carrying things back, he didn't think of plotting against Lin Geng or taking advantage of him.

However, Lin Geng still handed the piece of pork belly to Yan Bugui and said, "Teacher Yan, I have to go out and re-stuff the quilt in a while. When I come back, I will trouble Auntie to help me sew the cover of the new quilt.

I troubled you and Brother Damao to be witnesses for me last night, and I’m sorry that I disturbed your rest. Tonight, ask Auntie San to help me make this piece of meat into braised pork, and add some potatoes into it, and stew it until it’s mushy. I’ll buy two bottles of good wine on the way, and we can also call Uncle Wang to come along, and we’ll have a few drinks!

Leave some meat for your child to enjoy! I still have some fish I caught yesterday, please ask Auntie to stew two more. It’s settled tonight!”

Yan Bugui almost laughed out loud when he heard this. Lin Geng was really generous! He bought more than a pound of pork belly at once and gave it to his wife to cook. He also took the initiative to ask them to keep some for the children. This was giving him face!

Yan Bugui was so happy that he took the meat and said: "Xiao Lin is really generous! Come on, just go and do your work. I'll ask your aunt to cook for us. After Lao Wang and Damao get off work, I'll notify them and come to your place in the evening!"

"Come on! I'll leave this matter to you! I'll come out and bring the fish to you later! Thank you, Auntie!" Lin Geng said with a smile.

The third aunt also heard it, and hurried out with a smile on her face and said, "It's not a bother, it's not a bother. Look at you, kid, why are you so polite? If you have anything in the future, just tell me! I don't have much to do at home every day, so if you have anything, just tell me!"

Lin Geng nodded with a smile and agreed. He carried his bow and quiver and walked towards the central courtyard with the cloth in his hand.

"Xiao Lin, where did you get this bow? Can you shoot arrows?" It was only then that Yan Bugui saw the bow on Lin Geng's back, the quiver hanging behind his buttocks with a dozen feather arrows in it, and asked Lin Geng with curiosity.

Lin Geng then laughed and said, "I just like this thing. I saw it by chance when I passed by the trust store just now, so I bought it. When I have time, I will go and practice and see if I can go hunting and get some game to eat."

The reason why he came back openly carrying a bow and arrow was to let the people in the yard see it, so that when he brought back some game in the future, it would be easier to explain. This would prevent someone from getting jealous and reporting him. Although they couldn't do anything to him, it would be disgusting, wouldn't it?

After hearing this, Yan Bugui didn't say anything more. He turned around and went home happily to help the third aunt prepare the dishes. He was in a very good mood.

When Lin Geng returned home, he saw that the house had been cleaned by Third Aunt and Aunt Liu, and everything was arranged neatly. He was very satisfied. After putting down the bow and arrow and cloth, he went to the kitchen and took out two grass carps weighing about two kilograms from the vat at the door. Before leaving, he gave the fish, a bag of potatoes taken out from the space, and a juicy cabbage to Third Aunt, and asked her to cook it together. In the stewed potatoes with meat, stir-fried potato shreds with vinegar and some cabbage with oil residue, they would be quite good dishes for dinner.

Then he carried the dried bedding out of the yard and went to the cotton-fluffing shop where Yan Bugui told him to go. He sent all the cotton taken out from his cotton-padded jackets and trousers to have it re-fluffed to make a few thicker beddings. With the new cotton cloth, life would be much more comfortable this winter.

He planned to build a kang for his home so that he would be more comfortable sleeping in the winter. Although he could also sleep in the thatched cottage in his little world, it lacked the atmosphere of life and was not as sound as sleeping in his own bed. Therefore, Lin Geng still preferred to sleep in his own bed. The weather was about to get cold, so he had to tidy up the house as soon as possible and prepare for the winter.

As soon as he returned to the courtyard in the evening, Lin Geng saw Xu Damao, Lao Wangtou and Yan Bugui waiting for him in the front yard. Yan Bugui smiled and told Lin Geng that the dishes were ready and they were just waiting for him to come back.

He also whispered to Lin Geng that Auntie One, Auntie Two and Qin Huairu had also returned, and even the deaf old lady had returned to the courtyard this afternoon.

After asking around, he found out that although the deaf old lady was to be detained for fifteen days, she had only been detained for one day when she caught a cold in the detention room of the police station and started to have a fever.

The police at the police station thought that although the old lady was not a good person, she was in her seventies or eighties after all. They were afraid that the old lady would die in the detention room of the police station, so they contacted the street office and asked the first and second aunties to take the deaf old lady back to the courtyard and get some medicine for her.

So the deaf old lady was detained for just over a day and then released. She has now returned to the house in the backyard where she lived.

After hearing this, Lin Geng curled his lips, a little dissatisfied, but since the police had released her, he couldn't make any more trouble, so he could only accept it. However, after the big mouth slapped the deaf old lady and tore off her disguise this time, the old lady must have lost face. In the future, the residents in the yard will no longer respect and worship her like before, so she should be obedient.

So Lin Geng stopped worrying about it. He had already had a lot of fun slapping those guys. The old lady's face was probably still as swollen as a pig's head. She probably wouldn't show up and embarrass herself before she recovered.

Lin Geng then asked Xu Damao and Lao Wang to take the dishes home and prepare to drink.

Old Wang wanted to go home and get a bottle of Sanbai, as he felt embarrassed to go to Lin's house empty-handed to drink and eat. However, Lin stopped him, saying that he had prepared a few bottles of Erguotou and they would drink Erguotou tonight.

Although Erguotou is not an expensive liquor, the men in Beijing like the taste of Erguotou, and drinking Erguotou does not make them look cheap.

So Old Wang followed Lin Geng back home feeling a little embarrassed. Lin Geng directly gave Old Wang some braised pork and potatoes, and also gave Old Wang a few steamed buns made of two-grain flour that he asked the three aunts to steam for him, and asked him to take them back to his three grandchildren to eat, so as not to let them starve.

Old Wang didn't want to take it, his eyes suddenly became moist and he said that this was not possible. Yesterday Lin Gengjiu gave him two fish and today he invited him to drink and eat meat. How could he take the food back for his children? He refused to take it no matter what.

So Lin Geng had no choice but to ask Xu Damao to run a trip and deliver the steamed buns made of two cups of flour and a bowl of braised pork and potatoes to Old Wang's house in the front yard for the child to eat.

Then the four of them sat down, opened the bottle of wine, and prepared to start eating and drinking.

But before they could start, the door rang. Lin Geng got up and opened the door, only to see Qin Huairu holding the stick and staring at him with resentment on her face at the door.