Siheyuan: I live next door to Xu Damao, my last name is Cao

The night was like an endless and extremely thick piece of black silk, gently yet resolutely covering the entire yard.

It was pitch black all around, with one not being able to see one's hand in front of one's face. Only the dim light from the Jia residence was flickering lonely in the inky night.

It is like a faint but firm light, stubbornly resisting the overwhelming invasion of darkness.

Inside the house, Jia Zhang stood silently by, her eyes lovingly cast on her son Jia Dongxu and grandson Banggeng who were wolfing down their meals.

In front of them were a few plates of leftovers brought back from Liu Haizhong's house next door. Although not rich, it was a rare delicacy for this poor family.

Banggeng's small body was lying on the edge of the table, and his tender little face was almost completely buried in the plate.

His chubby little hands tightly grasped a piece of temptingly colored braised pork and he took a big bite.

The tender and juicy piece of meat crunched in his mouth, and the rich meaty aroma spread instantly.

The gravy flowed down the corners of his mouth and dripped onto the clothes that had long been washed to a pale color and were somewhat worn, forming dark stains.

But Banggeng ignored all this and continued swallowing the food in his mouth in big mouthfuls, as if he was tasting the most precious and delicious delicacy in the world.

Every time he swallowed a mouthful of food with difficulty, he would smack his lips in satisfaction, making a loud sound.

He looked just like a hungry beast that had not eaten for a long time and was greedily enjoying the hard-earned feast of food in front of him.

Looking at Jia Dongxu again, he could only lean against the head of the bed due to his physical condition.

Even so, his eyes were still full of desire as he looked at the food on the table.

Although his movements seemed a little laborious and slow, he still tried hard to reach out his hand to pick up the food on the plate and put it into his mouth.

Every chewing and swallowing seemed to be a great enjoyment for him, and a smile of happiness and satisfaction appeared on his face involuntarily.

The chopsticks moved quickly back and forth between the plate and the mouth, making a "smacking" sound.

After a while, his belly bulged slightly and his face was full of satisfaction.

Looking at them like this, Jia Zhang's mouth corners unconsciously rose up, revealing a relieved smile.

But behind the smile, there is a deep sadness.

She knew very well how rare such a meal was for them who came from a poor family.

She also quickly reached out and grabbed two big crabs, with a barely perceptible sense of haste in her movements.

I was afraid that if I was a step slower, this rare delicacy would be snatched away by my family.

She gently stretched out her fingers, pinched the edge of the crab shell, and then slowly and carefully peeled it open.

Every movement was so gentle and cautious, as if what he held in his hand was not an ordinary crab, but a rare treasure in the world.

As the crab shell is peeled off little by little, the crab meat inside is as white and flawless as mutton-fat jade, and at the same time it exudes bursts of tempting aroma, which goes straight into people's noses, making people salivate.

She carefully picked up a piece of crab meat with her chopsticks, as if she were protecting a fragile pearl, and gently put it into her mouth.

The moment the crab meat touched her tongue, she began to chew it slowly. The tender and juicy crab meat spread in her mouth, releasing an incomparable delicious taste, and bloomed brilliantly on the tip of her tongue in an instant.

The wonderful taste made her squint her eyes involuntarily, and she immersed herself in this brief but extreme satisfaction.

Jia Zhang savored this gift from the sea to her heart's content, feeling the joy and happiness that the food brought her.

However, although the crab looks large, it actually doesn't have a lot of meat.

Jia Zhang had already eaten two whole crabs, but her stomach still felt empty. The unbearable feeling of hunger still followed her closely, with no sign of easing.

She subconsciously reached out and touched her shriveled belly, sighed slightly, and murmured softly: "This crab looks quite big, but why is there so little meat! It's such a pity..."

The regretful voice echoed slowly in this small room.

However, at this time the house was filled with the sounds of Banggeng and Jia Dongxu eating happily. They both ate with gusto, completely immersed in the deliciousness of the crabs.

Therefore, Jia Zhang's sigh was soon drowned out by the lively atmosphere.

Look at the dog over there, he is lying on the table, licking the plate very hard!

He looked so serious and focused, as if he wanted to lick every last bit of grease on the plate clean.

His little face was covered with sauce, and he looked like a cute little cat. He looked very funny.

At this time, Jia Dongxu had already put down his chopsticks, leaned against the head of the bed, and burped contentedly.

The burp sounded particularly loud in the quiet night, as if announcing his satisfaction.

He touched his round belly and a long-lost smile appeared on his face. There was an indescribable satisfaction and joy in that smile, as if all the fatigue from all this time had disappeared at this moment.

"Mom, this meal was so enjoyable. I haven't had such a good meal in a long time." He said with emotion.

As Jia Zhang looked at the satisfied looks on her son and grandson's faces, the feeling of relief in her heart grew stronger, like the warm sun in winter, dispelling the haze in her heart.

She felt that the warmth and happiness at that moment seemed to make the whole world beautiful.

However, this tranquility was soon interrupted by Jia Dongxu's frown.

Jia Dongxu suddenly frowned, as if he remembered something important, and turned to Jia Zhang and said, "Mom, you just said that you were going to Cao Wei's house to get some fruit?"

Jia Zhang nodded, with a hint of expectation on her face: "Yes, Cao Wei said that they have some fruits at home, and asked me to bring some back to improve our family's living conditions."

After hearing this, Jia Dongxu frowned even more tightly, and a hint of vigilance appeared in his eyes.

"Mom, don't you find it strange? Why is Cao Wei so kind? We have to be careful, maybe there is any trap." He reminded, his tone full of worry.

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhang was slightly stunned and then fell into deep thought.

She knew that what her son said made sense. After all, in this world full of competition and interests, sincerity between people is often elusive.

Her original joy was replaced by a trace of worry, but soon she cheered up again.

"It's okay, Dongxu, Mom will handle it carefully." She comforted, trying to reassure her son.

However, Jia Dongxu still frowned, and he always had an uneasy feeling in his heart, as if something was about to happen.

"Dongxu, don't think too much. Cao Wei may have felt bad for our family because of the difficulties they faced, so he wanted to help us. Besides, it's only natural for neighbors to help each other."

Jia Dongxu shook his head, his tone was a little doubtful, like a person groping in the dark, wary of the light before him.

"Mom, you are too naive. Cao Wei is not a good person. He was not so kind to our family before. Now he is suddenly so generous. He must have other purposes."

After hearing this, Jia Zhang felt a little uneasy. The uneasiness was like a little bug gnawing at her heart.

But she still pretended to be calm and tried to give some comfort to herself and her son.

"Dongxu, don't let your imagination run wild. Cao Wei is still a neighbor after all. Our family is in such a difficult situation right now, and he would be happy to help if he can. Besides, there is nothing in our family that is worth him plotting against."

Jia Dongxu sighed, and there was a hint of helplessness in that sigh, as if he was making a final struggle against his mother's stubbornness.

"Mom, you are too trusting. Cao Wei is a man with deep thoughts. We should be careful."

After hearing this, Jia Zhang felt a little nervous, but she still comforted him.

"Okay, Dongxu, don't think too much. Our family is in such a difficult situation right now, if someone is willing to help us, we have to accept it. As for Cao Wei's purpose, let's take it one step at a time."

Banggeng was listening at the side. Although he didn't quite understand what the adults were saying, his little head was filled with anticipation for the fruit, so he couldn't help but interrupt.

"Grandma, when are we going to get the fruit? I can't wait!"

Banggeng's childish voice was full of eagerness, like a cheerful little bird, breaking the slightly solemn atmosphere in the room.

Jia Zhang smiled and touched Bang Geng's head, her action was gentle and loving.

"Don't worry, grandma will be there soon. You guys wait at home, grandma will be back soon."

After saying that, Jia Zhang stood up, straightened her slightly worn clothes, and tried to make herself look more decent.

Although she felt a little uneasy, she thought about the fact that she still had fruit to eat at home.

That kind of expectation is like a burning flame, dispelling the haze in my heart.

Jia Zhang stood at the door of Cao Wei's house, feeling a little nervous, anxious and uneasy.

Her hands trembled slightly as she knocked on the door gently. The knock sounded particularly crisp in the quiet night.

The door was opened quickly and Cao Wei stood at the door with a ruddy face, obviously having drunk a lot of wine at Liu Haizhong's house just now.

When he saw Jia Zhang, he was stunned for a moment, and then he smiled. That smile was like the sunshine in spring, warm and kind.

"Hey, Jia Zhang, you're here! Come in quickly."

Jia Zhang stood at the door awkwardly. Her voice was low and a little reserved. "Cao Wei, I'm so sorry to bother you so late. You asked me to get some fruit, so I'm here right now..."

Cao Wei waved his hand, his tone relaxed and casual, as if he was talking about something very ordinary.

"It's okay. You're welcome. I will definitely do what I promised."

After saying that, he turned around and shouted into the house, "Yu Li, bring us our washed persimmons and pears!"

Yu Li's voice came from the room, and soon she came out holding a bamboo basket.

The basket was filled with fresh persimmons and pears with smooth skin.

It sparkles with an alluring luster under the dim light and exudes a faint fruity fragrance.

The fruity fragrance was like an invisible hand, gently hooking Jia Zhang's nose, and her eyes suddenly lit up.

She originally thought that the fruits given by Cao Wei might be stale and about to go bad.

I didn't expect that they were all fresh, and a feeling of gratitude suddenly surged in my heart.

The gratitude was like a surging tide that almost drowned her.

"Cao Wei, this... this is so embarrassing! The fruit you gave me is too good!"

Jia Zhang took the basket, her voice trembling and her eyes moist.

The tears were welling up in his eyes, as if they would burst out at any moment.

Cao Wei smiled, his tone gentle, like a spring breeze, gently brushing Jia Zhang's heart.

"Mrs. Jia Zhang, you are welcome. We are all neighbors, and we should help each other. Besides, these fruits are not fresh after being stored for a long time, so it's just right for you to take them."

Jia Zhang nodded repeatedly and said gratefully, "Cao Wei, you are such a good person! I thank you on behalf of Bang Geng and Dong Xu! We will always remember your kindness!"

The words of gratitude kept pouring out of her mouth like a string of cannonballs.

Cao Wei waved his hand and said with a smile: "Okay, don't be so polite. Go back quickly, Banggeng and Dongxu are still waiting."

Jia Zhang held the basket full of fruits, feeling both touched and a little ashamed.

She didn't expect Cao Wei to be so generous, and she couldn't help feeling a little guilty about her previous doubts. The guilt was like a heavy stone pressing on her heart.

She bowed deeply, a bow filled with her gratitude and apology, then turned and left Cao Wei's house.

Jia Zhang was walking in the dim alley, holding a basket of fruit.

The night breeze blew gently, bringing a hint of coolness, which was like a soft hand, caressing her hot cheeks.

Her steps became lighter and her heart was filled with joy and gratitude.

The fresh persimmons and pears in the basket exude a faint fruity aroma.

The fruity aroma was like beautiful music, lingering around her nose and making her swallow.

"Banggeng and Dongxu will definitely be very happy to see these fruits."

Jia Zhang thought to herself and a long-lost smile appeared on her face.

When they arrived at the door of the house, Banggeng and Jia Dongxu were already getting a little anxious.

As soon as Banggeng saw the basket in Jia Zhang's hand, he immediately cheered, and the cheers instantly broke the silence of the night sky.

"Grandma, did you get the fruit?"

Jia Zhang smiled and nodded, placing the basket on the table, her movements gentle and somewhat joyful.

"I got it. Come and have a look. There are persimmons and pears!"

Banggeng couldn't wait to open the basket. When he saw the fresh fruits inside, his eyes widened with surprise and desire.

He grabbed a pear and took a big bite. The juice flowed down the corners of his mouth, but he didn't care at all. He just said vaguely: "Grandma, this pear is so sweet!"

Jia Dongxu also picked up a persimmon, peeled it, took a bite, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face, which was full of enjoyment of the food.

"Mom, these persimmons are so delicious! Cao Wei is really generous this time."

Watching her son and grandson eating with gusto, Jia Zhang felt both gratified and a little emotional. The emotion was like ripples on a calm lake that took a long time to subside.

She said softly, "Cao Wei really helped us a lot this time. We must remember their kindness in the future."

Jia Dongxu nodded, with a hint of emotion in his tone. The emotion was like the traces of time, engraved in his words: "Mom, you are right. Cao Wei really helped us this time. I really underestimated him."

Banggeng ate the pear while mumbling, "Grandma, Uncle Cao Wei is such a good man! You can go to their house to ask for food next time!"

Jia Zhang felt warm in her heart after hearing this. She touched Bang Geng's head and said with a smile, "Good boy, I'll let you go next time."

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