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

There was a confident and slightly sarcastic smile on Cao Wei's lips. That smile seemed to be endowed with a mysterious magic, spreading like ripples in the small world of the courtyard.

He was wearing a Mao suit that was a little faded from washing but still looked as neat as new. Every crease seemed to tell the story of the years.

His body is slightly sideways, and his upright posture is like a pine tree that has weathered wind and rain but still stands tall, exuding a calm and confident aura.

His eyes were like two extremely sharp cold rays, falling directly on Jia Zhang as if they were real. There was no hesitation or evasion in his eyes, which were as firm as ice that had not melted for a thousand years.

At this moment, he raised his head slightly and spoke with unquestionable confidence in his tone. His voice was loud and firm, as if carrying a thousand pounds of force, echoing powerfully in the sky above the courtyard.

Jia Zhang was the first to attack, with a look of suspicion and dissatisfaction on her face, and she shouted: "Cao Wei, you are so easy to say. This fruit looks good, and no one can tell whether it is good or bad."

Cao Wei was not in a hurry, and his smile became even wider. He responded: "Jia Zhang, why don't you eat it again now? If there is really a problem, everyone will see it at a glance."

When Jia Zhang heard this, her eyes widened, she waved her hands in the air and screamed, "Who dares to eat this fruit? It will make you sick. Last time we ate it, we suffered so much."

Cao Wei was calm when he heard this. He raised his voice and said loudly, "If that's the case, let's use facts to speak for themselves. Jia Zhang, since you and Yi Zhonghai are so sure that my persimmons are defective, then quickly take out the remaining fruits from your home. Let's carefully check whether there is any problem with the fruit in public today, in front of everyone."

"If you guys eat this persimmon and something bad happens to you, I, Cao Wei, will keep my word and pay you 1,000 yuan as compensation on the spot, not a penny less, absolutely no ambiguity!"

As he spoke, he stretched out his right hand and waved it vigorously in the air. The movement was vigorous and powerful, as if to emphasize to everyone the unquestionable weight of his words, and seemed to carve an invisible promise in the air.

As soon as these words were spoken, it was like dropping a powerful blockbuster bomb on the lake, which was already undercurrent-filled and calm on the surface but had countless whirlpools hidden deep inside.

In an instant, the originally calm situation was completely broken, and the calm lake surface instantly stirred up thousands of waves, with splashes of water.

The crowd that had been whispering and talking amongst themselves was now like a powder keg that had been lit, and it exploded with a loud bang.

Yi Zhonghai was a little uneasy when he heard Cao Wei's words. After all, the outcome of this gambling game was unpredictable. But he still pretended to be calm, and said with a mocking smile, "Cao Wei, you are just being stubborn! I think you should prepare the money quickly, or you will lose everything and cry. If you beg for mercy now, I, Yi Zhonghai, will be magnanimous and may consider letting you go. Otherwise, you will be in trouble later."

Cao Wei looked at Yi Zhonghai with disdain, his eyes full of disdain, and said coldly: "You are so worried about me, why don't you open your eyes and see the facts clearly. Don't lose and then act like a scoundrel and make trouble here, which will embarrass you."

In the crowd, the always warm-hearted Aunt Li couldn't help but frowned and said, "Oh, what a fuss! We have such a good relationship among neighbors, why do we have to gamble so much? If something goes wrong with the food, it's no joke, and someone might even die."

Uncle Wang also agreed. He shook his head and said helplessly, "Yes, we all live in the same yard. We see each other every day. Can't we discuss things properly? If this gambling game makes everyone unhappy, how can we get along in the future? Neighbors should still be harmonious."

However, these words of persuasion did not extinguish the curiosity and expectations of the people about this gambling game. In that era of relative scarcity, the temptation of one thousand yuan was too great for most people to resist.

The first person in the crowd who couldn't hold back was Xu Damao's shrill voice that tinged with greed.

I saw his tall and thin figure squeezing out from the crowd with great effort, just like a loach swimming desperately in a narrow river, eager to find an exit.

He was wearing a slightly fancy shirt that looked worn out due to long wear and tear. The collar was slightly open, revealing his bony neck, which looked particularly prominent in the cold wind.

At this moment, he was rubbing his hands rapidly, as if his hands were constantly stirring the increasingly intense greed in his heart. His eyes were flashing with greedy light like a hungry wolf seeing its prey. That light seemed to ignite the air around him, as if he was going to pounce on the one thousand yuan that he might get in the next second and take it for himself.

He couldn't wait to ask, "Cao Wei, are you serious? Don't try to cheat me! This is a thousand yuan! Just think about it, if you can get such a large sum of money just because of eating this persimmon and having a stomachache, it's worth it. What's more, if nothing happens after eating it, we can taste it for free, and it's a good deal. You have to think about it carefully, and don't say this carelessly, otherwise we won't forgive you."

As Xu Damao spoke, he glanced at Cao Wei with a look of suspicion and expectation. The two emotions intertwined together, making his look particularly complicated. He was calculating in his mind. In his eyes, this was a sure win. No matter what the result was, he felt that he would not suffer any loss. It was as if he had seen the thousand yuan waving at him, imagining that he could do many things that he would not dare to think of in normal days after getting the money.

When Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu heard this, their hearts, which were already restless due to anger and unwillingness, were now even more itchy due to the temptation of the thousand yuan. It was as if there were millions of tiny ants crawling back and forth in their hearts, making them feel uneasy. Their feet seemed to be roasted by fire and kept moving.

They were certain from the beginning that there was something wrong with Cao Wei's fruit. When they heard such a bet, their eyes widened instantly, as if they were about to pop out of their sockets, flashing with a light of greed and expectation. The light was like a strange phosphorescent fire in the night sky, flickering in the darkness, revealing a kind of eagerness and madness.

Jia Zhang quickly calculated in her mind, if she, Jia Dongxu, and her grandson Banggeng all had problems eating, wouldn't Cao Wei have to pay 3,000 yuan as compensation? That's 3,000 yuan, which is an astronomical figure for their already struggling family.

Their family is now worried about money. They live a tight life. The rice jar is already empty, and the children's clothes are full of patches. They hope that one piece of clothing can be worn by several generations.

For them, the three thousand yuan was like a timely rain after a long drought. It could solve their urgent problems, bring new life to this dilapidated home, and bring their lives to a new level.

Thinking of this, Jia Zhang could no longer suppress her inner excitement. She took a step forward, her body trembling slightly with excitement, like a vicious dog about to pounce on its prey. All the muscles in her body were tense, and every nerve was beating excitedly, ready to go.

She pulled out her hoarse voice like a broken gong and shouted at Cao Wei at the top of her lungs: "Cao Wei, please explain clearly. If other people in our family eat these persimmons and get sick, will you pay them? Don't deny it when the time comes! We poor people can't stand your torment. If you dare to cheat, I will never let you go!"

As Jia Zhang spoke, she waved her wrinkled, dry bark-like hands in the air, as if to give herself courage, or to demonstrate to Cao Wei. The veins on her hands bulged high from the force, like twisted earthworms, which were particularly glaring on her dry skin.

Cao Wei was still smiling, but there was a barely perceptible contempt hidden in that smile, as if he was watching a group of overconfident clowns performing a farce on the stage.

He glanced at Jia Zhang and the people around him who were full of expectation, straightened his back, and his posture became more upright, like a towering mountain, standing out among the crowd.

He said loudly again: "Everyone is watching here. I, Cao Wei, always keep my word. How could I possibly lie? Everyone present is a witness. If anyone has any problems after eating this persimmon, no matter who it is in your family or other neighbors, I will compensate you! You won't lose a penny! I, Cao Wei, have always been open and aboveboard in doing things. I will never be like some people who only play tricks."

As Cao Wei spoke, he crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes revealing a calmness that showed he was in control of the situation, as if everything was within his expectations. He knew clearly that there was nothing wrong with his persimmons. He knew clearly that the reason why the Jia Zhang family had stomach problems before was because they ate persimmons and crabs together, which was caused by the food incompatibility, and had nothing to do with his persimmons themselves. Therefore, he dared to accept the bet so confidently and arrogantly. In his opinion, this was just a farce, and he was the master of this farce, and everything was under his control.

At this time, the kind and honest Mr. Liu stepped forward and advised: "Cao Wei, forget about this bet. We are all neighbors. We will see each other every day. Don't let this hurt your relationship. If there is any misunderstanding, sit down and talk it out. Why do you have to make it like this?"

Cao Wei responded with a smile, with a hint of helplessness in his tone: "Uncle Liu, it's not that I don't give you face, it's that they insist on believing that there is something wrong with my persimmons. I'm doing this to prove my innocence. Otherwise, if everyone misunderstands me like this in the future, how can I do business and protect my reputation?"

When Jia Zhang heard this, her eyes sparkled with excitement, so bright that it was dazzling, like two burning flames. She felt that she had already won the game, as if the three thousand yuan was already in her pocket. She could even feel the thick stack of bills pressing against her body in her pocket. She imagined that after getting the money, she could buy new clothes, delicious food, and improve her family's life.

She couldn't sit still any longer. Without saying anything, she turned around and ran home. Her steps were as fast as a fleeing rabbit, and every step seemed to be stepping on her heartbeat. As she ran, she shouted at the top of her voice: "Banggeng, Banggeng, come out! There's great news! Our family is going to get rich!"

The sharp sound echoed in the sky above the courtyard, startling several sparrows that were originally perched leisurely on the branches. They fluttered up from the branches and circled in the air in panic, chirping, as if they were also frightened by this sudden change and didn't know what to do.

After a while, she was seen pulling Banggeng out of the house in a hurry. Banggeng was still confused, and was pulled by his grandmother's arm, jogging all the way, mumbling: "Grandma, what's the matter? Why are you in such a hurry? I haven't finished my homework yet. The teacher will check it tomorrow. If I don't hand it in, I will be scolded."

Bang Geng was wearing a baggy, obviously ill-fitting piece of clothing. The clothing hung loosely on his body, making him look a little funny. The sleeves were too long and almost covered his hands.

Jia Zhang had no time to explain to him, her mind and eyes were full of the 3,000 yuan that was about to come. At this moment, she was like a gambler who had lost her mind and didn't care about the consequences. She only wanted to get a stomachache again and pocket the huge sum of money. Even if she had to eat the disgusting "gold juice" again, as long as she could get the money, she thought it was worth it.

While pulling the stick, she kept muttering to herself, "Grandson, you have to eat more persimmons later. If you get an upset stomach, we'll be rich. Grandma will buy you new clothes and lots of delicious food. You won't have to wear these tattered clothes or eat those dry meals every day." Her eyes revealed a kind of madness and persistence, as if she had fallen into a vortex of money from which she couldn't extricate herself. In this vortex, she lost herself and only saw the tempting money.

At this time, on the open space of the courtyard, everyone formed a circle, surrounding Cao Wei, Yi Zhonghai, the Jia Zhang family and the pile of controversial persimmons in the middle.

The air seemed to freeze, everyone held their breath, as if time had stopped.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the persimmons, as if they were not ordinary fruits but key props that determined fate, waiting for a big show to begin.

The cold wind was still howling in the yard. The sound of the wind was like a roaring beast, sweeping through every corner violently, making everyone's clothes rustle. The clothes fluttered in the wind, but it could not blow away the tense, depressing and expectant atmosphere.

Everyone was secretly wondering what the outcome of this bet about persimmons would be.

Will Cao Wei really have to bleed heavily and lose face in Siheyuan from then on, or will the Jia Zhang family lose more than they gain, not only not getting any money, but also becoming a laughing stock of everyone.

Everyone is waiting with bated breath, time seems to stand still at this moment, just waiting for that crucial scene to take place, and this scene seems to determine the atmosphere of the courtyard for some time to come, and will also affect the direction of the relationship between these characters.

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