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

After Jia Zhang took the persimmons out of her home, Cao Wei wanted to step forward to take the persimmons and distribute them fairly to everyone so as to end this farce as soon as possible.

But Jia Zhangshi was like a beast suddenly protecting its food, and dodged in an extremely exaggerated manner, just like protecting a rare treasure. She was tense and trembling slightly, as if Cao Wei was trying to snatch not a few ordinary persimmons, but a priceless treasure that concerned her life and property.

Then, she stared at Cao Wei with an extremely cautious look, her eyes full of vigilance, as if Cao Wei was a big liar who had committed heinous crimes and was unforgivable, and would do something bad to her in the next second.

Then, she pulled out her hoarse voice like a broken gong and shouted at the top of her lungs: "Cao Wei, stay away from me! Don't think I am not aware of your evil intentions. You must want to keep the persimmon for yourself and then secretly destroy the evidence. If there is any division, it should be me who should do it. It is not your turn to interfere! What are you thinking? Do you think I am a fool?" She shouted and waved her arms, as if she wanted to drive Cao Wei out of her sight.

Seeing her extreme reaction, Cao Wei let out a faint, teasing smile, his eyes full of indifference. He just shook his head slightly, as if he was watching a unreasonable child throwing a tantrum.

In his heart, he felt both ridiculous and helpless about Jia Zhang's behavior. He was too lazy to waste any more words on it and just waved his hand casually. That action was open-minded and casual, indicating that Jia Zhang could divide it however she wanted.

Anyway, Cao Wei had a clear mind and was well aware of the final outcome. The direction of this farce was under his control. He knew clearly that there was no problem with his persimmon, and Jia Zhang's efforts were in vain.

After receiving this seemingly "permission" response, Jia Zhang immediately got busy. Her wrinkled hands, like old tree bark, rummaged through the bag, and every movement was very careful, as if she was selecting the most precious treasure.

After careful selection, she first picked out two persimmons that looked relatively plump and bright in color, and handed them to Jia Dongxu and Bang Geng respectively.

But just as she handed it over, a trace of worry flashed across her cloudy eyes, and deep doubts were revealed in her eyes, as if she was thinking about something crucial. She seemed to be afraid that the "medicinal effect" of a persimmon was not enough to cause a stomachache, and this worry was like a haze hanging over her.

So she reached into the bag again and fiddled with it for a long time. Her hands kept groping and rummaging in the bag. After a while, she added two persimmons to each of the two men.

As she handed them over, she kept muttering. Her voice was not loud but revealed her stubbornness: "Yesterday they started to have stomachaches after eating two or three. I guess it should be the same today. Eat more, it's definitely right. Only by eating more can we make that kid named Cao pay up. This is a good opportunity for our family to turn things around, we can't miss it." As she spoke, she glanced at Cao Wei with a sidelong look that was full of calculation.

Banggeng held three persimmons in his hands, as if he was holding a hot potato. He looked at his grandmother with a blank and innocent face and whispered, "Grandma, I can't eat so much. I haven't finished my homework yet. If I eat too much, I won't be able to finish my homework. And I'm afraid I'll feel uncomfortable if I eat too much. I don't want to have the stomachache I had yesterday again."

Jia Zhang didn't care about that. Her eyes widened like an angry lioness, and she urged fiercely, "Eat when I tell you to. Why are you talking so much nonsense? If you get sick, we'll be rich. Why would we need to do homework? We'll eat and wear good clothes every day, and enjoy endless wealth and splendor. You're just ignorant, kid. You don't make a lot of money. When our family is rich in the future, will we still be worried about not having a teacher to teach you? Will we still be worried about not being able to do our homework well?"

Banggeng had no choice but to hold the persimmon tightly in his arms, his eyes full of grievance, like a puppy being forced by his owner to do something he didn't want to do. He lowered his head slightly, looking at the persimmon in his hand, as if thinking about what to do.

Jia Dongxu didn't say anything. He took the persimmons silently. Looking at the slightly green fruits with some spots on the skin in his hand, he swallowed involuntarily.

He was actually worried in his heart. It was not a pleasant experience to roll around on the bed with a stomachache yesterday. The overwhelming pain seemed to still be echoing in his stomach, and the pain left him with lingering fears.

But when he thought of the huge amount of money he might get, and imagined using the money to improve his life, buy new clothes, and eat delicious food, he gritted his teeth and made up his mind to start eating, as if those persimmons were not fruits but keys to wealth.

He took a deep breath, as if to cheer himself up, and then began to slowly peel the persimmon.

However, Jia Zhang's actions were like throwing a huge rock into a calm lake, causing strong dissatisfaction among the crowd. There were only a dozen persimmons in total, and the three of them took nine of them at once. How could they share the remaining seven or eight among so many people present?

There was a commotion among the crowd. Everyone looked at each other, their eyes filled with dissatisfaction and confusion.

Xu Damao was the first one who couldn't hold back. His already thin face was now full of displeasure, like a child whose favorite toy was taken away, his facial features were distorted with anger.

He complained in his signature shrill voice, like a sharp whistle: "Jia Zhang, you're going too far! There are so many persimmons, your family has almost taken them all, what else do we have to share? You can't be so selfish, everyone wants to see what's going on with these persimmons. How can we verify it if you take all the persimmons?" As he spoke, he pointed at the bag in Jia Zhang's hand with an exaggerated expression on his face.

When Jia Zhang heard this, her eyes instantly bulged like bells and her neck stiffened like a fighting rooster. She retorted bluntly: "This is our family's fruit. I can divide it however I want. What right do you have to point fingers here? Who do you think you are to meddle in my family's affairs? This is my own stuff, I can give it to whoever I want. What's it to you?" She put her hands on her hips, leaned forward, and looked like she was going to fight with Xu Damao.

Xu Damao's face turned red from choking, like a ripe tomato. His eyes rolled around and he immediately said contemptuously like a cunning fox: "Oh, since the fruit is yours, why should you ask Cao Wei for compensation? Can your fruit make you sick? Your logic is ridiculous. Do you still want to take advantage of the entire courtyard?" As he spoke, he waved his hands exaggeratedly, attracting the attention of people around him.

As soon as these words came out, the crowd around them burst into laughter. Everyone cast contemptuous glances at Jia Zhang, and those glances were like sharp knives.

Everyone was talking in low voices, and the voices rose and fell. "This person is so shameless, being a whore and pretending to be a saint. How can there be such a person in the world?" "That's right, how can it be so unreasonable, extorting others for their own things, it's too outrageous."

Some people in the crowd shook their heads and sighed, expressing disgust at Jia Zhang's behavior.

Jia Zhang's face turned pale and blue, changing colors like a palette. Although she usually liked to take advantage of others and act like a scoundrel, she was not so shameless that she didn't care about other people's opinions at all.

Being ridiculed by everyone, she felt ashamed and annoyed, like a lit powder keg, but she didn't know how to refute, so she could only vent her anger on Xu Damao.

She stretched out her dry, veiny fingers that looked like old tree bark, pointed at Xu Damao and trembled, cursing: "You, Xu Damao, you just keep talking nonsense here! If you have the ability, go ask Cao Wei for money yourself. What's the point of yelling at me here! You only know how to bully an old woman like me. Do you have any conscience at all? You bully a lonely old man like me." While cursing, she took a step forward, pretending to hit Xu Damao.

Xu Damao was not willing to be outdone. He took a step forward and stretched his neck like a fighting rooster, as if he was ready to fight Jia Zhang: "I'm not like you, doing shameless things. I just can't stand greedy people like you who want to take advantage of everything and don't consider others at all. You are too selfish. This courtyard belongs to everyone, not yours." He clenched his fists, his body trembling slightly, and looked ready to fight at any time.

Just when the two of them were arguing fiercely with each other like two wild beasts roaring at each other crazily, the third uncle stood up, his brows furrowed, as if he was tied in a knot, and said helplessly: "Stop arguing! We are all neighbors in the same yard. We will see each other every day. If you have something to say, just say it nicely. Don't ruin the relationship over such a small matter. If you keep arguing like this, our neighborhood relationship will be completely ruined. We have been neighbors for decades. Why make such a fuss over a few persimmons?" As he spoke, he gestured between the two of them, trying to calm them down.

Liu Haizhong also nodded in agreement, his fat face full of anxiety: "Yes, this matter has already become a big enough fuss. If we continue to argue like this, it will be a disgrace. Why don't we all take a step back and solve the problem calmly? This may just be a misunderstanding. There is no need to make it so awkward." He patted Xu Damao on the shoulder and waved to Jia Zhang, hoping to calm the dispute.

However, Jia Zhang and Xu Damao were arguing fiercely, like two out-of-control trains, and would not listen to any advice.

Jia Zhang was so angry that she was shaking all over, like a leaf falling in the cold wind, and she kept muttering, "I will never let you go after what happened today! I can't swallow this. I can't let myself be bullied and wronged like this."

As she said that, she turned around and wanted to find Cao Wei to argue, but she found that Cao Wei was still standing there calmly, with a faint smile on his lips, as if all this farce had nothing to do with him, and he was just a bystander who stayed out of it. He folded his hands in front of his chest, watching all this quietly, with a hint of sarcasm in his eyes.

At this time, Banggeng and Jia Dongxu were standing aside, holding those persimmons in their hands, as if they were holding bombs that could explode at any time, and seemed a little at a loss.

Banggeng whispered to Jia Dongxu, "Dad, it seems that no one believes us anymore. And I'm really scared. What if nothing happens after eating it? Then we will become a joke. Everyone will laugh at us, and I don't want to be laughed at."

With a persimmon stuffed in his mouth, Jia Dongxu said incoherently: "Don't worry about them, let's eat our own food. When our stomach hurts later, we'll see what they say. When we get the money, they will all shut up. Our family needs this money so much that we can't give up." As he spoke, he took another bite of the persimmon, as if to give himself courage.

Jia Zhang was ready to share the remaining persimmons with everyone. She had a dark face, like a dark cloud before a storm, and squeezed through the crowd, stuffing the persimmons into the hands of those who were closest to her. Her movements were rough and urgent, and she kept muttering, "Take them, taste them, and see if there is anything wrong with these persimmons. If you get sick from eating them, go ask Cao Wei for money. We can't let him get away with it. Everyone, please watch carefully and don't be fooled by him."

Some of the people looked hesitant, like a deer facing unknown danger, with fear and hesitation in their eyes; others took the persimmons with a hint of curiosity, with doubts flashing in their eyes, not knowing what consequences these persimmons would bring.

Finally, Jia Zhang came in front of Xu Damao, her eyes flashing with anger like burning flames. She thrust the last persimmon into Xu Damao's face, almost poking his nose, and said viciously: "Xu Damao, aren't you capable? Here, you can try it too! You have been clamoring for fairness, so now I'll give you a chance. Aren't you good at speaking? Eat this persimmon and see what you can say." Her hands trembled slightly with anger, and the expression on her face was very ferocious.

Xu Damao looked at the persimmons in front of him, his face turned pale and red, like an unpredictable neon light. His eyes rolled around, as fast as lightning, and he quickly glanced at Cao Wei, then immediately straightened his back, like a righteous guard, and said righteously: "I won't associate with you! Cao Wei and I are good brothers, I can't cheat him. I won't eat this fruit, I trust Cao Wei, his things are definitely good. I won't lose my principles for this little profit. Although I, Xu Damao, like to take advantage of a little, I can't do such a thing against my conscience." As he spoke, he patted his chest, looking righteous.

Xu Damao was a cunning fellow, and he had already calculated everything in his mind like a precise abacus. If nothing happened after eating this persimmon, he would have been a "guinea pig" for Cao Wei for nothing, and he might be laughed at by others, and he would not be able to hold his head up in the courtyard in the future; if something went wrong after eating it, this little compensation would not even cover the cost of going to the hospital, not to mention the possible troubles that might come later, and he might even develop a chronic disease.

Besides, looking at the current situation, Cao Wei seems to have a sure win, so I can't stand on the wrong side. If I offend Cao Wei, how can I survive in this courtyard? I might even have to rely on Cao Wei for help in the future. He thought about this in his heart, with a hint of cunning in his eyes.

When Jia Zhang heard this, she was so angry that she almost jumped up. She stretched out her hand and pretended to grab Xu Damao, as if she wanted to eat him alive: "You little bastard, you were yelling just now, and now you are pretending to be a good person. You are a two-faced person! You are a fence-sitter, you will lean towards whichever side has the advantage. I have seen a lot of people like you, and none of them is a good thing." Her body trembled violently with anger, and the wrinkles on her face became deeper because of anger.

Xu Damao dodged back nimbly like a nimble monkey, avoiding Jia Zhang's hand and put on a fake smile on his face, which was uglier than crying: "Jia Zhang, what you said is just to distinguish right from wrong. We have to be reasonable in this matter between you and Cao Wei, right? I'm just seeking truth from facts and don't want to get involved in such unreasonable things. If you really think there is something wrong with the persimmon, you can find evidence yourself and don't make a fuss here." As he spoke, he took a few steps back, fearing that Jia Zhang would pounce on him again.

The people around him couldn't help shaking their heads when they saw Xu Damao's appearance. Someone whispered, "Xu Damao is such a sly guy. He goes wherever the wind blows. He has no stance at all and only thinks about himself. This kind of person should not be made friends with in the future." Everyone was disgusted by Xu Damao's behavior and looked down on him.

At this time, some of the people who got the persimmons had already started eating them, and while eating they were paying attention to their body's reactions like vigilant sentinels.

Aunt Li took a bite of the persimmon and frowned slightly, like the surface of a lake wrinkled by the breeze. She felt a little uneasy and looked at the Jia Zhang family from time to time, as if waiting to see their reaction, thinking that if something happened to their family first, she would be able to deal with it. While eating, she silently prayed in her heart that nothing would go wrong.

Uncle Wang held the persimmon, hesitated again and again, as if making a difficult decision, and finally took a small bite. He sighed, the sound was long and helpless, and muttered to himself: "This matter is really not right. We are all neighbors, why do we have to do this? A close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. If we go on like this, how can we get along in the future?" He shook his head, his eyes full of helplessness and regret.

Banggeng looked at the chaotic scene around him, then looked at the persimmon in his hand as if it were a hot potato, and whispered to Jia Dongxu: "Dad, it seems that no one trusts us anymore. And it feels like everyone is laughing at us. I really don't want to eat it. I'm afraid that if nothing happens after eating it, we will become a laughing stock."

With a persimmon in his mouth, Jia Dongxu said incoherently, "Don't worry about them. Let's eat our own food. When our stomach hurts, we'll see what they say. As long as we get the money, everything will be worth it. Our family is so poor. This is an opportunity to change our destiny. We can't give up."

As he spoke, he picked up another persimmon and prepared to eat more, as if he had been blinded by money.

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