Siheyuan: Sap is the last word

Walking out of the courtyard, there were few pedestrians on the street, and only a few shops were open. He Yudong walked into a small store and bought a few bags of rice and some daily necessities. Carrying the heavy bags, he walked back slowly. The snow was getting heavier and the road was getting more and more slippery, so he had to walk carefully.

.............

When He Yudong reached the gate of the courtyard, he suddenly heard a cry of surprise. He looked up and saw Xu Damao pushing a bicycle, struggling to move forward in the snow. Due to the slippery road, Xu Damao's bicycle wheels kept slipping and he was shaky.

"Ouch! I can't take it anymore!" Xu Damao staggered and the bicycle lost balance. He suddenly fell forward and fell heavily to the ground.

He Yudong stood aside, watching the scene quietly, without going forward to help. He thought to himself: Xu Damao always makes trouble for me, let him suffer a little today.

Xu Damao struggled to get up from the ground. Seeing He Yudong standing there, he immediately shouted, "He Yudong, what are you looking at? Come and help me!"

He Yudong did not move, but said calmly: "Brother Xu, the road is slippery, be careful."

Xu Damao was so angry that he glared at me: "You kid, you just watched me fall and didn't even come to help me!"

He Yudong shrugged: "Brother Xu, don't you usually treat me like this?"

Xu Damao's face changed when he heard this, but he said nothing more. He picked up the bicycle, brushed off the snow on his body, and pushed the bicycle away.

He Yudong returned to the yard with the bag and saw that everyone was still making snowmen. He felt relieved. He put the things back home and walked to Qin Huairu, watching her and the children make snowmen.

"Sister Qin, this snowman is so beautiful." He Yudong praised.

Qin Huairu smiled and said, "Yes, children love making snowmen the most. Do you want to help?"

He Yudong nodded and built a snowman with the children. Everyone laughed and played, and the whole yard was filled with laughter.

In the afternoon, He Yudong cooked some hot meals at home. He knew that it was cold outside on a snowy day and everyone needed some heat to keep warm. Just as he was about to serve the meals, he heard a noise coming from the yard.

"What's wrong with you? Are you looking for trouble again?" Banggeng's angry voice came.

He Yudong put down the bowl in his hand, walked out the door and saw Xu Damao and Bang Geng were arguing. It turned out that Xu Damao was pushing a bicycle, and the muddy water on the wheel splashed on Bang Geng's clothes. Bang Geng refused to give in, and the two quarreled fiercely.

"Why don't you look at the road? You've made my clothes dirty!" Bang Geng said angrily.

Xu Damao was not to be outdone: "Why are you standing there? You were careless and you blame me?"

He Yudong walked over and said calmly, "Okay, everyone, stop arguing. Brother Xu, you soiled Banggeng's clothes. That was wrong. Apologize quickly."

Xu Damao glared at He Yudong, but under the gaze of everyone, he reluctantly said, "Okay, I'm sorry."

Bang Geng said angrily: "Is an apology useful? My clothes are all dirty!"

He Yudong comforted him, "Banggeng, don't be angry, I'll help you wash it later."

At this time, Qin Huairu also came over and advised: "We are all neighbors, don't ruin the relationship over such a small matter."

Xu Damao said nothing more and left with his bicycle. Banggeng grumbled a few words and also went home. The atmosphere in the yard finally returned to calm.

In the evening, the snow was getting heavier. He Yudong was sitting at home, eating with his younger brother. While eating, his younger brother said, "Brother, it's so cold today."

He Yudong smiled and said, "Yes, it's snowing heavily outside. After dinner, I'll tell you a story, okay?"

The younger brother nodded excitedly: "Okay, brother tells stories the best!"

After dinner, He Yudong told his brother a story about a brave little fox. His brother listened with great interest, his eyes sparkling. He Yudong felt extremely satisfied and warm in his heart when he saw his brother's happy look.

The next morning, He Yudong got up as usual, prepared breakfast, and took his brother to school. When he walked out of the house, he found that the yard was covered with a thick layer of snow and the ground was still slippery. He walked carefully to avoid slipping again.

Just as he reached the gate, he happened to meet Xu Damao pushing his bicycle past. When Xu Damao saw He Yudong, his face was a little embarrassed, but he didn't say anything else. He Yudong just glanced at him indifferently and continued walking forward.

After sending his brother off, He Yudong returned to the factory and threw himself into his busy work. He knew that only by continuous efforts could his family live a better life. During the lunch break, He Yudong had lunch with his colleagues and everyone talked about the snow yesterday.

"Xiao He Yudong, it snowed heavily yesterday. Did you encounter any trouble on the road?" a colleague asked.

He Yudong smiled and said, "It's okay, but the road is slippery, so we have to be careful."

"By the way, I heard that Xu Damao fell down?" another colleague came over and asked.

He Yudong nodded and briefly recounted what happened. Everyone laughed and said, "This guy always makes trouble for others, and this time he has to suffer."

He Yudong smiled and said nothing more. He knew that although Xu Damao always liked to make trouble, he couldn't let it affect his mood.

In the early morning after the snow, the city was still cold. He Yudong's parents were busy packing their luggage, preparing to go back to their hometown to take care of their elderly grandparents. He Yudong sat at the table, watching his parents busying around, feeling a little uneasy.

"Dad, Mom, how long will you be back home?" He Yudong asked.

He Yudong's father stopped what he was doing and sighed: "I don't know, grandpa and grandma are old and not in good health, we have to go back to take care of them for a while."

He Yudong's mother continued, "Little He Yudong, everything at home depends on you during this period, especially your younger brother. You have to take good care of him."

He Yudong nodded and made up his mind: "Don't worry, Mom and Dad, I will take good care of my brother."

When the younger brother heard that he had to stay at home, he ran over and held He Yudong's hand, his eyes full of dependence: "Brother, my parents are leaving, I'm scared."

He Yudong squatted down, gently touched his brother's head, and said softly: "It's okay, brother, I'm here, I will take care of you."

The younger brother nodded and snuggled up to He Yudong. A sense of responsibility surged in He Yudong's heart. He knew that he had to shoulder the burden of this family.

Before leaving, the parents gave a few more instructions: "Little He Yudong, we have put all the money in the drawer, so you have to spend it sparingly. Also, remember to cook for your brother every day and make sure he goes to school on time."

He Yudong nodded solemnly: "I understand, Mom and Dad, don't worry."

After seeing their parents off, He Yudong and his brother returned home. He Yudong looked at the empty room, feeling a little lost, but more of a sense of responsibility. He patted his brother on the shoulder and said, "Brother, we have to rely on ourselves now."

The younger brother raised his head, his eyes a little confused: "Brother, can we do it?"

He Yudong nodded firmly: "Of course we can do it, let's work together."

In the past few days, He Yudong got up early every day, prepared breakfast for his brother, and then sent him to school. His brother gradually adapted to the days without his parents, and He Yudong gradually mastered the rhythm of taking care of the family.

One day after school, He Yudong took his younger brother to the market to buy vegetables. On the way, his younger brother suddenly stopped and pointed to a candy store: "Brother, I want to eat candy."

He Yudong looked at the money in his hand and calculated in his mind: "Okay, but I can only buy a small bag."

The younger brother nodded happily, took He Yudong's hand and ran into the candy store. He Yudong bought a small bag of candy and handed it to his younger brother, who was so happy that his eyes narrowed into slits.

"Thank you, brother!" said the younger brother happily.

"Eat slowly and don't eat too much." He Yudong reminded, but his heart was full of satisfaction.

After returning home, He Yudong started to prepare dinner. His younger brother was playing with his newly bought toys nearby, and would come over from time to time to see the food He Yudong had prepared. While He Yudong was busy, he chatted with his younger brother.

"Brother, the teacher praised me today." The younger brother said excitedly.

"Oh? Why praise you?" He Yudong asked curiously.

"Because I answered the questions quickly and helped the teacher distribute the homework books." The younger brother answered proudly.

He Yudong smiled and said, "That's great, keep working hard, brother. I'm proud of you."

After dinner, his younger brother went to bed early, and He Yudong sat at the table and began to review his lessons. Although he had a lot of things to do every day, He Yudong knew that he couldn't fall behind in his studies.

The next day, He Yudong sent his brother to school as usual. As soon as he reached the school gate, he ran into Liu Haizhong and his son Liu Guangtian. Liu Haizhong smiled and greeted him: "Little He Yudong, how is your brother adapting recently?"

He Yudong smiled and said, "Not bad, my brother is very obedient."

Liu Haizhong nodded: "If you need any help, just come to me."

He Yudong said gratefully: "Thank you, Uncle Liu."

Back at the factory, He Yudong threw himself into his busy work. Although the work was heavy, He Yudong always maintained a positive attitude, because he knew that only by working hard could he bring a better life to his family.

During the lunch break, He Yudong and his colleagues had lunch together. Liu Haizhong came over and asked with concern: "Little He Yudong, is everything okay at home?"

He Yudong nodded: "It's okay, but sometimes my brother misses mom and dad."

Liu Haizhong patted He Yudong on the shoulder: "It's normal for a child to miss his parents. You have to spend more time with him."

"I know, Uncle Liu, thank you for your concern." He Yudong said gratefully.

When he got home in the evening, He Yudong found that the yard was bustling again. It turned out that the neighbors were making snowmen in the yard, and everyone gathered together, making it very lively.

He Yudong and his younger brother also joined the team.