Siheyuan: Being a fisherman in 1962

Sha Zhu took a deep breath, trying to calm his anger, then turned to look at Jia Zhang, with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

"Mom, why are you here too? What happened last night?"

Jia Zhang had a complicated expression, and was about to speak, but finally spoke: "Zhu Zi, I... I don't know why, I suddenly couldn't control myself last night, as if I was possessed by something, and I did those things to you."

When she said this, her eyes couldn't help but turn red and her voice choked up.

When Sha Zhu heard this, he recalled the thrilling scene last night, and the feeling of being betrayed by his loved ones surged into his heart again.

"Mom, how could you be like this? We are a family!"

Yi Zhonghai sighed and said slowly: "Perhaps, it is true as Teacher Yan said, the old lady is sleepwalking. When a person is sleepwalking, his behavior is often out of his control."

Yan Bugui also interjected at the right time: "Yes, sleepwalking is not uncommon among the people. Patients often make some strange movements in their sleep, but have no memory of them afterwards."

Hearing this, everyone nodded, and the atmosphere fell into contemplation for a moment.

Sha Zhu looked at Jia Zhang. Although he felt confused and angry, he felt more distressed and relieved.

"Mom, you have to be more careful in the future and don't let this problem happen again."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhang burst into tears and held Sha Zhu's hand tightly, as if seeking some comfort and forgiveness.

Amidst this complex interweaving of emotions, the sunlight outside the window quietly poured into the house, bringing a touch of warmth and hope to this slightly dull space.

The courtyard was quiet and gloomy, with only a few dim lights swaying in the wind, illuminating Sha Zhu's tense face.

Yan Bugui's words seemed to still echo in his ears. Jia Zhang's gloomy figure lingered like a nightmare, making every step of Sha Zhu seem particularly heavy.

"I'm Shazhu, a man of seven feet tall, how can I bear such humiliation again!" He gritted his teeth secretly, clenched his fists, and there were crisp sounds between his knuckles.

Thinking of having to live in the same room with Jia Zhang in the future, his heart began to twitch involuntarily. It was a complex emotion of fear and disgust that surged from the bottom of his heart.

Just as he was wandering alone in the courtyard, trying to find a way out, Xu Damao's sarcastic voice sounded at an inopportune time:

"Hey, isn't this our chef Shazhu? What's wrong? Are you so scared by the old lady that you dare not go back to the house?" Xu Damao said with a smile, and that smile was full of provocation and gloating.

Sha Zhu turned around abruptly, staring at Xu Damao's disgusting face with a sharp gaze: "Xu Damao, stop gloating over my misfortune! Do you think I am willing to live with that old witch? Although I am stupid, I have my bottom line!"

Xu Damao curled his lips and said disapprovingly: "Bottom line? In this day and age, can bottom line be eaten? I say, Shazhu, why don't you take this opportunity to curry favor with the old lady? Maybe you can get some benefits in the future."

These words were like sparks falling into a pile of dry firewood, instantly igniting the anger in Sha Zhu's heart.

He took a step forward and approached Xu Damao, his deep voice full of threats: "Xu Damao, stop talking nonsense here! I tell you, no matter how stupid I am, I know the dignity of being a human being! If you dare to talk nonsense again, be careful of my fists!"

Qin Huairu had been standing not far away and witnessed everything.

She sighed softly, walked forward, and tried to ease the atmosphere: "Shazhu, Damao, we are all neighbors, why should we hurt the harmony over such a small matter. There is really no better solution at the moment, but we can think of a way together to see if we can ease your conflict."

The third uncle Yan Bugui also came over after hearing the noise, pushed his reading glasses, and said earnestly: "Silly Zhu, although Jia Zhang's sleepwalking is a headache, it doesn't happen every day. Let's be patient for now and discuss it when we find the right time. You said sleeping with a tiger, even if it was said in anger, don't take it too seriously."

When Sha Zhu heard this, although he felt unwilling, he also knew that this was not the time to confront him head-on.

"Okay, I'll listen to you all, but I won't just sit there and wait for death. One day, I will find a solution and restore the peace of this yard!"

As the night deepened, the courtyard returned to peace again.

Sha Zhu sat alone on the doorstep, gazing at the starry sky, his heart filled with unprecedented determination and courage.

The road ahead will not be smooth, but as long as there is light in your heart, you will have nothing to fear.

On the other side, in Jia Zhang's room, she tossed and turned on the bed, and the resentment towards Sha Zhu in her heart grew like weeds.

She secretly swore that she would teach Sha Zhu, the ignorant boy, a lesson...

That night, undercurrents surged in the courtyard, foreshadowing that the coming storm would be even more violent.

A sudden storm made this small world even more noisy.

Jia Zhang was lying on the bed with a frown on her face. She tried to struggle to get up, but she fell back on the pillow weakly because of the pain in her legs, cursing Sha Zhu's name over and over.

Qin Huairu stood aside, her eyes reddened, feeling distressed for her mother and angry at Sha Zhu's recklessness. She whispered, "Sha Zhu, how could you do this? If anything happens to Mom, I will never forgive you!"

Sha Zhu stood aside, his face full of helplessness and apology. He knew very well that he did not mean it, but things had come to this point and no amount of explanation would be of any use.

"Qin Huairu, I know I was wrong, but the situation was urgent at the time. If I hadn't struggled to free myself, both of us would have suffered. Don't worry, I will pay for all of Mom's medical expenses, and I will try my best to make up for it in the future."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Damao on the side laughed sarcastically, as if he had seized the opportunity and wanted to step hard on Sha Zhu in front of everyone.

"Hey, Shazhu, you are quite responsible, but is there something shameful hidden behind this responsibility?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere froze instantly.

Sha Zhu's eyes turned cold in an instant. He glanced at Xu Damao and a sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth.

The next second, he pulled out a smelly sock that he had prepared long ago from his shoe and threw it at Xu Damao without hesitation.

The stench spread instantly. Xu Damao was so choked that he stepped back repeatedly, covering his nose and cursing, which caused laughter from the people around him.

"Xu Damao, watch your mouth! No matter how stupid I am, I know what it means to not offend others unless they offend me!"

At this moment, Yi Zhonghai stood up. As the elder in the courtyard, he knew that the situation needed to be calmed down.

"Okay, stop arguing. Jia Zhang's leg is seriously injured and she needs to rest. I think Jia Zhang will stay here for the time being, and Sha Zhu, you can stay at my house for a few days and come back when the situation here stabilizes."

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu looked at Yi Zhonghai with gratitude and thanked him repeatedly. "Uncle Zhonghai, thank you. I will pack my things and go to your house now."

Yi Zhonghai waved his hand, signaling to Sha Zhu that he didn't need to be polite.

"We are all neighbors, so we should help each other. But, Shazhu, you have to control your temper and stop acting impulsively."