Siheyuan: I just want to live

Chen Feng rode his bicycle to the gate of Master Lei's courtyard under the scorching sun. At this moment, his whole body was soaked with sweat, as if he had just experienced a baptism of heavy rain, his clothes were tightly stuck to his body, and even his hair was drooping wetly.

After Chen Feng parked his bike, he quickly walked to the door of the courtyard and knocked on it. After a while, he heard footsteps from inside, followed by the sound of the door bolt clicking.

The door slowly opened, and a familiar face appeared in front of Chen Feng—it was the woman who opened the door for him last time.

When the woman saw Chen Feng, she was stunned for a moment, then she looked at him carefully, and finally realized, "So...it turned out to be you, sir!"

Chen Feng smiled and nodded, responding politely: "Yes, ma'am, it's me."

The woman asked Chen Fengdi who was standing at the door, "Sir, are you here to see my father-in-law again this time?"

Chen Feng heard her words, nodded slightly and said, "Yes, I came here to see Master Lei this time! I have some things at home and need Master Lei's help. I wonder if Master Lei is home now?"

The woman nodded to show that she understood, then quickly stepped aside to invite Chen Feng in, and said enthusiastically: "Please come in, sir. My father-in-law just finished lunch and is resting at home!"

Seeing this, Chen Feng nodded to her and said, "Thank you!"

Seeing Chen Feng being so polite, the woman smiled and said, "You're welcome. This is what I should do!"

Then she led Chen Feng to the yard, and looked back to see if Chen Feng was following. Perhaps because she saw Chen Feng's bicycle was still outside the yard, she thought there was nothing to worry about, so she did not close the gate and left it open.

Chen Feng didn't say much when he saw this. He knew that the people in this place were simple and honest, so he was not worried that his bicycle would be stolen.

He just followed the woman silently into the yard.

After entering the yard, the woman shouted towards the main house, "Dad! Someone is looking for you. It's the gentleman who repaired the door last time!"

"Here I come! I'm coming out right now!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Chen Feng heard Master Lei's vigorous and powerful response from inside the room.

Afterwards, Chen Feng saw Master Lei appear at the door of the main house wearing a white vest, shorts, and a pair of slippers.

As soon as Master Lei saw Chen Feng, a smile immediately appeared on his face and he quickly walked towards him.

When the woman saw Master Lei coming out, she no longer stayed in the yard and turned to go to her house. As she walked, she said to Master Lei without looking back, "Dad, you guys chat, I'm going back to my house first."

After saying that, she went into the room and closed the door gently.

Master Lei didn't care when he saw her go back to the house. His attention was now on Chen Feng.

Master Lei walked towards Chen Feng quickly, saying as he walked: "Mr. Chen! How come you have time to come to my place today? Is the door that was repaired last time broken again?"

When Chen Feng heard Master Lei ask this, he quickly waved his hand and said, "How could Master Lei's craftsmanship be ruined so quickly? I came to you today for other things, not about the door!"

Master Lei was relieved when he heard Chen Feng say that the door was not broken again. He thought to himself, how could the door that he repaired with his own hands break in just two days?

So Master Lei asked again, "Then I wonder what exactly did Mr. Chen come to see me about this time?"

Chen Feng did not answer immediately when he asked this question, but asked Master Lei: "Master Lei, do you have any free time these days?"

Master Lei was stunned for a moment, then smiled and replied: "Of course, although life is better now, people still like to save money, and I don't have any big jobs at the moment."

"Apart from taking on some odd jobs to survive, I have been idle most of the time recently."

After finishing speaking, Master Lei looked at Chen Feng with a smile and asked, "I wonder what kind of job the boss is going to introduce to me this time?"

Chen Feng nodded slightly when he heard him say that, and then said: "That's good. In fact, I came to you this time because I hope you can help me build another yard."

Master Lei asked curiously: "Oh? Renovating the yard? That's a big project! I wonder where the yard is located, sir?"

Chen Feng smiled mysteriously, then said to Master Lei with a smile, "The yard is located in the West Fourth North Eighth Alley."

When Master Lei heard what Chen Feng said, he looked up, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and then he said, "Xisi Beiba Hutong! Aren't there all the buildings of the steel factory over there?"

So, if you want to find someone to repair your house, you should find a teacher. Look, Chen Feng just said the location, and Master Lei told me the unit to which the house belonged.

Seeing this, Chen Feng smiled and explained, "Master Lei, I was transferred to work at the steel plant today. The house over there was allocated to me by the steel plant."

After listening to Chen Feng's explanation, Master Lei showed a look of surprise on his face, but then he suddenly realized: "So that's how it is! That's great." A trace of admiration and envy flashed in his eyes. Then, he immediately opened his mouth to congratulate Chen Feng: "So the boss got a job in the steel plant? Then I'd like to congratulate the boss first!"

When Chen Feng heard what Master Lei said, he smiled slightly and said nonchalantly: "Master Lei, I just got a job in the steel mill. What's there to congratulate me about?" His tone was relaxed and natural, and he didn't seem to care much about this new job.

Master Lei couldn't help but shake his head when he saw Chen Feng was so calm, and sighed, "Boss, don't underestimate this job. The steel plant is a famous large plant in our city, and those who can get in are not simple! Moreover, the treatment there is also very good, and many people are scrambling to get in."

Chen Feng smiled and nodded. Indeed, the steel mill was a factory that many people were trying their best to get.

Master Lei continued, “Boss, now that you have entered the steel mill, your status in the future will definitely be extraordinary.”

Chen Feng looked at Master Lei gratefully and said with a smile: "Thank you for your concern, Master Lei. I will work hard. However, I am just an ordinary worker and I don't have that much ability."

Chen Feng's expression is humble and sincere, making people feel his steadiness and stability.

"Besides, let's talk about the house!"

After hearing what Chen Feng said, Master Lei knew that he shouldn't continue talking about this topic, so he said, "Boss, does the house in the West Fourth North Eighth Alley need major renovations?"

Chen Feng smiled and replied, "Yes, it is an old house after all. How can we live in it if we don't repair it properly? So I have to trouble Master Lei to help me see how to repair it."

Master Lei thought for a moment and said, "Well... let me go to the site first to understand the specific situation, and then make a detailed plan. What do you think?"

Chen Feng nodded quickly to show his agreement, with a look of joy on his face: "Great, then I'll leave it to Master Lei. Shall we go now?"

When Master Lei heard what Chen Feng said, he answered without hesitation: "Okay, I'll go change my clothes first, and we'll set off now!" After that, he turned and walked into the house.

Seeing Master Lei act so decisively, Chen Feng couldn't help but feel secretly happy. He then said with a smile, "Master Lei, go change your clothes! I'll wait for you in the yard!"

Master Lei looked back at Chen Feng and responded with a smile: "Boss, please wait a moment, I will be there soon!"

Then, Chen Feng saw Master Lei running hurriedly towards the main house.

Not long after, Master Lei changed his clothes and appeared in front of Chen Feng. He was carrying a tool bag on his back, which was bulging and seemed to be filled with various tools.

Seeing Master Lei who had changed his clothes, Chen Feng was the first to ask, "Master Lei, can we go now?"

Hearing Chen Feng's words, Master Lei quickly walked to the wall, pushed out a worn-out bicycle, then turned to look at Chen Feng and said, "Boss, I'm ready, let's go!"

Seeing this, Chen Feng nodded and said, "Okay, let's go!"

After saying that, he turned around and walked out of the yard. Master Lei pushed his bicycle and followed Chen Feng closely, and walked out of the yard together.

When they stepped out of the yard, Chen Feng nimbly got on the bicycle parked at the gate of Master Lei's yard.

He sat firmly on the seat, pushed hard with his feet, and the bicycle moved forward briskly. Master Lei rode his own bicycle, following closely behind Chen Feng.

In this way, they moved along the street in the direction of Xisi Beiba Street.

After Master Lei left, the woman who had been hiding in the room heard no movement in the yard. She opened the window and looked out nervously through the gap.

After confirming that there was no one in the yard, she breathed a sigh of relief, but still did not dare to let her guard down.

She gently opened the door, walked out of the room with light steps, and looked around carefully. After making sure that Chen Feng and her father-in-law had left.

She walked quickly to the door, closed the gate again, and carefully checked whether the lock was secure. After doing this, she turned around and went back into the house.

However, Chen Feng and Master Lei braved the scorching sun at noon, walked through the bustling city of Beijing, and finally arrived at Xisi Beiba Tiao Hutong.

There were ancient courtyards on both sides. They walked along the alley, sweat dripping from their foreheads and soaking their clothes.

When they arrived in front of the small courtyard that Chen Feng had just been assigned to, both of them were sweating profusely, as if they had just been drenched by rain and looked like drowned rats.

Chen Feng looked at the small courtyard in front of him, his heart full of anticipation and excitement. This was his new home in Beijing and where he would live in the future.

He imagined every day and night he would spend here, laughing and playing with his wife, enjoying the quiet time.

Although now, the courtyard looks a bit shabby, the paint on the wall is peeling, and the doors and windows are also a bit old. The yard is full of weeds, and it is obvious that no one has taken care of it for a long time.

But Chen Feng was not discouraged by this. He believed that as long as he tidied it up properly, he could make this courtyard warm and comfortable.