Xu Damao's Thirty-Six Stratagems in Siheyuan

I get up every day and run to Jingshan Park, practice Tai Chi, and do some exercise. Finally, I can do it smoothly.

Finally, the weekend came again. After a workout, I went home, wiped my body with hot water, changed my clothes, went out to the breakfast stand at the alley entrance to eat breakfast, and then went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy cakes and two bottles of Lotus White wine to go to the No. 88 compound.

After some asking around, I finally found the place.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Zhang and Master Zhang from the steel mill live in this room, right?"

"Yes, you are looking for me, the boss? Who are you?" a woman at the door answered, and then looked at the gift in Xu Damao's hand.

"Come inside first. The master hasn't gotten up yet. Wait a moment. I'll call him."

"No hurry, I'll just wait, it's nothing serious."

The woman didn't reply and went straight to the back.

After a while, Zhang Taihe came out from behind.

"you are?"

Xu Damao had already placed the gift on the table in front of the hall. When he heard Zhang Taihe coming out, he quickly stood up.

"Master Zhang, I'm Xu Damao, the projectionist in the factory's publicity department. The former projectionist, Xu Fugui, is my grandfather. He asked me to come and see you. Please take a seat."

"Oh, so you are Fugui's son. Sit down, you sit down too." Zhang Taihe was originally a gangster. When he first arrived in Beijing, he was helped by Xu Fugui, so he did have some friendship with Xu Fugui. But it seems that they haven't been in touch for several years. His son came to the door with gifts out of the blue, there must be something wrong.

"Master Zhang, actually my nephew came to you this time because I have something I want to ask you." Xu Damao didn't know how to start.

"Since you are the son of a wealthy family, just speak frankly. I heard that your father was transferred to another unit. Is he okay?"

"It's fine. I'm working at the Dongcheng Cultural Center. I'm still doing my old job. Showing movies in the cinema is more free than working in the factory."

"Xu... Damao, right? If you have something to say, tell me."

"It's like this, Uncle Zhang. I've taken on the job of projectionist and often go to the countryside. I heard from my father that you used to be a martial artist. I was thinking if I could become your disciple and learn a few self-defense moves. I wonder if Master Zhang can fulfill my wish."

Zhang Taihe didn't expect that Xu Fugui asked his son to come over for this matter.

"Da Mao, the present is different from the time before liberation. Now even my little tricks are a bit taboo. I haven't practiced for a long time, so I may not be able to teach you anymore."

Xu Damao knew that the truth should not be passed on easily, and who could expect someone to agree to become his disciple just by asking?

"Master Zhang, I sincerely want to be your disciple. Although I am a little older now, I can endure hardships and I can persevere. Just look at my performance. If I can catch your eye in the future, it won't be too late to teach me. Well, Master Zhang, I will go back first. I will come to see you in a few days. Don't worry about this matter. I won't let anyone know."

Xu Damao stood up, greeted the younger generation with Zhang Taihe, and then went out.

Inside the house, Zhang Taihe's wife asked Zhang Taihe,

"The boss, from the same factory? How does he know you can fight a little bit?"

"Well, his father helped me a lot earlier. At that time, I had just come to Kyoto from Cangzhou to work as a porter, and was performing on the overpass to make a living. But Xu Fugui is a tight-lipped person and never made a fuss about it. So now few people know that I am a martial artist. This kid looks quite smart."

"So are you planning to take in a disciple?"

"What are you thinking? But you can let Ling Yun get in touch with him. Let's see. The favor must be repaid."

"Boss, you decide for yourself, but this guy is quite generous. Daoxiangcun cakes and two bottles of wine cost nearly 50,000 yuan."

"Humph, women are always short-sighted. You're already attracted by this 50,000 yuan. I have my own way with this matter. Don't get involved."

Xu Damao didn't know there was such a conversation going on in the room. He knew that good things take time, so he wasn't discouraged at all. Instead, it aroused his competitive spirit.

Zhang Taihe never mentioned his ability, so he probably had real skills. Take your time. It is said in history that Yang Luchan had to pretend to be deaf and dumb for more than ten years before he succeeded in stealing the skills. Sincerity can move mountains and open stones. Come more often and ask more, this is the minimum. Anyway, there is no rush.

The way home is very close, just a few hundred meters.

"Hey, He Yuzhu, Chef He, what's the matter? Why are you still working today when you have a day off?"

I happened to see Sha Zhu carrying his lunch box out of the hospital and watching Zhang go to work.

"Xu Damao, are you just being naughty? It's none of your business whether I go to work or not. Who is the same as you? You are lazy at work and stay at home all day."

"Okay, just pretend I didn't say anything. I'll see you later." Xu Damao didn't want to argue with Sha Zhu and decided not to provoke him.

After entering the courtyard, the courtyard was still quite lively today. The third uncle was like a door god, always active in the gatehouse when it was time to rest.

"Good morning, Uncle San. Did you go fishing in Shichahai? The sun is so nice today."

Without even hearing a reply, he walked through the Moon Gate.

The middle courtyard was also bustling. An old man was sitting at the door with a teacup in his hand, while Qin Huairu was washing up by the sink. That's right, now her eldest son Jia Geng was born, and she had to change his diaper every day.

"Morning, uncle."

"Da Mao, you're back so early."

"I had breakfast, there's nothing to eat at home." He went straight to the backyard without even glancing at Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu married into the No. 95 courtyard house last year and soon got pregnant. It was just as the old saying goes: a big butt makes it easier to give birth. This year she gave birth to a big fat boy, named Jia Geng, nicknamed Bang Geng. This boy is really good, and he has learned the skill of stealing without any teacher. The original drama insisted on making Sha Zhu and Qin Huairu as old as fifty.

However, these have little to do with Xu Damao. He has made up his mind to stay away from the widow and the gossips in the courtyard. Thinking that Sha Zhu, the bastard, could help him in the future, at most he could give him some advice so that he would not be sucked blood by the widow Qin Huairu and die tragically in the bridge hole. As for the plot between Sha Zhu and Lou Xiaoe, Xu Damao would definitely strangle it in the cradle. This thing can't happen again.

As for whether Sha Zhu would listen to advice or not, that was not something Xu Damao could decide.

When I got home, I closed the door and continued to drink tea and smoke as usual. I also flipped through the high school textbooks I left behind, trying to cultivate my sentiments and keep all the right and wrong out of myself.

Although the weather was nice and sunny, the temperature was still obviously very low, about minus four or five degrees Celsius. Fortunately, there was a stove in the house for heating. I drank hot tea and smoked cigarettes, and my life was very enjoyable.

There was a noise coming from the second uncle's house next door. Haha, Liu Haizhongyou started to scold his two little sons.

Xu Damao also found it strange that this guy was addicted to scolding his son, and the eldest brother of the Liu family was actually a piece of shit. As the eldest brother, couldn't he say something fair when his father scolded his two younger brothers? To put it bluntly, Liu Guangqi was a selfish person: as long as his family treated him well, he didn't care about anything else. No wonder he fled the courtyard later without any nostalgia, and even felt like he was at a disadvantage when he went home to see his parents.

Well, when I calmed down and thought about it, I realized that there were traces of everything, especially the old man who schemed against Sha Zhu from head to toe.

By the way, did He Daqing send money to Sha Zhu's brother and sister? Is this true or just a rumor? I'll find out when I have a chance. It has been more than a year since He Daqing left Kyoto, almost two years.

If this is true, Yi Zhonghai is really a silent bastard, so damn scheming.

I felt a burning sensation on my fingers; the cigarette butt burned them.