The Beginning of Siheyuan: The Pig Killer of Qinjia Village

Outside the courtyard, Jia Zhang was put on a cart.

Jia Dongxu put the luggage on the side of the cart and said to his uncle Zhang Maochang.

"Uncle, my mother eats a lot, so the grain she and Banggeng share of the land in the village will be left for her to eat from now on."

He knew that the land of his mother and Banggeng was cultivated by his uncle Zhang Maochang, so he talked to his uncle about the grain. Zhang Xiaoyu's land was cultivated by his father-in-law.

Zhang Maochang patted Jia Dongxu on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Dongxu. Your mother is my biological sister. How can I let her starve?"

Jia Dongxu took out another tranquilizer and handed it over. "Uncle, this is the tranquilizer the doctor prescribed. If my mother is making a fuss, give her two pills. Don't give her more. I go back to the village to see her every month. If she runs out of medicine, send me a message and I'll bring it back.

If she doesn't do anything extreme, you can tell her that if she behaves well for a few years, I will take her back.

If she has nothing to do, I will ask her to make shoe soles or cloth shoes. When I go there, I will bring them back for her to sell. I will give her whatever money she makes and let her keep it for herself..."

Zhang Maochang sighed when he heard Jia Dongxu's careful instructions. "Maochun, look at your son-in-law and my nephew, they are such filial children. How could Cuihua be so ungrateful even though she was born in such a blessed situation?"

Zhang Maochun followed suit. "Yes! You said Cuihua had worked so hard to raise Dongxu, how come at this critical moment, she can't tell right from wrong? It's her duty to help the child, what she did..."

Jia Dongxu then took out the fifty yuan that Zhang Xiaoyu had given him and handed it to Zhang Maochang. "Uncle, there is still half a year before the grain harvest. Take this fifty yuan and give it to my mother as food expenses for the next six months. The government is collecting a lot of grain now, and the grain reserves of each family in the village should not be much..."

The main food in the village was coarse grains. Corn flour cost eight or nine cents a pound. Fifty yuan was enough to buy about 600 pounds. Even Jia Zhang could not finish it. Occasionally, she could improve her diet by mixing it with some white flour.

Zhang Maochang looked at Zhang Maochun and saw him nod. He took the money and put it into his pocket. He patted Jia Dongxu on the shoulder and signaled that he could rest assured.

The family's stored food really could not afford to feed one more person, let alone a big foodie like Jia Zhang. Not every village can produce a Chang Wei.

He sighed deeply but said nothing more. He felt awkward and a little embarrassed after taking the money.

Then he turned around and led everyone away.

Zhang Maochun walked forward and sighed. "Hey, it's not easy for your uncle to have so many children. Take Xiaoyu and the children to live a good life. Don't worry about your mother, Dad will help take care of her for you." After saying that, he turned around and quickly followed the main group.

Yi Zhonghai and his neighbors stood at the gate of the yard and watched Jia Zhang leave. They secretly breathed a sigh of relief that the potential danger to the child was eliminated.

The neighbors sneered at Jia Zhang, saying that she was really greedy for money and had lost her mind. But they also lamented that things are unpredictable, and this person said that he was sick and he was sick.

……

As for Jia Zhang, according to the dosage of two sedatives, she will not wake up until the afternoon.

But it was not even noon yet, and I woke up slowly as soon as I entered Xiaozhang Village. When I opened my eyes, I saw the blue sky and white clouds and the dazzling sunlight. I was still in the dazed state of just waking up.

When she heard a familiar voice coming from beside her, Jia Zhang sat up suddenly.

Looking around, she returned to the confused state she was in a second ago. What she saw was Xiaozhang Village, which she was very familiar with but was reluctant to return to.

I thought I was still asleep and dreaming, so I slapped myself hard... The result was... "Ouch! Oh my god." I grimaced in pain.

When Jia Zhang sat up, the cart had stopped. More than a dozen eyes were looking at her, witnessing her extreme behavior of self-mutilation.

Everyone sighed in their hearts, thinking that insanity is indeed very dangerous.

Zhang Maochang shook his head helplessly and stepped forward to persuade her. "Cuihua, we'll be home soon, just rest and eat and drink as you should, don't let your mind wander..."

Jia Zhang was stunned. She was sitting in the yard, so how could she be dragged back to the village by her elder brother? She crawled off the cart, grabbed Zhang Maochang's hand, and asked anxiously, "Brother, why did you drag me back to the village? Why should I rest in peace when I am fine?"

Zhang Maochang sighed and said, "Cuihua, you said everything was fine, why are you so depressed? Parents are all for their children, why did you go crazy and become like this just because of three dollars?

Just live in the village with peace of mind. You will have no shortage of food and drink. Dongxu and Xiaoyu are both filial children and will come to see you every month.

Dongxu said, if you have nothing to do, you can make shoe soles or cloth shoes, and he will help you sell them and send you the money..."

Jia Zhang was anxious when she heard this. Was she crazy because of the gains and losses? How could it be possible? She interrupted him quickly. "Brother, I'm not sick! I want to go back to the city." Then she walked out of the village, ready to go back to the city.

Zhang Maochang quickly stopped her and patiently tried to persuade her. "Cuihua, don't worry. Dongxu said that you should take good care of yourself and he will take you back when your condition stabilizes."

Jia Zhang tried to explain. "Brother, I'm really not crazy, I'm really not sick."

Zhang Maochun said angrily. "Cuihua, stop making such a fuss. You said you are not crazy, but the doctor has seen you, confirmed your diagnosis, and issued a diagnosis certificate."

Doctor? Diagnosis certificate?

Jia Zhang immediately understood everything. It turned out that the doctor Yi Zhonghai brought with him early in the morning was not to examine Gao Shuzhen, but to trick her. Yi Zhonghai, the old fox, must have guessed her purpose and lied to his son that she was crazy about gains and losses...

She was furious and started cursing.

"Yi Zhonghai, you are such a heartless person, how dare you lie to Dongxu and send me to my village..."

Zhang Maochang tried to comfort her. "Cuihua, calm down. Dongxu is doing this for Xiaoyu and the child's safety. Look at you, you always have extreme behavior..."

Jia Zhang interrupted him. "Brother, I'm not crazy about gain or loss. The purpose of my doing that is..."

She wanted to say that she did that because she didn't want anyone to share Yi Zhonghai's property in the future, but she held the words back. If she said that, it would involve her son's life experience, which was a secret that could not be told...

Thinking that he couldn't explain it clearly, he ran back to the city and told his son the truth quietly.

With a flash of thought, Jia Zhang pushed Zhang Maochang aside and ran away...

"Stop them quickly, stop them quickly..." Zhang Maochang shouted hurriedly.

There was no way Jia Zhang could outrun the young men present. She was caught up in just a few steps, carried back and put back on the cart.

Zhang Maochang said helplessly. "Cuihua, stop making trouble. Stay in the village and don't go anywhere."

Jia Zhang realized that she couldn't escape, and couldn't resist, so she could only sit on the cart and cry loudly. "I'm not crazy, I'm not sick. Old Jia? Please tell them..."

……

Return to the courtyard.

After a day of fermentation, the news that Jia Zhang was frantic and was taken back to the village by her natal family spread throughout the alley.

There are several versions of this story.

In the authentic version of Siheyuan, Jia Zhang became insane. Jia Dongxu was afraid that she would do something extreme, so for the safety of his wife and children, he sent her back to the village to retire.

The Hutong version says that Jia Zhangshi didn't even want to help her son with three yuan a month, and when she saw her daughter-in-law was pregnant again, she avoided helping to take care of the child. She pretended to be crazy and stupid, and would rather run back to the village to live alone.

There is also a fantasy version, saying that Jia Zhang had a lover and went back to the village to get married...

As various versions of the story went viral, Jia Zhang became famous again.

No matter what version it was, Chang Wei didn't know. He spent the whole day in the courtyard of Mentou Hutong, spending the warm time with his wife and children.

……

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