1959Siheyuan, a Turnaround

Jia Zhang uttered a soft "hmm". The sound was as light as a feather falling, but it was particularly clear at this moment.

Under Qin Huairu's surprised gaze, she slowly walked into the house carrying her bag.

After coming back, there are too many things to find out the truth about and too many past events to sort out.

But at this moment, she chose to remain silent, because she understood that now that she was back, she would eventually get answers to some things, and there was no need to rush.

Qin Huairu hadn't recovered from her shock yet. Her eyes were wide open, her face full of disbelief.

The Jia Zhang just now was completely different from the person she remembered.

In the past, Jia Zhang would be like an enraged lioness, making a scene in the yard and causing chaos whenever she was not satisfied.

But now, she was like a tranquil lake, with just a few ripples, and then she walked into the house calmly.

However, the more this happened, the more uneasy Qin Huairu became. She knew that Jia Zhang's calmness was just the calm before the storm.

Especially when she thought of Jia Dongxu's death, it was a bomb that could explode at any time.

Jia Zhang must not know the news yet. If she asks, how should I respond?

Qin Huairu only felt that her palms were full of sweat. She hurriedly put down the clothes she was sorting, took Xiaodang's hand, and hurried into the house.

Inside the room, Jia Zhang sat quietly on the edge of the kang, her eyes slowly scanning the surroundings.

The familiar marks on the wall and the furniture placed in the corner, each one carries her memories.

She recalled the scene in which her deceased son Jia Dongxu talked to her with a smile on his face, and the voice seemed still echoing in her ears.

She returned after going through untold hardships, but her son was no longer alive. This huge gap was like an abyss, devouring her heart.

Bitter tears slid down from the corners of her eyes involuntarily, one after another, like beads that had broken off the string, rolling down her thin cheeks and dripping onto her tattered clothes, leaving a small dark mark.

After Qin Huairu came in, she forced herself to remain calm. She picked up the thermos and poured a cup of steaming hot water. With her hands trembling slightly, she handed it to Jia Zhang and said softly, "Mom, drink a cup of water to warm yourself up first."

Jia Zhang slowly turned her head and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with her sleeve. She took the cup of water and her eyes stayed on Qin Huairu's face for a short while before asking, "Why are you and Xiaodang the only ones at home? Where's Banggeng?"

Although her tone was calm, it carried an unquestionable majesty, which was completely different from her previous sharp and aggressive tone.

Qin Huairu was stunned for a moment when she heard the tone of Jia Zhang's voice. She was still immersed in her own thoughts and did not react.

Xiao Dang was smart, and his clear voice rang out in the house: "Brother went out to play."

Jia Zhang's eyes fell on Xiaodang and her brows furrowed slightly.

Xiaodang looked thinner than before. His clothes were washed white and patched, and he looked somewhat malnourished.

Jia Zhang felt a sharp pain in her heart. She looked at Qin Huairu and said, "Go find Bang Geng. I miss him."

Now, Banggeng is her biggest motivation to live and a ray of light in the darkness.

During the countless difficult days and nights on the farm, whenever she wanted to give up, the image of Banggeng appeared in her mind and she had the strength to persevere.

Qin Huairu came back to her senses and nodded quickly, saying, "Mom, wait a minute, I'll go out and find Banggeng."

Qin Huairu hurried out of the house, her steps a little flustered.

As she walked, she was thinking about how to deal with the next situation.

She knew that sooner or later, Jia Zhang would know about Jia Dongxu's death, and she couldn't imagine what kind of chaos this family would be in once the truth came out.

After all, she knew very well what kind of person Jia Zhang was.

Qin Huairu hurriedly shuttled through the alley, her eyes full of anxiety and helplessness.

Ever since Jia Zhang went to the farm for reform and Jia Dongxu passed away, Banggeng was like a wild horse that had broken free from its reins, completely out of control.

Without Jia Zhang's unprincipled preference, Banggeng's life seemed to have changed, but in fact he fell into a deeper quagmire.

The boy who used to act on his own will under the protection of his grandmother is now less spoiled, but his bad nature is still stubborn.

At home, he still ate voraciously and without regard for others.

Once he left the house, as long as he took a fancy to something, no matter if it was a gadget in the hands of a street kid or food hung out to dry, he would want to take it for himself. His arrogance and domineering attitude when snatching things were disgusting.

Because of this, the children in the courtyard gradually distanced themselves from him and no longer wanted to have any interaction with him.

Whenever he approached, the children scattered away as if they were avoiding the plague. Those lonely looks deeply hurt Bang Geng's heart, but failed to make him reflect. Instead, it pushed him into the circle of bad boys.

Those bad kids who were a few years older than him did nothing all day long, wandering around the streets and alleys, enjoying cheating and stealing.

Bang Geng followed them and began his so-called "adventure" career.

They didn't dare to commit crimes near their own courtyards and always set their targets in the alleys farther away.

In the third alley to the north, there lives an elderly man living alone. He is old and frail, and he often takes a nap on a small bench at the gate of the yard.

This became a perfect opportunity for Banggeng and his men to commit a crime.

Today, the sun shines on the alley, and it seems peaceful and harmonious.

The old man sat at the door as usual, and soon he fell into a deep sleep.

Banggeng and his gang crouched and quietly approached the old man's yard.

Bang Geng's heart was beating like a drum and his palms were full of sweat, but when he thought of the "harvest" that was about to come, the greedy desire overwhelmed his inner fear.

He was as agile as a little loach. He gently pushed open the half-open gate and tiptoed into the house.

The room was filled with a stale atmosphere and the light was dim.

Banggeng's eyes searched quickly in the dark and finally found four or five eggs in the bamboo basket in the kitchen.

He carefully took out the egg, put it in his pocket, then turned around and tiptoed back the way he had come.

After a few people got together, they ran happily to a remote corner.

They skillfully built a simple stove with a few broken bricks and picked up some dry firewood from around.

Banggeng gently buried the eggs in the soil and struck a match to light the firewood.

The flames licked the soil, and soon, the aroma of eggs slowly drifted away. They sat around the stove, their eyes fixed on the land where the eggs were buried, their faces full of anticipation.

When the eggs were baked, they couldn't wait to dig them out and started chewing them without caring about how hot they were. The egg yolks stuck to the corners of their mouths, and they looked very embarrassed.

At this moment, Qin Huairu's shout broke this "comfort".

Qin Huairu asked around and searched everywhere, and finally found Banggeng in this corner.

The moment Banggeng saw Qin Huairu, he was stunned at first, and then a trace of guilt appeared on his face.

He knew that if what he did was discovered, he would definitely be scolded.

But before he could figure out how to respond, Qin Huairu's words instantly lit up his eyes: "Bang Geng, go home quickly, your grandma is back!"