Siheyuan: Yan Jiekuang's carefree life

The third aunt saw Yan Bugui rushing in from outside and asked, "Old Yan, what's wrong with you? Why are you so noisy so early in the morning?!"

Yan Bugui didn't say much, and directly repeated what Yan Jiekuang had just said to his wife. The third aunt said, "It's true! Vegetables are not only good to look at, but also to eat. It's better than the things we can only look at but not eat now. Later, you can deal with the things in the basin. I'll sow some vegetable seeds, vegetables grow fast. They will be ready to eat in two days."

Yan Bugui said, "Don't just grow vegetables. Go back to your parents' home and get some other vegetable seeds. We can plant more varieties. If they grow well, we can exchange the extra ones with others."

The third aunt agreed, "Okay! I'll take Jie Di back with me in a couple of days."

"No way!" Yan Bugui denied it without waiting for his wife to finish her words: "You need to bring something back to your parents' home. You can't go empty-handed, right?! I'll figure out the rapeseed issue myself!"

The third aunt thought about it and agreed, "Okay! You figure out a way to deal with the rapeseed issue. I won't take care of it."

Yan Bugui nodded, picked up the bowl in front of him, drank a mouthful of cornmeal porridge, and said, "Old lady, the porridge seems a little thicker today?!"

The third aunt replied, "When I prepared the cornmeal today, I added more. But I made the steamed bread a little smaller. Same thing."

Yan Jiecheng took a bite of the steamed bread and said, "Mom, every morning we have steamed bread with porridge or cornmeal paste. When can we improve it?! Can we have an egg or something?!"

Yan Bugui smiled and said, "You want to eat eggs? That's fine! Give me the money and I'll ask your mother to give you a snack right away."

When Yan Jiecheng heard that he was being asked for money, he immediately shut up. Seeing that his elder brother had stopped talking, Yan Jiefang said, "Dad! There is so much space at the door. How about we build a chicken coop and raise two chickens?!"

Yan Bugui hesitated for a few seconds and said, "This is something we can consider."

Yan Jiekuang said, "Dad, I think we should just forget it! Otherwise, we won't have eggs to eat and the chickens will be stolen by someone else."

Yan Jiefang said, "Third brother, our courtyard is open to the public. How could anyone steal things? Except for those outside."

Yan Jiekuang said, "You don't know. I know this very well at school. Banggeng is a wicked man. He has stolen pencils and erasers from many people. It is said that if the head is not upright, the lower part will be crooked. Banggeng is a wicked man, and his family members are not much better."

Yan Bugui asked: "Jie Kuang, did Bang Geng really steal things at school?!"

Yan Jiekuang replied, "Of course it's true. It's just that he did it in a very secretive way. And even if someone finds out, he will threaten them. It's said that a thief can steal for a thousand days but he can't guard against thieves for a thousand days. Even if someone tells the teacher about Banggeng, the teacher will at most ask Banggeng to return the things to the owner and give him a few words of admonition. But once he leaves the teacher's office, Banggeng will think of revenge. After a long time, no one dares to say anything."

Yan Jiefang said, "Dad! Since yesterday afternoon, there have been rumors in our school that Banggeng is Yi Zhonghai's son."

"Poof!" Yan Bugui, who was drinking cornmeal porridge, couldn't hold back and spurted out a mouthful of porridge when he heard Yan Jiefang's words. Yan Bugui coughed twice and asked, "Jiefang, what did you just say?!"

Yan Jiefang said, "There's a rumor going around in our school that Banggeng is Yi Zhonghai's son. And it's very detailed. They say that Yi Zhonghai started shaving his hair short since Banggeng was born, because he was afraid that others would find out that he had the same hair as Banggeng. There's also a rumor that Yi Zhonghai got Qin Huairu pregnant, and then introduced Qin Huairu to Jia Dongxu, asking his apprentice to help him raise his son."

Yan Bugui and his wife looked at each other. The third aunt said, "Old Yan, you're right. This seems to be true. Although Yi Zhonghai's hair was not very long, it was not as short as it is now. But since Banggeng was born, Yi Zhonghai suddenly changed his hair to the short one he has now."

Yan Bugui warned: "Just say this kind of thing at home. Don't spread it outside. Otherwise, you will get into trouble."

"Got it!" Yan Jiefang echoed.

Yan Bugui nodded slightly and was about to say something when he saw Yan Jiecheng snatch the steamed bread from Yan Jiedi's hand. Yan Bugui frowned and asked unhappily, "Jiecheng! Why did you snatch Jiedi's steamed bread for no reason?!"

Yan Jiecheng said, "Jie Di's share of steamed bread has long been eaten. The one in her hand belongs to Jie Kuang. Since Jie Kuang can't finish it, I, as the eldest brother, will reluctantly help him!"

Yan Jiekuang said, "Brother, you are too shameless! It is said that older brothers give in to younger brothers and sisters. You are such a grown-up, how dare you snatch the steamed bread from your sister? I feel ashamed to have a big brother like you!" After that, Yan Jiekuang pulled Yan Jiedi and said, "Little sister, let's go! Brother will take you to eat delicious food!"

After Yan Jiekuang took Yan Jiedi away, Yan Bugui said, "Jiecheng! You are the eldest in the family. I don't expect you to help me and your mother share a little. You can't do such a thing as snatching food?! And you snatched it from your younger brother and sister! You are used to snatching food at home, so go out and snatch others'. When you eat peanuts, don't blame me, your father, for not telling you!"

Yan Jiecheng said, "Dad, our family motto is to eat until you are poor, and to eat until you are poor. If you don't plan well, you will be poor. I'm not that stupid to go out and rob people."

Yan Jiefang looked at Yan Jiecheng with some disgust, and finished the last bit of cornmeal porridge in two or three mouthfuls. He said, "Mom and Dad, I'm done! I'm going to school."

The three aunts warned: "Be careful on the road!"

"Yeah!" Yan Jiefang responded and walked out. When Yan Jiefang reached the entrance of the alley, he saw Yan Jiekuang and Yan Jiedi sitting under the Muay Thai tree at the entrance of the alley eating meat buns. Yan Jiefang walked up to the two and asked, "Jiekuang, where did you get the money and tickets to buy meat buns?!"

Yan Jiekuang replied, "I saved the money by selling garbage. I worked hard for about a month and only earned enough to buy two buns."

Yan Jiefang was too embarrassed to ask Yan Jiekuang for buns, so he reminded him calmly, "It's getting late, don't be late for school."

"Got it!" Yan Jiekuang replied, and watched Yan Jiefang reluctantly leave. He smiled and looked at Yan Jiedi, and asked, "Little sister, are the meat buns delicious?!"

Yan Jiedi puffed her lips like a little hamster and answered while eating: "Delicious!"

Yan Jiekuang said, "As long as you behave yourself, I'll buy you meat buns later." Then Yan Jiekuang took out the only lollipop that was suitable for this era (the kind with plums embedded in maltose) from his pocket and put it into Yan Jiedi's pocket, saying, "Jiedi, you can only eat this at home, not outside. If someone steals it, you won't be able to eat it."

Yan Jiedi nodded her head and said, "Third brother, I know! Banggeng and Xiaodang always snatch food from other people's hands. People in our alley don't like to play with them."

"That's good to know! Let's go home!" After saying that, Yan Jiekuang supported Yan Jiedi and walked towards the courtyard.