Siheyuan: Yan Jiekuang's carefree life

Su Zilong looked at Yan Jiecheng and said, "Brother-in-law, your injury doesn't look like a fall! Were you beaten by someone?!"

Yan Jiekuang reached out and pressed on the wound of Yan Jiecheng. Yan Jiecheng took a breath and said through gritted teeth: "Don't touch it!"

Yan Jiekuang withdrew his hand and pretended to be dumbfounded and asked, "Brother, I heard that you found a new sister-in-law for us?! Why didn't you bring her back?!"

Yan Jiecheng suddenly looked at Yan Jiekuang, like a frightened bird, and said, "Who told you that?! There is no such thing at all!"

Yan Jiekuang and Yan Jiefang looked at each other, and Yan Jiefang said, "I saw you taking a woman to the department store with my own eyes. I would admit my mistake to others, but not to you."

Yan Jiecheng glared at Yan Jiefang and thought to himself, "How could he have seen it?!" Then he said, "You must have seen it wrong."

Su Zilong said: "Brother-in-law, the wound on your face was not caused by a beating by that woman's family?!"

"Nonsense!" Yan Jiecheng was about to say something more, but he probably used too much force and pulled the wound on his face. Yan Jiecheng covered his face and said, "I won't talk to you anymore. I'm going to my room to rest for a while."

After Yan Jiecheng left, Yan Jiekuang and the other two couldn't help laughing. Yan Jiekuang said, "He wouldn't be caught in the street, would he?!"

Su Zilong pinched his chin and pondered for a few seconds, then agreed, "It's very possible."

Yan Jiefang went on to say: "He is going to lose face this time!"

At the same time, Xu Wude and Yan Bugui finished playing chess and returned to the backyard. Xu Damao asked Xu Wude to sit down, made a cup of tea and placed it in front of Xu Wude, saying, "Dad, I see you are in a good mood today?!"

Xu Wood picked up the teacup, took a sip of tea, and said, "My grandson is so successful. How can I, as a grandfather, not be happy?!"

Xu Damao said, "Dad, you see Hongtao has been admitted to university now, and he will get married in a few years. We don't have enough space to live in our house now?!"

Xu Wude glanced at Xu Damao and said, "You don't know how to apply for housing from your company?!"

Xu Damao said, "It's been almost two years since I applied. I've given a lot of gifts, but there's still no news. I think more and more people have been rehabilitated, and the houses that were confiscated from them have been returned to them. Some people have settled down outside. It's useless for them to keep the houses in Beijing. I wonder if we can find these people and buy the houses from them?!"

Xu Wood said: "It costs a lot of money to buy a house!"

Xu Damao advised: "Dad, houses are still cheap now. You won't lose out if you buy one."

Xu Wood said thoughtfully: "I always feel that buying a house is not very reliable. What if the wind blows again?!"

Seeing that Xu Wude was somewhat relenting, Xu Damao decided to add fuel to the fire and said, "You know the situation of the Yan family better than I do. Yan Jiekuang has already bought a yard."

Xu Wude frowned and thought to himself, "Could it be that the wind has completely blown away?!" After thinking for a few minutes, Xu Wude asked, "Did Yan Jiekuang really buy a courtyard house?!"

Xu Damao nodded and said, "Really! It's in Shajing Hutong, a courtyard with two entrances."

Xu Wood thought for a moment and said, "In this case, we can't fall behind. Ask around to see if there are any suitable courtyard houses nearby. We can buy one. I'll pay for half of the money. But I have to say this: once the courtyard house is bought, you and I must move in and live with you."

Without thinking, Xu Damao agreed directly: "Dad, I've been waiting for you to say this. I am the only son of you and my mother. If I don't take care of you in your old age, who will?! Besides, it will be so lonely for you and my mother alone! No matter what, at least my wife and I will be back at night and can take care of the family."

"You have a conscience!" Xu Wude replied and continued to drink tea. After a while, Xu Wude said, "Da Mao, after I took your mother and your sister away from here, a lot of things happened in this courtyard. I always feel that these things seem to be fine on the surface, but when you really think about it carefully, it seems that someone is behind it."

Xu Damao asked, "Dad, do you mean that someone is playing tricks in our courtyard?!"

Xu Wood shook his head and said, "It's hard to say. At least he has no hostility towards our family." Then he asked, "Now that you have bought a house, what are your plans for the house here?!"

Xu Damao said, "Put it here for now and rent it out later. If we run into any trouble in the future, this might be a way out."

At 4:30 in the afternoon, the evening banquet began. Because the ingredients were sufficient, He Yuzhu also wanted to show off his cooking skills. Anyway, the dishes in the evening were better than those at noon. At 7 o'clock in the evening, the banquet ended. Probably because they were too happy, most of the men drank too much. They did not leave at night and stayed in the courtyard. The next morning, after breakfast, they left the courtyard one after another.

"Stop!" Yan Jiecheng saw Yan Jiedi and her husband leave, and was about to run away. But Yan Bugui stopped him. Yan Jiecheng stopped, turned to look at Yan Bugui, and asked, "Dad, what's the matter?!"

Yan Bugui pointed to the seat in front of him. Yan Jiecheng said, "I still have to go to work!"

Yan Bugui said, "I know what shift you are on today. It's still early for you to go to work! Sit down!"

Yan Jiecheng had no choice but to sit down obediently opposite Yan Bugui.

Yan Bugui said coldly: "Don't you have anything to tell me?!"

Yan Jiecheng asked back: "Dad, what do you want me to say?!"

Yan Bugui said: "What's the matter with the wound on your face?!"

Yan Jiekuang and Yan Jiefang looked at each other, and Yan Jiekuang said, "Dad, we'll go out first." After that, Yan Jiekuang winked at his wife. Su Zihui understood and pulled Yan Xuehong out. Soon, only Yan Bugui and his wife and Yan Jiecheng were left in the hall. Yan Bugui said, "Can you talk now?!"

Yan Jiecheng said: "I don't have much to say. I was just unlucky and got cheated."

The third aunt said, "I saw that woman in the department store last time. I knew at first glance that she was not a decent woman. If you want to find a wife, your father and I won't stop you. But you should be more discerning when you are looking for one."

Yan Bugui asked, "Have you really thought it through? Are you planning on finding another one?!"

Yan Jiecheng nodded and replied, "I've thought about it!"

Yan Bugui then asked: "What about your daughter?!"

Yan Jiecheng replied: "I am married. If she is willing to live with me, I will take her with me. If she is not willing, let her live with you. I will give her 20 yuan a month for living expenses until she comes of age."

Yan Bugui said: "Twenty yuan?! Too little. At least thirty yuan!"

Yan Jiecheng said: "How much is my monthly salary? Giving her 20 yuan is already a lot."

The third aunt echoed, "Old Yan, twenty dollars is not a small amount."

Yan Bugui glared at his wife and said, "Okay! Twenty yuan is twenty yuan! But you have to give it until Xuehong gets married. And you have to prepare a dowry for Xuehong."

Yan Jiecheng gritted his teeth and nodded, "Okay! I agree!"