Siheyuan: Rebirth of Liu Ergou

As night fell, the warm glow of the fire in the courtyard flickered gently, illuminating the faces of the brothers, who were sitting or lying down, enjoying this rare leisure time. However, the tranquility was suddenly broken by a rapid and shrill cry: "Dongxu, Xiaoyi, Shazhuzi, help!" The voice came from the alley not far away, with endless fear and despair.

Jia Zhang's heart-wrenching cry was like a sharp blade in the cold wind, instantly piercing the tranquility of the courtyard. Upon hearing this, the brothers' faces suddenly changed, and they stood up at the same time, with a solemn look in their eyes. They looked at each other, and without saying anything, they knew the situation was urgent, and they all ran towards the source of the sound.

In the moonlight, Jia Zhang was surrounded by several young men. She curled up on the ground, her clothes were disheveled, her face was full of fear and pain, and she wailed from time to time. The young men had fierce faces and held sticks picked up from somewhere in their hands, which was obviously the aftermath of a fight.

Liu Yi was the first to rush forward. He pushed away the young man on the outermost edge, his eyes wide open, and asked loudly: "What's going on? Why are you hitting people?" There was unquestionable majesty in his voice, which made the young men involuntarily take a few steps back.

Upon seeing this, Wang Xiaobo from the next yard stepped forward in a hurry to explain: "We were setting off firecrackers and accidentally hit a few kids from Yard 95. When Jia Zhang heard about it, she came over and started cursing without saying a word. Who could stand this on New Year's Day? In a moment of impulse, she just..." There was a hint of helplessness and regret in his words, but it was obvious that things had already developed to the point where they could not be reversed.

At this moment, He Yuzhu (Silly Zhuzi) rushed out in a rage, his eyes red, like an enraged lion. Without saying a word, he rushed directly to the boys, his fists raining down like raindrops, each blow was filled with anger and power. Seeing this, Liu Yi, Jia Dongxu and Xu Damao also joined the battle without hesitation. The four of them worked together to beat the boys so hard that they cried for their parents and their teeth were all over the ground.

The battle ended quickly, but the air was still filled with a strong smell of gunpowder and lingering anger. Jia Zhang was helped up by her brothers. She looked pale, but her eyes were shining with gratitude. She looked at the four young men in front of her, and a warm current surged in her heart. She knew that no matter what difficulties she encountered, these friends would stand up to protect her without hesitation.

The night returned to tranquility again. But the experience of this night was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples. The brothers sat around the fire, silent, each immersed in their own thoughts.

We knew that it would not be a peaceful night, and in the No. 93 courtyard next door, the guys who were beaten cried to the elders of the courtyard. A sudden storm was brewing quietly. The afterglow of the street lamps in the early morning lazily sprinkled on the bluestone road covered with heavy snow, but it could not shine into the courtyard that was about to be shrouded in haze. Dozens of people, some standing, some sitting, some glaring, some whispering, their arrival made this usually quiet alley boil instantly.

"We in Yard 93 can't suffer in vain. We have to settle accounts with the people in Yard 95. If they don't give us an explanation, we'll beat those bastards to death!" The angry men and women in Yard 93 arrived outside Yard 95 and started shouting and cursing in a blink of an eye.

Liu Yi, a young man who is known for his calmness among his neighbors, is standing at the front of the crowd, his face full of helplessness and anxiety. Facing the sudden influx of dozens of people, he tried to resolve this unprovoked disaster with words, but it is clear that the emotions of both sides are like a taut string, ready to explode at any moment.

"Neighbors, let's talk it out nicely and don't hurt the harmony." Although Liu Yi's voice was not loud, he tried his best to remain calm and sincere. "No. 95 Courtyard has always lived in harmony with everyone. If there is any misunderstanding, let's sit down and talk slowly. We can always find a solution."

However, the other party did not seem to appreciate it, and there were bursts of noise and abuse from the crowd from time to time. The old man in the second uncle's bangs, who usually had a hot temper, finally couldn't hold back his anger. He strode to the center of the crowd, his eyes wide open, and his voice was as loud as thunder: "You are addicted to bullying people, right? No. 95 Courtyard is not easy to mess with!"

This shout was like a stone that caused a thousand waves. The quarrel between the two sides escalated instantly, and the air was filled with a strong smell of gunpowder. The sharp voices of the old women and the rough insults of the men intertwined to form a harsh symphony that echoed over Nanluoguxiang.

Just when the situation was about to get out of control, an old man named Yi Zhonghai appeared. This respected old man usually used his wisdom and prestige to calm disputes between neighbors. He slowly walked forward, gently waved his hands, trying to calm the emotions of both sides: "Everyone calm down, calm down. What can't be said in a peaceful way? It's not good for anyone to make a scene and hurt the harmony."

However, his kindness did not receive the response it deserved. An old woman suddenly rushed forward and spat at Yi Zhonghai's face. This sudden action stunned everyone present. The humiliation and helplessness on Yi Zhonghai's face made people feel pity.

The third uncle, Yan Bugui, who was usually very calculating and calculative, could not stand it any longer. He shook his head, sighed, and then mustered up the courage to stand up and said, "You are really going too far! Uncle Yi Zhonghai is the most respected person in our alley. How can you treat him like this?"

However, his persuasion did not prevent the situation from getting worse. Instead of restraining herself, the old woman rushed forward even more arrogantly, stretching out her sharp nails, leaving several shocking blood marks on Yan Bugui's face. For a moment, Yan Bugui's face seemed to be full of "peach blossoms", but they were stained with blood.

"Beat these bastards!" The second uncle Liu Haizhong could no longer tolerate such insults and provocations. He shouted angrily and rushed into the crowd. A melee broke out without any warning. Fists and feet were thrown, cries and curses were heard one after another, and the courtyard of No. 95 Nanluoguxiang was in chaos.

In this sudden storm, everyone was driven by anger and fear, and reason and morality seemed to be thrown out of the window. However, when everything settled down and people calmed down, they found that this dispute was just a meaningless farce. The scars and pain left by the impulse will remain in everyone's heart for a long time.

The old and young men of No. 93 Courtyard, who had suffered a great loss, left, and Nanluoguxiang once again returned to its former tranquility. But what happened in front of No. 95 Courtyard was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples. People began to reflect on what made the harmony and friendship between neighbors so fragile? And what made the misunderstandings and disputes that could have been easily resolved eventually turn into an irreversible tragedy?