Love in the Siheyuan: Starting from Jia Dongxu

"Dongxu, hurry up and go to the market to buy vegetables! If you're late you won't be able to buy fresh vegetables!"

Jia Xu was awakened from his sleep by a sharp and somewhat magnetic voice.

I played games all night last night and finally put down my phone and lay down to rest.

"Dongxu, hurry up and buy some groceries. It's time to become my disciple today!"

Seeing no movement in the house, the voice shouted again.

"I need to sleep a little longer. I have a headache!" Jia Xu shouted impatiently, "Stop yelling!"

"Child, we have already discussed such an important matter as becoming a disciple!"

The voice became impatient and walked into the room.

"Jia Dongxu, get up quickly! Go buy some groceries!"

Jia Zhang put her hands on her hips and directly lifted Jia Xu's quilt.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my house?"

Jia Xu stood up at this time and looked at the fat middle-aged woman in front of him with confusion. Her clothes looked very rustic, a bit like the dress of country people decades ago.

"Dongxu, what's wrong with you? Don't you recognize your mother?"

Jia Zhang walked forward, looked at her son in confusion, reached out and touched his forehead, which seemed a little hot.

Then he ran out in a panic.

"Hurry up, my Dongxu is sick! Master He, Master Li, come quickly!"

Jia Zhang's loud howling voice attracted He Daqing and Yi Zhonghai from the central courtyard.

He Daqing, wearing his coat, met Yi Zhonghai, nodded, and looked at Jia Zhang's panicked expression.

"Sister-in-law, why are you yelling so loudly so early in the morning? What happened to Dongxu?"

"Dongxu is sick and he doesn't even recognize me!" Jia Zhang said crying.

"Go and have a look."

He Daqing took the lead into the room and looked at Jia Dongxu, who was sitting on the bed and looking around in confusion.

"Dongxu, are you sick?"

He Daqing asked, and walked forward to touch Jia Xu's forehead.

"This kid isn't that hot."

"I'm a little confused. Where are we?" Jia Xu looked at the people who entered the room.

"Jia Dongxu, you are confused, we drank alcohol yesterday."

A silly-looking man shouted.

"Silly Zhu, get out of here! Dongxu is not feeling well, why are you yelling?"

He Daqing glared at Sha Zhu with dissatisfaction. This silly son just opened his mouth and said it, as if he was afraid that others didn't know that Jia Dongxu was feeling unwell because of drinking?

Didn’t you see that Jia Zhang was glaring at you?

Jia Dongxu? Shazhu? Could it be a Siheyuan? Is this the Siheyuan full of beasts?

Jia Dongxu endured the headache, pushed everyone away, pulled open the curtain and took a look.

Which slum is this?

Why does it look like a pigsty?

I endured the nausea and came to the yard, where I felt better.

Looking at Jia Zhang who was chasing after him, Jia Dongxu asked, "Are you my mother?"

"Dongxu, you finally recognized mom."

Jia Zhang said, pointing at Yi Zhonghai who had followed him, "Do you remember your master, Yi Zhonghai?"

When Jia Dongxu heard what Jia Zhang said, he realized that he was really in the courtyard.

It seems that Yi Zhonghai is my master? How can this be possible?

"Mom, don't talk nonsense. I don't have a master! I don't even remember becoming his disciple."

Jia Zhang's chubby face was stunned for a moment.

He immediately said to Yi Zhonghai who was standing beside him with an unhappy look on his face.

"Master Yi, look at this kid. He was drunk last night. I'll go back and talk to him. We'll become his disciple at noon today."

"Everyone, please go away. This kid is drunk and confused."

Seeing that more people were around, Jia Zhang smiled at He Daqing and Yi Zhonghai, but then her face darkened and she pulled Jia Dongxu into her house.

"Dongxu, what's wrong with you today? You're going to work in the factory tomorrow. How are you going to survive in the factory without a master?"

Jia Zhang looked at her son with a serious face. Her son was ungrateful. She had begged for several days before Yi Zhonghai accepted her son as his apprentice.

"Mom, I won't worship him as my master. Whoever wants to worship him can do so." Jia Dongxu said, looking at Jia Zhang.

"Besides, instead of thinking about this, you might as well clean up the house and make it look like a doghouse!"

"You are so heartless. Our house is now clean. Who would feel sorry for your mother when others see her?"

Jia Zhang pointed at her own son.

"Mom, let me tell you, both families in this middle courtyard can make money. Seeing our family's situation, it's easier to ask them for money."

"You stay at home and I'll go buy groceries. Master He will come to help us cook. You can toast Master Yi and that'll be your apprenticeship."

Jia Zhang said this with a smile and was about to go out.

"Mom, come back. Don't rush to buy groceries. Let's have a good chat." Jia Dongxu hurriedly stopped Jia Zhang.

Seeing Jia Zhang coming over and sitting beside his bed, Jia Dongxu asked, "What year is it now, Mom?"

"Fifty-eight years."

Jia Zhang looked at her son in confusion, "It seems that you are really confused. You have been playing with Sha Zhu for two years and you have become stupid."

"Mom, I want to study, not work in a steel mill."

Jia Dongxu thought for a moment and said, I have just turned 18, so it is still in time for me to go to school, right?

"You're talking nonsense. If you don't go to work in a steel mill, I'll kill myself to show you."

Jia Zhang then burst into tears and began to cry about her miserable life. Old Jia died, and she raised her son to adulthood, but now her son has grown up, become independent and disobedient.

Hearing the noise, everyone in the middle courtyard came into the house again.

"Sister-in-law, what happened to Dongxu?" He Daqing asked puzzledly.

"Isn't today a great day to become my disciple? Why are you crying and making a fuss?"

"Daqing, you said that Dongxu said he wanted to go to school for some reason. Do you think he is a good student?"

Jia Zhang said this while wiping her snot and tears.

He Daqing stepped forward and said, "Dongxu, I have been to many wealthy families over the years and have met their young masters and ladies. When they sit there, they look very smart. That's what a scholar looks like."

"We are workers. How glorious it is! You have never been a good student since you were young. We don't have to suffer that. Just take over your father's job."

"Uncle He, don't look down on me. I've been to school, too. How about I try to get into college?"

Isn't it easy for Jia Xu to graduate from university and take the college entrance examination questions of this era?

"You are confused, Dongxu. How difficult is it to be a formal employee nowadays?"

"How about this, uncle won't stop you from taking the exam, but you can also go to the steel rolling mill. You have a good background, and if you pass the exam, other schools won't stop you." He Daqing said.

"Then I'll listen to you, Uncle He!"

Jia Dongxu nodded after listening to this. Yes, he had just arrived here and didn’t know anything, so he just had to listen to the arrangements first.

"Please sit down for a while. I'll talk to your mother."

Seeing that Jia Dongxu had been persuaded, He Daqing called Jia Zhang out.

"Uncle, what's the matter? I'll go buy some groceries later." Jia Zhang said and looked around the house.

He Daqing cleared his throat, "Sister-in-law, Dongxu looks different today than usual."

"His uncle, what's the difference? They all have two eyes and one mouth." Jia Zhang said carelessly, "When he starts working and earns money, he will be as obedient as before."

"Sister-in-law, you don't understand what I mean. I mean that Dongxu has grown up and has his own opinions." He Daqing looked at Jia Zhang speechlessly.

"No matter how old he is, he has to listen to your uncle and Master Yi."

Jia Zhang smiled and said, "I am a woman and don't understand these things. I need to trouble you as his uncle to teach him more."

Jia Zhang said this and moved closer.

"Uncle, Dongxu's words just now hurt his master's feelings. How about you help to mediate?"