Siheyuan: I live next door to Xu Damao, my last name is Cao

"Liu Guangqi, you bastard! You've grown wings, haven't you? You dare to disobey me like this. I think you've got the guts to do that!"

He roared at the top of his lungs, his voice shaking the house as if an earthquake had hit, dust from the roof rustled down, he shouted at the top of his lungs, his words filled with rage and resentment at being disobeyed, his saliva flew in the air as he roared.

"Don't think that if you keep silent and act like this, your wish will be granted. I tell you, it's not your turn to make the decision in this family. If I say no, it means no!"

As he spoke, he stomped his feet again, as if he wanted to stomp a hole in the floor to vent his anger. The ground seemed to be cracking. The whole room was shrouded in his anger and the atmosphere was tense and suffocating.

Liu Guangqi seemed not to hear his father's thunderous curse. He just raised his eyes coldly and glanced at his father. His eyes were like the biting ice in a cold pond in winter, revealing alienation and resistance, as if there was an invisible ice wall between them, without any fear or retreat.

He pursed his lips into a straight line, unwilling to utter a single word, as if he felt that any words at this moment would be superfluous, and saying one more word would shake his determination to defend love and dominate his destiny.

Then he stepped aside his parents with clean and neat movements, without any delay, and walked straight out the door with big strides.

The hurried footsteps brought up a gust of wind, and the hem of the clothes fluttered in the wind, as if venting the pent-up anger and impatience in the heart.

Every step was taken firmly and powerfully, as if stepping on the drumbeat of fate. With a silent but resolute attitude, he was fighting against the authority of this family and his parents.

That straight spine seemed to declare his unyielding will. Like Optimus Prime, he held up his own sky, fearless of any wind or rain.

After Liu Guangqi's figure disappeared at the door, Liu Haizhong looked at the empty door in a daze. The hand that was originally raised to keep him was still frozen in mid-air, like a frozen sculpture. The anger on his face gradually faded like the tide, and was replaced by helplessness and melancholy. Only a pair of empty eyes were left looking into the distance, like a lonely boat lost in the vast ocean, unable to find the direction.

"What are you going to do?"

Liu Guangqi left without looking back.

The second aunt frowned and crossed her arms across her chest. There was still some determination in her eyes, but the slightly trembling corners of her mouth still revealed a trace of panic in her heart, as if someone had lifted the veil and her inner uneasiness was exposed.

"Let him go. When he suffers, he will know to come back. Can we harm him?"

Although he said this, his voice lacked confidence and was more self-consoling. His hands unconsciously clenched the corners of his clothes, showing his inner uneasiness, as if he was grasping at the last straw, trying to find a little comfort in the uncertain situation.

After Liu Guangqi left, Liu Haizhong was furious, his chest heaving violently like surging waves. He was like an enraged beast that had nowhere to vent its anger. He paced frantically in the small space of the house, every step filled with anger and unwillingness, and suddenly kicked down two wine bottles standing in the corner.

With a "crash", the sound of glass breaking exploded in the house, and the wine splashed everywhere, reflecting his terrible and unmanageable mood at the moment, like a flood that broke through the dam, spreading wantonly and destroying all reason and calmness.

He slumped down on the chair, his movement as limp as if his spine had been pulled out. He held his head with both hands, sulking with anger on his face, and kept muttering criticism and resentment towards Liu Guangqi. Every word was filled with a strong smell of gunpowder, like a bomb that could explode at any time, making the depressing and dull atmosphere in the room even more solemn.

Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu huddled aside, looking at their eldest brother's departing back, their eyes full of admiration.

In their eyes, the departure of their eldest brother was like a lone goose flapping its wings and flying high into the storm, carrying with it the courage they had always dreamed of but dared not put into practice; that was the courage to break free from the strict constraints of the family and bravely pursue oneself.

They knew very well that they did not have such courage. They were usually tamed like a frightened bird by their father's beatings and scoldings. They were used to being submissive. If they made the slightest mistake, they would be scolded and beaten. Over time, their characters became cowardly and timid.

Only the eldest brother, who usually relies on his parents' favor and occasionally feels a little comfortable under his parents' authority, could be so bold as to disobey his father's authority, as if he was wearing a gold medal of immunity and had nothing to fear.

If the two of them dared to talk back to Liu Haizhong, the consequences would be disastrous. Their father would be so furious that he would probably beat them to a pulp. Just thinking about it made his spine go cold, as if a cold wind was blowing through him, and the chill went straight to his heart.

As he was lost in thought, Liu Haizhong looked up and saw his two little sons who were cowering and looking cowardly. His already pent-up anger suddenly surged even higher. He cursed in his heart that these two boys really had "faces that asked for a beating" and he just couldn't stand them no matter how he looked at them.

He urgently needed to find a reason to vent his anger, which was like dry wood meeting fire, which would catch fire at any time.

As the thought came to his mind, he suddenly remembered that he had given them five dollars to buy some food. But now, looking at the more than one pound of meat and the more than three pounds of fish he bought, he began to wonder why the money didn't add up. He thought that these two guys must have been playing tricks on him. His face darkened and he asked in a stern voice, "Did you two get the change when you went out to buy things?"

Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu looked at each other and saw deep anxiety and panic in each other's eyes. Liu Guangfu panicked and hurriedly explained: "Dad, it cost so much money to buy fish. I searched for a long time and finally picked such a good fish, so all the money is gone."

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Liu Guangtian secretly cried out in dismay. He reached out and poked his brother, indicating with his eyes that this was too fake. If anyone heard that so much money was used to buy such small things, Liu Haizhong would definitely guess that the money was hidden.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Liu Guangtian quickly stepped forward to make amends: "Dad, no, it's because my brother has run out of money to buy fish. We went to buy them separately, and I still have more than one yuan left."

As he spoke, he took out a handful of crumpled change from his pocket with trembling hands and handed it to Liu Haizhong. The change was wet from his sweaty palms, and he felt like he was holding a hot potato. He was afraid that his father would get angry, and also that this explanation would not pass muster.

Liu Haizhong frowned, with suspicion and fierceness in his eyes. He looked the two brothers up and down as if examining criminals, and quickly calculated in his mind: if we estimate a pound of meat at a little over 70 cents, and estimate it to be 1.5 pounds, that would be about 1.2 yuan. The market price of carp is 60 cents a pound, and 3 pounds and 6 ounces, the total would be 3.36 yuan. Liu Guangtian took out a total of 1.8 yuan, so where did the rest of the money go?

Liu Haizhong became angrier and angrier as he thought about it, feeling that these two guys must be fooling him. He slammed the table, stood up, and pointed at the brothers with a trembling finger.

"Don't play tricks on me. Do you think I'm stupid? Where did the remaining money go? Did you hide it secretly? If you don't explain it to me today, I'll show you how I'm going to deal with you!"

Liu Guangfu was so scared that his face turned pale and his calves were shaking. He stammered and tried to make up another excuse, but was afraid of being seen through by his father. He could only look at Liu Guangtian eagerly, hoping that he could come up with a better explanation, like a drowning man looking at a life-saving straw, full of anxiety and helplessness.

Liu Guangtian was also sweating profusely, his back was already soaked, and he stammered, "Dad, I really didn't hide any money, it's just that there were so many people on the road, so maybe some of it fell, and we didn't notice it, so please forgive us this time."

"Drop? Humph, you are kidding me!"

Liu Haizhong was not willing to believe this far-fetched excuse. He strode forward, grabbed Liu Guangtian by the collar, raised his hand and threatened to hit him, "I think you won't tell the truth unless I teach you a lesson. Our family lives a tight life and we have to spend every penny carefully. Yet you dare to embezzle it!"

Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu were so frightened that they fell to their knees with a thump, holding Liu Haizhong's legs and begging for mercy. Their cries and pleadings filled the room, as if funeral music was playing, making the already depressing and dull atmosphere even more tense and chaotic.

But Liu Haizhong was so furious that he would not give up easily. He had already pulled out the belt in his hand, as if he was showing a weapon, and the two brothers were about to suffer physical pain.

The second aunt watched from the side. Although she felt sorry for the two children, she also thought that they should be taught a lesson. She did not say anything to stop it, but just turned her head away and let the storm rage in the house, like a spectator who was watching the tragedy coldly.

The brothers' cries for mercy became more and more shrill, but the belt in Liu Haizhong's hand hung in the air and did not fall. He looked at his two sons kneeling on the ground. Although his anger had not subsided, a trace of hesitation flashed through his mind.

After all, he is my own flesh and blood. Although I have beaten and scolded him many times in the past, there have also been moments of tenderness.

However, the hesitation was fleeting. Thinking that the family was not well-off and every penny was related to livelihood, and that his son might have hidden money, he gritted his teeth and decided to teach them a severe lesson. The belt whistled in the air and was whipped down. Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu shrank back, and the belt hit the ground, raising a cloud of dust, showing its deterrent intent.

"If you don't tell the truth today, don't even think about escaping this beating!" Liu Haizhong shouted angrily.

Liu Guangfu cried and shouted, "Dad, we really didn't hide the money. There were too many people in the fish market and it was too chaotic. The money might have accidentally fallen. We don't dare to do it again. We will never dare to do it again."

Liu Guangtian also echoed, his voice trembling with tears.

Liu Haizhong remained unmoved and raised the belt again, pretending to hit him.

At this moment, a neighbor's voice suddenly came from outside the door, saying that there was an emergency at home and wanted to find Liu Haizhong for help.

Liu Haizhong frowned, glanced at his son on the ground, tightly grasped the belt in his hand, and said to the second aunt: "Keep an eye on them, I will clean them up when I come back."

After saying that, he hurried out, leaving the second aunt and her two frightened sons in the room temporarily. The atmosphere was still solemn and depressing, but there was a little chance for temporary respite.

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