Siheyuan: Relieve stress and relieve worries

Chapter 111 Unraveling the Mystery
Yan Jiekuang's life was very regular. Except for going to and from get off work, most of the time, Yan Jiekuang accompanied Yan Bugui in cleaning up the garbage dump in the west wing.

When there were good objects, the father and son would study them for a long time. This was mainly because Yan Jiekuang taught his father some knowledge. His father always had questions of one kind or another, and would not let Yan Jiekuang go until he had thoroughly understood the knowledge of the cultural relics. As time went by, his father's attainments in cultural relics also rose sharply.

But no matter how big the West Wing is, there will be a day when it is filled with things. Yan Jiekuang looked at the piles of garbage and said, "Dad, these useless things must be cleared out."

Yan Bugui sighed and said, "The cleaning team is all studying. No one is working. Who can I find?"

Yan Jiekuang thought for a moment and said, "Why don't we go to Shijia Village and ask for help from Mr. Shi to see if we can use a donkey cart to move some of the goods into the mountains?"

Yan Bugui thought about it and thought it was a solution. He whispered, "What should we do with the things we sorted out?"

Yan Jiekuang said, "Take advantage of this opportunity to hide in Shijia Village. Don't you have a yard there?"

Yan Bugui suddenly remembered that when he was cooperating with Shijia Village, Shijia Village allocated a courtyard in the west of the village to him as his office.

Yan Bugui said, "Okay, I have nothing to do. I'll do it. You should go back to work."

During the Spring Festival in 1966 and 1967, the yard was very quiet. There were no sounds of firecrackers, no singing and laughter.

The Yan family sat together. There were six dishes on the eight-immortal table, one was chicken stewed with mushrooms, one was mapo tofu, and the rest were vegetarian dishes.

Yan Jiedi was eating with her mouth full of oil, but Yang Ruiping hardly touched any meat or vegetables. The father and son drank and ate very little.

Yan Bugui clinked glasses with Yan Jiekuang and said, "I ran into colleagues from school a few days ago and heard that many of them were sent down to lower levels. Fortunately, I took a leave, otherwise I would be so old."

Yang Ruiping was busy trying to dismantle the stage, saying, "You're working so hard in the west wing, but you're still old."

"People talk less now. It's the same at work. I basically don't talk and just do whatever I'm told to do," said Yan Jiekuang.

"If I hadn't stopped her, this girl Yan Jiedi might have followed the team into the street," said Yan Bugui.

Yan Jiedi lowered her head embarrassedly and continued to struggle with the vegetables.

"Dad, just stay at home when you have nothing to do. Our family has my salary now, and you have half of it. Together, it's enough." Yan Jiekuang said.

Yan Bugui smiled knowingly and said, "Don't worry, I'm very busy, you know."

Everyone at the table laughed. Yan Jiedi said, "Why don't we see Tiantian and the others? Have they eaten yet?"

Yan Jiekuang said, "The food in the west wing is better than yours. I'll take you there later."

Yang Ruiping suddenly stared at Yan Jiekuang. Yan Jiekuang was stunned and asked, "What's wrong, Mom?"

Yang Ruiping hesitated for a moment and said, "The deaf old lady in the backyard is back." Yan Bugui was also stunned by this sentence.

Yan Jiekuang thought for a moment and said, "After twelve o'clock, I will go to wish her a happy new year. I have to make things clear."

Yan Bugui thought for a moment and said, "I'll go too."

As soon as twelve o'clock passed, the Yan family father and son walked out of the house with a box of snacks and ran to the backyard.

Everyone in the front yard was at home and there was no one in the yard, but Yan Jiecheng was standing at the window looking out, hesitating whether to follow.

When I walked to the middle courtyard, I saw Jia Dongxu coming out with his family, Qin Yuru was among them. They seemed to be going to the backyard as well. Then He Yuzhu also came out.

He Yuzhu looked at the Yan father and son, frowned, but rushed to the backyard first. The Yan father and son greeted the Jia family and went to the backyard together.

When Yan Jiekuang walked to the backyard, he saw Yi Zhonghai and He Yuzhu standing at the door of the deaf old lady's house, one on the left and one on the right, like two door gods.

Yan Jiekuang walked over, greeted Yi Zhonghai, and said, "Uncle Yi, Happy New Year. I'd like to wish the old lady a happy new year and talk about something."

"The old lady doesn't want to see you." He Yuzhu said.

Yan Jiekuang glanced at He Yuzhu and said, "She will definitely meet him. Otherwise, why would she come back?"

"Come in." The voice of the deaf old lady came from the room.

The father and son of the Yan family walked in, and Yi Zhonghai said to Jia Dongxu: "You guys should go back. It's not appropriate now. Let's go back later. I'll call you."

After saying that, he pulled He Yuzhu into the house.

Yan Jiekuang came in and wished a happy new year to the deaf old lady and also to Li Cuilan. The deaf old lady sat on the kang and looked at Yan Jiekuang. Yan Jiekuang moved a chair and sat in front of the deaf old lady.

Yan Jiekuang said straight to the point: "Old lady, it's really not easy to find you. You left without saying a word, so you should at least say hello to me, a thorn in your side, right?"

The deaf old lady didn't say anything, just looked at Yan Jiekuang.

"Old lady, I was born in this courtyard since 1951. I have no grudge against you in the past or in the present. Why do you want to kill me again and again? There must be a reason, right?"

"You don't respect the elderly." He Yuzhu interjected.

Yan Jiekuang turned around and said, "Does disrespecting the elderly mean death? Besides, how can you tell that I don't respect the elderly?"

He Yuzhu was speechless for a moment and looked at Yi Zhonghai.

"Uncle Yi said that? Then how am I disrespectful to the elderly, Uncle Yi?" Yan Jiekuang looked at Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai had suffered so many setbacks because of Yan Jiekuang that he didn't dare to say anything for fear that Yan Jiekuang would hold him accountable.

Yan Jiekuang said, "Since the first time I was beaten when I was four years old, old lady, what grudge do I have against you? You have tried to kill me time and time again?"

"Nalan Yuzhi," said the deaf old lady.

"Who and what do you do?" Yan Jiekuang asked in confusion.

The deaf old lady saw that Yan Jiekuang was not pretending and stood up in surprise, "You don't know him?"

"I don't know him. I grew up here. The farthest I've been is to my grandma's house. I've never heard of this person. What does he have to do with me?" Yan Jiekuang said.

Yi Zhonghai was also shocked, and He Yuzhu looked confused.

"You have kung fu? Who did you learn from?" asked the deaf old lady.

Yan Jiekuang blurted out: "Old ghost"

The deaf old lady was stunned. She thought a lot, but she didn't expect that the Yan family had nothing to do with her enemy.

Yi Zhonghai knew Lao Gui because he was so famous. He could see that this was all a misunderstanding of the deaf old lady. He didn't know how to persuade her. It was really unacceptable to force the Yan family again and again.

Yan Bugui also understood and said, "Old lady, you framed my family again and again based on your speculation. Isn't this too unreasonable?"

The deaf old lady was at a loss, but she also heard the good news that this person was not around at all.

"I'm sorry, I was wrong. I told Yi Zhonghai to do everything before, and it has nothing to do with him. I will come to your house to apologize later." said the deaf old lady.

When the Yan family father and son heard this, they knew that the matter had to end here.

Yan Jiekuang said, "Old lady, you are old, don't think too much. We in the Yan family are not the kind of people who care about everything. This matter ends here. From now on, we will not interfere with each other. If you want to say hello when you meet, just say hello. If you don't want to say hello, just pretend you didn't see it. We, father and son, will take our leave first."

After saying that, the Yan family father and son stood up and left the house. They vaguely heard He Yuzhu say, "What kind of thing is this?"

The father and son of the Yan family did not go back, but went directly to Liu Haizhong's house.

Liu Haizhong and his wife had just finished their meal and were chatting when they heard a knock on the door. Zhao Yue'e went to open the door and was surprised to see the father and son of the Yan family.

Yan Jiekuang said, "Aunt, Happy New Year! I came to see Uncle Liu and wish him a happy new year." Yan Bugui also said "Happy New Year" to Zhao Yue'e.

Zhao Yue'e had no choice but to let the father and son in. When Liu Haizhong saw the father and son of the Yan family, he stood up immediately.

"Uncle Liu, Happy New Year. I've been wanting to come over for a long time. I have time to chat with you today." Yan Jiekuang said.

Liu Haizhong said angrily: "You are not welcome in my home."

Yan Jiekuang walked directly to the table and sat down, saying, "I just went to pay New Year's greetings to the deaf old lady, and we talked it out. Now it's your family that's left. Please sit down, Uncle Liu."

When Liu Haizhong heard this, he was a little surprised, but he still sat down.

"Uncle Liu, let's get straight to the point. Why do you hate our Yan family so much?"

(End of this chapter)