Siheyuan: Relieve stress and relieve worries

Chapter 21 Chicken Run
July 1952 Siheyuan Middle Courtyard
He Daqing was packing up his knives. This set of props was an heirloom from his ancestors and he cherished it very much.

"Alas, without a successor, I don't know what will happen to this stupid boy?" He Daqing muttered to himself.

"Dad, what are you doing? Didn't you say you would take me out to play today?" He Yushui ran in skipping.

He Daqing smiled and said, "Didn't you say you were waiting for your brother Damao? And you blame me for not going to find Xiaoling?"

He Yushui found a stool and sat down, pouting and saying, "Xiaoling went to school with her parents, saying they were going to check her grades."

When He Daqing heard the results, he knew that Xu Damao's results were out. He had no idea what this brat had signed up for.

"That's to show your brother Damao's results. Didn't his father tell him to learn film technology?" He Daqing muttered.

He Yushui jumped off the stool and said, "I'm going to the front yard to look for Yan Laoer. He has something fun there. Brother Damao will come back and call me later."

He Yushui ran out in a hurry.

"Slow down." He Daqing shouted from behind.

Yi Zhonghai came in with a teacup in his hand and asked, "Where are the guys cleaning up the meal?"

"Old Yi, how come you have so much free time now?" He Daqing stopped what he was doing and went to look for cigarettes.

Yi Zhonghai walked over to the square table and sat down directly, saying, "Come and take mine."

He put down the teacup and took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

"Hey, Hardman, are you so generous?" He Daqing took the cigarette without hesitation, lit it for Yi Zhonghai first, and then lit it for himself.

Yi Zhonghai smiled for a moment and replied, "Another disciple, a filial one."

He Daqing was a little surprised and asked quickly: "When you accepted Dongxu, didn't you say he was your last disciple?"

He Daqing did it on purpose. Yi Zhonghai said this with great confidence at the disciple-recruiting banquet, and many people witnessed it.

Yi Zhonghai's face was gloomy, and he said bitterly: "This is a different time, and it's hard to express my suffering."

He Daqing realized there was something else going on when he heard the words, so he walked to the door and closed it.

Then he walked to the seat, sat down, lowered his voice, and asked, "What's wrong? Has Dongxu changed? He swore an oath."

Yi Zhonghai shook his head helplessly and said, "Not really. Well, let me tell you this, do you know how much I spent on the third-day celebration last month?"

"How much? No, why are you paying for it?" He Daqing suddenly changed the subject.

"The cost of the meal was originally agreed to be two million yuan, but it's been a month and Dongxu hasn't mentioned it anymore. He even seems to be avoiding me when he sees me." Yi Zhonghai said helplessly.

"How could Dongxu organize the third-day-celebration banquet by himself, accept gifts by himself, and let the master pay for it? Doesn't he want to learn the skills?" He Daqing asked.

Yi Zhonghai was a little angry, took a deep puff of his cigarette and said, "It's up to you whether you want to learn or not, I'm too lazy to teach you. You can't even read the blueprints, do you really think you've graduated?"

He Daqing knew the relationship between masters and apprentices in the steel rolling mill, and he mourned for Jia Dongxu for a few seconds.

Yi Zhonghai said: "I have accepted another apprentice, the director's nephew, and I can't refuse him. There is nothing I can do."

He Daqing didn't say anything, but he knew the reason why Yi Zhonghai took Dongxu in, so he still advised him, saying, "How can it be the same? It's really not the case. Dongxu is a good kid, but he is easily influenced. Logically speaking, this is not Dongxu's business. Is it because he has no choice?"

Yi Zhonghai actually thinks so too, but his wife doesn't think so. She says that Jia Dongxu is an ungrateful person who can never be tamed.

He Daqing finished smoking, thought for a moment and said, "Well, tomorrow night, Xu Damao should be admitted to the technical secondary school. I wanted to celebrate for him. I'll set up a party, and you can test Dongxu's attitude. As for Xu Damao, I'll go talk to him."

Yi Zhonghai was very grateful to He Daqing and thanked him quickly, and also said that he would pay for all the drinks tomorrow.

Front yard of the Siheyuan

In the compound, a group of children were playing a new game called "Eagle Catches Chicken".

He Yushui is the eagle, Liu Guangfu stepped forward to be the mother hen, and there were a row of chicks behind him. Now in the courtyard, apart from Yan Jiekuang, there is the oldest of the Pang family, Pang Xiaobei, the youngest, who is two and a half years old. No, except for Jia Geng and Yan Jiekuang.

I don’t know what Liu Guangfu was thinking, he made a queue based on size, and the whole game was over in a short while.

Pang Xiaobei was confused throughout the whole process. It was over before she even started, and before she had even gotten over the excitement of queuing, she was caught by He Yushui.

Pang Xiaobei was small, and felt the pain, so she burst into tears. Yan Jiekuang, who was sitting at the door of his house, was laughing. He Yushui was depressed, because she had won, but she still had to coax the child. The last sentence was a promise, "Sister Yushui will never catch you again." Pang Xiaobei burst into laughter.

In the second round, Liu Guangfu lost and became the eagle; He Yushui became the hen.

The same thing happened, and the result was the same. Pang Xiaobei's game was over before it even started. Pang Xiaobei was stunned again and was caught again.

Pang Xiaobei cried even harder this time. Liu Guangfu and He Yushui tried to comfort her, and finally they both said they would not arrest her anymore.

Everyone didn’t know how to play and was a little confused.

At this time, Liu Guangtian stepped forward and said, "I will be the eagle."

Liu Guangtian used his brain this time. He was not in a hurry and started to make a big circle. This time, Pang Xiaobei started to move. Pang Xiaobei was excited, but the team was not strong enough. Yan Jiefang failed to catch the clothes of Liu Guangfu in front of him. The team was broken, and Liu Guangtian took the opportunity to catch Yan Jiefang. Now, all the younger ones behind Yan Jiefang were caught.

Pang Xiaobei was still excited and eager to try, but Sun Xiaolong said, "Don't be happy, we have been wiped out."

Yan Jiekuang was laughing so hard that he couldn't stop, and the adults also laughed so hard after watching him for a long time.

The game was still going on, but Pang Xiaobei stopped playing and pulled Zhou Nianping to play hopscotch.

Old man Li came in and looked at the children playing, a happy smile on his face.

Old man Li walked over to Yan Jiekuang and shouted, "Ruiping, I'll take the third child away for a while."

Yang Ruiping walked out of the house, took a look, saw that it was Old Man Li, and nodded and said, "I see."

Yan Jiekuang looked at Old Li and was not afraid. "Uncle Li, make me something delicious."

Old man Li laughed out loud, picked him up, went into the lobby, put him on the bed, got a stool for himself, and then rummaged in his bag.

Yan Jiekuang was very surprised. Old Li handed him a piece of chocolate, and it was the US military's current combat rations, which he had seen on the Internet in his previous life.

But on the surface, she still asked cutely, "What is it, Uncle Li?"

"Eat it. Wrap the skin and eat the inside." Uncle Li taught him.

As soon as the chocolate entered his mouth, Yan Jiekuang immediately looked like he was about to cry, "It's bitter!"

Uncle Li ignored him and packed his bag.

After a while, "It's delicious and sweet." Yan Jiekuang said happily. He was really happy that he could eat chocolate again.

Uncle Li didn't turn around, but said with a sly smile, "The higher-ups know about your two nursery rhymes and want to promote them as teaching materials. They're looking for the authors everywhere. Little guy, you're in danger."

"What nursery rhyme? I don't know." Yan Jiekuang said cutely.

Uncle Li turned around and said with a smile, "Your second brother's elementary school has been booked, don't you know?"

Yan Jiekuang really didn’t know. I guess only Yan Bugui knew, and he didn’t tell his family.

Yan Jiekuang prayed silently for his second brother. He estimated that his second brother would have to go to school when he turns five next year. He would rather die than let his friends die, so he pretended to be dead.

"Go to school, there are lots of delicious chocolates." Yan Jiekuang said perfunctorily.

"Little guy, you are so smart. Do you know a lot of words? Carpenter Zhang even swore to me with his son that you definitely know how to read." Uncle Li said, seeming a little angry.

Yan Jiekuang didn't say anything and began to look around.

"Your elder brother is my apprentice, and you are his younger brother. I want to protect you. I know you understand." Uncle Li said seriously.

Yan Jiekuang blinked his eyes and said, "Uncle Li, I know a few words, but not many. My father taught me." Yan Jiekuang made the excuse.

"Okay, you're still young, don't do anything weird." Uncle Li said helplessly. He felt tired of talking to Yan Jiekuang.

Uncle Li chased him out, "Get out and play now, go to the yard."

Yan Jiekuang got off the bed and skipped out.

Uncle Li was about to turn around, but something was wrong. How did he know that it was chocolate?

　Same reason as last chapter
　　
　
(End of this chapter)