Siheyuan: Relieve stress and relieve worries

Chapter 289 Father Yan's Troublemaking
Yan Bugui boasted about his collection with great joy, which made Yan Jiekuang very confused. Could it be that the previous experience of being cheated had no effect on his father at all? That was why Yan Jiekuang hit Yan Bugui hard.

Yan Bugui seemed to be remembering his experience of being cheated, but he remained calm and said, "You know what? Old Liu said that these things will be priceless in the future. They may not be worth much now, but who knows what they will be in the future."

Yan Jiekuang looked at his father and asked, "Dad, there are two types of people who collect antiques. One type is collectors, who only collect treasures and treat collecting as a hobby. The other type is businessmen, who care about profits. These things of yours are of no value at all. Which type do you think you belong to?"

Yan Bugui looked at his pile of things and began to doubt himself. He asked, "Aren't these old items? How can they be worthless?"

Yan Jiekuang said patiently: "These furnitures of yours are old items, but they are really worthless. There is not even any mahogany. Didn't I tell you that you also sold me a Huanghuali official hat chair, which is a valuable item."

Yan Jiekuang pointed at the piles of furniture and said, "You sent these to the recycling station, but the recycling station didn't want them. What do you think they are worth?"

"But these were introduced to me by Lao Liu. He said that someone wanted them for a high price, but they didn't make a move. That's why I got a bargain." Yan Bugui said guiltily.

Yan Jiekuang said with a bit of regret: "How many times have you been cheated by Liu Haizhong? Why don't you learn your lesson? Is the money too much? If the money is too much, just give it to my mother."

Yan Jiekuang was so angry that he was fuming. Yan Bugui might suspect that Yan Jiekuang was trying to cheat him, but he never doubted Yan Jiekuang's professionalism. It was only then that he suddenly realized that he had been fooled by Liu Haizhong.

Yan Jiekuang asked, "How much did these cost?"

Yan Bugui thought for a moment and said, "Probably more than 2,000. I don't have much money now."

Yan Jiekuang said: "Go find Liu Haizhong and ask him to return the money, or we will call the police and accuse him of fraud. It just so happens that my second brother just started working and has no sales."

Yan Bugui was also very angry at this time, and said, "I'm going to find Liu Haizhong." Then he walked out of the study angrily.

Yang Ruiping had heard the conversation between the father and son. He wiped away his tears and said, "When will your father stop worrying? He is always causing trouble."

Yan Jiekuang said, "It's okay. I'll go to the backyard to check. Don't worry, Mom."

When Yan Jiekuang walked to the backyard, he saw his father arguing with Liu Haizhong, and Liu Guangfu was standing by to stop Liu Haizhong.

Yan Jiekuang walked over and stopped Yan Bugui from cursing, and said to Liu Haizhong: "Uncle Liu, we have always kept to ourselves, but you've gone too far this time."

Liu Haizhong stared and said, "Your father wanted to buy it himself. What does it have to do with me? The item is not mine, and the money has not reached me."

Yan Jiekuang looked at Liu Haizhong and said, "Okay, then I'll call the police and tell them someone is committing fraud. Tell them what you have to say. Come on, Dad, let's go home and call the police."

After saying that, Yan Jiekuang pulled Yan Bugui to the front yard. At this time, Liu Guangfu clearly felt his father's body shaking.

Liu Guangfu felt something was wrong, so he asked, "Dad, are you okay?"

"We can't let him call the police. Hurry, stop him." Liu Haizhong shouted at the top of his lungs.

Liu Haizhong crawled to the front yard, followed by Liu Guangfu and Zhao Yue'e. When they reached the middle yard, they stopped Yan Bugui and his son.

Liu Haizhong said, "Old Yan, if you have any problem, we can talk about it. Why call the police? Just tell me what to do and I'll do it for you."

Yan Bugui was so angry at this time that he looked at Liu Haizhong and said, "Okay, we are neighbors. I don't want to make things too ugly. I just want you to take the things and return the money to me."

Liu Haizhong said in embarrassment: "How can I have money? Besides, your money didn't go into my pocket. You bought it willingly. You have to be reasonable."

At this time, Yi Zhonghai came over and said to Yan Bugui: "Old Yan, I understand too. Old Liu is just an introducer. You can't ask the introducer to compensate you. You have to find the person who sold you the things."

Yan Bugui was a little suspicious at this time, but Yan Jiekuang understood a little and said, "My father was deceived, but in the final analysis, it was Liu Haizhong who introduced him. The root of the problem lies with him. I don't know whether he took the introduction fee or not. The police will find out. Whether there are other people involved, the police will also find out. We have to trust the police."

Yi Zhonghai shouted at this time, "We are all neighbors. If there is anything, we can't talk to the courtyard. We must call the police."

At this time Liu Haizhong said: "Yes, I saw that Old Yan liked old things, so I introduced it to him out of kindness, but I didn't expect that my kindness would not be rewarded."

Yan Bugui was furious when he heard this and said, "I'm not looking for anyone else now. If you hadn't invited me to drink, would I have listened to you and accepted those junk? Don't waste your words on me, Yi Zhonghai, and don't try to smooth things over here. Either return the money or call the police. It's up to you."

Yi Zhonghai looked at Liu Haizhong, then turned away and said nothing. Liu Haizhong wanted to insist, "I am just an introducer. You should return the money to the people who sold you the things."

Yan Bugui stopped talking and turned to walk to the front yard. Liu Guangfu said anxiously, "Dad, did you collect the money? Where is the money?"

Liu Haizhong blurted out, "At Lao Yi's place."

When the onlookers heard this, there was an uproar. Yi Zhonghai got anxious and said, "Old Liu, what are you talking about? How do I know about your relationship with Yan Bugui? Don't talk nonsense."

Liu Haizhong regretted what he said and turned around to walk home. Liu Guangfu and Zhao Yue'e followed him. Yi Zhonghai also ran back home quickly with a guilty conscience.

Liu Haizhong went home and sat there angrily. He still had hope that Yan Bugui would not make a big fuss. At this moment, Xu Delin came running over, panting and saying, "Uncle Liu, Yan Laokou went to the police station."

When Liu Haizhong heard this, he almost fainted. He had a criminal record. He quickly shouted, "Guangfu, go stop Yan Laokou and tell him that I want to return the money."

Liu Guangfu and Xu Delin ran out. At this time, Li Cuilan knocked on the door and came in. She looked at Liu Haizhong and said, "This is what Lao Yi asked me to bring to you." Then she put one thousand yuan on the table and turned and left.

Zhao Yue'e said: "It's good, now I have money."

Liu Haizhong sighed and said, "What do you know? I have to pay Mr. Yan two thousand yuan, and I have to pay another thousand yuan myself. Go and get my pension quickly so that we can get through this first."

"Ah?" Zhao Yue'e was so angry that she almost passed out, but for the sake of her husband, she had no choice but to take her passbook and go to the bank to withdraw money.

In the evening, Zhao Yue'e delivered the money to the Yan family. Yan Bugui said, "Okay, let's do it this time. Tell Lao Liu that we will never have any contact with each other again. Find someone to move all those things away."

After a while, Liu Guangfu and Xu Delin came and moved all the things that Liu Haizhong introduced to their home.

The matter came to an end. Yan Bugui sat there drinking tea, while Yan Jiekuang was teasing Xiao Hei, the dog that Yang Ruiping brought back.

Yan Bugui asked, "Third Brother, I feel that Yi Zhonghai is a little strange today. Do you think he has something to do with this?"

Yan Jiekuang said: "Of course there is. Why do I feel like this is a trap they set for you?"

"I think so too. Otherwise, why would he stop me like this today? He is afraid of being exposed." As he said this, Yan Bugui lit a cigarette.

Yan Jiekuang persuaded Yan Bugui and said, "Dad, this has happened so many times. You just needed a drink. You didn't even respond to the other person's words and you fell for it. A drink can make you confused. Remember this."

Yang Ruiping said: "He has a long memory. The sun rises in the west. Your father is a typical example of someone who tries to gain small gains but suffers big losses. This will be a lifelong example for him."

Yan Bugui said awkwardly: "I, I didn't expect it."

Yan Jiekuang stopped talking and stood up to take the children back. Yan Jiekuang asked desperately, "Is there nothing valuable in there?"

Yan Jiekuang shook his head and said, "I have two pieces. They can be sold for thirty or fifty yuan." After that, he left with the child.

Yan Bugui was still sitting there smoking, saying, "What a loss, I should have kept those two."

Yang Ruiping was so angry that he ignored him and said, "I'm going to the old house. You cook for yourself." After that, he left angrily.

Yan Bugui was stunned for a moment, and froze in his seat, saying, "No, that's not what I meant."

Yan Jiekuang did not go home directly, but brought the children to the courtyard of the Summer Palace. When he parked the car in the garage and opened the door with the children, Da Pang asked, "Dad, where is this, the park?"

Yan Jiekuang smiled and said, "This is our home. Maybe we will move here. I will show you around."

When the newly painted gate was opened, the children rushed forward and ran in. After passing the screen wall of Fu Lu Shou Quan, they arrived at the front yard. The front yard was paved with neat bluestone slabs. In the middle was a large blue and white porcelain vat with lotus flowers in full bloom. Trees were planted in the four corners. The one near the gate was a magnolia, and the one near the main house in the front yard was a crabapple.

The children looked at each room one by one, even the back room. There was all mahogany furniture inside. There was a storeroom, kitchen, utility room, and the main room in the front yard was the living room. The east and west wing rooms were used as bedrooms and a chess and card room. There was another room that was empty, which Yan Jiekuang planned to turn into a small study.

Behind the screen of the living room in the front yard, there is a double door leading directly to the middle yard. There is a grape trellis in the middle yard. There is a swing on each side of the trellis, hanging under the trellis. In the middle are four stone benches and a stone table.

The main room in the middle courtyard is also a living room, with a bedroom on the east and west sides. The east wing is a washroom and toilet, as well as a storage room. The west wing is a study, a warehouse, and a woodworking room. There is a corridor in the courtyard, and under the corridor is a flower bed, full of flowers of all kinds.

Most of the furniture in the central courtyard is made of sandalwood, which is also part of Yan Jiekuang's collection.

There is a moon gate next to the east and west wing rooms. Through the moon gates are two gardens. One is built in the style of Su's garden, with small bridges, flowing water, pavilions and towers. The other one has many animal nests, mostly grass, occasional shrubs, and a small river flowing through it.

The children went to the East Garden and then ran to the West Garden. Yan Jiekuang sat on the stone bench in the middle, smoking and waiting for them.

After the children had enough fun, Yan Jiekuang took them straight to the backyard, bypassing the jeweled screen with a painting of a thousand miles of rivers and mountains in the living room of the middle courtyard, and entered the backyard. The backyard was very large, with a pockmarked marble floor and six circular flower beds around it, with several kinds of fruit trees planted in the flower beds. The main house in the backyard was a two-story building with three bedrooms on each side, each with its own bathroom. The first floor of the main building was a large dining room, with a kitchen on the left and a study on the right, all with plenty of space.

There are four bedrooms on the second floor. The furniture is all Huanghuali wood. One wall of the study is an antique shelf, and the other two walls are bookshelves that reach the ceiling. It is also equipped with a wooden ladder.

The children were wandering around the house again, especially on the second floor, going in and out. Dapang opened the window on the second floor and behind it was the Summer Palace, which they had all been to.

Several children came downstairs skipping and jumping. Da Pang, Xiao Pang and Shi Li all asked Yan Jiekuang when he would move in. Yan Jiekuang said, "It depends on your mother's opinion. Do you like this yard?" The children said in unison, "Yes!"

(End of this chapter)