Siheyuan: Relieve stress and relieve worries

Chapter 3: Getting to know everyone
The front yard of the Siheyuan in April 1951
In just one month, Yan Jiekuang now smells of milk all over.

At this time, Yan Bugui was still a qualified husband. He stewed a chicken a week and made fish soup when he had nothing to do. He took good care of Yang Ruiping.

But now Yan Bugui saw Yan Jiekuang start to frown. He was the one who changed all the urinary rings. As long as he was there, Yan Jiekuang would urinate, and it was the same every time. If he wasn't a baby, I would really think he did it on purpose.

Yan Jiekuang also realized something was wrong, and now he started to smile at his father, even making a few "ah" sounds. He had to coax his father so that his mother wouldn't be too tired.

Yang Ruiping also discovered it, and felt that his third child was very amazing. He wondered if he knew how to feel sorry for his mother.

Today, my mother was discharged from confinement and took over the washing and cleaning job. Yan Bugui was free and I knew he was very happy and he was humming a tune.

I haven't seen the two brothers Yan Jiecheng and Yan Jiefang for a long time. I heard from my parents that they were hanging out with Old Li and would go into Old Li's room whenever they had nothing to do.

The weather was very good today, so Yang Ruiping was going to take Yan Jiekuang out to bask in the sun. Yan Jiekuang was very excited, waving his hands and shouting.

After walking out of the door, Yan Jiekuang couldn't even look enough to see the two young men standing in horse stance at the door of Old Li. Yan Jiekuang pointed at them and shouted "Ah! Ah!".

Yang Ruiping took a look and said, "Oh, those are the older brothers. They are practicing martial arts." The two younger brothers also saw their mother and younger brother. The eldest did not move, but the second one ran over here with his short legs.

"Run away. Don't come again." Old Li said without even raising his head.

The second brother quickly braked, turned around and returned to his original position.

Yang Ruiping didn't want to go far and just walked around the front yard. At this time, the people in the middle yard seemed to have heard the noise and came over one after another. Yan Jiekuang looked and saw that it was a women's group. The leader was Yi Zhonghai's wife Li Cuilan.

Li Cuilan greeted Yang Ruiping and introduced everyone to him. Liu Haizhong's wife Zhao Yue'e, Jia Dongxu's mother Jia Zhangshi, followed by Jia Dongxu's wife Qin Huairu, and Pang Shi from the east wing of the backyard, and Xu Wude's wife Pan Jinyin.

Everyone was praising the child for being cute, and Yan Jiekuang also made a couple of "ahhh" sounds, making everyone laugh. Qin Huairu, who was a little shy, looked at Yan Jiekuang, full of expectations for herself. Three women make a play, and with so many women, it would be endless if they started talking.

Yan Jiekuang felt that his mother changed hands while holding him twice, and he knew that his mother was tired, so he started to cry. Yang Ruiping quickly said, "Maybe he peed. I'll go back to the room first."

Back in the bedroom, Yan Jiekuang stopped crying. Yang Ruiping shook his arms and said, "You little boy, you know your mother is tired. You are so good." Then he leaned over and kissed Yan Jiekuang, who giggled.

Yan Jiekuang is now thinking about his brothers. Why are they different from the TV series? If the two brothers have been practicing martial arts since childhood, they must be different when they grow up. Is it his little wings that have flapped the plot?

In the past few days, his second brother Yan Jiefang has developed a new habit. After every martial arts practice, he would run to his side and make all kinds of faces at him.

He even threatened to be his master. Every time he heard this, Yan Jiekuang would stick out his tongue at Yan Jiefang, sometimes even spitting out bubbles. This made Yan Bugui and his wife laugh non-stop, and Yan Jiefang himself laughed along.

He could never see his eldest brother, and he would hear his mother nagging him, saying that he never came home, and when he grew up, he didn't know whose son Old Li was. In fact, his mother didn't know, but Yan Bugui knew that his eldest brother had formally become Old Li's apprentice, and teaching Yan Jiefang was just a side job.

Old Li looked down on Yan Bugui, but the nine-year-old Yan Jiecheng was very obedient and hardworking. Ever since Old Li sent his mother to the hospital, Yan Jiecheng felt that this PLA uncle was very powerful. After returning, he would go to Old Li's house whenever he had nothing to do and help him with his work. Old Li was alone, and he was very happy to have someone to accompany him. He would cook for the two of them, and Old Li would tell Yan Jiecheng stories about killing the enemy on the front line. Yan Jiecheng was also fascinated, and he went to Old Li's house every day afterwards.

Until one day, Yan Jiecheng found his father and said he wanted to become his apprentice. Yan Bugui was also surprised, but did not stop him, because he also wanted to see what Old Li would teach his son. Old Li was not one to talk nonsense, and under the witness of Yan Bugui, Yan Jiecheng kowtowed three times and offered a cup of tea, which was considered as formal apprenticeship.

Of course Yan Bugui was also curious about what Old Li was teaching his son. Old Li said it was military boxing to strengthen the body. When Yan Bugui heard this, he thought that he had too many sons to take care of them all, so he was happy to have someone to take care of them, and he didn't ask any more questions.

Yan Jiekuang watched the changes in his brothers, feeling puzzled but also very happy. He heard his father and mother mumbling that there would be a general meeting of the whole hospital in the next two days. After that, Yan Bugui was not at home for the past two days, and he didn't know what he was busy with.

Siheyuan Middle Courtyard (I am the dividing line)

Three days later, everyone in the courtyard was called to a meeting. The meeting was organized by Captain Zhang. Yang Ruiping also went with the little one.

The general topic of the meeting was that the country had just been stabilized, and in order to better manage it, it was now time to elect a manager who was proactive, progressive, young and energetic.

After Captain Zhang finished his statement, he walked directly to the deaf old lady and said, "Old lady, you are an old resident of this courtyard and an elderly person. How about you start?"

"Ah, steward, I don't know who can be a good steward, but Yi Zhonghai has always taken care of me, an old lonely woman."

Yi Zhonghai quickly stood up and expressed his determination, saying, "I am willing to be the manager. I will work diligently and serve the people well, and I will also shoulder the task of guarding against enemy spies."

At this moment, the people in the courtyard became enthusiastic. Liu Haizhong also jumped out to express his determination, followed by Xu Wude, Zhao Banglong and Yan Bugui from the front yard. The scene was a bit noisy.

Captain Zhang quickly appeased everyone, "Well, your courtyard is very big, we will elect one uncle per courtyard, and the one who gets the most votes will be the uncle, who will be the main person in charge of the entire courtyard. We will also vote democratically, one person one vote, and those who can't write can just hand the blank paper to the person you want to elect."

Captain Zhang wanted to make a quick decision, and when the people in the courtyard heard this, they all voted, so they voted. Yan Bugui's eyes rolled around, thinking that if everyone voted, his family would have five votes. Although Old Li didn't like him, he should vote for him for the sake of their relationship as master and apprentice. The meeting didn't wait for Yan Bugui to make up his mind, and the voting began on the spot.

Yi Zhonghai currently has a very good reputation in the Siheyuan and was elected as the manager with a high vote.

Unexpectedly, the second highest vote was from the Central Courtyard, He Daqing, He Yuzhu's father. But He Daqing declined, saying that he was a cook, went out early and came back late every day, and spent very little time in the courtyard, so he was afraid that he could not take care of her.

This also made the boy next to him annoyed, and he kept pulling his father's sleeve. His father turned around and said, "Go away." The boy's face turned red and he turned back to the house.

The third one is Liu Haizhong, followed by Xu Wude, and then Yan Jiekuang's father Yan Bugui. Captain Zhang said, "Since He Daqing has withdrawn, it's just right. Liu Haizhong lives in the backyard and is the boss of the backyard.

Xu Wude also lives in the backyard, but the front yard is short of a manager, so you can't move to the front yard, right? Yan Bugui happens to be in the front yard, so Yan Bugui will be the manager of the front yard."

Xu Wude was about to speak, but seeing that Captain Zhang was determined to cut the Gordian knot, he did not say a word. In this way, Yi Zhonghai became the eldest uncle, Liu Haizhong became the second uncle, and Yan Bugui became the third uncle.

(End of this chapter)