Siheyuan: Relieve stress and relieve worries

Chapter 36 Vent Return
The front yard of the Siheyuan on New Year's Eve in 1955
The midday sun was a little warm. Yan Bugui and his family came back, and Yang Ruiping carried the child back to the inner room of the west wing.

What worries Yan Bugui is that his family has not prepared anything for New Year’s Eve this year.

The two children were complaining that they were hungry, but there was nothing on the stove in the outer room.

Yan Bugui squatted beside the stove, took out a cigarette and started smoking.

"Open the door!" It seemed like his mistress was shouting at the door.

Yan Jiecheng opened the door and saw the mistress holding a large tray in each hand, with large plates and small bowls on the tray.

Yan Jiekuang placed the tray on the eight-immortals table and began serving the dishes.

"Brother, I have some things in my room, please hurry up and get them. This year's New Year's Eve is also my little sister's first Spring Festival in this world. We want her to see how happy we are." Yan Jiekuang said as he arranged the dishes.

Yan Jiefang and Yan Jiecheng ran out of the house and went straight to the back room.

After a while, the two came back with a lot of bags. They put them on the table and opened them to see a lot of fireworks, couplets and stickers, and some unusual lace patterns.

Yan Jiecheng ran out and Yan Bugui shouted, "Where are you going?" "I still have red lanterns, several of them, Dad, hurry up." Yan Jiecheng walked out the door without stopping.

Yan Bugui also became interested and went out.

The Yan family seemed to come alive all of a sudden. Yang Ruiping was holding his little sister in the inner room with a smile on his face.

The men started to move, some put up couplets, some put up window flowers, and some hung lanterns.

Starting from the west wing, above the corridor, a row of lanterns were hung every few meters all the way to the gatehouse. Yan Jiecheng and Yan Bugui pulled the wires over.

Braised pork, steamed shrimp with garlic, Kung Pao chicken, chicken wings stewed in original pot, braised pork elbow, shredded pork with fish flavor, stir-fried vegetables, and snow bean paste.

The Yan family was all dumbfounded, even Yang Ruiping came out with the child in his arms.

Yan Jiekuang said proudly: "This is the result of my six months of hard work. I want to grow up, and I want to become a man of great stature."

Yan Jiecheng and Yan Jiefang cried, looked at their younger brother, and thought about themselves, feeling ashamed.

Yan Bugui cried and said, "This is only a four-year-old child. What am I busy with?"
Yang Ruiping cried, thinking how much suffering this child must have endured.

The whole family cheered up immediately. Yan Bugui asked Yan Jiecheng and Yan Jiefang to set off firecrackers and have the New Year's Eve dinner.

Yan Jiefang was very satisfied, so he took the two strings of 1,000-shot guns and went out.

Yan Jiecheng was behind, holding incense. After a while, there was a deafening noise outside, and the neighbors in the courtyard also came out to see.

In this era, it's rare to be able to set off firecrackers like this.

All the children in the courtyard came and gathered outside. They were waiting for the firecrackers to end and then pick up the duds.

The Yan Jiecheng brothers didn't wait and went straight back to the house and closed the door.

The Yan family sat together, and Yan Jiekuang prepared lotus white for his father and soda for his brothers.

Yan Bugui said, "This year we have a new baby, and next year we will be filled with joy and happiness, and it's time to have a meal."

This meal was the best and most delicious meal the Yan family had ever had.

After dinner, the two brothers took on the task of washing the pots and dishes. Yan Jiekuang supported his mother, followed by Yan Bugui into the inner room.

Yan Bugui knew that Yan Jiekuang needed to give an explanation.

Where did all these things come from? How much did the back house cost? How much did the firecrackers and dried fruits cost?

Where do you get the money, you are just a four-year-old kid?
Yang Ruiping was more worried, but he knew that the courtyard meeting before the New Year made Yan Jiekuang very resentful.

Today Yan Jiekuang just wanted to vent.

Yan Jiekuang sat behind his father's desk, and after a pause, he said, "I made the money. I got a lot of things in the countryside and sold them in the city. I know martial arts, and I'm very good at it. I also know cooking skills, and you've tasted them today."

Yan Jiekuang came to Yan Bugui's side in an instant. Yan Bugui was shocked. This was martial arts. It was too fast. Ji Mi came over in the blink of an eye.

"I'm very angry. I don't know why everything has changed after not seeing each other for half a year. My eldest brother, who should have gone to military school, became a commoner who robs food. My second brother, who should have trained hard, fought bravely, and won a reputation, became a little kid from the alley who stirs up trouble everywhere. My dad, who should have been a teacher with brilliant articles, a high position, and a calm attitude, became someone who tries to take advantage of others everywhere."

Yan Jiekuang cried, Yang Ruiping cried, and Yan Bugui cried.

"I don't know if I can change you. I'm just a child with limited abilities. I can only live my own life. From now on, I will take good care of my mother and little sister. I can't control what you are like. Maybe I can when I grow up, but I'm still too young."

Yan Jiekuang turned around and opened the door, and saw the two brothers lying on the side of the door. Yan Jiekuang walked straight out and returned to his back room.

The Yan family is very quiet, and the Yan family is very restless.

Why did Yan Jiekuang do this? Because Yan Bugui was greedy for small gains and gave in again. Didn’t he hear the laughter in the backyard?

Siheyuan during the Spring Festival in 1955
Open the door to welcome the New Year and every household pays New Year's greetings.

A lively New Year's greeting party began in the front yard, and the children were very happy.

The two younger brothers of the Yan family bowed in the front yard, thought for a while, and then went out with the remaining firecrackers.

Yan Bugui was a little restless and was hesitating whether to go to the middle and back yard to pay New Year's greetings.

People in the old city still put human relations and social conventions first. Yan Bugui looked at Yang Ruiping with an inquiring look.

Yang Ruiping said calmly: "What you said has only been a few days. Now you are going to the backyard with a smile on your face. Aren't you slapping yourself in the face?"

Yan Bugui knew that he was thinking too superficially and had forgotten his own lofty words. Now, looking at the festive and lively scene in the backyard, it had nothing to do with his own family.

Yan Bugui stood up and said, "I'll go make some soup for you. We still have the chicken that Xiaosan brought back." He turned and left the inner room.

Yang Ruiping was happy and picked up his little sister to tease her.

"It's time to give the child a name." Yang Ruiping said in the inner room.

Yan Bugui thought for a moment and said, "This sister will be the youngest. I won't have any more children in the future. Let's call her Di, Yan Jie Di."

At this time, the door opened and Yan Jiekuang came in carrying two boxes of milk powder and two boxes of malted milk.

"Where did it come from? This thing is hard to buy, and you need a ticket." Yan Bugui was surprised.

Yan Jiekuang said, "I have a ticket. I bought it at the department store. I'm giving it to you as a receipt so that no one can find fault with me."

Handing the receipt to his father, Yan Jiekuang carried the things to the inner room.

Yang Ruiping smiled and said, "The third child in our family is the smartest. He knows that the little sister doesn't have enough to eat."

"Mom, give me a hug." Yan Jiekuang said as he stretched out his hand.

Yang Ruiping handed Yan Jie Di to his mistress. Yan Jie Kuang smiled happily and looked at his younger sister, and his younger sister also looked at him.

"Have you given her a name?" "Your father just gave her a name, Yan Jie Di, saying she's the youngest sister."

Yan Jiekuang coaxed his little sister, and his little sister smiled at him, occasionally making a "chuckle" sound.

"Oh, now you can call me brother." Yan Jiekuang said jokingly.

The inner room is full of warmth.

At this time, the door of the outer room opened and a man walked in.

"Old Yan, what you are doing is not right. Why don't you go to pay New Year's greetings to our ancestors? You are a teacher, don't you know that respecting the elderly and loving the young is our traditional virtue?" Yi Zhonghai's voice came from the door.

Yan Bugui was stunned at the stove.

"You came here uninvited to question me? I have already resigned from my position as the third uncle. I also said that I would not participate in the Siheyuan matter. Why are you so aggressive?" Yan Bugui was also angry.

"Do you think my family is easy to bully? Do you think my family is powerless?"

"The name of our ancestors is from the feudal old dynasty, right? What do you mean? Do we need to sprinkle clean water on the streets and use yellow earth to clear the way?"

"I told you to stop disturbing our family. We just want to live in peace. Do you think that my stepping back is not enough? Do you want me to step back a few steps? Or do you want us to leave?"

"You can leave. These four rooms of mine are privately owned, including two plots of land. Three thousand dollars is not expensive, right? Take the money and we'll move. Is that ok, uncle?"

Yan Bugui was firing at full force, Yi Zhonghai's face turned red, he pointed for a long time, then waved his hand and left.

Yan Jiekuang gave his father a thumbs up, and Yang Ruiping was extremely happy.

The little sister stared around.

　Thanks to Ren Shangshan, and also to so many book friends for their recommendations and monthly votes. I will add two more chapters to repay you.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)