Life in siheyuan era

It's not easy being an older brother. Shen Lanbo wanted to be an older brother, so he had to impart strategic tactics. Zhou Zhiyuan encountering Shen Lanyin and choosing to retreat was an embodiment of this tactic.

Zhou Zhiyuan wanted to be an older brother, so he bought wontons and sesame cakes, even failing to recover the deposit money. That one yuan was tucked away in Shen Lanyin's pocket, but she never intended to return it to him.

There are many disadvantages to being an older brother, but Zhou Zhining had no choice. Being born two years earlier was his original sin. When the two brothers did something together, he was always the mastermind.

It was useless for Zhou Zhiyuan to voluntarily take responsibility. The older brother was actually bewitched by the younger brother, making Zhou Zhining still the mastermind.

Faced with this mastermind, Lin Shurong was very angry. Zhou Dehou didn't even dare to open his mouth to say a few good words.

"Is this how you act as an older brother?" Lin Shurong rebuked Zhou Zhining: "You even dare to hide your private money? Taking it upon yourself to buy these valuable items..."

Lin Shurong listed Zhou Zhining's offenses, accusing him of failing to discipline his son properly.

This situation surprised Zhou Zhining and Zhou Zhiyuan. They originally thought they would be punished with a whipping, but instead, Lin Shurong began to examine herself. Her two sons committing such a serious mistake was her responsibility as a mother.

Lin Shurong's words were fierce, and Zhou Dehou's face showed shame. If the mother had a responsibility, then he, the father, couldn't escape either.

Zhou Zhining's face turned red. Lin Shurong's self-criticism was unbearable for him.

Zhou Zhiyuan, however, realized that things were going badly. Lin Shurong's attitude would be difficult to resolve.

He had thought it too simply. He originally thought that after the incident, they would receive a few whippings, averaging five whippings for him and one for Zhou Zhining, but he hadn't expected Lin Shurong to start self-criticizing, saying she hadn't taught her two sons well and had let down their ancestors.

Under these circumstances, he couldn't passively wait any longer. The only way to take the initiative was to kneel down without hesitation.

Seeing him kneel, Zhou Zhining immediately reacted and knelt on the ground as well.

Their kneeling stunned Lin Shurong. The Zhou family valued rules, but there was no punishment of kneeling. The brothers' knees had always been straight, only kneeling during their grandmother's passing.

But last night, Zhou Zhiyuan had knelt before her upon returning home, the intense feeling of longing fully expressed through that kneel.

Remembering that kneel, Lin Shurong's anger immediately dissipated by more than half, and she snorted coldly with a stern face.

Lin Shurong didn't speak, and Zhou Dehou quickly said, "Get up, men have gold under their knees."

Zhou Zhiyuan bowed and replied, "Men have gold under their knees, kneeling to heaven, kneeling to earth, kneeling to parents. If it can make my parents less angry, it's worth it even if I have to act like a clown to make them smile."

He spoke righteously at first, but the last sentence was a bit playful.

Zhou Dehou smiled slightly, then quickly put on a stern face.

Lin Shurong snorted coldly and said, "Get up."

Lin Shurong spoke, and Zhou Zhiyuan quickly pulled Zhou Zhining up. The best thing to do at this time was to be obedient, obedient, and obedient again.

After getting up, they still stood with their heads lowered, listening to Lin Shurong sigh, "You two have grown up, and your dad and I are old. We can't control you anymore!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhou Zhiyuan quickly replied, "The happiest time in a person's life is when they are eighty years old and can still be controlled, scolded, and beaten by their parents."

He was good with words, and Zhou Zhining felt the same way, saying in a deep voice, "I think so too."

The brothers sang in harmony, showing their filial piety.

Zhou Dehou's face showed a smile, and Lin Shurong's anger completely disappeared. She still said coldly, "You're saying nice things now, but you'll forget your mother once you marry a wife."

Zhou Zhiyuan immediately replied, "My brother says 'No one is as good as Mom,' and I say there's only Mom in the world who is good..." At this point, he remembered Zhou Dehou and immediately continued, "Children with a mom and dad are treasures."

Zhou Dehou added, "They must be hungry too. Let's make dinner early."

Lin Shurong got up and replied cheerfully, "Let's make dinner quickly so Zhiyuan can eat and rest early."

The matter of the private money disappeared. Zhou Zhiyuan glanced at Zhou Zhining and said lightly, "We should continue to perform at this time."

Zhou Zhiyuan walked towards the kitchen. He knew how to start a fire.

Zhou Zhining followed him into the kitchen. Seeing Zhou Zhiyuan taking out firewood to start a fire, he picked up the vegetable basin next to him and followed Zhou Dehou out of the kitchen. He could wash vegetables.

But Zhou Zhining washing vegetables was a rare sight.

Sha Zhu saw this scene as soon as he entered the courtyard and exclaimed in surprise: "Oh, the young master Zhou is actually washing vegetables. Did the sun rise from the west?"

Sha Zhu was truly surprised. His triangular eyes widened, and his two broom-like eyebrows stood up. The Zhou family had moved in two years ago, and this was the first time he had seen Zhou Zhining washing vegetables.

Zhou Zhining really didn't do housework. The neighbors thought Zhou Dehou and his wife spoiled their children, but they didn't know that Zhou Zhining had shown extraordinary talent in calligraphy and painting since he was a child. Zhou Dehou and his wife absolutely didn't want those skillful little hands for writing and painting to be damaged by housework.

And Zhou Zhiyuan pursued speed when doing housework, and his hands were heavy. Going into the kitchen meant either dropping plates or breaking bowls, and washing clothes meant either opening seams or tearing holes. The losses from letting him do housework were too great, so Zhou Zhiyuan also didn't do housework.

After he joined the army, he mentioned the importance of self-care ability many times in his letters home. This was the primary problem that new recruits needed to solve. Some new recruits with poor self-care abilities suffered a lot, including himself.

He gave many examples in his letters, which were taken seriously by Zhou Dehou and Lin Shurong. Zhou Zhining also consciously realized that there was a problem and took the initiative to undertake the housework of cleaning and washing clothes, but he had never done anything in the kitchen.

Tonight, Zhou Zhining, who had made a mistake, took the initiative to wash vegetables to win his parents' favor. Sha Zhu was surprised, and his shout alarmed Grandpa Yi and Grandma Yi, who got up and stood in front of the window to watch.

Qin Huairu, who was eating, also heard it and hurriedly got up and went out of the house. Seeing Zhou Zhining standing by the sink washing vegetables, she ran over in surprise and said, "Master, let me wash them."

Zhou Dehou was washing a handful of garlic sprouts. Seeing Qin Huairu coming to help, he smiled and said, "I don't need you, go take care of the children."

While speaking, Qin Huairu stood next to Zhou Zhining and said softly, "The water is cold, let me wash them."

Hearing the voice, Zhou Dehou turned to look at Qin Huairu, smiled slightly, and continued washing vegetables.

And Zhou Zhining ignored Sha Zhu's shouts, and ignored Qin Huairu's initiative to help, lowering his head to wash the cabbage in the basin.

Qin Huairu knew his temper and said softly, "Sha Zhu just said it casually, don't be like him, let me wash it."

But Zhou Zhining's stubborn temper came up, and he refused in a deep voice: "No need, Sha Zhu doesn't understand reason."

Sha Zhu was confused by Zhou Zhining's words. Where did reason come from in a casual sentence?

He didn't understand, but someone explained, "If Sha Zhu understood reason, the sun would really rise from the west."

As the voice came, Xu Damao pushed his bicycle in, stood by the sink and looked at Sha Zhu, revealing a mocking expression.

Sha Zhu saw Xu Damao, his triangular eyes stood up and his face showed anger, shouting angrily: "Do you want to get beaten again?"

Sha Zhu was furious, but Xu Damao's face showed a mocking look, and he replied slowly: "What can you do in front of Master Zhou?"

He brought Zhou Dehou into it, and Zhou Dehou couldn't help but speak, "Zhining is filial and takes the initiative to help me wash vegetables. There's no need for you two to argue over this."

Zhou Dehou's words let Zhou Zhining off the hook, and any further disputes between the two had nothing to do with Zhou Zhining.

Sha Zhu understood and glared at Xu Damao, shouting: "Master Zhou doesn't care, Xu Damao, shall we practice?"

He and Xu Damao met in this courtyard when they were teenagers. For more than ten years, the two had constant conflicts, and they cooperated extremely well. Xu Damao used his mouth, and Sha Zhu used his hands.

Tonight, Xu Damao used his mouth again, and Sha Zhu hadn't used his hands for a long time. He grabbed Xu Damao's collar and was about to throw a punch when Grandpa Yi's heavy voice came in time, "Sha Zhu, you're going to use your hands after just saying a few words, are you still neighbors?"

Seeing that the war was about to break out, Grandpa Yi hurriedly walked out of his own door to stop Sha Zhu.

And Xu Damao had already seen Grandpa Yi standing in front of the window, and at this time he could righteously shout: "Sha Zhu, am I afraid of you?"

He was confident that Grandpa Yi usually protected Sha Zhu in everything. With his shout, Sha Zhu would not take action.

Xu Damao had brains, and Sha Zhu was also a grateful person. Seeing Grandpa Yi come forward, he retracted his fist and released Xu Damao's collar, and walked into his own room with a "humph".

At this time, Jia Zhangshi appeared in front of her door and shouted loudly: "Qin Huairu, the children are waiting for you to cook, do you want to starve them to death?"

Jia Zhangshi acted in a timely manner. Qin Huairu washing vegetables with Zhou Zhining was dazzling to her, but she was more concerned about meat. She took the opportunity to shout, implementing a double-edged plan.

She could see clearly that Zhou Dehou's vegetable basin was filled with garlic sprouts and celery. Eggs could be stir-fried with garlic sprouts, but celery must be stir-fried with meat.

Jia Zhangshi planned it well and came out in time to shout, but Qin Huairu ignored her.

At this time, she was grabbing the vegetable basin with Zhou Zhining. The two were squeezed together, and two pairs of hands were stretched out in one vegetable basin, feeling that the basin of cold water was warm.

Feeling this charming warmth, Qin Huairu had no intention of responding to Jia Zhangshi's shout, and continued to wash the cabbage in the basin with her head down.

But Zhou Dehou spoke, "Huairu, your mother-in-law is calling you, go back quickly."

Zhou Dehou was her master, and Qin Huairu didn't dare not listen to him.

Zhou Zhining also said, "Go back, I can wash it myself."

Qin Huairu turned to look at Zhou Zhining, hesitated, withdrew her hands and walked into the room with her head down.

Sha Zhu had entered the house, and Qin Huairu had also left, but Xu Damao looked at Zhou Zhining mockingly and said: "Young Master Zhou's level of washing vegetables is really high. After washing this cabbage, you can definitely have half of it left. Not easy!"

After leaving these words, Xu Damao pushed his bicycle away.

And Zhou Dehou shook his head, and Grandpa Yi also shook his head. Xu Damao's ability to provoke hatred was indeed high.

Zhou Zhining then coldly snorted. He didn't retort, but what Xu Damao said was unpleasant but true.