Life in siheyuan era

Those slender eyes were as pure as water, but when stern, they resembled icy peaks.

Looking at his reflection in the mirror, Zhou Zhiyuan understood that Xiao Dang was sensing the chill emanating from this "icy peak."

These eyes had been tempered by Z Peak and seasoned by the battlefield; the cold wind carried a biting murderous aura, no wonder Xiao Dang was afraid.

He hadn't noticed the change in these eyes before, and no one had ever mentioned it to him; it was Qin Huairu who had reminded him.

At this moment, Zhou Zhiyuan stood curiously in front of the full-length mirror, carefully observing himself, and realized where the problem lay: he shouldn't be so stern.

Thinking of this, the corners of his mouth slightly lifted, revealing a sunny smile; in an instant, the icy peak was concealed by two small suns.

His smile was very bright, and Lin Shurong, who was straightening his clothes, tugged at his trouser legs, stood up, and straightened his collar and cuffs. Looking at him in the mirror, she said with satisfaction, "Show this smile when you meet the leaders at the Civil Affairs Bureau."

This morning, Zhou Zhiyuan was going to report to the District Civil Affairs Bureau, wearing a well-fitting grass-green demobilized military uniform and a pair of military-style short boots. He looked neat, tidy, and full of energy from head to toe.

But as a mother, she was always worried and insisted on tidying him up, from his trouser legs to his collar and cuffs. Seeing his sunny smile, she was very satisfied and gave him earnest instructions, reminding him to pay attention to this and that when facing the leaders of the Civil Affairs Bureau, to score points on the details.

Lin Shurong was worried, and Zhou Dehou, sitting on the edge of the kang, was also worried, interjecting from time to time to fill in the gaps, determined to make him score a hundred points.

But Zhou Zhining, sitting on the carved chair, didn't think so. It was useless for Zhou Zhiyuan to smile like a rose.

He had his own ideas and asked in a deep voice, "Can Shen Lanbo help?"

Zhou Zhining was thoughtful. The Zhou family had only been in Beijing for two years, and the family of three all worked at the Rolling Mill. They didn't know anyone in the government departments. They didn't even know which door to knock on to get things done? They couldn't even get through that door.

But Shen Lanbo was different. He was a genuine Beijinger and lived in the military compound. Through him, they could find someone to connect with.

Zhou Zhining expressed his thoughts, and Zhou Zhiyuan smiled and said, "I told Lanbo, and he will do his best to help."

Zhou Zhining nodded slightly, but Lin Shurong said with concern, "Why not come to the Rolling Mill to work? Mom can take care of you."

Zhou Dehou nodded. Zhou Zhiyuan's right hand was missing four fingers, and he had a fiery temper. They would feel more at ease if he was under their noses.

But Zhou Zhining had different ideas from his parents. Seeing his parents leave the room, he said in a low voice, "If you can go to a government department, don't go to the factory."

"Reporting to the Civil Affairs Bureau," he replied.

Hearing his reply, First Aunt replied cheerfully, "That's good. Go to the Rolling Mill and learn lathe work from your father. If you learn fitter work from your First Uncle, your First Uncle will definitely impart all his knowledge."

First Aunt didn't know he was a cadre and hoped that Zhou Zhiyuan would become First Uncle's apprentice.

Hearing his wife say this, First Uncle, standing in the courtyard, smiled slightly. It would be a good thing if Zhou Zhiyuan could become his apprentice.

At this time, Second Uncle walked out from the backyard, looked at Zhou Zhiyuan, and said in a deep voice, "He's too thin, he can't do forging."

Second Uncle was a seventh-grade forger, and his words made his attitude clear: he wouldn't take him as an apprentice.

And Liu Guangtian, following behind Second Uncle, looked at Zhou Zhiyuan and nodded in agreement with his father's assessment; Zhou Zhiyuan's physique just wasn't up to par.

But Sha Zhu shouted, "Come to the Rolling Mill cafeteria, and I'll teach you my best cooking skills."

Seeing the neighbors express their opinions one after another, Zhou Dehou smiled gently, but Lin Shurong ignored them, and Zhou Zhining simply turned a deaf ear.

Zhou Zhiyuan, on the other hand, had a smile on his face, saying the words "obey the assignment," but he was saying it to his parents. It had nothing to do with him not being able to go to the Rolling Mill. He would go wherever the organization told him to go; he had no right to bargain.

His attitude was praised by First Aunt. "Zhiyuan's quality is high."

These words made Zhou Dehou and Lin Shurong happy. Second Uncle looked at First Aunt, Liu Guangtian rolled his eyes, Sha Zhu chuckled, and First Uncle said, "Let's go."

First Aunt's performance was too obvious, and First Uncle had no choice but to say something to change the subject, but he wouldn't take the first step. Lin Shurong walked forward, Zhou Dehou looked at Zhou Zhining and Zhou Zhiyuan, stepped forward to follow Lin Shurong, but in a blink of an eye, Qin Huairu was gone.

Qin Huairu had always closely followed Lin Shurong's footsteps, but this morning she stood beside Zhou Zhiyuan, watching First Uncle and Second Uncle walk past, and then seeing Sha Zhu pulling Zhou Zhiyuan forward, she strode forward and walked with Zhou Zhining.

Seeing this scene, Jia Zhangshi, standing at the door, could only stare wide-eyed.

She had nothing to say. Qin Huairu was standing with Zhou Zhiyuan, but Sha Zhu wanted to pull Zhou Zhiyuan to talk. They were walking together, and Qin Huairu hated Liu Guangtian, so it was natural for her to walk with Zhou Zhining.

Jia Zhangshi had nothing to say, but she didn't know Qin Huairu's good intentions. She first stood with Zhou Zhiyuan, and if Sha Zhu hadn't asked Zhou Zhiyuan to talk, she would have walked with Zhou Zhining after everyone walked out of the courtyard gate.

She did this not to guard against Jia Zhangshi, but because she was worried that Lin Shurong would be disgusted. Now that her wish had been fulfilled, her face was radiant with smiles, leaving Liu Guangtian behind, walking sullenly.

When they walked to the front yard, Zhou Dehou and his wife and the First and Second Uncles had already walked out of the gate, and Sha Zhu saw a burly young man, stopped, and called out, "Da Li, is Sunday your shift?"

Wang Da Li was also a bus driver, but his route was in the suburbs, and the terminal station was quite close to Qin Huairu's parents' home.

Da Ji Da Li were both honest people. Wang Da Li stood in front of his house, didn't respond to Sha Zhu's call, looked at Zhou Zhiyuan, and seeing him smile and nod at him, his dark square face showed a smile, nodded in response to Zhou Zhiyuan, and then answered Sha Zhu's question, "Yes."

Wang Da Li said one word, and Sha Zhu immediately turned his head and shouted, "Sister Qin, did you hear that?"

Sha Zhu was the same age as Qin Huairu, but almost a month younger than her.

Qin Huairu turned to look at Zhou Zhining, and seeing him nod slightly, she turned to Wang Da Li and said, "Da Li, take your bus back to my parents' home on Sunday."

Wang Da Li still replied with one word, "Okay."

As soon as this word landed, a voice came: "Saving two bus tickets."

Hearing the voice, Zhou Zhiyuan turned his face and saw a young man walking out of the west wing, with a fair and clean face and a pair of lively big eyes, like a handsome white-faced scholar.

Yu Li followed behind him, the two of them walking out of the door one after the other.

The young man interjected as soon as he came out, ridiculing Sha Zhu and Qin Huairu for taking advantage of the public.

And Sha Zhu shouted, "Yan Jiacheng, what's it to you?"

"Of course it's something to me, I live face to face with Da Li, I'm thinking of him."

Yan Jiacheng tried to please Wang Da Li, but didn't want to continue to offend Sha Zhu, so he turned to Zhou Zhiyuan and said, "Zhou Zhiyuan, right?"

Seeing Yan Jiacheng talking to him, Zhou Zhiyuan was about to reply, but he heard a voice from behind: "It's the Zhou family's second son."

Along with the voice, Xu Damao pushed his bicycle out, followed by Lou Xiao'e.

He said "Zhou family's second son" causing Zhou Zhining's dissatisfaction, and he solemnly replied: "Xu Damao, if you don't know how to speak, shut up, this is my younger brother Zhou Zhiyuan."

His attitude made Xu Damao feel wronged, and he shouted: "Sha Zhu called it, 'Zhou family's second son is back'."

Xu Damao imitated Sha Zhu's voice and shouted it twice, and it was actually very lifelike.

Yan Jiacheng smiled and said, "That's how Sha Zhu shouted, 'Zhou family's second son is back.'"

Xu Damao and Yan Jiacheng sang in harmony, Zhou Zhining frowned, Sha Zhu glared, but that was indeed the case at the time, and the two of them had nothing to say.

Qin Huairu wanted to say something but had no reason, Sha Zhu had indeed shouted "Zhou family's second son".

And Liu Guangtian watched the excitement, Lou Xiao'e and Yu Li were also watching the excitement, and even attracted Third Aunt and Wang Da Niang.

Seeing Zhou Zhining fall into passivity, Zhou Zhiyuan was about to step forward, chuckled to attract everyone's attention, and then said: "Xu family's second son, Yan family's eldest son, are right."

Zhou Zhiyuan affirmed their words, but put the hats of "second son" and "eldest son" on them.

Hearing him call the two of them that, Qin Huairu was the first to laugh, Lou Xiao'e and Yu Li followed suit, and then everyone laughed.

Wang Da Niang said cheerfully: "That's the principle." Her meaning was that there should be reciprocity.

And Third Aunt clicked her tongue, not liking to hear the title "Yan family's eldest son", but found that she couldn't refute it, Yan Jiacheng had brought it on himself.

Yan Jiacheng also realized the problem, he had tried to take advantage but had trapped himself, but he didn't know how to solve it, and heard Xu Damao shout: "You call Sha Zhu Brother Zhu, you should also call me brother."

He picked this principle, Zhou Zhiyuan replied: "Brother Zhu reacted quickly and took the initiative to call me Zhiyuan, so I called him Brother Zhu."

Xu Damao immediately shouted: "I also call you Zhiyuan."

"Okay, Comrade Damao."

Zhou Zhiyuan's way of calling him made Xu Damao puzzled, and he shouted loudly: "I call you Zhiyuan, you should call me Brother Mao."

"I don't dare to call it that..." Zhou Zhiyuan replied with a sad face: "Five years ago, there was a big hooligan in SY named Brother Mao, who was shot before I joined the army. Calling him Brother Mao reminds me of him."

Hearing this, Lou Xiao'e actually laughed loudly, and then the laughter rang out, and Yan Jiacheng, who was not involved, laughed along.

And Xu Damao looked at Lou Xiao'e, and turned to Zhou Zhiyuan and shouted: "You can call me Brother Damao."

"I don't dare to call it that..." Zhou Zhiyuan continued to reply with a sad face: "That big hooligan was also called Xu Damao. You go to SY and ask those old hooligans, who doesn't know Xu Damao, Xu the big hooligan."

As soon as Zhou Zhiyuan's words fell, everyone laughed even harder, and Lou Xiao'e reached out and grabbed the rear rack of the bicycle, laughing so hard that she leaned back and forth.

And Qin Huairu grabbed Zhou Zhining's arm and laughed heartily, and Sha Zhu's laughter was even earth-shattering.

Seeing this scene, Zhou Zhiyuan frowned slightly, "First Aunt's information may be wrong."

But he didn't have time to verify this matter. Shen Lanbo had said that he had to report to the District Civil Affairs Bureau at eight o'clock this morning.