Life in siheyuan era

During dinner, Qin Huai Ru was still preoccupied. She could understand the deep affection between the two brothers, but she didn't know what place Zhou Zining held her in his heart.

Since washing clothes together, their relationship had become much closer, but they hadn't broken through that layer of window paper.

Before, she thought it was just a matter of time.

Now, she felt it wasn't that simple. Zhou Zhiyuan had been home for three days, but Zhou Zining hadn't mentioned a word about his right-hand disability.

Qin Huai Ru was lost in thought and didn't say a word.

Seeing her with a sullen face, Bang Geng, Xiaodang, and Huaihua didn't dare to speak.

But Jia Zhangshi wore a smile on her face. Her goal had been achieved. Qin Huai Ru should understand that she could get close to the Zhou family for help, but she should extinguish the idea of entering the Zhou family as a daughter-in-law.

Jia Zhangshi was in a good mood, but she wouldn't speak to avoid messing things up.

The family of five ate in silence. The Jia family's dining table still had the same few items: cornmeal porridge, cornmeal buns, and a plate of pickles.

Holding his rice bowl, Bang Geng thought about Silly Zhu's welcome banquet, but he didn't dare to walk through that door. Influenced by Xiaodang, he was a little afraid of Zhou Zhiyuan. He was even more afraid because he heard that Second Uncle Zhou had killed people.

Xiaodang was also drinking cornmeal porridge with her head down. Her mentality was different from Bang Geng's. Zhou Zhiyuan's loving face floated in her heart, and she didn't think Second Uncle Zhou was that scary.

The ignorant Huaihua licked the porridge on her chopsticks, wondering why Grandma and Mom weren't talking, and why her older brother and sister weren't talking either?

The Jia family's dinner proceeded in silence, while at First Grandpa's house, the old couple who were also eating were discussing Zhou Zhiyuan.

First Grandma, based on what Granny Deaf said, came to a conclusion: "I think Zhiyuan is like Zhao Zilong and Wu Erlang."

She praised Zhou Zhiyuan a bit too highly, and First Grandpa smiled and said: "It is only natural for soldiers to kill enemies on the battlefield. Killing enemies is different from murder."

His words were similar to Qin Huai Ru's, and he also instructed First Grandma: "In the future, only talk about Zhiyuan's right-hand injury, and don't say anything else."

These words reminded First Grandma, and she said regretfully: "Jia Zhangshi also knows about this."

"What she says is her business, we won't say it." First Grandpa's tone had the demeanor of 'the clear will be clear'.

First Grandma sighed and replied: "That mouth of Jia Zhangshi's!"

After a sigh, she immediately said: "Silly Zhu gave Zhiyuan a welcome feast, but Bang Geng didn't dare to go. Jia Zhangshi must have told them."

She saw it clearly, judging by the fact that Bang Geng didn't go to Silly Zhu's room. Whenever Silly Zhu brought back a lunch box, Bang Geng would run into that room at the first opportunity.

But Bang Geng didn't make a sound tonight.

First Grandma knew the reason why Bang Geng didn't go, but Silly Zhu was confused. He put down his wine cup, looked at the door, and muttered strangely: "Why didn't this kid come?"

Zhou Zhiyuan asked: "Are there any other guests?"

"I'm talking about Bang Geng. This kid has a sensitive nose. He always runs over when he smells something delicious. I don't know why he didn't come tonight?"

After saying these words, Silly Zhu looked at Zhou Zhiyuan and asked in a low voice: "I heard Bang Geng say that Xiaodang said your eyes are cold and stern, and that you've killed many enemies, right?"

Zhou Zhiyuan replied indifferently: "Not every soldier has a record of killing enemies."

"Was your right hand injured while transporting ammunition?" Silly Zhu asked knowingly.

Zhou Zhiyuan replied lightly: "Maybe I accidentally injured myself while drawing my knife. After all, blades and guns have no eyes."

"Heh..." Silly Zhu smiled. He wasn't a humble person, but he liked Zhou Zhiyuan's humility. When he met such a humble person, Silly Zhu didn't ask any further.

But Zhou Zhiyuan asked lightly: "When Bang Geng comes, is he allowed to sit at the table?"

This question made Silly Zhu wonder: "What's wrong?"

Zhou Zhiyuan replied solemnly: "I remember when guests came to my house, my brother wasn't allowed to sit at the main table before he was sixteen. My dad would find my uncle to accompany the guests with him, while my mom would take my brother and me to eat at another table."

"When my brother was sixteen, my uncle said that my brother was the eldest son of the Zhou family and could accompany the guests, and only then did my brother sit at the main table."

"The food at both tables was the same, but my mom stipulated that we weren't allowed to drink alcohol before we were sixteen. I was quite envious watching my brother accompany the guests in drinking. My ideal at that time was to sit at the main table and drink alcohol."

Zhou Zhiyuan talked about his family's table manners, and Silly Zhu smiled and said: "Your family has strict rules."

Zhou Zhiyuan shook his head lightly and replied in a deep voice: "Rules have their own rationality. Children don't drink alcohol and eat quickly. If they finish eating and leave the table, a mess in their place will affect the guests' appetite, and an empty seat will also affect the guests' mood."

Silly Zhu smiled and said: "This kid is quite righteous. He knows how to take care of his two younger sisters. He never eats alone when he takes things from me. He can share with his two younger sisters. That's quite rare."

Zhou Zhiyuan frowned and asked: "Does Bang Geng get your permission in advance when he takes things from you?"

"Is there a need to ask me in advance? I never lock the door, he can take whatever he wants."

Silly Zhu said it for granted, and Zhou Zhiyuan asked in a deep voice: "Are you his dad?"

"Uh..." Silly Zhu made a surprised sound.

But Zhou Zhiyuan continued to say: "If I want to take my parents' things, I also have to get their permission in advance. Their purpose in doing this is to tell me that even with parents, taking without asking is wrong, let alone with others?"

Zhou Zhiyuan expressed his opinion, then asked in a low voice: "You took the blame for Bang Geng's chicken theft. Do the First, Second, and Third Grandpas and Xu Damao and his wife really not know who did it?"

Mentioning this matter, Silly Zhu asked in surprise: "What do you mean?"

Zhou Zhiyuan sighed and replied: "Was the whole chicken stewed in the pot?"

"No, it was just some chicken pieces..."

Silly Zhu replied casually, suddenly realizing something, he jumped up and shouted: "They're messing with me?"

Zhou Zhiyuan sighed again and replied: "They may not want to mess with you, but what will they do if they find out it was Bang Geng? Bang Geng is so young, if he gets labeled as a thief, he'll have problems going to school in the future."

"And with his family's difficulties, no one would have the heart to make them compensate Xu Damao for a chicken, but there must be someone who can take responsibility for this matter, and that's you."

These words awakened Silly Zhu. The chicken theft wasn't as simple as he thought, but one thing was clear, he was the only victim.

Silly Zhu understood and walked back and forth in the room, angrily shouting: "They're using all their tricks on me, damn it..."

Silly Zhu cursed for a while, but Zhou Zhiyuan didn't say a word, holding the chopsticks with his right thumb and forefinger, using the flesh of his thumb and forefinger to open and close the chopsticks, picking up a peanut and putting it in his mouth.

This was his unique skill, and three months of hard practice had finally paid off.

When his right hand was injured, he practiced using chopsticks with his left hand, and after a month he began to practice with both hands.

He succeeded. Looking at these flexible chopsticks, he himself was surprised, suspecting that the deep sleep after returning home, coupled with the practice of Dragon Whirlwind Strength, was the reason for achieving this level of flexibility.

Zhou Zhiyuan pondered the mystery here, while Silly Zhu, after cursing for a while, sat down with a snort and asked solemnly: "Zhiyuan, is this matter just going to be left at that?"

Silly Zhu's voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up at Silly Zhu and asked a question: "Do the neighbors know that Bang Geng takes things from your room?"

Silly Zhu, hearing his irrelevant question, replied without thinking: "They should know, there are no secrets in the courtyard."

He said the key point, and Zhou Zhiyuan said lightly: "You are the one who cultivated Bang Geng's habit of taking without asking, so it's right for you to bear the responsibility."

"Uh..." Silly Zhu once again let out a surprised sound.

But Zhou Zhiyuan ignored his surprise and asked in a low voice: "If Bang Geng becomes a thief in the future, will he resent you?"

Hearing these words, Silly Zhu opened his mouth wide, looking at Zhou Zhiyuan in surprise.

And Zhou Zhiyuan said in a deep voice: "Many people have a bad habit of liking to push responsibility onto others, instead of reflecting on their own problems."

"They will use various excuses to reduce their own responsibility, or even have no responsibility at all, and eventually completely agree with this idea psychologically."

Speaking of this, Zhou Zhiyuan paused, glanced at Silly Zhu, and seeing that he didn't understand what he meant, he explained: "When these people make mistakes, they will try hard to find the person who will take responsibility, and eventually find that person and remove themselves from the situation. In this courtyard, who let him take things casually? That person is the culprit."

This explanation made Silly Zhu understand, and he smiled bitterly and replied: "Bang Geng is not that kind of child."

Silly Zhu also used a method, this method is called "I think..."

Zhou Zhiyuan smiled and said: "There are also some people who always use 'I think' to consider problems, but the problem is that what you think is just what you think, and not necessarily what the person you're thinking about also thinks. It's better not to gamble on this kind of thing."

Zhou Zhiyuan's words were quite convoluted. Silly Zhu, who had never heard of them before, needed to carefully ponder them. At this moment, a clear voice came from the door, "What this comrade said is very reasonable."