Siheyuan: Starting from 1958

The promise made by the third brother was exactly what Yan Fugui wanted to hear, and he couldn't wait to agree immediately.

But in order to make his third brother even more grateful to him, Yan Fugui didn't show it. Instead, he put on a troubled expression and said, "Third brother..."

“Dad knows you are a very filial son and will definitely hand over your wages to the family after you get out. But the second son and the eldest son are also my sons, Yan Fugui. If I pay your fines and not theirs, the eldest son and the third son will definitely hate me to the bone in the future.”

"Dad is too old to work anymore..."

“If your eldest and second eldest sons don’t take care of your mother and me in our old age, we’ll end up like Yi Zhonghai, with no one to rely on in our old age…”

The third brother saw the lust on Yan Fugui's face and realized that as long as he kept talking, he would definitely be able to persuade Yan Fugui to pay the fine and redeem him from his home.

He immediately swore an oath to Yan Fugui: "Father..."

"Regardless of whether your eldest and second eldest brothers will support you in your old age, I will definitely take care of you for the rest of my life..."

"I swear... if I can't do it, may I be struck by lightning and may my sons be born without an anus..."

Seeing that the third brother had even uttered such a vicious oath, Yan Fugui no longer hesitated and decisively replied, "Okay..."

"Dad believes you, I'll pay the fine for you tomorrow..."

"But you absolutely mustn't tell the eldest or second eldest brother about this. Keep it a secret for as long as possible..."

The third son was overjoyed. As long as he could get out, he would do anything Yan Fugui asked. He immediately replied, "Dad, don't worry, I definitely won't say anything..."

"Besides, I'm kept in separate cells from my eldest and second eldest brothers, so I can't even see them if I want to..."

…………

Yan Fugui's family home in a courtyard house.

Upon returning from the detention center, Yan Fugui's solemn face finally relaxed.

As long as the third son is successfully redeemed, the Yan family will not fall.

Less than five minutes after she sat down, a rapid knocking sounded at the door. When Yan Fugui's wife opened the door, she saw her second son's wife standing there with a solemn expression.

Yan Fugui didn't waste any words and directly pulled out the divorce agreement that his second son, Yan Jiefang, had already signed: "Second son's wife..."

"Here's what you wanted..."

"From this day forward, you have nothing to do with the Yan family. We hope you will never appear in the courtyard again..."

Yan Jiefang's wife is also a very straightforward person.

When I got home last night, I went to see my former sister-in-law, Zhang Juan. Zhang Juan was relieved and felt very sympathetic to Yan Jiefang's wife's plight. She promised to lend her 500 yuan by the end of the year.

With the 500 yuan from Zhang Juan, plus his own savings from frugal living, he was able to keep the house he had mortgaged last year.

With a house, a son and a daughter, and a well-paying job, Yan Jiefang's wife had nothing to fear.

He took the divorce agreement from Yan Fugui and confirmed that there were no problems.

He counted the twenty-five yuan bills that Yan Fugui handed him, stuffed them into his pocket, and without uttering a single unnecessary word, turned and left the courtyard.

…………

The inner courtyard of a traditional courtyard house.

The atmosphere in the Jia family was very heavy; everyone sat in their chairs with somber faces, not uttering a word.

There was a pile of over three hundred yuan on the table, including even a few cents in change.

This was all the money Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu could muster, even their groceries for tomorrow. Having racked their brains to find another way out, Qin Huairu could only turn her hopeful gaze to her daughter, Kuihua: "Kuihua..."

"Your brother is the only grandson of the Jia family..."

"He absolutely cannot go to jail, otherwise even if he gets out, no one will marry him, and he will never be able to find a good job outside..."

"Mother knows you still have a lot of money saved up..."

"Please, I'm begging you, whether it's for the Jia family or for your brother..."

"Take out that secret stash of money and save your brother..."

Kuihua was struggling internally.

She did have three or four hundred yuan left, but this was a drop in the ocean compared to the three thousand yuan fine, and it was of no use whatsoever.

Even if he took it out himself, it wouldn't save Bang Geng. These few hundred yuan might end up in the hands of Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi in the blink of an eye.

Moreover, these few hundred yuan are Kuihua's only savings, which will be her guarantee after she gets married.

Given Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi's ways, the money he took out was definitely a case of throwing good money after bad, with no chance of getting it back.

If I end up penniless, I'll definitely suffer all sorts of disdain from my in-laws if I get married.

Therefore, Kuihua didn't want to take out this money from the bottom of her heart.

But the person imprisoned is her own brother, and Qin Huairu is her own mother. They've both come to her for help, so she feels guilty if she doesn't give them a single penny.

After struggling for a full minute, Kuihua finally frowned, sighed, and replied, "Mom... after deducting the few hundred yuan I lent to Banggeng, I only have two hundred yuan left. I'll bring it to you this afternoon..."

Qin Huairu was not satisfied with the result and continued, "I am ashamed of the flower..."

"You must have a lot of good coworkers at your workplace, could you ask them for some money to help save your brother..."

"Even if each person only borrows ten yuan, ten people can borrow a hundred yuan..."

"I heard there are hundreds of coworkers at your workplace. If you're willing to help with this, lending me a thousand yuan shouldn't be a problem..."

"Mom really can't think of any other way. I'll kneel down right now and beg you to help your brother..."

Kuihua was stunned. She never expected that Qin Huairu not only had her eye on her family's wealth, but also wanted her to borrow money.

I'll definitely have to pay back the money I borrowed myself. If I manage to borrow a thousand yuan, it will take me several years' worth of salary to pay it back.

At the same time, a chill ran through her, and a sense of regret instantly arose. If she had known that Qin Huairu would even abandon her own daughter's future for the sake of her son, she shouldn't have taken out her two hundred yuan of private savings.

Immediately refused: "Mom..."

"You overestimate your daughter..."

“Your daughter is just a low-level employee in the factory. Although our factory has more than 100 employees, I’ve only dealt with a dozen or so of them… They’re all low-level employees, earning only 30 or 40 yuan a month, and they have to support their families. How could they possibly lend me money?”

"Besides, I'm just a coworker with them, not even friends, so I can't bring myself to ask them for help..."

"So don't even think about using this method..."

"I can only use my savings to save Bang Geng; I can't afford a single extra penny..."

Seeing that Qin Huairu was about to say something, Kuihua interrupted him before he could speak, saying, "Your daughter's abilities are limited. Don't force me anymore."

After saying that, he hurriedly left the Jia family... (End of Chapter)