The courtyard: the atmosphere of human life

After Darong and Sibei waited outside the suture room for a while, the third brother limped out.

"How is it? Does it still hurt?" Darong quickly stepped forward to support the third child and asked with concern.

"It doesn't hurt. I just had the anesthesia. I don't feel anything." The third brother sat down on a chair in the corridor.

"Hehe, this leg doesn't hurt anymore. Just wait for our mother to come and break your leg." Sibei snorted coldly and said to the third brother.

Darong's mother is usually most afraid of her children swimming and ice skating. She always says that water and fire are merciless, and it will be too late to regret if something happens. This time, the third child not only went ice skating, but also fell into an ice hole. I wonder what kind of storm Darong's mother will create when she comes.

The third brother didn't say anything either, he just lowered his head and sat on the chair to rest.

"You guys were already on the ice at that moment. Did you skip class again?" Darong poked the third brother's forehead with a cold face.

"Hey, at most I'll just get a beating. I'm unlucky today, so I'll just accept the beating." The third brother said happily, with an indifferent expression.

"You admit your mistakes and get beaten, but I'm still angry because I don't admit my mistakes. Why did I give birth to a bastard like you? There's never a day when I can rest assured."

Darong's mom and dad arrived at the hospital at exactly this moment. Before they turned into the corridor, they heard what the third brother said.

Darong's mother slapped the third child on the shoulder, and pulled at his tattered cotton trouser legs with anger and heartache.

"I told you that day that there was a drowned ghost in the river. If you just went over there, I could have grabbed it for you. But you didn't even listen. How did you get hurt?"

Darong's mother had not read many books, and she still raised her children based on the most primitive "myth stories".

"Oh, Mom, those are all lies to trick children. Who would believe that now? I was just scratched by the wire under the water." The third child looked at Darong's mother helplessly.

Children are always afraid that others will treat them as children, but only when you are no longer afraid of being called childish, do you truly begin to grow up.

"I believe it. Get up and go home quickly." Darong's mother slapped the third child again in annoyance.

Sibei originally wanted to carry the third child out, but the third child refused and finally limped out of the hospital by himself and got on Darong's father's bicycle.

When the family returned home, it was already completely dark. The dumplings, which had been wrapped well, had all collapsed due to being left out for too long. Darong had to pick them up one by one and steam them to eat.

"Wait until your leg heals, and I'll beat you up again." While picking up dumplings from the cage cloth, Darong's mother angrily started scolding the third child.

"Why don't you give it to me now and break this leg as well? It's just right that I don't have to go to school. I can rest at home for two days and then I can go on holiday."

The third brother was also embarrassed and angry, so he just stretched out his good leg in front of Da Rong's mother.

Darong's mother slapped him hard on the leg and said, "Let your father do that to you. You are dreaming."

"Just scold him if you want to. Why do you always drag me into it? Why don't you just tell him to go to hell?" Darong's father was smoking a cigarette and said to Darong's mother with an unconvinced look on his face.

Darong burst out laughing, and Darong's mother couldn't hold it back either, and the whole family laughed out loud. This plate of steamed dumplings for the winter solstice was considered warm and cozy.

The third child originally thought that since his leg was injured, he could at least rest at home for a few days, but the next morning, Darong's mother woke him up early and asked him to go to school with his father every day.

Not only did he fail to take a leave to sleep in, but he got up earlier than usual. The third child refused to get up after sitting in the car with Darong's father for two days. In this cold winter, he would rather jump on one leg and sleep more at home.

"Hurry up and get up. Your legs are inconvenient. Don't be late. If you are late, ask the teacher to come home and I will beat you up." Before leaving, Darong's mother slapped the third child twice and said something harsh before leaving.

"Brother, brother, are you with Pei Bin?"

After Darong and Darong's mother left the house, the third brother reluctantly stood up and asked the fourth brother.

"Yes, he is my master." Sibei turned over and agreed in a muffled voice.

"Ah? Does our sister know?" The third child opened his mouth in surprise.

"I don't know. I never told her. I think it's better not to let her know. Eh? How did you know?" Sibei opened his eyes and looked at Huazi and asked.

Sibei is working the afternoon shift today. When he doesn't have to get up early, he usually gets up at noon to eat.

"That day when you went down to the river to pull me out, I saw him. He followed behind me, but I got out before he got close."

"Oh, don't tell our sister, so she doesn't have to worry about it again."

Pei Bin is actually a nice person. Ever since Sibei came to the factory, he has protected Sibei in every way. Plus, Sibei himself is easy-going, so he has been working smoothly since he joined the factory.

Sometimes the fourth generation often feels regretful. If it weren't for his mother's involvement, Pei Bin would be a good brother-in-law. He is a very considerate person.

After the winter solstice, the year is coming to an end. On the Laba Festival, Darong cooked a big pot of Laba porridge. She was working the night shift and had no time to cook at home in the evening, so she cooked the porridge in advance to save Darong's mother the trouble.

"Sister, please pack more garlic. I love to eat Laba garlic." The third brother said happily when he came in and saw Da Rong peeling garlic.

"Okay, I'll go wash another jar later."

Darong's love for her younger brothers and sisters comes from the bottom of her heart. Although Darong's mother always says that Darong has a stubborn temper, it is actually Darong who is least willing to go against her wishes.

As the eldest child in the family, Darong is always asked a lot of things, but it seems that no matter what she does, she can never meet her mother's standard of the "eldest sister".

Because she didn't get enough love, she was always in a lost mood and forced herself to become more perfect. Darong always felt that her mother didn't love her, but the more this happened, the more she wanted to please her mother.

Darong never realized that she was trying to please others, but everything she did, was it not trying to please others?

"How was the exam? Did you pass?" Darong got up and found another can in the cupboard.

"Sister, why are you asking this? Since the fifth grade, when have you seen me pass the exam?" The third child was honest and sat on the edge of the kang and started to eat radishes.

"How dare you say that? You're just like your brother." Darong snorted and laughed, then sat back down at the table and started peeling garlic.

"Sister, I still want to tell you." The third brother looked at Darong and hesitated for a long time, and finally spoke.

"Tell me what?" Darong looked up at the third brother.

"Actually, my brother's master is Pei Bin."

When she heard Pei Bin's name, Darong's hands that were peeling garlic paused for a moment.

The third brother is different from the fourth brother. He is not so obedient and does not like Darong’s foolish filial piety. He thinks that matters of the heart should not be mixed with external factors. Since his sister has feelings for Pei Bin, why can’t she fight for it herself?