Siheyuan: I just came across and wanted to chase me away

Qin Huairu was well aware of her son's limitations. Since childhood, Banggeng had been spoiled rotten by Jia Zhangshi, never having done any farm work, not even carrying water from the yard. If he were actually sent to the countryside, toiling in the fields, he probably wouldn't even get a hot meal. But now, what other choice did she have but to endure it?

She walked over, gently patted her son's back, and forced a smile, trying to appear calm: "Alright, why are you crying? The sky isn't falling. I'll take a couple of days off to teach you how to start a fire and how to mend clothes. I'll also prepare some frostbite cream and a hot water bottle for you. You'll survive, don't scare yourself."

"Survive? You make it sound so easy!" Banggeng abruptly shook off her hand, his eyes filled with resentment, like a cat that had been provoked. "If it weren't for you! If you hadn't always been trying to take advantage of Uncle Gu's family, and hadn't gone to argue with him today, offending him so badly, why wouldn't he have helped you? It's all your fault! You bad mother!"

These words were like an ice-cold awl, piercing Qin Huairu's heart and causing her breath to catch in her throat. She stood there, stunned, her lips moving but unable to utter a single word—what her son said contained a degree of truth that she dared not admit.

Hearing the commotion, Jia Zhangshi, who was in the inner room, shuffled out with her cane. Upon seeing the scene, she sat down on the ground and began to beat her chest and stamp her feet, wailing, "Oh dear! Why is my life so miserable! Qin Huairu, Qin Huairu! How could you be so useless? You can't even handle this little thing properly, what else can you do? If Banggeng is really sent to the countryside, I won't live either! I'll smash my head against your head and die right here!"

She knew this was going to be difficult, but she stayed inside, afraid to show her face. Now that things had failed, she was blaming everything on Qin Huairu. The cane thumped against the ground, as if striking Qin Huairu's heart, each strike sending chills down her spine.

Qin Huairu leaned against the doorframe, watching her son cry incessantly and listening to her mother-in-law's sharp curses, feeling dizzy and disoriented. Why was life so hard? So hard that she barely had the strength to breathe.

Sure enough, as soon as Jia Zhangshi finished speaking, Banggeng stared intently at Qin Huairu, his eyes unwavering. Normally, at this time, if anything displeased him, he would have already plopped down on the ground, throwing a tantrum, crying and demanding this and that. But today he was unusually quiet, though his eyes held a suppressed, unspeakable anger, like a lump of unburnt coal, and he ultimately didn't utter a single word. Perhaps he knew that crying and making a scene was useless, or perhaps he was rendered speechless by Jia Zhangshi's words, "If you don't go, you'll starve to death."

Meanwhile, Gu Nan happily returned home. Qin Huairu's crying and fussing at the courtyard gate had nothing to do with him. It was just a domestic matter for the Jia family, and chaos was common. Nothing was as comforting as his own wife and children on a warm bed. As soon as he turned into his own courtyard, he saw warm yellow light shining from inside the house, and he could vaguely hear the children playing inside. That warm, homey atmosphere soothed his heart.

As soon as I entered, Ran Qiuye greeted me, wiping her wet hands and her apron smeared with flour: "You're finally back. I saw Qin Huairu crying and sobbing at your door from the back window. It's past closing time, what's she crying about?"

Gu Nan changed his shoes, sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), picked up the enamel mug on the table, and took a sip of hot water. The warmth flowed down his throat. "Who cares? It's all because of Bang Geng's move to the countryside. They wanted me to pull some strings to help them out, but I didn't agree." He curled his lip, his tone somewhat dismissive. "Once Bang Geng leaves, the Jia family might behave themselves. They won't be gossiping about this and that in the yard every day, and we'll finally have some peace and quiet."

Ran Qiuye frowned, sat down next to him, and twisted the corner of her apron with her fingers: "Do you think Qin Huairu will hold a grudge against us because of this? She asked you for help and you didn't agree. What if she can't stand it and does something bad to us or takes revenge on our family behind our backs? She looks gentle, but she's very cunning."

Gu Nan smiled and waved his hand dismissively: "What can she do? She's done plenty of sneaky things from the yard and freeloaded before, but she didn't cause any trouble. If she really dares to mess around, do you think I'm afraid of her? The factory has its rules, and the yard has its neighbors. If she dares to act recklessly, someone will naturally deal with her."

“That’s true,” Ran Qiuye said, still worried, her brows furrowing even more. “I and the children will try to have less contact with her in the future, but you still have to go to work. You’ll be in the same factory every day, and she might trip you up or talk badly about you behind your back. You have to be careful.”

Gu Nan held her hand, the warmth of his palm spreading through her as he reassured her, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I'll protect myself and you and the children, and I'll never let you suffer any injustice."

Ran Qiuye nodded, feeling a little relieved, and turned to go to the kitchen to get the food. A little while later, the two children were also called over, and the family sat around the table, chatting and laughing as they ate. Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting a warm glow on the table—ultimately, it's their own life, and there's no need to dwell on other people's troubles; it only adds to their worries.

The night passed in the blink of an eye. Qin Huairu tossed and turned on the kang (a heated brick bed), tossing and turning like a pancake until the wee hours. She was so worried that her hair seemed to have turned white, but she couldn't come up with a single way to stop Banggeng from going to the countryside. Just as dawn was breaking and the sky was beginning to lighten, she got up and looked at Banggeng, who was still sleeping soundly on the kang, sprawled out and taking up most of the kang. She felt a pang of sadness and a sense of disappointment.

She had heard about the places where they were sent to the countryside; they were very tough, working from dawn till dusk. How could it be as comfortable as being at home? The days of being waited on hand and foot would be gone there. Who would serve him as attentively as she did? Qin Huairu walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and gently nudged Banggeng: "Banggeng, it's time to get up."

Banggeng was half asleep when he turned over, buried his face in the pillow, and mumbled, "Mom, what time is it? It's not even fully light yet. Why are you waking me up so early? Let me sleep a little longer."

Qin Huairu sighed, her tone becoming serious and leaving no room for doubt: "Banggeng, this is all the family can do. Your going to the countryside is a done deal, there's no going back. From today onwards, you need to learn to be more sensible and learn some skills for making a living, otherwise you won't even be able to support yourself when you get to the countryside."

Banggeng suddenly opened his eyes, sat up reluctantly, his hair sticking up in a mess: "Mom, what's the use of saying all this? With my small body, I can't lift anything, and if I really go to the countryside and work in the fields every day, I'll just be exhausted and starving."