Siheyuan: I live next door to Xu Damao, my last name is Cao

In that small and chaotic house, Liu Guangqi endured the sharp pain in his body like a knife cutting, under the violent beating of his father. He clenched his teeth, every muscle was tense due to the exertion, and he relied on his stubborn will to not fight back.

He was just like a wounded, trapped and helpless animal. He instinctively curled up his body, protecting his head tightly, and bending his arms to cover the vital parts in front of his body. He tried to reduce the force area with such a self-defense posture, so that he could endure the endless pain and torture with a little more ease in this beating that was like a torrential rain.

The magical thing is that the more cruel and desperate the beating was, the more his heart seemed to be tempered by the cold reality, becoming calmer and more composed, and his thoughts became clearer and brighter like combed silk threads.

In the most secret corner of his heart, Liu Guangqi was silently thinking about the current situation.

He knew very well that the relationship between him and his father had reached a point where it could not be repaired. It was like falling into an abyss with no hope of climbing out.

That little glimmer of hope had long been ruthlessly extinguished by my father's tyranny and stubbornness.

This road, which should have been full of warmth and understanding, is now blocked by the father's arrogant attitude. It is so tight that not even an ant can pass through.

Faced with such a predicament, Liu Guangqi realized that all his struggles were futile and would only make him sink deeper and deeper and become exhausted.

Thinking back on his father's behavior, Liu Guangqi couldn't help feeling angry and disappointed.

The man who should have been his solid support not only did not support his dreams of pursuing happiness and progress, but instead stood in front of him like a cold and hard wall, ruthlessly blocking his progress.

What’s even worse is that his father disregarded family affection and beat him violently, leaving him bruised and exhausted both physically and mentally.

At this moment, Liu Guangqi felt that the deep father-son relationship he once had was gone.

Let him take care of this cold-blooded father in the future and provide him with old age and funeral services?

In Liu Guangqi's eyes now, this is nothing but a foolish dream, it is something that is absolutely impossible to achieve!

As soon as this thought came to mind, he ruthlessly strangled it in the cradle.

After careful consideration, Liu Guangqi finally made a bold and rebellious decision in his heart.

He clenched his teeth tightly and looked into the distance with a firm gaze, as if he saw the scene of himself and his beloved Qi Sihui walking towards a better future hand in hand.

He secretly planned that once he and Qi Sihui were successfully married, he would follow her father back to their hometown without hesitation.

Perhaps that is the warm haven that truly belongs to him, keeping him away from this heartbreaking place of right and wrong.

From then on, he completely cut off ties with this family that had brought him countless pain and disappointment.

He seemed to have already seen Liu Haizhong's regretful, miserable and helpless look in the future as he tasted the bitter fruit he had sown today alone.

Then let him regret what he has done and cry in endless loneliness and regret.

However, Liu Guangqi knew very well in his heart that these outrageous thoughts and plans must not be revealed at all at this moment.

If his father were to notice even the slightest bit, it would surely trigger an even more violent family storm that would completely devour him.

Therefore, the most important task at the moment is to try every possible way to calm his father down and never let Liu Haizhong doubt himself. Even if it is acting, he has to act realistically.

Liu Guangqi saw that his father's fists and kicks paused for a moment, and the arms waving in the air slowly fell down as if they had exhausted all their strength.

He took advantage of this rare opportunity, his face instantly filled with guilt and regret, his voice trembling like a candle in the wind, and said, "Dad, I was wrong, I really know I was wrong. Don't be angry, I'll listen to you, I'll break up with Qi Sihui right now, and I don't want the house anymore. I shouldn't have gone against your wishes and made you so angry."

Liu Haizhong stopped what he was doing, his chest still heaving violently, gasping for breath, his red eyes staring at his son, his eyes full of suspicion and inquiry, as if they wanted to penetrate his soul, reach the deepest part of his heart, and explore the truth behind his words.

He knew Liu Guangqi's temper very well and knew that he was not the kind of person who would compromise easily. It was hard for him to believe that he would give in so easily.

However, Liu Guangqi's subsequent series of performances gradually dispelled his doubts.

Liu Guangqi knelt on the ground with a "thump". His knees made a dull sound when they hit the ground. He looked up at Liu Haizhong, his eyes full of regret and determination. He said loudly: "Dad, I know I made a big mistake this time and hurt your heart. I really regret it. I listened to everything you said. I swear, I will break up with Qi Sihui completely, and I will never want that house again. If I break this oath, I will be like the person who deceived his ancestors and destroyed his clan. Let my ancestors punish me and let me spend the rest of my life in guilt and regret, and I will never have peace."

His voice trembled slightly, but it was filled with unquestionable determination. Every word was clear and powerful, echoing in the room.

The second aunt beside him looked at Liu Guangqi, her eyes full of pity and heartache, and gently advised: "Guangqi, get up first, don't hurt yourself."

Liu Guangqi seemed to have not heard anything, he stood up slowly and walked towards the table where the ancestral tablets were enshrined. His steps were heavy and slow, as if he was reflecting on his past mistakes.

Walking to the tablet, he respectfully picked up three incense sticks, lit them on the candle, raised the incense sticks above his head with both hands, bowed deeply, and chanted: "Ancestors, I, Liu Guangqi, swear here today that if I don't break up with Qi Sihui and don't give up the house, I will be unfilial and violate the family precepts. Ancestors will spurn me and punish me, making me a disgrace in the family and never standing with dignity."

His expression was serious, almost ferocious, veins bulged on his forehead, and his eyes were filled with determination.

Liu Haizhong stood there, staring at Liu Guangqi's every move without blinking. At first, his eyes were still full of suspicion, his hands folded in front of his chest, his body slightly leaning back, as if waiting for Liu Guangqi to show his hand.

However, as Liu Guangqi swore that poisonous oath, his eyes gradually changed.

I saw him lower his arms slightly, his body leaning forward unconsciously, his lips slightly parted, and the anger on his face began to dissipate, replaced by a hint of surprise and relief.

He thought to himself, "Has this child really completely repented?"

The expression on Liu Haizhong's face gradually relaxed, his originally tense muscles relaxed a lot, and the anger in his eyes was replaced by a hint of trust.

At this time, Liu Guangqi appeared to be submissive and sincerely repentant, with his head lowered and his shoulders trembling slightly, but he was sneering in his heart. He had already made a decision that went against his ancestors and family ethics.

He said to himself silently in his heart: "Dad, you forced me to do this. Since you are so heartless, don't blame me for being unfair."

He knew that from this moment on, the blood-thicker-than-water, indestructible bond between him and his father had been ripped apart by a huge, unbridgeable rift.

And he will embark on a path that goes against his family.

As for whether the end of this road is light or darkness, he no longer has time to care. At this moment, his heart is full of determination and rebellion towards the future, like a kite with a broken string, drifting with the wind to an unknown distance.

As for the Liu family's affairs, everyone in the yard seemed to be attracted by an invisible force. They gathered around, watching the excitement with relish, and gossiping outside.

In another corner of the yard, Xu Fugui was grinning, his mouth almost reaching his ears, staring at the movements in the Liu family's house with shining eyes, his eyes full of excitement and curiosity, and he was commenting on the people around him from time to time.

"Hey, see? Liu Haizhong always acts so high and mighty, lecturing this and that, as if he is always right. Now, his own son is fighting with him. This is really retribution!"

The people around echoed in unison, their voices rising and falling like a group of noisy sparrows.

This made Xu Fugui speak even more excitedly. He kept waving his hands in the air and gesticulating, as if he was telling an extremely exciting story.

"I told you that you can't just rely on beatings and scolding to educate your children. You have to use a proper method. Liu Haizhong just won't listen and always thinks he's great. Now he's in big trouble!"

As for Xu Damao, he had his signature sly smile on his face, which revealed a hint of gloating and amusement at other people's misfortunes.

He leaned leisurely against the wall with his arms folded across his chest, a cigarette in his mouth. The smoke slowly rose up and lingered in front of him like a mysterious veil.

In the smoke, he said sarcastically, "The Liu family is really lively, even more exciting than the theater. I think Liu Guangqi is not a pushover, he dared to go against his father, but Liu Haizhong was too cruel, beating his son like this, tut tut tut."

After saying this, he shook his head in an exaggerated manner, with a look of regret on his face, but he was actually secretly happy in his heart, thinking that there would be new topics of conversation in the compound that he could spread everywhere. Then he would be the focus of everyone's attention again and enjoy the pleasure of being sought after and talked about.

Jia Zhang was not idle either. She squeezed her fat body into the crowd with great effort. Her huge body was like a small hill, moving with difficulty in the crowd.

Her eyes were wide open, as if she was afraid of missing any details; her eyes showed curiosity about other people's misfortunes and a hint of contempt for this kind of family dispute.

Seeing Liu Guangqi's face bruised and swollen, she curled her lips and shouted at the top of her voice: "What is going on? A good family has been messed up like this. I told young people not to be so willful. The same goes for Liu Haizhong. He should be properly controlled. Now he has brought shame to the whole hospital."

As she spoke, she did not forget to poke the person next to her with her elbow, seeking approval. The action seemed extremely vulgar, but very natural, as if she was always accustomed to expressing her views in this way and expected to be agreed by others.

The third uncle stood aside with a sigh on his face. He frowned slightly, and there was a complex expression in his eyes, which included both emotion about the disputes in the Liu family and a secret relief for the achievements of his own education.

He looked at the chaos in the Liu family, sighed softly, and said, "Alas, raising children is really a science. Look at the Liu family, they are in chaos. They are nothing like my children. I have taught them to be sensible and obedient, and respect their elders since they were young. Now they are all very well-behaved."

As he spoke, a hint of pride appeared on his face, and his pride was beyond words. He even puffed out his chest, as if showing everyone his successful example of educating children. He looked like a proud peacock.

When the people around heard this, some looked at him with envy, their eyes full of admiration for his teaching ability.

Some secretly despised him in their hearts, thinking that he was just bragging, but they all nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, the third uncle talked incessantly about his parenting experience. His voice echoed in the yard. He enjoyed everyone's attention, and he looked as if he was the most amazing educator in the world.

Yi Zhonghai was very happy when he saw that Liu Guangqi was also beaten, but he still shook his head with a serious look on his face. The movement of shaking his head was extremely slow and deliberate, and he muttered softly.

"This Liu family, ah, is such a misfortune."

But Yi Zhonghai was secretly gloating in his heart, thinking that sooner or later the Liu family would be torn apart by Liu Haizhong.

Normally, Liu Haizhong would show off in front of him from time to time that he had three sons, as if that was his greatest asset. That smug look always made Yi Zhonghai extremely unhappy. Now, things have turned out like this.

Yi Zhonghai's mouth curled up slightly, and that barely perceptible smile was full of sarcasm. He sneered in his heart, "This old man is still showing off to me. What's wrong with having three sons? With his bad temper, when the time comes, your sons won't support you in your old age, and you'll be left to starve. Let's see if you still show off."

He put his hands behind his back and paced slowly in the yard. His steps seemed extremely leisurely and comfortable, but in fact his ears were perked up to listen to the discussions of the people around him about the Liu family's affairs.

From time to time, someone would come up to him and talk to him cautiously: "Uncle Yi, you see the Liu family is in such a mess, what are we going to do in the future?"

Yi Zhonghai always sighed, his sigh was long and deep, and then he said in a pretentious and elegant manner: "It is difficult for an honest official to judge family affairs. As an outsider, we can only watch and not say much."

But Yi Zhonghai was thinking in his heart, if the Liu family really fell apart, the structure of the courtyard might change again. Could he take the opportunity to gain some prestige and voice?

After all, in this compound, any disturbance in any family may affect the delicate balance of power, and he does not want to miss any opportunity to improve his status.

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