1952: Walking through Nantongluo Alley

"Whatever you say! Anyway, I prepared this meal carefully. I spent the five dollars you gave me honestly and didn't dare to embezzle even a penny!" Sha Zhu put his hands on his hips, glared at Yi Zhonghai angrily and shouted.

"If you feel unhappy and uncomfortable, fine! Then you can call everyone in the yard to hold a meeting, let everyone stand up and talk it out, and carefully evaluate this matter to see whether it is me, Sha Zhu, who has done things wrong, or you, Yi Zhonghai, who is unreasonable!" Sha Zhu became more and more excited as he spoke, and the veins on his neck bulged.

As soon as he finished speaking, Sha Zhu turned around abruptly, walked straight into the house without looking back, then slammed the door shut and quickly locked it from the inside.

At this moment, inside the room, He Yushui looked at Sha Zhu with a puzzled expression and asked anxiously, "Brother, what happened outside? Why does it seem so noisy? Why is Yi Zhonghai so angry?"

Sha Zhu just smiled faintly and replied nonchalantly: "It's no big deal, don't worry about it, come and have dinner!" As he said that, he pulled over a stool and sat down.

However, He Yushui refused to give up and continued to pester Sha Zhu with questions, but Sha Zhu remained silent and just kept urging her, "Oh, dear sister, stop asking! Be good and come over here and sit down and eat your meal honestly, or the food will get cold soon!"

In this way, the days passed one by one, and in the blink of an eye, a few days passed by like a flash.

Since Jia Dongxu's passing, the once somewhat dull and depressing courtyard seems to have suddenly been revitalized with new energy and vitality. Life continues as normal, and neighbors interact with each other with greater harmony and amicability than before. Children play and laugh in the courtyard, while elderly people gather together to bask in the sun and chat about family matters. A relaxed and joyful atmosphere permeates the air.

It was a sunny, breezy day. Chen Xiao carefully rode his aging bicycle, with Qin Huairu, who had recently given birth, sitting on the back. Originally, Chen Xiao had planned to let Qin Huairu stay in the hospital for the full confinement period before being discharged home. However, Qin Huairu found the hospital all alone too boring and dreary. Seeing her increasingly depressed, Chen Xiao felt deeply distressed and ultimately decided to discharge her early.

They slowly walked along the narrow, winding path leading to the courtyard. Chen Xiao pedaled hard, the wheels creaking. Qin Huairu sat quietly on the back seat, holding her two adorable children tightly in her arms. Perhaps because the path had been in disrepair for a long time, the surface was uneven, and the bicycle bounced up and down as Chen Xiao rode.

The shaking clearly made the two little ones uncomfortable, and they began to cry loudly. Their cries rose and fell, instantly shattering the previously peaceful surroundings. Qin Huairu quickly coaxed them softly, "Dear children, stop crying! We'll be home soon, just hold on a little longer." As she spoke, she gently rocked her arms, trying to soothe the children's cries. However, the two children didn't seem to appreciate her words, and continued to cry until their faces flushed red.

Chen Xiao heard the crying behind him and couldn't help but speed up his bike. He hoped to return to his warm and comfortable home as soon as possible, so that his wife and children would no longer have to endure this ordeal. But the more anxious he became, the longer the road seemed. Finally, after a difficult journey, the familiar gate of the courtyard house appeared before him...

Chen Xiao carefully stopped the bicycle and after his feet were firmly on the ground, he turned around and stretched out his hands to support Qin Huairu who was sitting on the back seat. Qin Huairu jumped off the seat lightly, and Chen Xiao carefully supported her, fearing that she would make any mistakes.

At this moment, people from the compound happened to pass by here, and their eyes were drawn to them. They saw Chen Xiao and Qin Huairu standing together, like a perfect couple, and the scene was particularly warm and beautiful.

Seeing this, the second and third aunts immediately stepped forward, their faces filled with warm smiles. As they greeted Chen Xiao and Qin Huairu, they curiously examined the two adorable babies in Qin Huairu's arms. Upon seeing the two little ones' rosy cheeks, the second and third aunts' eyes lit up instantly, their faces filled with unconcealed joy.

Second Aunt said with a smile on her face: "Xiao, look at these two kids, they are so handsome! Especially their eyebrows and eyes, they are exactly like you!" As she spoke, she reached out and gently touched the children's pink faces.

Seeing this, the third aunt standing by nodded and agreed: "That's right, Qin Huairu is really a blessed person! Now that she has both a son and a daughter, her future life will surely be happy and fulfilling." After saying this, an envious and relieved smile appeared on her face.

Hearing everyone's praise for her child and their good wishes for a better future life, Qin Huairu was so happy that the corners of her mouth turned up even higher, revealing a row of white and neat teeth, and her smile was sweeter than honey.

At that moment, Jia Zhang came over slowly, limping along on a worn cane. She glanced sideways at the two adorable children, then curled her lips and snorted sarcastically, "Hmph, what's there to be proud of? It's just two babies, isn't it? Are you showing off like this?"

Then she glanced at the two children's clothes and laughed at them again.

"Oh, so there are two daughters, not even a son."

As soon as Jia Zhang said this, everyone's faces instantly turned gloomy. The originally happy and peaceful atmosphere was suddenly broken, as if it had condensed into a layer of frost.

Chen Xiao frowned slightly.

"Jia Zhang, what do you mean by that? What does it have to do with you if I give birth to a son or a daughter?"

Although he felt somewhat dissatisfied, Chen Xiao still tried his best to control his emotions and did not want to have a head-on conflict with Jia Zhang.

However, Qin Huairu had already clasped the children tightly in her arms, as if she feared they would come to harm. A flicker of unconcealable grievance flashed across her beautiful eyes, tears welling up in her eyes. But to avoid being laughed at, she forced herself to hold them back.

The second aunt who had been watching from the side could no longer tolerate it. She took a step forward, pointed at Jia Zhang and shouted: "Sister, how can you say such heartless words? Xiao and Huairu have suffered so much hardship and fatigue along the way to have this warm little family now. Not only do you not bless them, but you are also here to sneer and pour cold water on them. Aren't you deliberately making people dislike you?" Jia Zhang's eyes widened when she heard it. Just as she was about to refute, the third aunt also spoke: "That's right, we all live in the same yard, we should bless each other." Jia Zhang snorted coldly, flicked her sleeves and turned back to the house. Everyone shook their heads when they saw this. Chen Xiao put his arm around Qin Huairu's shoulders, comforted her softly, and then took his family to their own house.

Chen Xiao walked into the house with an angry face, slammed the door shut, and clenched his fists tightly. The thought of that abominable Jia Zhang daring to curse her child in public made the rage in his heart erupt like a volcano.

"This Jia Zhang is simply shameless to the extreme! How can she be so vicious?" Chen Xiao said gritting his teeth, with veins bulging on his forehead.

This matter must not be let go so easily! Chen Xiao secretly swore that he would make Jia Zhang pay for her actions.

At this moment, Qin Huairu, who had been busy inside the house, heard the noise and hurried out to greet him. When she saw Chen Xiao's angry face, she was startled and quickly stepped forward, stretched out her hands, and gently grasped Chen Xiao's broad and strong palms.

"Chen Xiao, don't be angry. There's no need to argue with Jia Zhang over such a trivial matter." Qin Huairu persuaded softly, with a hint of concern in her beautiful eyes.

Then, she sighed again and continued to comfort Chen Xiao: "Think about it, Jia Zhang just lost her son. This is undoubtedly a heavy blow to a mother. So it's inevitable that she is in a bad mood and depressed now. Let's be more considerate of her."

After hearing Qin Huairu's words, Chen Xiao's frown relaxed slightly, but the resentment in his heart had not completely dissipated. He continued angrily, "Of course I understand her pain and sorrow after losing her son, but how can this be an excuse for her to casually curse our child? This is really too much!"

Qin Huairu, who was standing nearby, shook her head gently, then slowly leaned her head on Chen Xiao's broad shoulders and softly advised, "Brother Xiao, we should be more generous. If we really argue with her, if this matter gets out, those who don't know the truth might mistakenly think that we are bullying others and deliberately making things difficult for an orphan and a widow."

After hearing this, Chen Xiao fell into a brief silence. After a long while, he finally let out a long breath, nodded helplessly, and said, "Okay, then I'll do as you wish. However, if she does something similar in the future, I will definitely not let her off easily!"

A few days later, shocking news suddenly spread from the courtyard—Jia Zhang, overwhelmed by grief, had fallen seriously ill. Upon hearing this news, Qin Huairu felt a surge of pity. She tightly grasped Chen Xiao's hand and, with an awkward expression, discussed with him, "Brother Xiao, I heard that Jia Zhang is extremely ill this time. Although she did make mistakes before, saying many things she shouldn't have said and doing many excessive things to our family, we can't just watch her fall ill and do nothing, can we?"

Hearing this, Chen Xiao couldn't help but snorted coldly and replied unhappily: "Go and take care of her by yourself. Anyway, I don't want to have anything to do with that woman anymore!" However, when he saw Qin Huairu's pleading eyes, his heart that had originally firmly refused softened in an instant, and finally he had to agree to Qin Huairu's request very reluctantly.

Qin Huairu carefully instructed Chen Xiao: "Xiao, you, go to Old Drum Tower Street first and buy us some cakes. After that, go visit Jia Zhang." Chen Xiao nodded repeatedly in agreement, but under his seemingly well-behaved appearance, he had actually been calculating in his heart how to deal with this difficult Jia Zhang. He responded confidently: "I know, I know everything." After that, Chen Xiao turned around and pushed his slightly old but well-maintained bicycle out the door.

The sunlight cast a long shadow across Chen Xiao's body. Soon, he arrived at Old Drum Tower Street. The street was bustling with activity, filled with the sounds of hawkers. After a brief glance, Chen Xiao stopped in front of a time-honored pastry shop. He entered, carefully selecting two fragrant osmanthus cakes. After paying, he contentedly placed the cakes in a bag and hung it on the handlebars of his bicycle.

However, Chen Xiao didn't just go home. Instead, he got on his bike and headed for a nearby pharmacy. Once inside, he greeted the clerk familiarly, then walked to the laxative shelf with ease. Without hesitation, he picked up two packets and walked to the cashier to pay.

After leaving the pharmacy, Chen Xiao glanced around. Seeing no one was paying attention, he quickly took the two pieces of osmanthus cake from the bag, deftly tore open the laxative packaging, and evenly sprinkled the white powder on the cake. Looking at the osmanthus cake he had tampered with, Chen Xiao's mouth curled up slightly, and he secretly felt proud: "Hey, Jia Zhang, I'm going to give you a good beating this time. I'm going to make you diarrhea to death!" Thinking of this, he put the osmanthus cake back into the bag, got on his bicycle, and rushed towards the Jia family humming a little tune.

Chen Xiao rode his slightly old bicycle slowly, the wheels gurgling as he passed through the narrow yet bustling alleys, finally arriving in front of the familiar quadrangle. He parked the bike steadily and parked it against the mottled wall in front of the Jia family's gate.

After straightening his slightly wrinkled clothes, Chen Xiao took a deep breath and walked over to the closed door of the Jia family's house. He raised his hand and gently knocked on the peeling wooden door, making a few crisp "dong dong dong" sounds.

"Mrs. Jia Zhang, are you home? I'm Chen Xiao! I came to visit you today!" Chen Xiao's voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough to be heard through the crack in the door. As he stood outside the door waiting for a response, he couldn't help but think of the scene after Jia Zhang took the laxative.

How high would it have to go?