Siheyuan: A warm home with wife and children

In the past, food factories would only have holidays on the 28th or 29th day of the twelfth lunar month.

This time, she was able to prepare for the New Year two days earlier, giving her more time to spend with her children, which naturally made her happy.

Yang Jianguo said with some helplessness, "I'll have to wait a few days."

The steel rolling mill announced a holiday on the 29th, but the work in the workshop probably won't be finished, and it will definitely be delayed until the 30th.

"It's alright, I can take care of things at home," Yingzi replied, and put the food on the table.

The two children washed their hands, put down their homework, and came over to eat.

"Dad, can we set off firecrackers during Chinese New Year?" Zhiyi pointed to her cheek with her finger, looking at him with expectant eyes.

Yang Jianguo patted her head and smiled, "An'an, just wait a little longer, you'll be released in a few years."

The little girl looked a bit disappointed, and lowered her head to eat her noodles with an "oh".

Oil-splashed knife-cut noodles, add a spoonful of pre-fried minced meat to the noodles and mix well—delicious!

Nowadays, I cook meat all at once and leave it aside.

You only need to scoop out a spoonful when you eat it; you can't have the smell of meat filling your house every day.

Just as they were talking inside, someone outside called out, "Dad, Mom, Mom, I'm home."

Looking up, Yingzi said with some surprise, "Guangfu from Uncle Er's family is back."

"Oh?" Yang Jianguo looked up and saw Liu Guangfu.

He was able to come back after only one year in the countryside, so it seems he was doing quite well in the commune!

Carrying the New Year's goods he brought back from the countryside, Liu Guangfu rushed into the house.

"Guangfu, is Guangfu back?" Uncle Er and Aunt Er, who were eating, stood up when they saw him.

Upon seeing this, Liu Guangfu's initial excitement vanished instantly.

Well, I guess I'll just make myself happy by doing this.

She ate and drank just as much as she wanted, but she didn't even think about having this son.

"Ah, you're back." Liu Guangfu put the thing he was carrying on the cabinet and walked into the house.

Aunt Er's eyes lit up, and she stepped forward, pointing at the item and asking, "What's this? Is it for your family?"

"It's...it's for someone else. I just arrived at the commune, where would I get the money to bring things home?"

When she heard that it wasn't for her family, Aunt Er's face darkened.

The corners of her mouth, which had previously turned up in her bangs, were now drooping.

Upon entering the inner room, Liu Guangfu saw his second brother sitting there reading a book. "Brother, your younger brother is back, and you don't even know to greet me?"

Liu Guangtian raised an eyebrow at him and said, "You've already achieved your ideal, so why do you need anyone to welcome you?"

Hearing his sarcastic tone, Liu Guangfu sat down to the side and said, "What, is going to the countryside not honorable?"

"Glory, but you're doing a perfectly good job and insist on going down to the lower levels. Is it really necessary?"

Liu Guangtian couldn't understand it; what was so good about the countryside?

He had clearly been given the right path, but he wouldn't follow it and went to the neighborhood office to register on his own.

The neighborhood committee did give them a good commendation for their actions!

They say the Liu family has produced someone with high moral character. All of you who don't want your children to leave should take a look and see what they've got.

The work has all been arranged; the only thing left to do is to support rural development.

What do you call this, good comrade!

At that moment, Liu Hai's anger subsided.

Well, this son has made himself proud; the first time he's home, his wife has cooked him two eggs.

When they left, they even gave me seven or eight boiled eggs.

At that time, Liu Guangfu was deeply moved.

But after returning from this trip, he realized that he had been overthinking things.

His father!

She still longed for his eldest son; she was just a backup option to him until the day she died.

"Come on, you're not even a backup option."

Liu Guangtian didn't say a single kind word, but that was how the two brothers communicated.

He was constantly disliked and grew up under the criticism of his strict father.

I can't say whether I've learned the others or not.

The skill of 'not knowing how to say nice things properly' has reached its essence.

"By the way, you mentioned looking for a partner in our last conversation, how did it go?"

Liu Guangfu lifted his foot and placed it on his knee, then pried off the large shoe.

Just as Liu Guangtian was taking a breath and about to speak, his face instantly changed: "What the hell is that smell?"

"No, Guangfu."

"Let's talk this out. Put your shoes on first."

Liu Guangtian dashed to the window, pinched his nose, and pointed at his foot with a pained expression.

Look, look for yourself, why is it still smoking?!

Liu Guangfu stretched out his toes comfortably, took off his other shoe with a relaxed expression, and slumped down in the chair.

"Ah, that feels good." Liu Guangfu closed his eyes in bliss and smelled the scent in the air.

hmm~

It's that familiar taste again, which makes me feel at ease.

He had long since adapted to it over the past year.

Compared to when he lived in the countryside, the smell of a dozen or so men taking off their shoes together was much better.

It's still lacking that bit of richness!

The couple, Liu Haizhong and his wife, who were eating in the living room with long faces, looked up and sniffed hard: "Dad, what's that smell?"

"Hmm~ It smells a bit like pickled cowpeas. Has the smell from our jar gone bad?" Liu Haizhong replied in surprise.

Aunt Er sniffed and followed the smell into the house, saying as she went, "No, I kept that jar in the cellar!"

"It smells like it's from inside the house, this..."

"You brat, are you trying to suffocate me or something? Put those shoes on right now."

"Mom, I've been cooped up on the train for two days and two nights, and you won't even let me rest when I get home."

"Put it on, put it on quickly, I... I'm going to vomit!"

"Liu Guangfu, did you come back here specifically to upset me and your mother? Put your shoes on."

"I'm putting it on right now. I don't want to stay here anymore."

"Really... I'm such a bastard. If I had known, I shouldn't have come back."

Reaching the doorway, Liu Guangfu reached out and lifted the thing on the cabinet, then lifted the curtain and tossed it aside.

……

P.S.: The censorship is so strict, I'm completely numb!

Chapter 263 Rare Goods, Worth Living For

Liu Guangfu stormed out of the doorway, then turned and complained in the direction of his house, "Anyone who comes back is a bastard."

He turned to leave, but then stopped when he saw two cars parked under the eaves.

The women's bicycle, which should have been brightly colored, was now painted a metallic color.

Upon seeing this, someone commented on Liu Guangfu's case, "Hey, Yang Jianguo is really cautious."

Glancing at the things he was carrying, Liu Guangfu's eyes lit up, and he went up and knocked on the door: "Brother Jianguo, it's me, Guangfu. Are you home?"

Yang Jianguo stood inside the doorway with a bowl in his hand, shoveling noodles into his mouth as he asked, "Guangfu, what's wrong? You just got back and you're already going out again?"

Mentioning this, Liu Guangfu was filled with anger: "Ugh, don't even mention it. People don't like me, so I might as well get out of here as soon as possible. Staying here just makes me a nuisance!"

Picking up the item in his hand, Liu Guangfu said, "Brother Jianguo, this is a rare item I brought back from the east. I'm giving it to you."

Yang Jianguo glanced at the cylinder wrapped tightly in oil paper and shook his head, saying, "Send it to your parents, or you can keep it for yourself. I don't need anything."

Liu Guangfu grinned, his expression playful: "That's not necessarily true. I guarantee you'll definitely need this."

He placed it by the corner of the wall near the door, turned around, waved, and walked out: "I'm leaving now. I'll come find you for a drink again sometime."

"Hey, Guangfu, what are you doing..." He saw that the other person went straight out of the doorway and his footsteps disappeared.

Yang Jianguo, who was standing at the head of the house holding a bowl, was at a loss for words, wondering what kind of situation this was.

He carried it inside by the rope and sat back down at the table.

Yingzi had finished eating and took her bowl to the stove to get some noodle soup.

"Jianguo, what did Guangfu give us?" Yingzi put the noodle soup on the table to cool, then stepped forward and curiously picked it up to examine it. "Why didn't he give it to Second Uncle?"

Yang Jianguo chuckled speechlessly and said, "What else could it be? It must be that the father and son had another fight!"

Yingzi put the things down and asked, "Then what should we do? Should we take this to Uncle Er?"

"No, keep it for yourself!"

Yang Jianguo raised his hand and said, "We're not the neighborhood committee. If you give something to someone, they might not appreciate it, and I'll have to accept the favor."

Hearing this, Yingzi thought it made sense. "That's true. Uncle Er... if he shared all the good things he did for others with his family, everything would be fine."

"Some people are just bullies at home, treating their own family like enemies, but being incredibly friendly to outsiders."

Yang Jianguo shook his head, both amused and exasperated, and said, "I don't understand. There must be something wrong with his brain."

Yingzi gave him a playful glare and, while unpacking the package, said, "What nonsense are you talking about? The baby's still here!"

After finishing the noodle seasoning in the small bowl, Zhiyi wiped her mouth with her hand and asked, "Dad, what does it mean to have something wrong with your brain?"

Yang Jianguo froze, while Yingzi inside the room chuckled, "Let's see how you explain this to your daughter now that you've been talking nonsense."

Yang Jianguo scratched his head awkwardly, his mind racing. How was he supposed to explain this?

Zhiyuan, who was ladling noodle soup from Yingzi's large bowl into his own, stopped what he was doing and put down a bowl beside him.

He turned to look at her and said in a mature tone, "Silly girl, haven't you heard that's Second Grandfather?"

Zhiyi nodded as if she understood, but still didn't quite get it.

Zhiyuan turned his head like a storyteller: "It's about how Second Grandfather has a bit of a problem with his brain. The reverse is also true: Second Grandfather has a bit of a problem with his brain."

"So, people like Second Grandpa are a bit mentally unstable, and people with mental problems are all like Second Grandpa, understand?"

Zhiyi paused for a moment, then nodded in realization, "Oh, I understand, Second Grandpa is sick!"

"Hmm, a good summary!" Zhiyuan nodded with satisfaction, continuing to watch the spoon as he poured soup for himself.

Zhiyi was overjoyed to receive her brother's praise.

He raised his head proudly and said, "Dad, my brother praised me."

Nodding with a complicated expression, Yang Jianguo thought to himself, 'This is unbelievable.'

Something doesn't sound right here!

But if you ask it what's wrong with it, it doesn't seem to have any problems...

So, should I explain to him, or just pretend nothing happened?

I glanced at Yingzi, and her expression wasn't much better.

Noticing his gaze, Yingzi rolled her eyes, clearly saying, "Look what you've done."

Shaking his head with a wry smile, he said, "Fine, have some noodle soup then!"