Siheyuan: Start with a Truck Driver

The evening in the courtyard is like a painting full of tranquility and life. The afterglow of the setting sun falls on the ancient eaves, covering the blue-gray tiles with a warm golden coat.

In the yard, smoke rose from the chimneys of each household, and the light smoke spread in the air, carrying the smell of firewood, rice, oil and salt. The breeze blew gently, blowing the branches and leaves of the old trees in the yard, making a rustling sound.

The third uncle sat in the house, looking towards the kitchen from time to time, looking forward to the delicious meat that was about to come. He imagined the fat pork rolling in the pot, emitting an enticing aroma, and the corners of his mouth could not help but rise slightly.

At this moment, a burst of hurried footsteps came. The third uncle was slightly stunned, and before he could react, Jia Zhang came to the door with Qin Huairu in a hurry. The arrogance on Jia Zhang's face became more obvious the moment she saw the third uncle. She put her hands on her hips and stared at the third uncle with unfriendly eyes. Qin Huairu stood aside, with a trace of embarrassment and helplessness on her face, but she seemed to have some kind of firm determination.

"Old Yan, I heard that your Jie Cheng got the meat in an unclear way. You have to give us an explanation today." Jia Zhang's voice was sharp and harsh, breaking the evening tranquility of the courtyard. When the third uncle heard this, his face suddenly turned ugly. He frowned, stood up, and responded without showing any weakness: "Don't talk nonsense, our Jie Cheng bought the meat himself, what's unclear about it?" Jia Zhang was relentless and continued to say loudly: "Humph, who would believe it? How can you afford ten kilograms of meat in this day and age? You must have done something shameful." The third uncle was so angry that he trembled all over. He pointed at Jia Zhang and said: "Don't slander me. Our Jie Cheng has a job. What's wrong with having money to buy meat?"

Jia Zhang folded her hands across her chest, her face full of suspicion and disdain, "Hmph, even someone like Yan Jie can still find a job? I don't believe it." Her voice was sharp and firm, as if she had seen through all the lies.

The third uncle was irritated by Jia Zhang's attitude, his face flushed red, "Don't disbelieve it, Jie Cheng has found a job." But Jia Zhang was not moved at all, still shaking her head stubbornly.

The third uncle had no choice but to raise his voice and shout, "Jiecheng, come out for a moment." The voice echoed in the courtyard, with a hint of anxiety and anger.

After a while, Yan Jiecheng came out of the house. There was a hint of impatience on his face, and he was obviously very dissatisfied with this sudden trouble. "Dad, what's the matter?" Yan Jiecheng looked at the third uncle, and then glanced at Jia Zhang and Qin Huairu, his eyes full of doubts.

The third uncle pointed at Jia Zhang and said, "Tell them if you found a job." Yan Jiecheng was stunned for a moment, then reacted. He straightened his chest and said confidently, "Yes, I found a job, so I can afford to buy meat." Jia Zhang still didn't believe it, "You said you found it? Who can prove it?" Yan Jiecheng was furious at Jia Zhang's nonsense, "Believe it or not, I have a job anyway."

Jia Zhang's wrinkled face was full of confidence. She pointed her finger at Yan Jiecheng and said sharply, "Humph, don't deny it. You must have stolen the meat. How can you easily afford ten kilograms of meat these days? And you said you found a job, but I think it's all lies."

She stared at Yan Jiecheng, as if trying to see a guilty look on his face. Jia Zhang became more and more excited, spitting everywhere: "Our courtyard cannot tolerate petty thieves. If you don't tell the truth, I will tell everyone in the courtyard and let everyone judge for themselves."

Qin Huairu stood aside with an embarrassed expression on her face. She gently pulled the corner of Jia Zhang's clothes, as if to ask her not to be so aggressive. But Jia Zhang ignored her and continued to stare at Yan Jiecheng fiercely, waiting for his response.

Yan Jiecheng was so angry at Jia Zhang's accusation that his face turned red. He clenched his fists, glared at Jia Zhang and said, "Don't slander me. I didn't steal the meat. I have a friend who helped me find a job, so I have money to buy the meat."

The third uncle also stood up to speak for Yan Jiecheng: "Jia Zhang, please don't talk nonsense. We Jiecheng will not do such sneaky things. Don't make trouble here."

  However, Jia Zhang would not listen at all and still insisted on her own opinion.

Qin Huairu looked at the tense situation and stepped forward quickly, putting on a forced smile. She said softly, "Brother Jiecheng, Third Uncle and Third Aunt, let's stop arguing. This matter is not unsolvable. As long as Brother Jiecheng gives us five pounds of meat, we will leave immediately and will not tell anyone about this. Otherwise..." Qin Huairu paused slightly, with a hint of threat in her eyes.

When Yan Jiecheng, the third uncle and the third aunt heard this, they immediately understood what the two were up to. Yan Jiecheng was so angry that his face turned blue. He glared at Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi and shouted, "You are blackmailing me! I bought my meat myself, why should I give it to you?" The third uncle was also so angry that he was shaking all over. He pointed at Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi and said, "You are going too far. Isn't this bullying?" The third aunt was so angry that she burst into tears and kept muttering, "What should I do? What should I do?"

  Jia Zhang was not moved at all. She put her hands on her hips and said loudly: "Humph, it's okay if you don't give us the meat. Then we will tell everyone in the courtyard about this and see how you can survive in this courtyard in the future." Qin Huairu also echoed: "Brother Jiecheng, think about it carefully. Five pounds of meat in exchange for our silence is a good deal." Yan Jiecheng, the third uncle and the third aunt were in a dilemma.

The third aunt's face was full of anxiety, and her eyes were flashing with worry. She gently tugged at the third uncle's sleeve and said in a low voice: "Old man, why don't we just agree to Jia Zhang's request? If we don't agree, and she really makes a big fuss about this, it will be difficult for us to end up like this." As the third aunt spoke, she looked out the door nervously, as if she was afraid that Jia Zhang would rush in and make a scene at any time.

The third uncle frowned tightly, his face was terribly gloomy. His eyes revealed anger and determination, and he shook his head fiercely and said, "No! Who is Jia Zhang? She is an insatiable person. If I agree to her this time, she will definitely go further and I will be controlled by her in the future." The third uncle's voice trembled slightly with anger, and his hands were clenched into fists.

"Think about it, she wants five pounds of meat this time, but who knows what she will ask for next time. We can't be so weak and let her bully us." The third uncle became more and more excited as he spoke. He paced back and forth in the room, his heart full of disgust for Jia Zhang and worry about the current situation.

Seeing how determined the third uncle was, the third aunt became even more flustered. She twisted her hands, tears welling up in her eyes: "But old man, what should we do now? We can't just stay in this stalemate. What if Jia Zhang really tells everyone in the hospital, what will we do after the solution is obtained?" The third uncle stopped, took a deep breath, and tried to calm himself down. After thinking for a moment, he said: "We can't compromise so easily. We have to think of a way to deal with her."

Yan Jiecheng's face was so gloomy that it seemed like water could drip from it. His eyes were blazing with fire, and he could no longer suppress the anger in his heart. He stood up suddenly, pointed his finger at Jia Zhang, and cursed: "Jia Zhang, you are a scoundrel! What right do you have to blackmail our family for meat? I bought this meat with my own money, what does it have to do with you?"

His voice echoed in the house, full of anger and dissatisfaction. Yan Jiecheng's chest rose and fell violently, and his eyes revealed determination. "Get out of here now, and don't act wildly in my house. I won't let you succeed, don't even think about it." As he spoke, he strode towards Jia Zhang, as if he really wanted to drive her away.

Seeing Yan Jiecheng so excited, the third uncle and the third aunt were also filled with worry. They were afraid that Yan Jiecheng would do something extreme in the moment, so they hurried forward to hold him. "Jiecheng, don't be impulsive, calm down." The third aunt said anxiously. The third uncle also frowned and said to Jia Zhang: "Jia Zhang, don't go too far. Our Jiecheng is right, you are just a rogue. Let's go quickly and don't make trouble here." Jia Zhang was not moved at all. She put her hands on her hips, puffed out her chest, and looked unreasonable. "Humph, I won't leave."

Yan Jiecheng was extremely angry at this time, and his eyes seemed to be spitting fire. He looked at Jia Zhang's rogue appearance, and the anger in his heart instantly burned to the peak.

"Get out of here!" Yan Jiecheng roared, unable to control his emotions any longer. He raised his foot and kicked Jia Zhang fiercely. Jia Zhang had no time to react at all, she only felt a huge force coming at her, and her body flew out involuntarily.

She fell heavily to the ground outside the house, groaning in pain. Jia Zhang was shocked. She never expected Yan Jiecheng to be so bold as to hit her. She struggled to stand up, cursing: "Yan Jiecheng, you bastard! How dare you hit me? I won't let you go."

Yan Jiecheng stood at the door, his chest heaving violently, his eyes still full of anger. "If you come to blackmail our family again, I will beat you." His voice was cold and resolute, without the slightest fear.

Jia Zhang sat on the ground in a panic, her heart filled with anger and humiliation. She suddenly opened her throat and yelled, "Yan Jiecheng is a thief! His meat was stolen!" Her voice was sharp and piercing, echoing in the silent courtyard.

The shouting instantly alarmed the residents of the courtyard. Yi Zhonghai frowned and walked over quickly. As the eldest uncle of the courtyard, he felt that he had the responsibility to deal with this matter. Liu Haizhong also came over aggressively, wanting to show his authority in front of everyone. Sha Zhu was curious and wanted to see what happened.

Yi Zhonghai walked up to Jia Zhang and Yan Jiecheng and asked seriously, "What's going on? Why are you arguing?" Jia Zhang became even more excited when she saw someone coming. She pointed at Yan Jiecheng and cried, "Yan Jiecheng bullied me and beat me. He must have stolen the meat, otherwise how could he afford so much." Yan Jiecheng was so angry that his face turned red. He retorted loudly, "Don't slander me. I bought the meat myself."

Liu Haizhong put his hands behind his back, put on an attitude of a leader, and said: "Stop arguing, let's talk it over. Yan Jiecheng, tell me where you got your meat?" Sha Zhu stood by with his arms folded, watching the farce with interest.

The third uncle waved his hands anxiously, his face full of panic. "Everyone, this is all a misunderstanding. He really bought the meat himself. He found a job and has money to buy meat." The third uncle explained while nervously watching the reactions of the crowd.

However, Jia Zhang didn't listen to the explanation of the Third Uncle at all. She sat on the ground and started to throw a tantrum. "It's not a misunderstanding. Yan Jiecheng is a thief. Otherwise, how could he afford ten kilograms of meat? Who can be so rich these days? Let Sha Zhu call the police and have him arrested." Jia Zhang's voice was sharp and piercing, and her eyes were full of malice and the pleasure of revenge.

Yi Zhonghai frowned and fell into deep thought. He didn't know who to believe, after all, this matter was indeed a bit strange. Liu Haizhong puffed out his chest, looking like he was going to uphold justice. "Yan Jiecheng, if you really didn't steal the meat, then show us the evidence. Otherwise, this matter will be difficult to handle."

Yi Zhonghai didn't care whether Yan Jiecheng stole the meat or not.

He just wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to control the third uncle.

The third uncle anxiously pulled Yi Zhonghai aside, his eyes full of pleading. "Uncle Yi, you must help Jie Cheng. This is really a misunderstanding. Jie Cheng didn't steal the meat." The third uncle's voice was trembling, he knew the seriousness of the matter.

Yi Zhonghai frowned slightly, with a calculating look in his eyes. He was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Third uncle, this matter is not easy to handle. Jia Zhang, that shrew, insists that Jie Cheng stole the meat. If there is no reasonable explanation, it will be difficult to calm down this storm." Third uncle nodded quickly and said anxiously, "Yes, yes, you are right, first uncle. Do you think you can help Jie Cheng think of a solution?"

Yi Zhonghai's eyes showed a cunning look. He coughed lightly and said, "Third Uncle, you know that I have always wanted to be a manager in this courtyard. If you can support me, I can help Jie Cheng to cover up." When the third uncle heard this, his heart tightened. He didn't expect Yi Zhonghai to make such a request at this time, but for Yan Jie Cheng, he had no other choice.

"Uncle Yi, as long as you can help Jie Cheng get through this difficult time, I will definitely support you to be the uncle in charge." Uncle San gritted his teeth and made a promise. Yi Zhonghai showed a satisfied smile on his face. He patted Uncle San's shoulder and said, "Okay, then it's settled. I will find a way to help Jie Cheng solve this problem."

Yi Zhonghai felt very happy.

If we have Yi Zhonghai's support this time, we might be able to remove Xu Damao from his position as the second uncle.

Of course, the ultimate goal is to bring Wang Weidong down as well. (End of this chapter)