Siheyuan: The Era of Struggle

Chapter 412 Distant Relatives and Close Neighbors
In the 1950s, the main passenger train station in Kyoto was Maemon Station. It was not until Kyoto Station was built on September 15, 1959, that it gradually replaced the function of Maemon Station.

When Kyoto Railway Station opened, it was the largest railway passenger station in the country at the time, undertaking passenger transport tasks on major trunk lines such as the Beijing-Harbin line and the Beijing-Shanghai line.

It was almost 6 p.m. when He Yuanchao came out of the exit of Qianmen Station. He didn't take the bus often and didn't know when the buses stopped running. He walked towards the bus stop with his bag in his hand.

There are only two bus routes from Qianmen Railway Station to Chongwenmen at this time.

Route 1 was Kyoto's first tram line, opened in 1924. It ran directly from Qianmen to Xizhimen, passing through Chongwenmen.

The other route is the No. 5 bus, which is an extension of the Qianmen-Gulou line. It is said that the stop near Qianmen Station has not been there for very long, it seems to have been established at the beginning of the year.

He Yuanchao was lucky; the buses were still running at this time, and as soon as he reached the No. 5 bus stop, a bus came towards him.

These days, there's no such thing as queuing when taking the bus. As soon as the No. 5 bus comes to a stop and the doors open, the people waiting at the stop rush to block the doors and board the bus like madmen, completely ignoring the conductor's shouts to make people queue.

In the short time it took to get on the bus, there was a constant stream of crying, shouting, and cursing. He Yuanchao was tall and strong, but because he was carrying things, it took him a lot of effort to squeeze onto the bus.

As for finding a seat, forget about it. You're lucky if you can even find a place to stand. Even when the ticket seller checks tickets, you have to push and shove, cursing and squeezing your way from the front to the back.

After paying for the tickets, He Yuanchao couldn't help but look out the window. Although all the city buildings looked gray and gloomy at the moment, Kyoto was his home after all, and it looked particularly pleasing to the eye.

If it weren't for the noise and the smell of sweat in the carriage, He Yuanchao felt it would have been even more exciting!
Qianmen Railway Station is not far from Chongwenmen, about three kilometers as the crow flies. The bus took more than twenty minutes to reach the Chongwenmen stop, which was slower than riding a bicycle.

He Yuanchao struggled to squeeze off the bus, took a few deep breaths, and finally his dizzy head cleared up.

After glancing at the familiar scenery along the street, He Yuanchao couldn't help but smile on his dusty face. He quickly tidied his bag and cloth bag and strode home.

As soon as I entered Chuanban Hutong, I ran into my neighbors, Zhao Wenhui and Li Xuewen.

Ever since He Yuanchao got married, and especially after learning about Zhang Min's family background, Li Xuewen's initial hostility had completely vanished.

Upon seeing He Yuanchao with his large and small bags, he was taken aback for a moment, then immediately smiled and greeted him:

"Hey! It's Yuan Chao! Haven't seen you in a while, are you back from your business trip?"

"Hmm, just got back. Are you two going out?"

He Yuanchao disliked the petty Li Xuewen, but he felt quite warm to run into a familiar neighbor after returning from out of town.

Zhao Wenhui, who was standing to the side, watched the two talking without interrupting. After what happened last year, she still blushed when she thought about the gossip those old women had spread.

Li Xuewen knew that He Yuanchao must be eager to go home after just returning, so after exchanging a few pleasantries, he said, "Alright, Yuanchao, you've come all this way, you must be tired. Go home and rest early! We can chat again when we have time."

These words were exactly what He Yuanchao was thinking. After exchanging a few polite words with Li Xuewen and his wife, he continued walking home.

He had only taken a few steps when he heard Li Xuewen say behind him, "By the way, Yuanchao, your wife hasn't been home since you left. I heard she went to your mother-in-law's house."

Zhang Min's trip to Ma Xiufang's place was arranged in advance. He Yuanchao was not surprised at all after hearing this. As he walked into Chuanban Hutong, he turned around and thanked Li Xuewen.

Li Xuewen watched He Yuanchao's retreating figure, a slight smile playing on his lips, and stood there motionless for a long time.

Seeing this, Zhao Wenhui said with dissatisfaction, "Why are you selling things here! Hurry up and go, or you won't be able to buy anything if you go too late." After being told off by Zhao Wenhui, Li Xuewen came to his senses and hurriedly agreed, "Let's go, let's go, let's go right now."

After glancing at her husband walking out of the alley, and then carefully turning to look at He Yuanchao walking away, Zhao Wenhui shook her head and spat lightly before walking out of the alley with a flushed face.

When He Yuanchao returned home and opened the door, he felt a sense of peace as he looked at the clean and tidy furniture.

He went inside, put down his bag and cloth bag, glanced around, and without lingering, picked up the millet and dates that Li Hongtao had given him, and pushed his bicycle out of the house.

At this time, most people in the courtyard were at home. When they saw He Yuanchao, whom they hadn't seen for many days, they all came out of their houses to greet him.

"Yuanchao, I heard from your wife that you went on a business trip to Yuantai. How is it there?"

"Yes, Yuanchao. My colleagues told me that the aged vinegar there is very famous. Did you try it when you got there?"

……

The women who gathered around to ask about the matter were all nosy old ladies from the courtyard. He Yuanchao didn't want to waste time chatting with them, so he quickly smiled and said:

"Ladies, I don't have time to tell you the details today. I just got back and I still have to go to my mother-in-law's house to pick up my wife! I'll tell you about Yuan Tai when I have time."

After saying that, He Yuanchao ignored their reactions, locked the door, and pushed his bicycle out of the yard.

"Wow! I didn't realize that the tall and strong Section Chief He was afraid of his wife."

Hahaha~~
Hearing the laughter of the old women in the courtyard, He Yuanchao didn't take it seriously. He left the courtyard, got on his bicycle, and sped off to the Ministry of Coal Mine's residential compound on Chang'an Street.

It was completely dark by now. Relying on his good eyesight, He Yuanchao rode his bicycle without slowing down at all. The journey that usually took more than 20 minutes was completed in 15 minutes today.

The security guards at the Ministry of Coal Mine's residential compound all recognized He Yuanchao. When they saw him rushing over on his bicycle in a hurry, they assumed something had happened and lost interest in chatting with him. They stood by the door of the security office and waved for him to pass.

Seeing this, He Yuanchao didn't stand on ceremony. He smiled, nodded to the two guards, and rode his bicycle directly into the Ministry of Coal Industry's residential compound.

He arrived at his father-in-law's house with practiced ease. After parking his bicycle in the yard, He Yuanchao dusted off his clothes before carrying millet and dates to the door and knocking.

He Yuanchao had a key to Zhang Lide's house, but he never used it. Every time he came, he would knock on the door first and wait for someone to open it before entering the house.

Zhang Lide and Ma Xiufang had spoken to him about this matter more than once, but He Yuanchao always went his own way after agreeing to it.

As soon as the knocking sounded, Ma Xiufang's voice responded from inside the house.

"I'm here, stop knocking."

Not long after he finished speaking, the door creaked open.

Seeing He Yuanchao standing outside the door, Ma Xiufang was stunned for a moment, then said with a face full of joy, "Yuanchao, you're back! When did you arrive? Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

After rambling on for a few minutes, without waiting for He Yuanchao's response, Ma Xiufang turned and called into the house again:
"Xiaomin, Xiaomin, come out quickly, Yuanchao is back."

(End of this chapter)