Siheyuan: Domineering life

Days passed by like flowing water.

Before we knew it, September was almost here, and it was time for the children to go back to school in Yanjing.

Several RVs were parked in front of Yang Jun's house early this morning.

"Old Yang, are you really not coming back with us?"

Before parting, Yi Qiushui asked Yang Jun another question.

Upon hearing this, Yang Jun glanced back at everyone and said, "I won't go back for now. I'll go back after this month."

"you……"

Yi Qiushui hesitated for a moment, then sighed and said, "Why don't you let Nini and Jingqiu stay with you? You can't be without women to take care of you."

"No need. If you ask them to stay, they'll worry about the children."

"What is there to worry about? How could I possibly mistreat their children?"

As Yi Qiushui spoke, she glanced at Li Jingqiu and Nini. Just as their eyes were about to meet, Nini and Li Jingqiu quickly lowered their heads. It was clear that they were worried about their child and wanted to return to Yanjing to take care of him personally.

Once a woman gets married, she will focus her main energy on her children, and they are no exception. Over the years, they have each given birth to their own children with Yang Jun. Although Yi Qiushui treats them like her own sisters and their children as her own, no mother in this world would not want to be by her child's side.

"Fine, if you don't want to stay, then go back."

Seeing that neither of them wanted to stay, Yi Qiushui had no choice but to give up.

"Is there really no one willing to stay?" Yi Qiushui looked at the other women.

Seeing this, the other women all lowered their heads.

Huang Yani, Chen Qingxiang, and Meng Wenya's children have all grown up, some are married and have started their own families, and the youngest has already started working. They no longer need their parents to return to the city to take care of them. It's not that they don't want to stay, but they are afraid of another exercise like that. They never want to experience that underground life again in their lives.

"How about... I stay?" Huang Yani tentatively raised her hand.

Seeing this, Yi Qiushui smiled and was about to agree when she suddenly heard Yang Jun object.

"What are you going to do by staying? I don't need to be taken care of."

"How come you don't need to be taken care of anymore? Can you live without women by your side?" Yi Qiushui asked anxiously.

"I……"

Yang Jun was about to say he couldn't live without her, but when he saw Huang Yani's old and frail appearance, he suddenly lost interest in women. After all, Huang Yani was over sixty years old and no longer young, while he still looked like he was in his twenties. Just imagine, how could a young man like a woman in her sixties?
It wasn't that Yang Jun disliked Huang Yani, but it was a natural physiological reaction that he couldn't help.

"Tell me the truth, do you have other women?" Yi Qiushui asked with a stern face.

"I do not have."

Yang Jun glared at her, then said, "If you want to stay, then stay. Otherwise, you'll become suspicious. Don't say these things in front of the child."

"Hmph, you're just hiding something."

After finishing her sentence, Yi Qiushui sighed and said, "Forget it, I'm already this old, how could I still be so narrow-minded?"

“We’re all getting old, but you still look young. If I were to ask the same things of you as before, it would be too unfair to you.”

"Go ahead and look for someone if you want, we're not going to interfere."

After saying that, he got into the car without looking back.

Seeing this, the other women all lowered their heads, seemingly lost in thought.

Although Yi Qiushui was talking about herself, she was also talking about them. The youngest among them, Nini and Li Jingqiu, were both over thirty. Although they didn't look that old, they looked old in front of Yang Jun, a young man in his early twenties. Every time they stood with Yang Jun, they felt that they were not good enough for him.

Since Yi Qiushui doesn't care about these things, what can the concubines do?

"Honey, if you should find someone, don't settle for less."

Huang Yani walked up to Yang Jun, patted him on the shoulder, left a meaningful remark, and got into the car.

"What do you mean by 'don't wrong yourself'? What kind of person do you take me for?" Yang Jun shouted.

"Honey, don't worry, we won't hold it against you. Do whatever you want." Meng Wenya said this as she left.

At this moment, Nalan Qingmeng walked over, and Yang Jun stopped her just as she was about to speak.

"Stop it."

Nalan Qingmeng smiled slightly, gave him a wink, and left.

The other women did the same, giving him a knowing look before leaving.

Afterwards, the convoy set off, and Yi Qiushui and the others left.

Yang Jun stood at the gate and watched them leave. When the convoy disappeared around the bend in the mountain, his heart felt empty.

Despite having many children and grandchildren, and a large number of wives and concubines, he still felt lonely. He could foresee that decades later, his relatives would leave him one by one, leaving him all alone, along with some great-grandchildren who were not very familiar with him. At that time, he would truly be a lonely man.

The thought of living alone and miserable in this world a hundred years from now makes Yang Jun feel extremely lonely.

He turned around and looked at Sun Zhaocai and Ding Erzhu standing behind him, then sighed and said, "Let's go back."

After saying that, he walked into the courtyard with his hands behind his back.

Just as Yang Jun got home, he was about to go fishing when Sun Zhaocai rushed over.

"Uncle Yang, Miss Gao has arrived."

Upon hearing this, Yang Jun frowned deeply.

"Where is she?"

"Just outside the door."

Upon hearing this, Yang Jun frowned even more deeply.

After a moment's thought, he said, "Please invite her in."

A moment later, a woman wearing a black dress and a boat-shaped sun hat entered. Her hat was so big that it almost covered her entire face, but Yang Jun recognized her at a glance when he saw her familiar figure.

"You came?"

Yang Jun pointed to the stool next to him, gesturing for her to sit down.

He then waved for all the guards to leave.

"coming."

Her tone was very soft, like a gentle wife speaking to her husband, sounding so calm and composed.

After everyone in the courtyard had left, the woman took off her hat, revealing a familiar face.

This is a face unique to the elderly, covered in wrinkles, but with remarkably fair skin. However, it looks extremely haggard at this moment, completely unlike the person he knew.

This woman was none other than Gao Jie, who followed him without seeking any official status. Since Gao Jie started following her twenty years ago, they have never been separated. Although they have been trying to have a child of their own, they have not been able to have one due to Gao Jie's health condition. Gao Jie is still single.

"You... seem to be sick?"

Looking at Gao Jie's haggard and pale face, Yang Jun felt very sorry for him.

"It's not just a feeling, it's a real illness."

Kao Chieh's face showed no anxiety typical of someone who is ill; instead, it displayed a sense of relief and composure.

"Illness...what illness?" Yang Jun asked in surprise.

"Liver cancer." "Liver cancer? Why aren't you getting treatment at the hospital?"

Just as Yang Jun was about to say something, Gao Jie smiled and waved his hand, saying, "It's not important anymore, and there's no need for it. The doctor said I have at most three months left."

"I don't want to waste the last moments of my life in a hospital bed. I want to take advantage of the time I still have to say goodbye to you properly and also put an end to the past."

Yang Jun felt heartbroken upon hearing this, and also felt extremely guilty, blaming himself for not showing her enough care in the past.

"You should have told me sooner, I could have found a way..."

He did indeed have a way, because his dragon essence and phoenix marrow blood could cure all diseases. He believed that if Gao Jie had sought him out earlier, he would definitely have been able to cure her illness.

"Old Yang, none of what I've said is important anymore. I just wanted to come and say goodbye to you properly."

Kao Chieh smiled and said, "Besides, life has an end. Even if you are cured this time, you will still die next time."

The two were silent for a moment, neither of them speaking.

No one can be at ease when discussing life and death; Yang Jun is no exception, nor is Kao Chieh.

“I… arrived in town half a month ago. There was no one in town then, so I just found a family to stay with. It wasn’t until this morning when your family… left that I dared to come and find you.”

"Did I cause you any trouble?"

Even at this point, Kao Chieh still thought of others, afraid that her presence would cause trouble for Yang Jun. She was still the same gentle, considerate, and understanding woman.

"Why are you saying all this? You should have come to see me sooner." Yang Jun's eyes were red.

"It's good that I didn't cause any trouble."

Although Kao Chieh appeared calm and indifferent on the surface, she was actually very vulnerable inside, more vulnerable than ever before. However, she could only pretend to be calm because she just wanted to say goodbye to Yang Jun properly.

After a moment of silence, Kao Chieh finally spoke again.

"Thank you for taking care of me all these years, giving me more than 20 years of happiness and joy. I... am really happy."

As he spoke, Kao Chieh's pale face turned even paler, and his voice choked with emotion.

"Let's not talk about this anymore..."

No, I want to say it.

Kao Chieh twitched his nose and continued, "I was unfortunate in the first half of my life, but I was happy in the second half. This happiness was given to me by you, and I have to say it."

"Since I've been with you, I've experienced more happiness and joy than before. You've given me over twenty meaningful years. Except for... not being able to give you a son or daughter, I have no other regrets."

Gao Jie's biggest regret is not being able to give Yang Jun a child. Although they tried many times and tried everything they could, she doesn't regret it because they tried their best. Having a child is a matter of fate, and if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. She has nothing to regret.

"Why say all this? It's all my fault. I haven't been able to take good care of you, and now that you're sick, I haven't been able to be by your side."

Yang Jun lowered his head, his face flushed, and said, "I'm sorry."

Gao Jie maintained a smile throughout, but upon hearing this, tears finally streamed down her face. She didn't wipe them away, letting them flow freely. In the limited time she had left to live, she no longer wanted to pretend; she simply wanted to say goodbye to Yang Jun honestly.

"Will you live here from now on?" Kao Chieh suddenly asked.

"Yes." Yang Jun didn't understand why she asked that, but he still answered truthfully, "I will live here from now on."

"Alright, I... can I ask you for a favor?" Gao Jie suddenly wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and looked at Yang Jun with a serious expression.

"Tell me, and I'll agree to anything you say."

At this point, what could Yang Jun say? He had already wronged this woman, and now he had to agree to whatever conditions she proposed.

"After I die, may I be buried on that hill over there?"

After saying that, he pointed to the towering mountain peaks across the distance beyond the courtyard wall and continued, "I want to be closer to you so I can see you every day."

Upon hearing this, Yang Jun's eyes reddened, and a layer of glistening tears welled up in them.

He didn't speak, but nodded heavily.

Seeing Yang Jun nod, Gao Jie seemed to have fulfilled a wish, and he felt much more relaxed.

"Thank you."

Upon hearing this, Yang Jun felt a tightness in his chest, making it difficult to breathe.

"Actually... there's no need for this, I can save you."

"I know."

After Gao Jie finished speaking, she stopped talking and looked at Yang Jun with a gentle expression. She wanted to engrave the man's image in her heart as much as possible so that she could recognize him in the vast sea of ​​people when she was in her next life.

"I really can save you."

Seeing that she was being perfunctory, Yang Jun spoke again.

"I know."

Kao Chieh still used those three words, but her gaze towards Yang Jun was gentler.

In her mind, Yang Jun was an omniscient and omnipotent figure. There was nothing in this world that he couldn't do. Even when Yang Jun said he could cure her terminal illness, she didn't have a single doubt.

It wasn't that she truly believed Yang Jun had any way to cure her terminal illness; she simply chose to believe in this man subconsciously. This was her final affirmation of the man in her heart, and also another kind of profound love.

Seeing her like this, Yang Jun knew that she would believe him unconditionally no matter what he said.

"Stay."

"it is good."

Kao Chieh had just agreed when he immediately shook his head: "No, I can't stay. I have to leave. I want to leave you with the best image of myself. I don't want you to think of me as someone tormented by illness whenever you think of me."

"Don't worry, I won't go far. I'll just find a place to stay in town."

Upon hearing this, Yang Jun sighed.

"Didn't you hear me say I'd stay?"

"Are you not even listening to me anymore?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Jie's face softened with a smile, and a blush rose to his pale cheeks. He said with a laugh, "I've listened to you my whole life, can't you let me be willful just this once?"

"No."

Yang Jun looked into her eyes and said seriously, "You are mine in life and in death. You must listen to me for the rest of your life."

"If I say I can save you, I definitely can."

Kao Chieh: "Old Yang, can you please stop this? I'm here to say goodbye. Can't you let me leave with some dignity?"

"I told you, I can save you."

"Old Yang, it's time for me to leave."

Seeing that Gao Jie was about to get up and leave, Yang Jun grabbed her arm and then bent down to pick her up.

"Old Yang, you...you put me down quickly." Gao Jie struggled shyly to get down.

"I told you, you have to listen to me."

Then, Yang Jun carried Gao Jie directly to the backyard. (End of Chapter)