Courtyard House: Starting by inheriting the tradition and suppressing the barbarians.

Chapter 137: Sisters Awaken, Escape from the Demon's Den

Time flies, and it was 1980 in the blink of an eye.

The spring breeze of reform and opening up has swept across the land of China.

Young people on the street wore bell-bottoms, carried radios, and their faces beamed with anticipation for the future.

However, the central courtyard of the Hongxing Courtyard.

Yet it remains shrouded in a stale, oppressive gloom.

In the evening, the bell rang to signal the end of the workday at the textile factory.

Xiao Dang and Huaihua walked side by side on their way home.

Both of them had grown into young women.

Although he was wearing drab work clothes, it couldn't hide his youthful spirit.

However, their faces showed no smiles, only deep fear and worry.

"Sis, have you hidden the money well?"

Huaihua lowered her voice and subconsciously covered the area under her shirt against her chest.

"It's hidden well."

Xiao Dang bit her lip, her eyes resolute, "This time when we got the bonus, we each hid five yuan."

"We absolutely cannot hand it over; this is our money for escaping later."

"But... what if my brother finds out..."

Huaihua shuddered involuntarily when she thought of Banggeng's one-eyed man and his iron crutch.

"So what if they found it! The worst that can happen is I get beaten up!"

Xiao Dang gripped his sister's hand tightly, "Being beaten to death is better than being drained dry!"

"We can't live like Mom, worse off than a dog!"

......

Pushing open the rickety wooden door of the Jia family home, a pungent smell of alcohol hit you.

The room was dimly lit, and Banggeng was sitting at the table.

The crippled leg was propped up on a stool, and he was gnawing on a roast chicken, his mouth dripping with oil.

Qin Huairu huddled in the corner of the stove.

He was washing the dirty clothes he had changed out of, and his face had a bruise that hadn't faded yet.

"You're back?"

Hearing the noise, Banggeng glanced at the two sisters with his one eye.

He threw the chicken bones on the ground and said, "Got paid your wages? Give them here!"

The tone was so matter-of-fact, like a creditor demanding payment.

Xiao Dang and Huaihua exchanged a glance, then took out several banknotes they had prepared beforehand and placed them on the table.

"Brother, this is my salary for this month, thirty yuan in total."

Xiao Dang tried her best to make her voice sound calm.

Without even counting, Banggeng grabbed the money and stuffed it into his pocket.

Then he held out a greasy hand: "Where's the bonus?"

"No...no bonus."

Huaihua whispered, "The factory isn't doing well..."

"fart!"

Banggeng slammed his hand on the table, and his one eye instantly widened, revealing a fierce glint.

"I've already inquired! The textile factory is rushing to meet its production deadlines this month, and everyone received a five-yuan bonus!"

"You dare to embezzle my money?"

"That's the hard-earned money we made by working overtime!"

"We need to buy toilet paper and face cream!" Xiao Dang couldn't help but chime in.

"Hard-earned money? You're all mine!"

"Of course, the money you earn is mine too!"

Banggeng grabbed the iron cane and slammed it hard on the table, making the bowls and chopsticks jump around.

"You guys are asking for it! You dare to play tricks on me?"

"Give it to me! Bring it out right now!"

"No!"

Xiao Dang was going all out this time. She stood in front of Huaihua and said, "Brother, you're not getting any younger."

"It's one thing for someone to not work all day, just stay home drinking and eating meat."

"You actually tried to steal your sister's money? Are you even a man?"

"Rebellion! Outrageous!"

Bang Geng, like a mad dog whose tail had been stepped on, suddenly stood up and swung his hand to slap Xiao Dang across the face.

"Snapped!"

Xiao Dang was knocked so hard he staggered, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"Stop! Bang Geng, don't be a fool!"

Qin Huairu, who had been hiding in the corner, finally rushed over.

She hugged Banggeng's waist, crying out, "She's your own sister!"

"Get out of my way! You're helping them lie to me too, aren't you?"

Bang Geng kicked Qin Huairu aside, pointed at the mother and her two daughters, and cursed, "A whole bunch of good-for-nothings!"

"You eat my food and live in my house, and now you think you're all grown up and dare to hide money from me?"

He rushed forward, grabbed Huaihua by the collar, and reached into her clothes to grope her.

"Ah! You pervert! Help!"

The locust flower screamed and cried in fright, struggling desperately.

"Give it to me!"

Banggeng pulled out the five-yuan note, still warm from Huaihua's body, from her close-fitting shirt and revealed a sinister smile.

"Heh, I knew it would be hidden here!"

"You wretched bastard, you forced me to take action!"

He then did the same thing again, finding another five dollars in Xiaodang's socks.

Holding the ten yuan he had stolen, Banggeng blew on it triumphantly: "Not bad, you've learned how to hide money."

"I'm telling you, from now on, you'll have to hand over every penny of your monthly salary and bonuses!"

"If you dare to hide even a single penny..."

Bang Geng looked at the two sisters with a sinister smile, a chilling grin spreading across his lips.

"Wang the Cripple, the old bachelor from the next village, asked someone to act as a matchmaker a couple of days ago."

"He's willing to pay 500 yuan as a bride price to buy a wife to carry on the family line."

"If you don't behave, I'll sell you to him!"

boom!

These words struck Xiao Dang and Huaihua like a bolt from the blue, leaving them completely stunned.

Sell ​​it to an old bachelor?

Isn't that pushing them into a fire pit?

"Mom! What kind of talk is my brother giving?!"

Xiao Dang looked at Qin Huairu in despair, "He's going to sell us out!"

Qin Huairu got up from the ground, clutching her chest, her face covered in tears.

But what she said completely chilled the sisters' hearts.

"That was just something I said in anger, just something I said in anger..."

Qin Huairu dared not look into her daughter's eyes.

She could only meekly advise, "Xiao Dang, Huaihua, don't talk back to your brother."

"He is the only man in our family, the pillar of our household."

"Mom will have to rely on him when she gets old."

"The money... well, let him have it. We're family, why should we be so particular about each other?"

family?

Xiao Dang looked at her mother, who was weak and biased to the extreme.

Then she looked at that devilish brother who took their hard-earned money to buy alcohol.

At that moment, the last glimmer of light in her eyes went out.

This is not home.

This is a den of demons!

This is a living hell where people are devoured without spitting out the bones!

In this house, they are not even human.

A machine that only makes money is like livestock that can be sold off at any time.

"Hehe...hehe..."

Xiao Dang suddenly laughed, laughing so hard that tears streamed down her face.

She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and pulled up the still trembling locust flower.

"Mom, you're right. We're family."

Xiao Dang's voice was as cold as ice, "We will definitely take good care of you from now on."

Banggeng took the money and went out to buy wine, completely satisfied.

Qin Huairu sighed and tried to take her daughter's hand, but Xiao Dang dodged her.

"Go to sleep, you have to go to work tomorrow."

Xiao Dang pulled Huaihua back into the inner room.

That was where they slept, which was also a storage room; there wasn't even a decent bed.

In the darkness, Huaihua held Xiaodang, crying uncontrollably.

"Sister, I'm scared... I don't want to marry Wang the Cripple..."

"Don't be afraid."

Xiao Dang hugged his sister tightly, a resolute look flashing in his eyes!

"Huaihua, we can't stay in this house anymore."

"If we don't run away, he and Mom will sell us for meat sooner or later."

"Run? Where to?"

"I'll go anywhere! As long as I get away from these vampires!"

Xiao Dang glanced out the window toward the backyard, where a light was still on.

That was Li Xuan's home, the only place in this courtyard that still had reason and ability.

"Let's go... let's go find Uncle Li."

"That's our only way to survive."

......