Siheyuan: Reborn Silly Pillar, Taking Control of the Entire Courtyard

When Jia Laonian appeared at the entrance of the old house, the dust on the soles of his shoes left two shallow marks on the bluestone slab.

Instead of lifting the curtain and going into the inner room as usual, he stood frozen at the entrance of the main room.

His rough hands rubbed against the blue cloth jacket repeatedly, his knuckles turning white from clenching them.

The light from the main room slanted in through the window, making the wrinkles on his face appear even deeper, like old paper crumpled by time.

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down three times before he managed to utter a dry, trembling sound, as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper.

"Madam... the inner room is where you rest quietly, and it's inconvenient for me, a man, to go in. Could you... perhaps come out and talk to me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he subconsciously took half a step back, as if there was something in the inner room that he was wary of, his back taut and straight.

There was a moment of silence in the inner room before the old lady's steady voice came through.

That was unhurried, carrying the composure of someone who had experienced the world.

"OK."

Immediately following was the rustling sound of fabric rubbing together.

Then the old lady's voice rang out again, this time with a hint of instruction.

"Great Qing, help me out."

He Daqing responded and came out from the inner room. He was wearing a gray cloth short shirt and had a look of morning weariness on his face. When he saw Jia Laonian's listless appearance, his brows furrowed.

He carefully helped the old lady—she was wearing a dark blue diagonal-buttoned blouse.

Her hair was neatly combed and tied up with a silver hairpin. She held a jujube wood cane in her hand, the head of which was carved with simple auspicious cloud patterns.

He slowly walked to the octagonal table in the center of the main room and sat down.

He Daqing only turned around after the old lady was settled.

He looked directly at Jia Laonian, his eyes full of doubt.

Why is this old man Jia, who is usually quiet and reserved, here so early in the morning and standing at the door instead of coming in?

At this moment, Jia Laonian's face was as red as a ripe persimmon, almost bleeding, and his chest was bulging, clearly indicating that he was holding his breath.

His lips moved as if a thousand words were stuck in his throat.

But every time the words were about to come out, they were swallowed back down, and only a few muffled breaths escaped his lips.

The old lady was not in a hurry at all. She picked up the enamel mug on the table, took a small sip of tea, and the steam from the tea mist blurred the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.

She sat there calmly, her gaze fixed on Jia Laonian, neither urging him nor asking him anything, her eyes seeming to see right through people.

Standing behind the old lady, He Daqing was increasingly confused and kept wondering to himself.

What exactly is Old Jia up to?

Judging from his posture, it was as if he had suffered a great injustice or caused a huge disaster.

I was just spacing out—

"thump!"

A muffled thud shook the floor of the main room.

Old Jia knelt straight down on the blue brick floor in front of the old lady, and the sound of his knees hitting the ground made He Daqing shudder.

Before He Daqing could react, Jia Laonian raised his hand and slapped himself in the face.

Several crisp "slap slap slap" sounds rang out, the force was heavy and rapid, instantly leaving several red marks on his rough face.

"Hey! What are you doing!"

He Daqing hurriedly reached out to stop her, but the old lady gently blocked his wrist with her cane. The force was not great, but it carried an undeniable meaning.

He Daqing turned around and glanced at the old lady, seeing that her eyes remained calm.

He had no choice but to reluctantly withdraw his hand, his doubts growing even stronger.

Jia Laonian's voice was trembling violently, choked with sobs, and the veins on his forehead were bulging.

"Grandma... please forgive us for the sake of our neighborly relationship! My wife is unreasonable, and she's led the children astray. I apologize on their behalf for the foolish things they've done!"

As he spoke, he made a "thump".

His forehead slammed heavily against the blue brick floor, making a dull thud. He kowtowed three times, and his forehead quickly turned red.

The old lady stared at him, her eyes sharpening, and slowly spoke.

"Your wife is used to throwing tantrums and making a scene. Are you even capable of controlling her?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Laonian paused, his eyes flickering slightly, clearly recalling his wife's usual behavior and feeling apprehensive.

But then he thought, if he didn't settle this matter today, and the old lady really got angry and kicked them all out, then they would really have nowhere to go.

He gritted his teeth, as if he had made a tremendous decision, and looked up at the old lady, his tone becoming more resolute.

"Yes! I can definitely control her!"

"Really?"

The old lady asked another question, and tapped her cane lightly on the ground, making a crisp "thud" sound.

Jia Laonian took a deep breath, his chest heaving, and repeated.

"Really...really! If she dares to misbehave again, I won't let her off easily!"

"Alright then."

The old lady nodded slowly, her face still expressionless.

"I'll trust you this time. However, what your family did cannot be let off so easily."

Old Jia looked up quickly, his eyes filled with urgency.

"Grandma, please tell me! As long as you don't double the rent or kick us out, I'll do whatever you ask!"

He knew in his heart that this old house was in a good location and the rent was reasonable. If he were really kicked out, it would be difficult to find such a suitable place to live again.

"Alright then."

The old lady paused, seemingly considering her words.

"I won't ask for much from you—just give ten silver dollars to the Qing Dynasty as compensation for what was stolen from their home."

"Then, have your shrewish wife and your ignorant son come over and apologize to me and Da Qing in person. Then this matter will be over."

After she finished speaking, her gaze fell on Jia Laonian's face again, and she asked in a calm tone.

What do you think?

Upon hearing "ten silver dollars," Jia Laonian's face twitched instantly, as if someone had cut off a piece of his flesh, and the corners of his mouth turned down in pain.

That was his hard-earned money, saved up through frugality. It would take him two whole months to save enough, and it was all gone in an instant. He felt incredibly heartbroken.

He cursed Jia Zhangshi a thousand times in his heart.

That damned gluttonous woman! It's bad enough that she's dishonest herself, but she even brought her son along to steal. Now look what happened, she has to pay so much money in compensation!

When we get back, I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget!

No matter how much they cursed in their hearts, they dared not utter a single word of dissent.

He could only bite the bullet and reply, "Okay... I accept. I'll go home and bring the money over in a bit."

"However, madam, that mother and daughter don't have any decent clothes to wear right now, so they really can't go out... Once I find them some clothes, I will definitely bring them over to apologize to you and the Qing Dynasty."

"Get up." The old lady tapped the ground with her cane again.

"The ground is cold, kneeling for too long will hurt your knees. You're a grown man, a seven-foot tall man, how come you're so easily controlled by that shrew? You've suffered so much all these years."

These words sounded like words of comfort, but to Jia Laonian, they were more painful than being scolded, like salt being rubbed into his face.

His face instantly turned liver-colored, alternating between red and white. He staggered as he stood up, keeping his head down and not daring to look at the old lady and He Daqing.

He Daqing stood there, his face full of confusion, his mind a jumbled mess.

What's missing from my house?

How come I had no idea?

What could be worth ten dollars?

What is this old lady up to?

After Jia Laonian's figure disappeared at the courtyard gate and his footsteps grew fainter and fainter, He Daqing couldn't help but speak, his tone full of doubt.

"Grandma... what are you and Jia Laonian up to? Nothing was stolen from my house at all, why are you making him pay ten silver dollars?"

"hehe."

The old lady chuckled softly, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothing out a bit as she looked at He Daqing.

"What, you still don't understand?"

"I really don't understand."

He Daqing shook his head repeatedly.

"Tell me quickly, what exactly happened? Old Jia was perfectly fine, why did he suddenly kneel down and apologize to you?"

"Then let me, the old lady, have a chat with you."

The old lady took a sip of tea, cleared her throat, and spoke slowly.

"Yesterday afternoon, I was sunbathing in the yard when I saw Jia Zhangshi and her son Dongxu sneaking around your window."

"I immediately sensed something was wrong, so I coughed on purpose, and the mother and daughter quickly slipped away. Later, I figured they were up to no good, so I went to check your kitchen, and sure enough, more than a dozen eggs were missing from the half-basket of eggs stored in your cellar."

"Those eggs were the ones you painstakingly saved up to nourish your child, right? I was thinking that if we just let this go, those two would definitely take advantage of us in the future, so I wanted to take this opportunity to teach them a lesson and make them remember it."

He Daqing's expression instantly became fascinating, first surprise, then sudden realization, and finally a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

"Huh? Is that so? How come I didn't notice my eggs were missing?"

"That Jia Zhangshi is too audacious! She actually dared to steal from our house! And Jia Dongxu, such a young child, he's been corrupted by his mother! Old Madam, you didn't get into a conflict with them, did you? Were you hurt?"

He secretly regretted his carelessness, realizing that he hadn't even noticed that things were missing from the house. Luckily, the old lady had been keeping an eye out for him, otherwise he would have suffered this loss for nothing.

At the same time, I felt it was a bit of a waste, because those were more than a dozen eggs, enough for the child to eat for several days.

"Alright, alright."

The old lady waved her hand.

"Don't complain about how careless you are. Besides, we didn't cook any eggs last night, so it's no wonder you didn't notice."

"You're being a bit too ruthless..."

He Daqing clicked his tongue, his tone filled with amazement.

"Ten silver dollars! That's enough to buy five old hens. Old Jia would have to save up for two months by living frugally. He's really feeling the pinch this time."

"Hmph!" The old lady glared at him, her tone stern.

"If we don't make them feel the pinch, will they ever learn their lesson? This is called making an example of them! If we let them off easily this time, who knows what more valuable things they might steal next time."

"You think this money is too much? It's money they owe you, so just take it and use it to buy some good food for the kids to help them recover."

"Yes, yes, you're right."

He Daqing nodded happily, feeling quite pleased with himself.

"You really have a way with them, you managed to subdue them so quickly. Then I won't stand on ceremony, I'll go buy the kids two pounds of brown sugar and some meat to improve their diet."

After leaving the old house, Jia Laonian walked quickly home, his anger growing stronger and stronger. It felt like a raging fire was burning in his chest, making his internal organs ache.

Pushing open the creaking wooden door of my house, I found the room pitch black.

The paper windows swayed slightly in the wind, and only the even breathing sounds came from the kang (a heated brick bed). A quilt was piled up on the kang, indicating that Jia Zhangshi was still sleeping.

Old Jia walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), his eyes red, like an enraged wild beast.

He grabbed Jia Zhangshi's hair with such force that he almost ripped it out by the roots.

"Ouch—! It hurts so much! Old Jia, have you gone mad?!"

Jia Zhangshi screamed in pain, suddenly waking up from her sleep. Before her eyes were fully open, she began to struggle.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

Without saying a word, Jia Laonian raised his hand and slapped Jia Zhangshi across the face. The sound of the slaps was crisp and loud, each one harder than the last.

He fanned himself while roaring, his eyes bloodshot and terrifying.

"You shameless woman! It's one thing for you to be dishonest and steal, but it's another!"

"Why do you want my son to follow your bad example?! I've put up with you for too long! Today I'm going to beat you to death!"

"Jia Laonian! You heartless bastard! I'll fight you to the death!"

Madam Jia was not one to suffer a loss easily; after being slapped a few times, she was thoroughly enraged.

Ignoring the fact that she was only wearing shorts and a bodice, she suddenly jumped out of bed like a mad lioness, stretching out her long-fingered hands to scratch Jia Laonian's face.

Before Jia Laonian could react, several bloody scratches appeared on his face, stinging painfully.

The pain completely ignited the anger he had suppressed for many years.

He swung his arm and slapped Jia Zhangshi's face several times with a heavy slap, causing blood to seep from the corner of her mouth.

Jia Dongxu huddled under the covers, trembling with fear. He wrapped himself up tightly in the blankets, leaving only his eyes showing as he watched in terror as his parents wrestled on the kang (a heated brick bed).

He had never seen his father so angry in his entire life, nor had he ever seen his mother so disheveled.

"Dongxu! My son!"

Jia Zhangshi was so dizzy from the beating that she burst into tears and shouted at Jia Dongxu, who was still in bed.

"I've spoiled you for so many years for nothing! You just stood by and watched your father bully me like this?! Come out and help your mother!"

A muffled voice came from under the covers, tinged with timidity.

"Mother...please stop making a scene. This was all your fault. You shouldn't have stolen the old lady's eggs, and you dragged me along with you..."

"Grandpa Jia Dongxu! Grandma Jia Dongxu! Please come back and see!"

When Jia Zhangshi saw that her son not only did not help her but also blamed her, she felt even more aggrieved. Suddenly, she burst into loud, shrill sobs.

"Your son's got guts now, he actually dared to hit me! I can't live like this! I can't live anymore! His grandparents, please come back and see! Now even your grandson is starting to despise me! Waaaaah! Waaaah!"

Upon hearing this, both Jia Laonian and Jia Dongxu felt a chill run down their spines and their bodies stiffen.

Jia Dongxu's grandparents, who are also Jia Laonian's parents, suddenly passed away from a serious illness a while ago.

Although there is no conclusive evidence that Jia Zhangshi was responsible, all indications suggest that she is involved in the matter.

These days, Jia Laonian has been holding this grudge in his heart, but he has nowhere to vent it.

How dare she?

She actually dared to "call her parents back for a visit"?

Aren't you afraid that your parents will actually appear and take her away?

Provoked by Jia Zhangshi's words, Jia Laonian acted impulsively and raised his hand to slap her again.

"Snapped!"

The slap was so powerful that it stunned Jia Zhangshi, leaving her head buzzing and a large red mark instantly swelling on her face, with even more blood flowing from the corner of her mouth.

Jia Laonian is a fitter. When he was young, he did heavy work. Although his health is not as good as before, he is still quite strong.

"Zhang Ruhua!"

Old Jia was panting heavily, his eyes fixed fiercely on Jia Zhangshi, his tone full of murderous intent.

"If you dare to spout nonsense and wail again, I'll really beat you to death today! You dare to ask my parents to come back?! Aren't you afraid they'll come back and settle scores with you, this wicked woman?!"

Startled by Jia Laonian's fierce gaze and vicious words, Jia Zhangshi immediately stopped crying and shouting.

She had been married to Jia Laonian for so many years, and she had always been the one bullying him. She took advantage of Jia Laonian's honest and timid nature and never paid him any attention.

But today, she realized that this honest man could be so terrifying when he got angry; the murderous intent in his eyes was not a joke.

Her voice softened instantly, filled with fear and grievance, as she looked at Jia Laonian with teary eyes.

"Waaah... I... I won't scream anymore, I won't say anything nonsense... Please... please don't hit me, okay?"

This was the first time in all the years she had been married to Jia Laonian that she had yielded to him.

"Bring the money from home."

Suppressing his anger, Jia Laonian spoke in an icy tone.

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi instantly bristled again, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, jumping up and down and shouting.

"Old Jia! What do you need money for? You went to plead for that old hag, and this is the result? You're making me pay compensation?!"

"I won't give it to you! We don't have any money at home! You good-for-nothing Jia Laonian! You can't even control your wife, and you even have to pay compensation to her! How did I end up marrying such a useless thing like you!"

"Should we give it to them or not?"

Jia Laonian's eyes grew even fiercer, and he raised his arm again, his palm hovering in mid-air, ready to slap him down at any moment.

Looking at his raised arm, Jia Zhangshi recalled the force of those slaps.

The anger in his heart was instantly suppressed by fear, and his voice weakened.

"How much...how much compensation?"

"Ten silver dollars."

Old Jia said through gritted teeth, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

He also felt the pinch of the money; it was his family's savings accumulated over so many years, and he had to take out half of it all at once. How could he not feel the pinch?

But he was even more afraid of being kicked out by the old lady, as the dormitory in the factory was dirty and messy.

More than a dozen people were crammed into one room, with not even room to turn around. He really didn't want to go back to those days.

"Waaaaah... My God! Ten silver dollars!"

Upon hearing the number, Jia Zhangshi burst into tears, and while crying, she pulled a tattered pillow from a wooden box on the kang (a heated brick bed).

That pillow has been used for over ten years; the surface is worn smooth and has developed a patina.

She carefully reached into the tear in the pillow and groped around for a while before finally pulling out a small cloth bag.

She opened the bag, and inside were brand new silver dollars.

She counted the money again and again with heartache, finally finding ten silver dollars. She hugged them tightly to her chest and cried her heart out.

"This is all the hard-earned money I've saved up over so many years! Gone just like that! You heartless bastard, Jia Laonian! It's all your fault for being so useless! That's why our family has to suffer like this!"

Old Jia was too lazy to waste words with her, so he snatched the silver dollar and turned to walk out the door.

With a "bang".

The sound of the door closing made the paper windows tremble, and the room instantly fell silent, with only Jia Zhangshi's crying remaining.

After a long while, Jia Dongxu cautiously poked his head out from under the covers.

She called out softly, "Mother..."

"You good-for-nothing trash!"

Madam Jia was furious. Upon hearing this, she raised her hand and slapped Jia Dongxu on the head with considerable force.

"Why didn't you stop your dad when he was hitting me?!"

"How could I have given birth to such a good-for-nothing who betrays his family!"

She vented all the grievances and anger she had just suffered on Jia Dongxu.

Jia Dongxu was slapped, winced in pain, and quickly shrank back into the blankets.

He muttered to himself, "I don't want to go out and get beaten up... Dad's really angry this time, he's even got murderous looks in his eyes. If I go out, I'll just get beaten up for nothing."

"What did you say?!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Jia immediately flew into a rage and shouted angrily.

"No...it's nothing."

Startled, Jia Dongxu quickly shut his mouth and mumbled something.

"Mom, quickly cover yourself with the blanket... It's so cold today, and you're only wearing so little. If you catch a cold, we'll have to get medicine, which will cost money."

These words struck a chord with Jia Zhangshi.

When she heard that she would have to pay for the medicine, her anger subsided considerably.

Only then did he realize that he was only wearing shorts and a bellyband, and he was shivering from the cold.

She quickly burrowed back into bed, wrapping herself up tightly.

I was so excited that I didn't feel cold, but now that I've calmed down, I can feel the burning pain on my face and my body is shivering from the cold.

Lying in bed, she felt more and more aggrieved and heartbroken over the ten silver dollars she had spent, and she couldn't help but start crying again.

When has Zhang Ruhua ever suffered such injustice since she was a child?

Not only did I get beaten up, but I also have to pay so much money in compensation. I can't live like this anymore!