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

Old Jia hung his head, his already hunched back hunched, his two rough hands gripping the hem of his clothes tightly, his knuckles turning bluish-white.

He stood at the door of the deaf old woman's house, his heart feeling as heavy and cold as if it were stuffed with a piece of tattered cotton soaked in ice water, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

"What sins did I commit in this life to marry such a shameless wretch as Jia Zhangshi? I must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes!"

The pillar in the corner of the courtyard leaned against the old locust tree, its eyes fixed menacingly in the direction of the Jia family's residence, its fingertips scraping the bark until it crumbled.

He had long been fed up with Jia Zhangshi's tantrums, slander, and trouble-making, and secretly hardened his heart.

They're just waiting for the day Jia Zhangshi goes out alone, finds a quiet corner, and gives that old hag a good beating, preferably ending it all once and for all. When that happens, Jia Lao Nian will probably have to kneel on the ground, thanking his ancestors for eight generations!

Jia Laonian was unaware of the ruthlessness in Zhu Zi's heart. All he knew was that the deaf old lady had spoken, and if he dared not obey, the three members of the Jia family would be kicked out and left to suffer in the cold winds of Beijing.

When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. No matter how aggrieved you feel inside, you have to put on a smile and lower your posture to reply.

He bent his waist even lower, almost curling up like a shrimp, his voice hoarse and ingratiating.

"Grandma, please calm down and don't take our ignorant son's words to heart. Whatever you say, the Jia family will do it. We'll follow your orders. We just beg you not to kick us out and to give us a place to stay."

The deaf old lady sat upright on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), fiddling with a string of old Buddhist prayer beads in her hand. She didn't even lift her eyelids, and the wrinkles on her face concealed an undeniable authority.

She glanced at the bowing and scraping Jia Laonian, and slowly spoke, her voice not loud, but every word struck a chord in people's hearts.

"It's good that you know you're being punished, so I don't have to physically kick you out. Starting tomorrow, the three of you from the Jia family will move to the back room in the front yard. I won't charge you much rent, just fifty coins a day, paid monthly."

As soon as he said that, Jia Laonian's face turned pale instantly, from his cheeks to his neck, and even his lips lost all color.

What is the back room in the front yard?

That was the most dilapidated room in the entire compound. The walls were peeling and drafty, and the paper windows would tear at the slightest touch. In winter, the cold wind could freeze you to death, and in summer, the sun beat down on you and it was as stuffy as a steamer. There was no ventilation from any side, and staying there for too long could make you sick.

His legs trembled slightly, but he still mustered up the courage to plead.

"Grandma, please have pity on our family! That old house is freezing in winter and sweltering in summer, and it's so stuffy, like a cage. How can the three of us fit in one room? Please, have mercy and don't make us move there..."

"Not enough room?" The deaf old lady raised her eyelids, her eyes filled with a hint of mockery.

"Sure thing, for one dollar, I'll rent you two rooms with backrests, enough for your family of three to lie down comfortably."

"One silver dollar?" Old Jia gasped, his face draining of all color.

The work points his family earned in a day couldn't even buy a few coins; a single silver dollar would be the death of him! He wanted to say a few more words, his voice trembling with tears.

"Grandma, could you please make an exception and not move out? We promise to behave ourselves from now on and never cause trouble again..."

"What, you want to negotiate with me?" The deaf old woman suddenly sneered, her tone instantly turning cold. "You don't have to move out."

Old Jia was overjoyed, thinking that things had taken a turn for the better. His eyes lit up instantly, and he was about to say thank you for your kindness when the old lady said something next, which made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and his blood seemed to freeze.

"If you're not going to the back room, then get out! My courtyard is spotless; I can't tolerate your Jia family's despicable and foul behavior. Don't get in my way!"

The deaf old woman's voice was icy cold and merciless; every word was like an icicle piercing Jia Laonian's heart.

Old Jia shuddered, no longer daring to voice any objection, and nodded hastily, his voice trembling.

"Move! Move! We'll move first thing tomorrow morning! We absolutely wouldn't dare delay your arrangements!"

"There's one more thing I need to remind you of," the deaf old lady said slowly, interrupting Jia Laonian's panic.

Old Jia quickly leaned closer, speaking respectfully: "Please tell me, I'm listening intently, I'll remember every word!"

"From now on, the area immediately after entering the courtyard, that is, the middle courtyard and the back courtyard, is off-limits to the three members of your Jia family. If you dare to cross this line, don't blame me for being ruthless; it won't be as simple as just moving house."

The deaf old woman's gaze swept over Jia Laonian, carrying an intimidating pressure.

"Yes, yes, yes! We remember, we will absolutely not step into the Intermediate People's Court!"

"I will never step into the Intermediate People's Court again."

Suppressing the pent-up frustration and anger in his heart, Jia Laonian bowed repeatedly, his waist almost touching the ground.

But he dared not vent his anger on the deaf old lady. In this courtyard, the deaf old lady was the most senior and prestigious, and even the neighborhood committee had to give her some face. He wouldn't dare to challenge her even if he had ten times the courage.

The fire in his heart was all directed at Jia Zhangshi, the troublemaker in his family.

"Alright, get lost." The deaf old woman waved her hand, her face full of disgust.

"Pack your things and move out right now! This old lady doesn't want to see those two scoundrels from your family in this courtyard anymore!"

"But I never want to see either of you again."

"Stay away from me from now on."

Old Jia didn't dare to talk back, not even daring to raise his head. He turned around dejectedly and hurriedly left the deaf old lady's room, not daring to even breathe.

Seeing this, He Daqing felt relieved and stepped forward, gritting his teeth as he spoke to the deaf old lady.

"Grandma, in my opinion, we should just kick them out and never let them set foot in the courtyard again. Keeping them around is just asking for trouble!"

The deaf old lady waved her hand, sighed softly, and had a meaningful look in her eyes.

"Hey, let's be lenient when we can. Let's do some good for those two poor kids, Zhuzi and Yushui. Don't pursue a cornered enemy. Give them a way out, and that's a way of showing some restraint."

"After all, we see each other all the time, and we've spent a lot of time together here."

"What if they dare to cause trouble again, spread rumors, or bully our Zhuzi and Yushui?"

He Daqing frowned, his face full of unease.

The deaf old woman's eyes instantly turned cold, and her tone became resolute.

"Then don't blame me for being impolite! If they dare not move out, or dare to cause trouble again, you call your men and throw their entire family, along with their belongings, out of the courtyard. I'll take responsibility for anything that happens!"

"Okay! I got it!" He Daqing replied in a muffled voice, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

He had been holding back a lot of anger for a long time, and if it weren't for the fact that it was inconvenient to take action in the courtyard, he would have already dealt with Jia Zhangshi.

Now he's planning that once the Jia family is really driven to the front courtyard and back house, if they still dare to misbehave, he'll find some friends outside the city to drag the whole family out of town and give them a good beating.

In these chaotic times, it's perfectly normal for a person or two to go missing. It happens so quietly that you don't have to worry about them retaliating every day.

However, He Daqing knew in his heart that the old deaf woman's talk of accumulating good deeds was just empty talk.

This old lady is no simple character; she's very shrewd. Otherwise, given the despicable behavior of Jia Zhangshi and her son Jia Dongxu, they would have been taken advantage of by the people in the courtyard long ago. How could she have stayed in the central courtyard for so long and still be able to guard such a large courtyard house?

After much thought, the only thing he could come up with was that the old lady wanted to keep the Jia family around as "gatekeepers."

This courtyard house is too big. The front yard is mostly empty, and only their family lives there. No one would notice if a stranger came in.

Keeping the Jia family in the front yard could at least serve as eyes and ears, preventing outsiders from barging in; that was the old lady's true intention.

As for Jia Laonian, after leaving the deaf old lady's room, he could no longer contain his anger.

All the previous humble and obsequious behavior vanished, replaced by a bloodshot face and overwhelming resentment.

He stormed toward the Jia family home, his steps so heavy they seemed to crush the ground. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, cursing Jia Zhangshi a thousand times in his heart.

When he reached his front door, he pushed it open with a loud bang, and the door slammed against the wall, causing a piece of plaster to fall off.

He slammed the door shut with a loud "click," rolled up his sleeves, and strode toward Jia Zhangshi on the kang (a heated brick bed) with a fierce look on his face.

At this moment, Jia Zhangshi was lying sprawled on the kang (a heated brick bed), legs crossed, humming a tuneless little tune, her mind still calculating how to get some benefits out of that silly boy He Yuzhu, either by swindling some grain coupons or by extorting some money.

She was feeling quite pleased with herself when suddenly she felt a tall figure blocking out the light in front of her. Everything went dark, and before she could react, her hair was grabbed tightly!

"Ouch!" Jia Zhangshi screamed in pain. Just as she was about to curse, a series of crisp, loud slaps landed hard on her face.

"Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!"

The four slaps were loud and crisp, with great force, completely stunning Jia Zhangshi.

Her cheeks instantly swelled up and burned with pain. Her mind went blank, leaving only an unconscious scream of "Ah! Ah!" that pierced the silence of the room.

When she finally regained her senses, she was in so much pain that she grimaced and tried to struggle to get up and fight back, but Jia Laonian held her firmly on the bed and she couldn't move.

Jia Laonian was extremely strong; his hands gripped her shoulders like iron clamps, making it impossible for her to struggle even slightly.

Immediately afterwards, Jia Laonian grabbed the broom handle from the side of the kang (a heated brick bed), gripped it, and lashed it hard at Jia Zhangshi!

"Crackling! Crackling!"

The sound of the broom bristles striking flesh, mixed with Jia Zhangshi's heart-wrenching screams, echoed throughout the entire courtyard.

"Ah! Ah! You heartless Jia Laonian, how dare you hit your mother again? I'll fight you to the death! Waaah... Dongxu! My son! Come and save your mother! Your father is beating me to death! Come quickly!"

Madam Jia was writhing on the ground in pain, her voice hoarse from screaming. She cried and begged Jia Dongxu for help, her voice so loud that the whole courtyard could hear her clearly.

"You good-for-nothing Jia Laonian! All you do is beat your wife! If you're so tough, go out and be a bully outside! I'm not going to live anymore! I'll die right here in front of you today!"

"Jia Dongxu, you good-for-nothing! All you do is stand by and watch! Your father almost beat your mother to death, and you didn't dare utter a sound! It's a waste of my time raising you!"

"Old Jia, you just wait! When my brother gets here, we'll see how he deals with you! You hit me today, and I'll pay you back tenfold! No! A hundredfold! A thousandfold! I'll make you regret this for the rest of your life!"

"I'll make you regret this for the rest of your life."

After being scolded for a while, Jia Zhangshi could no longer bear the pain, and her arrogance instantly diminished. She began to cry and beg for mercy.

"Old man...honey...please, stop hitting me...sob, it hurts so much...stop hitting me...I know I was wrong..."

"I'll never do it again."

Her pleas for mercy were intermittent, mixed with sobs and wails, but Jia Laonian wouldn't listen at all. His anger burned brighter and brighter, and he became more and more ruthless.

He had been holding back his anger for too long. Ever since he married Jia Zhangshi, she had been lazy, unruly, and prone to spreading rumors and causing trouble for him every day. Today, she had even driven the Jia family to the brink of ruin. He wished he could beat this woman to death to vent his anger.

Only when the broom handle in his hand was knocked away and fell to the ground with a "thud," scattering half of the straw, did Jia Laonian stop, panting heavily.

He stood by the kang (a heated brick bed), his chest heaving violently, his forehead covered in sweat, his eyes fixed fiercely on Jia Zhangshi, who was lying on the kang.

In the corner of the kang (a heated brick bed), Jia Dongxu was already terrified by the scene.

He huddled in the innermost corner of the kang (a heated brick bed), curled up, hugging his knees, burying his head in his chest, trembling like a frightened quail.

He didn't even have the courage to look up, let alone step forward to stop his father or save his mother. He could only cower in the corner, listening to his mother's screams, trembling all over.

At this moment, Jia Zhangshi was sore all over from the beating that she lay on the kang (a heated brick bed) unable to move. She could only groan softly, and her crying had turned into weak sobs. Her face was swollen like a pig's head, and her eyes were squinted into slits. She looked utterly wretched.

After catching his breath, Old Jia slowly walked to the cabinet, picked up his well-worn tobacco pipe, and carefully filled the bowl with tobacco, filling it to the brim.

He took out a match from his pocket, struck it with a "snap," and an orange flame shot up, igniting his pipe.

He took a deep breath, the pungent smell of smoke filling his lungs, which slightly calmed his anger.

The room fell silent instantly, save for Jia Zhangshi's faint groans and sobs, the flickering firelight of her pipe, and wisps of smoke rising slowly from it, drifting through the dim room.

Old Jia quietly finished smoking the entire pipe of tobacco, until the tobacco in the bowl had burned to ashes. Only then did he gently tap the pipe on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) to shake off the ashes.

He looked up at Jia Zhangshi, who was lying face down on the kang (a heated brick bed), his voice as cold as ice: "Zhang Ruhua, do you know why I beat you today?"

Madam Jia Zhang was in so much pain that she grimaced. Hearing this, she struggled to lift her head, her swollen eyes filled with resentment as she glared fiercely at Old Man Jia.

"You heartless bastard! How was I supposed to know! Once I recover, I'll make you pay! I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget!"

"I'm asking you a question, so answer me properly!" Old Man Jia suddenly stood up, walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), leaned down, and stared intently at Madam Jia. The fierce light in his eyes made Madam Jia tremble all over.

Madam Jia felt uneasy under his gaze, and instinctively looked away, not daring to meet his eyes.

When Jia Laonian saw her like this, he knew perfectly well what trouble she had caused.

Old Jia slowly straightened up, his voice filled with endless weariness and despair: "Since you know, do you know what the consequences will be for the trouble you've caused?"

Jia Zhangshi shook her head, which was swollen like a pig's head, and still stubbornly insisted, "I...I don't care about the consequences! You can't hit me!"

"Sigh..." Old Jia sighed deeply, a sigh filled with helplessness and heartache. "Our family has been kicked out of the middle courtyard by the deaf old lady. Tomorrow morning, we will have to move to the back room in the front courtyard."

As he spoke, he looked at Jia Zhangshi's fat face, raised his hand again, and wished he could slap her a few more times.

"What?! A room with the back facing the wall?!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi instantly forgot the pain in her body, her eyes widened suddenly, and she screamed in a shrill voice.

"That's no place for a human to live! Which bastard made us move here? Was it Chen Lanxiang who said so? I'll go after her and fight her to the death! I'll tear her mouth apart!"

She kept saying she wanted to go out and find someone to reason with, but her body betrayed her. With incredible speed, she curled up and shrank to the very back of the kang (a heated brick bed), pressed tightly against the corner of the wall, as if afraid that Jia Laonian would hit her again.

Looking at her bullying the weak and fearing the strong, Jia Laonian was even more furious.

"The He family didn't utter a sound from beginning to end! It was the deaf old lady in the backyard who gave the order! Zhang Ruhua, you do the math yourself, how many times have you caused trouble? Huh? Do you really want our Jia family to be completely driven out, left to wander the streets, and starve to death?"

As Jia Laonian spoke, he became more and more agitated, his voice hoarse, almost roaring, his chest heaving violently.

Jia Zhangshi huddled in the corner, shrinking her neck, but still stubbornly sticking her neck out, refusing to admit defeat.

"I said it! They dared to do it, but we can't even talk about it? That brat He Yuzhu, doesn't he go out gallivanting every day and come back with shady stuff? What's wrong with me saying he stole it? What ability could a kid like him have to get those good things? He must have stolen them! I did nothing wrong!"

"Shut up!" Old Jia roared angrily, trembling with rage, pointing at Jia Zhangshi's nose.

"If they can get their hands on something, that's their skill! Zhu Zi is just a kid, but He Daqing isn't! Couldn't it be that He Daqing earned it outside and Zhu Zi brought it back? You have a mouthful of nonsense; all you do is spread rumors and cause trouble!"

"He's just a cook, what skills could he possibly have?" Madam Jia Zhang was still unconvinced and stubbornly retorted.

Old Jia was too lazy to waste any more words with her. Trying to reason with this unreasonable woman was like casting pearls before swine.

He turned and scanned the room, spotting a feather duster on the cabinet. Its handle was sturdy, and it would hurt but leave no marks when it hit you. He strode over and reached for the feather duster.

When Jia Zhangshi saw him about to grab a weapon, she was terrified and dared not argue anymore. She lay on the kang (a heated brick bed) and desperately shouted, "Father! Don't hit me! Don't take the feather duster! I know I was wrong! I really know I was wrong! I won't do it again! Please forgive me this time!"

"It's too late to realize your mistake!" Old Jia said coldly, walking back with a feather duster in his hand.

"We're moving first thing tomorrow morning. The deaf old lady is kind enough to agree to rent us two rooms with a reverse-facing layout for one dollar, so that the three of us won't have to squeeze into one room."

After saying that, he stopped and sat down heavily on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), closing his eyes wearily.

"Moving tomorrow?!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi instantly flew into a rage, forgetting all her pain, and began to throw a tantrum on the kang (a heated brick bed), pounding the mat and wailing loudly.

"Are they even being reasonable?! Why are they kicking us out?! God! Open your eyes! Send down a bolt of lightning and strike that heartless deaf old woman dead! And strike the entire He family down with her too! Let them suffer a terrible death!"

She rolled around on the ground, cursing viciously in a shrill, extremely unpleasant voice.

Enraged by her commotion, Jia Laonian suddenly stood up and lunged at Jia Zhangshi, reaching out to grab her.

"Shut up! Do you want our Jia family to be completely kicked out and sleep on the streets? If you're willing to sleep on the streets, then keep chanting! I'm going to the He family right now and have them write me a letter of divorce, so I can just divorce you and you can get out and fend for yourself! Dongxu and I still need to live; we're not going to go crazy with you!"

Jia Laonian's movements were swift and fierce, frightening Jia Zhangshi into immediate silence.

"Gah..."

The curse she hadn't finished choked her up, stuck in her throat, unable to come up or go down, making her eyes roll back in her head.

His already swollen face instantly turned purple, and he pounded his chest with both fists, panting heavily. He dared not utter another curse, not even a groan.

The room fell silent instantly, with only the heavy breathing of Old Man Jia and the labored breathing of Madam Jia.

Looking at her bullying the weak and fearing the strong, Jia Laonian felt both angry and helpless. He sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), picked up his pipe again, silently filled it with tobacco, and lit it.

Smoke curled upwards, enveloping the dilapidated house and the sorrowful expression on Old Jia's face.

He knew that from the moment they moved to the back room tomorrow, the Jia family's life would be completely plunged into a quagmire, and all of this was thanks to his wicked wife.

Looking out at the gray sky, he had only one thought in his mind: from now on, he could only keep a low profile and never let this woman cause trouble again, otherwise, the Jia family would truly be doomed.

Meanwhile, Jia Dongxu, huddled in the corner, was still trembling and dared not make a sound.

Lying on the kang (a heated brick bed), Jia Zhangshi covered her swollen face, her eyes filled with resentment and bitterness. She secretly plotted to find an opportunity to take revenge on the He family and that meddlesome deaf old woman once she recovered.