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

"Knock knock knock! Knock knock knock!"

A rapid, somewhat aggressive knocking slammed against the Jia family's door, the dull sound particularly jarring in the quiet of the night.

The room, which had been filled with wailing, cursing, and shouting, suddenly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop, like a chicken or duck whose neck had been snapped.

Old Jia huddled by the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), his rough hands still frozen in mid-air.

The force of his slap on Jia Zhangshi's face hadn't yet dissipated. His cloudy eyes were filled with sorrow, his brows were furrowed into a knot, and the wrinkles on his forehead were squeezed together, resembling a dried-up riverbed.

Standing to the side, Jia Zhangshi covered her burning cheeks, her hair disheveled and plastered to her tear-streaked face, with a trace of blood still clinging to the corner of her mouth.

She stared at Jia Laonian with wide eyes, her gaze filled with nothing but pleading and panic, her body trembling slightly uncontrollably.

Old Jia sighed heavily, a sigh that seemed to be squeezed from the depths of his lungs, carrying endless weariness and helplessness.

He cleared his hoarse throat and shouted at the door, "Who is it? What are you doing knocking at the door in the middle of the night!"

"Old Jia, it's me, Lao Yi! Yi Zhonghai!"

Yi Zhonghai's unhurried voice came from outside the door, carrying a hint of feigned concern, yet also a subtle probing.

Jia Laonian's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively wanted to refuse.

He was incredibly annoyed and didn't want to see his nosy neighbors in the courtyard, especially the deep-thinking Yi Zhonghai.

He sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and replied gruffly, "What could possibly happen so late? Nothing's wrong at home, you should go back now!"

"Are you really alright?" Yi Zhonghai's voice rose slightly, tinged with obvious doubt. "I've been hearing all the commotion from your house next door for ages, the crying and screaming were so loud, I hope something's happened. I'll come in and check!"

"No need! I already said I'm fine, you can reply to that!"

Old Jia reluctantly refused, but as soon as he finished speaking, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his waist—Jia Zhangshi, taking advantage of his inattention, stretched out her sharp fingernails and pinched his waist flesh hard!

"Ouch! Why are you pinching me? Are you crazy?!"

Old Jia winced in pain, glared angrily at Jia Zhangshi in a low voice, and reached out to slap her hand away.

Jia Zhangshi gripped his arm tightly, brought her mouth close to his ear, and pleaded urgently with a sobbing voice.

"Are you stupid?! Let him in! Yi Zhonghai still has some influence with the old lady in the backyard. Let him plead for us, and maybe we won't have to move to that dilapidated outbuilding!"

"Plead for mercy? What were you thinking!"

Old Jia lowered his voice and shouted back, his eyes full of disapproval.

"Our family and the Yi family are just nodding acquaintances, not even close friends. Why should they help us? How dare you be so arrogant? Do you really think you're someone important?"

"Why not give it a try? What if it works!"

Jia Zhangshi threw a tantrum and twisted her finger hard again.

"I don't want to live in that damp and gloomy outbuilding. The walls are all peeling, and there isn't even a proper window. I'd definitely get sick if I lived there!"

The two were arguing quietly when Jia Dongxu, who had been huddled in the corner of the kang pretending to be dead, suddenly seemed to grasp at a straw and hurriedly crawled over to grab Jia Laonian's arm, pleading with him in a tearful voice.

"Dad! I don't want to live in the back room either! It's dark and damp, the humid air seeps into your bones. I'm almost of marriageable age, what girl would want to marry me if I lived in a place like that! Please let Uncle Yi come in and give it a try!"

Jia Dongxu's words were like a needle, piercing Jia Laonian's heart.

His son's marriage is the biggest worry of his life. If he really moves to the back house, the marriage will probably be completely hopeless.

Old Jia fell silent, his rough hands rubbing his knees repeatedly, his face showing even more worry.

He remained silent for a full half minute before finally speaking, weakly calling out towards the door, "Old Yi, the door's not locked, come in yourself."

Yi Zhonghai, who was waiting outside the door, had been impatient for a long time. He had his hand on the door knocker and was about to turn around and leave when he heard this. His eyes lit up instantly and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

He gently pushed open the door, stepped into the Jia family's cramped main room, deliberately slowed his pace, cleared his throat, and called out to the inner room in a concerned manner, "Old Jia, may I come into the inner room? I don't want to disturb you while you're tidying up."

Before Jia Laonian could even speak, Jia Zhangshi, as if injected with chicken blood, suddenly sat up on the kang (a heated brick bed), ignoring the slap mark on her face and her messy hair, and responded enthusiastically at the top of her lungs.

"Yi brothers! This is so convenient! So convenient! Come in, come in!"

Old Jia's heart skipped a beat, and he was filled with deep regret.

He glared at Jia Zhangshi, cursing inwardly: Has this woman gone mad?

You've been beaten up like this, disheveled and filthy, have you no shame at all? You're so eager to beg for help, aren't you afraid of being laughed at?

It's too late to get Madam Jia to tidy up her appearance now.

Yi Zhonghai had already stepped into the inner room. His gaze casually swept around, and when he saw Jia Zhangshi on the kang with her hair disheveled, her face bearing a handprint, and her clothes in disarray, as well as Jia Dongxu standing dejectedly to the side, he subconsciously turned his head away, pretending not to see them, but in his heart he was already overjoyed.

"Old Jia, what are you up to?"

Yi Zhonghai deliberately frowned, putting on a pained expression, and patted Jia Laonian on the shoulder.

"Even if a couple is arguing, you can't hit someone so hard! Look how badly you beat your sister-in-law; the marks on her face are still clearly visible. It'll look terrible if word gets out."

Yi Zhonghai's arrival so late was certainly not out of kindness.

When he got home from get off work this evening, his wife, Li Guihua, told him everything that had happened in the yard.

At first, he didn't take it seriously at all. In this courtyard, family squabbles and quarrels were commonplace. Every few days, one household would cause trouble. As long as it didn't involve him, he always watched from the sidelines.

But when Li Guihua mentioned that He Yuzhu had gone out alone in the evening and returned carrying a bulging bundle, which Jia Zhangshi had stopped him from saying was stolen, Yi Zhonghai immediately took it to heart.

Who is He Yuzhu?

The courtyard was known for its foolish Zhu, who was simple-minded and single-minded. He used to follow Jia Dongxu around every day, and any good things he had were taken away by the Jia family through a combination of coaxing and deception.

Yi Zhonghai would never believe that the good stuff in that bundle was something He Yuzhu had gotten himself.

Moreover, he had been tricked by He Yuzhu's father, He Daqing, because of work, and suffered a hidden loss. He had been holding a grudge and was looking for a way to get revenge.

He was originally planning how to get back at Sha Zhu, but before he had even finished dinner, Li Guihua sent another message.

He Daqing went to see Jia Laonian in person, and then Jia Laonian went to the He family. After he returned, the Jia family was thrown into chaos. Cries, shouts, and shouts could be heard clearly through several walls. It was a terrible scene.

Yi Zhonghai knew perfectly well what kind of person Jia Zhangshi was—greedy for small gains, snobbish, with a nose for everything, and unwilling to suffer any loss.

She would never stop He Yuzhu for no reason, much less falsely accuse someone of stealing. There must be something valuable in that bundle!

He came here tonight not to mediate or reconcile the fight, but purely to watch the spectacle, take advantage of the situation, and get revenge on the He family!

Inside the house, upon hearing Yi Zhonghai's words, Jia Laonian was so angry that he pointed at Jia Zhangshi, his whole body trembling.

"She deserves to be beaten! She deserves to die! If it weren't for this troublemaker, would our family be in this state today?"

"Just because I said a few words to that foolish boy from the He family, is it really necessary to go to such lengths?"

Yi Zhonghai pretended not to understand and followed up with questions, but in his heart he was secretly making plans.

"Say a few words about what you mean!"

Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Jia Zhangshi exploded, covering her face and wailing.

"Brother Yi, you have no idea how wronged I am! That He Yuzhu is clearly no good. He's so young and already so bad. I could smell the fragrance inside the bundle even through the bag. If it wasn't stolen, where did it come from?"

Yi Zhonghai's eyes lit up slightly, and he casually asked, "Oh? Sister-in-law, your nose is famously sensitive. What did you smell? Tell me, so I can give you my opinion."

Upon hearing that someone was speaking up for her, Jia Zhangshi immediately perked up, forgetting all about crying, and proudly counted on her fingers.

"I smell a fishy odor, but it's not just ordinary river fish, it smells wonderful! There's also the aroma of chicken, all from dried goods! And there's another smell I can't quite describe, oh right, it's dried mushrooms! Top-quality dried mushrooms!"

If He Yuzhu were here, he would be so shocked that he would jump up – Jia Zhangshi's nose is even more sensitive than a hunting dog's; she can smell things clearly even through a bundle!

Yi Zhonghai narrowed his eyes, a hint of greed flashing in them, but he smiled and praised him.

"Sister-in-law, your nose is absolutely amazing! It's even better than the dog we keep in our yard. I'm impressed!"

"Of course!" Madam Jia Zhang didn't pick up on the sarcasm in Yi Zhonghai's words at all. Instead, she proudly raised her chin, looking smug.

"Alright! Stop making a fool of yourself here! Haven't you caused enough trouble already?"

Old Man Jia couldn't bear to watch any longer, so he slammed his hand on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), making a dull thud. This startled Madam Jia Zhang, who immediately shut her mouth and shrank back, not daring to utter a sound.

Old Jia, panting heavily, glared fiercely at Jia Zhangshi.

"Couldn't He Yuzhu have gone to pick up something his father had ordered from the supply and marketing cooperative? You immediately accuse him of stealing it; your mouth is so awful, you deserve to be confronted!"

Seeing this, Yi Zhonghai quickly tried to smooth things over: "Alright, alright, Lao Jia, calm down. Your wife is just being straightforward. But even if you're arguing, you shouldn't have beaten her like this. What happened that made things so bad? The deaf old lady in the backyard is always kind-hearted and never makes things difficult for anyone. Could this have alarmed her?"

Upon hearing the mention of the deaf old lady, Jia Laonian's face turned deathly pale. He sighed and squatted on the ground, holding his head in his hands.

"Kindness depends on the person! Why should anyone be kind to this troublemaker? It's because she falsely accused He Yuzhu of stealing that He Daqing went directly to the old lady, who immediately flew into a rage and insisted on kicking our family out of the courtyard house!"

"Oh? It's that serious?"

Yi Zhonghai pretended to be surprised and opened his mouth wide, but inside he was overjoyed.

"Is the old lady really going to kick you out? That's too cruel, considering you're neighbors who see each other all the time."

"Being kicked out is too lenient!" Old Jia said with a bitter face, his voice trembling with tears.

"I knelt on the ground and begged for a long time, and said many kind words to the old lady before she finally relented and said that this was the last time she would forgive us, but we had to move out of our current house and move to the back house in the courtyard!"

"A room with a reverse-facing roof?" Yi Zhonghai repeated, his mind racing with calculations.

He had always looked down on Jia Laonian—he was a coward, his skills were mediocre, he had never amounted to anything in his life, and he would be lost in a crowd.

But Jia Dongxu, the youngest son of the Jia family, piqued his interest.

Although Jia Dongxu wasn't particularly capable, he was filial, obedient, and naturally timid, making him easy to manipulate.

Yi Zhonghai and his wife Li Guihua have been married for over 30 years but have never had children. He secretly went to see a doctor and learned that it was a problem with his health that meant he would never have a biological child.

In this era where one relies on sons for old age, having no offspring means that one will be left alone in old age and will be bullied to death.

He had long had his eye on the He family's simple-minded and obedient son. If he could adopt him, he could rely on him to support him in his old age.

Unfortunately, He Daqing had a fiery temper, excellent skills, and high prestige in the factory, so he couldn't control him and had to give up.

Now that the Jia family is in trouble, it's the perfect opportunity to offer them help!

If he were to speak a few good words for the Jia family and save them from having to move to the back house, the entire Jia family would be eternally grateful to him.

Then, we can slowly win over Jia Dongxu. When this kid grows up and enters the factory, we'll take him on as an apprentice and keep him firmly in our grasp. When he gets old, we won't have to worry about who will take care of us.

This deal is a sure thing!

Thinking of this, Yi Zhonghai deliberately hesitated for a moment, then put on a righteous act, patted his chest and said, "Old Jia, we're all neighbors in the same courtyard, we see each other all the time. I can't stand idly by when your family is in trouble. How about this, I'll go to the backyard and talk to the old lady to see if I can get her to change her mind and not let you move to the back house."

Old Jia was taken aback for a moment, then quickly waved his hand: "How could I trouble you like this? Old Yi, I appreciate your kindness, but you don't need it."

But Jia Zhangshi, who was standing to the side, seemed to have grasped at a straw and immediately took over the conversation, her face plastered with a fawning smile.

"Brother Yi, thank you so much! We can't possibly accept this, but if you can get this done, our family will never forget your great kindness! From now on, Dongxu will handle all your errands, chores, shopping, and house cleaning. He'll be there whenever we call!"

With the same "How could I possibly accept this?", Jia Laonian genuinely declined, while Jia Zhangshi was being hypocritical, her mind filled with thoughts of using her son to gain benefits.

Jia Dongxu, who was lying on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), hurriedly nodded and bowed, respectfully calling out to Yi Zhonghai.

"Uncle Yi! Thank you! If you can help my family get through this, I'll do whatever you ask from now on, even if it means going through fire and water. I'll take care of all the errands and odd jobs, and I promise I'll get it done perfectly!"

Yi Zhonghai glanced at Jia Zhangshi and was secretly startled.

This old woman has the exact same idea as me; we both want to use our sons as tools. We're kindred spirits. I can't underestimate her in the future!

Then, he looked at Jia Dongxu and nodded in satisfaction.

This kid is much smarter than Sha Zhu, and he even knows how to please me. He's a good prospect.

Just as Yi Zhonghai was about to agree, Jia Laonian suddenly spoke again, firmly refusing: "Old Yi, there's really no need to trouble you. You should go back quickly; we still need to pack our things and prepare for moving."

Yi Zhonghai's smile froze instantly, and he looked at Jia Laonian with some confusion.

Old Jia knew exactly what was going on. Although he was quiet and reserved, he wasn't stupid.

The look Yi Zhonghai gave Jia Dongxu just now was meaningful, carrying obvious calculation and scheming, which made Jia Dongxu feel a strong sense of vigilance.

Moreover, he knew very well how close the deaf old lady in the backyard was to the He family.

The old lady calls He Yuzhu "grandson" every day, and He Daqing always sends her good food during holidays and festivals. Their friendship over the years is something that no outsider can compare to.

Even if Yi Zhonghai has some influence in front of the old lady, he is definitely no match for the He family. Trying to plead for mercy is simply wishful thinking! Rather than owing Yi Zhonghai a favor for nothing and being schemed against by him for his son, it would be better to move to the back house obediently, at least there will be peace of mind.

Seeing Jia Laonian's resolute attitude, Yi Zhonghai was somewhat displeased, but he didn't want to press the matter further, so he could only go along with it: "Since you put it that way, Lao Jia, then I won't force you. But if you need any help later, just ask. We're neighbors, no need to be polite."

Thank you.

Old Jia gave a perfunctory reply and stood up as if to see the guest out.

Madam Jia was so anxious she wanted to jump up and down, but Jia Laonian stopped her with a fierce look. She could only sit on the kang (a heated brick bed) unwillingly, glaring at Jia Laonian through gritted teeth, cursing him a thousand times in her heart.

Yi Zhonghai slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping over Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu on the kang again, but his calculations continued. Since Jia Laonian wasn't appreciative, he would try a different approach. In any case, he was determined to use Jia Dongxu as a valuable pawn!

He smiled, cupped his hands in greeting, turned and walked out of the Jia family's house. The moment he closed the door, the fake smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a deep sense of calculation.

Inside the Jia family's house, a heavy silence fell once more. Old Jia slumped on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), chain-smoking his pipe, the smoke swirling around him a mask of endless despair.

Madam Jia covered her face, sobbing softly, and kept cursing He Yuzhu, He Daqing, and the deaf old lady; Jia Dongxu huddled in the corner, tears streaming down his face as he thought of the damp and gloomy back room and his seemingly endless marriage.