Siheyuan: Starting from 1958

That night, when Banggeng saw Xiaodang coming home after his divorce, he was ready to make a few sarcastic remarks.

After learning that Xiaodang had paid 50 yuan for living expenses to his family, the words that were about to come out of his mouth were swallowed back.

Even Jia Zhang, who usually called Xiao Dang a money-loser when she saw him, rarely refrained from saying bad things about Xiao Dang. It was obvious that the fifty yuan living expenses that Xiao Dang gave to Qin Huairu had an effect.

Some people may say that it is too exaggerated to make the greedy Jia Zhang compromise with Xiao Pang for fifty yuan.

If it were a few years ago, Jia Zhang would definitely not bow down for fifty dollars.

But it's different now.

In order to keep Banggeng's job at the steel mill, Jia Zhang took out two hundred yuan from her hard-earned pension money.

Some time ago, Kuihua borrowed money to buy a work station, and Jia Zhang's family assets were accidentally exposed. Qin Huairu and Banggeng once again took away two or three hundred yuan, which instantly drained out all the retirement money that Jia Zhang had saved for half his life.

Qin Huairu's family fortune was also drained of everything because of Banggeng and Kuihua.

Now, the richest person in the entire Jia family is Yi Zhonghai, who has one or two thousand yuan for retirement money, but it is all Yi Zhonghai's life-saving money, and he will definitely not give it out easily to everyone in the Jia family to spend.

Although Banggeng and Kuihua work in a steel mill, they are now apprentices and their combined salary is only thirty-six yuan.

Since the reform and opening up, although grain and vegetables in the market no longer require tickets, their prices have continued to rise.

Before, a person could have a few good meals with five dollars a month for living expenses, but now, five dollars a month for living expenses can only ensure that one does not go hungry.

The family had no savings and low income, while prices outside were constantly rising, causing the Jia family's food standards to become worse and worse.

In the past, we could eat meat every two or three days, but now we can’t eat meat even once in half a month.

Even the most basic steamed buns made of two-grain flour cannot be guaranteed to be eaten every meal.

Xiaodang suddenly brought home fifty yuan. Although it was not much, for the struggling Jia family, this fifty yuan should be able to improve the family’s food standards for several months.

Thinking that they would be able to eat more meat at home in the future, the dissatisfaction in Bang Geng and Jia Zhang's hearts disappeared completely.

…………

When Xiaodang returned to the Jia family with fifty yuan, Yan Fugui in the front yard began another plot against his two sons and daughter-in-law.

The two daughters-in-law had just put the child to bed and returned to the main room, and before they had time to catch their breath, Yan Fugui's confident voice rang out in the room.

"Resolved...liberated..."

"I discussed it with your mother. Since we haven't separated, your wife should still hand over half of her salary to the family."

"Although you don't let us take care of our grandchildren now, you still live in the Yan family's house. Just think of this half of the salary as the rent for you to live in our house. If you don't pay, you can't come back to live here tomorrow..."

After Yan Fugui finished speaking, a very proud expression appeared on his face.

The two sons and their wives have not saved enough money to buy a house, so they cannot sell the house outside to divide the family business.

Faced with the threat from himself, there is no other way except to bow down and compromise.

Yan Fugui thought that what he said today touched their hearts and would definitely make the two of them bow their heads. He could also use this incident to re-establish his authority as the head of the family.

Yan Jiecheng and Yan Jiefang both showed shocked expressions on their faces.

However, this shock was not because of his father Yan Fugui's huge mouth, but because of Zhang Juan's judgment.

A few days ago, Zhang Juan told them that after the old man failed to threaten them with his grandson, he would definitely bring up the house. Although Yan Jiecheng and Yan Jiefang didn't say anything at the time, they still didn't believe it in their hearts.

Although Yan Fugui is good at calculating, they are father and son after all. There is no need to collect rent from his two sons for money. Isn't this actively driving his two sons out of the house?

At that time, the relationship between father and son will definitely reach a freezing point, and may even break down directly.

I never expected that my father Yan Fugui would actually disregard family ties and take this step.

Yan Jiecheng still cared about his family affection and hesitated for a moment before reminding: "Dad... even if you are paying rent for the family, there is no need to pay so much..."

"It only costs two dollars a month to rent such a small house outside, and you ask us for forty or fifty dollars right out of the blue. Isn't this just robbing us?"

Yan Fugui replied unhappily: "Is the rented house outside better than my home?"

"Living at home, your mother will help you wash the dirty sheets, and you don't have to clean the house, how nice..."

"It's only half a month's salary for one family, not a penny less."

Hearing this, Yan Jiecheng, no matter how good-tempered he was, could no longer bear it and replied with gritted teeth: "Dad..."

"Since you don't care about family ties and ask us for so much rent right away, we will move out tomorrow."

"We can't afford to live in this house, so we can just go live somewhere else..."

"Also, since you don't like us so much, and since everyone in the family is here, let's take this opportunity to divide the house.

After saying that, he said to his wife and second brother beside him: "Wife...liberate..."

"Go out and notify Uncle One, Uncle Two, Uncle Three, and get a few neighbors over, and ask them to help witness us separating from our parents."

"Tell the gentlemen..."

"After we divide the family property tonight, we two brothers will treat everyone to a meal on our day off this week to express our gratitude..."

Yan Jiefang and Zhang Juan had been waiting for Yan Jiecheng's arrangements. Without waiting for Yan Fugui to recover from his shock, they stood up from the chair, pushed open the door and walked out very quickly, fearing that Yan Fugui would stop them.

Only then did Yan Fugui recover from his shock. He stared at Yan Jiecheng with a murderous look and cursed, "Jiecheng..."

"Who agreed to separate from you..."

"If you dare to call Jiefang and your wife back, I don't agree to split up the family..."

When saying this, Yan Fugui's face showed a very anxious expression, and it was obvious that the word "divide the family" also hit his soft spot.

But Yan Jiecheng, who was extremely disappointed with Yan Fugui, could no longer compromise again.

Whether for himself or for his wife and children, he no longer wanted to live under the same roof with Yan Fugui and continue to endure Yan Fugui's various calculations and intrigues.

He shook his head and replied, "Dad..."

"I've had enough..."

"Since you don't care about family affection at all for the sake of money, and even want to take away the house where our own grandson and we live, then what's the point of us continuing to live in the house? It's better to separate the family."

"Even if you don't want to split up this family today, I have already done it. No one can stop me. And it's you who forced us to split up." (End of this chapter)