Siheyuan: Starting from 1958

After figuring out the reasons, he also considered ways to remedy the situation.

If this had happened a decade or two ago, I might have been able to salvage the situation.

At that time, he was the main breadwinner for his family, and the three Yan brothers could not do without the support of their family.

If I change my stingy personality and give them more support, and treat them with sincerity, I will definitely be able to ease the tension between father and son.

Not anymore.

The three brothers already harbored resentment and dissatisfaction towards their family. Not only could they not provide any help to them, but they also had to rely on them for support and take money from their pockets. No matter how sincere they were, in their eyes, they were just scheming to use their money for their retirement, and it was absolutely impossible for them to forgive them.

Faced with his wife's worried gaze, he could only sigh and continue, "They can't be relied on..."

"Don't even think about messing with them anymore."

"Unless we get sick, we can only rely on ourselves."

"The fifteen yuan they gave to the family, combined with my retirement savings, isn't much, but it's enough for now."

“I go out and collect some scraps every month, trying to earn a dozen or so yuan to save.”

"But we must take seriously the thing you just mentioned."

"Prices in Beijing are getting higher and higher, and there will always be times when the little money we have isn't enough. We have to find a way to plan ahead..."

Seeing Yan Fugui frowning and deep in thought, his wife's eyes lit up and she asked, "Old man..."

"Have you already thought of a solution?"

Yan Fugui did not deny it: "I have an idea... but it's still uncertain whether or not I will do it."

“If the three Jie brothers repent and agree to increase our retirement money, we will avoid that path if we can avoid it. Otherwise, even if we die, the three Jie brothers will still hold a grudge against us.”

“If the three brothers really don’t care about us anymore, except for the five yuan pension they receive each month, then we can’t worry about them anymore.”

"As long as we, the two of us old folks, have food to eat and can enjoy our old age in peace, let them hate us if they want."

…………

In the blink of an eye, two years have passed.

With the help of his wife Chen Jun, Zhang Linbao successfully got a job at the steel rolling mill.

Given his existing cadre status, and after a year and a half of hard work, he has now risen to become the deputy head of the technical department of the steel rolling mill.

Chen Li, the sister-in-law, joined Dongjun Hotel a year and a half ago and became the head office's financial manager.

If nothing unexpected happens, after another two or three years of experience, he will be in charge of the financial management of all branches of Dongjun Hotel.

In that year, prices in Beijing nearly doubled compared to two years ago, and the average wage for workers also skyrocketed from 60 or 70 yuan two years ago to more than 110 yuan now.

For Yan Fugui and his wife, this change was nothing short of a nightmare.

The couple could have lived a very comfortable life on 40 yuan a month for food and drink.

After prices skyrocketed, the couple's monthly living expenses also increased to sixty or seventy yuan, even after the couple had saved every penny.

With prices soaring in Beijing, the three Yan brothers should logically increase the amount of retirement money they give to Yan Fugui and his wife.

However, due to rising prices, the living pressure on the three Yan brothers has increased exponentially, especially for the eldest brother Yan Jiecheng and the second brother Yan Jiefang. Because of their past imprisonment, they cannot find good jobs in Beijing and also face various problems such as finding wives and buying houses, resulting in enormous financial pressure. Although Yan Fugui mentioned increasing their retirement funds to Timen several times, the three brothers acted as if they had not heard him and chose to ignore it.

Faced with his dwindling wallet and the three brothers who showed no regard for their father-son relationship, Yan Fugui finally gave up hope.

I don't know which night it was, but Wang Dong went home for once.

No sooner had he stepped inside than Yan Fugui followed him in, his body hunched over, looking noticeably older than two years ago, his face etched with wrinkles.

Although Wang Dong had rarely interacted with him in the past two years, he still smiled and asked politely, "Teacher Yan..."

"How can I help you?"

Yan Fugui seemed a little embarrassed. After all, he had done many things to wrong Wang Dong in the past, and now he was coming to ask him for help. He was bound to have some difficulty accepting it.

But for the sake of his and his wife's future retirement, he gritted his teeth and said, "Dongzi..."

"I need your help with something."

“You should have heard in the courtyard that the three brothers, Jie Cheng and his brother, only give me fifteen yuan a month for retirement. Adding my pension, it only adds up to a little over forty yuan a month.”

"Prices in Beijing are getting higher and higher, and this little bit of money is definitely not enough for my wife and me to live on."

“The three brothers refused to increase my retirement money, so I had to find a way myself.”

"Now that I'm old, I can barely walk to go out and collect scraps, so I can only set my sights on the house I live in now."

“I’ve inquired around outside. If I were to sell the house I’m currently living in, it should be worth six or seven thousand yuan. If I’m lucky, I could even get it for more than seven thousand yuan.”

“My husband and I can only live for another ten years or so at most. After deducting the pension money they give me and my own retirement pension, we are still short thirty or forty yuan a month.”

“If you can give me six thousand yuan in one lump sum and promise to let my wife and I live in the house until we die, I will transfer the ownership of the west wing of the front yard to you tomorrow.”

"In our courtyard, Dongzi, you're the most helpful and capable person. We're begging you, Dongzi."

Wang Dong was very surprised that Yan Fugui would offer to sell him the house in the courtyard.

But he didn't nod immediately.

Yan Fugui is such a cunning man; no one knows if there are any other conspiracies behind this.

Frowning, she asked in return, "Teacher Yan..."

"As you know, I've bought quite a few houses outside the courtyard house area. The last thing I lack now is houses."

"Although the price you offered is not high, and I will only make a profit after I buy it, I am worried that there may be problems later."

"You know what kind of people your three sons are."

"To put it bluntly, when you pass away, they will find out that the house you are living in now has long been sold to me and they have to move out immediately. They will definitely make a fuss about it."

"I don't need the money right now, and there's no need for me to get into a conflict with someone over a thousand or two dollars. It would be embarrassing to even talk about it... So why don't you go find someone else?"

Yan Fugui never expected that Wang Dong would reject his suggestion.

Because as long as Wang Dong agrees, you can make a profit of one or two thousand yuan by reselling the house to him.

After hearing Wang Dong's explanation, Yan Fugui immediately felt relieved. (End of Chapter)