An extraordinary life journey through old Beijing courtyard houses

Chapter 243 Isolation - I'm Thinking About It

Q: What is the most common thing that elementary school students say when they have a fight?

It must mean: "I'm not playing with you anymore."

If it were a normal kid, that would be fine, but you don't want to play with me, do you?

Okay, I'm going to find someone else to play with. I can make a new friend too.

But if the person who won't play with you is a leader of the kids, then you're in big trouble.

With a single command from him, he can incite all the children to isolate you.

Those brats even thought it was fun to isolate someone and that they were awesome.

But what about the one who's isolated? They can only watch from afar as the other kids have a blast.

It's said that you only realize the value of something when you lose it.

For this child, being able to participate in games as before is the most precious thing.

That feeling of loss and loneliness was awful! It made me seriously question the meaning of life.

In later generations, it wouldn't matter, since we have cell phones.

Once the game starts, everyone rushes to play with me, but I don't even bother with them.

But that's not possible now; there aren't any games that can be played alone.

That feeling of being isolated, tsk tsk, it's really bittersweet.

This is exactly the situation that Jiang Ma is in now.

The older women she used to go grocery shopping with no longer come to call her.

When Aunt Jiang took the initiative to call them, they always had an excuse to refuse.

But when Jiang's mother went out, she saw them chatting and laughing in the market.

Aunt Jiang was furious—why didn't anyone in the compound come to me?

I don't even want to play games with you guys, you bunch of sycophants.

From then on, Aunt Jiang became a lone wolf, severing ties with the other women in courtyard number 95!

However, although she wouldn't admit it, Aunt Jiang knew in her heart.

I lost.

This third brother is someone who can easily control me with just a few words.

It's said that no parent can win over their children, and Jiang Ma has become one of the losers.

After that, he became much more obedient and well-behaved, and dared not provoke Jiang Baobin again.

The next day. At Jiang Baobin's home.

"You've really put me in a terrible situation!" Mrs. Gao complained, sobbing.

"In front of so many people, my newly healed scab was ripped off again. Do you think it hurt?"

Qin Huairu stood by and comforted her, feeling quite sorry for her.

She was there at the time. Jiang Ma was really mean; she scolded Gao Danyan terribly.

Jiang Baobin looked at her with a half-smile until Qin Huairu went to cook.

Jiang Baobin then said, "Stop pretending. I might believe you if you said you were angry."

"You're saying you're really upset over a few words? Don't be ridiculous, nobody would believe that."

"If you were as melancholic as Miss Gao, you would have been devoured long ago, leaving not even bones."

Gao Danyan rolled her eyes and said jokingly, "You're so capable, you can see right through people's hearts."

"Why shouldn't I be allowed to be sad? I'm a woman too."

"It wasn't easy for me to travel from Kunming to this unfamiliar place, Beiping."

"And what a terrible result! I ended up with nothing but a cardboard box to paste on. I... I'm so wronged."

This time she was truly heartbroken, and tears streamed down her face.

"What, why are you calling me a madam? Have I ever cheated or harmed anyone?"

"Besides Yuanyuan, have I ever had any other girls under my wing?"

"I earn all my money cleanly; I've never taken advantage of anyone."

Jiang Baobin was speechless. "How can you make clean money in your line of work?"

Gao Danyan continued to complain: "Go ask Yuanyuan, and that heartless brat (Gao Yueya)."

"If it weren't for me, they would have died countless times."

"And now, the one who saved lives is the one who gets nothing?"

"What? Am I just supposed to be bullied? I can't even find someone to rely on?"

"One by one, they either died violent deaths or fled. Why am I so unlucky?"

Jiang Baobin stopped laughing completely. Other women were said to bring bad luck to their husbands, but this one was said to bring bad luck to Yan Tou.

One by one, they all met with bad ends.

However, he kept quiet and tried his best to be a good listener.

Sometimes, when you're under a lot of pressure or feel wronged, you just need a safe space to vent.

Women, in particular, rarely have their mouths idle.

At one point, Qin Huairu peeked out, but seeing the situation, she quickly withdrew.

Women in those days were not as pampered as they are in later generations.

Qin Huairu, who was seven months pregnant, did everything from washing dishes and cleaning pots to cooking.

The only thing she was allowed to do was heavy work like carrying water, which Jiang Baobin repeatedly forbade her to do.

She wasn't trying to be brave.

This is still a relatively good city.

In rural areas, many pregnant women give birth to their babies right after working in the fields.

Wow! People today can't even imagine the difficulties of those days.

What can we do if we don't work? We won't be able to fill our stomachs.

So women were used like men, and men were used like livestock.

The low life expectancy is not because everyone dies from disease, but because their bodies are severely overworked.

It collapsed before it even reached the end of its lifespan.

Seeing that Gao Danyan had vented her anger enough, Jiang Baobin got up and took out two cans of food from the small cabinet.

A bottle of hawthorn berries from Tianjin, and a bottle of luncheon meat brought back from South Korea.

Mrs. Gao couldn't help but purse her lips when she saw this.

As Jiang Baobin helped, he comforted her, saying, "I know you feel wronged and sad, and there's a reason for it."

"But where in the world is there so much fairness?"

"You escaped, think about what you left behind."

"Of all the people you know, how many are you never going to see again?"

"So, just accept it. We may not be the best off, but we're certainly better off than most, aren't we?"

Mrs. Gao sniffed hard: "You really don't know how to comfort people. Can't you say something nice?"

Jiang Baobin said arrogantly, "If you can't give advice, then you can't give advice."

"Even a straight guy like me, young girls would cry and throw themselves at me."

"If she were more eloquent, who knows how many mistakes she would make."

Gao Danyan finally couldn't hold back and burst out laughing: "You're getting all worked up just from being called fat."

"You are the most shameless person I know."

"Am I as thick as you?"

Go away! I hate it.

At this moment, Qin Huairu entered.

Mrs. Gao slapped her thigh and stood up: "Alright, you've cried your fill, it's time for me to go."

Qin Huairu casually suggested, "Stay for dinner."

"No, my family is waiting for me."

Jiang Baobin said, "Why are you still leaving? Didn't you see I've already opened all the cans?"

"Besides, you still have something to say, aren't you? Keeping it bottled up inside, isn't that frustrating?"

Gao Danyan pouted: "Oh, you know that too?"

"I know, I know. I take everything I promise to do very seriously."

"That's more like it. Just remember that. I'm leaving now."

"Why are you leaving? Huai Ru, go and call Miss Gao and Jun Bao over. We're having a get-together today."

Qin Huairu smiled and said, "Okay."

Gao Danyan stopped pretending: "You're really treating? Then you'll have to spend the money."

"Hey, this little bit is nothing."

"Keep bragging. Fine, I'll head back first."

"What's up?"

"Get some wine, I feel good, I have to have a drink."

"Fine, you really are a shrew, still putting on airs even when you're down on your luck!"

"Why are you so annoying? You're the donkey, you hairy donkey!"

We were full and satisfied.

Tea brewed by Gao Yueyuan herself.

Jiang Baobin offered a few casual compliments before getting down to business.

"I had already promised Yueyuan that I would help her find a job."

"It's been over a year since I said that, why are you taking so long to say it?"

"It's not that I don't care, and I can indeed arrange a place for her, but I'm not comfortable sending her anywhere else."

"To be honest, I really don't have the ability to get her into those national-level institutions."

"Other arts groups just operate within their own small circles."

"Given Yueyuan's personality, doesn't she think she can be bullied?"

Gao Yueyuan looked at him, thinking to herself: I'm older than you, why are you calling me sister?

However, she kept everything to herself and thought about it carefully later.

I'm afraid Jiang Baobin might have some hidden meaning behind it.

Jiang Baobin didn't mean anything by it; he just blurted out, "If you're asking me, I'll write a song for you—"

This guy deliberately kept everyone in suspense, but Gao Yueyuan and Gao Danyan's eyes lit up at the same time.

In the new century, there are singers who become famous throughout the country with just one song.

These days, it still happens—