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

Sha Zhu walked home with a head full of troubles, the snow crunching under his feet, the occasional hawking sounds from the alley only amplifying his unease.

He kicked at the ice shards on the roadside while pondering to himself.

"This city looks big, but I don't know anywhere except the factory and this compound. Without a map to guide me or any acquaintances to help me, finding that nice place like the foreign firm I visited last time is harder than climbing to heaven."

He frowned, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the few cents he had left in his pocket, muttering to himself.

"Are we really just going to wander around like headless flies, waiting for that damn mission to come knocking on our door?"

Feeling increasingly frustrated, Sha Zhu simply shook his head, temporarily putting those worries behind him.

"Never mind, let's go home first. Mom's waiting for me to come back for dinner." He quickened his pace, and the sound of his cotton shoes on the snow became more urgent.

As soon as he turned into the alley leading to the courtyard, a gust of cold wind carrying snowflakes hit him in the face, and Sha Zhu instinctively shrank his neck.

Just then, he suddenly felt a weight under his arm.

Looking down, I noticed a blue cloth bundle that had appeared out of nowhere, with fine stitches sewn along the edges, and it looked quite sturdy.

He paused for a moment, then reached out and weighed it in his hand. It was quite heavy, and it seemed to contain several items.

Upon untying the knot, Sha Zhu's eyes lit up instantly—a glistening, air-dried chicken with a dark brown skin and a faint aroma of spices.

A piece of cured pork with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, its texture clearly defined, with the fat already seeping through the cloth.

There was also a string of dried mushrooms lying next to it, with thick caps and a fresh, mountain forest scent.

"Hey, where did this good stuff come from?"

Sha Zhu muttered to himself, then realized that it must be the reward for that mysterious mission.

He happily retied the bundle, tucked it into his pocket, and his steps became much lighter.

These days, being able to eat meat is a great blessing, not to mention dried chicken and dried fish that taste like seafood. If I tell my mother about it when I get back, I guarantee she'll be happy too.

As soon as Sha Zhu stepped into the threshold of the Intermediate People's Court, he caught a glimpse of Jia Zhangshi lounging on a small stool in front of her house, basking in the sun.

The old woman was wearing a faded cotton-padded jacket with a shiny collar. Her head was nodding as if she was dozing off, but her small eyes were not completely closed. She would occasionally glance at the people coming and going in the yard, revealing a calculating look in her eyes.

Sha Zhu wanted to sneak away quietly, but the bundle in his arms could not escape Jia Zhangshi's sharp eyes.

She suddenly raised her head, her half-closed eyes widening instantly, like a hungry wolf eyeing its prey.

His gaze was fixed on the bundle in Sha Zhu's arms, so bright it seemed to reflect light.

"Pillar! You stop right there!"

Jia Zhangshi's shrill voice shattered the tranquility of the courtyard.

She suddenly sprang up from the stool, her bulky body resembling a vat filled with cotton.

He quickly moved towards Shazhu, his cotton shoes making a "shush" sound as they rubbed against the snow.

Before she even got close, her wrinkled hand, with dirt under her fingernails, reached out, as if she wanted to snatch the bundle away.

"Zhu Zi, what good stuff is wrapped up in your bundle? Let me see!"

Jia Zhangshi wore a fake smile, her wrinkles crinkling at the corners of her eyes, but the greed in her eyes was impossible to hide.

Sha Zhu's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, "This is bad. Why did I have to run into this old hag?"

He quickly took two steps back, creating some distance, and tightly protected the bundle in his arms with both hands.

He shouted, "Aunt Zhang, what are you doing? These are my things, you can't see them!"

He shouted loudly and deliberately towards his own house, hoping his mother inside would hear him.

Jia Zhangshi continued walking forward without stopping, her smile growing increasingly fake.

"You silly child, why are you being so polite with your aunt? I'm just curious to see what you brought back from outside, not that I want your things."

Her voice was sickeningly sweet, but her outstretched hand showed no sign of stopping, and was about to touch the corner of the bundle.

What I bring back is none of your business, is it?

Sha Zhu retreated again, his back almost touching the wall, watching Jia Zhangshi warily.

"Don't come any closer, or I'll get rough!"

Seeing that she couldn't take it by force, Jia Zhangshi's eyes darted around, and she suddenly stopped, wrinkling her nose and sniffing hard.

He then feigned sudden realization, raising his voice to deliberately make sure everyone else in the courtyard could hear him.

"Hey? Why do I smell salted fish? Zhu Zi, tell me honestly, did you steal this from outside?"

She slapped her thigh and spoke with great seriousness.

"Let me tell you, stealing is no respectable business! If people find out, not only will you be in deep trouble, but you'll ruin the reputation of the entire compound! Give me the bundle right now so I can see where it was stolen from, and return it to its owner so they don't come knocking on our door. You'll be crying then!"

As she spoke, Jia Zhangshi pounced on the bundle in Sha Zhu's arms like a hungry tiger. Her bulky body carried a gust of wind and looked quite impactful.

Sha Zhu was so frightened that he quickly dodged to the side, cursing Jia Zhangshi a thousand times in his heart.

"That old hag, she'll lie about anything to get an advantage! She actually accused me of stealing, she's utterly shameless!"

Just at this critical moment, with a loud "bang," the door of the He family's house was suddenly pulled open.

Chen Lanxiang, dressed in an indigo-blue coarse cotton-padded jacket with an apron tied around her waist, rushed out of the house with a face full of anger.

Xu Damao followed behind her; the boy was wearing a newly made corduroy jacket and carrying a slingshot.

They followed behind, peeking out curiously, their faces showing an expression of watching the spectacle.

"Zhang Ruhua! What are you doing here?"

Chen Lanxiang's voice was clear and loud, carrying a strong sense of intimidation. With just one shout, she stopped Jia Zhangshi's actions.

Startled by the sudden rebuke, Jia Zhangshi abruptly stopped in her tracks.

Turning around, he saw the furious Chen Lanxiang. His eyes flickered for a moment, but he quickly calmed down and put on a righteous and confident look.

"N-nothing!" she said, rubbing her hands together and feigning innocence.

"I saw that Zhuzi came back from outside with a bundle, and I was afraid that he was young and might have gone astray and stolen things from others."

"Look, I can smell the salted fish. If it really was stolen, and the owner comes knocking, our compound will be in big trouble. I was just thinking of taking this over to check, and if it really was stolen, we can return it to the owner as soon as possible. It's for the good of our compound!"

Jia Zhangshi spoke in a grand and righteous manner, as if she were a good person who was thinking of the compound, but her eyes kept glancing at the bundle in Sha Zhu's arms, her greed evident in her words.

Who is Chen Lanxiang?

Having lived in this compound for so many years, she could see right through Jia Zhangshi's little schemes.

Previously, Jia Zhangshi had argued with her about the eggs, and she had nowhere to vent her anger after suffering a loss.

Now they've actually set their sights on her son and even dared to accuse Sha Zhu of stealing. How can she swallow this insult?

"I think you're just doing this for your own good!"

Chen Lanxiang sneered, her eyes fixed sharply on Jia Zhangshi.

"Zhang Ruhua, your own son Jia Dongxu has followed your example, stealing and cheating all the time. Now you even have the nerve to accuse my Zhuzi of stealing? Have you no shame?"

"You're talking nonsense!"

Jia Zhangshi was hit where it hurt, her face turned bright red, and she loudly defended herself.

"My Dongxu isn't that kind of person! It's your idiot Zhu who stole things, and you're trying to twist the truth!"

"Turning black into white?" Chen Lanxiang laughed angrily, stepped forward, and slapped Jia Zhangshi hard across the face.

"Slap!" The slap was so powerful that half of Jia Zhangshi's face instantly swelled up, her hair was disheveled, and she was completely stunned, standing there for a long time without being able to react, her ears ringing.

After a long while, Jia Zhangshi finally came to her senses, covering her swollen cheeks, her eyes turning fierce.

She screamed, "Chen Lanxiang! You dare hit me? I'll fight you to the death!"

Before she finished speaking, she charged at Chen Lanxiang like a wild boar that had gone out of control, twisting her bloated body as if she wanted to devour Chen Lanxiang alive.

But Jia Zhangshi had only taken two steps when Chen Lanxiang grabbed her hair.

"Ouch! My hair!"

Jia Zhangshi winced in pain, trying to break free, but Chen Lanxiang's hand was like an iron clamp, tightly gripping her hair, and she couldn't shake it off no matter what she did.

Immediately afterwards, Chen Lanxiang raised her hand and slapped Jia Zhangshi across the face with a series of loud slaps. Each slap was powerful, making the redness and swelling on Jia Zhangshi's face more and more obvious, and blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.

"I'll teach you to slander my pillar for stealing!" "I'll teach you to steal my eggs!"

"I'll make sure your Dongxu corrupts my Zhuzi!"

"I'll teach you to be shameless!"

"I'll teach you to stop your nonsense here!"

As Chen Lanxiang hit her, she angrily scolded her. Thinking of the disgusting things Jia Zhangshi had done before, she became angrier and angrier as she hit her, and the force in her hands became heavier and heavier.

Jia Zhangshi was so dizzy from the beating that she could only scream and wave her hands, trying to scratch Chen Lanxiang.

But with her hair being pulled, she couldn't get close to Chen Lanxiang at all. Her dark, grimy claws, with dirt hidden under her fingernails, could only flail wildly in mid-air, making her look extremely pathetic.

"Dongxu! What are you still hiding at home for? Come help your mother!"

Jia Zhangshi could no longer bear the beating and began to cry out loudly in the direction of her own house, her voice filled with despair and helplessness.

When Chen Lanxiang smelled the greasy odor emanating from Jia Zhangshi's hair and saw her waving, dirty hands, a wave of nausea washed over her, and she couldn't help but dry heave.

She disgustedly released her grip on Jia Zhangshi's hair, and before Jia Zhangshi could react, she raised her foot and kicked her hard in the groin.

"Ouch!"

Jia Zhangshi screamed in pain, staggered forward a few steps after being kicked.

Then, with a "thud," he fell flat on his face, his face hitting the cold snow, his nose and mouth filled with snow, which was icy cold.

Chen Lanxiang looked down at her hands, which were covered in oil and grease from Jia Zhangshi's hair. They were sticky and disgusting, making her feel even more nauseous. She couldn't help but gag a few times.

She quickly squatted down, grabbed the snow from the ground, and kept rubbing her hands together to try to remove the grease, until her hands were red from the cold before she stopped.

Jia Zhangshi struggled to get up from the snow, her hair disheveled and covering most of her face, revealing only a pair of bloodshot, fierce eyes.

She wiped the snow and blood from her face, and seeing the blood on her hands, she suddenly went berserk, screaming, "Chen Lanxiang! You've bullied us too much! Your He family has bullied us too much! I'm not finished with you!"

After shouting, she rushed towards Chen Lanxiang again, but halfway there, she caught a glimpse of Sha Zhu standing to the side, protecting the bundle. Greed instantly overwhelmed her anger.

She abruptly turned and charged at Sha Zhu, shouting, "Sha Zhu! Give me the bundle! That thing should have been mine!"

Sha Zhu thought to himself, "Not bad, this old hag is already beaten up like this, and she's still eyeing my things. She even knows how to use a feint!"

He didn't want to be bumped into by Jia Zhangshi, much less scratched by her dirty hands. Before, Jia Laonian from the compound had four bloody scratches on his face because he had offended Jia Zhangshi, and they hadn't faded for more than half a month. Shazhu didn't want to follow in his footsteps and ruin his face.

Just as Jia Zhangshi was about to rush forward, Sha Zhu's eyes narrowed, and he nimbly dodged to the side, extending one leg to firmly block Jia Zhangshi's path.

With her mind completely focused on the bundle, Jia Zhangshi didn't notice Sha Zhu's movements at all. She tripped over it, lost her balance instantly, and flew out horizontally like a round ball.

"ah--!"

Jia Zhangshi was terrified, her hands flailing wildly in the air, trying to grab onto something, but the surroundings were empty, and she couldn't grasp anything.

She crashed heavily onto the snow, the force of the impact sending her gliding across the snow in a clumsy, drifting motion, scattering snowflakes everywhere.

She tried to stop herself by using her hands and feet, but the momentum was too strong, and she could only watch helplessly as she crashed into the wall, her screams becoming distorted.

Just then, Jia Dongxu finally rushed out of the house.

He was wearing a thin jacket over an old cotton-padded coat, and his hair was messy, clearly indicating that he had just gotten out of bed.

As soon as he stepped outside, he saw his mother rushing towards Sha Zhu, and then he witnessed this scene of human drifting.

"mother!"

Jia Dongxu shouted as he saw his mother about to crash into the wall.

He gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing fiercely as he charged at Sha Zhu, shouting, "Sha Zhu! You dare bully my mother? I'll fight you to the death!"

But Jia Dongxu's skills were not much better than his mother's.

He was so focused on yelling at Sha Zhu that he didn't notice the snow under his feet or Sha Zhu's other leg that was sticking out.

He had only taken two steps when he was tripped by Sha Zhu's leg and fell flat on his back with a "thud." Then, just like his mother, he started sliding on the snow, experiencing the sensation of taking off and gliding close to the ground.

"Mother! Mother, save me! Save me! Waaaaah..."

Jia Dongxu turned pale with fright, tears and snot streaming down his face. Seeing that he was about to crash into the wall, he cried out in terror.

"Quack quack quack! Goose goose goose goose!"

A burst of unpleasant and exaggerated laughter followed.

Xu Damao was standing at the entrance of the He family's house, clutching his stomach with one hand and stamping his foot with the other, laughing so hard he was doubled over, tears almost streaming down his face.

He never expected that Jia Zhangshi and her son Jia Dongxu would be in such a sorry state. The scene was so funny that he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Sha Zhu looked at Xu Damao's carefree attitude and was speechless.

He thought to himself, "This kid really has no self-awareness! With his skills, he usually gets completely subdued at the factory, and now he dares to laugh so arrogantly at Jia Dongxu and his mother. Isn't he afraid of getting revenge? If they find a secluded place and deal with him, it'll be a piece of cake."

Chen Lanxiang also got a headache from Xu Damao's exaggerated laughter.

She walked over to Xu Damao, raised her hand and gave him a loud slap across the neck. The "smack" made Xu Damao shrink back.

"Da Mao! Go back inside! Go watch over your Yu Shui sister, don't just stand here and cause trouble!"

Xu Damao was hit and realized that he had laughed too wildly, so he quickly stopped laughing, but the corners of his mouth still couldn't help but turn up slightly.

He covered his mouth with one hand and his neck, which had been hit, with the other, his body still trembling, clearly not yet recovered from the laughter.

He nodded to Chen Lanxiang, then walked towards the He family's house, glancing back every three steps. As he walked, he couldn't help but steal a glance at the disheveled Jia Zhangshi and her son on the snow, his eyes filled with schadenfreude.

Jia Zhangshi felt like her whole body was falling apart, and she was in pain from every bone in her body, especially her cheeks and hips, where the pain was excruciating.

But when she saw her son, Jia Dongxu, fall on the snow and cry loudly, about to hit the wall, she disregarded her own pain and struggled to get up from the snow, crawling towards Jia Dongxu on all fours.

If you were to ask what Jia Zhangshi cared about most in her life, food would definitely be number one, and her precious son would be number two.

As for her husband, Jia Laonian, he probably didn't hold a place in her heart as high as the old yellow dog at home.

With great effort, she finally climbed to Jia Dongxu's side, grabbed his leg, and forcefully stopped his sliding body.

"Dongxu! My son! Are you alright?" Madam Jia asked anxiously, helping Jia Dongxu to his feet from the snow and carefully checking his body from head to toe, afraid that he might be injured.

Jia Dongxu threw himself into Jia Zhangshi's arms, crying even harder, and choked out, "Mother, I'm alright, I was just so scared! Shazhu bullied me, you have to avenge me!"

After checking him over, Madam Jia found that her son was indeed unharmed, except for some snow and mud on his clothes. She breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest.

Then, she suddenly raised her head, her bloodshot eyes fixed on the He family mother and son, her gaze so fierce that she seemed to want to tear them apart with her eyes, filled with resentment and unwillingness.

Chen Lanxiang looked at Jia Zhangshi's murderous expression and gave her a contemptuous sneer, meeting her gaze without fear.

She said calmly, "Zhang Ruhua, what? You want to take revenge on my son and me? Let me tell you, just because you accused my son of stealing today, do you believe I can go and ask the old lady in the backyard right now to kick you and your son out of this compound?"

"Not only that, I can make sure you can't find a place to live in the entire city of Beijing, leaving you homeless!"

Jia Zhangshi's heart skipped a beat, and the fierce look on her face instantly froze.

Although she was unreasonable and domineering, she knew that the old lady in the backyard was not someone to be trifled with.

The old lady was highly respected in the compound and was said to have many connections. She rarely went out, but no one dared to provoke her.

Jia Zhangshi's husband, Jia Laonian, has been constantly nagging her lately, telling her to avoid trouble, especially the old lady in the backyard, whom she absolutely cannot afford to provoke.

At first, Jia Zhangshi didn't take it seriously, but now that she heard Chen Lanxiang say this, she started to have doubts: what if what Chen Lanxiang said was true, then she and her son would really be in trouble.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say "I don't believe it," but swallowed the words back.

She was really not confident and dared not gamble. In the end, she could only glare fiercely at Chen Lanxiang and Shazhu, grit her teeth, and squeeze out a harsh word.

"Hmph, don't think I'm afraid of you! Just you wait, I'll settle this score with you sooner or later!"

After saying that, she pulled up Jia Dongxu, who was still sobbing, and turned to walk towards her own house.

As she passed by Sha Zhu, her gaze involuntarily fell on the bundle in his arms. Her eyes were filled with reluctance and greed, as if the contents of the bundle were already hers.

She didn't forget to give Sha Zhu a threatening look, as if to say, "Kid, you just wait, I won't let this go so easily."

Jia Dongxu imitated his mother, glaring fiercely at Sha Zhu, but his swollen eyes and tears on his face made his threat seem somewhat comical.

Chen Lanxiang brought up the old lady in the backyard not because she really wanted to escalate the situation.

She had already fought back and vented her anger, so she didn't want to go too far. After all, they were neighbors living in the same compound, and they would run into each other all the time.

Moreover, she felt that hitting someone like Jia Zhangshi would only dirty her hands; the sticky, greasy smell on her hands made her feel disgusted.

"Zhu'er, go back inside and wait. I'll ask you some questions later," Chen Lanxiang said to Sha Zhu, her tone much gentler.

After saying that, she squatted down again, grabbed some snow from the ground, and kept rubbing her hands together.

She rubbed her hands again and again until the grease was removed and her hands were red and purple from the cold, then she stopped.

After getting up, she quickly went back into the house, picked up the soap, poured some hot water into the basin, and washed her hands thoroughly twice until the smell on her hands completely disappeared, only then did she feel a little better.

After washing her hands, Chen Lanxiang went to the main room and saw that Sha Zhu had already placed the bundle on the table.

She went over, untied the knot, and took out the contents one by one.

When she saw the glistening dried chicken, the marbled cured pork, the string of fragrant dried mushrooms, and the dried fish that was clearly seafood, she couldn't help but curse under her breath.

"You little brat, what kind of path have you taken? That's pretty wild!"

Chen Lanxiang was not the kind of ignorant housewife.

When she was young, she saw a lot of the world and ate a lot of good food by following the old lady in the backyard.

The air-dried chicken and cured meat were fine, but that dried fish was clearly made from sea fish.

In those days, transportation was inconvenient. Transporting goods from the seaside to Beijing was no easy task. It would take a lot of effort and cost a lot of money.

She simply couldn't understand how her son had gotten his hands on these things.

If Sha Zhu could hear his mother's thoughts, he would definitely give her a thumbs up and think to himself, "Mom, you're absolutely right! This dish is indeed wild; with the backing of a foreign firm like ours, how could it not be wild?"

But he had no idea what his mother was thinking. He just stood there, watching the ever-changing expressions on her face, feeling uneasy, wondering if she would blame him.