RBCT Chapter 3 This courtyard house was the right choice!
Chapter 3 This courtyard house was the right choice!
"You said you're Zhang Erya's third uncle?" Yan Bugui looked Zhang Chengfei up and down suspiciously.
No wonder he was suspicious; they just didn't seem alike! Zhang Erya was forty-seven years old, while the young man in front of her looked to be no more than twenty.
Moreover, his handsome features and dashing eyes bear absolutely no resemblance to Zhang Erya...
Zhang Chengfei had anticipated that some people would have questions, so he explained: "My grandparents had three sons and four daughters. Er Ya's father was the eldest son of the eldest son, and my parents were the youngest, the seventh child."
In my generation, I am my parents' youngest child... It's been said since ancient times that the youngest child often becomes an elder, and so it goes on and on.
He didn't finish his sentence, but Yan Bugui understood.
He counted on his fingers and realized that although there was a huge age difference, the young man in front of him and Er Ya were actually within the fifth degree of kinship! They were real relatives.
Seeing the young man's imposing appearance and the generous gifts in his hands, Yan Bugui hurriedly offered to lead him inside.
Zhang Chengfei thanked him and followed him into the legendary courtyard house.
The courtyard house has a large, bright gate and three courtyards. The screen wall at the entrance is decorated with the Five Poisons in relief. Passing past the screen wall is the hanging flower gate, and passing through the hanging flower gate leads to the front courtyard.
Yan Bugui prided himself on his sharp eye; in just a few minutes, he had already discerned that the young man before him was no ordinary person.
Therefore, he enthusiastically led the way and introduced the courtyard to Zhang Chengfei, telling him that before liberation, this courtyard was part of the mansion of a high-ranking official in the previous dynasty.
Later, the country with queues collapsed, the high-ranking officials fled, and the courtyard gradually became a tenement.
"Although there are many residents now, it's much more comfortable than a real tenement." Yan Bugui pointed to the side room in the front yard. "This is our home. Your eldest niece, Er Ya, lives in the middle yard. Look, just go through that door..."
Before the word "yes" could be uttered, a high-pitched, shrill female voice rang out: "You, surnamed Liu, you dare say that again?"
"Fine, I'll give it a try! Zhang Erya, I've had my eye on you for a long time! Tell me, how are you going to compensate me for this candy today?"
"I'll pay your grandma's leg! You're such a stingy bastard, no wonder your man can't become a cadre!"
Ah, this… Yan Bugui’s eyes flashed with a glint of light. He wanted to rush over and watch the show, but he could only hold back because Zhang Chengfei was beside him.
He secretly observed Zhang Chengfei's expression, and a thought struck him: everyone was poor and doing just fine, so why did Zhang Erya have such good relatives coming to claim kinship?
Look at what he brought when he went to meet his relatives: malted milk powder, large chunks of pork, white sugar, and canned goods. Any one of these items alone would be eye-catching enough.
But Zhang Erya's third uncle actually provided her with all of these! How could Zhang Erya possibly deserve such a standard?
Yan Bugui felt a pang of sadness and wanted to do something to ease the pain.
Thinking of this, he deliberately sighed: "Zhang Erya is arguing with someone again... Ever since I moved into this courtyard, she argues with someone at least six out of seven days a week."
According to his plan, wouldn't the young man in front of him have some doubts after hearing this, think that Zhang Erya is suspicious, and even turn around and leave?
To his surprise, Zhang Chengfei's eyes flashed with pity after hearing his words: "Our Er Ya has suffered so much. A widow raising a whole family alone, she must have been bullied a lot. What else can she do but be assertive?"
"Thank goodness I came. With me here, Er Ya has someone to rely on, and she won't have to support everything alone anymore."
He waved his hand and said, "Third Uncle, please lead the way quickly. I need to see Er Ya as soon as possible."
Yan Bugui: "???!!!"
No, is that what I meant? This young man seems quite intelligent, how come he can't understand human speech?
Alright, alright, let's take her inside first and talk about the rest later. Anyway, Zhang Erya has offended so many people in this courtyard, and I'm not the only one who doesn't want her to benefit from acquaintance.
Thinking of this, Yan Bugui quickened his pace and walked forward, no longer chatting with Zhang Chengfei, who "couldn't understand human language".
Zhang Chengfei smiled as he saw the +30 dislike rating appear before him.
It seems I made the right choice coming to this courtyard house.
……
The central courtyard of a traditional courtyard house.
When Yan Bugui said that the person carrying a large pile of gifts was Zhang Erya's third uncle, everyone in the courtyard was stunned.
This pork must weigh at least five pounds, right? If you eat two ounces per meal, plus this chicken, it'll last you two months!
Wasn't sugar rationed at the beginning of the year? This young man managed to bring back a pound at once; how long did he save up those ration coupons?
There's also malted milk powder. Everyone in the courtyard has only seen it through the glass window of the supply and marketing cooperative. Who has actually tasted it?
But now, this young man actually brought Zhang Erya such a big jar!
No, Zhang Erya has really struck it lucky! Not only did someone come to claim her as a relative, but they also brought all sorts of good stuff!
Moreover, judging from his attire, physique, and demeanor, he seems to be a cadre!
The people in the courtyard were filled with envy, feeling a deep, suffocating pain. It wasn't that they couldn't accept their neighbor living a good life; no, they simply couldn't bear to see Zhang Erya living a good life!
Damn it, what makes this old hag, who has such a foul mouth as if she's never brushed her teeth since birth, so lucky?
Heaven is truly blind! Good people don't get good rewards, while bad people seem to have good fortune. After blaming heaven, everyone started to blame others, and when they looked at Zhang Chengfei, they couldn't stand the sight of him.
What a fine young man! Why is he acting like he's missing a screw in his head? Why didn't he look for Zhang Erya all these years? Why did he have to wait until he graduated from vocational school to start looking for her? And why did he bring all these things with him when he went looking for her?
You're practically asking the Jia family to leech off you! You look smart, but your brain is just for show. You might even be dumber than Sha Zhu!
As everyone reached a consensus, Zhang Chengfei received another 388 points of dislike.
He didn't show it on his face, but in his heart he was overjoyed to have gained more than 400 points of dislike in just ten minutes since entering the house. It seemed that coming to the courtyard house was definitely the right decision.
Shifting his attention away from the level of dislike, Zhang Chengfei looked at Zhang Erya with as much kindness as possible: "Erya, long time no see."
When Zhang Erya heard Yan Bugui introduce the young man as her third uncle, who had just graduated from the Mechanical Engineering Institute of Beijing, her head was buzzing.
She married Lao Jia at eighteen and is forty-one this year. The young man before her is nineteen. In other words, he wasn't even born when she got married.
The last time I went back to my hometown was ten years ago when my father passed away. I vaguely remember that there was an elder who was of a high generation but was actually quite young at the funeral.
But it doesn't matter even if this person doesn't exist.
Seeing the gifts Zhang Chengfei brought, Zhang Erya's eyes lit up, and she rushed over, exclaiming, "Third Uncle, Third Uncle! My dear Third Uncle, you've finally come!! You have no idea how much Erya has suffered these past years!"
The cry of "Third Uncle" was so clear and earnest, as if it were a lament, that everyone in the courtyard was shaken to their core.
Dislike level +1, +1, +18!