Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 745 Hungry

Qin Huairu, the ill-fated woman in the courtyard, lost her husband early, leaving her with three young children and an elderly mother-in-law. The livelihood of the whole family fell on her weak shoulders. In that era of scarcity, life was very tight, and every penny and every grain of rice had to be carefully calculated. "Mom, I'm hungry." The youngest son Banggeng rubbed his sleepy eyes and muttered at the door of the house. Qin Huairu heard the voice and quickly put down the spoon in her hand, walked quickly to the child, squatted down, gently touched Banggeng's head, and said, "Go wash your face, the porridge will be ready soon." Looking at the child's skinny face, her heart ached, and she secretly vowed to make sure the children were well fed and clothed. The days in the courtyard were trivial and complicated. There was warmth of mutual help between neighbors, but also conflicts. Qin Huairu was kind and enthusiastic on weekdays, and got along well with most of the neighbors in the courtyard. But there are always a few, like the third uncle Yan Bugui, who likes to calculate everything, for fear of being at a disadvantage. Once, Qin Huairu was washing clothes in the yard and accidentally splashed some water on the third uncle's shoes. Seeing this, the third uncle jumped up immediately and shouted in a shrill voice: "Qin Huairu, what's wrong with you? I just washed and dried these shoes, and you got them wet. Do you still let people wear them?" Qin Huairu hurriedly apologized and explained that she didn't mean it, but the third uncle still didn't give in and kept muttering. Qin Huairu felt wronged, but she could only endure it silently. After all, in this courtyard, she was a widow with a child and didn't want to cause too much trouble. However, the hardships of life did not defeat Qin Huairu. She worked hard to maintain this family with her hard work and wisdom. During the day, she worked hard in the factory to earn that meager salary; after get off work, she rushed home non-stop to do housework. In order to let the children eat more, she often went hungry and left the food for her family. Yi Zhonghai, an old man in the courtyard, was a kind-hearted person. Seeing that Qin Huairu and her widowed mother had a hard life, he often lent a hand. During the holidays, he would send some rice, flour, grain and oil; when the children were sick, he would also help find doctors and get medicine. Qin Huairu was full of gratitude to the old man. In her heart, the old man was like her own family. "Uncle, thank you so much. If it weren't for you, we don't know how to live." Qin Huairu took the food sent by the old man, her eyes were wet, and her voice was choked with sobs. "Sister, don't say that. We are all neighbors in the same courtyard. It's right to help each other. It's not easy for you either. If you have any difficulties, just say it." The old man patted Qin Huairu on the shoulder and said earnestly. Days passed, the children grew up gradually, but Qin Huairu's pressure did not decrease at all. Banggeng reached school age, and tuition fees became a problem in front of her. In order to raise enough tuition, Qin Huairu found a part-time job after get off work to help people mend clothes. Every night, when the children were asleep, she was still sewing stitch by stitch under the dim light. She didn't care if her fingers were pierced by the needle. She only wanted to make more money so that Banggeng could go to school smoothly. But fate always seems to like to play tricks on people. Just when Qin Huairu was struggling for life, the courtyard ushered in a new storm. The second uncle Liu Haizhong has always had his own "little abacus" on the public affairs of the courtyard. He wanted to build a small shed in the yard to store his sundries, but was opposed by other neighbors. Liu Haizhong was stubborn and thought that he had seniority in the courtyard and could do whatever he wanted, and he didn't listen to everyone's dissuasion at all. The two sides quarreled over this, and the whole courtyard was shrouded in a tense atmosphere. Qin Huairu felt very uncomfortable watching the neighbors making such an unpleasant quarrel. She knew very well that in this small courtyard, everyone should live in harmony like a family, but now the harmony has been damaged because of a small matter. So, she decided to step forward to mediate the conflict. "Second uncle, you see, this yard is not big. If you build a shed, it will be inconvenient for everyone to walk. And this public place does not belong to our family. We have to consider everyone's feelings." Qin Huairu found the second uncle and persuaded him patiently. "Huh, what's wrong with me building a shed? I didn't take up your place. I'm so old and have lived in this yard for so many years. I can't make the decision on this matter?" The second uncle was still angry and didn't listen at all. Qin Huairu did not give up. She found other neighbors and discussed solutions together. After some efforts, everyone finally reached a consensus and decided to mark out a small area in the corner of the yard to store everyone's sundries. This not only solved the problem of the second uncle, but also did not affect the overall environment of the yard. Under Qin Huairu's mediation, the storm was finally calmed down, and the courtyard returned to its former tranquility. As time went by, Qin Huairu's children grew up and had their own lives. Banggeng went to work far away, and both daughters got married. Qin Huairu also gradually aged, with more wrinkles on her face and a lot of white hair. But her strong and kind heart has never changed. Today's courtyard is still full of the breath of life. Qin Huairu often sits under the old locust tree in the yard, recalling every bit of the past. Those past sufferings and laughter have become the most precious wealth in her life. She looked at the figures of the children playing in the yard, and a gratified smile appeared on her face. In this small courtyard, she spent the most difficult time in her life, and also gained warmth and touching. She knew that no matter how difficult life had been, as long as there was love and hope in her heart, she would be able to go on. On a sunny afternoon, Qin Huairu was basking in the sun in the yard as usual. An old man came over and sat beside her, and the two chatted casually. "Sister, it's been so hard for you over the years." The old man said with emotion. "Uncle, it's all in the past. Now the children are all well, and I am content." Qin Huairu replied with a smile, her eyes revealing peace and satisfaction. The afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled on every corner of the courtyard, covering this ancient courtyard with a golden coat. Qin Huairu sat there quietly, enjoying this moment of tranquility. Her story, like the history of this courtyard, is full of twists and turns, but it has a unique charm, flowing slowly in the long river of time...