chsdbacks Chapter 535: The Status of Former Members
Chapter 535: The Status of Former Members
Soon we arrived near Nanluoguxiang, and the taxi came to a steady stop at the gate of No. 95 Courtyard.
Zhang Lei stared at the dilapidated, old courtyard gate, a sense of unease washing over him. Ye Shuqin settled the fare, walked to his side, and said softly, "Let's go in."
Zhang Lei nodded slowly and stepped into the front yard.
Upon entering the hospital, his vision was filled with crowds and chaos. The haphazardly built shacks in the courtyard were stacked one on top of another, creating a cramped and oppressive atmosphere. He couldn't help but frown.
In the corner of the courtyard, an elderly man with white hair and a hunched back was squatting on the ground tidying up some odds and ends. Zhang Lei looked him over carefully and recognized him at a glance, then said in a low voice, "Third Uncle?"
This man was Yan Fugui.
Hearing the shout, Yan Fugui, who was bent over, slowly raised his head. His face was lined with deep wrinkles, and his voice was hoarse and husky: "Who...who are you?"
"Uncle, don't you recognize me?" Zhang Lei stopped and looked at the man. "I am Zhang Lei."
"Zhang Lei?"
Yan Fugui was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up and he became excited: "It really is you! Where have you been all these years?"
Looking at Yan Fugui's desolate state in his later years, Zhang Lei softened his tone: "Third Uncle, what happened to the yard? Where is the rest of the family?"
When asked about his family, Yan Fugui deflated instantly, shuffling over to sit on a small stool and letting out a long sigh: "Sigh, they're all gone, all gone."
"Where are your three aunties? And how many sons do you have?"
Yan Fugui shook his head and smiled bitterly, his expression full of self-mockery and sorrow: "I've schemed my whole life, been stingy my whole life, and in the end, I'm left all alone and helpless."
Ye Shuqin stood to the side and said softly, "They are all your own sons, and they should be filial to you."
"Filial piety?" Yan Fugui looked up and smiled bitterly, his eyes full of disappointment. "They all follow my temperament, scheming against each other and being wary of each other. No one wants to suffer a loss, and no one is willing to stay and take care of this old man who is halfway to the grave."
Zhang Lei glanced at the pile of waste cardboard and junk in the corner and instantly understood.
In his later years, Yan Fugui could only make a living by collecting and selling scraps.
"Uncle," Zhang Lei continued, "how come so many new houses have appeared in the courtyard out of nowhere? Where have all the original residents gone?"
Yan Fugui sighed helplessly and slowly explained the reason: "Back when the earthquake happened, every household built temporary sheds in their yards to take shelter. As time went on, no one was willing to back down, so the temporary sheds were gradually turned into permanent huts."
From the front yard to the middle and back yards, everyone has been illegally occupying public space, building structures haphazardly. Before long, the once beautiful courtyard house has been squeezed into its current state.
Zhang Lei glanced into Yan Fugui's dimly lit and simple room, which was empty. He asked softly, "Is Third Aunt... not here either?"
Upon hearing this, Yan Fugui's eyes instantly reddened, and tears streamed down his face, his voice choked and broken.
"My wife passed away a long time ago... She couldn't stand her sons scheming and arguing all day long, and she fell ill from the stress and left us early."
Who knows, maybe one day I'll end up going with her.
Ye Shuqin felt a pang of sadness and softly comforted him, "Third Uncle, try to take things easy."
As she spoke, she took out a wad of cash and handed it over.
Yan Fugui quickly waved his hand to refuse, shaking his head repeatedly: "No, no, I can't take your money, absolutely not."
"Uncle, please accept this." Zhang Lei stepped forward, his tone gentle yet firm, "Consider it a small token of our appreciation."
Looking at the stubborn and down-on-his-luck Third Uncle, Zhang Lei gently shook his head, then led Ye Shuqin and walked towards the central courtyard.
As soon as I stepped into the Intermediate People's Court, I was suddenly greeted by the sounds of arguing and pulling.
A middle-aged man was seen desperately trying to snatch something from an elderly woman's hand.
Ye Shuqin instinctively wanted to step forward to stop him, but Zhang Lei stopped her with his hand.
He had already recognized that the withered, hunched old woman was Jia Zhangshi.
The short, fat, domineering, shrewish, and greedy Jia Zhangshi in my memory has long since changed beyond recognition. She is now so thin that she is just skin and bones, and is completely different from the person she used to be.
The two stood quietly to the side, observing coldly.
"Bang! Leave some money for Grandma to live on! This is the money I've painstakingly saved to survive!" Jia Zhangshi pleaded, clutching the change in her hand tightly.
But Bang Geng showed no mercy, kicking her hard to the ground with a fierce expression and hurling insults:
"What do you mean your money? Once it's in my hands, it's mine! You old codger, all you do at your age is waste food, what do you need money for?"
After saying that, he snatched the money and stuffed it into his pocket, then strode away without looking back.
The residents coming and going in the courtyard all watched coldly, no one tried to stop it, no one spoke up, they watched the farce numbly.
Madam Jia collapsed onto the cold ground, pounding her fists and wailing, cursing bitterly:
"Old Jia, Dongxu! Come back and visit us soon!"
That scoundrel is unfilial and utterly depraved; he even tried to steal my old woman's food money!
"Take him away, and take this poor soul with you!"
Ye Shuqin looked reluctant and sighed softly, "This is really outrageous."
Zhang Lei shook his head slightly, his tone calm and unwavering: "No need to interfere."
The causes and consequences are all destiny.
In her early years, Madam Jia spoiled her rotten, indulging her thievery and cunning. Her words and actions instilled in her a wicked character, and now her bleak old age and unfilial children and grandchildren are all the consequences of her own actions—a retribution.
The two did not linger and continued walking towards the backyard, soon arriving at the very back of the last row.
At the doorway, two familiar figures were arguing incessantly; they were the brothers Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu.
Inside the house, a furious roar echoed repeatedly: "Get out! All of you, get out!"
Coveting my house? Wait until I'm dead!
Zhang Lei immediately recognized Liu Haizhong's voice.
I sighed to myself, thinking that the people in this courtyard house spent their whole lives fighting over trivial matters, and they still couldn't find peace even in their old age.
Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu had long since lost the fear they had felt for their father when they were young. They blocked the doorway, refusing to budge an inch.
Liu Guangtian complained, "Dad, think about us too. My brother and I have been married for years and don't even have a stable place to live. How are we going to make a living?"
Liu Guangfu chimed in, "Yes, you occupy several rooms, they're just sitting empty anyway. You'll still have to rely on us for your old age, why be so stingy?"
Enraged, Liu Haizhong yelled through the doors and windows, "I don't need your fake kindness in taking care of me! Get the hell out of here!"
Zhang Lei and Ye Shuqin walked past silently, taking in the entire family's argument.
After walking around, everything had changed.
Of the old residents I knew, only one in ten remained; most of the people in the courtyard were unfamiliar faces who had moved in later.
The house I lived in back then has long been demolished and renovated, leaving no trace.
The once quiet and orderly rear building has now been divided into densely packed small rooms, crammed with several families.
Zhang Lei only watched quietly from outside the wall for a moment; everything here had long since become irrelevant to him.
In this situation, a line of ancient poetry inexplicably came to mind:
I left home young and returned old, my accent unchanged but my hair gray.
Children meet but do not recognize each other, laughing and asking, "Where do you come from, guest?"
I am filled with emotion, but have nowhere to express it.
The two silently turned around and slowly walked out of the courtyard house that had witnessed countless disputes and past events.
Inside the courtyard, Yan Fugui was still sitting there, head down, counting the money, unaware that the two had left.
Stepping out of Nanluoguxiang, you are greeted by bustling traffic and towering buildings.
The city is changing rapidly, bustling and vibrant, yet strange and distant.
Having lived through countless years, possessing boundless wealth and power, and having traveled far and wide, the two now stand on this land where they once lived in their youth, feeling inexplicably lost and unsure of where to go.
Forty or fifty years is a lifetime for an ordinary person, but for Zhang Lei and Ye Shuqin, who have long lifespans, it is just a short period of time.
The two looked as good as ever; time had not left many marks on them. If one paid a little attention, even old acquaintances would not dare to recognize them.
In the days that followed, the two wandered aimlessly through the streets and alleys of Beijing.
Climb the Great Wall, stroll through the Forbidden City, sit quietly at the Temple of Heaven, and leisurely wander around Shichahai.
Walk through the bustling Wangfujing, taste authentic hot pot lamb, and savor the signature roast duck.
I once thought this was my homeland, my way home, the root of my heart's longing.
But only upon returning do we realize that the homeland remains, the people have grown old, and the past is now buried in dust.
No matter how many memories one has, they are ultimately just fleeting passersby.