Siheyuan: Sap is the last word

The box was filled with golden treasures, including gold coins, jewelry, and some antiques. He Yudong was dazzled by the sight, and an inexplicable excitement surged in his heart.

"It's paid off, it's paid off now!" He Yudong muttered to himself.

However, just as he was immersed in the joy of wealth, the black cat suddenly jumped onto the box, stared into He Yudong's eyes, and let out a low roar.

He Yudong was startled and took a few steps back, almost falling. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

"What do you mean?" He Yudong said to the black cat. Although he knew that cats couldn't understand human language, he still couldn't help but ask.

The black cat just looked at him quietly, as if waiting for something. He Yudong's heart moved, and he remembered the symbol on the map. He took the map out of his pocket, looked at it carefully, and found that there seemed to be a mark on it that matched the scene in front of him.

"Could it be that this cat is protecting these treasures?" He Yudong guessed in his heart.

He walked forward tentatively and picked up a gold coin, but the black cat did not stop him. He Yudong was delighted and simply took a few pieces of jewelry and carefully put them into his pocket.

"I'm just borrowing it and will return it another day." He Yudong said to the black cat. Although he knew it sounded ridiculous, he couldn't help but explain.

The black cat remained motionless, just watching He Yudong leave.

He Yudong returned along the tunnel, but he felt an inexplicable tension in his heart. He didn't know whether the black cat was a friend or an enemy, nor did he know whether these treasures really belonged to him. But he knew that this matter must not be known to others, especially those gossipy neighbors in the yard.

Back in the room, He Yudong carefully hid the jewelry, then lay down on the bed, but his mind was restless. The next morning, the yard was back to its usual bustle.

"He Yudong, why did you come back so late last night?" Liu Haizhong asked while cleaning the yard.

"Nothing, just going out for a walk." He Yudong replied casually.

At this time, Jia Zhang came over. She always liked to meddle in other people's affairs.

"He Yudong, why have you been so secretive lately? Are you hiding something good from us?" Jia Zhang asked with narrowed eyes.

He Yudong's heart tightened, but on the surface he pretended to smile as if nothing had happened and said, "No way, I'm alone, what good can happen to me?"

Jia Zhang snorted coldly and turned away. He Yudong knew that she must not know about this, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.

A few days later, He Yudong took advantage of the dead of night and came to the tunnel again. This time, he brought some food to thank the black cat. The tunnel was still dark and damp, and the black cat was still guarding there, quietly watching He Yudong.

"I brought some food for you." He Yudong put the food on the ground. The black cat sniffed it and actually started eating it.

He Yudong was delighted. It seemed that the black cat had no hostility. He opened the box again and took out some jewelry, ready to sell it for some money.

A few days later, He Yudong brought the jewelry to the antique market and found a reputable shop. The shop owner was an elderly man with a sharp eye and saw the value of the jewelry at a glance.

"Where did you get these things?" the shop owner asked curiously.

"It's a family heirloom." He Yudong made up a lie.

The shop owner nodded and quoted a price. He Yudong was secretly happy, knowing that he had made a lot of money this time. He took the money and was in a good mood. He decided to buy some good things to honor the elders in the yard.

He Yudong's life gradually improved, but he did not forget the black cat and the treasures in the tunnel. Every once in a while, he would go to the tunnel to take a look, bring some food to the black cat, and also take out some jewelry to sell.

However, the good times did not last long, and Yan Bugui in the yard began to doubt He Yudong's changes. He found that He Yudong suddenly became generous and often bought good things, which were obviously not affordable for an ordinary worker.

"He Yudong, have you made any money recently?" Yan Bugui asked casually.

He Yudong was shocked, but he pretended to smile as if nothing had happened and said, "No, I was just lucky. I bought some old things and sold them for some money."

Yan Bugui obviously didn't believe it, but he didn't ask any more questions. He Yudong knew that he had to be more careful.

One night, He Yudong came to the tunnel again, and this time he found that the black cat was missing. He Yudong's heart tightened, and he looked everywhere, but found nothing.

In the 1970s, in the courtyard of the Siheyuan, He Yudong's life became complicated because of the tunnel and the black cat. The neighbors in the courtyard played out various stories every day, and He Yudong quietly looked for his own opportunities and answers in these stories.

That evening, He Yudong was sitting in the yard, fiddling with several antique jewellery he had brought back from the tunnel. He thought he could sell these items for a good price and save a fortune for his future. Just as he was immersed in his thoughts, his neighbour Liu Guangtian came over.

"He Yudong, why do I always see you dealing with these antiques recently?" Liu Guangtian asked curiously.

He Yudong smiled and said, "I just like it. I want to look for some old things."

"What's so fun about that? You have good taste." Liu Guangtian nodded and continued, "Are you free tonight? Let's go to Yan Bugui's house to play cards together."

He Yudong was moved, and just wanted to take this opportunity to relax, so he nodded and agreed. After dinner, he took some food and quietly went to the tunnel to visit the black cat.

The black cat was still guarding the small room. When he saw He Yudong coming, he just raised his eyes, as if he had become accustomed to his arrival.

"Hey, I brought you something good today." He Yudong took out a small yellow croaker from the bag and placed it in front of the black cat.

The black cat sniffed and seemed to be very interested in the small yellow croaker, but did not immediately go forward to eat it. He Yudong looked at the black cat, smiled, and said, "You really have personality."

At this moment, a low barking sound was heard. He Yudong turned his head and saw an old yellow dog standing at the entrance of the tunnel. This dog was an old resident of the yard. Everyone called it "Huangmao". It was usually docile, but at this moment, a hint of vigilance was revealed in its eyes.

"Huangmao, why are you here?" He Yudong was a little surprised.

Huang Mao walked over slowly, staring at the small yellow croaker, and was obviously attracted by it. He Yudong was a little embarrassed for a moment, not knowing how to deal with this sudden situation.

"This fish is for Black Cat, you can't snatch it away." He Yudong tried to persuade Yellow Cat.

However, the yellow-haired cat did not seem to obey. It approached step by step, and finally faced the black cat. Both sides seemed extremely nervous. He Yudong was anxious and hurried forward to try to take the small yellow croaker away.

Just as he reached out to grab it, the black cat and the yellow hair pounced on him at the same time, and He Yudong was caught off guard and knocked to the ground. The small yellow croaker was thrown aside, and the black cat and the yellow hair scrambled to grab it, and the scene was in chaos for a while.

"Stop fighting! Stop fighting!" He Yudong shouted.

The black cat and the yellow hair finally stopped, each holding one end of the small yellow croaker, and they were in a stalemate. He Yudong had no choice but to find a way to calm them down. He took out some dry food from his pocket and shared it with them, trying to divert their attention.

"Can't you two just live in peace?" He Yudong sighed.

The yellow-haired cat and the black cat seemed to be attracted by the food. They put down the small yellow croaker and started to eat the dry food brought by He Yudong. He Yudong felt relieved and finally calmed down the fight.

"You two are really troublesome." He Yudong smiled bitterly, "Bring two portions of food next time."

It was late at night, and He Yudong left the tunnel and returned to the yard. The lights in the yard were still on, and the neighbors were busy in their houses. He Yudong saw Yan Bugui preparing to go home, so he walked over.

"Uncle Bugui, do you want to play cards tonight?" He Yudong asked with a smile.

"Hey, He Yudong, I'm waiting for you. Let's go to my house. Liu Haizhong and Jia Dongxu are here." Yan Bugui greeted warmly.

Several people sat around Yan Bugui's house and started a card game. At the card table, everyone was playing back and forth, and the atmosphere was very lively.

"He Yudong, I see you smiling often recently. Is there any good news?" Liu Haizhong asked with a smile.

"No, I just live a comfortable life." He Yudong replied casually.

Jia Dongxu interrupted, "I heard that you've been dealing in a lot of antiques lately. You must have made a lot of money, right?"

He Yudong's heart tightened, knowing that these neighbors had sharp eyes, so he smiled and said, "It's just tinkering, it's not a big profit."

"Don't be so modest. Everyone in our courtyard knows that you, He Yudong, are a capable person." Yan Bugui patted He Yudong on the shoulder and said with a smile.

He Yudong smiled bitterly in his heart, knowing that the curiosity of these neighbors would never be satisfied so easily. After the card game was over, He Yudong walked alone in the yard, thinking about how to deal with the next few days.

A few days later, He Yudong came to the tunnel again, and this time he decided to bring more food to avoid another fight. However, when he arrived at the tunnel, he found that the black cat and the yellow-haired cat were living together in harmony, as if they had reached some kind of tacit understanding.

"It seems like you've made peace with each other." He Yudong said with a smile, placing the food in front of them.

As the black cat and the yellow-haired cat ate their food, He Yudong couldn't help but feel a little comforted. Over the past few days, the relationship between him and the two animals has become more complicated and subtle.

Just as He Yudong was thinking, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw Yi Zhonghai standing at the entrance of the tunnel in the yard, and he had obviously discovered the tunnel as well.

"He Yudong, did you find this place?" Yi Zhonghai asked, with a hint of curiosity and vigilance in his eyes.

He Yudong was startled, but soon calmed down, nodded and said, "Yes, I discovered it by accident as well."