Siheyuan: Walking the Path of Qin Huairu

Xu Huizhen then said, "Okay, I'll get you some melon seeds, candies, meat, and flour. As an uncle, it's not good for you to go empty-handed."

Cai Quanwu quickly refused: "No, no, I can prepare it myself."

Xu Huizhen went back to the backyard without saying anything and packed all the things. Anyway, these things were all rewards from the system and they didn't cost any money. She took them out and handed them to Cai Quanwu and said, "Originally, I was planning to give these to you. It can be regarded as a welfare for employees during the New Year. Thank you for your help during this period."

Cai Quanwu: "You have paid me a salary, haven't you? I earn much more now than before, and I don't have to work hard. I have to thank the shopkeeper for his support."

Xu Huizhen didn't waste any more words: "This is a little gift from me, don't be long-winded."

With the sound of firecrackers a year old, the spring breeze sent warmth to Tusu.

Thousands of families always exchange new peaches for old ones.

Xu Huizhen welcomed her first Spring Festival in this time and space. On New Year's Eve, she was busy cooking at home. Although she couldn't eat much by herself, she had to prepare a few dishes. Life needs a sense of ritual, and the New Year must have a New Year atmosphere.

While she was busy, she heard someone knocking on the door. Xu Huizhen opened the door and saw that it was Mrs. Wen whom she had rescued some time ago. She was holding a net bag in her hand.

Xu Huizhen warmly invited her in. Mrs. Wen looked a little unnatural and stammered, "Huizhen, I'm the only one spending the New Year at home. It's too lonely. I see that there aren't many people in your family. How about our two families spending the New Year together?"

Xu Huizhen said cheerfully, "That's great. I'm worried that if I cook too much food, I won't be able to finish it, and if I cook too little, it won't feel like Chinese New Year."

When Mrs. Wen heard this, she happily handed the things in her hand to Xu Huizhen. Xu Huizhen said, "Anything else do you want to bring? I have prepared everything at home."

Mrs. Wen: "Then I can't come here to eat for free." As she said that, she took out things from the net bag, including flour, meat, candy, fruit, some dried mushrooms, such as Hericium erinaceus, Tremella fuciformis, morels, and even soaked sea cucumbers.

Mrs. Wen explained as she took things out, "These dried mushrooms taste great, commonly known as grass eight treasures. I'll make you a soup, it's guaranteed to be so delicious that you'll want to swallow it."

Xu Huizhen: "Then I'm in for a treat."

The two of them were chatting and laughing, one was chopping dumpling stuffing while the other was washing and chopping vegetables. Xu Jingli was lying in the crib, babbling and eating her fingers.

Suddenly, Xu Huizhen heard a "bang, bang" sound in the distance. She wondered to herself, "Someone is setting off firecrackers so early in the morning?" Mrs. Wen put down the knife in her hand and said seriously, "Huizhen, these are not firecrackers, they sound like gunshots. Go and see if the outer door is closed!"

Mrs. Wen ran out to close the door after she finished speaking. People who have experienced the war years are still very sensitive to the sound of gunfire.

Xu Huizhen was stunned for a moment, listening to the gunshots getting more and more frequent and closer. She quickly ran into the bedroom, entered the space, and took out a pistol and a long knife.

When Mrs. Wen returned, she saw Xu Huizhen holding a gun in one hand and a knife in the other, a perfect image of Hua Mulan. Mrs. Wen laughed and said, "You are such a heroine. You have all these weapons at home?"

Xu Huizhen: "There is no man at home. How can I do this without some self-defense equipment?" She handed the pistol to Mrs. Wen and asked, "Do you know how to use it?"

Mrs. Wen took the gun and said, "Who are you looking down on? I used to practice shooting." After that, she closed the door and leaned against the window to observe the situation outside. She muttered, "Why don't you be quiet during the New Year?"

In 1955, gun control had not yet been implemented. Imperialism was still determined to destroy us, and enemy spies often caused trouble in the capital, so gunshots were not uncommon.

Xu Huizhen looked at Mrs. Wen's performance and sighed in her heart: "This capitalist's wife is also capable and is not a flower in a greenhouse. I just don't know if she can survive the big movement in the future."

The sound of gunfire outside continued, and it sounded as if it was happening right outside the door. Neither of them spoke, but nervously observed the movements in the yard. Suddenly, there was a "bang bang bang" sound of knocking on the door, and Xu Huizhen's heart began to beat rapidly.

Then I heard a voice outside the door: "Boss, I'm Cai Quanwu. Are you okay?"

Xu Huizhen was relieved when she heard this and said to Mrs. Wen, "It's Cai Quanwu, the waiter in the tavern, whom you met last time."

After saying that, he trotted over and opened the door. After Cai Quanwu came in, he closed the door again and said with a heavy breath, "There are a lot of police outside. I don't know who they are arresting. The sound of the guns is really scary. I was just on my way to Sha Zhu's house and passed by here. I was afraid that you were not safe alone, so I came to see you."

Xu Huizhen felt warm in her heart. After coming into this world, she always felt insecure. She didn't feel it when she was busy, but when she was idle, she would feel inexplicably uneasy.

It feels so good to be cared for by others. You said that you traveled through time and space, and you are alone, with no relatives to rely on. The only relative you have is Li'er, who is still a baby.

Mrs. Wen opened the door: "Come in quickly, it's so cold outside."

With the addition of Cai Quanwu, the two people seemed to have a backbone and felt much more at ease.

Outside the courtyard wall, the gunfire had stopped, and a police officer shouted, "Attention, residents! The bad guys have been caught. We can all celebrate the New Year without any worries! It's all right, it's all right."

Cai Quanwu bravely opened the door a crack and stuck his head out to look. He saw police officers on the street with guns in their hands and neighbors coming out, so he also went out to inquire about the situation.

You don't know until you see it. It's shocking. There was a dead body lying at the street corner, with a pool of blood on the ground. There was also a man who was shot in the leg and tied up like a dumpling. He was slumped on the ground, looking half dead.

Chief Song Guowei was directing his officers to clean up the scene: "Xiao Wang, take the body away quickly. Don't let the people panic during the New Year. Xiao Sun, clean up the blood at the scene. The others, take the injured back and interrogate them as soon as possible to see if there are any fish that have slipped through the net. These bastards won't let us have peace during the New Year."