Xikang Street in Qingshan District is an old neighborhood that existed before the founding of Xinhai City. Old Shikumen buildings are crowded on both sides of the narrow street.
Xikang Street in the mid-to-early 1990s was quite dilapidated. However, with the reconstruction of the old city, the old houses on Xikang Street became Xinhai's distinctive Shikumen buildings and were preserved. The neighborhood became neat and clean, giving it a unique flavor.
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By mid-November, the leaves of the sycamore tree had begun to wither for several days, and the branches and leaves had become sparse.
Standing in front of his small courtyard, Cao Mo looked a little worried as he saw the courtyard door locked and just got out of the taxi with two full suitcases.
If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have had any surprises.
Call Jiaying in advance to tell him the time of return. Maybe Jiaying can miss a day of school, and then drag the old woman to the airport to pick him up.
"You figure it out yourself, I'll go home first! Don't forget to report back to the company tomorrow, and don't forget the conditions you promised me!" Coming out of the airport, Song Yuqing, who was riding in the same taxi, saw
Cao Mo was trapped outside his house, gloating about his misfortune and waving his white wrist, he directly ordered the taxi driver to drive away.
Although today is Sunday, Jiaying has basically had no days off since she was a sophomore in high school. By this time, she should have gone to school to make up for classes; and the old woman must have gone to play cards at someone else's house.
Cao Mo touched the eaves a few times and didn't see Jiaying hiding the key. He raised his head and looked at the three or four meter high courtyard wall and the sycamore tree less than one meter apart next to it. He still followed the old method before leaving home.
First, climb the tree, climb the courtyard wall, and jump into the courtyard.
However, he jumped into the yard and felt a little confused.
His house is a relatively traditional old Shikumen house, with a two-story brick building with two bays in the main house, and a small side room at the front and rear against the east wall, which serve as a kitchen and bathroom respectively.
The vestibule is a small courtyard of more than ten square meters.
The back patio is smaller. In the early years, there was a well, but after running water was provided, the well was filled up. However, the back patio courtyard is only ten square meters, surrounded by high and steep walls, like a well for viewing the sky.
end.
In the early years, this small courtyard house had only four rooms, excluding the kitchen and main room. His family shared it with his uncle's family. In addition, his grandfather was also alive at that time, and there were a total of nine people. It was very cramped and crowded.
His aunt wanted to drive his family out of the small courtyard, and there was a lot of fuss at first. Later, it was his uncle who made a fortune in the home textile business and bought a commercial building near the Second Ring Road and moved out.
All the talents in the academy returned to his home.
But because he was so noisy in his early years, he had no contact with her even after his father's accident. His grandmother originally lived with his uncle, but after his father's accident, she moved back to this small courtyard to take care of his brothers and sisters.
In the year when he first started studying and working, Jiaying was only in the first year of junior high school. He had to work and was busy studying on his own. The old woman was not a person who knew how to clean up, so the yard was very messy.
Even if the yard three years ago was not filled with clutter, it was definitely not the way it looked with climbing roses and roses planted against the walls, brick paved paths and lawns!
There is also a small pomegranate tree in the yard, with heavy pomegranate fruits hanging from its branches less than one meter high.
The walls of the side room and main room have also been painted white, and a small round rattan table is placed under the grape vine trellis.
The old woman is not a hard-working person, but she still gambles. Jiaying complains all day long about making up lessons at school and not getting enough sleep. His father should not be released from prison either - he has even forgotten when his father will be released from prison, but if he is released from prison,
It’s impossible for Jiaying not to talk about it on QQ.
Digging into the wrong yard?
Cao Mo could only think so. He opened the door from the courtyard and looked out to see the house number. Yes, his home was No. 188, Xikang Road, right?
Cao Mo was about to pull his suitcase into the courtyard and then step into the courtyard when a black shadow came towards him to greet him - Cao Mo subconsciously raised his foot and kicked him sideways.
When it became clear that the two girls shouting "catch the thief", it was too late for him to stop, so he kicked the girl wrapped in a big bath towel two meters away and sat down on the ground with the big bath towel.
Spread out, revealing the white body.
"Catch the gangsters, catch the thieves!" Another girl waved a broomstick in Cao Mo's face, and shouted sternly, but she shouted in a stern tone, "Don't come over, we have already called the police, you now
It's still too late to escape, the police will be here in less than two minutes..."
"You are Yu..."
Cao Mo remembered that the girl he kicked away was Cheng Xi's classmate, but he couldn't remember her name for the moment.
At this time, he realized what was going on. Jiaying must have rented the extra room at home to these two girls without telling him.
When he climbed over the wall and came in, one of the girls must have been taking a shower. In a hurry, another girl pulled her out to catch the thief. She was wearing nothing but a pair of underwear and a big bath towel, and her hair was still wet...
"Look, I'm going to blind your thief!" Another girl held a broom handle and pointed it at Cao Mo's face. She blocked the girls behind her, guiltily preventing Cao Mo from getting closer and having any other intentions towards them.
"Are you all Cheng Xi's classmates? Well, what's your name? I went to your school when Cheng Xi was a freshman..." Cao Mo turned his head and said to the naked girl.
"Chen Chang, he is Cao Mo, Cao Jiaying's brother." The girl also recognized Cao Mo at this time. She hurriedly covered her chest, picked up the towel, wrapped it around her body, and said aggrievedly, "My name is Yu Jing.
What’s left?”
"Yes, yes, yes, I remember your name is Yu Jing, and you and Cheng Xi are in the same dormitory. When Cheng Xi was a freshman, I went to your school, and you and Cheng Xi invited me to eat in your school cafeteria -
"Why are you all living in my house?" Cao Mo saw Yu Jing wrapped in a bath towel and went out to catch the thief, but he saw it all. Another girl named Chen Chang was also wearing pajamas and pajamas, looking like she was at home.
"It hurts! We live here, and we all pay rent -" Yu Jing was so wronged that she almost cried. She rubbed her chest for a while and still felt a little stuffy and aching. She complained, "Why don't you say anything?
As soon as he jumped over the wall and entered the yard, we thought there was a thief - weren't you in Africa? Why did you come back suddenly? Your sister and Cheng Xi were both here yesterday, and they didn't say you were coming back!"
"Jiaying doesn't live here, where will she live with her grandma?" Cao Mo was a little dazed. Jiaying didn't even mention to him about moving out or renting out the house.
…………
…………
"Are you brave enough? You went to Africa for three years without ever returning to your country. You don't know anything about your family. When you return home, you don't say hello in advance. When you come back, you climb over the courtyard wall and kick Yu Jing like that!
"
Yu Jing and Chen Chang came out with brooms to fight the thief. They actually called the police and also called Cheng Xi. They finally managed to deal with the police away.
Cao Mo knew he was wrong, so he squatted in the corner of the yard and let Chengxi scold him.
After dropping out of school, Cheng Xi initially contacted him and asked him to help with something, but later Cao Mo ignored him and stopped seeing each other.
Suddenly, three years and six months have passed since the last time we met.
At this time, Cheng Xi was wearing a light brown professional skirt, her long hair was tied behind her shoulders with cloth strips, high heels, and black stockings. Although her face was still a little innocent and childish, she also looked like an urban beauty, but her face was still so pretty.
Bright and touching.
The boys and girls of those days, except for those studying for graduate school, were also entering society and becoming social beings.
"Brother!" A figure pushed away the courtyard and rushed over quickly. Before Cao Mo could stand up, people had already jumped on him, "I guessed that you would come back in the next few days. I was talking to grandma and Cheng Xi yesterday.
Sister, tell me, my dad is released from prison and you want to go back to China!"
Cao Mo was so ashamed that he didn't even know when his father would be released from prison, but he didn't have the nerve to ask at this time.
"Why did you and grandma move out?" Cao Mo asked in confusion, "What's going on in this yard? How did it get cleaned up like this?"
"Didn't I tell you? Last year, when Xikang Street's water and electricity were renovated, the street subsidy funds were used to install sewage pipes in each household. The bathroom was also renovated at home, and the room and yard were tidied up. I took grandma with me.
I did it," Cao Jiaying said proudly. "At first I was thinking of renting out the spare room - but our yard was kept clean and the rent was much higher than that of nearby houses. Later, my grandma took me to Qian Street.
Grandma Littlefoot’s family rented a room, so she rented out our room as well, and we can earn more than 600 yuan a month!”
Seeing Jiaying lying without batting an eyelid, Cao Mo couldn't do anything to her. That's why the old woman didn't knock on the door like that!
He asked angrily: "Don't you have all my salary cards? The money in the salary cards should be enough for you. Why are you deducting so much money every month?"
"What if something happens to you and dad again, and you have to pay a large sum of money to others? The family must save some money!" Cao Jiaying said timidly.
Cao Mo felt sad for no reason.
Four years ago, his father was given a lenient sentence, and he was finally acquitted, but he still paid someone 300,000 yuan to settle the matter. At that time, he did not take Chen Rong's money, nor did he go to his uncle's house to ask for help.
After losing all the savings his father had accumulated over the years, the family became impoverished.
"Jiaying can endure it," Cheng Xi stood aside and exposed Cao Jiaying's lies mercilessly, saying, "Not only has she rented out this courtyard, she will also rent out three nearby courtyards at a low price.
Rent it, hire someone to renovate it, and then rent it out to earn the difference - she told me that you asked her to do it, and she also lied to me and Yu Jing, and Chen Chang did voluntary work for her for free. Yesterday, she told me that she was traveling to Shanghai now.
There are more and more people. After the renovation of Xikang Street, tourists come to take pictures from time to time. They rent a few courtyards and renovate them as B&Bs. They can make a lot of money by renting the houses for a short period of time. They also said that this was your idea and even the funds for the B&Bs
, you gave it all to her - I just figured it out now, you two brothers and sisters don’t have a good thing, you are full of lies..."
"Ah!" Cao Mo couldn't believe what Cheng Xi said was true. He raised his hand and wanted to slap his sister on the back of the head, but he couldn't. "The money I sent home is for you and the old woman's living expenses. Why are you so anxious?"
What kind of money are you making? With the way you are dressed, you didn’t go to school to make up for classes? Didn’t you say that schools have to make up classes on weekends?”
Only then did Cao Mo notice that Jiaying's jeans were stained with white dust. Didn't he look like he was rushing back from school to make up for extra classes? And she was clearly nearby just now, but she waited twenty minutes after receiving the call before pretending to leave school with an excited look on her face.
Rushing back, he had an almost telepathic intuition, but he didn't notice it just now!