Chapter 54: Jia Zhangshi Takes on the Yan Family

Yan Jiecheng and Jia Dongxu were riding the bus, swaying slowly, and only reached Four Nine City when the sun was about to set. Buses in the 1950s‑60s all had a big bundle on the roof. At that time, due to insufficient gasoline production, many buses were converted to run on coal gas or natural gas. These vehicles needed a gas tank installed on the roof to store the fuel, so the roof was designed as a round big bundle to accommodate those tanks.

The two got off the bus and started walking toward the siheyuan.

"Dongxu bro, I can't walk, my legs feel like they're filled with lead," Yan Jiecheng said, holding a hare. He didn't even think about how the two of them had run desperately this afternoon; now for his legs to feel comfortable would be strange. Anyone who's done long-distance running knows that after not exercising for a long time, sudden intense exercise causes lactic acid to build up in the calves, making both legs sore and swollen for a day or two.

"Just hold on a bit longer, we'll be there soon," Jia Dongxu said, also forcing himself to ignore the leg discomfort.

After great effort the two reached the siheyuan gate, but Yan Jiecheng still dared not go in.

"We're already home, why aren't you going in?" Jia Dongxu asked Yan Jiecheng.

"Dongxu bro, I lost my bike; how am I going to face my dad when I get back?" Yan Jiecheng said with a bitter face. Indeed, that's the case—Yan Butgui values his bike more than his life, and now Yan Jiecheng has lost it, so he really doesn't know how to explain it when he returns.

"Just being able to bring your life back is already good enough; what do you need a bike for?" Jia Dongxu said with a hint of "talking while standing doesn't hurt the waist."

"Forget it, whether you stick your head out or pull it back, it's the same cut," Yan Jiecheng said, then followed Jia Dongxu toward the siheyuan.

"Dongxu, you're back?" Yan Butgui had been waiting at the gate for them, and seeing Jia Dongxu carrying game in his hands made him greet them even more warmly.

"I'm back, Third Uncle," Jia Dongxu said, then walked inside; he didn't want to get involved in the Yan family's affairs.

"Jiecheng, where's your bike?" Jia Dongxu heard Yan Butgui ask from behind, and he didn't know whether to feel happy or sad.

"Dad, I lost the bike," Yan Jiecheng said weakly.

"What did you say?" Yan Butgui shouted.

"I let the bike get lost," Yan Jiecheng repeated.

"You, you, you good-for-nothing," Yan Butgui didn't care about the game in Yan Jiecheng's hands, pointing at him, his whole body trembling.

"Dad, I'll tell you when we get home," Yan Jiecheng said, unable to speak at the gate, after all he'd stolen someone's game and lost his bike—if this got out it would be too embarrassing.

"Tell me what happened," Yan Butgui said, sitting in a chair with a grim face after they returned home; no wonder he was so angry—back then a bicycle was a big-ticket item, and although his was secondhand, he still treasured it greatly.

"What's wrong with his dad, why is he so angry? Haven't you seen Jiecheng catch game?" Third Aunt didn't know about the lost bike; she only saw Yan Jiecheng holding two hares and a pheasant. To say Jia Dongxu is still quite considerate: altogether there were five game animals, he took two back himself and left three for Yan Jiecheng, perhaps to make up for Yan Jiecheng's hurt feelings.

"He did catch game, but he lost his bike," Yan Butgui said, feeling heartbroken.

"What? You lost the bike?" Third Aunt looked at Yan Jiecheng in disbelief.

"Dad, things are like this..." Yan Jiecheng told Yan Butgui and Third Aunt everything that had happened on the mountain.

"As long as the person is okay, that's fine," Third Aunt said, feeling a lingering fear after hearing it.

"You say whether game or the bike is more important—you wouldn't discard the game, right? Even if you threw the game away, if someone caught you they couldn't do anything to you." In Yan Butgui's eyes, nothing is more important than the bike; even if he heard Yan Jiecheng say the other side had fired guns, he cared not about his son's life but about the bike, which made Yan Jiecheng feel great dissatisfaction toward Yan Butgui, for in Yan Butgui's eyes his own life wasn't worth as much as a broken bike.

"Dongxu, you caught so much!" Jia Zhangshi saw Jia Dongxu returning with a pheasant and a hare, and happily went up to greet him.

"Mom, there were five in total; I brought two back, and gave the other three to Yan Jiecheng to take." Jia Dongxu only said there were five, not mentioning how they came about.

"What, Dongxu, you're stupid! We should have three and the Yan family two—that's right. If you hadn't brought Yan Jiecheng along, he wouldn't have gotten a single one. I have to go get them back." Jia Zhangshi said this and went out the door; she didn't dare provoke Li Qiang, but she wasn't afraid of dealing with Yan Butgui, and besides, this time her family was in the right, so she had even less to worry about.

"Old Yan the miser, get out here!" Jia Zhangshi shouted, standing at Yan Butgui's gate with her hands on her hips.

"Jia Zhangshi, you crazy woman, did you take the wrong medicine? What are you doing screaming at our gate?" Yan Butgui was beating his chest and stamping his feet over the lost bike, and Jia Zhangshi actually shouting at his door made his anger flare up instantly; he had been wondering where to vent, and now Jia Zhangshi dared to come cause trouble.

"Old Yan the miser, cut the nonsense and return my family's pheasant and hare," Jia Zhangshi said, not easily intimidated; given Yan Butgui's small stature, even if they really fought she might not lose.

"What do you mean 'your family's game'? It's obvious Yan Jiecheng caught it—why should I give it to you?" Yan Butgui had already lost his bike; if he also gave the game to the Jia family his losses would be greater, which he absolutely could not accept.

"What do you mean 'your family's Jiecheng caught it'? Without our Dongxu leading him, he couldn't even catch a hair. Now look—there were five total, and your family actually took three; you really think the Jia family is easy to bully?" Jia Zhangshi showed no fear of Yan Butgui.

"That's Dongxu being benevolent—he willingly gave Jiecheng an extra one; what are you shouting about, you ass?" Yan Butgui also refused to back down.

"Fine, you old Yan the miser, you actually dare to scold me," Jia Zhangshi said, reaching out with her right hand and fiercely scratching Yan Butgui's face.

"Ah, you crazy woman," Yan Butgui yelled, covering his face.

"Quickly return the game to our family; considering the trip Yan Jiecheng and Dongxu made, I'll leave you one, otherwise I'll scratch the other half of your face raw," Jia Zhangshi said, hands on her hips, triumphant.

"Jia Zhangshi, you're going too far," Third Aunt saw Yan Butgui being scratched, rushed at Jia Zhangshi, and grabbed a handful of her hair.

"Yang Ruihua, let go of me!" Jia Zhangshi shouted; Yang Ruihua is Third Aunt's name.

"I won't let go—see what you can do to me," Third Aunt said triumphantly.

"Ah, Jia Zhangshi, you're like a dog, how can you still bite people?" Third Aunt hadn't finished speaking when she let go, seeing the deep tooth marks on her hand and shouting angrily.

"Cut the nonsense, quickly return the game, or I'll set your house on fire," Jia Zhangshi said arrogantly.

"Want the game? No way," Yan Butgui's stingy nature meant that once something entered his home, getting him to take it out again was harder than climbing to heaven.

"I'll make you shut up," Jia Zhangshi said without further talk, taking a big step up to Yan Butgui before he could react, adding five more wounds to the other half of his face; not only did his face get more scars, but his glasses were also torn off by Jia Zhangshi.

"Jia Zhangshi, I'm not done with you," Yan Butgui said, now without glasses and like a blind man staring wide-eyed, he could only feel around on the ground for his spectacles; it was already dark, and after feeling around several times he still couldn't find them.

"I'll make sure you're not done with me," Jia Zhangshi said, seeing Yan Butgui about to find his glasses, she stepped forward and crushed them underfoot.