[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji":3,"chapter-the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-12":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Siheyuan: Food, Love, and Family in 1960s Beijing",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2314062,4526,"Chapter 12: Chapter Twelve: If Only It Could Be Like the First Meeting","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-12",12,"\u003Cp>Li Xuewu said: “Monopoly—split the ridges right down the middle. We become the middle link: we take orders from customers, then collect from these people around us, profiting from the spread, while also selling our own goods.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen San’er exclaimed in delight: “Hey, that’s great! But what if we get too many customers? We won’t be able to handle it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu smirked at him: “You think you can reach the heavens? Fifty regular clients is more than enough for us to live on. I’ll find you some respectable cover work later—this can wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>g.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lao Biao and Shen Guodong didn’t understand the conversation between Wen San’er and Li Xuewu, but they felt it was impressive, nodding along half-knowingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu stood up and said: “That’s enough. It’s late today. I’ll come back once you’re settled in these few days. Remember what I said.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood and walked out. Lao Biao and Wen San’er saw him to the alley’s mouth before returning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu and Shen Guodong each trudged home, stepping unevenly through the dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He strolled along, absorbing the unique atmosphere of this era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Entering his own alley, he saw smoke curling from every household.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Life here was actually convenient: to the right as you stepped out was the supply and marketing cooperative; turn and walk straight ahead and you reached the main street. Most residents were workers from the steel mill. This area was chaotic, with several roadside inns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu didn’t hesitate—he entered the courtyard and walked inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shadow happened to collide straight into him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh no!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a soft cry, Li Xuewu remained unaffected; the woman staggered backward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu grunted, swiftly wrapping his arm around her waist—she barely avoided falling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exhaled in relief, looked closer—and saw it was Yu Li, the eldest daughter-in-law of Third Uncle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This newlywed young woman was strikingly beautiful: an oval face, large eyes, the classic wife’s face. Though her beauty couldn’t match Qin Guafu’s seductive charm, her figure was just as impressive. Even through her cotton clothing, he could feel the astonishing size and elasticity from the collision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Li was in pain from the impact. She straightened up, rubbing her side, tears on her face—not from the collision, but clearly from crying long before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Xuewu watching her, she blushed, hastily wiped her tears, ignored the persistent ache in her chest, said nothing, and walked off in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu saw her expression and didn’t need to guess—she’d argued with Yan Jie, Yan’s eldest son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old saying goes: poverty wears down even the closest marriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third Uncle’s nickname was Yan Lao Kou—he was the type who split a single coin in half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Li had no job. Her husband Yan Jie was a temporary worker, taking odd jobs, earning at most a few dozen yuan a month, never guaranteed. Half went to the household, plus extra for food, plus fees for riding a bicycle, using a flashlight—how could life ever be comfortable?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They lived in a tiny room converted from the gatehouse’s side annex—barely enough space for a double bed. Every day, she had to serve the whole family under her mother-in-law’s watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu didn’t dwell on it. From TV dramas, he remembered Yu Li made excellent chicken—he’d remember that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Entering the second gate, he heard chaos—chickens flying, dogs barking. Soon, Yan Jie stepped out wrapped in his coat, clearly chasing after Yu Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Jie reached Li Xuewu, saw his stern face, lowered his head, said nothing, and slipped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Probably remembered the beatings he’d taken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu stood under the porch, watching the boy’s unsteady back—really didn’t look like a man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This courtyard was truly lively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring the chaos inside, Li Xuewu returned home, lit both kang beds, opened the stacked quilts, and began laying them out. He hadn’t slept enough in the afternoon—he’d sleep again tonight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kang warmed up. Li Xuewu stuck his feet under the covers—warm, comfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night passed without incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Early the next morning, Li Xuewu rose promptly, helping Da Laomu clean the horse stable, feed and water the horses, gather firewood. Li Shun watched him without snorting anymore, though still ignored him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever. He’d inherited the body—he’d inherit the debts too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let the family think what they wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His father, bound by tradition, expected the eldest son to care for him in old age, favored the third son as the heir to the family’s legacy, and deeply resented the troublemaking second son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu guessed it stemmed from childhood beliefs: eldest grandson, youngest son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His elder brother was the eldest grandson; his younger brother was the youngest son; his mother had Li Xue as the “little cotton-padded jacket.” So Li Xuewu received little affection as a child—perhaps he acted out to gain attention, and ended up walking that path to the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after returning, his grandmother showed concern—but always framed it as “the eldest grandson this,” “the eldest grandson that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third son followed Li Shun to study medicine; Li Xue clung to her mother Liu Yin; Li Xuewu received attention upon return, but over time, he was back to being the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eldest was simple-minded, only cared about studying. The eldest daughter-in-law was cunning, wanted to live separately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third son was clever, wanted to learn a trade, excelled in school, and had more future opportunities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fourth son was shrewd, knew how to read the room, made the eldest daughter-in-law and mother happy. Father Li Shun also doted on this “little cotton-padded jacket.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu thought long and hard, and accepted it. Keeping the family peaceful was enough. He didn’t dare hope for more—less desire meant less disappointment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu hummed a tune, carrying an iron bucket to the central courtyard to fetch water. Since he had nothing else to do, he’d fill the water tank first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu was opening the courtyard’s faucet to fill the bucket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up—and saw a tall, thin man with a mustache stepping out of the moon gate: Xu Damao, the steel mill’s film projector operator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, Brother Damao, it’s Sunday morning—so early?” Li Xuewu greeted cheerfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Damao froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, Li Xuewu had always looked down on him—never spoke, at most nodded when passing. This was the first time since returning that he’d been so polite. What was going on?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Xu Damao was a social man. Since Li Xuewu called him “Brother Damao,” he couldn’t give him the cold shoulder—or dare to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grunted back, crouched beside him to brush his teeth, and asked: “I heard you came back yesterday. They put you in the mill’s security department. When do you start work?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu waited until the bucket was full, turned off the faucet, and stepped aside: “Tomorrow. The mill wants me to report on Monday.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Damao’s eyes shifted—he realized Li Xuewu really was in security. He glanced at him, secretly astonished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d lived in the same courtyard for over ten years, knew each other inside out. No one ever heard of the Li family having any connections.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xu Damao had some restraint. He didn’t press further. After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he watched Li Xuewu return to the front courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He set down his basin and toothbrush, still pondering the information Li Xuewu had let slip.\u003C\u002Fp>",1222,"2026-06-20T13:46:54.288Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","d80581e7d09531d281d0a11e61f8c3f570ae56de84eb2d0206cb14a69b70522e","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-13","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-11",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-cover.jpg"]