Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 682: Mumbling

Earthquake in Beijing: Crisis and mutual assistance in the courtyard house It was a seemingly ordinary morning, the courtyard house was gently enveloped by the rising sun, and the residents were preparing to start a new day of life as usual. Suddenly, the ground shook violently without warning, the doors and windows creaked, and the tiles on the roof fell. "Earthquake!" Someone shouted in horror, instantly breaking the tranquility of the courtyard house, and panic spread rapidly like a tide. Liu Haizhong was sorting out his work notes in the house, preparing to go to work in the factory. The sudden vibration made him stagger and almost fall. He steadied his body and shouted loudly: "Don't panic, run to the yard!" As he spoke, he rushed to the door, wanting to help other neighbors. Sha Zhu was busy in the kitchen, preparing to make breakfast, and the pots and pans fell one after another in the vibration and shattered. He didn't care about the pain, and hurried to the inner room, called Qin Huairu and the children out, and the family stumbled into the yard. The deaf old lady also felt the strong vibration in the house. Although she could not hear the sound, the shaking house and falling objects made her realize that the situation was critical. She fumbled to get up, but fell to the ground due to the shaking. Yi Zhonghai, an old man, happened to pass by. He rushed into the house, helped the deaf old lady up, and carefully carried her to a safe place in the yard. The residents of the courtyard gathered in the yard one after another. Everyone was pale, and their eyes were full of fear and anxiety. The children were scared and cried loudly, the women hugged their families tightly, and the men looked around vigilantly, trying to find a way to deal with it. The shaking of the ground continued, and cracks appeared in the walls of the houses from time to time, and some old buildings even began to crumble. Liu Haizhong stood in the middle of the yard, trying to calm himself down, and said loudly: "Don't panic, listen to my command! Let's find a safe place to hide first, and think of a way after the earthquake stops." Everyone nodded, and under his organization, they began to look for a suitable location. Sha Zhu found some wooden boards and beddings, and built a simple shelter in a corner of the yard for Qin Huairu and the children to hide in first. The earthquake finally subsided, but everyone knew that the danger was not completely eliminated. It was almost noon, and everyone was tired and hungry, but most of the kitchens at home were damaged and could not cook properly. Therefore, building a temporary stove became a top priority. Yan Bugui found some bricks and iron pots from home and prepared to build a stove in the yard. While he was busy, he kept muttering: "What should I do? Everything in the house is broken. How can I live in the future?" The third uncle's youngest son Yan Jiekuang helped on the side, but he was not very good at work. He was clumsy and either put the bricks crookedly or almost overturned the iron pot. Seeing this, Yan Bugui could not help but scold: "How can you be so useless, you can't even build a stove properly." Yan Jiekuang said aggrievedly: "Dad, I haven't done this job either, don't worry." The father and son were arguing, and Sha Zhu came over. He looked at their "masterpiece" and said with a smile: "Uncle, you can't build it well, watch me." As he said, he took the bricks and skillfully built the stove. After a while, a sturdy and practical stove was built. After building the stove, they were faced with the problem of making a fire and cooking. Grandma Li found some dry firewood from home, but the firewood was a little damp and couldn't be lit. Qin Huairu watched from the side, anxious, she said to Sha Zhu: "Sha Zhu, what can we do, the children are starving." Sha Zhu scratched his head, and suddenly an idea came to his mind. He ran out of the yard, picked up some dry branches and leaves, and found some waste paper, put these flammable materials under the dry firewood, and finally successfully lit the fire. The fire was lit, but there were few ingredients left for cooking. Everyone took out the little food they had at home and gathered them together. Qin Huairu took out some flour left at home and prepared to make some noodles. As she kneaded the dough, she said, "It's not easy for everyone, let's just make do with what we have." Sha Zhu helped to boil water. He looked at the busy people and said with emotion, "This earthquake has made us suffer a lot, but as long as everyone works together, we will definitely get through it." Just as everyone was busy with the issue of eating, Xu Damao complained, "This life is unbearable. A good home is ruined. It's all because of this earthquake. I can't even sleep well." Everyone looked at him with dissatisfaction. Yi Zhonghai stepped forward and said seriously, "Xu Damao, now is not the time to complain. We are all affected by the disaster. We have to find a solution together. If you have the strength, come and help, don't make trouble here." Xu Damao listened, although he was not convinced, but he didn't dare to say anything, so he had to go over to help reluctantly. With everyone's joint efforts, lunch was finally ready. Bowls of steaming noodles were served to everyone. Although simple, they seemed particularly precious at this time. Everyone sat together and ate this hard-earned food, full of emotion. After this earthquake, the residents of the courtyard have more deeply realized the importance of solidarity and mutual assistance. After the meal, everyone began to discuss the next plan. Liu Haizhong proposed: "We must first solve the living place and build some sturdy sheds so that we can sleep safely at night." Everyone agreed. So, an action to build a shed was launched in the courtyard. The men were responsible for carrying wood and building frames, while the women helped to organize bedding and arrange items in the shed. The children were not idle either. They picked up fallen branches and stones on the side to help the adults. In the process of building the shed, everyone worked together and helped each other. But some minor frictions are inevitable. The second son and the youngest son had a dispute over the use of a piece of wood. The second son said, "I'll use this board first, because I'm still short of one for the shed I'm building." The youngest son said, "Why should you use it first? I'm in a hurry to use it too." The two refused to give in and almost quarreled. Seeing this, Liu Haizhong hurried over to mediate: "Don't quarrel, everyone is trying to build a shed, so give in to each other. Let's build the big shed first, and then divide the remaining materials equally, how about that?" The two thought it made sense, and then they calmed down the dispute. After an afternoon of hard work, several simple but sturdy sheds were finally built. Everyone looked at their "masterpieces" and felt a little comforted. As night fell, everyone returned to the shed to rest. Although the conditions were difficult, at this special moment, the residents of the courtyard felt each other's warmth and strength. At night, the moonlight sprinkled on the ruins of the courtyard, and people's whispers could be heard from the shed from time to time.