usatvline Chapter 699 Footsteps
Chapter 699 Footsteps
The Secret Affair in the Siheyuan: Second Aunt and Third Uncle
Deep in the alleys of Beijing, where the walls are mottled by time, there is a courtyard that carries countless fireworks and stories. The days in the courtyard are plain and trivial, and the friendship between neighbors continues in the daily bumps and bruises. However, under the calm appearance, an unknown secret affair is quietly playing out in a corner of the courtyard. The second aunt is middle-aged, and although her face has been marked by years, she is still a bit gentle. Her husband is away for business all year round and rarely comes home. The house is empty, and loneliness follows her as time goes by. The second aunt lives in the west room of the courtyard. She gets along well with her neighbors on weekdays, but when it's late at night, the feeling of loneliness becomes stronger. The third uncle is a retired teacher with a little culture. He has a lot of knowledge, but he is a bit old-fashioned. His wife has a bad temper, and the two often quarrel, and their marriage life is not harmonious. Uncle San lived in the south room of the courtyard. In addition to chatting with neighbors about books, he spent most of his time alone. One summer evening, the hot air filled every corner of the courtyard. Aunt Er was washing clothes in the yard, and her clothes were soaked with sweat. Uncle San happened to pass by and saw Aunt Er scrubbing clothes with great effort. He felt a little sorry for her and stepped forward to help. "Second sister, it's so hot today. You are so tired to be busy alone. Let me help you." Uncle San said with a smile. Aunt Er looked up, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, and then she smiled gratefully: "Oh, Uncle San, that's too much trouble for you." Since then, the two have gradually interacted more and more. Uncle San often helps Aunt Er with some hard work, and Aunt Er will make some snacks for Uncle San. Every time the second aunt came, the third uncle would always warmly invite her to sit in the house. The two chatted from time to time, from family matters to poetry and songs. Unconsciously, a different kind of emotion quietly grew in their hearts. At first, they just enjoyed the time with each other and didn't think much about it. But as time went by, every time they met, the throbbing in their hearts became stronger. On a rainy day, the rain was knocking on the eaves of the courtyard. The roof of the second aunt's house was leaking a little, and she was anxiously looking for something to get water. The third uncle heard the noise and hurried over to help. The two were busy in the small house, so close that they could feel each other's breathing. Inadvertently, their hands touched each other, and the electric shock-like feeling instantly spread throughout their bodies. They looked at each other, their eyes full of panic and shyness, but with a hint of indescribable desire. From then on, their relationship became subtle. The third uncle would sneak into the second aunt's house while his wife went out to buy groceries. The two of them spoke in soft voices, and their eyes met, full of tenderness. The second aunt would also keep the door open for the third uncle at night when her husband was not at home, waiting for his arrival. They carefully maintained this relationship, fearing that they would be discovered by other people in the courtyard. However, the truth will come out. Late one night, the third uncle went to the second aunt's house as usual. He walked through the yard quietly, and just as he walked to the second aunt's house and was about to knock on the door, he heard footsteps in the yard. It turned out that the first aunt got up at night, and the third uncle was so scared that he hid in a corner aside, not daring to breathe. When the first aunt passed by the second aunt's house, she seemed to notice something. She looked at the second aunt's house in confusion, and then turned and left. The third uncle and the second aunt were frightened by this sudden change, and they realized that they could not continue such a sneaky life. But both of them were deeply trapped in this relationship and could not extricate themselves. Uncle San began to think about how to be with Aunt Er openly. He even thought about divorcing his wife, but he was afraid to face the gossip of the neighbors. Aunt Er was also in a dilemma. On the one hand, she enjoyed the time with Uncle San, and on the other hand, she was worried that her husband would find out about it when he came back. In entanglement and pain, they continued to maintain this secret relationship. But as time went by, their behavior became more and more difficult to conceal. Uncle San would unconsciously lose his focus when chatting with his neighbors, and his eyes would always drift to Aunt Er's house. Aunt Er also became a little guilty when facing other neighbors, and her smile seemed a little unnatural. Finally, on a sunny afternoon, the tranquility of the courtyard was completely broken. Uncle San's wife accidentally discovered the correspondence between Uncle San and Aunt Er, and the content of the letter made her furious. She rushed to the yard with the letter and yelled at the second aunt and the third uncle: "You two shameless things actually did such a thing that is immoral!" For a while, everyone in the courtyard gathered around, and everyone was stunned by the scene. The second aunt was pale, lowered her head, and dared not look at the eyes of the crowd. The third uncle blushed and wanted to explain, but he didn't know where to start. The accusations of the crowd came one after another, and the second aunt and the third uncle felt as if they were in hell. After this incident, the second aunt and the third uncle became the focus of everyone's discussion in the courtyard. After the second aunt's husband learned about this, he hurried back and had a big fight with the second aunt, and finally the two divorced. The third uncle's family was also broken, and he and his wife also parted ways. After leaving the courtyard, the second aunt and the third uncle lived a new life. Although they are no longer pointed at by their neighbors, the guilt and pain in their hearts always accompany them. They understand that their momentary impulse not only hurt the people around them, but also made them fall into endless regret. After experiencing this incident, the neighbors in the courtyard also gained a deeper understanding of life and understood the complexity of emotions and the impermanence of life. This secret love affair has become an unknown painful memory in the courtyard, and as time goes by, it has gradually been sealed in the corner of the years.
But she also understood that feelings cannot be forced. She gradually returned to her previous life, but occasionally when she saw Zhao Yang, her heart would still ripple. And Zhao Yang, still living his own life, working hard, but whenever he thought of Qin Huairu's kindness to him, a warm feeling would always surge in his heart. In this alley full of fireworks, this story has gradually become a memory occasionally talked about among neighbors, and as time goes by, it slowly settles in the long river of time.