Siheyuan: Relieve stress and relieve worries

Chapter 1090 Discovery at Dawn
The courtyard at No. 95 is slowly becoming old and worn. Liu Guangqi's scandal has been over for some time, but only Liu and his wife are still immersed in it and haven't gotten over their pain. The other neighbors are going about their business as usual.

The children were on holiday, and there were more people in the yard during the day. Qin Huairu got up early to wash the children's clothes. She was about to give birth and couldn't touch cold water.

She was in an exceptionally good mood today because it was her birthday. She was humming a little tune while washing clothes, and a happy expression on her face made it clear to everyone that she was in a good mood.

The door to the main room opened, and Sha Zhu came out with his toiletries and a worn-out towel draped over his shoulder. As soon as he reached the sink, Sha Zhu stopped moving.

Qin Huairu had sensed Sha Zhu coming out, but she didn't pay much attention. However, after a while, there was no movement from that side, so Qin Huairu turned her head curiously to look. As soon as she turned around, she saw Sha Zhu staring straight at her.

Qin Huairu wondered if something was wrong with her clothes, so she looked herself up and down but couldn't find anything amiss. Suddenly, she realized what was going on, turned around, and asked, "Silly Zhu, what are you staring at like that?"

Startled by Qin Huairu's words, Sha Zhu hurriedly said, "No, nothing." The morning sunlight had shone on the edge of the pool and reflected on Qin Huairu's face, instantly captivating him. Qin Huairu was not ugly to begin with, and even had some beauty. Coupled with her smile and the mist rising from the pool, Sha Zhu was instantly mesmerized. He felt that the most beautiful woman in the world was right there by the pool.

Once he came to his senses, Sha Zhu picked up his toothbrush and started brushing his teeth, asking as he brushed, "Sister Qin, why are you so happy today?"

Qin Huairu smiled shyly and said, "Isn't it okay to be happy? Look at you, so silly. Let me tell you, today is my birthday."

"Really? That's a day worth celebrating! We should have something good to eat tonight!" As expected of a chef, Sha Zhu brought up food in just three sentences.

Upon hearing Sha Zhu's words, Qin Huairu's face first froze, then turned very ugly. She said somewhat flusteredly, "No, you know my family's situation. What would we use to celebrate? Besides, my mother-in-law definitely won't allow it. I... I'd better not."

Qin Huairu's mood instantly plummeted. She began to recall many things. When she first came to the city, she was full of expectations for the future. After a blind date, she married Jia Dongxu, and her expectations turned into numbness. Later, she began to regret it. Then, in the second year of her marriage, someone entered her heart. The man from the next courtyard rode a rickshaw and took her around to eat and stroll through the alleys. At that time, Qin Huairu was conflicted.

After that, she no longer needed to worry. The man named Wang Wenyuan disappeared with his whole family. She was devastated for a long time, and then she resigned herself to her fate. But fate did not let her go. Her mother-in-law's domineering nature and wrong decisions often left her hungry.

Her husband became addicted to gambling, then reformed, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape his fate. Finally, with Jia Dongxu's departure, she went from a young woman to a widow. So, celebrating her birthday, whether at home or outside, was a luxury for her. She was heartbroken and lamented the injustice of fate.

Sha Zhu was stunned. He watched helplessly as Sister Qin, who had been cheerful just moments before, turned into someone silently shedding tears after exchanging a few words with him. He slapped himself and said, "Sister Qin, what's wrong with you? What did I say wrong? I apologize. Please don't cry."

Qin Huairu ignored him and continued washing Banggeng's clothes silently. Shazhu suddenly remembered what Yi Zhonghai had said about the Jia family's impending doom. They didn't have enough food, and the family was in dire straits with elderly members, pregnant women, and young children.

Sha Zhu realized he had brought up the very thing he didn't want to talk about. He said to Qin Huairu, "Sister Qin, don't be angry with me. Don't worry, I'll take care of dinner tonight. I guarantee four dishes, all of them with meat. Just wait at home."

After Sha Zhu finished speaking, he turned around and ran towards his home. He was scared too. Luckily, no one was in the courtyard just now. If someone had seen him, he would have been terribly embarrassed.

Qin Huairu was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and muttered softly, "The children are in for a treat tonight."

The courtyard house went from tranquility to noise, then to chaos, in less than an hour. After that, people gradually left their homes and went to work. Yan Bugui was always the last to arrive. He would stand at the gate, fiddling with something, greeting people with a smile, until the courtyard gradually quieted down again. Only then would Yan Bugui mysteriously return to his own home.

Yang Ruihua was tidying up the table when the two rascals ran off. Only Yan Jiedi sat obediently to one side, holding half a pancake in her hand.

Yan Bugui was taken aback and asked, "Where did these flatbreads come from? Oh, they're made of pure cornmeal. I didn't see them when we were eating earlier."

Yang Ruihua chuckled and said, "Who told you to run out right after you finished eating? Yan Jiekuang only said when we were almost done that his classmate had given him two pancakes, which he had forgotten about. So we took them out and shared them with everyone."

Yan Bugui was suddenly in a bad mood, feeling like he had lost a lot of money, but then he remembered his discovery and put the matter of the pancakes out of his mind. He pulled Yang Ruihua aside and said, "Do you know what I found?"

"What? It's going to rain cornbread from the sky?" Yang Ruihua teased Yan Bugui.

"If only that were the case. Are you even listening? You keep interrupting me," Yan Bugui said.

"Alright, go ahead, I'm listening," Yang Ruihua said, but she didn't put down her work.

Yan Bugui whispered, "I noticed that Sha Zhu brought four big lunchboxes to work today, all of them the largest kind, the two-pound aluminum lunchboxes. I remember his dad used them only when he was alive."

"What's the big deal? Maybe a coworker asked him to bring it," Yang Ruihua said dismissively.

"Tch, all talk and no action. What is Sha Zhu like at the steel mill? He's a tyrant. Who would dare ask him for anything? I bet he'll get a special meal tonight, looks like a big feast," Yan Bugui said.

Upon hearing this, Yang Ruiping realized that his father's words did make some sense, but he still said, "Even if there were, what would it have to do with you? You can't eat it anyway. You always get embarrassed by Sha Zhu's words. Don't you ever learn?"

"Don't worry, I'll think about it carefully. I have a brilliant plan. I'll get ready to eat meat tonight," Yan Bugui said with a sly smile.

"Eat meat, eat meat!" Yan Jiedi, who had been sitting silently to the side, suddenly shouted.

Yang Ruihua patted her daughter's head and said, "If there's meat, I'll definitely give it to my daughter. Sit still and behave."

Yang Ruihua originally wanted to advise Yan Bugui not to cause trouble, but seeing the longing look in her daughter's eyes, she shut her mouth and let Yan Bugui do as he pleased; what if it worked out?

(End of this chapter)