Courtyard Houses: Starting with the principle of hard work paying off

Chapter 178 Li Hongbing: Sha Zhu, I'm not your father!
early morning.

Li Hongbing woke up from his sleep and looked at Chen Xueru, who was still fast asleep beside him, and a smile appeared on his face.

He was up until late last night and didn't get much rest, but Li Hongbing is in good physical condition and has already recovered and doesn't feel very tired.

Because of the cold weather, everyone got up to cook much later than usual, but they gradually started cooking around this time.

With his beloved by his side, Li Hongbing did not get up as usual to go out for morning exercise. Instead, he turned around, hugged Chen Xueru, and went back to sleep.

this moment.

The spring night is short and the day is high, and since then the king will not go to court early.

In the midst of his joyous new marriage, Li Hongbing also indulged in a moment of decadence.

At that time, there was no statutory marriage leave. However, after becoming a senior cook in the kitchen, Li Hongbing's weekly rest time was not the same as that of an ordinary worker who only had one day off every seven days.

Apprentices and odd-job workers have no choice but to accept the best treatment, whether it's salary or other benefits, as the head chef of the kitchen team.

In addition, Fengzeyuan has many master chefs in its kitchen. Unless it is peak season or holidays when they are too busy, they do not need to work all the staff. They take turns to rest, which is much more frequent.

Chen Limin, the manager of Fengzeyuan, granted Li Hongbing a special three-day leave. Including his normal rest days, Li Hongbing wouldn't have to go to work for several days in a row and could relax at home.

After a while, when Chen Xueru slowly woke up, she felt Li Hongbing's hands around her, and a bright blush instantly rose on her cheeks.

Recalling everything that happened last night, Chen Xueru carefully turned to the side and looked at Li Hongbing, who was facing her, her heart filled with endless shyness and love.

"woke up?"

Just as Chen Xueru was admiring Li Hongbing's handsome face with tenderness, Li Hongbing suddenly opened his eyes and said to her with a smile.

"When did you wake up?"

Their eyes met, and Chen Xueru was suddenly startled, her heart filled with endless panic, like a frightened little white rabbit with nowhere to escape.

Last night, although the two had officially taken the final step, and Chen Xueru gradually opened up under Li Hongbing's initiative, everything was done in the dark since the lights were off.

Even though it was broad daylight and they were covered by blankets, partially obscuring each other, Chen Xueru still found it hard to adjust to such openness.

"It's been a while."

Li Hongbing answered casually, but seeing Chen Xueru's nervous and shy expression, he couldn't help but add, "Just a little earlier than you!"

These words made Chen Xueru blush to her ears.

Faced with the stunningly beautiful Chen Xueru, Li Hongbing couldn't help but have another idea and expressed his respect through his actions.

"Wait..."

Sensing Li Hongbing's unusual movement, Chen Xueru was immediately frightened and pleaded, "It's already dawn, please...please wait until tonight...okay?"

Li Hongbing was really amazing last night; she still hasn't recovered.

"What are you thinking about?..."

People outside are already up, and those who need to go to work have already left home; it's obviously not a good time for them to do that kind of thing.

Moreover, Chen Xueru was a virgin, and Li Hongbing was not one to be ungrateful.

Li Hongbing's explanation made Chen Xueru's ears turn bright red once again.

Li Hongbing hugged Chen Xueru and kissed her. Afraid that she would feel embarrassed, he stopped teasing her and said directly, "Rest a little longer, I'll go cook for you."

talking.

Li Hongbing then got out of bed and began to get dressed.

Chen Xueru, who had glanced at the scene subconsciously, suddenly felt her heart race and quickly looked away in a panic, no longer daring to look around.

After Li Hongbing left and the door was closed again, Chen Xueru did not continue to sleep. Instead, she endured the pain, got up, and started looking for her clothes.

After getting dressed, Chen Xueru carefully folded the white silk cloth with plum blossom patterns on the bed and put it away in the closet.

From today onwards, she has another identity: she is now officially Li Hongbing's wife.

When Li Hongbing finished cooking and brought the meal over, he found that Chen Xueru had already gotten up and dressed, and was sitting on the edge of the bed. He said directly, "I cooked some porridge and stir-fried two side dishes. It's simple for breakfast. What do you want to eat for lunch? I'll make it for you."

Faced with Li Hongbing's gesture, Chen Xueru felt surrounded by a sense of happiness.

It wasn't that she hadn't eaten Li Hongbing's cooking before, but this was the first time she had ever woken up in the morning and seen the person she loved, and eaten the food that the person she loved had cooked for her. It was a completely different living atmosphere.

Just as Chen Xueru got up to go to the dining table for breakfast, her legs suddenly gave way. Fortunately, Li Hongbing reacted quickly and helped Chen Xueru up to prevent her from falling.

"Are you okay?"

Despite feeling embarrassed and annoyed by Li Hongbing's concern, Chen Xueru gave him a reproachful wink.

After a moment of surprise, Li Hongbing quickly realized what was happening, a hint of smugness on his face.

Although Chen Xueru did not speak, her silent actions spoke louder than a thousand words.

"How about... we go get our marriage certificate tomorrow?"

Thinking of how Chen Xueru had been walking with a limp earlier, Li Hongbing felt sorry for her and couldn't help but say, "You should rest well at home today. Anyway, we've already gotten married and had a banquet in the yard, so one or two more days won't make a difference."

Although he and Chen Xueru have not yet completed the marriage registration process, they have already consummated their marriage. Li Hongbing is not worried that Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu will do something bad and secretly report him.

If they didn't get a marriage certificate, didn't hold a banquet, and didn't even give out wedding candy to relatives and neighbors, but still slept in the same bed, it might give them some leverage.

Both Li Hongbing and Chen Xueru had already obtained letters of introduction from their work units and neighborhood committees in advance. It was only because yesterday was New Year's Day that the marriage registration staff were not working, so the process of obtaining the marriage certificate was delayed by a day or two.

It's only a day or two later.

Moreover, they held a public wedding ceremony and banquet, and have already gained a recognized status among the public.

The public and the general public agree that even the authorities, as long as the age requirement is met and there are no other circumstances such as coercion or forced arrangements, will not deliberately make things difficult; at most, they will just ask for an additional procedure.

Unless Jia Dongxu and Yi Zhonghai have lost their minds, they would do such a thing.

Not only would they fail to retaliate, but they would also completely offend Li Hongbing and be despised and condemned by the residents of the compound and even by everyone who knew them.

Even if there was a previous conflict, this behavior is no longer an act of revenge, but rather a display of one's superior intelligence.

"I'll see this afternoon. I want to get the marriage certificate as soon as possible."

Although they were already married, a marriage certificate was just as important as a marriage certificate, but they weren't in such a hurry anymore. However, Chen Xueru was still a little impatient and wanted to get it as soon as possible.

With this certificate, they were finally able to complete all the steps of getting married.

Hearing Chen Xueru say this, Li Hongbing didn't say anything more.

Because walking was difficult, Chen Xueru was afraid that people in the courtyard would laugh at her, so she stayed indoors to rest and didn't go out.

Despite her usual eloquence, quick wit, and business acumen, she was still somewhat embarrassed in this kind of situation, especially as a new bride.

By the afternoon, Chen Xueru's condition had improved somewhat. At Chen Xueru's request, Li Hongbing had no choice but to take the household registration book and letter of introduction, which were the materials needed to obtain a marriage certificate, and push his bicycle out the door.

Over the past two or three years, Chen Xueru has also learned Baduanjin from Li Hongbing and has been consistently practicing. Although the results are not as good as Li Hongbing's, her physical condition is much better than most people, so her recovery speed is also slightly faster.

It was mainly because it was the first time, plus last night's activities had been quite intense. "Hongbing, Xueru, are you going out?"

"Go out for a walk."

"Xueru, good afternoon!"

"Hello, Aunt Yan!"

Where are you planning to go for a drive?

"Just wander around aimlessly."

"..."

Li Hongbing didn't mention that he and Chen Xueru were going to get their marriage certificate. Although this wasn't a secret, anyone who paid attention could guess that they hadn't had time to get their certificate yesterday.

This is something that everyone can understand without saying it aloud.

Aunt Yan and Aunt Yang didn't ask any more questions. They just looked at Chen Xueru, who was following Li Hongbing, and saw that her walking posture was still a little unnatural. As experienced people, they couldn't help but exchange a knowing glance and smiles.

It didn't snow today, but it's still quite cold at the end of the year.

The couple went to the marriage registration office in the district. Because they had done their research and preparation in advance, and there weren't many people getting their marriage certificates that day, the process and the result went smoothly without any unexpected or unpleasant situations.

At that time, marriage certificates were somewhat similar to paper certificates of merit, without photos, and were written in traditional Chinese characters in vertical format, featuring patterns such as the national flag, five-pointed stars, doves of peace, and ears of wheat.

Currently, traditional Chinese characters are still widely used. The timing of the promotion of simplified Chinese characters in China is quite coincidental. It will begin at the end of this month when the "Simplified Chinese Character Scheme" is officially approved and announced.

Do you want me to keep your marriage certificate for you?

Seeing Chen Xueru holding her marriage certificate and looking at it several times, seemingly reluctant to part with it, Li Hongbing couldn't help but ask her.

The reason for asking this question is that at this time, if a marriage certificate is lost or damaged, it cannot be reissued; only a certificate of marital relationship can be issued. Li Hongbing has system space, so he doesn't need to worry about these issues at all.

"No, I want to keep mine."

Chen Xueru refused without hesitation.

She'll definitely keep something this important safe, and she'll take it out to look at it from time to time.

It would be too embarrassing for her to have to ask Li Hongbing every time she wants to watch something in the future.

Li Hongbing smiled and didn't insist any further.

He was just asking casually.

After having system space, Li Hongbing got into the habit of storing all his important things in it, which was obviously safer and more worry-free, and also more convenient to find when he wanted to.

After receiving the marriage certificate, Li Hongbing didn't stay outside for long, since it was cold outside and Chen Xueru still had some difficulty moving around.

……

evening.

Sha Zhu, who had just returned from get off work, happened to see Li Hongbing cooking in the kitchen all by himself, and couldn't help but walk in.

"Hongbing, are you cooking?"

Seeing Sha Zhu rush in, Li Hongbing was stunned for a moment, then asked directly, "Sha Zhu, what's wrong?"

If it were a chance encounter outside, Li Hongbing would definitely not ask such a question. But this is his own kitchen. Although he wasn't forbidden from coming in, it's impossible that Sha Zhu suddenly ran in just to say hello.

If that's the case, then Sha Zhu is far too idle and bored.

"Um... I just wanted to say hello."

Seeing Li Hongbing get straight to the point, Sha Zhu awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

Seeing this, Li Hongbing glanced at Sha Zhu but didn't say anything.

Sha Zhu didn't leave. After hesitating for a moment, seeing that Li Hongbing didn't continue talking to him, he couldn't help but say, "Hongbing, actually I came to ask you about something."

"Oh?"

This was the first time Li Hongbing had seen Sha Zhu act like this, as if he needed something from him. He couldn't help but ask, "What do you want to know?"

"I wanted to ask if your wife has any older or younger sisters, cousins, or anything like that—someone who isn't married yet and doesn't have a boyfriend. They're around my age, but a little older or younger is fine..."

Hearing Sha Zhu's obviously pointed question, Li Hongbing would be a fool if he still didn't understand Sha Zhu's purpose. He frowned and said, "You're trying to find yourself a partner, aren't you?"

"I have this idea, but I just haven't found the right one. That's why I was thinking of asking you and your wife to introduce me to someone. After all, you know a lot of people, so maybe you'll find someone suitable."

Now that Li Hongbing had seen through his thoughts, Sha Zhu stopped hiding and directly revealed his true intentions.

Since learning that Li Hongbing was getting married, especially after Li Hongbing and Chen Xueru got married yesterday, Sha Zhu has also started to take his own marriage seriously, but he hasn't found anyone suitable yet.

Given Sha Zhu's social circle and so-called connections, the total number of women he's met outside of his circle is less than the number on one hand.

There were hardly any women in either the kitchen of Emei Restaurant or the canteen of the steel mill.

Some of those guys, even Sha Zhu wouldn't consider.

As for the internal employees of the steel rolling mill, the number of female employees is already small, so it is even more difficult to find someone who meets the criteria for "Silly Zhu".

But when Sha Zhu is looking for a partner, his first requirement is that she be good-looking.

The reason we came here today is mainly because we're eyeing Li Hongbing, or to put it more directly, Chen Xueru's resources.

Given Chen Xueru's looks, if she had an older or younger sister, she would definitely be just as beautiful, or even a cousin. That's why Sha Zhu had his eye on her.

If this really happens, I'll become relatives with Li Hongbing, and our relationship will be even better than it is now, which would be even more joyous.

"Silly Zhu, you might be disappointed."

After understanding Sha Zhu's plan, Li Hongbing shook his head and refused directly, saying, "My mother-in-law's family only has one daughter, my wife. As for the Chen family relatives, the relationship hasn't been very good in recent years. Even if there are suitable candidates, we can't help you introduce them. We can't help with this."

Although his relationship with Sha Zhu is okay now, Li Hongbing has no intention of playing matchmaker for Sha Zhu, let alone introducing Chen Xueru's relatives to him. That would obviously be asking for trouble.

Not only would it be a thankless task, but even if it succeeded in the end, it wouldn't bring any benefit to oneself.

Putting aside the fact that Chen Xueru and her mother don't have a harmonious relationship with Chen's relatives, Li Hongbing doesn't want to be related to Sha Zhu.

Although the deaf old lady has already passed away, and Sha Zhu has severed ties with Yi Zhonghai and the Jia family, He Daqing has now returned, so it is destined that he will no longer have any involvement with them.

But Sha Zhu's temperament in looking for a wife remained unchanged.

In the eyes of a matchmaker, Sha Zhu was basically the kind of person who was difficult to please.

"Red Soldier, no!"

Upon hearing Li Hongbing's direct refusal, Sha Zhu, who had come full of expectations, became anxious and hurriedly said, "Our relationship isn't bad now, is it? This is about the most important thing in my life, my happiness. You have to help me. If it works out, I, Sha Zhu, will be grateful to you for the rest of my life."

Faced with Sha Zhu's attempt to curry favor, Li Hongbing immediately retorted, "Sha Zhu, I can't help with this. You should ask your dad! I'm neither a matchmaker nor your father. Your important life events should be arranged by your father. What's the point of asking me?"

(End of this chapter)