Courtyard houses: Those who are capable are rewarded, and many children bring many blessings.

Ye Chunlan stopped at the supply and marketing cooperative at the entrance of Nanluoguxiang Hutong, went in and bought more than a dozen sour candies, put them in her pocket, pushed her bicycle to No. 95 courtyard, and locked the bicycle to the wooden utility pole opposite the gate with an iron chain.

After entering the large courtyard, I went straight into the middle courtyard. Judging from the familiar layout, it was definitely not my first time here.

Upon entering the courtyard, each child running and playing in the yard was given a piece of candy.

"Comrade Ye is here, please have a seat!" An older woman gestured for Ye Chunlan to sit down.

Aunt Guan from the east courtyard quickly came over, smiling broadly, and said, "Comrade Ye, my Dawei hasn't been beating his wife lately."

Ye Chunlan smiled politely: "I didn't come here today for your family matters. I'm off today and just came to take a stroll." As she spoke, she glanced at Qin Huairu and her sister not far away.

"Oh, is that so? You two chat then." Aunt Guan quickly hid.

Seeing Ye Chunlan looking at her, Qin Huairu smiled and greeted her warmly, "Comrade Ye is here! Come visit our compound anytime!"

Ye Chunlan couldn't find a reason, so she ignored the old lady and grabbed a small stool to go over.

"I had a great chat with you guys last time, so I shamelessly came over again today since I'm off work."

"Look at what you're saying. Anyway, we're both free. In Beijing, we're practically from the same hometown. Our families aren't from the same commune, but they're not far apart!"

"That's true. My third sister married into Niujiazhuang in your commune, but unfortunately, she had bad luck. Her husband died not two years after she got married, and now she's come to live with me."

Upon hearing "Niujiazhuang," Xue Ru, who had been silent until now, chimed in: "What a coincidence! My husband is from Niujiazhuang."

Ye Chunlan thought to herself, "This is exactly what I was looking for, how could it not be a coincidence!"

With this as a pretext, the three chatted more and more intimately... until the sun was almost setting, Ye Chunlan said, "Huai Ru, Xue Ru, if you rest any longer, I'll invite you to my house! You can't refuse!"

"Okay, come visit us next time you have a day off, we'll definitely come!" The Qin family even saw them off at the gate.

Ye Chunlan had her own plans. Unlike Ye Chunmei, she wasn't naive. Now that things had come to this point, she definitely wanted to fight for her silly younger sister.

Today, I heard that Qin Xueru's younger sister is also coming. Calling her sister over at this crucial time of her pregnancy, and thinking about Da Zhuang's beast of a horse, she just got a severe lesson from Niu Da Zhuang. I don't need to guess what happened.

Considering Qin Xueru's pretty face and her irresistible figure, her sister must be just as stunning.

Ye Chunlan felt a chill in her heart. Compared to the two sisters, the figures and faces that she and her sister were so proud of were not at all superior. The only thing they could boast about was their money.

But Dazhuang doesn't seem to be short of money, which makes things a bit tricky...

While Niu Dazhuang was at home having dinner, Qin Huairu and her sister told him about Ye Chunlan.

"Dazhuang, isn't this a bit of a coincidence?" Qin Xueru said happily.

Niu Dazhuang frowned slightly and agreed, "It's quite a coincidence. We're from the same hometown, so it's good for us to get to know each other better."

After putting down his rice bowl, Niu Dazhuang told him not to leave the door open for him that night, and then went to the backyard.

Whenever Niu Dazhuang came back, he would check in with the old man. If there was nothing else to do, he would stay a while longer; if there was something else to do, he would keep the old man company while he smoked cigarettes.

"Big Bear, I've got you guys a job. It's still about surveillance. Tomorrow, go to No. 8 Baimi Hutong near Shichahai and find a man in his fifties..." Niu Dazhuang explained Ma Xingbang's characteristics to the three of them.

"Take a small notebook and write down his daily routine. Also, find out who's in his family."

"Yes, sir! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"

Having settled things here, Niu Dazhuang rode his bicycle to find Ye Chunlan. He knew this young woman, who had been a capitalist's concubine, was not honest, and he would have to resort to family discipline tonight.

Ye Chunmei was surprised to see Dazhuang arrive so early, but before she could even feel happy, Dazhuang pulled her second sister into the house and went straight to her...

Niu Dazhuang only stopped after Ye Chunlan fainted.

Ye Chunmei was stunned; she had never seen Dazhuang so fierce before.

"Da...Dazhuang, what happened?"

"Ask your second sister when she wakes up!" he said, getting off the kang (heated brick bed), going to the main room, pouring himself a glass of water, and taking out a cigarette.

Ye Chunmei followed him out and quickly lit a match for him.

"Dazhuang, let's talk this out. If we don't listen, then you can resort to any more methods. Don't be so violent right away, I'm scared."

Niu Dazhuang's eyes narrowed, and he turned to look at Ye Chunlan: "Do you know about what happened this afternoon?"

Ye Chunmei was bewildered: "What happened this afternoon? I went to work this afternoon! What happened?"

"Your second sister actually went to the compound where I live and chatted enthusiastically with Xue Ru. Don't think I don't know what she's up to."

"Ah, I really didn't know about this, but Dazhuang, you have to let my second sister explain a couple of things! Maybe it's not what you think?"

Niu Dazhuang finished his cigarette, and Ye Chunlan should be awake by now.

"Don't you believe me? Let's go ask her." The two returned to the east room.

Ye Chunlan was silently shedding tears; her once bright and clear eyes had now lost their luster. She stared helplessly at the ceiling.

This terrified Ye Chunmei: "Sister, sister,..."

Seeing her like this, Niu Dazhuang also felt a little regretful.

"Dazhuang... Niu Dazhuang, you're even more ruthless than that old man! You're trying to kill me! I did go to see Qin Xueru, but I had no other intentions than to see you, my legal wife!"

"Chunlan, I was a little out of control just now. I apologize. I know what you're thinking, and you don't need to make excuses."

If you're not happy with the current situation, you can tell me, and we can part ways. This is the last time.

Ye Chunmei grabbed Niu Dazhuang's arm and asked, "What exactly are you two talking about? Can you explain yourselves clearly?"

"Your sister has ulterior motives; she wants me to make you her official wife."

"Oh, how could that be? She just went to see your wife, didn't she?"

"She's not as naive as you. She even invited Xue Ru over as a guest. What do you think she's thinking? Is it still out of sisterly affection?"

Ye Chunlan never expected that Dazhuang would be so meticulous. Since her thoughts had been exposed, she decided to take one last gamble.

She cried even harder, and deliberately kicked the blanket covering her body down with her legs, half-covering herself, and sobbed as she said:

"Chunmei is no less beautiful or has a better figure than Qin Xueru. Chunmei is also devoted to you, so why can't she be the main wife? What's wrong with me, as the second sister, advocating for her?"

Niu Dazhuang gave a cold laugh: "Don't try to use the tricks you learned at Ma Xingbang's house on me. I won't fall for it. It's not that Chunmei is bad, nor that she's unfit to be my legal wife."

It's just that we met at the wrong time! The same goes for you, Chunlan. You're a good woman too, but unfortunately, we met at the wrong time!