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

Qin Ningru, though young, was quite shrewd. She quickly changed the subject, saying, "Sis, you're married, but you don't look any different!"

"How can it be that nothing's changed! You'll understand when you get married!"

"Hmph! It's just that little thing! Why all the secrecy?" Qin Ningru said dismissively.

"You little brat, you're getting more and more outrageous! Hurry up and start the fire! Scald the chicken, pluck its feathers!"

These days, people can't bear to throw away chicken feathers; they save them up to make feather dusters.

After cleaning and preparing the chicken, Qin's mother set it aside and started washing the pot and cooking the rice. There was only one large pot in the house, so she had to cook the staple food first, then stew the vegetables.

Qinjiawa has irrigated land, so they can get rice, which is better than Niujiazhuang. Niujiazhuang only has dry land, so rice is a rare treat for the people of Niujiazhuang!

When the new son-in-law visited for the first time, instead of cooking rice, he cooked two bowls of rice.

Once the rice is cooked, scoop it into a porcelain basin, cover it with a bamboo mat, place it on the kang (heated brick bed) in the inner room, and then cover it with a cotton quilt. This way, the rice will still be warm when you eat it.

In a large iron wok, add a spoonful of lard and sauté it. Then add the chopped chicken pieces and stir-fry until the chicken turns white. Finally, add a head of cabbage...

The chicken stew with cabbage was almost ready when Qin's father returned carrying a shovel.

Xueru quickly poured hot water for her elderly father to wash up.

Qin's father took a towel and dusted himself off: "Dazhuang's here!"

Niu Dazhuang quickly handed over the Daqianmen cigarettes he had bought in Beijing.

Qin's father didn't respond: "I used to smoke a pipe, and now you've learned to smoke too?"

"These days, sometimes when I drive a donkey cart to the county office on business, offering a cigarette makes things easier!" Niu Dazhuang explained.

"Yes, that's true. Take some tobacco leaves with you when you leave; we grow them behind our house!"

"Next spring, I'll plant some big-leafed shrubs behind the house too, so they'll be easier for me to grow!" Niu Dazhuang also wanted to plant some.

When it comes to growing tobacco, Qin's father is quite the expert: "This kind of large-leaf tobacco depends on the soil. In some places, it looks good, but the tobacco that grows isn't very good to smoke..."

"Dinner's ready, come sit on the kang!" Mother Qin called out to everyone as they ate.

Before anyone else had even moved, Qin Ningru kicked off her shoes and climbed onto the kang (heated brick bed).

"You little rascal, how come you don't know any manners? Aren't you afraid your brother-in-law will laugh at you!" Qin's father said with a chuckle.

"Brother-in-law is no outsider either!" Qin Ningru was the youngest in the family, so the old couple naturally doted on her.

"Ningru is right, we're all family, there's no need for so many rules." Niu Dazhuang wouldn't argue.

Qin's father sat facing south, Ningru and Xueru sat on one side of the kang table, Niu Dazhuang sat to Qin's father's right, and Qin's mother sat on the edge of the kang with her legs turned to the side.

Qin Xueru poured them some warmed sorghum wine.

三杯以后

"Dazhuang, things are different from before. Think things through before you act, don't be so impulsive!"

"You mean when we go hunting in the mountains?"

"Well, although I don't know how to hunt, I know how dangerous these deep mountains and forests are. You have a family to support now, so think about the consequences of everything you do! I'm a little worried about you since you don't have any elderly relatives to look after you."

"Dad, what are you worried about? This is a tradition in their village. Look at my brother-in-law's physique, he'd be unafraid even if a wolf came! Besides, my brother-in-law is the militia captain of our brigade, he's not carrying a fire poker!"

"You talk too much. Hurry up and eat. That's what old people do." Qin's mother couldn't stand it anymore.

While they were drinking, Qin Xueru's three older brothers came over. Qin Xueru and her sister had finished eating and got off the kang (a heated brick bed), and the three brothers, without any ceremony, sat down on the kang.

At this moment, Qin's father spoke up: "You all have to go to work this afternoon, so drink less!" After saying that, he served himself a bowl of rice, poured a spoonful of vegetables on top, and got off the kang (heated brick bed). With his son by his side, it wasn't considered impolite.

"Come on, brother-in-law, let's have a drink first." As the eldest brother, Qin Xueming took the initiative without hesitation.

"Brother-in-law, when you go hunting this year, can I come along? It's so boring clearing land and picking stones all day long." The third brother, Qin Xuefeng, was also someone who couldn't stand being alone.

"Count me in too!" Qin Xueyang, the second oldest, also wanted to join in the fun.

After thinking for a moment, Niu Dazhuang said, "It's inconvenient for the whole village to go together, but if you want to go after we get back, I'll take you separately. Just make sure you prepare your own equipment!"

"What's so difficult about that? The captain is our clan uncle. We can ask him to lend us two or three guns. We'll buy the bullets ourselves."

Qin Xueming, the eldest son, is only twenty-six or twenty-seven years old and already has two children, but his youthful spirit has not completely disappeared.

"Why don't you take me with you!"

At this point, Qin's father couldn't sit still any longer: "Eldest son, you shouldn't get involved!"

"Big brother, just wait at home. If you manage to catch some prey, you'll be well rewarded!" said the third brother, Qin Xuefeng, with great enthusiasm.

From a large country to a small family, when has a crown prince never led troops into battle? In ancient times, the emperor could personally lead an expedition, with the crown prince overseeing the country. It wasn't unheard of for a crown prince to personally lead troops, but it was extremely rare.

The meal didn't end until the work bell rang.

Niu Dazhuang was walking unsteadily.

"Dazhuang, why don't you take a nap before you leave!" It's always the mother-in-law who dotes on her son-in-law.

"No, I'm fine. I have things to do when I get back!"

"Brother-in-law, it's already afternoon. What could you possibly need to go back for? We're worried about you wandering around like this on your way back!"

Qin Xueru was also worried: "Dazhuang, let you stay drunk for a while, sober up a bit before we leave!"

Niu Dazhuang glanced at his wife, whose curvaceous figure blazed with fury, and said firmly, "It's really nothing, my wife's gone!" He then left the house despite his mother-in-law's attempts to stop him.

Niu Dazhuang was genuinely fine. Before figuring out why the original owner of this body had kicked the bucket, he really didn't dare to drink too much.

After leaving Qinjiawa and climbing the mountain ridge, Niu Dazhuang took his wife's hand.

Qin Xueru scolded playfully, "I can tell from your eyes that you're thinking about that again. You said you had things to do at home, but you're just lying through your teeth!"

"Wife, you said I could take a nap at your parents' house. Should I lie on your parents' kang (heated brick bed) or in Ningru's room?"

"That's true! Ningru, that little girl, has been quite attentive to you today! You're not allowed to have any other ideas." Qin Xueru was giving you a heads-up in advance.

Not only did Qin Xueru realize something was wrong, but her mother also noticed. After the couple left, Qin's mother pulled her little girl into the house.

With a serious expression, she said, "Ningru, you're not allowed to be so attentive to your brother-in-law anymore. It's making us a laughingstock!"

"My goodness! It's so hard being the sister-in-law of mine! If I'm not attentive enough, you say I'm being unreasonable; if I'm enthusiastic enough, you criticize me again!" Qin Ningru said, looking completely innocent.