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

"Sister, just stay here and relax. After the New Year, Dazhuang will be going to Beijing, and he'll definitely need your help," Qin Xueru added.

"I really have to trouble you, sister. I've got my new clothes sorted out! And without even spending a penny."

Seeing that the young couple said so, I felt at ease.

Qin Huairu looked at Niu Dazhuang: "Yes, he should have some decent clothes. People in Beijing can't just wear cotton-padded jackets and trousers."

"We're all family, Dazhuang, just buy the fabric and give it to me, I'll make it for you!"

The snow outside was falling heavier and heavier, probably half a foot thick, but inside it was warm as spring, and the two young women had rosy cheeks.

"Xue Ru, it's much cheaper in the countryside. At least you don't have to pay for firewood or water. In Beijing, nobody would use a brazier like this. I'm getting a little hot." As she spoke, Qin Huairu unbuttoned the collar of her floral-patterned coat.

Her swan-like neck was exposed.

"Sis, are you hot? Let's make hemp rope!"

"Fine, you know, with this heavy snow, why isn't your husband staying home?" It turned out that Niu Dazhuang had gone out after finishing his meal.

"He can't stay still! He stopped bothering me as soon as you came, otherwise, if I had nothing to do at home all day, he'd keep me up at night. Is my husband this clingy too?"

"Men are all like children. Your brother-in-law is weak and loves to play, but he's not as strong as your man. When we first got married, he was always clinging to me. Later, he almost became unrecognizable."

The child's grandmother didn't say her son was bad-looking; instead, she called me a vixen and forcibly dragged her son to sleep in the outer room.

"Hehe... Sis, your mother-in-law is really meddlesome!"

"Absolutely! Now my mother-in-law is in charge, and Xue Ru is living a comfortable life. Without her mother-in-law controlling her, she can do whatever she wants!"

Qin Xueru took a few rolls of hemp, pulled up her cotton trousers to reveal her snow-white calves, and began to twist hemp rope.

Qin Huairu did the same thing again, and the two sisters started twisting hemp rope.

"Well, it's less troublesome without a mother-in-law to keep an eye on things, but just like that, Dazhuang has no parents to look after him, so he can do whatever he wants, and I can't control him."

"Why doesn't he discuss things with you when he has something to say?"

"I want to discuss it, but I'm not confident."

"Oh, I see. You didn't want him to go to Beijing, but you had no choice but to go along with it."

Qin Xueru didn't deny it, but said guiltily, "Sister, is it because I can never satisfy him? He..."

"Really? You seem to have adapted by now, don't you?"

"I've gotten used to it, and I can understand the feeling of flying that you guys were talking about, but... he can tell that he's never really satisfied."

"Is he seeing someone else?"

"I don't think so, sis. To be honest, even if he really is seeing someone else, I can accept it. It's just that my body isn't strong enough. As long as he's sincere towards me, that's enough."

"You have a happy problem; if word got out, countless women would envy you!"

"If only it were before, I could have arranged a concubine for him, and he would have been happy, and I would have been at ease too."

The two sisters chatted sweetly, and time flew by. It was getting dark outside, and Niu Dazhuang returned.

When Niu Dazhuang returned, he didn't go inside but instead swept snow outside.

Qin Xueru and her sister waited until they had finished preparing the meal before calling him to eat dinner.

"This snow is really heavy, it's over a foot thick!" Niu Dazhuang had never seen such heavy snow in his previous life.

"Sister, don't rush back either. It's not safe to walk on mountain paths with this much snow!"

"Dazhuang, can you at least have a fixed way of addressing my sister? Don't keep calling her 'her sister' one minute and 'the child's aunt' the next. We don't have children yet!"

"Hehe, then I'll call you 'sister' too, whatever you say!" Niu Dazhuang said shamelessly.

"Whatever it's called, just don't keep changing it!"

"Okay, from now on you'll be my sister. Have you warmed the wine yet?"

"No, you can drink it yourself tonight. We won't drink anymore. We've been indoors all day, and it's not cold!"

"Drinking alone is called drinking alone. My wives, you don't need to drink too much. Just have a small cup each to keep me company."

"You're making a fuss. If you want a drink, go get it from the hostess's room yourself. I didn't heat the wine for you."

Niu Dazhuang turned around and went to the servant's room. He returned with half a pot of baijiu, poured the water from the thermos into a large bowl, and then put the small wine pot into the hot water.

"The dishes tonight were cooked by my sister, they smell amazing, you should try them."

"With so much oil, any dish will smell delicious," Qin Huairu said politely.

"Sister Huairu, according to you, the restaurant's chef should go home and tend the fire and hold his kids! You guys eat too."

Niu Dazhuang touched the wine pot; the temperature was just right. He filled a cup for each of the three men.

Qin Huairu was cunning; each time, she would only dab a little wine on her lips, and then, when they weren't looking, she would pour the cup of wine onto the ground.

After dinner and cleaning up the dishes, Qin Huairu still didn't see Xue Ru getting sleepy, and a thought began to linger in her mind: "Am I overthinking this?"

The three of them surrounded a large bamboo basket and started shelling corn kernels...

"Dazhuang, what are you planning to do in Beijing?" The three chatted idly while working.

"I haven't thought it through yet, but I really don't want to farm anymore!" It wasn't that Niu Dazhuang was unwilling to say it; he genuinely hadn't made up his mind.

Niu Dazhuang also felt the pressure. It was almost 57 years ago, and the grain he needed to store was still nowhere in sight. He also didn't have the money to buy a bicycle. Although his uncle had always helped the family a lot, the family's savings had been used up to get married and build a new house.

The original owner wasn't that cunning, nor did she save any money.

"As long as you're not lazy, you won't go hungry even if you carry heavy loads at Qianmen Railway Station!" Qin Huairu suggested.

"We'll see. I'm planning to ask my uncle to use his connections with his comrades to help me find a job."

"It would be best to work in a factory. Look at your brother-in-law, he's a level 3 fitter now, earning 32.5 a month."

This year I can still get one day off a week. The skills assessment will be next year, and then I'll be a level four fitter, and my salary will increase.

"If you get a job in the factory, and your uncle finds you a good mentor, in less than two years, you can bring Xue Ru to Beijing too." Qin Huairu became more talkative when it came to getting a job in the factory, her words brimming with pride.

"My sister is right, Dazhuang, can your uncle help you find a factory job?"

"Try your best." With that, Niu Dazhuang got off the kang (a heated brick bed), went to the outer room, put the embers from the stove into a brazier, and brought it in.

Farmers have their own wisdom about life; burning wood directly not only produces smoke but also generates excessive heat.

First, put the wood in the stove and water in the large iron pot. This way, the wood will burn for a while in the stove, and the smoke will be drawn outside through the chimney. This method can be used to heat the kang (a heated brick bed), boil water, and burn charcoal, achieving multiple benefits in one go.

It's just a little troublesome.

It was hot inside, and they had talked a lot, so it was normal to be thirsty. Niu Dazhuang thoughtfully poured a bowl of brown sugar water for each of them.

After finishing his brown sugar water, Niu Dazhuang said, "I went to the county town today, and I'm quite tired. Let's get some rest."

Qin Xueru yawned as well: "My eyelids are getting heavy too." With that, she took the basket off the table.