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

Qin Ling nodded: "Now that I'm working, I'm an adult. I'm going to change how I address you from now on. I'll call you Brother Niu, just like Mei Ru and the others do. And you're not allowed to call me Xiao Ling anymore. You have to call me Qin Ling."

After speaking, she blinked her big eyes and stared intently at Niu Dazhuang, waiting for his answer.

Niu Dazhuang rubbed her head with his hand, making her two neatly combed braids a mess.

"Little rascal, don't be in such a hurry, wait a few more years!"

Qinling pouted, grabbed a handful of her hair with both hands, making it even more messy than before. She stomped her feet angrily on the ground a few times: "Hmph! They always say I have to wait a few more years, how many more years do I have to wait?"

"She has to be at least eighteen!"

"You said it yourself, you can't go back on your word later, hey... no, Mom, you be my witness!"

"You don't need your mother to testify. What do you think constitutes 'grown'?" Niu Dazhuang continued to guide the conversation.

Qin Ling straightened her slender waist, puffed out her chest, and glanced at Su Ting: "Look, I'm not shorter than Mom now, I'm even a bit taller. I've grown all the way up, so I'm practically an adult now, aren't I?"

Niu Dazhuang scrutinized Qinling from head to toe: "Nothing's missing, this is what you consider an adult."

Let me share my criteria for judging whether someone is an adult: They understand etiquette, know right from wrong, and are willing to take responsibility. For example, when it comes to housework, do you wash your own clothes? Have you cooked dinner at home on Sundays? That's family responsibility…”

Watching the two talk like this, Su Ting felt comforted, thinking that Niu Dazhuang was no longer the wild bull who only knew how to charge and fight.

They have a whole set of methods for educating children.

Qinling listened to him. This whole thing caused quite a stir.

Niu Dazhuang only had this kind of patience with Qinling. His own little rascals, if they misbehaved, he'd just give them a fluffy duster.

Sons deserve to be disciplined, but Niu Dazhuang has never laid a hand on his daughters. Disciplining a daughter is a matter for their own mother.

The old saying goes that you can tell a person's future from the age of three and their character from the age of seven. After observing my many sons, I can see that it is indeed true.

Some children are born stubborn, like Ye Chunmei's eldest son, Lin Ye'an, who is a representative of this type of child.

The naughtiest of all is Qin Yueru's son, Niu Chengze. Although he's only five years old, he's always chasing chickens and dogs whenever he's home...

Xue Ru's son, Qi Jin (Niu Chengqun), is nine years old this year. How to put it? Niu Dazhuang still hasn't figured him out. He usually seems quiet and unassuming at home, but he is very sensible and helps with housework.

But once he goes out the door, or when he's with his younger siblings, he's the eldest.

His younger brothers were all afraid of him.

The little guy has been strong since he was a child, and he started practicing martial arts with his grandfather when he was just over six years old. He can perform a set of Bajiquan quite well.

After leaving Su Ting's house, Niu Dazhuang surprisingly didn't look for anyone and wandered around Beihai Park alone.

With 66 years to go, it was time to make preparations. Niu Dazhuang knew that the next ten years would be anything but peaceful, but he didn't know exactly which year would be the most turbulent.

It's certain that there won't be a decade or so of work stoppages and production halts. The "sent-down youth" movement was probably intended to alleviate this kind of conflict.

If all the city kids are sent to the countryside, what's the point of them causing trouble in the city? They're all exhausted in the countryside, they don't have the energy to cause any more trouble.

The old courtyard house in my hometown has been built a long time ago, and it's time for people to go back and live there.

With this idea in mind, Niu Dazhuang began to work on his women, focusing primarily on Ye Chunlan, Xu Huizhen, and Chen Xueru. One of them was a former capitalist's concubine who had been allocated a flour mill.

Both were small business owners, and neither came from a poor background.

Then there are the Qin sisters; only Qin Huairu and Qin Xueru were able to stay.

After the sisters returned home, it was a bit unreasonable to prevent them from going back to their parents' home, given that it was so close to Qinjiawa...

Even if it doesn't work out, let Xue Ru go back. The Qin sisters still respect her. With so many women together, if no one keeps quiet and says anything, things will definitely get chaotic.

Judging from the places where people went to work in the Qinling Mountains, Su Ting's father must have been affected...

We didn't build enough houses in our hometown. When you add the children in, there's simply not enough room for everyone.

It's too late to change it now.

Niu Dazhuang was actually worried.

Who should I call if I'm worried? Of course, it's my confidante, Qin Huairu. But this time, I also called Xueru over.

In all these years, I've never seen Niu Dazhuang so serious, not even during the great famine of 58.

Qin Yueru, who was always outspoken and dared to say anything, fell silent when she saw that Niu Dazhuang hadn't smiled since he got home.

"How about I go out and watch the kids play while you two chat?"

Niu Dazhuang nodded

Qin Yueru quickly left.

Once inside the courtyard, she patted the towering peak: "My god, that scared the hell out of me! Meiru, do you know what's going on here?"

Qin Meiru shook her head. She was fine this morning, so why did she suddenly have a long face when she came back?

"Did you guys offend him?"

"Seventh Sister, how could we dare? We depend on him for food and drink; we're too busy flattering him to dare offend him!"

"That's strange. Who went with you today?"

"Seventh Sister, don't ask anymore, everything is the same as usual," the three sisters whispered outside.

Inside the house

"What's wrong? Why are you so serious?" Qin Huairu asked first.

"These words are mine to say, and they must not be uttered by anyone else," Niu Dazhuang warned in advance.

Qin Huairu and Xue Ru nodded in agreement.

"You know the background of Big Bear and his two brothers, right?"

"I know, it's not the Yonghe Temple..."

Niu Dazhuang didn't lie to them; the old monk had indeed predicted it back then, but he died halfway through the prediction.

Niu Dazhuang knew all too well what was going to happen next year, but if he said it directly, he was afraid it would arouse their suspicion.

Even though they're my bedmates, I haven't told them about my current situation with the space-time continuum. Let alone something as miraculous as soul transmigration.

It's safest to say it through the old monk's words.

"The old monk's predictions have all come true. Next year will mark the beginning of that turbulent era, and we need to prepare early."

"Over the years, our family's situation has been a semi-public secret. We should prepare for it soon. What do you plan to do?" Qin Xueru asked Niu Dazhuang for his opinion first.

In the past, the head of the household always made the decisions on important family matters, with the women cooperating.

"I haven't made up my mind yet, so I'm asking you two to discuss it with me."

Qin Huairu saw through Niu Dazhuang's thoughts: "You want the sisters to go back to their hometown?"

"It's easier to deal with you sisters, since you all come from poor peasant backgrounds. But I have other women outside the marriage, and I've already had several children with them. I can't just abandon them!"

This is the main topic of discussion for Niu Dazhuang today.

Qin Xueru asked with a straight face, "How many?"

"I'll go back with the three of you first."

"Is there a woman with the same name as me?"