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

Qin Ningru drank some baijiu, felt warm all over, and unbuttoned the blouse around her neck.

"Hey! Ningru, your neck is as white as your sister's. No wonder you're sisters." Niu Dazhuang had a few drinks and his mouth started to wander.

After Niu Dazhuang said that, Ningru's already rosy cheeks turned even redder, as if they could drip blood.

"Sis, aren't you going to do anything about this? He's so brazen in front of you." Ningru wasn't angry. Her tone was more like she was pouting.

Qin Xueru reached out and pinched Niu Dazhuang: "Stop staring like that, you're making Ningru feel embarrassed."

"Hehe, oh, I'm not looking blindly. There's just one thing I don't understand: why are young girls afraid of being seen, but women who have given birth can breastfeed their babies in the market?"

"His talk is getting increasingly absurd, and drinking won't shut him up. Ningru, just ignore him!"

"I'm not treating Ningru like an outsider, let's have a drink together."

"Hey brother-in-law, you're perfectly fine staying at home, with plenty to eat and drink, why did you suddenly decide to go to Beijing?"

"Your sister told you to ask, right?"

"I'm curious too!"

"Right now, we have enough to eat and drink, but how can a person live without foresight? Even if I toil away at home for a year, I won't save much money. To buy some fabric, I have to go to the county town. If I get sick, I won't see a doctor unless I really can't bear it anymore. And most importantly, I don't want my descendants to still be toiling in the fields for food!"

Qin Ningru's eyes lit up when she heard these words. She was so impressed with her brother-in-law; he had thought so far ahead.

"Brother-in-law, I support your decision to go to Beijing. You're absolutely right. It's a pity I don't have any good relatives there, otherwise I would go to Beijing too."

"Ningru, don't rush. Once I've established myself in Beijing, you can go with your sister if you'd like."

"What am I supposed to do? Go and serve you two like I have these past few days? No way."

"Dazhuang, if Ningru still isn't married in a few years, her future brother-in-law definitely won't be happy!"

"Who said I was going to get married?"

The three of them chatted and laughed, enjoying the wine so much that they unknowingly drank a bit too much. At least outwardly, they were drunk.

Without clearing the table, the three of them lay down on the heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove) and fell asleep.

It was already dark outside when Niu Dazhuang woke up from the cold. He pulled back the covers to cover the two sisters, put on his wolfskin coat and dogskin hat, and went out to go on duty.

Hearing the door close, Ningru opened her beautiful eyes, looked at the ceiling, and began to let her mind wander.

At dusk, Niu Dazhuang and Niu Deshui stood guard around a bonfire at the village entrance.

"Uncle Dazhuang, what delicious food did your auntie make for you? I heard from Grandpa Cao that you weren't doing well at home, were you? Why do you want to go to Beijing?" Niu Deshui asked.

"I'm tired of staying at home and want to go out and see the world. After I leave, you can take over the work I'm doing in the village."

"I can't do it. I can't read a single word. I get dizzy as soon as I enter the city."

"You don't need to go to Beijing. Just go to the county town if you need anything. I'm going to Beijing to visit my uncle while I'm there."

"Oh, then what about sending more alcohol to Beijing?"

Niu Dazhuang forgot about this.

"That's easy. Once the road is open, I'll take you there so you can get familiar with the route." When this topic came up, Niu Dazhuang recalled his past experiences delivering wine to Beijing.

His mind was a complete mess. He thought, "This is so confusing. We haven't even been to the courtyard house yet, and now Xu Huizhen is here. Since Xu Huizhen is here, then Chen Xueru, the beautiful silk shop owner who shares the same name as my wife, will definitely show up too. Then the two Xueru will be sleeping in the same big bed, hehe..."

"Uncle Dazhuang, what are you thinking about?" Niu Deshui noticed that Niu Dazhuang had been chatting with him just now, but in the blink of an eye, he had drifted off into his own thoughts and was grinning like an idiot.

"It's nothing. Did you go to Yue Ru's house before the Lunar New Year?"

"How could I not go? Not only did I go, but I also brought three rabbits and three pheasants. They gave me back twenty catties of rice." Niu Deshui couldn't help but smile when he talked about Qin Yueru.

"Is it a success?"

"Anyway, I have no objection; it just depends on whether Xiaoru agrees or not."

"Xiaoru has already been invited, she's quite attentive. Go ask her out again after the temple fair in the spring. If she comes with you, the matter is pretty much settled. If she doesn't come with you, don't put all your eggs in one basket."

The two were having a great time chatting when Sister-in-law Chen Xia came over with a small steamed bun.

With a beaming smile, she said, "You two, uncle and nephew, are on duty tonight. Don't just chat, peel some peanuts."

The two quickly stood up and greeted her, "Sister-in-law Chen Xia, Auntie."

"Dazhuang, this New Year's holiday is making everyone anxious; I can't sleep soundly at night!"

"Sister-in-law, sleep peacefully, we're just on duty outside!"

"Okay, then you can take care of it." After saying that, she turned her big butt and went back.

Seeing Chen Xia return to the yard, Niu Deshui nudged Niu Dazhuang with his elbow and whispered, "Uncle Dazhuang, I've been on duty at the village entrance several times, and I haven't seen Aunt Chen Xia bring me any food. How come she brought us peanuts as soon as you arrived?"

Now that you're married, why don't you take her family in too?

"Get lost, I'm heading to Beijing right now. I don't want to cause so much trouble back in my hometown. I think you mean it."

"Hehe, don't underestimate Aunt Chen Xia just because she's a rural woman. Her looks and figure are just as good as any city woman's."

"What do you know, you young upstart? Wait until you're married before you think about it!"

"Uncle Dashan, if you don't accept it, Uncle Dachuan might make a move."

"Da Chuan? Would Sister-in-law Chen Xia really be interested in him?"

"I don't know about that; I've only heard them say that a few times in the past few days!"

After thinking for a moment, Niu Dazhuang said, "Let's see how fate works!"

As darkness fell: "Deshui, listen, can you hear gunshots?"

The two held their breath and listened for a while: "It's gunfire, coming from the direction of Qinjiawa."

"Damn! Uncle Dazhuang, look over there on the other side of the river!"

Seven or eight pairs of bright green eyes, forming a fan shape, were quietly approaching.

"Hold on, we've been waiting for them." With that, Niu Dazhuang set up his gun. A dozen pairs of green eyes, as if sensing they'd been spotted, quickly dispersed...

"Warning: Sound the gong!"

As Niu Deshui struck the gong, Niu Dazhuang's gun fired, bang, clang...

Gunshots rang out at the village entrance, and gunshots also rang out inside the village.

After Niu Dazhuang fired a few shots, the wolf pack in the river retreated.

"Deshui, go check on the village. I'll stay here and keep watch. Be careful."

"Okay."

As soon as Niu Deshui left, Chen Xia ran out in a panic, "Dazhuang, is Dazhuang alright?!"

"Sister-in-law, don't make things worse. Go back inside and lock the door!"

But Chen Xia's sister-in-law didn't listen. Instead, she said resentfully, "It's better that the wolf carried her away. It saves her from being all alone."