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

The boss glanced at the letter of introduction and was relieved.

"This offal is from the slaughterhouse and factory canteen, no coupons needed! And this heroin!" The boss paused, looked around, and whispered in Niu Dazhuang's ear, "There's a black market in the city every night. It's more expensive, but no coupons needed."

"So you can just buy it if you have money! Is there any other way?" Niu Dazhuang asked, pretending to know nothing.

"What other way is there? Of course there is, it just depends on how capable you are. As far as I know, in these state-run grain stations and flour mills, as long as you know the bosses, even a little bit of what they have is enough for you to eat and drink!"

"Shopkeeper, do I look like someone with such relatives? I'm just an ordinary person."

"There's another one. There are still some privately owned grain stores outside Qianmen that haven't been jointly operated. They're a bit more lenient with the grain, but I estimate that this loophole will be closed after a while. Then we'll have to go to the black market."

Ah! But in a few more days, I won't have to worry about food anymore.

"Oh, how so?" Since I have nothing else to do, I might as well chat with him.

"From now on, regardless of the size of the business, we will all be in a joint venture. After the joint venture, my meat shop will be included in their plan, so of course we won't have to worry about food anymore."

"Then why are you sighing?"

"You really don't understand. Look at my place, all I have are a few benches and a big pot. If this is all part of a joint venture, how can I make money? Even if I can make some money, half of it will go to the government. My whole family will starve then!..." The shopkeeper, seeing that he was an outsider, wasn't afraid of word getting out. He was full of complaints and finally found someone to vent to.

Time flies when people are chatting. It was already getting dark, and the meat stall was busy again. Niu Dazhuang couldn't stand on someone else's bench any longer.

I stood directly in front of Ye Chunmei's house. Fortunately, it didn't take long before I saw Ye Chunmei riding a bicycle, with someone on the back.

"Hey, hey..." Ye Chunmei's rickshaw was about to fall over when Niu Dazhuang reacted quickly and grabbed the handlebars with both hands.

The people behind were still complaining, "I said no, but you insisted on showing off! Thank you, comrade!" Ye Chunlan didn't recognize Niu Dazhuang.

Ye Chunmei recognized him; when she saw that it was Niu Dazhuang across from her, her eyes lit up.

"When did you arrive? Come in and have a seat." The rickshaw driver ignored him and reached out to grab Niu Dazhuang's arm.

"Ahem! Chunmei, do you know her?"

"Yes, Second Sister, I told you before, he is Niu Dazhuang. He took good care of me when we were in the village."

"Come in and have a seat!" Ye Chunlan opened the door, and Niu Dazhuang pushed his rickshaw into the courtyard.

"(ノ⊙ω⊙)ノ Wow. You guys have plenty of room. There must be more rooms in the back!"

"Hmm, this is a two-courtyard house. The back rooms are empty. Dazhuang, why don't you stay in the back tonight?" Ye Chunmei was willing to give up anything when she saw the person she loved.

"Ahem... Chunmei, with Dazhuang moving in, what will the neighbors think of us two women?"

"Chunmei, no need. I'm staying with my uncle. I'll be working in Beijing from now on, so we can see each other more often when you have time." Judging from the situation, Chunmei must have told her second sister about their situation. Since she already knows, Niu Dazhuang has nothing to hide anymore.

Ye Chunlan is not easily fooled.

"Niu Dazhuang, right? Come in and sit down. I have something to tell you." After entering the house, Ye Chunlan lit the candles.

"Dazhuang, you haven't had dinner yet, have you? I'll make you some. Sit down for a bit." With that, Ye Chunmei turned and went out to prepare dinner.

"Niu Dazhuang, what are your plans for my sister in the future?" Ye Chunlan didn't waste any words and went straight to the point.

Niu Dazhuang hadn't expected to be asked such a tricky question before he'd even settled in. "This..."

Ye Chunlan's almond-shaped eyes widened as she stared into Niu Dazhuang's eyes. "What, you want to sleep with me for free?"

"No, how could I sleep there for free? Chunmei should have told you about my family situation, right? I'm already married."

"So you just want to sleep there for free!"

Niu Dazhuang was caught off guard by the question and didn't know how to answer. His mind raced. "Is this your idea, or Chunmei's idea?"

"Never mind whose intention it was, you slept with her, didn't you? Now you're trying to deny it!"

"I didn't say I was going to deny it. I know you're doing this for Chunmei's own good, but this is between the two of us, so I won't trouble you with it."

"Hmph! You're trying to have your cake and eat it too, you're dreaming. But this era doesn't allow it."

"I can't just let my sister follow you around without any clear reason. What would she want from you?"

"I can't explain it to you. I've seen the person, so I'm leaving." Niu Dazhuang felt there was no need to stay any longer. He got up and left.

"Hmph! Don't bother seeing me out."

Niu Dazhuang had just stepped into the yard when he was spotted by Ye Chunmei, who was busy in the kitchen.

"Dazhuang, I'm cooking for you, where are you going?"

"Chunmei, your sister seems to be very unwelcoming to me. I live at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang. You can come and see me when you have time!" Niu Dazhuang could understand his sister's attitude, so he wasn't angry and his tone remained calm.

Ye Chunmei grabbed Niu Dazhuang's arm and said, "Dazhuang, don't be angry. I've told you about my sister's experience before. She's a bit overly sensitive now. Let's go back inside and have dinner first, then we can talk about it slowly."

Niu Dazhuang admired this pretty widow from the bottom of his heart. Yes, he admired her. In this era, there weren't many women like her who actively pursued their own happiness. He didn't look down on her at all.

At this moment, Ye Chunlan also came out of the house and silently observed Niu Dazhuang's behavior.

If a man can't even handle this little bit of hardship, how can he ever amount to anything in the future? A man should take responsibility for his woman.

Moreover, his sister will be with him without any official status in the future. If he doesn't take responsibility, his sister will suffer.

"I'm not angry with your sister. She's only doing this for your own good. Okay, let's go back." With that, Niu Dazhuang turned around and walked back.

Although Ye Chunlan was relatively satisfied with Niu Dazhuang's performance, she didn't show it. With a stern face, she turned around and went back into the house.

After entering the house, Ye Chunmei spoke first: "Sister, let's not talk about anything today. Dazhuang has just arrived in Beijing, let's have a good meal first."

Ye Chunlan continued playing the stern face: "Well, after dinner, my family can still afford to feed our fellow villagers. Go and cook!"

Ye Chunmei was still worried: "Sister, it's a promise, you're not allowed to make things difficult for Dazhuang anymore."

"There's hot water on the table, help yourself if you're thirsty." These were the first words Ye Chunlan said after Chunmei left.

Niu Dazhuang, with his thick skin, didn't stand on ceremony. He poured himself a glass and also poured one for Ye Chunlan.