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

"Eating?" Niu Dazhuang greeted Jia Dongxu.

"Brother-in-law, you've been here for several days, but we haven't even sat down together for a while. I'll come find you tonight." Jia Dongxu was quite good at handling things.

"My house is too crowded and messy, so I'll come find you after I've eaten!"

"That works too, Dazhuang. What's the deal with those three young men?" Jia Dongxu asked curiously.

"Hey! Brother from my hometown, just came along to try and make a living." He said this without stopping.

"Hey! Yan Jiecheng, what are you doing following Brother Niu?" Sha Zhu called out to Yan Jiecheng.

"Come, come, I have something to discuss with you." Seeing that Niu Dazhuang wasn't very interested in having a meal together, Yan Jiecheng pulled Sha Zhu aside.

He Yuzhu got up, and the two went into the main room.

When Niu Dazhuang got home, dinner was already prepared, and they were just waiting for him to come back for dinner.

"Where did the three of you go today?" Niu Dazhuang asked, sitting cross-legged on the kang (heated brick bed).

"We heard the overpass was lively, so we went to check it out. Brother, it really is lively!" Da Yu was the one who spoke the loudest.

"Brother, Da Yu got robbed, and the 50 cents you gave me are all gone. We even had to pay for lunch," Da Xiong said, dissatisfied.

"He deserved it, brother. You didn't see how cocky he was when he first left, thinking we two brothers hadn't been out much and weren't as worldly as him. And what happened? He got robbed after only half a day of running around," Dayong added.

"Haha...it's inevitable, you learn from your mistakes. Try to adapt quickly! After you've eaten, don't stay home. Come with me to the central courtyard and get to know the neighbors. If they ask you anything..."

Just say you're brothers from my hometown. Tell everyone the same thing if they ask.

The three nodded in unison.

After dinner and tidying up the house, none of the five men stayed home. The three little ones went with Grandpa Niu and a few other old men in the courtyard. They were all old Beijingers who loved to chat, and the old men had a lively conversation.

Niu Dazhuang, with a cigarette ring dangling from his mouth, entered the Jia family home and casually handed one to Jia Dongxu: "Brother-in-law, this is all my fault. I should have come and sat down with you a long time ago."

Jia Dongxu took the cigarette, smelled it under his nose, and then Niu Dazhuang handed him the cigarette he was holding.

Jia Dongxu then lit a cigarette and took a smoke ring.

He took a deep drag: "Smoke rings are so much less pungent. You're being so formal, we're all relatives. Your wife's back in your hometown, so bring her over if you need anything for mending or patching."

Hearing Niu Dazhuang's voice from the outer room, Qin Huairu happily lifted the curtain and came out: "Brother-in-law is here, come and sit down quickly. Dongxu, why didn't you pour me a bowl of water?" As she spoke, she went to get a bowl.

You can't compare people. Jia Dongxu wasn't fat to begin with, but now that he's standing next to Niu Dazhuang, he looks even thinner, like a stick.

Thinking about their behavior on the kang (heated brick bed), there was no comparison. Lost in thought, Qin Huairu filled the water container to the brim, and it overflowed.

"Hey, honey, what are you thinking about? The water tank is already full."

"Oh dear! I was daydreaming for a moment. Seeing Dazhuang reminded me of my sister Xueru. Dazhuang, quickly sit down."

"Third sister, (to clarify, Qin Huairu is the third oldest among the sisters.) I miss my wife too. When are you going back to your parents' home? Come visit us then." Niu Dazhuang was quite the smooth talker.

Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu had different thoughts. Jia Dongxu thought it was a dig at him; last winter, he had let his wife stay at her parents' house for over a month. He felt ashamed to admit it.

Qin Huairu, on the other hand, was thinking about the few days she stayed at Niu Dazhuang's house last winter. She had no worries about food or drink, and she even flew around every night. Especially on the last day, Qin Huairu blushed when she thought about it now.

"I'm sorry to have made you laugh, brother-in-law."

"Brother-in-law, I didn't mean anything by it, don't overthink it. I should have a job next week, and I'll definitely have to go back to my hometown to register my household registration at my workplace. If my third sister wants to go back to her parents' home, I can give her a ride."

"Oh, is that so? Your third sister just got back from her parents' home a few days ago; it's not appropriate for her to go back now." The tone shifted abruptly, "Uncle Niu, you're really capable; you've found a job so quickly!"

Qin Huairu, standing nearby, was secretly delighted and quickly came up with a reason to go back to her parents' home. It had been so many days since she'd felt that soaring, carefree feeling.

"I'm just benefiting from Grandpa's connections, but you're doing well too, brother-in-law! You have a great mentor! You're already a level three worker at such a young age. With an older man looking out for you among the factory managers, getting promoted another level is just a matter of time."

"Dazhuang, you've never been to a factory, so you don't understand. Even if my master has some influence in the factory, if you're not capable, you won't get promoted."

The two chatted for a while longer before Niu Dazhuang took his leave.

"Huai Ru, what's wrong with you tonight? You keep spacing out. What are you thinking about?" Jia Dongxu asked, puzzled, after Niu Dazhuang left.

"Dazhuang's arrival reminded me of my family's situation. I wonder how Yueru's marriage is going?"

"Oh, is that so? Why don't you just write a letter back and ask? If you're in a hurry, Dazhuang is going back next week, so have him ask him."

"How could I possibly accept that? His home is several miles away from Qinjiawa." Qin Huairu didn't tell him that the person Yueru was looking for was from Niu Dazhuang's village.

"You want to go back and take a look?" Judging from his tone, Jia Dongxu guessed it.

"If Dazhuang hadn't gone back, I wouldn't have been in the mood for this. He would probably have just stayed home for a night or two, and then I would have come back with him."

"Fine, as long as your family has no objections, I have no objections either."

"I don't stay for free every time I go back, so what's their problem?" To avoid arousing Jia Dongxu's suspicion, Qin Huairu continued, "Come sleep in the inner room tonight!"

"Hehe, that's good, I'll call Mother back right now." Jia Dongxu grinned and went to call Jia Zhangshi.

Niu Jiaye's fifth brother also went home.

"Dazhuang, what are your plans for the three brothers?" Niu Youliang asked, sitting cross-legged on the kang (heated brick bed).

The three little ones also perked up their ears to listen.

"No rush, let them get used to it first, and we'll talk about it after I start work."

"Alright, just let me know when you need me to step in."

"We definitely need your help. We're completely clueless, who can we ask for help?"

"Hey! I forgot about that. We still have an ancestral Niu family in Beijing. Once you're at work, I'll take you there."

"How come I've never heard you mention this before?"

"In the past, when you came to the city, you would rush back, and we, father and son, never had a proper chat. How could I have had time to talk to you?"

Although we're five degrees of kinship, we're still related as ancestors, so there's still some connection.

"What is your seniority? What organization do you work for?"

"He's my peer, working in a subdistrict office in Xuanwu District in the southern part of the city. He's about the same age and height. His name is Niu Zhengen."

"Oh, Niu Zhengen. That name sounds familiar!"