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

Once outside the village, Niu Dazhuang had a thought and put the warm cornbread he was carrying into his spatial storage.

He reached out his hand to the small stones by the roadside, silently thinking, "Come in." Unfortunately, he didn't succeed.

We traveled and experimented along the way.

It probably took more than two hours to get to Changping County. Then, heading south, we arrived at Sijiucheng at noon.

The space's function has also been tested. I don't know if it's a time-stopping function or a preservation function, but anyway, the cornbread was still warm when I took it out.

Living things cannot enter this space; it's purely a space. It has no other functions.

"It's better than nothing!" Niu Dazhuang consoled himself.

I was freezing cold the whole way, so once I got to Beijing, I just randomly picked a two-meat shop and ordered a big bowl of hot minced meat noodles.

Although grain coupons are now in use, the control isn't very strict, and Niu Dazhuang gave him 17 cents directly. Wiping his mouth, he followed the original owner's memories, winding his way through the maze to a large gate.

After tying the donkey cart up, Niu Dazhuang took half a sack of chopped hay from the cart, sprinkled two handfuls of black beans on top of the hay, and began feeding the donkey.

Seeing that the big black donkey had finished eating half a sack of hay, it picked up a wooden bucket and headed into the courtyard.

"Hey! Young man, who are you looking for?" He was stopped by a woman as soon as he entered the front yard.

Niu Dazhuang turned around and thought, "Alright! This time it's definitely her, isn't that Third Auntie?"

"I'm looking for Niu Youliang in the backyard; I'm his nephew." He then took off his dog-skin hat.

"Hey! I didn't recognize you earlier because you were wearing a hat. Isn't this Niu Dazhuang? Came to visit your uncle at the end of the year?"

"Hmm. Auntie, I'll fetch some water for the donkey to drink." With that, Niu Dazhuang went into the courtyard.

The original owner was shy and always came and went in a hurry when visiting her uncle, never really paying attention to her pretty daughter-in-law, Qin Huairu!

Even if the original owner knew, she wouldn't dare to look!

The current Niu Dazhuang is quite different. Seeing Qin Huairu looking at the little stick, he didn't care about other people's opinions and took the initiative to greet her: "You must be Xueru's cousin!"

The question left Qin Huairu speechless: "I have a cousin named Xueru, and you are...?"

"Then that's it! I'm Niu Dazhuang, and I just married Xue Ru the day before yesterday!"

At this moment, Jia Zhangshi also came over.

"Aren't you... Niu Youliang's nephew from the backyard? I saw you when you came this summer, there's no mistake!"

Qin Huairu exclaimed, "What a coincidence! Banggeng's grandmother just married my cousin. We're actually relatives!"

"That's right. They're real relatives; he and Dongxu call each other 'carrying loads'."

"Hehe, you're right, while you guys chat, I still have to feed the donkey." He then continued...

"It's so nice in Beijing, everyone has running water now, while we in the countryside still have to carry water!" Niu Dazhuang said, trying to say something nice.

Jia Zhangshi said proudly, "Of course, otherwise everyone would want to go to Beijing! Your uncle should be going to work now."

"I know. I brought him some things, left them at his home, and then went to his workplace to find him!"

"As long as there are arrangements, that's fine." After saying that, Madam Jia gave Qin Huairu a wink.

Niu Dazhuang carried the bucket to water the donkey, while Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu went into their own home.

"Huai Ru, isn't this perfect! You can ride his donkey cart back to your parents' home and save two cents on the ticket!"

"Grandma, I plan to go back home on the third day of the Lunar New Year after Dongxu's annual leave. If I go back to my parents' home now, will I be able to come back for the New Year?"

"It's inconvenient for you to come back, so you can spend the New Year at your parents' home. This is the new China now, there aren't so many traditions!"

Qin Huairu knew all too well what her mother-in-law was up to.

"I'm fine going back to my parents' house now, but I can take five yuan with me. Otherwise, I'll be eating and staying there for free for over a month, which is really annoying!"

Madam Jia counted on her fingers, doing the math.

"Five yuan won't do, I'll give you three yuan instead. Little Banggeng won't be going back with you."

"What, you think I won't come back?"

Jia Zhangshi was a little embarrassed when her little scheme was exposed. "No, Xiaobanggeng is a person, just the size of a child. Taking him back to your parents' home won't be an extra burden for them!"

Qin Huairu secretly calculated that the three yuan would definitely be enough for her to stay at her parents' house without taking care of the child. She could have Dongxu pick her up on the third day of the Lunar New Year, so that neither of them would be delayed.

The mother and daughter had apparently reached an agreement. Qin Huairu quickly packed a few changes of underwear, and Jia Zhangshi reluctantly handed her three yuan, instructing her, "Keep it close to your body, and don't come looking for me if you lose it."

Qin Huairu was ready, and Niu Dazhuang also carried two pheasants to the central courtyard.

"Um... Xue Ru's family, could you help me take this back?"

Niu Dazhuang turned his head and saw that the bundle was already packed. What could he say?

"Okay, but you can't rush me. I have to go to my uncle's workplace and the supply and marketing cooperative."

"It's okay, I'm not in a rush to go back to my parents' house anyway."

Niu Dazhuang looked at Qin Huairu's clothes. "Riding a donkey cart is not the same as taking a bus; you're dressed a bit too lightly."

"It's alright, it's not like I've never ridden in a donkey cart before."

"Alright then, wait a moment, I'll leave the things at my uncle's house."

Niu Youliang's house was in the backyard, next to the deaf old lady. There were three main rooms at the back, one for the deaf old lady, two for Niu Youliang, and a side room on the east side, which served as the kitchen and storage room.

Don't feel it's unfair; after all, he's a retired soldier and the deputy head of the security department at the steel rolling mill.

Niu Dazhuang put the two wild pheasants in a bamboo basket hanging in the kitchen, closed the door, and came out.

Aunt Qi, who was pasting matchboxes in the courtyard, watched Qin Huairu leave with Niu Dazhuang, carrying a small bundle, and couldn't bear to watch any longer.

"Aunt Jia, you're too calculating! You've got Huai Ru living at your parents' house, being supported by them!"

"Aunt Qi, I'm not as calculating as you. Huai Ru is staying at her parents' house, and she has her own food rations!"

Aunt Qi curled her lip: "With your way of managing money, Huai Ru will be lucky to get five yuan!"

"Don't worry about the quantity, we've brought our own rations!"

Here, the donkey had eaten and drunk its fill, and Niu Dazhuang drove the donkey cart to the steel mill. It was their first time meeting alone, and neither of them knew what to say.

The two of them didn't say a word when they arrived at the gate of the steel rolling mill.

The deputy section chief's nephew arrived; everyone in the security department knew him, so Niu Dazhuang didn't even need to say a word.

"Section Chief Niu, your nephew is here to see you again," the comrade on duty called out from inside the house.

Niu Youliang came out wearing a military green overcoat and carrying a pipe.

"You silly child, you didn't even give me a heads-up so I could have cooked lunch for you at home. It's already this late, have you had lunch yet?"

"I've already eaten. It's almost New Year's, so I came to see you. I thought I'd come again after the heavy snow. I brought you two wild pheasants, which are hanging in a basket at your house."

"Uncle Niu, could you call my wife for me?" Since she was already there, Qin Huairu also told Jia Dongxu.

"Xiao Zhao, go and call Jia Dongxu from the second fitter's workshop out. Tell him his wife is waiting for him at the main gate," Niu Youliang shouted, twisting his neck towards the guard on duty.

"Uncle Niu, you've kept it a secret quite well! Your own nephew married my cousin, and you haven't let a word out!"