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

"Ugh, did you just get out of some woman's bed?!"

Niu Dazhuang flicked Chen Xueru's nose with his index finger: "Your nose is really sharp. Why isn't it working?"

Chen Xueru swayed her round, plump buttocks as she sat down on the sofa, crossing her legs: "You're the boss, how dare I say no! At least make sure you're clean before you come over!"

Niu Dazhuang walked over, picked her up, and placed her on his lap: "Women's faces are like the weather in June or July, changing in an instant. Today's situation is a bit special." Niu Dazhuang then explained Lin Yongmei's situation to her in detail.

"What do you mean by telling me all this?" Chen Xueru asked, her arms wrapped around Niu Dazhuang's neck.

"I need to change her identity. If you can do it here, I won't send her back to my hometown. If you can't, I'll have to send her back again and buy a small courtyard to raise her."

"Are you so sure that she will be of great use in the future, even if it's something that will happen in twenty or thirty years?" Chen Xueru was more concerned about the future policies that Niu Dazhuang had mentioned.

"I'm not so sure, but it's always good to have a backup plan! You've read a lot of books, haven't you? Every dynasty started with a period of recuperation and development..."

After thinking for a moment, Chen Xueru said, "Don't put it so nicely. I think you just feel that I alone can't give you enough fun..."

"Haha... We're considering both sides!"

Chen Xueru poked Niu Dazhuang's temple with her index finger: "Send the person over first, I'll take a look and then we'll talk."

"That's more like it!"

"Little brother, I've already compromised so much, you're absolutely forbidden from having any further contact with Xu Huizhen!"

"Absolutely not! They're getting married on May Day, and I still have my morals. But I'll still go to the bar to find out more!"

Chen Xueru had no idea how this kid had managed to seduce Qin Huairu; if she had known, she wouldn't have believed him.

"Okay, take me with you when you go."

"Okay, let's go together next time. Hurry up and eat, my stomach is protesting if you don't hear me."

"Hehe, I'm hungry too. I haven't had a proper meal in over ten days..."

An hour later, Niu Dazhuang got dressed and gently kissed Chen Xueru's beautiful cheek, who was still unconscious.

I rode my bicycle back to the courtyard house.

A woman is especially sensitive after becoming pregnant, and this is also the time when she needs the most care and attention. When I got home, Qin Xueru was already on the kang (a heated brick bed), and Qin Huairu was also on it.

"I thought you weren't coming back tonight!" Qin Huairu said, getting off the kang (heated brick bed).

"You stay with Xue Ru a little longer, I'm going to check on my uncle!" While Qin Huairu and the others were in the inner room, Niu Dazhuang took out the cured meat from his spatial storage, cut it in half, and carried it to his uncle.

When they returned, Qin Huairu had already gone home, and Niu Dazhuang first filled the grain jars in the outer room.

They hung the cured meat up again.

"Xueru, I bought some cured meat; we're thinking of eating it tomorrow. I also bought some grain..."

As they were talking, Qin Xueru came out from the outer room.

"Where did you get the money?" Qin Xueru was in charge of all the money in the house.

"I earned some extra money while on a business trip."

"Ah, you're not even officially hired yet, how can you earn so much money from just one trip out?" Qin Xueru lifted the lid of the earthenware jar, revealing a jar full of rice, and then lifted the lid next to it, revealing a jar of flour.

"My master earns more than me. There's a lot more to this than meets the eye. But don't brag. I'll buy some more whole grains tomorrow."

"Do you even need to tell me? You can keep it from others, but not my sister?"

"I can support your sister too. Tell her not to talk nonsense. She can eat at our house, but she can't fill the hole in her family's finances."

"You're just fooling yourself. My sister ate at our house, so it's just their food left!"

"That's true, so what do you suggest we do?"

"I can't hide it from my sister anytime soon. She comes over every day and even helps me cook. Let her eat it, what else can I do? I don't mind letting her eat it. I wrote home and told them that Ningru will come over when I get bigger and have more difficulty moving around."

"You don't know our family's situation. I can still support Ningru. Write another letter. We don't need to wait three or four months. Once we receive the letter, we'll have her come." After saying that, Niu Dazhuang regretted it.

Sure enough, Qin Xueru's smiling face immediately fell: "How I arrange things for Ningru is none of your concern."

"Okay, forget I said anything, the first three months of pregnancy are the most unstable time for a woman. I'm just thinking about you and the baby!"

"That would be best." With that, she swayed her large buttocks and went back into the inner room.

Niu Dazhuang rubbed his eyes, wondering if it was just his imagination or if Qin Xueru had gained weight, because she looked rounder and fuller than when they first got married.

He followed them into the inner room, all excited.

"Honey, have you gained weight?"

"Of course I've been in the city all day with nothing to do but exercise with you in the evenings. How could I not gain weight? What, are you complaining?"

"Let's not do this anymore. You used to speak so gently, why are you so sarcastic now? It's good for your wife to be a little chubby, it helps to balance out her good fortune."

"Go away! My sister said we should eat as much as we can now. Once morning sickness hits, we won't be able to eat anything and will just throw up. We need to build up some nutrition now!"

"Okay, eating more is a blessing. You sit down, I'll go boil some water and soak your feet."

Qin Xueru sat happily on a small stool, chatting with Niu Dazhuang, who was tending the fire, through the door curtain. She recounted everything that had happened at home during the ten days he had been away.

That night, Qin Xueru happily nestled her head against Niu Dazhuang's chest and slept soundly.

Niu Dazhuang got up early and started preparing breakfast: "Dazhuang, don't do this. I'm under a lot of pressure. Just do what you usually do." He pulled Niu Dazhuang up from the stove.

Niu Dazhuang didn't mince words: "When it gets hotter, we can just use a big pot. I'll go buy two stoves and some coal this morning."

"Do you have any money left? I haven't spent much of the money you gave me."

"Yes, I'm just letting you know. The stove delivery team has arrived. Just don't tell them you didn't know!"

"Okay, I understand."

After breakfast and while smoking a cigarette, Qin Huairu swayed over, asking, "Why didn't you go to work?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow. I've been on business trips for over ten days straight, I need to rest for a couple of days. You two sisters should rest, I'm going out."

After leaving the house, he went straight to the supply and marketing cooperative at the entrance of the alley and bought two iron stoves. He also bought two bottles of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor). He had the stoves delivered to his door, and Niu Dazhuang rode his bicycle to Mentougou with the Erguotou hanging on the handlebars.

This connection came in handy immediately. The coal briquettes had been burned in Niujiazhuang, but the temperature wasn't as high as with anthracite, so cooking definitely wouldn't be as fast as with anthracite.

These 30-plus kilometers would normally take an average person two or three hours to ride, but who is Niu Dazhuang? He pedaled so hard the bicycle chain was practically sparking, yet he still made it in just over an hour.