Courtyard House: Inheriting the Restaurant, the Jia Family Wants to Get It for Free

"Dad, Mom! I don't care! I want to get married! I want to have a son!" Xu Damao yelled at his father, Xu Fugui, and his mother. "I can't let that cook, Sha Zhu, outdo me anymore!"

Xu Fugui sighed as he looked at his son's frustrated expression.

"Alright, alright, what are you yelling about! Do you think we're not worried?" Mrs. Xu said. "Haven't we been asking around for you all this time?"

"Ask, ask, ask! When are we going to finish asking?" Xu Damao said impatiently. "Tomorrow! Give me a straight answer by tomorrow! You have to find me a partner as soon as possible! I want to get married! Get married soon! Have kids soon! I have to beat that idiot Zhu in this matter!"

Xu Damao's determination convinced Xu Fugui and his wife to make up their minds as well.

Yes, we can't delay any longer. If we drag this out any longer, the Xu family will truly lose face in the courtyard.

The good news that Sha Zhu was about to become a father spread like wildfire, reaching not only the courtyard but also He Daqing, who was far away in Baoding.

He Daqing, also known as Shazhu's father, abandoned him and his sister He Yushui years ago and ran off with a widow. Over the years, the father and son have almost lost contact.

Unexpectedly, this time, he actually asked someone to bring things from Baoding.

The man who came was a long-distance driver. He handed a package wrapped in an old cloth to Sha Zhu.

"You must be He Yuzhu? Your father, He Daqing, asked me to bring this to you."

Sha Zhu looked at the package, and the smile on his face slowly faded.

The neighbors who had been watching the commotion in the courtyard also quieted down.

Sha Zhu didn't say anything, but silently accepted the package.

He didn't open it in public, nor did he curse and say he didn't want his father's things like he used to.

He simply took the package, turned around, and went back into the house.

Wu Cuilan followed him inside and saw that he placed the package on the table but showed no intention of opening it.

"Zhu Zi..." Wu Cuilan called him softly.

Sha Zhu sat on the edge of the bed, head down, not saying a word for a long time.

After a while, he raised his head and looked at Wu Cuilan, his eyes a little red.

"Tell me, what does he mean by this? He's ignored me for so many years, and now that he knows I'm pregnant, he suddenly remembers me? What does he take me for?"

Wu Cuilan walked to his side and took his hand.

"Perhaps he regrets it?"

"Regret?" Sha Zhu sneered. "If he really regretted it, why didn't he come back himself? What's the point of sending someone to bring him some things? Trying to make amends? Too late!"

As he spoke, he picked up the package on the table and was about to throw it out.

"Hey, what are you doing!" Wu Cuilan hurriedly stopped him.

She snatched the package, opened it, and found a bag of new cotton fabric for making clothes for the children, two pairs of exquisitely made tiger-head shoes, a small bag of brown sugar, and a few eggs.

The items weren't expensive, but you could tell they were made with care.

"Look how well these shoes are made." Wu Cuilan showed the little shoes to Shazhu. "Dad... he still cares about you."

Sha Zhu stared at the small shoes with a complicated expression.

In the end, he didn't throw the things away or write a thank-you note. He simply put the package in the deepest part of the cabinet, out of sight, out of mind.

Wu Cuilan knew he harbored resentment, a knot in his heart that had been there for years and couldn't be untied overnight. She didn't try to persuade him to forgive her anymore; she simply took out the two pairs of small shoes and placed them on the bedside table.

"These shoes will fit perfectly when the baby is born," she said.

Sha Zhu glanced at the shoes but said nothing more.

.........

On the other hand, Xu Fugui and his wife also mobilized all their connections for their son's marriage.

A few days later, they actually managed to arrange a marriage through an intermediary.

The girl was from an ordinary working-class family in the south of the city, and she worked at a sewing cooperative under the jurisdiction of the neighborhood committee. She was of average appearance, but had a straightforward personality and was quick and efficient.

The other party's family found out that Xu Damao was a projectionist at a steel rolling mill and that his family's financial situation was quite good among ordinary workers, so they agreed to meet.

The two met once in the park and then had a meal together at a small restaurant, and both had a good experience.

The girl was satisfied with Xu Damao's job and family conditions. Although Xu Damao thought the girl was just average-looking, he reluctantly accepted her because he thought she could outshine Sha Zhu.

The two families quickly began discussing the marriage.

This made Xu Damao extremely proud.

He changed into new clothes every day, his hair was slicked back and shiny, and he walked in and out of the yard, deliberately puffing out his chest and walking with an arrogant air.

He even went up to Sha Zhu and Wu Cuilan, who were sunbathing in the yard, and loudly boasted about it.

"Zhu Zi, Cui Lan, let me tell you, my fiancé's family said they'd be giving him a brand new sewing machine as part of his dowry! And two new quilts too! How about that? Pretty impressive, right?"

Sha Zhu glanced at him, too lazy to bother with him.

Wu Cuilan smiled and said, "Congratulations, Damao! When are we going to your wedding?"

"Soon, soon!" Xu Damao said smugly. "After the wedding, I'll have a baby right away! Then, there will be two weddings in our courtyard at the same time! Hahaha!"

He deliberately emphasized the words "two families" to make sure he could repay Sha Zhu for the hurt he had suffered earlier.

Sha Zhu pretended not to care on the surface, but in his heart, he was disgusted by Xu Damao's smug look.

He thought to himself, "With your character, Xu Damao, you think you can compete with me?"

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and a bad idea popped into his head.

He didn't really want to ruin Xu Damao's marriage; he just wanted to annoy Xu Damao and make things less pleasant for him.

Sha Zhu found out that the girl would pass through a small alley near Nanluoguxiang every day after get off work.

That afternoon, he timed it perfectly and waited at the entrance of the alley.

When the girl rode over on her bicycle, Sha Zhu stepped forward and stopped her.

"Hey, comrade, wait a minute!"

The girl was startled and looked at him warily: "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Don't be afraid, I'm not a bad person." Sha Zhu scratched his head, looking honest and simple. "I'm Xu Damao's neighbor, my name is He Yuzhu. I just... want to say a few words to you."

Upon hearing that he was Xu Damao's neighbor, the girl relaxed her guard a bit.

"What are you trying to say?"

"Um..." Sha Zhu paused for a moment before speaking, "I just wanted to warn you. Xu Damao, you know, he's a real smooth talker, always spouting nonsense. And he especially likes to hang around young girls; he's flirted with all the girls in our compound. You'd better be careful, don't let him fool you!"

To increase credibility, Sha Zhu also embellished and recounted Xu Damao's "glorious deeds" from childhood to adulthood, including fighting, brawling, and petty theft.

His intention was simply to sow discord between Xu Damao and the girl.

Unexpectedly, this girl is straightforward and values ​​character highly.

Her expression changed immediately after hearing Sha Zhu's words.