Courtyard House: Drunk and tipsy, the whole courtyard exposed at the start.

Zhang Dabiao added a few details he had heard from his father, Zhang Bansian, and everyone understood after hearing the whole story.

When our country was first liberated, there were quite a few strange and chaotic things happening in the countryside. Zhang Banxian helped Qinjiatun settle things and was a great help.

Qinjiatun was poor back then and had nothing to offer as a token of gratitude. Seeing that Zhang Banxian was all alone, they promised him a maid to be his wife so that she could serve him.

At that time, Zhang Banxian was a warehouse manager at a steel factory in the city. He was capable and had money, but he was a bit old, already 49 years old.

Qin Huairu was only 17 years old at that time, a tender age where she could be squeezed for water. Although she wanted to go to the city, she couldn't possibly marry such a lousy old man, could she?

So naturally, they were unwilling.

Knowing his physical condition prevented him from having children, Zhang Banxian adopted Zhang Dabiao, who was only 7 years old and had a slight intellectual disability.

Wouldn't it be harmful to ask him to marry a young girl? So he didn't agree.

But Qin Dingsong, the head of Qinjiatun at the time, was not happy. He said, "You, Zhang Banxian, are settling things for our village. Besides, you saved Qin Dashan's only son."

What's wrong with giving you a daughter?

If you don't accept it, will Qinjiatun have any shame left?

So they changed the arrangement so that Qin Huairu would become Zhang Dabiao's wife, since he had intellectual disabilities and needed someone to take care of him.

She's only 7 years old now, but that's not a problem. We'll raise Qin Huairu for now, and when Zhang Dabiao turns 16, we'll bring her to the city to get married.

They also symbolically received 5 silver dollars as a bride price, which was actually Qin Huairu's "raising fee".

When Zhang the fortune teller saw this, he thought, "This is great! My adopted foolish son will have a wife, and the Zhang family will have an heir."

Clan chief Qin Dingsong also felt it was appropriate and repaid the favor.

Qin Dashan thought it was a good deal. He had repaid the life-saving debt, his daughter had married into the city as she wished, and her son-in-law would still be quite young. Although he had a slight intellectual disability, he was physically healthy and young. He could eventually find a city worker to take over his father's job, and his family even received five silver dollars—

Everything was perfect.

Qin Huairu had no objections.

So I signed without hesitation.

This could be considered Qin Huairu's second marriage, from marrying her father to marrying her mentally challenged son, but no one objected.

Then, in 52, a matchmaker arranged a marriage for Jia Dongxu, and found the beautiful Qin Huairu from the surrounding villages. Qin Huairu couldn't wait and went to the city to see her, and unexpectedly, she fell in love with her immediately.

To be fair, Jia Dongxu was the most handsome man in the courtyard at that time, and he was also a formal employee of the steel rolling mill, so it's understandable that Qin Huairu was developing feelings for him.

If you had to choose between marrying a tall, handsome, and stable city worker or marrying a mentally challenged boy who is only 9 years old, which would you choose?

At that time, the country was also vigorously promoting freedom of marriage and abolishing the arranged marriages and buying and selling of women by the older generation.

So Qin Huairu acted first and asked for permission later, directly agreeing to the Jia family's request and quickly processing their household registration by stealing the household register.

When the clan chief of Qinjiatun and Qin Dashan found out, they didn't stop them much, because the work team had been working and spreading propaganda in the countryside for many years. They believed that the old "comprador" marriages were invalid and should be abandoned.

Besides, Zhang Bansian hasn't been to Qinjiatun for several years, so who knows if he's still there?

It wasn't until they started preparing the banquet in the courtyard that Qin Dashan and Qin Huairu were dumbfounded—

Zhang the fortune teller and his foolish son lived next door to the Jia family!

When they were supposed to go on a blind date, Zhang Banxian was taken to the neighborhood office for "education and study," and Zhang Dabiao was at school. The blind date was at noon, so who cared who the neighbors were?

There's this guy in the neighborhood who's obsessed with feudal superstition and gets dragged away by the neighborhood committee for "education" every day, plus there's this idiot—it's not exactly something to be proud of. And then there's his master, Yi Zhonghai, who's been arranging Jia Dongxu's blind date. He's never gotten along with Zhang Banxian, so who's going to introduce Zhang Banxian to anyone?

That's a perfect, uncanny coincidence!

During the wedding banquet, Qin Dashan and Qin Huairu were in a panic, but Zhang Banxian had just been criticized by the neighborhood committee, so he didn't dare to mention the engagement from back then.

If the neighborhood committee knew that he spent 5 silver dollars to buy a wife for Zhang Dabiao, who was only 7 years old at the time, the old women from the Women's Federation would beat him to death!

Therefore, the matter was strangely not exposed.

Qin Dashan and Qin Huairu didn't mention it because they were ashamed; Zhang Banxian didn't dare to mention it either because it was illegal; the Jia family knew nothing about it, and the matter should have ended there.

This was a twist of fate.

Since the Zhang family didn't make a fuss, they could be considered to have suffered a loss in silence. Moreover, Zhang Dabiao was only 9 years old in 52 and was considered mentally challenged, so no one took him seriously.

But unexpectedly, Zhang Dabiao dug up the marriage certificate from back then!

There are everyone's handprints on it, so it can't be faked!

Everyone was stunned.

Nima Zhang Dabiao and Jia Zhangshi are relatives. Everyone has known this for many years, but the relationship is relatively distant and the two families are not very close, so it is not often mentioned.

But I never expected that there was such a relationship between the Zhang family and the Qin family.

Is this some kind of ill-fated relationship from a novel?

Too complicated?

Qin Dashan and Qin Huairu tried to snatch the marriage certificate, but Zhang Dabiao, quick-witted and agile, took it and put it away.

Want to tear it up?

no way!

"So, was I wrong to say I thanked Qin Huairu for not marrying her?"

Zhang Dabiao chuckled as he lit a cigarette and was looking for a match when Yan Jiecheng, standing beside him, kindly lit it for him.

Yes, Comrade Yan Jiecheng is quite sensible!

Sha Zhu remained rooted to the spot, constantly calculating with his good hand.

"Marrying Zhang the Fortune Teller would be one option, but Zhang the Fortune Teller didn't agree..."

"Marrying Zhang Dabiao would be considered a second marriage, and Sister Qin herself agreed to it; there's even a marriage certificate..."

"Marrying Jia Dongxu is her third marriage..."

Xu Damao suddenly added, as if possessed, "Silly Zhu, you have no chance. You'll only have a chance when your sister Qin marries for the fourth time."

[Goddess, marrying four times?!] "Hahahaha!" Everyone was laughing hysterically!

Sha Zhu blushed immediately and rushed over to challenge Xu Damao to a 1v1 duel!

But the crowd stopped them, saying, "Director Wang is right here, what are you doing?"

Qin Dashan asked incredulously, "You...?"

"Aren't you an idiot? How do you know these things?"

"My dad was wronged. It's just my dad and me at home. If he doesn't tell me, who else can he tell?"

"A while ago, your daughter's family tried to take advantage of my house and workplace. Your son-in-law, Jia Dongxu, even brought some young people from the neighborhood to ply me with alcohol, and I ended up drinking too much—"

"The neurons and blood vessels in my brain suddenly became clear!"

"I remember everything."

So...

Zhang Dabiao pointed fiercely at Qin Huairu and Qin Dashan, saying, "You two got yourself into this mess!"

In an instant, Qin Dashan collapsed to the ground, while Qin Huairu, holding Xiao Dang, leaned against the veranda behind them.

This is incredibly embarrassing!

"So, a woman doesn't remarry? And you think I ruined Qin Huairu's reputation?"

"Does your Jia family have a good reputation?"

"Oh, well, now your Qin family has no reputation left."

"This is called reaping what you sow; you can't escape it!"

For Zhang Dabiao, reputation or not, it doesn't really matter.

But for women, and for farmers like Qin Dashan, losing their reputation means anyone can kick them while they're down, not to mention that this whole thing is just their family being ungrateful and heartless!

When this gets back, not to mention anything else, clan leader Qin Dingsong will be the first to not let him off the hook!