The Courtyard House: The story begins with He Yuzhu beating up the White Widow.

Qin Huairu was dumbfounded. She had heard of beggars, but never beggars for meat. The idea that she should beg was even more absurd, yet she was still being told to go beg. Qin Huairu couldn't help but say, "Isn't this a bit inappropriate?!"

Madam Jia glared at Qin Huairu and said, "I told you to go, so go! Why all the nonsense?!"

Qin Huairu unconsciously glanced at Jia Dongxu. Seeing that Jia Dongxu didn't react, Qin Huairu sighed silently, walked to the cabinet, grabbed a bowl, and was about to leave. Jia Zhangshi called out, "Wait!"

Qin Huairu thought Jia Zhangshi had changed her mind. But Jia Zhangshi's next words completely stunned Qin Huairu. Jia Zhangshi said, "Let me see, which bowl did you take?!"

Qin Huairu showed the bowl she was holding to Jia Zhangshi. Jia Zhangshi, seeing the bowl in Qin Huairu's hand, gave her a look that seemed to say, "You don't know how to manage a household," and said, "Who are you going to feed with such a small bowl?! There's a big bowl in the cupboard. Take that bowl over there."

Qin Huairu argued, "Mom, if I take this bowl, they might not even give it to me. If I take that big bowl, they'll probably throw me out!"

"You useless thing! I told you to go, so go! Why are you babbling on and on?!" With that, Madam Jia Zhang looked at Jia Dongxu and said, "Dongxu, why don't you control your wife?!"

Originally intending to have some food and drinks, Jia Dongxu compromised, saying, "Huai Ru, just listen to Mom!"

Qin Huairu suddenly felt as if she had been punched in the chest, a dull ache making her speechless. After a while, she recovered, changed the bowl, and went out. Jia Dongxu and his mother immediately looked out the window. Jia Zhangshi asked, "Dongxu, why did your wife go to the He family's side room?!"

Jia Dongxu replied, "Mom, you weren't here, so you don't know. The He family renovated the house. The side room is now their kitchen."

Madam Jia said angrily, "Such a nice house as a kitchen, it would be better if it were given to our family!!"

Jia Dongxu glanced at his mother out of the corner of his eye and said, "Mom, you'd better watch your words! Don't go around saying things that aren't what they used to be. The He family isn't what it used to be. He Yuzhu is working at the Military Control Commission now. He Daqing has also returned from Baocheng and is now a head chef at the factory. He's even married a new wife."

"What?!" Madam Jia was shocked again, saying, "How could that old scoundrel He Daqing take a new wife?!"

Seeing that his mother wouldn't listen to his advice, Jia Dongxu hesitated for a moment, then threatened, "Mom, you know He Daqing better than I do. If you offend him and he hits you, don't blame me for not helping you."

Madam Jia glared at Jia Dongxu and said, "I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice. I know what I'm doing!"

At the same time, Qin Huairu arrived at the door of the He family's kitchen. Just as Qin Huairu was about to step into the kitchen, He Yuzhu placed the dishes on the table. Seeing the large bowl in Qin Huairu's hand, He Yuzhu understood what was going on without her saying a word. Before Qin Huairu could speak, He Yuzhu shouted, "Get out! Who let you in?!"

Qin Huairu hurriedly said, "Brother Zhuzi, my mother-in-law is injured and wants to eat some meat to help her recover. It's impossible to buy meat right now, could you lend me some? I'll pay you back later when Dongxu brings the meat back!"

He Yuzhu said coldly, "I don't want to say it a third time! Get out of here! Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Qin Huairu's expression changed slightly, and she thought to herself, "Could it be that I'm pregnant and my charm has diminished?!" Then, Qin Huairu composed herself and looked at He Yuzhu with a pitiful expression.

He Yuzhu didn't give Qin Huairu a chance to speak, grabbing her by the collar and throwing her out. Seeing Qin Huairu being kicked out, Jia Zhangshi's expression changed slightly. She said, "What a useless thing! She can't even handle this small matter?!" Then she said to Jia Dongxu, "Dongxu, what use is such a woman to you?!"

Seeing Qin Huairu thrown out, Jia Dongxu panicked and ran out without a word. He Yuzhu, seeing Jia Dongxu, said, "You coward, you finally decided to come out?! Jia Dongxu, let me tell you! If you can afford to support your family, then support them; if you can't, find your mother and wife new partners as soon as possible, so they don't suffer with you!"

Enraged by He Yuzhu's words, Jia Dongxu nearly fainted. Pointing at He Yuzhu, he gritted his teeth and asked, "What do you mean by that?!"

He Yuzhu replied, "The obvious meaning! What's the point of a grown man living if he can't support his family and his wife has to beg for money?!"

"He Yuzhu, you've got some nerve! Don't ever fall into my hands again!" With that, Jia Dongxu glared at Qin Huairu and roared, "You shameless wretch, aren't you coming with me now?!"

Qin Huairu didn't dare to say anything more. Holding the large bowl that had been passed down in the Jia family, she followed Jia Dongxu home.

Hearing the noise, He Yushui and Xu Xiaoling, who were doing their homework, immediately put down their pencils, ran to the door, and peeked out. Seeing this, He Yuzhu asked, "Yushui, have you finished your homework?!"

He Yushui replied, "It'll be finished soon!"

He Yuzhu urged, "What are you waiting for?! Hurry up and go back to writing!"

"Oh!" He Yushui responded, pulling Xu Xiaoling to continue doing her homework.

Jia Dongxu brought Qin Huairu home, angrily sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and said, "Mom, don't let Huairu do these kinds of things anymore."

Madam Jia snorted and said, "That's because your wife is incompetent. Who can you blame?!"

Jia Dongxu said, "Mom, how can you say that?! If He Yuzhu were easy to deal with, you wouldn't have been sent to jail by him."

Madam Jia Zhang said, "How can you blame me?! Blame Yi Zhonghai for being incompetent and unable to protect us, mother and daughter!"

With a pained expression, Jia Dongxu earnestly advised, "Mom, Yi Zhonghai used to protect you. He would clean up any trouble you caused. Now that we don't have Yi Zhonghai backing us up, we can only keep a low profile. If we really anger the neighbors and they unite to sue us in the military control commission, then we'll have no choice but to go back to our hometown to farm."

Returning to her hometown to farm was a nightmare for Jia Zhangshi. When she and Old Jia left their hometown, Jia Zhangshi had given all their relatives a good dressing down. She felt good saying it then, but afterwards, after Old Jia died, sending him back to his hometown for burial was a nightmare. If it weren't for her distant cousin, Jia Dongxu, speaking up for her, Old Jia would probably be a wandering ghost now, drifting aimlessly somewhere.