Courtyard House: A Leisurely and Contented Life

If things still can't be resolved, Sha Zhu will most likely keep quiet.

wait!

There's plenty of time!

Once you gradually accept it and face reality.

Let's sit down and talk properly.

Can't recognize it?!

It's okay, I'm old and can't walk anymore.

I say what I mean, so what can you do? Jump up and hit me?

After the person passed away, he took care of everything and got things done.

During festivals and holidays, people burn offerings and light incense.

This debt of gratitude for raising me can be considered repaid.

So don't think that Sha Zhu is really stupid; he's not stupid at all.

In the original drama, she wasn't stupid; she wanted to go on a blind date but couldn't escape the trap.

They got the three of them to work together, and a bunch of liars managed to get them arrested.

Now, without Qin Huairu, I understand life all too well.

Then you're even less foolish.

Why do you see why he hasn't let Ran Qiuye come to the yard anymore?

Hey, people are on guard!

However, this honest man is very stubborn.

No matter how capable you are, Yi Zhonghai, you still have to admit you're getting old.

I'm determined to repay this debt; I can't refuse it even if I want to.

They invited Ms. Yi into the house, and Yingzi sat opposite her.

"Auntie, you seem to have something on your mind. Would you like to talk to me about it?"

Looking at Yingzi with a sigh, Mr. Yi thought to himself, "What a wonderful girl. Old Yi is truly foolish!"

"Jianye's daughter-in-law..." Yi felt so frustrated that she wanted to dump all the pent-up anger in her heart.

But she's embarrassing herself!

Seeing that she couldn't speak, Yingzi got up and poured her a glass of water.

"Have a drink to warm yourself up, and I'll start the stove first."

"Sigh, you go ahead with your work." Mrs. Yi nodded gratefully.

Sitting in this room, Yi felt increasingly hot.

Finally, I took off the cotton-padded coat I was wearing and felt much more comfortable.

"Jianye's wife, it's really hot in your room," Madam Yi said, chatting with her casually.

She was never one to talk to before, and now Old Yi is even more taciturn.

He went back to his room and sat there, pondering and calculating.

The two of them barely exchanged thirty or forty sentences in the past week.

She's also someone who doesn't like to gossip or talk about right and wrong.

How could one not feel aggrieved?

"It's hot. Look at the pipes connected to the stove; they're full of hot water."

"Walking around in this room is warmer than in a public bathhouse!"

When it comes to her husband's cooking skills, Yingzi is anything but modest.

She went on and on praising her husband, saying how capable, attentive, and devoted he was to the family.

"Jianye was a good guy, and so are you."

Mr. Yi sighed deeply, "Old Yi and I used to be like that too..."

Seeing that she had spoken, Yingzi smiled but didn't reply, and continued with her own work.

Aunt Yi is just missing a listener with long ears!

……

After Yi left, he followed Yi Zhonghai, whose face was dark, back into the house.

Yingzi, however, was filled with mixed feelings. This Aunt Yi...

He was a pitiful person too.

But there are so many pitiful people in the world, who can take care of them all?

So, once the lament is over, that's it.

Life goes on, no matter what.

After bringing Ms. Yi back into the house, Yi Zhonghai asked with a grim face, "What did you say to her?"

Yi walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), took off her shoes, and crawled into bed.

"We just chatted casually for a bit. What about you?"

"What about me?"

Yi Zhonghai avoided eye contact, not daring to look at his wife.

He couldn't bring himself to say the word "suspension."

"Rumors are circulating that you've been suspended from your job at the factory."

Seeing Yi Zhonghai standing there silently, the Yi family understood everything.

If that were a lie, he would have gotten angry long ago.

Are you still standing there, listening obediently?

"Old Yi, you should be able to put your mind at ease now." Mrs. Yi felt unusually relaxed and happy today.

Therefore, she unusually brought up the issue that was both of their worries.

"It's my fault for not being able to give you a child."

"I told you to take one, but you weren't willing."

"How about... we get a divorce!"

Yi Zhonghai turned around abruptly and scolded, "You're talking nonsense again."

Mr. Yi remained calm. "Old Yi, I'm not talking nonsense. Look at yourself, are you still the same person you used to be?"

"Since this has tormented you so much, let's just put it behind us. If you don't want a son, we'll get a divorce..."

"Nonsense!"

Yi Zhonghai angrily shouted, "I don't think you're yourself at all, what nonsense are you spouting?"

"After all these years, don't you understand me yet?"

I used to know, but now... I don't.

Seeing his wife's dejected expression, Yi Zhonghai's anger was suddenly dampened.

Does she really feel like she doesn't recognize herself anymore?

Yi Zhonghai raised his hand and touched his face, his expression shifting between light and dark.

What on earth is going on?

……

When Yang Jianye arrived home, the lights were already on inside.

Seeing the cup on the table, Yang Jianye asked curiously, "Yingzi, are there people visiting?"

They both had their own jars, and usually the cups were kept upside down in the cabinet, specifically for outsiders.

This is on the table, isn't it because someone's coming?

"Look at me, I forgot to wash. Aunt Yi came over, sat for a while, and we chatted."

Yingzi took the cup out to wash it clean, then put it back in the cabinet.

"Aunt Yi," Yang Jianye asked curiously, "what were you two talking about?"

Aunt Yi's presence was almost as noticeable as that of the deaf old lady.

Neither of them were easy to move around from, and they were practically never seen together.

In the summer, I occasionally take a walk and soak up the sun.

It seems like we only met once in winter, and haven't seen each other since.

However, he was always busy at the factory and wouldn't get back until it was dark.

It's not just Aunt Yi and the deaf old lady who are nowhere to be seen.

Seeing his curious look, Yingzi put the food on the table and said, "Let's talk about the past, about when she was young."

"You would never guess that when Mr. Yi was young, he wrote love poems to an older woman. You really wouldn't believe it."

That's absolutely true. Could someone as serious and old-fashioned as Yi Zhonghai really write love poems for someone? Indeed, you can't judge a book by its cover!

Yang Jianye draped a towel over his shoulders and took the fire hook to the stove. He used the hook to pull open the front drawer, revealing sweet potatoes roasting inside. He used chopsticks to put some in a bowl, and said with a smile, "This stove is really useful."

Yingzi rolled her eyes at him and said, "It works, and the coal works too." Two coal briquettes are needed a day, plus the coal used to seal the fire at night. If it didn't work, would it be worth all those coal briquettes?

Yang Jianye placed the warm sweet potatoes on a plate, rubbed his hands together, and turned on the gramophone. Listening to music while eating simple food, he felt warm inside!

"Eating a combination of refined and whole grains is nutritious."

Hearing him say that, Yingzi laughed and said, "Where did you learn such twisted logic?"

"What do you mean by 'fallacious logic'? This is science," Yang Jianye chuckled. As for where he learned it? Don't ask, it's all in the vast collection of countless works from various universes.

The two were eating and chatting happily when they heard Granny Jia's voice from outside: "Why are you only just getting back?"

"I got promoted today, so I'll work overtime. We'll talk when I get back to my room."

"You've been officially hired! You've really been officially hired..."

Yingzi looked up at him but didn't say anything.

Yang Jianye volunteered, "If Qin Huairu gets promoted, I'll approve it; one for her and one for Zhang Chao."

"Then she has to call you 'Master' now." Seeing him nod, Yingzi said playfully, "And shouldn't she call me 'Master's Wife'?"

Yang Jianye looked at her and chuckled, "If you're happy with it, let her call me that."

Yingzi asked curiously, "You're not happy about it?"

Yang Jianye picked up some food and calmly said, "When you're working, call out to the master; when you're done, everyone goes their own way."

"What's wrong? Are you still angry?" Yingzi knew about Jia Zhangshi's attempt to take advantage of him by wanting his house.

Yang Jianye smiled calmly and asked, "Is your man the kind of person who holds grudges?"

Seeing her confusion, Yang Jianye explained, "Qin Huairu is, after all, a widow. It's only because there's no gossip in the workshop that things are peaceful. Otherwise, if we get close to each other outside of work, people will gossip. Not to mention after work, if we get too close, it won't do either of us any good."

Yingzi agreed with this; gossip often arises at a widow's door. It's indeed inappropriate to be so close outside of work hours!

"Never mind then, it's better to keep it like this," Yingzi said, reaching for a sweet potato to peel. She peeled it in half and held it up to Yang Jianye's mouth.

Yang Jianye shook his head and said, "You eat."

Yingzi pushed it forward and said, "Take a bite first."

Without any hesitation, Yingzi took a big bite, then happily ate hers by herself. Sharing one sweet potato between the two of them was incredibly delicious!

Inside the Jia family's house, Granny Jia was beaming as she held a bowl. Twenty-seven yuan and fifty cents—that's a really high wage! With that kind of money, what's there to worry about—not having enough to eat?

However, Granny Jia was also secretly calculating whether she could get something out of it, like asking her for a few dollars each month. But she didn't plan to say that now. Ever since that incident, Qin Huairu had become increasingly assertive. Now, Qin Huairu wasn't afraid of anyone trying to act like a mother-in-law. So, she had to think of another way. Also, she had to wait until Qin Huairu was finished with her reformation before bringing it up. Granny Jia was already traumatized by her constant use of Director Wang to shut her up. If this continued, she'd start trembling at the mere mention of "Wang."

……

"Come on, eat more, eat more." Granny Jia put some food on Qin Huairu's plate and urged her to eat more.

Qin Huairu was completely dumbfounded. Had she been sleeping too long? Her mother-in-law was serving her food?! Good heavens, the sun must have risen in the west!

Seeing her expression, Granny Jia pretended not to notice, finished her drink, and went to clear the dishes. These days, she was a bit tired, but her energy was getting better and better, and even her body felt lighter. She no longer felt depressed or annoyed by everyone.

Ever since her son Dongxu died, Jia Zhangshi's spirit had gone with him. With her husband gone, her only hope, her son, was gone too. Now, only Qin Huairu, an outsider, remained by her side. Jia Zhangshi was afraid and panicked! If Qin Huairu abandoned her, how would she, a country woman, survive? The crucial point was, there was no place for her in the city.

The house? Granny Jia was referring to her own, and everyone else said the same thing. Of course, it was her own house, wasn't it? But everyone knew in their hearts that it was allocated by the factory. It was factory property, distributed to the factory employees. And who were the employees now? Qin Huairu! So, if you really wanted to calculate it, Granny Jia was living in Qin Huairu's house. But could she admit that? Certainly not.

Moreover, to be fair, Qin Huai did take over Jia Dongxu's job after all. But then again, he was her man, so it was her turn to take over.

Is it chaotic? That's exactly what makes it chaotic. That's life; you can't make perfect sense of everything. Laws, human relationships, worldly wisdom, morality, environment…

So, Granny Jia was a nuisance, restless, and constantly causing trouble and manipulating Qin Huairu. She was always trying to nag her while also scheming to enrich herself. Her actions were unethical, but that was justifiable. Even so, she was still a scoundrel. This old hag was used to being domineering and spoiled! She relied on whoever supported her, treated her like royalty, and waited on her hand and foot. She was fed the finest food and drunk the best, and treated like royalty. Ah, that's how she deserved to live such a comfortable life of indulgence.

Now, Granny Jia saw a glimmer of hope. With Qin Huairu's salary of twenty-seven yuan and fifty cents, the family's finances were somewhat better. They could definitely afford meat once a month. Besides, her retirement savings—last time, Qin Huairu stole a hundred yuan from her and gave it to that scoundrel Xu Damao. She should at least make it up to him, shouldn't she?

"Huai Ru!" Thinking of this, Granny Jia couldn't sit still any longer. Those hundred dollars were a real pain for her!

"Hmm." Qin Huairu hummed in response. She knew that the bite of food she had eaten earlier hadn't been for nothing. Her mother-in-law was probably up to something again.

"Huai Ru, remember the money you gave Xu Damao last time? Shouldn't you make it up to your mother? Your salary is higher now, twenty-seven yuan and fifty cents a month. I won't ask for more." Granny Jia wiped her hands, held up three fingers, and said, "Three yuan. You give me three yuan a month. That shouldn't be too much, right? Once I've saved up that hundred yuan, I won't ask for more."

Granny Jia was determined to get Qin Huairu to agree to give her the money first, so she could cover the hundred yuan. This would take almost three years; she might get used to giving it to her, and it would prevent Qin Huairu from asking again. Even if Qin Huairu disagreed, Granny Jia could easily ask for it later. After all, she'd been giving it to her for three years; she wouldn't be so resistant to any amount. If she pleaded and begged, Qin Huairu wouldn't really refuse!

But what Granny Jia didn't expect was that Qin Huairu didn't even intend to give her that hundred yuan.

"You're the one who got your face captured, so you should pay for it. I don't have the money to compensate you, and I won't. I know how to spend my own salary!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Granny Jia's face turned sour. But this time, she managed to suppress her anger. "When doing ideological work, you need patience and perseverance. At first, the other person may resist or be hostile. But as long as you persist, instilling the correct ideas in her ten or a hundred times, one day you will be able to move and persuade her to understand what is right and what is wrong."

Reflecting on what she had learned and heard, Granny Jia advised her to be patient and persistent. She needed to relentlessly fight this difficult battle, conveying the correct viewpoints and changing her hostile mindset. She was Qin Huairu's mother-in-law, and respecting elders was a virtue. Qin Huairu should respect her, serve her, and obey her every command. Currently, Qin Huairu's thinking was wrong and hostile. But sooner or later, Qin Huairu would realize her mistake, obediently hand over her money, and properly serve her—that was what a daughter-in-law should do.

Granny Jia decided that from this day forward, she would give her a thorough moral education. She wanted her to truly and deeply realize her mistakes. Then, she could finally enjoy a life of comfort!

At this moment, Qin Huairu, watching her mother-in-law washing and cleaning with her back to her, and her quiet and obedient demeanor, thought she had gained absolute control of the family. Little did she know, this was just the beginning of a nightmare.

In the following days, Granny Jia went to the neighborhood office more frequently and behaved better and better. Not to mention Qin Huairu, everyone else in the courtyard looked on with admiration! On the other hand, Yi Zhonghai deliberately staggered his departures, leaving early and returning late every day, afraid of being seen and embarrassed. Little did he know, in other people's eyes, he had no face left. An eighth-grade worker, gossiping like an old lady behind people's backs. Even the gossipy old lady herself looked down on him. A grown man gossiping, what a pathetic sight!

In this strange rhythm, time quietly entered the end of the year.

Early in the morning, Yang Jianye, who had just gotten up, heard a noise outside the door.

"Slow down, slow down, stick them symmetrically. That end is wrong, go up... Ah, that's right."

Looking at the couplet on the doorframe, Yan Bugui smiled smugly, "Knock on the door!"

"Don't knock, Uncle Yi." Yang Jianye opened the door.

Looking at Yan Bugui, Aunt Yi, and the two brothers Jiefang and Jie Kuang standing at the door, Yang Jianye said with a smile, "You're really here early."

Yan Bugui, holding a cooking broom, chuckled and replied, "The early bird catches the worm!"

"Okay, that makes sense."

Yang Jianye, holding his coat, said into the house, "Yingzi, come and see the couplets that Uncle Yi put up for us."

"They're here."

Yingzi followed her out, saying, "Uncle Yi, if this couplet isn't pleasing, we won't give you any reward money."