Courtyard House: A System Connecting Two Worlds, Resources for the Nation

Zhou Feng was lying in bed humming a song. Although Bai Ling hadn't come back last night, he felt relieved now that the matter was resolved.

Just as he was humming and scrolling through videos with his legs up, he heard a few soft knocks on the door.

"Brother Zhou Feng, I'm back!"

Qin Jingru's clear voice immediately caught Zhou Feng's eye, and he jumped off the bed.

With Bai Ling, the most they did was kiss and touch.

Now that Jingru is back, we can finally have some meat!

Having abstained from sex for so long, he had gotten used to it, and now that he had tasted the sweetness, Zhou Feng was really craving it.

"Jingru, you...are...back...ah..."

Zhou Feng was excited to see Qin Jingru standing at the door with a charming smile.

But when his gaze swept over the middle-aged man behind Qin Jingru, whom he had met once before, Zhou Feng's smile froze.

This has nothing to do with identity, status, or wealth.

Having bullied someone's daughter, and now with her father standing right in front of him, Zhou Feng couldn't help but feel guilty.

"Brother Zhou Feng, my dad wants to meet you."

Qin Jingru also noticed Zhou Feng's unnatural expression and said something in a low voice, feeling a little embarrassed.

This is the most inconvenient aspect of this era!

If this were in a future era, you could send a WeChat message or something to remind Zhou Feng, so he could make preparations.

Unlike now.

He only realized it when everyone was already at the door.

Regardless, this was still an elder in Qin Jingru's family, so Zhou Feng forced a smile: "Uncle Qin, we meet again. Come in and sit down!"

As he spoke, Zhou Feng stepped aside from the doorway.

He had thought it through at home, but when he actually saw the guy who had bullied his daughter in person, his calm state of mind was suddenly thrown into turmoil.

I used to think Zhou Feng was incredibly outstanding, but now I just can't stand him.

This may be the fated conflict between Old Deng and Yellow Hair.

Qin Jingru glanced back at her father and saw that he was not moving. She was a little anxious, so she quickly tugged at him and led him into the room.

After all, it's fine if what they're talking about is between you and me, but if they make a scene in the courtyard and everyone knows about it, then no one will be able to save face.

With his daughter acting as a buffer, Mr. Qin walked into the room with a slight reluctance.

Zhou Feng's room was no different from when he had come before. On the contrary, after Qin Jingru led her father to the chair, she began to tidy up the room.

Qin's father was not surprised by this.

If a girl wants to be with someone, she has to be diligent.

"Uncle, you've come all this way, you must be tired. Have some water and rest your feet, I'll cook for you in a bit."

Zhou Feng handed Qin's father a bottle of water, and then brought out a plate of peanuts and melon seeds, as well as oranges and grapes from the refrigerator.

"Jingru, go wash the fruit."

"Why!"

Qin Jingru's eyes lit up; it was only the beginning of spring and there was already fruit to eat!

She hurriedly took the fruit to the water tap outside the yard.

Qin's father took a sip of water and looked at Zhou Feng: "Jingru is here... but where does she live?"

Although the house is not small, there is only one bedroom. It's not possible for the couple to share a room, is it?

Damn it, thinking of this, Qin's father couldn't help but clench his back teeth again.

This isn't the old society anymore. I never imagined my own daughter would end up as someone's concubine.

"Don't worry, I've already talked to Jingru's cousin's family at the Central Hospital. From now on, Jingru will stay at their house. I'll take care of her food and lodging, and I promise she won't suffer any grievances."

"They have meat and vegetables at every meal, and they eat rice all the time. I also arrange their accommodations and other necessities. Jingru must enjoy priority treatment in their family."

Zhou Feng answered Qin's father's question seriously.

This is a father's concern for his daughter, and it's not something to be taken lightly.

Qin's father's expression softened slightly.

At least my daughter is staying at her cousin's house, so no one can gossip about it.

"Uncle, Jingru won't suffer any losses following me. I'll be taking over as deputy factory director soon, and I'll arrange an easy job for her then, letting her save her own salary. If you two are still worried, you can come to Beiping city, and I'll take care of the arrangements."

The conversation between the two did not touch upon anything about Bai Ling, but both of them were aware of the implications.

However, when Qin's father heard about Zhou Feng's arrangements for his daughter, he couldn't help but nod in approval.

Let alone being a mistress, even city girls who are legally married might not receive this kind of treatment.

If that's really the case, wouldn't forcing his daughter to go back to the countryside with him be forcing her to suffer?

"Dad, try these grapes, they're so sweet!"

Qin Jingru walked out of the kitchen with a cheerful smile.

She had already washed the fruit in the yard, but she didn't go inside. Instead, she hid by the door and listened to the conversation between the two men inside.

After hearing Zhou Feng's promise to his father, the girl's face practically lit up with a smile.

After placing the fruit on the table, Qin Jingru casually picked a grape, peeled off the skin, and fed it to Zhou Feng.

This immediately darkened the face of Qin's father, who had just reached for some fruit.

My own little darling!

"Oh, right, Jingru, I've also prepared something for you!"

Zhou Feng suddenly seemed to remember something, stood up from his chair, ran to the kang cabinet, and pulled out a quilt that was wrapped in a transparent bag.

"What...what is this?"

"A down comforter and a pillow! Don't open them yet; use them when you go to your cousin's house."

"Feather...down feathers?"

"Yes, it's that tuft of feathers on the belly of a duck or goose."

???

The father and daughter exchanged a glance.

Do ducks or geese have a lot of feathers on their bellies?

How many ducks' bellies would you have to pluck to fill this quilt?

"Forget about what down is, just take it to your cousin's house tonight and you'll see how comfortable it is."

Qin's father smacked his lips but didn't say anything.

The things his daughter is now exposed to are beyond his comprehension.

I've never even heard of it, let alone seen it.

What else could he say besides sighing along?

"Brother Zhou Feng, how much is this blanket?"

Qin Jingru didn't really care about the price of the things Zhou Feng gave her, after all, the price of that beef made everything else pale in comparison.

But the deeper meaning behind asking that question was to let her father know how good Zhou Feng was to her.

"Oh, this..."

Zhou Feng hesitated for a moment, mentally calculating based on the previous ratio: "Probably... a few hundred yuan?"

He could have said more, but considering that Qin's father was just an ordinary countryman, wouldn't saying more startle him?

Unfortunately, even though Zhou Feng thought the few hundred yuan was already a reasonable amount, it still made Qin's father's eyes widen, his lips tremble, and he couldn't say a word.

A piece of meat costs several hundred yuan, a watch costs over a hundred yuan, and a quilt costs several hundred yuan.

Qin's father now suspects that Zhou Feng didn't spend the same amount of money as them.

When did the unit of measurement for money become hundreds?

Where did he get this?

Is it still Beiping?

"Uncle, I believe you can see that I have some influence in Beiping. I guarantee that Jingru will not suffer any injustice here."

Zhou Feng seized the opportunity and reassured Qin's father once again.

The latter looked up at Zhou Feng.

This young man's eyes really look sincere; he doesn't seem to be trying to fool people.

"Are you...are you telling the truth?"

"Really." Zhou Feng nodded. "If you don't believe me, I can write a written agreement."

Qin's father shook his head.

Written agreements or not, that's something city people do.

People in rural areas value keeping their word; a promise is a promise.

"No need for a written agreement," Qin's father sighed. "I'll trust you this once. But you must remember what you said today. If I find out you've bullied Jingru, I'll risk my life to settle the score with you!"

Zhou Feng nodded quickly: "Uncle, don't worry, I will definitely treat Jingru well!"

Qin's father remained silent.

That's it.

It's too late to say anything now that things have come to this.

My daughter is all grown up now and has her own ideas.

As parents, they couldn't stop her, so they could only let her go.

"Alright, let's cook." Qin's father waved his hand. "I'll go back after I eat. Jingru's mother is still waiting at home."

"Okay, here's some food!"

Zhou Feng hurriedly went to the refrigerator to get the pre-made dishes that the chefs of those five-star hotels had prepared.

They've given him their daughter, how can he not treat them to a good meal?

Unlike the braised pork last time, Zhou Feng prepared four dishes this time.

It's not that there weren't more, but four dishes were enough for the three of them.

Even if Zhou Feng doesn't need to worry about money right now, extravagance is acceptable, but waste is a sin.

The Qin father and daughter instinctively began to swallow as they looked at the table full of food.

Not to mention Qin Jingru, even Qin's father had rarely seen such a scene.

The other three dishes were alright, but the key dish was the big prawn in the middle!

How can a shrimp grow so big?

He held out his fist and compared them; the shrimp claws were bigger than his fist!

Qin Jingru blinked beside her.

She was also surprised when Zhou Feng took the lobster out of the refrigerator.

"Uncle, please try this."

Zhou Feng handed the two shrimp claws to the Qin father and daughter.

Don't be fooled by the fact that this lobster is frozen; it's preserved using liquid nitrogen at -196 degrees Celsius.

After thawing and steaming, the shrimp meat still retains a clear texture, not loose at all, and the first feeling when you bite into it is firm and chewy.

Moreover, the meat is tender and juicy, and after the initial salty flavor, the shrimp meat develops a subtle sweetness, leaving a pleasant aftertaste!

The father and daughter enjoyed the meal immensely.

good to eat.

It's really delicious.

Having made his decision, Qin's father stopped being coy and generously enjoyed the feast Zhou Feng had prepared for him.

The meal lasted for more than an hour.

Qin's father was practically drooling, his face flushed, and after a few drinks, he became quite talkative.

They talked to Zhou Feng about crops, the harvest, and the latest happenings in the village.

Zhou Feng didn't find it annoying at all; he just stayed by his side and chatted with him, occasionally putting some food on his plate.

Qin Jingru sat to the side, watching the two of them chat, and finally felt a little more at ease.

After the meal, Zhou Feng prepared rice for Qin's father again.

When Qin Jingru went back before, Zhou Feng didn't prepare much because he felt sorry for her petite figure.

When Qin's father returned this time, Zhou Feng directly gave him a bag of rice, wrapped it with a cloth, and then put it in a burlap sack.

Qin's father initially declined, but Zhou Feng persuaded him with a single sentence: "This thing is worthless to me. Only when you two are healthy can Jingru have no worries."

These words brought smiles to the faces of both the Qin father and daughter.

No matter what, this guy seems to really care about his daughter.

As long as his daughter doesn't regret it, he can't worry about what his children and grandchildren will have.

Qin's father carried the sack and left the courtyard, leaving Zhou Feng and his father alone in the room.

Qin Jingru was about to tidy up the kitchen when she didn't notice that Zhou Feng had secretly bolted the door.

"Brother Zhou Feng, my dad..."

Qin Jingru hadn't finished speaking when she let out a gasp.

She was picked up and carried around in a daze.

At 1.6 meters tall, she looked like a giant doll next to Zhou Feng, a burly man from Northeast China, and was carried all the way from the kitchen to the bedside.

"Did anything happen on your way home?"

"No...no!"

Hearing Zhou Feng's question, Qin Jingru looked somewhat bewildered, then gently shook her head.

"No, something must have happened. Let me check..."

Zhou Feng's actions are utterly shameless and vulgar, like an old woman drinking thin porridge.

What could Qin Jingru, in the 60s, say when she encountered such a perverted person?

I could only cover my mouth.

It's not even dark outside yet!

Half an hour later, Zhou Feng lay comfortably on the bed playing on his phone, while Qin Jingru tidied up the room with a slightly awkward expression.

While wiping the table, she would glare at Zhou Feng every now and then.

How come I didn't realize this guy was so bad before?

They even ate jujube steamed buns!

Eat ghosts!

She hasn't had any children, so where would the milky smell come from?

After tidying up the room, Qin Jingru, facing Zhou Feng who was still lying on the bed with a burning gaze, dared not stay in the room any longer. Grabbing the down comforter that Zhou Feng had prepared for her, she hurriedly fled the door and headed towards the central courtyard.

"Tch... She's still too young; she doesn't understand the pleasures of the bedroom!"

Zhou Feng sighed, took a bottle of cola from the refrigerator with a satisfied air, and gulped it down.

Since he's not planning to have children, it's fine for him to drink this beverage.

Just as the Jia family finished preparing the meal, Qin Jingru came in from outside carrying her luggage.

Although she didn't know how Zhou Feng negotiated with the Jia family, since her husband said it was settled, she had no reason to hesitate.

"Oh! Jingru is back!"

Jia Zhangshi immediately smiled and greeted Qin Jingru.

Bang Geng, who was eating, suddenly changed his expression and shoveled food into his bowl as fast as he could.

Seeing his movements, Xiao Dang and Huaihua followed suit without prior arrangement.

The Jia family stir-fries meat slices!

Except for Chinese New Year, we only eat this a few times a year!

The three children were afraid that Qin Jingru would come up to the table and snatch the meat from them.

"No...don't worry, I've already eaten over there."

Qin Jingru blushed slightly, unsure of what to say, and could only move to sit on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed).

Her legs are still a little weak!