Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Of the three people at the table, the deaf old lady couldn't hear, which was fine; but the old man and the old woman's expressions changed drastically after hearing it.

"Impossible! How old is Bang Geng? Daring to steal chickens?"

The old man shook his head repeatedly, his face full of disbelief.

He Yuzhu glanced at him and said calmly, "Don't believe me? I knew you wouldn't."

"To tell you the truth, Banggeng and his two sisters worked together to steal Xu Damao's chicken, and then sneaked into the canteen kitchen to steal half a bottle of soy sauce. They roasted it right under the bridge outside the steel mill. If you don't believe me, go and take a look tomorrow; the chicken feathers under the bridge haven't even been swept clean yet."

"So, according to you... it really is quite impressive?"

Seeing that He Yuzhu's expression was firm and didn't seem like he was just making things up, the older woman's doubts eased a bit.

"Ma'am, I witnessed this with my own eyes. How could you just make things up?"

As He Yuzhu spoke, his gaze swept over the pot of stewed cabbage and pork with vermicelli on the table. He casually tapped the edge of the pot with his chopsticks, making a crisp sound.

"Think about it, why is this pot of vegetables all cabbage stalks? There's not a single tender cabbage heart to be found!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he glanced at the deaf old lady.

The deaf old woman frowned and angrily shouted, "It's all because of that little rascal Banggeng! He dug up all the heart-shaped cabbages I picked out of Shazhu's cellar!"

An old man had just opened his mouth to say a few words on behalf of someone else when He Yuzhu cut him off:

"Think about it carefully. In this courtyard, besides Banggeng, who would dare to do such a thing? Second Uncle's eldest son is already an adult; would he do something like this? Guangfu and Guangtian, those two lads, are beaten by Second Uncle every day until they walk with their necks hunched over, not even daring to breathe loudly. Would they dare to climb over the wall and break into the cellar? Third Uncle's kids wouldn't have the guts either!"

After saying that, he turned and stared at the old man, his tone turning serious:

"Besides, sir, do you know why I've been locking the door so tightly lately?"

To be honest, I'm really scared. My room gets ransacked eight times a day! He takes everything he thinks is valuable or usable.

"What?!"

The old man paused, his chopsticks snapping, his expression changing. If that were really the case…

"This is no small matter. If Qin Huairu doesn't discipline the child, he'll be in big trouble sooner or later."

His brows furrowed, and his voice betrayed a hint of anxiety.

"Absolutely right!"

He Yuzhu nodded emphatically, his tone sincere:

"Uncle, you've hit the nail on the head."

"As the old saying goes: you can tell a person's future at three and their character at seven. If a child steals a radish or picks some cabbage when they're young, what will they be like when they grow up? Who knows if they won't steal someone's wallet or pick their door lock?"

"I reckon this kid will most likely be dealing with prison cells in the future."

He paused, his gaze fixed on the old man's face:

"If he gets into trouble outside and comes back to our compound, will you take him to the police station to uphold justice, or will you pretend you didn't see anything? If you do the latter, that's covering for him, and you'll end up in jail with him. You won't be able to escape."

This isn't meant to scare you; it's a genuine reminder.

The elderly man and woman were stunned on the spot, their faces turning pale.

Is it really that serious?

Seeing that the two men's expressions had stiffened, He Yuzhu added fuel to the fire:

"There's another possibility: he might die inside. Then Qin Huairu will be begging you to use your connections to get him out. You have a lot of influence, so getting him out once is easy; but what about the third or fifth time? Can you really handle that?"

The couple immediately lost their appetite and even put down their chopsticks. They didn't finish their dinner, but their hearts were in their throats.

Over the years, they have taken care of Qin Huairu's family continuously, but it wasn't entirely selfless.

The old woman was frail and had never been able to have children. She had long placed her hopes on Qin Huairu, hoping that when she grew old and sick, someone would bring her soup and medicine, and attend to her in her final moments.

Now, Qin Huairu's own child is almost in jail, so how can she have the energy to take care of them?

Besides, the elderly are generally kind-hearted people who despise dishonest and shady dealings. When they encounter such things, their instinct is to stay away.

Tonight's meal was unusually somber.

At this moment, He Yuzhu picked up his wine glass, gently touched the rim of Uncle Yi's glass, and said with a smile:

"Grandpa, come on, have a drink! What are you staring at? Have a drink! Hey? Grandma, don't just sit there, hurry up and grab some food while it's hot, it'll lose its flavor when it gets cold..."

He Yuzhu knew perfectly well what was turmoil in their hearts, but he pretended not to see it and insisted on giving them a push and a nudge.

However, he also knew that these few words alone might not be enough to change the minds of the two elderly people.

Some people don't realize the pain until something hits them hard enough.

The deaf old woman listened for a long time before finally speaking:

"I've lived this long and never been wrong about people. In this whole courtyard, Qin Huairu is the most clever. If it weren't for her always stirring things up behind the scenes, Shazhu would have gotten married long ago."

"..."

He Yuzhu was stunned. He turned to look at the old lady, his face full of surprise.

He never expected that this old lady with hearing problems would see things so clearly and speak so accurately.

This is true.

Every single girl I introduced in the past was ruined by Qin Huairu without her noticing.

The old lady knew perfectly well what was going on; she just turned a blind eye to it before.

Now that He Yuzhu has regained his senses and become more assertive, she is finally willing to break the ice.

This change was actually a good thing for her.

……

Meanwhile, before the movie had even ended, Qin Huairu couldn't sit still any longer.

My cousin Qin Jingru was having a lively conversation with Xu Damao, and I sat next to her like a lonely light bulb, unable to join in or blend in.

She could only instruct Qin Jingru: After the movie, take the three children home together and don't let them run around. She then left the theater first and hurried towards the compound.

Back in the courtyard, she noticed the brass lock still hanging on He Yuzhu's door. She sighed silently and turned to go back to her own house.

"Huh? You came back alone? Where's your sister?"

When the mother-in-law, Zhang, saw that only Qin Huairu had entered the room, she asked in surprise.

"They're still watching the movie there, reluctant to leave."

Upon hearing this, Zhang shook her head and scoffed.

"That's true, it's the first time a country girl has ever seen a movie, she's too tired to even move her legs."

"It's not just that... I think she's already set her sights on Xu Damao."

Qin Huairu's tone was helpless, but the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.

"What?"

Zhang suddenly stood up, took a few steps closer, and asked urgently in a low voice:

"Wait, weren't you planning to set her up with Stupid Pillar?"

"Yes, that was exactly what I originally planned. But they had already made up their minds, what could I do to stop them?"

Although he sighed, a barely concealed smile had already crept onto his face.

Her sister has taken a liking to Xu Damao, so she no longer needs to worry about the ambiguous feelings between her and He Yuzhu.

Qin Huairu was actually conflicted: she hoped to introduce her sister to He Yuzhu, but she was also afraid that if they really got together, she would have no hope at all.

She kept this thought deep inside, yet suppressed it firmly.

But on second thought, this might not be a bad thing.

At least the trouble with the "sticky bug" is now over, and there's no longer any need to worry or plead with others for help.

One thing, both ends settled, stable and worry-free.

Meanwhile, Zhang, the mother-in-law standing nearby, was also secretly calculating in her mind: she knew that Xu Damao was the one who showed movies at the factory, and his benefits were top-notch. Although his salary was not as high as that of Uncle Yi and He Yuzhu, he brought back countless "benefits" every time he went to the countryside to show movies.

The profits from the film projection studio are substantial.

Speaking of his own family, if it weren't for He Yuzhu often bringing them lunch boxes to help them in the early years, how often would they see meat throughout the year?

But Xu Damao was different. Every few days, he would bring in chicken, duck, fish, and meat as easily as carrying a vegetable basket. Every time Zhang saw him, she couldn't move her feet; she had been envious for a long time.

If Qin Jingru really marries Xu Damao this time, won't the family benefit from it in the future?

The chicken, duck, fish and meat that Xu Damao served were a hundred times better than the soup and broth that He Yuzhu left behind!

This approach is also feasible.

Thinking of this, Madam Jia's eyes lit up, and she smiled and said:

"That's good! Xu Damao has plenty of money. Once your sister marries him, we'll be proper relatives immediately. Living in the same courtyard, he'll surely take care of us, won't he?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu simply shook her head slightly, a bitter smile appearing on her lips.

She knew her younger sister all too well; she was quick to anger and never gave anyone a moment's peace.

"It's hard to say for sure, you don't know my sister's temper."

"..."

Before he finished speaking, the movie had already ended. Xu Damao, while deftly packing up the film and mounting the equipment, turned to Qin Jingru with a smile and asked:

"Jingru, you haven't had a proper chance to explore the capital yet, have you?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Jingru sighed deeply, her voice tinged with resentment:

"Go to Tiananmen Square? The last time I went there was when I was a child, I can't even remember which year it was."

"And then there's my older sister, she's incredibly stingy, she's never even taken me to Wangfujing!"

Xu Damao's heart warmed; there was hope! This girl was more genuine than Qin Huairu, and easier to control.

He immediately responded, his smile widening:

"If she won't take you, I will! I'll show you all around the capital, and after we've had our fill, we'll have a hot pot together, how about that?"

"Really?" Qin Jingru's eyes lit up, but then she shrank back, a little embarrassed.

"But we've only just met... It's not really appropriate for me to spend your money, is it?"

"Hmph!" Xu Damao waved his hand dismissively.

"This little bit of money is like drinking water to me. Who's the richest in our compound? Need I say more? It's me!"

After saying that, he glanced around and, seeing that most people had left, lowered his voice and whispered in Qin Jingru's ear:

"You have no idea how much profit I can make from showing a movie."

Qin Jingru blinked and immediately realized that this person was indeed not simple.

But then she remembered what her sister had said last night, "He Yuzhu is the richest," and after a moment's hesitation, she tentatively asked:

"By the way, between you and He Yuzhu, who's better off?"

"He Yuzhu?" Xu Damao scoffed, waving his hand. "Don't mention him! That idiot Zhu is just a greenhorn, he can't compare to me at all. He's way behind. Come on, stop dawdling here, let's go to Wangfujing for hot pot, and I'll pick out some new clothes for you while we're at it!"