I, Yan Jiefang, will live to 2025 in this courtyard house.

"Not easy? Who has an easy life?"

You're capable of subsidizing outsiders, but not of tolerating me getting married?

I'm telling you this now, I'm definitely going to marry this woman!

If you don't like it, get out right now!

Young and impetuous, Sha Zhu was publicly and forcefully reprimanded by his father, losing face and his stubborn temper flared up completely:

"Fine, I'll get out! This family tries to control everything I do; I feel suffocated here!"

He Daqing was utterly heartbroken and too lazy to discipline his hopeless son anymore. He roared angrily:

"Fine! You've got guts! Then move out right now!"

My house, my home, has no place for a spendthrift son like you! Don't ever set foot here again!

The father and son were arguing loudly, and their voices echoed throughout the entire courtyard.

He Yushui had just rushed back to the courtyard when she heard her father angrily shouting at her brother to get out.

She froze on the spot, her heart filled with mixed feelings, torn between two options.

Yan Bugui's words had come true; her father's remarriage was real. Now, her father and brother had completely broken ties, leaving her utterly distraught.

She harbored resentment towards He Daqing, resenting that he only cared about money and was cold and indifferent to her.

She also had grievances against Sha Zhu, complaining that her brother had blindly helped the Jia family and had neglected his own sister for the past few years.

But reason prevailed. He Daqing had raised her until she was 7 years old and had sent her living expenses after he went to Baoding.

Although the money was intercepted by Yi Zhonghai and his wife and didn't reach her, they didn't completely ignore her either.

Silly brother has worked so hard all these years to raise her all by himself; this is a debt of gratitude for his upbringing.

One was her biological father, and the other was her older brother; both were her closest relatives and had done her a great favor.

He Yushui stood at the door, caught in a dilemma, feeling both bitter and choked up, with no idea who to advise or help.

The argument between the He family father and son, which led to their falling out, drifted into the Jia family's west wing room without a single word being missed.

Jia Zhangshi was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) sewing shoe soles when she heard the noise. Her lips instantly curled into a grin, her face full of schadenfreude.

"Oh my! What a miracle! Those two good-for-nothings, the He father and son, have fallen out!"

Madam Jia was beaming from ear to ear.

"He Daqing remarried and will definitely not care about Shazhu anymore. Now that things have completely turned sour, Shazhu will be even more unrestrained, making it even easier for my Ruru to control him!"

Jia Dongxu nodded in agreement, his eyes full of calculation:

"That's right. As long as Sha Zhu is left alone, he will continue to subsidize our family."

There's one downside: if Sha Zhu is really kicked out and loses his place in the He family courtyard, it will be inconvenient for him to interact with R Ru, and it will be much more difficult for him to get any benefits from her.

Once he's settled into his new home, I'll go and find out where he lives.

He paused here, looking at his wife.

"After we get paid, we'll go visit him together. I'll wait outside while you go ask him for the money."

Qin Huairu, who was already showing signs of pregnancy, nodded quickly.

The family was overjoyed, yet secretly worried, their minds preoccupied with how to continue to manipulate Sha Zhu and extract benefits from him.

At the same time, the most astute deaf old lady in the courtyard also heard the sound.

Ever since Yi Zhonghai and Li Cuilan were both sent to labor camps, her support for retirement completely collapsed.

For so long, she has been looking for a reliable person to take care of her in her old age, but she has not been able to find a suitable one.

Now, I hear that the He family father and son have completely fallen out and He Daqing wants to kick Sha Zhu out of the house.

The deaf old woman's mind immediately became active, and a cunning plan quickly took shape in her mind.

Although Sha Zhu is slow-witted, easily influenced, and doesn't know how to serve others, his cooking skills are almost unmatched in the entire courtyard.

Most importantly, he has now been kicked out of his home by his own father and is homeless. This is the most vulnerable and easiest time for him to be manipulated.

There happened to be an empty room in my house, which was just right to take in Sha Zhu.

As long as I can get Sha Zhu to live with me and control where he stays, I won't have to worry about this kid not obediently taking care of me in my old age, cooking for me, and serving me.

Thinking of this, the deaf old woman immediately got up, leaned on her cane, and hurried to the He family's house.

Upon entering and seeing He Daqing still angry, the deaf old woman showed no politeness and immediately began to scold him:

"He Daqing! You've gone too far! Shazhu is your own son, and you're going to kick him out of the house just because he's getting married? Where is your conscience as a father?!"

She didn't give He Daqing a chance to refute, turning to look at Sha Zhu, who had a stubborn and aggrieved expression, and her tone immediately became gentle and kind:

"My dear grandson, don't be angry with your father. He doesn't love you, but I do! He won't let you stay, but I have a spare room. Come with me!"

Sha Zhu was feeling frustrated and had nowhere to go, but upon hearing this, he felt a warmth in his heart and followed the deaf old woman outside without thinking.

This scene greatly worried the Jia family in the west wing.

If Sha Zhu really gets taken in by the deaf old lady and listens to her in everything from now on, and never blindly gives money to the Jia family again, where will they find such a sucker who is always at their beck and call and gives them money and goods?

At the critical moment, Qin Huairu immediately got up and rushed out.

Her eyes were slightly red, and her face wore a perfectly measured expression of grievance. She quickly stepped in front of Sha Zhu, her soft voice full of heartache:

"Zhu Zi, how pitiful you are! Even your own father can't stand you."

If you have any worries in the future, don't keep them to yourself. There will always be a place for you by my side...

A simple sentence instantly struck the softest spot in Sha Zhu's heart.

"Sister Qin..."

Looking at the pained expression on the face of his beloved, the white moonlight in his heart, he felt a surge of grievances well up inside him, and he choked up, unable to speak.

Qin Huairu continued her subtle moral blackmail:

Even if you lose your home, you still have the Jia family.

We have always considered you our closest family member and have never looked down on you.

If you leave, we, a widow and her children, will have no one to help us anymore…

The deaf old woman stood to the side, her face instantly darkening. She stared intently at Sha Zhu, waiting for him to give his opinion.

On one side is the deaf old woman who gave him a place to stay and genuinely took him in; on the other side is his beloved, the one he cherishes dearly.

Sha Zhu was caught in a dilemma. After hesitating for a moment, he finally couldn't resist the obsession in his heart. He gritted his teeth and spoke to the deaf old woman:

"Grandma, thank you for taking me in."

But my relationship with the Jia family has lasted for so many years, and even if I move in with you, I will still help them as before!

Upon hearing this, the deaf old woman's face turned ashen, and most of her carefully laid plans instantly fell apart.

Qin Huairu lowered her eyes, a subtle, almost imperceptible smug smile playing on her lips.

The onlookers, who had been drawn by the commotion, were stunned. No one could have imagined that Sha Zhu would say such a thing.

Many people started discussing: It's no use for He Daqing to come back; his eldest son, who is 26 years old, is ruined!

Now that he has remarried, I wonder if he still has the ability to give Sha Zhu a younger brother?

Everyone is really looking forward to it!