The Life of a Son-in-Law in a Courtyard House

Qin Huairu naturally understood what her son meant.

He wanted to eat meat. His father was still alive, so Banggeng didn't dare to cause trouble. Although Xu Damao ended up paying for yesterday's incident, Banggeng still ate a meal at Seven Wolves Restaurant.

Jia Dongxu hit him, and no one could stop him.

But what mother doesn't love her child?

Qin Huairu understood, but Dongxu was at home, and she was too embarrassed to go out to borrow meat.

Then Qin Huairu hugged Banggeng tightly and said with heartache, "Banggeng, when your dad gets his salary next month, Mom will buy you meat to eat."

Xiao Dang was already over three years old at this time. Seeing her mother hugging her brother, she squeezed over and said, "Mommy, I want to eat meat too. Meat smells so good."

(She was about seven or eight years old in 1965, but this book sets her to be eight, so she would be three in 1960.)

Seeing the two children like this, Jia Dongxu felt heartbroken, but he still hardened his heart and went along with Qin Huairu's words: "Hurry up and eat. Next month, when Dad gets his salary, he'll ask Mom to buy you meat."

Come and eat quickly, or you'll go hungry tonight.

Jia Zhangshi stood to the side, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping herself.

Qin Huairu wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes: "Dongxu, look how thin the two children are. If necessary, I'll go to the Qi family and borrow some meat for them to have a taste."

Jia Dongxu glared at Qin Huairu and slammed his hand on the table: "You're not allowed to go. Everyone has their difficulties. If the child cries and wants meat, just borrow some for him. Nobody can spoil the two of them."

They'll starve if they don't eat; they have no backbone at all.

Hey, if you don't make sure your sister eats properly soon, don't blame me for continuing to beat you.

Nowadays, how many families don't have enough to eat? They're lucky to have even a cornbread bun, yet they're still being picky.

Jia Dongxu is now the head of the family, and his words still carry weight.

Although Jia Dongxu is not very bright, his values, as taught by Yi Zhonghai, are generally sound, except for a bit of blind filial piety.

While he is still alive, Madam Jia cannot make decisions arbitrarily.

There is a saying: when the husband is alive, one should follow the husband; when the husband dies, one should follow the son.

Even if Jia Dongxu is gone in the future, Qin Huairu will be in charge of most things in the Jia family. At most, Jia Zhangshi will just follow Qin Huairu and act tough at home.

Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi coaxed the two children for a while, and the family ate their meal in silence.

As for the story of Yi Zhonghai and his wife going to the deaf old lady's house to ask for some meat and vegetables, that did not happen.

Yang Dalin had made all the preparations at home, and he had even prepared a sturdy wooden stick more than two meters long in his space.

There's a doorstop stick that's over a meter long in my own room too.

No one came.

This isn't right. Maybe I opened the courtyard house incorrectly.

Is it because the deaf old lady still has a sense of shame and is embarrassed?

Could it be because Jia Dongxu is still alive and Qin Huairu hasn't used her ultimate skill yet?

Could it be that Yi Zhonghai was criticized yesterday and isn't thinking about revenge today?

Little did Yang Dalin know that Yi Zhonghai's family had bought two ounces of cooked pig's head meat that day and had already delivered it to the deaf old lady.

Yi Zhonghai is performing a filial piety show with a deaf old lady in the backyard.

Besides, the fragrance wafts out from the main gate and windows, and with a gust of wind, it can only reach the middle courtyard at most; it really can't reach the backyard.

In addition, the winds in the north are mostly from the northwest in winter, so how could they possibly blow into the backyard?

The deaf old lady is old and doesn't eat much.

I ate a few bites of meat, a steamed bun, and a bowl of porridge and I was full.

The deaf old lady put down her bowl and chopsticks: "Thank you, old man. This meat smells delicious."

Seeing that the deaf old lady was satisfied with her meal, Yi Zhonghai said with a smile, "Grandma, as long as you're satisfied, that's all that matters."

The deaf old woman, who had almost no teeth left, tapped the ground with her cane and said, "Satisfied, satisfied."

Then he asked, "Hey, old man, what's up?"

Yi Zhonghai knew he couldn't hide it from her. Usually, it was Yi Wenshi who brought him the meals. As soon as he arrived, the old lady knew he had something to do.

Yi Zhonghai nodded: "Yes, ma'am, it's about the matter you told Xiumei yesterday. I want to discuss it with you again."

The deaf old lady lowered her head slightly, then raised it, and her cloudy eyes brightened a bit.

"Zhonghai, I heard a young man who fled famine has recently arrived at our institute?"

Yi Zhonghai nodded and said with a smile, "Yes, ma'am, that young man's name is Yang Dalin. He's from western Shandong. I heard that he went hungry for three days at the relief station, but he still wanted to give all the food to his grandmother. Unfortunately, his grandmother suffered a lot along the way and couldn't make it through."

Later, Qi Yulan from our front yard took him home from the rescue station.

She might be looking for a son-in-law to live with her eldest daughter, but nothing has been decided yet.

The deaf old lady listened attentively, her face serious, and nodded gently, saying, "Judging from his appearance, he's a good young man. People from Shandong are loyal, honest, and kind. You should get to know him better in the future."

There's something the deaf old lady didn't say: that place is prone to producing bandits; the Boxer Rebellion originated from there.

Yi Zhonghai gave a wry smile: "I know, but last night that kid talked me up in front of the whole hospital."

They said that where they're from, they only call their father's eldest brother "Uncle Yi," and from now on they won't even call me "Uncle Yi," they'll just call me "Uncle Yi."

The deaf old lady tapped her cane again: "Zhonghai, that's nothing. It just shows that his children are filial."

We should respect the local customs. Besides, what's the difference between an old man and an old man? Sometimes Sha Zhuzi even calls me Old Deaf.

It's just a nickname. I'm happy that Sha Zhuzi calls me "Old Deaf Man." Why? It means that this kid is close to me.

Just like in the factory, if you have a good relationship with someone and you can joke around, you can call them by nicknames like Fatty, Chubby, or Er Gouzi, or something else, and they won't get angry, right?

Do you think someone with a bad relationship would yell at you? Could they even yell at you?

Even if you asked him to call out, he wouldn't dare.

Calling you Uncle Yi is fine enough; it's not like I'm addressing you by your full name. Don't worry about the small details.

You need to see him clearly, understand him completely. Do you know why I like Sha Zhuzi but not Xu Damao?

Yi Zhonghai readily agreed: "I know. You said before that Zhu Zi is simple-minded and honest, while Xu Damao is too shrewd and selfish."

The deaf old lady smiled, her small mouth missing several teeth: "That's right, if Zhu Zi is good to someone, he is really good and genuine. Xu Damao is no good, he can't be tamed, just like his father."

His father was afraid I would scheme against him, so he moved out immediately.

I wouldn't say I plotted against his family, but I had something on him that made him uncomfortable staying there, so he left.

He's gone, so what? I'm too old to hold a grudge against him. Decades have passed, and I don't have many years left to live.

But you should try to do something to help that Da Linzi that Zhu Zi mentioned, and don't be too calculating.

Take another look at that big forest, don't rush.

You have to be sincere with Zhu Zi. What he lacks most right now is a wife, right?

Find him a good wife so he can live a good life with one, and that will give you more support in your old age.

Yi Zhonghai knew the deaf old lady was right, but he still felt a little uneasy: "Grandma, I know you're right, but I already have Dongxu."

I also helped Dongxu choose his wife. She is grateful and filial.

You know Zhu Zi's temper. When he gets angry, he doesn't care about anyone. If we find him another shrewish wife, this...