Courtyard House: He Daqing Forces Qin Huairu into Marrying at the Beginning

Yi Zhonghai was turned away on his first visit.

He could only stomp his feet in frustration, unable to do anything but ask for help.

After witnessing the entire event from the shadows, He Daqing's expression gradually became solemn.

He Daqing knew something about Liu Wu's family situation.

His parents passed away two years ago, and he has been living alone in a small courtyard in Beijing.

I don't seem to have any relatives in Beijing.

Why would a stranger suddenly appear in my house?

Upon discovering the anomaly, He Daqing dared not delay and immediately returned to the courtyard house, hopped on his bicycle, and rushed to Wang Dahai's house.

Wang Dahai is the director of the second canteen, and he knows the basic situation of every employee in the canteen very well.

He Daqing wanted to confirm with him again.

Wang Dahai also lives in a detached courtyard house, not far from the alley where He Daqing lives.

As soon as I entered, I saw Wang Dahai sitting on a stone bench in the courtyard, drinking tea.

"Great Qing, what brings you here?"

"You're not spending your holiday with your wife?"

Wang Dahai put down his teacup and said with a smile.

Wang Dahai was genuinely happy for He Daqing that he had married a beautiful wife and was free from any worries.

"Dahai, I have something I want to ask you today."

"Does Liu Wu, whom we just got rid of a while ago, have any relatives in Beijing?"

He Daqing got straight to the point.

"Don't worry, I've already investigated this matter."

He lives alone and has no relatives.

What happened?

Wang Dahai asked in confusion.

Before taking action against Liu Wu, Wang Dahai naturally had to find out his background first.

The city of Beijing is full of hidden talents; anyone you meet on the street could have a significant background.

Wang Dahai dared not be careless.

"When I got to his neighborhood today, I saw a stranger living in his house."

Do you think there's a problem...?

"Or should we report it?"

There were quite a few saboteurs hiding in Beijing these days, and military control hadn't been lifted yet.

"It's better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn't."

We need to report this immediately.

Whether it's true or not, it's always better to be cautious.

Wang Dahai immediately agreed.

Better safe than sorry; it's never wrong to be cautious.

If Liu Wu is associating with some shady characters and plotting revenge, they need to prepare accordingly.

This chapter is not over, please click on the next page to continue reading!

The two made up their minds and went to the community security committee together to report the unusual situation at Liu Wu's house.

The matter had only just begun to surface, and the neighborhood committee was unlikely to immediately launch a major operation.

We need to find out the details before we can take action.

After reporting, He Daqing and Wang Dahai went home to await news.

Back in the courtyard, Qin Huairu and Yushui immediately came out to greet them.

"Brother Daqing, how are you? Are you alright?"

"Don't worry, everything has been resolved."

He Daqing offered words of comfort.

"I'll cook for you right away."

Tell me how you'd like to eat that carp?

It's best not to let them worry about Liu Wu's affairs.

If anything happens, He Daqing will always be there to take the lead; it is his responsibility as a husband and father.

"Brother Daqing is the cook, so you should decide how to cook it."

"You're in charge of cooking tonight; Rain and I are looking forward to a delicious meal."

Different ingredients require different cooking methods, and with a master chef like He Daqing around, Qin Huairu wouldn't dare to presume to teach him a lesson.

"Okay, I'll go out and buy some ingredients. I'll make you sweet and sour carp tonight."

Sweet and sour carp is a traditional famous dish from Shandong province.

The Lu Di Fu Zhi (Records of the Lu Region) already contains the record that "carp from the Yellow River and crabs from Nanyang are included in the menu."

The carp from Shichahai Lake in Beijing must have a unique flavor.

He Daqing prepared the ingredients, removed the scales and internal organs from the carp, drained the water, then cut it and marinated it briefly with seasonings.

Prepare the sweet and sour sauce and set aside.

Next, coat the carp with batter, heat oil in a wok, and fry it until golden brown and set. Finally, add sweet and sour sauce and remove from heat.

And just like that, a deliciously presented sweet and sour carp dish is complete.

Qin Huairu and He Yushui smelled the aroma of sweet and sour carp and couldn't wait to start tasting it.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Chapter 29 The Deaf Old Woman Comes to the Door

As night falls and the city lights come on, twinkling stars climb the night sky, and the courtyard is quiet.

Each family was gathered in their room enjoying dinner.

The noise outside the He family's door seemed particularly abrupt.

"Who?"

He Daqing put down his chopsticks, went to the door, opened it, and used the light from inside to see the person's face clearly.

An elderly woman with a full head of silver hair, leaning on a cane, and a kind face was standing outside the house, her cunning eyes darting inside.

"Grandma, what's wrong?"

He Daqing was a little annoyed that his dinner was interrupted, but his face remained calm, though his slightly impatient tone betrayed his true feelings.

He Daqing knew all too well what kind of people his neighbors in the courtyard were.

Good things don't come knocking, and if they do, it's never good news.

The deaf old woman, who was over sixty years old and had a wealth of experience, immediately understood what He Daqing meant.

However, she was thick-skinned and showed no intention of leaving.

"Great Qing, are you eating?"

The deaf old woman smiled, her face wrinkled and gathered together like a chrysanthemum, which looked somewhat eerie.

He Daqing's wedding banquet truly delighted the deaf old lady.

These days, the deaf old lady has been thinking about those delicious dishes.

The people at the steel mill were on holiday today, and she figured He Daqing would definitely cook something delicious for her, so she rushed over to freeload a meal.

"We were just about to eat."

Is there anything I can help you with?

He Daqing pretended to be confused, looking completely clueless.

"It's getting late. If you don't have anything else to do, you should go back and have dinner."

It's cool at night, so it's more comfortable to stay indoors.

It wouldn't be good if they got cold.

The deaf old woman had no children and was a government-designated recipient of the "Five Guarantees" (a government-provided social welfare program for the elderly, disabled, and orphans). She was just like Yan Bugui, always trying to take advantage of others.

The neighbors in the courtyard didn't want to argue with the deaf old woman because of her age, but she became increasingly unreasonable because of her age.

"Great Qing, I've come all this way, won't you invite me in for a seat?"

The deaf old woman tried to squeeze into the room as she spoke.

Unfortunately, He Daqing stood like an iron tower blocking the doorway, preventing her from getting through.

Letting a deaf elderly woman into your home is tantamount to inviting a wolf into the house.

If we let her freeload a meal today, she'll shamelessly come over every day from now on.

There's never a day without peace at home.

He Daqing certainly didn't want to have an extra ancestor on his head for no reason.

"Your Majesty, I haven't been feeling well these past few days, and we've run out of food."

I'd like to borrow some flour from you; I'll return it to you first thing tomorrow morning.

Seeing that she couldn't force her way in, the deaf old woman had no choice but to explain herself.