Courtyard House: She got anxious when He Yushui wasn't licked.

He Yuzhu frowned and shouted, "Wang Lin will be my brother-in-law sooner or later, and we'll be family then. What's wrong with borrowing a few dollars from my brother-in-law?"

Xu Damao shut up and said nothing more. In any case, he had already done his best to remind Wang Lin. If Wang Lin still wanted to lend money to Sha Zhu, there was nothing he could do. As the saying goes, it's hard to persuade a damned ghost with good words.

After sending Jia Zhangshi away, Qin Huairu swayed her voluptuous figure and came over to support He Yuzhu, saying, "Wang Lin and He Yuzhu are good brothers. It's just a few dollars. I believe Brother Wang Lin wouldn't stand by and watch someone die."

Wang Lin looked at He Yuzhu and Qin Huairu. In his memory, these two had taken advantage of him countless times, from small things like needles and thread to large sums like a dollar or two. Over two years, that was no small amount. And now they were trying to fleece him again? Did they think he was a pushover just because they weren't showing their teeth?

"Wang Lin's money didn't come from thin air. You have hands and feet and jobs, how can you be so shameless!" Lou Xiao'e shielded Wang Lin behind her. She used to be the daughter of a wealthy family. Since marrying into this courtyard, she has experienced too many things. It's not easy for Wang Lin, an orphan, to take care of two five-year-old twin sisters. She can protect him for as long as she can.

He Yuzhu, the "pure love simp god," was in a very bad mood. With Wang Lin subsidizing him, his salary would be better able to take care of "Sister Qin's" family. Based on the idea that "every man for himself," he said unhappily to Wang Lin behind Lou Xiao'e, "Wang Lin, you'd better think carefully. Do you want to lend me this money or not? Do you still want to be my brother-in-law?"

It must be said that He Yuzhu is quite clever at times. Qin Huairu, that bloodsucking white lotus widow, has He Yuzhu under her control, and He Yuzhu, in turn, uses the name He Yushui to control Wang Lin.

Wang Lin patted Lou Xiao'e on the shoulder to indicate that he was alright. He stepped forward, took out a small notebook from his pocket, and said with a smile to He Yushui and Qin Huairu, "Brother Shazhu, Sister Qin, you have borrowed a total of 218 yuan in the past two years. It is clearly written in this ledger. Please pay back the money."

He Yuzhu was completely dumbfounded when he saw the time, place, amount, borrower and other information clearly written on it. "I treated you like my brother-in-law, and you're asking me for money?"

Qin Huairu was also stunned. She used to flirt with Wang Lin and feign enthusiasm, but now this guy was actually showing her the account books and talking about repaying the money? He's changed! Wang Lin has changed his mind! He used to call her Sister Huairu, but now he calls her Sister Qin.

When Xu Damao saw that Wang Lin had actually kept something in reserve, he immediately clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Wang Lin is indeed educated; his handwriting is truly beautiful."

Lou Xiao'e never expected that Wang Lin, who usually seemed honest, simple, and dull, would have a backup plan. Thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. In this day and age, even your parents are not as close as food coupons!

Wang Lin stepped forward arrogantly and said, "Give me back my money! Otherwise, I don't mind reporting this to the police station."

"I... don't have that much money on hand." He Yuzhu's momentum weakened by three points. He had borrowed money from Wang Lin several times with people present. Even if he denied it, it was useless. The police officers were not to be trifled with.

"Brother Wang Lin! Your sister is in a terrible state! Her husband died, and she has to raise her mother-in-law and three children alone. They haven't had a full meal in a long time, so how can she possibly have any spare money to pay you back?" Qin Huairu started to play the victim again, her eyes brimming with tears, perfectly portraying the innocent and scheming woman.

Xu Damao and Lou Xiao'e thought that Wang Lin would soften if Qin Huairu played the victim, but to their surprise, Wang Lin curled his lip and scoffed, "Since you don't have money, why don't you sell your sewing machine? First, you can pay me back, and second, you can supplement your household expenses. It's a win-win situation, isn't it?"

Yup!

Back then, Jia Dongxu went to great lengths to marry Qin Huairu. Her family even had a sewing machine, which could probably be sold for seventy or eighty yuan.

You should know that a sewing machine is one of the four major items, and a new one is worth around 120 yuan.

This completely baffled Qin Huairu. Her family owned a sewing machine, so how could Wang Lin remember it so clearly? You see, to avoid suspicion, they had hidden it behind a curtain when they held Jia Dongxu's funeral, and they only dared to mend clothes late at night.

Chapter 3: Weeping and wailing every day, as if in mourning?

Seeing Qin Huairu's pitiful appearance, He Yuzhu's sycophantic nature resurfaced. He protectively shielded Qin Huairu behind him, glaring at Wang Lin with hostility, and muttered, "You brat! What nonsense are you spouting! Where would Sister Qin get a sewing machine?"

When Qin Huairu saw He Yuzhu stand up for her, she felt even more aggrieved. She wiped away her tears and sobbed, "It's all my bad luck! My husband died unexpectedly, and I had to raise three children all by myself! It's all my fault for being incompetent! I couldn't even feed my three children properly."

I must say, these two could totally put on a two-person comedy routine together. Their chemistry is undeniable; they're definitely acting geniuses.

"Crying and wailing all day long, like someone's in mourning? People would think someone in our courtyard has died again." Wang Lin is no longer the honest, dull, bullied boy he used to be. Knowing the whole story of the Qin Man Courtyard, he won't be soft-hearted.

Xu Damao gave Wang Lin a thumbs up and praised him, "You speak with great skill; you truly deserve to be called a scholar."

Lou Xiao'e didn't expect Wang Lin to change so drastically. Could it be that he has suffered some kind of shock again?

It seems that He Yushui recently met a local police officer and got very close to him. It's highly likely that this incident provoked Wang Lin.

"Hey, hey, hey, how can you talk like that? What do you mean by 'wailing in mourning'? Can you even speak properly?!" He Yuzhu was displeased. He had a fiery temper and was a powder keg, especially when it came to Qin Huairu; he would explode at the slightest provocation.

"Paying back debts is a matter of course!" Wang Lin glared at He Yuzhu fiercely, as if he were a wolf about to devour someone.

This sudden burst of power truly startled He Yuzhu!

Why did Wang Lin suddenly stand up as if he'd been injected with adrenaline?

In the past, whenever He Yuzhu raised his voice even slightly, he would tremble like a frightened rabbit.

"Stop scaring people, Wang Lin! If he goes to the police station to report this, you might get detained." Although Xu Damao can be a bad person at times, he is more insightful than anyone else. In this Qinman Courtyard, his favorite thing to do is to elevate himself and belittle Shazhu. After all, the two of them have been fighting since they were young, and their relationship is not just ordinary.

In this day and age, being detained is a shameful thing, and many people would rather settle it privately than have the police get involved.

Seeing that Wang Lin was not going to budge, Qin Huairu came up with another idea. She pleaded in a soft tone, "Brother Wang Lin! How about this, you lend me this ledger to go back and check the accounts, and I'll return it to you when I get my salary."

Once the ledger is borrowed and then burned, it's no use calling the police; they'll just deny everything!

If it were the previous sycophant Wang Lin, he might have foolishly handed it over, but now, he suddenly smiled, looking at Qin Huairu as if she were an idiot, and asked in return, "I'm giving you face by calling you 'sister,' but if I don't, who the hell do you think you are? Do you really think I, Wang Lin, am an idiot? I'll lend you the account book, but you'll probably burn it when you get back."

"Brother Wang Lin! Is this really the kind of person you see me as? Waaah!" Her scheme was exposed, and Qin Huairu started wiping away tears with red eyes again. She portrayed a widow who had a hard life so convincingly that if Wang Lin hadn't known the plot well, he would have almost softened and fallen for this white lotus widow's trick.

White Lotus's passive skill: Cry, make a scene, and play the victim!

He Yuzhu gently patted Qin Huairu's shoulder and comforted her, "Sister Qin, don't cry! It's just two hundred yuan! I'll pay back your share."

"Hey! Silly Zhu! You're quite the man!" Xu Damao seemed to be praising He Yuzhu, but he was actually mocking him for being a sucker!

"Kid! How dare you bully your Sister Qin like this! Just wait! When my sister gets back, she'll teach you a lesson!" He Yuzhu glared at Wang Lin before turning and walking towards his room.

Now, the only option is to use my own savings to tide me over.

He Yuzhu earns 37.5 yuan a month. He works in the canteen of the Third Steel Rolling Mill and takes food and money with him, so he doesn't spend much money at all. Although Qin Huairu borrows a portion of his salary every month, he can still save a small amount.

Not long after, He Yuzhu came over with a stack of ten-yuan bills, giving people the illusion of being rich and powerful.

Qin Huairu noticed that Sha Zhu actually had so much money hidden away. She thought to herself that she had underestimated Sha Zhu and that she would have to work harder to squeeze him out of his money.

In this courtyard, everyone seems nice on the surface, as if they care about you, but in reality, they are all scheming against you, slandering you, and ostracizing you behind your back.

In this day and age, reputation is more important than anything else.

Once your reputation is ruined, you'll not only be targeted at work and in life, but you might even be unable to get married and remain a bachelor for life!

He Yuzhu counted out twenty-one large bills from a stack of money, then handed eight yuan to Wang Lin, saying, "Hand over the ledger, and we're even."

Wang Lin took the money and handed the ledger to He Yuzhu. Since the money was back, it didn't matter whether he kept the ledger or not.

Seeing that He Yuzhu had money, Xu Damao snatched a five-yuan note and said, "Wow! I didn't realize you could save so much money by supporting Qin Huairu's family every month!"

He Yuzhu rolled up the remaining money and put it away, saying, "Alright, our matter is settled."

Qin Huairu watched with heartache as the 218 yuan went into Wang Lin's pocket, as if the money should have been hers!

Wang Lin looked at Lou Xiao'e, the short-haired, plump young lady who often took care of him, and felt very grateful. If it weren't for her constant protection, Wang Lin probably wouldn't even have enough to eat right now. So he sincerely invited her, "Sister Xiao'e, come to my house for dinner tonight. I'll cook for you myself."

Lou Xiao'e looked at Wang Lin with some surprise. The shy boy who used to be shy was now not blushing at all. Perhaps sensing Wang Lin's goodwill, she smiled and nodded in agreement, "Okay! Then I won't cook tonight."

Xu Damao got five yuan for free, enough to buy five chickens. Seeing Sha Zhu suffer a huge loss, he was in a great mood and chimed in, "I happen to have a bottle of good wine in my house, and some snacks that the villagers gave me to go with the movie. Let's have a good drink tonight, you two brothers."

"Okay!" Wang Lin nodded, picked up a small stool, and turned to go back.

When He Yuzhu saw that Wang Lin only invited Xu Damao and Lou Xiao'e to dinner, he began to feel resentful. In the past, this guy would always invite him and He Yushui to his home for dinner with all sorts of lame excuses, but now he was ignoring him. He must have changed his mind and was no longer on the same page as him.

Qin Huairu appeared to be standing there in a daze, but in reality, she was already thinking about what strategy to use to "trick" Wang Lin out of the 218 yuan.

"E'er, let's go home." Xu Damao held Lou Xiao'e's hand and showed off their affection in front of He Yuzhu.

"Silly Zhu! Why does Wang Lin seem like a completely different person all of a sudden? Could it be that he encountered something evil?" Qin Huairu couldn't figure this out and could only think about it from a metaphysical perspective.

"Never mind him! When my sister He Yushui comes back, I'll definitely teach him a lesson! Someone like him wants to be my brother-in-law! I, Shazhu, will be the first to object! Bah! What a piece of trash!" He Yuzhu started cursing again, after all, that was 218 yuan, almost half a year's salary for him!

After the two of them lingered there for a while and said a few more bad things about Wang Lin, Qin Huairu made an excuse to go back and cook for the children and slipped away, leaving He Yuzhu alone, staring blankly at Qin Huairu's departing figure.

Chapter 4 Invites Xu Damao and his wife to eat instant noodles

Wang Lin's house is in the backyard. Although it is nearly 70 square meters, the layout is not very good. Otherwise, it would not have been allocated to Wang Lin's parents. Moreover, the neighbor across the street is a deaf old lady!

Speaking of the deaf old woman, she was portrayed as a martyr's family member in the TV series, but according to interpretations by netizens, she seems to have a secret working relationship with Yi Zhonghai.

Upon entering the backyard, Wang Lin saw two little glutinous rice balls dressed in thin clothes squatting in the corner of the yard.

"Guo Guo!"

When the two little girls saw Wang Lin return, they got up, held hands, and walked towards him, trembling.

In the past, Wang Lin would have ignored him and simply opened the door to go inside.

"Baby, Beibei, why aren't you coming inside!"

Looking at his twin sister, who was now skin and bones and wearing only thin clothes in the cold weather, Wang Lin felt a pang of heartache. He put down his small stool and went over to pick up the two little dumplings, one on each side.

Wang Baobao's little face was red from the cold, and she answered timidly, "Brother Banggeng closed the door when we went to the toilet. We don't have the key, so we can't go back."

Wang Beibei stretched out her thin arm and complained, "Brother Banggeng hit me with numbers! It hurts!"

Upon hearing that it was Bang Geng who had caused the trouble, Wang Lin realized why he had seen a half-grown figure dart past like a startled rabbit before returning. He gritted his teeth and said, "There will be plenty of opportunities to deal with that little bastard later! Let's go home first!"

Just as Wang Lin opened the door, the deaf old woman across the street opened her door, leaned on her cane, and came out, calling out, "Wang boy! Add some firewood to Grandma's room."

Wang Lin glanced at the deaf old woman. This old woman with bound feet only had eyes for her precious grandson, Sha Zhu. As for others, they were not worth her attention at all. Even Wang Lin, her neighbor across the street for many years, was treated the same way: if there was trouble, it was Wang's son; otherwise, she would just close the door.

Wang Baobao glanced at the deaf old lady, then at her son, and reminded him, "Zhangguo, Grandma Deaf is calling you."

Wang Lin said to his two little sisters, Wang Baobao and Wang Beibei, "She's not our great-grandmother. How could she bear to see you freezing in this cold weather! And she even ignored Bang Geng and bullied you! We're not going to talk to her anymore."

Wang Beibei raised her little fist, nodded emphatically, and said in her childish voice, "Guoguo is right! We shouldn't pay any attention to her."

Wang Baobao nodded in agreement, then turned her little face back and covered her ears, pretending not to see or hear.

Although the two little ones are still young, children from poor families mature early. Their mother was very skilled in education, and it's fortunate that they didn't turn out like the sisters Kuihua and Xiaodang.

Seeing that Wang Lin ignored her, the deaf old woman leaned on her cane and decided to walk out of the room and call out a couple more times.

To everyone's surprise, Wang Lin unlocked the door, carried in two glutinous rice balls, and slammed the door shut behind him, not even bothering with the small stool.

The deaf old woman stood there, having lived for so many years and seen all sorts of storms. Wang Lin's attitude now was completely different from before. It was unlikely that she would be able to get anything out of him in the future. Then she thought of Sha Zhu and grinned, muttering, "Oh well, my good grandson is still the best. I wonder if he's back yet, and what delicious food he'll bring me."

After closing the door, Wang Lin glanced out the window twice to make sure the deaf old woman wouldn't come to bother him before he felt relieved.

The two sisters, Wang Baobao and Wang Beibei, dashed to their room and obediently climbed into bed and snuggled under the covers.

There aren't many entertainment options these days, and with this kind of weather, most people choose to stay in bed to conserve heat and reduce energy expenditure.

Wang Lin carefully examined the house. Upon entering, there was a partitioned room with decent lighting, but it wasn't very big. It was just right to be used as a kitchen and living room. Further inside were two bedrooms.

Previously, Wang's mother shared a room with Wang Baobao and Wang Beibei, and Wang Lin shared a room. Now, Wang Lin has a room and his two younger sisters share a room.

Wang Lin's room was at the end. Although it was slightly larger than the previous rooms, it had virtually no natural light. Without the lights on, it was so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

The living room contained only a badly damaged eight-immortal table and three chairs, with no other furniture. As for wardrobes, that was out of the question; clothes were piled up in the corner of the room and covered by curtains.

Looking at the seven or eight bowls on the earthen stove, and the incomplete household with its meager firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea, Wang Lin frowned. In this situation, they could barely survive for three days before running out of food! At that point, Wang Lin and his two younger sisters would be left with nothing but the northwest wind.

"With this, how can I possibly invite others to dinner!" Wang Lin felt that this was not just a disastrous start, but an epic hellish start.

Without rice or flour, what are we supposed to eat?

"Oh right, the sign-in rewards seem to include rice, noodles, and even instant noodles!" Wang Lin, who had been slumped in his chair, suddenly jumped up when he thought of something.