Courtyard houses: Those who are capable are rewarded, and many children bring many blessings.

Because tomorrow is Sunday, the courtyard was unusually lively tonight. After dinner, everyone came out to chat.

It's already April, and the yard is neither too hot nor too cold, with hardly any mosquitoes. It's the most comfortable time of year.

Niu Dazhuang was no exception; after finishing his meal, he took a small stool and went to the Intermediate People's Court.

Each person seeks out their own group of people.

"Hey, Xue Ru, you two sisters are really good at hiding. I rarely see you two."

Qin Ningru thought to herself, "I also want to go out and have fun, but my physical condition doesn't allow it. My brother-in-law is a beast; he gets an injection every other day, and it's difficult for him to even get out of bed the next day. How can I possibly go out!"

"I'm always busy with things at home, I'm never free!" Qin Xueru offered an excuse that wasn't really an excuse.

The old man and his wife were making plans at home again.

"Honey, have you found out? Qin Xueru called her younger sister over, is that what she meant?"

"I asked Huai Ru yesterday, and she said that Qin Xue Ru has no intention of marrying Ning Ru to someone in the city. It's not that I'm an old man, but Qin Ning Ru is quite good-looking. However, she has a rural household registration. Look at the Jia family, they're almost five people, and only one person is earning a salary. Qin Huai Ru's household registration is still in the countryside, so she doesn't have a quota and has to buy expensive grain."

Yan Bugui adjusted his glasses and said seriously, "You've only seen the surface. To see things clearly, you need to see the essence."

First of all, the Jia family is not what it used to be. It's no secret that Qin Huairu is eating at the Niu family's house, and I heard the food is pretty good.

Secondly, Lao Niu is a deputy section chief. With Qin Xueru's connection, it shouldn't be too difficult for him to find Qin Ningru a job in the future.

Thirdly, since Qin Ningru still has a rural household registration and is unemployed, marrying into our family now would be considered a step up for her.

Fourthly, after Qin Ningru marries into our family, we'll have Lao Niu help her find a job, hehe... What do you think?

"According to you, it does seem quite suitable, but didn't they say they don't want to marry their younger sister off to someone in the city?"

"That's because Qin Xueru was afraid she wouldn't be able to find a good family for her younger sister, lest word get out and she lose face if she couldn't find anyone else!"

"Old man, you've got foresight. Is it appropriate for me to speak directly with Xue Ru?"

"Can't you think outside the box? Why not ask an older woman, or even Aunt Ye? This shouldn't be delayed, go now!"

The third aunt really listened to her husband. She went to the Intermediate People's Court, found the first aunt, pulled her aside, and told her her demands.

"That's great news! I'll ask around for you, but let's be clear from the start: if it works out, great; if not, you can't cause trouble!"

"No! Xue Ru and her sister are over there. We'd be troubling you, sister-in-law!"

An older woman came over happily.

He pulled Qin Ningru aside and whispered, "Dazhuang's son, what do you think about me arranging a marriage for your sister?"

"Thank you, ma'am, but my sister is still young and I'd like to stay a few more years." Qin Xueru's words effectively blocked any further avenues for negotiation.

What are you thinking? You finally found a man who could keep you by your side, but before you've even had a chance to truly get to know him, someone else is already eyeing him.

"Oh, I see! I think Ningru is of marriageable age too." The older woman wanted to try again.

"Auntie, you're old enough, but Ningru is the youngest in my family, so I'd like her to stay a few more years. Thank you for your kindness." Qin Xueru didn't even bother to find out whose family she was; she just refused so directly.

"Oh, then never mind."

The older woman relayed Qin Xueru's words to the younger woman exactly as they had said.

"A country girl like you is being pretentious. Our family doesn't even approve of you, humph!" Auntie San added a few more words, then went back and told Uncle San what she had said.

Qin Huairu observed the actions of both of them.

"Xueru, what does this old lady want with you?"

Qin Xueru recounted what had just happened.

"So, the other day, my auntie asked me if Ningru was planning to find a husband in Beijing. Turns out, her family is interested!"

"Xueru, stop joking. You sisters are all so beautiful, with slim waists and round, big hips. You're all destined to have sons, so it's normal that some people are eyeing you," said the young wife of the Jin family, who was chatting with them.

"That's right, look at your sister Huairu, she had a son as her first child. If you, Xueru, have another son, Ningru, you won't have to worry about getting married at all!" Zhang's sister-in-law from the east courtyard chimed in.

The three Qin sisters all knew in their hearts that Ningru could never get married, but they couldn't say it aloud, so they could only laugh it off.

As for Niu Dazhuang, today he and a group of young people were listening to an old man tell an old story.

"You guys are too young to remember, but you should know Dongxu, right? It was around 1950, right after Liberation?"

Every evening at dusk, black smoke appears on the Drum Tower around here, and it even shines when the sun shines on it! Lots of people come to watch the spectacle, and rumors start circulating that the Eighth Route Army is about to go mad because of the smoke coming from the Drum Tower! It even alarmed the Ministry of Public Security!

And what happened? The Minister of Public Security himself came, and it turned out to be just a bunch of midges. It even made the newspapers; it wasn't as big a fuss as this.

"Grandpa, what happened before caused quite a stir and there were many rumors, but it didn't harm anyone's interests. But the fox spirit incident is different; this is real theft. Think about it."

Ma Xingbang is such a big capitalist; he emptied out two floors of stuff. I was hoping it was a fox spirit causing trouble, but if it really was done by a human, how much power must they have!

"If they target a small family like ours, they'll steal everyone away!" Xu Damao wasn't stupid.

"For a fox spirit to take a liking to a small family like ours, Xu Damao, don't worry unnecessarily," Yan Jiecheng retorted.

"Hehe, Yan Jiecheng, you're hoping a fox spirit will call your door in the middle of the night, aren't you? Fox spirits don't just steal things, they steal men too." Liu Guangqi was very wicked.

"Haha, that's right, aren't all the stories in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio like this! Yan Jiecheng, your idea is good. Marry a fox spirit as your wife, and you won't have to worry about food or clothing. You can also sleep with a beauty in your arms. How wonderful!" Xu Damao continued, following Liu Guangqi's lead.

"Are you two being funny? When did I ever say I was going to marry a fox spirit?"

Niu Dazhuang listened quietly to the side, not uttering a single word, for fear of saying something wrong and giving himself away.

He hadn't expected the story to spread so widely. The more outlandish the rumors became, the more attention it would attract from above.

This is not a good sign. Since he had already done it, he should face it calmly. Niu Dazhuang adjusted in no time.

I constantly remind myself to keep a low profile.

Seeing that the young people were going further and further astray, the old man stopped getting involved and went to discuss countermeasures with the other two old men. Rumors couldn't be spread like this; they needed to get them on the same page.

The next day, which was Sunday, Niu Dazhuang ate breakfast and rode his bicycle to find Xu Huizhen.