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

The dinner was quite harmonious after Niu Dazhuang left.

"Sister, how are you? You're living a much more comfortable life now than the two of us were together, aren't you?" Ye Chunmei was in a very good mood.

"It's all your doing, okay!"

"Hehe...That's how it is. Now our family has hope too. Dazhuang said that it doesn't matter if this baby is a girl or not, as long as it's a son, he'll take our surname!"

"I've come to terms with it now. As long as they are our own flesh and blood, it doesn't matter whose surname they take. We, the Ye family, still have them. We don't need to take their surname."

When her family was mentioned, Ye Chunmei's good mood immediately turned sour.

"Why has Father sent another letter?"

"Well, it's nothing much, they just said they need to build three brick houses at home, and they asked me to send some more money back!"

"Hmph! If it weren't for my younger brother being so sensible, and my parents being so biased, they wouldn't send them a single penny."

"Hey! You should try to understand your parents. What can we do? We're all women. Back in our hometown, without a son to carry on the family line, we'll be bullied to death."

"My younger brother is sensible. I feel happy that we paid for his house. As older sisters, it is only right and proper for us to care for our younger brothers."

But little brother…”

"If the older brother paid for the house, how can we not pay for the younger brother's?"

"Sigh! My little brother was quite smart and likable when he was young, how did he turn out like this?"

"I'm not going to talk about him anymore, it's affecting my mood. I heard everything clearly from the kitchen just now. Next time, just stay inside, as if I'm some kind of jealous person."

"I was afraid you wouldn't be able to resist..."

Niu Dazhuang returned home satisfied and saw that his grandfather was watching them play chess, so he called his grandfather back.

"Speak quickly if you have something to say, it's almost my turn," Niu Youliang urged.

"Sir, I've rented a two-courtyard house in Daxing Hutong. I'd like you to move in with the three of them."

"I'm not going. I'll move there and not know anyone. It'll be too boring. Let Big Bear and the other two move in."

"Sir, the three of them live alone, don't worry. What if they hire some shady people..."

"You're living perfectly fine, why are you making such a fuss?"

"There's plenty of space over there. I'd like Dayong and the others to help me collect some old things! It's a two-family courtyard house, so you and Aunt Zhao will have a place to stay then."

"Get lost, I know. When are you moving?"

Niu Dazhuang handed him the key to the gate: "Hurry up, once you've moved out, we'll move in. We won't rent the west wing anymore."

"You really know how to cause trouble."

"There's not even a kitchen over there, so there's nowhere to take a shower in the summer. Besides, the west wing is nowhere near as comfortable as the main house!"

"Okay, can we have a family reunion dinner tomorrow?"

"Of course, it's scheduled for tomorrow noon."

"Alright, get lost, I have to go play chess." After saying that, he put the key on the windowsill, ignored Niu Dazhuang, and hurriedly went back to play chess.

On Mid-Autumn Festival, the temperature at night was just right, neither too hot nor too cold. Apart from a lot of mosquitoes, there were no other problems.

You can see fireflies flying by from time to time. The weather is cooler now, and the cicadas' chirping isn't so annoying anymore.

"Brother-in-law, come sit here." Niu Dazhuang was called over by Jia Dongxu.

"What are you talking about?" Niu Dazhuang asked, sitting at one end of the long bench.

"A few old rightists came to our unit, and we're discussing how to criticize them tomorrow!" Xu Damao said obsequiously.

"Oh, a right-winger?"

"Yes, it's those intellectuals. They've got their backs twisted. Instead of thinking about how to serve their country, they're always talking for imperialism. Let them get down to earth and reform them." Xu Damao spoke eloquently.

Niu Dazhuang suddenly thought of those so-called experts and professors in later generations, who were completely out of touch with reality. It's a pity that later generations of society never had any great men again.

"It's time to let them connect with the realities of life..."

Around nine o'clock, Niu Dazhuang and Qin Xueru returned home. They were both a little disoriented at first.

With Ningru gone and Xueru heavily pregnant, Niu Dazhuang did everything himself. He first washed Xueru's feet and helped her lie down on the kang (a heated brick bed). Only then did Niu Dazhuang go to the outer room, fill the grain bins, and take out some cured meat.

Looking into the hanging basket, there were quite a few eggs. Now that the weather is cooler, the two hens kept outside have started laying eggs again.

After tidying up the outer room, he carried the chamber pot into the inner room.

"Tomorrow you just need to say something, and I'll cook." Niu Dazhuang still knows how to take care of women.

Qin Xueru lay on her side on the kang, looking up at Niu Dazhuang busy at work. She felt very happy. This man in front of her had no other faults except for his occasional womanizing. He also knew how to take care of her, providing her with food and money, and never letting her suffer.

"Dazhuang, do you want a son or a daughter?" Qin Xueru asked lazily.

"Anything is fine. Daughters are like warm cotton-padded jackets, sons are for appearances. You'd better give me four or five. Only with people can things be prosperous!"

"I know, your uncle's side also needs to adopt someone from the past, I can't raise a child on my own..."

"There's still Ningru, right? Wait two years until Ningru is in her twenties, then have another baby. Having a baby now is not good for either the mother or the child."

"Ningru will be nineteen after the New Year, how could she be in such a bad state? Sigh, what do you think of Yueru?"

"Why are you trying to set me up with Yue Ru again?"

"Yeah, I feel bad seeing you every night. If you're happy at home, you'll go out less."

After tidying up the room, Niu Dazhuang took off his shoes, got onto the kang (a heated brick bed), and hugged Qin Xueru from behind.

"My dear wife, you've gone to so much trouble. This is my plan: there are too many women being brought into the family these days. In twenty or thirty years, you'll all be old together, and it won't be appropriate."

Qin Xueru poked Niu Dazhuang with her plump buttocks: "You're thinking quite far ahead. Right now, it's just Ningru by yourself. If you're not satisfied, she'll get hurt too. It's not good for either of you. Let's focus on the present."

"I don't think Yue Ru is as obedient as Ning Ru. If you bring her home, can you manage her?"

"We're cousins ​​after all, so you don't need to worry about family matters. I already explained it to Yue Ru when she came last time, and she agreed."

Niu Dazhuang even added arrogantly: "Fine, with such a good wife like you, what more could a husband ask for! You keep the household in check."

I can live without worries when I'm out there. I rented a two-courtyard house outside, and I told Grandpa to bring Big Bear and the others to live there. We'll move to the backyard.

"You're living comfortably now, why are you still renting a place outside?" Qin Xueru asked, puzzled.

"I asked Dayong to help me collect some old things, otherwise I have nowhere to put them."

"How much are you going to charge? We'll need to rent a large courtyard with two sections to store all that stuff."

"Don't worry about things outside; I can't explain it to you. From now on, we'll have a clear division of labor: you handle things inside, and I'll handle things outside. Nobody should interfere."

"Alright, I won't worry about you for no reason!"