The Courtyard House: Xu Damao's Aunt is the Queen of Women

Courtyard No. 8, main house, central hall.

In the antique-style main hall, a long table is placed against the wall in the center, and a portrait of the teacher is pasted on the wall.

In front of the long table is an eight-immortal table, with two grand master chairs placed symmetrically on either side of the table.

Six round-backed chairs are symmetrically distributed on the left and right of the eight-immortal table, forming the core furniture combination of the central hall together with the long table and the eight-immortal table, creating a triangular layout.

This arrangement reflects the regularity and order of the central hall layout, highlighting a solemn and elegant atmosphere.

On the left side, 74-year-old Ye Kongshi glared coldly at her second son, Ye Tingkai, and slammed her hand on the table.

"I disagree. You watched Xiao Zhen grow up; she's such a good child. Juan'er isn't their biological daughter, so who would dare to criticize her?"

With his robust build, square face, and imposing presence, Ye Tingkai shook his head and said in a deep voice, "Mother, no matter how much you plead, I will never marry Juan'er to that scoundrel Ye Zhen. He is not good enough for my Juan'er."

Upon hearing this, Ye Tingzhong and his wife Jiang Nan, who were sitting opposite Ye Tingkai, turned green with anger, while Ye Zhen, standing behind Ye Tingzhong, lowered his head, his eyes filled with hatred.

Ye Tingzhong is fearless, except for his two older brothers, especially Ye Tingkai. He has been beaten since childhood, and even now that he is over forty, he still gets slapped for making mistakes.

Jiang Nan dared not be arrogant. His second sister-in-law, Zhang Shuhua, was from Northeast China and had a fiery temper that even the old lady was afraid of.

"Second brother, you..."

"Grandma, this is a new era. We advocate freedom of love and freedom of marriage. Please put aside the dregs of feudal thinking."

It was Ye Xi who interrupted Ye Kongshi.

The third generation of the Ye family has eight brothers and sisters, plus Ye Juan, making nine, but only two of them can sit in the central hall.

Ye Xi and Ye Tingming's eldest son, Ye Jinghong, rose to the rank of army colonel at the age of thirty and served in the General Staff.

With a stern face, Madam Ye said, "Xiao Xi, why are you siding with outsiders too? It would be so much better if Juan'er married Xiao Zhen! You..."

"What's wrong with that? If Ye Zhen is capable and outstanding enough, our whole family won't object. Please stop playing matchmaker."

Zhang Shuhua, who was sitting next to Ye Tingkai, also spoke slowly.

"Mom, children should be able to decide their own marriages. How can we continue to follow the old customs of arranged marriages and live a muddled life?"

Ye Kongshi's expression was uncertain, but in the end she did not insist any further, knowing that her second son and daughter-in-law would not back down.

She was well aware of Ye Zhen's character, but she couldn't help but like this sweet-talking and shrewd grandson.

"Grandma, Mom and Dad, Big Sister, I'm home!"

Ye Juan's clear voice came from behind, and then the door was pushed open.

Everyone turned to look, and there stood Liu Hao and Ye Juan at the door. The man was heroic and the woman was beautiful, like a golden couple descended to earth, making everyone unable to look away.

Ye Tingkai was amazed; he really was a good young man.

This morning, after receiving a call from his youngest daughter, he specifically called Zhao Weiguo, the director of the Tongxian Public Security Bureau, to investigate Liu Hao. Zhao Weiguo clearly told him that Liu Hao came from an ordinary family.

Liu Hao's adoptive father, Liu Meng, was disabled and illiterate. He raised Liu Hao by earning money as a bricklayer.

He then called Li Huaide to inquire about Liu Hao's performance at the Third Steel Rolling Mill.

Li Huaide practically praised Liu Hao as an exceptionally handsome and extraordinary person.

Before meeting Liu Hao, he thought Li Huaide was exaggerating, but now he agrees with Li Huaide's assessment.

As the saying goes, "A person with a wealth of knowledge naturally exudes elegance," and this kind of temperament cannot be faked.

Ye Zhen, that good-for-nothing, is a typical example of someone who is illiterate and whose airs are foul. He looks respectable, but the moment he opens his mouth, his ignorance is exposed; he's full of chaff.

Zhang Shuhua smiled broadly, having a very good first impression of her future son-in-law.

Ye Tingzhong and Jiang Nan exchanged a glance, knowing that their son had no hope.

A hint of surprise appeared on Ye Xi's cool face. Her little sister had excellent taste.

Ye Kongshi sighed and glared at Ye Zhen with a look of disappointment.

Compared to the young man Ye Juan brought back, the grandson is far inferior; his demeanor is clearly extraordinary.

Ye Zhen's face was cold, and his eyes were fixed on Liu Hao.

"Juan'er's back! We've been waiting for you! Come in quickly, it's cold outside!"

Ye Tingkai and his wife stood up and quickly stepped forward to greet them.

As Liu Hao entered, he first bowed slightly to Ye Kongshi and spoke in a clear voice.

"Grandma, Uncle, Aunt, Uncle, Aunt, Eldest Sister, Brother, hello! I'm Liu Hao, Ye Juan's boyfriend. We've come here today to visit you all. We apologize for the inconvenience."

Ye Tingkai smiled and said, "No trouble at all. Your aunt and I were going to work overtime today, but when Juan'er told us you were coming back, we rushed back ahead of time. Xi'er, make a cup of tea."

"Thank you, Uncle!"

Ye Juan took the gift from Liu Hao and placed it on the table to the side.

As soon as Liu Hao sat down, Ye Kongshi launched an attack.

"Young man, I heard you're an orphan?"

The moment those words were spoken, the air in the room froze, and the atmosphere suddenly became awkward.

Ye Tingkai and his wife were ashen-faced. If their father hadn't told them before his death that family harmony was paramount and that they shouldn't divide the family property, they would have moved out long ago.

Ye Juan was trembling with anger. Just as she was about to speak, Liu Hao smiled and nodded.

"You are right, I am indeed an orphan, but I have always firmly believed that one's ability to make a living in this world depends not on family background, but on what one has learned and what one has the skills to do."

Seeing Liu Hao's humble yet dignified and gentle demeanor, Ye Kongshi disliked him even more.

She snorted coldly, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and slammed it heavily on the table when she put it down.

"Skills? What skills do you have? You're an orphan, with no family or connections. How much money can you earn in a month? If Juan'er follows you, are you expecting her to starve?"

Before Liu Hao could answer, Ye Tingkai couldn't stand it any longer and said sternly, "Mom, what are you saying!"

Everyone in the room was stunned. Ye Kongshi looked at her son in disbelief.

"Second brother, I'm doing this for Juanzi's own good!"

"Does 'doing what's best for Juanzi' mean by bringing up her background and making fun of her?"

Ye Tingkai was already very impatient with his mother, who had been sharp-tongued and narrow-minded since childhood.

"Xiao Liu is excellent, and Shuhua and I are very satisfied. You don't need to criticize him!"

"As for whether Xiao Liu can make any money? He was the top student in the accounting program at the Finance and Trade Cadre School, graduating with a score sixty points higher than the second-place student—just one point shy of a perfect score!"

"Moreover, Xiao Liu is exceptionally talented, with extremely strong mental arithmetic abilities..."

Ok?

Mental arithmetic immediately piqued the interest of Ye Xi, a female academic genius whose mind is full of math.

"Liu Hao, you're really good at mental arithmetic?"

Standing behind Ye Xi, Ye Juan immediately said, "Yes, big sister, Liu Hao's mental arithmetic ability is probably about the same as a computer's. You can ask him if you don't believe me."

"Liu Hao, show my older sister what mental arithmetic really is."

Liu Hao nodded: "Okay, big sister, you give me the question!"

Everyone looked at Liu Haolinxi, even Ye Kongshi pricked up her ears.

After a moment's thought, Ye Xi said, "Let's start with the most basic one. Listen carefully: two cars, A and B, start simultaneously from points A and B respectively, and drive towards each other. They will meet 4 hours later."

"After meeting, car A continues traveling for 3 hours to reach point B. Given that car B travels at 60 kilometers per hour, what is the distance between points A and B...?"

"560 kilometers!"

Ye Xi, who hadn't even finished speaking, choked for a moment and asked with slight surprise, "You've solved this problem before?"

"No, you can ask me a more difficult question!"

Meeting Liu Hao's calm and composed gaze, Ye Xi's competitive spirit was ignited.

"Juan'er, go to my room and get the notebook from my desk!"