Courtyard House: Drunk and tipsy, the whole courtyard exposed at the start.

That's right, it's Yi Zhonghai and the deaf old lady.

Not to mention the deaf old lady, she would pick up her cane and chase after Jia Zhangshi like she was chasing her grandson, but under normal circumstances the old lady would not pay any attention to Jia Zhangshi.

As for Yi Zhonghai, Jia Dongxu was Yi Zhonghai's apprentice and also his godson. No matter how much Jia Zhangshi threw a tantrum, she still had to give some face to this "master" and "godfather" of her son, with whom she had a blood relationship. Before Jia Dongxu was still alive, when there were large meetings in the courtyard, as long as Yi Zhonghai spoke, even if Jia Zhangshi was dissatisfied, she would generally have to follow Yi Zhonghai's wishes, at most extorting a little more money.

The biggest reason is that if even Yi Zhonghai doesn't help Jia Zhangshi, then Jia Zhangshi really won't dare to cause trouble.

She knows very well what kind of person she is in the yard.

"Okay, you're not stupid." Zhang Dabiao stubbed out his cigarette and leaned forward slightly.

Let me explain the logic to you.

"Let's not even talk about the deaf old woman. First, she won't care about these trivial matters, and second, she won't allow you to marry a widow."

"The only one who can help you is Yi Zhonghai. Yi Zhonghai is Jia Dongxu's godfather and mentor, and Qin Huairu is his apprentice's wife. He's also Qin Huairu's mentor at the factory. Isn't it perfectly legitimate for him, as an elder, to step in and arrange Qin Huairu's remarriage?"

"He's both Qin Huairu's husband's godfather and her current mentor, so it's only natural that he'd interfere in her marriage, right?"

"Moreover, the government is now encouraging widows to remarry and form new families, which is in line with the policy."

Sha Zhu listened, his eyes widening in astonishment.

Yes! That makes sense!

Why the hell didn't I think of that?

"No matter how arrogant Jia Zhangshi is, does she dare to say that Yi Zhonghai is an outsider and has no right to interfere in their family's affairs? She doesn't dare. If she did, the spittle from everyone in the courtyard would drown her."

"Jia Dongxu recognized him as his godfather and offered him tea, which was witnessed by the entire hospital. Yi Zhonghai is Qin Huairu's true elder!"

"Besides Yi Zhonghai, who else would bother with Jia Zhangshi now?"

Sha Zhu's breathing began to quicken.

"The most crucial point," Zhang Dabiao stared into his eyes, "is what Yi Zhonghai is most worried about right now? He's worried about his retirement. He schemed against you before, but I ruined it. Now that his caregiver is gone, he feels empty and lost. If you offer him a pillow now, do you think he'll take it?"

"If you marry Qin Huairu, the two families will merge into one. You, Sha Zhu, have a job, a house, and are a level eight cook. For Yi Zhonghai, Qin Huairu marrying you means his godson's widow will have someone to rely on. As for his own retirement, whether it's his godson's wife or his apprentice's wife, they'll have to take care of it, right? You can just casually help out, and the problem will be solved. It's an easy way to kill two birds with one stone. What reason does he have not to do it?"

After he finished speaking, only Sha Zhu's heavy breathing could be heard in the courtyard.

His mouth was wide open, big enough to fit a steamed bun.

He had never imagined things could turn out this way. In his simple mind, marrying Qin Huairu was a matter between him and Qin Huairu, with perhaps Jia Zhangshi added at most. He never expected that Zhang Dabiao could bring Yi Zhonghai, who was completely unrelated to him, into the picture, and that it sounded... damn reasonable!

But then, a strong sense of resistance surged up.

"No way!" Sha Zhu slammed his hand on the table, splashing the porridge in his enamel mug. "You want me to beg Yi Zhonghai? I have a grudge against him! He schemed against me before, and although I compensated him, that's all in the past. But me, going out of my way to support him in his old age? Wouldn't that be pathetic?!"

This is a matter of face, and also a matter of He Yuzhu's integrity.

Actually, taking care of Yi Zhonghai in his old age would just be a convenient thing to do. The relationship between Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai isn't that strained right now, but he's rushing to take care of someone else's old age—

Don't I, Sha Zhu, have any pride?

This is really complicated and awkward!

At most—Qin Huairu will take care of him in his old age, and it's perfectly legitimate for the Jia family to take care of Yi Zhonghai in his old age, while I'm just lending a hand incidentally.

But I took the initiative to say it: Impossible, absolutely impossible!

Zhang Dabiao's expression remained unchanged; he simply stared at him coldly.

"Do you value your pride, or your wife?"

In short, it hit the bullseye.

Sha Zhu's arrogance was instantly extinguished.

He stood there, his chest heaving violently. In his mind, on one side was Yi Zhonghai's hypocritical face, and on the other were Qin Huairu's tearful eyes.

face……

daughter in law……

Can saving face put food on the table? No.

Can saving face keep you from feeling lonely at night? No.

Can saving face give you a home? No, it can't.

Less than three seconds.

Sha Zhu's shoulders slumped, his head bowed, and his voice squeezed out from between his teeth, buzzing like a mosquito.

"...I want a wife."

Fine, for my wife's sake, I'll just have to be shameless.

My foolish Zhu is called being able to bend and stretch! That's what a true man does!

------------

That evening, Zhang Dabiao invited Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu to meet up.

The location was in Zhang Dabiao's small courtyard. There was a small square table, three stools, and a pot of hot tea.

When Yi Zhonghai arrived, his expression was complicated. He didn't know what Zhang Dabiao was up to. He had asked Zhang Dabiao for help to regain his position as the boss, and it was normal for Zhang to ask him to talk business, but why bring Sha Zhu along?

What help could a good-for-nothing like him possibly be?

Sha Zhu sat next to him, feeling extremely uncomfortable. He didn't know what to do with his hands and feet, and stared at the ground, refusing to look at Yi Zhonghai.

This is actually quite an awkward situation.

Zhang Dabiao personally poured tea for the two of them, and the steam from the tea rose gently.

"Master Yi, we invited you here today to discuss a business deal."

Yi Zhonghai picked up his teacup, but didn't drink. He simply ran his fingers along the rim of the cup. "A deal?"

Zhang Dabiao didn't mince words and laid out his plan in detail.

"Shazhu wants to marry Qin Huairu, everyone in the courtyard knows that. But Jia Zhangshi is the hurdle, and only you can overcome that hurdle."

"As long as you step in and facilitate this marriage in the name of Jia Dongxu's godfather and master, and also in the name of Qin Huairu's master, I, Zhang Dabiao, am making this statement to you in front of Sha Zhu today."

He paused, then spoke each word clearly and distinctly.

"From now on, as long as you don't offend me, I won't interfere in the affairs of the steward in the courtyard. If you want to be the steward again, do whatever you want, and I promise I won't offer any opinion whether you succeed or not."

Yi Zhonghai's fingers, which were caressing the cup, stopped.

To be honest, neither side suffers any loss under these conditions.

Why make marrying Qin Huairu a requirement? Is Zhang Dabiao helping Sha Zhu? Is he doing a good deed for nothing?

He raised his head, and a glint of shrewdness flashed in his cloudy eyes.

He stared intently at Zhang Dabiao, as if trying to detect a trace of joking on his face.

but.

Zhang Dabiao's expression was as calm as a deep pool of water.

In the original drama, Yi Zhonghai had this idea 65 years later. His caregiver was actually Qin Huairu, and Sha Zhu was a blood bag that he brought in to help the Jia family.

But right now, Jia Dongxu has only been dead for half a year, and he doesn't have much power in the courtyard, so Yi Zhonghai hasn't thought of this aspect yet.

So Zhang Dabiao brought the matter forward, since whether he said it or not, the final result would be the same.

It would be better to say it sooner rather than later, so that Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai can be more proactive and make it happen sooner.

Sha Zhu can have his fun sooner, right?

However, Yi Zhonghai was still hesitant.