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

[Da Biao, at eighteen, had saved enough money to buy the yard, registered it in his wife's name, and if they had children, the land and house would belong to them. He also had over 40 yuan in the bank; the monthly interest plus his own salary was comparable to the combined wages of all the workers in the yard…]

I'm twenty-six. Every day I bring a clay pot of food to Sister Qin. After saving for several years, I only have a few yuan left in my pocket, and I'm still sitting on these steps.

Sha Zhu wasn't blaming anyone, nor did he want to compare himself to anyone. There was just something indescribable pressing down on him, making him feel inexplicably stifled.

We sat there for almost the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

"Eh... never mind, compared to that monster Da Biao..."

"What's the point of comparing them? Isn't this just asking for trouble?"

"So what if he's rich? Our cooking skills are something most people can't get!"

"I'm a level eight chef, who am I afraid of?"

Sha Zhu stood up, patted his trouser legs, went inside, and closed the door quietly without making a sound.

Only the wind was blowing gently in the courtyard.

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

Qin Jingru and Yushui also found out; Zhang Dabiao hadn't kept it from anyone.

Inside the room, He Yushui sat on a stool with her hands on her knees, backs of her hands facing up, fingers not clenched, just resting there, as if she had forgotten to put them back.

A light rain began to fall outside the window, fine and pattering on the windowsill with a soft, fragmented sound.

Qin Jingru waited for a while before speaking.

"If you really like Da Biao, just say it."

He Yushui's fingertips twitched slightly, then she quickly pressed them back down.

"It's no use."

She lowered her head, her voice steady, the kind of steady that comes from having thought things through repeatedly before speaking.

"He only has eyes for Mu Wanqing now. The house is even registered in her name. What am I supposed to say? If I go and say something now, wouldn't that be considered being a third party in a relationship?"

"How do you know it's useless if you don't tell me?"

"So I told him, he refused, and then what?"

He Yushui looked up and stared directly at Qin Jingru.

"We'll still be living in the same courtyard, and we'll see each other every day. How am I supposed to bring this up? And what will happen after I do?"

"He's engaged now."

Qin Jingru sighed: "Sister Wanqing really doesn't mind."

"But I mind!"

"Besides—" He Yushui looked away, gazing out the window. The rain was still falling, fine and gentle. "Sister Mu didn't do anything wrong, nor did Da Biao. They're both good people, and I have no right to blame anyone. It's just... it's just too late, or rather, it's never been early."

When she said this, her voice didn't tremble; it was flat, a flatness that had been suppressed for a long time until there was no ups and downs.

After listening, Qin Jingru leaned against the wall and sighed.

"So what are you planning to do?"

"We'll talk about it later."

These four words were spoken very softly, without any sign of struggle, but also without any indication of truly letting go. They were just left there, like a piece of cloth pressed down on top, not lifted.

Qin Jingru was helpless. She didn't mind, and neither did Mu Wanqing, so why was He Yushui being so pretentious?

You either need to let go completely, or just confess your feelings directly. The way you're acting now makes it seem like someone wronged you...

As the saying goes, a jerk is just being pretentious.

The rain outside the window was falling at a steady pace.

Neither of the two people in the room spoke again; they just sat there, each looking at the place in front of them.

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

That evening, Sha Zhu went to the west wing to deliver dinner.

Jia Zhangshi took Banggeng out, Xiaodang and Huaihua had just fallen asleep in the inner room, and only Shazhu and Qin Huairu were in the corridor.

Qin Huairu has been able to get out of bed recently. She moved out of the room, holding onto the wall, walking slowly but steadily.

Sha Zhu placed the lunchbox on the wooden bench under the corridor, opened the lid to look at it, then closed it again, straightened up, and stood leaning against the pillar, not in a hurry to leave.

Qin Huairu sat down on the other side, her hands on her knees, her head down.

The two of them just stood there, neither of them speaking first.

The light under the eaves gradually dimmed, and the little light filtering in from the courtyard grew thinner and thinner.

Sha Zhu glanced at the lunchbox twice, then at the yard twice, and said nothing.

He's always like this; he doesn't talk much, and when he doesn't know what to say, he just stands there.

The silence stretched on for a long time.

Qin Huairu spoke, her voice low.

"Silly Zhu, I can cook for myself, why do you always bring me food?"

Sha Zhu was stunned for two seconds.

"Because you want to eat, and it's inconvenient for you to be here, and I have nothing else to do..."

Qin Huairu lowered her head and said nothing more.

Sha Zhu scratched the back of his head, feeling that he hadn't answered the question properly. He wanted to add something, but couldn't find the right words, so he put his hand down and just stood there.

He didn't actually think that much about it.

Qin Huairu wanted to eat, the children wanted to eat, and he had food in his hands, so he brought it to them. He knew this very well, so well that he didn't realize that another reason was needed.

Xiao Dang's voice came from the inner room, a hoarse voice like someone who was asleep.

"Silly Uncle".

A crack was pried open in the door, revealing two bright eyes.

Sha Zhu turned around and lowered his voice.

"If you're asleep, keep sleeping. It's chilly outside, don't go out."

Xiao Dang widened the crack in the door a little, but didn't come out; she just stared at him with a smile.

Sha Zhu ignored her, turned around, and sat down next to Qin Huairu. Since Jia Zhangshi wasn't in the courtyard, it was a rare opportunity for them to sit together and chat.

Two shadows huddled together under the eaves, dimming the light further. A breeze stirred in the courtyard, causing the tattered lantern that someone had hung up in the corridor to sway gently.

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

After Jia Zhangshi returned, Banggeng was doing his schoolwork. She was holding a shoe sole, ready to sew, but she sat there stunned for a long time.

She had noticed that Sha Zhu was becoming more and more diligent.

At first, they thought of blocking it, but after calculating, they realized that blocking wasn't the most cost-effective approach—even if Qin Huairu cooperated, it wouldn't work if Sha Zhu kept thinking about it every day. Besides, Sha Zhu was the one who provided all the food and supplements; if they really blocked it, not a single one of these things would get in.

Jia Zhangshi put down the insole and tapped her fingers twice on the wooden table.

The goal is not simply to block, but to seize the initiative.

Whether Qin Huairu marries or not, and when she marries, the delay in the marriage is a bargaining chip for the Jia family. As long as the marriage doesn't take place, they hold this chip, and the thread that Sha Zhu is tied to remains.

Bang Geng will be working in a factory in ten years, and someone needs to pave the way for him. Sha Zhu is the most suitable person for this job right now.

Shazhu's three main rooms are for Banggeng to live in when he grows up and gets married; this needs to be discussed and decided as soon as possible.

Regarding the bride price, she mentally went through the numbers over and over, taking into account the years Qin Huairu spent raising the child, the years she served Jia Dongxu, the depreciated value of the Jia family's house, and the money Banggeng would need for work, marriage, and buying a house in the future... she factored it all in.

After calculating the total, Jia Zhangshi gripped the sole of the shoe tightly, stood up while holding onto the chair, and looked very satisfied.

You can't stand firm if you're not ruthless. If Sha Zhu can do these things, even if Qin Huairu remarries, the Jia family won't lose out.

For the sake of the Jia family, for the sake of Bang Geng, and for her own retirement, Jia Zhangshi decided to give up being a human being.