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

He had also heard about the exaggerated dowry and the talk of forming a brothel by that old hag Jia Zhangshi, as well as the story of the three main rooms in the He family. The key point was that Sha Zhu, that sycophant, had actually agreed—that was the real reason why He Daqing wanted to beat him up.

He Daqing has no problem with having sex with widows, but you have to leave behind a He family heir!

The He family is almost extinct, and you still want to marry a widow?

Are you out of your mind, you idiot?

I should have hung you on the wall back then!

Outside the door, everyone who overheard this conversation felt a chill run down their spines.

He Daqing... sees things very clearly!

He plays around... marrying a widow, and don't even mention that he has offspring. He's worthy of the ancestors of the He family, and he's got the ability to do that!

But what gives you the right, you silly Zhu?

These days, of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is having no offspring!

Sha Zhu's actions are unfilial!

In this round, everyone is on He Daqing's side; Sha Zhu deserves to be beaten!

"Uncle He is right!" Some idiot suddenly shouted, and He Daqing stood up, glanced out the window, and saw the group of neighbors who had not yet dispersed and whose faces clearly showed they were watching the show.

"What's going on?" He Daqing shouted at the top of his lungs, "Instead of visiting relatives on the first day of the Lunar New Year, are you all here watching a play?"

"Aren't you going to kowtow to me first? I didn't prepare a red envelope!"

Upon hearing this, everyone scattered like birds and beasts. "You, He Daqing, this violent madman, kowtow to him, and you don't even get a red envelope?"

Why should I?

Xu Damao fled faster than a rabbit, thinking he was out of luck for the spectacle, but this whole thing... was a bit strange. Since He Daqing didn't blame Yi Zhonghai, then what happened next...?

What should be done about Sha Zhu getting married?

Yi Zhonghai was also pondering whether to change the way he planned to find a wife for Sha Zhu since He Daqing didn't object to him finding a wife for Sha Zhu.

After the neighbors left, Yi Zhonghai closed the door, and inside, two old men were drinking and chatting. On the table was a plate of peanuts and half a jin of bulk liquor, brought by He Daqing. Once they started drinking, they began to chatter.

"Old Yi, what do you mean by my son? Why is he so clueless?" He Daqing took a sip of wine and smacked his lips. "That girl Liu Yuhua, although she's not exactly pretty, she's still the daughter of an eighth-grade worker! These days, finding someone like that is like burning incense for good fortune, but he's the one who complains that she looks like Pigsy's second aunt."

"If the family didn't have some wealth, would their daughter have grown up like this?"

"What's so attractive about someone who's skinny? It's uncomfortable to hug at night!"

Yi Zhonghai sighed and filled He Daqing's cup. "Who says otherwise? That silly Zhu is just spoiled rotten. But don't take it too hard on him; his temper is just like yours—stubborn!"

The two looked at each other and then burst into laughter.

"Old Yi," Da Qing lowered his voice, "we need to find this rascal a decent family. He's already 27, and I won't feel at ease if he doesn't have a wife to keep him in check."

"I'm also worried about this matter." Yi Zhonghai narrowed his eyes. "Shazhu is restless now, he keeps staring at that..." He didn't finish his sentence, but he gestured with his chin toward the Jia family.

"That won't do." He Daqing slammed his wine glass on the table. "The He family line can't end. If we marry Qin Huairu, she already has three children. Do you think she can have another one for Sha Zhu?"

"Besides, if he marries Qin Huairu, what about Jia Zhangshi? Does he expect Shazhu to support their entire family?"

"I have no problem with supporting Qin Huairu's three children, but supporting Jia Zhangshi? She's Qin Huairu's mother-in-law, not her mother. What kind of logic is it to remarry and bring her former mother-in-law along?"

"So let's not even talk about it, I absolutely disagree!"

"It can only be someone like Liu Yuhua. Lao Yi, you're on good terms with Liu Cheng, why don't you go and talk to her again?"

This was He Daqing's ultimate goal: to get Yi Zhonghai to negotiate again.

But Yi Zhonghai was also in a dilemma: "It's not that I'm unwilling, Qing Dynasty! Last time Liu Cheng even attacked me!"

"He only has one daughter, you can imagine how much he dotes on her. Otherwise, how could he have raised her to be like that in the past three years? Good heavens, she weighs over 180 pounds!"

"The main problem is that Sha Zhu said some really nasty things. If I bring it up again, I reckon Liu Cheng will beat me up again."

"How could a man say something like, 'He's Pigsy's second aunt,' to someone's daughter?"

"If I had a daughter and someone said that to her, I'd be ready to stab them with a knife!"

He Daqing paused for a moment, then nodded helplessly. Yi Zhonghai was right; it was all Sha Zhu's fault for his loose tongue.

"What should we do?" He Daqing was so anxious that he kept pulling out his hair.

As soon as she finished speaking, the curtain was lifted, and He Yushui walked in. She even brought He Daqing a bowl of pig ears to go with his drinks, as drinking on an empty stomach was bad for his stomach. She lived next door and had heard everything they were saying.

"Dad, Uncle," He Yushui said softly, "I have something to say about my brother's marriage. I have a classmate named Zhang Shuqin. She works in a cotton mill. She's very honest, has a high school education, and comes from a good family background—and she's quite pretty and not fat either."

He Daqing's eyes lit up. "A high school student? Still working at a cotton mill? That's great!"

Yi Zhonghai nodded repeatedly, "Yushui, what do you think of this girl? This is a real, secure job, more than enough for Shazhu."

Yi Zhonghai thought, "If she's not fat, she can't possibly be Zhu Bajie's second aunt, right? Sha Zhu shouldn't have anything to say this time, right?"

He originally wanted to go find it himself, but with his father and sister present, he couldn't object.

"He's honest, but..." Rain hesitated for a moment, "...he has two canine teeth..."

"What's so special about Tiger Teeth? She's beautiful, has a good background, a good job, and isn't overweight. She's also your high school classmate, you know her inside and out—" He Daqing waved his hand and made the decision immediately, "She's the one! Arrange a meeting for them tomorrow!"

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became lively, as if Sha Zhu's marriage was already a done deal.

Meanwhile, in the Intermediate Court, Zhang Dabiao, Xu Damao, and Yan Jiecheng gathered around again, eavesdropping. Liu Guangqi had gone out to pay New Year's visits to his superiors on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, but the rest of them were quite bored.

Nothing much was happening on the first day of the Lunar New Year, so I was sitting in a rocking chair by the door drinking tea. It was a bit of a distance from Yi Zhonghai's house, but He Daqing's loud voice carried every word he spoke over there.

Upon hearing the name "Zhang Shuqin," Zhang Dabiao inexplicably spat out the mouthful of tea in his mouth.

"Cough cough cough..." Zhang Dabiao choked and his face turned red. He quickly wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

Yan Jiecheng and Xu Damao got sprayed in the face.

Yan Jiecheng's cigarette was extinguished by the water, and he looked resentful: "Da Biao, you have to buy me another one."

Zhang Dabiao rolled his eyes. If you want a free cigarette, just say so. The one in your hand is the one I gave you a few days ago!

Yan Jiecheng was overjoyed when he lost a Blue Tower cigarette, while Xu Damao wiped his face and asked excitedly, "Da Biao, what's wrong with you? Why are you so startled?"

Zhang Dabiao calmed his breathing, waved his hand, and said, "It's nothing, it's nothing... I just feel like this name sounds familiar."

"That sounds familiar? You know that girl?" Xu Damao continued to ask curiously.

Zhang Dabiao shook his head mysteriously, glancing towards the direction of the Intermediate People's Court. "Yu Shui mentioned it once, just wait and see."

Xu Damao's eyes suddenly widened like saucers. "Da Biao, what have you figured out this time?"

"Do you think this silly Zhu's blind date will work out?"

Zhang Dabiao grinned slyly: "Let's see, let's see."

"I know nothing, I really know nothing!"