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

Qin Huairu struggled in despair for several days, and it seemed she couldn't hold on any longer. She was in a daze all day long.

Because Xiao Dang and Huai Hua were not well cared for at the daycare, they caught colds and fevers one after another. She had to take leave to take the children to the hospital, and her already meager salary was deducted by a large portion.

In desperation, she thought of one person—Qin Jingru.

That morning, she calculated the time it would take for Qin Jingru to get up and make breakfast for Zhang Dabiao, and shamelessly walked to the gate of the east courtyard.

The gate was open, but Zhang Dabiao wasn't there; he probably hadn't gotten up yet. Only Qin Jingru was squatting in the vegetable garden, picking tomatoes—she was preparing to make tomato beef and egg noodles this morning, which was Zhang Dabiao's favorite.

"Jingru..." Qin Huairu stood at the door, her voice a little hoarse as she called out.

Qin Jingru looked up, saw it was her, paused for a moment, then stood up and patted the dirt off her hands.

"Sis, what brings you here?"

Qin Jingru's tone was neither warm nor cold.

Ever since she started following Zhang Dabiao and learned what the Jia family had done to Zhang Dabiao, her feelings for her cousin became complicated.

She could never forget how, when she was little, Qin Huairu would carry her to work in the fields and give her the leftover cornbread to eat.

But she also couldn't forget how Qin Huairu repeatedly took advantage of Sha Zhu's kindness and tacitly allowed her mother-in-law and son to bully the people in the courtyard.

More importantly, the Jia family was plotting to exploit the Zhang family, which had no descendants. And he himself was "given" to Zhang Dabiao because Qin Huairu broke off the engagement.

In retrospect, she was quite glad that Qin Huairu broke off the engagement; otherwise, she wouldn't have had the opportunity to go to the city for school, or even to have a job and a house after graduation.

Looking at Qin Jingru's face, which was gradually losing its childishness and becoming more and more beautiful, Qin Huairu felt a pang of sadness.

She bit her lip, and her eyes instantly reddened.

"Jingru, I... I really have no other choice."

She told Qin Jingru about her family situation in detail.

When she talked about the suffering her two daughters endured at the daycare, about being scolded by the workshop director, about the medical expenses for Bang Geng and the remittances she made to her mother-in-law, her tears flowed like a broken string of pearls, unstoppable.

"Please, sister, you're on summer vacation now, could you... could you help me look after Xiaodang and Huaihua?"

As Qin Huairu spoke, she was about to kneel down before Qin Jingru.

Qin Jingru quickly stepped forward and supported her.

"Sis, what are you doing!"

Looking at Qin Huairu's haggard face, Qin Jingru's heart softened.

She sighed.

Yes, when she was little, this older sister carried her on her back as she grew up.

She couldn't deny this affection.

If you don't acknowledge it, you're an ingrate, and you'll be condemned behind your back.

Zhang Dabiao had also told her that one should remember kindness, and since Qin Huairu had been kind to her, she should help her if she could, as long as it didn't involve matters of principle. However, that was Qin Jingru's own business; Zhang Dabiao simply didn't object.

If someone tries to control other people's lives based on their own likes and dislikes, forbidding them from doing this or that, and treating them like puppets, what's the difference between that and Yi Zhonghai and his ilk wanting to be local tyrants and run a one-man show?

And it's tiring.

"Sister, please don't be like this," Qin Jingru said softly, supporting her. "I'll help you take care of the child. But..."

"I'll give you the money!" Qin Huairu said hastily, as if grasping at a straw. "I'll give you five yuan a month!"

Five yuan was almost the limit she could afford.

Qin Jingru shook her head: "Sister, I don't want the money. You keep it to buy medicine for Banggeng, and some food for Xiaodang and Huaihua."

Qin Jingru has virtually no expenses. Zhang Dabiao gives her 20 yuan a month for living expenses, and she also earns extra money from baking cakes. Besides supporting her parents, she has saved over 500 yuan in her own little savings!

Being a "nanny" at Da Biao's place means she has everything she needs, from food and drink to toileting, and Da Biao even provides her with a bicycle.

Therefore, Qin Jingru did not accept the 5 yuan from Qin Huairu.

She paused for a moment, then decided to lay out the unpleasant truth upfront.

"However, I can only help you this summer. After school starts, I'll have to go back to school and won't have time anymore."

"Enough! Enough!" Qin Huairu's tears welled up again, this time tears of gratitude.

"Jingru, thank you... Sister... I'm so sorry."

Qin Jingru did not respond and followed Qin Huairu to the Intermediate People's Court.

Xiao Dang is already three years old. At home, looking at the half-year-old Huaihua on the bed, whose little face was dirty, Huaihua burst into tears when she saw Qin Huairu come back. Then Xiao Dang started crying too.

Qin Jingru stepped forward, skillfully picked up the locust flowers, and then took Xiao Dang's hand.

"Come on, let's go play over there with Auntie. There are lots of delicious things to eat there."

Qin Jingru carried Huaihua in one arm and held Xiaodang's hand in the other, leading them back to the east courtyard.

In Zhang Dabiao's yard, he grows all kinds of vegetables and fruits, raises chickens, ducks and dogs, and also has a small swing.

He Yushui and Mu Wanqing are usually there too. They both love children, so the courtyard is always lively.

Sometimes, Aunt Er from the backyard or You Hongjuan, Liu Guangqi's wife, would come over for a visit, bringing Liu Xiaoqing, who had just been born.

After all, Zhang Dabiao is Liu Xiaoqing's godfather.

Qin Jingru brought the two children back, washed their faces and hands, and then took out some small biscuits and cream bread that Zhang Dabiao had brought back from Hong Kong. She gave Xiaodang a few pieces. Huaihua can now eat some soft foods; she's over six months old now, so she made her some banana puree.

The two little girls immediately beamed with joy, forgetting all their previous shyness and crying.

Standing in the central courtyard, Qin Huairu watched her daughters happily playing in the east wing. Especially seeing Zhang Dabiao willing to give Xiao Huaihua such an expensive fruit as bananas, a huge weight was finally lifted from her heart.

She bowed deeply towards the direction of the east courtyard.

She knew that she owed Qin Jingru and Zhang Dabiao debts that she could never repay in this lifetime.

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

Days passed by, and before we knew it, it was July 15th, the day the steel rolling mill would pay wages.

Sha Zhu calculated that he hadn't been late or left early this month, and had even mentored two apprentices in the kitchen—Fatty and Ma Hua. He figured he should be able to get his full salary, 27 yuan. He used to complain about 5 yuan, but that was because he refused to mentor apprentices or work overtime, and always went against Director Ma of the canteen. Now he was much more obedient, and should be able to get his full salary.

In this way, he could give some money to Qin Huairu so that she could buy medicine for Banggeng and some meat for Xiaodang and Huaihua.

But when he received his payslip and money from the accountant, he was completely dumbfounded.

The payslip clearly states: basic salary 32.5 yuan, after deducting 15 days of personal leave, the actual salary paid is 16.25 yuan.

Holy crap?!

Cut it in half!?

This is outrageous! They're bullying an idiot!