The Cycle of Reincarnation in the Four-Courtyard House: A Journey Through the Heavens

The middle-aged woman led Li Xiao into the room on the east side. As soon as Li Xiao entered, he saw a little girl who looked to be about ten years old.

She wore a coarse cloth dress patched upon patched, and clutched an unfinished shoe sole in her hand. Her small figure already showed some signs of competence, just like many poor children in that era who learned to help their parents with housework at a young age.

As soon as he stepped into the room, he felt that mysterious power again.

"Coming today was definitely the right decision. As the female lead of 'Full House of Love,' Qin Huairu carries a great deal of causal power."

When Qin Huairu saw a strange man walk into the room, she couldn't help but stand up. When she saw Li Xiao's face and clothes, she couldn't help but be stunned.

Li Xiao's appearance is the kind of handsome that has a sharp edge but is not ostentatious. His sword-like eyebrows slant upwards into his temples, and the peaks of his eyebrows are as sharp as if they were drawn with an ink brush, but a touch of warmth is blended at the corners of his eyes.

His eyes were a deep, dark black, and when his gaze was calm, they were like obsidian immersed in a cold pool. When he looked up, they had an inexplicable penetrating power, as if they could see right through people's hearts.

His nose was high and straight, with a clean line at the root. The tip of his nose was rounded but not blunt. His lips were well-defined, with a gentle curve at the corners.

His face is a classic oval shape with a clear and smooth jawline, without any extra angles, yet it reveals just the right amount of bone structure when viewed from the side, making his entire face have distinct contours, exuding both heroic spirit and a touch of elegance.

Although the man in front of me was tall and imposing, his face still had a touch of youthful innocence, so he probably wasn't too old.

This was Li Xiao's first impression of Qin Huairu.

This was the first time Qin Huairu had ever seen such a handsome man in her life, and her pretty face immediately turned red with embarrassment.

At this time, Qin Huairu, perhaps due to malnutrition, was very thin, just like Liu Qianqian whom Li Xiaogang had met a few years ago.

Her braided hair looked dull and lifeless, and her small face was thin and sallow. However, Li Xiao could still see the shadow of the stunning Thirteenth Aunt in her current appearance.

"Sir, please have a seat!"

"Thanks!"

Li Xiao placed the cloth bag in his hand on the kang table, making a dull thud.

He opened the bag and took out two slaughtered chickens, a piece of pork belly weighing five pounds, a whole lamb leg, and a bag of flour weighing about ten pounds.

"this......"

Qin Huairu's mother looked at the meat and grain on the table and stood up abruptly.

In this day and age when people are struggling to get enough to eat and wear, the things Li Xiao brought were nothing short of luxurious.

The Qin family hadn't eaten meat for at least six months. The last time they ate meat was last autumn when Qin's father went to the mountains and caught a wild rabbit.

"Sir, what is this...?"

Li Xiao smiled and said, "Auntie, my name is Li Xiao, you can just call me Xiao Li!"

"Hey, Little...Little Li!"

"I've heard that there's a hardworking and kind girl named Qin Huairu in our Qin Family Village. I've taken the liberty of coming here today because I'd like to meet Miss Huairu!"

Huai Ru's mother immediately understood Li Xiao's intentions, while Qin Huai Ru, who was standing to the side, had already hidden behind her mother in embarrassment.

In this day and age, it's common for teenagers to get engaged, so Qin's mother wasn't too surprised when Li Xiao explained his purpose.

Although Qin Huairu was only a teenager, she understood things much earlier than most. Many of her friends in the village had married at the age of thirteen or fourteen.

At this moment, Qin's mother was a little puzzled as to how her daughter, who had never traveled far from home or even been to Beijing, knew about her.

Li Xiao continued, "I'm 14 years old this year. My mother has already arranged a marriage for me. I'm here today because I want to wait until Huai Ru comes of age so I can marry her. I wonder if Auntie would be willing?"

"Please rest assured, Auntie, once Huai Ru is married into the family, I will treat her equally and will never let her suffer any injustice."

After hearing Li Xiao's words, Qin's mother looked troubled. She glanced at her daughter behind her before saying, "This matter needs to be discussed with our husband first. Personally, I have no objections!"

Li Xiao breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Qin's mother's words. He was afraid that she would kick him out if she heard that he wanted to marry Qin Huairu as a concubine.

Life in the countryside is much harder than in the city these days. After the harvest, the first thing to do is pay rent to the landlords, and then the Japanese soldiers from the surrounding area will come and raid the area from time to time. The little bit of food left is just enough for the whole family to barely survive.

Sometimes, even when there's only a little bit of food left, some white dogs will still come and try to plunder it.

In 42, the Qin family ran out of food completely.

In the end, Qin Dachuan went to the Beijing Railway Station to carry heavy loads, which earned him a little bit of food so that his family didn't starve.

Qin Huairu's family now consists of a brother and sister. The remaining food in their family is barely enough to last until the harvest, so every year they have to go to the mountains to dig for wild vegetables just to keep the family from starving.

Just then, footsteps sounded in the courtyard outside, and a middle-aged man walked in with a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old.

The visitors were Qin Huairu's father, Qin Dachuan, and her elder brother, Qin Huaibin.

"Dad, you're back!"

"Yes! I heard from Da Shuan at the edge of the village that we have guests at home!"

"Uncle, hello. My name is Li Xiao, and I live in Luogu Lane in southern Beijing. Please forgive my intrusion today!"

Afterwards, Li Xiao explained his identity and purpose to Qin Dachuan again.

Qin Dachuan's gaze then turned to the boy beside him.

Li Xiao came today wearing a thick black wool suit, paired with a white shirt and a blue tie, and a long leather coat. He looked like a refined young nobleman.

His attire and demeanor made Qin Dachuan, the host, feel somewhat uneasy.

Li Xiao's appearance and attire both resembled those of wealthy young masters. How did he end up at their house today?

"Uncle, you're smoking!"

Li Xiao took out a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes from his pocket and handed one over.

"Okay...okay!"

Qin Dachuan awkwardly took the cigarette and was about to look for matches when a golden Dupont lighter, already lit with a small flame, was brought close to him.

"Th...thank you!"

Qin Dachuan quickly lit a cigarette, then hurriedly said to his mother, "The guests have been here for so long, why haven't you even poured them a glass of water? What an inconsiderate woman!"

"Yes, yes, I was so nervous I forgot!"

Li Xiao quickly waved his hand and said, "Uncle, Aunt, I'm not thirsty right now, so please don't bother!"

Qin Dachuan said with a simple, honest smile, "How can that be? Although we don't have anything fancy, we still have to pour water for our guests!"

After exchanging pleasantries, Li Xiao sat down on the kang (a heated brick bed) again.