Courtyard House: New Life, New Silly Zhu

Xu Xiaoling finished the porridge in a few bites and put the bowl on the table.

"Xiaoling, would you like to eat some more?" Xu's mother asked Xu Xiaoling.

Xu Xiaoling quickly shook her head, glanced at her brother, and said, "No need, I'm full. Give the rest to my brother."

Upon hearing Xu Xiaoling's words, Xu Damao gave his younger sister a strange look, but said nothing and continued eating his porridge.

Xu Xiaoling then walked towards Xu Damao's room. Seeing that Xu Damao hadn't noticed her movements, she immediately slipped into the room.

He took the clothes Xu Damao had put in his bag, then folded up the Zhongshan suit he wore on the bed for winter and stuffed it into the bag.

Just then, Xu Xiaoling suddenly heard footsteps outside the door. In a panic, she stuffed the new Zhongshan suit into the quilt.

"Xiaoling, what are you doing in my room?" Xu Damao asked, holding a bowl of porridge and looking at Xu Xiaoling with some confusion.

"Ahem," Xu Xiaoling coughed, her mind racing, trying to find an excuse.

Just then, Xu's mother's voice came over again.

"Da Mao, there's still a little porridge left. Bring the bowl over here, and I'll pour it all into your bowl."

Hearing his mother's words, Xu Damao responded, glanced at his younger sister, and seeing that she hadn't brought anything, he walked towards the dining table without waiting for Xu Xiaoling's reply.

Xu Xiaoling let out a breath and slipped out of the room. As for the clothes she had stuffed under the covers, she would have to figure out a way to get them later.

Xu Damao poured all the porridge into a bowl. Since the porridge wasn't hot, he added a chopstick of pickled vegetables and shoveled the porridge into his mouth in a few bites.

After finishing his meal, he wiped his mouth, greeted his parents, went back to his room, picked up his bag containing his new clothes, ignored the clothes piled on the bed, and left the room.

Xu Xiaoling dawdled and waited for her brother to leave. After seeing Xu Damao actually go out, she carried her schoolbag and went to Xu Damao's room.

Upon entering the room, she noticed the clothes piled on the bed that hadn't been tidied up. She reached under the covers and touched the new Zhongshan suit. Her face lit up with joy, and she quickly took the suit out, intending to stuff it directly into her bag.

But just as I was about to make a move, I suddenly thought to myself, if I just stuff it in like that, it might get wrinkled and wouldn't look good.

So she took the clothes out again and looked around her brother's room.

Xu Xiaoling found a cloth bag that looked just like the one Xu Damao used to carry his clothes. She didn't pay much attention to it, picked it up and looked inside. It was quite clean, so she put the new Zhongshan suit inside.

She peeked out of the door and saw that Xu's parents hadn't noticed her movements, so she immediately left Xu Damao's room and ran outside in a few steps.

"Xiaoling, let's go to school." He Yushui was already standing on the veranda waiting for Xu Xiaoling.

Upon seeing Xu Xiaoling approaching, he quickly greeted her, and the two walked towards the school together.

On the way, He Yushui couldn't help but ask, "Xiaoling, was no one home at your house at noon?"

Xu Xiaoling smiled smugly and patted the cloth bag in her hand.

Seeing her actions, He Yushui's eyes widened: "Xiaoling, you didn't take the clothes out so early, did you?"

He Yushui never expected Xu Xiaoling to act so quickly, taking out the clothes so early.

"Of course, I'm amazing, right? When Yushui gets out of school at noon, we can go to the factory and deliver the clothes to your brother, making sure he shines in the evening." Xu Xiaoling proudly shook the cloth bag in her hand and said to He Yushui with a smile.

He Yushui looked at Xu Xiaoling gratefully, "Thank you, Xiaoling, you're so kind. It's a pity you're too young, otherwise I would definitely want you to be my sister-in-law."

Xiao Ling, who was just smiling smugly, almost choked on her own saliva when she heard He Yushui's words.

"Cough cough cough, what are you saying, you brat?" Xu Xiaoling blushed deeply at He Yushui's words.

He Yushui was just joking, but she didn't expect Xu Xiaoling to react so strongly, and her eyes widened immediately.

"Xiaoling, really? Why are you reacting so strongly? Could it be?" He Yushui looked at Xu Xiaoling with some doubt.

Xu Xiaoling didn't know why, but she felt both ashamed and annoyed, and couldn't help but tickle He Yushui's ticklish spot.

"You brat, just wait till I get my hands on you!"

He Yushui couldn't help but giggle as Xu Xiaoling tickled her. The two sisters bickered and teased each other all the way back to school.

Xu Damao, riding a bicycle, overtook He Yuzhu, who was walking ahead.

"Hey, Sha Zhu, remember tonight, see you at the party. Your Uncle Mao will show you what Uncle Mao is all about!" Xu Damao said, and without waiting for He Yuzhu to say anything, he immediately pedaled his bicycle forward.

He Yuzhu, who was on his way, looked speechlessly at Xu Damao, who was about to ride forward with all his might. He wondered how Xu Damao dared to say such a thing next to him.

He Yuzhu immediately grabbed the seat behind Xu Damao's car, "Silly Mao, stop right there!"

Although Xu Damao wanted to ride forward with all his might, He Yuzhu pulled him so hard that he couldn't exert any force and was actually pulled to a stop.

Realizing his carelessness, Xu Damao forced a smile and looked at He Yuzhu.

"Mr. He, what are you doing?"

"It's nothing, brother-in-law, let's have a good chat." Originally, He Yuzhu wanted to call him Sha Mao directly.

But when he thought about how thick-skinned Xu Damao was, like a city wall, and how he wouldn't react even if he was called "Silly Mao," he figured it was better to just call him "Brother-in-law," which would make him more receptive.

Just as He Yuzhu had expected, Xu Damao's face immediately fell when he heard He Yuzhu call him brother-in-law again.

"No, you silly Zhu, you can't do this to me." Xu Damao looked at He Yuzhu with some dissatisfaction.

"Look at you, when things are fine you call me 'Silly Zhu,' but when I catch you, you call me 'Master He.' Is that funny?"

Xu Damao was also somewhat unconvinced: "But don't you call me 'Silly Mao' when you're not doing anything?"

"You're so shameless. I call you 'Silly Mao' and you don't even react. I might as well call you 'Brother-in-law,' that would make you feel even worse," He Yuzhu said jokingly, glancing at Xu Damao.

Xu Damao was speechless and wanted to retort, but then he remembered that He Yuzhu could be unreasonable and even resort to violence sometimes. Now, he was only being called "brother-in-law," which made him uncomfortable, but at least he wouldn't get beaten up.

"He Yuzhu, how about this, I won't call you 'Silly Zhu' anymore, and you won't call me 'Brother-in-law' either?" Xu Damao decided to discuss it with He Yuzhu.

When He Yuzhu heard Xu Damao say that, he went along with it, since calling Xu Damao "brother-in-law" wouldn't be good for Xu Xiaoling's reputation.

"Fine, even though you're a heartless, immoral, and disloyal guy, at least you, as the older brother, still look after your sister."