Courtyard House: New Life, New Silly Zhu

Chapter 81

"I was thinking of coming here to hunt," He Yuzhu said regretfully.

"Hunting?" Yang Lifang found He Yuzhu's bizarre idea amusing.

We chatted along the way and soon arrived at the village, where we met an old lady.

"Hello, Grandma," Yang Lifang greeted politely.

The old lady smiled and replied, "Fang'er, you're back! Have you eaten? Come to Grandma's house for a bite to eat."

Yang Lifang quickly shook her head and refused, "No need, Grandma, I've already eaten. Are you feeling alright?"

"That's good, Fang'er is so good, still thinking of Grandma," the old lady praised, then looked at the man behind Yang Lifang and asked, "Is this... Fang'er's boyfriend?"

"Hello, Grandma, my name is He Yuzhu," He Yuzhu quickly greeted her.

Yang Lifang nodded: "Yes, Grandma, he is my boyfriend, and we are getting married."

"Good, good, good, good! Fang'er has grown up and it's time for her to get married. Grandma is very happy." The old lady nodded and smiled repeatedly.

After chatting for a while, Yang Lifang led He Yuzhu to continue walking forward.

Along the way, the two encountered people from time to time. The people would greet them and introduce themselves before continuing on their way. After walking for a while, He Yuzhu couldn't remember how many people he had met.

At this moment, He Yuzhu realized the power of sharing the same ancestor.

He visited almost everyone, from the elderly woman to the grandchildren, but in the end, He Yuzhu shook his head, indicating that he hadn't remembered any of them.

Yang Lifang covered her mouth and chuckled: "Brother Zhu, you usually seem quite energetic, but I didn't expect you to not even remember these people."

"What can we do? There are just too many people, all sorts of relatives. If we call the wrong person, it would be so embarrassing."

Accustomed to living on his own small plot of land, He Yuzhu found it difficult to adapt to life in the large rural collective.

Especially when he sees someone, he has to call out to them, and sometimes he has to exchange a few pleasantries with them, which makes He Yuzhu very uncomfortable.

Fortunately, Yang Lifang was by his side. She greeted everyone warmly and introduced him to people, which made him feel less awkward.

Soon the two arrived at their second uncle's house, and as soon as they entered, they saw their second uncle smoking a pipe.

"Hello, Second Uncle," He Yuzhu called out.

Uncle looked up and saw the two of them come in. He stood up with a smile and said, "Zhuzi and Lifang went to the graves?"

"Yes, Second Uncle has been there," Lifang nodded in response.

"That's good. You two sit for a while. I'll go to the brigade to get a certificate." Uncle said as he walked out.

This was something that had been discussed beforehand. After my second uncle's family met with He Yuzhu, they went to the brigade to get a certificate, so they wouldn't have to travel back and forth and it would also save time.

The two had known each other for a long time and had no problems with each other, so marriage was a natural progression.

Unlike in later generations, there's no need for romance or anything like that now. What matters now is that two people get along and can live together.

The only thing that surprised He Yuzhu was that Yang Lifang's second uncle didn't come over to talk about anything like betrothal gifts.

The two sat down at home, and Yang Lifang looked at He Yuzhu: "Brother Zhu, I saw you thinking about something just now. What's wrong? You can tell me what's on your mind."

"It's nothing, it's just that I haven't talked to your second uncle about the bride price yet, so we need to discuss it." He Yuzhu didn't hide anything, and there was no need to hide this from Yang Lifang.

Upon hearing the topic of betrothal gifts, Yang Lifang smiled and was about to speak when her aunt from the inner room came out.

"Zhu'er, you don't need to think so much," the aunt said with a smile, and sat down on the stool as well. "Your second uncle and I have discussed the betrothal gifts. No matter how much you give, it's your good intention. We won't accept it. We'll take it all back with you."

"Auntie, thank you and Uncle for your kindness, but we still have to give a bride price. It's not just a matter of etiquette, but also a token of my appreciation. You've raised Xiaofang to this age, and it hasn't been easy for you. This is what I should do." He Yuzhu's attitude was very sincere.

Life in the countryside was tough. It had only been a few years since liberation, and life before that was even more difficult.

According to Yang Lifang, the couple didn't dare to have children before raising the two siblings, and only had their first child after the siblings had grown up.

He Yuzhu felt that Yang Lifang's actions for her second uncle's family were not excessive.

"You and Lifang are both good children, but you will both have to live your own lives from now on, you know? Your uncle and aunt are getting better and better off now, you don't need to worry about them. Just live your own lives well, that's the best thing." The aunt was very gratified, but still disagreed.

At this moment, my second uncle returned with the certificate. Seeing this scene, he also walked to the table and sat down.

"Lifang, I've watched you and Guanglei grow up. I know you're both good kids, but things are different for you now. You have a job and live in the city, while Guanglei has us taking care of him in the countryside. You'll have to live with Zhuzi from now on," Uncle said to He Yuzhu. "Zhuzi, don't blame me for being blunt. Neither you nor Lifang have parents. You'll have to rely on yourselves in the city from now on, so you have to think about yourselves first in everything you do."

"Uncle, we know, but don't worry, we'll take good care of ourselves in the city and won't make you worry."

"He Yuzhu said."

The second uncle handed the certificate to He Yuzhu. He Yuzhu took it and saw that it was a handwritten certificate with the brigade's seal.

He Yuzhu folded the certificate, put it in his pocket, and then casually put it into his spatial storage.

After all, this thin piece of paper could easily fall off if you're not careful, so it's safer to just put it in the space.

After packing his things, He Yuzhu asked what he should bring next time he came.

"Well, Zhu Zi, after you get back to the city, find a matchmaker. The three of you can come with the matchmaker, and buy a piece of meat, a pound of fruit candy, and two pounds of pastries." Uncle Er thought for a moment and said. After all, these things are for outsiders to see, otherwise people will think that their family doesn't care and they will inevitably gossip.

The adults were chatting, and before they knew it, it was afternoon.

He Yuzhu and Yang Lifang went to the village to look for Yushui and Xiaohuzi.

Arriving at a low-lying area, I saw Yushui, her trousers rolled up, catching fish and shrimp. Her hands were covered in mud, and her face was filthy, making her look completely different from her usual self.

Seeing He Yuzhu and Yang Lifang approaching, Yushui raised her dirty little face and called out, "Brother, sister-in-law, you're here."

1

Hearing the shouts, Little Tiger looked up and called out, "Sister, brother-in-law!"

"Little Tiger, Rainwater, what are you doing?" The two children looked like mud monkeys.