Courtyard Check-in: Starting with a Small World of Cultivation

March 10th, evening.

When the gate to the front courtyard was pushed open, Qin Huairu was in the yard collecting clothes. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on her, casting a warm golden hue on her profile. Hearing the noise, she turned her head, and the clothes in her hands slowly fluttered to the ground.

At the entrance, Chen Yu stood there, still carrying the scent of the Yunnan mountains and fields. His face was somewhat tired, but his eyes were as bright as stars.

"Chen Yu..." Qin Huairu called softly, her voice trembling slightly.

Chen Yu opened his arms, and she rushed into his embrace, holding him tightly, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm back... I'm finally back..." she repeated, her voice choked with emotion.

"You're back." Chen Yu gently patted her back. "The seal is broken, and everything is over."

The two of them held each other like that for a very long time.

Then Ding Qiunan's voice came from the kitchen: "Sister Qin, dinner's ready. Is Brother Chen coming back today?"

She came out carrying the dishes and almost dropped the plate when she saw what was happening in the yard.

"Brother Chen!" she exclaimed excitedly, her eyes welling up with tears. "You're back!"

"You're back." Chen Yu released Qin Huairu and smiled at Ding Qiunan. "You've lost weight. Have you been eating poorly?"

"No way!" Ding Qiunan laughed through her tears. "I eat a lot every day, Sister Qin can vouch for that!"

Qin Huairu wiped away her tears and pulled Chen Yu into the house: "Sit down quickly, are you hungry? Qiu Nan made a lot of dishes, just waiting for you to come back."

Inside the main room, seven or eight dishes were laid out on the table—braised pork, sweet and sour fish, scrambled eggs, stewed chicken soup… steaming hot and fragrant.

"So many?" Chen Yu exclaimed in surprise.

"Qiu Nan said you might be back today, and she started preparing this afternoon," Qin Huairu said with a smile. "That girl is even more anxious than I am."

Ding Qiunan blushed: "I...I just wanted to throw a welcome-back party for Brother Chen."

Chen Yu sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and put a piece of braised pork into his mouth. The pork was stewed until tender and melted in his mouth, with an excellent flavor.

"Delicious!" he praised. "Qiu Nan, your cooking skills are almost as good as Aunt Zhang's."

Ding Qiunan's eyes sparkled, and her face was full of smiles.

The three sat together, eating and chatting. Chen Yu briefly recounted the process of repairing the seal—omitting the perilous parts, of course. But Qin Huairu and Ding Qiunan could both imagine it must have been a difficult journey.

"Is that white-haired old man really dead?" Ding Qiunan asked.

"Dead." Chen Yu nodded. "Completely and cleanly."

"That's good." Qin Huairu said softly, "From now on... no one will cause trouble anymore, right?"

Chen Yu was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "It shouldn't be. But the path of cultivation is long, and who knows what we will encounter in the future."

Qin Huairu held his hand tightly: "No matter what the future holds, we'll be together."

"Yes," Ding Qiunan added, "We are family."

family.

Looking at them, Chen Yu felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

Yes, we're family.

After dinner, the three of them sat in the courtyard chatting. The spring night was still a bit chilly, but the moonlight was beautiful, illuminating the courtyard in a silvery glow.

"Brother Chen," Ding Qiunan suddenly asked, "Are you leaving again?"

Chen Yu thought for a moment: "I won't be leaving for a while. But I might have to go out occasionally, for example, to the Dragon Palace to see that old dragon, or to the Xuanming Hall to give some instructions."

"Then we'll go with you," Qin Huairu said.

Chen Yu smiled: "Alright. Once your cultivation is sufficient, I'll take you all with me."

"Cultivation?" Ding Qiunan asked curiously. "Can we cultivate too?"

"Yes." Chen Yu looked at her. "You have such a good talent for medicine, your cultivation won't be bad either. In a while, I'll teach you the basics."

Ding Qiunan's eyes lit up: "Really?"

"real."

As night deepened, Ding Qiunan bid farewell and returned to her residence. Chen Yu escorted her to the alley entrance, watching her disappear into the night before turning back to his courtyard.

In the courtyard, Qin Huairu was still sitting under the pomegranate tree, waiting for him.

Chen Yu walked over and sat down next to her.

"Chen Yu," Qin Huairu leaned on his shoulder, "I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I..." she paused, "I'm pregnant."

Chen Yu was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed: "Really?"

"Really." Qin Huairu blushed slightly. "It's been almost two months. I was planning to wait until you came back to tell you."

Chen Yu hugged her tightly, speechless for a moment.

He's going to be a father.

This person who has traveled to this strange world is going to have a child.

"Huai Ru... thank you," he said softly, his voice trembling slightly.

Qin Huairu smiled, her smile filled with happiness.

Under the moonlight, the two nestled close together.

A new year, a new life, a new hope.

The next morning, He Yuzhu, Yan Bugui, and Zhang Xiulan all arrived. They had all come to visit Chen Yu after hearing that he had returned.

"Xiao Chen, how was the trip?" He Yuzhu asked.

"That's great," Chen Yu said with a smile. "Everything's taken care of."

"That's good!" He Yuzhu patted his shoulder. "Don't go out so much in the future. Stay home and keep Huairu company. Look at her, she's lost weight."

Qin Huairu smiled but didn't say anything.

Zhang Xiulan took Chen Yu's hand and looked him up and down: "You've lost weight and gotten darker. You must have suffered a lot out there?"

"No, Aunt Zhang, I'm fine."

Yan Bugui pushed up his glasses: "Xiao Chen, now that you're back, shouldn't you get married?"

Everyone turned to look at Chen Yu.

Chen Yu laughed and said, "Third Uncle is right, it's time to do it."

Qin Huairu blushed and lowered her head.

"Great!" He Yuzhu slapped his thigh. "Leave this to me! I know a master chef who's an excellent cook; I'll have him in charge of the cooking!"

"I'll be in charge of writing the invitations," Yan Bugui said. "I'll make sure they're beautifully written."

"I'm helping Huai Ru prepare her dowry," Zhang Xiulan said with a smile. "It's not much, but it's all from the heart."

Everyone started discussing it animatedly, and the courtyard became quite lively.

Chen Yu watched this scene and felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.

This is the life he wants to protect.

Ordinary, warm, and full of everyday life.

March 18th is an auspicious day.

The front courtyard was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and bright red "double happiness" characters were pasted all over the doors and windows. He Yuzhu and several chefs set up a stove in the courtyard, frying, stir-frying, and cooking, and the aroma filled the entire alley.

Yan Bugui sent out dozens of invitations, and the courtyard was packed with guests—neighbors from the alley, regular customers from the shop, coworkers from the steel mill, and Director Wang from the street office.

Qin Huairu, dressed in a bright red wedding gown and adorned with a red flower in her hair, sat in the room, her face filled with shyness and happiness. Ding Qiunan and Zhang Xiulan accompanied her, helping her adjust her clothes.

"Sister Qin, you look so beautiful today," Ding Qiunan said sincerely.

Qin Huairu smiled, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Outside, firecrackers went off. Chen Yu, dressed in a brand-new Zhongshan suit with a big red flower pinned to his chest, walked into the courtyard surrounded by people.

"The bride is coming out!"

Ding Qiunan helped Qin Huairu out of the house. The two looked at each other and smiled.

Bowing to heaven and earth, bowing to one's parents, bowing to each other as husband and wife... everything is done according to the old customs.

He Yuzhu, the officiant at the wedding, spoke in a voice so loud it could be heard throughout the entire alley: "First bow to Heaven and Earth! Second bow to the parents! Husband and wife bow to each other!"

After the ceremony, they were escorted to the bridal chamber.

In the courtyard, a banquet was set up, and everyone ate, drank, chatted, and laughed, creating a lively atmosphere.

Chen Yu went from table to table toasting, and was given quite a few drinks, but he was in a good mood and accepted them all.

He Yuzhu, his face flushed from drinking, grabbed Chen Yu's hand and said, "Little Chen, you'd better treat Huai Ru well from now on, or I won't let you off the hook!"

"Don't worry, Brother Zhu."

Yan Bugui, who was also quite drunk, pushed up his glasses and said, "Chen Yu, you're a capable man. Come back and visit our old neighbor often in the future."

"must."

As night deepened, the guests gradually departed. Chen Yu saw off the last group of guests and returned to his new home.

Qin Huairu sat on the edge of the bed, her bright red veil already lifted, a gentle smile on her face.

Chen Yu walked over and sat down next to her.

"Are you tired?" he asked softly.

"I'm not tired." Qin Huairu leaned on his shoulder. "Today is the happiest day of my life."

Chen Yu held her hand: "There will be many more happy days to come."

Outside the window, the moonlight was like water.

Inside the room, red candles flickered.

A new life begins today.