Courtyard House: I'm surrounded by celestial beauties on either side.

Yi Zhonghai's heart skipped a beat, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes. He thought to himself, "That's right. I only make ninety-nine yuan a month, and I'm a level eight fitter at the steel rolling mill. With these qualifications, I can easily find a woman who can bear children. Why do I have to marry Qin Huairu and get entangled with Jia Zhangshi and her three children?"

After leaving the labor camp, Yi Zhonghai did not go directly back to the courtyard house. Instead, he went to the supply and marketing cooperative, bought some snacks and melon seeds, and went to find Granny Li, who specialized in matchmaking.

He entered with a beaming smile, but left with a gloomy expression.

"Yi Zhonghai, your salary is high, but your reputation is ruined! Besides, you're not young anymore, and it might not be easy for you to find a young woman who can have children."

If you're just looking for someone to live with, there are a few.

Grandma Li's words echoed in my ears, along with her undisguised look of disdain.

Yi Zhonghai trembled all over, overwhelmed with shame and indignation.

As I walked into the courtyard with my head down, I heard Ying knitting a sweater as soon as I reached the archway. Under the lamplight, she looked exceptionally gentle.

Ever since Ying moved into Fang Chengxuan's house, it has been the cleanest house in the yard.

His eyes darted around, and taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, he leaned close to Ying and asked, "Ying, would you like to settle down and start a family?"

Ying frowned and glanced at him, her eyes filled with disgust: "Chengjia?"

"I just got divorced. I'm a level eight fitter at a steel rolling mill, earning 99 yuan a month. Marry me, and you can manage all my salary!"

An elderly man named Yi Zhonghai held his head high, his gaze sweeping over her.

Ying's face changed drastically. She grabbed a broom and chased after him, yelling, "Get out! So that's why you're suddenly being so attentive—you're just here to disgust me!"

"Stealing a widow's filth, you dare propose marriage? Bah! Are you trying to manipulate me to frame Chengxuan? Dream on!"

"I, Ying, have a conscience; I wouldn't do something as despicable as you!"

Yi Zhonghai felt a lump in his throat from the scolding. Under the scrutinizing gazes of his neighbors, he angrily shouted, "Ungrateful! You're just like Fang Chengxuan!"

"Has this old man given up on Qin Huairu?"

Someone muttered to themselves.

"After Jia Zhangshi made such a mess of things, how could he dare to marry Qin Huairu? I just never expected him to set his sights on **Ying…"

"Ha, having an affair with a widow, thinking he's so capable?"

The whispers reached Yi Zhonghai's ears. He returned to the house with a livid face, his chest heaving violently.

He originally planned to marry **Ying to extract leverage over Fang Chengxuan, but who knew... even a homeless woman wouldn't even look at him!

"I must marry a young and beautiful woman!"

He gritted his teeth and made a determined effort, then suddenly remembered that Xu Damao often went to the countryside to show movies, and perhaps he could introduce rural girls to him.

Just as he was making plans, he bumped into Fang Chengxuan.

Their eyes met; one was filled with murderous intent, the other was as cold as ice.

"Acceptance!"

The Englishman stepped forward to complain.

Fang Chengxuan glanced at Yi Zhonghai and sneered, "You old man are quite the schemer, but I wonder if Qin Huairu knows about it?"

"none of your business!"

Yi Zhonghai turned and left.

The neighbors immediately erupted in uproar: "See that? The old man tacitly agreed! How insidious..."

Yi Zhonghai paused, then abruptly turned and glared at Fang Chengxuan: "You've set me up again?"

"Feeling guilty?"

Fang Chengxuan crossed his arms and sneered.

Yi Zhonghai clenched his teeth, a sudden fear rising in his heart—this man's words were so sharp, could he really defeat him?

At this moment, Xu Damao limped into the hospital pushing a cart, gasping for breath in pain.

Yi Zhonghai grabbed him: "I need to talk to you!"

"Ouch!"

Xu Damao and his bicycle crashed to the ground, screaming in agony: "Yi Zhonghai! You want to kill me?"

"Pay me two dollars! Otherwise, I'll sue you for intentional assault!"

Yi Zhonghai, barely containing his anger, pulled out his money: "Can we talk about serious business now?"

Xu Damao grinned, clutching the banknotes, but as soon as he stood up, he cursed in pain, "If I find out who did this…!"

"I know who hit you."

Yi Zhonghai squinted.

Xu Damao suddenly looked up: "Who?!"

"Let's go back inside first."

As Yi Zhonghai spoke, he helped Xu Damao push his bicycle under the eaves and lock it. The two then went into Xu Damao's house together.

"I'm guessing the person who hit you was probably Fang Chengxuan."

Fang Chengxuan usually goes to bed before 10 p.m. after getting off work.

But it's already past midnight, and the light is still on in his room.

"He came in just as you got back."

It has to be said that Yi Zhonghai's guess was quite accurate; Fang Chengxuan did indeed hit Xu Damao.

Xu Damao was taken aback and frowned.

He recalled speaking ill of Fang Chengxuan to Rong Xinrui, and stroked his chin, saying, "Could it be because I badmouthed him to his boyfriend?"

"Definitely."

"Aside from Sha Zhu, who else in the compound has laid a hand on you all these years?"

"Fang Chengxuan is a vengeful person who holds grudges and seeks revenge. He is definitely the one."

How do you plan to deal with him?

Yi Zhonghai spoke with absolute certainty and provided a very logical and reasoned analysis.

Xu Damao pursed his lips, suppressing his anger, thinking to himself: "Take care of him? Fang Chengxuan is much more ruthless than Sha Zhu."

He's so meticulous in his work, how can I possibly deal with him?

Unable to think of a solution, Xu Damao glanced at Yi Zhonghai in frustration.

Let's not talk about that for now.

"Grandpa, what do you want?"

Xu Damao lifted his shirt, revealing bruises all over his fairer skin than that of other men; there wasn't a single unscathed spot.

He picked up the medicinal wine and rubbed it into his skin.

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Yi Zhonghai's face: "I was thinking of asking you to find me a companion in the countryside."

"What?" Xu Damao raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Yi Zhonghai nodded: "I've divorced your aunt."

Xu Damao hadn't been paying attention to things at the hospital these past few days, and his eyes widened upon hearing this: "Qin Huairu is in there again?"

He finished speaking and smiled nonchalantly, his eyes filled with mockery.

"What kind of companion are you looking for, sir?"

Yi Zhonghai gradually relaxed, "I want to find someone young."

I'm not old yet, and I want a child of my own.

"It's feasible."

"But old man, nothing's done for nothing. I'm a little short on cash lately." Xu Damao rubbed his hands together, waving the two yuan that Yi Zhonghai had just given him.

Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth: "If it works out, I'll give you a hundred yuan as a thank you."

Xu Damao pursed his lips.

"Uncle, I'm not trying to be mean, but you're not young anymore."

Even though the monthly salary is ninety-nine, how many more years can I work there?

"Do you think just any young woman will marry you?"

"How about this, I'll introduce you to someone on a blind date, and you'll give me five yuan?"

Xu Damao's eyes darted around as he made his own calculations.

Yi Zhonghai frowned: "Five yuan and you still won't take care of it? Do you think I'm stupid?"

"Uncle, you're wrong about that."

"At your age, women under thirty wouldn't even want to meet you if they heard your age."

Xu Damao rolled his eyes.

Yi Zhonghai said with a stern face, "At most one yuan."

"Two yuan! I need to treat people to dinner and give them gifts; I can't possibly pay for it myself, can I?"

Xu Damao bargained.

Yi Zhonghai took a deep breath: "Okay, two pieces it is."

But it's agreed that you must be under thirty, unmarried, and of decent appearance!

"This old man has quite high standards."

I never imagined that you and I were kindred spirits.

You used to act so serious, I really thought you were a nice guy!

Xu Damao looked Yi Zhonghai up and down, and thought of the days when he was suppressed by him, and felt a wave of emotion.

"What goes around comes around!"

You can know a person's face but not their heart!

Yi Zhonghai looked grim, hesitated to speak, and finally stood up.

I'm leaving now.

"If it really works out, I'll give you a hundred yuan as a thank you!"

After saying that, he left without looking back.

He didn't see Xu Damao's eyes suddenly light up behind him.

"One hundred yuan!"

Xu Damao muttered to himself, beginning to make plans.

One hundred yuan is a bit too little.

However, there is quite a bit of room for maneuver here!

Xu Damao rolled his eyes, got up to go to sleep, but he was in so much pain that he grimaced as soon as he stood up, and it took him a long time to recover.

"Damn Fang Chengxuan, just wait until I marry Shu Qianxue, I'll see how I deal with you!"

"You dare hit me!"

Xu Damao gritted his teeth and moved step by step toward the bedside, pondering how to take revenge.

Early the next morning.

After washing up, Fang Chengxuan carried the black cloth bag that Ying had sewn overnight on his back, and with Fang Lianyun in his arms, he walked out of the courtyard and boarded the bus back to Yunlin Village.

Yunlin Village is quite far from the city.

Fang Chengxuan took Fang Lianyun on three different buses and finally walked for an hour to reach the village entrance.

After a lot of trouble, we finally arrived at the village entrance in the afternoon.

A villager resting under the tree called out in confusion, "Fang Chengxuan?"

"Oh, Grandpa Fang."

Most of the villagers in Yunlin Village are surnamed Fang. Fang Chengxuan greeted them and carried Fang Lianyun home.

He frowned as he stood before the door of the house he remembered.

The original five-room house was gone, replaced by three identical new houses.

"Chengxuan?"

The door opened, and the woman who came out to take out the trash was taken aback, her face showing no joy: "Why are you back?"

"Didn't we agree that you were adopted by your great-grandfather and had nothing to do with us anymore?"

Fang Chengxuan couldn't laugh.

Fortunately, he wasn't the original owner of this body either.

"Mom and Dad, I'm back because I have something to do."

"This is Lianyun, Grandpa Fang's granddaughter." Fang Chengxuan suppressed his emotions and showed the sleeping Fang Lianyun to his mother.

The woman's expression softened slightly: "Come in."

Fang Chengxuan carried the child into the house.

As the woman walked, she said, "Chengxuan, don't blame your parents for being heartless."

My great-grandfather gave me money, saying that you're no longer part of our lineage.

We have three older brothers; whether they're poor or old, it's none of your business.

"Don't worry, Mom and Dad. Now that I've inherited my great-grandfather's lineage, I will naturally support this family and take good care of Lianyun."

Fang Chengxuan placed Fang Lianyun on his mother's kang (a heated brick bed), took off his black cloth bundle and put it aside: "I met someone in the city."

"This is a good thing!"

The woman's tone softened, and she walked to the cabinet to pour Fang Chengxuan a cup of brown sugar water.

My partner comes from a well-off family, and I don't have any elders on my side.

Although you have been adopted out, you are still my biological parents.

To show that we value the woman, we'll need your help to arrange this.

"The reason I came here is to invite you into the city to help ** with her engagement."

The woman's family dotes on her and wants her to stay for another two years. You'll need to show them how much you value and support her during that time.

Fang Chengxuan had intended to proceed gradually, but faced with the original owner's parents, he decided to be direct.

"Mom and Dad, all you need to do is show up and express your satisfaction with the woman."

I'll prepare everything else; just do as I say.

The woman didn't answer, but glanced at Fang Chengxuan and said, "I'll go and call your three older brothers and your father back." Then she turned and left.

Watching his mother's retreating figure, Fang Chengxuan chuckled softly, "It's better this way, so clear and straightforward!"

Before long, the Fang family members returned from the fields one after another.

The women went to the kitchen to work, while Fang Chengxuan stayed with Fang Lianyun.

Several children ran in, looking at him curiously.

"Chengxuan, dinner's ready," the woman called out.

Fang Chengxuan carried Fang Lianyun out of the house and saw a sumptuous meal laid out in the courtyard.

"Dad, eldest brother, second brother, third brother," Fang Chengxuan greeted them one by one, then nodded to his sisters-in-law, "Hello, sisters-in-law."

After everyone was seated, a silence fell over the room.

Mr. Fang smoked his pipe for a while before finally speaking: "Your mother told us everything."

Now that you're back, there are some things we need to clarify.

Fang Chengxuan looked at his three older brothers and found that they were all avoiding his gaze.

He nodded: "Please go ahead."

"You were the one who asked to be adopted back then." Father Fang tapped his pipe. "The family also received money from your great-grandfather; these nine large brick houses were built with that money."

Fang Chengxuan nodded again.

"So when you wrote to us for help when the courtyard was in trouble, I made it very clear that from the day you were adopted, you were no longer our child."

Fang Chengxuan calmly replied, "I understand."

Whether I'm doing well or poorly has nothing to do with my family.

Now that my family has received the money, they won't bother me anymore.

Mr. Fang nodded.

Fang Chengxuan turned to his brothers: "Do you brothers think so too?"

Brother Fang looked up: "Chengxuan, one must keep one's word."

We promised our great-grandfather, and we can't go back on our word.

Fang Chengxuan sighed inwardly, no wonder the original owner was in so much pain back then.

"I've come here to ask my parents for help with the engagement arrangements."

Although the child was adopted, the biological parents are still alive.

If we hire an outsider to host, it will inevitably lead people to suspect that there's something wrong between us.

"For the sake of my future and my partner's future, I have no choice but to ask you to step in."

Even if we've been adopted, we're still relatives, and there are always occasions where elders need to be present.

These words silenced everyone.

"Let's eat first," Mr. Fang said, without immediately replying.

The adults at the dinner table remained silent, while the children gazed curiously at the well-dressed uncle.

In the stillness of the night, Fang Cheng settled Fang Lianyun in and stood at the door, looking towards the east room.

In the east room, the Fang family members, young and old, were gathered together discussing something.

Mr. Fang tapped his pipe: "Your mother and I are getting old. Sooner or later, you will be in charge of this family."

No matter how many times Chengxuan is adopted, he will always be our son.