Siheyuan: I will never tolerate gambling and drugs!

In the side room, Qin Jingru's hand, which was massaging her legs, suddenly stopped.

He raised his head, his eyes wide open, and then nodded excitedly.

"I do! I do! Sister, don't worry, I'll definitely take good care of you and brother-in-law!"

"Stop yelling!"

Qin Huairu quickly covered her mouth and whispered instructions.

"You have to say what I taught you. Go, go to the main room and find your father..."

Before she could even hear the whole thing, Qin Jingru was so excited that she slid off the kang (a heated brick bed) as if she were riding on a whirlwind. Without even putting on her shoes, she excitedly lifted the curtain and ran out.

The main room was filled with the aroma of alcohol and bustling with activity.

Xu Lin sat imposingly in the main seat, his expression as usual, holding a two-ounce coarse porcelain wine cup in his hand.

In less than an hour, the five men had completely emptied a case of liquor from the table.

Brother-in-law Qin Tieniu had already slid under the table and was snoring against the wall.

The two uncles who were responsible for entertaining the guests, one was holding an empty wine glass and laughing foolishly, while the other was holding Xu Lin's hand and calling Xu Lin "brother".

Only Qin's father and Qin Jingru's father, Qin Lao Er, were left struggling to hold on.

Qin Lao Er's face was flushed, and he slurred his words as he moved closer to Xu Lin with his wine glass in hand.

"Nephew, nephew-in-law... your drinking capacity is unmatched even in our commune... I admire you! But it's only because I'm old now; if it were when I was young..."

Just then, the wooden door to the main room was suddenly kicked open with a "bang".

Qin Jingru burst in like a cannonball, squeezing between her father and Xu Lin, grabbing Qin Lao Er's arm, and shouting loudly.

"Dad! My cousin is pregnant! After the New Year, I'm going to visit her in the city to take care of her."

The previously noisy atmosphere in the room instantly quieted down.

Several half-drunk old men stared blankly at the crazy girl who had suddenly barged in.

Qin Lao Er suddenly opened his eyes wide, his drunkenness subsiding somewhat, and slammed his fist on the table, roaring angrily.

"What nonsense are you spouting, you brat! What are you going to the city for? Is that a place for you? There's no food ration in the city for you, you'll starve if you go there!"

"I'll go take care of my older cousin!"

Qin Jingru, puffing out her still-thin chest, retorted confidently.

My cousin is pregnant! And she says it's twins, a boy and a girl!

"What?!"

The volume inside the room instantly rose eight octaves.

"Huai Ru is pregnant? And it's twins?!"

Qin's father dropped his chopsticks to the ground and looked at Xu Lin excitedly.

Xu Lin chuckled inwardly. Why were these old men so excited about me having a child? But he remained outwardly calm.

He calmly set down his wine cup, took out the half-empty pack of Daqianmen cigarettes, lit one for each of Qin's father and second son, and then slowly began to speak.

"Father, Second Uncle. Yes, it's true. Last night I took Qin Huairu's pulse at home, and she's twins, a boy and a girl."

The room was quiet for two seconds, then erupted in an excited roar.

"Huai Ru is so lucky! The ancestors of the Qin family have shown their divine intervention!"

Xu Lin waved his hand, casually bringing the topic back on track.

"As for Jingru going to the city, that was just the two sisters playing around in the inner room, a spur-of-the-moment idea. Second Uncle, don't take it seriously. If Huairu stays in the city, and her pregnancy gets too advanced and she can't move around easily, I can just spend a little money and find a capable older sister in the city to help take care of her. It won't cost much."

Upon hearing the words "employment" and "spending money," Qin's father's eyes lit up instantly, and the last trace of alcohol evaporated completely.

If you have the money to hire outsiders, why not give your own niece a chance? This is a golden opportunity to help your family climb the social ladder by marrying into Xu Lin's family!

"That won't do!" Qin's father slapped his thigh and stood up abruptly, the movement so forceful that he almost overturned the wine bottle on the table.

"How can hiring outsiders be as dedicated as hiring family? Those maids from outside might be secretly taking things from their employers behind their backs!"

Seeing this, Qin Lao Er understood his elder brother's thoughts. He immediately pulled Qin Jingru in front of Xu Lin and said firmly...

"Brother is right. This girl just stays home and does nothing but eat; she can't help much in the fields. It's only natural for her to go to the city to take care of her sister! She's very capable; washing clothes and cooking are no problem for her. Let her go and broaden her horizons!"

Qin's father nodded repeatedly from the side.

"Yes, son-in-law, let Jingru go. We're family, don't worry!"

Xu Lin frowned slightly, looking troubled.

"Second Uncle, Jingru is still young. Besides, she can cook and do chores for you and Aunt at home..."

"We can do it ourselves!"

Qin Lao Er interrupted with great bravado, "If you're worried about not having enough food, have her brother carry cornmeal into town every month. She absolutely won't eat a single bite of her son-in-law's rice!"

"Second Uncle, you're being too polite. It's really not a matter of food; we certainly won't let the little girl go hungry..."

Xu Lin sighed and declined several times, but the Qin family members in the main room were "indignant" and determined to send Qin Jingru to the city.

Unable to refuse, Xu Lin had no choice but to stand up and pick up his wine glass.

"Since Dad and Second Uncle have put it this way, then after the New Year, let Jingru go to the city to stay for a while. But let me make this clear beforehand: there are many troubles in the city. If Jingru doesn't feel comfortable there, I can send her back anytime."

"Fine, fine! If she can't stand it, then she's just not lucky!"

Qin Lao Er picked up his wine glass, drank it all in one gulp, and grinned so hard that wrinkles appeared all over his face.

The bustling day finally came to a close under the cover of night.

On winter nights in the countryside, the wind howls like knives, but the cleanest inner room of the Qin family's house is warmed by the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed).

Xu Lin took off his coat, climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), shook the quilt, and pulled Qin Huairu's soft body into his arms.

Qin Huairu, like a docile cat, nestled against Xu Lin's broad chest, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat, a satisfied smile on her lips.

In the darkness, Xu Lin reached out and gently pinched Qin Huairu's pert little nose.

"You taught her the idea of ​​sending Jingru into the city to serve you, didn't you?"

The man's voice was deep, with a hint of languid detachment, as if he understood everything.

Qin Huairu stiffened slightly, knowing that nothing could be hidden from this all-powerful man.

She simply stopped pretending and wrapped her arms around Xu Lin's neck like water snakes, rubbing her cheek against his chest and coaxing him in a sweet, coquettish voice.

"How...how do you know everything?"

She bit her lower lip, her eyes sparkling in the darkness.

"I'm just worried about you. After all, Sister Tan lives in the backyard. If I get too pregnant and can't get out of bed, who will boil water for you to wash your feet? Who will do your laundry and cook for you? I can't let a factory director like you come back hungry to do my laundry, can I?"

Xu Lin didn't speak, but just listened quietly.

"Jingru is young, but she's obedient. And at home, if I ask her to do chores, she doesn't dare disobey. More importantly..."

Qin Huairu paused, then lowered her voice even further.

"None of the people in our compound are easy to get along with. Letting a young girl like her shield us from all that gossip will give Sister Tan and us some peace and quiet."

Xu Lin chuckled softly and patted her back gently with his fingers.

"Alright. Since you've made the decision, then let her do it."

Xu Lin's tone contained no blame, but rather a hint of indulgence.

He knew very well what kind of chemical reaction would occur if he threw Qin Jingru, this fledgling wild bird, into the big dye vat of the courtyard.

Sha Zhu, that single man who fell for a woman at first sight, and Xu Damao, that second-generation heirless man who seduced Qin Jingru in the original story.

If he saw the beautiful Qin Jingru, he would pounce on her like a wildcat smelling fish.

At that time, those beasts in the courtyard will probably be beaten so badly they'll even have their brains knocked out.

Xu Lin's lips curled into a cold smile. Perfect. He could use Qin Jingru as bait to give these restless clowns another beating. It had been a long time since he'd had a fight, and he was itching to get his hands dirty. After all, it wouldn't be easy to do something without a legitimate reason or opportunity.

"but."

Xu Lin changed the subject

"Once we're in the courtyard house, you're in charge of setting the rules. If an outsider tries to trick her, or if she's deceived by someone's small favors..."

"She dares!"

Qin Huairu immediately dropped her coquettish manner, and her tone instantly transformed into that of a master's authority.

"If she can't control herself and starts hanging out with those shady characters, I'll have my brother tie her up and take her back to the village immediately!"

"Okay, you can handle it. Go to sleep. We have to go back to the city early tomorrow morning."

Xu Lin closed his eyes.

Outside the window, the barking of dogs in Qin Family Village gradually subsided. Meanwhile, a hundred miles away in Beijing...

In that courtyard where snow was falling heavily.

Sha Zhu was cursing in the house, holding a frozen, hard cornbread; Xu Damao was huddled on the cold kang, envious of Xu Lin's jeep; and Yi Zhonghai was hiding under the covers, gritting his teeth, calculating the days to see when he could have a child.

The blizzard in the courtyard house is about to begin.