Siheyuan: I will never tolerate gambling and drugs!

On the other side, the courtyard house

Because it's Sunday, workers typically work 8-10 hours a day and have only one day off per week, Sunday. Xu Lin also slept in.

After a quick wash, I noticed Xiaoyu hadn't come to cook, so I figured the girl didn't want to disturb my rest. So I prepared to go out and buy breakfast.

As soon as I reached the door, I saw the three brothers returning, arms around each other's shoulders, singing. Well, it seems these three have been up all night.

He intended to ignore them, but Xu Damao, with his sharp eyes, spotted Xu Lin from afar. He immediately broke away from the two of them and came running over.

"Brother Xu, Director Xu, Master Xu!"

"You're so kind, you even gave me a cigarette. Now you're thinking about this after-fun smoke..."

Xu Lin was also speechless. Although he was exasperated, he genuinely understood and agreed. Because that's what he did too…

So, feeling helpless, I tossed over the Zhonghua cigarette I had opened yesterday.

Sha Zhu and Jia Dongxu arrived as well, their faces lighting up with smiles. They exclaimed how righteous they were! Then, they couldn't wait to start puffing away on their cigarettes.

"Brother Xu, you didn't go, but that Widow Chen was absolutely amazing! Let me tell you, hey! I almost lost face." Xu Damao shared with a hearty laugh.

Xu Lin glanced at the three of them, stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening and asked with wide eyes.

"Huh? No? You three didn't fight Lu Bu like three heroes, did you? You were in a duel all night long?"

"Cough cough, no, no, it's just him. Sha Zhu and I are in another room," Jia Dongxu choked on his smoke and hurriedly explained.

Xu Lin breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the explanation, while Xu Damao also realized what was happening and looked somewhat embarrassed. Sha Zhu, however, didn't understand what "Three Heroes Battle Lü Bu" meant and looked puzzled.

"Alright, alright, you guys go back and get some sleep. Don't forget to wash up and be hygienic. I'm going to buy two steamed buns," she said, and left.

The three brothers were in high spirits; they'd eaten steamed buns all night yesterday, so they weren't craving anything now. Xu Lin didn't say anything more about seeing Jia Zhangshi and Yi Zhonghai yesterday.

Regardless of whether you believe it or not, even if you do, the person who reports such a thing—catching someone's mother and master having an affair—is far more hated than the person who did it. Xu Lin certainly wouldn't go looking for trouble and invite a scolding.

Xu Lin bought breakfast items from every few shops along the street and put them into the system. Steamed buns, fried dough sticks, baked flatbreads, sweet rice cakes, cornbread, sesame seed cakes, and the like—they wouldn't spoil in the system space anyway, so he could just stock up and take them out whenever he wanted.

Turning around, he saw Jia Zhangshi sneaking into a quack doctor's pharmacy on the back street. Xu Lin knew this pharmacy; during the recent pandemic, many patients had come to get medicine there. The owner was a quack doctor nicknamed Old Yang.

His medical skills weren't great; he relied on some ancestral remedies to treat patients. The quality of the medicinal herbs was mediocre. Once, Xu Lin discovered that some of the herbs a patient bought were of inferior quality, and Xu Lin even went to the patient's home with the help of the local street committee to punish the perpetrator. Xu Lin had zero tolerance for any shortcomings in his treatment of patients.

If Old Yang were to cheat landlords, rich people, or capitalists, Xu Lin would just turn a blind eye. Inferior medicinal herbs might be less effective, so he could just buy a few more doses and spend a little more money.

However, Xu Lin was furious when someone swindled ordinary families or impoverished households out of their life-saving money. He smashed the sign hanging at the door in front of everyone and repeatedly emphasized that if this happened again, the shop would be shut down and the person arrested. He even issued a public notice in the neighborhood before the matter was considered closed. Therefore, although Old Yang resented Xu Lin, he still respected Xu Lin's character.

Xu Lin saw Jia Zhangshi go inside and initially wanted to speak up to remind her. However, he thought that the old woman was probably here to buy some medicine to prevent her from having a baby after she and Yi Zhonghai went into the vegetable cellar yesterday. So he chose to keep quiet and went home.

As soon as they arrived at the entrance, they saw a car parked there, with Xu Wude and his wife, Qian, bustling around. Just as they were wondering what was going on, Lou Xiao'e popped her head out of the car, carrying a small suitcase, her face showing confusion and worry. But when she got out of the car and saw Xu Lin, her eyes suddenly lit up, and she quickly went to greet him.

"Brother Xu! You're home! Uncle Xu just said your door was locked, and he thought you had gone out and weren't home."

Xu Lin was delighted to see the twelve or thirteen-year-old girl running excitedly towards him, carrying a small suitcase. "Slow down, don't fall. Why did you run over here by yourself?"

"It's not just me, my mom moved in too. She lives in your courtyard now, in the three rooms on the east side of the back annex in the backyard. From now on, we're all in the same courtyard!" Lou Xiao'e chattered excitedly.

Upon hearing this, Xu Lin's eyes lit up instantly. The Tan family had also moved in.

"Your mom moved in too? Come on, come on, don't just stand at the door, call your mom over and come to my house for a... no, for a drink of water and a tour."

Lou Xiao'e, upon hearing Xu Lin's invitation, didn't find anything amiss. She handed the box she was carrying to Xu Wude and then excitedly ran to the backyard to report the news to Madam Tan.

Xu Wude, having been beaten by Xu Lin before, ignored him and continued unloading the things from the cart. Xu Wude's wife, Qian, however, curiously observed Xu Lin. Having previously worked as a maid for the Lou family at their mansion, this was the first time she had seen Xu Lin.

However, she had already heard about this person from Miss Lou Xiao'e, Madam Tan, and her own husband, so she was quite curious. But since her husband didn't like her, she just gave an awkward smile as a greeting, and then helped Xu Wude move his things.

Xu Lin didn't want to make a fool of himself, so he nodded and went straight to his west wing, opened the door, and sat down in the living room to prepare tea. A moment later, he heard footsteps and saw Lou Xiao'e and her daughter arrive at the door. He got up to greet them.

"Distinguished guests! My humble abode is truly honored! Sister-in-law! Xiao'e! Come in and have a seat!" Xiao'e couldn't understand Xu Lin's smile, but Tan Shi understood it instantly. She gave Xu Lin a reproachful glare before entering the house. Upon seeing Tan Shi's graceful figure, full and voluptuous, with her alluring and beautiful appearance and elegant demeanor, the small flame in Xu Lin's heart instantly ignited into a raging inferno.

Looking at Lou Xiao'e again, he felt increasingly annoyed. His mind was racing, trying to figure out how to get this girl out of the way for an hour or two.

"Brother Xu, your house is decorated quite nicely. It gives off a comfortable and relaxing feeling. Oh! There's even a small courtyard..." Lou Xiao'e muttered as she toured the house, completely unaware that Xu Lin and Madam Tan's eyes were locked in a tense standoff, as if sparks were about to fly at any moment.

Noticing the door was still open, Tan suppressed her burgeoning desire and began to explain to Xu Lin.

"Since the steel rolling mill was donated, Lou Bancheng has received high praise from all sides. Therefore, Lou Bancheng began to seize this opportunity to reconnect with the past."

Most of the household servants were dismissed, leaving only one or two loyal ones who had nowhere else to go to continue caring for them. The eldest and second wives were sent to visit relatives in Tianjin and then traveled by sea to Hong Kong to develop their careers.

The remaining concubines were given some money and property each and then handed over. Xiao'e originally wanted to stay as a bargaining chip or pawn to show loyalty in the future, but I absolutely refused. I directly exposed his intentions and threatened that if Xiao'e stayed and later married someone she didn't want, I would report her.

Halfway through her speech, seeing that Xu Lin didn't interrupt with any questions, Madam Tan took a sip of tea, gathered her thoughts, and then slowly began to speak again.

"After a big argument, I took Xiao'e and left. Before leaving, I didn't take any money from the Lou family, but only asked Lou Bancheng for a letter of introduction from the steel rolling mill, so I could have a means of making a living."

Lou Bancheng, on the other hand, proactively left Xiao'e a three-courtyard house next to the Prince Gong's Mansion that was originally under my name. As for the three rear rooms in the backyard of this house, they were originally left to me by my father.

So please don't call me sister-in-law anymore. From now on, I'll be a lonely, unwanted woman with a daughter...

After listening, Xu Lin also fell into deep thought and began to fill in the gaps in Tan's understanding.

"Lou Xiao'e's household registration needs to be reissued at the street office. If it's convenient, the name registered on the household registration should be your surname, not Lou. It's better to avoid trouble."

Mrs. Tan nodded, thinking it was better to listen to Xu Lin.

"And your three back rooms are also registered under Xiao'e's name. That way, if we really get into trouble with the Lou family in the future, they won't take away a child's house."

Also, what kind of job did Lou Bancheng introduce you to?

Upon hearing this, Ms. Tan didn't hide anything and directly handed the letter of introduction to Xu Lin. Xu Lin took it and saw that it was for a clerk position in the personnel department, and frowned.

"The HR department is a murky place, full of relatives of various powerful figures. Going there will only make you stand out more."

When you go to the neighborhood committee to re-register Xiao'e's household registration, give this letter of introduction to Director Wang, whom I previously asked you to contact. Make it clear that you want to completely sever ties with the Lou family.

Then inquire whether I could be given a minor position at the neighborhood committee, preferably one in the Women's Federation that doesn't involve much money or power, as a form of exchange. After all, this letter of introduction is quite valuable in Director Wang's hands.

Ms. Tan nodded earnestly, trusting Xu Lin unconditionally and without reservation. As she prepared to get up, she felt a large hand on her buttocks, and immediately blushed crimson, swatting the hand away.

"Xiao'e is still right there... How indecent..."

Xu Lin coughed awkwardly twice.

"Ahem, sorry, it was just an unconscious reflex."

They then immediately seized upon the flaws in Tan's words.

"Hehehe, does that mean things will be fine once Xiao'e isn't around...?"

"Come on, I spent the whole morning in the infirmary last time, and I'm still in pain. Don't you have any sympathy for me...?"

"Really? Cough cough cough, have you forgotten my identity as a doctor? Come on, come on, let me check you again. If there's anything wrong, I'll be in big trouble." Xu Lin said seriously, pulling Tan Shi upstairs.

"Mrs. Tan immediately stood up, saying, 'No, no, no, I haven't packed many things yet, I'll talk about it later, I'll talk about it later.'" Mrs. Tan said, then strode out of Xu Lin's house as if fleeing, heading towards the backyard.

At this moment, Lou Xiao'e returned to the living room after touring Xu Lin's room and asked with a puzzled look, "..."

"Brother Xu, where's my mom?"

"Your mom went home to pack her things, so you should go help her tidy up the house too. Tell her I'm treating everyone to lunch to celebrate your housewarming, and that she doesn't need to cook at home; she can cook here. I'll prepare the ingredients later." Xu Lin rubbed Lou Xiao'e's chubby little face, smiling as he gave the instructions.

After listening to Xu Lin finish speaking, Lou Xiao'e pushed away Xu Lin's two big hands, stuck out her tongue, made a face, responded, and ran away.

Xu Lin went to the kitchen, swiftly retrieved the ingredients from the system, and then, with an excited smile and a cheerful hum, quickly ran to the bathroom in the yard to take a thorough bath.

While washing, I thought seriously.

"I've prepared all the ingredients and washed them clean. Now Mrs. Tan should be able to eat to her heart's content..."