Siheyuan: I will never tolerate gambling and drugs!

Medical Room

"Xiao Ding, it's almost time to get off work. Where do you live now?" Xu Lin asked curiously, glancing at Ding Qiunan, who was still taking notes in front of the medicine cabinet.

Upon hearing Xu Lin's question, Ding Qiunan immediately stopped taking notes and returned to Xu Lin, answering earnestly, "It's in the dormitory of our steel rolling mill. I share a dormitory with three colleagues from HR and finance. It was Sister Li from HR who arranged it for me separately. My home is too far away, and it would be inconvenient to commute to and from get off work if I went back every day."

Xu Lin nodded after hearing this. It's better for her to stay away from her parents. In the original story, if Ding Qiunan's parents hadn't been so weak and hadn't been bribed by Cui Dake's supplies, Ding Qiunan wouldn't have ended up in such a miserable state later on.

"By the way, Xiao Ding, I see your file says you graduated from high school. Why didn't you choose to go to university?" Xu Lin asked curiously, because he remembered that in the original story, Ding Qiunan's biggest wish in the early stages was to go to university, but she had to give it up due to policies and various other reasons.

Upon hearing Xu Lin's question, Ding Qiunan lowered her head somewhat embarrassed. "My parents don't have jobs. They used to do odd jobs to make a living, so sending them to university would be too much of a burden for my family."

After revealing her unspoken difficulties, Ding Qiunan excitedly added, "However, when Sister Li was hiring me, she promised to give me a spot in night school next year. That way, I can work to support myself while attending night school. I'm currently a trainee nurse, and because I have some basic skills, Sister Li in HR didn't set me the minimum salary of 18 yuan, but instead gave me a monthly salary of 21.5 yuan! Many of my college classmates are so envious of me!"

Seeing the pride and satisfaction on Xiao Ding's face, Xu Lin smiled and said, "Then you're considered a little rich among your classmates. Sister Li giving you a spot in night school is compensation, considering you were guaranteed a job after high school graduation, and you'd have good benefits and career prospects no matter where you were assigned. They recruited you as a nurse in the steel mill's clinic."

From an outsider's perspective, future development may indeed be limited, but who can predict the future? If we become a large factory with tens of thousands of employees and have our own hospital, then your future development might not be inferior to your classmates'...

"Yes! That's right! Sister Li said we should have confidence in our steel rolling mill and believe that we workers can create a happy life with our own hands!" The young girl shouted the slogan with great enthusiasm and passion.

Ding Qiunan's serious expression, ready to get to work, made Xu Lin laugh heartily. After chatting for a while, before leaving get off work, one or two more injured coworkers came to the infirmary for bandaging. Xu Lin gave a demonstration, patiently explaining the treatment steps and reasons to Ding Qiunan. Ding Qiunan nodded enthusiastically throughout, taking careful notes...

After get off work hours ended, Xu Lin let Ding Qiunan leave. He then strolled home, as his bicycle wasn't fixed yet, so he had to walk.

Xu Lin returned to the courtyard after a while. As soon as he entered the gate, he saw Yan Bugui, who had rested all day, back at his old ways, shamelessly demanding favors and taking advantage of the residents. Xu Lin wanted to tease him, but Yan Bugui, seeing Xu Lin approach, pretended not to see him, fiddling with his potted plants.

Seeing Old Yan's posture, Xu Lin also decided to play along, so he didn't rush in. Instead, he lit a cigarette and squatted down to watch Yan Bugui tend to his potted plants. Yan Bugui noticed this out of the corner of his eye, his eyelids twitching, and he cursed inwardly.

"What's that little brat doing squatting here? Is he crazy?!"

A short while later, a resident returned from grocery shopping. Ignoring Xu Lin standing nearby, Yan Bugui immediately rushed over and started shamelessly pestering him, praising the tender scallions and the delicious radishes. After a long struggle, just as he was about to ask for some, Xu Lin spoke first.

"Old Yan, you've been saying you like it so much, are you trying to ask where it was bought so you can buy some too? Why don't you ask me! I know..."

"The vegetables at the market right outside your school are definitely fresher than what he buys if you buy them after get off work!" He then gave Yan Bugui a provocative look.

Interrupted by Xu Lin, Yan Bugui was rendered speechless, unable to utter a single word he had prepared. Everyone knew what he meant: Xu Lin was pretending not to understand, deliberately ruining his plans, wasn't he? But being Yan Bugui, he quickly composed himself and said, "I was in a rush to get off work and forgot to buy some. How about your scallions..."

Seeing that Yan Bugui was about to speak again, Xu Lin immediately interrupted the resident, saying, "Why don't you sell these scallions to Old Yan? After all, he's getting old, and if he goes back to buy more scallions by himself, he probably won't have time for dinner..."

Upon hearing that Xu Lin had once again interfered with his plans, Yan Bugui immediately widened his eyes and stared at him. Xu Lin, however, nonchalantly smoked his cigarette and met his gaze. Seeing the situation turning against them, the residents who had been stopped fled the scene without a word.

Yan Bugui tried to stop him but couldn't, so he had to give up. He then turned around and angrily asked Xu Lin, "Xu Lin, what are you doing?"

Xu Lin casually picked at his ear, "Old Yan, what do you mean by that? I've been trying to speak up for you and help you find solutions, so why are you getting angry at me?"

"You!" Yan Bugui stammered, barely able to finish a sentence. Seeing that Xu Lin was still determined to argue with him, he snorted again and turned to go home. Xu Lin, after finishing his cigarette, tossed the butt aside and went home as well.

As soon as he arrived at the door, he saw Yushui and Lou Xiao'e sitting by the door playing with rubber bands while waiting for Xu Lin to return. Seeing this, Xu Lin was in a great mood and quickly went over. "I told you, you don't need to wait for me for dinner, you can eat first," Xu Lin said, ruffling the two little girls' hair.

When the two girls realized it was Xu Lin, they jumped up and said, "Brother Xu, you're back from get off work! Go wash your hands and have dinner!" Then they each grabbed one of Xu Lin's arms and headed for the bathroom.

Qin Huairu also came out of the kitchen with bowls and chopsticks. After seeing this scene, she muttered to herself in confusion, "This little girl, Xiao'e, is called Xu Lin, and Brother Xu calls Xiao'e's mother Sister Tan. How does that work...?"

Tan, who was standing nearby, also noticed Qin Huairu's question. "We told Xiao'e to call Xu Lin 'Uncle Xu,' but after she found out that Yu Shui, who is younger than her, calls him 'Brother Xu,' she insisted on calling him 'Brother Xu' and refused to change her address. So now we can only call each other 'Brother Xu'..."

Qin Huairu suddenly realized what was happening and stopped worrying about it. However, she suddenly thought of Xu Lin and Tan Shi's intimate moment last night, and realized that Xiao'e should perhaps call Xu Lin "Dad"... Thinking of this, Qin Huairu blushed.

After Xu Lin washed his hands and came out, he saw Qin Huairu and Madam Tan chatting. So he went over and sat down opposite them. "How was it, Huairu? Did you meet anyone suitable on your blind date today?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu lowered her head shyly and remained silent. Madam Tan then chided her, "Why are you, a grown man, being so gossipy? It's only the first day! I just told the matchmaker about Qin Huairu's situation, and I'm waiting for news. How can you be so stingy after only two meals with you..."

After laughing it off, Xu Lin quickly explained, "I wouldn't dare, don't say that. Eating is no big deal. With your appetites, I could eat as much as you want for the rest of my life. Alright, alright, let's eat."

"Hey, you two young chefs, why isn't there any meat today? Did you run out? If not, I'll bring some back after get off work tomorrow."

After hearing this, Madam Tan rolled her eyes at Xu Lin. "How can you eat meat every day? These days, many families are lucky to even have enough to eat. You're thinking about eating meat every day? Even though everyone in the compound knows you have a high salary, aren't you afraid they'll report you for being extravagant? Just eat something ordinary!" The other three nodded in agreement with Madam Tan's words.

Xu Lin could only chuckle awkwardly and try to justify himself, "It's just that the two little girls are growing, and Huai Ru is here as a guest, so it's not a problem for them to eat a few more meals."

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu immediately waved her hand, "No need, Brother Xu. This is already very good food. I haven't eaten this well or been this full in years..."

Rain chimed in, "Yeah, Brother Xu, before you came I was only eating one meal a day. I've gained weight lately, look!" She then tried to lift her shirt to show Xu Lin her round belly.

"Alright, alright, I know, I was wrong, okay? Yushui, remember, girls shouldn't show their bellies to others in public, especially when there are men around, understand?" Xu Lin immediately stopped the little girl's naive behavior and began to instruct her. Little Yushui nodded obediently and continued eating.

Just then, Sha Zhu walked from the central courtyard to Xu Lin's door. Before even entering, he started shouting, "Xu Lin, Grandpa Yi said there's going to be a general meeting for the whole court later, you..."

Sha Zhu shouted as he spoke, but he walked through the door halfway through his sentence. He immediately saw Qin Huairu staring at him with wide, curious eyes. His mind went completely blank; he couldn't speak, and stood there dumbfounded.

Seeing Sha Zhu's foolish appearance, Xu Lin immediately guessed the reason. Sure enough, Qin Huairu's charm over Sha Zhu remained as potent as ever...

"What's wrong with me, Zhu Zi? Tell me! What are you standing there like an idiot for?" Xu Lin tried to wake Zhu Zi up. Zhu Zi didn't react immediately, until Yu Shui shouted "Brother!" which brought him back to his senses.

He immediately scurried over, ignoring He Yushui's angry expression, and directly lifted He Yushui off the stool next to Xu Lin, then plopped down on it himself. "It's nothing serious, Brother Xu. This lady looks unfamiliar, is she?"

Xu Lin knew exactly what Sha Zhu was up to, but he also wanted to see if Qin Huairu was interested in him, so he directly said...

"Her name is Qin Huairu. She's a friend I just met. She came from out of town yesterday to look for someone, and we bumped into each other by chance. She didn't have anywhere to stay for the time being, so I brought her back to stay with Sister Tan for a couple of days..."

You haven't eaten yet, or do you just can't resist a pretty girl? You've got a big, heavy butt, haven't you? You haven't even had your meal yet, so go sit over there.

When Sha Zhu heard that Xu Lin was going to send him away, he immediately objected. "Don't do that, Brother Xu. I haven't eaten either, and my brother and I haven't had a drink in a while. I'll go cook a couple more dishes. You and Aunt Tan can try them and see if my cooking has improved and give me some feedback." Without waiting for Xu Lin's reply, he got up and headed towards Xu Lin's kitchen.

"No, you're cooking for us to taste, so you're cooking my family's food! Zhu Zi, you're not stupid, people calling you 'Silly Zhu' must be a mistake." Xu Lin teased, half-laughing and half-crying, but still tacitly approved of Silly Zhu's behavior.

Yu Shui, standing to the side, covered his face, too ashamed to look at his own brother. The others could only stop and wait for Sha Zhu to finish cooking and come out.

A moment later, Sha Zhu came out carrying two plates of stir-fried dishes, muttering as he went, "What's wrong with Xu Lin? His quality of life has dropped lately. There's no meat left in the kitchen. It wasn't like this when you first came..."

Seeing the girls' strange smiles, Xu Lin helplessly pursed his lips. "Get lost! The quality is good enough as it is. You're dreaming of eating meat every day. Do you want to be a rich landlord?"

Sha Zhu acted as if he hadn't heard Xu Lin's words, and cheekily placed both plates of food in front of Qin Huairu. Although the table wasn't particularly big, if Madam Tan hadn't been sitting nearby, she probably wouldn't have been able to reach them. "Hehe, Huairu, hurry up and try my cooking..."

"I..." Qin Huairu hesitated, too conflicted to touch her chopsticks. She was also furious at Sha Zhu's behavior. "What kind of person does this? Not letting the host eat first, making me eat first is just embarrassing me! What are the others supposed to do with all this food in front of me?"

At this moment, Xiaoyu kicked Shazhu, then stood up, walked around the table, and placed two plates of dishes between Xu Lin and the two people opposite him. "Brother Xu, Aunt Tan, please try my brother's cooking."

Sha Zhu then realized what was happening and secretly gave his younger sister a thumbs up. "Yes, yes, I meant well but messed things up. I was afraid that Comrade Qin Huairu wouldn't be able to reach it and put it in the wrong place. Come on, come on, have a taste." After saying that, he stood up and took He Yushui's chopsticks to put a piece of food in Qin Huairu's bowl.

Tan and Xu Lin were both amused and exasperated by Sha Zhu's antics. Tan didn't say anything, but Xu Lin teased, "Zhu Zi, aren't you being a little too attentive? Your behavior isn't good for Qin Huairu. She's still a young, unmarried woman, and she's on blind dates these days. You should be more careful."

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu's already smug expression became even more excited. "Brother Xu, Master Xu, are you serious? You can't be lying to me, Comrade Qin Huairu really isn't married yet?"

Xu Lin slapped his forehead. This idiot doesn't even realize he's only 17 and can't get married yet? Doesn't he understand what he means by saying Qin Huairu has been going on blind dates these past few days? "Hey Zhuzi, don't you know my character? Why would I lie to you? You're just a kid who's not even 18 yet, you can't even get a marriage certificate. Why are you so agitated?"

Hearing Xu Lin's words, Qin Huairu realized that this person was still a minor? Looking at him, he seemed several years older than Sister Tan, yet he was the youngest person present besides the two children. Thinking this, Qin Huairu glanced at Xu Lin's handsome scholarly appearance and sighed inwardly—the difference was enormous…

Upon hearing Xu Lin's affirmative answer, Sha Zhu was overjoyed and completely ignored Xu Lin's subsequent mention of age. He immediately stood up and extended his short, stubby hand to Qin Huairu opposite him.

"Comrade Qin Huairu, let me formally introduce myself. I am He Yuzhu. I live in the main house of the Central Courtyard, which, like Xu Lin's house, has three large rooms. I am also a worker at the steel rolling mill and a cook in the canteen. My current monthly salary is twenty-two yuan and fifty cents. There are only two people in my family, my younger sister He Yushui and I. If you were to marry me..."

Before Sha Zhu could finish speaking, He Yushui, blushing with shame, pulled him back and covered his mouth. "Brother, what are you doing! Sister Qin is here for a blind date to prepare for marriage. You're not even an adult yet, what are you doing joining in? Do you expect Sister Qin to wait for you for a year? Hey, stop eating, go home..."

As she spoke, He Yushui pushed him towards the door. This time, Sha Zhu understood He Yushui's words. He wanted to argue, but he didn't know how to respond, so he stammered and hesitated as he was pushed out.

Sha Zhu, who had been pushed out, stood at the doorway watching He Yushui close the gate. Only then did he remember that he hadn't gotten to the point yet, so he shouted again, "Yushui, don't forget to tell Xu Lin that there's a general meeting in the courtyard later, and everyone needs to come!"

He Yushui replied impatiently, "I know!" She then returned to the dining table. Just as she was about to explain, Xu Lin patted her head comfortingly.

"It's okay, no one's blaming your brother. That's just how he is. But these two dishes he cooked are definitely better than the two of you. Try them!"

After saying that, he placed a piece of food in each of Yushui's and Xiao'e's bowls. He Yushui instantly cheered up again, hummed in agreement, and continued eating like Xiao'e.

Seeing this scene, Tan Shi and Qin Huairu across the table were filled with tenderness. Tan Shi's tenderness stemmed from seeing Xu Lin's concern for her daughter, while Qin Huairu thought of how wonderful it would be if she could bear him a child...