Siheyuan: I will never tolerate gambling and drugs!

Steel rolling mill medical room

After hurriedly tidying up the clinic and closing the door, Xu Lin rode his bicycle, which had just been repaired and returned that day, like an arrow released from a bow, towards the courtyard house.

Before long, on the road she always took home, Qin Huairu stood by the roadside, constantly looking up and glancing around. Her small hands were clenched tightly together, and the once smooth grass beneath her feet had become uneven and bumpy.

Today, Qin Huairu still wore the same braided hairstyle she had when they first met, but this time she was wearing the floral dress Xu Lin had given her, saying it was for her blind date. When she saw Xu Lin riding his bicycle into view, Qin Huairu's face instantly blossomed like a flower. She raised her right hand and waved vigorously in Xu Lin's direction. Noticing that Xu Lin didn't seem to be looking in her direction, and regardless of whether he could hear her, she shouted, "Brother Xu! Over here!"

Xu Lin, who was in the distance, didn't see it at first, but vaguely heard someone calling him. So he slowed down, and his eyes, which had been focused on the road ahead, began to dart left and right, searching for the source of the sound.

Before long, Xu Lin spotted Qin Huairu standing by the roadside in the distance, waving her hands excitedly and muttering something under her breath. "That silly girl's cheering over there..." Xu Lin thought to himself, jokingly.

Without wasting any time, he lifted his buttocks, arched his back, stood up, and pedaled hard on the newly repaired bicycle. The chain snapped instantly, and the speed reached 80 miles per hour in a flash, rushing towards Qin Huairu.

In other words, Yan Bugui wasn't there. If he were, seeing Xu Lin stand up and pedal recklessly would surely make him so heartbroken he'd vomit two pounds of black dog blood...

As Xu Lin approached, he squeezed the front brake, and the normally cumbersome old-fashioned bicycle, after a beautiful fishtail, came to a steady stop right in front of Qin Huairu. Qin Huairu was stunned and overjoyed.

"Brother Xu, you're amazing! You can even ride a bicycle like that!" Qin Huairu's emotional appeal was off the charts, and Xu Lin was very pleased. "Sure enough! When it comes to showing off, Huang Mao's tricks are the most effective!"

"That's right, your brother Xu has many amazing skills, and the surprises are yet to come!" Xu Lin flicked his bangs and raised his chin as he spoke to Qin Huairu.

"Yes! I believe in you, Brother Xu!"

At this moment, Qin Huairu was a die-hard fan of Xu Lin. In her eyes, Xu Lin was incredibly bright and shining. Even if Xu Lin was squatting on the ground shoveling manure, Qin Huairu would see it as Xu Lin's selfless dedication to the people...

"Alright, let's get in the car quickly. I bet Sister Tan is getting impatient waiting at the neighborhood office," Xu Lin said, pinching Qin Huairu's round cheek.

"Um!"

Qin Huairu immediately agreed and sat on the back of Xu Lin's bicycle. Because of her girlish shyness, Qin Huairu gripped the seat tightly with both hands. Xu Lin noticed Qin Huairu's bashful expression but didn't say anything.

With a sudden, powerful push of the pedals, the bicycle shot off with a "whoosh." Qin Huairu, sitting on the back, didn't react in time. After leaning back slightly, she was so startled that she immediately clung to Xu Lin's strong yet slightly thin waist, clinging to his back.

Xu Lin chuckled, then slowed down the car a bit, satisfied. Qin Huairu was just a die-hard fan of Xu Lin, but she wasn't stupid, so she understood what he meant and hugged him even tighter.

Xu Lin, riding his bicycle, was instantly distracted. She truly was the beauty queen of the courtyard! Just look at her! Could you handle this?! The foundation she had! It's unbelievable! No wonder in the original story, when many residents couldn't afford food, Qin Huairu's meager income was enough to raise three children. These... these three children are really well-fed...

Sitting in the back, Qin Huairu seemed to have noticed something as well, her pretty face instantly turning crimson. At this moment, Xu Lin didn't seem so anxious anymore...

The two paraded through the streets in such a blatant display, drawing mixed reactions from passersby. Some unhappy married women huddled together, gossiping about their indiscretions; others looked at Qin Huairu with envy, wishing they were sitting in the back seat; still others clicked their tongues in envy at Xu Lin; and some even secretly gave Xu Lin a thumbs-up...

Anyway, when the two arrived at the neighborhood office, Tan and Director Wang's faces were unusually dark.

"Oh~ these two busy people finally have time to come over."

Director Wang couldn't help but roll his eyes and tease the two women, saying something to Mrs. Tan. Mrs. Tan was also somewhat annoyed by their unhurried attitude.

"Sister Wang, how about we impose a fine? These two are clearly from a wealthy family; they expect everyone to wait on them for everything..."

Qin Huairu nervously tugged at Xu Lin's sleeve when she heard about the fine, looking somewhat at a loss.

Xu Lin, however, was incredibly thick-skinned, and he started to flatter and fawn over her with his glib tongue.

"Hehe, Sister Wang, Sister Tan, I'm still young and don't have much experience with marriage. Next time, next time I'll definitely sleep at the entrance of the neighborhood office the night before and wait for you two to serve the people."

"I'd love to have a next time!"

As Director Wang spoke, he immediately reached out and grabbed Xu Lin's ear.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Sister Wang, Sister Tan, I was wrong, I was really wrong, I accept the punishment, I'll treat! Quanjude! You two can eat as much as you want today! Two per person, eat one and throw one away! If that's not enough, three per person, eat one and throw two away, that's fine too."

"screw you!"

Director Wang chuckled as he watched Xu Lin, who was both apologizing and spouting glib talk, and his anger completely dissipated.

At this moment, Ms. Tan gave the two a meaningful look. Qin Huairu and Xu Lin immediately handed the certificates they had obtained to Director Wang.

"This is the first time I've ever worked overtime to get someone else's marriage certificate. Xu Lin, after you marry Qin Huairu, you have to treat her well, otherwise I'll never be able to hold my head up again when people talk about this."

Xu Lin immediately patted his chest and guaranteed it.

"When a man does things, it boils down to two words—'honest and straightforward.' You two can rest assured, I'll definitely treat Huai Ru well from now on and won't let you down!"

Director Wang rolled her eyes at Xu Lin. It sounded strange that such a young kid was talking about being a man in front of her. But she didn't say anything more and focused on processing the marriage certificate for the two of them.

Before long, Qin Huairu held two small red booklets in her hands, her face beaming with joy. Only now did she truly breathe a sigh of relief. She had always felt unworthy of Xu Lin, fearing that his words the previous night were merely to protect her pride. After all, his relationship with the Tan family was so good and deep, while she had been an outsider. Marrying Xu Lin felt like a dream.

Looking at Qin Huairu, who had a happy expression on her face, Tan and Director Wang felt a mix of emotions.

Tan wanted to get married, but she didn't want to ruin Xu Lin's life because of her background, so she wanted to find him a wife. Now, seeing Xu Lin get his marriage certificate in front of her, she couldn't help but feel a little lost and sad.

Director Wang, thinking of Xu Lin's parents who had sacrificed their lives on the battlefield, leaving Xu Lin to grow up alone, and now that he was getting married, felt an indescribable surge of emotion. This was something Director Wang, a veteran who had fought in the war, experienced.

"Alright, the business is done. We won't eat the duck now. Consider it a debt you owe me and Liya, we'll settle it next time. It's getting late, I should head back. The three of you live in the same courtyard, so go back together. I won't see you off. Take care on your way back." Director Wang waved his hand, urging the three people present.

Tan and Qin Huairu were not having it. They each grabbed one of Director Wang's arms and pulled her outside. "Sister Wang, it's all agreed that we're going to fleece Xu Lin, this big spender. He's the director of the steel mill's clinic, and his salary is higher than both of ours. We might as well take advantage of him..."

Qin Huairu chimed in, "Yes, Director Wang. We've caused you so much trouble today, running around for me and Brother Xu's sake, and even taking me running around for half the day. You should at least give us a chance to thank you."

Xu Lin didn't say anything, but his eyes conveyed a request to Director Wang.

Director Wang, unable to refuse, had no choice but to agree, and so the four of them, chatting and laughing, headed towards Quanjude...