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He Yudong went inside and looked around. When he came out, he had a gourd of wine in his hand, which he handed to Sha Zhu: "This is it."

"This is wine?" Sha Zhu lifted the gourd's mouth, and an incredibly rich aroma of wine burst out. His eyes widened in surprise. This wine smelled amazing! He took a sip and was completely captivated. He immediately declared: This is absolutely the best wine I've ever tasted in my life, bar none!

"Where did you get this from?" Sha Zhu asked impatiently.

"What are you thinking about?" He Yudong chuckled. "This is monkey wine brewed by monkeys on the mountain. It can't be bought with money. I don't have much myself, so I'll drink it sparingly."

"Monkey wine?" Sha Zhu had only heard of it but never tasted it. Today was his first time trying it. "Then I'd better hold on tight!" He thought to himself, "I'll bring some back for Lou Xiao'e tomorrow. That girl will definitely like it."

"This wine is good for your health and can even improve your complexion. Drinking it regularly will keep you healthy from all diseases," He Yudong added.

"Really? It's the same as the sweet drink you gave me last time?"

"Pretty much," He Yudong raised an eyebrow. "Don't you usually look in the mirror? Don't you feel like you've gotten a few years younger?" Monkey wine is brewed with spiritual spring water and various fruits, locking in the effects of the spring water, making it much more durable than regular spiritual spring water. I said I'd send a pot to Grandpa Guan, but I didn't have time, so it got delayed.

"Hehe, the younger brother always dotes on his older brother!" Silly Zhu grinned from ear to ear.

"Alright, enough nagging, it's getting late, let's go to sleep." He Yudong turned and went back into the house, and Sha Zhu followed him back to his room.

Qin Huairu's mind was in turmoil. Ever since she overheard the conversation between the old lady and He Yudong, she had been troubled: she had thought that Sha Zhu and Teacher Ran were secretly seeing each other, but if they secretly got married, she would have no chance. She had originally planned to put on an act when Teacher Ran came to collect the tuition fees, but she felt that wasn't "safe" enough. She was thinking that it would be better to "make it a fait accompli" with Sha Zhu, then he would definitely have to take responsibility. Anyway, she had an IUD and wouldn't get pregnant, but this method would keep him firmly tied to her.

She glanced at her sleeping mother-in-law, quietly got up, stuffed half a bottle of liquor into her pocket, and stealthily went out the door, heading straight for Sha Zhu's room. She pushed the door open, but it was locked from the inside. Sha Zhu never locked the door when he slept; what was he up to today?

Qin Huai cursed inwardly and gently knocked on the door.

Sha Zhu was fast asleep, and the knocking was so soft that he didn't wake up immediately. However, He Yudong next door was disturbed and frowned. He got up and opened the door to see Qin Huairu acting suspiciously, clutching half a bottle of liquor. Sha Zhu knocking on the door—even a blind man could see what this widow was up to!

"Qin Huairu! Knocking on a bachelor's door in the middle of the night, have you no shame?" He Yudong shouted, his voice so loud it could lift the roof off.

Qin Huairu was completely unaware that someone had come out. Startled, she trembled and fell to the ground with a loud crash, shattering the wine bottle into pieces.

"You..." Qin Huairu was so angry that her lungs felt like they were going to explode. It was He Yudong who ruined her plans again! At this moment, she wished she could tear He Yudong to pieces, but she was powerless to do anything and could only stare helplessly.

"What do you mean, 'you'? You're so desperate for a man, aren't you?!" He Yudong retorted mercilessly.

This woke up the whole courtyard: Sha Zhu and He Yushui came out rubbing their eyes, followed by an old man and an old woman wearing clothes, and even Jia Zhangshi came out leaning on her cane.

"What's going on?" Sha Zhu asked, rubbing his ears.

"Huai Ru, what are you doing?" Uncle Yi frowned.

As soon as Qin Huai glanced at the old man, she immediately burst into tears, her tears falling like beads from a broken string. She looked as aggrieved and pitiful as could be.

When the old man saw Qin Huairu looking like this, his heart immediately softened like cotton: "Huairu, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Uncle Yi, I don't know what I did wrong. Why does He Yudong always pick on me? Waaah!" Qin Huairu said, tears streaming down her face like a broken string of pearls. Her acting skills were so good that she was wasting her talent if she didn't go into movies.

"He Yudong, what's wrong with you? What did Huairu do to you that you're always picking on her!" Uncle Yi exploded on the spot and yelled at He Yudong.

Seeing her husband getting into a fight over a widow, Aunt Yi was filled with suspicion and even secretly wondered if there was something going on between Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu.

"He Yudong, you heartless bastard! You only know how to bully us orphans and widows, I can't live anymore!" Seeing this, Jia Zhangshi also wailed, like a double act.

He Yudong completely ignored Jia Zhangshi and stared straight at Uncle Yi: "Uncle Yi, have you even got the facts right? What do you know before you start making baseless accusations? You're so protective of Qin Huairu, why don't you think about Aunt Yi's feelings?"

"He Yudong, stop talking nonsense! Huai Ru is an orphan and a widow, what did she do to you? You've gone too far!" Uncle Yi slapped his thigh in frustration.

"Heh, look at the time! It's the middle of the night, and Qin Huairu is banging on my brother's door with a bottle of wine in her hand. What does she want? If word gets out, people will think my brother and she are having an affair! Why can't I say a word? My brother and Teacher Ran are doing fine, but she insists on gossiping in front of Teacher Ran. What's she up to?"

"He Yudong, you're talking nonsense! I was just going to the restroom and passing by his house when you yelled at me from behind. Am I, a widow, supposed to be bullied like this? Waaah..."

"Qin Huairu, you're really something, bringing alcohol to the toilet? Are you saying you take a sip or two in the middle of the night?" He Yudong sneered. "By the way, brother, did you hear the knock?"

Sha Zhu scratched his head: "I think I heard it, but I was asleep and didn't pay much attention."

"Silly Zhu, even you say that about me? What did I do wrong?" Qin Huairu cried even harder.

"Did everyone hear that?" He Yudong raised an eyebrow. "Alright, Huai Ru, stop pretending. Do you want to use the toilet in Sha Zhu's room? Are you crazy?!" He then glared at Uncle Yi. "And you, don't think I don't know what you're up to. I can't be bothered with you."

"You...you're being unreasonable!" Old Man Yi rolled his eyes at the retort, then turned to Qin Huairu and said, "Huairu, don't stay out too late in the bathroom next time. Go home first."

Yi Zhonghai knew perfectly well that if things continued to escalate, he and Qin Huairu would be in the wrong. He quickly tried to smooth things over and disperse the crowd, otherwise, with everyone in the compound gathering, he would lose face even more. He understood perfectly well that Qin Huairu wanted to curry favor with Sha Zhu, but He Yudong was too much of a hindrance; he would have to deal with him sooner or later.

Seeing that Yi Zhonghai was still stubbornly unrepentant, He Yudong shook his head. This old rascal was very wicked, even more troublesome than Liu Haizhong. Who knows what kind of mischief he was plotting?

Seeing the situation was turning sour, Qin Huairu could only wipe away her tears and leave. Before leaving, she glanced at He Yudong, her eyes filled with resentment. It seemed that with He Yudong around, this matter couldn't be accomplished, and she would have to think of another way. Uncle Yi had protected her so much just now; perhaps he could persuade Sha Zhu to marry her? Uncle Yi would definitely give her face.

Watching the elderly couple and the two widows from the Qin family walk away, He Yudong waved to Shazhu. Just as the two entered the house and were about to close the door, He Yushui followed them in: "Brother, what just happened?"

"I'm wondering about that too," Sha Zhu said, looking at He Yudong.

"What could it be?" He Yudong scoffed. "Qin Huairu probably wants to force you into marriage and make you support her whole family! Otherwise, why would she knock on your door with alcohol in the middle of the night? She just thinks you're single and can win you over."

"Seriously? Qin Huai can be this shameless?" He Yushui said indignantly.

"This...no way?" Sha Zhu was also puzzled. Although Qin Huairu often used the honey trap in the past, he had never been able to take advantage of her. But the broken wine bottle was right there, so it couldn't be fake.

"If you want to find a widow and raise someone else's child, then I'm not going to meddle," He Yudong said seriously.

"That's impossible!" Sha Zhu immediately refused. "You have young ladies to choose from, but a widow? My name is Sha Zhu, but I'm not really stupid."

"Then remember this: Qin Huairu will definitely find ways to create opportunities for you to be alone with her in the future, and she might even drug your drinks or food. If you get drugged, your life will be ruined."

"Would she really dare to do that?"

"What's there to be afraid of? She broke up so many of your relationships, what did she want? Just to tie you down and raise her child? Just wait, tomorrow she'll definitely get Yi Zhonghai's help, and have that old bastard come and talk you out of it. Yi Zhonghai isn't any better; he just wants someone to take care of him in his old age, and he loves moral blackmail..."

Being generous with other people's money.

"Don't worry, bro, it's not like I'm unwanted. It's not that bad." Sha Zhu patted his chest with a smile.

"Alright, if you know that, go back to sleep now, and remember to lock the door when you go to sleep," He Yudong instructed.

"Hehe," Sha Zhu replied.

[Ding! Your plan has been thwarted. You have been awarded 40 merit points.]

A system notification suddenly sounded in his mind. He Yudong raised an eyebrow. Just for ruining Qin Huairu's little plan, he actually got 40 merit points? And the system judged her to be a "bad person," so there was no doubt about it.

The next day at the steel rolling mill, Qin Huairu stepped into Yi Zhonghai's workshop and bumped into a worker who grinned at her: "Qin Huairu, what are you doing in our workshop? Looking for your lover?"

"Get lost!" she laughed, slapping the other person's arm. "Looking for Master Yi Zhonghai? Could you please call him?"

"Hey, looking for Master Yi?" a worker shouted into the workshop. "Master Yi, Qin Huairu is looking for you!"

Yi Zhonghai was fiddling with a machine tool when he heard the name. His hand trembled, and he wiped his oily hands before walking out. He had been feeling a strange unease for a while, especially when he saw Qin Huairu, who had given birth to three children and whose waist was as thin as a willow branch. Ever since then, he had felt an itch in his heart whenever he looked at this widow.

"Huai Ru, what do you want?" He stood at the door, his eyes constantly darting towards Qin Huai Ru.

"Uncle Yi, let's go outside and talk. There's something we need to discuss." Qin Huairu tugged at his sleeve, leading him out of the workshop.

Yi Zhonghai immediately understood and pointed to the small warehouse in the corner: "Go there, no one's there." It was a place where scrap parts were usually piled up, and even mice were too lazy to go there.

The two entered the warehouse. Qin Huairu deliberately swayed her hips as she walked ahead. Yi Zhonghai stared at her back and swallowed hard. "Huairu, what's going on?"

"Uncle Yi, I know you and Aunt Yi don't have any children and are looking for someone to take care of you in your old age." Qin Huairu turned her face and lowered her voice. "I was thinking that if I married Shazhu, I could take care of you two in your old age. Shazhu will definitely listen to you. Just say the word and this matter will be settled."

Yi Zhonghai's heart skipped a beat, but he hesitated: "Isn't Sha Zhu dating Teacher Ran?"

"How could Teacher Ran possibly be interested in him?" Qin Huairu pouted, speaking with certainty. "She's an intellectual, and Sha Zhu is just a cook. The two of them will never get together!" She knew perfectly well that she had to sabotage Sha Zhu and Teacher Ran's relationship, otherwise her three kids would lose their support.

"Huai Ru, it's not that I don't want to help you..." A wicked glint flashed in Yi Zhonghai's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it. "It's just that..."

Seeing that he wouldn't budge and was staring intently at her waist, Qin Huairu immediately took his arm and rubbed against him, her voice soft and sticky: "Uncle Yi, we are an orphan and a widow, it's not easy for us... I really want to be with Sha Zhu, please help me."

When the honey trap was used, Yi Zhonghai's heart pounded like a drum. He stared at Qin Huairu's buttocks and swallowed hard: "I can help you, but you have to promise me one thing."

"Please say so!" Qin Huairu said coquettishly, "As long as it's within my power, I'll definitely agree!"

"Aunt Yi's health has always been poor. My biggest regret in life is not having a son or daughter." Yi Zhonghai rubbed his hands together, his eyes fixed intently. "If you're willing to have a child for me, I'll take care of Sha Zhu's problem!"

Qin Huairu's heart skipped a beat. This old man, usually so dignified, actually had such intentions! She forced herself to remain calm: "Uncle Yi, what are you saying?"

"Don't worry," Yi Zhonghai quickly reassured him. "I only make a little over a hundred yuan a month, and I've saved up about ten thousand yuan over the years. As long as you have a son, all that money is yours, and the house will be yours too. After I'm gone, Sha Zhu can help you raise the children. It's not easy for you, a woman, to raise three kids alone. Having me as your safety net is better than being with Sha Zhu, right?"

Qin Huairu was already cursing inwardly: So all that money she'd been giving her was for this! But she couldn't turn against him; if she refused, Yi Zhonghai definitely wouldn't help her get together with Sha Zhu. Her eyes darted around, and she'd already made up her mind: she'd agree first, let him facilitate her relationship with Sha Zhu, and at worst, give him some sweeteners and make some money out of him. Anyway, she'd already had an IUD, so she couldn't get pregnant, let alone have a child with Sha Zhu. She was only with Sha Zhu because she wanted him to raise three children.

"Uncle Yi, can I think about this?" she deliberately stalled.

When Yi Zhonghai saw that she didn't refuse directly, he immediately smiled and said, "Okay! I'll wait for your reply." As he spoke, he reached out and touched Qin Huairu's buttocks.

"Oh dear, Uncle Yi!" Qin Huairu playfully slapped his hand away. "This is a factory!"

Outside the warehouse, the wind carried the smell of rust, and the two men's ulterior motives were hidden in the shadows.

But the sound made Uncle Yi even happier. He patted his chest and said, "Don't worry about Sha Zhu's matter, leave it to Uncle Yi! How about tonight..." "Uncle Yi, I'm not ready yet, can you give me a few days?" Qin Huairu quickly interrupted.

"Okay, it's settled then." Yi Zhonghai smiled so much that his eyes narrowed into slits. With Qin Huairu's figure and having given birth to three children, she was sure she could have more! The thought of Sha Zhu raising his son in the future filled him with excitement and anticipation.

Sha Zhu was completely unaware that he had already become the target of this group's schemes. Qin Huairu was vicious enough, but Yi Zhonghai was ten times more ruthless. Not only did he want Sha Zhu to marry Qin Huairu, but he also wanted Sha Zhu to raise Qin Huairu's child for him.

In the infirmary, He Yudong was fiddling with some medicinal herbs, grinding them into a white powder. Ding Qiunan leaned over curiously: "Brother He, what kind of medicine is this?"

"It's nothing, just a new prescription I tried. It hasn't been clinically tested yet, so the effectiveness is uncertain. We'll see after the trial," He Yudong said vaguely. How could he possibly say it was an aphrodisiac? Tonight, he needed to discuss with the old lady and get Sha Zhu and Lou Xiao'e to get married as soon as possible, so they wouldn't be schemed against by the likes of Qin Huairu and Xu Damao again. Once the two of them got their marriage certificate, the faces of that widow and Xu Damao would definitely be a sight to behold.

"Oh? Okay then." Ding Qiunan has been in a good mood these past few days, so Yu Haitang hasn't been going to the infirmary. She often spends time alone with He Yudong, and they can chat when they're free.

He Yudong ground the medicine powder, and its quality looked quite good. The powder dissolved in water without any color or odor, and its effects were mild, like spring rain nourishing the fields, making one unconsciously alert yet still clear-headed. He thought he could try it with Ding Qiunan sometime. He carefully packed the powder into a small porcelain bottle and put it in his pocket.

"Brother He, why don't you come to my dorm tonight? I can teach you how to cook a meal." Ding Qiunan suggested, blushing.

"I can't go tonight, I have to go home early." He Yudong waved his hand. "Didn't we agree to go out tomorrow weekend? How about Beihai Park? Beijing is so big, we have a car, no worries."

"That's great!" Ding Qiunan's eyes lit up like stars. "By the way, Brother He, what's on your bike? How come it's faster than a car?"

"I modified the electric motor myself. It can run the car by charging, so I don't have to pedal. It's also faster."

"How can you do everything!" Ding Qiunan's eyes were full of admiration. This man was almost perfect, and she was so infatuated with him that she couldn't get out.

"After thinking about it, there really is one thing I don't know how to do." He Yudong stroked his chin, pretending to be knowledgeable.

"What?" Ding Qiunan asked curiously.

"Having children? I don't know how to do that," He Yudong said seriously.

"Pfft," Ding Qiunan burst out laughing, "Brother He, you're so naughty!"

"What's wrong?" He Yudong looked at her with amusement, making her pretty face turn red.

"Hmph, I'm ignoring you!" Ding Qiunan grabbed her medical notes and pretended to read them. He Yudong suppressed a laugh: "You're holding the book upside down."

"Ah..." Ding Qiunan looked down and her face instantly turned red to her ears. She wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Tomorrow's a holiday, so I got off work at 4:30 this afternoon. He Yudong escorted Ding Qiunan back to her dormitory before riding his bicycle away. He first stopped at Grandpa Guan's house, where Han Chunming was engrossed in a book. Seeing He Yudong arrive, Han Chunming smiled and said, "Brother Yudong, what brings you here?"

"Hey, you said you were going to bring some good wine for the Nine Gates Admiral, it's been days, I thought you'd disappeared!" Grandpa Guan said, feigning anger.

"I've been busy lately, so I brought you a jar of monkey wine." He Yudong shook the gourd in his hand.

"Really monkey wine? Let me try it!" Grandpa Guan snatched the gourd, lifted the lid, and a strong aroma of wine burst out. Even Han Chunming, who doesn't drink, was surprised and sniffed.