Courtyard House: A Prosperous and Joyful Life

As soon as Yi Zhonghai stepped into the park, his eyes darted around, searching for the matchmaker.

Suddenly, he saw Xu Damao inside, a camera hanging around his neck, taking pictures of two women. The two women looked to be in their thirties or forties. Although they weren't particularly beautiful, they had the physique of women who were good at bearing children. Under Xu Damao's direction, they twisted their waists and swayed their hips, striking various poses.

Yi Zhonghai was itching to try it.

"That Xu Damao, he really knows how to handle women. Just look at that camera he's got; I wonder how many girls he's flirted with."

Although he outwardly looked down on Xu Damao, Yi Zhonghai had to admit he was in awe. In the courtyard, Xu Damao was a gossipy scoundrel who had done a lot of dirty work, and Yi Zhonghai, the eldest uncle, had never been shortchanged by him. But when it came to dealing with women, this guy did have some real skill.

First, Lou Xiao'e, a wealthy heiress, was won over by him. Second, Qin Jingru, the village beauty, was also brought to him by him. Yu Haitang was even more outrageous, the steel mill's beauty queen, yet she still couldn't escape his grasp. He'd already slept with several young women; Yi Zhonghai couldn't help but admire his skill, not to mention the envy he felt.

After glancing around a few times, Yi Zhonghai looked away and continued looking for a matchmaker. But for some reason, he didn't run into a matchmaker today, yet women kept popping into his eyes.

Previously, he was focused on his retirement and had little interest in women. But ever since he saw the news about the 73-year-old man who had a son, a fire suddenly ignited in Yi Zhonghai's heart. As he strolled around the park, his eyes couldn't help but wander towards the women.

"This one's good, early forty, strong and healthy, she'll definitely be able to have children."

"This one's fine too. She's a bit short, but she has a big bottom; she looks like she'd be good at giving birth."

"She's pretty, but too skinny. She's got no meat on her bones; she's useless."

"She's too old, over fifty, she can't have children anymore."

Yi Zhonghai walked along the beach, looking around and making plans in his mind.

On the other side, after Xu Damao finished taking photos of the women, he turned around and spotted Yi Zhonghai.

The old man sat in the pavilion, his eyes fixed on the women coming and going; he looked exactly like a lecherous old man.

"Holy crap! That old bastard Yi Zhonghai's come here to look for women!"

Xu Damao almost burst out laughing.

"Tsk tsk tsk, he puts on such a respectable act all day, but what kind of person is he behind people's backs! Over sixty years old and still staring at other people's butts, unbelievable."

He was incredibly curious, never expecting Yi Zhonghai to have this side to him; it was so interesting.

With a quick glance, Xu Damao raised his camera, aimed it at Yi Zhonghai, and snapped several photos, capturing the old man's smirking expression. With these photos, if Yi Zhonghai ever went against him again, he could just pull out the pictures and give the old guy a good dressing down.

After taking the photos and putting them away, Xu Damao swaggered over, grinning as he approached, "Uncle Yi, I didn't expect you to still have such a strong interest in women at your age!"

Yi Zhonghai was startled, never expecting to be caught staring at a woman by Xu Damao. But he absolutely couldn't admit to it; his upright image couldn't be allowed to crumble.

He straightened his face and glared at Xu Damao: "Xu Damao, I came here just to enjoy the scenery and admire the flowers, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Xu Damao almost burst out laughing. It was freezing cold in February; where would they find flowers in this run-down park? Besides, he was an expert himself; he knew exactly where Yi Zhonghai's eyes were just glancing.

He patted Yi Zhonghai on the shoulder, his smile meaningful: "Uncle Yi, I know perfectly well what you were looking at just now, so don't be so formal. Tell me, what kind of girl do you like? Maybe I can find one for you."

Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai's heart skipped a beat. Yes, Xu Damao knew many women; having him introduce one to someone was much better than him wandering aimlessly around the park.

Thinking of this, Yi Zhonghai stopped being coy and cleared his throat: "Xu Damao, I have an old friend who wants to find a woman in her forties, the kind who's good at bearing children. Do you have any connections?"

Xu Damao understood immediately—old friend, indeed! He just wanted to find a woman to have a son. This old guy, still acting all serious even now.

"That old bastard Yi Zhonghai, I don't know what triggered it, he's over sixty and still wants to find a woman to have a child... Is he even capable?"

Xu Damao was internally cursing, but his smile widened. Whether it worked or not was none of his business, but this was a great opportunity to make money.

He patted his chest confidently: "A woman in her forties is easy to father, no problem! But, if I make the introduction, I'll have to charge a referral fee."

This isn't just empty boasting. He's been spending all his time in the park taking photos lately, and he's met tons of young women and wives—introducing one to him will be a piece of cake. Of course, introducing him to Wang Jun is just flattery, it's free. But what about that old guy, Yi Zhonghai? Why would he do it for free?

When Yi Zhonghai heard that there was a fee, his face darkened. But then he thought that finding a matchmaker also cost money, so it was reasonable for Xu Damao to charge a referral fee.

When Yi Zhonghai heard that there was a fee, his face darkened. But then he thought that finding a matchmaker also cost money, so it was reasonable for Xu Damao to charge a referral fee.

"Tell me, how much?"

Xu Damao held out one hand and waved it: "Introduce one, fifty."

Yi Zhonghai's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets—these days, workers only earn a few dozen yuan a month, and Xu Damao dares to charge fifty yuan for introducing a woman? This is slaughtering a pig!

Yi Zhonghai's face darkened: "Xu Damao, you're too greedy! Finding a matchmaker only costs a few dollars."

Xu Damao remained calm: "Uncle Yi, I have photos here. Please take a look before I explain further. How can they be the same?"

Upon hearing that there were photos, Yi Zhonghai's mind immediately began to race.

He knew all too well the whole matchmaking process. You never even know what the woman looks like until you visit her door, and if you're not satisfied, you offend her – it's a complete waste of time. Xu Damao has photos here; you can choose one after you've seen the others, saving you so much trouble. Besides, with so many photos, you can take your time and choose until you're satisfied.

The thought of having hundreds of women to choose from made Yi Zhonghai's heart race with excitement.

He had watched beauty pageants on Hong Kong TV. Beautiful young women, scantily clad and in high heels, walked back and forth on stage to music; just watching them made his blood boil. Choosing contestants from photos—wasn't that like running your own beauty pageant? The thought alone was wonderful.

Although he was eager to look at the photos, fifty yuan was too much, so he had to bargain down.

"No, fifty is too much, five yuan."

Xu Damao, a shrewd man, immediately saw that Yi Zhonghai had taken the bait and stubbornly refused to budge: "Just fifty! These photos were taken with great effort, not easy at all!"

After some haggling, the two finally reached an agreement—to introduce someone for thirty-five yuan.

This referral fee is astronomical these days. But Yi Zhonghai was in a hurry and couldn't worry about that. Anyway, he still had some savings and could afford it.

……

Time flies by, and a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

The cannery has been handed over to Huang Wenfei for management. Li Xiaoyu and Zhou Rong are busy setting up the cosmetics factory; the production line is in place, and they can start recruiting workers and starting production in another half month.

Wang Jun recently acquired another storefront and opened a clothing store. Today is the opening day, and he got up early this morning to bring over some locust flowers.

For the past month, Huaihua has been using skin care lotion every day and has been taken care of by Wang Jun. She looks radiant and even more beautiful than Qin Huairu when she was young.

Huaihua was led to the entrance of the clothing store, and when she looked inside, she was immediately stunned.

The storefront features a floor-to-ceiling glass facade, allowing a clear view of the clothes hanging inside from the street. The interior is exquisitely decorated—the pristine white floor tiles gleam like mirrors, and rows of large, sparkling mirrors tempt passersby to admire their reflections. A massive crystal chandelier hangs overhead, casting a mesmerizing glow that illuminates the entire space with a golden splendor.

In short, this restaurant is top-notch; you won't find another one like it in the entire capital.

Huaihua stood at the door, sticking out her tongue, her feet seemingly rooted to the spot—it was too high-class; she didn't even have the courage to step inside.

She was completely bewildered, having no idea why Wang Jun had brought her here.

"Brother Jun, did you bring me here to buy clothes? If you want to buy some, I'll help you pick some out."

The girl thought Wang Jun wanted to buy clothes, and she earnestly wanted to help.

Wang Jun laughed: "I'm not buying clothes. I brought you here to give you something as a gift, I guarantee you'll like it."

After saying that, he took Huaihua's hand and walked into the shop.

Huaihua was startled and quickly shrank back, saying, "Brother Jun! Don't go in! This shop is too high-end; we'll make their floor dirty!"

Wang Jun laughed heartily: "Girl, what are you afraid of! This clothing store—that's what I gave you!"

Huaihua froze on the spot, wondering if there was something wrong with her ears.

Such a high-end and classy clothing store… for myself? No way! I must have misheard!

Wang Jun reached out and ruffled her hair, repeating each word carefully: "You heard me right. This shop is a gift to you. Didn't you want to count your own money? I'm letting you be the boss, counting money every day. How about it, are you happy?"

Only then did Huaihua dare to confirm—Wang Jun really did give her a clothing store, and it was the most high-end kind!

Looking at the interior decor and the neatly arranged clothes on the shelves, she trembled with excitement: "My God... Brother Jun, you really gave me this shop? This is too high-end, I can't accept it!"

When Wang Jun said he was giving her something, she thought it would be something like a snack such as a sesame seed cake or a fried dough stick. Who would have thought—an entire high-end clothing store! She hadn't even dared to glance at the store before, and now he was just giving it away like that. How could she possibly accept it?

Wang Jun saw through her thoughts and said in an unquestionable tone, "You're mine. Just accept what I give you; don't refuse."

Huaihua, afraid of upsetting him, said in a trembling voice, "Okay... I'll accept it since it's from Brother Jun."

Wang Jun nodded: "Starting today, you don't need to go to the cannery anymore. You'll stay here and be your boss's wife. Aren't you happy?"

Huaihua nodded repeatedly, her face flushed with excitement!

"I'm so happy! I'm so happy! I never dreamed I could be my own boss! Thank you, Brother Jun!"

She grabbed Wang Jun's hand, tears streaming down her face: "Brother Jun, you're so good to me... I'll always be yours."

At this moment, Huaihua had only one thought in her mind—following Brother Jun was the best thing. She was determined to stay with him for the rest of her life and repay him properly.

Huaihua closed the clothing store, hopped on her bicycle, and headed straight for the courtyard house.

After severing ties with the Jia family, she lived a much more carefree life. She could go find Wang Jun whenever she wanted, and nobody could interfere.

At the entrance of the courtyard house, a group of elderly women were chatting together. When they saw Huaihua coming, they greeted her warmly.

"Oh, the locust flowers are here!"

"The locust flowers are getting more and more beautiful lately."

"Absolutely! It's much prettier!"

"Huaihua, do you need to see someone?"

Having been a boss for a day, Huaihua's courage grew, and she replied confidently, "Hello everyone, I'm looking for Wang Jun."

After saying that, he pushed his bicycle into the yard.

After she walked away, the older women all smiled knowingly at each other.

"That girl, Huaihua, is probably not a young lady anymore."

"Absolutely, just look at the way she walks, she's clearly a woman."

"Need I say more? She's hooking up with Wang Jun."

"Most likely."

These older women were all experienced and immediately noticed the changes in Huaihua, and they started gossiping right away.

Do you think Wang Jun will marry Huaihua?

"It's hard to say. Wang Jun's wealth and abilities would make him an extremely wealthy man in ancient times; someone like Huaihua, from a modest family, probably wouldn't qualify."

"That's right. With Wang Jun's current status, he'd need to marry someone of equal social standing. As for Huaihua... she'd be fine as a concubine, but not quite suitable as the principal wife."

"I think it's just being a mistress. Those big bosses in the south, which one doesn't keep several mistresses besides their wives? It's perfectly normal."

"Yes, yes, it's a matter of mutual consent."

……

As soon as Huaihua entered the courtyard, she spotted Jia Zhangshi sitting there basking in the sun.

About a month after the surgery, Jia Zhangshi was able to get out of bed. Since the weather was nice today, she asked Qin Huairu to help her out to bask in the sun.

When Huaihua saw her, she glanced right past her, pretending not to see her, and didn't want to pay any attention to her at all.

She had long since figured out that the Jia family's plan to sell her was a terrible idea devised by Jia Zhangshi. She didn't want to give that old hag the slightest bit of kindness.

When Jia Zhangshi saw Huaihua walk past without even a greeting, her face immediately darkened: "Huaihua! You brat, you didn't even utter a sound when you saw me, are you blind?"

Huaihua never expected that even after severing ties, this old woman would still dare to insult her. This was intolerable.

She stopped, turned her head, and said, "Old woman, I have nothing to do with the Jia family anymore. Why should I ask you? You're a stranger to me. Even if you were lying on the ground, I wouldn't bother to look at you."

Jia Zhangshi was stunned, wondering if there was something wrong with her ears.

Back when she was at home, she would scold Huaihua, and Huaihua would be so scared she wouldn't dare breathe, let alone talk back. It's only been a month, and this brat has gotten so bold, daring to talk back to her? And even calling her an old woman?

Madam Jia was furious and immediately yelled, "You wretched girl! You good-for-nothing! How dare you talk to me like that! I'll tear your mouth apart!"

Huaihua glanced at her and suddenly noticed that she was missing all four of her front teeth. A smirk played on her lips. "Old woman," she said, "my mouth is perfectly fine, but yours rotted first, and now you've lost all your teeth. I think this is karma for doing too many bad things."

Jia Zhangshi's four teeth were torn out when she bit Sha Zhu with too much force. Without her front teeth, she spoke with a lisp and couldn't even gnaw on meat bones. She was already seething with anger, and now Huaihua was mocking her about it. Her face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, and she was so angry that she almost fell off her chair.

She pointed at the locust blossoms, trembling all over, about to burst into a tirade—

Hearing the commotion inside, the group of older women at the door rushed in and started berating Jia Zhangshi.

"Jia Zhangshi, what are you doing? Huaihua has broken off all ties with you, and you're still pointing fingers and cursing at her. That's going too far!"

"Jia Zhangshi, Huaihua is no longer a member of the Jia family. You have no right to insult her!"

"They're currently evaluating model courtyard houses, so don't cause any trouble. We won't be polite if you start swearing!"

"If you're sick, just focus on getting better and don't cause trouble!"

"Huaihua is such a nice girl, why are you scolding her? She's a complete stranger to you, don't you understand?"

Seven or eight older women surrounded Jia Zhangshi and berated her, which immediately subdued her.

No matter how sharp her tongue is, she can't withstand being attacked by so many people. Besides, she was already in the wrong, and continuing to make a scene would only provoke public outrage.

Fortunately, Qin Huairu rushed out in time, forcing a smile and saying, "Dear neighbors, I'm so sorry, my mother's mental state has been unstable since she fell ill. Please don't take it personally."

Since things had come to this point, no one wanted to continue the insults, so they gradually fell silent.

"Qin Huairu, help your mother back inside."

"Yes, if you're sick, just lie down. Coming out here and cursing people just makes you unpopular."

"Hurry and help them inside."

Qin Huairu nodded and helped Jia Zhangshi into the house.

As she turned to leave, Qin Huairu's gaze swept across the room and landed squarely on Huaihua. She knew Huaihua all too well; the moment she saw Huaihua's demeanor, she knew immediately—Huaihua was already a woman.

"That brat Huaihua, she's already hooked up with Wang Jun after only a month..."

"It's just a pity..."

"She's severed ties with the Jia family, so we can't ask Wang Jun for money anymore."

Qin Huairu felt increasingly regretful. If Huaihua were still connected to the Jia family, she could have easily asked Wang Jun for a large dowry, even asking for several thousand yuan wouldn't have been a problem. But after severing ties, dowries and such were no longer relevant to her, and she could only dream about it in her heart.