Sha Zhu's Rebirth in the Courtyard: Starting with Hitting Someone in the Head

Chapter 304 Compromise with the Stick

The next morning, Qin Huairu took Huaihua to the hospital.

A middle-aged doctor wearing glasses sat in the consultation room. Huaihua sat down and handed over the registration form. "Doctor, I'm a teacher. I haven't been sleeping well lately. I can't sleep at all, my mind keeps racing, and I have a terrible headache during the day. I also experience heart palpitations, and sometimes my hands shake so much that I can't hold the chalk."

The doctor looked up at her, then looked down and flipped through her medical record: "When did this start?"

"It's been like this for several years," Huaihua said calmly. "It's been like this ever since the divorce."

"divorce?"

"Yes. They found out I couldn't have children, and then... I got divorced from my husband's family."

The doctor measured my blood pressure, listened to my heart rate, and reviewed my previous outpatient records. He said the symptoms indicated moderate neurasthenia.

At this moment, Qin Huairu was alone in the consultation room. She pushed an envelope over and whispered about the difficulties her daughter was facing in resigning from her job.

The doctor paused for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. He helped improve the medical record, exaggerating the symptoms of insomnia, palpitations, and memory loss, and adjusted the wording on the diagnosis report, writing that it was severe neurasthenia, with recurrent flare-ups and difficulty in being relieved by long-term rest.

Huaihua took the medical record book, and the mother and daughter thanked her and left.

In the afternoon, Huaihua took her medical records and resignation application to the principal's office.

Qin Huairu waited in her dormitory, pondering what to do next.

As the sun began to set, Huaihua returned. "Mom, I've submitted it. The principal said the school is aware of my situation, and the resignation procedures will be processed according to regulations. It should be approved in a little over a month at the fastest, and two months at the slowest."

She sat down on the edge of the bed. "He told me to keep working and wait for the paperwork to be approved before handing over the work."

Qin Huairu thought for a moment and wrote down a phone number. "Then Mom will go back first. Once you get approval here, set off and call me in advance. This number is the public phone at the grocery store at the entrance of the alley."

"Mom, what about my brother...?"

"I'll go back and talk to him," Qin Huairu interrupted her. "Don't worry, Mom is confident."

Huaihua didn't ask any more questions.

Early on the third day, Huaihua saw Qin Huairu off at the train station. The October wind blew from the platform, carrying the heavy smell of diesel smoke from the locomotives, and messed up both of their hair.

Qin Huairu stopped at the carriage door, turned to look at Huaihua: "We'll set off once the approval is granted. Don't worry about the money, Mom has saved quite a bit, enough to get by."

The locust blossoms waved goodbye in the wind, and Qin Huairu turned and went inside, carrying her bag. As the train started moving, Qin Huairu leaned against the window, watching the locust blossoms on the platform grow smaller and smaller until they became just a black dot. She leaned back in her seat, closed her eyes, and tapped her fingers lightly on her bag strap, feeling quite pleased.

That evening, in the west wing of the courtyard, Qin Huairu sat down opposite her son. "Banggeng, Mom went to Hebei. I found Huaihua."

The man holding the pen suddenly looked up, his knuckles turning slightly white, and his eyes glared fiercely at her.

Qin Huairu swallowed hard and quickly explained, "Banggeng, listen to me. Mom's health isn't good, and I'm afraid I won't live much longer. Someone needs to take care of you in your situation. Huaihua got divorced, can't have children, and has been living alone for several years. Mom asked her to quit her job and come back, and she agreed."

Banggeng lowered his head, staring at the unfinished number on the ledger. He understood his mother meant well and asked, "You believed her just because she promised?"

"She's serious this time."

"She was serious last time too." Banggeng looked up at Qin Huairu. "She couldn't make it out there, so she thought about coming back. Doesn't she care about what happened at home? If she finds someone else to marry in Beijing, she'll still abandon me."

Qin Huairu knew that the letter and those words were a thorn stuck in Bang Geng's heart. It had been stuck there for too long, and he couldn't pull it out, nor did he know how.

"Banggeng, your health isn't good. If she can come, it's better for you two siblings to help each other than for you to carry the burden alone. But you're right. You need to be careful with Huaihua. From now on, you'll manage the money and pay her a salary every month. When Huaihua comes back, I'll spread the word that she can't have children. No one will marry her, don't worry."

Bang Geng sighed. His mother had even schemed against her own daughter for his sake. What could he say? He silently nodded, picked up the account book, and went back to his room.

In mid-October, He Yuzhu received a call from He Xiao informing him that Lin Wanqing had given birth.

He became a father and grandfather again, and his second grandson was named He Jingyuan. He Yuzhu took his three wives back on a private plane, and He Yang was also brought along so that he could meet his second nephew.

He Yang was incredibly excited on the plane, running around and making a ruckus before finally pressing his face against the window to watch the clouds. Zhu Lin watched him from the side, while Lou Xiao'e and Shen Zhixia sat in the back talking. He Yuzhu sat in the single seat in front, dozing with his eyes closed. The Zhonghuan Financial team was progressing according to plan, with Manager Liu overseeing things and He Xin keeping an eye on the government bonds; there wasn't much for him to worry about.

Upon arriving in Hong Kong, He Xiao greeted his family at the hospital entrance. Lin Wanqing was recovering well, while He Jingyuan, wrapped in swaddling clothes, had a wrinkled face. He Yang leaned over for a glance, then turned back and said, "Dad, he's so tiny."

"You were this small when you were little."

"I didn't. I'm his uncle."

The full moon celebration was over in late November. During this month, He Yuzhu first took his wife and children to the newly built resort in Zhonghuan Real Estate, played with He Yang on the beach, and went into the city to visit his grandson and finalize the banquet arrangements with his son.

Seven days later, I boarded a private plane and flew to the Kansai region of Japan. During the next ten days, I traveled to Osaka and Kyoto, visiting gardens and zoos. The scenery of the cities was completely different from that of the islands.

He Yuzhu taught his son: "When you grow up, help your father buy the valuable assets of the Japanese. They don't deserve to own these."

He Yang patted his chest and replied, "I know, Dad. Those bad guys should be blown to smithereens."

He looked at his four-year-old son in surprise, "Why do you hate the Japanese so much? It would be such a waste to bomb and sink them, let them work for the He family to make money."

"It was my maternal grandmother and grandfather who told me that the Japanese bullied us."

He Yuzhu hugged his son and kissed him, "Good son, Dad will personally teach you skills from now on."

In late November, he returned to Beijing with his wife and children. The plane landed, and the wind was a bit chilly on their faces; winter had arrived in Beijing. Back in the courtyard, He Yang ran to his grandfather's place to ride back his big yellow dog.

Zhu Lin brought He Yuzhu a cup of tea. "Brother Zhu, are you really going to personally teach He Yang? Sister Xiao'e and Sister Zhixia both said that He Xiao, He Chen, and He Xin have practiced martial arts since they were young, and have also studied Chinese culture. They have endured a lot of hardship."

"Boys should be able to endure hardship. Look at the older ones, they can all stand on their own and are all successful. I think He Yang is better than his older brothers and sisters. He's thirty years younger than He Xiao, so he'll be a good successor to He Xiao in the future."

In the evening, Xu Damao arrived. He brought quite a few more things, and as soon as he sat down, he began to speak: "My dear in-law, the courtyard has been quite lively while you were away."

"What's wrong?"

"Qin Huairu brought her daughter back, that's Huaihua."

He Yuzhu peeled an orange. "Oh, the locust flowers are back?"

"He came back after resigning. I heard it was because of poor health, neurasthenia or something."

Xu Damao spoke with great enthusiasm: "The Qin family went it alone, letting Yan Jiekuang open a recycling station in Qianmen Hutong, near the Liu family's place. Qin Huairu gave the Yan family some money as compensation, and the two families separated. That kid Yan Jiekuang is now competing with the Liu brothers for business, engaging in price wars every day."

He Yuzhu cut the peeled orange in half, put one half in his mouth, and handed the other half to Xu Damao: "They're starting to fight like dogs now. Tell me all about it."