Courtyard House: A System Connecting Two Worlds, Resources for the Nation

Slices of marbled meat, alternating between lean and fatty, were grilled at high temperatures, releasing a rich aroma. Combined with the accompanying dipping sauce, the five women couldn't stop eating.

Especially Qin Jingru, that little foodie, after taking a bite, immediately became very hungry, her eyes fixed on Sun Sanniang's tongs.

The fact that so many people are dining at 2 pm on a weekday shows that this restaurant is truly something special.

In the era in which Bai Ling and the other two women lived, the whole country was in a state of resource scarcity. It was only after they came into contact with Zhou Feng that they had the opportunity to eat so much meat.

But this was the first time I'd ever tried barbecued like this, so I naturally enjoyed it immensely.

Zhao Pan'er and Sun San Niang were not short of money in the Song Dynasty and ate delicacies from land and sea, but this was beef!

Even though they have their own shops in Tokyo and are backed by Zhou Feng's influence, beef isn't something they can just eat whenever they want.

Most of the beef available for purchase comes from cattle that died of disease or old age, so the taste is naturally incomparable to the premium beef in front of you!

People in the Song Dynasty probably never even dreamed that one day ordinary people would be able to afford beef freely!

As the pile of plates brought in by the waiter quickly dwindled under the five women's hearty eating, Zhou Feng's appetite was also whetted.

Who would have thought that these five girls, who all have such beautiful figures and flat stomachs, could eat so much!

Putting everything else aside, with their looks and appetites, if they were to become food vloggers, they could easily become top-tier internet celebrities with millions of followers.

wrong…

It's uncertain about the others, but with Zhao Pan'er's face, if she started live streaming, it doesn't matter what kind of content she does—entertainment, food, outdoor—she could easily make tens of millions of views.

"Brother Zhou Feng..."

Just as Zhou Feng was lost in thought, a timid voice came from beside him.

Turning his head, he saw Qin Jingru looking up at him: "Can we order five more plates... no, three more plates of beef?"

"Order! Five plates, please!"

Zhou Feng waved his hand and scanned the QR code with his phone.

That's ridiculous! How could you let your wife go out hungry while eating at a buffet?

After the meal, the five women put their masks back on. When they went out, each of them held their stomach with their left hand and their waist with their right, looking just like pregnant women.

On the one hand, the barbecue here was indeed well-marinated, and on the other hand, they had never experienced this kind of buffet before, so they ordered a bit too much.

Apart from Zhou Feng, none of the people present could tolerate wasting food, so they forced themselves to eat all the extra meat.

Just as Zhou Feng led them out of the barbecue restaurant, a WeChat message arrived, immediately changing his expression.

The message was from Lao Zhou; it was just one line: "Your mother and I will be arriving in Beiping soon and are preparing to go to your place. Send me your address."

Goodness, they arrived so fast!

Zhou Feng clicked his tongue, then looked up at the entrance of the barbecue restaurant, where five women were still helping each other digest their food.

They had finished eating, but their excitement hadn't subsided, and they kept chatting about something.

The old lady had wanted a daughter-in-law before, but she couldn't find one.

Now, not only do they have Tao Muyao, their chosen daughter-in-law from this world, but Zhou Feng has also brought back five more. No wonder their parents came all the way from Northeast China.

After a few seconds of silence, Zhou Feng gestured to Tie Jianguo and handed the matter over to him when he came over.

In reality, the chances of them getting into trouble in Beiping were extremely slim, so having Tie Jianguo with them was enough.

White Wolf then drove the car he had found to the station to pick up Old Zhou and Ms. Li.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong? Has something happened?"

Zhao Pan'er was the first to notice Zhou Feng's unusual behavior; even while they were chatting, she kept glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

Upon hearing her words, the other four women also turned their gazes toward her.

Zhou Feng turned off his phone, took a deep breath, and looked up at the five women: "Actually, it's nothing serious, it's just that my parents will be here soon."

The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds, followed by Qin Jingru's exclamation.

"Huh—?"

The tissue she was about to use to wipe her mouth had fallen to the ground, and Lou Xiao'e looked flustered.

Bai Ling and Sun San Niang froze in their conversation, only managing a short "Ah?" after a long pause.

Only Zhao Pan'er reacted the fastest, almost instantly straightening up and taking three steps at a time to stand in front of Zhou Feng. She lowered her voice and asked, "The Emperor Emeritus and Empress Dowager are here. When will they arrive? Where are they now? Why didn't you say so earlier? We're dressed like this..."

She glanced down at her casual clothes with a hint of urgency. Although she had just worn an apron and hadn't gotten them dirty, the smell of barbecue still lingered on her clothes.

It would be extremely impolite to visit the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Dowager at this time!

It was clear that Zhao Pan'er was really anxious. Zhou Feng scratched his head and said, "They didn't tell me before they came. They just sent me a message, and I've already sent White Wolf to pick them up. We still have time to go back and change our clothes."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Now, no one was in the mood to continue shopping. Several long legs swung wildly as they rushed towards where the car was parked.

This is a big deal, as we're about to meet my in-laws, so no one dares to be careless!

"Wait! If my in-laws are coming, should we buy some fruit or gifts to take back with us?"

Halfway there, Bai Ling suddenly realized something.

"Why buy anything? They're all family, there's no need for that. They don't usually eat fruit anyway."

Zhou Feng waved his hand, about to say something, when Zhao Pan'er stepped forward: "We must buy some! We can't listen to the officials! I remember there was a sign with the word 'fruit' near our residence when we left; we can buy some there!"

"Okay! Sister Bai Ling and Sister Pan'er are right!"

In this matter, Zhou Feng's say was completely stripped away, and the five women began to discuss what to buy to take back.

"Bai Ling, take Jing Ru and San Niang back later and tidy up the house. Xiao'e and I will go with the official to buy fruit; we'll go on two separate trips!"

Although Zhao Pan'er and her friends had tidied up the dining table and sofa before leaving at noon, they still felt uneasy if they didn't rearrange everything since their in-laws were coming.

In front of the residential area, Tie Jianguo dropped off Zhou Feng, Zhao Pan'er, and Lou Xiao'e, then drove the other three women into the underground parking garage and made arrangements according to Zhao Pan'er's instructions.

When Zhou Feng and his two companions returned to the house, it had been completely renovated inside and out.

Qin Jingru was bent over, wiping the last corner under the TV cabinet clean with a rag.

Upon seeing them return, Bai Ling and the other two women hurriedly went over to take the fruit, washed it clean, and then all five women ran back to their room to change their clothes.

Zhou Feng leaned against the doorway and watched them take out their new clothes one by one to compare and choose. He couldn't help but chuckle, "Are you attending a ceremony?"

Zhao Pan'er rolled her eyes at him and pointed at his side: "Your Majesty, there are some oil stains on your clothes. You should go and change your clothes quickly."

"Okay, okay, you even noticed this little stain. I'll do as you say and go change it now!"

Just as the five women finished changing their clothes, a doorbell rang. Bai Lang had already led Lao Zhou and Ms. Li to the underground parking garage, waiting for Zhou Feng to press the elevator button for them.

The six people inside the house were unaware that Mr. Zhou and Ms. Li, who had taken the elevator, were also somewhat nervous.

Meeting your daughters-in-law is nothing special, but meeting five daughters-in-law at once is unprecedented, especially since each of them has a different status!

Sometimes, it's not a good thing when your son is too capable!

During the short time the elevator went up, the five women stood side by side at the door, and none of them spoke.

Even as they watched the floor numbers jump on the screen, their fingers turned slightly white.

Sun San Niang, Lou Xiao'e, and Qin Jingru looked at each other's clothes, afraid that something might go wrong.

Ding.

The elevator doors opened.

Ms. Li and Mr. Zhou, who came out from inside, were also taken aback by the scene in front of them.

Zhou Feng stood at the front, and behind him were five women lined up in a row. Although their looks varied, they were all beautiful girls who were hard to look away from at first glance.

"The daughter-in-law greets her parents-in-law!" X5

The five women placed their hands on their abdomens, bent their knees deeply, and bowed their heads in a standard curtsy.

This way of greeting was something they came up with together.

Based on Zhao Pan'er's previous titles, "Emperor Emeritus" and "Empress Dowager" were clearly inappropriate in this era, so she would simply say "daughter-in-law has met her parents-in-law."

However, the gesture of bowing was still the same as Zhao Pan'er's previous gesture, to show respect to Zhou Feng's parents.

"This...this...this, please rise!"

Ms. Li, still holding her phone, hesitated for a long time before finally raising her hand and saying a line from a movie.

In that instant, she felt like Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty.

Even though all five women were standing in front of her, she still hesitated and carefully counted them one by one. Sure enough, there were five people!

"Um... girls, how about you go in first, I need to ask Zhou Feng something?"

"Yes!" X5

As the five women returned to their room and closed the door, Ms. Li grabbed Zhou Feng by the collar.

"Come on, tell your mother, are all five of these your wives?"

Zhou Feng chuckled awkwardly, then patted his mother's hand: "Don't scratch it, these are clothes Pan'er picked out for me, and you've wrinkled them all."

"What do you mean by 'hoping for a child'? I'm asking you a question!"

Ms. Li glanced at the door and then lowered her voice.

"Yes, they're all my wives! You've all been binge-watching TV dramas these past few days, right? You should all recognize these people here."

"Knowing them is one thing, but now they're standing in front of your mother. How can that be the same? Do you know how much pressure your mother is under right now?"

After loosening Zhou Feng's collar, Ms. Li still spoke through gritted teeth.

She had forgotten that Zhou Feng hadn't asked her to come to Beiping; it was she who made the decision to bring Old Zhou here.

After confirming the identities of the five girls, Zhou Feng led the two men into the room.

As soon as they reached the entrance, Zhao Pan'er and Sun San Niang had already prepared slippers, ready to help them change.

"No need, no need! Honey, we don't wear that around here. We can wear our own clothes!"

No matter how fiery Ms. Li's temper is usually, she can suppress it when faced with this kind of etiquette.

Old Zhou took two steps back, somewhat embarrassed.

If he makes his daughter-in-law change his shoes, wouldn't Ms. Li skin him alive when they get back?

After the two entered the room and sat on the sofa, Zhao Pan'er walked up to Ms. Li, knelt down and performed a deep curtsy, her voice clear and upright: "Pan'er greets Mother on behalf of all the sisters. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by your sudden arrival today, as we have not prepared all the proper etiquette. We hope you will forgive us. There is still a long time ahead, and we will certainly serve you wholeheartedly to comfort your heart."

As she stood up, she suddenly pulled out a small brocade box from her sleeve and presented it to Ms. Li with both hands.

Inside was a fine mutton-fat white jade pendant, which Zhao Pan'er had kept when she was in Tokyo, intending to give to Zhou Feng.

Now that we've encountered this unexpected situation, there's no time to send it to the official, so sending it to the official's mother would be just as good.

Ms. Li took the jade pendant, her hand trembling slightly. She glanced at her son out of the corner of her eye, and Zhou Feng nodded with a normal expression before she put it away.

"Good, good children, you are all well, please sit down!"

Bai Ling, who was standing to the side, noticed that Zhao Pan'er had stepped forward alone and looked rather unwell, but when she heard Zhao Pan'er mention that she had brought all her sisters along, her expression relaxed.

"We've also prepared some seasonal fruit for you, please don't mind..."

When she first met Ms. Li, she wanted to address her as "Mother" like Zhao Pan'er did, but she hesitated for a long time before she could open her mouth.

The other three women listened to Ms. Li's words and obediently sat down, filling the sofa in the living room.

Ms. Li and Mr. Zhou sat in the main seats, while the five women sat on either side.

Regardless of how you look at it, it seems that the two of them are quite satisfied with these girls so far.

Although each of them was exceptionally good-looking and had an extraordinary temperament, they were not arrogant at all. On the contrary, they were extremely polite and courteous, which made the others feel a little uncomfortable.

"This...it's a blessing for Zhou Feng that you can be with him. You're all good kids. What year were you born, and how old are you?"

Old Zhou cleared his throat and asked a routine question, which made the expressions of the women present freeze for a moment.

"In response to Father, Pan'er was born in 978."

"In response to Father, Third Sister was born in 972."

"In response to Father, Bai Ling was born in 1938."

"In response to Father, Jingru was born in 1945."

"In response to Father, Xiao'e was born in 1940."

Having followed Zhou Feng for so long, they have also learned to use the Gregorian calendar to represent years.

But this straightforward year also put Mr. Zhou and Ms. Li in an awkward position.

The latter glared fiercely at Lao Zhou.

Why did you ask such a silly question?!

Now look what's happened, the youngest one is older than your dad, what are we going to do now?