Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"Sister, please put in a good word for me at the factory from now on. Qin Huai and I really have nothing to do with each other. Don't let those rumors spread and ruin my reputation."

After hearing He Yuzhu's words, Liu Lan immediately nodded vigorously.

"You just focus on your work! From now on, if anyone talks nonsense or gossips, I'll immediately give them a smaller portion of rice and make them go to work hungry."

"Thank you so much."

He Yuzhu replied with a smile.

He trusted Liu Lan's words quite a bit, after all, she was the person in charge of the rice scoop and the livelihood of the entire factory in the steel rolling mill canteen.

Besides, she's known for her quick and far-reaching gossip; having her spread the word saves him the trouble of explaining to each and every household.

"It's getting late, I have to head to the factory now. We can chat more later!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and walked steadily toward the factory area.

Although I now walk on two legs, since I reached the peak of my physical fitness, my endurance and strength are now completely different from before. I walk with a straight back and a brisk pace, and I feel more confident.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully clarifying the boundaries between Liu Lan and Qin Huairuo. Reward: six yuan."

……

On the other side, Qin Huairu and his family had also gotten up.

It must be said that Qin Huairu was indeed efficient and capable, managing all the affairs of the household single-handedly. If she hadn't married into this family, with her diligence, her life should have been much more comfortable.

pity……

After entering the Jia family, everything changed. People became shrewd and calculating, and their thoughts became increasingly deep.

What's even more troublesome is that her mother-in-law, Jia Zhangshi, is also a formidable character: stingy and greedy, and far more cunning than her.

At this moment, Qin Huairu had just served breakfast to the two children and was helping Banggeng button up his clothes. She was so busy by the stove and in front of the bed that her feet barely touched the ground.

Madam Jia Zhang rushed over in her slippers and immediately asked:

"Did Sha Zhu give you money? Where's the money?"

The first thing she did upon opening her eyes was to look at this; it concerned her grandson Banggeng's food supply, and she couldn't afford to be careless in the slightest.

"They didn't give it to me!"

"Look at me, I just woke up and I was busy cooking porridge, setting out bowls and serving rice, getting dressed and making the bed. How could I possibly find time to go find Sha Zhu?"

Qin Huairu rolled her eyes, her tone tinged with helplessness. The person was busy right in front of her, yet she still insisted on asking questions; it was truly a headache.

"Stop dawdling, hurry up! If you keep dawdling, you won't be able to find him once he leaves!"

Jia Zhangshi was anxiously urging him on, her heart pounding: what if she didn't get the money? What would Bang Geng eat today?

"What's the panic?"

"He works in the cafeteria and usually doesn't leave until around nine o'clock, so there's no way to rush him."

Although she said that, she was a hundred times unwilling. Sha Zhu's cold face and stubbornness yesterday still made her feel suffocated.

She knew very well that this kind of man couldn't be spoiled or indulged; if she spoiled him too much, she would lose her sense of proportion.

She was certain that in a few days, Sha Zhu would have to apologize and apologize. She had tried this trick many times, and it always worked.

But Madam Jia kept urging her, and she really couldn't refuse.

Then I saw that Banggeng had only taken a few bites of rice before listlessly putting down his chopsticks, his little face tense, clearly terrified.

"well……"

Qin Huairu's heart sank, and he had no choice but to put down his work and hurriedly leave.

She had just stepped out of the courtyard gate when she bumped into He Yushui. Her eyes lit up, and she quickly put on a smile and greeted her:

"Rain, is your brother home? I need to speak with him urgently!"

Upon hearing this, He Yushui frowned slightly, a feeling of annoyance rising in her heart.

After her brother's words of advice last night, she saw through Qin Huairu's true colors and was no longer as close to him as before; in fact, she became instinctively wary of him.

"have no idea."

"No one was home, so my brother went to the factory before dawn."

After saying that, she didn't even glance at him again, took the bicycle, got on, and rode away. The wheels spun and she disappeared in the blink of an eye.

My brother is right. The most important thing right now is to study hard and get into a good university. That's the only way to truly make my brother proud.

"Well……"

Qin Huairu stood there, stunned, unable to react for a moment.

She never expected He Yushui to be so cold, not even leaving a polite word, just like Sha Zhu's attitude.

What on earth is going on?

Besides, is Sha Zhu really going to work this early? Impossible! He usually sleeps until the sun is high in the sky before lazily heading out.

She stood at the gate and called out several times, but no one answered. She then walked around the house once before she was sure that He Yuzhu was not home.

She stood there stunned for a long while, filled with doubt: What had she said wrong? What had she done wrong? Why was the entire He family suddenly avoiding her like the plague?

Qin Huai shook his head and silently turned back.

As soon as she stepped into the house, Jia Zhangshi rushed up to her and asked:

"Did Sha Zhu sign it? Did he get the money?"

Qin Huai sighed and gently shook her head:

"He wasn't even home. I heard he went to the factory early this morning. I didn't even see him. How can I ask him for money?"

"What?!"

Jia Zhangshi was stunned, her face fell instantly, and her heart clenched. She couldn't even find a trace of him, so who could she rely on for the money?

"etc!"

"Didn't he always sneak in right on time? Did the sun rise in the west today?"

"That despicable idiot Zhu! He had to slip away at this crucial moment, leaving not a trace!"

She grew angrier the more she thought about it, and her curses continued.

But they never considered: why should Sha Zhu have to cover for the mess they made? What does he owe you?

Suddenly, Banggeng slapped his forehead and shouted:

"Mom! Grandma! Don't worry! I often go to Sha Zhu's house to play, I know where he hides his money! I'll go get it!"

Before he could finish speaking, he threw down his chopsticks and rushed out.

Qin Huairu's expression changed drastically. This child actually dared to steal! Even though the target was Sha Zhu, her heart tightened: this matter must not be tolerated.

"Stop right there!"

"Mom, why are you stopping me? I'm just going to get that little bit of money from Sha Zhu, it's not like I'm robbing a bank, is it really that big of a deal?"

Banggeng didn't care at all, pursed his lips, and even took half a step forward.

In his eyes, this was nothing out of the ordinary. He had long treated He Yuzhu's things as his own, never considering whether it counted as theft, and never thinking that his palms would burn when he reached out.

"you……"

Qin Huairu was so angry that her chest felt tight. Before she could even speak, she rushed up to the stick and delivered a clean and decisive slap across the face.

"Bang Geng! I told you before, you can eat or drink Sha Zhu's food, his water, and his leftover steamed buns if you want; but you can't touch a single penny of his money! That's his hard-earned money, not something you can just pick up for free!"

"Qin Huairu! Are you crazy?!"

Upon seeing her grandson being beaten, Jia Zhangshi immediately rushed over, pulling the stick into her arms. Her fingers trembled as she touched his face. Seeing the red mark, her anger flared up: "You hit him? How old is he? What does he know! Besides, that's Sha Zhu's money, not someone else's. Is it worth making such a big deal out of it?"

"Hmph, if you won't let me go, then go by yourself! Anyway, that thirty yuan belongs to Xu Damao, taking it isn't illegal!"

"I'm not going."

Qin Huairu gritted her teeth, her face turning pale. Last night, she was scolded by He Yuzhu to the point of being unable to lift her head, and this morning she was given the cold shoulder by He Yushui. Now, she even finds it hard to swallow the words "Silly Zhu".

"Fine! If you won't go, I'll go in your place!"

After saying that, Jia Zhangshi turned around and ran towards He Yuzhu's house, but when she got to the door, she was stunned: the door was locked.

She was dumbfounded. He Yuzhu always left the door open, so why was he acting so strangely today? Upon closer inspection, she saw that the newly replaced lock was thick and heavy, and she couldn't even kick it open.

"That bastard He Yuzhu!"

Just then, Aunt Wang from next door passed by carrying a bucket of water. Seeing her loitering at the door, she casually asked, "Looking for Sha Zhu?"

"No... I wasn't looking, just browsing!"

Jia Zhangshi felt a pang of guilt and turned to flee before she could finish her sentence, her steps so fast it seemed as if someone was chasing her.

Back inside, Qin Huairu and the three children stared at her intently, their eyes burning with desire. Jia Zhangshi wiped her sweat and said dejectedly, "That damned man welded the door shut; we didn't get any money."

"..."

Qin Huairu quietly let out a breath. In truth, she was opposed to this matter from the bottom of her heart, but she just couldn't confront it directly. She suddenly stood up, grabbed an old cloth bag from the corner of the wall, and said, "Instead of wasting time, I might as well go to the factory and try my luck. Sha Zhu has probably already left. I'll look for him on the way and maybe I can intercept him."

"Yes! I'll buy a chicken while I'm at it, just in time for dinner."

"Okay! Go quickly, I'll keep an eye on things at home!"

Madam Jia could only nod, placing her last hope on her.

Qin Huairu had just finished getting ready and was about to leave when she caught sight of Aunt Wang fetching water, her gaze sweeping towards her door several times. Her heart tightened, she forced a smile, mumbled a greeting, and turned to leave.

Seeing her hurried figure and unsteady steps, Aunt Wang immediately understood what was going on and turned to head towards Uncle Yi's house.

An elderly man was drinking tea from an enamel mug when he heard her words, and he paused, his cup still in his hand: "Something happened to Huai Ru's family? It can't be that bad!"

Aunt Wang slowly blew on the tea foam: "I think it's not that her family is in trouble, but that Sha Zhu and Huai Ru are probably fighting."

"What? The two of them? Impossible!" An old man shook his head, his face full of disbelief. "Don't we know what kind of person Sha Zhu is? He's so honest he could melt your heart."

"You really didn't notice the smell?" Aunt Wang put the water ladle on the table and gestured, "Yesterday, Liu Haizhong's wife saw it with her own eyes. Huai Ru tried to go into Sha Zhu's room, and as soon as she reached out to push the door, Sha Zhu shoved her out, and the door slammed shut!"

An old man frowned: "But Sha Zhu always gives in to her..."

"Even a rabbit will kick an eagle when cornered! If Huai Ru hadn't interfered, would Xiao'e have divorced him?" Aunt Wang slapped her thigh, her voice bitter. "To be frank, whose fault is this? It's her fault, a widow, who goes to Sha Zhu's house every day, acting like she's in her own home, without any regard for others!"

"Besides, Xiao'e said it herself, she's never seen Sha Zhu's pay slips. Where did all that money go? Didn't it all end up in Huai Ru's pocket?"

The old man frowned more and more as he listened, and finally raised his hand to interrupt: "Alright, alright, stop nagging."

She paused, then sighed, "You know how tough it is for Huai Ru. She has to raise three children and take care of the old lady. If it weren't for Sha Zhu's help, she would have been starving long ago."