Siheyuan: At the beginning, I can integrate everything!

Winter dusks always come especially early.

Sha Zhu, carrying a heavy net bag and lunchbox, had just stepped into the central courtyard when he bumped into Qin Huairu, who was silently weeping by the pool.

Qin Huairu had just been spat on by the old ladies in the alley that afternoon.

Her eyes were red and swollen, and her hair was disheveled.

A few strands of hair clung to her fair cheeks, and coupled with her pitiful expression, she looked utterly endearing.

Upon seeing this, Sha Zhu's protective instincts instantly surged.

He rushed over in two strides, asking impatiently:

"Oh dear, Sister Qin! What happened?"

"Who bullied you? Tell me, and I, Sha Zhu, will go and beat them up!"

Qin Huairu looked up and glanced at Sha Zhu.

Tears streamed down her face like beads from a broken string, and she sobbed uncontrollably.

"Zhu Zi... isn't he Zhang Huaimin from the front yard..."

Qin Huairu sobbed as she recounted the events of the afternoon, embellishing the story.

Of course, in her version, Bang Geng was walking along the road when Zhang Huaimin pushed him down and broke his front tooth.

When Jia Zhangshi went to demand an explanation, Zhang Huaimin pretended to cry, which led to the entire neighborhood bullying the orphan and widow.

"Zhu Zi, why is our Jia family so unlucky?"

"It's not easy for Dongxu to support the family alone, and now Banggeng is so badly injured, he can't even afford the medical expenses..."

As Qin Huairu spoke, her eyes glanced almost imperceptibly at the net bag lunchbox in Sha Zhu's hand.

There was half a roast chicken and two steamed buns inside.

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu was so angry he was practically fuming.

He's not a bad person, but he's single-minded and can't stand seeing women cry.

Especially Qin Huairu, whom he had always secretly liked.

"That Zhang Huaimin! He's so young, but his heart is certainly wicked!"

"We shouldn't have let that old man off the hook yesterday!"

"Sister Qin, don't cry. Take this lunchbox back and give it to Bang Geng to help him recover."

"I'm going to the front yard right now to confront that kid and make him pay for the medical expenses!"

Sha Zhu shoved the lunchbox into Qin Huairu's hand, rolled up his greasy sleeves, and strode aggressively toward the front yard.

Qin Huairu held the heavy lunchbox, a barely perceptible smug smile playing on her lips.

As long as that big idiot Sha Zhu is on the front lines, she doesn't believe she can't subdue a five-year-old baby.

In the front yard, at the door of Zhang Huaimin's house.

Zhang Huaimin was squatting on the ground, holding a few smooth pebbles in his hand, playing a game of jacks.

He had already sensed Sha Zhu's anger through his extraordinary hearing.

But he didn't even lift his head.

Until a pair of large feet wearing tattered cotton shoes stopped in front of him.

"Zhang Huaimin, stand up!"

Sha Zhu, with a gruff voice, pointed down at Zhang Huaimin.

"You're quite something, aren't you? Not only did you push Aunt Jia into the sink, but you also broke Bang Geng's front tooth today?"

"Hurry up and give Sister Qin ten yuan to make amends, or Uncle Zhu will have to teach you a lesson on behalf of Brother Dashan today!"

Zhang Huaimin stopped what he was doing.

He slowly raised his head, his clear, large eyes slowly and deliberately scrutinizing Sha Zhu.

This tragic figure, who was drained of his life by the beasts in the courtyard, ultimately froze to death under a bridge.

They are pitiful, but also hateful.

Zhang Huaimin wasn't angry; instead, he revealed an extremely innocent and carefree smile.

"Uncle Zhu, you're bringing Aunt Qin a lunchbox again?"

Instead of answering Sha Zhu's question, Zhang Huaimin suddenly threw out a completely unrelated question.

Sha Zhu was taken aback and subconsciously puffed out his chest.

"That's right, Uncle Zhu is happy to help out the neighbors, so what?"

"Don't try to change the subject!"

Zhang Huaimin dusted off his hands, stood up, and sighed like a little adult.

"Oh, Uncle Zhu, you're so generous."

"However, I heard from Aunt Wang at the entrance of the alley that what you're doing doesn't count as helping the neighbors."

"This is called a 'perfect match'."

"A perfect match, a family without descendants?" Sha Zhu frowned; the words didn't sound very pleasant.

He glared at him with his bull-like eyes and asked, "What nonsense are you spouting, kid? What does 'unmarried and childless' mean?"

In this day and age, "childlessness" is the most vicious insult.

Sha Zhu is over twenty years old and still hasn't gotten married, so he can't stand hearing such words.

Zhang Huaimin blinked and said with an innocent look:

"Aunt Wang said that an old man who can't have children is destined to have no descendants."

"Uncle Zhu, you give all your good stuff to Aunt Qin's family every day, and you can't even get a wife. When you get old, no one will be there to take care of you, and you'll be childless."

"You two are a match made in heaven, a perfect couple with no descendants, you're a 'perfect match with no descendants' indeed."

"boom!"

These words struck Sha Zhu like a heavy hammer blow, hitting him hard in the heart.

Sha Zhu's face instantly turned bright red, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

"Bullshit! Who says I can't get a wife!"

"I'm just too picky; I haven't met the right person yet!"

Sha Zhu roared angrily, but there was a hint of guilt in his voice.

Zhang Huaimin chuckled inwardly as he looked at him.

Sha Zhu's core pain points are getting married and taking care of his parents in their old age.

If you hit these two points, this rough and tumble defense will crumble in one strike.

Zhang Huaimin continued to deliver his scathing remarks in that innocent, childlike tone.

"But Uncle Zhu, Aunt Qin has a mother-in-law and three children."

"You gave her your salary and lunchbox, how are you going to have money to get married?"

"And I also heard from Aunt Wang that..."

Zhang Huaimin deliberately lowered his voice and approached Sha Zhu mysteriously.

"Aunt Wang said that Aunt Qin's son, Bang Geng, eats your meat every day and calls you a 'big idiot' behind your back."

"Aunt Wang also said that when Aunt Qin has a child in the Jia family, Banggeng will grow up and get married."

"If you, you big idiot, get old and can't move, they'll definitely kick you out of the house."

"You won't even have a shack to sleep in then, you'll just have to freeze to death under a bridge, that's so pitiful."

"Buzz—!"

Sha Zhu's mind went completely blank, as if he had been struck by a blunt object.

What a fool?

Kick them out of the house?

Frozen to death under the bridge?!

These words were like poisonous thorns, piercing deeply into Sha Zhu's heart.

He may be muddle-headed, but he's not stupid.

He thought back for a moment.

Over the past few years, he had been providing the Jia family with lavish meals and lavish treatment, and had indeed never called that ingrate "Uncle He" once.

Every time I see him, I call him by his full name, "Silly Zhu," and my eyes even show a hint of contempt.

Qin Huairu always took it for granted when she borrowed money or grain, and never mentioned when she would repay it.

Is it...

In their eyes, am I really just a big fool who can be exploited at will?

Sha Zhu stood there, his eyes vacant, as if all his strength had been drained away.

His pride in "righteousness" is revealed in Zhang Huaimin's extremely straightforward yet incredibly truthful analysis.

It has become so ridiculous and pathetic.

"Uncle Zhu, are you still going to hit me for Aunt Qin?"

Zhang Huaimin tilted his head, looked at Sha Zhu who was lost in deep self-doubt, and asked another question.

Sha Zhu shuddered, as if he had been electrocuted, and came to his senses.

He glanced at the five-and-a-half-year-old child in front of him.

I felt that those clear eyes seemed to be able to see through all the darkness and scheming in the world.

Sha Zhu opened his mouth, but found that he couldn't say a word.

He suddenly realized that his aggressive arrival to confront him had made him look like a complete clown.

He didn't look at Zhang Huaimin again.

Instead, like a defeated rooster, he turned around dejectedly and staggered towards the central courtyard.

I just arrived at the Intermediate People's Court.

Qin Huairu was standing at her own door, holding the net lunchbox in her hand.

When she saw Sha Zhu return, she immediately put on an expectant smile and went to greet him.

"Zhu Zi, how's it going? Did that kid lose money?"

Qin Huairu asked softly, and deliberately moved closer to Sha Zhu.

Normally, Sha Zhu would definitely wave his hand and pat his chest to guarantee it.

But today.

When he saw Qin Huairu's delicate face and the lunchbox full of delicious food in her hand.

But Zhang Huaimin's words, "big fool" and "frozen to death under the bridge," kept echoing in his mind.

Sha Zhu's eyes became somewhat complicated, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible indifference.

He did not answer Qin Huairu's question.

Instead, he reached out his hand.