Courtyard House: In this life, I have a new home!

14

Several children pressed their faces against the door, their eyes shining brightly: "Wow, Daddy's so handsome!"

Fang Chengxuan returned to the oxcart. The wheels started turning again.

Mr. and Mrs. Fang were sitting in the car, completely unaware of what had happened in the yard. Even when they later heard that their third son's leg had been broken, they only let out a deep sigh.

After changing buses several times, the family finally arrived at the courtyard house.

When they first entered the city, Mr. and Mrs. Fang felt very uncomfortable, with the simple, slightly timid smiles typical of country folk.

"Hey, Brother Fang's back?"

"Didn't they say it would take five or six days?"

Yang Yuande was getting off work when he ran into Fang's parents at the door. He greeted them with a smile, "Are you Uncle and Aunt? I'm Yang Yuande, Fang's brother from the compound."

Mr. and Mrs. Fang smiled, but looked a little awkward.

As they walked, Fang Chengxuan asked, "Has anything happened in the hospital these past few days?"

Yang Yuande chuckled, "Brother Fang, you have no idea how lively things have been these past two days while you were gone!"

"An old man asked Xu Damao to introduce him to a girl from the countryside to date. He would give Xu two yuan for each girl he introduced, regardless of whether it worked out or not."

"Xu Damao hooked up with twelve girls in one day, all of whom were girls he had flirted with before but who weren't married yet. He made twenty-four yuan that day. The old man even had to treat them to a meal."

Yang Yuande came closer, his face full of anticipation for the show.

"None of them worked out. In the end, the person asked Xu Damao for help, and Xu Damao acted as a go-between. Both sides agreed to get things done. Guess what happened next?"

Fang Chengxuan's mind raced, and he replied, "Xu Damao and that woman conspired together? They got the bride price and ran away?"

"That's absolutely right!"

Yang Yuande grinned.

Fang Chengxuan was speechless for a long time after hearing this.

杨元德接着说：「那娘们儿是许大茂特特找来的，原先说好嫁给一大爷，好把一大爷的钱套出来。一大爷一个月挣九十九块呢，谁想到那女的连许大茂都耍了。我听说她本来就是要整许大茂，钱骗到手不算，还带了杀猪的男人过来，把一大爷跟许大茂一块儿揍了顿，完事儿跟那男人回老家去了。」

"Now the old man is demanding compensation from Xu Damao, but Xu Damao is vehemently denying everything and is instead demanding medical expenses from the old man. The old man's reputation in the compound is completely ruined! Who would have thought that the kind old man from before would have such a true face behind his back?"

After Yang Yuande finished speaking, he shook his head.

When Liu Ying saw Fang Chengxuan enter, she greeted him and said, "Chengxuan, I've tidied up the room. Your dad will sleep in the same room as you, and your mom, Lianyun, and I will squeeze in together."

Fang Chengxuan nodded: "Get some food and boil some water."

He turned to his parents and said, "Mom and Dad, this is Aunt Liu. Director Wang from the neighborhood committee arranged for her to take care of Lianyun and me. The house is small, just two rooms, and the conditions are a bit poor. Please have something to eat first, and then get some rest. You've come all this way, so we can talk about it tomorrow."

Mr. and Mrs. Fang nodded awkwardly, watching Liu Ying bustling around—cooking, serving dishes, clearing away dishes and washing chopsticks, and boiling water for them to wash their hands, faces, and feet. The couple thought to themselves: City people are really different; they're so considerate.

night.

Fang's mother secretly chatted with Liu Ying, inquiring about how Fang Chengxuan was doing here.

Fang's father took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Fang Chengxuan.

"This is the adoption certificate that your great-grandfather wrote when he adopted you, with the village elders and the village head as witnesses. Keep it safe, so that none of your brothers will use it to make trouble and demand favors from you."

Fang Chengxuan took it, glanced at it, and gave a soft "Hmm".

He made a sound.

Looking at his son, Mr. Fang sensed a change in him. He pursed his lips and explained, "Chengxuan, don't blame your parents for being heartless. Now that you've been adopted, you still have to raise Lianyun. If you continue to cause trouble with the family, your eldest and second brothers will be fine, but your third brother will definitely pester you. He'll say you can raise other people's children but don't care about your own nephew..."

Fang Chengxuan interrupted him: "Mom and Dad, don't overthink it. I was immature before, but after experiencing some things, I understand. You're doing this for my own good, not wanting me to be drained dry by your family in the future."

"I understand. It's getting late, let's go to sleep."

Fang Chengxuan sighed softly, but didn't say it out loud—his young and immature son hadn't actually survived the most difficult period.

"Why."

Mr. Fang responded, knowing in his heart that this son was ultimately lost. He didn't say anything more, but just sighed inwardly.

the next day.

Fang Chengxuan heard a noise outside, opened his eyes, and saw that his father had already gotten up. He didn't stay in bed either, and sat up as well.

"Dad, Mom, today I'll have Aunt Chen show you around the city."

Mr. and Mrs. Fang exchanged a glance and asked, "What about your boyfriend?"

"I've discussed it with her, and we'll set a date for you two to meet again. Don't be too nervous."

He added, "When you meet her family, just answer whatever they ask, tell the truth, don't be afraid."

He could tell that the couple felt very uncomfortable as soon as they entered the city, unsure of what to do with their hands and feet.

"Okay, whatever you say."

The two responded.

After breakfast, Fang Chengxuan checked the time. It was Sunday, perfect timing, so he went straight to Rong Xinrui's house.

"Chengxuan."

Rong Xinrui called out to him, smiling as she went to greet him: "Didn't you say you were going back to your hometown?"

"Yes, I went back, and now I'm back again."

Fang Chengxuan spoke in a flat tone.

A knowing glint flashed in Rong Xinrui's eyes. She didn't ask any more questions and instead said, "I want to discuss with my grandparents, uncles, and aunts to see when it would be more appropriate for my parents to come over."

Fang Chengxuan took her hand, and the two walked through the courtyard. The people in the courtyard were already familiar with him, and many smiled knowingly as they passed by.

Some people looked at him with disdain and contempt, thinking that Fang Chengxuan was incompetent, living off a woman without a care in the world, and not like a real man. They didn't say it aloud, but they were all thinking to themselves—isn't he just after the Rong family's money? Rong Xinrui is marrying down, while Fang is simply climbing the social ladder.

I spent the whole day at the Rong family home. When discussing matters, my grandfather and father simply handed over the decision-making power to Rong Wenyao.

When are your parents planning to come?

Rong Wenyao asked.

Fang Chengxuan thought for a moment: "Tomorrow then."

"So rushed? Why don't you take your parents to the city for a few days first?"

Rong Wenyao was a little surprised.

Fang Chengxuan pursed his lips and sighed softly, "To be honest, my family doesn't welcome me at all when I go back this time. My parents are honest people, they don't have any bad intentions."

"They felt that since I had accepted my great-grandfather's money to arrange the adoption, my family should no longer have any contact with me. During the three worst months of my life, I wrote home and was severely scolded."

"Of course, they also have their own considerations—if they don't lend a hand when I'm in trouble, they won't have to care about me when things get better."

"These two people were very uncomfortable coming into town with me this time. I felt bad seeing them like that."

He frowned slightly.

Rong Wenyao glanced at him and said, "Look on the bright side, it's better than getting stuck with a bunch of awful people."

"My parents are sensible, my eldest brother is honest and kind, and my sister-in-law is also good. My second brother doesn't care about anything, and my sister-in-law listens to him completely. The only ones who have some ulterior motives are my third brother and sister-in-law, but I can keep them in check."

"No matter what happens in the future, I will never let Xinrui suffer any injustice."

I plan to let Aunt Chen stay at the house indefinitely. We'll just say she's a distant relative, so that when Xinrui gets married and has children, she'll have another helper.

Fang Chengxuan arranged everything he could think of perfectly.

Rong Wenyao stared at his brother-in-law for a long time. As a fellow man, he felt a little embarrassed. "Don't you feel ashamed of yourself?"

"Brother, in this life, it's not easy to find someone you truly like, who is compatible, and who you're willing to give everything for."

"Before I met him, life went on like this. To outsiders, it seemed fine, but inside I felt empty and adrift. Only I knew how I felt."

"Only when your spirit and your daily life are going smoothly can you truly feel at ease."

"I was lucky to meet Xinrui."

"I'd rather fawn over her than worry about saving face. Do you really think Xinrui is the kind of person who would embarrass me or climb over my dignity to get ahead?"

When Fang Chengxuan mentioned Rong Xinrui, his eyes lit up, his lips curled up, and his smile was sweet.

Rong Wenyao thought to himself that he was almost thirty and still single, and sometimes when he was alone, he really felt a little...

He hadn't finished speaking.

Leng Si rushed in from outside, saw the two of them, and blurted out, "Fang Chengxuan, your parents got into a fight with an old man and were taken to the law enforcement office."

"What?"

Fang Chengxuan frowned and stood up abruptly.

He turned to Rong Wenyao and said, "Brother-in-law, I'll go first. Leng Si, tell me the details on the way."

"I'll go too."

Rong Wenyao stood up and pulled his coat over his shoulder.

"What exactly happened? Why did my parents get into a fight with this old man?"

Fang Chengxuan couldn't understand it.

His parents aren't the type to easily resort to violence.

"I don't know either. From what Aunt Chen said, it seems that an old man went to your parents to complain, saying that you were shameless, disrespectful to your elders, and vicious, or something like that. Your mother started it, scratching the old man's face with her claws. The old man pushed your mother, and she fell. Your father rushed over too. The three of them were fighting so badly that they couldn't be separated. Finally, the law enforcement officers came."

"Yi Zhonghai!"

Fang Chengxuan took a deep breath and then exhaled.

The three arrived at the law enforcement office. Mr. and Mrs. Fang stood on one side, and Uncle Yi Zhonghai stood on the other side. A large crowd of onlookers had gathered in the courtyard.

Fang Chengxuan walked a few steps to his parents: "Dad, Mom, are you hurt? Are you feeling unwell?"

He looked around but couldn't figure it out.

In contrast, Yi Zhonghai's face was swollen beyond recognition. There were handprints, fingernail marks, and bruises all around his eyes.

"Chengxuan, he's a scoundrel! We're from the same courtyard, what kind of elder are you to him? He's always complaining and blaming everything on you, I spit on him!"

Fang's mother glared at Uncle Yi Zhonghai, her teeth grinding together.

Fan Ying made it perfectly clear that Yi Zhonghai was the most cunning person in the entire alley. Relying on his seniority in the courtyard, he dared to use He Yuzhu, Qin Huairu, and the Third Uncle as pawns, instigating them to go against Fang Chengxuan. And look what happened, they were all sent to jail.

Mr. Fang shielded his wife, his face full of worry: "Chengxuan, have we caused you any trouble?"

"It's nothing serious, I know what I'm doing."

Fang Chengxuan's words reassured the two elderly people.