The Life of a Son-in-Law in a Courtyard House

Just as Sha Zhu had finished preparing four snacks to go with the drinks, Xu Damao arrived.

But this kid's visit to someone's house is like he's scouting for a theft.

Be very careful.

He was carrying two bottles of wine, as if afraid of being seen, and the way he closed the door made him look like a chicken thief.

Seeing this, Yang Dalin asked him, "Brother Da Mao, what's wrong? Why are you being so cautious? You should have come openly and honestly."

Xu Damao put a finger to his lips: "Shh, I saw Yi Zhonghai looking this way."

Sha Zhu, sitting in the main seat, said, "Let him look all he wants. Why should we have to avoid him when we're drinking?"

What's there to hide? It's like it's something shameful to be seen by others.

Upon hearing this, Xu Damao paused for a moment and said, "That's right, what's there to hide from? It's just having a drink."

Yang Dalin also said, "Yeah, what's wrong with us having a meal together? It's just that you two don't usually drink together, so it's strange that people are curious or find it odd that you're having a meal together. Why think so much? Let others think what they want, we'll just eat what we want."

Xu Damao put down the wine, pulled out a stool and sat down without any hesitation, saying, "Yes, that's true."

"Come, come, look, I brought you my dad's treasured Xifeng liquor, you silly... He Yuzhu, you've definitely never drunk it before."

Seeing that he swallowed the word "stupid," Sha Zhu didn't argue with him and picked up Xu Damao's wine to take a look.

"Tch, I'm a chef. When I was helping out in the kitchen, people would always offer me drinks. I've drunk all sorts of good wine."

"Yours is just average, nothing special."

Sha Zhu was absolutely right. A couple of years ago, this kid worked as a cook for someone else, and every host would politely offer him a toast.

You also have to give him a red envelope and cigarettes to take with him, and before he leaves, you have to make him pack two boxes of vegetables.

This is his reward; others cannot refuse it.

It is said that it is both a tradition and a custom for chefs to take leftovers home.

Especially when cooking for high-ranking officials and wealthy families, if something goes wrong, the food brought back can not only be eaten, but also used as evidence.

Yang Dalin had discussed these things with Sha Zhu before.

However, it is indeed inappropriate to bring food back from the factory canteen. But if he works overtime to cook special meals for the leaders, he can bring some back as overtime pay.

In Sha Zhu's words, "They're allowed to eat the factory's meat, but not allowed to drink a drop of soup. I've put in the work, so it's only right that I get some compensation."

Yang Dalin did not object to him on this point, and as long as he did not withhold the workers' food rations, Yang Dalin was too lazy to say anything to him.

Besides, how could the factory security guards not know that he used to often bring several lunchboxes and vegetables home?

How could that be? But knowing he's the factory's head chef and the factory leaders have tacitly approved it, the security personnel wouldn't cause trouble for no reason.

However, in the past two years, the disaster has been severe, and even though Sha Zhu wanted to lead the way, the factory leaders dared not indulge in lavish feasts.

That's practically suicide.

Those who become leaders aren't stupid.

They also consider the timing, and of course, Sha Zhu is the same; he's not really a fool.

Yang Dalin opened the bottle and poured a glass for each of the three of them.

Just as they were about to start drinking, Ma San knocked on the door and brought a basket of steamed buns made from two kinds of flour, saying that Aunt Qi had asked him to bring them.

It's still piping hot.

Sha Zhu gestured for Ma San to sit down, and Yang Dalin suggested that they eat some steamed buns to fill their stomachs before starting to drink.

No one objected, and everyone grabbed the steamed buns made from the two kinds of dough and started eating.

Just as they finished their main meal and started drinking, there was another knock on Sha Zhu's door.

The four of them exchanged glances, and Sha Zhu got up to open the door.

When they opened the door, it was Jia Dongxu.

Jia Dongxu was also carrying a plate of scrambled eggs, and there was another person behind him who handed him a plate of fried peanuts.

Even through the curtain, Yang Dalin could tell that the person behind him was Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai didn't come in. Jia Dongxu said, "Hey guys, I brought two dishes. I'd like to join in the fun and have a drink with you all. I don't know if you're welcome."

In this situation, Sha Zhu, as the host, glanced at Yang Dalin and Xu Damao and couldn't object, so he could only say, "Alright, Brother Dongxu, come in and sit down."

Yang Dalin moved his stool to make room for Jia Dongxu.

Yang Dalin vaguely sensed that Xu Damao was somewhat displeased.

However, since it wasn't Xu Damao's home, he couldn't really say anything.

Sha Zhu, adhering to the principle that all guests are welcome, invited Jia Dongxu to sit down.

Sha Zhu was a little awkward around Jia Dongxu, partly because he would occasionally glance at Qin Huairu, but since Jia Dongxu was still around, he could only think about it in his heart and didn't dare to make any overstepping moves.

Living so close, are you afraid others won't see you? How could he dare?

He could only think about it in his heart at most, since there was no one else to fantasize about. The young wife living next door became the object of his fantasies.

If Sha Zhu had a wider social circle and met more women...

Do you think he can still fantasize about Qin Huairu?

Isn't she more appealing as a young girl?

The atmosphere became a bit awkward as soon as Jia Dongxu sat down. Sha Zhu and Xu Damao didn't get along well to begin with, but Yang Dalin and Ma San helped to smooth things over.

Here comes another Jia Dongxu. It seems that Xu Damao and Jia Dongxu's family don't get along. I don't know why. Sha Zhu only became close to Jia Dongxu when they were young, and in recent years they have just been ordinary neighbors.

Yang Dalin started by saying, "This is the first time I've ever drunk with Brother Dongxu."

Come on, everyone, raise your glasses and welcome Brother Dongxu!

"Bang!" Everyone clinked their glasses.

After chatting for a while, Yang Dalin discovered that Jia Dongxu was not a very talkative person.

I guess Yi Zhonghai pushed him here just now.

He wanted his apprentice to get along well with the young people in the courtyard, so he probably provided all the dishes.

Yang Dalin had no choice but to act as a go-between, occasionally taking care of Jia Dongxu as well.

Sha Zhu is quite talkative, and he and Xu Damao exchanged barbs back and forth.

As they talked, the conversation drifted to their childhood grudges.

Moreover, the two of them even exposed each other's shortcomings, satisfying the gossip-loving curiosity of Yang Dalin and the other two.

Seeing that the two were getting more and more agitated and that Sha Zhu was about to make a move, Yang Dalin quickly raised his glass again: "Brother Zhu, Brother Da Mao, that's enough, you're both grown up."

"Come on, let's have another drink. These are all old, stale stories from the past; let's look to the future."

Both men gave Yang Dalin face, but they didn't clink glasses. Instead, they each touched glasses with Yang Dalin once and downed their drinks in one gulp.

The two of them still didn't quite see eye to eye.

Yang Dalin put down his wine glass and said, "You two are strange. You live in the same courtyard and fight over the smallest things every day. Aren't you afraid of being laughed at by others? You're about to get married."

Are you planning to get married, have children, and then have them become your enemies?

When Xu Damao heard about the marriage, he thought of how he had ruined so many blind dates for Sha Zhu, and sneered: "Marriage? Him? Forget it, he's destined to never have a wife."

Yang Dalin knew that Xu Damao had ruined Sha Zhu's blind date, but he couldn't say it now. If Yang Dalin dared to bring it up now, Sha Zhu would definitely beat Xu Damao to a pulp and make him rub his blue brick floor.

Yang Dalin gave Xu Damao a meaningful look, while Sha Zhu said, "Yeah, I can't get married, can you? Believe me, if I can't get married, you can't get married either."

Hearing this, Xu Damao wondered how much Sha Zhu knew, and then looked at Yang Dalin's meaningful gaze.

I felt a little uneasy.