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

When I got home, I saw Aunt Qi, who was about to cry again.

Yang Dalin told Aunt Qi that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would stay in Beijing this year to spend the New Year with his family.

I won't be going out anymore.

This made Aunt Qi a little happier.

Yang Dalin spent most of the year away from home and rarely stayed at home.

Aunt Qi keeps thinking about me.

Yang Dalin thought that if Director Hou didn't have any particularly important tasks, he should just stay in Beijing and work.

We still need to spend more time with Aunt Qi's family.

After the Lunar New Year, when spring turns to summer, I will apply to go to North Korea again.

If we go a few years later, it will be even more difficult unless we smuggle ourselves across.

Not only will things be chaotic domestically, but North Korea will also collude with Russia, mimicking Russia by deploying troops along our border.

It's truly a generational inheritance of ingrates!

Sometimes Yang Dalin thought to himself, "The country is just too kind to these ungrateful wretches."

Damn it, they're all ungrateful. One is North Korea, one is South Vietnam, and the other is a small European country.

They're all bastards.

Since Yang Dalin could neither stop it nor influence the attitude of those above him.

He could only secretly earn some interest on his own.

For example, Yang Dalin had his eye on their iron ore mine long ago.

There's no rush now. We can scout ahead first. He'll make his move later; we can just drain them dry.

Like the bauxite in South Vietnam, which is said to have the second largest reserves in the world, they probably just quietly took it for their own use.

It's said there are also rare earth mines there, so you can go and collect them in advance, and buy them at a bargain price.

And then there's Albania, that ingrate in Europe. Their chromium reserves are the second largest in Europe, and they could use that to supply their domestic market cheaply.

Like North Korea, we made huge sacrifices and paid a heavy price to help your family establish an independent kingdom, and you not only showed no gratitude, but also betrayed us.

How could it be possible without taking some interest?

Yang Dalin had no concept of the overall situation or high-level leadership.

Why do you care so much? I'm just here to collect interest.

If you can't survive on your own, then you deserve it.

Without our protection, you bastards would have been dead decades ago. You want to build a country? Forget it.

Yang Dalin was furious when he saw these ungrateful bastards.

He can't and doesn't want to control others; he'll just quietly collect interest on his own.

After finishing their meal, Yang Dalin chatted with his family for a while.

There haven't been any major changes in the courtyard; it's mostly just trivial matters.

Sometimes the neighbors in the courtyard would quarrel over trivial matters.

Anyway, Aunt Qi's personality, plus Yang Dalin's domineering nature, all contributed to the situation.

No one in the courtyard dared to provoke them.

However, Aunt Qi told Yang Dalin some news that surprised him.

It turned out that Yi Zhonghai had asked his wife, Wen Xiumei, to secretly visit Aunt Qi once.

They said their family wanted to adopt a child and asked her to help them inquire first.

Aunt Qi works at the subdistrict office and often helps out at the district's relief station and orphanage, so it makes sense for Yi Zhonghai to ask her.

However, this matter has not yet spread, but Yi Zhonghai has a preliminary idea and wants to ask Aunt Qi to inquire about it first.

See if there are any bright, healthy little boys in the orphanage.

Yang Dalin asked Aunt Qi, "Auntie, have you found out?"

Haven't you replied to Yi Zhonghai's family yet?

Aunt Qi said, "Not yet, she only mentioned it a few days ago."

They said they wanted to adopt a little boy before the new year.

Although I often help out at the district's orphanage, he wanted both healthy and intelligent children.

I don't really want to help, but I don't want to refuse.

After all, when adopting a child, you can't be so picky.

The children there are quite pitiful.

What if I find a child for them, and they are not satisfied with the child after adopting them?

I've been putting this off and haven't done it for them yet.

Yang Dalin gave his aunt a thumbs up and said, "Auntie, you're right."

We can tell him how to handle the procedures, and we can also help her get to know the director of the orphanage.

However, we cannot help them choose a suitable candidate in advance.

They should be the ones to choose. They can pick whichever child they like.

Otherwise, what if the child develops some hidden illness or is unfilial in the future?

They're blaming us again.

"It's difficult for you to refuse them this way, so I'll go and explain it to them."

Aunt Qi was still a little embarrassed and said, "Is it okay to refuse so directly?"

"Dalinzi, after all, we've been neighbors for so long."

Yang Dalin knew Aunt Qi's weakness: sometimes she couldn't directly refuse others.

He didn't have that concern.

Yang Dalin took out two bottles of wine from the bag next to him and said, "Auntie, I'm bringing two bottles of wine with me. I promised Yi Zhonghai last time that I would have a drink with him when I had time."

I've never had a drink with him.

This time, emboldened by the alcohol, I'll make things clear.

Then I have to pay back the money I owe him.

I'll bring some more gifts, since they lent me money. Sister Yan, go and get two pounds of mutton.

I'll take it over there as a way of thanking him.

Don't let them think we're ungrateful after borrowing money for so long.

"Okay, I'll go right away." Sister Yan agreed and went to the south storage room to cut meat.

Aunt Qi asked again, "Do you have any money on you? I'll give it to you. Yan Hua collected all your wages for you, and I've been saving them for you."

Yang Dalin pulled Aunt Qi, who was getting up, and said, "No need to take it, Aunt. I have money on me. Sister Yan will help me get my salary. You can spend it as you wish."

"I still have money on me. I've paid off Liu Haizhong and Xu Damao's debts, so everything's fine. You don't need to worry about it."

"Alright then, go ahead and speak politely and tactfully."

Don't embarrass him.

"Don't worry, Auntie, don't you trust me? When have I ever been unreliable?"

After saying that, Yang Dalin took the two jin of mutton that Sister Yan had wrapped in oil paper, along with two bottles of Lao Baigan liquor, and went out the door.

As soon as I stepped outside, I saw Yan Bugui going out to use the restroom.

Yang Dalin simply nodded at him without saying anything. Yan Bugui wanted to speak, but he didn't know what to say.

Yan Bugui could only watch helplessly as Yang Dalin carried two bottles of wine and an oil paper package to the Intermediate People's Court.

Yan Bugui was very envious.

After a moment's thought, Yan Bugui did not immediately go out to use the restroom, but instead quietly followed behind Yang Dalin.

Yang Dalin immediately noticed Yan Bugui's little trick, but he didn't care at all.

Going to Yi Zhonghai's house for drinks is nothing to be ashamed of.

Even if Yan Bugui doesn't come along, he'll find out tomorrow.

There are no secrets in the courtyard.

If he wants to follow, then he can.

Yan Bugui brought this upon himself, so he can only watch with envy, unable to gain any advantage whatsoever.

If Yan Bugui knew that Yang Dalin had two jin of mutton in the paper package, he would be green with envy.