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

Yang Dalin cooked too much meat and vegetables, so his aunt put half a pot of chicken soup into a thermos before the meal.

Tell Yang Dalin to deliver it to Xu Damao later.

Let his wife drink it.

Yang Dalin nodded in agreement.

After everyone finished eating and rested for a while, the others went to work.

Chu Xiaoning went to the hospital with Yang Dalin.

This girl has already started her winter vacation, and she's going to Yang Dalin's workplace to play this morning.

Aunt Qi didn't let her go.

I insisted on following Yang Dalin that afternoon.

Having no other choice, Yang Dalin had to take this burden with him.

Yang Dalin brought a half-full bucket of chicken soup with a lot of chicken meat to the hospital in an old-fashioned thermos, along with some vegetables and a few hot steamed buns in a lunchbox.

The vegetables and steamed buns were prepared for Xu Damao.

Xu Damao is spending time with his wife and daughter.

I didn't see Xu Damao's mother.

I guess he went home to cook.

Xu Damao saw Yang Dalin bringing him some delicious food.

Very moved.

Yang Dalin also looked at the children.

I asked Xu Damao if he had named it yet.

Xu Damao mentioned that her name was Xu Xiaoxue.

It was formed when it snowed in winter.

He belongs to the "Da" generation, while his daughter and future son will use the "Xiao" generation.

Xu Damao joked, "Dalinzi, you're also a 'Da' generation like me, so you won't be using 'Xiao' generation names later on, will you?"

Yang Dalin told him, "No, there's a family genealogy in my hometown. The generation above me is the Jin generation, and my Da generation is the same as the Yu generation."

The following are the generations with the character "庭" in their names.

No need for the "junior" designation, don't worry, it's different from your Xu family.

After delivering the food, Yang Dalin said goodbye and left, as the child needed to sleep and he didn't want to disturb him for too long.

As soon as Yang Dalin stepped out the door, his sister-in-law Chu Xiaoning, who was sitting on the back of his bicycle, asked him a very tricky question: "Brother Dalin, if you and my sister get married and have a child, what will you name him?"

"How about I help you come up with one?"

Yang Dalin said without turning around, "Alright, then I'll have to trouble you, sir."

Sister-in-law Chu Xiaoning was shameless: "It's okay, she's still my niece or nephew, how about Yang Tingwen or Yang Tingwu, both good at literature and martial arts?"

Yang Dalin pedaled his bicycle without turning his head and said, "Oh no, there's already a nephew from the same clan back home with that name."

"Then their names are Yang Tingjian, Yang Tingguo, Yang Tingyuan, and Yang Tingchao?"

The first name sounds so awkward.

Yang Dalin continued pedaling hard, saying, "Come on, there are already too many names like 'Building the Nation,' 'Building the Army,' and 'Aid Korea,' so there's no need for you to bother."

I'll discuss it with your sister later.

Thank you so much.

"You're welcome, Brother Dalin, I'm happy to help."

I'll go look it up in the dictionary later and find you some good names.

"By the way, where are you taking me if you're riding so fast?"

Yang Dalin replied, "Why are you asking so many questions, you little tagalong?"

I'll take you wherever you want.

Don't worry, I won't sell you out.

"The main problem is that you eat too much; people are afraid to take you."

I had just finished speaking when someone pinched my waist.

Although it hurt less because of the coat, it didn't hurt as much.

But you must cry out that it hurts.

Otherwise, the woman would continue to make advances.

These are all lessons learned.

After cycling for more than 20 minutes, Yang Dalin arrived in Haidian District.

There are noticeably more military compounds here.

Chu Xiaoning asked, "Brother Dalin, why did you bring me to this area near these compounds?"

"Looking for some buddies to hang out with? I have a lot of my younger brothers around here."

They'll introduce you to some sisters later. If anyone dares to bully you in the future, just mention the names of your newly acquainted sisters.

If you can't win a fight, just call on the eldest sister with the loudest name.

Chu Xiaoning pinched Yang Dalin again: "I'm a girl, I don't fight."

Unlike you men.

Chu Xiaoning was alright; she didn't seem too constrained around this compound.

I was just a little curious.

Yang Dalin arrived at the entrance of the Air Force compound and asked the guards to call Zhao Yumin out.

Zhao Yumin, Liu Haiyang, Wang Xiaohai, and their gang of "little brothers" from the compound whom Yang Dalin had taken in had already started their winter vacation and were playing Gouji (a card game) at Zhao Yumin's house.

It's too cold outside in the dead of winter.

It's still more fun to play cards at home with the heating on.

Yang Dalin had the guard shout.

A short while later, Zhao Yumin arrived on a bicycle to pick up Yang Dalin.

If they don't come to pick up Yang Dalin, he can't get in even in broad daylight.

However, it's not absolute; he could get in with the credentials issued by Director Hou.

But there's no need for that, especially since you're bringing your future sister-in-law along.

As soon as Zhao Yumin saw that it was his boss, he rushed over and gave him a bear hug before the car had even come to a complete stop: "Boss, when did you get back? I missed you so much."

Come on, come on, let's go inside.

Who is this?

Yang Dalin said to him, "This is my younger sister, your future sister-in-law's younger sister. She's here with me today. Are your older and younger sisters home?"

"Oh, it's your sister-in-law's younger sister. She's at home. Come on, let's register first."

After registering, come over to my house to play.

Anyone entering or leaving the military compound must register and be checked.

Someone from inside has to come and pick it up, and whoever picks it up also needs to register.

It's strictly regulated; there's nothing we can do about it.

Yang Dalin and Chu Xiaoning finished registering.

They had just entered the compound.

We arrived at Zhao Yumin's house.

Sure enough, the group of underlings split into two tables and were playing cards.

Upon seeing that it was their boss, Yang Dalin, they realized that he had arrived.

Everyone put down their cards and rushed over to give Yang Dalin a bear hug.

Zhao Yumin's older sister, Zhao Yuqin, happened to be at home.

Zhao Yumin's parents are not at home; they are probably still busy.

Yang Dalin didn't bring any gifts because he was with Chu Xiaoning.

Yang Dalin plans to invite these guys to his courtyard for a get-together tomorrow at noon, and then let them bring their own gifts back.

Chu Xiaoning was introduced to Zhao Yuqin.

Zhao Yuqin took Chu Xiaoning upstairs to play.

A group of young men surrounded Yang Dalin, stopped playing cards, and started bragging and joking with each other.

Listen to Yang Dalin talk about the outside world.

However, Yang Dalin would definitely not talk about Hong Kong Island.

He described the vast sea to the south and the snowy scenery to the north.

The vast deserts of Northwest China are uninhabited, so we'll just talk about whatever comes to mind.

Anyway, most of these kids have never seen anything like it.

Many of them were brought to Beijing by their parents when they were very young.

I was very young then, and I don't have many memories of my rural hometown.

They had never seen most of these oceans, deserts, the heavy snows of Northeast China, or the scenery of the grasslands.

Every time they met, these younger guys liked to ask about the scenery from other places.

Some of the younger members of the naval compound said that they would definitely go to the grasslands and deserts to see the world if they had the chance in the future.

I'll go to the ocean someday, and I guess I'll get tired of seeing it eventually.

Because most of them will join the navy in the future.

The ocean won't be something we can see every day in the future, will it?

The younger guys in the Air Force compound also said that they wouldn't have a chance to see the sea, grasslands, or deserts first, because they might not have many opportunities to see these places in the future.

We may be flying in the sky forever in the future.

Some people who couldn't stand it said, "With you, whether you can even pass the medical exam or get assigned to fly is another matter."

Don't go there and stay as ground staff; just stay there and do aircraft checks.

Then we won't do it here.

You guys are still going on warships every day to look at the sea. Just don't get assigned to guard isolated islands and spend your days monitoring radar patrols.

Yang Dalin found it quite amusing to watch these kids insulting each other.