All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

After a long while, Lou Xiao'e picked up her pen again and continued writing. Only when the page was full did she seem to release all her energy, put down her pen, and look at the several blurry marks on the paper. She didn't care anymore, carefully put the notebook away, and placed it under her pillow.

She stood up, looked around the room for a long time, then walked to the door, slowly closed and locked it, and placed the key under the stone at the bottom of the door.

Only she and He Yuzhu knew where the key was kept. Seeing the stone, Lou Xiao'e was saddened for a long time. Finally, she stopped her grief, took one last look at the courtyard, and turned to walk out of the courtyard.

He Yuzhu learned of Lou Xiao'e's departure late at night. In order to ask for a few days off, he deliberately stayed a little longer in the canteen today. That Wang Datou absolutely refused to let him take leave. Finally, he took advantage of the evening to find Director Li and got the matter settled.

When Director Li heard that He Yuzhu was asking for a few days off to get married, and then learned that his fiancée was Lou Xiao'e, Director Li looked at He Yuzhu for a long time with mixed feelings before offering his congratulations and finally granting him leave.

Unfortunately, He Yuzhu didn't pay close attention to Director Li's expression at the time, otherwise he would have definitely made some connections.

After working until 8 p.m., He Yuzhu returned to the compound humming a little tune. Although he was still vaguely worried about the safety of the Lou family tonight, the joy of his wedding overshadowed his worries.

He Yuzhu had already planned that after he and Lou Xiao'e got their marriage certificate, they would try to have a big, healthy baby boy as soon as possible. They would still name him He Xiao, because in the original story, that child was quite sensible.

After 78, I will find a way to go to Hong Kong to reunite Xiao'e's family. Then I will let the Lou family return as Hong Kong businessmen. I can open a top-notch restaurant with my culinary skills.

He Yuzhu never thought about how much money he could make in this world. He couldn't take it with him anyway, so why bother working so hard? To be honest, there was nowhere to use his cooking skills in this era, which was quite frustrating.

As for why he didn't consider going to Hong Kong, the main reason was that he had some concerns, in two aspects.

First, if I leave, will He Yushui be implicated? If so, it will be troublesome for her sister's whole family. He Yushui is also newly pregnant. The most important point is that, given my family background in this era, I don't need to leave at all. I can work steadily as a cook at the steel mill without any problems.

The second reason is that a sudden change of environment might stimulate the body, causing it to suddenly regain consciousness in reality.

Of course, He Yuzhu thought the possibility was very small, but just in case, he liked this dream world quite a bit. He didn't have any dreams of becoming rich and powerful. Wasn't it good to just live his own little life?

But when he got home and saw that the door was locked, he had a bad feeling. He took the key out from under the stone and opened the door.

The room was spotless, but it was empty. He Yuzhu's heart jumped into his throat!

Chapter 41: Lou Xiao'e is Gone

He Yuzhu glanced around the room, and perhaps as if by telepathy, his gaze settled on the pillow.

Seeing the heavy farewell letter in his hand, and the somewhat blurred handwriting, He Yuzhu could fully understand Lou Xiao'e's reluctance and bitterness!

He Yuzhu sat on the edge of the bed, not immediately going to chase after Lou Xiao'e.

Putting aside the fact that he doesn't know how Lou's father left, even if he did, it would probably be too late now. In fact, his appearance might expose him and make things more complicated.

He Yuzhu felt very heavy-hearted at this moment. In the original novel, Lou Xiao'e's departure was a great blow to He Yuzhu.

So from the very beginning, he never thought anything would happen between him and Lou Xiao'e, but he never imagined that in this world, he and Lou Xiao'e would eventually come together again.

He Yuzhu's attitude towards this relationship went from resistance to indifference, and finally to seriousness, culminating in their secret engagement. Everything seemed to happen so naturally, so why did this unexpected event still occur?

He Yuzhu always felt that someone was causing trouble, and the first thing that came to his mind was Xu Damao's sinister smile.

Although it's uncertain whether it was Xu Damao, the blame has been placed on Xu Damao.

Damn it, I'll get that bastard sooner or later. He Yuzhu didn't want to cause trouble in this era. The reason, of course, was that a monster called "harmony" was watching him with its phone...

Fine, there will always be a chance to get rid of this bastard!

In the original novel, Xu Damao's ending was quite tragic, but the forced happy ending at the end was nauseating.

This world will never see that scene again. Xu Damao, that kind of scum, deserves to be fed manure based on what he did in this era!

Although He Yuzhu didn't know how Xu Damao forced Lou Xiao'e to leave, he was certain that Lou Xiao'e must have left out of desperation.

It's good that she's gone. I hope she can start a new life. The only regret is that I don't know if Lou Xiao'e will get pregnant with his child like in the original story.

He Yuzhu sat on the edge of the bed for a long time, motionless, reflecting on himself.

Regarding Lou Xiao'e's departure, in truth, it was because this relationship came too suddenly, and I didn't love her deeply enough.

If I truly love Lou Xiao'e, I will definitely choose to go with her and see the prosperity of the outside world.

Modern people cannot understand Lou Xiao'e's love for him. He has never fully integrated into He Yuzhu's soul. He experiences this dream more as an observer.

He could sense He Yuzhu's joys and sorrows, but it felt more like an outsider influencing He Yuzhu's life. Deep down, he never considered himself He Yuzhu.

Perhaps this is the generation gap between two different times and eras!

He Yuzhu stood up, looking at the empty room. He lay helplessly on the bed, staring at the red bed sheet in his hand, his thoughts in turmoil. Had he done something wrong?

Leaving this compound and seeing the outside world might not be bad. But it's just a dream; why dwell on it?

Just as she was lost in thought, the door creaked open, and Qin Huairu appeared in the doorway.

He Yuzhu stared blankly at the ceiling, glancing sideways at Qin Huairu who was holding up her clothes. He remained silent, his eyes still vacant, his thoughts a jumbled mess.

Qin Huairu held the clothes and said casually.

"What are you doing? The clothes are dry, but you're not bringing them in. It might rain again tonight. Where's your husband?"

As she spoke, Qin Huairu naturally put the clothes into the wardrobe. Facing the wardrobe, a barely perceptible smile appeared on her lips, which quickly vanished before she returned to normal and calmly said.

"You're such a grown man now, and you're finally getting married. You need to settle down from now on. Stop going around arguing with people all the time. Also, treat Xiao'e well. She's had a tough time. She was bullied by that bastard Xu Damao for years. She finally met you. Let me tell you, Zhuzi, if you don't treat Xiao'e well from now on, I won't let you off the hook!"

He Yuzhu was no longer in the mood to listen to Qin Huairu's lecture, but unaware of the inside story, he still felt a touch of emotion and sighed.

"Sister Qin, could you please tell the courtyard that the wedding is canceled?"

Qin Huairu pretended not to know anything and asked with a puzzled expression.

"What do you mean? Zhu Zi, let me tell you, did you make Xiao'e angry? Are you even a man?"

He Yuzhu was somewhat agitated. He waved his hand, sat up straight, and said helplessly.

"Xiao'e is gone, our business is over, please stop talking, okay? I'm so tired!"

"Wh...what's gone?"

He Yuzhu did not answer her, but slowly lay back down on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Qin Huairu walked to He Yuzhu's side, silently squatted down, and wanted to reach out and hold He Yuzhu's hand, but hesitated for a moment. In the end, she reached out and held He Yuzhu's hand, and said in a gentle tone.

Did she leave with her family?

"Ok!"

Qin Huairu gripped He Yuzhu's hand tightly and didn't press him further. After a long while, she sighed silently and said...

“Actually, it’s better for her to leave. Lately, the steel mill has been broadcasting every day about overthrowing that capitalist or something. Given her family’s situation, something bad is bound to happen sooner or later. It’s better for her to leave so she can have peace of mind. I think it’s best not to make a fuss about this. Tomorrow, I’ll talk to an old man about it and ask him to help inform the neighbors that the wedding has been canceled due to special circumstances. What do you think?”

He Yuzhu was brought back to reality by Qin Huairu's words and immediately realized that they made sense. Lou Xiao'e had only left tonight, and if he went to talk to her now, it would be bad if someone noticed something was wrong.

Coming to his senses, He Yuzhu noticed Qin Huairu holding his hand, so he quickly pulled away and apologized.

"I'm sorry, Sister Qin, thank you for your help these past few days!"

Qin Huairu smiled and pretended to be angry.

"Alright, stop being so cheeky. I did benefit a lot from you in the past, and I've reflected on that. I really am not good enough for you, and I hope you find a good woman to spend your life with."

Qin Huairu paused for a moment, then continued in a low voice.

“I know you resent me for taking things from you for free before, which is why you think I'm not a good woman. I've come to terms with it. I admit I was wrong before. You know my family situation. There are many things I had no choice but to do, all for the sake of the children!”

He Yuzhu felt a little embarrassed by what was said and quickly spoke up.

"Sister Qin... I didn't mean it that way..."

Qin Huairu smiled bitterly, interrupted He Yuzhu, and continued.

“We’ve been neighbors for so many years. I certainly won’t come asking you for food for no reason in the future. Can’t we just go back to being neighbors?”

He Yuzhu didn't expect Qin Huairu to say that. Although he still had some doubts, just as Qin Huairu said, she was actually forced to do it for the sake of her child. If she really didn't shamelessly ask for food and drink like before, there was no need for the neighbors to have a falling out.

Seeing that He Yuzhu's expression had softened somewhat, Qin Huairu then spoke again.

"Zhu Zi, I will remember your help to my family for the rest of my life. The only way I can repay you is by washing your clothes and cooking for you. I won't stop you from finding a partner. Once you find one, I will hand over this responsibility to your wife. Just don't treat me like a thief!"

He Yuzhu felt somewhat ashamed after hearing Qin Huairu's words. Influenced by the original novel, he didn't have a good impression of Qin Huairu. However, after living in this era, he realized the hardships she had endured.

Her meager salary was certainly enough to keep her family from starving, but it wasn't enough to just cover the most basic needs like food and shelter. She had three children to support, and the children were growing rapidly, requiring frequent changes of clothes and shoes. They also got sick occasionally. All the pressure fell on Qin Huairu alone.

Having lived in this world for almost a year, He Yuzhu has gradually come to understand the warmth and coldness of human relationships.

Most importantly, over the past six months, while keeping an eye on Qin Huairu's family, my prejudices have faded considerably. In addition, Qin Huairu's open-mindedness during this time has at least prevented her from interfering with my relationship with Lou Xiao'e.

Unfortunately, He Yuzhu was still too young!

Unaware of the wickedness of society, and even more unaware of the extraordinary nature a woman, a mother, might become in order to achieve her goals in such an environment!

"Sister Qin, I'm relieved to hear you say that. I'll still help if I can, but to be honest, please don't be angry. I can't help you much more. I really can't help your family like I used to. I still need to save up for my future wife. My affair with Lou Xiao'e is over from today. I will pull myself together and start a new life!"

These were He Yuzhu's true feelings at that moment. If it were just a little food, he could help occasionally, but with the changing seasons, the kind of help that involves both eating and taking, leaving nothing even under the bed, was out of the question!

Qin Huairu, however, pretended to be angry.

"Look at you, so stingy! I told a few kids today that they can't call you Uncle Silly anymore, they have to call you Uncle Pillar, and you're already being wary of me again!"

He Yuzhu asked, somewhat puzzled.

Why?

Qin Huairu smiled helplessly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you didn't like being called 'Silly Zhu' before. I only found out when I was chatting with Xiao'e. I'll be more careful in the future!"

"Haha, I see. It's alright, it's alright, just call me whatever you want!"

Seeing that the room was spotless and there was nothing to tidy up, Qin Huairu then said.

"Then you should get some rest. I won't bother you anymore. As for Xiao'e, just consider it as you two not being meant to be. Just think it through!"

He Yuzhu sighed, nodded, and did not say anything more.

Qin Huairu didn't bother He Yuzhu any further, and closed the door behind her before leaving.

Qin Huairu closed the door, her smile gradually fading, replaced by a strange expression—a half-smile, half-dark one, her lips slightly parted as if she were talking to herself.

"It's mine, and no one can take it away!"

Chapter 42: The Child Is Gone

Although an old man helped explain to others in the courtyard that Sha Zhu's wedding banquet was canceled due to special reasons, the news that Lou Xiao'e's whole family had run away quickly spread throughout the courtyard, and even among the steel mill workers.

The incident naturally sparked a discussion in the courtyard. Some gloated, some felt sorry for him, and some made sarcastic remarks. He Yuzhu kept a sullen face and pretended not to hear them.

The wedding was canceled, and everything seemed to return to normal once again.