All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

This problem is a bit difficult. He Yuzhu thought about it for a long time but couldn't find a solution.

However, the solution soon came to He Yuzhu on its own.

That day, he had just finished get off work and was on his way back to the compound when he saw Banggeng walking alone on the road in the distance, looking all forlorn. Judging from the boy's stiff face, he knew that the boy was still holding a grudge about what happened that day.

That makes sense, though. In the original story, because of this, he didn't speak a word to He Yuzhu for eight years. This reason also gave Qin Huairu an excuse to keep He Yuzhu hanging, saying that she couldn't marry He Yuzhu because the child disagreed.

But despite saying she wouldn't marry him, she actually took He Yuzhu's salary and relied on him for food and drink. When He Yuzhu wanted to buy himself a TV to pass the time, Qin Huairu said something like this.

"I need to save that salary. This guy's almost a grown man, and we'll need money for his wedding."

She wouldn't let him sleep with her, wouldn't let him marry, wouldn't let He Yuzhu find other women, yet he was still receiving a salary from her, and his food and drink were entirely dependent on him. Qin Huairu's only goal was to stall.

She'll wait until her children are grown up, have children, and she can hold her grandchildren; she'll wait until she's old and menopausal; she'll wait until He Yuzhu's thing is no longer a threat; she'll wait until she's old and gray, and can finally be buried in peace as a daughter-in-law of the Jia family…!

As Bang Geng's figure drew closer, He Yuzhu quickly banished his wild thoughts from his mind. If he wanted Qin Huairu to give up on him, the only thing he could do now was to target her most beloved son!

Having made up his mind, He Yuzhu took a deep breath and strode towards Banggeng.

Chapter 70: Resolving the Qin Huairu Issue

He Yuzhu approached and blocked the road. Bang Geng looked up and realized that it was He Yuzhu.

His dull eyes instantly filled with hatred as he glared at He Yuzhu. The hatred in his small eyes was so intense it could almost be used as a meme. While glaring, he walked to the side, clearly not intending to say anything to He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu cursed inwardly, "This brat is really something!" Then, remembering their destination, he quickly stopped and called out to Banggeng.

"Bang Geng, you really are an ingrate! How many things have you taken from my house since you were little? How much pocket money have I given you? Your mom and I are adults, we have some issues, why do you, a kid, care so much? Haven't I treated you well? I buy you everything for holidays, and now you hate me? I think you're just an ingrate!"

He Yuzhu's words were like adding fuel to the fire, completely igniting the pride and rebelliousness in Bang Geng's heart. He shouted, clenched his fist, and charged at He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu laughed and easily grabbed his fist, twisted it, spun his whole body around twice, and finally grabbed his head, making it impossible for him to hit him.

Bang Geng felt like he had been mocked once again, and his self-esteem was completely shattered. He bit He Yuzhu, spat at He Yuzhu, and cried and scratched wildly.

He Yuzhu felt that he might have gone too far, so he pushed him away and reprimanded him sternly.

"Your mother is unmarried, and I am unmarried. Even if I were to marry your mother, it would be understandable. I've been feeding and taking advantage of you all these years, don't you have any conscience? I called you an ingrate, so what? Did I misjudge you?"

Bang Geng was on the verge of a breakdown. He couldn't win the fight, and at his age, he was just starting to rebel. He had a strong sense of pride, but now, after being mercilessly attacked, he felt as if the man in front of him was a devil. This devil wanted to marry his mother, and he would rather die than agree to it!

Banggeng cried and ran towards the compound, leaving He Yuzhu with a smile on his face.

If Qin Huairu had a ranking system in her mind, her son would definitely be number one, followed by her two daughters, then her mother-in-law, and only then herself. He Yuzhu would only be number five, as he had been nothing more than a tool to her for many years.

In the original novel, her mother-in-law forbade her to marry He Yuzhu, but she compromised. Her children forbade her to marry He Yuzhu, but she compromised again. Every time He Yuzhu got angry with her, she would cry and say that she also had her reasons.

Yes, she did have her reasons, too many reasons. Her child was still young, her mother-in-law needed to be cared for, and her family had to prepare a dowry for her child. How could she marry He Yuzhu under these circumstances?

When this world, under Qin Huairu's manipulation, seems to return to the original story once again, He Yuzhu can only save himself at this moment.

The only way to deal with this kind of woman is to target the person she cares about most, forcing her to leave the relationship. Once everything is settled between He Yuzhu and Teacher Ran, and with Bang Geng acting as a third wheel, she won't be able to continue flirting.

Banggeng, filled with boundless hatred, stormed into the courtyard and, to everyone's astonishment, rushed into his own home.

When the squinty-eyed old woman saw Banggeng rush in, her tears still wet on her face, she immediately stood up to comfort him, but Banggeng pushed her away again!

The old woman felt a dull ache in her chest again, and she quickly clutched her chest and slumped to the edge of the bed, her face pale as she watched Banggeng angrily running around the room.

Bang Geng searched the house for a long time but couldn't find Qin Huairu. However, his mind was filled with hatred, and he couldn't wait to vent it.

He rushed into the stove area again, grabbed a kitchen knife, stood at the doorway, his anger blazing, staring at the entrance to the courtyard.

The old woman with the squinty eyes clutched her chest in excruciating pain, her face deathly pale as she stared at her grandson standing at the door. She was speechless, and the two of them stood there dumbfounded.

It was rush hour, and many people were passing by. Seeing this scene, no one dared to interfere. Everyone knew about Qin Huairu's family's troubles, but judging from Bang Geng's current state, who had provoked him this time?

Qin Huairu had just gotten off work and hadn't even entered the compound when people started talking about her family's pigeon. She immediately felt a sinking feeling in her heart, put on a stern face, and quickened her pace toward the compound.

As soon as she entered the Intermediate People's Court, she saw her son staring at the entrance with eyes full of hatred, holding a kitchen knife in his hand. Qin Huairu felt a chill run down her spine. Who was this heartless bastard who had offended him this time?

Bang Geng's tears had already stopped, but the tear stains were still clearly visible. When he saw his mother's figure, the hatred and grievances in his heart surged up again, and he couldn't stop crying.

Qin Huairu strode forward with a stern face, pointed at the stick and shouted.

"Bang Geng, put down the cleaver! Who are you trying to impress?"

Provoked by these words, Bang Geng's hatred overwhelmed his grievances once again. He raised the kitchen knife and roared at Qin Huairu.

"I don't need your help. I'm telling you, if you ever see that idiot Zhu again, I...I'll kill myself!"

Bang Geng ultimately didn't dare to say "I'll kill you," but instead, he changed his tone and put the cleaver to his own neck, whimpering and shouting.

"I won't allow you to marry Sha Zhu, I won't... Waaah... I won't allow you to talk to him, I won't... I won't allow you... Waaah!"

Qin Huairu was stunned by this scene. She felt completely exhausted. She was too tired. She was too tired to support this family.

She didn't know how to respond to Bang Geng's question, but what else could she do but answer? Her child was always more important than her own happiness.

At this moment, Qin Huairu was not the only one who was exhausted. The old woman with squinty eyes, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, felt her chest suddenly explode when she saw her grandson holding a kitchen knife to her neck. She felt as if the world was spinning, and she staggered to the ground, losing consciousness.

Bang Geng, who was standing at the door, suddenly noticed the commotion inside. He glanced inside and was immediately terrified. He looked inside and then outside, and finally cried out as he put down the kitchen knife and shouted at Qin Huairu.

"Mom, Mom, Grandma...Grandma!"

Qin Huairu was startled and immediately came to her senses. She then remembered that there was an old woman in the house who cared even more about her grandson than she did, and she rushed into the house.

When the old woman was carried into the hospital again, this time not only Qin Huairu was exhausted, but everyone in the compound felt mentally exhausted. What's wrong with this whole family?

When He Yuzhu returned to the compound and heard about this, he immediately asked the old woman about her condition. He learned that the situation was quite serious and he didn't know if she could pull through.

He Yuzhu also felt a little guilty, wondering if he had gone too far. He sighed and thought about buying some gifts to visit the patient, but he was kicked out of the ward by Bang Geng.

Well, the outcome was even better than He Yuzhu had imagined.

Sure enough, from that day on, the relationship between Qin Huairu's family and He Yuzhu plummeted, quickly reaching a freezing point.

Good people don't live long, but bad people are very tough. The old woman once again pulled through with her strong will. Obviously, she didn't want to die so soon and hoped to take care of her good grandson for a few more years and watch Qin Huairu work like a slave for her Jia family for a few more years.

The old woman was alright, which lessened He Yuzhu's guilt; otherwise, he would have felt uneasy about this matter.

Chapter 71: A Fulfilling Life

However, the results were better than He Yuzhu had imagined.

Now, let alone helping each other, Qin Huairu used to come to his house to clean, but now, she wouldn't even consider it.

Even if He Yuzhu wanted to greet Qin Huairu, he couldn't.

If Bang Geng were home, things would be even worse. Even the two little girls, Xiao Dang and Xiao Kuihua, would be dragged back by the hair by Bang Geng if they came to He Yuzhu to ask for some snacks.

After the squinty-eyed old woman returned to the courtyard, in order to please her grandson, she began to glare at the connection between Qin Huairu and He Yuzhu. Whenever the two of them bumped into each other, she would stare at them fiercely, as if she had eyes wide open like a turtle.

Clearly, her grandson was everything to her; even if the whole family starved or froze to death, she would never allow Qin Huairu to see He Yuzhu again.

Qin Huairu was distressed and unable to find a solution, so she could only let this situation continue.

He Yuzhu maintained a calm facade, but inwardly he was overjoyed. In a short time, he and Teacher Ran became very close, and their relationship progressed rapidly. Ran Qiuye's work relationship was settled, and the two were already at the stage of discussing marriage.

With the Spring Festival of 67 fast approaching, He Yuzhu was also preparing to hold a proper wedding ceremony with Teacher Ran before the New Year.

Everything seemed to be going back to what He Yuzhu had predicted, but life itself is made up of all sorts of accidents and coincidences.

Qin Jingru, that silly girl, stayed in He Yushui's room for five days. Perhaps after waking up on the second day, she realized that she had made a mistake, so in the following days, she didn't dare to talk to He Yuzhu anymore, for fear that He Yuzhu would give her another forty-seven minutes.

Xu Damao's dismissal was originally a very sensational event, but Director Li of the steel plant seemed determined to downplay it and make it disappear.

So in the past few days, the steel plant has been working to quickly eliminate Xu Damao's remaining influence and eradicate his previous impact. They have also selected a person from among the revolutionary masses to serve as deputy director. This person's surname is Ma. The first thing he did after taking office was to start criticizing and struggling against Xu Damao again. His ruthlessness was no less than that of Xu Damao.

In addition, after Xu Damao was transferred, his influence quickly faded. In less than a month, few people at the steel plant talked about him anymore. Instead, the newly appointed Director Ma became the subject of discussion once again, with everyone wishing that he would die suddenly.

The way of Heaven seems to be a cycle. In special times, the fate of countless people is like sitting on a small boat, rocking and swaying... rocking and swaying...!

The tides of time are like a speck of dust in the grand scheme of history, but when that speck of dust falls on an individual's shoulders, it feels as heavy as a mountain!

After Xu Damao was dismissed from his post, he returned to the compound and completely lost his former arrogance. He was like a rat with half a tail missing, desperately tucking the other half of his tail between his legs, as if afraid that someone would touch his tail.

Even so, any young person in the compound who bumped into him would have to step up and mock him. At this moment, Xu Damao truly understood the coldness of human relationships and the fickleness of the world.

At this point, Qin Jingru, that silly girl, took the initiative to comfort him, and Xu Damao's almost broken little heart felt warmth once again.

Although he still didn't want to pay attention to this stupid woman and was feeling sullen, he tacitly agreed that Qin Jingru could come back. He even seemed to know that Qin Jingru would come back, and didn't even lock the door.

That day, he was subjected to endless insults, which, like the north wind in winter, completely shattered his heart. He dragged his endless dejection back to the compound and finally returned home.

When he pushed open the door, he saw hot dishes steaming on the table and a fire burning brightly in the stove. Qin Jingru stepped forward timidly, took the briefcase from his hand, gently patted the dust off his shoulder, then turned around, poured warm water from the thermos, and brought it to him.

Xu Damao took the hot water, and the warmth in his palms made his eyes well up with tears. He suppressed his heartache, picked up the hot water, and drank it all in one gulp.

The hot water flowed down his throat and into his stomach, as if all the chill of the day had been completely removed in that instant.

His gaze fell once more on the woman serving him rice, and as if by telepathy, Qin Jingru also turned to look at him.

Xu Damao's lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out. Finally, he managed to utter those words.

"Come...come back!"

Qin Jingru burst into tears, covered her face, and looked at Xu Damao without saying a word.

At that moment, Xu Damao felt a surge of energy rising in his heart. He strode over to Qin Jingru, picked her up, and headed towards the bed.

"No! No...no, let's eat first!"

"I'll eat you first!"

He Yuzhu and Teacher Ran finally decided to hold their wedding on the 20th of the lunar calendar, a day considered auspicious for marriage. Of course, this custom is no longer followed in modern times, but He Yuzhu still felt that the date was the right one.

Both decided to keep quiet, get their marriage certificate, and then have a small banquet at the woman's house, just the few of them eating together.

Although He Yuzhu felt that this was somewhat unfair to Teacher Ran, Ran Qiuye was very understanding.

He Yuzhu also went to the factory in advance to submit a marriage application, and the two finally got their marriage certificate the day before their wedding.

The weather was nice that day, the light rain turned to sunshine. He Yuzhu and Ran Qiuye walked out of the Civil Affairs Bureau, holding their marriage certificates. They were both very excited, and Ran Qiuye was so happy that she burst into tears.

He Yuzhu also had many feelings. After more than a year of ups and downs, he finally got married. It was really not easy!

Looking at the slender woman in front of him, He Yuzhu felt even more affection for her. Thinking about it carefully, although the two had been dating for almost two months, they had not yet reached the point of hugging or holding hands. He felt that he had been too naive.

Am I really that naive?

Since coming into this world, it seems that he has already slept with two women: Lou Xiao'e, who is passionate and fiery, and that silly girl with a round face. Thinking of that round-faced girl hugging his waist and begging for mercy, He Yuzhu felt something was wrong and wished he could slap himself right now.

For some reason, He Yuzhu suddenly saw Xu Damao's dark face again. It seemed that the feud between them was truly irreconcilable for the rest of their lives.