All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

"Zhu Zi, shall we go back to your yard?"

"what"

He Yuzhu was startled by Ran Qiuye's sudden words. Although the two had decided to move to He Yuzhu's place after their marriage, He Yuzhu was still a little timid when it came to actually doing this.

What's meant to come will come eventually. Fine, I'll go all out!

"Okay, Qiuye, let's go now, and we'll buy some wedding candy to take back. But right now, I want to hear you call me 'husband'!"

Just as Ran Qiuye was about to nod, she suddenly heard He Yuzhu's words and immediately lowered her head shyly, hugging He Yuzhu's hand and shaking it vigorously!

Looking at this beautiful girl, He Yuzhu really wanted to take her right there and then, if it weren't for the crowds on the street!

"Let's go... let's go back first, we'll stay there tonight!"

Ran Qiuye blushed even more and leaned against He Yuzhu. The two of them tugged at each other all the way and bought some wedding candies that had been prepared in advance.

To prepare for his wedding, He Yuzhu had been busy for the past two months. He had already prepared a huge pile of receipts and documents, ensuring he had everything he needed. He carried large and small bags and headed towards the compound.

Chapter 72: Back to the Compound

When He Yuzhu appeared in the courtyard holding Ran Qiuye's hand, everyone in the courtyard who knew He Yuzhu looked at the couple with surprise.

When He Yuzhu greeted everyone with a laugh and introduced himself as his wife, Ran Qiuye, many people were astonished.

Can you believe your jaws dropped?

Who is He Yuzhu?

"A thousand-year-old tortoise, a ten-thousand-year-old bachelor"—that's what this silly Zhu is all about.

Everyone knows that He Yuzhu has been going on blind dates since he was twenty, and now he's thirty-one. It seems like getting married is still a long way off. Just last month there was that incident with Qin Huairu's mother-in-law exposing him, and it hasn't even been that long since then.

Yes, no one could believe it. Suddenly, a wife appeared, and according to He Yuzhu, the two even got a marriage certificate.

Almost everyone avoided eye contact, glancing intentionally or unintentionally towards Qin Huairu's home in the Central Courtyard. Clearly, everyone wanted to hear some gossip, since Qin Huairu was at home at that moment.

He Yuzhu appeared cheerful on the surface, but it would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous. What he feared most in this courtyard was that Qin Huairu would see him with red eyes and point at him, uttering those three words.

"Faithless man!"

Qin Huairu's scheming surpassed He Yuzhu's understanding of women, making her impossible to guard against. If Xu Damao hadn't suddenly intervened and had Bang Geng sabotage the matter, He Yuzhu might have actually followed the same path as in the original story.

Although he had already told Ran Qiuye everything about his relationship with Qin Huairu, no one dared to guess what a woman was thinking.

Besides Ran Qiuye, He Yuzhu was also worried about one other person: Qin Jingru.

The matter concerning Qin Jingru was like a time bomb; he dared not tell anyone and could only keep it buried in his heart.

Despite feeling uneasy inside, on the surface, he had to pretend that he had everything under control. No matter how miserable a man is, he has to put on a confident front in front of his woman. Who isn't like that?

He Yuzhu led Ran Qiuye into the central courtyard. Ran Qiuye had already heard He Yuzhu talk about Qin Huairu, and her eyes involuntarily turned to look at Qin Huairu's house.

He Yuzhu thought for a moment, then pulled her back to his room first. Opening the door, with the door blocking his view, He Yuzhu seemed to finally breathe a sigh of relief. Qin Huairu, that scheming bitch, had put too much pressure on him.

Ran Qiuye probably saw through He Yuzhu's little scheme. After entering the house, she playfully took his hand and said...

"Zhu Zi, we're not going to Qin Huairu's house to offer our congratulations."

He Yuzhu smiled awkwardly before speaking.

"How about we go to the inner courtyard and visit the deaf old lady? I reckon she'll be the happiest person in the whole courtyard when I get married!"

Ran Qiuye responded to He Yuzhu's words and the two began to pack wedding candies and other items, preparing to deliver them to each family later.

He Yuzhu originally wanted to set up two tables in the courtyard, but Ran Qiuye said no. First, it would be a waste of money. Second, although she appeared strong, she was actually worried that her marriage would be affected by some external factors. After all, when He Yuzhu told her about what Qin Huairu had done behind her back, Ran Qiuye felt a chill down her spine.

He Yuzhu was also a little worried, so after discussing it, the two decided not to hold a banquet, but just to distribute some wedding candies and that would be the end of it.

In this matter, he wanted to borrow a phrase Xu Damao had once said: "Why should we make them happy when we're getting married?"

Yes, why should everyone in the compound benefit from his marriage to Ran Qiuye? Besides, He Yuzhu knew very well that the number of people in the compound who genuinely wished the couple well could probably be counted on one hand.

Once the relationship between the two is stable, or after they have children, they can have a small gathering with two tables, inviting Uncle Yi's family and Yu Shui's family for a meal. That would be even more meaningful.

He Yuzhu and Ran Qiuye, carrying wedding candies and other items, had just stepped out of the house and were about to head towards the inner courtyard when Qin Huairu came out of the house carrying a washbasin and saw the two of them.

This scene was quite awkward. All the pride in He Yuzhu's heart trembled when he saw Qin Huairu's expressionless face. Please, please don't do anything funny to me!

His reputation had been almost completely ruined by this woman over the years. If she were to confront him head-on, just like before, he could forget about ever getting married.

These days, many things don't require evidence. If Qin Huairu insists that he raped her and reports it to the police station or the steel mill, who do you think people will believe?

Regardless of who you believe, the chances of He Yuzhu being implicated are extremely high. Don't use the standards of later generations to judge this era; you'll suffer a terrible fate if you do.

He Yuzhu felt cold sweat quickly break out on his forehead. Fortunately, at this moment, Ran Qiuye stepped forward and spoke to Qin Huairu.

"Hello, Sister Qin, I am Ran Qiuye, He Yuzhu's wife. We just got our marriage certificate today and were just about to bring some wedding candy to everyone. You go ahead with your work, we'll go to see the deaf old lady first!"

Qin Huairu, whose face was usually expressionless, suppressed all her emotions and forced a smile as she spoke.

Congratulations!

After saying that, he pretended not to care, picked up the laundry basin, walked to the public water basin, and turned on the tap to let the water run.

Seeing this, He Yuzhu pretended not to care, and awkwardly pulled Ran Qiuye towards the inner courtyard.

Qin Huairu raised her head and looked at the gloomy sky. It should snow tomorrow, right? This year's snow is a bit late!

The icy cold water from the tap splashed onto Qin Huairu's cheeks, but she seemed not to feel it, because at that moment her heart was colder than the ice water.

All her years of planning and scheming had just come to a complete end. Ran Qiuye's elegant and poised introduction made her feel, for some reason, ashamed of herself. All her previous schemes and plans had been utterly defeated at this moment.

The washbasin was already full of water, but Qin Huairu seemed oblivious, still looking up with tears streaming down her face. She stared at the dim sky, as if she were especially looking forward to the heavy snowfall tomorrow.

He Yuzhu took Ran Qiuye's hand and went to the backyard. When he saw the locked door of Xu Damao's house, He Yuzhu seemed to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

If he runs into Qin Huairu as soon as he steps out of the courtyard, and then encounters Qin Jingru in the backyard, he doesn't know if he'll suffer a heart attack like that squinty-eyed old woman.

The deaf old lady loved to stroll around, but recently she fell and hurt her leg. She's been staying home almost all the time, and her health is deteriorating day by day, which He Yuzhu finds quite regrettable.

However, this old lady is already over eighty years old, which is quite old. I just hope she can be happy every day in her later years.

Pushing open the door, He Yuzhu saw the deaf old lady sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a black and white photograph and reminiscing about the past. He Yuzhu knocked on the door, and the deaf old lady turned her head to see He Yuzhu smiling and winking at her. He Yuzhu was also holding the hand of a tall and beautiful woman.

Chapter 73: Wedding Candy

"Grandma, I've brought you your granddaughter-in-law!"

The deaf old lady slowly put down the photo, stood up with her cane, and her wrinkled old face broke into a big smile, but she couldn't say a word, only murmuring "Good...good!"

The old man smiled and then tears welled up in his eyes.

He Yuzhu led Ran Qiuye forward. The old lady put down her cane, and each of them held one of her hands. He Yuzhu felt the old lady's cold hands and couldn't help but rub them tenderly, trying to warm them with the warmth of his own palm.

He Yuzhu turned his head and smiled at Ran Qiuye.

“Call her Grandma. In this compound, the only people who are truly happy for us, besides the old man and his wife, are this old lady. I really consider her my grandma. Over the years, I have relied on her to take care of me. When my sister and I were hungry as children, we troubled her a lot!”

Ran Qiuye quickly smiled and called out, "Grandma!"

Hearing He Yuzhu's words, the deaf old lady was even more moved. The old lady couldn't bear the strong emotional fluctuations and was a little unsteady on her feet. He Yuzhu and Ran Qiuye each helped the old lady sit on the edge of the bed.

After a long while, the deaf old lady finally let go of the two people's hands, wiped her already dry eyes, smiled and wiped away her tears, and finally took Ran Qiuye's hand and began to tell about He Yuzhu's childhood.

As people get older, they love to reminisce; they are more easily moved; they feel increasingly lonely; yet, as people age, fewer and fewer people understand their loneliness.

The old lady held Ran Qiuye's hand and chatted for more than ten minutes. Ran Qiuye was very patient and kept her company.

He Yuzhu got up and took out the candy. Seeing that it was getting late, he decided to cook a meal there, have a meal with the old lady, and then go through the motions in the courtyard in the evening to get by with his wedding.

As He Yuzhu cooked, he watched the old man and the young man laugh heartily as they talked. He felt this warm scene, and realized that this was the life he wanted, this was the true meaning of a courtyard filled with love.

But the heartwarming moment was short-lived. Just as they finished kneading the dough, Qin Jingru, carrying a vegetable basket in one hand and with Xu Damao in the other, walked into the inner courtyard.

The two were taken aback when they saw He Yuzhu. Although Xu Damao had lost power, he still looked down on He Yuzhu with his chin and snorted to express his feelings.

However, Qin Jingru was clearly just as panicked as He Yuzhu at this moment. She looked up at He Yuzhu, their eyes met, and then they both lowered their heads and remained silent.

He Yuzhu quickly used a cough to cover up his panic. Silence spoke louder than words. However, Xu Damao, the other party involved, obviously did not notice anything unusual. His liver-colored face had already recovered, but his energy and spirit had not yet fully recovered.

"Come on, Jingru, let's go back. Seeing someone in this courtyard makes me nauseous!"

Hearing Xu Damao's smug expression, He Yuzhu's slight guilt towards him vanished instantly; this guy just deserved a beating.

"Xu Damao, if you keep babbling, believe me, I'll slap you!"

He Yuzhu picked up the spatula in his hand and waved it at Xu Damao while cursing.

Xu Damao snorted and quickened his pace in opening the door. He pulled Qin Jingru into the house and slammed the door shut.

He Yuzhu put down the spatula in a daze and ignored the guy. When he saw Qin Jingru again, it would be a lie to say that He Yuzhu was not flustered.

Many men appear serious and refined on the surface, but once they pick up a keyboard, they unleash a torrent of insults, as long as the main character isn't a single female lead.

But in reality, when he actually meets a beautiful woman in his arms, his lower body moves like he's on a sugar rush, he just can't stop.

He Yuzhu considered himself a decent gentleman, but he was far from being able to remain unmoved by temptation. However, from the beginning, he never expected that something would happen between him and Qin Jingru. The right time, the right place, and the right people were all in place, and on that day, everything came together, leading him to make a mistake that all men make.

He Yuzhu wielded the spatula, speeding up the cooking process to clear his mind of all the chaotic thoughts. Now that he was married to Ran Qiuye, all the wonderful things in life would begin today!

I don't know any of them, Qin Jingru or Lou Xiao'e!

Just as Qin Jingru and her companion went inside, an elderly man and woman returned. Upon hearing that He Yuzhu had gotten married, they were surprised but still happy for him. The elderly man even brought out a bottle of his treasured fine wine.

The meal was eventually eaten at an old man's house. Although the old man was somewhat surprised that He Yuzhu had suddenly gotten married, he understood the situation perfectly well. He still earnestly advised He Yuzhu that now that he had a wife, he had to follow some rules, and added a final sentence.

"A widow's door is always a source of gossip; be careful, be careful!"

What else could He Yuzhu do? He understood immediately! He nodded in agreement!

From now on, I will definitely avoid Qin Huairu. Fortunately, I had Bang Geng do that thing before, and the two of them haven't had any contact for more than a month. Right now, things are indeed developing in a positive direction.

From now on, I just need to live my own life well and not meddle in other people's business. I should just live my life peacefully. As for how Qin Huairu's family is doing, I shouldn't care too much. Anyway, no matter how poor they are, they can't really starve that ungrateful wretch to death.

After dinner, He Yuzhu, along with Teacher Ran, began to distribute wedding candies to each household in the compound in a cursory manner.

When passing by Xu Damao's house, He Yuzhu was in a dilemma. In the past, He Yuzhu would never have gone to Xu Damao's house, but when he got to the door, it was as if the soul of this body was controlling him, and he stopped.

He Yuzhu and Xu Damao had been rivals for their entire lives. Now that Xu Damao was married, and so was he, He Yuzhu felt a little regretful if he didn't show off in front of Xu Damao.

He openly flaunted that his wife was prettier than his, and secretly boasted that he had slept with both of his wives. This smugness even touched the original soul of this body.

He Yuzhu's hands trembled slightly as he knocked on Xu Damao's door. After a short while, the door opened, and Qin Jingru opened it.