All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

"Shazhu, how can you act like this? Sir, you be the judge. I agreed with Shazhu to arrange for him to meet my cousin today and introduce him to a potential partner. But he's been avoiding me for the past few days, and he hasn't shown up all day today. He came home and hid here with you."

He Yuzhu was indeed a little dumbfounded. What did this scheming bitch mean?

Upon hearing Qin Huairu's words, the old man became furious, slammed his hand on the table, and pointed at He Yuzhu angrily.

"Shazhu, you're almost thirty! Qin Huairu is introducing you to someone, why are you still avoiding her? What's the meaning of this? Explain yourself today!"

He Yuzhu was really confused. What did Qin Huairu mean by this?

Just then, Qin Huairu's aggrieved expression appeared on her face, and her eyes began to redden. She pointed at He Yuzhu and continued.

“He Yuzhu, I know you have feelings for me, but I’m just a widow with three children to support, and my mother-in-law would never approve of our relationship. I don’t want to be a burden to you. Last week I said I would introduce you to my cousin, and you’ve ignored me for a whole week. What do you mean by that?”

He Yuzhu almost coughed up the wine he had swallowed. He finally understood that this scheming woman was using a feigned retreat to advance. She had directly revealed the ambiguous relationship between him and her to an old man who always liked to do good deeds, hoping to gain his sympathy and ultimately get him to stand up for her.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, the old man's brows immediately lit up with righteous indignation, and he prepared to uphold justice.

He Yuzhu quickly put down his wine glass, stood up, and spoke.

"Qin Huairu, first of all, let me clarify something. My relationship with you is just that of ordinary neighbors helping each other. Don't misunderstand our relationship. The reason I haven't found a wife all these years isn't because of you. It's because I think that marrying and having children later in life is beneficial for our future children. Also, I've been in the kitchen all day and just got home. How was I supposed to know your cousin was coming today?"

Qin Huairu wanted to continue guiding the old man, but He Yuzhu quickly spoke up again.

"Qin Huairu, I've been avoiding you all week because I feel that at my age, I should find a wife. It's not good to be with a widow all the time. You've helped me with laundry and cleaning all these years, and I'm grateful for that. To avoid any misunderstandings in the future, let's try to see each other as little as possible. That's it. Our relationship is completely innocent, as the sun and moon can attest!"

Qin Huairu was caught off guard by He Yuzhu's words. In her mind, if she said that, Sha Zhu would definitely not refute her, and would only laugh foolishly.

Then I'll ask the old man to make the decision for me, and half-heartedly agree to confirm our relationship.

But today, Sha Zhu's hasty attempt to distance himself from the relationship between the two left her flustered and unsure how to continue speaking. The others stood there dumbfounded.

Fortunately, the old man also noticed that something was indeed off between the two, so he told Qin Huairu to go back first, and he would have a good talk with Sha Zhu.

Qin Huairu then took the opportunity to leave.

After closing the door, the old man, with a stern face, stopped drinking and sat there watching He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu was also a little embarrassed. He quickly filled the old man's cup before pouring one for himself, and said helplessly.

"Uncle, this really isn't my fault. Qin Huairu and I are absolutely innocent. To tell you the truth, I've been hearing people at the factory gossiping about my improper relationship with Qin Huairu lately. I can't do anything about it, so I can only try to distance myself from her. Besides, when I'm looking for a wife, I want to find a virgin! I'll have three big, healthy sons, so they can be around you all the time and experience the joys of family life!"

An old man with a stern face picked up his wine glass, drank it down in one gulp, slammed it down, and then said in a tone of exasperation at his son's lack of ambition.

"You, you! If you had realized this sooner, you wouldn't still be single!"

He Yuzhu nodded awkwardly, clinked glasses with the old man, and drank it all in one gulp.

In the past, the old man had put a lot of effort into finding a wife for He Yuzhu, but back then, He Yuzhu was a complete fool and was completely fooled by Widow Qin.

With Qin Huairu occasionally flirting with him, He Yuzhu's restless heart naturally lost interest in seriously looking for a wife, so the old man just let him be.

Everyone in the compound knew about He Yuzhu and Widow Qin's affair, which is why no one dared to introduce him to a wife.

Since leaving the house, Qin Huairu's tears had not stopped. At this moment, she was completely panicked. The silly Zhu who used to be so obedient to her was gradually drifting away.

However, this made Qin Huairu give up.

That is impossible!

Didn't you want to find a wife?

Then I'll make sure you can't find it. Come one, and I'll ruin it for you!

However, Qin Huairu hadn't given up on introducing her cousin Qin Jingru to Sha Zhu. She wanted to give Sha Zhu a taste of success first. If that silly girl really did become a couple, then she'd be in charge.

Chapter 8: The Third Uncle's Scheme

He Yuzhu originally thought that this matter was over and done with. He had made his refusal so obvious that Qin Huairu should know what he was thinking!

However, he underestimated Qin Huairu's cunning, and also underestimated the weight a well-off man carries in the eyes of a widow these days.

The next morning, just as He Yuzhu got up and washed up, he saw Qin Huairu carrying a basket into his room. Like a mistress of the house, she threw all his smelly socks and clean clothes into the basket, leaving He Yuzhu stunned.

"Qin Huai... Sister Qin... what are you doing?"

"Hmph, a grown man like you doesn't even know how to tidy up. Your room is such a mess. If a girl came to visit, she would say you're slovenly. I'm your sister, I'm here to tidy up for you so you can find a wife sooner. If you don't like me, I'll just say I was just being presumptuous!"

As she spoke, her eyes began to redden again. She put down the basket in her hand and began to tidy up the messy bedding. Then she started cleaning. She bent down, and her plump figure was facing He Yuzhu, who had just gotten up.

Early in the morning, He Yuzhu, whose anger had not completely subsided, looked at the alluring and juicy buttocks, and his lustful desire flared up again. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to put the thought aside.

He Yuzhu was completely convinced. This Widow Qin was no innocent old woman; she clearly knew how attractive this was to a bachelor who had been single for thirty years.

In her past memories, Widow Qin had done a lot of housework, such as tidying up his house, and there were many temptations. However, He Yuzhu would occasionally pretend to accidentally bump into something.

It was these subtle and overt hints that made the former simpleton feel a mix of emotions towards this widow Qin.

As a man who has been single for thirty years, Qin Huairu struck a chord with this old bachelor with just one move.

Even though He Yuzhu has been replaced by a different soul, he can't kick her out at this time. They're neighbors, and besides, she's helping out as a friendly neighbor.

Fine, I can't outsmart you. Keep playing your tricks, I won't lose anything anyway.

He Yuzhu washed up, didn't even lock the door, and prepared to go to work with an empty lunchbox.

Qin Huairu, who was behind him, suddenly shouted at him.

"Hey Shazhu, remember to come to my place after get off work. My cousin has to go back tomorrow. Let's have dinner together tonight and have a good chat!"

He Yuzhu paused for two seconds, then a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Okay, then I'll go home from get off work!"

This scheming bitch is really something. She's clinging to me now. If it were just for a bite to eat, I wouldn't care, but the problem is she has quite the appetite!

These days, having illicit relationships is a serious problem. He Yuzhu was genuinely afraid of Qin the Widow, that scheming woman. However, his past behavior made everyone think that he and the widow had an ambiguous relationship.

Therefore, we can't afford to offend Widow Qin too much. If she causes us any more trouble, we'll be in deep trouble and won't be able to explain ourselves.

Therefore, He Yuzhu is now adopting a laid-back attitude. As long as he gradually distances himself from Widow Qin, with his own qualities, plenty of people will introduce him to potential partners.

As long as someone introduces you to someone, you can choose one, and if it's suitable, you can settle down and live a stable life.

Once I'm married, if Qin Huairu keeps coming to see me all the time, it won't just be me whose reputation gets ruined.

Her cousin, Qin Jingru, is decent-looking and has a good figure. Besides these advantages, she has another one: she is obedient and admires city life. She's a complete naive girl.

Why was Xu Damao able to trick this silly girl into bed later? Wasn't it because he liked her naivety?

He Yuzhu walked to the front yard and ran into the Third Uncle, who was getting up to water the flowers. The Third Uncle called out, "Good morning, silly Zhu!"

Upon hearing the name "Silly Zhu," He Yuzhu became displeased. Without bothering to greet him, he snorted and prepared to walk out of the courtyard.

The Third Uncle, who was always concerned about his image and was shrewd and calculating, lost his good mood after waking up when he saw this scene. Seeing the two lunch boxes in He Yuzhu's hands, he immediately thought of his own family, which had not tasted meat for two weeks. Suddenly, he came up with a plan and shouted at He Yuzhu.

"Silly Zhu, Silly Zhu, wait a minute, I need to talk to you!"

Even though He Yuzhu knew that this third uncle was a scheming fellow and that he was sure to have no good intentions, he still stopped in his tracks. In this compound, you'd run into each other all the time. Besides, these days, there's a real sense that close neighbors are worse than distant relatives. It's okay not to get too close, as long as you don't become antisocial.

"Uncle, what's up? I still have things to do."

"Shazhu, it's like this, there's a female teacher at our school, 23 years old, named Ran Qiuye. This Teacher Ran is really beautiful, from a scholarly family, and she's still single. I see you're not getting any younger, and I heard from an old man that you're looking for a partner. I thought about it, so I'll find some time this morning to introduce you to someone. What do you think? As the old man in charge of the neighborhood, I'm really worried about your situation!"

With his hands behind his back, He Yuzhu listened to what the old man was saying and understood that he was being asked to introduce a potential partner to him.

But these three old men are so kind

Looking at the shrewd look in Uncle San's eyes, He Yuzhu understood that he wanted something in return.

"Alright, Uncle, thank you so much. Here's what we'll do: could you arrange a time for me to meet Teacher Ran? I won't let you work for nothing. If this works out, I'll bring you two pounds of top-quality fatty pork, how about that?"

Upon hearing the word "big fat man," Uncle San's dry throat visibly slurred as he swallowed hard and nodded repeatedly in agreement.

These days, a pound of pork cost 85 cents, and you needed meat coupons. Let alone two pounds of pork, even two ounces of meat was a luxury that working-class families could only afford during holidays.

Uncle San isn't even considered part of the working class; he's just a primary school teacher. Of his family of seven, he's the only one with a stable job. His eldest son is still working as a temporary worker. These days, everyone has their own job, and stable employment isn't easy to come by.

However, the third uncle was a calculating man. He always had a purpose in everything he did, including writing Spring Festival couplets for the courtyard and charging a fee for it. With his shrewd calculations, the family managed to get by.

Widow Qin, who was considered a member of the working class, was only receiving 27.5 yuan and the help of her neighbors, yet she said she couldn't survive. This reasonable person could even do the math.

He Yuzhu didn't want to settle the score, so he said goodbye to Uncle San and leisurely went to work.

Normally, if there's no banquet hosted by the boss, I go to work at six or seven in the morning and come back at four or five in the afternoon. Life is so comfortable.

He usually lives alone at home. His younger sister, He Yushui, is about to graduate and start working. Her fiancé is a local police officer. His family is well-off and has a good family background. The wedding date has been set, and they will get married soon during the Spring Festival. He is so happy that he can have a full stomach and no one else has to worry. In this day and age, how fortunate he is!

In this courtyard, apart from the old man's family, every other family has three or five children. Some families have more than ten people crammed into one room, with only one or two people having jobs. The whole family lives a very frugal life.

Even with such a meager existence, the pretty girls in the countryside are all eager to marry into the city.

This era is truly a wonderful one for He Yuzhu!

Chapter 9: The Factory Manager is Looking for Someone

Slacking off at work and being able to bring home some food from the company canteen after work – this is a pretty comfortable and carefree life.

He Yuzhu just couldn't understand what he was thinking in the past. Why couldn't he figure it out?

With such great qualities, surely she shouldn't be single until she's 29?

However, He Yuzhu suddenly recalled Qin Huairu's plump back from that morning, and all his distracting thoughts vanished instantly.

Okay, that must be the real reason!

The kitchen at the steel mill wasn't very big. The canteen manager was the boss, and the rest of the staff consisted of cooks, kitchen helpers, and some temporary workers who helped serve the food.

The kitchen that He Yuzhu was in charge of had seven people, including the kitchen helpers: six men and one woman. The woman's name was Liu Lan.

These days, working in the kitchen is considered a lucrative job. Although there are rations for everything these days, a canteen serving thousands of people can easily feed everyone with leftover scraps.

However, this is a job that not everyone can do.

Moreover, cooking this kind of large pot of rice is also a physically demanding job. Generally, kitchen staff rarely hire women. As for Liu Lan being able to enter the kitchen, it wasn't He Yuzhu's idea, but rather Liu Lan's sacrifice of her own interests to obtain this job opportunity.

Although the steel plant was large, there were only three truly influential people: the plant director, the Party Secretary, and the deputy plant director.

Among them, the deputy factory director, surnamed Li, was the youngest and most ambitious, with a wide range of interests.

One of her interests is eating and drinking. Besides eating and drinking, another interest is touching little hands and eating two ounces of steamed buns.

But these days, even if you're a leader, if this matter blows up, you won't have a good outcome. So if you want to reap the rewards, you naturally have to cultivate a long-lasting fruit tree.

It was under these circumstances that Liu Lan, somewhat reluctantly, became the "fruit tree" of Deputy Factory Director Li.