The entire courtyard is full of villains

"You little rascal..." Before he could finish speaking, Yan Jiecheng had already snatched the gold bars back.

"Give me my confession and the letter of severance of ties," Yan Jiecheng said, clutching the gold bars tightly. "Only after you give them to me will this gold bar be yours."

"Hey!" Old Cui laughed angrily, "Eight hundred yuan in betrothal gifts, and you only give me a small yellow croaker? What about the rest? You think you can get something for nothing?!"

“One yellow croaker is worth at least three hundred. I’ll give you three, that’ll be more than nine hundred, eight hundred is definitely enough!” After saying that, Yan Jiecheng took out two more small yellow croakers from his pocket, “Here, look!”

"That's still not enough..." Before Old Cui could speak, the woman with triangular eyes popped out from the side and said in a shrill voice, "A single yellow croaker only costs about a hundred yuan now! Three of them would cost at most four hundred, we're still more than three hundred short! Don't try to fool us!"

Yan Jiecheng, holding the small yellow croaker, retorted with his neck stiff: "Who would sell this for a little over a hundred? On the black market, one would fetch at least three hundred! If you don't believe me, I'll go to the black market tonight and sell it, then I'll give you the cash!"

Old Cui and the woman with triangular eyes exchanged a glance and a look.

"Alright, alright..." Old Cui waved his hand, his tone softening, "I'll take this thing. Then..."

"Cash on delivery. Bring me my confession and Yingying's letter of severance."

"Alright! I'll write it now!" Old Cui tapped his pipe on the sole of his shoe, turned around and went into the inner room, took out a pen and paper, and bent down to write. His handwriting was surprisingly neat and beautiful, but unfortunately Yan Jiecheng was so preoccupied with the prospect of living happily ever after with Cui Yingying that he didn't notice anything unusual.

After writing it down, Old Cui took the document over and had Cui Yingying sign it and put her fingerprint on it.

"Here you go, your confession and severance of ties. Take them." Old Cui handed over the two papers, then turned to Cui Ying and said curtly, "From now on... we're even. You go your way, and I'll go mine."

“Dad…” Cui Yingying’s eyes were still red and swollen, and tears were welling up in her eyes.

Yan Jiecheng felt sorry for her and stepped forward to hug her tightly: "Yingying, from now on... it's just the two of us living together."

"Dad..." Cui Yingying cried so hard she could barely stand. Old Cui seemed to want to say something, but was pulled back by the woman with triangular eyes, and the group went straight out the door.

“Dad…” Cui Yingying took a step forward, her body swaying precariously, and Yan Jiecheng quickly caught her.

"Sister Yingying, I'm here for you! I'll be here for you from now on!"

Cui Yingying leaned against him, sobbing softly for a while before slowly raising her head, looking at him through teary eyes: "Jiecheng... you can't treat me badly in the future. For you, I've cut ties with my family..."

"Don't worry, Sister Yingying, I will definitely treat you well in the future!" Yan Jiecheng quickly assured her.

“By the way, Jie Cheng…” Cui Yingyingge seemed to suddenly remember something and asked softly, “Didn’t you say… your dad wasn’t good to you? Then where did you get these little yellow croakers?”

Yan Jiecheng blushed slightly and lowered his voice: "That's... the last bit of wealth I stole from home. Didn't I tell you? Our house was robbed before. This yellow croaker was my dad's savings from selling his shop years ago, and it was well hidden. Now I've stolen it, and he doesn't even know... If he finds out later, he'll definitely beat me to death!"

"Then... what should we do?" Cui Yingying asked with a worried expression.

"What else can we do?" Yan Jiecheng hugged her tighter, and with his other hand pulled something out of his pocket, waving it in front of her like a treasure. "Look what this is?"

"Household registration booklet?"

"Yes! After we get our marriage certificate and become a family, we'll go back together. You put in a good word for me... If he doesn't care about his son, how could he not care about his daughter-in-law?"

Cui Yingying lowered her head, a fleeting, almost imperceptible glint of cold light flashing in her eyes. When she raised her face again, it was filled with shyness and submission, and she nodded gently.

"Okay then."

Chapter 125 Still a Lovestruck Man

Yan Jiecheng looked at the beauty in his arms and couldn't help but kiss her.

"What are you doing? Jie Cheng... it's still daytime." Cui Yingying pretended to be shy and turned her face away. "Besides, we haven't even registered our marriage yet. If... if my stepmother finds out and reports us, then..."

"Oh, right, right!" Yan Jiecheng suddenly realized and quickly stopped himself. "Then let's go get the marriage certificate tomorrow! I'll go to the neighborhood office to get a letter of introduction tomorrow!"

"Hmm..." Cui Ying responded softly, a blush rising on her face. "Jie Cheng, come with me."

Her face flushed, she pulled Yan Jiecheng into the inner room, walked to the bed, pointed to the dark red stain on it, and said in a trembling voice, "Jiecheng... you have to treat me well from now on... otherwise I..."

Yan Jiecheng looked at the bloodstains on the cloth, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up. A warm current mixed with pride and pity welled up in his heart: "Sister Yingying, don't worry, I will definitely treat you well!"

"You still call me Sister Yingying... do you think I'm too old?" Cui Ying asked playfully, her eyes darting around.

"No, no! Yingying!" Yan Jiecheng quickly corrected himself.

“Jiecheng, this is what I’m thinking…” Cui Yingying nestled against him, speaking softly, “After we get our marriage certificate tomorrow, I’ll ask the factory for an advance on a month’s salary. We’ll go back to your home together and have a good talk with your parents. After all, fathers and sons don’t hold grudges overnight; no matter what, he wouldn’t really hurt you… In two years, once we’ve saved enough money, we’ll pay your dad back. What do you think?”

"Yingying, you're so good to me..." Yan Jiecheng was so moved he didn't know what to say. "It's a pity my family... really doesn't have much money, otherwise I would have married you in a grand and dignified way!"

“Jiecheng, there’s no need.” Cui Yingying shook her head, a knowing smile on her face. “You’ve already spent so much money on me, and if your family goes on a big fuss, I… I’ll feel bad.”

"Yingying, you are so wonderful... I am so lucky to have married you."

After dinner, Yan Jiecheng tried to be intimate with Cui Yingying again, but she said she was "too exhausted last night" and still felt unwell, needing to rest. Yan Jiecheng thought about it; after all, Yingying had "lost so much blood," and he shouldn't tire her out today. So the two of them went to sleep properly.

The next morning, Cui Yingying got up and packed her things: "Jiecheng, I'm going to the factory to get a letter of introduction. You just stay home and wait for me."

"Row!"

Before noon, Cui Yingying returned, looking somewhat troubled.

"Solved..."

"Yingying, is the letter of introduction ready?"

"Jiecheng, there's something I need to tell you."

"What's up?"

"It's like this... My mentor is the foreman of our workshop. The night before last, my dad and stepmother came to the factory to make a scene, and she applied for a spot for me to go to Shenyang for training in order to help me... I'll be back in a month. I didn't go to the factory yesterday, but she already registered me, and I have to leave this afternoon..." She looked up at him, her eyes full of apology, "Could we... wait until I come back before we get our marriage certificate?"

Yan Jiecheng looked disappointed.

“Jiecheng, if this is difficult for you… I’ll just talk to my mentor. He was originally planning to promote me to deputy workshop director after I returned from the training…”

"I have to go!" Yan Jiecheng's eyes lit up as soon as he heard the words "deputy workshop director." Zhang Erhe was so proud of himself when he became a deputy workshop director. If his wife became a deputy director too... when he introduced Cui Ying to the factory later, he would say that she was the deputy workshop director of the textile factory! He couldn't help but drool at the thought of that scene.

"Jie Cheng? Jie Cheng?" Cui Yingying suppressed her disgust and gently pushed him.

"Go! You have to go!" Yan Jiecheng made the decision immediately. "You'll be the deputy director when you come back. Only a fool wouldn't go!"

“This trip will take a month…” Cui Yingying said, feigning sadness.

"Yingying," Yan Jiecheng comforted her, holding her shoulders, "It's only been a month, let's both hang in there. If you miss me terribly, I'll send you a telegram every day!"

"Then...then I'll go?" Cui Yingying asked hesitantly.

"Go! I'll pack your bags right now!"

"Oh... my husband," Cui Yingying said, changing her address.

"Yingying, call me a few more times!"

"The boss, the boss, the boss..."

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Yan Jiecheng laughed like a complete idiot.

After packing, Cui Yingying carried her luggage out the door, with Yan Jiecheng seeing her off. Just then, Aunt Ma came out and saw her: "Yingying, are you... going back with Xiao Yan?"

"No, Aunt Ma, I have to go on a business trip and won't be back for a month."

"Oh my, you two just started dating and you're already going on a business trip..." Aunt Ma was a little surprised.

"Well... there's nothing we can do about it." Yan Jiecheng took over the conversation, his tone brimming with undisguised pride. "Aunt Ma, Yingying's going to study this time, she might come back... and get a promotion!"

"Oh, that's wonderful, Yingying!"

After they came out of the alley, Cui Yingying complained, "Jiecheng, why do you tell everyone everything?"

"So what?" Yan Jiecheng said smugly. "My wife is about to become a deputy director, can't I even brag a little?"

"Alright, alright... but Jiecheng, try not to come over while I'm away for the next month. Otherwise, the neighbors will gossip, especially that Mrs. Hu across the street, she's the most famous gossip in our alley."

"Okay, I understand. Yingying, remember to send me a telegram in advance when you come back in a month."

"Row."

As soon as the two stepped onto the street, a truck drove up and stopped on the side of the road.

"Is this Comrade Cui Yingying?"

"Yes, I am."

"I was sent by Director Liu from Workshop 3 to pick you up."

"Oh, thank you for your trouble." Cui Ying tossed her luggage into the driver's seat, leaned out of the window, and waved to Yan Jiecheng, "Jiecheng, goodbye! Goodbye!"

Yan Jiecheng waved vigorously, watching the truck slowly start moving. Suddenly remembering something, he ran after the truck a few steps and shouted, "Yingying! Remember to come back soon!"

The only response he received was Cui Ying's arm waving incessantly from behind the car window.

"Hey," the driver clicked his tongue as he looked at Yan Jiecheng chasing after the car in the rearview mirror, "he's quite the romantic."

"Shut up." Cui Ying turned her head, her gentle and delicate demeanor completely gone, replaced by cold indifference. "Have you finished the finishing touches?"

“It’s all done. Tonight, after Old Ma leads the Hu family away, we’ll have someone return the house, and that’ll be it.”

"Okay. How much did you get for those three yellow croakers this time?"

"The price went up recently, and I sold it for almost a thousand."

"That's fine. I'll take three hundred, and you can divide the rest among yourselves."

"Row."

Chapter 126 My name is Zhang Erhe

The driver drove the car out of the city, and just outside the city, he saw a jeep parked at the intersection.

Cui Yingying said, "Let's stop here."

Without asking any questions, the driver downshifted, braked, and pulled the car over to the side of the road. As soon as the car came to a stop, Cui Yingying jumped out of the driver's seat, took two quick steps forward, opened the back door of the jeep, and climbed inside.

"Is everything done?" Wu Qian, sitting in the passenger seat, turned his head and asked.

“It’s done, Third Brother,” Cui Yingying replied. “Yan Jiecheng brought back three yellow croakers from his house.”

"Only three?" Wu Qian frowned. "Isn't that a bit too few?"

“Third Brother,” Cui Yingying quickly explained, “we had inquired beforehand and found out that the Yan family was robbed on the second day of the Lunar New Year, and their wealth was already gone. These three yellow croakers were the last of the treasures that Yan Jiecheng had secretly taken from his home. If we asked for more, he wouldn’t be able to come up with the money, and the show might not be able to continue.”

"Alright, alright." Wu Qian, still frowning, turned to Zhang Erhe, who was driving, and asked, "Second Brother, what do you think?"

"Alright." Zhang Erhe nodded, lit a cigarette with a match, and casually tossed the matchstick out the window. "Have you cleaned up your mess...?"

"Second Master, don't worry." Cui Yingying looked at Zhang Erhe, her attitude much more respectful than before. "After we finish this job, our group will disperse. We'll leave Beijing tonight, and... we'll never come back."

"That's fine then." Zhang Erhe exhaled a puff of smoke. "Qian'er, give that thing back to her."