The entire courtyard is full of villains

"What about Zhonghai? Has he investigated that?"

"……No."

Grandma Long fell silent again, and the room fell silent once more.

On the other side, after saying goodbye to Yi Laonian, Zhang Erhe didn't even go home, but went straight out to find Wu Qian.

When Zhang Erhe arrived at Wu Qian's house, Wu Qian, unusually, was not out and was sunbathing in the yard with his two sons. Seeing Zhang Erhe arrive, he knew that his second brother wouldn't come looking for nothing, so he handed his sons to his wife and followed Zhang Erhe into the alley.

Zhang Erhe took out a cigarette, lit one, and casually tossed the pack to Wu Qian. Wu Qian took one, but then comfortably stuffed the whole pack into his pocket.

"I mean, do you have to be so frugal?" Zhang Erhe glanced at him.

"That depends on who you're comparing me to, Second Brother. I'm alright compared to others, but I'm far inferior to you."

"You've got the man ready." Zhang Erhe exhaled a smoke ring.

“Ready, Second Brother,” Wu Qian quickly explained. “Widow Hu from Panggezhuang, she’s thirty-three this year. This woman… has a bit of a problem, she’s particularly ‘interested’ in that kind of thing. Her first husband died before she could last two years; her second husband was a pig butcher from the countryside, she lasted five years, and she even gave birth to two sons—but in the end, she didn’t make it either, and she died. The pig butcher’s family disliked her reputation and sent her back to her parents’ home. Now she lives in a shed next to her parents’ home in Panggezhuang.”

Wu Qian lowered his voice: "This woman was bothered by that illness and was just trying to make a living, so she basically accepted anyone who came her way. As a result, a while ago... she caused someone's death."

"Who did this? It couldn't have been you, could it?" Zhang Erhe raised his eyebrows.

"How could I dare, Second Brother!" Wu Qian quickly waved his hand, "I heard he's an old projectionist..."

"Could his surname be Xu?"

"How would I know? Anyway, when Widow Hu went to their door, they refused to admit it. She had no proof and didn't dare to make a big fuss, so the matter just remained at a stalemate."

How do you know so much?

“I have a younger brother from Panggezhuang. According to seniority, he should call Widow Hu his cousin.”

Zhang Erhe nodded: "Alright, then I won't get involved in this. You go find Widow Hu and explain to her that as long as she listens to me, I'll find her a good family and help her settle things."

"Understood, Second Brother, don't worry!"

Chapter 159 Completely Under Control

The next morning, at the entrance of the neighborhood office, Yi Zhonghai held the divorce certificate, his heart filled with mixed emotions. Over the years, he had considered divorce in the dead of night, but the stigma of "abandoning his wife who had shared his hardships" was something he simply couldn't bear. He had painstakingly built up his reputation step by step; if he were to truly bear this infamy, everything would likely be destroyed in an instant.

Now that Yi Laonian had pressured and urged him, he had actually gotten a divorce. He couldn't tell whether he should be grateful or just smile bitterly.

“Saihua…” he began hesitantly.

Tan Saihua glared at him but said, "Yi Zhonghai, we've slept in the same bed for so many years, do you think I don't know what you're thinking? Yesterday it was your second uncle who stepped in, but in the end, it was you who wanted a divorce, wasn't it?" She paused, "Alright, now you've got what you wanted."

After saying that, she turned and walked towards the courtyard house. Yi Zhonghai stood there, stunned for a long while, before hurrying back to the factory with a heavy heart.

That evening, the matchmaker sent by Wu Qian led six "blind date candidates" of varying heights, weights, and builds into the courtyard.

When Yi Zhonghai came home from get off work, his face was still somewhat gloomy. As soon as he entered the door, he was urged by Old Yi to wash his face and change his clothes.

"What are you doing, Uncle?"

"What are you doing? Your Uncle Erhe has brought the person to you! Hurry up and tidy up the place!" Old Man Yi said, urging his wife, "Hurry up and clean the house, so people don't laugh at us!"

When Zhang Erhe strolled into the courtyard, a crowd of neighbors had already gathered to watch the commotion. As soon as Yi Laonian saw him, he waved hurriedly, "Good brother, come quick! As an elder, you should also help Er Gouzi with his assessment!"

When Zhang Erhe entered the room and saw the six people opposite him, he almost couldn't help but laugh—although he had told Wu Qian to have some "contrast," he hadn't expected the contrast to be this great.

The first one was hard to associate with the word "widow": broad-shouldered and burly, standing next to Liu Haizhong, they looked like twin brothers. Right now, she was gruffly questioning Yi Zhonghai about his situation, and sounded quite satisfied with him.

Yi Zhonghai was terrified—he wanted to find a widow, but he didn't expect to find a "female version of Liu Haizhong"! He had already had enough of seeing Liu Haizhong every day in the courtyard; to see this at home would be a sin!

After only a few words, this "brotherly" man expressed his interest in Yi Zhonghai. Yi Zhonghai quickly declined, saying he had just gotten divorced and wasn't considering it for the time being. The man had no choice but to leave disappointed.

What about the second one? If the first one is "broad-shouldered and burly," then this one is "skin and bones."

She wore a faded, coarse cloth jacket that seemed to float in the wind. Her cheekbones were high and prominent, but her eyes were frighteningly bright. She looked at Yi Zhonghai as if she were selecting livestock at a market, wanting to weigh him inside and out.

"Master Yi, right?" she said, her voice high-pitched and thin. "I heard you're a senior technician? How much do you earn a month? How much savings do you have? Just these two rooms? Do you live with your second uncle and the others? If things work out, you'll have to give me your entire salary. I'm very good at managing money; I can stretch every penny!"

A barrage of questions left Yi Zhonghai dizzy. Before he could even open his mouth, Yi Laonian slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Good! Good for managing money! Er Gouzi just needs someone to keep the accounts!"

Yi Zhonghai's face turned green. Just as he was about to decline, the third person squeezed in.

This man was neither fat nor thin, and his appearance was fairly decent, but his eyes were fixed on Yi Zhonghai's face for a long time before he suddenly blurted out:

"You look alright, but a bit too soft. If I ever get into an argument with someone, would you dare to help me out?"

Yi Zhonghai was completely dumbfounded.

This isn't a blind date; it's clearly a recruitment drive!

Having finally managed to get rid of the first three, the matchmaker led in the fourth. This one didn't stare at Yi Zhonghai like the others, nor did she ask if he could help her fight; she simply sat there quietly. But the moment she spoke, Yi Zhonghai nearly fell off his chair—

"I have no other requests, just two small ones: First, my second marriage shouldn't be too unfair to me; I should still receive the bride price I'm entitled to. Second, you have to help me find wives for my two younger brothers."

Yi Zhonghai jumped up and yelled, "Go to hell! I'm marrying a divorced woman, and not only do I have to pay a dowry, but I also have to help your brother find a wife? With that money, can't I just marry two myself?"

Seeing this, the fifth person left without saying a word.

The sixth one didn't ask for a bride price or to help her family; she only had one condition: "My four sons must be fed."

Yi Zhonghai's face turned green—he knew better than anyone how much a teenager could eat these days. Four mouths… even a level ten worker couldn't handle it, let alone an eighth-grade worker! What had become of grain prices on the black market?

Seeing him shake his head, the man turned and left.

The neighbors in the courtyard couldn't hold back any longer, and they were all laughing so hard they were doubled over. Yi Zhonghai's face turned red and then pale, and his gaze towards Zhang Erhe was so resentful that the other man dared not look him in the eye.

"Alright, alright, nephew, don't worry," Zhang Erhe quickly tried to smooth things over. "Tonight was a bit rushed, but tomorrow! Tomorrow, your uncle will definitely introduce you to a good one!"

Old Man Yi scratched his head and advised, "Er Gouzi, the key to blind dates is the 'appearance'! They've already come all this way, we're just wasting some tea, it's not a loss. Your Uncle Erhe will definitely find you a decent match!"

Yi Zhonghai kept his head down and didn't say a word. Zhang Erhe quickly slipped home.

The next day at work, he called Wu Qian and gave him a good rant. Wu Qian assured him, "Second Brother, didn't you want a 'contrast'? Isn't this contrast enough? Don't worry, we'll send Widow Hu tonight; she'll definitely dazzle Yi Zhonghai!"

After getting off work that evening, Zhang Erhe went to Wu Qian's place to pick her up. Wu Qian and the matchmaker had already helped Widow Hu get ready—she was wearing a floral print cotton shirt, her hair was slicked back with oil, and she had applied clam oil to her face, giving her quite the charm of a young married woman.

"Okay, she looks pretty good." Zhang Erhe looked her up and down a few times. "Have you remembered how to behave and how to speak?"

“I’ve got it, boss.” Widow Hu’s voice was a little rough, but her tone was very firm. “As long as I can keep Yi Zhonghai in check, I’ll be living the high life from now on.”

"That's fine!"

Widow Hu brushed a stray hair from her temple and lowered her voice: "Don't worry, boss. I may not be good at much else, but I'm quite skilled at serving men. I guarantee he'll give me his heart."

"Okay." Zhang Erhe patted her shoulder. "I'll take you to the courtyard house tonight. Be careful and don't give anything away."

"Ok!"

Widow Hu nodded emphatically. She knew in her heart that this was probably her last chance—that old scoundrel surnamed Xu didn't acknowledge the child in her womb, and she had no power to make a scene. She was only a month pregnant now, and the hospital couldn't do anything about it; but in two months, when her pregnancy became obvious, the people of Panggezhuang would definitely kick her out. A widow who became pregnant for no reason would tarnish the reputation of the entire village.

So, for her own sake, and for the "bastard" child in her belly that she had to keep, she had to do everything she could tonight to cooperate with Zhang Erhe's plan and stay in the city.

"He's just an old man without a son." Widow Hu gritted her teeth inwardly—as long as she played her part normally, she could definitely have him completely under her thumb.

P.S.: Guys, please support me and give me some love!

Chapter 160 How Could I Have Met You

As dusk approached, Zhang Erhe and the matchmaker led Widow Hu into the courtyard.

The lights were already on in the east wing. Old Yi sat listlessly at the table, which was set with melon seeds and tea, chatting idly with his wife. Yi Zhonghai sat dejectedly to the side, looking utterly dejected.

"Good brother, I'm back!"

Before Zhang Erhe could finish speaking, the person had already pushed the door open and entered. Yi Zhonghai looked up at the sound and immediately saw Widow Hu following behind Zhang Erhe. His previously dim eyes instantly lit up—this woman today was completely different from the six from yesterday.

“Good brother, what do you think of this one?” Zhang Erhe said with a smile, pointing to Widow Hu.

Old Man Yi looked him up and down, then nodded: "It looks quite festive. Sit down, everyone!"

Widow Hu, however, was quite poised and elegant. She first greeted the elderly couple, Mr. and Mrs. Yi, before gracefully sitting down. The matchmaker quickly stepped forward to introduce them:

"This is Hu Tiehua, a woman with a tragic past. Her husband used to be a pig butcher, and they were living a good life. But unfortunately, the rope always breaks at the thinnest part... Her husband fell seriously ill and passed away not long after. Her in-laws, wanting to take back her husband's belongings, forcibly took back their two children and kicked her out. Tiehua had no choice but to set up a shed near her parents' home and take on odd jobs like washing and cleaning to barely make ends meet."

Old Man Yi nodded as he listened: "He's a man with a hard life. Let me tell you about my nephew: he's a master craftsman at the factory, but he's easily influenced. He was wronged by someone before, and he's still not a son at his age. If I hadn't come, his life would have been over... Miss Hu, what do you think of my Er Gouzi?"

"I think Master Yi is a very honest man," Widow Hu said with a smile, covering her mouth.

"Alright, if I may be so bold as to ask: what are your conditions?"

Widow Hu lowered her head and touched her hair, saying softly, "I'm a divorced woman, I don't have many conditions. I only hope that if I marry into the family, I can visit my parents during holidays... and also see my two sons from my first marriage. Don't worry, I won't bring them here, I'll just visit them occasionally. If you can promise me that, that's enough."

"Then you don't want a dowry?"

"I'm a divorcee, how could I possibly deserve a dowry?" Widow Hu said very politely.

Seeing Yi Zhonghai staring intently at Widow Hu, Zhang Erhe patted him on the shoulder and asked, "What do you think of the woman your uncle found for you today?"

Yi Zhonghai licked his lips—for the first time, he felt that Uncle Erhe was actually a really nice person.

"Thank you so much."

"It's alright, you're my good brother's nephew after all," Zhang Erhe laughed. "So, what do you say? If you agree, we'll talk to Tiehua; if you don't, we'll have the matchmaker send her home tonight."

Yi Zhonghai hesitated for a long time before glancing at Yi Laonian: "I...I'll listen to my second uncle."

Old Man Yi glared at him disdainfully: "Now you've remembered your second uncle?" He then nodded to Widow Hu, "Miss Hu, if you think it's okay, you can try dating my Er Gouzi. Er Gouzi, take Tiehua to the next room to talk."

"Hey!" Yi Zhonghai quickly got up and led Widow Hu outside.

"Iron, Iron Flower... Comrade Hu Tiehua..."

"Brother Yi, you can call me Tiehua."

"Hey, Tiehua."

When the two arrived next door, Yi Zhonghai looked at the somewhat messy room and regretted for the first time that he hadn't cleaned it properly the previous two days.

"Tiehua, things are a bit messy here..."

"It's alright," Widow Hu replied gently, rolling up her sleeves to start tidying up. "It's normal for a grown man like you not to be able to tidy up properly. These kinds of chores are what we women are supposed to do."

Looking at the busy figures in front of him, and recalling Tan Saihua's usual demeanor, Yi Zhonghai suddenly found his ex-wife even more repulsive.

After a short while, Widow Hu finished getting ready and gently rubbed her back.

"Tiehua, does your back hurt?" Yi Zhonghai observed very carefully.

Widow Hu's symptoms were actually a normal reaction during her pregnancy. Upon hearing this, she quickly explained, "It's nothing, just a problem caused by washing clothes too much every day."