Courtyard House: My Wife is Xu Huizhen

Page 142

Xu Huizhen hurriedly went back to her room and changed into her brightest clothes. After looking in the mirror, she felt that she was too dazzling, so she changed into another outfit. With a nervous heart, she went to Qianmen Street.

After calming down in the courtyard, he finally mustered up the courage to knock on the door and come in.

"Hello, sir, I am Xu Huizhen."

"Young lady, you're too kind. Please come in and sit down." He Daqing quickly and politely invited Xu Huizhen to sit down and inquired about the Xu family's situation.

He Yushui poured water for her and they sat together, which made Xu Huizhen feel warm and encouraged.

He Yuzhu asked the waiter to help him, and he prepared a table of dishes himself. At noon, the four of them sat at the table.

He Yushui poured him some wine and said, "Dad, try the dishes my brother cooked. Yours aren't very good."

"You little brat, all you do is sabotage me."

He Daqing was quite helpless. Just by smelling the dishes, he knew that He Yuzhu's cooking skills were better than his own.

Although it's unclear how He Yuzhu developed such skills, that's not the point. The point is that his son is far more outstanding than him.

I used to think that He Yuzhu was really struggling to make ends meet, so he brought Yushui back to try and earn money for them. It seems that I was wrong. He Yuzhu is living better than the wealthy capitalists of the past.

He Daqing tasted all the dishes and confirmed Zhu Zi's skill level.

"This dish is the best I've ever eaten; it's up to the standard of a state banquet."

Although Xu Huizhen also thought that He Yuzhu's cooking was superb, she couldn't clearly assess He Yuzhu's skill level.

"Grandpa, what you're saying sounds so mysterious. Does Brother Zhu really have such a high level of skill?"

"I'm being conservative with my words. I've eaten dishes prepared by master chefs who serve at state banquets before, and some of them don't even reach this level."

"What Zhu Zi has made is already excellent in color, aroma and taste, reaching the pinnacle of cuisine. Even among the best master chefs of state banquets, this is the best they can achieve, and some are not even at this level."

Then she said, "With such good skills, why don't you continue being a chef?"

He Yuzhu laughed and said, "No matter how good my skills are, I don't want to work in a big restaurant as a chef, earning only a few dozen yuan a month. How much more can they give me? I can earn more by making braised meat for a day."

He Daqing was at a loss for words and could no longer offer any advice.

Xu Huizhen then realized how outstanding He Yuzhu was. She was so shocked that she stopped eating and just stared at He Yuzhu with deep affection in her eyes.

Chapter 108 He Daqing Returns to the Courtyard, Aunt Yi Takes Action in Anger

This meal made He Daqing completely admit defeat and realize He Yuzhu's true abilities.

After the meal, Xu Huizhen cleaned up and made tea for the guests. Then she got up to say goodbye and took the rainwater with her.

He Daqing asked, "When are we going back to the courtyard house?"

He Yuzhu said, "I'd like to discuss this with you first. What's your attitude towards Yi Zhonghai?"

He Daqing thought for a moment and said, "Well... let's just let this matter go and pretend we didn't know those two children were Yi Zhonghai's."

He Yuzhu said, "But he schemed against you, and you're just going to let it go like this?"

“We’ve been neighbors for decades. Besides, I didn’t lose out. I slept with Yi Zhonghai’s young wife for two years, and he got a huge cuckold’s hat.”

He Yuzhu, you don't know what to say. From this perspective, He Daqing really didn't suffer a loss. Of course, keeping a woman at that time would cost money.

It can now be confirmed that the white widow is Yi Zhonghai's concubine, but it was not made public before because of Yi's mother.

If I hadn't brought the rainwater with me to find He Daqing, He Daqing would have continued to raise the three of them until the widow Bai passed away.

By then, Yi Zhonghai's two children were grown up and he had grandchildren. They hadn't been in contact for so many years, and of course, there was no family affection left. He could only rely on Sha Zhu to take care of him in his old age.

Even those two houses were left to Sha Zhu. Yi Zhonghai's retirement plan was successfully implemented. Unfortunately, despite all the planning, Sha Zhu froze to death under the bridge.

Taking a deep breath, I realized that I had Yi Zhonghai under my control, but I never expected his schemes to be so deep.

He generously entrusted his concubine and two sons to He Daqing to raise.

He Yuzhu guessed that Yi Zhonghai and Aunt Yi must have had a conflict before, and Yi Zhonghai could no longer support the Bai widow's family, so he plotted to have He Daqing take over.

He Yuzhu could understand that, but he couldn't understand why He Daqing would give up on settling scores with Yi Zhonghai. Was it because he was embarrassed after sleeping with the White Widow?

People in this era all lived in large courtyards, and neighbors needed to help each other. Every family had its share of misfortunes.

In a critical moment, a neighbor's help can save the lives of an entire family.

Therefore, although many neighbors have conflicts, they all keep them within a certain range. They don't completely break off relations and never speak to each other again.

Otherwise, if a serious incident occurs at home and the neighbors don't lend a hand, the child or elderly person might lose their life.

Only when everyone moves out of the tenement and lives in their own homes, with neighbors exchanging only nods and greetings, will the harmonious neighborly relations fade away.

People like He Yuzhu, who previously flipped the table and refused to interact with his neighbors, are considered outliers in this situation.

He Daqing grew up in a tenement compound and didn't want to have a major falling out with Yi Zhonghai, since he would be living there in the future and it would be embarrassing if things got out of hand.

He Yuzhu said, "But you can't just keep quiet. Even if you have to give Yi Zhonghai and his wife a heads-up in private, it'll prevent them from thinking we haven't found out yet and are still gloating."

"This..." He Daqing hesitated for a moment.

He Yuzhu didn't press him any further. Since He Daqing didn't want to be the villain, he would let him do it if the opportunity arose.

Anyway, after He Daqing came back, He Yuzhu was even less willing to live in the compound. With He Daqing here, he could live on Yandaixie Street.

Offending Yi Zhonghai is no big deal. How can it be that Yi Zhonghai schemed against the He family and he himself got away scot-free?

He Yuzhu suddenly understood something; he had always felt particularly awkward living in the courtyard house.

It turns out that I had always viewed the thoughts, ideas, and standards of people in this era through the lens of hindsight.

So I always feel a bit awkward.

Only then did I realize that my values ​​were different from theirs. Although they also had conflicts, they kept them within a very small scope. After all, since ancient times, the people have not fought against the officials, and they have resolved the conflicts through negotiation.

Many people believe that suffering a loss is a blessing, so they accept minor losses and wait to get their revenge later.

He Yuzhu said, "Alright, we'll talk about the future later. You should see your old friends these next few days, especially my master. Yushui has been living at my master's house ever since you left, and she has also recognized my master's wife as her godmother."

"Okay, I'll tidy up the house, buy some things, and then move back later."

He Daqing still longed for the old house in the courtyard house, after all, it was his ancestral home. Now that he had returned to the capital, he felt more comfortable living in his hometown.

"No problem, I'll go clean it up and buy some things tomorrow."

The next day, He Yuzhu arrived at the courtyard house with his tricycle. Yan Bugui was surprised to see the tricycle outside the gate, which was full of household items: "Zhuzi, are you moving back in?"

"Yes, this is my home after all. Where else would I live if not here?"

"you..."

Yan Bugui hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Zhuzi, is there a problem with your house? Didn't you buy it? Why are you moving back in?"

Yan Bugui thought He Yuzhu's business was in trouble, so he couldn't help but ask.

"No, business is fine, everything's going well."

"Then why did you move back?"

"You'll know in two days."

Yan Bugui was completely baffled by this, but when he asked He Yuzhu again, He Yuzhu just shook his head and didn't say what the problem was.

He Yuzhu carried the odds and ends of daily life into the house and rearranged the home.

I had already replaced all the old furniture with new furniture that I made myself, and the whole house was completely transformed, ready to be used as a wedding room.

He Daqing spent two days meeting with his old friends before arriving at the courtyard house with He Yuzhu and Yushui.

Just after passing through the second gate, several middle-aged women who were sunbathing and doing handicrafts in the yard were taken aback.

He Daqing said with a smile, "Sisters-in-law, you're all busy, aren't you?"

Aunt Yan looked him over and said, "Brother He, what brings you back?"

“This is my home. If I miss home, of course I have to come back,” He Daqing said.

Aunt Yan glanced behind them to make sure no one else was there, then asked with a gossipy air, "Daqing, where's your wife? Why didn't she come back with you?"

"Don't even mention it. That widow surnamed Bai is no good. It's been two years and she still hasn't gotten pregnant. Since she won't give me a child, why should I bother with her?"

"You're not going to stay?"

"Yes, I'm coming back now."

He Daqing said, "I'm not going to chat with you anymore, I need to go back and pack up."

As soon as the family of three entered the intermediate court, several middle-aged women started gossiping, saying all sorts of things.

He Daqing first stood in the middle of the courtyard and looked around. The house was still the same as before, and the side rooms had also been built.

Feeling a pang of emotion, Aunt Yi from next door came out of her house.

Startled: "He Daqing, you're back?"

"Sister Yi, it's been two years since I last saw you, and you haven't changed at all. Yes, I came back because I wasn't happy in Baocheng."

"It's good to be back. It's always more reassuring to live in my own home," said Aunt Yi.

"Yes, home is always the best."

After exchanging a few words, He Daqing went inside.

After the three of them tidied up again, He Daqing asked, "Zhuzi, aren't you coming back to stay?"