"Brother, where did you go? How could seeing someone off take so long?"
"I went for a walk in Beihai Park. Why, is something the matter?"
"Nothing, I just wanted to ask, was that girl who came by today your girlfriend?"
"What do you think of her?"
"She's great! She's pretty and has an elegant air about her—even more graceful than the female teachers at our school!"
"Then I'll give it a try and see if I can win her over as your sister-in-law."
"Hehe, I thought you two were already a done deal! So, there’s nothing going on yet?"
"Why are you so impatient? Are you looking to get married yourself?"
"You..."
It was just as he thought. He Yuzhu was certain the figure he had seen earlier was Qin Huairu. She must have come by again. He had originally hoped He Yushui would leave soon, giving Qin Huairu no opportunity. It seemed he would have to make preparations in advance, or he didn't know when trouble might arise.
"Did Qin Huairu come to our house just now?"
"Brother, you’ve really changed. You used to call her Sister Qin; now you use her full name!"
He Yuzhu rubbed his forehead. This girl was truly a headache. Seeing his silence, He Yushui assumed he felt guilty.
"I’m just saying! Brother, what you’re doing isn't right. It’s normal for neighbors to help one another, especially with Sister Qin’s family. You have such a good relationship, how can you just ignore them?"
*You’re quite right, I have nothing to say to that.* He Yuzhu felt rather helpless. *Do you really think Sister Qin has a good relationship with us? That might just be your own wishful thinking.*
"Yushui, don't get involved in adult matters. Focusing on your studies is what’s important!"
"That won't do. If we don't get along with people in the courtyard, how are we supposed to live here? When you get married in the future, you'll need everyone’s help!"
"You’ve been influenced too much by the Qin family's affairs. I didn’t want you to know the truth initially, for fear of hurting you."
He Yushui froze upon hearing this. "Brother, did Sister Qin do something bad?"
"Let's not keep mentioning Sister Qin. Tell me, how are your brother's prospects?"
"Not great!"
"Don't be biased. Just look at it from the perspective of a girl looking for a partner. How are my conditions?"
Seeing her brother’s serious demeanor, He Yushui stopped joking. She looked him over carefully for a moment and said, "Honestly, Brother, I haven't paid much attention before, but I didn't realize you were actually quite handsome. Our family's situation is good—we're top-tier in this courtyard, and we even have two houses."
"Most importantly, since our parents are gone, whoever marries into this house would be the mistress, without a mother-in-law to answer to. Put that way, I'm quite a high-quality bachelor! But why is it that at twenty-seven, I'm still not married?"
The more He Yushui thought about it, the more wrong it felt. In this day and age, most men were married by twenty, and anyone over twenty-four was considered an 'older youth.' How could someone with her brother's superior conditions and good character have never been married? Furthermore, she hadn't seen a single matchmaker come knocking. By all rights, for someone like her brother, matchmakers should have worn out the doorstep!
"I said you weren't stupid; why did it take you until today to realize this?" He Yuzhu flicked He Yushui’s forehead in annoyance.
"Ouch, Brother, don't hit me! I'm not a little kid anymore!"
"If you won't help me find a partner, that's one thing, but you’re helping others harm me. Don't you think you deserve that?"
"How could I be harming you? Besides, who could harm you?"
"Think about it. Who?"
"Could it be... Sister Qin?" He Yushui’s eyes widened in surprise.
"Correct!"
"Given my circumstances, I should have been married and had children long ago. I didn't realize it before, but I’ve heard people talking about it recently. You know the saying, 'A widow's door has many disputes'? It means any connection to a widow invites gossip. For years, the two of us have been far too close to their family. Not only in the courtyard but even at the Steel Mill where I work, rumors claim we are involved. I even got into a fight with Xu Damao over it. But what good does it do? Bad news travels fast. Now, every village in the area knows about it. What respectable girl would want to marry me?"
"Do you want your brother to remain a bachelor for life and let the He family line die out?"
"This..." He Yushui was stunned. In that era, the concept of carrying on the family line was still deeply rooted, and both men and women took it very seriously. "Brother, isn't that a bit extreme?"
After giving it some thought, He Yushui realized she truly needed to take her brother’s marriage prospects seriously.
"Brother, what do you think of Zhang Chunmei from our class?"
Just like a young girl, she said whatever came to mind. Since she felt her brother should marry, she immediately wanted to introduce someone.
"Zhang Chunmei? That tomboy with the buck teeth? You're suggesting her?"
"Then what about Yu Haitang?"
"Yu Haitang? The one who wants to be a broadcast announcer?"
"Yes, that’s her. But I don’t think she’s a good match for you."
"Why not? I think she's great." He Yuzhu naturally knew Yu Haitang. She was not only pretty but also quite capable—a good candidate to manage a household. In his heart, she was one of his ideal types.
"Hmph, you don't know her! We’ve been desk-mates since elementary school; she’s too calculating. I’m afraid you’ll end up being taken advantage of!"
He Yuzhu couldn't help but laugh. Could anyone be more calculating than Qin Huairu? He Yushui could sense Yu Haitang’s shrewdness, yet she was completely oblivious to Qin Huairu's.
"Why would I be taken advantage of? If anything, others would be. I’m her husband; what could I lose?"
"That’s true, I forgot about that! Alright then, I'll go see her in a few days and sound her out!"
"Fine! But that’s not the most important thing. The most pressing matter is for you to draw a clear line between us and Qin Huairu’s family. If Yu Haitang finds out, she certainly won't be happy!"
"It won't be like that, Brother. I’ll explain everything to Haitang in advance. She won't think like that!"
He Yuzhu gave He Yushui’s head a heavy pat. The girl was truly hopeless; even after all that had been said, she was still speaking up for Qin Huairu. He Yuzhu couldn't be bothered to nag her any further. She was beyond saving. He decided that once she graduated, he would send her away immediately—the further, the better. Otherwise, he would eventually be ruined by her.
"Move aside, you're blocking the way!" He Yuzhu pushed past her and headed toward his room."Brother, dinner isn't made yet, and I'm starving!"
"There was plenty of food left over from noon, just heat it up, can't you? You're so grown up and you still don't even know how to cook. I really worry you won't be able to get married in the future!"
"Those dishes..."
He Yuzhu's heart sank. He turned to look at He Yushui.
He Yushui kept her head down, not daring to look her brother in the eye.
He Yuzhu understood immediately. No doubt after the meal, Qin Huairu had come over to help clear the bowls and chopsticks, and conveniently packed up the leftovers to take back with her.
That family always loved doing things under the banner of helping you, but in the end they always took every possible advantage.
In the past, maybe no one could keep them in check, but now that he was here, let's see what kind of tricks they could still pull.
"Cook some noodles yourself, leave a bowl for me, I'll eat later!"
He Yuzhu was no longer going to spoil He Yushui; he told her to make her own dinner.
He Yushui pouted, somewhat displeased.
He Yuzhu had always been very good to her, and she had never done any housework.
She felt that her brother was really angry this time, and began to worry about how she was going to explain things to Qin Huairu.
If He Yuzhu knew what she was thinking, he would surely lecture her all over again.
Things had already reached this point, and she was still fretting over how to explain it to Qin Huairu instead of considering her brother's lifelong prospects. It was truly exasperating.
He Yuzhu returned to his room.
Reflecting on everything that had happened today, he felt quite exhilarated.
Most importantly, Xu Damao had already been thoroughly dealt with and brought to heel.
He had given him a harsh beating down at the factory and stripped him bare; then, back at the courtyard, he had successfully sabotaged a blind date and made him taste the bitterness of failure using a single chicken.At the same time, he had taken the first step toward drawing a clear line between himself and Widow Qin's family.
He still needed to put in more effort with his younger sister, but there was no need to rush for now.
Most importantly, he had met Lou Xiaoe.
Whether or not he should marry this girl was truly a difficult dilemma.
He Yuzhu knew Lou Xiaoe's personality very well; although her character was decent, she was indeed an assertive and dominant woman.
Right now, with his household's circumstances in poor shape, she appeared gentle and endearing.
Yet the moment the situation changed, she would undoubtedly become decisive, fierce, and eager to run the show.
A woman like that was certainly not bad, but as a real man, being entirely under her control would inevitably feel rather stifling.
Deep down, He Yuzhu felt that Lou Xiaoe was pretty good; it was just that while he didn't harbor any extreme chauvinistic tendencies, he didn't want to be kept on too tight a leash by a woman either.
Reluctant to give up on Lou Xiaoe, he still had to protect his own freedom.
Thinking about this matter right now was perhaps a bit too early.
Besides, nothing was settled yet, so He Yuzhu still had plenty of time to ponder.
Leaning back against the bed, he picked up the enamel mug from the nightstand and took a sip of freshly brewed Pu'er tea. Amidst his thoughts, the System interface floated up in his mind.
Host: He Yuzhu
Age: 25
Skills:
【Culinary Arts: Gold Novice 150/1000】
【Music: Silver Novice 200/1000】
【Painting: Silver Novice 110/1000】
【Fine Arts: Silver Novice 460/1000】
【Martial Arts: Baji Quan Silver Advanced 90/1000】
【Storage Space: 5 catties of pork; 50 eggs; various grain coupons, meal tickets, cash...】
【Location Function: Awaiting Exploration】Glancing at the system panel, He Yuzhu couldn't help smiling.
If this were the future, he would be a bona fide all-around artist, a martial arts master, and even a billionaire-level figure.
Still, there was no rush. In just over a decade, he wouldn't even be forty yet—in the prime of his life. Sports cars, villas, women—he would have it all.
No, wait. He could have women right now; he didn't need to wait until then.
As for a vehicle, he'd buy a Forever-brand bicycle first. In this day and age, a bicycle was also a fine tool for picking up girls.
He Yuzhu calculated that he couldn't just wait around for the factory to distribute industrial coupons; that was too slow. He had to find a way to get his hands on some as soon as possible. Only a handful of leaders in the factory had them.
Suddenly, he slapped his thigh.
"Got it!"
This was an era that was both simple and chaotic.
To call it simple was to say that everyone's motives were obvious: Xu Damao was snobbish and vain, Qin Huairu was selfish and shortsighted, Jia Zhangshi was terrified of being abandoned, and the older men all had their own schemes.
To call it chaotic was to recognize that some people used power to act recklessly, while the majority chose endurance driven by the pressures of daily life.
Lately, Director Li had grown exceptionally bold, harboring evil intentions toward Liu Lan in the kitchen.
Though sharp-tongued, Liu Lan was still in her probationary period, and her position at work was far from secure.
Director Li had repeatedly tried to touch her inappropriately, and recently he had grown even worse, summoning her to his office multiple times.
Liu Lan had always brushed him off, until this morning when Director Li barged right into the kitchen while He Yuzhu and the others were out, attempting to drag her off to the storage room.
Spirited as she was, Liu Lan was still a young woman in her twenties; she couldn't just let Director Li humiliate her.
Dragged into the storage room, she fought back desperately, yet she didn't dare cry out too loudly. "Liu Lan, as long as you agree, I guarantee you'll live in luxury and comfort from now on!"
"How about I help transfer you to the office? It's much easier than the kitchen!"
"No need, Director Li, please don't be like this!"
As the two of them struggled back and forth,
*Snap... crash...*
Liu Lan kicked out hard, happening to strike the nearby vat of pickled Chinese cabbage.
The kick was so fierce it cracked the vat right open.
With a loud crash, the pickled cabbage brine splashed everywhere, making a complete mess of the floor.
Director Li couldn't dodge in time and stepped right into the juices.
Being rather bulky and holding a girl who weighed over ten catties, his foot slipped, and he tumbled heavily to the floor.
The fall hurt so badly he cried out for his mother.
*Thump...*
Just then, He Yuzhu and Mahua pushed the door open.
Director Li hurriedly shoved Liu Lan off him and struggled to his feet, rubbing his aching backside.
He Yuzhu looked at the tearful Liu Lan and asked, "What's going on here?"
Realizing she could no longer cover things up—otherwise this man would eventually succeed—Liu Lan motioned toward Director Li with her chin.
Recovering his wits, Director Li tried to slip away, but He Yuzhu grabbed him by the arm.
"Trying to run after pulling off such a filthy stunt?"
"Quit talking nonsense, He Yuzhu. Little Liu and I were just chatting, showing concern for a newcomer."
"Chatting my foot!"
Hearing that, He Yuzhu flew into a rage.
"You hugged a young woman right into a vat of pickled cabbage to talk about work?"
"Don't just stand there, Mahua—go call the security department, and make sure you bring a rope!"