The Qin family wandered, stopping and starting along the way, and didn't reach the Courtyard until nearly five o'clock in the afternoon. Qin Tianfu looked at the magnificent compound and nodded in satisfaction. According to Jingru, this was a three-gated residential courtyard that had once been the mansion of a Qing Dynasty prince; only high-ranking officials and nobles were qualified to live in such a place. He hadn't expected that in this lifetime, he would be able to share in his daughter’s good fortune and live in such a fine house.
Just as they entered the main gate, Yan Bugui walked over. "Jingru, who are these people?" Yan Bugui looked at the unfamiliar Qin family members. Qin Huairu had rarely returned to the Qin Family Village over the years, and since Widow Zhang looked down on rural folk, she had only paid a ten-yuan bride price to bring her daughter back. Apart from a single visit from Qin Huairu's parents, this was the first time the rest of the Qin family had ever stepped foot in the Courtyard.
"Third Uncle, these are my family. This is my father and mother, and here are my younger brother and sisters."
"Xiaojun and I just got married, and my parents haven't visited the Courtyard yet. Besides, the new house is all finished, so Xiaojun told me to bring my family to Sijiu City for a few days."
Yan Bugui nodded, thinking to himself that Xiaojun was quite a filial child.
"It’s a real pity about Xiaojun. A fine university student, and he marries a country girl. They’ve only been married a few days, and Qin Jingru is already bringing her family here—a whole crowd of them. They’ll eat everything in sight and take whatever they can carry. It’s truly terrifying..."
"Huairu has been in this Courtyard for so many years, and I don't think I've ever seen her parents. Now those were parents who knew their place."
"Isn't that the truth? With so many people coming, how much grain are they going to eat through?"
"Sigh, if I had known, I would have introduced my niece to Xiaojun. He really shouldn't have married someone from the countryside."
"Mother Liu, with a niece like yours, do you think Xiaojun would even look at her? She's uglier than a sow."
"So what if she's a bit chubby? That’s a sign of good fortune! My niece comes from a good family; you couldn't get chubby even if you wanted to!"
...
The Qin family heard the gossiping of the Courtyard residents, and their expressions soured. The words were nasty and getting increasingly out of line. However, since it was their first time visiting, they didn't want to cause a scene that would reflect poorly on their daughter and son-in-law. They couldn't help but think these people were truly nosy. The younger ones also realized that these city folk didn't welcome them, which explained why Qin Huairu's parents almost never came.
Li Cuihua ignored the crowd. They weren't eating the family's rice, and they hadn't come empty-handed, either. These people were just jealous of her, and she wouldn't fall for their bait.
Qin Huairu was in the courtyard working hard at the laundry when she heard the neighbors’ chatter. She looked up and saw her uncle, aunt, and younger brother.
Uncle Qin and his wife hadn't wanted to come; they didn't want to face Widow Zhang's expression. Every time they thought about it, they regretted marrying their daughter into such a family. Jia Dongxu had been a decent man, but Widow Zhang was a wicked mother-in-law. Marrying someone meant marrying into their entire family.
After Jia Dongxu died, they had tried to persuade Qin Huairu to remarry, but she couldn't bear to leave her three children, and her job was inherited from the Jia family. She was destined to never escape Widow Zhang. Uncle Qin and his wife felt their daughter’s life was bitter—widowed at a young age, left to raise three children and a mother-in-law.
It wasn't that Qin Huairu didn't want to remarry; she just looked down on the rural men her parents suggested. She couldn't bear to lose her city lifestyle, but she couldn't find a city man with good prospects, so she just kept Shazhu on a string.
"Jianguo, why are you here? Are Mom and Dad doing well?" Qin Huairu asked.
"Sister, they are both fine. They told me to come and check on you."
Qin Huairu had her own pride; she only shared good news and kept the bad to herself. Uncle Qin and his wife had only sent Qin Jianguo because they were worried after hearing what Qin Jingru had said when she returned. Qin Jianguo had brought some wild vegetables picked from the mountain, dried mushrooms, and a few eggs.
Widow Zhang saw the items and curled her lip in disdain. How stingy.
She looked at what Qin Jingru’s parents had brought—meat, fish, and even a chicken. Compared to that, Qin Huairu’s family only brought a handful of wild vegetables. Was she someone who ate weeds?
"Whoever brought it is responsible for it. My house doesn't feed freeloaders."
Widow Zhang shot a glare at Qin Jianguo but snatched up the wild vegetables anyway.
Qin Jianguo thought to himself: *No wonder Mom and Dad didn't want to come. What kind of people are these?*
...
Over at the Zhou residence, Zhou Junfeng had exchanged for plenty of ingredients using the system's three-hundred-million-yuan prize. His wife had gone to the countryside to pick up her parents, and since this was their first visit, he intended to treat them well.
Money was the one thing he was not lacking; he couldn't spend it all if he tried.
Just as the Qin family arrived at the gate of the Courtyard, Yan Jiefang had come to tip him off.
"Mom, Dad, you're here. You must be tired. Come on in and sit down."
Once the Qin family entered the new house, they were too shocked to speak. The two-story building was so beautiful; they had never seen a house like this before.
"Jingru, is this really your house?" Li Cuihua asked, trembling with excitement.
"Of course it's my house, Mom. You're so happy you’re confused," Qin Jingru replied.
Li Cuihua nodded happily. "Jingru, I’ve really enjoyed your good fortune. My daughter is truly capable."
"Mom, this is the house I told you about that the Jia family almost snatched away. How can people be so shameless? Trying to steal a house—it's a daydream. They might as well try to take the whole Courtyard while they're at it!" Every time Qin Jingru thought about it, it made her angry.
Standing to the side, Qin Jianguo felt embarrassed for her. Her eldest sister’s mother-in-law was truly shameless. Was this what they called the refined city folk? He certainly learned something new today.
"Qianru, Yunru, Jianguo, Jianjun, let me show you the rooms." The newly renovated two-story house had four bedrooms—two upstairs and two downstairs—plus a bathroom.
Qin Jingru led Qin Qianru and Qin Yunru to the guest rooms. The sisters shared one room, and the brothers took the other.
Qin Qianru was green with envy. What kind of life did her cousin lead? Half a month ago, she was a country girl; now, she had transformed into a city dweller and married so well.
Qin Yunru was envious too, but she was still young and didn't feel the same urgency as Qin Qianru. Qin Qianru was nearly eighteen, an age where girls in the countryside were already getting married, and her mother had already started scouting for suitors.
Zhou Junfeng had set out plenty of melon seeds, peanuts, candies, and fruit in the main room, all exchanged from the system. "Dad, Mom, have a snack to tide you over. We’ll go to the old house for dinner later. Xiaohai, Xuehua, and Xuemei are all there already."
"Xiaojun, you’re too kind, buying all these things to entertain us," Qin Tianfu said.
"It’s only right. Since it’s your first time visiting, it’s a son-in-law’s duty to treat you well. Tomorrow, I'll have Jingru take you out to see the sights of Sijiu City."
After a while, Zhou Junfeng brought the Qin family to the Zhou family's old residence. The meal was already prepared. Zhou Junfeng said, "Aunties, thank you for all your hard work," and pulled two yuan from his pocket, giving one to Third Aunt and one to Old Mrs. Li from the back courtyard. He also gave them each a bowl of meat. Third Aunt and Old Mrs. Li thanked him profusely. As they were leaving, Third Aunt said that if he needed help in the future, he must remember to call on her.
Li Cuihua watched as Qin Jingru sat at the table like a pampered lady, waiting to be served. She frowned. "Jingru, go and help bring out the dishes. Are you just going to sit there?"
Qin Tianfu nodded. "Jingru, you are part of the Zhou family now; this is your duty."
Qin Jingru thought to herself: *It’s only been one day, and this is a 24/7 job?*