Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 99 The Central Courtyard: The Jia Family Can't Move Back (Please Subscribe)
At the factory, He Daqing is now doing very well. Over the years, Yi Zhonghai has repeatedly tried to expose He Daqing's cooking for high-ranking Japanese officials. Unfortunately, Lou Bancheng, the boss, is not called Lou Bancheng for nothing. He Daqing was unharmed. Later, he learned that the Tan family cuisine that He Daqing often talked about was a family recipe from Lou Bancheng's wife.

After that, he gave up on messing with He Daqing and started working hard to make money. He also wanted to adopt a godson like his godfather. But what kind of people are those who make a living in the underworld? For money, they might stab even their own father in the back, let alone their godfather.

After the group entered the He family home, Xu Fugui and his family exchanged greetings with Wang Cuiping and Qiao Lingyi's children. Xu Fugui then led his family home. They were enjoying a family reunion, and their presence was a bit of an eyesore. There would be plenty of time for them later.

Xu Damao didn't want to leave, but his father dragged him away.

After the Xu family left, Chen Lanxiang asked a question. It wasn't that she disliked He Yuzhu for bringing people back; she was worried that He Yuzhu might abduct the girl and bring her back, causing concern for the girl's family or other troubles.

"Zhu Zi, what's going on with this girl? Where are her family members?"

“Mother, Xiaoman is an orphan. I saved her once and took her in because I felt sorry for her.”

"orphan?"

"Yes, Mother, this is how it happened." He Yuzhu then recounted the whole story.

“Poor child, come here, let me take a good look at you.” Chen Lanxiang beckoned to Xiaoman.

Xiaoman first glanced at He Yuzhu, and seeing him nod, then looked at Wang Cuiping, who also smiled and nodded at her, before she slowly moved closer to Chen Lanxiang.

"Pretty sister, my name is He Yushui. Can you hug me? I'm my brother's sister." Unexpectedly, He Yushui said this at this moment, which immediately eased the atmosphere.

These words made Xiaoman quicken her pace. He Yushui had already been put on the kang by He Yuzhu when she entered the room.

However, before Xiaoman could hug He Yushui, Chen Lanxiang grabbed him and looked him over carefully again, nodding repeatedly. Then her gaze swept back and forth between her son and the girl in front of her.

Xiaoman's face immediately turned red, and then the old lady spoke again.

"Alright, stop looking. The person isn't going anywhere. We can look at them later. Wang girl, are you planning to stay in Beijing?"

"Yes, ma'am, I'd like to rent a room in your yard."

"There are plenty of houses. If I may ask a question, ma'am, are you really not going back to your husband's family?"

“There’s no going back!” Wang Cuiping shook her head and said.

"Can't go back? Has something happened?"

"No, he went south and can't take me with him!"

"Oh, another unfortunate woman. How do you plan to make a living in the future?"

"I don't know yet. I want to wait until the baby is born before I can say anything."

"Alright, did that bastard who ran south leave you any money? If not, the old lady won't charge you rent for now, we'll talk about it when you have more money."

"Yes, yes, thank you, ma'am!"

"It's good that you kept him, it's good that you kept him. Otherwise, if you see his old lady helping you to scold him again, he'll just be a good-for-nothing scoundrel."

"Hey, it's not his fault."

"Alright, I won't ask about this matter anymore, old lady. Even an upright official finds it difficult to settle family disputes!"

"Ok!"

"Daqing, your son is back! Why aren't you making something delicious for him? What are you standing there for? The children have been traveling for half a day and must be hungry."

"I'll go right away, right away!"

He Yuzhu realized that his father, He Daqing, also had a gossipy heart. Although he hadn't said a word, he had listened very attentively to what had just happened.

“I’ll go help my dad!” He Yuzhu said.

"Okay, go ahead. It'll be a good opportunity for you to talk to your dad, and for us to have a chat too."

"Then I'll go, madam!"

The old lady waved her hand.

When the father and son arrived at the kitchen, He Daqing first gave his son a hard pat on the shoulder.

"You've grown stronger. Did you encounter any danger in Tianjin? How's your skill training going?"

"Hehe, no danger, no danger. As for your skills, Dad, don't be surprised."

"I'm surprised? What's there to be surprised about?"

"Actually, I had two masters in Tianjin."

"Two, who else?"

"Dad, guess!"

"What do you mean, 'guess me'? How could I possibly guess?" He Daqing gave He Yuzhu a flick on the forehead in an annoyed tone.

"He's also your senior brother!"

"Ah, who is it? I haven't heard of anyone returning to Tianjin." He Daqing carefully went through his fellow disciples in his mind.

"Li Baoguo".

"When did he go to Tianjin? He later went to learn Sichuan cuisine. You've learned Sichuan cuisine too, kid?"

"Yes, I've already graduated from my apprenticeship, I'm no longer just learning."

He Daqing's mouth was so wide open that a duck egg could fit inside it, and it took him a long time to close it.

"You've graduated? Really? You've graduated with both halal and Sichuan cuisine skills?"

He knew that his senior brother Li was different from his senior brother Yuan; he was known for being strict with himself and others.

"Ok!"

"Hey, good son, you've really made your dad proud, hahaha!"

"Dad, I learned that in Tianjin!"

"What do you know? Even chefs have their own circles. Before long, everyone in Beijing will know about a top-talented chef named He Yuzhu!"

"Oh, that's good too!"

"Then you'll have to cook this dish today. Your father will assist you. I want to see how well you've learned!"

"No problem, what ingredients do you have at home?"

He Daqing took him to the cellar to take a look. He Yuzhu saw that apart from beef and seafood, everything else was quite complete, so it seemed that the family had a good year.

I picked out a few ingredients, mainly Sichuan cuisine ingredients. I can't make a proper halal dish without beef.

"We'll have Sichuan cuisine today. Once we have the ingredients, I'll show you how to cook a halal dish."

"Okay, you decide for yourself." He Daqing didn't care which cuisine he cooked; he just wanted to see how good his son's cooking skills were.

While the father and son were busy, a group of mothers and children started chatting. Feeling the harmonious atmosphere, Xiaoman relaxed a little and began to play with He Yushui.

Of course, the two girls also had something in common: He Yuzhu.

Wang Cuiping still chose not to reveal her identity. Before confirming her work and organizational affiliation, she wanted to live quietly here.

However, the group talked about Xiaoman's problem, as it was quite a big issue who this girl would live with.

The old lady was actually somewhat interested, but considering that this might be her future granddaughter-in-law, she didn't say anything.

However, Wang Cuiping's words relieved the old lady and Chen Lanxiang.

"Xiaoman will stay with me from now on!"

“Alright, just tell your sister-in-law if you need anything!” Chen Lanxiang said.

"I'll halve the rent for you, old lady. How about the west wing in the middle courtyard? It's right across the street, so we can look after each other!" The old lady originally wanted to say no, but then she thought that would be like giving charity, so she said that.

"Okay, thank you so much, ma'am!" Wang Cuiping stood up and thanked her.

Ever since Xiaoman started talking about her, the little girl has become nervous. She only talks to He Yushui half-heartedly. She's a clever little thing; she listens along even when she doesn't understand everything.

When she heard that the pretty older sister also wanted her aunt to live with her, she was a little disappointed. She also wanted the pretty older sister to stay with her.

Xiaoman's eyes regained their light. After living with Wang Cuiping for several months, the mother and daughter had developed a certain dependence on each other.

"Grandma, I should thank you too, and Lanxiang should thank you as well." The old lady said, gesturing towards the kitchen. Wang Cuiping immediately understood and smiled, nodding at the old lady.

The father and son worked together and were quite efficient. The dishes were on the table in about half an hour. They didn't make any dishes that took too long to prepare. The old lady and Chen Lanxiang could tell from the dishes that they had never eaten before that He Yuzhu had made them. It seemed that the child's father wanted to test his cooking skills.

He Daqing took out a small jar from the cabinet: "We're in a good mood today, Grandma, shall we have a sip?"

"Okay, I'll have a sip! I won't drink anything that's not good!"

"How could it be bad? It's ten-year-old Fenjiu, something I went through a lot of trouble to find!" He Daqing waved the small jar in his hand.

"I'll have a drink with you all today, I'm so happy," Chen Lanxiang said.

"Zhu Zi, go get the wine cup!"

"Okay, Dad!"

The meal was filled with laughter and joy. He Yuzhu even took care of He Yushui when he cooked, as the little girl was too young to eat spicy food.

He Yuzhu's dishes received unanimous praise, and the entire table of food was devoured amidst the chorus of compliments.

Finally, the old lady and He Daqing drank a bit too much, and He Yuzhu carried the old lady back to the backyard.

Since the old lady agreed to rent the west wing of the central courtyard to Wang Cuiping, then the house needs to be cleaned up. When the Jia family moved out, they took everything except the original furniture.

Fortunately, He Yuzhu and the others brought back two bedding rolls, which Xiaoman insisted on. The girl was reluctant to part with them, but they actually came in handy.

As for the other things, He Yuzhu said he would get them, but Wang Cuiping said, "Zhuzi, it's the New Year, where are you going to get them?"

"Why go out? Just go to the west wing and move your Aunt Wang's things over," Chen Lanxiang said from the side.

When Chen Lanxiang said that, Wang Cuiping's eyes welled up with tears again. She had only stayed for two months, but she hadn't expected that her things would still be there. This was what home felt like.

"Thank you, sister-in-law. Zhu Zi, you and Auntie go and take a look."

"No need to thank me, I was just thinking that the house would be empty anyway since you had the keys back someday. The old lady didn't say anything, the keys are at home, wait, I'll go get them for you!"

"Zhu Zi, what are you standing there for? Go with your mother."

"okay!"

When Wang Cuiping and He Yuzhu entered the west wing, they saw that everything had been gathered together and covered with burlap sacks.

With a slight sob in her voice, she said to Chen Lanxiang, who had followed her, "Sister-in-law, how can I ever repay the kindness your family has shown me?"

"It's nothing serious. We have a long road ahead of us, and we'll get along well!"

"Eh!"

"Zhuzi, let's start moving. We can move the other furniture in the house too. Just tell the old lady when we're done," Chen Lanxiang called to her son.

"Alright, you two can go out first, it's a bit dusty."

"Let's go, Cuiping, let this kid do it himself, otherwise it's a waste of his big size."

"Sister-in-law, you really don't treat Zhuzi like a child!"

"Him? How is he like a child? He's more decisive than an adult when it comes to doing things, and he's almost a head taller than me!" Chen Lanxiang complained, but the smile on her face only showed two words: 'proud'.

"Sister-in-law, why do I hear you praising Zhuzi?"

"Is there any?"

"That's the idea!"

"Giggle giggle!" The two girls burst into laughter.

He Yuzhu opened all the burlap sacks, and Xiaoman went into the west wing room.

"Brother Zhu, let me help you with the small items."

“Okay!” He Yuzhu said without hesitation.

Watching the two busy children, Wang Cuiping quietly nudged Chen Lanxiang and whispered, "Sister-in-law, what do you think of the young wife that Zhuzi found himself?"

"Yes, she's good in every way. She's good-looking, hardworking, and gentle."

"That's because she's in your house. Try leaving her outside on her own. This girl can live alone for several years without being that spoiled. She's just met a bad guy. Try someone else."

"Well, let's take our time. The child is still young. I should thank you for letting Xiaoman stay with you."

"Sister-in-law, what are you saying? I like Xiaoman too, and I like Zhuzi too. Can't I help them get together?"

“Aunt Zhu is a good name!” Chen Lanxiang said with a smile.

"Actually, I should thank Zhu Zi, otherwise... well, never mind!"

"There's no point in thanking me all the time. Will our two families still be on good terms? Come on, let's go back inside. I'll leave you to those two. It's too cold outside, you'll catch a cold." Chen Lanxiang pulled Wang Cuiping away, not going back to the main house but to the old lady's place in the backyard.

"What about them?"

"Never mind, it's just a little work. If he can take one home and raise it, he can't handle this little bit of work, right?"

“That’s true,” Wang Cuiping couldn’t refute. In fact, after she moved to Tianjin, she did the housework, but didn’t have to worry about anything else.

He Yuzhu and Xiaoman were busy when Xu Damao came over.

"Brother Zhu, I'll help too."

"Alright, if you get your new clothes dirty, your mother will beat you when you get home."

"It's okay, my mom won't beat me if I'm with you."

"By the way, Brother Zhu, what's this little sister's name?"

"She's older than you, you have to call her 'sister.' Xiaoman, this is Xu Damao, you can just call him Damao!"

"Hello, little brother Damao, my name is Qiao Lingyi, you can just call me Sister Xiaoman!" Upon hearing this, Xu Damao's face immediately fell.

Hello, Sister Xiaoman!

"Alright, now that we know each other, let's get to work quickly and finish as soon as possible."

"it is good!"

After the things were moved, He Yuzhu asked Xiaoman to gather up what could be put together first. He then went to fetch firewood, saying that he needed to heat the kang (a heated brick bed), as the house had been uninhabited for too long and was a bit cold.

Xiaoman tidied up while looking around her new home. This house was much better than the one in Tianjin, but the yard was a bit scary. As soon as she entered, she ran into a shrew and a clueless young man. She didn't know who else she was talking to.

Xu Damao followed He Yuzhu to move firewood, and on the way, he quietly asked He Yuzhu, "Brother Zhu, is Sister Xiaoman your little wife?"

"What nonsense are you spouting? What does a little brat like you know?" He Yuzhu kicked him in the butt.

"Ouch! Why did you kick me? It looks like I'm being kicked!"

"Go do your work. By the way, how's your studies going? Have you done your holiday homework?" He Yuzhu deliberately brought up the very thing she didn't want to discuss, just to change the subject.

"Yes, I did it."

"Hmph, I can tell you haven't done it. Do you want me to supervise you?"

"No, Brother Zhu, I'll make it when I get home tonight!"

"You better keep your word, or you know what will happen."

"Got it!" Xu Damao instantly lost interest in speaking. He hadn't been hoping for a playmate; he'd been hoping for a rival.

The two were putting out firewood when Xiaoman asked He Yuzhu where to fetch water, as she needed to clean things inside the house; this girl was a clean person.

He Yuzhu told her to wait a while. He asked Xu Damao to light the fire on the stove, and then he went to fetch water. When he came back, he also carried a large pot. It was normal for the He family, which had two cooks, to have two extra large pots.

The main problem was that Wang Cuiping's pot was too small before, so Xiaoman rushed over to wash it, and He Yuzhu put the pot on the stove and poured water in.

"Please heat the water before you do it; the water is too cold."

"Got it, Brother Zhuzi!"

　Thank you to Shushanxiao, Xiege, and book friend 20170127183459516 for the donations! Thank you for your support!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)