Siheyuan, my new life

The deaf old lady smiled smugly and said, "That's right. After the New Year, go to the street office and register the three main rooms in the middle courtyard under Zhuzi's name, and the east wing room under Xiaoyushui's name. That way, when you apply for the tenement building, it will be perfectly legitimate."

Before He Daqing could speak, He Yuzhu shook his head and refused: "Grandma, wouldn't doing this be like dividing the family? If word gets out, people will laugh at me. If I kick Dad and my sister out before I'm even married, people will definitely gossip about me. I don't agree."

The deaf old lady glared at He Yuzhu: "You silly Zhu, we're doing this so your dad can get an extra apartment. Besides, you're about to get married and start a family. Do you expect you and your husband to squeeze into an apartment with your dad? You won't feel awkward, but won't your future wife feel awkward too? Besides, your dad is only in his early forties. He's the director of the canteen at the security training base, a proper government official. You can't let your dad live alone for the rest of his life, can you? Once your dad gets an apartment, let him find a suitable woman so he'll have company."

He Yuzhu was quite happy when he first heard the words "marriage and starting a family," but when he heard the deaf old lady's suggestion that He Daqing find another woman, he couldn't help but think of his long-deceased mother. His face immediately darkened, and he chewed the steamed bun in his mouth without saying a word.

When He Yushui, who was already in the fourth grade of elementary school, heard the deaf old lady say that her father had put the east wing room in her name, she was still slowly chewing her food, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly. She was obviously very happy. After all, girls tend to mature earlier. When she chatted with the deaf old lady and some women around her, she had heard a lot of things. Whether it was the courtyard house at number 95 where she lived or the other large courtyard houses nearby, when a daughter got married, the better-off families would prepare a new set of bedding, a new wedding dress, a large red wooden chest, and some daily necessities. Families with average means would prepare a new wedding dress for their daughters. As for some families with more difficult circumstances, they would simply carry a bundle to carry their personal clothes when they got married.

Hearing the deaf old lady ask her father to register the east wing of the house in her name meant that when she got married, her family would receive an extra house in addition to the other dowry. How could He Yushui not be overjoyed? As for the suggestion that her father find another woman to live with, He Yushui had no objection, especially since she was an infant when her mother passed away and had no memory of her mother at all.

Seeing his son barely suppressing his anger, He Daqing sighed inwardly. Two years ago, when he first got involved with Widow Bai, he was captivated by her gentle and tender nature. At the time, he also wanted to marry her in the capital. Unfortunately, when he hinted at it to his son to test his opinion, the stubborn mule immediately exploded like a firecracker. As soon as he heard that he wanted to find another woman to live with, he jumped three feet high and resolutely disagreed.

The deaf old lady's suggestion tonight truly resonated with He Daqing. For so many years, he had been both father and mother; who could imagine the bitterness he had endured? Back then, because the rainfall was too low, he worried that finding a stepmother would cause his child mistreatment, so he stubbornly endured those years. As his daughter grew older, He Daqing began to consider remarrying. What man doesn't want to come home from get off work to someone who cares for him? Who willingly lies alone in a cold, empty bed, tossing and turning all night?

When Secretary Lin spoke with He Daqing on behalf of the organization last time, he also subtly mentioned that he hoped He Daqing would resolve his life issues as soon as possible. After all, a stable family not only allows him to work with more peace of mind, but also represents the stability of his life. He Daqing had been thinking about finding a suitable opportunity to talk to his son about this matter, but he never expected that the deaf old lady would bring it up tonight.

Noticing the somewhat somber atmosphere at the dinner table, He Daqing said with a wry smile, "Grandma, I will transfer the house to Zhuzi and Yushui's names as soon as possible. As for that matter, let's think about it some more."

After a quick dinner, He Yuzhu and his sister Yushui cleaned up the dishes. He Daqing brewed a pot of jasmine tea, poured a cup for the deaf old lady, and then said with a wry smile, "Grandma, you saw how Zhuzi looked just now. He obviously didn't want to."

The deaf old woman took a sip of tea, a confident smile spreading across her face: "I'll explain things to Zhu Zi, but I must remind you, when you look for someone again, don't just focus on looks. The most important thing is character. They say a righteous country brings peace, honest officials bring tranquility, a virtuous wife brings less trouble to her husband, and filial children bring peace to her father. With your current circumstances, don't just fixate on those young widows. You must understand, even if a young widow with children lives with you, she'll still be biased towards her own child. If a family can't treat its children equally..." Even if you treat everyone equally, trouble is bound to arise sooner or later. The old lady meant that due to the natural disasters, even the capital city is reducing its food rations, so life in the countryside is probably even harder. We should send a matchmaker to the countryside to find a suitable young woman; we can give a larger dowry if necessary. With our current circumstances, even with a rural household registration, we can afford to raise her. Even if we have another child, how much will it cost? Besides, when the opportunity arises, we can easily find her a job. Once she gets a permanent position, her household registration will automatically change to an urban non-agricultural household registration.”

He Daqing's eyes lit up. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw He Yuzhu and his sister approaching. He quickly smiled and said, "Grandma, I'll go back and think about it carefully."

After the He family of three left, the deaf old lady sat alone at the eight-immortal table, took a sip of tea, and sighed softly. The reason she took the initiative to bring up the house and the matter of him remarrying with He Daqing tonight was out of necessity. Now that she had completely resolved her misunderstanding with He Daqing, she had to consider his feelings. After all, He Daqing was only in his early forties and had become a government official. It was unlikely that he would remain single forever. Rather than waiting for him to find someone randomly outside, it would be better for her to take the initiative and spend a lot of money to have a matchmaker find a suitable young woman. Moreover, proposing to transfer the house to Zhuzi and Yushui's names was also to give these two children a share of the family property in advance.