Chapter 102 Why are you running so fast?

"Oh, oh, Aunt Wang, my name is He Yuzhu."

You can just call me Pillar.

He Yuzhu then came to his senses and quickly greeted them respectfully.

"Sister-in-law He, your son is quite interesting."

How old are you this year?

Wang Qiuping asked with a smile.

"I'll be eleven years old after the New Year."

He's so clumsy and indecisive, just ignore him.

Chen Shuxiang explained with a smile.

"Only eleven years old? He's got a really strong build..."

Wang Qiuping almost blurted out, "They're old enough to carry guns and go to the battlefield by now!"

I don't know who he took after.

All they do all day is eat and sleep, all they do is grow taller.

Chen Shuxiang said with a smile.

"Mother, I'll go to the backyard now."

He Yuzhu looked helpless.

Being criticized by two women to their faces made me feel extremely uncomfortable.

As soon as he finished speaking, he ran away in a flash.

But thoughts kept churning in my mind:

Why would she come to Beijing?

Shouldn't he be going to Tianjin to marry Da Piao Liang?

And in the backyard...

Chen Shuxiang had just led Wang Qiuping out of the room when

The old lady then spoke again.

"Young Master Zhao, I don't care who you are, I don't care."

Regardless of what you're hiding,

But one thing is absolutely forbidden: trouble must not be brought into my yard.

"I understand, ma'am, please don't worry."

Zhao Yonghe answered sincerely.

"Also, that Wang family girl's Mandarin is really not fluent."

I can't change my hometown dialect anytime soon.

You should remind her about this.

This is Beijing, not some rural area!

"Thank you for your advice, ma'am. I will definitely give her a good talking-to later."

At this moment, Zhao Yonghe couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.

Fortunately, they didn't just settle down anywhere.

They didn't send the person directly to Tianjin.

Otherwise, this wouldn't be sending help over at all.

It seems we've definitely sent a seed of disaster into their hands.

"You're planning to stay for a month?"

"It might take a little longer."

"I wonder how the old lady plans to calculate the rent?"

"Grandma, I won't ask you for more."

Half a silver dollar a month.

"No problem, this is a dollar."

If you don't stay for a full month, the extra time will be added to my rent for next month.

Zhao Yonghe took out a silver dollar and gently placed it on the old lady's kang table.

"Okay, hurry up and get the house tidied up."

Let's go out and buy some New Year's goods.

Judging from your appearance, you must have just returned from out of town not long ago, right?

"Yes, my cousin can take her time to tidy up the house herself."

I went out to buy her some daily necessities.

I'll also buy some New Year's goods while I'm at it.

"It's done, go ahead."

Remember what you promised me.

"I remember it clearly, old lady."

They absolutely will not bring any trouble or disaster to our yard.

Zhao Yonghe cupped his hands in greeting to the old lady.

The old lady waved her hand, and Zhao Yonghe turned and walked out of the back room.

As soon as he stepped out, he saw He Yuzhu rushing over.

He Yuzhu also saw Zhao Yonghe, and he immediately understood how Wang Qiuping had come to the courtyard. It turned out that Uncle Zhao had brought her back.

As for why it was Old Zhao who went to pick him up, that doesn't seem important at this moment.

"Zhu Zi, why are you running so fast?" Zhao Yonghe asked.

"Hello Uncle Zhao, when did you get back? My mother asked me to come to the backyard to keep the old lady company." He Yuzhu stopped and answered politely.

"I just got back today and talked to the old lady about something. You go ahead, I'm leaving now." Zhao Yonghe looked at the sturdy young man in front of him, shook his head and smiled.

He knew that the boy practiced martial arts, and he could understand why Chen Shuxiang was worried. After all, the old lady had indeed noticed something unusual earlier, but she meant no harm.

"Okay." He Yuzhu smiled and continued walking towards the back building.

Upon reaching the door of the back room, He Yuzhu raised his hand and knocked: "Madam, I'm here."

"Zhu Zi, what brings you here? Are you eating so early today?" came the old lady's voice from inside the house.

"Not yet, my mother asked me to come and keep you company!" He Yuzhu replied from outside the door.

"Since you're here, then help me, madam, to the central courtyard for a walk. I want to see my eldest granddaughter," the old lady said.

"Alright!" He Yuzhu had already guessed his mother's intention in sending him, and couldn't help but secretly admire her.

My mother is so perceptive; she saw that Uncle Zhao was no ordinary person. I guess the old lady also figured something out. It's highly likely that Wang Qiuping has given herself away.

Back at the middle courtyard, he helped the old lady into her house, and was immediately called to fetch water.

Because he was strong and powerful, his mother naturally conscripted him.

Wang Qiuping repeatedly said no, that she was strong enough, but her objections were to no avail.

Li Guihua also came over to help tidy up, which made Wang Qiuping thank her repeatedly. Li Guihua just smiled gently.

At noon, the men in the courtyard returned one after another.

The wives of each household only casually mentioned that a new young lady had come to the courtyard, and naturally they wouldn't let the men go to their homes to get to know her.

Old Zhao bought pots, pans, grains, meat, and vegetables, and even hired a porter to haul them back.

While cooking in the kitchen, He Yuzhu glanced outside through the window.

That old man was an acquaintance, I think his surname was Fang, and he remembered that he had saved that guy's life.

However, that man was also a formidable figure; he not only eliminated traitors but also killed two Kuomintang agents.

Old Zhao brought back so many things, which naturally attracted envy, especially from Jia Zhangshi in the backyard.

So, gossip started circulating in the front yard, saying that Old Zhao had taken a young girl from the countryside and was trying to mate with a younger woman.

Old Zhao didn't argue, but Wang Qiuping immediately grabbed a rolling pin and went to hit him on the door.

If this happened in their area, the women's director would have dealt with such a gossipy old woman long ago, without her even lifting a finger.

Besides, who would dare to talk about her like that behind her back? Her teammates are not easy to deal with.

But Lao Zhao stopped her and told her that this was common here, and that the situation might be even worse in the places they were going to.

This was the first time she had ever truly experienced the constraints and stifling atmosphere of city life.

Lying in bed at night, she kept telling herself to be patient and to try to adapt.

In fact, she was also confused.

The organization arranged a man for her, a man she had never seen before and whose appearance she did not know.

Even though she was a woman who dared to fight and kill, she was still an unmarried young lady.

The next day, Old Zhao went out early in the morning.

With nothing to do at home, Wang Qiuping turned around and went to the He family's house.

In this courtyard, only Chen Shuxiang gave her a sense of closeness.

She could clearly sense the disdain, jealousy, and envy in the eyes of the others, so she was unwilling to have much interaction with them.

Upon entering the He family's house, she saw that the young man from the He family was staring blankly at her again.

She couldn't help but step forward and wave her hand in front of He Yuzhu's eyes.

She laughed and said, "Zhu Zi, why are you so stunned when you see your Aunt Wang? Are you missing your wife?"

"Tch, I'm only ten years old," He Yuzhu replied irritably.

"Is there something wrong with Auntie's body?" Wang Qiuping felt that children are the most perceptive and would not act like this for no reason.

"I heard from my mother that you've come here to get married. What's the groom's surname? What's he like?" He Yuzhu asked, changing the subject.

"What nonsense are you asking, you little brat?" Wang Qiuping said with a laugh.

"Qiuping's here! Come in and sit down." Chen Shuxiang greeted Wang Qiuping as soon as she heard her voice after feeding He Yushui.

"Alright, Sister-in-law He." Wang Qiuping gently poked He Yuzhu's forehead with her finger and walked into the inner room with a smile.

She had never met He Yushui before, but upon seeing this chubby little dumpling, she fell in love with her immediately.

"Sister-in-law He, your little girl is so beautiful. May I hold her?" she asked.

"Of course I can hold him, but this little guy is a bit shy around strangers and has a loud voice, so don't be scared if he cries," Chen Shuxiang said as she handed He Yushui over.

"How could that be?" Wang Qiuping said, reaching out to take He Yushui.

Suddenly, He Yushui was held by a different person. She opened her big, dark eyes and looked around. When she realized that the person in front of her was a stranger, her little mouth twitched, and she looked like she was about to cry.

Just then, He Yuzhu's voice came from the side: "Rain, look here."

He Yushui was drawn in by her brother's voice, and saw He Yuzhu making funny faces and winking. She immediately burst out laughing.

Wang Qiuping also turned around and glanced at He Yuzhu, and couldn't help but laugh at his strange appearance.

"Sister-in-law He, is Zhu Zi always like this?" she asked.

"How could that be? If he did that outside, people would think he was a fool. He only acts like that in front of his sister," Chen Shuxiang replied with a smile.

"Has Zhuzi gone to school?" Wang Qiuping asked again.

"They're coming. It's winter break now, and a kid named Xu Damao is coming over later. He lives in the backyard, and the two of them always play together," Chen Shuxiang said.

"Aren't there any children in the front yard?" Wang Qiuping asked curiously.

"Yes, of course they are, but we just don't get along. You're only staying here for a short time, so it's best not to associate with them too much," Chen Shuxiang advised.

"Why is that?" Once the question was raised, Wang Qiuping followed up with the inquiry.

Chen Shuxiang wasn't one to gossip, and she only spoke in a roundabout way, but Wang Qiuping understood perfectly.

She immediately realized that the city was indeed very different. The interpersonal relationships in this one large courtyard were just as intricate as those in a village in her hometown.

Although she was illiterate, she had met many people over the years, and she just nodded repeatedly, responding with "uh-huh, uh-huh".

Seeing her expression, Chen Shuxiang knew that this was a sensible girl, so she asked with a smile, "Qiuping, what kind of work did you do at home before? Did you just farm?"

"Where would I find land to cultivate? I could only do odd jobs for those landlords and rich people, barely making ends meet," Wang Qiuping replied.

"Was the journey here smooth?" Chen Shuxiang asked with concern.

"It's not easy to get through. There are just too many checkpoints. My cousin had to bribe his way through." Wang Qiuping shook her head.

"Is it even stricter than when the Japanese were here?" Chen Shuxiang was somewhat surprised. She hadn't left the city for many years and didn't know the situation outside.