Chapter 245: and translation of title, then ===GLOSSARY=== with list of named entities appearing in these lines

Shazhu, you don't know, at first I thought that in our Siheyuan there wasn't a single good person—the front courtyard's Yan Fugui, the middle courtyard's Yi Zhonghai and the Jia Family, the rear courtyard's Liu Haizhong and the deaf old lady, and so on; each and every one of them was a bastard, but you changed my mind.

You little brat, you gave me a beating, and clearly I was the one who got beaten, yet Yi Zhonghai scolded me, saying I provoked it and deserved the beating—I just can't swallow this anger.

The next day, you publicly apologized to me and then treated me to a meal; I remember that meal was paid for with my money—how much or how little didn't matter, what mattered was that we brothers no longer had any estrangement.

Shazhu lowered his head to look at the baijiu in his hand.

He never expected that some of his inadvertent actions would, by chance, change Xu Daming.

The original point of easing relations with Xu Daming was simply to repay his kindness for helping him arrange the aftermath; I never expected Xu Daming to keep feeling grateful in his heart.

Shazhu didn't know what to say, feeling a little moved.

'So this liquor, you Shazhu must drink; it's not ordinary liquor—it's what my father-in-law's family brought, not commonly seen on the market; a cup will definitely cost this much.'

Xu Daming held up two fingers.

I don't know why.

Shazhu recalled this saying in his mind: 'Palace Jade Liquid liquor, 108 per cup.'

Having said that much.

Even 250 per cup must be drunk.

He raised his neck, and Shazhu drank the liquor in the cup cleanly.

The empty cup, drained in one gulp, had just been placed on the table by him.

Soon it was filled again with baijiu.

The person making the toast changed from Lou Xiaoe to Xu Daming.

A look of worry appeared on Shazhu's face.

He really didn't dare to drink anymore.

Who knows what will happen if he drinks it.

Damn it, they've come up with a paired drink.

'Don't refuse first; let you drink, there's a reason for you to drink—if I haven't stated it correctly or got it wrong, I'll drink this liquor for you.'

Shazhu furrowed his brows.

Xu Daming has a rule of drinking in threes.

The so-called 'drink in threes' means that upon arrival, regardless of being early or late, Biesun will first penalize himself with three cups, equivalent to using three cups of baijiu to open the appetites of his drinking companions at the table.

Commonly known as an aperitif.

If you are of equal rank to Xu Daming, you two split drinks evenly—you drink however much, and Xu Daming drinks the same amount.

If you are inferior to Xu Daming, Xu Daming won't drink with you.

If your position is higher than Xu Daming's, or if Xu Daming needs something from you, Biesun's drinking method is three to one: he drinks three cups of baijiu, you drink one cup.

Shazhu isn't worried that Xu Daming will drink too much; he's worried that he himself will drink too much.

'If it weren't for your friendship, Shazhu, I Xu Daming might truly have gone down some crooked path—this kindness is worth a drink.' Xu Daming raised his cup, 'I'll drink with you.'

After finishing his drink, he also gestured with the empty cup toward Shazhu.

Having been forced into it.

Shazhu also did it.

Lou Xiaoe didn't even need Xu Daming's reminder; she grabbed the bottle and filled it again.

'Master He, this drink is my toast to you, representing our Lou family.'

Shazhu truly couldn't understand the specific meaning behind Lou Xiaoe's gesture; since his rebirth, he has never interacted with Lou Xiaoe's parents.

Even Lou Xiaoe herself, he had only chatted briefly with her through Xu Daming—at that time either Xu Daming wasn't present, or Yu Li was.

This represents the Lou family.

Where does it come from?

Facing Shazhu's bewildered gaze, Lou Xiaoe, perhaps having drunk a little too much, laughed briefly and explained the reason why Shazhu must drink.

'Master He, you really are a noble who forgets things; the last time I was at your house chatting with Yu Li, you came home from work and said a sentence—I kept it in my heart, and my parents did too.'

Shazhu became even more muddled.

What words?

How could he not know?

'Master He said this: 'People who move live; trees that move die; the hometown…''.

Lou Xiaoe has an older brother.

What is his name?

Shazhu doesn't know.

According to Lou Xiaoe's earlier explanation, her brother is now on South Island, developing his own business based on the Lou family's industry that was originally left there.

This counts as an epiphany, resolving a doubt from his previous life.

Lou Xiaoe's parents, as major shareholders of the steel mill, view things far more perceptively than Xu Daming and his ilk, and they have accessed levels that Xu Daming and his crowd could never reach.

No wonder in his previous life he had the air of someone firmly seated at the Diaoyutai.

All together, the Lou family's retreat lies in Lou Xiaoe's brother.

The one thing Lou Xiaoe's parents didn't anticipate was that his estimated gale of level nine suddenly turned into a level twelve typhoon, nearly bringing disaster upon the Lou family.

…

The Yan family.

They began their farce.

Yan Fugui found a photo of Ran Qiuye, intending to take the opportunity when Yan Jiecheng returned home to let him look at the photo.

It's just a man.

Who doesn't know who?

Everyone likes pretty girls.

Ran Qiuye's appearance is not bad; she is the prettiest teacher among the faculty of Red Star Elementary School, knowledgeable and cultivated, from a scholarly family.

Such a girl.

Even with a lantern, it's hard to find.

At Red Star Elementary School and the surrounding schools, all unmarried male teachers without partners want to become lifelong partners with Ran Qiuye.

I've heard that some people have already gone through a matchmaker.

Yan Fugui seized the opportunity, obtained Ran Qiuye's photo; according to his thinking, as long as he placed Ran Qiuye's photo in front of Yan Jiecheng, Yan Jiecheng, upon seeing the photo, would surely take a liking to Ran Qiuye at first sight.

He has a new love.

The old love will definitely be abandoned.

Moreover, Qin Huairu can hardly be considered Yan Jiecheng's old love; at most, she is a tool for Yan Jiecheng to take revenge on the Yan family, and this farce that would embarrass the Yan family was also nipped in the bud.

Who would have thought that events would develop entirely opposite to Yan Fugui's expectations? Although Yan Jiecheng saw Ran Qiuye's photo, he did not, as Yan Fugui wished, agree to a blind date with Ran Qiuye; instead he snapped, "He's not worthy of Ran Qiuye; I will marry Qin Huairu."

Yan Fugui went numb.

Third Aunt also turned into a wooden person.

The couple exchanged a glance, their eyes full of fear.

The result was not what they imagined; it wasn't that Yan Jiecheng, upon seeing the photo, would marry none but Ran Qiuye—so why was he still thinking of Qin Huairu, even wanting to marry a widow?

Could it be that he's caught the sickness of wanting to marry a widow?

"Yan Jiecheng, what did you say? If you've got the guts, say it again!"

Yan Fugui's voice.

Trembling.

One can see how terrible his mood is right now.

"Let me say it plainly: I have taken a liking to Qin Huairu; I will marry none but Qin Huairu. You think Qin Huairu is no good? That's wrong. I think Qin Huairu is good, not bad. I've said my piece: besides Qin Huairu, I will marry no one."

"Boss, you're doing this on purpose to piss us off to death." Third Aunt, angry, waved her fists and struck Yan Jiecheng's back hard a few times, "Would it satisfy you if we died before you?"

"Yan Jiecheng, I also have a word to say: as long as I, Yan Fugui, am alive, you dare not think of marrying that shameless widow into the family, unless I die."

A plot of needle-point versus wheat-awn.

Staged in the Yan family.

Yan Fugui and Yan Jiecheng.

Nobody yields to anybody.

"If you die, I will marry Qin Huairu; if you live, I will also marry Qin Huairu."