Chapter 369

It was just past one in the morning.

Shazhu dragged his weary body out of the train station, met Liu Jianguo who was waiting outside, sat in Liu Jianguo's Item: niezi, and in a puff of smoke returned to the Siheyuan.

At this time.

Yu Li hadn't slept yet, and she and Yushui didn't know what they were busy doing.

Seeing Shazhu walk in from outside.

They quickly turned their gazes toward Shazhu.

Although they hid it well.

But Shazhu still noticed a tiny clue from Yushui's concerned gaze; when the little girl's eyes fell on Shazhu, they unconsciously drifted slightly toward the area behind him.

If Shazhu wasn't mistaken.

Yushui probably wanted to see He Daqing appear.

This is also why the hopeful expression on her face turned to disappointment, then recovered into calm.

Disappointment.

It stemmed from He Daqing not returning.

As a daughter.

On the day of her wedding.

She still hoped to see her father present.

Calm.

She didn't want her emotions to affect Shazhu.

For her marriage.

Shazhu went that day and returned overnight, the fatigue visible on him.

Visible to the naked eye.

Yushui empathized with Shazhu's difficulty.

At this moment.

She truly had grown into an adult.

With a worried look, she brought him hot tea, fearing he was hungry, and thoughtfully brought out the biscuits prepared for tomorrow's wedding banquet to welcome the guests.

Shazhu, wanting to liven the atmosphere,

made a joking remark.

"I never thought my little sister would have a day of being sensible."

"You're looking at people through tinted glasses; Yushui has always been sensible."

"Okay, okay, I misspoke; our Yushui has always been sensible."

While speaking, Shazhu casually pulled an envelope from his inner pocket, took out the eight hundred yuan inside in front of Yushui and Yu Li.

He split it into two stacks.

The larger stack was five hundred.

He handed it to He Yushui.

"Father's factory is running a 'Work Hard for 100 Days, Celebrate the Great Mother' campaign; under normal circumstances, no factory worker may take leave. When I found Father, he was just about to go on night shift. Hearing you were getting married, he asked me to hand over this five hundred yuan as his bottom‑of‑the‑trunk gift."

Shazhu made up an excuse that left He Yushui no choice but to believe.

All over the country.

Everyone is doing this gift‑giving activity.

Even the unit where He Yushui works has shouted out slogans like 'something something'.

"How is he?"

"The old man is still vigorous despite his age; he even gave us brothers a younger sibling, about the same age as Bangeng, named He Yuliang. The little guy is very sturdy, his looks somewhat resembling Yushui."

Having said that.

Shazhu saw Yushui unwilling to take the money.

He reached out his hand.

and shoved it firmly into her hand.

The remaining stack.

that is, the three‑hundred‑yuan stack.

Shazhu grabbed the money and handed it to Yu Li.

"This is the make‑up gift money from our father, plus the New Year's money for Weiguo and his sibling."

"Father has a younger brother to support; why did you take the money back?"

"The old man's cooking is better than mine; he won't be short of money." Not wanting to continue the topic, Shazhu changed the subject: "How many days from now will they come to pick people up?"

"When you return, San Daye will have just left; he's already helped arrange the details of Yushui's wedding, so just follow his instructions then."

Shazhu felt the stone in his heart drop.

He feared nothing else.

He only feared causing trouble.

That would let his precious sister's wedding come to nothing.

Having been reborn.

Shazhu had never been much interested in the neighbors of the courtyard, but he took a special notice of Xu Daming and Yan Fugui, which made his efforts worthwhile.

In necessary situations, these few can help him out.

Otherwise, given Shazhu's age, he might actually cause a scene at Yushui's wedding, leading her in‑laws to look down on her and then despise her.

Shazhu turned his gaze toward Yushui.

Although deep inside.

It was filled with a hint of reluctance.

Yet it still carried a sense of blessing.

He Daqing didn't return; as Yushui's older brother, Shazhu had to take He Daqing's place and properly instruct Yushui.

"Yushui, starting tomorrow, you are a member of the Liu family. The natal family is not the same as the marital family; for some things, for some words, you need to think ahead. Do what you can, and we will do it as much as possible; for what you cannot do, we would rather be called lazy than show off and do it forcibly. If you succeed, everyone will be happy; if you fail, you will not only receive no praise, but also be despised in various ways."

Yushui's eyes were red.

She nodded heavily.

"We won't cause trouble, but we aren't afraid of trouble either. If what you do is right and the Liu family bullies you, don't keep your anger or worries bottled up inside. Remember, you always have a home in the siheyuan; no matter what happens, our family's gate will always be open for you."

"Yushui, what your brother said is right; this will always be your home. Welcome back anytime."

"Sister-in-law."

"Yushui, those few words just now were also your father's meaning. Don't cry; hurry back to your room to sleep. Otherwise, tomorrow your eyes will be swollen—not only will you look bad, but you'll also anxiously invite misunderstanding."

"I want to sleep with sister-in-law."

Coincidentally, Yu Li also had some precautions to convey to He Yushui.

The two sisters-in-law worked together to drive Shazhu next door.

Standing outside the courtyard.

Scanning the pitch-black surroundings.

Shazhu's heart.

He couldn't help but become a little dazed.

In his mind also rose those fragments of the past, such as the day He Daqing ran off with a widow; six- or seven-year-old He Yushui, crying and sniffling, clung to Shazhu's leg, repeatedly saying, 'Dad, don't abandon us,' pitifully; at that time Shazhu also looked worried—letting him cook was fine, but taking care of a child was truly like forcing a duck onto a perch.

It seemed like just the blink of an eye.

Time jumped directly from 1951 to 1965.

The six- or seven-year-old He Yushui transformed into a graceful young lady, found a husband who doted on and loved her, and gained a mother-in-law and father-in-law who treated Yushui as their own daughter.

Using Qin Huairu's sarcastic tone to describe it.

All good things seemed to have fallen into He Yushui's lap.

Shazhu would rather believe that this is what Yushui earned with her initial anxiety.

He raised his head and looked at the stars in the sky.

The starry sky was extremely brilliant.

How beautiful!

He then turned his gaze toward the former Yi family home.

That is, Liu Jianguo's house.

Now this house is no longer occupied by Liu Jianguo; it is currently vacant, and it is said that some well-informed people have already set their sights on this room.

Liu Jianguo was allocated a room in the apartment building; after marrying Yushui, he moved directly into the apartment building, where he no longer had to queue with neighbors to use the toilet or fetch water.

After one person stayed in the courtyard for about half an hour, Shazhu, not knowing what came over him, suddenly wanted to go chat with her mother.