Chapter 44: That Is My House

In the alley, a few children were tossing sandbags; when they saw a Jeep coming, they all chased after it, sniffing the exhaust.

After Lu Cheng stopped the car, Da Hu, Sun Yan Hong's eldest son, ran over and shouted, "Lu San'er, can I get in the car to play for a while?"

"Call dad."

"Dad."

Lu Cheng jumped out of the car, grabbed Da Hu's sister, Er Ya, and said, "Er Ya, call dad."

Er Ya, only three this year, with two pigtails, shyly said, "Uncle Lu Cheng."

Lu Cheng pulled a handful of sunflower seeds from his pocket and said, "Call dad, and here's some seeds for you."

"Dad."

"So well‑behaved."

Lu Cheng patted her head, stood up and said, "Da Hu, you two watch the car carefully, don't let the other kids bump into it."

After speaking, Lu Cheng walked into the Da Za Yuan, and a basin of washing water almost splashed onto him.

"Big Aunt Wang, keep an eye on it."

After entering Chuihua Gate, Lu Cheng headed straight for the Main Hall and indeed saw Lin Qingyan.

She was sitting with Chen Xianglan at the dining table picking vegetables, while Lu Beitang sat on another stool, preparing to strike a match and light a cigarette.

It looked rather peaceful.

Hearing hurried footsteps, Chen Xianglan looked up and said, "Yo, my silly son is back; we'll have cabbage soup tonight."

After winter set in, other vegetables were basically unavailable, only seasonal cabbage and white radish remained.

"Mom, I need to talk to Qing Yanjie about something," Lu Cheng said, grabbing Lin Qingyan's arm and pulling her outside.

Chen Xianglan kept shouting loudly, "You just don't know how to be gentle."

Then she glared at Lu Beitang, "You're the same kind, only know how to use brute force."

Smoking Lu Beitang felt extremely aggrieved: "I didn't even make a sound, and you call me son—why are you pulling at me?"

In the courtyard outside, Lu Cheng asked impatiently, "Qing Yanjie, I heard my sister say that you're going to live here?"

Lin Qingyan rubbed her reddened wrist, walked to the basin and began washing the soaped clothes, saying, "Yes."

Hearing the definite answer, Lu Cheng became urgent: "No, how can you live here?"

"Why can't I live here?"

That single question left Lu Cheng at a loss for a retort; although the two had an arranged marriage, others didn't know, and in everyone's eyes, they were simply a normal married couple.

"Then it must be my parents who asked you to move back here."

Now, regarding his moving into Lin Qingyan's Separate Courtyard, his parents thought he was doing a Reverse Marriage.

He couldn't hide his embarrassment, thinking that as long as he could persuade Lin Qingyan to move back home, he would certainly have to return as well.

But Lin Qingyan, while washing clothes, said, "No, I chose to come and live here myself."

"Impossible! My parents—I can't not understand them; they must have asked you. You can't live here; I'll go tell my dad."

Lu Cheng was about to turn and go back inside when Lin Qingyan grabbed him.

"Don't go looking for Uncle Lu; it's really me who wants to come back and live."

Seeing Lin Qingyan didn't seem to be lying, Lu Cheng asked, "Then why do you want to come back and live? If you're worried about not having enough to eat, I've already found you a job."

Hearing that Lu Cheng had actually found her a job, Lin Qingyan's dead, desolate heart was stirred a bit.

"If you're still worried about not having enough to eat, at most I could support you; you don't need to move here."

Supporting Lin Qingyan for two years costs how much, and ending up with that 200‑million Siheyuan is just too good a deal.

Lin Qingyan turned her head and kept washing clothes: "I'm not doing this for food; I just feel that now we're married, and if I keep staying over there, Uncle Lu and Aunt Lan will definitely be gossiped about."

She had personally experienced it: after her parents were sent down, she lived alone in the Capital City, and having people stabbing her spine from behind was extremely painful.

In the morning, Lu Cheng bought her breakfast; she ate it almost while crying, the warm breakfast pouring a ray of sunshine into her dark heart.

After finishing breakfast, she made a decision: Uncle Lu's family had been so good to her, she couldn't ignore the gossip about Uncle Lu, so she packed her clothes and moved over.

At that time, Chen Xianglan was about to go out to look for her; seeing that she had moved back on her own made Chen Xianglan especially happy, saving her the need to say anything.

Lu Cheng still didn't understand: "You moved here just because you're afraid my parents will be gossiped about? Then you really didn't need to; with me around, who dares to gossip? I'll beat them up."

Lin Qingyan turned her head: "Words can be terrifying; if you can control one person, can you control ten, a hundred?"

Lu Cheng again didn't know how to retort, but his intention to live in the Separate Courtyard hadn't changed.

"No, no, you still have to go back; I'll take you back right now."

Lu Cheng grabbed her arm, but Lin Qingyan shook free.

"I won't leave; I want to stay here."

"Hey! You're pretty stubborn; this is my house, without my consent you can't stay."

"This is also my house; I have a Marriage Certificate."

"Fine, fine," Lu Cheng snapped, pulling her and spinning around the courtyard: "Come, come, look at this Da Za Yuan; everywhere is a mess—either a haphazard Ji Wo or a kitchen, there's not even a place to set your feet."

"If it's sunny it's okay, but if it rains, the dirty water flowing in the courtyard makes it impossible to walk."

"Tell me, how is it good to live in that Separate Courtyard over there?"

Seeing Lu Cheng so urgent, Lin Qingyan instead pursed her lips.

"I think it has a certain lively atmosphere."

"What? Lively atmosphere? You call that lively atmosphere?"

Lu Cheng propped his forehead, sighed upward: "Enough, enough. You grew up in the Grand Courtyard, a young lady, so it's normal for you to be curious about the lives of us ordinary folk."

Lin Qingyan smiled with pursed lips, and Lu Cheng set his face: "Don't laugh!"

"Come, come, let me tell you more…"

"In this east Main Hall lives Pang Ya's family across three generations—elderly and children, over a dozen people crammed into one house, causing constant commotion."

Also the Dong'er Fang room is where the teacher lives—don't think being a teacher means he has any ethics; he's always putting on one act to your face and another behind your back.

Also the East Wing Room is where Zhao Daye's family lives—of course Zhao Daye himself is still alright, but his two sons are especially troublesome, every day either arguing or fighting.

Also the Daozuo House by the gate—do you know Big Aunt Wang? That woman never does any proper work, just loves to spread rumors, and there's Widow Sun—ah, I won't even mention her.

As for the people in the rear courtyard, I won't go on—suffice it to say all sorts live there; every night it's either arguing or the sounds of farting, snoring, and teeth grinding, so you can't rest properly. Tell me, where is it comfortable living in a Separate Courtyard?

To leave a perfectly good Separate Courtyard empty and live in this Da Za Yuan—only a fool would do that.

Who would have thought that one sentence from Lin Qingyan would almost choke him to death again.

"I think it's pretty lively; just get used to it."

Lu Cheng sniffed a few times, almost on the verge of tears.

"Fine! If you want to stay here, I won't stop you—hand over the key, and I'll go live alone in the Separate Courtyard."

It's actually better living alone—more peaceful.

Lu Cheng reached out his hand, and Lin Qingyan continued washing clothes: "The key's been given to Uncle Lu."

"What? How could you give it to him! That's my house."