Life in siheyuan era

Today is Sunday. The Zhou family started cooking around five o'clock, while the Second and Third Uncles' families were already eating.

At the dinner table, the Second Aunt announced the news of Zhou Zhiyuan's right-hand disability and declared the unified conclusion of the Women's Federation Standing Committee of the courtyard: "Don't be fooled by Zhou Zhiyuan's refined appearance, he is indeed a ruthless character. You can never judge a book by its cover!"

However, the Second Uncle didn't think so, and replied indifferently: "Zhou Zhiyuan killed enemies on the battlefield, which is different from murder. Back home, doesn't he still obediently accept the leadership of the three Uncles? You can tell by him calling us Chief."

"That's true."

The Second Aunt absolutely obeyed the Second Uncle's opinion.

Liu Guangtian smacked his lips and continued to eat with his head down. He didn't think Zhou Zhiyuan respected the three Uncles, but he didn't dare to say it.

Liu Guangfu also smacked his lips. He wasn't afraid of Zhou Zhiyuan. No matter how ruthless or powerful Zhou Zhiyuan was, he couldn't beat their boss. Zhang Quanyi was an invincible existence.

This scene also happened in the Third Uncle's house. The scene Yan Jiacheng had hoped for didn't appear. After discussion and confirmation by the Women's Federation Standing Committee of the courtyard, "Zhou Zhiyuan has nothing to do with Lou Xiao'e. He is targeting Xu Damao because Xu Damao often provokes Zhou Zhining."

This "resolution" was based on clear facts, conclusive evidence, and scientific conclusions, so Yan Jiacheng had no reason to refute it.

Because of this, he felt depressed. That night, Lou Xiao'e frequently turned her face to look at Zhou Zhiyuan. He saw it. Were everyone's eyes blind?

In this depression, Yan Jiacheng received another piece of news that could alleviate his depression: Zhou Zhiyuan's right hand was crippled.

Hearing this news, Yan Jiacheng's mood suddenly improved. Lou Xiao'e would not be attracted to a disabled person.

The Third Uncle's low shout made Yan Jiacheng realize what he had done, but it was too late. The Third Uncle told him to put down his chopsticks and not to eat until he explained clearly.

The Yan family entered the interrogation process, with the Third Uncle as the chief interrogator, Yan Jiacheng as the deputy interrogator, and the Third Aunt as the persuader.

At this time, the Third Uncle's stern voice, Yan Jiacheng's serious language, and the Third Aunt's soft persuasion rang out at the dinner table. Yan Jiacheng had to confess honestly.

In this atmosphere, Yu Li's appetite completely disappeared. She looked at Yan Jiedi and Yan Jiefang and deeply admired their spirit of ignoring everything and burying themselves in eating.

While Yu Li lost her appetite, Qin Huairu hurriedly ate a few mouthfuls of rice and sat in front of the sewing machine, making it rattle.

She was happy because she had reconnected with Lin Shurong by making new clothes for Zhou Zhiyuan, and the mother and daughter still spoke with affection.

Through this incident, Qin Huairu deeply realized Zhou Zhiyuan's insidiousness, who had dug a trap for her, almost causing her to fall into it.

But Zhou Zhiyuan made a fatal mistake. What he didn't know was that she understood Zhou Zhining's character very well and was extremely cautious when it came to matters involving interests.

Especially the benefits given by the Zhou family, she would take as much food as she was given, but she would become vigilant when it came to money.

Zhou Dehou and Lin Shurong had never talked to her about money, and Zhou Zhining wouldn't either, so as soon as Zhou Zhiyuan mentioned money, she became alert. Zhou Zhining extremely hated mixing interests in relationships, which was why his previous relationship had failed.

And Zhou Zhiyuan gave her benefits, which was very inconsistent with Zhou Zhining's style. Qin Huairu was suspicious but had to accept the benefits given by Zhou Zhiyuan. He was Zhou Zhining's brother, and she couldn't get around this hurdle.

But she had a way to first give Zhou Zhiyuan a discount, and then tell Zhou Zhining about it. She didn't understand what Zhou Zhiyuan wanted to do, but she was worried about tiring out her teacher's wife, so she pretended to accept it and waited for Zhou Zhining to give her an idea.

Qin Huairu knew how to speak and also understood what was going on from Zhou Zhining's attitude.

At that time, Zhou Zhining muttered to himself: "This kid is playing dirty."

Then he told her, "Just use this price. If he gives you money, take it. I'll explain to Mom and Dad. Don't worry, with me here, he won't dare to do anything."

Zhou Zhining's words made her completely understand, especially Zhou Zhining's muttered words, "This kid is playing dirty."

Thus, she determined that Zhou Zhiyuan, who appeared sunny on the surface, was actually very insidious, which was confirmed through his brother's mouth.

The label of insidious was completely placed on Zhou Zhiyuan's head and fixed in Qin Huairu's mind.

But what she didn't know was that "playing dirty..." was a dialect of SY, referring to someone playing tricks behind their back, which had nothing to do with being insidious.

But she didn't need to know this specific explanation. Zhou Zhiyuan's attempt to destroy their relationship was very insidious.

But this insidious villain was Zhou Zhining's brother, and the brothers had a deep relationship. How to counterattack needed to be verified.

She must maintain a reasonable image in front of Zhou Zhining and first defend Zhou Zhiyuan, "Maybe he saw that I was having a difficult life and wanted to help me in this way?"

She asked a question, but received a definite reply from Zhou Zhining, "Zhiyuan is very kind. It's right for you to think so."

Zhou Zhining ignored his own muttering and also ignored the sentence, "With me here, he won't dare to do anything to you."

But Qin Huairu understood that Zhou Zhining knew Zhou Zhiyuan's insidiousness but would not accept others saying so.

Qin Huairu would not say what he didn't like, so she immediately changed the subject, talked for a while, and then casually said, "Zhiyuan's appearance is very delicate."

Zhou Zhining smiled and said, "This kid looks like my mom. I'm not as good as him in appearance."

His attitude made Qin Huairu completely understand that no matter how insidious Zhou Zhiyuan was, Zhou Zhining thought he was a kind person.

He had principles for others, but no principles for Zhou Zhiyuan because he was his own brother from the same mother.

This test let Qin Huairu know how to deal with Zhou Zhiyuan. No matter how insidious he was, no matter how he wanted to destroy their relationship, she had to endure it.

Moreover, she not only had to endure it but also had to be gentle and caring towards him, washing and making clothes for him. She did all this solely to make Zhou Zhinning happy.

Before, she wanted to have a good relationship with Zhou Zhiyuan for Zhou Zhinning's sake; now, she wanted to have a good relationship with Zhou Zhiyuan even more for Zhou Zhinning's sake.

She understood that the insidious Zhou Zhiyuan would naturally be suppressed by Zhou Zhinning. The better she behaved, the more Zhou Zhinning would suppress Zhou Zhiyuan.

Having figured out a good plan, Qin Huairu casually answered Jia Zhangshi's question, "Zhiyuan wanted to pay the outside price, but I gave him a 50% discount."

But Jia Zhangshi was still worried and whispered, "Isn't it bad to take money?"

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Qin Huairu replied, concentrating on the sewing machine. The rhythmic sound of '哒哒哒' rang out continuously, and the outline of the jacket gradually emerged.

The sewing of these two sets of clothes would be absolutely meticulous, ensuring that the insidious Zhou Zhiyuan couldn't find a single flaw no matter how hard he looked.

Qin Huairu concentrated on the sewing machine and didn't notice Lou Xiao'e walking into the central courtyard.

Lou Xiao'e returned to the Siheyuan tonight and slowed down as she entered the central courtyard, turning her face to look at the brothers' window.

Zhou Zhiyuan was reading attentively, and Zhou Zhinning was sitting opposite him, also reading attentively.

Seeing this scene, Lou Xiao'e nodded slightly. The Zhou brothers liked to read, which meant they were knowledgeable people.

Lou Xiao'e admired knowledgeable people. She had been married into the Siheyuan for nearly a year, and her impression of the Zhou family had always been good, but her relationship with the Zhou family was limited to greetings, with no point of contact.

In the past, she didn't care about this, as she and the Zhou family were just neighbors.

Now, she cared a little. Zhou Zhiyuan's investment philosophy had aroused her interest. His thinking was advanced, and his theories were very practical.

Today at noon, Zhou Zhiyuan convinced her and Zhao Yongmei.

In the afternoon, she and Zhao Yongmei discussed the feasibility of investing in antique calligraphy and paintings.

Zhao Yongmei affirmed Zhou Zhiyuan's investment philosophy, saying that it was in line with the current social environment, but the only problem was the channel.

Lou Xiao'e agreed with Zhao Yongmei's analysis. The two discussed the issue of channels and found that no matter what kind of channel they built, they couldn't do without Zhou Zhiyuan's participation.

The key link was in the appraisal.

Zhao Yongmei affirmed Mo Youji's identity, status, and reputation in the antique calligraphy and painting appraisal world. After he retired, as his only known disciple, if they wanted to invest in antique calligraphy and paintings, they had to involve Zhou Zhiyuan.

Having clarified this premise, only one question remained: was Zhou Zhiyuan reliable?

Lou Xiao'e believed that Zhou Zhiyuan was very reliable. The Zhou family had a very upright family tradition, observing etiquette and rules. Zhou Zhiyuan was also a veteran who had retired from the army and participated in the Sino-Indian War. Soldiers trained by the army would not be bad in character.

Her attitude influenced Zhao Yongmei, and they initially reached a consensus: "We can contact Zhou Zhiyuan and observe him."

Carrying this task, Lou Xiao'e returned to the Siheyuan. Seeing Zhou Zhiyuan's figure, she hesitated, knowing that she couldn't go into his room to discuss it with him, and walked into the backyard with regret.

Returning to her own house and seeing that Xu Damao hadn't returned, she turned around and walked into Granny Long's room, finding her pacing back and forth.

The weather outside was still cold, so Granny Long was walking around in the house. Seeing her come in, she asked with concern, "Have you eaten?"

Granny Long's words were not just a polite greeting. Lou Xiao'e hadn't eaten, and there was still corn porridge, cornbread, and pickles in the pot.

Lou Xiao'e understood and replied, "I ate outside."

She couldn't cook and knew that there might not be any food at home, so she ate before returning home.

Granny Long sighed and said, "The way you and Xu Damao are living, it doesn't seem like a family at all."

Then she sat down at the table and asked, "Do you know that Zhou Zhiyuan's right hand is crippled?"

"I know. Zhou Zhiyuan went to the library to read today..."

Lou Xiao'e recounted what happened at the library, but concealed the fact that they had gone to the wonton restaurant to eat.

After listening to her vivid account, Granny Long smiled and said, "This child is quite resourceful."

After praising him, Granny Long asked in surprise, "He also has a cousin?"

"Yes, that cousin is not good to him at all, inciting those children to besiege him and accusing him of stealing books."

Lou Xiao'e accepted Zhao Yongmei's statement that Zhou Zhiyuan and Shen Lanyin were cousins.

But Granny Long asked curiously, "Is that cousin pretty?"

"Quite pretty..." Lou Xiao'e said, with a hint of jealousy, then changed the subject, "Her face is very cold, she doesn't like to talk to people, and she doesn't pay attention to her suitors either. Her attitude towards Zhou Zhiyuan is even worse."

Lou Xiao'e expressed her indignation at Shen Lanyin's behavior, but Shen Lanyin didn't think she had done anything wrong.

When Fang Nan returned home, Shen Lanyin walked into Shen Lanbo's room. Shen Lanbo, who was leaning against the headboard reading, smiled when she came in and said, "Are you here to persuade me to break off relations with Zhiyuan?"

Shen Lanyin shook her head gently, sat down on the chair at the table, and replied solemnly, "I want to talk about something. Sister Fang Nan seems to be a little wary of Zhou Zhiyuan?"

Shen Lanbo frowned and asked in a deep voice, "What did she say?"

"She didn't say anything, but she asked me to say it," Shen Lanyin knew Fang Nan's purpose.

Shen Lanbo smiled softly and replied indifferently, "She knows her limits."

But Shen Lanyin was incisive, "Because you two are not married yet. Do you and Sister Fang Nan not want to get married anymore?"

Shen Lanbo pondered for a moment and replied, "My brother's health is not good."

"I know..." Shen Lanyin replied in a deep voice, "But it's not that serious. Don't forget, I'm a doctor, and I studied traditional Chinese medicine with Grandpa Xie."

Shen Lanbo smiled and said, "Observation, auscultation, interrogation, and palpation. You've mastered the most difficult skill of observation?"

"No..." Shen Lanyin said truthfully, "But you are my brother, and I grew up with you."

Shen Lanyin's words explained why Fang Nan valued Shen Lanbo's attitude so much. In Shen Lanyin's marriage, Shen Lanbo might not be able to make things happen, but he would definitely be more than capable of ruining things.