My Mother-in-Law is Reborn [Seventies]

Chapter 100

Rain poured down in torrents.

People in the courtyard stood under the eaves, watching the spectacle. You can't really blame them for watching the show, though. After all, more than one person in the courtyard had reminded Bai Fendou and his father to install glass in their windows. But these two were stubborn as rocks. They were strapped for cash lately and no one wanted to fork out the money.

In the past, if something small was missing from the house, either father or son would buy it without much thought. But when it came to bigger items, they'd split the cost. Now, however, with both of them having their wages docked, neither wanted to spend the money. They were also wary of contributing their private stash, fearing the other wouldn't chip in.

This back-and-forth went on, and no matter what others said, the two of them remained steadfast in their refusal.

Of course, the weather had been getting worse lately, and people had been urging them to take action. But the father and son just dug in their heels. And then, as expected, disaster struck—the windowpane shattered with a loud crash!

Fortunately, there was still the kind-hearted neighbor Zhou Qun. Zhou Qun was genuinely sincere: "Bai Fendou, come stay at my place. I'm different from others. Neighbors should help each other. Everyone else is indifferent, but not me! I'm not that kind of person!"

Bai Fendou had initially wanted to play hard to get, but seeing that no one else was stepping up, he pursed his lips, feeling a bit dissatisfied, and snorted coldly, "Fine, I'll give you face."

Jiang Lu, who had been about to speak, caught Zhou Qun's gaze and swallowed her words.

What a horse that doesn't know its own face is long.

Zhou Qun's sincere invitation to Bai Fendou was unexpected by everyone, but it didn't stop them from speculating. Some thought Zhou Qun was quite the righteous man, despite some rumors about him recently. He was still a good guy.

Others, however, were more cynical, wondering if Zhou Qun's sudden change was hiding some ulterior motive.

But no one really knew the truth. In this torrential rain, Zhou Qun still showed his friendly side, stepping up to help, which was quite commendable.

Seeing Zhou Qun's righteousness, Old Man Bai nodded slightly. Indeed, true friendship is revealed in times of trouble.

Aunt Wang: "Alright, everyone, let's disperse. We'll leave it at that for now."

In truth, she thought this arrangement wasn't ideal. The rain was just too heavy, and she felt the window not being blocked was a big problem. Using bedding to block it was also madness—what would happen to the bedding?

But since the Bai family had made their decision, there was nothing she could do to help. Just talking wouldn't get her anywhere.

Aunt Wang took a deep breath and decided to look the other way.

After all, Bai Fendou and his father weren't exactly saints. They deserved this.

When the Bai family had schemed against her own, they hadn't held back.

Aunt Wang felt justified: "Alright, everyone, disperse. Don't all crowd outside on such a rainy day."

It seemed their courtyard was full of seasoned veterans. While other courtyards stayed indoors during rainy days, they had plenty of drama to watch. This was a real money-saver, skipping the radio fees.

Everyone stood still, watching the Bai father and son.

The two prepared to head to Zhou's place, but just as they reached the door, Old Man Bai was stopped.

Zhou Qun said firmly: "Old Man Bai, I can't take you in."

"What?!" Old Man Bai's eyes widened in disbelief as he shouted, "Why? Why can't you take me in?"

Normally, Zhou Qun would have given him a piece of his mind, insisting it was his home and he could decide who to take in. But now, looking at Bai Fendou's expression, he said, "Uncle Bai, my bed is only big enough for two men. Adding one more just won't work. Besides, everyone knows about the somewhat unclear relationship between you and my mom. If you come to stay, it wouldn't be good for my mom's reputation. When she returns, there'll be trouble."

Ming Mei leaned against Zhuang Zhixi and whispered softly, "Bai Fendou's reputation for trying to take advantage of Jiang Lu is even worse. Doesn't he fear that Jiang Lu's reputation will suffer?"

Her voice was so low that only Zhuang Zhixi could hear. Zhuang Zhixi squeezed his wife's hand and said, "Shh, some things are better left unsaid."

Ming Mei clicked her tongue, as if she had a toothache.

Zhuang Zhixi chuckled softly.

Though the couple was whispering, their eyes were fixed on the Bai family, not wanting to miss any detail. Clearly, Zhou Qun's words had stunned everyone, but upon reflection, his reasoning wasn't without merit. After all, Zhou's mom was a "pure and innocent" woman.

If Old Man Bai's presence tarnished her reputation, it would indeed be problematic.

This argument left everyone momentarily speechless.

But soon, Old Man Bai retorted, "Your mom isn't home anyway. Heaven and earth know, we know, but she doesn't. What's the big deal?"

Zhou Qun: "That won't do. I won't lie to my mom. I trust Bai Fendou's character, which is why I'm willing to let him stay. But Old Man Bai, I don't know you that well..."

"You little brat, what do you mean you don't know me? I'm Old Man Bai! We've lived next door for over thirty years. I watched you being born! How can you say you don't know me?"

He was furious, never expecting such coldness. Even more infuriating was the blatant favoritism. What was so great about Bai Fendou's character? How had he suddenly become the good guy? Old Man Bai was seething with indignation.

"This isn't about you taking me in or not. Why do you think there's something wrong with me? Explain yourself!"

Old Man Bai was beside himself with rage.

The neighbors were thoroughly enjoying the show.

Their courtyard was truly a treasure trove of drama. Even on a rainy day, it didn't stop the entertainment. Zhuang Zhixi, always one to enjoy a good spectacle, sighed softly, "What we really need right now is Zhou's mom."

If Zhou's mom hadn't been locked up and was still present, Old Man Bai would have been beaten up by now. There was no way he'd be allowed to rant so loudly.

Zhuang Zhixi's words resonated with the neighbors, who all nodded in agreement, lamenting that Zhou's mom had been locked up at the wrong time. After all, she had caused plenty of trouble in the courtyard, always emerging unscathed. But this one time, just as she expanded her antics outside, she ended up locked away.

They hadn't even witnessed the dramatic scene of the police taking her away.

But regardless, everyone agreed that if Zhou's mom were here, Old Man Bai wouldn't dare be so brazen. He simply wasn't a match for her.

Boom!

A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a loud thunderclap. The rain intensified, driven by the wind, and swept toward one side of the houses. Despite being in the same courtyard, the rain was heavier on Bai Fendou's side.

The rain poured through the broken window into the house. Even though everyone was still outside, Bai Fendou's bedding was already soaked, unable to hold up.

If the rain continued all night, the house would turn into a small river.

Bai Fendou was now worried: "What are we going to do?"

Yang Lixin, still angry about the plate-selling incident, snapped, "Usually, when it rains this hard, it stops quickly. The harder the rain, the quicker it ends." He was bluffing, hoping the Bai family's house would flood. Let them suffer for cheating him!

"That's right, that's how it usually is."

"Exactly, it always works that way."

Everyone chimed in, and Bai Fendou breathed a sigh of relief.

He looked at Old Man Bai and said, "Dad, I'm going to rest at Zhou's place. You stay home and keep an eye on things. Someone needs to watch the house, even on a rainy day. Right?"

Old Man Bai was nearly choking with anger, deeply feeling that he had raised a useless son. While others raised children for old-age security, his son was unreliable to the extreme.

"Why aren't you at home watching over things?" Old Man Bai roared.

Bai Fendou raised an eyebrow, looking rather innocent: "Isn't it because they don't want you? Why are you blaming me now? I think I'm quite innocent in this."

Though he said that, he certainly didn't look innocent at all.

Old Man Bai stood under the eaves, shouting loudly: "Unfilial son, unfilial son! Heavens above, why don't you strike this scoundrel with a bolt of lightning? My son, he's so disobedient..."

Boom!

The thunder roared again.

Old Man Bai's shouting abruptly stopped.

Despite his loud cries, in reality, it was just for show.

The thunder sounded again, and he was a bit scared this time. Aunt Su looked at the situation and stepped forward to console Old Man Bai: "Old Man Bai, I know you're feeling upset. But what Zhou Qun said isn't entirely without reason."

She didn't genuinely want to help Zhou Qun; she just wanted Old Man Bai to see her kindness and goodness. Moreover, she didn't want Old Man Bai to move into the Zhou's house. If Zhou's mother returned and found out, she might use this to latch onto Old Man Bai, which would be a loss for her.

Although he hadn't made any income these past few months, she wasn't shortsighted. She knew that looking at things from a long-term perspective, Old Man Bai was someone who could be milked for a long time.

She said: "Think about it. Considering Zhou's mother's personality and character, even though you're saving yourself some trouble now, there will be plenty of problems later. When she comes back, she'll definitely try to entangle you."

Zhou Qun frowned: "My mom isn't like that."

Aunt Su: "Your mom pursued Old Man Bai when she was young, so it's not surprising she hasn't given up now."

She spoke with complete confidence, then added: "Old Man Bai, I think for your own sake, you shouldn't go to the Zhou's. I know it's a bit unfair for you to stay in such a house, but just bear with it for one night. It's not that hard, right? I'll make you some ginger soup."

Old Man Bai couldn't listen to others, but he could listen to Aunt Su. After thinking about it, he realized she made some sense. As a clean old man, if he got entangled with Zhou's mother, it would be troublesome.

He really didn't like that woman.

When she was young, this widow had tried to marry him by entangling him, and now... it wasn't unexpected.

He understood and nodded: "You're right."

Everyone: "Oh, oh."

Zhuang Zhixi: "That's the right thing to say?"

Now, he didn't know if his son's innocence would be preserved.

This father, really isn't attentive at all.

Can't he see Zhou Qun's ambitions?

Zhuang Zhixi pursed his lips, staring at this family. He saw them quickly make a decision. Zhou Qun: "Since Old Man Bai has decided, let's go."

As for Bai Fendou, this son is really unreliable.

If it were another family, this situation wouldn't be handled like this, but he just completely ignored his father and followed Zhou Qun to the Zhou's house. Old Man Bai stayed alone in the house, watching the rain pouring in through the windows and doors, feeling quite annoyed.

Looking at this situation, he muttered: "How am I supposed to live like this?"

Everyone didn't want to leave, all crowding around to watch the excitement.

Old Man Bai: "What are you all looking at? Come and help, this is really disrespectful and unfriendly. Look at my place, it's in such a state, yet you don't know how to help?"

"Old Man Bai, we want to help, but look, how can we? We can't get involved," Zhuang Zhixi called out.

"Right, Old Man Bai, you can't blame us. Your son Bai Fendou is slacking off." As soon as Zhuang Zhixi spoke, others chimed in. This time, it's not that everyone doesn't want to help, but they can't.

"You really can't do anything without covering it up. But we don't have anything to help with, no one keeps glass at home."

"That's exactly right! We want to help but can't."

Hearing this, Old Man Bai felt very annoyed and waved his hand: "Go, go, all of you get lost. Not helping and just watching the excitement, how can there be such little scoundrels like you?"

He started pushing people, and those close by were pushed out the door. He said: "Get out, get out."

"Hey, you really... don't take it out on us just because your son isn't helping."

"Exactly."

Finally, it was Aunt Su, his old flame: "Bring Bai Fendou's bedding over, cover the windows with it, and put pots and pans here too. Anyway, you have to protect your house. Clean up the water on the bed. I'll go home and make you some ginger soup."

Old Man Bai: "Good, good, good."

He looked tenderly: "I know you're the best to me, unlike others, not human."

"Hey, Old Man Bai, is that how you talk?"

"Right, what does this have to do with us? You can't blame us. We've reminded you so many times, you didn't install glass, now you're in trouble, you can't blame others..."

"Exactly, I heard Zhuang Zhixi remind Bai Fendou in the bathroom today, but he didn't want to."

"We've reminded you, so how can we help?"

"That's right."

Old Man Bai pursed his lips, thinking: Can't you all raise some money to replace the glass for our house? Haven't you seen we've been spending a lot of money in the hospital recently? We're neighbors, can't you help a bit? What kind of good neighbors are you?

But he knew he couldn't say this directly; he couldn't lose face like that.

He could only say with a dark face: "Go, go, all go home, don't add to the chaos here."

Zhuang Zhixi watched the lively scene for a long time. Seeing that Bai Fendou had followed Zhou Qun away and Old Man Bai had made up his mind, he finally stopped watching. He said: "Shall we go home too?"

Ming Mei: "Let's go."

It was clear there wouldn't be any more excitement to watch.

Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei went home. Zhuang Zhixi looked up at the sky; it was dark and gloomy. Although it was already night, the feeling of dark clouds pressing down was still palpable.

If the clouds were really that dense, then there was no point in hoping the rain would stop soon.

Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei entered the house together. Ming Mei hung her raincoat on the rack by the door and said: "I feel like this matter isn't over yet."

"Of course not, Bai Fendou has walked right into the tiger's mouth. This matter isn't going to end. Their messy affairs are really endless."

Although the couple went home, the outside was still lively. There was no shortage of onlookers everywhere. Even though it was night, no one seemed eager to go home. If there was excitement to watch, sleeping would be boring.

Ming Mei quickly finished washing up and got into bed, but her desire to gossip was still strong. She leaned against the window, looking outside, but there didn't seem to be any new developments.

Zhuang Zhixi brushed his teeth and washed his feet before joining her in bed. They had taken a quick hot shower when they came home wet from work, so they didn't need much more washing now.

Zhuang Zhixi lay on the red peony pillow and said: "Aren't you going to sleep?"

Ming Mei shook her head: "Not sleepy, how can I fall asleep?"

She looked out the window and said: "The Wangs and Lis from the back courtyard have also gone home."

Zhuang Zhixi: "There's nothing to watch, so why not go home? Actually, everyone doesn't need to be busy; Bai Fendou has his old flame helping. Does he need others?"

Ming Mei chuckled: "Maybe no one wants to help, they just want to watch the excitement."

Zhuang Zhixi laughed.

Ming Mei finally stopped leaning on the window. She nestled into Zhuang Zhixi's arms and said: "I wonder if this night will be peaceful."

Zhuang Zhixi gently patted his wife's back and said: "Whether it will be peaceful is hard to say, but..."

He lowered his head, gently kissed Ming Mei's forehead, and said: "You definitely have to sleep."

Ming Mei pouted: "Why do I have to sleep? I'm just pregnant, can't I do what I want? You're all too concerned about the baby. It hasn't even been born yet, and you're already controlling me like this."

Ming Mei pouted slightly, and Zhuang Zhixi kissed her lips again, saying: "No."

He chuckled softly, "It's not that I care about the baby, it's that I care about you. You're pregnant and not resting properly; I'm worried about your health. The baby hasn't even been born yet. Of course, I care more about you."

Ming Mei laughed, her smile particularly radiant. She pinched Zhuang Zhixi and found a more comfortable position to lean against him, smiling sweetly, "I knew you treat me the best."

Zhuang Zhixi: "You're my wife, who else would I treat well if not you?"

He gently patted Ming Mei, as if trying to coax her to sleep. Ming Mei leaned against Zhuang Zhixi and suddenly said, "I'm hungry."

Zhuang Zhixi: "..."

He said, "I'll get you a sesame cookie."

Ming Mei said softly, "And make me a cup of milk."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Alright."

He chuckled, "You didn't need to brush your teeth just now."

Ming Mei: "Don't you think I'm being a bit of a nuisance?"

It wasn't intentional, but she really just suddenly felt hungry.

"Pregnant women get hungry easily, it's normal," Zhuang Zhixi said calmly. He prepared some food for Ming Mei. After eating and drinking to her satisfaction, she finally lay down again. Ming Mei's sleep was quite good, and soon, she drifted off into dreamland.

They turned off the lights and went to sleep. At this moment, Zhao Guihua was on her way home. She had spent a bit too long watching the commotion and started shaking her head.

Zhao Guihua: "What is this all about?"

Old Man Zhuang genuinely lamented: "This Bai Fendou, he's not filial."

Old people at this age are most concerned about whether their children are filial or not. But clearly, in their eyes, Bai Fendou is not a filial son. In such a heavy rain, leaving his old father at home alone while he goes to find a cozy place to sleep—is that something a son should do?

This is clearly extremely unfilial.

Yet Bai Fendou did just that.

"Now that Old Man Bai is still able to move around and earn money, Bai Fendou behaves like this. Who knows what will happen in the future?"

Zhao Guihua: "Who can say?"

In her previous life, this father and son managed to get by, and there was never any talk of Bai Fendou being unfilial. That's because both Old Man Bai and Bai Fendou were workers with retirement salaries, so they were better off than some but not as well off as others. But that was the past life, not this one. She has come to realize over these days that some things change, while others do not.

It mainly depends on whether they have been influenced or not.

It must be said that this life has been somewhat influenced. For instance, in her previous life, Aunt Zhou never ended up in jail, but in this life, she did. In her previous life, Zhou Qun never got exposed, so Jiang Lu's family never forced her to divorce, and Aunt Zhou never sought the help of a shaman to deal with Jiang Jianshe.

But in this life, all of that happened.

So Aunt Zhou ended up in jail.

In her previous life, the Bai father and son didn't have their eggs smashed, didn't fight, didn't owe money to the factory, and didn't have their windows broken. So there was no sudden financial strain for several months, and the father and son didn't turn on each other, so their relationship was still okay.

This can't be applied to this life.

Zhao Guihua: "We don't know how their family is doing, but I think, since they are both workers with salaries, they won't be too badly off."

"That's true."

Zhao Guihua heard footsteps and turned back to see Aunt Su carrying a bowl of ginger soup hurrying towards Old Man Bai. She pursed her lips, thinking: This woman is really calculating.

Aunt Su returned, and by now, there were only a few people left. A handful of insomniacs, mostly men, had come to watch the excitement, but most of the older folks and women had gone back to sleep.

Aunt Su watched as Old Man Bai drank the ginger soup, his eyes turning red with emotion.

At a time when his own son couldn't be relied on, Aunt Su still treated him so kindly. How could he not be moved? Among the thousands of women in the world, why did he have a special fondness for Aunt Su? It was because he saw her as a rare good woman.

He finished the ginger soup and said softly, "Sister, you should go back and rest early. Your body is weak, and running around in such heavy rain might make you catch a cold. If you get sick because of me, I'd be heartbroken."

Aunt Su said softly, "I know."

The two of them were a bit too affectionate, their words sticky and sweet. The few men who were still watching the excitement shivered and quietly retreated. If it were a bachelor and a widow, they might have enjoyed the show, but the two of them together were over a hundred years old. They really didn't want to watch.

Who wants to see the love story of elderly people in the courtyard?

They wanted to see young people. Watching old folks was not only not exciting, but it was also kind of disgusting.

If it were Bai Fendou and the widow Wang Xiangxiu, they might have enjoyed it.

But it wasn't.

Everyone left, and Old Man Bai gazed at Aunt Su affectionately. Aunt Su said softly, "Old Man Bai, I'm going back now. Take good care of yourself. If you get sick, I'll be heartbroken. You know... you know my feelings... even though we can't be together due to various reasons, my heart for you, you understand..."

"I understand, I understand."

Old Man Bai: "You go back and rest."

Aunt Su: "Alright."

Aunt Su finally left the Bai family and, halfway home, looked back at the Zhou family, frowning before returning to her own home. Wang Xiangxiu was sitting on the kang, sewing clothes for her children.

Having sons is great, but it's also really expensive. These mischievous kids need constant mending. She looked up, "Mom, you're back?"

Aunt Su: "Mm."

Wang Xiangxiu: "Mom, what's wrong?"

Aunt Su's brow didn't relax; the wrinkles between her eyebrows were obvious. She said, "I feel like Zhou Qun has been a bit strange lately. Why would he suddenly invite Bai Fendou to his house?"

Wang Xiangxiu: "Maybe he wants to mend their relationship? After all, they didn't have a bad relationship before. It's always been Bai Fendou who envied Zhou Qun. Zhou Qun and Bai Fendou didn't have any major conflicts. If there were any conflicts, it was because of Jinlai stealing things. That's when they officially became enemies."

That time, Bai Fendou injured Zhou Qun's waist and got into a fight with Jiang Lu, which marked the beginning of their hostility. But maybe Zhou Qun has come to his senses?

Wang Xiangxiu: "They had a decent relationship at the factory too. Recently, I've seen Zhou Qun talking to Bai Fendou more than once. I think since Zhou Qun's scandal broke, everyone avoids him, and he doesn't have any friends left. Maybe he's trying to win over Bai Fendou to make more friends. And you know, Bai Fendou isn't very cunning. He's easy to win over. Maybe Zhou Qun is thinking he could even get an extra bodyguard. After all, Bai Fendou used to be in the security department, and his skills are way beyond Zhou Qun's."

Aunt Su: "Is that so? I always feel like it's not that simple."

She felt that this matter wasn't as straightforward as Wang Xiangxiu made it out to be. Based on her understanding of Zhou Qun, the guy isn't that superficial. She said, "We'll see how it goes, but the Bai father and son, we must keep them in our grasp. The three kids need extra nutrition, and with your salary, it's not enough."

Wang Xiangxiu sighed, "I know."

She said, "Mom, recently, both the Bai father and son have had their wages docked, and I haven't been getting any income from Zhou Qun either. What should we do?"

She still had some side hustles outside, but the income wasn't stable. Moreover, no one was as generous as Zhou Qun or as easy to manipulate as Bai Fendou. She glanced towards the Zhuang family's direction and said, "Ming Mei is pregnant; I wonder if Zhuang Zhixi will be tempted to cheat."

"Which man doesn't cheat?" Aunt Su sneered, "Men, you can't think too highly of them. Their not being tempted doesn't necessarily mean they're virtuous; it might just mean the temptation isn't big enough. Or, you're not worth the risk."

Wang Xiangxiu pursed her lips, feeling a bit uneasy. She had always been very confident in herself.

Although her family was poor, she was considered the prettiest girl in their neighborhood. Many men secretly admired her; just touching her hand would earn them a meat bun. So she had confidence in her beauty.

She was naturally beautiful and could bear sons. Who could have three sons in a row? If her husband hadn't died, she could have had a whole army of kids.

She was different from ordinary women.

She said awkwardly, "At the factory, if I just crook my finger, I can always hook one or two suckers."

Aunt Su looked at her behavior and felt a strong disgust in her heart, but still smiled and said, "Mom knows you're capable, but Zhuang Zhixi is different. Even rabbits don't eat the grass near their burrow. He's not like Zhou Qun; this guy is shrewd."

Wang Xiangxiu sighed and said, "I know, he's always been quite unyielding towards me."

She could keep approaching him, but she also knew she couldn't do that. The reason she had long had her eye on Zhuang Zhixi but didn't make a move was precisely because they were neighbors. She couldn't afford to ruin her reputation.

"But where exactly can I find such a sucker?"

The men at the factory just want to take advantage, but they offer too little.

Wang Xiangxiu's appetite was too big. She was willing to make this money, but too little just wouldn't do. If they thought they could get away with giving a little and taking advantage, they were even more delusional. A measly two taels of meat would only warrant a little hand-holding.

"Look around the factory some more, and tomorrow after work, go to Zhaodi and Pandi's place. Just say I was bitten by a rat, and they can't refuse to come over."

Wang Xiangxiu: "Okay."

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law schemed together and finally lay down.

At the same time, in the same courtyard, Aunt Wang tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Li the Cook finally couldn't take it anymore and said, "What are you doing?"

Aunt Wang: "Don't you think Zhou Qun is a bit strange?"

Li the Cook: "How so?"

He said, "Do you think he's being nice to Bai Fendou? Could it be that he's deliberately trying to get close, intending to seek revenge?"

Aunt Wang hesitated and said, "It's not that feeling either, it's just... hard to describe..."

She couldn't quite put it into words, but the feeling was definitely off.

Li the Cook: "Why do you care about their business? Zhou Qun isn't a good guy, and Bai Fendou isn't any better. One less of them is better for everyone."

Although there was no evidence to prove Zhou Qun's misdeeds, everyone at the factory knew he was always after older women. To put it harshly, he was no different from those ancient male prostitutes. No one believed he was innocent.

Everyone has a brain, after all.

As for Bai Fendou, even less said, he had swindled money from their family, though they weren't sure how much. But they were certain he had swindled them. How could they look upon Bai Fendou favorably?

"Let's sleep, don't worry about them."

"Alright!"

Late at night, every household in the courtyard inevitably discussed the Bai family's affairs, most of them with mockery. With two workers in the family and no financial burden, they could have lived well, but instead, their life was in such a mess that even their windows had no glass. Who else could they laugh at but the Bai family?

Of course, the topic inevitably turned to Zhou Qun.

Zhou Qun's strangeness was well-known to everyone.

At this moment, Zhou Qun and Bai Fendou lay on the same bed. They had actually arrived earlier, but Bai Fendou had been soaked to the bone, and Zhou Qun was afraid he would catch a cold, so he instructed Wang Zhaodi to boil some hot water for Bai Fendou to bathe.

Bai Fendou took a bath and drank ginger soup. Finally, he lay down and said, "I used to... misunderstand you. You're actually a good guy."

After lying down for a while, Bai Fendou spoke up.

Zhou Qun: "We're neighbors, helping each other is normal. Besides, we grew up together. Our bond isn't like others'. Speaking of which, Zhuang Zhiyuan from the Zhuang family is three years younger than us, and Zhuang Zhixi is even younger. The ones who truly grew up together are you and me, and Su. Now that Su is gone, it's just us. Why should we let others' affairs cause such a rift between us? We don't actually have any conflicts."

Bai Fendou nodded and agreed.

But he also said, "It's also because your family was too harsh on the Su family. The child is innocent, and taking a little something when he's hungry, what's the big deal? He's still a child."

Zhou Qun pursed his lips, thinking that such a child would end up in a juvenile detention center sooner or later.

But he didn't argue with Bai Fendou, saying, "Mm."

He turned over and placed his hand on Bai Fendou's waist, saying, "Bai Fendou, what kind of woman do you want to marry?"

Bai Fendou thought he had just casually put his hand there and didn't pay it any mind, saying, "I want to find someone with good conditions, preferably beautiful, educated, and talented. If her family can help me out, that would be even better."

He pursed his lips and said, "I'm not like Yang Lixin, who wants to be a live-in son-in-law. Marriage is the union of two families, and helping each other is normal."

He was also trying to cover up his own embarrassment.

Zhou Qun nodded, "You're right. I agree with your point of view. If a family doesn't help each other, who else can they rely on? Outsiders certainly can't be trusted. Look at you today, we've been neighbors for so many years, and apart from me, has anyone else offered to help? It's clear they're heartless and unfeeling."

He placed one leg over.

Bai Fendou didn't pay it any mind again.

He said, "Sister Xiangxiu is still good, but I can't stay at the house of two widows."

Wang Xiangxiu again!

Zhou Qun's eyes flashed with a hint of darkness. Wang Xiangxiu, what kind of person is she?

He took a deep breath and suppressed his anger, saying, "Don't mention her. Let's just talk about the people in the courtyard. It's our bond that's strong."

Bai Fendou was somewhat moved by his words and nodded, "I know, you're a good guy."

The Zhou family isn't all bad.

It's just that Aunt Zhou, the troublemaker, isn't a good person.

Look, when she was around, things in the courtyard were constantly going wrong, with people arguing and fighting. But now that she's gone, everything is different. Zhou Qun even stepped forward to help proactively, showing that the previous troubles were all due to Aunt Zhou.

He patted Zhou Qun and said, "I know you're still a good person..."

Zhou Qun smiled and moved closer to Bai Fendou, whispering, "Have you ever been with a woman?"

Bai Fendou's eyes widened like copper bells, "Why would I be with a woman? I'm a decent person. I'm not the kind of guy who just goes around casually."

Zhou Qun: "Ha ha ha!"

This guy, his age is a bit old for that.

But he felt even happier.

"Well... let me teach you?"

Bai Fendou: "???"

Zhou Qun seriously said, "If you don't know anything, you'll embarrass yourself on your wedding night. There are techniques to it..."

"Ah! Never heard of that!"

"You're a bachelor, who would tell you...?"

"Then tell me, Zhou Qun, you're really a good guy."

...

The heavy rain still hadn't stopped. In the dead of night, Zhao Guihua grumbled as she put on her clothes and went out. The most frustrating thing in life is having a stomachache in the middle of the night during a heavy rain. Zhao Guihua went out alone. The heavy rain made the gate open.

Earlier, they had been closing the gate every day because of the thieves, but it hadn't been long, and everyone had relaxed again.

Not just their courtyard, some courtyards didn't even lock their doors. But their courtyard was different; they had to lock their doors, especially with Jinlai being a pickpocket and Yinlai and Tonglai acting as lookouts. They had to be careful.

Zhao Guihua, lost in thought, walked out of the alley, grumbling even more as she ran to the back street. It was a long way to the toilet. Poor them, they didn't know when their toilet would be fixed. Zhao Guihua quickly went to the toilet.

At this time, Zhou Qun had already taught Bai Fendou a lot of "knowledge," using both hands and feet, very seriously explaining.

Bai Fendou: "Alright, alright, stop getting closer. Teaching me won't help; there's no woman here anyway. I'm tired, I want to sleep."

Although he had learned a lot, felt excited, and even a bit breathless, Bai Fendou still decided not to learn anymore. After all, Zhou Qun's teaching method was unclear, and he had to use his hands to explain, which made Bai Fendou think his teaching skills were a bit lacking.

But the guy was really well-intentioned. He turned over and said, "I have to get up early for work tomorrow, I'm going to sleep."

Zhou Qun frowned, feeling very unhappy, but he knew that even if Bai Fendou was still a bit injured, he might not be a match for him. He could only let Bai Fendou sleep in his bed. However, Bai Fendou's sleep quality was really good.

In no time, he started snoring rhythmically... Zhou Qun listened to the sound and felt the breath of the person next to him, making it even harder for him to fall asleep.

He turned his head in the darkness and stared at Bai Fendou. Outside, the rain was pouring down, and his heart began to race. After a moment of thought, he quietly got out of bed and tiptoed to the next room. His ear pressed against the door, but he couldn't hear anything. Carefully, he opened the door just a crack and peeked inside. He saw Jiang Lu and Wang Zhaodi both asleep.

Not everyone was as restless as he was.

Sneaky and suspicious.

Convinced that the two women were asleep, he closed the door gently and tiptoed back to his room.

Heh heh!

Heh heh heh!

In the dead of night, Zhou Qun was the most energetic person in the entire courtyard.

This rainy night, with heavy rain pouring down, Aunt Wang from the back courtyard rubbed her stomach and went out wearing a raincoat. Maybe it was because they stood in the rain watching the commotion for too long, but she felt a bit chilly. She shuffled her feet as she walked outside... Crack, rumble.

A lightning bolt streaked across the night sky, and the thunder followed immediately.

Aunt Wang was startled and leaned against the wall. As she turned her head... the lightning illuminated the room brightly.

In the brightly lit room, Aunt Wang witnessed a scene she would never forget. Zhou Qun... was kissing Bai Fendou, fumbling around, hands everywhere... that kind of kissing!

Those who are married understand!

Even those who are not married understand, it's just that kind of thing!

Aunt Wang almost screamed out loud, but at the crucial moment, she covered her mouth with her hand. She trembled against the wall, her legs shaking like limp noodles.

She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. To be honest, she couldn't think of going to the bathroom anymore.

She couldn't believe what she had just seen. She leaned against the wall, struggling to gather her courage and slowly approached the window. The faint creak of the door opening sounded, and Aunt Wang quickly covered her mouth again, afraid she might scream.

The person who came out of the room was also startled and was about to speak when he saw Aunt Wang frantically waving her hand. This person was none other than Lan Sihai.

Lan Sihai was holding a wooden stick. He had woken up to get a drink of water and thought he saw a shadowy figure moving outside. Worried that it might be a thief taking advantage of the rainy night, he immediately grabbed the stick and went out.

But... Aunt Wang?

What was going on?

Aunt Wang's face was red, and she signaled him to be quiet, pointing at Zhou Qun's bedroom. Lan Sihai's eyes flickered. Being an older man, he could guess what Aunt Wang might have seen.

As for the thief?

This time, Lan Sihai didn't think it was a thief in the room.

What kind of thief would be so stupid as to target a room with two grown men sleeping in it?

He had been watching the commotion earlier and knew that Zhou Qun and Bai Fendou lived here. He put down the stick and walked directly to the window... Ah, what a sight!

Truly... indecent!

Extremely indecent!

One glance and you'd want to wash your eyes. This scene was just too shocking!

It was way too shocking!

After a quick look, he turned back to his room and gently tapped his wife's shoulder. Luo Xiaohe rubbed her eyes: "What's wrong?"

Lan Sihai pointed outside and then made a shushing gesture, leading her out. Luo Xiaohe: "???"

As soon as she stepped out, she saw Aunt Wang clinging to the window of Zhou Qun's house like a gecko.

Luo Xiaohe was even more confused: "???"

What was going on?

But she didn't ask, and followed Lan Sihai to the window. The moment she looked inside, Luo Xiaohe almost screamed, but Lan Sihai, prepared, quickly covered her mouth. Luo Xiaohe trembled, her fingers raised, her eyes wide, and the three of them looked at each other.

Then they all turned their attention to the room, only to quickly turn away, covering their mouths to suppress the urge to vomit.

Zhao Guihua returned from outside, finally feeling relieved. She hadn't eaten much tonight, so why did she have diarrhea? It must be the cold. The temperature had dropped significantly after the rain.

As she entered the courtyard, she immediately came face to face with three people.

Zhao Guihua: "???"

What... are you all doing?

Grouping up to peek into Aunt Zhou's window?

Before anyone could say anything, Zhao Guihua quickly moved closer. She peeked inside and saw... Zhou Qun's hands were way too... The two inside were almost rolling around. Zhao Guihua covered her eyes and turned to look at them. The four elderly people looked at each other.

They were both curious to see more but also found it too disgusting.

Mainly, the two of them were just too shocking.

Zhao Guihua took a deep breath and quickly ran back home.

Luo Xiaohe: "Didn't Aunt Zhao want to see more?"

Although she spoke, she didn't make a sound, just moving her mouth. Aunt Wang could understand, but she wasn't sure why Zhao Guihua left.

Zhao Guihua didn't disappoint them. She quickly returned, dragging out the drowsy Old Man Zhuang.

Aunt Wang & Lan Sihai & Luo Xiaohe: "..."

What...

Are you forming a group to watch the show?

But then again, Lan Sihai had already called out Luo Xiaohe.

Aunt Wang quickly went home and soon, Li the Cook also rubbed his eyes and came out. He saw Old Man Zhuang leaning against the wall, his mouth wide open, like a fish out of water, pressing his chest.

At his age, he had never seen anything like this before and couldn't handle it.

Li the Cook had already heard from Aunt Wang about what was happening between Zhou Qun and Bai Fendou, so he was somewhat prepared. But the sight still made him want to vomit.

The six elderly people all leaned against the wall, like geckos.

However, none of them went to call their children. After all, these kids were too young. If they saw this, they wouldn't be able to handle it! Besides, if they started imitating Zhou Qun and Bai Fendou, that would be a problem!

So, they all silently agreed not to involve their younger family members.

Lan Sihai gestured toward his house, and the group went inside together. The six of them stood there in silence for a long time before Lan Sihai, being the oldest and most experienced, finally spoke up.

He summarized: "Ugly people, wild games."

They were all speechless.

Zhao Guihua clutched her hair, almost pulling it all out. She said, "I never expected... I never expected this..."

So, she realized that you can't rely entirely on past experiences. Look, this is a major deviation from what you'd expect. Who could have imagined that these two would end up in such a relationship?

"Old man, stop pulling your hair."

Old Man Zhuang stopped Zhao Guihua's hand.

Zhao Guihua: "This is way too shocking."

Even decades later, such things aren't uncommon, and Zhao Guihua had heard about them. But this was the first time she had seen something like this with her own eyes, and it was happening to people she knew. It was incredibly shocking.

Zhao Guihua's words were met with agreement from everyone. They all nodded. Indeed, this was way too shocking.

"Do you think... when did Zhou Qun start having feelings for Bai Fendou?"

"Who knows? He used to chase women, didn't he? Maybe those stories about chasing women were fake. Maybe he's always liked men. Those past stories might not be true." Aunt Wang said.

Lan Sihai glanced at her and said, "Maybe he likes both men and women? Even if he doesn't, maybe he just changed his taste."

"Ah, can it be like that?"

"Why not? Besides, some people just don't like women, but they can still... Anyway, why are we discussing this? What we should be discussing is, should we catch them in the act?"

Honestly, if this had happened under normal circumstances, they would have intervened.

But now, it's just too awkward to deal with!

Zhao Guihua: "I don't know."

Luo Xiaohe, having been married into the family for a short time, thought she had seen a lot, but this situation left her completely baffled. She could only echo Zhao Guihua like a parrot: "I don't know."

Old Man Zhuang: "Aunt Wang, you're the head of the courtyard. What do you think?"

Aunt Wang: "..."

Her expression was conflicted. This head of the courtyard job was really becoming too much.

This is just too frustrating. What kind of mess is this?

She covered her face, and after a long while, she said, "Let's just pretend we didn't see anything."

Zhao Guihua: "That's true. If we bring it up, whether they admit it or not, it's just going to be embarrassing. Besides, our neighborhood's reputation is already bad enough. If we stir things up more, it'll only get worse."

"Who says otherwise?"

"I wonder why Zhou Qun is like this."

"I don't care about Zhou Qun. From the moment he approached Bai Fendou, he didn't have good intentions. What I'm thinking is, Bai Fendou has always been jealous of Zhou Qun, right? How could he end up rolling around with him? It really is true that you can't judge a book by its cover."

Zhao Guihua sighed.

Li the Cook chimed in, "I saw something off about their relationship a long time ago. I mean, how could Bai Fendou try to bully Jiang Lu, and Zhou Qun still forgives him? It turns out they were involved. I bet this is a love triangle. Zhou Qun married Jiang Lu, and Bai Fendou got jealous and started targeting their family. He deliberately pushed Jiang Lu into the small warehouse at the factory, and it definitely wasn't because he had any intentions. He just wanted to make Zhou Qun angry, so he went all out. Look, Zhou Qun even forgave him. That's because Zhou Qun definitely feels guilty toward him. They can't be together, so they can only silently endure their longing for each other..."

Li the Cook seemed to have watched too many melodramatic shows, as his imagination ran wild.

A love triangle had already emerged in his mind.

Jiang Lu wasn't even the main character.

Bai Fendou was the leading role, and Jiang Lu was just a supporting character.

Aunt Wang couldn't take it anymore: "Please stop, you're going to make me sick!"

Aunt Wang was truly overwhelmed and said, "Oh my god, stop talking, I can't handle it. Just thinking about it makes me nauseous."

"This is just..."

The group exchanged glances and silently left the room, pressing their faces against the window to see two naked bodies.

Zhao Guihua covered her mouth, feeling waves of nausea, and couldn't hold back any longer, running home... Old Man Zhuang quickly followed. Lan Sihai and his wife exchanged glances and finally couldn't bear it anymore, hurrying back to their home.

Aunt Wang: "..."

Li the Cook dragged her back home.

Aunt Wang: "I just came out to go to the bathroom."

Well, now she had no urge to go anymore.

The three elderly couples returned to their homes, finally able to speak freely.

However, once back home, none of the old couples could find the words to discuss it. The incident was too shocking; how could they talk about it?

"You see..."

Suddenly, a piercing scream echoed through the courtyard: "Ah!!!"

Zhao Guihua flinched, instantly recognizing whose voice it was. She quickly said, "It's Jiang Lu!"

She darted to the door and yanked it open. In the pouring rain, the Zhou family's house was brightly lit! Zhao Guihua was the fastest, rushing over to see Jiang Lu standing at the door in thin clothes, completely stunned.

Zhao Guihua: "!!!"

She had found out!

Zhao Guihua hurried forward, seeing Jiang Lu suddenly freeze, then seem to snap out of it. She suddenly charged into the house, where a heartbreaking scream rang out. Jiang Lu roared in fury: "Bai Fendou, I'll kill you! You seduced my husband!!!"

Soon, the lights in the other houses in the courtyard turned on, and people rushed out, half-dressed, not even bothering to put on their clothes.

"What's going on?"

"What happened? Why did I hear Jiang Lu's scream?"

"I heard her yelling at Bai Fendou!"

"Ah, did Bai Fendou try to take advantage of her again? This is inviting trouble!"

No, I heard her scold Bai Fendou for seducing her husband...

"Could that have been a misunderstanding?"

Everyone was speculating, but soon they all crowded around the Zhou family's door, only to see—oh, no!