I am Jia Dongjin in the Siheyuan (Courtyard House)

Chapter 71 Striving for Strength

"Let's skip the wedding banquet, just give out some wedding candies, and have a nice meal ourselves."

Jia Dongjin glanced at Qin Huairu. Since he made his statement, Qin Huairu hadn't looked up. Now she shook her head slightly, and Jia Dongjin understood what she meant. He didn't want to make a big fuss.

Special arrangements were made, with Jia Zhangshi and the neighbors taking care of everything. The new quilt and other items could be made in half a day, and there would be no problem with the wedding night tomorrow.

"Since that's the case, Dongjin, think it over again. If there's nothing else, you should go to the back room to rest. Huairu, you should also go to sleep early. You two will definitely have a lot to do tomorrow. I'll arrange new bedding and buy some good food. You don't need to worry about anything. Just get your marriage certificate and go to your bridal chamber in peace."

Jia Dongjin didn't know anything about wedding planning, so he couldn't offer any suggestions. He simply prepared to return to his room. Since he had impulsively proposed to Qin Huairu, he now needed to sort out his thoughts.

Although Qin Huairu kept her head down, her eyes were fixed on the man's feet. As soon as the man's feet moved, she couldn't help but look up at Jia Dongjin.

"Sister-in-law, Huairu, tomorrow is our big day. We still have a lot of things to do, like getting our marriage certificate, buying wedding candy, buying clothes, and so on. We should get some rest."

Jia Dongjin blushed. He had almost called her "sister-in-law" earlier. He finally felt embarrassed and wanted to go back to his room to calm down before thinking about his plans after marriage.

"what!"

Qin Huairu gasped softly. At this moment, she realized that they were going to get their marriage certificate and consummate their marriage tomorrow. The woman lowered her head in embarrassment and stared at the man's feet.

"Dongjin, you should take a shower so you can sleep better tonight. The water's a bit cold though."

The Jia family was in a state of unease. Jia Dongjin hadn't showered for days. Qin Huairu wanted to say something but didn't know what to say. Just now, when Jia Dongjin was holding her in his arms, she smelled the sweat on the man and casually reminded him to take a shower.

"Ah, I, I'll go take a shower now."

After Jia Dongjin grabbed a towel and soap and went to the shower, Jia Zhangshi started boiling water and arranged for Qin Huairu to wash herself. She then shooed Banggeng to bed, took Qin Huairu's hand, looked her up and down, and chuckled, "Now you know how good Dongjin is. I told you two were a good match. From now on, I'll send Xiaodang to your Aunt Wang's house to sleep tonight. Her daughter-in-law, Guihua, has milk, so you don't need to worry about anything. Just wash up properly later, and tomorrow night you'll have a peaceful wedding night, and that'll be another lifetime together!"

Qin Huairu's mind was entirely on Jia Dongjin. When she suddenly heard Jia Zhangshi's words, she was so ashamed that she wanted to disappear. Her small hands trembled violently in her mother-in-law's hands.

"Alright, alright, what's there to be ashamed of? I'm eager to hold my grandson. You should hurry up and finish washing up and get some rest. Young people are full of energy, and Dongjin is strong and healthy. Take it easy tomorrow and don't let him have his way with everything."

Madam Jia patted her daughter-in-law's hand and gave her a meaningful instruction.

Qin Huairu: "..."

The front courtyard of a traditional courtyard house has a rear building.

"Sizzle!"

The moment the match was struck, the orange-red flame licked the darkness, gilding Jia Dongjin's stubble with a warm gold.

He squinted slightly, gazing at the flickering fire as if looking at a hope that flickers in and out of existence.

He only snapped back to reality when the match burned down to his fingertips, then brought the cigarette to his lips and lit it. He took a deep drag, and the smoke billowed from his nostrils, weaving a hazy net in the night.

He leaned against the headboard, the flickering light of his cigarette butt becoming the only star in the dark room.

Each puff of smoke was taken very deeply, as if trying to swallow all those heavy emotions.

He burned his finger with the cigarette butt, jolted, and realized how late it was. Jia Dongjin stubbed out the cigarette, looked at the bright moon outside the window, and his eyes showed a newfound determination.

The wind was still blowing outside the window, but Jia Dongjin knew that some roads could only be walked step by step by himself.

Work, marriage, and career are the three key steps in life.

After deciding to get married, one faces career or life-changing issues.

At this point, it's impossible to build a career. Only when young people awaken to the rules of the world and know how to act according to those rules can they truly thrive in this world.

While it's a fantasy to say that Xiao Ao lives a better life than ordinary people, it's not entirely wishful thinking; it just requires careful planning.

Surrounded by wild animals in his courtyard house, how to navigate the path of his future is a big question that Jia Dongjin must figure out.

The east wing of the central courtyard of the Siheyuan (traditional courtyard house) belongs to Yi Zhonghai.

Dusk, like a thick gray cloth, slowly covered the sky outside the window.

Yi Zhonghai was also smoking. He sat on the wooden chair in front of the bed, the cigarette between his fingers burning to the end. The burning sensation came from his fingertips, and he suddenly came to his senses. He pressed the cigarette butt into the homemade tin ashtray full of cigarette butts, making a soft "sizzle".

His gaze fell on the yellowed photograph in the frame on the wall. The photo was taken at the steel rolling mill. Jia Dongxu in the photo was smiling broadly. At that time, Jia Dongxu was 23 years old and was learning to be a fitter from him.

Recalling the beating Jia Dongjin had just given him, Yi Zhonghai's Adam's apple bobbed, but he didn't make a sound. He raised his hand and stroked the edge of the photo frame, his fingertip tracing the shallow dimple at the corner of Jia Dongxu's mouth, his thoughts drifting back to six years ago.

Back then, he was full of vigor and ambition, while Jia Dongxu had just been promoted to a first-class fitter. The two were inseparable, going to and from get off work and having lunch together. Later, Jia Dongxu had an accident, and Jia Dongjin took over. The master-apprentice relationship was long gone, and the two families became like enemies.

"Sigh!" Yi Zhonghai sighed.

Now, Qin Huairu is going to marry Jia Dongjin, and they will even be in their bridal chamber tomorrow. The beautiful girl he chose for his apprentice back then is indeed a good woman, but tomorrow she will give birth to his apprentice's younger brother's child.

Yi Zhonghai often wondered what he had gained in his life. Was it the glory of the factory and the courtyard house, the ever-increasing savings of his family, or the desire to have children and continue the family line?

The wind outside the window picked up even more fiercely, making the window rattle loudly. Yi Zhonghai stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open. A blast of cold air rushed in, making him shiver.

"Zhonghai, should we tell Shazhu to cause trouble? I know Shazhu likes Huairu, it would be best if they couldn't get married." Gao Cuilan glanced at Yi Zhonghai's face and whispered her thoughts.

"No need. Sha Zhu is a fool; he doesn't understand how good Huai Ru is. Actually, it's too late anyway. Dong Jin will get the marriage certificate and consummate the marriage tomorrow. He's a smart man; he knows that things might change if we wait too long."

At this moment, Yi Zhonghai realized that he had made a bad move. He originally wanted to use Liu Hong's bodyguard status to deal with Jia Dongjin and also cause trouble for He Yuzhu.

Yi Zhonghai never expected that Liu Hong was so professional that he could easily find Yi Zhonghai through the middleman who relayed the message, and then force him to help spread gossip about Jia Dongjin and Qin Huairu in the steel rolling mill.

Liu Hong tried to force Qin Huairu to marry him through rumors, but things didn't go as planned. When he finally tried to force Qin Huairu, Jia Dongjin caught him and caused trouble, resulting in Liu Hong being imprisoned in a labor camp.

At the same time, Yi Zhonghai has also been exposed. With the Jia family's public pronouncements today, he, who has always been so dignified, is now caught in a dilemma and should not make any rash moves.

Fortunately, the police presented evidence, and Director Yang secretly vouched for him, so Yi Zhonghai didn't end up in prison; he only received a severe beating from Jia Dongjin.

At this point, Yi Zhonghai could only cower and hide his hatred in his heart, and he absolutely could not act rashly. Moreover, He Yuzhu was not a reliable person.

"There are plenty of good women out there. Jia Dongjin got off easy this time, but there's plenty of time to come."

Yi Zhonghai shook his head. He preferred to achieve his goals by going with the flow. This time, he was a little too hasty, which allowed Liu Hong to exploit his weaknesses. In the end, he helped Qin Huairu and lost the precious opportunity to have a child through surrogacy.

He had considered marrying another young woman, but Gao Cuilan had been his wife for many years and had some leverage over him. It would be unwise to throw himself into a panic; secretly finding a woman who could bear children was the better option.

Therefore, he wanted to take Qin Huairu as his apprentice and then gradually make plans. Unexpectedly, what was originally a sure thing has now changed.

"Zhonghai, rinse your mouth."

Gao Cuilan handed over a glass of warm water. She knew that her husband's teeth had been knocked out by Jia Dongjin, and rinsing his mouth would help with oral hygiene.

Just as Yi Zhonghai was about to lose his temper, he glanced at his wife, maintained a gentle demeanor, and chose to rinse his mouth before going to bed to rest.

The best way to become stronger is to have someone you want to protect.

Only when a person is strong can they have the right to choose, the right to be valued, and the ability to launch the most powerful and dignified counterattack.

"Director Li, are you busy right now? I'd like to give you a brief report."

Jia Dongjin didn't worry about the trivial matters of the wedding. The day after proposing, after getting the marriage introduction letter with Qin Huairu, he asked Qin Huairu to wait in the cafeteria while he went to find the logistics director, Li Huaide, and began his great undertaking of working hard.