I am Jia Dongjin in the Siheyuan (Courtyard House)

Chapter 63 Yuejun

But when it comes to marriage, the two children are an insurmountable obstacle. They are both her own flesh and blood, and Jia Zhangshi is extremely worried and exhausted.

"Mom, don't worry, it's just a rumor, it's nothing. Things will work themselves out. It's just that some people are jealous. We just need to live our lives well."

On the surface, Jia Dongjin didn't care, but his mind was in turmoil. He and Yan Fugui had different views, and he knew that the courtyard house was a murky place. Recently, the Jia family had been riding high, and he had made a lot of money repairing radios, so it was inevitable that some people would be envious.

Thanks to Aunt Erda, Jia Dongjin earned 12 yuan from one deal. He handed over 3.6 yuan to the street office and kept 70% for himself, making a net profit of 8.4 yuan.

Because Jia Dongjin claimed he wanted grain but not money, Liu Haizhong could only offer 8 yuan at 4% of the price as food. He carried a bag of cornmeal in his left hand and a bag of cured meat and eggs in his right hand as he went to the door, and was clearly seen by the people in the courtyard along the way.

"Dongjin, here's the equivalent amount of grain, meat, and eggs. Please check it. Also, I have two friends who want two units as long as you keep them under warranty for six months. Here's a two-yuan deposit."

"Second Uncle, you can rest assured. Just say the word and I'll make sure the radio is fine. It just takes some time, and I can only make one a month."

With Song Tao's help, Jia Dongjin had plenty of raw materials to assemble radios; he only needed to replace a few parts. His unique business was lucrative.

However, on the surface, Jia Dongjin still had to pretend to be facing difficulties and not let people think he was having an easy time.

The envious glances from the neighbors even alarmed the fearless Jia Zhangshi. Sure enough, as the harvest was in full swing, rumors began to circulate.

The range of suspects is too broad, and it cannot be ruled out that some people are deliberately trying to harm others without benefiting themselves. Jia Dongjin is helpless and can only hope that time will work its magic and gradually calm down the rumors.

He also secretly observed and speculated, and on the surface, the rumors did not seem to be made by people in the hospital.

The biggest rumor-mongers in the courtyard were Xu Damao, Yi Zhonghai, Yan Fugui, and others, but all of them were normal. Yi Zhonghai even stepped forward to refute the rumors about the Jia family.

There have been no recent conflicts between the Jia family and the people in the courtyard, including He Yuzhu, and Jia Dongjin could not see any clues.

"Don't panic. These people are just jealous of us. As long as we stand upright, we have nothing to fear."

Although Jia Zhangshi said it was nothing, she was actually panicking inside. Unlike Jia Dongjin, she knew how dangerous rumors could be.

Subsequent events proved that Jia Dongjin was wrong. His "innocence will prevail" was utterly meaningless at that moment. Reality was too cruel, shattering Jia Dongjin's idealism and causing disastrous consequences.

As the head of the Jia family, his inaction made him seem naive and laughable, and he was easily regarded as weak and vulnerable.

As the rumors spread, the soft knife gradually turned into a hard knife, one cut after another, cutting into the Jia family's flesh.

Qin Huairu was the first to succumb to the pressure. Every day, people pointed and whispered about her, starting with whispers and eventually becoming unrestrained.

"See that? She really does have a foxy face, no wonder!"

"A rabbit only eats the grass near its burrow. How shameless! It doesn't even spare its brother-in-law. What a waste of its pretty face."

Countless people inquired about the situation from the courtyard house. Jia Dongjin believed that the innocent had nothing to hide, but Liu Haizhong and others thought that he had something to hide. Their words and actions left people with endless speculation. As the saying goes, no cat can resist a bite, and rumors quickly took flight.

Qin Huairu has been qualified to get food at the window, and every time it's time to get food, there's always a long queue at the window she's in charge of.

Even more extreme, some people would make an excuse to go to the cafeteria kitchen just to see what the female lead looked like.

The men were somewhat better off, especially the few girls who had their eyes on Jia Dongjin, who intentionally or unintentionally stirred things up.

Qin Huairu held the freshly made socks between her fingers, the stitches neat and tidy, a stark contrast to her wildly beating heart. Her brother-in-law, Jia Dongjin, was chopping wood in the yard, his strong arms moving with the axe, each strike feeling like a blow to her heart.

She thought about many things: Jia Zhangshi's words, the increasingly sensible Bang Geng, and most importantly, the three still-warm meat buns in the hospital, and the cotton pad on the back of the bicycle.

Jia Dongjin's shoulders were broad and warm; through his soaked clothes, she could feel his steady heartbeat.

Qin Huairu felt a tightness in her throat. She wanted to say something to him, but the words stuck in her throat.

Lying in bed at night, Qin Huairu tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

The moonlight outside the window spilled onto the ground, like a layer of frost.

She recalled Jia Dongjin forcibly pulling her hand, and then she remembered her mother-in-law's attitude. Ever since Jia Dongjin got a raise, Jia Zhangshi had made her stance clear, both openly and subtly. She even disagreed with Qin Jingru washing Jia Dongjin's socks. She only gave him a kind look when Qin Huairu supported Jia Dongjin's blind date.

These scenes played back in her mind like a movie. Qin Huairu closed her eyes tightly, but a thought popped into her mind that startled even herself.

The thought had barely crossed her mind when she quickly sat up, gently slapped herself in the dark room, and muttered, "Huai Ru, Huai Ru, what are you thinking about?"

The slap didn't hurt at all; instead, it made her more aware that something seemed to be sprouting in that long-barren place in her heart.

"My mother-in-law is right. A woman only has one life. I'm still young, and I can start all over again."

-------------------

The mountain has trees, and the trees have branches.

My heart is pleased with you, but you do not know.

As the rumors intensified, Jia Dongjin realized things were going badly. He was racking his brains for a way out when Qin Huairu pushed open the door and walked in, carrying a kettle of hot water. It was already bedtime.

Before Jia Dongjin could react, Qin Huairu had already closed the door and taken out a pair of new socks.

"Dongjin, I made you a pair of socks. Try them on to see if they fit."

Qin Huairu's expression remained unchanged. She went straight to the small kitchen, took a basin, poured in hot water, and urged Jia Dongjin to take off his shoes and wash his feet so he could try on his new socks.

"Sister-in-law, this, this isn't appropriate, I can do it myself."

Jia Dongjin didn't pay attention. He took off his shoes and put his feet into the hot water, which was at the perfect temperature.

Just as he was enjoying himself, Qin Huairu squatted down and stretched out her trembling hand.

Before Jia Dongjin could react, Qin Huairu had already started washing his feet.

No sorrow or resentment arises; at this moment, silence speaks louder than words.

In the stillness of the night, a lone man and woman, their skin pressed together, felt an ambiguity arise.

Jia Dong's mouth was dry, and his lower abdomen felt hot. His heart was pounding in his throat, and he could only stammer, "Sister-in-law, no, don't do this."

"Your name is Huai Ru. In Qin Family Village, it's customary for women to wash the feet of the head of the household and make socks for him. You are a good woman, but unfortunately, I am not worthy of you. I will only wash your feet and make socks for you once in my life."

Qin Huairu was also extremely nervous. She lowered her head and finished speaking her mind. Then she looked up at the man in front of her, her eyes filled with tenderness.

Since the rumors had already spread, Qin Huairu might as well confirm them to avoid bearing an undeserved reputation. Besides, she had fallen for this young man over the past six months, and as long as they were both willing, there was nothing they couldn't or wouldn't do.

Jia Dongjin was stiff all over, while Qin Huairu was as tender as water.

Having already said the unpleasant truth, Qin Huairu held nothing back. She said softly, "I won't marry anyone. The person I love is you. Dongjin, let me be your woman just this once."

Before Jia Dongjin could say anything more, Qin Huairu reached out and covered his mouth.

Looking at the young man she loved in her dreams, she couldn't contain her emotions. She got up and sat down beside him, embracing Jia Dongjin tightly. "I know my mother-in-law is reluctant for you to marry me. As long as you like me, I'm willing to serve you secretly and won't delay your marriage."