Sipping the refreshingly fragrant flower tea, everyone was in excellent spirits.
After a few sips, all the frustrations encountered earlier in the central courtyard were tossed to the back of their minds.
Then, with Zhang Yuanlin taking the initiative, the conversation quickly opened up between both parties.
“Xiao Zhang, I noticed there are photos of two elderly people on your wall, but none of your parents.”
Qin’s father asked curiously.
As Qin Huairu’s father, it was only right that he learn more about the young man’s family situation.
Although he knew Zhang Yuanlin lived alone, he didn’t know what background Zhang Yuanlin’s parents came from, nor what circumstances had left Zhang Yuanlin living by himself in this large compound.
Zhang Yuanlin nodded and explained:
“My parents left home when I was very young, and to this day I don’t know where they are. I was raised by my grandparents. I asked my grandparents about them back then, but they absolutely refused to say.”
“But I remember in earlier years they would still send letters and money, though everything was delivered to the neighborhood committee. Later, the letters stopped, and eventually the money did too.”
“Then later, my grandparents passed away one after the other, and I was left all alone. Fortunately, I had already started working by then, so supporting myself wasn’t a problem.”
In truth, Zhang Yuanlin could guess a bit—his parents were most likely involved in some important research that required strict confidentiality.
If Zhang Yuanlin were still a child, he would certainly want to reunite with his parents. But now he was an adult, less dependent on them.
Moreover, Zhang Yuanlin’s memories of his parents were faint, all inherited from the original owner. If they had lived together all along, that would be one thing, but after being separated for so many years, his desire to see them wasn’t just weak—it was practically nonexistent.
The Qin family didn’t understand this and simply apologized, dropping the subject.
They purely wanted to learn about Zhang Yuanlin’s family background, not cast doubt on his ability to live independently.
Honestly, Zhang Yuanlin was the kind of person who could go out empty-handed and manage to eat, drink, and take things without spending a penny!
Someone as capable as him—how could he possibly have trouble making ends meet?
Soon, the topic shifted to the residents of the compound.
“Xiao Zhang, after what happened earlier, I get the feeling the people in this compound aren’t very refined?”
Qin’s father was the first to bring it up.
“Exactly! Let’s not even talk about the Jia Family—just mentioning them makes me angry. And the others aren’t much better. Clearly, the Jia Family started the insults, yet no one came to our defense.”
Qin’s mother chimed in agreement.
Hearing this, Zhang Yuanlin unconsciously straightened his posture.
As a seasoned player, Zhang Yuanlin always knew how to seize opportunities to carry out plans he had made from the start.
For instance, right now, he intended to use this chance to properly educate Qin Huairu.
After all, these were his neighbors; it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to openly criticize them.
But since you brought it up, I’ll break it down for you.
This isn’t about gossiping; like my future parents-in-law, I have Qin Huairu’s best interests at heart.
“While nobody’s perfect, some people in this compound are truly unpleasant. Let me highlight a few key ones.”
“First is Deaf Old Lady who lives with me in the backyard. She’s the eldest in seniority within our compound and has lived here for a long time. Logically, she should be the best at distinguishing right from wrong, yet she only sees clearly what she wants to manage and turns a deaf ear to matters she wishes to avoid.”
“Personally, I dislike such ambiguous behavior that relies entirely on personal preference without any absolute fairness. So we shouldn’t provoke her unnecessarily, but if we do encounter her, we must never easily compromise. Being the oldest, she cares most about face – that’s our leverage point.”
“Next are the Three Great Uncles, supposedly the managers of our compound. You’ll see for yourself later, Huairu, how capable they are at handling affairs. For now, I’ll briefly introduce them so you have some understanding.”
“In the central courtyard is First Elder Yi Zhonghai, a sixth-grade fitter who specializes in moral kidnapping. In the backyard is Second Uncle Liu Haizhong, a fifth-grade fitter but power-hungry, fond of suppressing people with authority. In the front courtyard is Third Uncle Yan Bugui, an old language teacher who’s stingy and calculating.”
“These three were originally elected to manage the compound, mediate neighbor disputes, and maintain harmony. But tell me, with such three uncles, can they handle matters properly?”
“Of course, I believe their initial intentions were good, but with their personal morals and characters, it’s hard for them to handle things fairly. That’s why I don’t like them either.”
“As I said before, we won’t start trouble, but we’re not afraid of it either. We don’t care about idle gossip, but if it affects personal reputation or interests, we definitely won’t tolerate it.”
“Finally, there are several peers around my age. I won’t say much about Jia Dongxu from the central courtyard. There’s also one called Shazhu, whose family includes his father He Daqing and sister He Yushui. They’re a chef family – not bad people, just a bit simple and honest, nothing to worry about too much.”
“In the backyard, there’s Xu Damao – this one you need to be careful of. He’s cunning and rotten to the core, and his parents are the same. My impression is that his family and the Jia Family are equally bad, just that one is openly wicked while the other is secretly so.”
Zhang Yuanlin explained all this mainly for Qin Huairu’s benefit, and secondarily for her parents-to-be.
He needed to let them understand what kind of environment their daughter would be living in.
Moreover, Zhang Yuanlin wasn’t afraid they’d worry, since he had already laid so much groundwork beforehand – they knew how to make their choice.
If it were anyone else, Qin’s father and mother would surely fear their daughter being bullied. But now their daughter would be living with Zhang Yuanlin – what was there to worry about?
“Oh my, seems like city folks aren’t that different from us country people after all. All the same scheming and plotting exists here too,” Qin’s father couldn’t help but sigh.
Zhang Yuanlin nodded in agreement: “Exactly. After all, it’s a mixed compound with nearly twenty households. There’s no chance for peace and quiet here, unlike those wealthy families with their own private courtyards – no matter how much they quarrel, it’s just internal conflict behind closed doors among family members.”
There was no need to hide this fact. What kind of family could afford their own private courtyard? Ordinary common folks couldn’t even dream of such places.
“That’s true, but this is still much better compared to our village. We have sixty to seventy households with over three hundred people there. Sometimes they quarrel over trivial benefits – now that’s what I call a headache.”
“But hearing Xiao Zhang explain things so thoroughly, I actually don’t think there’s anything to fear. Xiao Zhang is clever and capable – he’d surely handle anyone who comes. Didn’t that old lady and those Great Aunts/Uncles just get silenced by Xiao Zhang today?”
Qin’s father responded with complete ease, showing no worry at all, because with Zhang Yuanlin as his son-in-law, he was certain he could take good care of his daughter.
Then Qin’s father looked at Qin Huairu and earnestly advised her:
“Huairu, from now on it’ll be just you two living as a married couple. You must listen well to Xiao Zhang. When you’re uncertain about something, don’t make decisions lightly – discuss more with Xiao Zhang. No matter what happens, don’t panic. Just find Xiao Zhang and he’ll surely handle it properly.”
Qin’s mother also held Qin Huairu’s hand and spoke with profound sincerity:
“Huairu, your father and I don’t have great abilities, but we’ve always worked hard to give you a good life. Fortunately, you’ve been blessed to meet such an outstanding Xiao Zhang. When your parents aren’t by your side anymore, you must listen to Xiao Zhang. Don’t make decisions on your own. From now on, only Xiao Zhang can ensure you won’t suffer any grievances!”
Qin Huairu knew she would be separated from her parents, soon to marry and begin a new life. Biting her lip gently as she nodded, her eyes couldn’t help but redden slightly.