Zhang Zhugen leaned against the wall, his face ashen. Chen Yang's words had shattered the illusions in his heart and dragged him back to the bloody reality.
"It's not like that, she loves me."
"It's all fake, all fake."
Zhang Zhugen clutched his hair tightly, roaring like a cornered beast in a frenzy.
"Don't mind him, let him figure it out himself. Such a disappointment."
Uncle's husband was very angry. He had always felt that woman was not right, but Zhang Zhugen wouldn't listen. Even after being beaten like this, he still refused to believe it.
How could he, Old Stubborn Zhang, have such a stupid and stubborn son! Sudancn.com
"No one can help him with this. Let Brother Zhugen think it through himself."
In such matters, words from others were superfluous. Only by understanding it himself could he truly move on.
Uncle's husband sighed. Dealing with such a situation was indeed troublesome.
Little cousin had caught a turtle while plowing the field that morning. Aunt and Uncle's husband brought it over. Chen Yang chopped it up and prepared to stew it for soup.
Chen Yang's parents had wanted to keep Aunt and Uncle's husband for dinner, but the road to the countryside was too far. If they ate dinner there, it would be dark by the time they returned.
There were no streetlights on the road, and falling into a ditch would be dangerous. So, they didn't get to eat dinner together.
Zhang Zhugen didn't say anything, silently following his aunt and uncle's husband home. However, seeing his despair, Chen Yang thought it might not be a bad thing.
Being beaten like this could help him see Liu Ting's true colors, saving him from the years of lingering obsession and regret he experienced in his past life, only to be further harmed by this woman.
In the evening, when his brother-in-law and elder sister came home, Chen Yang told them about the courtyard he had bought at Xuanwu Lake.
"Mom, Dad, you and Sister and Brother-in-law go take a look tomorrow. We'll clean up the house, and you can move in whenever you want."
Buying a house was a significant and joyous event. His parents were shocked to hear that Chen Yang had bought a courtyard by Xuanwu Lake.
Even after working in the factory for most of their lives, they couldn't come up with such a large sum of money to buy a house at once.
He had already surprised the old couple by buying a pen and a watch, and now he had bought an entire house.
"Yang Yang, my brother-in-law and I..."
Chen Juan wanted to say that they had already spoken to the teachers in Li Zhengpeng's dormitory and were preparing to move in within the next two days.
But Chen Yang didn't let her finish. He knew firsthand how much his elder sister had suffered in that dilapidated dormitory in his past life.
"We're back this time for your wedding, Sister. In a few days, Xue'er and I will be going back. The house will just be empty if I keep it.
"You and Brother-in-law can live there and help me keep it clean. A house is more lively when people live in it. In a few years, even if you and Brother-in-law don't get a separate apartment, you'll have saved enough to buy your own place.
"And if I have the chance to come home, you can move out then."
Chen Yang knew that his sister and brother-in-law were proud. If he had directly bought them a house, they would have refused to live there. Telling them to help him look after the house would make them feel a little better.
"Normally, sisters take care of their brothers, but you're taking care of me for everything.
"You rushed to go to the countryside, you arranged the house for me, I..."
Chen Juan's eyes reddened. She wasn't stupid; she knew Chen Yang was considerate of her and Li Zhengpeng's pride.
With such a large courtyard, even if Chen Yang didn't live there, he could rent it out for income. It wouldn't remain empty.
"Sister, we're siblings, there's no need to say all this. If I hadn't gone to the countryside, I wouldn't have met Xue'er, and we wouldn't have these two adorable children.
"Now, with this courtyard I've bought, it might appreciate dozens or hundreds of times in the future. Sometimes, when you think I've lost out, I've actually gained much more."
Chen Yang smiled faintly. If it weren't for the need to find a place for his sister and brother-in-law, he wouldn't have thought of buying a house in Jinling. This courtyard would definitely be a huge profit for Chen Yang in the future.
"You're so good at talking, silly brother."
Chen Juan playfully pinched Chen Yang's big ear, just like when they were children. The elders said that large ears signified good fortune, so she would often pinch his ears.
She wanted to make his ears even bigger, so her brother would have the best of luck.
"Yang Yang, Brother-in-law thanks you. I don't know what good deeds I did in my past life to have a brother-in-law like you."
Li Zhengpeng said this with genuine sincerity. People often said that a wife's brother would give her husband a hard time.
But he was different. His brother-in-law had never made things difficult for him. He had given him a watch as a wedding gift, helped convince his parents, and now he was helping him and his wife solve their housing problem. Such a brother-in-law was hard to find, even with a lantern.
"Then it's settled. Tomorrow, your mother and I will go over and clean the place. You two can take a leave of absence and go together to see if there's anything you need to add.
"Burn some charcoal to get rid of the dampness in the house, and then move your things over. This way, you won't feel uncomfortable living under the same roof as us old folks."
Finally, his father, Chen Liming, made the decision that they would all take a day off tomorrow to clean the house.
"What about me, me? You're all taking leave from work to move, can I also take leave from school and go help with the move?"
Chen Yu's eyes lit up when she heard that the whole family was taking leave.
But as soon as she finished speaking, she felt a murderous aura. The girl glanced at the feather duster hanging on the wall.
She sheepishly stuck out her tongue and gave an awkward smile.
"If you don't let me take leave, then don't let me. What are you looking at the feather duster for? It's not like I have to move. I find it tiring anyway."
Chen Yang was amused by his lively little sister. Indeed, wherever this girl was, there was joy.
"That's good. You're already in your second year of high school, don't just think about playing. If you don't get into a good university, I'll break your legs.
"Your sister and you don't have as good an opportunity as this. With the resumption of the college entrance examination, you happen to be studying. This is the best opportunity to get into university, and then you can be assigned a good job. This is better than your father and me.
"Being a worker is glorious, but it's also the most tiring. So your father and I hope you won't be like us in the future. You're all grown up now, you need to think about your own future."
Qin Lifen earnestly lectured the little girl. In families with many children, parents usually doted on the youngest the most.
Chen Liming and Qin Lifen indeed put the most effort into Chen Yu, hoping she would have a better future.
"Alright, alright, Mom and Dad, I know. I'm studying hard every day, right? Getting into university will be a piece of cake."
Chen Yu said nonchalantly, angering Qin Lifen enough to get up and reach for the feather duster.
The next morning, the whole family went to the courtyard by Xuanwu Lake to clean.
Chen Juan and Li Zhengpeng's eyes were filled with unconcealable joy when they saw the grape trellis and the open spaces in the courtyard.
The two artistic youths were already envisioning planting some flowers in the open spaces. Next spring, this courtyard would be filled with the fragrance of flowers.