A Gentleman Repays Kindness

Make Jia Zhangshi apologize to Lin Zhen.

She had no choice but to apologize, so she forced herself to say the words.

But when it came to apologizing to Third Mistress, she refused to back down no matter what.

"Pah, pah, pah! What are all of you yelling for? What does it have to do with you? I won't apologize. Go on, arrest me!"

Third Mistress was dumbfounded. Why had Jia Zhangshi suddenly gone crazy?

Qin Huairu hurriedly led Bang Geng over to Third Mistress.

"Third Mistress, I've brought Bang Geng to apologize to you. I'm sorry. Please don't hold it against us, all right?"

As she spoke, she gave a deep bow.

Third Master Yan Bugui quickly chimed in, "All right, all right. The intention is what matters!"

Third Mistress came to her senses as well. After all, she wasn't Lin Zhen. Not everyone could subdue Jia Zhangshi.

Having a way to save face was good enough.

She quickly put on a smile. "All right, the clouds have cleared. Go back and sit down."

The Jia family's mess had finally been dealt with.

Silly Zhu immediately stood up.

"Three Elders, shouldn't we talk about Xu Damao slinging mud and falsely accusing people?"

Xu Damao curled his lip. "How many days has it been already? What old scores are you digging up, Silly Zhu? Jingru was even driven back home by you people!"

Qin Huairu said, "Silly Zhu, drop it. Isn't today chaotic enough already?"

Yi Zhonghai shot Silly Zhu a glare too. "Silly Zhu and Xu Damao can settle their matters privately. Don't waste everyone's time. Meeting adjourned!"

"Hey! That's it?"

This whole courtyard meeting had mainly been called to mediate the conflict between Lin Zhen's family and the Jia family.

Bang Geng accepted the loss of two broken fingers, Jia Zhangshi had apologized, and Lin Zhen had nodded and forgiven her. That settled the matter.

Even Third Mistress's matter had merely been a side issue.

Yi Zhonghai had no interest in getting involved in Silly Zhu and Xu Damao's old grudge.

He Yushui smiled. "Silly Brother, go back inside. Don't you and Xu Damao cause a scene every month? If we held a meeting over you two, we'd have to hold one every month!"

"Hey, you should be speaking up for your brother, you little brat."

"Hmph, I want to help you, but you never live up to expectations."

"All right, all right, stop talking. Let's go home!"

The meeting ended, and everyone returned to their own homes.

Jia Zhangshi went to the hospital, stewing in anger.

After Lin Zhen got home, Lou Xiao'e said happily, "We were so busy dealing with the Jia family that I forgot to tell you—I passed the exam!"

Lin Zhen said delightedly, "That's great news! We should celebrate tonight."

Lou Xiao'e said, "Should we invite Third Master and Third Mistress over too? We owe Third Mistress for warning us today. Otherwise, if Bang Geng's grandmother had really started tearing into me, I definitely would've come out worse."

Lin Zhen said, "There are six people in their family. If you invite this one but not that one, how would that look? If they all come, there'll be twelve of us, and the house won't even fit everyone. How about this? I'll bring them something."

"Give them that carp you pickled last time."

"All right, I'll listen to you."

The two-pound carp Lin Zhen had bought last time had been pickled and air-dried, meant to be stewed into soup during the New Year.

To thank Third Mistress for sending word, Lin Zhen carried it straight over to the Yan family.

Third Master Yan Bugui was tuning the radio. The moment he saw Lin Zhen walk in carrying a fish, he beamed.

"Oh, Little Lin, what's this?"

Lin Zhen smiled faintly. "Heh heh, I came to thank Third Mistress."

Third Mistress happily hurried out of the kitchen. "Oh, Little Lin, what are you talking about? We're all neighbors from the front courtyard. Come, sit down. Jie Di, pour some water for your Brother Lin."

"No need, Third Mistress. I originally wanted to invite all six of you over for dinner, but the four kids ran around outside all day and are clamoring to sleep. So I brought you the fish instead. Thanks to your warning, my wife would never have beaten Grandma Jia."

"Ah! That Jia Zhangshi really knows how to throw a tantrum. She scared Xiao'e and the other four so badly they didn't dare go home."

Yan Jiecheng said, "Hmph! After Lin Zhen showed off those punches this time, Jia Zhangshi will be scared stiff and never dare make a scene again!"

Lin Zhen laughed. "Ah, it was nothing worth mentioning. I was just messing around. Well, you carry on. I'm heading back."

"All right, all right. Take care on your way back."

After Lin Zhen left, Third Master Yan Bugui narrowed his eyes, shook his head, and said with a smile, "A gentleman repays kindness~"

Third Mistress looked at the large air-dried carp and smiled. "This fish is really fat, and it's dried well too. How about we save it for the New Year?"

Yan Bugui said, "Eh~ Let's eat it now. Simmer it over low heat. It's fine if we sleep a little later tonight."

Yan Jiecheng said, "Dad, it's dried this much. Doesn't it need to soak for most of the day first? You want to eat it today because you're afraid Yu Li will join the family by New Year and take an extra bite, aren't you?"

Third Mistress's face darkened. "What nonsense are you saying? Listen to your father!"

Yan Bugui pursed his lips. The fish really was very dry.

If they truly stewed it now, it would probably be midnight by the time they finished eating.

"Then, then, then we'll have pickled vegetables and cornbread tonight. Soak it tomorrow afternoon and eat it tomorrow night."

Lou Xiao'e specially made four dishes.

Pork and cabbage stew with glass noodles, scrambled eggs with scallions, cold lotus root slices, and boiled peanuts.

When it came to food, they never went without, but they didn't put four dishes on the table every day just to show off.

Today was to celebrate her passing the neighborhood office exam.

If Bang Geng's fingers hadn't been broken and Jia Zhangshi hadn't caused all that trouble,

the meal would have been even more lavish.

During dinner, Lou Xiao'e asked, "When I start work next year, what about the children? We can't really take them with me to the neighborhood office, can we?"

Lin Zhen said, "We definitely can't trouble Aunt Liu. Once the neighborhood office's official notice comes through, I'll apply to the steel mill and have the children attend the steel mill kindergarten."

The steel mill had a daycare specifically for employees.

But kindergartens in those days were more like childcare facilities.

So whether workers sent their children there was entirely voluntary.

And people back then didn't place much importance on preschool education.

As long as someone at home could watch the children, most chose to let them run around and play freely at home.

Bang Geng and Xiao Dang from the courtyard, as well as Lin Guo, Lin Jia, Lin Dong, and Lin Liang, were all the free-range sort who ran wild throughout the courtyard.

Lou Xiao'e nodded. "All right. Lin Guo and Lin Jia can start elementary school next autumn. It's mainly Lin Dong and Lin Liang—will it be easy to apply for them?"

"It's a worker benefit. We can apply anytime."

The four children didn't want to go to kindergarten. They only wanted to run around and play freely in the courtyard.

But they knew their mother's work was important.

So although they didn't want to go, they didn't make a fuss.

Three days later, the district approved Lou Xiao'e's application to work at the neighborhood office. She would officially take over on the eighth day of the first lunar month next year.

Lin Zhen submitted an application to the steel mill's logistics department.

After learning that both Lin Zhen and his wife would be working next year, the logistics department approved the application and even praised Lou Xiao'e's selfless spirit of working without pay.

Once Lou Xiao'e started work next year, the four children could enter kindergarten.

Children couldn't keep secrets. The four of them soon told Bang Geng that they were going to the steel mill kindergarten.

Bang Geng went home and told Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu's heart stirred. Why hadn't she thought of applying herself?

With her husband in that condition, her application would definitely be approved.

That evening, after Lin Zhen got off work, Qin Huairu came to his door with her big belly.

Seeing her, Lou Xiao'e hurriedly said, "You're about to give birth, so why are you running around? If you needed something, couldn't you have had Bang Geng come tell us?"

Qin Huairu smiled. "I wanted to ask about Lin Zhen applying to send the children to kindergarten."

Lin Zhen said, "It's very easy to apply. You just fill out a form."

Qin Huairu said, "I'm giving birth in a few days, so it's inconvenient for me to go to the factory. Help me apply, will you?"

Lin Zhen hesitated. "It's no trouble to fill out a form for you while I'm there, but you should talk to Jia Dongxu and Grandma Jia first. Don't come straight to me. I can't be bothered to argue with that mother and son again."