MAC’60s Chapter 85.2

Qian Juhua despised that family and had no respect for them at all. “Believe it or not, in the end, this will all just be brushed aside.”

Tian Dazhu had been longing for a son; how could he admit the child wasn’t his?

But that worked out well. Tian Dazhu could continue raising a son for others and wouldn’t come looking for his own daughter.

Even if he tried, it wouldn’t matter—the three children had all changed their surname and were now Qian family members. If Tian Dazhu tried anything, her maternal family could intervene and handle him!

As Qian Juhua predicted, by the end of the month, the Tian family incident had settled, and Tian Dazhu still hadn’t spoken.

Tian Erzhu had completely fallen out with his brother; the two sides no longer interacted.

Tian Dazhu’s mother pressured him to divorce, saying she wouldn’t acknowledge her son if Widow Yu wasn’t sent away.

Yet Tian Dazhu, who usually obeyed his mother, allowed her to throw a tantrum and still didn’t send Widow Yu and her child away.

However, Tian Dazhu did send Widow Yu’s mother away.

Grandma Xu was unsurprised when she heard the news: “That Widow Yu is cunning. She relied on Widow Yu to support her in old age and even switched children. But Tian Dazhu, no matter how soft-hearted, would acknowledge the son but has no obligation to acknowledge his wife’s former mother-in-law. After all that chaos, she can’t just take advantage.”

Tian Dazhu wasn’t stubborn, but what Widow Yu did was basically slapping him in the face—making him raise their “grandson” while also caring for her as a grandmother.

As if he’d agree to such nonsense!

Tian Dazhu drove Widow Yu’s mother away. Widow Yu wanted to intervene but couldn’t, fearing that if she acted too forcefully, Tian Dazhu would kick her out.

Thus, things eventually calmed down. Widow Yu wanted to make trouble but had no way to do it. Now everyone in the brigade saw clearly: she was bullying honest people, deceiving them, and trying to manipulate Tian Dazhu into supporting both her and her grandson.

It was only because Tian Dazhu kept things under control; otherwise, if it escalated, the Tian family elders would have had to teach Widow Yu a lesson.

With the Tian family dispute settled, Wang Ying and Xu Shuang hosted a dinner with three tables, while Wang Ying set up a separate table in the inner room for Qian Juhua and Cheng Shufen, seating them in privacy.

Cheng Shufen was extremely hesitant and tried to decline several times. She had made Wang Ying a pair of pillowcases with delicate embroidery of twin lotus flowers. Having given the gift, she had no intention of attending the dinner.

But Wang Ying insisted.

“It’s fine. Everyone coming are familiar faces; no one will gossip. Besides, you’ll be sitting in the inner room, so few people will see you. After all these years, you can’t avoid coming to my house just once, right?”

Cheng Shufen was moved to tears but ultimately came.

The meal was once again prepared by Xu Shuang: braised pork, clear-steamed fish, scallion-oil braised chicken, fragrant braised tofu, green pepper with preserved egg, and loofah soup…

The braised pork was glossy red, tender and soft, with fatty parts melting in the mouth and lean parts neither dry nor tough. The pure meaty aroma blended perfectly with the red sauce, making it perfect to mix with rice.

The clear-steamed fish was a milky white soup made solely from fresh fish, with tofu cubes added, fragrant and delicious, and the fish meat firm yet tender.

The scallion-oil braised chicken used tender chicken. Without blanching, the chicken was stir-fried in scallion oil and then braised red. The meat was tender, the scallion oil aromatic, and as soon as it was served, the children scrambled for it.

“Xu Shuang, your cooking keeps getting better!”

“Yes, how can the chicken be this delicious!”

“This fish is so tender. Where did you get it? So fresh!”

“The braised pork smells amazing…”

…

Everyone present were familiar neighbors, and the meal was enjoyed by both hosts and guests.

Xu Shuang had already completed the handover of his restaurant work, which was even faster since last year they had transferred a chef. Cooking didn’t require much handover, and as Xu Shuang was preparing to be transferred, a more experienced server was promoted to director. So Xu Shuang just handed over his responsibilities and was done.

After the hosting duties were complete, it was time to leave.

Since buying the job had cost a lot, the young couple didn’t plan to buy more furniture. They simply moved their existing furniture to the city.

As for other items: the sewing machine stayed with Grandma Xu, the small radio went with them, the large one stayed, and they rode the bicycle to the city.

It all took a day.

Grandma Xu went along to the city, checked out the couple’s new place, and sighed.

“Good thing I didn’t come along. What kind of living space are these two rooms?”

Chen Dong had arranged for his apprentice to stay in his courtyard because, among the surrounding large courtyards, his was the quietest. Although Ma Dalian’s family caused trouble in the front courtyard, the others were fine.

Nowadays, in such large courtyards, what neighbors you get is all about luck. Some courtyards were noisy every day, with constant conflicts coming and going.

This large courtyard had just two sections, with only five families living in it.

Chen Dong occupied three rooms in the back courtyard himself, while four families lived in the front. Xu Shuang’s two rooms happened to be at the junction between the front and back courtyards, a bit farther from the other three families, so they didn’t have to face each other directly.

Wang Ying was quite satisfied.

Though not large, the two rooms were enough—one for a bedroom, the other for storage and cooking.

The most important thing was that the two rooms had a small half-room attached outside.

With their belongings inside, the home still felt spacious.

Xu Shuang went back and forth twice to move everything, and Grandma Xu helped tidy up. Before it got dark, she insisted on Xu Shuang taking her back.

Chen Dong had worked all day and came running over excitedly when he returned at night to see his apprentice.

“How is it? I gave the walls a primer coat in advance. Looks decent, right?”

Wang Ying: “No wonder. From the outside, the house looked old, but inside it’s quite neat. Master, have you eaten?”

Chen Dong carried half a bottle of yellow wine and a net bag with lunch boxes: “I brought some. You two just got the stove set up today, probably not ready to cook yet. Let’s eat together. I’ll have a few sips with Xu Shuang.”

Chen Dong was satisfied. His apprentice had finally come to the city at last—he would have good meals from now on!

“Master Ma has already retired. Tomorrow, tidy up the house, and the day after, start work.”

Xu Shuang nodded. Wang Ying would also start work the day after tomorrow. So tomorrow, both could rest, and then each start their respective jobs.

Chen Dong drank more than half a bottle of yellow wine with his apprentice and, feeling dizzy, went back to sleep.

Wang Ying said to Xu Shuang, “We haven’t greeted the neighbors yet, have we?”

Xu Shuang: “I asked Master.”

He had been here enough times to know that, although the front courtyard was quieter, those three families each had their own schemes. When his master lived alone, it wasn’t a problem. But now with the two of them here, they’d have to deal with the neighbors.

“Master said, of these three families, one is the Ma family I encountered during my certification exam—they cause the most trouble, don’t bother with them. The other two, one is a teacher’s family, and the other is a large household.”

Wang Ying smiled: “What? Are you worried I’ll be bullied?”

He had asked about everything in such detail, even checking with Chen Dong in advance—so unlike Xu Shuang’s usual personality.

Xu Shuang: “After all, this isn’t our village. Life in the city is different.”

Wang Ying: “Life is life everywhere. We’ll just live our own way.”

Xu Shuang gave a quiet “hm.” After a long while, he gently reached for Wang Ying’s hand.

Well, a new home, a new bed—they had to test it, right?

…

The two were sweetly occupied, while the other three families were still awake, naturally talking about the newly moved-in young couple.

Ma Dalian tossed and turned in bed. Her family had a cramped living space, with more than ten people squeezed into two rooms. A few years ago, she had tried to cozy up to Chen Dong, only to be beaten down by her cousin, who even refused to teach her son afterward. Ma Dalian had calmed down quite a bit since then.

She knew Chen Dong was not to be trifled with. For the past two years, she didn’t dare to show off in front of him, not even glance at the back courtyard.

But last year, when a family in the courtyard moved to an apartment, she started thinking again.

Two rooms had become vacant, and her family was so cramped—shouldn’t they be given to her?

She felt justified. She had already planned to have her son and daughter-in-law occupy them!

After all, the rooms were empty, and her family was in such need—what harm was there?

But the work unit didn’t intervene. Instead, Chen Dong stepped in.

Without argument, Chen Dong installed a big lock on the main gate. Nobody could enter.

Yet Ma Dalian still coveted the rooms, planning to approach Master Ma before the New Year to negotiate with Chen Dong. She had been angry for years and felt she needed closure.

She realized she had been foolish, listening to her son and thinking she could grab Chen Dong’s rooms. But that didn’t work out.

How could a man be so petty, keeping her family from taking advantage?

Her thoughts were understandable, but before she could act, someone had already moved in.

Ma Dalian was furious, her chest aching, unable to sleep.

She felt Chen Dong was doing it deliberately!

He had three rooms, so why couldn’t his apprentice live in them?

Why use public housing for his apprentice?

Even renting wouldn’t do!

Why move into the exact room she had her eye on?

Her daughter-in-law slept beside her, but she couldn’t sleep either, complaining to her sister-in-law about the new couple.

“They didn’t even come say hello on the first day. No manners. Country folk are just country folk!”

Her sister-in-law: “Exactly. Last night, I smelled all that rich meat cooking and they didn’t even offer us any. Us youngsters, we got nothing. Just like their master—so stingy!”

“Tomorrow, when they come, we definitely won’t give them a good face!”

“Absolutely!”