Courtyard House: My Wife is Xu Huizhen

Page 124

He Yuzhu has been focusing his attention on practicing Chinese martial arts recently. He hadn't thought much about Chen Xueru's enthusiasm before, but now he realizes it has gone beyond the stage of ordinary good friends. Instead, he feels like she wants to pursue her own interests.

But Chen Xueru has a fiancé. He has met the man surnamed Hou twice, and to be honest, he is much better looking than He Yuzhu himself.

He Yuzhu hadn't thought much about it beforehand, after all, no woman would choose He Yuzhu, who looked so mature for his age, over the man surnamed Hou.

He Yuzhu said somewhat guiltily:

"Master, now that you mention it, I also feel that something is not quite right. Have I been getting too close to her?"

"You still know you two are close? I think that girl has ulterior motives. I don't know what's wrong with her to have taken a liking to you."

He Yuzhu chuckled.

"You still have the nerve to laugh? You need to keep your distance from that girl from now on. You can't do anything to betray Xu Huizhen."

"Don't worry, Master, I know what to do. The main problem is that I've been too focused on martial arts lately and haven't had time to think about anything else."

Jiang Zhensheng had seen He Yuzhu's hard work. Apart from managing the braised meat business, he devoted the rest of his time to martial arts training. Knowing that there was no problem between the two of them in private, he hadn't said much before.

This is also because he was about to leave, so before leaving, he warned He Yuzhu not to be fickle in his feelings. Jiang Zhensheng also decided that Xu Huizhen would be his apprentice's wife.

"It's good that you know. Go and call Huizhen over. Let's go to my house together."

After He Yuzhu agreed, he called Xu Huizhen and then followed his master into the alley.

He Yuzhu found it strange. He had always been rejected when he wanted to become their apprentice, so he didn't know why they were being asked to come to his house today.

They hadn't walked far when they came to a junction of alleyways, and He Yuzhu's expression suddenly became very strange.

After turning the corner, I saw a small tavern. Ordinary taverns are scattered all over Beijing; you could say they're everywhere.

But the sign for the tavern I saw today was actually for Daqianmen Tavern.

Isn't this He Yongqiang's little tavern?

Although He Yuzhu had been running a braised meat shop near Qianmen for some time, he instinctively didn't want to wander around the alleys and didn't want to have anything to do with the Qianmen Tavern.

I never expected that Jiang Zhensheng would bring me to the tavern today.

Just then, the tavern curtain was lifted, and an old man walked out.

"Master Jiang, is this your apprentice?"

His words carried the distinctive accent of old Beijingers, brimming with joy.

"Yes, we brought them here to familiarize them with the place."

Jiang Zhensheng then introduced He Yuzhu and Xu Huizhen to Old He.

The two also greeted each other.

Old He stared at Xu Huizhen for a while, then tentatively asked, "Young lady, I think I've seen you before. Are you surnamed Xu? Do you have a relative in Qidu?"

"Yes, my surname is Xu. My aunt married someone from Qidu."

"I was wondering why I thought I'd seen you before. Looks like we're relatives."

He Yuzhu felt even more puzzled. He never expected that Xu Huizhen and Old He would become related.

Now he's connected to the He family again, but for the rest of his life, Xu Huizhen will always be his wife, and she'll have nothing to do with He Yongqiang anymore.

He Yuzhu even planned to sabotage Xu Huizhi and He Yongqiang's marriage, letting He Yongqiang find any wife to go back to his hometown to farm, as he didn't want to become relatives with him.

After exchanging pleasantries, Old He left with the words, "Come visit my tavern often in the future," and then went out to run errands.

Jiang Zhensheng led the two of them to the courtyard next to the tavern and said, "This will be my place to stay."

After entering, he led the two on a tour. The front building had been converted into shops, and there was a sizable open space between the buildings and the moon gate.

After passing through the moon gate, there are three main rooms, three east and three west wing rooms, as well as side rooms, cellars, kitchens, dry toilets and other auxiliary buildings.

There are also two pomegranate trees in the yard, with lush branches and leaves, growing well.

The three entered the main room, and Xu Huizhen quickly poured them hot tea.

After drinking tea, Jiang Zhensheng said, "Isn't this house nice? I don't have anything to give you two, so I'll give this house to Huizhen as a wedding gift for you two in the future."

"Master!"

"Master?" Xu Huizhen's face turned red instantly. Although she had someone she liked before, no one had ever mentioned her marriage to He Yuzhu to him.

This is the first time someone has brought this matter up publicly.

Jiang Zhensheng laughed heartily and said, "Why wouldn't you want to?"

Although Xu Huizhen was filled with sweetness, she became even more shy and lowered her head, saying shyly, "Master, you're bullying me."

"I'll bully you this once today. Here's the house deed. Keep it safe. When you get married, this will be your dowry. I can't let you call me 'Master' for nothing. This is my dowry for you."

In the past, it was customary for relatives and friends to contribute to a woman's dowry when she got married. The more dowry a woman received, the more valued she was by her husband's family, and the less likely her husband's family would mistreat her.

That's why Jiang Zhensheng said that.

Xu Huizhen was extremely shy and declined twice, but Jiang Jiansheng insisted on stuffing the house deed into her hands, so she had no choice but to shamelessly accept it.

She murmured, not knowing what to say. She glanced up at He Yuzhu and saw him grinning at her. She was so embarrassed that she lowered her head and couldn't see her toes.

“Pillar, come with me.”

Jiang Zhensheng called He Yuzhu into the inner room and then asked, "Aren't you angry that Master is giving this house to Huizhen?"

"What are you saying, Master? Of course I'm not angry, but isn't this house a bit too expensive as a dowry?"

"Have you forgotten what your master did before?" Jiang Zhensheng asked with a smile.

He Yuzhu then remembered that his master not only frequently assassinated Japanese soldiers and traitors, but also took the opportunity to plunder their homes and collect countless supplies.

Although many of them have been donated, as mentioned before, there are still quite a few properties in Beijing and surrounding counties.

This ordinary two-courtyard house meant nothing to him.

Jiang Zhensheng said, "Leaving the house to Huizhen is also a form of security. If you do something to betray him in the future and can't marry her, this house will be a form of compensation for him. If you two can get married, then this house will also be your child's, understand?"

Chapter 102 Jia Dongxu is Qian Datong's wife

Jiang Zhensheng was afraid that He Yuzhu might have some ulterior motives, so he made things clear.

After a woman gets married, her dowry remains her private property, and her husband has no right to use it.

If a woman has children, she can leave her dowry to her own children. Children born to her husband and other women have no right to share in the woman's dowry; it can only be left to her own flesh and blood.

He Yuzhu certainly wasn't coveting this house; buying a house would be an easy thing for him.

However, he already owned a three-courtyard house on Yandaixie Street, as well as a house in a traditional courtyard house, which was already conspicuous enough.

Therefore, He Yuzhu did not plan to buy another house before 76.

“Master, I understand. Besides, Huizhen and I will definitely get married. I won’t be attracted to other women.”

Jiang Zhensheng nodded: "That's good, otherwise I wouldn't have let you off the hook."

"Although I can't give you a house, I've left you some things."

As Jiang Zhensheng spoke, he took out a box from the shadows, and inside was a stack of handwritten ancient books.

Then he handed the box to He Yuzhu: "This is the cultivation manual left by the patriarch. Since you have good talent, I'm entrusting it to you. Perhaps you can successfully form the elixir and go further in the future to explore the mysteries of Chinese martial arts."

Compared to a house, this is a priceless treasure.

He Yuzhu was very excited. Being given this gift meant that he had caught his master's eye and received the true inheritance.

"Thank you, Master."

"Alright, you two can go back now. Clean up the house in a couple of days, and it'll be yours from now on."

Jiang Zhensheng chased the two away and closed the courtyard gate.

He Yuzhu and Xu Huizhen knew that their master did not want to say goodbye at the last minute, so as not to show any signs of being a child at the time.

The two knelt down outside the courtyard, kowtowed three times to their master, and then retreated out of the alley.

Xu Huizhen kept her head down the whole way. When He Yuzhu tried to talk to her, she only responded with two "uh-huhs". When they got back to the shop, she quickly walked away and hid in her room.

This little girl is shy. It's not like we're getting married right now, what's there to be shy about?

Xu Huizhen was a little better in the evening, and they were able to have a few words together while eating and doing chores.

After closing up shop that evening, He Yuzhu said, "Huizhen, I'm thinking of handing this shop over to your brother to manage. What do you think?"

"Why do you say that?" Xu Huizhen asked quickly.

He Yuzhu asked, "Don't you think Chen Xueru is being too enthusiastic?"

"Yes, you noticed some of them too?" Xu Huizhen asked.

"Then why didn't you tell me before?" He Yuzhu retorted.

Xu Huizhen, being very clever, naturally noticed that something was wrong with Chen Xueru.

But she was too embarrassed to say anything more. After all, she always felt that she and He Yuzhu were partners and had no other relationship. So what right did she have to talk nonsense in front of He Yuzhu?

Although she secretly had someone she liked, they hadn't made a lifelong commitment. The young girl was too shy to talk about such things.

Why should I meddle in your business?

Although Xu Hui was angry, she shook her head and said nothing more.