Xu Damao's Thirty-Six Stratagems in Siheyuan

Standing still may seem simple, but it is actually very difficult. Xu Damao felt this when he started practicing the next day. However, there is one advantage of standing still: there is no restriction on the venue.

The harder it is, the more you have to practice. Standing and exercising became a daily routine for Xu Damao.

Time passed quickly. In January, Xu Damao received a notice from the factory's Propaganda Department and went to the countryside three times to complete the scheduled screening tasks. It was already approaching New Year's Eve.

I spent New Year's Eve at my parents' home near Hepingli. One advantage of going to the countryside is that you can buy some mountain products to bring back home, such as mushrooms, date cakes, dried rabbits, wild boar meat, etc.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Xu Fugui took Xu Damao to the Lou family near Xizhimen.

This is a small Western-style building. It looks very grand, and there is a Pontiac General Motors sedan parked at the door.

Xu Damao finally met the gentle and lovely Lou Xiaoe.

Lou's mother Tan Yali liked the energetic Xu Damao very much and felt good about her first visit.

Xu Damao is now a university student with a degree in both literature and history. He has the mentality of marrying her if he can, and forgetting if he can't. With the help of the secrets of picking up girls in the later generations, Lou Xiao'e, who is pure-minded, a little silly, and romantic, was stunned. Although they only had an hour of contact, Xu Fugui left before dinner at Lou's house. This hour was enough for Lou Xiao'e to have thoughts, concerns, and expectations in her heart...

Lou Zhenhua's first wife and second wife left the country with their three sons and two daughters before liberation and went to the United States and Hong Kong respectively. Tan Yali was the third wife and had only one daughter, Lou Xiao'e, so Lou Zhenhua loved her and doted on her. Tan Yali was originally from a wealthy family, was proficient in the official cuisine of the Tan family, and was young and beautiful. This was the reason why Tan Yali could stay in Kyoto to accompany Lou Zhenhua.

After the Chinese New Year, Lou Xiao'e will be 18 years old, reaching the marriageable age. The most important thing is that Lou Zhenhua hopes that the marriage can make up for his identity defect as a national capitalist. After all, such a huge family business in the capital is not something that can be thrown away at will.

After the Xu family father and son left, Tan Yali asked her daughter Lou Xiao'e,

"Xiao'e, what do you think of Xu Damao? She is the only son of our nanny. She is now a projectionist in the publicity department of the steel mill. Mom thinks she looks good, has a good figure and speaks well."

"Well, he seems to know a lot. He said he was also a high school student, and he seemed to know much more than me, a high school student." Lou Xiao'e replied to her mother Tan Yali shyly, but in fact she really wanted to see Xu Damao again.

At the same time, Xu Fugui was discussing the important matter of marriage with his son on the way.

"Da Mao, the one who is close to the water gets the moon first. The Lou family is quite sincere in making friends with the workers' children. If it had been seven or eight years earlier, you wouldn't have thought of it. Hurry up and seize the opportunity. I think the Lou family has a good impression of you. Strike while the iron is hot and marry this young lady of the Lou family home."

"Dad, what's yours will eventually go away, and what's not yours is useless to force. I know my limits, and I'll make an appointment later. Just hold it. I won't go back to Hepingli this afternoon. I'll go to Mrs. Zhang and Master Zhang's house to pay New Year's greetings. Although they didn't say they would accept me as their apprentice, they did teach me after all."

"Well, okay, son, you should pay more attention to yourself. Keep the Lou family's affairs in mind."

"Okay, you and mom should take care of yourselves. You guys have been taking care of Xiaoling. I am your brother, but you have separated me from you, and you didn't even bother to give me some money to spend."

"You little brat, I'm glad I didn't ask you for money. Didn't you say you were officially employed this year? More than 95 a month is not enough. Who paid for your house in Courtyard ? It cost nearly million. Marry the eldest daughter of the Lou family, you'll have a lot of money. Really. Go."

Xu Fugui got on his bicycle and parted ways with Xu Damao.

Xu Damao went back to the courtyard and met Qin Huairu basking in the sun in the middle courtyard with a stick in her arms.

"Sister-in-law Jia, you are taking care of the child." Xu Damao leaned over and pretended to look at the stick in his arms.

"Huai Ru, why don't you go home to visit your parents during this important festival?" He took out a thousand yuan from his pocket and stuffed it into Bang Geng's little hand.

"Happy Chinese New Year, I'm giving your Banggeng a red envelope, don't think it's too little."

Qin Huairu was inexplicably afraid of Xu Damao since he touched her granary bag last time. She felt a little shy just by listening to him talking. After watching Xu Damao give her son a big red envelope, she looked at him with watery eyes and said, "Thank you, Damao. I'm going back to my hometown. I'm waiting for Dongxu to arrange a time."

"Okay, see you later. Find me when you have a chance."

Xu Damao pushed his bicycle back to the backyard, went home to pack up the gifts he had prepared long ago, rested for a while, and then went out with the gifts.

In the middle courtyard, Jia Zhang had already seen Xu Damao talking to Qin Huairu in the middle courtyard. When Qin Huairu came home with the child, she scolded her, "Qin Huairu, don't think you can be so proud just because you gave birth to a fat grandson for the Jia family. You are flirting with young guys in public. Xu Damao in the backyard is not a good guy. Stay away from him. If I see you flirting with other people for the Jia family in the courtyard again, I will skin you alive."

Qin Huairu really felt a little regretful. What kind of family was this? How did she get into such a family? However, she still explained,

"Mom, what are you talking about? How can you say that about your own daughter-in-law? Xu Damao just came over to look at Bang Geng. I guess he also wants to get married and have children."

Qin Huairu never told anyone about the 1,000 yuan red envelope given by Xu Damao.

"Humph, Xu Damao wouldn't dare to covet my Jia family's daughter-in-law, or he'll be in trouble."

Qin Huairu coaxed her son into the bedroom and stopped arguing. Arguing would do her no good. She thought about Xu Damao's words.

She wanted to go home to see her parents, but it was just a thought. She married into a courtyard house in 53, and only went back home once during the Spring Festival last year. This year: No one even mentioned it, and she certainly didn't dare to mention it. She wanted to marry into the city and originally came here to enjoy life, but she didn't expect to become a free nanny and a reproductive machine for the Jia family. Fortunately, she gave birth to a son, otherwise life would be even more difficult.

Qin Huairu coaxed the child and thought about it. But it was just a thought. She had no education and had never thought about what to do. She just hoped that her husband could treat her better. As for her mother-in-law, it was the only way. After all, she was the mother-in-law.

Xu Damao didn't think so much about it. As for giving Qin Huairu one thousand yuan, it was purely to lure her.

Carrying the gift, he went to Courtyard 88. He was familiar with the place now. When he saw Zhang Taihe's wife, he called her "Master's Wife" directly, and called Zhang Taihe "Master Zhang". Zhang Lingyun was familiar with Xu Damao, so he asked her to sit down and made tea for her. There was a little girl in Master Zhang's house today, and Xu Damao guessed that she should be Zhang Lingyun's sister.

"Second Brother, is this your sister? How old is she?"

"Yeah, my sister, 13 years old?"

"Ah? You three siblings? I'm so much behind you!" Xu Damao took out a ten thousand yuan bill from his pocket, "Little sister, this is the first time I see you, Damao will give you a Spring Festival red envelope, buy some candy for yourself."

Zhang Yanyun did not take Xu Damao's money, but just looked at Xu Damao with sharp eyes.

Ten thousand yuan is not a small amount. Zhang Lingyun took it and handed it to his sister, "Brother Damao gave it to you, so take it. Maybe Damao will be a frequent visitor to our house in the future. By the way, Damao, how is your standing practice going?"

"Brother, this standing posture looks simple, but it is actually quite difficult. However, I practice it every day. I think it won't be long before I can stand for half an hour. Please feel free to teach me when the time comes."

"Well, that's good. Practice martial arts to strengthen your body. You really need to pay more attention to safety when you go to the countryside so often. It seems that the outside world is not very peaceful now. Even in Kyoto, there are often robberies."

Xu Damao didn't sit there for long before he said goodbye and went back to Courtyard 95.

I'm not that familiar with the Zhang family yet, so just get the message across.