Chapter 245 First Arrival at the Siheyuan

After hearing this, Qin Huairu smiled and teased Jingru, "Hey! Jingru, how old are you? You miss a man already! Aren't you ashamed? Hehehe..." As she said this, she couldn't help laughing herself.

Qin Jingru didn't care and said, "Sister, I'm not much older, don't always treat me like a child. When my mother married my father, she was only two years older than me."

"Although we are not allowed to get married so early now, I can still do it after three or four years." She didn't care at all, thinking that girls have to get married sooner or later and there is nothing to be shy about. She matured very precociously.

When Qin Huairu heard her sister Qin Jingru mention it, she couldn't help but be surprised: "Hey! It's true, look, she's almost grown up. I can't treat her as a child, it will be inconvenient for my body in the future... If I really take her home..." She felt a little alert inexplicably.

When Qin Huairu thought about Jia Dongxu's character, she realized that this matter could not be acted so rashly.

To be honest, you can't treat Qin Jingru as a little girl. She is really an adult. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, people of her age were already married.

In the Qing Dynasty, the legal age for marriage was 16 for men and 14 for women, and both men and women could get married as long as they reached the age.

Sometimes ordinary people do not necessarily abide by the law, and it is common for people to get married before the legal age.

Late marriage for men and women only started during the Republic of China. During that period, the legal age for marriage was 18 for men and 16 for women.

It was not until 1950, after the founding of the People's Republic of China, that the Marriage Law raised the legal age of marriage to 20 for men and 18 for women.

Qin Huairu became worried when she thought that in the future, Qin Jingru would have such a beautiful girl living under the same roof with them, eating and living together, and that Jia Dongxu couldn't leave this bastard and the woman.

She was worried that as time went on, Jia Dongxu's grandson might lose control and fall in love with Qin Jingru.

She was even more afraid that Jia Dongxu would take advantage of her physical discomfort and something would happen between him and Qin Jingru, which would make her regret it too late.

When she thought about this now, she regretted bringing Qin Jingru into her home.

Qin Jingru didn't know about her sister Qin Huairu's complicated feelings. At this moment, she began to look forward to a better life in the future.

She yearned more for her sister who lived a well-fed and well-clothed, colorful life in the capital. She preferred the outside world to a life of toiling in the mountains all her life.

In today's society, if you want to escape rural life and move to the city, the only options are to join the army, work, or go out to school.

For most farmers, this is undoubtedly a very difficult thing, unless they marry into the city like Qin Huairu.

So the two sisters, each with their own thoughts, set out on their journey home.

Because the wind was favorable and Qin Huairu was preoccupied with something and pedaled her bike hard, they arrived at the Nanluoguxiang courtyard in just an hour and a half.

Qin Jingru was visiting Beijing for the first time, and everything she saw was new to her. She enthusiastically recounted what she saw and heard along the way, her voice full of excitement and curiosity.

The two sisters walked on the bustling streets, dazzled by the sight, and stopped from time to time to admire the various street snacks, shops and pedestrians.

In the alleys, the cries of hawkers could be heard one after another. There were people selling bean juice, noodles with soybean paste, shoe repair, pedicure, tooth extraction, barbering, pot mending, carpentry, and people carrying small items on their shoulders. Occasionally, there were people playing around, and if we add the country folk who came to the city for shopping, the scene could be described as prosperous.

This, together with the naughty children running around in the streets and ancient alleys of the capital and the adults' shouting, paints a heartwarming picture of the city.

The smoke and fragrance of cooking bring back people's fond memories of the past. The old-style courtyards on both sides of the street are covered with snow, and the red walls and black tiles look particularly majestic and solemn in winter.

Then I looked at the people walking back and forth under the street lights, wearing woolen hats, big cotton-padded jackets, and thick cotton-padded shoes and boots, walking hurriedly but warmly. The cold wind could not stop their enthusiasm for life.

Qin Jingru felt that everything in front of her was so fresh and different from what she saw in her village.

As soon as they returned to the courtyard, Qin Jingru was stunned. Compared with the dilapidated thatched house in their hometown, this quaint and elegant three-story courtyard was a world of difference.

Looking at the majestic building with blue bricks and grey tiles, carved window frames, beautiful and elegant environment, and the courtyard that was simply dazzling, she felt a little inferior for no reason and felt that she didn't even dare to step into the door.

Qin Huairu couldn't help laughing when she saw Qin Jingru's appearance at the moment. The original heroic spirit seemed to still echo in her ears, but now she has turned into this timid look, not daring to enter the door, which is really funny.

"Pfft!"

"What's wrong? Jingru, come with me into the yard!" "Ah! Oh! Okay!" Qin Jingru responded as if she had just woken up from a dream, and then followed Qin Huairu into the front yard.

Qin Huairu came to Liu Zhiye's house, knocked on the door and said, "Comrade Gan Ning, are you home?" Seeing no one responded, she thought Gan Ning must be in the east courtyard. She pushed Gan Ning's bicycle under the eaves and locked it.

Afterwards, Huairu brought Qin Jingru to the East Courtyard and handed the key to Gan Ning.

Gan Ning saw Qin Jingru and greeted her with a smile: "Hey! Huairu, who is this girl?"

Qin Huairu first thanked Gan Ning for her kindness, and then explained that Qin Jingru was her cousin and came specially to help her.

The third aunt looked at Qin Jingru with love in her eyes. She couldn't help but admire: "This girl is so pretty! How old are you this year? Have you been engaged?"

Qin Jingru smiled shyly and replied, "I'm fourteen years old and still unengaged." Then she quickly lowered her head.

The third aunt said regretfully: "It's a pity that he is still a little young, but he is about the same age as our Jiefang, so he will be quite suitable in a few years."

Qin Jingru had just arrived. Facing the people in front of her, she was a little nervous and could only bow her head and remain silent. She didn't know who these people were, nor did she know what to say. She just stood aside silently, observing the surrounding environment and atmosphere.

From time to time, she would steal a few glances at Gan Ning, who was smiling. Qin Jingru had never seen such a beautiful and elegant woman. She had always been quite confident about her appearance, but compared with Gan Ning, she felt a little ashamed.

After Qin Jingru came out of Liu's house, she couldn't help but admire: "Director Liu's wife is so beautiful, like a fairy." Then, she said enviously: "I wish I could look like her, marry such a high-ranking official, and live a happy life as an official's wife at home."

Qin Huairu turned around and glared at her when she heard that, thinking to herself, I think you are dreaming. Even I don’t dare to think like that.

"Jingru, don't worry, just help me with the things at home, and I will definitely find you a good family in the future."

"When the time comes, you can just wait to enjoy the good life!" She continued to paint a rosy picture for Qin Jingru.

"Oh, no problem! Don't worry, sister!" Qin Jingru said with confidence. She thought she was no worse than Qin Huairu. Qin Huairu could marry into a family in Beijing, and she believed that she could do the same.

When they got home, Qin Huairu hurried to Aunt Yi's house to pick up Xiaodang. The two sisters took a short rest and then started to prepare dinner.

Qin Jingru watched Xiaodang helping out on the side. While cooking, Qin Huairu said, "Jingru, we are too busy today. I will treat you to a good meal next time when I am free. Let's just make do with it today!"

Qin Jingru didn't care too much, thinking that good days were still to come, and she could eat good food anytime. Instead, she comforted Qin Huairu and said, "Sister, don't worry, just eat whatever is at home."

"That won't do. My sister finally came here, so I have to arrange a good meal for her."

When Jia Dongxu got home from get off work, he found Qin Jingru. His eyes lit up, looking at Qin Jingru in front of him, with her curvy figure, he couldn't help but sigh that this little girl has grown up.

Now she is tall and graceful, beautiful and charming, even more beautiful than Qin Huairu before.

He felt a sense of heat and uneasiness in his heart, and while Qin Huairu wasn't paying attention, he couldn't help but look at her a few more times.

Qin Jingru also noticed the strange look in her brother-in-law's eyes, and she couldn't help feeling confused. She felt that Jia Dongxu seemed a little strange, but she couldn't tell what was wrong.

Jia Dongxu was very happy about Qin Jingru's arrival. He scolded Qin Huairu in front of her: "What's wrong with you! Our sister finally came here, and you didn't even prepare a delicious meal to entertain her. How can we just eat this?"

While Jia Dongxu was complaining about Qin Huairu, he also shamelessly showed his goodwill to Qin Jingru: "Sister, how about this, I'll take you to taste various snacks some other day. There are so many kinds of snacks in Beijing, such as Baodufeng, Ludagun, Wandouhuang, Aiwowo, Luzhuhuoshao... and so on."

"I promise to make sure you enjoy the meal!"

Qin Jingru happily responded after hearing this: "Really? Thank you, brother-in-law, you are so kind to me!"

Jia Dongxu smiled proudly and said, "Hehe! Of course, you are my sister-in-law, so of course your brother-in-law will love you!"

Qin Huairu saw all this and immediately became alarmed and became wary of Jia Dongxu.

(End of this chapter)