This was thergest courtyard in Yanguan Vige, with eight spacious rooms of 40 square meters each. Chen Men had built it brick by brick with Chen Degong, while Yan Xishan was responsible for earning money outside, and she took charge of building the house at home.


    Whenying the foundation, they had nned for a second floor, so the foundation was dug deep enough to support even three or four stories in the future.


    After taking a bath, Chen Men stumbled over something as she entered the house. With a tter, arge box of mahjong tiles spilled across the floor.


    Although they were still farmers, all the vigers''nd had been requisitioned, leaving them with plenty of free time. Many enjoyed ying mahjong, so every household had a set.


    But Chen Men never yed mahjong; these tiles belonged to Yan Xishan.


    Why keep the belongings of her worthless ex-husband? She decided to throw them out. Chen Men also needed to clear out the wardrobe, which contained several floral shirts and jeans, all belonging to Yan Xishan. She tossed them all away.


    She then went through the photo albums in the cab, cutting out Yan Xishan from any picture he appeared in, decisively splitting the photos in two.


    After spending half the evening busy with this task and returning from disposing of the garbage, she noticed a pair of bright eyes in the darkness, gleaming through the ss window like an agile cat. It was Yan Xiaowang, watching her.


    But as soon as he saw here in, the little fellow quicklyy down, pretending to be asleep and even making soft snoring sounds like a purring cat.


    The three childreny side by side on the kang bed, bathed in moonlight. The chubby one in the middle had the fairest skin, while Zhaodi''s eyshes were like tworge fans, still fluttering in her sleep.


    Chen Men turned on the light and was about to close her eyes when Yan Xiaowang suddenly said, "I saw you throw away the mahjong tiles earlier."


    "I don''t y mahjong, so why keep them? Do you want to y?" Chen Men asked in return.


    "Only good-for-nothing rascals y mahjong," the little boy shot back before quickly adding, "Snore, snore."


    This little one was not only stubborn but also proud.


    Early the next morning, at the house of Vige Secretary Yan Xiong, Sister-inw Mao arrived carrying arge box of mahjong tiles. She cheerfully showed them to Yan Xiong, saying, "Look at this, a perfectly good set of mahjong tiles thrown in the garbage heap. I picked them all up for us. Only missing a one of circles and a white dragon tile."


    Yan Xiong looked at them and paused: "These are ivory mahjong tiles. They belong to Yan Xishan and must have cost several hundred yuan. How did Men dare to throw away Xishan''s mahjong set? Could her new man in Xiping City have more influence than Xishan?"


    "It was too dark for me to see clearly, but he was quite tall and had two children with him," Sister-inw Mao said softly. "Xishan has so many connections in the city, I''ve heard many police officers are his sworn brothers. When a man divorces, it''s one thing if he wronged his wife, but if the wife brings another man to live in his house, I don''t think he''ll let it go easily."


    "Xishan''s current connections and background are formidable. He also has many thugs and henchmen under him. In my opinion, unless Men has found the chief of police, she won''t be able to live peacefully in that courtyard," Yan Xiong remarked.


    "The chief of police wouldn''t marry our Men, a divorcee. She''s lucky if any man wants her," Sister-inw Mao sighed. "Men''s going to have a tough time."


    Yan Xiong also sighed inadvertently, then took the mahjong set outside and ced it in a conspicuous spot on the garbage tform. He didn''t dare keep these tiles.


    Early in the morning, Chen Men boiled arge pot of water, intending to make Little Lang and Zhaodi take a bath.


    The two children had slept through the night and had made her new bedding smell.


    Little Lang was truly dirty. His feet looked like they hadn''t been washed in ages, with dirt caked so thickly on the soles that it couldn''t be scrubbed off. She had tother them with soap and let them soak for a while.


    The chubby little boy had a round belly. He sat in therge washbasin, letting Yan Xiaowang scrub him all over, sprawled out like a starfish, looking sly andfortable.


    Zhaodi was perhaps too enthusiastic towards the two boys, busying herself finding towels and toothbrushes for Xiaowang, and eagerly wanting to teach him how to wash his face and brush his teeth.


    But Yan Xiaowang didn''t appreciate her efforts. He set aside Zhaodi''s things and only used the toothpaste and soap his father had brought.


    He also refused Zhaodi''s help, waiting for the dirt on Little Lang''s skin to soften before scrubbing him himself. After scrubbing, he even knew to mix in some hot water and rinse Little Lang with clean water again.


    "Mama, Xiaowang brother doesn''t seem very happy," Zhaodi whispered, following close behind Chen Men.


    The two families had just been thrown together. Little Lang was carefree and oblivious.


    But Xiaowang was older, and his mother wasn''t dead. The child probably missed his own mother most of all. Being suddenly brought by his father to such a strange environment, how could he be happy?


    Zhaodi had once been like Yan Xiaowang is now, half-understanding, arriving in apletely new environment. Even without being scared, she was like a frightened bird, trembling alone.


    If you''re not nice to him, he''s afraid; if you''re nice to him, he''s still afraid. It''s better not to bother him and let him be himself.


    The stove at home hadn''t been cleaned, so they couldn''t cook. They had to go out to buy breakfast.


    Fried dough sticks, meat in tbread, and soy milk, along with half a bowl of tofu pudding, two tea eggs, and some pickled vegetables.


    Fortunately, prices were cheap now. This whole breakfast only cost about two yuan, enough to fill up one adult and three children.


    After getting breakfast, Chen Men specifically advised Zhaodi: "Since Xiaowang doesn''t want to talk to you, you shouldn''t bother him either. You''re not familiar enough yet. If people are too friendly with strangers, it can scare them. Okay?"


    Zhaodi bit her lip and said reluctantly, "Okay!"


    After running a few steps ahead, she turned back and said, "I like our new daddy because he doesn''te home at night."


    Liking someone because they don''te home at night, what kind of logic is that?


    The vige women were quite nosy. Some with curlers in their hair, others with cucumber slices on their faces, they all pretended to be visiting neighbors or sunbathing while actually standing at Chen Men''s door, curiously peering into the courtyard at the two little boys.


    The yard was full of vegetables. One boy was running wild through the vegetable patch, while the other sat on the steps, head down, fixing a broken tape recorder.


    Actually, it could have been repaired, but yesterday''s spilled milk had gummed up theponents, rendering itpletely useless.


    Xiaowang felt that this vige was somewhat familiar, but he couldn''t quite ce why. With so many women outside looking him up and down, he felt even more depressed and irritable. He picked up the tape recorder, went out, and threw it onto the garbage heap with a loud crash.


    The noise startled Third Sister-inw Huang. "Why is this child so fierce? He doesn''t have a pleasant face either."


    Someone chimed in, "I''m worried he might bully Zhaodi."


    "He wouldn''t dare! Zhaodi''s father is a celebrity in our entire Jindong District. Looking at how these two boys are dressed, their father is probably just an ordinary person," Third Sister-inw Huang sighed.


    Xiaowang let out a coldugh and strode back inside.


    Nonsense. His father could kill 30 enemies in a day on the battlefield. How could he be an ordinary person?


    "Third Sister-inw Huang, Second Sister Liu, out for a stroll?" Chen Men approached with the breakfast, smiling.


    "Men, you''re willing to spend money on takeout breakfast now?" Third Sister-inw Huang was particrly surprised. "Didn''t you always say that homemade breakfast was tastier and healthier than what you could buy outside?"


    She used to say that, and in her previous life, she had maintained the habit of cooking at home for many years.


    But what did it amount to in the end?


    The first time Lu Dabao learned to drink, he got drunk and hugged her, saying, "Mom, it''s a good thing your cooking is delicious. Otherwise, with those rough hands of yours, you wouldn''t be worthy of dad''s money now."


    She had poured her heart and soul into raising someone else''s child, only to be seen as nothing more than a rough-handed, thick-skinned old nanny in the child''s eyes. In this life, she would live her days as they came, but she wouldn''t give her true heart to anyone again.


    Watching Men enter her house, Third Sister-inw Huang sighed, "Men really has it tough. She probably doesn''t even know that Yan Xishan and Hu Xiaomei were fooling around before, and now they''re openly together."


    Comparing oneself to others can be infuriating. They used to be good friends, but as soon as Men left, Hu Xiaomei openly got together with Yan Xishan.


    Who would believe they hadn''t been involved earlier?


    Recently, Yan Xishan bought a Xiali car, and he drives Hu Xiaomei to and from work. She''s be the most morous figure in all of Yanguan Primary School.


    If Men found out, she''d be heartbroken.


    The freshly fried dough sticks were still crispy on the outside, and the golden egg showed through the mixed grain batter of the jianbing (Chinese crepe). Carrying the breakfast inside, Chen Men was followed by the freshly washed Little Lang, who had caught the scent of food.


    They ate in Chen Men''s room, which was a spacious 42 square meters and contained a dining table and small stools.


    The weather was hot, and too many vegetables had been nted in the courtyard. In just one night, the window outside was densely covered with moths and flies. As soon as the breakfast was set down, flies swarmed over.


    These living conditions were certainly not eptable and needed improvement.


    Screen windows had to be bought to keep out mosquitoes and flies. There were too many vegetable plots in the courtyard; someone needed to be found to dig them up, fill them with cement, and level it into a concrete yard.


    Now that air conditioning was avable, Chen Men thought about buying two units to bring back. With warmth in winter and coolness in summer, there would be no need for a stove anymore.


    A refrigerator was also necessary. After all, for three meals a day, how could one cook without a fridge?


    As the children wolfed down their breakfast, Chen Men made a long list for herself, full of essential household items that needed to be purchased.


    Little Wang seemed to really enjoy the meat-stuffed tbread, but he only tore off half and ate it very slowly, chewing particrly carefully.


    Although he was only in first grade, he knew quite a few characters because he had been running around outside all the time.


    Seeing the words "refrigerator" written on the paper, he snorted through his nose. Though he had been trying hard to remain aloof and not talk to this unfamiliar aunt, he couldn''t help but ask curiously, "Auntie, you''re not thinking of buying a refrigerator, are you?"


    "I am," said Chen Men.


    The little boy then threw out a question that caught herpletely off guard: "Can I use your refrigerator to store popsicles and then sell them outside?"


    Where did a six or seven-year-old child get such a good business sense from?


    The tape recorder was broken so he couldn''t sell cassettes anymore, so he wanted to switch to selling popsicles.


    Was this really the good-for-nothing his mother had described? Wasn''t he breaking character?


    "Sure," Chen Men said readily.


    The little fellow sniffled again, rubbed his hands, picked up the bowl he had eaten breakfast from, and went to wash it even more efficiently than his father: "Then let''s go buy a refrigerator today."


    In this early 1990s, an era that wouldter be remembered as a time of golden opportunities everywhere, Chen Men hadn''t yet nned how she would make money, but her stepson, who had only been in the house for a day, was already ambitious about earning money.


    He was different from Lu Dabao and Lv Erniu. He didn''t tter her on the surface, nor did he roll his eyes at her in secret, and he didn''t bully Zhaodi either.


    Instead, he was like Zhaodi from her previous life, single-mindedly wanting to make money and be independent, to break away from the family.


    Chen Men particrly admired this kind of ambition.


    "Finish that other half of the egg pancake first. You''ll need strength to carry the refrigerator. I''m afraid that by the time I buy the fridge, you''ll be too weak to lift it," Chen Men said, holding back herughter as she teased the little fellow.


    The young boy once again surprised Chen Men. He ran to the kitchen, carefully picked out a lump of red chili oil from a small bowl with chopsticks, and tucked it into his tbread. Only then did he sigh, taking a big bite.


    That bit of chili oil was fromst night''s "oil-sshed" noodles. He hadn''t been willing to eat it then, so he saved it for his tbread today?


    This kid really knew how to eat.


    One bite after another, it was all fuel for his ambition to leave home, establish himself, and strive for sess.