Chapter 2 Neighbors

The reality of the dream was confirmed, and Yu Junsheng's mood became even heavier.

Even if he was incredibly bright, he was still just a young man in his early twenties. How could he not panic when he encountered something so bizarre and terrifying for the first time?

If everything in the dream is real, then the person Aunt Hao introduced will definitely not work out. But I can't just refuse outright, since I was the one who asked Aunt Hao for help. I should at least meet him, and then I can just make up some excuse that we're not a good match.

That's easy to handle. The problem now is that the more he thinks about it, the more he feels that the world he lives in is like a book, with Zheng Haiyang from the same courtyard as the protagonist, and himself as a supporting character who delivers food to the protagonist, whose purpose is to help the protagonist succeed.

Yu Junsheng had read some novels, and in those stories, the protagonist was often a tool to deliver equipment to the main character. So, if Jiang Baiqiu was gone, would there be a Li Baiqiu, a Zhang Baiqiu...?

Will I be destined to be cheated on no matter who I marry, and become someone's tool, someone who gives me a house, a job, and money?

Meanwhile, some people in the courtyard were eyeing his two rooms covetously, and it was clear that he couldn't possibly not get married...

He's not that old this year, so why is he in such a hurry to ask Aunt Hao to introduce him to a potential partner? Well, that's a long story.

Yu Junsheng thought of the various monsters and demons in the courtyard and couldn't help but sneer.

...

Their courtyard truly lived up to the saying, "A shallow pond breeds many turtles."

Don't be fooled by the fact that it's just a four-courtyard complex; the level of commotion it caused was comparable to that of the emperor's harem in the past.

With a population of about a hundred, each with their own thoughts, there were many mischiefs and disturbances. Every few days, there would be a commotion, and each courtyard had its own lively little dragon and phoenix.

Take the front yard for example. Although four or five families live there, the most troublesome ones are the Bao and Zhu families.

Let's start with the Bao family. The man, Bao Chunming, was a level-five blacksmith at a machinery factory, and his wife was a housewife. They had two daughters. However, the couple was desperate for a son, and when they couldn't conceive, they came up with a crooked plan: to find a husband for their eldest daughter so she could bear them a child, and a grandson could carry on the family line. Unfortunately, the son-in-law was sickly and died less than two years after the marriage, leaving the eldest daughter with a baby girl. The couple finally gave up hope.

After this experience, the couple deeply felt that live-in sons-in-law were utterly useless! So they stopped letting their youngest daughter find a husband, since outsiders were unreliable, and decided to find one themselves. And so, the couple picked up the task of having a son again, and I heard the commotion last night was quite significant.

If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad; after all, whether or not someone has a son is their own business, and the neighbors have no right to interfere. But Bao Chunming is a real scoundrel. This guy loves to beat women when he's drunk, and every time he does, Liu Xiaohong screams in pain. It's not that no one has spoken to Bao Chunming about it, but Liu Xiaohong always protects him, and if things get heated, she'll fight back. After this happened so many times, nobody wanted to get involved in their affairs anymore. This couple is truly a perfect match.

Bao's eldest daughter, Dayan, now works in the logistics warehouse of a machinery factory. She appears honest and quiet, but has been severely brainwashed by her parents. They favor sons over daughters and neglect their only daughter. The little girl is always dressed in dirty clothes and runs around to different houses without anyone caring about her, making her look like a little beggar.

The second daughter of the Bao family is still in school. She considers herself a scholar and is rather arrogant. She looks down on her older sister for serving her parents like an ox. She thinks the girl is selfish, shrewd, and has a lot of ulterior motives.

The other family in the front yard that was making quite a fuss was the Zhu family. The man in the Zhu family, Zhu Ziqiang, was a man from the countryside who had risen from humble beginnings to achieve success. He only managed to get a job and settle down in Beicheng by marrying the niece of the deputy factory director. After the marriage, the woman discovered that Zhu Ziqiang had already married in the countryside and had two children.

Zhu Ziqiang swore that his mother would take care of the child in the countryside and would never disturb the couple's lives again, and that he would pretend that the two of them never existed.

The deed was done, and she wasn't entirely without feelings for this man, so Fu Jiaojiao had no choice but to accept it and settle down to live a quiet life with Zhu Ziqiang. Unexpectedly, a relative of the Fu family suddenly fell from power, leaving Fu Jiaojiao without support. Her elderly mother-in-law from the countryside immediately brought her two young grandchildren to Zhu Ziqiang's aid, saying the children missed their father. Zhu Ziqiang had previously appeased Fu Jiaojiao because her relative had some influence at the factory; now that he had nothing to fear, he insisted on keeping his mother and children despite Fu Jiaojiao's objections.

Old Mrs. Zhu is no pushover; those two little brats have been taught to hate their stepmother, and the Zhu family is in chaos every day now.

Fu Jiaojiao's life couldn't be more frustrating. Now all she wants is to have her own child to compete with these two little brats.

There's also a young couple who've been married for years but haven't gotten pregnant yet. Perhaps influenced by the other two families, I heard they're trying to conceive now. In short, all these families in the front yard are eager to have children, and they're always in a rush to get into bed at night.

Oh, the courtyard manager, Uncle Zou Qianjin, and his family also live in the front yard. Don't let his name fool you; he's always the last to show up and is quite "lazy" when it comes to resolving the "disputes" in the courtyard. But Yu Junsheng can understand, after all, he's seen Uncle Zou's hair getting thinner and thinner...

Zou Qianjin and his wife Hao Jingui have two sons and a daughter. Their eldest son is serving in the army and has married and followed his wife to the army. Their second son works in the purchasing department of the supply and marketing cooperative. They also have a young daughter who is in high school. Zou Qianjin himself is a level eight worker in a machinery factory, so he is highly respected and trusted by everyone.

In the second courtyard, the Guo family was actually the best off. Grandpa Guo, whose real name was Guo Tieji, was the head of the academic affairs at the factory-run primary school. Known as "Iron Rooster," he was also the most notorious miser in the compound. No one could take advantage of him, not even his children. His son and daughter-in-law had to pay rent for everything they used in the house, making them the first in the compound to do so.

Grandpa Guo's wife, Grandma Cao, was a housewife who loved to gossip. She was always talking about everyone in the neighborhood, and there wasn't a single thing she didn't know. As the saying goes, two people can't sleep in the same bed, and Grandma Cao was shrewd and stingy, as evidenced by the fact that she didn't object to Grandpa Guo charging rent to his son and daughter. "Whether there are dates or not, we'll try our best"—that was Grandma Cao's life motto!

The couple has three children: their eldest son works in the office of a machinery factory, their youngest son works at the post office, and their youngest daughter is married. The family is living a really good life, but I don't know why they always pretend to be poor and are stingy.

Speaking of taking advantage, we can't help but mention another key figure in the Second Compound—Chang Dafeng, the biological mother of Zheng Haiyang, the male protagonist of the original novel. Known as the "unrivaled woman who fleeces the entire compound," she's a legendary figure who leaves a handful of grease on every pork stall she passes, and a rooster that walks past her house is covered in feathers. Apart from the Guo family, there are hardly any families in the entire compound that haven't been taken advantage of by her. She's also incredibly shameless and ruthless; if she's not satisfied, she'll sit on the ground and throw a tantrum—she's practically invincible.

In short, Chang Dafeng and Grandpa Guo are evenly matched.

Chang Dafeng was widowed early and raised her four children alone. Her eldest son, Zheng Haiyang, worked in the security department of a machinery factory, while her second, third, and youngest sons were all in school. The family had a heavy burden and many things to do, so Zheng Haiyang had always wanted to find someone to help him share the burden of supporting the family. However, those with jobs didn't want him, and he didn't want those without jobs. He was stuck in a rut, and the marriage was delayed.

Naturally, under the cumulative influence of these two families, Yu Junsheng was well aware that he wasn't exactly a good person either. He knew all too well what the old women in the compound were saying about him behind his back. Terms like "reckless," "eccentric," and "cunning" were all euphemisms. However, compared to the other two families, Yu Junsheng considered himself to be very "kind" and "generous."

Three courtyards

The most respectable family was the Ren family. Guan Ailian always talked about the word "respectability." Her husband, Ren Wenhua, considered himself a cultured man and was always showing off his literary skills. He looked down on many of the neighbors in the compound. Both of them valued face above all else.

The couple had three sons. Strangely, they treated the latter two sons like precious jewels, but treated their eldest son like a farmhand from the old society.

Leaving aside the fact that the third son was still in school, the second son, Ren Yongsheng, was sent by his family to work as an apprentice at a film projectionist's shop as soon as he graduated. After a few years, he became a master and was considered the most respectable person among the younger generation in the compound. Naturally, Ren Yongsheng did not have to hand over his salary; he spent it all on himself, and sometimes Ren Wenhua would even subsidize him if he was short of money.

The eldest son took on all the household chores when he was very young. His parents not only beat and scolded him, but also reportedly prevented him from going to school. When he finally grew up and found a job, he was "voluntarily" sent to the countryside. As a result, Ren Wenhua was promoted and started acting like a leader.

The things this couple did were truly despicable, and everyone secretly said that Guan Ailian and Ren Wenhua were all talk and no action.

The Qin family is the one in the Third Hospital with the most business.

The man in the Qin family was named Qin Weimin. He seemed like a kind old man, always willing to lend a hand to anyone in need, so he was well-liked in the neighborhood. His wife, Aunt Yan, didn't work; she stayed home to take care of the children, putting her husband above all else, and her mind was full of feudal remnants.

Qin Weimin has three sons and one daughter. His eldest son is just like him—simple on the outside but cunning on the inside. His wife, Jin Qiaoqiao, is also a shrewd woman who is always looking for ways to get something out of the old couple. The second son is a driver for the factory's transport team and is often away from home.

The third son, Qin Ziwen, was a propagandist at the machinery factory. He wore glasses and looked every bit the refined intellectual. And you know what? His appearance was quite deceptive; he had several girls in the neighborhood completely infatuated with him, enough to create a whole drama of love and hate. His daughter, Qin Miaomiao, was practically invisible in the family. After graduating from junior high, she stayed home helping with housework. Because of this, people secretly said behind her back that the Qin couple were heartless. They weren't poor, so why wouldn't they let their child continue her education? It had been several years since she graduated junior high, and they hadn't even bothered to find her a job, even a temporary one. It would be better than having her stay home doing chores every day.

However, this is ultimately their family matter, and outsiders really have no right to interfere.

The other family consisted of a mother and daughter, Bai Zhenzhu and Bai Xiaohui. Despite being only two people, they were quite capable. The mother, Bai Zhenzhu, was seen weeping in the wind, looking pitiful. Which grown man could bear to see her standing there? The men from the Qin and Ren families often helped her. Whether there was anything wrong with that was debatable, but it was true that Bai Zhenzhu had become the common enemy of the women in these two families.

The daughter, Bai Xiaohui, inherited her mother's talents. Here's the thing: Zheng Haicheng likes Bai Xiaohui, and Bai Xiaohui likes Qin Ziwen. However, she neither expresses her feelings nor rejects Zheng Haicheng's advances, having honed her skills in navigating relationships with men with ease.

Unfortunately, Zheng Haicheng's younger sister also likes Qin Ziwen and disapproves of Bai Xiaohui's infidelity. Therefore, she now also dislikes her second brother. Qin Miaomiao from the Qin family has also taken a liking to Zheng Haicheng. These two heartbroken women form an alliance, often gossiping about Bai Xiaohui behind her back.

Yu Junsheng could only sigh, what a complicated love triangle!

This is a courtyard filled with love, hate, and passion!

The other families in the backyard lived peacefully, except for the Jiang family, who were always causing trouble.

Old Man Jiang and Granny Zhong had only one son, Jin Miaomiao, who was in poor health and passed away, leaving behind a child named Jin Miaomiao. The old couple raised their daughter-in-law and grandson alone. The old couple were usually quite nice, but they kept a close eye on Jin Miaomiao. Whenever their grandson cried or made a fuss, the old couple would definitely come to their door to beat and scold him. Not only were children afraid to play with Jiang Jinbao, but even adults would avoid the child, fearing they would be extorted.

The families in this compound have many sons, which seems like a blessing and a prosperous life. But now that they've reached marriageable age, a problem has arisen: they have nowhere to live!

And so, they set their sights on him.

Yu Junsheng, a bachelor, lives in two spacious rooms. Doesn't that make people envious?

Someone came over to borrow the house, saying that he couldn't live in such a big place by himself.

Yu Junsheng naturally refused to lend the money, but he was afraid that some people would resort to underhanded tactics.

Although I'm a bit clever, I might get careless one day. After all, you can only be a thief for a thousand days, not a thief for a thousand days. Besides, at least I'm married now, and if I have children, there will be more family members around, so I won't be so conspicuous.

Who could have imagined that even after getting married in his dream, he still couldn't escape those schemes?

This blind date with Jiang Qiubai has to be ruined. The question is, what kind of woman should I look for so that she won't be seduced by that bastard Zheng Haiyang?

Yu Junsheng was unaware that someone else was even more concerned about his marriage than he was.

At that moment, a middle-aged woman and a young girl stepped into the No. 35 courtyard.