My Courtyard Shelter

Chapter 4: Returning Home

With the contract for the Siheyuan settled, Xu Dong had no reason to stay in Yanjing any longer, so he returned to Luyang that very day. “You’re back! How did work go?” Yang Lina walked over, took the suitcase from Xu Dong’s hands, and asked with concern. Xu Dong instinctively nodded, then reached out to put his arm around his wife’s shoulders: “It went pretty well, but I really missed you and the kids. I had plenty of time this trip, so I brought you all some gifts… Mom, I bought you a blouse, too. Try it on later to see if it fits.” Xu’s mother was pouring water for her youngest son. Upon hearing this, she immediately launched into a heartfelt lecture: “Why buy clothes? I haven’t even worn out the ones your sister bought me yet—it’s just a waste of money!” “Mom, summer’s just around the corner. How much could a blouse possibly cost? Just go ahead and wear it!” Xu Dong urged with a smile. Yang Lina chimed in, “That’s right, Mom. You help us take care of the kids—it’s only natural for Xu Dong to buy you clothes.” In reality, the relationship between Yang Lina and her mother-in-law wasn’t particularly harmonious, mainly because Xu’s mother had a very domineering personality and felt the need to control everything in the household. However, with so many children in the household, Yang Lina simply couldn’t manage everything on her own. She had no choice but to “cater to” her mother-in-law’s every whim; otherwise, if Mrs. Xu were to walk away, it would be their triplets who would suffer the most. Mrs. Xu didn’t say another word. She accepted the clothes with a smile, went back to her bedroom, and immediately put on the new outfit. Xu Dong then showered her with flattery, making Mrs. Xu exceptionally happy. As evening fell, it was time for the kids to get out of kindergarten, and Xu Dong volunteered to go pick up their two daughters from school in place of Xu Ma. Like many parents, Xu Dong waited eagerly at the kindergarten exit. Le Le, with her sharp eyes, spotted her dad right away. She immediately let go of her sister’s hand and ran toward Xu Dong. “Daddy, why are you here?” Xu Dong quickly dropped the cigarette he was holding on the ground, stomped it out with his shoe, and then stepped forward to pick up his little daughter in a big hug. “Oh my, Daddy’s back from his business trip. Did you miss Daddy, Le Le?” Xu Dong asked with a smile. “Of course I did—every single day…” “Smack…” Xu Dong planted a kiss on Le Le’s soft, smooth little cheek: “Daddy missed you, too.” “Daddy, did you bring Le Le a present?” Just then, Ke Ke came over, tugging at Xu Dong’s shirt and whining, “I want a present, too!” “Okay… okay… there are presents for everyone,” Xu Dong hurriedly agreed. After saying that, he set his younger daughter down and took the sisters’ little hands—one on each side. After walking for less than ten minutes, the three of them arrived home. Xu’s mother quickly pulled Ke Ke and her sister into her arms: “Hurry up and wash your hands. Are you hungry? Dinner will be ready soon—Grandma made your favorite spare ribs.” No sooner had she finished speaking than the sisters let out a cheer! Xu Dong looked at the table full of food in the living room, and his appetite was instantly whetted. He’d suffered so much in his previous life that, even though he’d been feasting on rich, sumptuous meals every day lately, he still couldn’t get enough. After dinner, Xu’s mom and Yang Lina were busy cleaning up. Xu Dong didn’t go over to help; instead, he opened the suitcase he’d brought back with him. “Ke Ke, Le Le, come take a look at the gifts I brought you.” As Xu Dong spoke, two adorable Barbie dolls appeared in his hands. “Wow, they’re so pretty! Daddy, I love you!” “Mwah! Daddy’s the best!” Yang Lina watched the two sisters fondly from the side and couldn’t help but laugh as she teased, “You two little suck-ups.” Over the next few days, since Xu Dong was “on vacation” at home, Xu’s mother took the opportunity to visit the old house, where Xu’s father and his eldest son’s family lived. Back when the brothers divided their family property, Xu Dong’s eldest brother, Xu Bin, took the family’s old house. Since Xu Dong married late and was the second son, he only received 50,000 yuan in compensation from his older brother. Given today’s real estate prices, Xu Dong had undoubtedly come out on the losing end of that deal back then—so much so that the two brothers had been in a “cold war” all these years and barely had any contact with one another. When Mrs. Xu arrived home, Mr. Xu was sawing wood in the small courtyard. The Xu family’s house was on the ground floor and came with a courtyard measuring less than five square meters. Before retiring, Mr. Xu had spent most of his life working at a furniture factory, and his skills hadn’t dulled with retirement. Now, he puts his experience to good use, earning a little extra income by setting up a stall to sell small pieces of furniture. “It’s not even the weekend—why are you back? Has something happened with Dongzi?” Mr. Xu asked anxiously. Mrs. Xu waved her hand. “Nothing’s wrong. Dongzi is back from a business trip and has a few days off, so I just took the opportunity to come back and visit. Have you had lunch yet?” “Our eldest son’s wife left some fried rice this morning, so we reheated it for lunch,” Mr. Xu replied, without stopping his work. “Fried rice again? Why didn’t you make a side dish? How much could a side dish possibly cost?” Mrs. Xu said angrily. Ever since she’d gone to her youngest son’s house to help take care of her grandson, her eldest son and his wife had become increasingly disrespectful. Before, it had just been snide remarks, but now they were openly showing their dissatisfaction through their actions. Mr. Xu said helplessly, “Don’t get upset. I don’t have much of an appetite anyway—it makes no difference to me whether it’s stir-fried vegetables or fried rice.” Mrs. Xu knew getting angry wouldn’t help. At the bottom of it all, her eldest son and his wife knew the elderly couple were secretly subsidizing Xu Dong’s family—and they were simply jealous. “Old Xu, I don’t want to put up with this anymore. Why don’t we just move in with Dongzi’s family? Ke Ke and the others are still young; we can barely make do with two rooms,” Mrs. Xu suddenly suggested. “Don’t be ridiculous,” Mr. Xu sighed. “Xu Dong is already under enough pressure; let’s not add to their burden.” Mrs. Xu retorted, “How are we a burden? We have our retirement pensions, and we can help them take care of the kids…” “We’ll all grow old someday. What if we get seriously ill? What would Dong and his wife do then?” “Um…” Mrs. Xu was at a loss for words; in the end, it all came down to money. Before 7:00 p. m. , Xu Bin and his family of three returned home one after another. Xu Bin worked as a shop floor supervisor at an electronics factory; his wife, Tan Aifang, was a stock clerk at a well-known supermarket chain; and their daughter, Xu Jingyi, was a senior at No. 28 High School. “Mom, you’re back?” Xu Bin was the last to come home. Seeing his mother busy in the kitchen, he walked over to say hello. “Mm-hmm,” Mrs. Xu replied through her nose, without even looking up. Xu Bin felt a bit rebuffed, but didn’t let it bother him. He turned and went to his daughter’s room—this was a critical time for her as she prepared for the college entrance exams, so he couldn’t let his guard down. Tan Aifang was peeling an apple for her daughter. When she saw her husband come in, she quickly pulled him aside and asked in a low voice, “Did Mom give you your retirement check for this month?” “No, why?” “Hmph…” Tan Aifang snapped, “Ever since Yang Lina had triplets, your mom hasn’t given our family a single penny. I bet she’s using it all to support your younger brother.” “Never mind,” Xu Bin said softly. “The third son’s family has so many kids—it’s a heavy burden. My mom is just…” “I think your mom just favors boys over girls—she only has eyes for her three precious grandsons. She’s way too biased!” Tan Aifang interrupted. Xu Bin quickly reminded her, “Keep your voice down. Our daughter is about to take the college entrance exam. Let’s talk about this after the exam—we don’t want to distract Jingyi from her studies.” Xu Bin had his reasons for saying this: his daughter had been raised entirely by her grandmother since childhood, so she’d always been very close to her.