Chapter 279 There Are Times You Can't Refuse

"Take care, both of you. Come back often when you have time."

Wang Deming seemed to enthusiastically send Principal Zhang and Teacher Lu to the gate of the courtyard. When he saw them disappear around the corner of the alley, he curled his lips and turned back to the courtyard.

As soon as Wang Deming passed the hanging flower gate into the courtyard, he was blocked by Zhang Shouchun and Jin Yuqing. Zhang Shouchun put his hands on his hips and said angrily: "Tell me, where are they from? How do they know Xiaoru?"

Although Jin Yuqing didn't say anything, her big, inquiring eyes showed the same question?

Although Zhang Shouchun's words were very subtle, Wang Deming knew that what she was actually asking was: Why did Principal Zhang and Teacher Lu treat Qin Huairu as his only wife when they were chatting?

When they first started chatting, they didn't keep their voices down, and everyone in the courtyard could hear them. Principal Zhang even joked why Wang Deming didn't want to have children yet?
What a happy trouble! Wang Deming glanced at Qin Huairu who was still washing clothes with Zhang Ma by the sink. She looked like nothing had happened, but her movements were obviously gentler and slower.

Looking back at Zhang Shouchun, who looked like an angry kitten, and Jin Yuqing, who was pretending to be pitiful, he shrugged and replied as if he didn't care: "They were teachers from the former No. 95 Middle School. They met Xiaoru in the East Cross Courtyard of No. Nanluoguxiang a long time ago and knew about the relationship between Xiaoru and me."

"What's so strange about this? They're not acquaintances who come to our house often. Don't they know that our relationship is normal? Do you want the relationship between the four of us to be known to the whole world?"

"Uh" Zhang Shouchun's aura disappeared visibly, and Jin Yuqing's expression changed from pitiful to graceful.

However, Zhang Shouchun still pretended to be strong on the outside but weak on the inside, and he retorted unconvincedly: "So what? Anyway, the four of us haven't obtained a marriage certificate, so the marriage law can't apply to us!"

"That's what I mean, but there's also a term called de facto marriage, which counts even if there's no marriage certificate. When the time comes," Wang Deming pointed at his nose and said dejectedly, "I'll just be sent to a labor camp."

"Ah!" Now not only Zhang Shouchun and Jin Yuqing, but even Qin Huairu, who had no time to wash clothes, hurried over and asked anxiously, "What should we do? Deming, you've always had a good brain, but you haven't thought of a solution?"

"Well, there are some." Wang Deming saw that the three of them had stood on the same front again in an instant, and secretly admired himself in his heart. He smiled and raised two fingers, "We can each get two certificates every year, a marriage certificate and a divorce certificate;"

"Asking means the relationship is broken, and asking again means it's reconciliation."

"As for why we are still living together? Hehe, didn't we divide the house among the three of you in advance? I am a live-in son-in-law!"

The three girls shyly punched Wang Deming one by one. Such a thick-skinned man was really shameless. His brother-in-law was still here, but he was still talking nonsense. They quickly dispersed and went back to their work.

My brother-in-law often looks so dull that his jaw almost drops to the ground. If it were in his previous life, he would definitely yell: Gangsters are not to be feared, what is to be feared is gangsters with culture.

"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law?" Wang Deming walked up to Chang Youguang and called out softly but there was no response. He waved his hand in front of him and called out again.

"Ah, ah, Deming, well, nothing else, I'll go back first."

"What's the hurry? Have another cup of tea."

Wang Deming forcibly kept his brother-in-law and invited him back to the west wing. He also called Jin Yuqing to change the tea set and tea leaves. While making tea again, he asked about his recent life.

The hardships of life are very obvious on Chang Youguang's face and body, with gray hair, deep forehead wrinkles, crow's feet at the corners of his eyes, hands that always seem to have nowhere to put and eyes that never look people in the eye.

He was wearing a grey coarse cloth work suit issued by the steel rolling mill. He was hunched over, and I don’t know if he was bent over by the pressure of life, or if he had never been able to get over the years of forced labor?
The young master Chang, who was once full of vigor, wore silk and satin, ate at time-honored Beijing restaurants, and always held his chin slightly raised, can no longer be seen.

"Deming, thanks to you." Chang Youguang held the teacup in both hands, took a deep breath of the tea fragrance, stared at the teacup, his body became more and more hunched, and he said words of gratitude: "Yourong, Baozhen and I all have formal jobs, and we don't have to worry about food and clothing at home." "Besides, you often send things over. In the hospital and among the workers, our family has the best living conditions."

"Well, no one in the hospital or the factory mentioned your background, right?"

"No."

"That's good."

The two drank tea in silence. Wang Deming felt uncomfortable with his brother-in-law's politeness. He wondered if it was because of his self-esteem that they were so distant from each other? Or was it because of his experience in labor reform that he always felt inferior to others?
Wang Deming asked a few more questions about the children, and Chang Youguang gradually relaxed a little, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised when he answered. He was very satisfied with the children's good grades and their daily help with housework and taking care of their youngest brother.

Finally, in his closing remarks inviting the children to come and play often, Wang Deming saw Chang Youguang off. He looked at his back which hunched again after he had only taken a few steps and shook his head slightly.

Wang Deming originally thought that the matter was over after Principal Zhang and Teacher Lu returned empty-handed last time. Unexpectedly, two weeks later on Sunday, July 7, the two came together again.

It was the west wing again, and Qin Huairu was serving tea again. The only difference was that there was a floor-standing fan in the room. A basin of water with thick ice cubes was placed in front of the fan, bringing a hint of coolness to the weather that was about to enter the dog days of summer.

After making tea, Principal Zhang stood up and closed the door, then looked out the window into the yard. Because of the weather, the yard was quiet, with only the pomegranate tree occasionally swaying its branches in the wind and the sound of cicadas.

"De Ming, you have a serious problem now!" After sitting back at the table, Principal Zhang said shockingly.

Wang Deming was calm and collected, his expression unchanged, he didn't say a word, and looked at him in confusion.

Since crossing over to this world, he has experienced a lot. Before the public-private partnership, he would have worried about being labeled a capitalist. But now? What problems could a working-class man like him have?
Teacher Lu sighed in agreement: "Deming, the last time Lao Zhang and I returned to school, we continued to talk to our school's outstanding graduates. When they talked about you,... Alas."

Wang Deming still didn't say anything and turned his gaze to Teacher Lu.

"Now they say you are corrupt, daring to openly break the law and have three wives!"

Wang Deming blinked and continued to remain silent, waiting to see what else they could say. If he hadn't considered everything, would he have let Zhang Shouchun's three daughters live together in Xiaojingchang? It wasn't like he didn't have other houses: No. 18 Qinlao Hutong with a garden across the courtyard, No. 11 Yongkang Hutong, and the three-courtyard house in Suzhou Hutong.

Of course, his rank was not high enough, so except for the three-courtyard house in Suzhou Hutong which was now rented by a Chinese medicine factory, the other two houses were occupied by Diana and Alexei.

"Lust is like a sword hanging over your head! De Ming, in your situation, at best you will be expelled from the League, and at worst you will be thrown into prison!" Principal Zhang was heartbroken.

"I'm not, I didn't, don't talk nonsense!" Wang Deming denied it three times impatiently, stood up and said to chase them away: "If you have nothing else, please go ahead, I have something to go out."

Principal Zhang smiled slightly and took out a stack of papers from his bag. The papers had clever patterns printed all around and a five-star red flag in the center, which looked very much like award certificates.

"Come, look at what this is?"

"I was doing underground work back then!"

(End of this chapter)