The courtyard wasn’t large, but it was big enough to push the breakfast cart into. That way, they wouldn’t have to pay to store it in a garage anymore.

Su Yun could hardly believe it. Just a short while ago, back in their village home, all they had was the small kang bed in the north room. And now they were living in such a big house!

She said excitedly, "Oh, we can set up a little stall by the gate to sell things! Lots of people like steamed buns, so we can make extra. After we do our morning route, anyone who wants more can come right to our gate to buy them!"

Seeing her mother so happy made Qin Jiao happy too.

But a moment later, Su Yun glanced at her husband, Qin Zhonghui, and her brow furrowed. "What if your third brother and his wife show up again?" she whispered.

Qin Jiao said, "We’ll just tell them the house belongs to our next-door neighbor. We can ask Grandpa Du to help scare them off if we need to."

If they were shameless enough to actually try and move in, it would be trespassing.

Unlike her father, Qin Zhonghui, Qin Jiao felt no attachment to her uncle’s family. She hadn’t forgotten how they always used to bully Xiao Shi. There was no way she would let them take advantage of this!

Qin Jiao said, "When the time comes, Mom, we can be the bad guys. We won’t let Dad get involved. They only act so outrageously because they know he’s too good-natured to stop them!"

Su Yun thought differently now, too. She nodded firmly. "If they go too far, I definitely won’t stand for it!"

Qin Zhonghui heard the decision his wife and daughter had made. He didn’t say anything, tacitly agreeing.

In truth, he knew he was too soft-hearted.

He was incredibly grateful that his wife and daughter were willing to take on that role for him.

This quiet, reserved man secretly resolved to be even better to his wife and daughter from now on.

Since they had moved, Qin Jiao had her mother tell her second maternal uncle the news and invite his family over for a meal.

Her uncle and aunt had helped them a great deal in getting settled so smoothly in the county town.

It wasn’t that they were playing favorites. Both were relatives, but one was always thinking of ways to help you, while the other was always thinking of ways to profit from you. When you compared the two, it was only natural to treat them differently.

To their surprise, the first person to visit was their oldest paternal uncle, Qin Bogang.

As it happened, Qin Bogang was riding his bicycle by and happened to see Su Yun standing at the gate, so he hopped off.

"Well, I’ll be. Sister-in-law, it really is you!" Qin Bogang glanced around, stunned. "You’re living here now?"

Su Yun nodded and recited the cover story they had prepared.

Qin Bogang remarked, "You must have run into a real benefactor, then."

Su Yun gave a slight smile. "You and your wife should come over and visit when you have time. But I should warn you, we still have to get up bright and early to sell steamed buns in the morning."

’Selling steamed buns, house-sitting, and taking care of the neighbor on top of it all,’ Qin Bogang thought. ’My second brother and his wife really have it tough.’

’So this big house is just a temporary place for them.’

He remarked with a sigh, "If you ask me, you never should have split from the family. It’s so much better when everyone lives together. Of course, I didn’t have a choice in the matter, what with your sister-in-law’s family and all..."

Su Yun just smiled faintly and said nothing. ’It’s not like Qin Bogang doesn’t know that the old man gave all the money to the third brother’s family,’ she thought.

’He’s just saying that now to take the moral high ground, using all that talk about ’a harmonious family prospers’ to lecture us.’

Hearing the voices, Qin Zhonghui came out from an inner room, wiping his hands. "Brother, what brings you here? I was just planning to invite you over for a meal in a few days."

"Sounds good. I’ll check and see when your sister-in-law is free," he said. "Zhonghui, how’s your hand?"

Qin Zhonghui’s hand was still wrapped in gauze, but it had actually healed completely, leaving only a faint scar.

He hadn’t forgotten the act he was putting on, so he just said, "I had to have surgery later on. It’s gotten a bit better."

Qin Bogang nodded. They exchanged a few more pleasantries before he left.

When he got home, he told his wife, Sun Li, all about his second brother’s family.