Chapter Eight: I Can Handle It

“Qin Jie, what are you saying? I’m just worried that if I get too close to you, it might hold you back from finding a good family. You know my situation well enough,” He Yu said.

Qin Huairu smiled knowingly, a hint of meaning playing at the corner of her lips. “Ah, Zhuzhi, I understand your concerns. But I can handle this for you!” She paused deliberately, smiling silently, her eyes curved into crescent moons, fixed intently on He Yuzhu.

“How will you handle it?” He Yuzhu wondered to himself what scheme Qin Huairu was hiding.

“Well, I plan to introduce my cousin, Qin Jingru, to you as your future wife!” Qin Huairu said confidently.

The mention of Qin Jingru made He Yuzhu’s heart skip a beat. Everyone in the courtyard knew her as a delicate village beauty.

“Oh, that’s wonderful! Thank you so much, Qin Jie!” He Yuzhu feigned delight, but inwardly he was plotting another plan.

Qin Huairu had expected to have to convince He Yuzhu with some effort, but to her surprise, he agreed so readily. She felt both pleased and somewhat uneasy.

She pondered quietly: Could it be that in Zhuzhi’s eyes, I’m so undesirable? As long as it’s not marrying me, he’s happy with any other woman?

With a complex mix of emotions, Qin Huairu took leave and boarded the train straight for her rural hometown.

As soon as she arrived, her family’s eyes lit up like lanterns upon hearing that Qin Huairu was arranging a match for Qin Jingru in the city, with the young man earning over thirty yuan a month—they wished they could send Qin Jingru away immediately.

Qin Jingru herself was ecstatic. She had heard how wonderful city life was, and the prospect of marrying into the city felt like a blessing from the ancestors.

“Sis, the city is so clean, and the clothes are so pretty. When I marry there, I want to dress as fashionably as city girls,” Qin Jingru chirped excitedly, her eyes sparkling with endless hope for the future.

Qin Huairu smiled wryly at her sister’s words.

She thought to herself: What good fate? If fate were good, how would I have ended up a widow?

“Jingru, if you truly appreciate me, when you’re with Zhuzhi, you’ll help out my family, okay?” Qin Huairu said seriously, looking intently at Qin Jingru.

“Sis, what are you talking about? If I marry Zhuzhi, we’ll be family. There’s no ‘you’ or ‘me’ then. Don’t worry!” Qin Jingru assured her with a confident pat on her chest, already scheming how to win Zhuzhi’s favor.

…

Before returning to the city, Qin Huairu spent a dime to call He Yuzhu, informing him she would be bringing her cousin to the courtyard for them to meet.

At the end, Qin Huairu reminded He Yuzhu to tidy himself up well and not leave a bad impression.

He Yuzhu readily agreed on the phone, but in his heart, he didn’t take it seriously at all.

He never intended to marry Qin Jingru; in the original story, she was a vain woman.

Qin Huairu had tried to set them up, but Qin Jingru, seeing Xu Damou’s better prospects, had turned and entangled herself with him.

Such a woman was of no interest to He Yuzhu.

His agreement to meet Qin Jingru was actually part of another plan.

He intended to use Qin Jingru to set a trap for Xu Damou, to teach them a lesson about “cutting off one’s own nose to spite one’s face.”

The thought of the coming spectacle made He Yuzhu smile broadly.

After work, he didn’t rush to change clothes but headed straight to the Jia family’s home.

Qin Huairu frowned deeply upon seeing He Yuzhu’s worn outfit, muttering, “How many times have I told you to dress up properly? Why do you still look the same old way?”

He Yuzhu was about to offer a casual excuse when Qin Jingru beat him to it, smiling brightly.

“I think this is just fine! No need for fancy dress. Look at this outfit—it shows you’re a genuine, reliable person!” She winked at He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu turned to see a fresh, sweet-faced young woman standing there with a shy smile.

Qin Huairu caught his lingering gaze and felt a pang of jealousy. She teased, “What’s the matter? Never seen such a pretty girl like my sister before? Look at your eyes—they’re about to pop out.”

He Yuzhu smiled faintly, thinking: Qin Jingru is indeed beautiful, but compared to her, Qin Huairu’s mature charm is far more alluring.

However, truth be told, He Yuzhu wasn’t particularly interested in either Qin Jingru or Qin Huairu. He found both rather selfish, always thinking only of themselves.

“I just didn’t want you to wait too long, so I came straight here after work in my work clothes,” He Yuzhu explained.

Qin Jingru smiled shyly at this, her charm unmistakable.

Qin Huairu teased from the side, “Oh, I didn’t know Master He was such a smooth talker, so good at making girls happy.”

“No, no, I’m just honest—no flattery intended,” He Yuzhu said with mock seriousness. The two women laughed heartily, the atmosphere light and cheerful.

Since meeting He Yuzhu, Qin Jingru found him quite interesting.

Especially when he suggested taking her shopping at Wangfujing on Saturday, she was even more pleased with this match.

From then on, Qin Jingru often visited He Yuzhu’s house, chatting and helping him tidy up.

In fact, since moving into the courtyard, she spent more time at He Yuzhu’s place than at her sister Jia’s home.

Though Qin Huairu felt a bit uneasy, she thought: If Zhuzhi is going to marry someone else, it’s better it be my sister.

After all, her sister wouldn’t heartlessly watch their family starve. It was with this in mind that when Xu Damou asked her to keep an eye on her sister’s relationship with the man, she rolled her eyes in response.

One evening, a sudden, urgent knocking sounded at the courtyard door: “Bang, bang, bang…”

Qin Jingru was sitting in front of a mirror braiding her hair. Hearing the knock, she called out loudly, “Who is it? My sister isn’t home.”

“I’m not here for Qin Huairu; I’m here for you,” came a man’s voice from outside.