My happy life in a courtyard house with triplets.

Chapter 177: Knowing Your Boundaries and When to Advance and Retreat

Soon, a large table and a small table were set up at Zhang Lei's house, and everyone sat around to eat, creating a lively scene. The three brothers-in-law were all excited about moving to their new home, while the three Ye sisters were overjoyed that their husbands had come to the city and everyone could live together again. Looking at so many people and such a lively scene, Zhang Lei couldn't help but feel that his hard work over the past few days had not been in vain.

As they were eating, Zhang Lei noticed that everyone had almost finished, so he said, "Big brother, second brother, third brother, I'd like to discuss our future meals with you."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked up at him.

Zhang Lei continued, "Here's what I'm thinking: since we're family, why don't we eat together in this courtyard from now on? It's fully equipped with kitchen utensils, and Shuqin doesn't have much to do at home, so she can take charge of all our meals. My sisters-in-law can help when they come back, and Shuqi and Shuhua can lend a hand after get off work. This way, we won't have to cook separately, and I'll cover all the expenses."

Upon hearing Zhang Lei's suggestion, Ye Shuqin happily replied, "No problem, honey! I'm pretty free all day anyway, so I'll take care of all the cooking for the family from now on."

However, upon hearing Zhang Lei say this, the others suddenly fell silent, their expressions varying—some excited, others puzzled.

At this moment, Ye Jianjun stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "No."

Hearing his elder brother say this, everyone looked at him in confusion.

Ye Jianjun looked at Zhang Lei and said seriously, "Zhang Lei, we know you mean well, but your idea won't work. Although we're family, everyone has their own things to do, and this idea of ​​eating together is a bit unrealistic. Besides, not everyone can eat on time every day; we all have our own work and schedules. I know you mean well, but things can't be done the way you say."

Hearing his older brother say this, Zhang Lei asked with some doubt, "Brother, are you worried that I don't have enough money? I can assure you that my income is no less than all of your combined income."

At this moment, Zhao Chunyan, the second sister-in-law, also stepped forward and said, "Zhang Lei, what my eldest brother said is right. It's not about money. We are family, but there's a saying that even close brothers should keep clear accounts. Of course, I don't mean to say that we're not close, but these things shouldn't be lumped together. Our three families have already received a great deal of kindness from you. If we still need you to solve our meals, we can't stay in this courtyard."

Third sister-in-law Sun Qiuyue quickly stepped forward to echo, "Yes, yes, Zhang Lei, we understand your good intentions. But this is one thing at a time. We can ask you for help when we're in trouble, but we all have hands and feet; how can we let you support us forever?"

After listening to his second and third sisters-in-law, Zhang Lei fell silent. He thought about it and realized that his three brothers-in-law's families had principles and knew how to conduct themselves properly.

"Hmm, hmm, hmm." Zhang Lei looked at them and said with a smile, "Since that's what you think, I won't force you. But there's one thing: when we're together, if we encounter any difficulties, we should speak up and not keep things to ourselves. Also, we should all have a meal together at least once a month, either in the back building or out to eat. You won't object anymore, right?"

After listening to Zhang Lei's words, everyone thought about it and realized that getting together once a month wasn't a big deal, so they all nodded in agreement.

Zhang Lei now understands that the Ye family are all smart people who understand the principle of "a little kindness is appreciated, but too much kindness breeds resentment," and they are not so greedy. This put Zhang Lei at ease.

That was just a test from Zhang Lei. If they actually agreed, Zhang Lei would definitely reconsider and wouldn't let them take advantage of him again. After all, a greedy person is a bottomless pit; no matter what, they will never be satisfied and will resent you for even the slightest bit of stopping.

But doing things wisely with wise people makes me feel much more at ease.

Just as Zhang Lei finished his meal and everyone had left, he suddenly saw a figure moving around at the door.

Curious, Zhang Lei walked over and called out, "Who's there?"

At this moment, He Yushui, dressed in thin clothes and with red eyes, emerged from the shadows, her face still bearing traces of tears.

When Zhang Lei saw He Yushui's appearance, he was taken aback and a sense of doubt arose in his heart.

Zhang Lei immediately called out, "Rain, what's wrong with you?"

Upon seeing Zhang Lei, He Yushui immediately hugged him and burst into tears, crying, "Zhang Lei, please help me!"

Hearing this, Zhang Lei's heart tightened, and he asked in confusion, "Yushui, what's wrong? Quick, don't cry, tell me slowly."

He Yushui cried, "Brother Zhang Lei, my brother... my brother was beaten up!"

Zhang Lei frowned: "When did this happen?"

He Yushui choked up as she said, "The day before yesterday, just the day before yesterday, my brother was beaten up on his way home from get off work..."

Seeing He Yushui's hesitant expression, Zhang Lei felt even more uneasy. He said, "Don't rush, come home with me first, and we can talk slowly."

Soon, the two returned to the house. Ye Shuqin saw that He Yushui's eyes were red from crying, so she quickly got up to greet her, her face full of concern.

Ye Shuqin looked at He Yushui, then at Zhang Lei, and frowned, saying, "Honey, what's wrong? Did you make Yushui cry?"

Zhang Lei immediately felt wronged and quickly said, "How could that be? How could I make the rain cry?"

After saying that, he quickly recounted what had happened at the door, then looked at He Yushui and sensed that she clearly had something difficult to say. He pulled Ye Shuqin aside and whispered, "Shuqin, ask her what happened first, and then I'll think of a solution."

Zhang Lei sat to one side, while Ye Shuqin looked at He Yushui with concern, the two whispering to each other. Ye Shuqin's expression kept changing, sometimes surprised, sometimes furious.

After a long while, Ye Shuqin pulled Zhang Lei aside and said with a serious expression, "Husband, listen to me..."

Zhang Lei nodded: "Go ahead and tell me."

Ye Shuqin lowered her voice and said, word by word, "He Yuzhu... was beaten up by several masked men when he got off work the day before yesterday. They robbed him of all his belongings, and... they even beat up his genitals. He's still in the hospital now."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lei was immediately shocked: "What? The day before yesterday?"

A buzzing sound went through his mind, and he suddenly thought of someone—Xu Damao.

It must be Xu Damao's revenge!

However, he currently has no evidence.

Zhang Lei took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and walked up to He Yushui, saying in a low voice, "Yushui, I know everything about your brother. What do you want to do?"

He Yushui shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes again: "Brother Zhang Lei, I... I really don't know what to do..."

Zhang Lei looked at her, his heart sinking, and asked again, "How is your brother now? No response from Yi Zhonghai?"

He Yushui choked up as she said, "Um... an old man went to see my brother and gave him some money..."