The door of the courtyard house has been welded dead

In just one year.

Xu Damao seemed like a completely different person.

When he reappeared in Nanluoguxiang, he was wearing a suit and tie, and his hair was combed so slicked back that He Yuzhu almost didn't recognize him.

Although he lent the money to Xu Damao, he wasn't in a hurry to get it back and didn't urge him. But seeing Xu Damao transform from a nobody into such a successful man still surprised him.

With a small leather bag tucked under her arm, she waved it at He Yuzhu as he approached the gate, signaling him to come out with her.

"No, Xu Damao, looking at you like that, anyone who didn't know better would think you're some foreign relative who's come back to visit family."

He Yuzhu licked his lips, stood on tiptoe and tried to touch Xu Damao's hair. Hey, you know what, those neatly combed hair strands felt stiff to the touch, they weren't naturally formed.

"Wait, what are you touching? You've messed up my hair! This hair mousse is for setting, you know that?!"

"Forget it, I bet you don't know either. It's all the rage in the South. Look at this suit, it's from Goldlion, a big brand from Hong Kong. Do you know how much a set of these costs?"

He tapped the leather bag in his hand on Da Shazhu's chest. Now that he had money, this guy started to show off. It wasn't enough to show off to others; he had to show off to Da Shazhu to feel a sense of existence.

"This handbag I'm holding is worth a month's salary of yours!"

Xu Damao tapped his fingernail on the purse, and his voice changed completely, unlike when he was first released from prison last year.

He Yuzhu sensed the insult in Xu Damao's words, his expression changed, and he became somewhat displeased. He had just been quite interested in Xu Damao's flashy outfit, but he immediately pouted.

"I know you're a fool, you only use people when you need them, but now that you have some money, have you forgotten how you begged me here last year?"

Dazhuzi looked down on Xu Damao's current behavior. As for nice clothes, he wasn't without them. His leather jacket was still stored in the closet, and he had to polish it every year to maintain it, but he was too lazy to wear it usually.

Da Mao looked around and saw that Zhu Zi's face was indignant, but his expression was not as exaggerated as before. He grabbed He Yuzhu's hand and shook it.

"Thank you, thank you so much, my dear brother, for helping me, Xu Damao, turn my life around. I will remember you for the rest of my life. I will put your black and white photo in my room and offer incense to it every day!"

"Go to hell with you!"

At first, He Yuzhu was quite moved, but Xu Damao's stories became increasingly bizarre. When Dazhu clenched his fist, Xu Damao immediately grinned. The two middle-aged men in front of the courtyard gate acted like teenagers who never grew up.

"I've come to pay you back. Oh, there's a saying: 'If you borrow and repay, it's easy to borrow again!'"

"I, Xu Damao, am not an ungrateful wretch. When I was in my most difficult time, only you, Shazhu, helped me out. I will definitely remember this favor!"

"Look, I just got some cash flow, so I brought all the money with me. Come on, let's go inside and get the IOU!"

Now that he had money, Xu Damao stopped calling him "good brother" and started referring to him as "Silly Zhu" all the time. Even though he had come to repay the money, Da Zhu still felt a little uncomfortable.

"Sha Mao, what did I just hear, Sha Zhu~?"

"Zhu Zi, Zhu Zi, alright? Stop calling me Sha Mao. In the south, it's common to call self-employed people 'boss.' We're even now!"

Whether he's a real boss or a fake one, Xu Damao definitely looks different from last year. Just look at his posture when he walks—no, look at his shiny leather shoes.

He Yuzhu subconsciously glanced at his clothes. Having worked by the stove all day, both of them were middle-aged, but compared to him, Xu Damao seemed to be a few years younger.

"Come on, let's get the IOU. We may be familiar with each other, but it's all about cash on delivery, that's the rule."

"Who the hell do you think you are, lecturing me? You act like a grandson when you need money, but once you have a few bucks, you act all high and mighty!"

Even though the money was back, he should be happy, but Zhu Zi felt uneasy.

It wasn't that he didn't want to see Xu Damao get rich, nor that he didn't want to see Xu Damao walk the right path, but rather that he hadn't seen that kind of smug, petty person's face for over ten years, and had almost forgotten it.

Last year, he dressed like a poor, destitute person and begged for mercy. This year, how could such a person have become rich?
It would be better if the money had gone down the drain. Even if it hurt, at least I could, as someone with experience, teach Xu Damao a lesson. "Oh, this, this is Xu Damao?"

"Uncle, you look to be in good health. Come visit me sometime."

Xu Damao, who was walking in front, looked like a little star. After entering the courtyard, he was enjoying the surprised looks from the old neighbors. He was almost ready to wave and shout to everyone, "Comrades, get ready!"

Not only Yan Bugui was surprised, but even Liu Yin, who was carrying a kettle back from the central courtyard, was stunned when she saw Xu Damao's current appearance and attire.

This kind of ostentatious display was something even his son, Li Feng, had never shown. If it weren't for the donkey-like face on his neck, he would indeed resemble the overseas Chinese that Sha Zhu had mentioned.

"My God, am I seeing things? Is this... is this really Xu Damao?"

"Aunt Li, it's me. You're not seeing things, I'm Xu Damao. But these days, I'm a little more successful than He Yuzhu, that cook!"

"Bullshit! Can't you speak properly? If you can't, I'll teach you. I'm a level six chef at a state-owned restaurant, and I'm not as good as a self-employed guy who just got out of jail?"

He Yuzhu found this practice of praising one person while belittling another unacceptable. He thought it was one thing to brag about himself, but what kind of nonsense was it to put others down?

"Tsk, Pillar, you can't say that, but Xu Damao, your change is indeed quite significant!"

"I also have to thank your son. If it weren't for Director Li pointing me in the right direction, I wouldn't be where I am today. When you have time, I'll treat you and Director Li to a meal at Fengzeyuan Restaurant. Oh, and I'll specifically ask Zhu Zi to cook!"

"As for Zhuzi, don't look down on self-employed individuals. These days in the south, even a secure job isn't desirable. Some factories can't even pay wages, and even if they can, it's only a few dozen yuan a month."

The boastful Xu Damao adjusted his hair, which was held in place by hairspray, and appeared unusually obedient in front of Liu Yin. The things he said were completely different from what Sha Zhu said.

He Yuzhu, who was following behind, was furious when he heard Xu Damao say such things. How could he be so insulting?
"Xu Damao, you've gotten to where you are today, shouldn't you treat me to a meal first? You've made a few stinking bucks, but I think you really don't know your own worth?"

Grabbing Xu Damao by the shoulder, He Yuzhu dragged him into the He family's house. He pulled out the IOU that Xu Damao had written last year from a box under the bed and handed it to him with a cold face.

In any case, this is the only time I'll repay Xu Damao for those two eggs. As for the future, don't even mention borrowing money from him; even if he begs me for money, I won't pay him any attention.

"Hey, three hundred yuan, here, I won't lend it to you for nothing, I'll charge you interest!"

Xu Damao seemed completely unconcerned about He Yuzhu's strong reaction. He took out a wad of banknotes from his bag, counted them, and slapped them on the table, adding an extra forty yuan.

"I don't want your stinking money, take it away!"

He returned the extra forty to Xu Damao. The details were clear: no interest was discussed at the time, and he didn't care about it anyway.

"Don't get so angry with me. I'm doing this for your own good. I'm showing you how I've changed. Being a self-employed person is hated by everyone, even dogs wouldn't do it, but if you do it well, you can really make money, just like me!"

"You're a chef, and your cooking is superb. You're quite skilled in the culinary world, but so what? How much do you earn a month? Fifty, sixty, at most less than a hundred. How much can you make in a year of hard work?"

"The world has changed, Zhu Zi. I've been to the south a few times, you know? Those 'iron rice bowls' there, anyone with a bit of guts isn't going to give them up. Just from the people I know, the ones who trade used equipment and videotapes from Hong Kong, guess how much they make in a year!"

After returning the money, Xu Damao didn't leave in a hurry. He poured himself some water from the cup on the table, crossed his legs, and looked very serious.

"You might not believe me, but it's twenty thousand!"

Dazhu, who originally wanted to kick Xu Damao out of business, was completely stunned when he heard the amount.

"The world has really changed, Zhu Zi. I'm really doing this for your own good. Why don't you go out and become a self-employed individual? Earning a fixed salary is boring."

"People can secretly sell melon seeds at the train station and earn ten or twenty yuan a day. There are also those who trade chicken feathers for sugar. There are all sorts of ways to make money."

"If you need money, come to me. I know a few people in this business. Earning only a few dozen yuan a month is, in my eyes, a real disgrace to your skills." (End of Chapter)