The door of the courtyard house has been welded dead

"Pillar~!"

"Thief Pillar!"

He Yuzhu, dejected and distraught, returned to the courtyard house. Just as he reached the middle courtyard, Yan Bugui called him back.

The old man became more calculating with age, and even with his gray hair, he was not someone to be trifled with. He Yuzhu, who originally did not want to talk to him, was eventually stopped by him.

"Silly Zhu, you child, can't you hear me calling you, old man?"

"I heard you, I need to use the restroom urgently, what's wrong? Please tell me quickly!"

He Yuzhu had always disliked Yan Bugui and had never given him a kind look, as he was someone who liked to take advantage of others.

"Tsk, I must have something to tell you. I noticed you weren't at work today. Come on, let's talk over here?"

Old Yan knew that Sha Zhu didn't like to be associated with him, but he had no choice but to get involved now. He dragged Da Zhu down to the corridor and looked around like a thief.

This furtive feeling made He Yuzhu even more disgusted; this nominal old man was never open and aboveboard in anything he did.

"Get to the point, I need to use the restroom urgently. If you're not going to say anything, I'm leaving!"

"Xu Damao, I've noticed quite a few changes lately. It seems to have something to do with you, doesn't it? I think he's been looking for you recently!"

Old Yan chuckled, his eyes narrowing, revealing his cunning nature once again, looking like he was about to scheme against someone.

This made Dazhuzi more vigilant. Yan Bugui was very purposeful in his actions; he was either trying to gain an advantage or on his way to doing so.

"What changes could he possibly make? Old habits die hard, and a leopard can't change its spots. At most, he might spit out a little of the conscience that was eaten by the dog!"

The description is very apt. Beneath his glamorous exterior, Xu Damao is still the same Xu Damao. In fact, after this turnaround, he is even more arrogant than before, flaunting his current sense of superiority everywhere.

"You can't say that. It's just that I saw him dressed like that the other day. He was all shiny and clean, and he had a leather bag tucked under his arm. He looked very stylish, and he seemed much more confident than before. He's only been out for a year, right?"

"It feels like he's become a completely different person. You can't hide this from your grandpa. Have you two been working together to do something behind everyone's back and made a lot of money?"

Yan Bugui grabbed He Yuzhu's hand and patted the back of it. His eyes were almost slits as he spoke, his voice getting softer and softer, the implication quite obvious.

"Old Liu hasn't been going to the chess stall lately, and we haven't seen him all day. I heard he's started working with some people tinkering with steel bars. Did you and Xu Damao get involved?"

He Yuzhu was rather slow to realize this. After thinking it over carefully, he realized that he hadn't seen Liu Haizhong much lately. So, where did Old Yan get this information from?
"Don't hide it from the old man. You've seen his situation. None of his children are home, so he has to rely on himself for his old age. If you have any ways to make money, you can't just shut your doors and do it yourselves, excluding the old man!"

"No, I'm telling you, sir, Liu Guangqi is still in the police force. Don't make things up without evidence!"

He Yuzhu looked around and, seeing that no one was listening, breathed a slight sigh of relief. He was an honest boy and dared not get involved in crimes like stealing chickens.

"That's not true. Would an old man like you talk nonsense? Your Aunt Liu has been quite smug lately. She's not that tight-lipped."

"Now that the educated youth are starting to return to the city one after another, many of them don't have a proper job. I heard that the restrictions on individual businesses have been lifted, and farmers selling eggs in the city are rarely arrested anymore. If you two team up to do a small business, your uncle still has some savings for his funeral, so he can invest a little bit!"

Yan Bugui pretended to know they were doing business together, his expression slightly angry. Xu Damao had made a fortune, and with his personality, he wanted the whole world to know. But He Yuzhu was keeping it a secret. Last year, as soon as Xu Damao was released, he started talking to Sha Zhu about something. A few days ago, Xu Damao even went to He Yuzhu to give him money. He was old, but he could still clearly hear the sound of counting banknotes.

In addition, the food at Old Liu's house has improved. They eat braised pork every few days, and even Old Liu's figure is gradually returning to its original shape. He is now carefree and plump. Old Yan wondered if these families had joined forces, except for the front yard.

"Xu Damao did make a fortune, but it has nothing to do with Uncle Liu. He went into business last year, traded some things in the south, and made some money, so he's showing off there. As for trading steel bars, that's not the same as trading eggs, so you'd better be careful!"

He Yuzhu pushed Yan Bugui's hand away; he didn't want to get involved in this kind of thing anymore, as he had other worries.

The movie was quite good, and what Xu Damao is doing now is quite lucrative.

The key point is that Da Mao wants to drag him into this mess, saying he'll help him make money, but behind his back he's urging him to quit his job and go into business, first to go south to broaden his horizons, learn about Hong Kong cuisine, and then, when the opportunity is right, open a restaurant in Beijing, using Hong Kong cuisine as its selling point.

Just kidding, no way. It's a perfectly respectable job in the kitchen of a state-owned restaurant. You could even say it's a legitimate business. They can even cater to weddings and funerals on Sundays. Even if they don't earn as much as Xu Damao, it's still a stable and secure job.

He resigned and went into business. Whether the restaurant could even be opened was another question. Could the food in Hong Kong be better than Tan Family Cuisine?
"You mean, Xu Damao really made money?"

Having gotten information out of him, Yan Bugui's eyes flashed with a shrewd light. He was even less likely to let He Yuzhu go. When it came to money, Old Yan became bolder.

"Good heavens, so you were just trying to trick me, sir! You've been using all your tricks on me!"

Da Zhuzi was both amused and exasperated. In the end, it turned out he was after Xu Damao. That made sense; that shrewish Mao was so eager to show off his wealth that it was no surprise he was tempted. If he didn't, he wouldn't be Yan Suanpan.

“I’m not trying to scheme against you. I’m just telling you, but don’t tell anyone. Liu Haizhong really is dealing in steel bars. He has connections and got the permits. You live in the Intermediate People’s Court and you didn’t even know? Can’t you smell what his family eats for lunch every day?”

After recalling for a moment, He Yuzhu couldn't help but frown. Liu Haizhong, who was quite old, was also acting strangely. It seemed that the Liu family's meals were starting to improve.

"Look, look, you also feel something's not right, right? The Liu family has a solid foundation, while your uncle's family has a weak one. If you really have a way to make money, don't keep it a secret!"

"Don't you know who Xu Damao is? You'd better watch out, or you'll lose your life savings!"

Zhu Zi felt his mind was in turmoil. Ten years had just passed, and the courtyard had finally returned to peace. Why were they all starting to get restless again?

"Whether or not to go in, we still need to find out the truth first. You should talk to that old man and tell him what Xu Damao is up to, and whether he still wants to involve you in the business."

Yan Bugui blinked his little female dog eyes and stared intently at He Yuzhu. Everyone in the courtyard had a way to make money, but the Yan family was left behind.

"He also wants to help me open a restaurant. Do you think it's feasible?"

Restaurants are so easy to open; you open today and have to close tomorrow, and people end up locked up inside.

Don't dwell on those unrelated things. Xu Damao's success is temporary. If you want to partner with him, go find him yourself. I can't interfere, and I won't stop you. Think it through carefully!

After saying that, Dazhuzi dodged and left Lao Yan behind. He didn't want to get involved in this unreliable idea, but Yan Bugui still wanted to join in.

"Open a restaurant?" (End of Chapter)