Courtyard Houses: Starting with the principle of hard work paying off

Chapter 214 Accidentally Entering the Heavenly Family, Li Hongbing's Fate

Time passes.

After the turmoil at the public canteen subsided, life in the courtyard house returned to normal.

Lately, Li Hongbing could clearly sense that after their conversation that night, Yan Bugui's attitude towards him seemed to have become more enthusiastic and friendly.

this day.

Li Hongbing's day off happened to fall on a weekend.

Unfortunately, Chen Xueru had to go to work.

Like Li Hongbing, Chen Xueru's monthly days off are not fixed weekends; she also follows a rotating shift system.

After all, the silk shop, like their Fengzeyuan Restaurant, is basically open all year round except for the three days of the Lunar New Year.

As for the employees, other holidays are not canceled, but rather brought forward or postponed.

Weekends and holidays, when most people are off work, are precisely the busiest and most profitable days of the week for silk shops.

While everyone else is resting, there must always be some people who stay at their posts and serve the people in order to maintain the normal operation of society and the good life we ​​enjoy.

However, this wasn't entirely without its benefits for Li Hongbing and Chen Xueru.

After all, shifts can be changed, and the rest time is more flexible and relatively free, without having to ask for leave specifically.

After having breakfast at home, Li Hongbing pushed his bicycle out the door, intending to take Chen Xueru to work at the silk shop.

Just as Li Hongbing was waiting for Chen Xueru, Yan Bugui, who had just finished eating and came out of the house, was taken aback when he saw the fishing rod in Li Hongbing's hand.

Soon, Yan Bugui asked with delight, "Hongbing, are you off today? Planning to go fishing?"

Seeing Li Hongbing's posture, Yan Bugui had already figured out what was going on, and asked a question knowing the answer.

"Yep!"

Li Hongbing nodded.

Seeing that Li Hongbing had confirmed the matter, Yan Bugui couldn't help but say, "Let's go together. I'm going fishing today too, so we can keep each other company."

Going fishing every weekend has become a regular activity for Yan Bugui.

For Yan Bugui, fishing has become his main side job for generating income.

If Yan Bugui catches a big fish, he will find someone to sell it for money. If he catches a small one, nobody will want it, so he will bring it back to cook soup.

The method is naturally the simplest and most economical in terms of oil and ingredients. Regardless of whether it's fishy or not, it's still a meat dish.

Two years ago, in order to take advantage of the system's rewards for skill upgrades, Li Hongbing began to broaden his hobbies and unlock various skills, with fishing becoming one of them.

Occasionally, when I have a weekend off, I'll go fishing with Yan Bugui.

At first, Yan Bugui acted like a senior and wanted to teach Li Hongbing a thing or two.

result.

Yan Bugui was unaware that Li Hongbing possessed a system. With the system's cheat code enabled, Li Hongbing's fishing skill experience points skyrocketed. In terms of both experience and technique, he quickly surpassed Yan Bugui.

In this way, Yan Bugui turned around and wanted to learn a few tricks from Li Hongbing.

Otherwise, every time I see Li Hongbing catching fish with great success, while my own spot right next to him remains stagnant, I feel incredibly frustrated.

Li Hongbing had no interest in taking Yan Bugui as an apprentice, nor did he intend to teach him all his fishing skills. However, Yan Bugui secretly observed and learned from him, and actually managed to figure out some tricks of the trade.

Having tasted the sweetness of success, Yan Bugui was always eager to invite Li Hongbing to go fishing together whenever Li Hongbing had a weekend off.

Besides.

He could also hitch a ride on Li Hongbing's bicycle, saving himself a lot of walking.

"Uncle Yan, I have to take my wife to work now, so I can't go with you. Maybe next time!"

Although Yan Bugui had many minor flaws, they were not used against him or helped him succeed. Moreover, Yan Bugui had provided him with a lot of intelligence and information, so he could be considered to have made a contribution. Therefore, Li Hongbing did not dislike him.

The key is.

When I wasn't around, Aunt Yan and the others helped me a lot.

For example, the time Jia Zhangshi caused trouble, if Aunt Yan and the others hadn't helped stop them, Jia Zhangshi and Chen's mother would have started fighting.

Although it was Jia Zhangshi who provoked first and Chen's mother struck first, the final outcome was uncertain.

Even if Jia Zhangshi is the one who suffers the most in the end, it is not something that Li Hongbing, as her son-in-law, would want to see if Chen's mother were injured in the process.

Moreover.

Although Li Hongbing is not afraid of anyone in the compound, he does not intend to be a lone wolf. Naturally, he needs many allies in order to defend against and defeat the enemy first.

"It's alright. You can take your wife to work first and come back later, or I can come find you. Where are you planning to go fishing today?"

Faced with Li Hongbing's polite refusal, Yan Bugui did not show the slightest dissatisfaction. Instead, he said something with a smile and took the initiative to inquire about it.

"Uncle Yan, I have another appointment today. Let's make another appointment another time!"

Normally, Li Hongbing wouldn't keep this from Yan Bugui, but today was a different story, and he had no choice but to let Yan Bugui's hopes be dashed.

"You've made plans with someone? Oh, it's alright, it's alright. We're in the same hospital anyway, there will be plenty of opportunities, one or two more won't make a difference."

Yan Bugui was visibly taken aback, but he wasn't one to be tactless. He clearly saw that Li Hongbing didn't want to say more, so he didn't make a fool of himself by asking too many questions. Instead, he smiled and emphasized, "But Hongbing, you have to keep your word. Don't refuse me next time I come to you."

Upon hearing this, Li Hongbing replied, "If there's nothing else, then definitely."

Whether or not something happens is up to Li Hongbing to decide; Yan Bugui clearly doesn't understand the true meaning of "next time for sure."

Seeing Yan Bugui smile, Li Hongbing smiled too.

soon.

After tidying up, Chen Xueru came out of the house, and Li Hongbing left the yard with her.

After dropping Chen Xueru off at the silk shop on Qianmen Street, Li Hongbing left and found a spot to dig up some earthworms to use as fishing bait before heading to the moat.

By this time, the area had become quite lively, mostly with elderly residents, including some retired cadres and children.

Fortunately, there are plenty of fishing spots here, so there's no need to worry about arriving late and not being able to grab a spot. However, compared to later generations, the fishing equipment in this era is relatively simple, even rudimentary.

A bamboo pole, or a wooden stick, a fishhook made of wire or a sewing needle, or even sewing thread or braided thread torn from the mouth of a flour sack, plus a few earthworms as natural bait, is enough to while away a day fishing.

Of course.

There are also more advanced and refined ones.

The fishing rod in Li Hongbing's hand, although also made of bamboo, is quite different from the bamboo rods used by most people around him.

This fishing rod is made up of sections and can be extended or retracted, somewhat similar to the plug-in rods of later generations.

However, this was not something Li Hongbing researched and imitated by referring to bamboo poles from later generations; it was something that already existed in this era.

Making this old-fashioned fishing rod requires traditional craftsmanship, and the bamboo used must be carefully selected. Finally, it goes through many processes such as air drying, fire straightening, joint removal, polishing, and varnishing to make a rod that can be disassembled and assembled. Although it cannot be compared with the exquisite carbon fiber rods of later generations, its complexity and craftsmanship are not low.

Such fishing rods are naturally not cheap, but they are portable and durable, making them Li Hongbing's first choice.

Li Hongbing put down the folding wooden stool he had brought, fiddled with it for a while, and then cast the bait and hook, ready to make a good start while waiting for someone.

Before the fish could even take the bait, an elderly man in a Zhongshan suit came to the vicinity, searched around, and quickly locked onto Li Hongbing's figure.

Followed by.

The old man walked straight over, pointed at Li Hongbing, and seemingly seriously criticized him, "Well, you young comrade, we agreed to go fishing together, but you caught one before this old comrade even arrived."

"Uncle Xu, I arrived a bit early, and I couldn't resist starting to fish. You didn't say I had to wait for you to arrive before I could start, so I can't say I made a mistake, can I?"

Li Hongbing had already noticed the other party when he first appeared. When he saw the other party coming over and criticizing him, Li Hongbing just laughed.

"You little rascal, you're here so early. I almost thought you were late and made the mistake of being unpunctual."

"Hehe, I was dropping my wife off at work this morning, so I'm a little early. Please don't mind, Uncle Xu!"

"What's so strange about that? But it's rare to see someone like you. You've been married for several years, and on your rare days off, you still take your wife to work. Aren't you afraid of what people will say?"

"Those who love their wives prosper, have you heard this saying, Uncle Xu?"

"You little brat... time is precious, I'm not going to waste my breath on you. Fishing is the important thing. Let's get this straight, you're not allowed to use any of your secret baits today, or it'll be cheating!"

"Uncle Xu, don't worry, these earthworms I just dug up are live bait. I haven't done anything wrong. If you don't believe me, let's switch. You can give me yours."

"No trade. I finally found a good spot to dig this out. Don't even think about taking advantage of my bait..."

"..."

After a series of humorous exchanges interspersed with jokes, the elderly man in the Zhongshan suit had already set up his small stool, fiddled with his fishing rod, and soon joined Li Hongbing in fishing.

If you pay close attention, you can see that there are two young men on each side of the elderly man in the Zhongshan suit.

One was dressed in a Zhongshan suit, while the other was dressed in coarse cloth, looking like an ordinary citizen. Yet, they subtly protected the old man from the left and right.

The old man surnamed Xu was obviously not an ordinary person. Li Hongbing should have addressed him respectfully as "Old Xu" instead of the more common "Grandpa Xu".

However, out of consideration for keeping a low profile, and in accordance with the old man's request, Li Hongbing could only treat him as an ordinary old man, at most a retired cadre from a government agency.

The reason they were able to get to know each other was simply because Li Hongbing had cooked for them at their homes more than once.

Given Li Hongbing's current reputation and status in the culinary world, especially his actual culinary skills, anyone who would take the initiative to cook for him must be either very wealthy or very powerful.

The old man before us is not someone that can be simply described in those four words.

At first, Li Hongbing simply went to people's homes to cook for them, such as for family dinners or important banquets. He didn't listen or observe much when he visited; he just did his job diligently.

However, someone as young as Li Hongbing is already a leader in the culinary world of Beijing and even the whole country. He is at the top of the industry, even without the word "young," so it is easy for him to attract attention.

Moreover, as a meritorious figure, he naturally placed high hopes on the future of the country and the younger generation. From the initial questions and encouragement to the gradual deepening of understanding, he became interested in Li Hongbing.

The key is.

Li Hongbing's profound mastery of the Eight Pieces of Brocade left his opponent in awe.

Because he was wounded on the battlefield back then, some hidden dangers and ailments gradually appeared as he got older. However, it is not surprising that a high-ranking official like Xu Lao would naturally have top-notch imperial physicians to take care of him and a set of professional health preservation methods.

High-ranking figures like Mr. Xu actually practiced exercises like the Eight Pieces of Brocade and the Five Animal Frolics.

However, Xu Lao had a connection with a Taoist master in the past, so after his health deteriorated, he picked up the Eight Pieces of Brocade again.

By chance, Li Hongbing had more interactions with the other party.

For a distinguished figure like Mr. Xu, anyone who appears around him will naturally be subject to private investigation by a special department.

After getting to know him better, it was discovered that Li Hongbing not only had a legendary career, but was also a courageous, conscious, patriotic, and enthusiastic young man, which naturally made him even more appealing to Mr. Xu.

Cooking skills, calligraphy, Baduanjin exercises, chess... Old Xu didn't know how many young people could be as good as Li Hongbing. The more you got to know him, the more special he seemed.

Mr. Xu, who already loved fishing, became even more interested after discovering that Li Hongbing was also a fellow angler.

This isn't the first time something like this has happened.

Li Hongbing knew that a person like Old Xu was far superior to the high-ranking leader in the original drama.

They all seem to be people that ordinary people would have little access to, but there are also gaps in their social standing.

This was clearly Li Hongbing's destiny.

However, Li Hongbing did not intend to use this relationship or the other party's appreciation to do anything.

Doing so might be the most wrong and foolish choice.

Moreover, Li Hongbing knew in his heart that his real reliance and advantage were not the system, but rather the abilities he possessed.

Without the system, Li Hongbing might have lived a comfortable life in this era, but he would never have achieved what he has today, and he might not even have had the opportunity to meet Master Xu, let alone be appreciated and valued by him.

This relationship can be life-saving in critical moments, and that's no exaggeration.

But Li Hongbing did not want to use this relationship, and he never wanted to have the opportunity to use it in his life.

If this trump card is used, it means that we have reached a dead end, and Li Hongbing doesn't know what the scene will be like.

Some extraordinary methods, once kept in hand, often have greater value and significance.

(End of this chapter)