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

Chapter 226 Layout of the Courtyard House, Sha Zhu's Inner Demon (1 words)

"Shazhu, your master should have intervened by now, right? What did he say?"

Hearing Li Hongbing's words, Sha Zhu was somewhat dejected. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke, "My master... he didn't have any ideas either."

Li Hongbing was not surprised at all by this result.

In such a short time, Sha Zhu was able to understand the whole case, including Yi Zhonghai's true injuries. It must have been Dong Congyou who found someone to help him.

only.

In criminal cases involving injury resulting in disability, getting the perpetrator out is not so easy.

If Dong Congyou could find connections to save He Daqing in the current situation, it would certainly be through extraordinary connections, so Sha Zhu would have even less reason to ask him for help.

to be frank.

What Li Hongbing can help them with, they can do themselves; what they can't do, Li Hongbing can't help them with either.

"Hongbing, I'm sorry, this matter has put you in a difficult position."

Whether Li Hongbing said he couldn't help or simply didn't want to, Sha Zhu knew he had no right to force him.

Getting someone out of trouble is no small matter.

This time, He Daqing's troubles are truly quite serious.

Thinking about this, Sha Zhu couldn't help but regret and resentfully say, "If I had known it would turn out like this, I should have stopped my dad from being so impulsive, and things wouldn't have escalated to this point."

I really didn't expect Yi Zhonghai to be so cunning, even keeping his original hospital records and bills as evidence. He was clearly planning revenge.

This whole thing was over, but Yi Zhonghai had to bring trouble upon himself and ended up getting my dad into this mess..."

Hearing Sha Zhu's indignant voice, Li Hongbing remained silent.

That's a deep-seated hatred, and no one, let alone Yi Zhonghai, could let it go, even if it were anyone else.

Some things, once done, are already done, and regretting them now is obviously pointless.

What caught them off guard was that Yi Zhonghai's precious treasure was gone. If it were still there, He Daqing's current situation wouldn't be so difficult.

After thinking for a moment, Li Hongbing asked Shazhu, "Shazhu, do you still have the confession that your father made Yi Zhonghai write back then?"

"exist!"

Upon hearing Li Hongbing ask this, Sha Zhu paused for a moment, then seemed to realize something, and couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Hongbing, do you mean... that I should take this out to prove that my dad had a reason for attacking Yi Zhonghai, so that the police station might release my dad?"

"No."

Faced with Sha Zhu's guess, Li Hongbing shook his head and said, "Given your father's current situation, it's probably unrealistic to release him directly."

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu couldn't help but excitedly say, "That would at least lessen the charges, and a shorter sentence would be good!"

Realizing that Sha Zhu had misunderstood him, Li Hongbing had no choice but to remind him, "Sha Zhu, if you really want your dad to do this, you shouldn't take this thing out. It would be better to hide it, or even destroy it, and pretend that it never existed."

"why?"

Sha Zhu was stunned when he heard this, clearly unable to understand the operation.

"Even without Yi Zhonghai's confession, he can't deny what he did. Do you think the police wouldn't find out?"

Li Hongbing's gaze fell on Sha Zhu, and he said calmly, "Whether or not there is this confession, Yi Zhonghai has done every single thing."

However, if there is a record of your father forcing Yi Zhonghai to write this confession, then your father's actions against Yi Zhonghai were premeditated and deliberate.

If not, it could perhaps be explained as a momentary impulse, since Yi Zhonghai was in the wrong first, and even if your father's behavior was excessive, it was still understandable and forgivable...

Helping Sha Zhu get people out of trouble is absolutely impossible, but within a reasonable range, giving him some pointers is a simple matter.

Because of his appearance, the current "Silly Zhu" is naturally not the same "Silly Zhu" from the original drama. Although he still has some bad habits, he has not become Yi Zhonghai's lackey and henchman, nor has he had any conflict with Li Hongbing.

Even though Sha Zhu isn't exactly a good person now, he's stubborn. As long as someone is good to him and he considers them one of his own, he'll give unconditionally and do what's best for them.

This is one of the few good qualities of Sha Zhu, and it is also the main reason why Yi Zhonghai chose him as a candidate for retirement in the original drama.

Although Li Hongbing had no reason to ask Sha Zhu for help, having such a person in the courtyard was not a bad thing for him.

If anything happens, Li Hongbing doesn't have to do it himself; he can let Sha Zhu charge ahead.

That's exactly what Yi Zhonghai did in the original drama.

As the war god of the courtyard in the original drama, Yi Zhonghai can be used, and naturally Li Hongbing can be used as well.

However, compared to Yi Zhonghai, Li Hongbing didn't have as many dirty schemes and underhanded tactics.

"Thank you! Hongbing, I knew you would be of use. If you hadn't reminded me, I probably would never have thought of this in my life. As long as it can reduce my dad's suffering, I, Shazhu, will be grateful to you for the rest of my life!"

Sha Zhu clearly understood Li Hongbing's meaning. He was overjoyed and became extremely excited, expressing his gratitude to Li Hongbing with tears in his eyes.

"No need for that. Uncle He is of the same generation as my master, so he is my senior. I can help him if I can, but I can't guarantee whether it will be of any use."

Sha Zhu's words sounded a bit strange, but Li Hongbing didn't pay much attention to it and replied with a word that left room for maneuver.

In terms of intelligence, Sha Zhu is actually quite quick-witted, but he uses his intelligence more for crooked ideas. In addition, He Daqing's accident has thrown him into a panic, making it impossible for him to calm down and think things through.

One more thing.

It's the limitation of thinking and knowledge.

This era lacked the various legal provisions that later legal systems gradually developed, but it wasn't without laws to follow. It was just that under the existing policies and regulations, there was a greater emphasis on "reason and sentiment," and the handling of some cases was more humane, with more flexible outcomes.

Let alone Sha Zhu, even Yi Zhonghai, a shrewd old fox, probably wouldn't realize the importance of this step.

In his view, as long as He Daqing is implicated and his past crimes are confirmed, he will have achieved his goal.

Of course.

If Sha Zhu wants to make a fuss about this, it depends on whether the police have grasped this detail, or whether Dong Congyou can continue to use his connections.

Getting He Daqing out of prison might be unrealistic, but mitigating his circumstances and reducing his sentence by a few years might be achievable.

However, Yi Zhonghai isn't much better off. Besides what happened between him and Wang Guihua, there's more to the story. I wonder if that's enough to make him eat peanuts.

"No matter what, you, Li Hongbing, are my benefactor in this life. From now on, if you ever need anything, I, Li Hongbing, will go through fire and water for you without hesitation. I wouldn't be a man if I even flinched!"

Sha Zhu looked at Li Hongbing with an extremely solemn and serious expression, and made this vow without hesitation.

Including this time, plus the bowl of rice he and the Yushui siblings received back then, and Li Hongbing's act of finding Dong Congyou to expose Yi Zhonghai, this is already three great favors.

"Alright, we'll talk about this later. If I need your help, I certainly won't be polite. Right now, let's take care of your father's matter first!"

Li Hongbing readily accepted the offer, but did not dwell on the topic. Instead, he gave Sha Zhu a reminder.

The kindness of that bowl of rice back then actually had nothing to do with Li Hongbing. And the reason for exposing Yi Zhonghai's conspiracy was not to "save" Sha Zhu, but to target Yi Zhonghai and incidentally help the He family.

As for this time...

Although the responsibility for He Daqing's arrest did not lie with Li Hongbing, it was still caused by Li Hongbing's actions against Yi Zhonghai.

Li Hongbing doesn't feel burdened; he's not the kind of person who would suffer internally, nor would he impose other people's karma on himself.

Even if He Daqing and his son Shazhu knew that he was the one who reported Yi Zhonghai, Li Hongbing had a clear conscience and didn't feel he had done anything wrong to He Daqing and Shazhu.

After all, it is an indisputable fact that He Daqing physically assaulted and crippled Yi Zhonghai, and it was not Li Hongbing who exposed it, but rather it was implicated in Yi Zhonghai's "downfall".

Li Hongbing has no obligation to consider or take care of He Daqing and Sha Zhu, or what chain of consequences Yi Zhonghai's accident will have.

They would not choose to abandon the fight against Yi Zhonghai for the sake of him and his son, and would not leave such a potential threat to their family's safety in the courtyard.

If anyone is to blame, it's Yi Zhonghai for challenging Li Hongbing's bottom line, even if he was just joking at the time.

Li Hongbing offered a few words of advice to Sha Zhu, pointing them in the right direction. If he could reduce He Daqing's suffering, then as a neighbor and colleague, he would have done more than enough.

"Brother... Brother Hongbing!"

When Li Hongbing and Shazhu went out, He Yushui had already woken up. She was stunned when she saw Li Hongbing next to Shazhu.

However, upon discovering this situation, He Yushui did not avoid Li Hongbing, but instead asked anxiously, "Brother, where did you and Dad go last night?"

I waited inside until very late, but you didn't come back. Where's Dad?
Has he come back too?

Or...did something happen to him?

He Yushui, who seemed to have a premonition that He Daqing was in trouble, asked a series of questions, clearly filled with worry.

Because of He Daqing's previous escape and his past experience of being taken away for investigation, He Yushui is particularly sensitive to and even afraid of such matters.

Last night, one of Sha Zhu's senior classmates suddenly arrived, said a few words to Sha Zhu, and then Sha Zhu left in a hurry.

Once he left, he never came back.

He Yushui waited in her room until very late, and finally couldn't stay awake any longer, so she fell into a deep sleep. When she woke up, it was already now.

More importantly.

He Daqing also went missing last night, which made her worry as well.

After all, this situation is quite similar to the last time He Daqing was taken away for investigation.

Seeing Sha Zhu return, He Yushui was happy and relieved, but at the same time, she couldn't help but worry about He Daqing.

Although He Yushui had heard about Yi Zhonghai and Wang Guihua's affair yesterday, the people in the courtyard did not tell her about the police coming to investigate He Daqing.

He Yushui, who was only eight or nine years old back then, is now fifteen and in junior high school, but in everyone's eyes, she is still a child.

She's just a big kid at best; nobody treats her like an adult.

Even though He Daqing has been arrested, no matter what the final outcome is, the He family is not without members. At least there is still Sha Zhu, their son. But no one is so idle as to say these things in front of He Yushui.

not to mention.

Many people, fearing the risks when the police came to investigate and question them, secretly betrayed He Daqing and told him everything that had happened. Naturally, they wouldn't bring up the topic in front of the He family at this time, lest they get into trouble.

“Rain, don’t overthink it. Dad went out of town these past few days. He said he went to a big restaurant in another city for an exchange and learning experience… Yes, a big restaurant in Guangzhou. Last night, my master asked my senior brother to come and see me, just to tell me about this…”

Sha Zhu naturally didn't want He Yushui to know that He Daqing had been arrested, so he came up with a story on the spot.

however.

Upon hearing Sha Zhu's explanation, He Yushui's expression changed.

"Brother, you're lying!"

At this moment, He Yushui was looking at Shazhu angrily, and said in a tearful voice, "You and Dad didn't come back last night. I checked everything, and Dad's clothes and everything were still there, nothing was missing."

If he really went to a place as far away as Guangzhou, it's impossible that he wouldn't bring any clothes with him. Besides, exchange and learning assignments are usually announced in advance. If something like that really happened, Dad wouldn't have left us uninformed.

And even if what you said is true, Uncle Dong could have just sent someone to tell you. Why did you suddenly leave for so long, and not come back all night... Brother, tell me honestly, has something happened to Dad?"

What seemed like a perfect explanation to Sha Zhu sounded like a bunch of flaws to He Yushui.

Sha Zhu didn't expect that since neither he nor He Daqing had returned yesterday, He Yushui would be so idle as to check if He Daqing was missing any clothes.

"Rain, you...you don't cry, let me tell you slowly..."

Seeing He Yushui's tearful face, Sha Zhu panicked and immediately became at a loss for what to do.

He's terrible at charming girls.

Helpless, Sha Zhu could only look to Li Hongbing beside him and cast a pleading glance his way.

Seeing this, Li Hongbing had no choice but to say, "Shazhu, Yushui is not a child anymore. If there's anything, don't keep it from her. You and Yushui should face it together."

He Yushui is no longer an innocent child and is not so easily fooled. Moreover, having experienced several instances of her family members suddenly "disappearing," she has clearly developed some psychological trauma. Otherwise, she wouldn't have reacted so strongly to this incident.

He Yushui had clearly seen or guessed something. Sha Zhu could no longer hide it, and there was no need to continue hiding it. Otherwise, it would only make He Yushui overthink and worry more.

Hearing that Li Hongbing not only didn't help Sha Zhu persuade her or lie to her, but even spoke up for her, He Yushui, who was crying, quickly gave him a grateful look.

Sha Zhu had always treated her like a child and never told her anything, but she was no longer the child she used to be.

Because Yi Zhonghai's attempt to steal the job failed, Sha Zhu was not successfully brainwashed or manipulated. In addition, Jia Dongxu is still alive, and Sha Zhu has not started to fawn over the widow. He Daqing has also successfully returned and regained his fatherly love. Therefore, these past few years have been the happiest time for He Yushui.

Although He Yushui's childhood was not entirely pleasant, it was not shattered because of He Daqing's timely return and correction of his mistakes. He Yushui's feelings for her two closest relatives, He Daqing and Shazhu, were extremely deep.

The fact that he abandoned his siblings and ran away is a stain on He Daqing's record, and there's no way to clear his name about it.

But He Daqing had an advantage that many people in that era did not have: he did not discriminate against women.

However, Sha Zhu was, after all, a son, and male offspring were considered the continuation of the family line. This was a common understanding in that era, and He Daqing was no exception. Otherwise, he wouldn't have transferred both rooms of the courtyard house to Sha Zhu's name.

He Daqing treated He Yushui well, never neglecting her needs in terms of food, drink, clothing, or shelter, and never depriving her of her right to go to school just because she was a girl.

On the one hand, He Daqing's profession and income made him financially well-off, so he didn't lack this.

Moreover, He Daqing was worldly-wise and more knowledgeable than most people in the courtyard. He believed that studying was not a bad thing, even though He Yushui was a girl.

As long as He Yushui is capable, he will continue to support her to complete her studies. If he can support the first college student in the courtyard, not only will his daughter be successful in the future, but he, as her father, will also have face.

On the other hand.

This was because when he returned from Baocheng, He Yushui was still quite young, and he felt guilty towards his siblings, so he had been trying to make up for it.

As for Sha Zhu, even though He Daqing also owed him a debt, his way of showing it was different.

They used to raise Sha Zhu in a more relaxed and carefree way, but now that Sha Zhu has grown up, he is even less likely to act spoiled and affectionate like He Yushui. He Daqing also needs to maintain his authority as a father, so he doesn't easily show his feelings to Sha Zhu.

Regardless, He Daqing's attitude towards his daughter He Yushui after returning from Baocheng surpassed that of most fathers of this era.

Now that He Daqing is in trouble, even though He Yushui can't do anything right now, she still wants to help out.

"This... okay!"

Hearing Li Hongbing's words, Sha Zhu, who had already been exposed and could no longer hide the truth, had no choice but to compromise. However, he said to He Yushui in advance, "But Yushui, I have to tell you this beforehand. No matter what happens next, don't panic, don't be sad, and don't cry. Everything is with me and my master. Even if the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. It won't be your turn. Do you understand?"

Sha Zhu said a lot, seemingly explaining a lot, but it was actually a bit confusing. Li Hongbing helped to summarize: "What your brother means is that you should listen to him and let your brother and Uncle Dong make all the decisions. Don't cause trouble!"

It's impossible for He Yushui not to panic or be nervous after something like this happened to He Daqing. Instead of offering empty comfort, it's better to let her know what she should and shouldn't do.

"Yes, that's what it means!"

Seeing that Li Hongbing had captured the essence of what he wanted to express in just one sentence, Sha Zhu quickly affirmed.

"Brother, don't worry, I promise I won't cause you or Uncle Dong any trouble from now on."

Seeing this, He Yushui quickly wiped away her tears and said, "We need to get things done, but we also need to eat. I see you're in no mood to cook, so why don't you just go to a breakfast stall outside and then go to Master Dong's place? No matter how urgent things are, a little extra time won't make a difference."

Seeing their current situation, Li Hongbing decided to go all the way and offered a word of advice.

"Thank you, Brother Hongbing!"

"Hongbing, I won't say much in thanks. After this is over, I'll cook some good dishes and get a bottle of good wine, and we'll drink to our hearts' content."

"no problem."

"gone."

"..."

After watching Sha Zhu leave the courtyard with He Yushui, Li Hongbing didn't say much and followed back to the front yard.

It must be said that even without Yi Zhonghai's influence, Sha Zhu is still someone worth getting to know.

Although Yan Bugui now always stays by his side and won't do anything to harm his interests, his opportunistic and calculating nature remains unchanged.

Inside the courtyard, compared to Yan Bugui, who was better at reading people's expressions, Sha Zhu was indeed a more reliable person.

Although Sha Zhu still has some bad habits, such as being reckless and foul-mouthed, they never target him, and that's enough.

As for how he treats others, Li Hongbing doesn't care that much.

After the incident with Yi Zhonghai, Li Hongbing clearly realized that he was no longer alone. He had his own family, a wife and son, and he would need to be more cautious and thorough in doing certain things in the future.

I can't always stay in the courtyard house, nor can I always stay at home, so there should be more security in the courtyard.

Now that Yi Zhonghai has gone in, this courtyard should be able to quiet down and there won't be so many messy things anymore.

There's a saying, after all.

Whether a courtyard house is chaotic or not, Yi Zhonghai accounts for half of it.

Even if some people praise Yi Zhonghai, it must be admitted that many things in the courtyard house were caused by Yi Zhonghai's desire to retire.

The remaining people in the courtyard couldn't cause any trouble.

Without Yi Zhonghai as his backer and support, Jia Dongxu is clearly unable to stand up for himself, and Qin Huairu is now just a submissive wife who can't even manage a simple task, let alone do anything else.

In the backyard, Liu Haizhong was completely suppressed by Li Hongbing, who held him firmly in his hand, preventing him from jumping around.

……

the other side.

After leaving the courtyard, Sha Zhu first took He Yushui to a nearby breakfast shop for breakfast. Then, on the way to Dong Congyou's residence, he told He Yushui about He Daqing's current situation in detail.

However, Sha Zhu knew his limits. In order not to make He Yushui worry too much, he tried his best to avoid the important issues and only talked about things that were easy to say.

When they arrived at Dong Congyou's place, Sha Zhu told him what Li Hongbing had said. Dong Congyou's eyes lit up immediately, and he couldn't help but exclaim with delight, "Oh my, how come I didn't think of that? It really is Li Hongbing. You're going to owe him a huge favor again this time."

If it weren't for his age, seniority, and experience, Dong Congyou would probably have to call Li Hongbing "Master Li" if they met now.

In terms of skill, reputation, and influence, the other party has long surpassed him, the master craftsman.

Hearing Dong Congyou's words, Sha Zhu said with a complicated expression, "I'm afraid I can't repay him in this lifetime, but as long as Hongbing needs me in the future, I, Sha Zhu, will let him do whatever he wants. If he asks me to chase chickens, I will never chase dogs."

He wanted to repay Li Hongbing, but he needed the opportunity!
Given Li Hongbing's current situation, he'll probably be the one begging the other party for the rest of his life. The other party is unlikely to turn the tables on him. It would be good enough if he could be of any use to them in the future.

All things considered, it was still idiot Zhu who was climbing the social ladder.

"It's great that you have this idea!"

Dong Congyou's thoughts were similar to Sha Zhu's, and he nodded in satisfaction upon hearing his statement.

The focus then naturally shifted to the matter of He Daqing.

only.

In this respect, Sha Zhu was completely ineffective, not much better than He Yushui.

Although he is doing well now by working as a cook in the factory and has gained the approval of many factory leaders, he has not yet reached the point of being appreciated, let alone getting to know the big leader from the original drama.

Thanks to Dong Congyou's connections, Sha Zhu and He Yushui, brother and sister, quickly got a chance to meet He Daqing alone.

Perhaps it was because Dong Congyou exerted his influence, or perhaps because He Daqing's criminal facts were already basically clear, and because he was not a dangerous individual requiring control, the police left immediately after taking them into a separate meeting room.

After confirming that no one was eavesdropping, Sha Zhu quietly explained the next course of action to He Daqing.

He Daqing, who had already resigned himself to his fate and accepted his defeat, had hope rekindled in his eyes after hearing what Sha Zhu said.

"These...you didn't come up with them, did you?"

Faced with the idiot Zhu, He Daqing, now calm, asked this question.

"Why can't it be me?"

Being rejected by He Daqing left Sha Zhu feeling embarrassed, frustrated, and resentful.

Sha Zhu's behavior and reaction further confirmed He Daqing's suspicions, and he immediately said, "You don't have that kind of brain. Don't I know my own son?"

"Don't worry about that. Just cooperate with the police, be nice to them, and try your best to reform yourself. When you get out, start a new life."

Before they came in, Dong Congyou specifically instructed and reminded them not to mention Li Hongbing's name, nor to say that the idea came from Li Hongbing, but that they had come up with it on their own. This way, even if the matter was exposed, it wouldn't cause trouble for Li Hongbing.

People risked their lives to give them advice, and regardless of whether things turned out well or not, they couldn't repay kindness with enmity.

In this respect, Master Dong Congyou was clearly a man who valued rules and regulations.

Hearing Sha Zhu's words, He Daqing knew that this strategy had nothing to do with his son Sha Zhu, so he wisely didn't ask any more questions. However, seeing Sha Zhu's "punchable" look, if it weren't for the current situation and the place they were in, he would definitely have given this brat a good beating.

"Shazhu, actually, at this point, I have no regrets."

The father and son were silent for a moment, then He Daqing suddenly broke the silence and looked at Sha Zhu and said, "Now even without me, you have the ability to establish yourself in Beijing. I am very happy and gratified."

And then there's the rain. In the blink of an eye, she'll be all grown up. In a few more years, she'll be of marriageable age. I wonder which boy will end up with her.

It's just a pity that I don't know if I'll be able to go out and see you get married in person..."

He Daqing's words caused He Yushui to throw herself into his arms and burst into tears, while Shazhu secretly wiped away the tears from his eyes.

"Alright, alright, you're all grown up now, why are you still crying like this? People will laugh at you."

He let He Yushui cry in his arms for a while, and He Daqing, who seemed to have come to terms with it, patted her back with a smile and made a teasing remark, disregarding the inappropriateness. Then he said to Shazhu seriously, "Shazhu, what I'm most worried about now is your marriage."

You're not young anymore. Due to various reasons, especially the trouble caused by those people in the compound, you're still single and don't even have a partner.

Li Hongbing is a year younger than you, and he already has two sons. Aren't you worried at all?

Thinking about how Sha Zhu's blind date journey had been so unsuccessful over the past few years, and how Sha Zhu himself seemed so nonchalant and didn't seem to care much, He Daqing felt somewhat helpless.

"Dad, it's not that I don't want to find someone, it's just that I haven't found the right one yet."

Faced with He Daqing's close-range attack, Sha Zhu felt both embarrassed and somewhat frustrated, and gave the same response as always.

Seeing this, He Daqing sighed and said, "That girl from the Zhang family is still single. In the end, it's you who delayed her. You two can meet again after we get out!"
Let's get to know each other again and see if there's still a chance. As for whether it will work out, I won't force it..."

Actually, after much deliberation, the daughter-in-law that Sha Zhu had chosen for He Daqing was the Zhang family girl who Sha Zhu had once teased as Zhu Bajie's second aunt.

Although she was a bit chubby, she wasn't bad-looking. In He Daqing's eyes, she had a lucky face that would bring prosperity to her family and husband.

After several meetings, He Daqing found the other person's personality and his shrewd and charismatic personality to be quite to his liking.

I heard that at home, her brothers all listen to her; she's clearly the type to be in charge, a perfect match for Sha Zhu.

With him gone, it's unlikely that Sha Zhu, with his personality, will be able to manage. The family is lacking a pillar of support, and the other party is the most suitable choice He Daqing can think of.

Having someone like that managing Sha Zhu and taking over the household affairs is clearly a blessing for the He family.

"Dad, I... I'll try my best, but they might not even be interested in me."

Normally, Sha Zhu would definitely not be happy, but in the current situation, he obviously has no intention of going against He Daqing.

As for the last sentence, it wasn't that Sha Zhu lacked confidence; it was just that the blind date had turned out rather unpleasant, and they hadn't been in contact for the past two or three years since he was discharged from the hospital.

Moreover, I heard that because of my "comment," it has spread, causing the other party to have a lot of trouble finding a partner for blind dates.

In this situation, if they were to meet again, even if the other party didn't kill him, his brothers wouldn't let him off easily.

The thought of the other party's several burly brothers sent chills down Sha Zhu's spine, after all, he had experienced having his legs broken and learned a painful lesson from it.

Regardless of whether Sha Zhu was sincere or not, he would definitely ask Dong Congyou to keep an eye on things when the time came.

Regarding Sha Zhu's upcoming blind dates and marriage, He Daqing stopped there and didn't say anything more. He directly changed the subject and said, "I've saved some money over the past few years. I deposited some in the bank. The passbook and the rest are in the same place where I put the house deed. Sha Zhu, you should know that."

If your blind dates go smoothly, use half of this money to buy some furniture or other large items, and save the rest for having a baby.

The other half is specifically for your sister, Yushui. You can't touch it, Shazhu. The house belongs to you, and you have a job and a salary. If you try to take advantage of this again…”

"Dad, don't worry, I won't touch that money. I have my own salary and I can earn my own money. I'll leave all your money to Yushui."

Before He Daqing could finish speaking, Sha Zhu immediately made a promise, saying, "When she gets married in the future, I will use all of it to prepare her dowry, and I guarantee that she will not be bullied at all when she marries into her husband's family."

"Silly Zhu, you really dare to say that! You're using it all to buy a dowry. Do you know how much that costs?"

He Daqing was speechless at Sha Zhu's actions.

That's his salary for the past two or three years.

Although he spent some money, even using it to buy a bicycle, his salary as a first-class cook was far beyond that of ordinary people; it was already among the top earners in the entire industry.

With a high salary, even if you spend more lavishly, the amount of money you can save in a year is far beyond what most people can achieve.

He used it all to prepare a dowry for He Yushui. That silly son of his, Sha Zhu, really dares to think and say things.

What might have been a casual remark earlier became serious after hearing He Daqing's response, and Sha Zhu, completely unconcerned, said:

"What's so special about that? When Sister Hongmei got married, Li Hongbing was just a junior cook at the time, and she prepared such a huge dowry. There were sewing machines, bicycles, and other things. It took several tricycles to carry it all..."

With Li Hongbing's outstanding achievements as a precedent, it's not impossible for Sha Zhu to become the next one.

To know.

Because of Li Hongbing's actions, to this day, everyone who mentions them gives him a thumbs up.

Sha Zhu is a proud person and also has a tendency to compare himself to others.

However, now that he regards Li Hongbing as his benefactor, he is naturally not thinking of overshadowing Li Hongbing, but rather of emulating and following him.

Furthermore.

When He Daqing returned, the house felt like a home again, and Sha Zhu began to act like an older brother towards his younger sister He Yushui. The siblings had a good relationship.

Moreover, Sha Zhu is a rather proud and "temperamental" person. He doesn't really value or care that much about money. It's quite fitting that he would do something like this if he genuinely cared about his younger sister, He Yushui.

"Can you compare to Li Hongbing?"

Knowing that Sha Zhu genuinely thought this way, and wasn't just exaggerating or saying nice things to him, He Daqing was gratified, but also said irritably, "Look at how long it took Li Hongbing to get to where he is today."

People praise him because of his current achievements and status. If he hadn't done well and was still a low-level cook, it wouldn't be praise, it would be a joke.

If you succeed, no matter what you do, others will take it for granted; otherwise, you're just putting on a brave face and will be looked down upon.

Sha Zhu, if you want people to respect you, put in more effort and work on improving your skills. Stop being so carefree and irresponsible.

Think about it yourself, if you continue like this, who will respect you in the future?

Normally, He Daqing would not have said these things to Sha Zhu, but he couldn't be by Sha Zhu's side now and couldn't take care of anything else, so he could only make one last effort to hope that Sha Zhu would really listen.

If Shazhu can do that and make some changes, then even if he goes inside, it will be worth it.

Despite He Daqing's criticism and patient guidance, Sha Zhu remained silent with his head down.

Actually, he didn't want to be so carefree.

Sha Zhu was originally very confident in his cooking skills, especially before Li Hongbing joined Fengzeyuan.

At that time, he had not yet completed his apprenticeship, but he received invaluable instruction from two master chefs, He Daqing and Dong Congyou. He was skilled in both Tan family cuisine and Sichuan cuisine. Even before completing his apprenticeship, his skill level was already quite good, even surpassing some who had just graduated.

But who could have imagined that Li Hongbing's sudden emergence would shock everyone time and time again, completely crushing him until there was nothing left?

His confidence and pride in his culinary skills had long been knocked away and shattered by these repeated setbacks.

Li Hongbing's level is something he can never reach in his lifetime.

If one could reach Li Hongbing's current level in their entire life, that would probably be the limit.

It's just a possibility.

Seemingly having inadvertently struck a nerve with Sha Zhu, He Daqing, discovering the problem for the first time, frowned deeply in thought and couldn't help but say:

“Shazhu, don’t even think about comparing yourself to Li Hongbing. You’ve already led yourself into a dead end. If you can’t get out of this, you’ll probably only be able to stay in the steel rolling mill for the rest of your life, doing favors for the factory leaders.”

He had never noticed that Sha Zhu had this problem before.

Let alone Sha Zhu, even seasoned chefs like them who have been famous in the culinary world for a long time have long been outdone by Li Hongbing, a junior.

However, they have experienced more things and their mindsets are different.

Talented people come out from generation to generation.

Most people will eventually have to go through this process.

In addition, there are many experienced workers who have been discouraged, and they are not the only ones. Everyone is in the same boat, so it's easier to feel at peace with each other.

But Sha Zhu is different.

As someone of the same age as Li Hongbing, who is a prodigy, it's hard to say whether it's his good fortune or his misfortune.

To catch up with Li Hongbing, the pressure one would have to bear would be immense.

The problem is, this isn't something that can be achieved simply by putting in effort and time.

Talent is something that people both love and hate.

"Silly Zhu, try to think more positively."

Although he didn't want to discourage Sha Zhu, after hesitating for a moment, He Daqing finally sighed and offered his advice:
"There are some people you are destined to never catch up with in your entire life. You have to learn to accept your mediocrity!"

(End of this chapter)