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

Chapter 236 A Battle for Face, Never Forgetting One's Original Intentions: Xu Damao
"Hey, Sha Zhu, what are you stewing? It smells so good!"

evening.

People who went out to work in the morning gradually returned at this time. Smelling the aroma emanating from Sha Zhu's place, Xu Damao couldn't help but go up and try to get information out of him.

"It smells good, doesn't it? This is a rare find, something you've never seen before in your life."

Faced with Xu Damao's initiative to get close and inquire, Sha Zhu was very pleased, but said with a smug look, "But I won't tell you the specifics, you can guess for yourself!"

"Silly Zhu, look how smug you are. It's just meat, you're acting like you've never seen anything like it before, like everyone else doesn't know about it."

Seeing Sha Zhu's current irritating appearance, Xu Damao couldn't help but feel angry, but he pretended not to care and complained.

"Everyone knows meat, even a fool can smell it. The key is, what kind of meat is it, Xu Damao, can you tell me?"

Sha Zhu looked at him with disdain, clearly seeing that Xu Damao was pretending to know what he didn't, and was deliberately putting on an act!
As his old rival, Sha Zhu knows Xu Damao all too well.

Roe deer meat is something that is hard to come by. Many people may have heard of it, but very few have actually tasted it.

"Silly Zhu, I heard you're treating Hongbing to drinks tonight. If I could tell you what kind of meat is in your pot, how about I come along tonight?"

Xu Damao glanced at Shazhu and said seemingly casually.

"No way. I'm the one who invited Hongbing tonight. Whether you can get him or not, it's not appropriate for me to use this as a wager."

Although confident, Sha Zhu felt that tonight's event, ostensibly a drinking party, was actually a thank-you banquet specifically for Li Hongbing. He felt it was somewhat inappropriate, even disrespectful, to use it to make a bet with Xu Damao.

"Look how stingy you are!"

Seeing that Sha Zhu, who was always so arrogant, had actually become cautious, Xu Damao, who had only been joking, became a little anxious and quickly said, "I, Xu Damao, am not someone who doesn't know the rules. I don't eat and drink for free. You prepare the snacks, and I'll serve the wine, how about that?"

"no!"

Upon hearing Xu Damao's words, Sha Zhu refused without hesitation, saying, "I've prepared the wine myself, so there's no need for you to worry about it."

Sha Zhu had spent many days and effort preparing the food for today's drinking session, so how could he not have prepared the wine?

Moreover, he didn't want Xu Damao involved in the drinking session that evening at all.

"Hey! Silly Zhu, are you just thinking of me as someone who'll freeload off you? I'm telling you right now, the wine I'm bringing over later will definitely satisfy you. If you say the wine isn't good, I'm leaving right now."

Feeling slighted after being rejected by Sha Zhu time and time again, Xu Damao got even more excited and turned to walk towards the backyard, obviously going home to get some wine.

Sha Zhu saw this but didn't take it to heart.

Even if Xu Damao brings over the heavenly nectar later, he won't get a share of the banquet tonight.

Not long after.

As soon as Xu Damao stepped into the backyard, Tao Cuilan, seeing him return, urged him hurriedly, "Damao, hurry up!"

What are you dawdling about? The food's ready, come back and eat!

"Mom, I won't be eating at home tonight."

Back home, Xu Damao first said something to Tao Cuilan, then looked at Xu Fugui sitting at the dining table and said in a carefree manner:

"Dad, where's that bottle of Xifeng liquor you hid before? Can I borrow it for a bit? I need it very much right now. I'll buy you another bottle with my own salary later!"

Before Xu Fugui could reply, Tao Cuilan hurriedly said, "Xu Damao, you brat, I've already prepared the meal, and instead of eating at home, you're asking your dad for such good wine. Where do you think you're going to go gallivanting off to?"

Tao Cuilan didn't really mean to criticize Xu Damao when she said this, but she felt that his disrespectful behavior and his openly asking Xu Fugui for wine might upset Xu Fugui.

The key issue was the bottle of Xifeng liquor that was treasured at home. Even with their family's means, Xu Fugui himself was reluctant to drink it. Yet Xu Damao asked for it, making Tao Cuilan worry for her son.

"Mom, can you smell the aroma of stewed meat at Shazhu's house?"

Hearing Tao Cuilan's words, Xu Damao didn't care at all and said with a smile, "That idiot Shazhu, I don't know where he got a piece of roe deer meat from, and he thought I didn't know anything about it. He was showing it off in front of me just now!"
I decided to play along and try to get some of his roe deer meat. Don't let the name "Shazhu" fool you; he's a shrewd guy. If I didn't bring some good stuff, would he even let me sit at the table?
Besides, Li Hongbing is coming over for dinner tonight, so I can take this opportunity to get closer to him; it won't hurt me in the future.

No one else in the courtyard had ever seen or eaten roe deer meat, but Xu Damao was an exception.

do not forget.

Tao Cuilan used to be a servant in the Lou family. Lou Zhenhua was such a powerful capitalist that he usually ate and drank well, and naturally, he had eaten things like roe deer meat before.

As a servant, it's impossible to eat at the same table as the master's family. Even if the food they eat isn't bad, it won't be the same standard.

only.

If there were any leftovers, those were considered a perk for the servants. Sometimes, when Lou Zhenhua or his wife were in a good mood or something good happened, they would even give some away as a reward.

As the son, Xu Damao often ate the good things that Tao Cuilan brought back from the Lou family when he was a child, and even some foreign gadgets, such as chocolate.

Roe deer meat happens to be one of them.

Although some years have passed, Xu Damao still can't forget the aroma of that roe deer meat.

After Xu Damao finished speaking, Xu Fugui not only didn't get angry or object, but instead said to Tao Cuilan, "Cuilan, go back inside and get that bottle of Xifeng liquor for Damao!"

"what?"

Faced with Xu Fugui's action, Tao Cuilan was somewhat stunned and subconsciously asked to confirm, "Are you really taking it?"

Obvious.

Xu Fugui's reaction was unexpected.

Seeing Tao Cuilan dawdling, Xu Damao assumed she was unwilling and urged her somewhat speechlessly, "Mom, hurry up! Dad has already spoken, how could he lie?"

As Tao Cuilan left, Xu Fugui looked at his son, who was excitedly rubbing his hands together inside the house, and advised him, "Da Mao, roe deer meat is a good thing, but tonight, don't just focus on the food. Building a good relationship with Li Hongbing is much more important than eating a few more bites of meat."

Xu Fugui did not object to Xu Damao's actions because although a bottle of Xifeng liquor was not cheap, roe deer meat was also a rare delicacy. Exchanging a bottle of good liquor for some roe deer meat was not a bad deal.

If it weren't for the generational difference between Xu Fugui and Sha Zhu and Li Hongbing, Xu Fugui himself would have wanted to bring the wine over.

On the other hand, and most importantly, Li Hongbing will also be attending the dinner tonight.

Like He Daqing before him, Xu Fugui also encouraged Xu Damao to interact with Li Hongbing more often and build a relationship with him.

In the entire courtyard, Li Hongbing was arguably the most outstanding and successful person, and this success wasn't limited to the younger generation.

Not only that, but in terms of methods, courage, and insight, he is even better than those old guys, not to mention that he is young and his future is full of infinite light and possibilities.

In his attitude towards Li Hongbing, Xu Fugui, who had no conflict or vested interests with him, was the complete opposite of Yi Zhonghai. He always tried his best to be on good terms with Li Hongbing and avoided offending him if possible.

Unfortunately, he and Li Hongbing were not from the same generation, so they didn't have much to talk about. He also couldn't learn to flatter Yan Bugui, so he could only entrust the task to Xu Damao.

Even if doing this doesn't seem to bring any immediate benefits to the Xu family, especially Xu Damao, it will definitely not be harmful in the long run.

"Dad, don't worry, I know what's important. Getting a piece of meat is one thing, but my main goal is to get Li Hongbing. This kind of opportunity is rare."

Xu Damao smiled and stated his thoughts directly. He knew that as long as it was related to Li Hongbing, Xu Fugui, who was usually strict with him, would definitely be able to meet all his demands, even if they were excessive.

Otherwise, Xu Damao wouldn't have dared to speak so confidently and directly ask for the bottle of Xifeng wine that Xu Fugui treasured.

However, Xu Damao was not lying. Although they were not as successful as his peers in the courtyard, Li Hongbing did not look down on them. This made them feel more favorably towards Li Hongbing, and even grateful, honored and respectful.

After all, given Li Hongbing's current status, he can completely disregard them.

But because of the different times they get off work, and because other people have wives and children and spend most of their time with their families, unlike us single men, opportunities like tonight are rare.

They wanted to invite Li Hongbing for drinks regularly, but they needed a pretext that would actually work. Although Li Hongbing was usually very polite, he wouldn't waste time socializing with them.

Li Hongbing has never been interested in drinking parties or similar events.

Instead of wasting time, you'd be better off spending more time at home with your wife and kids, or practicing calligraphy and reading more books.

soon.

Xu Damao took the bottle of Xifeng liquor from home and returned to the front yard. He came up to Shazhu, who was cooking braised roe deer spine, and said smugly, "Shazhu, did you see that?"

"Fine Xifeng liquor paired with your roe deer meat, isn't that a good match?"

"You actually recognize it?"

Compared to the Xifeng liquor that Xu Damao brought over, Sha Zhu was even more shocked to hear him immediately call out the roe deer meat that he had painstakingly prepared.

“Silly Zhu, in this city of Beijing, there are only a handful of people who have seen and eaten roe deer meat, but your grandpa happens to be one of them. Don’t think that everyone is as ignorant as you, like a country bumpkin.”

Seeing Sha Zhu's shocked expression, Xu Damao also became smug.

"Get the hell out of here, Xu Damao, are you looking for a beating again?"

Originally still immersed in surprise and disbelief, Sha Zhu was enraged by Xu Damao's words, especially his act of acting like a grandfather in front of him and implying that he was a country bumpkin.

"Alright, alright, I admit I spoke without thinking. I came here today with sincerity, not to argue or fight with you. I apologize for any offense I may have caused."

Normally, Xu Damao would never admit defeat so quickly, but thinking about the "serious business" ahead, he could only go along with Sha Zhu for now.

The food was still cooking in the pot, and Sha Zhu had no intention of arguing with Xu Damao at the moment. He simply shooed him away, saying, "Get out of the way, I don't have time for you!"

"What's going on? I even brought wine with me, and it's top-quality Xifeng wine. You're not going to refuse me that much?"

Xu Damao was somewhat displeased to find that Sha Zhu still maintained this attitude even at this point.

At the same time, I felt a little regretful. I should have known better than to have taken that verbal advantage. It seems I've angered Sha Zhu a bit.

"Xu Damao, I really don't have time to deal with you today. If you really want to have a drink with me, I'll prepare two good dishes another day, and you can bring this bottle of Xifeng liquor with you. Let's call it a day."

The Xifeng liquor that Xu Damao brought was quite famous and prestigious in those days, and Sha Zhu really couldn't say it was bad, but he also prepared Moutai liquor of the same grade.

It's not a matter of whether he likes it or not; from the very beginning, Sha Zhu never intended for Xu Damao to join.

"Silly Zhu, what do you mean? Do you think I care about your dishes?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Damao's expression immediately changed, and he angrily said, "I brought such good wine here to give you face, do you know that?"

Tonight, although he came for the roe deer meat and Li Hongbing was also there, as he himself said, he came with sincerity and did not want to eat and drink for free.

If he were turned away by Sha Zhu like this, where would he put his face?

Unless Sha Zhu can prepare a roe deer feast like today's again and invite Li Hongbing over to apologize to him in person, Xu Damao will find this unacceptable.

He thinks he can just order a couple of simple dishes and expect me to drink his Xifeng liquor? Does he think I'm a sucker?

"Fine, fine, are you really serious about doing this?"

Xu Damao's actions were indeed impeccable, but today it was Sha Zhu who was hosting.

Whether or not Xu Damao should participate was naturally up to Sha Zhu, so he stated it directly:

"However, this drink today is specially for Hongbing only. I didn't plan to let anyone else participate. You should go back!"

Sha Zhu was also helpless.

He was almost ready and just waiting for Li Hongbing to come over. He didn't plan to cause any trouble at this time and was already being quite polite to Xu Damao.

But Xu Damao was like a fool who couldn't understand human language. Despite being rejected so many times, he kept clinging to him, clearly wanting to freeload off his roe deer meat.

Although the Xifeng liquor that Xu Damao brought over was not bad and was quite prestigious, it could be bought with some money and tickets, and it was not as precious as the roe deer meat that he had gone to great lengths to obtain.

Honestly, letting Xu Damao participate is practically letting him off easy.

"Alright, you silly Zhu, I see now. You did it on purpose. You're clearly holding a grudge. You're so petty!"

Xu Damao was furious.

I came here full of confidence, but I never expected it to turn out like this.

The key is that many people in the courtyard were listening and watching, and he really lost face this time.

When Xu Damao returned home, Xu Fugui already knew about the incident. After all, Xu Damao and Shazhu had been talking so loudly that he had heard almost everything, and he was quite annoyed.

It wasn't aimed at Xu Damao, but at Sha Zhu.

No matter what, Xu Damao is Xu Fugui's son, and the future of the Xu family.

Normally, Xu Fugui wouldn't care how Sha Zhu and Xu Damao joked around, as long as it didn't cause any major trouble. But in a situation like today, although Sha Zhu's actions weren't wrong, it still made Xu Fugui feel embarrassed.

"Alright, today it was Sha Zhu who invited Li Hongbing, and Sha Zhu hosted the event. You took the initiative to come, and even if you brought enough sincerity, whether or not you are allowed to participate is Sha Zhu's right. There's nothing wrong with that."

Hearing Xu Damao, who was still angry, cursing Sha Zhu like a wronged woman, Xu Fugui glared at him irritably and then said:
“We’ll bring back some good stuff later, and then you can invite Li Hongbing over for a drink separately to save face. Don’t let people laugh at us.”

In Xu Fugui's view, whether Xu Damao got to eat the roe deer meat or not was not important; what was important was still Li Hongbing.

Roe deer meat is delicious, but it's also difficult to obtain.

Now that He Daqing is in jail, their family's conditions are much better than Sha Zhu's, so there's no need to argue about who's better at this time.

"that is!"

As soon as Xu Fugui finished speaking, Tao Cuilan quickly echoed him, then comforted her son with heartache:

"Da Mao, don't bother with that idiot Zhu. He looks down on you, but our family looks down on him too!"
I have something to tell you that I guarantee you'll be happy to hear. It happened this afternoon, shortly before you got back..."

As Tao Cuilan recounted what happened between Sha Zhu and Qin Huairu that afternoon, Xu Damao, who had previously harbored many grievances and dissatisfactions towards Sha Zhu, suddenly brightened up.

"Mom, could you tell me more details about this..."

(End of this chapter)