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

Chapter 237 He Family's Fortune and Misfortune, Contentment Brings Happiness
Middle Court.

After preparing this fragrant braised roe deer spine, Sha Zhu served it out and divided it into two portions in a large bowl.

After Sha Zhu finished doing all that, he picked up one of the portions and said to He Yushui, who was standing next to him, "Yushui, I'll take one to Hongbing's house first, so that Aunt Li, Jianwu, and Jiwen can also have a taste."

"You stay here and keep watch, but whatever you do, don't let anyone come and cause trouble or do anything sabotage. I'll be back soon."

The front and back yards are only a few steps apart. Normally, no neighbor in the same yard would be so unruly and audacious as to cause damage or steal things.

But roe deer meat is a good thing, and since he had clashed with Qin Huairu and Xu Damao in the afternoon and just now, Sha Zhu had to be careful. So he entrusted this "important task" to his younger sister He Yushui, who had just returned from school.

"Brother, don't worry, I'll protect it well!"

He Yushui knew how much Sha Zhu valued this dinner tonight, and she herself did too, so she didn't just give a perfunctory answer, but made a very serious promise.

He Yushui's gratitude towards Li Hongbing was no less than that towards Sha Zhu.

soon.

Sha Zhu carried the bowl of braised roe deer spine to the front yard, but before he could even get close to Li Hongbing's house, he was stopped by Yan Bugui.

"Shazhu, what kind of meat is this? It smells so good! Did you use some special cooking method?"

As he asked the question, Yan Bugui took a few more deep breaths of the meaty aroma wafting through the air, and an expression of enjoyment involuntarily appeared on his face.

Yan Bugui had no intention of taking the bowl of meat, because when Sha Zhu brought it over, Yan Bugui had already guessed that Sha Zhu had specially prepared it for Chen's mother and the others.

Let alone having any connection with Li Hongbing, he wouldn't dare to mess with other people's meat, since every household is careful with their monthly rations!
However, for Yan Bugui, even if he couldn't eat it, just smelling the aroma a couple of times was a bonus, and he could eat an extra half steamed bun when he got back.

"Roe deer meat, Uncle Yan, you've heard of it, haven't you?"

Sha Zhu instinctively stepped back, carefully protecting the bowl of roe deer meat in his hand, and proudly showed it off.

At this point, there's no need to keep us in suspense any longer, so Sha Zhu just said it directly.

If he hadn't spoken up, probably very few people in the entire courtyard would have known.

As for Li Hongbing, given his experience and knowledge, it's not up to Sha Zhu to show off in front of him.

"Oh, roe deer meat?"

Although Yan Bugui had never eaten roe deer meat, he had at least heard of it. He immediately asked with curiosity and shock, "Shazhu, where did you get this roe deer meat?"

"Of course it was a gift from someone else, how could it have been stolen?"

Sha Zhu had no intention of going into detail about where the roe deer meat came from or how it came to be.

Done.

Without waiting for Yan Bugui to continue questioning, Sha Zhu bypassed him and went straight to the east wing of the house.

Just then, Li Hongbing heard Yan Bugui and Shazhu talking outside and came out of the house.

“Hongbing, this is the braised roe deer spine I made. I specially served a portion for Aunt Li and Jianwu to try.”

Sha Zhu handed the bowl of braised roe deer spine to Li Hongbing and said, "You should have heard of this dish. I learned about it from my master."

After learning how to make it, I tried it myself. My skills might not be as good as yours, but I have better ingredients, so I'm sure I won't disappoint you.

Sha Zhu didn't dare compare his skills to Li Hongbing's, but he was still very confident in the ingredients themselves.

"Thank you for your trouble, silly Zhu."

Faced with Sha Zhu's gesture, Li Hongbing accepted the bowl of braised roe deer spine and expressed his gratitude.

"You're welcome, it's nothing."

Li Hongbing's attitude made Sha Zhu feel very comfortable, so he invited and reminded him directly, "Hongbing, I've almost finished preparing the snacks to go with the drinks. Come over whenever it's convenient for you. I'll be waiting at home anytime."

Li Hongbing handed the bowl of braised roe deer spine to Chen's mother behind him and said, "Let's go now, I'll go with you."

The appointment was originally scheduled for this time, and now that Sha Zhu had personally come to invite him, he had already shown his sincerity, so Li Hongbing naturally wouldn't put on airs.

"That works!"

Upon seeing this, Sha Zhu's face immediately broke into a chrysanthemum-like smile.

Watching Sha Zhu and Li Hongbing leave together on their way to the Intermediate People's Court, Yan Bugui couldn't help but show a look of envy on his face.

If Yan Bugui hadn't known that Xu Damao had come to the door with a bottle of Xifeng liquor, wanting to join tonight's banquet, only to be rejected by Shazhu, he would have wanted to bring his own "treasured" bottles of loose liquor and go along to freeload.

If he could get his hands on some meat, especially after learning about roe deer meat, Yan Bugui wouldn't care what others said. Unfortunately, he could only dream about it; he never had the chance.

……

the other side.

He Yushui, who was standing at her door waiting, couldn't help but smile when she saw Sha Zhu leading Li Hongbing from the front yard.

As they drew closer, He Yushui quickly greeted Li Hongbing, "Brother Hongbing!"

Li Hongbing nodded.

As the three entered the house, Li Hongbing quickly saw two bottles set on the table, a pot of roe deer meat and a bowl of braised roe deer spine, a plate of crispy peanuts and a stir-fried vegetable dish, as well as the carp that Li Hongbing had given to Sha Zhu at noon, which he had already cooked into the famous Sichuan dish, dry-fried carp.

The highlight of the meal was, of course, the stewed roe deer meat and the fragrant braised roe deer spine.

This feast would be considered quite lavish even by today's standards, let alone in this era.

Just then, Sha Zhu suddenly said to He Yushui, who was standing to the side, "Yushui, make some for yourself and go back to your room to eat. Your brother Hongbing and I are going to have a drink later."

"Brother...I..."

Hearing Sha Zhu's words, He Yushui, who had been happy, was stunned for a moment, and then looked at Sha Zhu with a mixture of disappointment and expectation.

Obvious.

She wanted to stay too.

Sha Zhu naturally saw through He Yushui's thoughts, but he didn't change his mind. Instead, he said, "Listen to me, I'm drinking with your brother Hongbing. What are you doing here, a girl all alone?"

It's not that Shazhu has any issues with his sister, but rather it's a common practice in this era.

The men drank, and the women almost never sat at the table.

It's not entirely about male chauvinism and feudal customs; it's not the same as not allowing female family members to eat at the table.

On the one hand, not many women drink alcohol; the majority of people at a drinking party are men. At the table, there are not only family members but also relatives or friends, and they often discuss daring topics. Moreover, if someone has a bad temper while drunk, they might act out.

To some extent, it also serves as a form of protection for the women in the family.

However, Sha Zhu's current actions are clearly driven by male chauvinism.

After hesitating for a moment, He Yushui ultimately did not do as Sha Zhu said. Instead, she said, "Brother, I also want to stay and toast Brother Hongbing to thank him for his help and kindness to us in the past."

Others might not know the real reason why Sha Zhu invited Li Hongbing to today's drinking session, but He Yushui knew it perfectly well.

As a member of the He family, Li Hongbing's past help to them wasn't limited to Sha Zhu alone, so He Yushui didn't want to leave just like that.

"Hey! Rain, stop causing trouble here. I'm having a drink with your brother Hongbing, what are you doing getting in the way?"

Faced with He Yushui's actions, Sha Zhu, who was rather careless in this regard, didn't care at all and said casually, "Besides, you're a girl, do you even know how to drink?"
"At worst, I'll offer Hongbing a few more drinks for you later. I'll drink yours for you; you can go back to your room now!"

"Brother, I'm not young anymore, and I just want to do my part to express my gratitude to Brother Hongbing..."

He Yushui had thought that Sha Zhu would change his mind and let her stay, but after hearing his words, she was still quite unwilling.

"He Yushui, have you grown too big for your britches? You're not listening to me anymore? You're still a student, and you want to learn to drink like everyone else? I..."

His usually obedient younger sister actually talked back to him at this time, not only in front of Li Hongbing, but more than once. As the older brother, Sha Zhu felt a little embarrassed and immediately got angry.

"Silly Zhu, what are you doing?"

As a guest, Li Hongbing shouldn't interfere in the affairs of Sha Zhu and He Yushui, but He Yushui wanted to stay for her own sake, so Li Hongbing had to speak up and advise, "If Yushui wants to stay, then let her stay!"
This is a new society now; the old ways don't work anymore. Don't forget the lesson we learned this afternoon.

And who said rainwater has to drink alcohol?

If you can't drink alcohol, water will do. As for thanking me in any special way, that's unnecessary.

"Thank you, Brother Hongbing!"

Upon hearing this, He Yushui's face, which was on the verge of tears, immediately blossomed into a bright smile, and she even made a provocative face at Sha Zhu.

Sha Zhu was utterly helpless.

However, since Li Hongbing had already said so, he couldn't object anymore. Instead, he gave He Yushui a few instructions, telling her not to cause trouble.

He Yushui was already very happy to be able to stay, so she naturally didn't object to what Sha Zhu said and agreed to everything, even making a guarantee.

What followed was predictable: a joyful and harmonious scene. Li Hongbing and Sha Zhu filled their glasses with wine, while He Yushui poured herself a glass of water.

Although Li Hongbing had just said that tonight's dinner should not involve talking about anything else or expressing gratitude, but rather just a gathering of friends to drink and chat, it was clear that Sha Zhu and He Yushui wouldn't listen.

Although she couldn't drink alcohol, He Yushui was very honest. Perhaps out of gratitude to Li Hongbing, she hadn't even eaten a few bites of meat before she toasted Li Hongbing several times, drinking it all in one gulp each time. The cups were quite large, and she almost drank her fill of water in no time.

Li Hongbing tried to remind and persuade them several times, but found it was useless. Even Sha Zhu was supporting them, so he could only let it be.

However, after a few drinks, the atmosphere gradually improved.

Sha Zhu's alcohol tolerance wasn't bad; when the two of them were almost out of a bottle, they were already a little tipsy.

As for Li Hongbing...

I won't say more, since I haven't tried it myself.

Although Li Hongbing doesn't abstain from alcohol, he doesn't drink excessively either. When he drinks with Chen Xueru, it's usually just a small amount for enjoyment.

However, given his current physical condition, drinking one or two bottles of liquor is basically no different from drinking water for him.

on the wine table.

Besides expressing his gratitude to Sha Zhu and He Yushui, Sha Zhu also talked about some things related to He Daqing, including his plans and visions for the future of himself and Yushui. Li Hongbing didn't say much.

Li Hongbing fell silent even more when he heard the latter part of the story.

He Daqing's imprisonment was a significant blow to Sha Zhu, but because he was only sentenced to three years in the end, Sha Zhu remained optimistic overall and full of hope for the future.

Although He Daqing is no longer their main source of income, Sha Zhu believes that with his current job and income, he and Yu Shui can still live a good life, even better than most people in the compound.

"Brother, Brother Hongbing, I'm going back now. The teacher assigned homework, and I haven't done it yet. You guys keep drinking."

Halfway through the meal, He Yushui, who had basically drunk her fill, couldn't eat anymore after a few bites of meat. She sat there listening to Sha Zhu and Li Hongbing talk, and finally toasted Li Hongbing again before getting up to leave, giving them some space.

"Look at you, it's so late, and you still haven't forgotten to do your homework..."

As He Yushui left, Sha Zhu made a joke, then added proudly, "Who knows, she might be the first college student in our courtyard, and a female college student at that!"

however.

Hearing Sha Zhu's words, Li Hongbing was not so optimistic.

If He Daqing hadn't gone in, there wouldn't have been any problem with Sha Zhu saying these things, but now it's not so easy.

Nowadays, both vocational school and university entrance exams require political vetting. Even if He Yushui's grades meet the requirements for high school, she may not be able to get in smoothly.

Sha Zhu may not be very familiar with these things, or he may not have even bothered to learn about them.

He Daqing has just been imprisoned, so the negative impact of this incident on the brother and sister hasn't officially begun yet, but it will gradually become apparent.

Li Hongbing is still unsure whether He Daqing's return from Baocheng was a good thing or a bad thing for Sha Zhu and He Yushui.

Although they exposed Yi Zhonghai's true colors, reconciled the father and son, and reunited the family, preventing Sha Zhu from being brainwashed and used as a tool by Yi Zhonghai like in the original drama, Li Hongbing really didn't know what to say about the current situation caused by He Daqing's method of revenge against Yi Zhonghai.

"Hongbing, please don't be upset about what I'm saying."

Seeing that Li Hongbing seemed somewhat silent, Sha Zhu assumed that he was unhappy with what he had just said, and quickly said:
"Actually, if it weren't for Jia Zhangshi gossiping everywhere, and if you hadn't gotten stuck on your own ideas for your sister and gone to Fengzeyuan to become an apprentice and continue your studies, with your abilities, you would definitely be the first college student in our academy."

However, by a twist of fate, you've ended up in a completely different situation. If it weren't for your initial choice, you wouldn't have discovered your talent for cooking, become Master Guo's apprentice, and be doing so well now.

Of course, this is mainly because you have strong abilities and talent, and you are willing to work hard and put in the effort. No matter what you choose to do, you won't do too badly..."

At this moment, Sha Zhu began to demonstrate his "emotional intelligence".

Li Hongbing was somewhat helpless when he realized that Sha Zhu had misunderstood.

Li Hongbing had no obsession with going to university, nor did he feel any regret.

Everything was simply the result of his initial choice, and Li Hongbing is very satisfied and content with his current life.

(End of this chapter)