Courtyard House: Inheriting the Restaurant, the Jia Family Wants to Get It for Free

"Try this egg." Zheng Chaoyang picked up a piece of golden scrambled egg and put it in his mouth.

He was stunned when he put the egg in his mouth.

An indescribable savory aroma exploded on the taste buds in an instant.

That's not a flavor that seasonings can create; it's the purest, most exquisite umami of the ingredients themselves. The texture is tender and smooth, with a hint of sweetness. After each bite, your mouth is filled with a rich egg flavor, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

"What...what kind of egg is this?"

Zheng Chaoyang had lived this long and had eaten his share of good things, but he had never tasted such delicious eggs before.

"It's so delicious!" Bai Ling also took a bite, and her usually calm face revealed an undisguised surprise.

Hao Pingchuan went even further, scooping the eggs out with a spoon and exclaiming indistinctly, "My God! Brother Shuhai, where did you buy these eggs? I'll go buy some too! The taste is amazing!"

All three of them were completely captivated by the aroma of the eggs in this space.

They finally realized that the source of that overpowering fragrance they had just smelled was right here.

The bowl of noodles was quickly emptied, and not a drop of soup was left.

All three ate to their hearts' content, and fine beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads.

"That feels good!" Hao Pingchuan rubbed his stomach and let out a burp.

"Shuhai, your skills are really wasted in this small restaurant."

Zheng Chaoyang remarked with emotion.

Looking at Cheng Shuhai, his opinion of the young man rose even higher.

He is capable, intelligent, knows how to navigate social situations, and is neither arrogant nor servile.

Such a person is worth getting to know better.

"Check, boss!" Zheng Chaoyang called out with a smile.

"Brother Zheng, aren't you slapping me in the face? The fact that you came is a sign of respect. If I were to charge you for this meal, would I even be a human being?" Cheng Shuhai quickly waved his hand.

"No way! One thing at a time. We're here to eat, not to take advantage of you." Zheng Chaoyang's attitude was firm. He took out some money from his pocket, counted it, and slammed it on the table.

"If you don't accept it, you're looking down on us."

After he finished speaking, he didn't give Cheng Shuhai a chance to refuse, and pulled Bai Ling and Hao Pingchuan out.

"Brother Shuhai, we still have a mission to complete, so we'll be leaving now! We'll come back to try your cooking again next time!"

The three of them left in a hurry.

Cheng Shuhai held the money on the table, feeling both amused and exasperated.

He counted it and found that it cost much more than three bowls of noodles.

These three are really...

Cheng Shuhai shook his head, but felt a warm glow in his heart.

He carefully put the money away, watched the three figures leave, and made up his mind.

He remembered this favor.

After seeing Zheng Chaoyang and his two companions off, the restaurant returned to its usual quiet.

Cheng Shuhai looked at the money on the table and pondered to himself.

These three people are truly impeccable in character.

This kindness should be appreciated.

But relationships are something that can only last if there is give and take.

Cheng Shuhai is not one to like owing favors.

He carefully put the money away, already having a plan in mind.

I'll find a way to repay this favor when they come again next time.

Right now, there is something even more important to do.

Although the Jia family had signed a transfer agreement for the house, and Zheng Chaoyang and others were witnesses, it was ultimately just a "private contract".

In this day and age, everything requires official certification.

Only by going to the military control commission and completely changing the name on the property deed to one's own can the house truly be considered secure.

Otherwise, if Jia Zhangshi or that old fox Yi Zhonghai were to cause any more trouble in the future, it would be a real problem.

We must get this done as soon as possible to prevent future troubles!

With that thought in mind, Cheng Shuhai no longer hesitated.

He looked around the shop; there weren't many customers at the moment.

"Ling'er, stay in the shop and watch over it. Don't run around. I'm going out to take care of something and will be back soon," Cheng Shuhai instructed his sister.

"Okay! Don't worry, brother, I'll take good care of the house!"

Cheng Ling'er patted her chest and made a serious promise.

The small restaurant was not far from the Military Control Commission. Cheng Shuhai left the door slightly ajar, told Ling'er to call out if anyone came, and then quickly walked out.

He first went back to his home in the courtyard house.

From a locked wooden box, he took out the house transfer agreement signed and sealed by Jia Dongxu, as well as his own identification documents.

As he was about to leave, his eyes darted around, and he seemed to remember something.

I'll most likely run into that Officer Wang again when I go to handle this business.

She was the one who handled the last report about Jia Zhangshi's involvement in feudal superstition. She was decisive and efficient, and it's clear she's an upright and principled person.

In the future, my sister and I will live in this area. It will definitely not hurt to maintain good relations with the leaders of the neighborhood committee.

It's not good to go empty-handed.

Cheng Shuhai came up with a plan.

He went to the kitchen, pretended to rummage around in a cloth bag next to the rice bin for a while, and then, on a whim, took out ten eggs of excellent quality from his blessed space.

He put the documents and eggs in a cloth bag, locked the door, and headed straight for the military control commission.

In those days, the military control commission was the highest local authority, with armed soldiers standing guard at the entrance, creating a very serious atmosphere.

Cheng Shuhai explained his purpose and was taken to an office specifically responsible for civil registration.

Several people were busy in the office when Cheng Shuhai spotted that familiar figure at a glance.

With short, ear-length hair, dressed in a cadre uniform, sitting upright, he was writing something with his head down—it was Officer Wang.

"Comrade, hello, I'm looking for Officer Wang," Cheng Shuhai said to a staff member at the door.

When Officer Wang heard the sound, he looked up.

When she saw that it was Cheng Shuhai, a look of surprise appeared on her face.

"It's you, Comrade Cheng. What can I do for you?" She put down her pen.

She had a deep impression of Cheng Shuhai.

When faced with Jia Zhangshi's tantrums and Yi Zhonghai's bias, this young man remained calm and composed, displaying clear logic. In the end, he seized upon the key point of "feudal superstition" and defeated his opponent in one move.

He is brave and resourceful, and has a good brain.

"Hello, Officer Wang." Cheng Shuhai smiled politely, stepped forward, and handed over the documents in his hand.

"I'm here to transfer the property title."

"Property transfer?" Officer Wang was somewhat surprised as he took the documents.

When she saw the house transfer agreement and the names of Jia Dongxu and Cheng Shuhai on it, she was completely stunned.

"The Jia family's house...was transferred to you?"

Officer Wang looked up, his eyes full of questions.

This happened so suddenly.

Just a moment ago, the Jia family was embroiled in a scandal over their wedding banquet. The very next day, Jia Dongxu was arrested for hiring someone to assault another person. And now, their house has become Cheng Shuhai's.

What exactly happened in between?

"Yes, Officer Wang."

Cheng Shuhai nodded, his expression calm.

"This is Jia Dongxu hiring thugs to cause trouble, which has caused damage and fright to my restaurant. After mediation by the police, he voluntarily transferred the house to me as compensation."

Cheng Shuhai gave a brief explanation, but specifically emphasized the two key points: "mediation by police officers" and "voluntary compensation."

After listening, Officer Wang frowned.

She's a meticulous person, and this matter involves real estate, so it's no small thing.

Although there was an agreement and Jia Dongxu's signature, she still felt uneasy.

If there's something fishy going on here, and Cheng Shuhai is coercing her, then if she does it and problems arise in the future, she'll be held responsible.

"Comrade Cheng, this is no small matter." Officer Wang looked at him seriously and said, "Although there is this agreement, according to regulations, I must verify the authenticity of the situation. Please wait a moment, I need to call the Public Security Bureau to confirm."

"Of course, Mr. Wang, please verify." Cheng Shuhai was not flustered at all, but nodded in agreement.

This is exactly the effect he wanted.

Only when verified by the authorities can this procedure be considered truly flawless.

Officer Wang picked up the hand-cranked telephone on the table, cranked it a few times skillfully, and connected it to the switchboard.

"Hello, could you please connect me to the North District Police Station? Yes, the one that's in charge of this area."

The call was answered quickly.

Officer Wang briefly explained the situation to the other side and inquired about the identity of the police officer who handled Jia Dongxu's case yesterday.

Coincidentally, Zheng Chaoyang and his team had just returned from a mission when Bai Ling happened to be in the office.

The call was then transferred to Bai Ling.

"Hello, this is Bai Ling." Bai Ling's cool and capable voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Hello, Comrade Bai Ling, I'm Wang Xiulian from the Street Military Control Committee." Officer Wang introduced herself. "It's like this, this morning, a comrade named Cheng Shuhai came to me with a house transfer agreement signed by Jia Dongxu to complete the transfer. The agreement says this is compensation from Jia Dongxu for causing him trouble. I'd like to verify with you whether this happened when you handled this case yesterday?"