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

The uproar caused by Yi Zhonghai's adoption of a child in the courtyard took several days to gradually subside.

Cheng Shuhai had no interest in these petty neighborhood squabbles. He was busy with his small restaurant business every day, and his life was fulfilling and carefree.

Since introducing its "sweet potato fritters," the small restaurant has become a household name in the Nanluoguxiang area. Every day at mealtimes, long queues form outside, with some coming to eat and others specifically for a drink.

Those laborers and manual laborers who had worked all day loved to gather around him after work.

Order a plate of spicy chicken and a couple of ounces of sweet potato liquor, and with a bite of food and a sip of wine, all the fatigue of the day will vanish.

"Brother, Aunt Liu from the backyard asked again if we could sell more of our wine. Her husbands talk about it every day, saying that after drinking our wine, they can't drink any other wine."

Cheng Shujun was so busy in the front hall that he barely had time to breathe. He took a break and ran back to the kitchen, wiping his sweat as he spoke.

Cheng Shuhai, tossing the ladle, said without turning his head, "Tell her the rules can't be broken. Only three jars a day, once they're sold out, they're gone. If you want some, come early and line up."

This wasn't him being pretentious; the wine was simply too conspicuous. Making a fortune quietly was the best approach; making it public knowledge wouldn't do him any good.

Cheng Shufei, who was efficiently washing vegetables nearby, burst out laughing upon hearing this: "Big brother, that's a really clever trick! I heard from the people queuing outside that a single glass of our wine is selling for tens of thousands on the black market now!"

"Let them cook it, it's none of our business." Cheng Shuhai scooped the cooked dish into a plate and handed it to Cheng Shujun. "Hurry up, the customers outside are waiting."

He knew in his heart that this was all thanks to the blessed land space. Wine produced within that space, aged at a hundred times the speed of time flow, how could it possibly taste bad?

Just as Cheng Shuhai's business was booming, Yi Zhonghai of the Intermediate People's Court was determined to accomplish something big.

In order to legitimize his newly adopted son Yi Jiefang and to completely extinguish Jia Zhangshi's hopes, he decided to hold a grand banquet in the courtyard, inviting his colleagues from the factory and neighbors to celebrate in a lively and festive manner.

He had to make sure this was done in a grand and impressive way, so that everyone could see that he, Yi Zhonghai, had an heir, and that he cherished this son!

When it comes to organizing a banquet, the chef is crucial. Yi Zhonghai's first thought was Sha Zhu. Although he had fallen out with Sha Zhu over work, he felt that Sha Zhu was simple-minded and that as long as he swallowed his pride, said a few kind words, and offered some benefits, he would definitely agree. After all, he had a good relationship with Sha Zhu's master, and that connection remained.

That evening, Yi Zhonghai, carrying a bottle of wine, knocked on Sha Zhu's door.

"Silly Zhu, are you home?" Yi Zhonghai forced a kind smile.

Sha Zhu was peeling an apple for He Yushui when he saw Yi Zhonghai. He paused for a moment, then continued peeling without expression.

"What's wrong?" His tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Hey, it's just that... my family has a new addition, so I'd like to set up a couple of tables in the yard and invite everyone to have some fun." Yi Zhonghai put the wine on the table and rubbed his hands together as he said, "Of all the people in the yard, you're the best cook. So I'd like to ask you to help me with the cooking. As for the wages, you definitely won't be shortchanged."

He Yushui watched from the side without saying a word, but simply moved closer to Sha Zhu.

After peeling the apple and cutting it into small pieces, Sha Zhu handed it to his sister before looking up at Yi Zhonghai.

"Master Yi, it's no use coming to me about this." Sha Zhu spoke up, his voice not loud but clear, "I'm still an apprentice at Fengzeyuan. My master said that I can't take on jobs outside on my own until I've mastered the skills. That's the rule."

Yi Zhonghai was taken aback; he hadn't expected Sha Zhu to try and fob him off with the rules.

"Rules are rules, but people are flexible," Yi Zhonghai quickly said. "Besides, these aren't outsiders; we're all from the same courtyard. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about this, and your master will definitely not know either."

Sha Zhu shook his head, stood up, and looked directly at Yi Zhonghai.

"Master Yi, I respected you before because of my father, and also because you are older, so I treated you as an elder."

"But what kind of thing did you do? For your own retirement plans, you wanted to get me out of Fengzeyuan and put me in a place like a steel mill canteen, ruining my future."

"If Brother Cheng Shuhai hadn't pointed it out to me, I'd still be completely in the dark!"

Sha Zhu grew angrier and angrier, his voice rising: "You still have the nerve to ask me for help? Let me tell you, no way! Even if my master didn't have rules, I wouldn't take this job! Take that wine back, I find it dirty!"

These words were spoken bluntly and firmly, leaving no room for leniency for Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai's face turned pale instantly, then flushed a deep purplish-red. He hadn't expected Sha Zhu to be so blunt, stripping him bare in front of He Yushui.

"You...you..." Yi Zhonghai pointed at Sha Zhu, trembling with anger, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

"What do you mean, 'what about me'? Did I say something wrong?" Sha Zhu retorted, "Master Yi, you have to have a conscience. Everyone in the courtyard can see through your little schemes. I was just stupid before to believe your nonsense. Don't come to me with your family matters anymore. We're not that close!"

After saying that, Sha Zhu pulled He Yushui and turned around to go into the inner room, slamming the door shut and leaving Yi Zhonghai alone in the outer room.

Yi Zhonghai stood there, feeling a burning sensation on his face, as if he had been slapped countless times in public. He couldn't understand how the silly Zhu who used to obey him so obediently had become so cold and unrecognizable.

"Cheng Shuhai! It's Cheng Shuhai again!"

Yi Zhonghai roared through gritted teeth in his heart. He blamed everything on Cheng Shuhai.

In the end, he could only sheepishly pick up the bottle of wine and leave Sha Zhu's house.

Having been rebuffed, Yi Zhonghai had no choice but to ask someone to find a chef from outside who was said to be quite skilled.

The news quickly spread throughout the courtyard.

The front yard, Yan Bugui's house.

As Yang Xiulian picked vegetables, she muttered to Yan Bugui, "You know, Old Yi is just too proud to admit his mistake. He has a great chef like Cheng Shuhai in the courtyard, but insists on finding someone from outside. Isn't that going to great lengths?"

Yan Bugui put down his newspaper, adjusted his glasses, and said slowly, "What do you know? His feud with Cheng Shuhai runs deeper than the sea. Cheng Shuhai exposed his infertility in front of the entire hospital, making him the laughingstock of Beijing. He wants to tear Cheng Shuhai apart right now; how could he possibly lower himself to beg him?"

"Besides," Yan Bugui lowered his voice, "do you think Lao Yi has given up now? He's just accepted the fact that he can't have children. But his hatred for Cheng Shuhai hasn't lessened at all. Now he's adopting this child, throwing a banquet and inviting guests, partly to shut Jia Zhangshi up, and partly to show Cheng Shuhai. He wants to tell Cheng Shuhai, even if you've made me lose face and cut off my lineage, I, Yi Zhonghai, still have descendants! I haven't lost!"

Yang Xiulian was stunned: "So, this feud between the two of them is irreconcilable?"

"It's unsolvable." Yan Bugui shook his head, picked up the newspaper again, and said, "Just wait and see, this courtyard will never be peaceful again."