The Beginning of a Courtyard House: Sixty Years of Internal Strength

"But to be honest, Qin Huairu is really beautiful. Those big breasts and that big butt are like a millstone," Xu Damao said, his eyes turning into those of a lecherous man.

"Alright, Damao, how old are you? You're already thinking about women. Aren't you afraid Jia Dongxu will beat you up?" Li Jianguo teased Xu Damao.

"Tch, all he knows is to kneel and die without a family. Why would I be afraid of him? With his skinny frame, he's already been drained dry by Qin Huairu." Although Xu Damao said this, he was still a little scared. After all, he was still young and couldn't beat Jia Dongxu at all.

"Alright, Damao, that's enough for now. You should go home quickly, or your dad will beat you up again if you drink too much." Li Jianguo quickly stopped him when he saw him pouring more wine.

"Oh, right, right, I'm going back now. I just finished a meeting and sneaked out." Wu Fan Chou quickly ate two peanuts, downed the wine in his glass, and then slipped away.

Li Jianguo tidied up briefly, washed up, and went to sleep.

The next day, Li Jianguo didn't hand in his task either. There was still a day until Saturday, so he wasn't in a hurry.

After waking up naturally, Li Jianguo grabbed 10 jin (5 catties) of meat and headed towards his father's house.

Neither Yan Bugui nor his wife were guarding the door; it seems they hadn't been there yesterday, which terrified Yan the stingy.

When Li Jianguo returned home, only his mother and sister-in-law were there; his father and brother had gone to work. He simply placed the meat on the table.

"Jianguo, where did this pork come from?" Li's mother asked curiously.

"I just went back to my hometown, and by chance, I hunted a wild boar, so I divided it up and brought some over."

"This meat is really good." Li's mother picked it up, looked at it, and then took it into the kitchen.

"Alright, I'll be going now, I have other things to do."

"Wait a minute, what's the rush? You're home now. Are your grandparents alright? Is everything alright at home? And the matchmaker has already been found. Come over this week on your day off, and she'll bring the girl to our door then." Li's mother quickly asked.

"Okay, everything's fine at home. This is too fast! Grandma even said she'd introduce me to someone back in our hometown."

"What? You want to marry someone from the countryside? Have you thought it through? But a country girl is fine too. Now every household has been allocated land, so you can have relatives farm the land, making things easier for your family." After thinking about it, Li's mother felt that a country girl wasn't bad, and continued.

"Jianguo, here's a piece of cloth and a few old clothes. Take these back with you next time you go back to your hometown so your parents can make some clothes for you."

"Okay, Mom, I understand. Didn't I already say what I wanted? It doesn't matter if it's someone from the village or the city. I'll come when it's time for the blind date." He took the small package containing the clothes and went out.

I found a secluded corner and entered the space. First, I planted crops, vegetables, and fruit trees, and then watered them with ordinary water.

He began cultivating in the space again, and before he knew it, it was evening.

When Li Jianguo returned home, he didn't see Yan Bugui at the door; as expected, Yan wasn't guarding the gate. He wondered how long this stingy old man Yan could hold out. Li Jianguo shook his head with amusement and went straight home.

Lying in bed, Li Jianguo began to think. He never expected his mother to be so quick and efficient.

I'm going on a blind date so soon, and I don't even know what kind of person he is. I drifted off to sleep in a daze.

The next day, Li Jianguo from Lijiang went to the steel rolling mill with a carrying pole.

I handed in my assignment this morning, and since I don't have anything else to do, I'm not in a hurry to go home. I plan to have a meal at the cafeteria.

Li Jianguo stayed in the office until noon, then took his lunchbox to the cafeteria to get food. He arrived early, and there weren't many people there.

I specifically sought out the "Silly Zhu" window, and I never expected the cafeteria food to be so bad. Stewed cabbage, hot and sour shredded potatoes, and cornbread. It's just like that song says: "Holding a cornbread in my hand, not a drop of oil in the dish."

When He Yuzhu saw that it was Li Jianguo, he greeted him. Li Jianguo had a serving of cabbage, a serving of shredded potatoes, and two steamed buns.

He Yuzhu gave each dish a large spoonful, and also prepared two large steamed buns. Li Jianguo said thank you.

I sat down and started eating. The shredded potatoes were alright, but the cabbage tasted bland.

Li Jianguo barely managed to finish his meal and then washed the lunchbox.

Lunchboxes from that era were easy to clean because they weren't oily. A quick rinse and a couple of swipes were usually enough. In later times, however, there was too much oil, so dish soap was needed.

Li Jianguo went straight home in the afternoon since he had nothing to do; he had a blind date tomorrow. He grabbed a towel, planned to go to the public bathhouse, and took a shower.

In those days, there were so many people in the bathhouses in the north, and the water in the pools was really dirty. No wonder people wanted to come in the morning to wash in the first pot of water.

After walking around the bathhouse, Li Jianguo became incredibly confident because he had the most substantial assets; others only had half of his.

He just took a shower and went out. The pool was really dirty, and he didn't want to soak in it.

I got a haircut at the barbershop near the entrance. Looking in the mirror, I felt incredibly handsome. The Free and Unfettered Sect's martial arts techniques truly are a beauty booster; it's like they've turned on a beauty filter.

When Li Jianguo returned to courtyard number 95, Yan Laokou was still recovering from the blow; it had been several days.

I'm going on a blind date tomorrow, and I picked out a clean and tidy outfit. It just occurred to me that I forgot to bring another piece of his clothing from the silk shop. I completely forgot about it. It's been so long! I guess I'll have to find some time to get it.

In the morning, Li Jianguo thought about it and still took out half a pound of sugar, melon seeds, peanuts and the like. After all, it was his blind date, and he felt bad if his family prepared things for him.

When Li Jianguo got home, it was already four o'clock, and it would be noon soon. The matchmaker then brought over a girl.

Li Jianguo was immediately disappointed; the woman's appearance didn't meet his expectations.

Well, she is indeed fair-skinned, but her looks are only slightly above average. She's far inferior to Lou Xiao'e and Chen Xueru, and her appearance doesn't match her own. She should at least find a factory beauty.

There was no other way; since she was already there, I couldn't lose face, so I had to pretend to be cheerful and chat with her.

This girl is from Sesame Alley. Her father works in a factory, though Li Jianguo was too lazy to ask for details. She has an older brother, a younger brother, and a younger sister. She told him all of this herself, so she seems quite satisfied with herself. But brother, you're the one who can't get a man.

The whole family had a meal together. It was so touching.

After the matchmaker led the girl away, Li's mother eagerly asked, "How was it? I think this girl is quite nice. Did you like her?"

"Mom, maybe I should find someone myself. I don't think she's that good-looking. Look how handsome your son is, we're not a good match." Li Jianguo quickly shook his head and refused.

"Seriously, you do look much more handsome after taking a shower and tidying up. Be more presentable in the future, don't be so sloppy. The problem is, with our family's circumstances, I'm afraid even if someone is too pretty, they won't be interested in you." Li's mother slapped Li Jianguo's arm in annoyance.