The Courtyard House: The story begins with He Yuzhu beating up the White Widow.

He Yuzhu glanced at the item in Yan Bugui's hand, chuckled, and led He Yushui towards the central courtyard. Now that it was right in front of him, how could Yan Bugui let it go so easily?! Yan Bugui grabbed He Yuzhu and asked, "Zhuzi, what good stuff did you bring back?! Can I see it?!"

He Yuzhu glared at Yan Bugui, then with a slight tremor, broke free from Yan Bugui's grasp, gave a soft snort, and left with He Yushui. Yan Bugui watched He Yuzhu's retreating figure, gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and stormed home.

Back home, He Yuzhu threw the cloth bag he was carrying onto the table and then collapsed onto the bed without any regard for appearances. He Yushui sat down beside him and said, "Brother, where are we going tomorrow?!"

He Yuzhu said, "Tomorrow we won't go anywhere, we'll just rest at home. In a few months, you'll be going to school. It's time for you to settle down."

He Yushui said, "Brother, don't worry! I will definitely study hard and go to university!"

Upon hearing that He Yushui wanted to take the college entrance exam, He Yuzhu sat up abruptly in bed and said, "Yushui, don't put pressure on yourself. It's still ten years before you take the exam! Nobody knows what might happen in ten years. Just do your best. But let me make this clear: as long as you have the ability to study, I'll sell everything I own to support you."

He Yushui said with a smile, "Brother! I know! If all else fails, I can always ask Dad for money."

He Yuzhu said, "Yushui, we must have backbone. If Dad gives it to us, we'll take it. If he doesn't, we won't ask him for it." Then he asked, "Yushui, will you be able to eat dinner?"

He Yushui shook her head and said, "Brother, I ate way too much for lunch. Let's talk about it later!"

"Okay!" He Yuzhu replied, stood up, walked to the cabinet, pretended to open the cabinet door, and used the cabinet as cover to take out more than a dozen comic books he had bought when he took He Yushui shopping a few days ago. He walked to He Yushui's side and said, "These will help you pass the time!"

"A comic book?!" He Yushui excitedly took the book from He Yuzhu's hand and asked, "Brother, when did you buy it?!"

He Yuzhu said, "I bought this when you went to buy sugar figurines that day. I thought you could look at it when you're bored at home."

"Brother! You're the best to me!" After saying that, He Yushui couldn't wait to pick up a book and start reading.

"Knock! Knock! Knock!" After a while, there was a sudden knock on the door. He Yuzhu opened the door and saw Yan Jiecheng standing there. He Yuzhu asked, "What is it?!"

Yan Jiecheng said, "The meeting has started!"

He Yuzhu asked, "What kind of meeting is this?!"

"You'll know once you open it. Why are you asking so many questions?!" With that, Yan Jiecheng went to knock on another door.

About five or six minutes later, everyone in the courtyard had gathered in the central courtyard. Yan Bugui respectfully said, "Director Wu, everyone in the courtyard has arrived!"

Wu Jiangyong looked at He Yuzhu and his sister standing in the crowd and called out, "He Yuzhu!"

"Yes!" He Yuzhu responded, then asked, "Director Wu, what brings you here?"

Wu Jiangyong took the file bag handed to him by his colleague, opened it in front of everyone, took out a martyr's certificate and an envelope, and said, "He Yuzhu, I am here on behalf of my superiors to deliver your uncle Zhang Dabiao's martyr's certificate and pension." After saying that, Wu Jiangyong handed the items in his hand to He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu stepped forward, accepted the martyr's certificate, and said, "Director Wu, I'll accept the martyr's certificate. As for the compensation, please donate it for my brother and me!"

Wu Jiangyong asked, "Have you thought it through?!"

He Yuzhu nodded heavily and said, "The martyr's certificate is my uncle's honor. It's also a way of giving back to my maternal grandparents and my mother. As for the compensation, there's a war going on in the north, and we can't help much. Consider this our token of our appreciation. It's also my uncle's last contribution to the country."

"Okay!" Wu Jiangyong put the pension money back into the file bag, handed it to his colleague, and said, "I'll have someone send you the donation certificate later."

He Yuzhu said, "Director Wu, I need your help!"

Wu Jiangyong asked, "What is it?!"

He Yuzhu said, "Could you please put my uncle's name as the donor on the donation certificate?!"

"Alright!" Wu Jiangyong nodded heavily, then looked at the people in the courtyard and said, "There are two things I've come here for today. One is to deliver the martyr's certificate. The other is to elect a liaison officer."

When Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong heard the words "liaison officer," their eyes lit up.

Yan Bugui then asked, "Director Wu, what is the job of this liaison officer?!"

Wu Jiangyong said, "The liaison officer's responsibility is to convey the instructions and latest policies from higher authorities to the people in the compound. At the same time, they are also responsible for preventing enemy and spy attacks. If suspicious persons are discovered, they must be reported to the military control commission or the public security bureau immediately."

He Yuzhu then asked, "Director Wu, do liaison officers have law enforcement powers?! If conflicts arise between neighbors in the courtyard, do the liaison officers have the right to intervene?!"

Wu Jiangyong answered directly: "The liaison officers are just ordinary people like everyone else. If you trust the liaison officers, you can ask them to mediate any conflicts. If you don't want to contact the liaison officers, you can go directly to the military control commission."

Yi Zhonghai, who had initially planned to use his position as liaison officer to enhance his own image, froze upon hearing Wu Jiangyong's answer. He inwardly hated He Yuzhu, blaming him for being so talkative. He Yuzhu, however, had observed every single change in Yi Zhonghai's expression out of the corner of his eye. He thought to himself, "Yi Zhonghai, even if you become the liaison officer, you can't expect to act like a local tyrant like in the TV dramas! No way!"

Liu Haizhong asked, "Director Wu, how are these liaison officers selected? Is there any special reason behind it?"

Wu Jiangyong said, "You can nominate yourself, or you can be jointly elected by the people in the institute. Your institute is relatively large, so you can have two or three liaison officers."

Liu Haizhong hurriedly said, "Director Wu, my name is Liu Haizhong, and I live in the backyard. I have a primary school education and am a senior forging worker at Lou's Steel Rolling Mill. I volunteer to be the liaison officer!"

Wu Jiangyong nodded slightly, his eyes quickly scanning the faces of the residents present, and asked, "Anyone else volunteering?"

Just as Yan Bugui was about to speak, He Yuzhu said, "I choose Grandpa Bao from the front yard!"

"Yes! I'll choose Grandpa Bao too!"

At this moment, He Yushui's small eyes darted around, and she said coldly, "I choose the fat aunt from the front yard!"

"He Yushui, what are you doing interrupting?!" Jia Dongxu retorted to He Yushui, then continued, "I choose my master, Yi Zhonghai!"