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

He Yuzhu took the cigarette, pulled out a matchbox, and casually joked, "Did you run into your ex-lover?!"

Xu Damao rolled his eyes at He Yuzhu, annoyed, and said, "Am I that shallow?!"

He Yuzhu laughed and replied, "Don't you know whether you've met anyone or not?!" He then asked, "So, who exactly did you encounter?!"

Xu Damao replied, "Jia Dongxu!"

He Yuzhu asked in surprise, "He went to Sichuan?!"

Xu Damao shook his head and said, "He was on a business trip to Sichuan. He just happened to run into him. This guy got married again."

"What?!" Now it was He Yuzhu's turn to be surprised.

Xu Damao said, "I heard from his colleagues that he married a widow with a newborn baby."

He Yuzhu asked, "Can you rest at home for a few days?!"

Xu Damao replied, "Three days! I plan to sleep in all day tomorrow." Then he asked, "I heard you're dating someone?!"

"They've talked! Our parents will meet next Sunday to set a date." Then He Yuzhu asked, "Your mom introduced you to someone last time. How's it going with you two?!"

Xu Damao said, "That girl is pretty. It's just that her family's class background isn't very good. I'm hesitating."

He Yuzhu asked, "What's that girl's name?!"

Xu Damao replied, "Her surname is You. Her family owned a textile factory before the liberation."

Upon hearing the surname You, He Yuzhu immediately thought of You Fengxia. He thought to himself, "Da Mao's mother is no good! Why does she always date women like that?! Looks like I'll have to step in for your happiness!" He Yuzhu snapped out of his reverie and said, "Da Mao, I know you're always striving for advancement. If you marry someone with a problematic social class background, your path to advancement will be cut off. You need to think this through!" As he spoke, He Yuzhu saw He Yushui and Xu Xiaoling coming out of the backyard. He Yuzhu hurriedly asked, "Yushui, isn't there someone in your class named Yu Haitang?!"

He Yushui nodded and said, "There is such a person." Then she asked, "What's wrong with him?!"

Xu Damao asked, "Master Zhu, you don't mean you want them to introduce Yu Haitang to me, do you?!"

"You have really good teeth, kid?! You even dare to bite a little girl?!" After saying that, He Yuzhu looked Xu Damao up and down with a disdainful gaze, and then said, "Yu Haitang has an older sister named Yu Li, who is three years younger than you. She's quite good-looking. She graduated from junior high school and now works at the pencil factory run by the neighborhood committee. If you really want to find a girlfriend, you can go and see her first."

Xu Damao asked, "Master Zhu, how do you know so much about this?!"

He Yuzhu said, "Stop with your little schemes! Have you forgotten what I do?! I may be a purchasing agent, but I'm a police officer through and through!"

"Oops?!" Xu Damao slapped his forehead and said, "Sorry! I forgot about that."

Xu Xiaoling said, "Brother, I've met Yu Haitang's older sister. She's quite pretty! How about I take you to her house to meet her after school tomorrow?"

Xu Damao was somewhat tempted. After hesitating for a moment, Xu Damao said, "I'll discuss it with my dad and the others tonight."

He Yuzhu said, "Da Mao, your mother thinks that even a starved camel is bigger than a horse, and that although capitalists aren't popular anymore, the things they own are still valuable. But don't forget, the more they make a scene now, the more they'll be held accountable later. The things they own may be valuable, but sometimes they can be their death warrant."

Xu Damao thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Master Zhu, I understand what you're saying!"

"That's enough!" After saying that, He Yuzhu pushed the bicycle into the house, parked it, and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner with He Daqing.

After dinner at Xu Damao's house that evening, Xu Damao told his parents what He Yuzhu had said to him. Zheng Xiaoying, after listening to Xu Damao's story, muttered dismissively, "Is it really that far-fetched?!"

Xu Wude chimed in, "Seriously?! Not at all. The factory leaders have been asking me to show them movies, and I've heard some of the rumors from above. If our Da Mao really marries a capitalist's daughter, our lives won't be as good as they are now. Think about it, capitalists don't do anything without profit. Why would they marry their daughters to ordinary workers?! Don't introduce Da Mao to anyone like that anymore."

Xu Xiaoling said, "Dad, my classmate's older sister is quite pretty. She's three years younger than my brother. She works at the pencil factory run by the neighborhood committee. How about we let my brother go on a date with her?"

Xu Wude laughed and said, "You little rascal, why are you trying to be a matchmaker too?!"

Xu Xiaoling said, "Brother Zhuzi has a girlfriend and is getting married soon. My brother is still single, so how can I, as his sister, not be anxious?!"

Xu Wude asked, "Who's your brother Zhu's girlfriend?!"

Xu Xiaoling answered without hesitation, "Our homeroom teacher!"

Xu Damao then realized what was happening and muttered, "They say a rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow. I never expected He Yuzhu to marry his sister's teacher! Who would have thought?!" He then asked, "How did your homeroom teacher fall for him?!"

Xu Xiaoling replied, "Brother Zhuzi was a hero who saved the damsel in distress. Our homeroom teacher has no way to repay him but to offer herself to him."

Xu Wude said to Xu Damao, "Ultimately, you have to decide your own life's most important matter. We can only offer suggestions. After all, we, as your parents, can't be with you forever. In the end, it's your wife who will be with you for life."

Xu Damao thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll find an opportunity to get to know Yu Li."

Nothing happened that night, and a little after six o'clock the next morning, the courtyard house was bustling with life again. He Yuzhu got up, washed, and went into the kitchen. Not long after, He Daqing came in from outside, yawning, and asked, "Zhuzi, what are we having for breakfast today?!"

He Yuzhu replied, "What else can we eat?! Fried buns with millet porridge. It's both warming and filling."

He Daqing glanced at the buns in the pot and said, "Zhuzi, we can't keep eating like this every day! If someone with conjunctivitis sees us, our family will be in trouble."

He Yuzhu said, "Dad, if you're upright, you have nothing to fear. As long as we haven't exceeded the quota, let them sue us. Besides, Dad, you're the head chef at the steel mill. If you can't even prepare coarse grains properly, won't people laugh at you?!"

He Daqing said, "It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. Let alone guarding against a villain. We should be careful."

"Alright! I understand!" After saying that, He Yuzhu stirred the millet porridge in the pot with a spoon and asked, "Dad, do you want to eat now, or wait a while?!"

He Daqing said, "Let's wait a while! We'll eat together after Yushui and the others get up."