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

"It's your business if you have money, it's our business if we give it to you!" With that, Xu Wenya put down her things and went upstairs. A short while later, Xu Wenya came downstairs with an envelope. She handed the envelope to Song Zhaohong, saying, "Here! Take it! Even if we don't repair the house, buying furniture will still cost money!"

Song Zhaohong hesitated for a moment, then took the envelope and said, "Thank you, Dad! Thank you, Mom!"

Xu Wenya said, "Don't be so polite with us! Marrying Lianqing as soon as possible is better than anything else! You and your sister will live close by, and you two can look after each other. Your father and I will be at ease then."

Song Shinian continued, "You're new to the job, so ask Zhu Zi if there's anything you don't understand. Don't let his carefree attitude fool you; he's actually quite perceptive."

Song Zhaohong was stunned for a few seconds, thinking to himself, "Could it be that I really misjudged He Yuzhu?!"

Seeing Song Zhaohong's reaction, Song Shinian knew exactly what his son was thinking. Originally, Song Shinian didn't want to say it, but Song Zhaohong was, after all, his son. After hesitating for a few seconds, Song Shinian reminded him, "Zhaohong, civilian life is different from the military. In the military, it's all about ability. In civilian life, it's not just about ability, but also about interpersonal relationships. The methods you used in the military might work for a short time, but they won't work in the long run. What you need to learn now is to be flexible."

Song Zhaohong nodded silently and said, "Dad, don't worry! I know what I'm doing!"

Meanwhile, a round table was set up in He Yuzhu's kitchen. A group of people sat around it. Looking at the dazzling array of dishes on the table, He Daqing smiled and called out, "Don't just look! Let's eat!"

Xu Wude raised his glass and clinked it against He Daqing's, saying, "Old He, it's been a while since our two families have gotten together like this. Today, we old brothers should have a good drink!"

He Daqing chimed in, "It's been a while since we've gotten together." He then took a sip of his drink and asked, "Old Xu, I haven't seen you lately. Off to the countryside to show movies again?!"

Xu Wude said, "I have no choice but to go! I've taken on three apprentices, and none of them have graduated yet. Once they graduate, I can finally relax a bit."

He Daqing said, "I guess you think it'll be that easy for you."

Xu Wude was taken aback and asked, "Old He, did you hear something?!"

He Daqing said, "Of your three apprentices, one is your section chief's nephew. The other two got into our factory through connections with leaders from other units. I reckon that once they've mastered their skills, only your section chief's nephew will stay; the other two will be transferred. I think you're just herding one sheep or two sheep anyway. You might as well ask your section chief for a few more sheep to herd together."

He Yuzhu asked, "Uncle Xu, haven't you ever thought about changing jobs?!"

Schwold replied, "I have considered it. But nowhere seems right."

He Yuzhu said, "Uncle Xu, if it really doesn't work out, you should go back to the convoy. You and Da Mao can share a car. That way, you and your son can look after each other."

Xu Wude laughed and said, "Going back to the team is something I've considered. But I'm getting too old now. It's not suitable for me to drive for the team."

Xu Damao said, "Brother Zhu, after I complete my apprenticeship, do you think it's better for me to stay in the factory's fleet or go to the city's transportation company?"

He Yuzhu thought for a moment and said, "You should stay at the factory for now. I'll see if I can transfer you to the branch office's motorcade when the opportunity arises."

Zheng Xiaoying asked, "Da Mao, how did your blind date go today?!"

Xu Damao replied with a smile, "Mom, with your son in his current situation, isn't it a piece of cake?!"

Liang Wanping chimed in, "Sister Xiaoying, I've met the eldest daughter of the Yu family. Her temperament and personality are a perfect match for your Da Mao. Besides, the eldest daughter of the Yu family is quite beautiful."

Xu Wude said, "This girl is good in every way. The only problem is her job. But we can find a way to change it after she marries Da Mao."

He Yuzhu said, "Uncle Xu, you might not know this, but the pencil factory has now been transferred to the district. It's now a directly managed factory by the district. Their wages and benefits are one level higher than before."

Hearing He Yuzhu's words, Xu Wude and his wife felt even more at ease. After a while, Zheng Xiaoying suddenly frowned and said, "Both of them will have jobs in the future. Who will help take care of the baby?!"

Liang Wanping said, "Sister Xiaoying, isn't Yu Li's mother at home?! Let her help take care of her. You can just give her some money each month, right?!"

He Yuzhu said, "Aunt Xu, doesn't our neighborhood office have a daycare center?! When the child turns two, we can send him to the daycare center. It'll only be tough for the first year or two."

Xu Wude asked, "Pillar, when are you two getting down to business?!"

He Yuzhu glanced at Song Ran sitting beside him, picked up a piece of spicy crab and put it in Song Ran's bowl, saying, "The two families will meet this Sunday to discuss this matter. If things go smoothly, it should be settled before the New Year. If not, it will be after the New Year."

Xu Damao sighed and said, "Yu Li is still a little too young. Even if I were to get married, it would have to be after the New Year."

Everyone present couldn't help but laugh when they heard Xu Damao's words.

He Daqing continued, "Zhu Zi, Director Li asked me to ask you, are you still able to get any seafood?!"

"Sure?!" He Yuzhu suddenly realized and said, "Dad, your factory also has a purchasing department. Can't they go to Tianjin to buy things?!"

He Daqing said, "Our factory's purchasing department isn't even as good as your Uncle Xu's team!!"

Xu Wude complained, "Zhu Zi, you probably don't know. Your Uncle Xu not only has to take people to the countryside to show movies, but also help the purchasing team buy supplies. I'm getting paid for doing the work of two people."

He Yuzhu knew perfectly well that the purchasing department was currently lucrative; during the three years of natural disasters, it would be a completely cash cow. He Yuzhu said, "Uncle Xu, actually, buying seafood in Tianjin isn't that difficult. You can find a larger fishing village, send someone to make contact first. Usually, it's a barter system, with some additional payment. Once the deal is done, you can come back and transport the goods there to exchange for what you need. However, dried seafood is fine. If it's freshly caught, it must be brought back as soon as possible." He then asked, "Dad, does your factory have a cold storage facility?!"

He Daqing replied, "Thanks to Boss Lou. The factory has two cold storage facilities, one large and one small."

"Since your factory has a cold storage, just put the food in the cold storage when you bring it back. Take it out in advance when you want to eat it. Go get it now. As long as there are a lot of them, the workers will have all the benefits for the New Year." After saying that, He Yuzhu picked up a piece of boneless fish and put it into He Yushui's bowl.