Courtyard House: A Major Power's Heavy Industry, Hand-Crafted Nuclear Fusion

The next morning.

The sky was turning a pale white; winter in Beijing is late in the season.

The cold wind was still biting, and the water poured into the yard last night had long since frozen into a hard shell of ice. In the old locust tree in the front yard, a few crows hunched their necks, occasionally letting out a hoarse cry.

"Sizzle—"

Su Zheng pushed open the door, and a gust of cold wind rushed in instantly.

But unlike the others, he didn't hold back. Instead, he took a deep breath of the crisp air, which invigorated him.

After a delicious steak dinner last night, and a good night's sleep in the system space (due to time flow adjustment, he slept for eight hours in the space while only a short time had passed outside), he now had a rosy complexion and bright eyes, a stark contrast to his pale and sleepy neighbors in the yard.

Su Zheng was carrying a brand-new enamel basin, with a snow-white towel around his neck and a thermos in his hand, and he walked slowly toward the water trough in the front yard.

In this era, most families in courtyard houses did not have independent water supply and drainage; they had to go to the public water trough in the front yard to wash their faces, brush their teeth, and wash their clothes.

At this moment, several people had gathered around the sink.

Uncle Yan Bugui, wearing a pair of glasses with one leg broken, was brushing his teeth with trembling hands. The bristles of his toothbrush were all worn out, and the toothpaste he squeezed out was only the size of a grain of rice. He was also carefully catching water while brushing, afraid of wasting a single drop.

The three women were washing several worn-out cotton-padded jackets nearby, their hands frozen like carrots.

Su Zheng walked over and put the washbasin on the table.

"Splash—"

He uncorked the thermos, and scalding hot water poured out, instantly creating a cloud of white steam that spread through the cold air.

The heat hit them so hard that even the neighbors who were shivering and stamping their feet stared wide-eyed.

"Hey, it's Su Zheng."

Yan Bugui spat out a mouthful of foam, pushed up his glasses, and a hint of heartache flashed in his shrewd little eyes. "Using hot water to wash your face so early in the morning? That's too extravagant! Coal briquettes cost money, water costs money, are you trying to ruin your life?"

The three aunties chimed in, "Yes, Xiao Su, you just lent money to the Jia family... oh no, you just asked them to get it back, you can't be so extravagant. Young people need to know how to be frugal."

Although the neighbors around didn't say anything, their eyes all revealed a sense of disdain, as if to say, "This person doesn't know how to manage a household."

In this day and age, it's considered good if you can wash your face in winter without being hit by cold water. Who would be willing to use boiled water mixed with lukewarm water to wash their face? That would waste so much coal!

Su Zheng completely ignored their gazes.

He slowly squeezed out a strip of crystal-clear mint toothpaste—a product of the system space, with a refreshing taste and rich foam, far superior to the Darlie toothpaste currently on the market.

Then, he started brushing his teeth.

The movements were precise and unhurried, and every tooth was brushed clean.

After brushing his teeth, he carefully washed his face with warm water, and even took out a bar of soap from his pocket—the soap was as white as jade and had a faint jasmine scent.

"Slurp—"

Yan Bugui sniffed, his eyes widening even further: "This smell...this is foreign soap? Su Zheng, you've struck it rich?"

This scent is so luxurious, it smells much better than the Lighthouse brand soap sold at the supply and marketing cooperative!

After washing his face, Su Zheng dried it with the snow-white towel before turning his head and glancing indifferently at Yan Bugui.

"Uncle, this isn't extravagance, this is efficiency."

Su Zheng's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable sense of logic. "Washing your face with cold water constricts blood vessels, leaving dirt behind, making you prone to chilblains and colds. If you catch a cold and get a fever, going to the hospital for treatment and medicine will cost at least a dollar, and it will also take up work time. In exchange for this little bit of coal, I gain better health and a better work performance. Can you really make that right?"

Yan Bugui was stunned.

He's spent his whole life calculating pennies and cents; he'd never heard of a theory like "health cost science."

He opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but after fiddling with the abacus beads in his mind for a long time, he actually felt that what Su Zheng said... seemed to make sense.

Seeing a doctor can really cost a lot of money, and it also means a deduction from your salary!

"Besides," Su Zheng pointed to his clean and tidy face, then to Yan Bugui's old face, which was purple and even cracked from years of washing with cold water, "if you don't pay attention to hygiene, bacterial infections can lead to serious illnesses, which can bankrupt you. Third Uncle, you're an educated man; you don't need me to teach you the principle of 'prevention is better than cure,' do you?"

These words were not just a rebuttal, but a devastating blow.

Su Zheng didn't argue with Yan Bugui about "I have money and I'm happy to do it." Instead, he stood at the height of science and economics and used the "accounting" logic that Yan Bugui cared about most to refute him, leaving him speechless.

The neighbors around were stunned.

"Hey, what Su Zheng said seems to make some sense."

"Yes, last year Old Li's husband caught a cold trying to save on coal, and it later developed into pneumonia, costing them quite a bit of money!"

"Looks like being hygienic really does save money?"

Yan Bugui's face flushed red, and he was speechless for a long time. He felt that his dignity as a "calculator" had been challenged.

"Hmph, sophistry! I think you're just being capitalist!" Yan Bugui could only manage this weak and uninspiring label at the end.

Su Zheng ignored him, picked up the washbasin, and turned to leave.

His upright posture and composed gait made him stand out among the timid neighbors.

Go back inside the house.

Su Zheng was not idle.

"This coal smoke smell is too strong; it must be addressed."

Although they used smokeless coal, the other households in the courtyard were still burning low-quality coal, resulting in extremely poor air quality throughout the courtyard. Su Zheng, a man with modern hygiene concepts, simply could not tolerate this.

He closed the door and his consciousness sank into the system space.

"Prepare a simple air purifier solution."

[Ding! Solution generated: Utilizing activated carbon powder, citric acid extract, and trace ozone generation principle (requires manual device construction)...]

Su Zheng immediately took action.

He found several empty cans, punched a few holes in the bottom, filled them with highly absorbent activated carbon granules he got from the systems lab, and placed cotton balls soaked in a special purification solution in the middle layer.

Then, using the chimney effect from physics, he installed these simple devices in the ventilation holes of windows and the gaps in doors.

This forms a simple "positive pressure fresh air system".

As long as there is a heat source (stove) inside the house, the pressure difference generated by the rising hot air will force the outside air to enter the house through these filtration devices, effectively blocking the smell of coal smoke and dust from the outside.

Less than half an hour.

The faint, strange smell that had been lingering in the room completely disappeared, replaced by a light, refreshing scent, like a forest after the rain.

Su Zheng took a deep breath and nodded in satisfaction.

Then, he took out the old work clothes that he had worn for several years.

The collar and cuffs of the clothes were worn shiny and covered in oil and metal shavings. What the original owner saw as a "mark of glory," Su Zheng saw as a bacterial culture dish.

"Strong stain remover, diluted with water."

Su Zheng poured out a little of the transparent liquid prepared by the system and soaked the work clothes in it.

The water in the basin turned black instantly, and countless oil stains seemed to come alive as they escaped from the fibers.

Wash, rinse, and dry (using the heat from the stove).

When Su Zheng put on the work clothes again, they were clean and tidy, exuding a faint scent of soap. Although old, their crisp and energetic appearance was refreshing.

Su Zheng stood in front of the mirror and straightened his collar.

The person in the mirror has sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and a tall and straight posture. Although he is wearing the most ordinary blue work clothes, he has an indescribable aloofness and sharpness.

This is the persona he wants to create—

Aloof, obsessive about cleanliness, particular, and not to be trifled with.

In this large courtyard, if you blend in with the crowd, they will drag you into the mire; only if you stand tall enough and are clean enough that they feel ashamed of themselves will they dare not easily reach out their dirty hands to you.

He pushed open the door and went out.

They happened to run into Yi Zhonghai, who was carrying a lunchbox and on his way to work.

Yi Zhonghai's gaze narrowed slightly as he looked at the completely transformed and imposing Su Zheng.

Su Zheng's behavior last night had already put him on guard, and this morning's reaction made him feel that the young man had become completely uncontrollable.

"Su Zheng," Yi Zhonghai stopped, put his hands behind his back, and adopted the air of an elder, saying with a forced smile, "Dressed up so neatly? Well, you have your grading exam today. But young people should be down-to-earth and not just focus on looking good on the surface. The factory's assessment is based on real skills, so don't embarrass our compound."

This is a warning.

It's also a subtle way of saying: You were so arrogant last night, if you don't pass the test today, I'll teach you a lesson.

Su Zheng didn't stop walking, and didn't even glance at Yi Zhonghai.

Just as the two brushed past each other, Su Zheng coldly replied:

"Uncle, you should worry more about your apprentice, Jia Dongxu. Don't let him lose face before he loses his reputation."

After saying that, he strode out of the central courtyard.

Yi Zhonghai's face stiffened, and a sinister glint flashed in his eyes.

"You little rascal, you've got a sharp tongue. Wait till you get to the factory, then let's see if you're still so arrogant!"