Courtyard House: I fish in the heavens, a professional bird abuser.

boom!

Qin Huairu felt a buzzing in her head, and all the blood in her body rushed to her head, only to recede completely in an instant!

My face was burning, as if I had been slapped hard several times in public!

She wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground right now!

That old incident was brought up in public, especially in such a setting!

The surroundings fell silent for a moment. Countless gazes, intentionally or unintentionally, swept over Qin Huairu, who was pale and swaying, and then looked at He Yuanchao, who was full of vigor in the center of the crowd. The meaning in their eyes was complicated and hard to understand.

There was sympathy, there was disdain, but mostly there was amusement at the spectacle.

"Ahem!" Old Zhang, the workshop foreman, cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence.

He was a straightforward man and genuinely happy for He Yuanchao. He laughed and loudly suggested, "Alright, alright! Stop crowding around Master He! Time to get back to work! But Yuanchao, you've been promoted five levels—that's fantastic news! How about we treat everyone in the workshop to a meal tonight? What do you all think?"

"Yes! It's on me!"

"Absolutely! A level five worker! It wouldn't be right not to invite them!"

"Master He is so generous! He's treating us to a meal at a restaurant!"

The workers immediately started commotion, and the atmosphere became lively again.

Looking at the warm, smiling faces around him, and feeling the pure, uncomplicated camaraderie among the workers in the courtyard, He Yuanchao felt quite pleased.

He was never a stingy person, and now that he had the system and a level 5 worker's salary, he cared even less about this expense.

"Alright!" He Yuanchao laughed heartily, his voice booming. "Thank you all for thinking so highly of me! After get off work, it's Quanjude! All-you-can-eat roast duck! All-you-can-drink! Everyone in our workshop, come! It's on me!"

"Quanjude?!"

"All-you-can-eat roast duck?!"

"My goodness! Master He! So generous! Absolutely magnificent!"

"Long live He Yuanchao!"

The entire workshop erupted in cheers!

The cheers and whistles almost lifted the roof off!

Quanjude! That's the top restaurant in Beijing!

A roast duck costs five or six yuan! And you need special meat coupons!

Ordinary workers wouldn't be willing to go, so why did He Yuanchao invite the entire workshop to eat?

And there's enough for everyone?! This is outrageously extravagant!

A tremendous sense of surprise and gratitude overwhelmed everyone.

The gazes directed at He Yuanchao were filled with heartfelt admiration and fervent enthusiasm! What is skill? What is spirit? This is it!

Qin Huairu listened to the deafening cheers around her, watched He Yuanchao being surrounded by people, his back like that of a hero, and then thought of her own meager salary and her crying baby at home.

There was also her bedridden husband and her mother-in-law who turned into a "Jet Warrior" this morning... The intense bitterness, regret, and despair finally overwhelmed her completely.

She turned around abruptly, her shoulders heaving violently, and silent tears streamed down her face, dripping onto the cold, greasy workbench.

What did she miss? What on earth did she miss?!

Yi Zhonghai stood at a distance, watching all this with a livid face and clenched teeth.

Quanjude? Invite the whole workshop? This kid... not only is he quick to climb the technical ladder, but his methods of winning people over are also so shrewd! He felt that his prestige in the workshop was being trampled underfoot by this young man.

The workday bell finally rang, like a clarion call for liberation.

The workers in the fitter workshop rushed excitedly to the workshop entrance like a floodgate opening, greeting each other and discussing the Quanjude feast that evening, their faces beaming with the joy of the New Year.

He Yuanchao changed out of his work clothes and walked towards the parking shed amidst the envious and admiring gazes of his fellow workers.

His brand-new Forever 28 motorcycle, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, was gilded with a layer of gold, making it look even more impressive.

"Master He, wait for me!"

"Brother, can you give me a ride?"

Several bold young female workers gathered around, laughing and looking eager.

"Maybe next time, it's not on my way." He Yuanchao smiled and politely declined, deftly unlocking the car, straddling it with his long legs, and sitting down steadily.

Just then, a coworker, as if just remembering something, called out to Qin Huairu, who was silently packing her things and preparing to be the last to leave, "Hey, Qin Huairu! Don't you live in the same courtyard as Master He? Why don't you take the bus back together? That would be so convenient!"

Swish!

All eyes immediately focused on Qin Huairu!

Qin Huairu's body suddenly stiffened, as if she had been frozen in place!

Her hand holding the toolbox froze in mid-air, her face instantly turning from white to red and then to green, overwhelmed by a tremendous sense of shame!

She felt like everyone's gaze was like needles pricking her back, causing a burning pain!

Living in the same courtyard as He Yuanchao? Riding back on his new bicycle?

This is simply the cruelest irony and the most public execution in the world!

She wished she could dig a hole and crawl into it right then and there!

His throat felt blocked, and he couldn't utter a single word. He could only keep his head down, his shoulders trembling slightly uncontrollably, and his fingernails digging deep into his palms, almost drawing blood.

He Yuanchao seemed not to hear or see Qin Huairu's predicament.

A faint smile played at the corners of his lips as he pushed off with his foot.

"Ring ring—!"

The clear sound of a bicycle bell rang out.

A brand-new Forever brand 28-inch motorcycle, carrying its owner, sped out of the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill like a triumphant general, bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun and under the watchful eyes of countless complex gazes. It left behind a trail of crisp bell rings and the rustling sound of tires rolling over the road, heading towards the courtyard house surrounded by beasts, which it was about to completely trample under its feet.

The setting sun casts a warm orange-red glow on the bluestone pavement of the alley.

He Yuanchao rode a brand-new Forever brand 28-inch bicycle, its handlebars gleaming, its rims reflecting a dazzling light, and its tires making a steady and rhythmic "shush-shush" sound as they rolled over the road.

He deliberately slowed down, enjoying this rare moment of comfort and the undisguised admiration of his neighbors.

Wherever it passed, it was like Moses parting the sea.

"Look! A bicycle! A new one!"

"Forever brand! A 28-inch wheel! My God!"

"It's He Yuanchao! He Yuanchao from the backyard! Did he really buy it?"

"I heard they announced it over the loudspeaker at the factory today! He's been promoted to level five! The youngest level five worker ever!"

"A level-five worker? And he even bought a bicycle? This... what kind of incredible luck is that?"

"Tsk tsk, look at this grandeur! It's so different from before..."

Low gasps of amazement, gasps of breath, and incredulous whispers rose and fell from the eaves and doorways on both sides of the alley.

Those gazes were filled with naked envy, deep jealousy, and a lingering sense of apprehension.

No one dared to look at him with that casual, even slightly contemptuous, gaze anymore.

He Yuanchao seemed not to hear, and was in a good mood.

The wheels turned nimbly, and the occasional clear ring of the bicycle bell announced his arrival.

Finally, the familiar courtyard gate came into view.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm asking for all free gifts for my new book.

Thank you~