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

"They've rebelled! They've gone too far!" Second Uncle Liu Haizhong was both shocked and furious, but even more so, he felt a sense of jealousy that had been overlooked.

Why invite Old Man Yan and not him? He's the second uncle!

Xu Damao's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he stared intently at the bowl of glistening white rice and the oily twice-cooked pork on the table. His mouth watered uncontrollably, and he was so jealous that his heart was bleeding.

Why would you invite Yan Laokou? That stingy old man deserves to eat such good food.

Jia Zhangshi's cursing stopped abruptly, like a chicken with its neck choked, its mouth agape, its triangular eyes filled with disbelief and even deeper resentment.

Qin Huairu suddenly raised her head, her pale face drained of color, leaving only boundless shock and... an indescribable stinging pain.

Looking at He Yuanchao's tall, imposing, and commanding figure, and then at Yan Bugui, who was invited and was currently looking completely bewildered, intense regret instantly tightened around her heart like a poisonous vine, almost suffocating her.

If... if only back then... This thought, like a venomous snake, relentlessly gnawed at the last vestige of her self-respect.

Yan Bugui, at the center of the storm, was completely stunned! It was as if a giant pie had hit him on the head, leaving him dizzy and seeing stars!

He Yuanchao invited him inside? To drink? To eat meat?

Overwhelmed with ecstasy, he was instantly blinded!

The frustration and regret that Jia Zhangshi had caused vanished instantly!

Instead, there was unparalleled excitement and a blissful sense of vanity!

Look! The whole courtyard is full of people cursing He Yuanchao and envying him!

But He Yuanchao only invited Yan Bugui!

What does this mean? It means that Yan Bugui's words just now hit the nail on the head!

This shows that Yan Bugui is the most understanding and fair person in this courtyard!

"Aid Korea...this...this..."

Yan Bugui was so excited he was incoherent, rubbing his hands together, trying to maintain his composure, but his feet seemed to have a mind of their own, involuntarily moving towards He Yuanchao's doorstep. He tried hard to keep his composure as a teacher in check.

But his wide grin and gleaming eyes completely betrayed his inner ecstasy and greed.

"This...isn't this a bit inappropriate? Look at this...everyone's..."

He wanted to feign politeness and, incidentally, bask in the envious stares of the crowd.

"Stop talking nonsense!" He Yuanchao interrupted him impatiently, stepping aside to let him in. "Just come in! What are you dawdling for? Or is your third uncle afraid of these guys who only know how to talk?" His words added fuel to the fire, making Yi Zhonghai and the others turn from green to purple with anger.

"Afraid? I, Yan Bugui, have done nothing wrong! What's there to be afraid of!"

Provoked by He Yuanchao, Yan Bugui's pitiful reserve vanished instantly. He puffed out his thin chest, trying his best to adopt a proud and upright posture.

Under the almost fiery gazes of everyone, he took a step with slightly unsteady steps and stepped into He Yuanchao's small house, which was filled with a deadly fragrance!

He Yuanchao had a cold smile on his lips. With a loud "bang," he slammed the door shut in front of everyone in the courtyard! But this time, he didn't bolt the door; he just left it ajar.

Only after being shielded from the nauseating gazes from the outside could Yan Bugui truly see the scene inside the house.

Under the dim light, the old square table with its peeling paint looked like a jade table from the imperial kitchen in his eyes!

Right in the center, there's a huge bowl piled high with twice-cooked pork!

Each slice is a perfect balance of lean and fatty meat, with crispy, slightly curled edges, coated in a thick, glossy, and oily sauce!

The deep green garlic shoots, interspersed with golden-brown dried chilies, exude an overwhelming aroma of soy sauce, meat, and charred flavors, all mixed with the fragrance of oil. Like a tangible hook, they fiercely ensnare his soul!

Next to it, there was a full bowl of steaming white rice!

Each grain of rice is plump, slender, and translucent, like countless tiny white jade beads. The rising steam carries an incredibly pure and sweet aroma of grain!

This aroma is worlds apart from the stale cornmeal mixed with bran that his family makes!

What made Yan Bugui's heart pound even harder, almost leaping out of his throat, was He Yuanchao's next move!

He Yuanchao walked to the small wooden cabinet, squatted down, opened the cabinet door, which was facing the doorway, and seemed to casually rummage through it.

Yan Bugui had sharp eyes and only caught a glimpse of what seemed to be some old clothes and miscellaneous items piled up inside. Before he could take a closer look, He Yuanchao had already "taken out" two bottles of wine!

The moment the bottle appeared, Yan Bugui's breath stopped!

The pupils suddenly contracted!

A milky white porcelain bottle!

Solid and substantial!

The classic red label on the bottle remains strikingly visible even under the dim light – Guizhou Moutai!

Produced by the local state-owned Maotai Distillery!

The two bottles next to it were blue and white porcelain bottles, slender and elegant, with the three big characters "Zhuyeqing" on the label, which hit Yan Bugui's heart like a heavy hammer!

Moutai! Zhuyeqing!

It's still the same old packaging!

How much does this cost?!

Even with a ration coupon, a bottle costs more than four yuan in state-run stores!

It has to be a special supply!

I wouldn't even dare to dream of it on the black market!

"sit."

He Yuanchao seemed to have simply taken out two bottles of the most ordinary Erguotou, casually placing a bottle of Moutai and a bottle of Zhuyeqing on the table, making a slight clinking sound.

He pulled over the old chair, sat down with an air of authority, picked up a rough porcelain bowl from the table, and without even using a wine glass, directly unscrewed the cap of the bottle of Moutai!

A soft "pop" sound.

A rich, lingering aroma, indescribable, carrying the scent of time and the sedimentation of life.

Like a sleeping dragon being awakened, it burst forth from the bottle's mouth!

The aroma was so rich and so overpowering that it instantly overwhelmed the smell of meat and rice that filled the room, creating a more sophisticated and intoxicating torrent!

The fragrance seemed to come alive, ignoring the half-closed door, seeping out like mercury spilling onto the ground, penetrating every nook and cranny, and forcefully permeating the entire courtyard!

"hiss--!"

In the courtyard, someone suddenly gasped, their voice trembling.

"Mao... Maotai?!"

"My God! He...he's drinking Moutai?!"

"And there's bamboo leaf green! I can smell it! It's that medicinal scent of bamboo leaf green!"

"This...this He Yuanchao...where did he come from? How much does he cost?!"

Shock!

Utterly shocking!

It instantly replaced all anger and jealousy!

Everyone seemed frozen in place, craning their necks and frantically inhaling the intoxicating aroma of wine wafting through the air!

This taste is something that most of them may have only ever seen in their entire lives, through the glass of a bottle at a supply and marketing cooperative counter!

Now, this legendary nectar is being opened in He Yuanchao's dilapidated house! And being drunk like the most ordinary wine!

The immense sense of disparity and the absurd feeling of being abandoned by the times are impacting everyone's sensibilities.

Yan Bugui stood by the table, completely frozen.

He stared at the open bottle of Moutai on the table, watching the amber liquid slosh in the rough porcelain bowl, inhaling its unparalleled aroma. His mind went blank, leaving only the sound of his heart pounding wildly in his chest.

"What are you standing there for? Sit down!" He Yuanchao glanced at him, picked up another rough porcelain bowl, and poured him a full bowl of Moutai liquor without saying a word.

The clear, slightly yellow wine swirls in the bowl, releasing an even richer aroma.

Yan Bugui seemed to wake from a dream. He almost used both hands and feet to pull out the only chair with a backrest, and carefully sat down, only daring to touch half of the chair with his buttocks, his body stiff as a puppet.

He stared at the bowl of Moutai liquor shimmering with an enticing luster, his Adam's apple bobbing wildly, his saliva gushing uncontrollably, almost spilling out.