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

As the autumn winds begin to blow, the weather is getting cooler day by day.

The leaves of the old locust tree in the courtyard have begun to turn yellow, rustling in the bleak autumn wind, as if foreshadowing the arrival of a long and harsh winter.

Under He Yuanchao's leadership, the "compressor renovation project" at the steel rolling mill is progressing rapidly.

This is no longer just a technical project; it's more like a battle personally commanded by He Yuanchao.

Inside the workshop, the roar of machines never ceases, day or night. New parts, carrying the fragrance of machine oil and the cold gleam of metal, are precisely machined one by one and stacked in designated areas, like soldiers awaiting inspection.

The old equipment was carefully disassembled, and every replaced part was meticulously recorded and archived.

The entire project team, from experienced veteran technicians to young apprentices fresh out of school, operated under his direction like a precision machine infused with a soul, with every gear meshing perfectly and running efficiently.

He Yuanchao himself is like the central processing unit at the core of this machine, and also its tireless soul.

His sleep time was compressed to the extreme every day. In the early morning, he was the first to appear in the workshop, checking yesterday's progress and arranging today's tasks; during the day, he shuttled between the office, workshop and document room, sometimes burying himself in piles of data drawings, making calculations, and sometimes changing into work clothes to personally get involved and solve a tricky assembly problem with the workers.

His forehead was always covered with a fine layer of sweat, but his eyes always shone with a calm and focused light.

Lunch was usually just a few bites of steamed buns with plain water, eaten right next to the machine.

In the dead of night, the lights in the archives often shone for him, as he perused the yellowed documents he had inherited from Soviet experts, trying to find inspiration to further optimize the plan.

His prestige had long since extended beyond the technical department, spreading like ripples throughout the entire steel rolling mill.

Now, whether it's the experienced workers in Workshop 1 or the young men in Workshop 3, they will all greet him with heartfelt respect and call him "Engineer He".

The address "Engineer He" contained admiration, trust, and even a hint of worship.

A somewhat legendary saying even circulated in the factory: "If you have any problems, don't go to the leaders, go to Engineer He!"

While this statement may be somewhat exaggerated, it reflects a fact: when it comes to solving practical problems, He Yuanchao is more trustworthy than any leader who only knows how to give empty platitudes.

In contrast, Sha Zhu was "triumphant".

He seems to have regained control of his life.

He thrived in the small canteen reserved for the demoted leader.

That small kitchen became his independent kingdom.

With his superb skills in cooking Tan family dishes, he completely won over the leader's discerning palate. One day he would serve "Braised Shark Fin," the next day "Deep-Fried Shrimp Balls," and the day after that "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall," catering to him with a variety of dishes.

If the leader is satisfied with the meal, he might pat him on the shoulder and say, "Little He, you have a bright future," which would make Sha Zhu happy all day.

He had become an indispensable "favorite" of the leader, and even the leader's secretary and driver treated him with utmost respect.

This change in status was directly reflected in his clothing and appearance.

He started wearing those old "Dacron" shirts that he used to keep at the bottom of his trunk, never wanting to wear them, always with their collars crisp and clean. He also put on brand-new leather shoes, polished to a shine, which clattered as he walked on the bluestone path in the courtyard, each step carrying a gust of wind.

He resumed supporting the Jia family, which was the most direct way for him to prove that he was "doing well".

Of course, after all that he had been through, he was no longer as open and honest as before, handing over large sums of his salary.

But every now and then, he would still use an enamel mug to fill it with some of the leaders' leftovers, which were very oily and juicy, and take them back with him.

Those "leftovers" that would be considered top-notch dishes in ordinary households, such as a whole braised duck leg or half a plate of tender and flavorful braised pork, would always elicit a burst of joyful cheers from Banggeng. Xiaodang and Huaihua would also surround him, calling him "Silly Uncle" repeatedly.

Qin Huairu's attitude towards him subtly returned to its former "gentleness" and "dependence".

Upon seeing Sha Zhu, she would habitually stop what she was doing and ask in a gentle voice, "Zhu Zi, are you tired? Come inside and rest."

That look, that tone of voice, instantly brought back the long-lost feeling of being needed to Sha Zhu, greatly satisfying his vanity as a man.

He even felt elated, thinking that his current life was more glamorous and prestigious than when he was the head chef in the steel mill kitchen, managing dozens of people.

He and Xu Damao, two sworn enemies, have temporarily formed an extremely fragile alliance because of their common goal of "bringing down He Yuanchao".

After nightfall, the two often gathered at Xu Damao's house. A plate of peanuts and a bottle of cheap liquor were enough to get them together. Under the influence of alcohol, they would discuss how to trip up He Yuanchao.

"That kid's an engineer now, and the head of a key city project. He's riding high, a direct confrontation won't work." Xu Damao swirled his murky liquor, his eyes narrowed, his gaze as cold as a venomous snake. "We need to change our approach; we need to start with the people around him!"

"The people around you?" Sha Zhu's face was flushed from drinking, and his mind was a little foggy.

"That's right!" Xu Damao lowered his voice, leaning forward, his breath reeking of alcohol on Sha Zhu's face. "Think about it, who in the courtyard is closest to that kid right now? That He Yushui! And that money-grubbing Yan Jiecheng! Those two are practically He Yuanchao's right-hand men! Haven't you seen that Yan Jiecheng kid? He's almost made a fortune by dealing in stuff with He Yuanchao!"

A flame of jealousy flickered in Xu Damao's eyes.

"If we just ruin these two people's reputations, for example, by spreading rumors about He Yushui's moral character—a girl's reputation is the easiest thing to fall for. Then we can accuse Yan Jiecheng of speculation and profiteering, and he'll be in deep trouble! Then He Yuanchao will be all alone! A commander without any troops, won't he be completely at our mercy?"

A more vicious and despicable conspiracy quietly takes shape between two equally resentful men, fueled by alcohol.

……

That day, He Yuanchao was checking the tolerances of the last batch of parts in the workshop when he was called away by someone from the factory office, who said there was a phone call.

The call was from Lou Zhenhua, who sounded unusually tired. He told me to come to his house after get off work because it was urgent.

He Yuanchao's heart stirred, and he vaguely sensed something.

After get off work, he rode his bicycle straight to the Lou family's small villa.

The warmth and tranquility of the old villa have vanished, replaced by a suffocating solemnity.

The ticking of the old-fashioned grandfather clock in the living room sounded like a death knell at that moment.

Lou Zhenhua's wife, the middle-aged woman who always had a gentle smile and elegant demeanor, was sitting on the sofa with red eyes, clearly having just had a good cry.

When she saw He Yuanchao come in, she only nodded reluctantly, then lowered her head again, wiping her eyes repeatedly with a handkerchief.

"Yuanchao, you've arrived." Lou Zhenhua sat down beside her, his face more serious than ever before, and the white hair at his temples seemed to have increased overnight.

"Uncle Lou, Auntie, what happened?" He Yuanchao placed his hat in the entryway and asked in a deep voice.

"Sigh..." Lou Zhenhua sighed heavily, opened the drawer of his desk, took out a folded newspaper, and handed it to He Yuanchao, "Take a look for yourself."

He Yuanchao took the newspaper and unfolded it.

His pupils contracted sharply when his gaze fell upon the editorial headline on the front page.

Those bold, black characters, seemingly tinged with blood, were shocking to behold—"Sweep Away All Demons and Monsters."

The article is filled with high morale, unquestionable assertions, a tense atmosphere of impending conflict, and a frenzied yet unsettlingly violent energy.

He Yuanchao's heart sank suddenly.

He knew that what was bound to happen would eventually come.

The wheels of history roll ever onward, never stopping because of the will of any individual.

The catastrophe that swept the nation, lasted for ten years, shattered countless families, and plunged the entire country into chaos had officially begun.

"Yuanchao, you're a smart man, a man of great insight. You should understand what this means." Lou Zhenhua's voice was incredibly heavy, hoarse with a hint of despair. "A 'capitalist' like me, with my background, I'm afraid... I'll soon become the target of being 'swept away'."

He raised his head and looked at He Yuanchao. His once shrewd and sharp eyes were now filled with a father's pleading and entrustment.

"Your aunt and I have lived most of our lives; what haven't we seen? We've prepared for the worst. The only thing we can't let go of is Xiao'e. She's still so young, so innocent..."

At this point, Lou Zhenhua's voice choked with emotion, and his wife, who was standing next to him, could no longer hold back and began to sob softly.

"I called you here today because I want to ask you a question honestly." Lou Zhenhua forced himself to control his emotions. He stared into He Yuanchao's eyes, speaking each word extremely slowly and clearly, "Are you truly sincere towards Xiao'e? If you are, I hope you can settle down with her as soon as possible! With you, a model worker-engineer with impeccable credentials, a technical expert, as her husband, as her protector, perhaps... perhaps she can still find a sliver of peace in this impending storm."

His tone shifted, becoming incredibly resolute:

"If you... are just playing around with her, or have other plans, I beg you, for the sake of our past relationship, to immediately cut off all contact with her! Don't drag her down with you anymore! Our Lou family can't afford to harm her any further!"

Lou Zhenhua's words were like a heavy hammer, striking He Yuanchao's heart again and again.

Looking at the father before him, who was willing to set aside all pride and dignity and bow his head to entrust his daughter's future to a young man, he felt a complex and indescribable feeling welling up in his heart.

There is sympathy, admiration, and a heavy sense of responsibility.

He remained silent for a moment, and the only sounds in the living room were Mrs. Lou's suppressed sobs and the ticking of the clock.

Then, he slowly raised his head, meeting the tense, expectant, and slightly fearful gazes of Lou Zhenhua and his wife, and nodded solemnly and clearly:

"Uncle Lou, Auntie, don't worry."

He stood up, straightened his clothes, and bowed deeply to the two elders.

He bowed willingly.

"I, He Yuanchao, although an orphan who has been without parents since childhood, know what responsibility and commitment are."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a metallic quality, an undeniable firmness:

"I love Xiao'e. She's kind, pure, and the best girl I've ever met. I will marry her and protect her for the rest of my life. No matter what happens in the future, as long as I, He Yuanchao, have a breath left, I will never let her suffer the slightest injustice!"

This was not a promise made on a whim, but the most solemn decision he made after careful consideration.

From a public perspective, in the face of the impending storm, allying with the Lou family and using his status to protect them, thereby gaining implicit support from the Lou family's wealth and connections, is his best option to mitigate the risks.

Privately speaking, Lou Xiao'e, this girl who is proud on the outside but soft on the inside, has indeed entered his heart little by little without his knowledge.

He was willing, and he had to, to provide for her.

Having received He Yuanchao's firm promise, Lou Zhenhua and his wife finally relaxed. The two elderly people looked at each other and saw relief and gratitude in each other's eyes, and then burst into tears of joy.

……

That evening, on his way to take Lou Xiao'e home, He Yuanchao deliberately took a longer route.

He stopped his bicycle at the entrance of an empty alley.

The moonlight on an autumn night is like mercury spilling onto the ground, cool and bright.

He looked into the girl's eyes, which were as bright as stars in the moonlight, and told her everything that had happened at the Lou family's house during the day.

Finally, he took out a small, exquisite velvet box from the inside pocket of his Zhongshan suit and slowly opened it under Lou Xiao'e's shocked and shy gaze.

Inside the box lay a simple yet elegant diamond ring, which shimmered brilliantly in the moonlight.

The diamond is not large, but it is cut exceptionally well, with each facet precisely capturing the moonlight and refracting a dreamlike brilliance.

These were a few unremarkable small diamonds that he had fished out using the system a few days ago. He had secretly asked the old manager of Rongbaozhai to find the best craftsman in Beijing to design and make the ring. In this era, this ring was nothing short of astonishing.

"Comrade Lou Xiao'e," He Yuanchao's voice, for the first time, carried a hint of tenderness and nervousness that he himself was unaware of, "I know this timing is special, even somewhat rushed. But I don't want to wait any longer. I want to give you a title, a home, a haven that can shelter you from the storm."

He held up the small box, looked intently into her eyes, and asked, word by word:

"will you marry me?"

Overwhelming happiness, like a surging tide, instantly engulfed Lou Xiao'e.

She never imagined that on such a depressing and somber night, she would receive such a dreamlike marriage proposal.

She covered her mouth, trying hard not to cry out, but tears fell silently like pearls from a broken string, dripping onto the back of her hand, hot with sweat.

But on her face was the brightest smile.

She nodded forcefully, as if afraid that if she nodded too softly, the man in front of her wouldn't see her.

That night, the people in the courtyard were still immersed in their own calculations and trivial matters.

Liu Haizhong was still drinking under the lamp, dreaming of becoming the "top leader".

Xu Damao and Shazhu got together again, plotting how to frame He Yushui, their words filled with filthy glee.

Qin Huairu was still mending the socks with holes in them, worrying about the rice for the next meal, and wondering what delicious food Sha Zhu would bring back next time.

Unbeknownst to them, a massive storm, capable of altering the fate of everyone, was quietly gathering above the seemingly calm night sky.

He Yuanchao has already found the strongest ark for himself and those he cares about, a ark strong enough to weather any storm.