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

The decision to fire them was like two of the sharpest guillotines, completely severing all of Xu Damao and Shazhu's foundations in the steel rolling mill.

When they returned to the courtyard house, looking utterly dejected and as if their souls had been ripped away, they were greeted by the undisguised contempt and gloating gazes of their neighbors, and a blackboard with the decision clearly written in white chalk, seemingly mocking them.

Every word was like a red-hot steel needle, piercing their eyes.

Xu Damao has completely lost his mind.

His face, which usually exuded shrewdness and calculation, was now twisted beyond recognition, his eyes bloodshot and red, like a wild beast driven to the brink of despair.

He stormed into the courtyard like a whirlwind, his target clearly set on He Yuanchao's door, spewing out the most filthy and vicious curses he could ever imagine.

They cursed He Yuanchao's ancestors for eighteen generations, and even his future descendants. The vulgar and offensive language was so offensive that some of the women who were originally watching the spectacle couldn't help but frown and quietly pulled their children back into the house.

The cursing did not bring him any relief; on the contrary, it was like adding fuel to the fire, making him even more agitated.

He turned around abruptly, rushed to Sha Zhu's door, and kicked the tightly closed door with all his might, making loud "bang, bang" sounds.

"He Yuzhu! You idiot! You bastard! Get out here right now!"

"You're a traitor! You even betrayed your own brother Mao to curry favor with that little bastard He Yuanchao! I've lost my job, and you won't have it easy either! You're the culprit! I'll kill you!"

The entire courtyard was filled with his hysterical, tearful, and desperate roars.

Sha Zhu locked himself inside the room, and no matter how much Xu Damao shouted and pounded on the door outside, the room remained deathly silent.

He leaned against the cold door panel, slowly slid down to the ground, and buried his head deeply between his knees.

Every curse Xu Damao uttered outside the window felt like a needle piercing his heart.

Stupid pig? Traitor?

He wanted to argue, but found himself unable to utter a single word.

Yes, what a fool I am! I was used as a pawn, sold out, and ended up like this. What else could I be but a fool?

He regretted it so much, he was filled with remorse.

But there's no going back in this world.

Finally, Xu Damao got tired of cursing and crying, and he couldn't kick anymore.

He was like a mangy dog ​​with its spine removed, utterly powerless, slumped on the steps of his own doorway, his eyes vacant, muttering unconsciously to himself.

He's finished.

In an era where no job equals no everything, being dismissed from the factory was tantamount to a public social death sentence for him.

Without income, without status, without glory, Xu Damao will be an unemployed vagrant, a useless person abandoned by society from now on.

All of this was thanks to He Yuanchao.

The younger brother of Sha Zhu, whom he once looked down upon, has now become someone he can only look up to, someone who can even easily decide his life and death.

That hatred, like the most vicious seed, took root and sprouted wildly in his already parched and cracked heart, growing into dark vines laced with deadly poison.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Xu Damao sheepishly rolled up his few bedding blankets.

He didn't say goodbye to anyone; his movements were swift, yet carried a sense of desolation at the end of his rope.

Before leaving, he stood in the middle of the courtyard, the cold morning wind ruffling his greasy hair. With his venomous eyes, he stared intently and greedily in the direction of He Yuanchao's door, a strange and venomous sneer slowly curving his lips.

He Yuanchao, you wait, this isn't over yet!

One day, I will make you pay back everything, with interest!

Sha Zhu, on the other hand, spent three whole days listlessly in the dark, sunless room.

For three days and three nights, he did not eat or drink a drop of water, surviving only on a half-bottle of cheap liquor hidden under his bed.

He was utterly defeated by reality, by hunger, and by that deep-seated despair.

Without a job and without income, he didn't even have the money to buy another bottle of wine.

Just when he was about to run out of money and was so hungry that he was seeing stars, a soft, tentative knocking sound came again at his door.

It's Qin Huairu.

In one hand she held a large, chipped, rough porcelain bowl filled with steaming cornmeal porridge and a golden poached egg. In the other hand, she held a small dish of homemade pickled vegetables.

She didn't say much, but silently placed the bowl and chopsticks on the dusty table.

"Zhu Zi...eat something...food is the foundation of life..."

Her voice was still so gentle, so soft-spoken, so...just right.

Sha Zhu raised his bloodshot eyes and looked at the woman in front of him, at the familiar bowl of porridge that symbolized "warmth" and "being needed." The defenses in his heart that had long since collapsed were once again easily breached.

Over the years, he has been fed bowl after bowl of this porridge.

He always thought it was love.

Only now did he realize that this might just be a form of domestication.

Even though he understood, he couldn't refuse.

Because he was so hungry, so cold, and so desperately needed this pitiful warmth.

He was like a child who had suffered all kinds of injustices and lost his way, finally finding his way home.

With a loud "Wah!", the forty-year-old man could no longer control his emotions. He grabbed Qin Huairu's waist, buried his head in her arms, and burst into tears.

The cries were filled with regret, grievance, and helplessness.

Qin Huairu gently stroked his back, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes, but more than that, a sense of peace after her plan had succeeded.

……

After the turmoil, the courtyard house finally enjoyed a rare period of peace.

He Yuanchao's wedding was held as scheduled.

The wedding was simple yet grand.

Instead of holding a grand banquet in the courtyard and attracting unnecessary gossip, they booked several elegant private rooms at the Peace Hotel, the best restaurant in the factory.

Those who come are all truly distinguished guests.

Lou Zhenhua and his wife, as the bride's parents, were beaming with pride, increasingly satisfied with their son-in-law.

Professor Shen Molin, He Yuanchao's mentor, also gladly attended and offered his sincerest blessings.

Several key leaders of the factory, from the factory director to the party secretary, attended the event in person, giving He Yuanchao ample face.

All the colleagues from the technical department also came to offer their congratulations in high spirits.

The Yan family, as representatives of the "maternal family" of the courtyard, were flattered and invited to the head table.

He Yushui wore a new red polyester dress that He Yuanchao had bought for her. Her hair was carefully styled into two beautiful braids, with bright red ribbons tied to the ends. As the only relative, she stayed close to the bride throughout the entire event, her big eyes smiling like crescent moons, her face radiating a genuine smile of happiness.

Lou Xiao'e wore a pure white wedding dress, the latest style that Lou Zhenhua had obtained from abroad through connections. She looked as beautiful as a princess from a fairy tale. She looked at the tall, composed man beside her, watching him put the ring on her finger, her eyes filled with unwavering love and dependence.

This wedding became the most talked-about topic in the steel rolling mill for a long time.

It was not just a wedding, but a silent declaration.

This signifies that He Yuanchao, the young man who emerged from the courtyard house, has officially entered another social class with his talent and skills, possessing a powerful network of relationships and a stable social status.

……

Their married life was sweet and warm.

Lou Xiao'e voluntarily resigned from her job as a clerk at the factory and devoted herself to taking care of their family.

She decorated that two-bedroom apartment in the cadre building to be clean and elegant, with bright windows and spotless furniture, every corner exuding the warmth of home. Every day, she cooked different delicious meals for He Yuanchao, using her gentleness and love to build him the most secure harbor.

He Yuanchao devoted all his energy to his work.

The "compressor retrofit project" was a great success. Actual testing showed that it saved the factory a lot of energy costs and greatly improved production efficiency.

His name was thus used as a model by the factory and reported to the Municipal Bureau of Industry. He was selected as a key technical talent to be cultivated, and his future looked bright.

Inside the courtyard house, however, a completely different scene unfolds.

Liu Haizhong continued to dream of being the "top leader," wandering around the courtyard every day with his hands behind his back, trying to rebuild his authority. But without Xu Damao, his charismatic "advisor," his petty actions seemed increasingly ridiculous and powerless, and no one paid any attention to them anymore.

Sha Zhu became the Jia family's "son-in-law," or rather, a long-term laborer. He worked from dawn till dusk every day, doing odd jobs on the black market, doing the hardest and most tiring work, carrying bricks and bags, using all his strength to earn a meager living, barely enough to support both families.

Qin Huairu used her meticulous "gentleness" to firmly tie Sha Zhu to her and the Jia family's chariot, making him willingly shed his last drop of sweat for this family.

Everything seemed to have settled down.

However, He Yuanchao knew that this was just a brief calm before the storm.

The tension in the newspapers grew increasingly palpable.

The editorials' titles became more radical and their wording more severe each day.

The factory's study sessions became more and more frequent, and the atmosphere became more and more serious each time.

A massive storm sweeping across the country is gathering strength and roaring in with unstoppable force.

He and his family are about to be swept up in this tide of the times, and no one can escape it.

The people and events in the courtyard house, compared to the impending storm, are perhaps just appetizers.

The real challenge has only just begun.

He stood on the balcony of his new home, a coat just draped over his shoulders by Lou Xiao'e. He held his wife's hand, gazing at the distant, hazy sky, his eyes deep and serene.

there is always a solution to a problem.

He, He Yuanchao, was fearless.