Siheyuan (courtyard house): My name is Shazhu!

"How's it going in your courtyard? Has anyone seen any elders bullying you? If so, tell me, and I'll bring your fellow disciples to stand up for you."

"No. Yi Zhonghai and the Jia family are very unlucky; they are..."

"Good heavens, this is retribution for doing too many bad things. Three people broke their bones one morning, and it's been almost a month now, and Yi Zhonghai and Jia Zhangshi are still not discharged from the hospital."

It's good that they haven't been discharged; at least you can have a peaceful New Year. Has there been any news from your father two months after he passed away?

"No. I asked him to send the letter to the restaurant, but there was no reply, which means he hasn't found a job in Baocheng yet."

"Why did you run away? Yanjing City isn't any better than other places. I don't understand."

"If you can't persuade him, then let him go. As long as he's happy, that's all that matters."

"That's good once you've figured it out. Go prepare the ingredients."

On New Year's Eve, the restaurant was closed until the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. After breakfast, the weather was cool, and the two siblings played inside.

After waking up in the afternoon, He Yushui went out to set off firecrackers. She didn't wear new clothes, but because she was eating well and having fun, she didn't care.

For more than two months, I have felt very comfortable living with my brother. I am happier living with my father than with my brother.

There was good food, and they often played with me.

There weren't many girls she knew in the courtyard. The only one was Xu Qiaoling, Xu Damao's younger sister, in the backyard. There was only one girl in the courtyard who was about the same age as her.

He Yushui started setting off firecrackers alone in the middle courtyard; it was still early to prepare Dongpo pork and twice-cooked pork.

I also plan to buy a chicken stew with mushrooms and a slightly spicy boiled fish from the system store. I'll also stir-fry two vegetarian dishes myself: shredded potatoes and stir-fried cabbage with vinegar.

One is 'Silly Pillar's' signature dish, and the other is something I want to eat—a dish I often ate in my past life.

He Yuzhu was also bored, so he stood at his front door, tucked his sleeves in and watched her play.

Not long after, Xu Damao walked from the backyard to the middle yard, probably intending to go out on business. Seeing He Yuzhu at the front door, he turned and came over.

"He Yuzhu, are you staying home to take care of your sister instead of going to work? I heard you've been treating He Yushui well since your father passed away."

"Is this what they mean by 'the eldest brother is like a father,' raising him from infancy with care and attention?" Xu Damao's voice carried a hint of sarcasm.

"Xu Damao, it's only been a few days, are you itching for a beating again? The rain has been so heavy, you don't need to be raised like a baby."

After my father passed away, isn't it normal for me, as the older brother, to take care of Yushui? I haven't seen you since the beginning of the year; where have you been up to with all this trouble lately?

"You've taken good care of Yushui during this time. My brothers and my parents all agree that you're a good older brother."

"You think I'm like you, someone who's in school, studying at home during holidays, and who's always been a good student, and who'll be going to university in the future? You envy me, don't you?" Xu Damao said smugly.

"I'm not envious. You can go to high school or vocational school, but if you want to go to university, you'll have to work hard." Xu Damao, on TV, never went to university.

"You're just jealous of me. You didn't even graduate from junior high school. What do you know?" Xu Damao said, just like a competitive rooster.

Thirteen or fourteen is the age when people are competitive and eager to win. Looking at the young and somewhat naive Xu Damao, He Yuzhu wanted to laugh. He was still just a child.

"You can do it. I wish you success in getting into university."

"Good to know. Do you know why Yi Zhonghai and Jia Zhangshi haven't been discharged from the hospital yet, even after almost a month?" Xu Damao asked.

"I'm at work and have to carry rainwater, so I don't have time to worry about them."

"Several people from our compound visited them. They heard from the nurses at the hospital that Jia Zhangshi was very powerful there."

He has a fractured kneecap and, like an old man, lies in a hospital bed, needing to be waited on hand and foot. Every few days, he demands delicious food, including chicken, duck, and fish.

She kept asking Yi Zhonghai for the money, but he wouldn't buy it for her. She then proceeded to yell at him in the hospital room, accusing him of being heartless. She and her daughter had been hospitalized because they had broken bones while saving Yi Zhonghai, and he still didn't care about them.

Yi Zhonghai's injury was quite serious, and he was also very concerned about his reputation. He was probably worried about damaging his image, so he started buying things every three or four days, but a few days ago he bought things every day.

Since he didn't have time to come back and cook, he bought food from a restaurant outside the hospital. Yi Zhonghai must be very angry; he's not a generous person. I heard his inflammation keeps recurring, so he can't be discharged.

Jia Zhangshi didn't want to be discharged from the hospital; she felt too comfortable there.

However, Jia Zhangshi had also been reprimanded by the hospital staff; if she dared to make a scene, they would throw her out of the hospital. In the hospital, she shared a room with Yi Zhonghai, but she only dared to cause trouble with him.

"Hahaha. It's always been a case of 'the law is in the air' when Yi Zhonghai runs into Jia Zhangshi. This time, Jia Zhangshi is in the right, and it's in a public place. Yi Zhonghai cares about his reputation, so this old man will tolerate it."

"That's what my dad said too. Yi Zhonghai is incredibly patient, like a bastard. He's not a good person. You should be careful; they won't let you off the hook."

"Thank you, Damao. I know them. He doesn't have a good solution for me. I still have to deal with the rain, and he won't do it himself. That old man has too many concerns. What are you going out to buy?"

"My mom asked me to go buy vinegar. Damn it, you didn't even ask, I forgot to bring the vinegar bottle. I'll go back and get it first." Xu Damao was also forgetful.

"Buy vinegar? I have several bottles here, I'll give you one for free, they're all bottled vinegar." Bottled vinegar in the system shop is only 0.01 gold coins (one cent), so cheap, you can drink it like soda.

Xu Damao accepted the vinegar He Yuzhu brought without ceremony, saying, "Thanks. As a chef, you don't have to worry about soy sauce and vinegar."

"Did you know that the Yan family just moved into our front yard?"

"I've seen him. I don't know what he's like on the day he moved in." He Yuzhu deliberately didn't mention Yan Bugui's situation.

"Be careful, he's not a good person either. He wears glasses, is an elementary school teacher, and his eyes are full of greed. That's what my dad said."

"I've seen it twice, but I didn't pay attention. Thanks, Damao."

"There aren't many good people in the front yard either. Some of them are still plotting against you, especially since you live in the main house of the courtyard, which makes many people envious."

"It's their business if they want to scheme against me. I won't give it to them; whoever lives here will have their whole family die. They can try."

Xu Damao trembled as he looked at the murderous intent in He Yuzhu's eyes. He knew this was 'Silly Zhu's' bottom line, and he wasn't joking.

"None of the 'elders' and 'neighbors' in our courtyard are good people, so you should be careful."

"Even good people have a hard time surviving in these times. Observe their actions, not just what they say; you can still clearly understand whether they are good or bad by observing their actions."

"Maybe you're right. I'll head home first, and we can chat again sometime."

After Xu Damao left, He Yuzhu went back to cook the New Year's Eve dinner, buying raw meat and other seasonings from the system store.

Make Dongpo pork and twice-cooked pork yourself. As for dumplings, buy the filling and wrappers later. Making dumplings yourself will increase your experience points more, basically two to three times more than if you were taught by a master.

He Yuzhu is a bit lazy, so he doesn't cook at home often, and he doesn't have the time to do so either. He also can't get up in the morning, and he likes to stay in bed on winter mornings.

Bad habits from your past life need to be changed gradually. Going to work in a factory would be fine; I start at eight, so I can't sleep in.