Courtyard House: Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) Traded for an Aircraft Carrier, the Whole Count

Winter dusk comes exceptionally early, and the biting wind, carrying the smell of coal ash, weaves through the gray walls and black tiles of the courtyard house.

Jiang Chen rode his gleaming Forever brand bicycle slowly into the front yard. Two pounds of pork belly and a bottle of good wine were hanging on the handlebars—an extra perk the factory gave to "Team Leader Jiang."

As soon as you enter the gate, a strange atmosphere hits you.

At this time on ordinary days, the front yard would always be in chaos. Uncle Yan Bugui would be standing guard at the door like a door god, scheming to see who brought back something, while the sound of Jia Zhangshi cursing would drift from the Jia family's door, and Sha Zhu's loud voice would be there too.

But today, the courtyard was eerily quiet.

As Jiang Chen passed by the Intermediate People's Court, he saw Qin Huairu squatting by the pool washing clothes. In that cold weather, her hands were red with cold, yet she was still vigorously scrubbing a pile of dirty pants that looked like sticks.

Hearing the sound of wheels, Qin Huairu subconsciously looked up. When she saw it was Jiang Chen, she jumped to her feet as if she had been electrocuted.

"Jiang... Team Leader Jiang, you're back?"

Qin Huairu's voice carried a hint of humility and ingratiation she had never shown before. She hurriedly rubbed the soap suds off her hands, her eyes darting away, not daring to look Jiang Chen in the eye.

She used to be scheming against Jiang Chen, trying to squeeze some money out of this bachelor. But ever since she saw Jiang Chen send Sha Zhu to the security office and beat him up, trample Yi Zhonghai underfoot, and even make Director Yang treat him with respect, all those little plans in her mind have long since shattered.

In front of this man, she felt like an ant that could be crushed at any moment.

Jiang Chen merely glanced at her indifferently, without even nodding, and stomped his foot, the wheels crushing the ice shards on the ground and sliding straight over them.

Standing in the cold wind, Qin Huairu looked at Jiang Chen's tall and straight back, a wave of indescribable bitterness and regret washing over her. If only... even if it were just a "what if," she hadn't chosen the Jia family, but instead...

"What are you looking at! Hurry up and wash! Do you want to freeze to death, old lady?!" Jia Zhangshi cursed in a low voice from inside the house, but she was clearly not confident enough and even trembled slightly, as if she was afraid that if she raised her voice, she would disturb the evil star outside.

The door to Yi Zhonghai's house was ajar.

Yi Zhonghai was sitting on a small stool by the door, smoking a pipe. Hearing the noise, he subconsciously looked up. When he saw Jiang Chen, this old man, who used to be the undisputed boss in the courtyard, turned his head sharply to the side like a mouse seeing a cat, blew a smoke ring towards the corner of the wall, and pretended not to see him.

His back was hunched, as if he had aged ten years overnight.

In the backyard, Xu Damao was humming a little tune while wiping his bicycle. As soon as he saw Jiang Chen push the bike in, he immediately dropped the rag and fawned over him like a lapdog.

"Oh! Leader Jiang! You're back!" Xu Damao beamed, his wrinkles so thick they could trap a fly. "This car's a bit dirty. Leave it here, I'll clean it for you! I'll make sure it's as shiny as a mirror!"

"No need." Jiang Chen parked the car, his tone indifferent. "Is Liu Haizhong still in the hospital?"

"He's here, he's here!" Xu Damao said gloatingly. "I heard he's furious; his mouth is crooked, and he can barely speak. Serves him right! Let him go against you!"

Jiang Chen glanced around the familiar courtyard house.

This place was once filled with scheming, malice, and moral blackmail; everyone wanted to take a piece of the original owner's flesh. But now, the entire compound has been completely tamed by him.

Fear is indeed a more effective universal language than reason.

Just as Jiang Chen was about to go inside, a voice suddenly came from the front yard.

"Teacher Yan, is this the courtyard you mentioned? It's quite lively." A gentle and soft female voice came, like a clear spring flowing through this dry and rough land.

"That's right! That's right! Our courtyard is an advanced siheyuan!" Yan Bugui's signature calculating voice rang out, and then two figures walked into the hanging flower gate.

Yan Bugui led the way with a big smile, followed by a young woman pushing a bicycle.

She wore a beige wool coat and a matching cashmere scarf, with a few wisps of hair falling beside her ears. Although she wore a mask, revealing only her eyes, those eyes were clear as water, exuding a scholarly and intellectual beauty.

In an era dominated by gray-blue work clothes, she was like a bright, warm color, instantly illuminating the dim evening.

The two bumped right into Jiang Chen, who was about to enter the house, at the hanging flower gate.

To avoid Jiang Chen, the woman slightly tilted the handlebars, causing the front wheel to hit the door sill. She swayed and looked like she was about to fall.

Jiang Chen reacted quickly, stepping forward and firmly supporting her bicycle handlebars with one hand.

"careful."

His voice was deep and magnetic, without a trace of the coldness he had shown when facing Qin Huairu.

The woman, still shaken, looked up and met Jiang Chen's deep eyes.

Eyes facing each other.

It was as if the noisy wind around us had stopped.

[Ding! System notification: High-potential partner target detected: Ran Qiuye.]

[Identity: Teacher at Hongxing Primary School, from a scholarly family.]

[Compatibility: 99%]

[Recommendation: This woman is a key element in the host's future plans, and possesses a gentle yet resilient personality, making her a suitable homemaker.]

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow slightly. So it was her, Ran Qiuye.

Ran Qiuye's heart was pounding. She looked at the young man in front of her. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and a tall and straight figure. He didn't have the slickness of a commoner. Instead, he exuded a reassuring calmness and an indescribable sharpness.

"Th...thank you." Ran Qiuye's cheeks flushed slightly as she quickly straightened the car and lowered her head in a flustered manner.

"You're welcome." Jiang Chen released his hand, nodded politely, and smiled just the right amount. "The road is slippery, walk slowly."

After saying that, he didn't dwell on it any longer, turned around, pushed open his own door, and went inside.

This gentlemanly demeanor, which kept things under control, made Ran Qiuye turn around and take a second look.

"Oh my, Section Chief Jiang! That's Section Chief Jiang!" Yan Bugui finally realized who it was and quickly came over to introduce him to Ran Qiuye, his tone full of flattery, "That's the head of our factory's security department, and now he's also the deputy leader of the technical research team. He's the highest-ranking official in our institute! Young and promising, so very promising!"

Ran Qiuye nodded thoughtfully: "Section Chief Jiang... is a very classy person."

Yan Bugui's eyes darted around, and he suddenly lowered his voice, saying, "Teacher Ran, we're here today to introduce Sha Zhu to someone. Section Chief Jiang is good, but he's got high standards. Sha Zhu may be a cook, but he's really..."

Upon hearing the words "Silly Zhu," Jiang Chen let out a soft, ambiguous snort from inside the room, which wasn't fully closed.

The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly reached their ears.

"Idiot Zhu? Does he deserve it?"

Yan Bugui's expression froze instantly, so embarrassed he wished he could disappear into the ground. Ran Qiuye, on the other hand, was taken aback, then looked at the tightly closed door, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes.

This Section Chief Jiang seems to have a lot of opinions about that He Yuzhu?