Courtyard Houses: Longevity Since the War of Resistance

Li Feng heard about Xu Hexiong's competition from Qin Huairu. She said that not only has her work ability improved, but her thinking has also improved, and she has learned to think about problems and find solutions.

"Section Chief Li, I'll have to trouble you with this matter again." Qin Huairu stood straight at Li Feng's house, her tone no longer like Xiao Chahua's, and she didn't fidget or fidget with her clothes. She was simply stating a problem that she couldn't solve on her own.

The first phase of the Qinhuai River renovation was a great success.

"Okay, I understand," Li Feng replied.

I'll think of something later.

After hearing his agreement, Qin Huairu bowed solemnly and said, "Thank you, Section Chief Li."

After saying that, she didn't linger and turned to leave. She knew her place, knew when to advance and retreat, remembered the kindness others had shown her, and was also careful not to cause Li Feng any scandals.

Moreover, her salary is higher now, so she doesn't have to beg for rice, noodles, meat, money, or tickets like before. Jia Zhangshi doesn't dare to argue with Qin Huairu anymore, because financial power is the greatest power in an ordinary family.

Watching Qin Huairu's departing figure, Li Feng sat back down in his chair and rubbed his temples.

Well, it looks like we'll have to add another one to the list of things that need renovation.

Qin Jingru has only been in the city for a few days?

She even dared to complain about meat and vegetables. If this were when she was still in the countryside eating cornbread and pickled vegetables, she would have licked the plate clean if she could have such a juicy meal.

Now, she's learned a little from Xu Damao and started picking and choosing. Xu Damao deserves a lot of credit for this, but her own vanity and shallowness aren't much better.

In contrast, Qin Huairu has truly changed after her time at the Women's Committee; she's even reportedly learning to read and write. Li Feng felt that the transformation of this stubborn rock, Sha Zhu, needed to be accelerated.

Based on how good the original Sha Zhu was to Qin Huairu, Li Feng's support for the Qin-Sha CP cannot be abandoned.

The next day after work, Li Feng blocked Sha Zhu, who was anxiously trying to rush out, at the factory gate.

"What's wrong, Section Chief Li?" Sha Zhu glanced at him sideways, spreading his empty hands. "I'm empty-handed today. Are you going to search me personally?"

"What are you searching me for?" Li Feng smiled. "I just want to have a chat with you."

"Chat?" Sha Zhu asked impatiently. "I have nothing to talk to you about. I need to hurry and find Jingru!"

"Are you sure?" Li Feng slowly took a step forward, blocking his way, "Qin Jingru really would be interested in you?"

"Of course!" Sha Zhu stiffened his neck, exuding a sense of superiority.

"I, He Yuzhu, am a legitimate cafeteria chef, with a secure job! I'm a model citizen! Am I not infinitely better than that bastard Xu Damao, who's been married twice?"

Looking at his inexplicable confidence, Li Feng shook his head helplessly: "Fine, come on, come with me."

Where are you going?

"Let me show you what seeing is believing." Li Feng thought to himself, this trick worked on Bang Geng before, and today I'll give Sha Zhu a second round.

Sha Zhu was skeptical, but his curiosity was piqued. He muttered, "What are you looking at? What can you possibly see? A wife? No way, I have important business to attend to!" He then tried to walk around Li Feng.

Li Feng didn't stop him, but just crossed his arms and said slowly behind him, "Oh, so you chickened out and didn't dare to look. Fine, anyway, Qin Jingru and Xu Damao are probably somewhere chatting and laughing, kissing and hugging, all lovey-dovey right now. Out of sight, out of mind, that's good."

"Who's a coward?!" Sha Zhu couldn't stand this the most. He suddenly stopped and turned around to glare at Li Feng. "The word 'coward' doesn't exist in my dictionary, He Yuzhu! Look if you want! I want to see what you can show me." He spoke toughly, but the weakness in his eyes was hard to hide.

"Shall we walk then?"

"Fine, let's go!" Sha Zhu stuck out his neck, pretending to be nonchalant, but his steps honestly followed Li Feng. He was still trying to justify himself, saying, "I'm just giving you face, so you won't say I, He Yuzhu, am heartless."

Li Feng ignored his stubborn pride and led him around several bustling alleys and the vicinity of the supply and marketing cooperative and department store.

Before long, they spotted Xu Damao and Qin Jingru at a street corner.

Xu Damao had clearly gone all out today; Qin Jingru was wearing a brand new floral dress and trendy plastic sandals. Xu Damao was also carrying a net bag filled with canned fruit and boxes of pastries. He was whispering something in Qin Jingru's ear, making her giggle and cover her mouth, her eyes crinkling into crescents, and she lightly slapped Xu Damao's arm.

"See that?" Li Feng whispered to Sha Zhu, who was staring blankly beside him, "Which is more appealing to a young girl: your hearty pork stew with vermicelli, or her new dress, new shoes, and canned snacks?"

Sha Zhu stared, mouth agape, unable to close for a long time. The smugness on his face had vanished, replaced only by embarrassment and bewilderment. After a long pause, he finally forced out, "That was all Xu Damao's doing! He wasn't being sincere!"

"But that's exactly what the girl is after, she won't fall for your sweet talk," Li Feng patted him on the shoulder, "Zhu Zi, wake up. With your meager salary and your silver tongue, you can't win over any girl."

Sha Zhu gazed at Qin Jingru in the distance, and for the first time, a genuine thought popped into his mind: he seemed to have no ability whatsoever to win a young lady's heart. A surge of frustration and dejection welled up inside him, making his chest feel heavy.

Seeing Sha Zhu's dejected state, Li Feng knew that today's second installment of "seeing is believing" had hit the nail on the head. The first step in reforming Sha Zhu was to shatter his little bit of confidence and sense of superiority.

Seizing the opportunity, she threw out another pointed question: "And Zhu Zi, if you really think you're so charming and capable, then why didn't Qin Huairu marry you in the end, even though you've lived in the same courtyard with her for so many years and supported her for so long?"

These words were like a needle, piercing straight into the most awkward spot in Sha Zhu's heart. He couldn't open his mouth, he couldn't utter a coherent sentence, he couldn't say whether it hurt or not, whether it hurt or not.

Without giving him a chance to catch his breath, she continued, "Let's talk about money. You're a cook at the factory, earning thirty-eight yuan and fifty cents a month. Even if you occasionally go out to cook for others and earn some extra money, let me be generous with my calculations, but at most, you'd make fifty yuan a month, right? You've worked here for so many years, how much have you saved?"

Sha Zhu subconsciously did some mental calculations and realized he only had about five hundred yuan. After working for so many years, this was all he had left; he felt a little embarrassed.

"Pillar," Li Feng's tone softened slightly.

"To be honest, if my brother hadn't been a soldier and hadn't sacrificed himself for this country, what would it matter to me, Li Shan, how you all are doing? I don't care who you're friends with or who's single. It's because their generation risked their lives to bring us this peaceful life that I can't stand seeing you all living such miserable lives. I'm thinking of helping you out if I can."

His words carried a hint of moral blackmail: "Think it over carefully yourself."

This is moral blackmail, so Li Feng's close friend and king of blackmail, Yi Zhonghai, naturally has to step in: "Zhu Zi, what Section Chief Li said makes sense."

Yi Zhonghai walked over from the side at some point, looked at Sha Zhu, and said earnestly, "Zhu Zi, I've watched you grow up. You're not a bad person, but sometimes you're too stubborn and inflexible. Section Chief Li is doing this for your own good."

Sha Zhu didn't expect that even an old man would say that.

Yi Zhonghai had always been a respected elder in his heart, and his words touched him more deeply than Li Feng's direct criticism. His mind was in turmoil, his face alternating between pale and flushed, a mixture of embarrassment at being exposed and a bewildered realization, yet he refused to back down, stubbornly muttering, "My affairs are none of your business!"

After saying that, he turned around, lowered his head, and ran towards the courtyard. Watching Sha Zhu's retreating figure, Li Feng turned to Yi Zhonghai, a smile on his face, and extended his hand: "Congratulations, Grandpa is about to have a baby."

Yi Zhonghai immediately grasped Li Feng's hands tightly, his usually serious face breaking into a wide smile, his wrinkles crinkling together, his voice brimming with excitement: "Hahaha, Section Chief Li, I have to thank you for this! Thank you so much!"

"I'll prescribe some more medicine for the old lady to help with pregnancy and prevent miscarriage when we get back," Li Feng said with a smile. "Don't worry, this pregnancy will definitely be saved."

"Oh! Oh! Thank you! Thank you so much!" Yi Zhonghai nodded repeatedly. What was the silly pillar or the chores in the yard compared to the great joy of his Yi family welcoming a new bloodline?