Courtyard House: My max-level medical skills specialize in treating beasts.

Renowned author Xu Weibiao has joined the platform with his new work, "Siheyuan: My Max-Level Medical Skills Treat Beasts"!

"This is a complete misunderstanding."

Xu Damao quickly defended himself.

"This whole thing was actually orchestrated by He Yudong. I have absolutely nothing to do with Qin Huairu, her cousin, I swear to God! And the reason I divorced Lou Xiao'e was because she couldn't have children. After all these years of marriage, if she could have given me a son or daughter, would I have done this?"

"Heh, it's probably you who can't have children, isn't it?" Yu Haitang sneered. "I heard Brother Yudong mention it, remember that day in the infirmary? Brother Yudong even made a bet with you, and you didn't even dare to go to the hospital for a checkup."

Xu Damao was furious. What kind of spell did that damned He Yudong cast on Yu Haitang? This woman was completely unmoved by reason!

"I've had a checkup, and I'm perfectly healthy!" Xu Damao said against his will. "Who doesn't know I have a grudge against He Yudong? He's just slandering me!"

"Alright, that's enough. Even without Brother Yudong, I wouldn't be interested in you. Xu Damao, give up on that idea."

"Hey, wait a minute, Haitang, I haven't finished yet..."

Xu Damao tried to call Yu Haitang back, but she completely ignored him and walked away, infuriating Xu Damao. That damned He Yudong, he had to be taught a lesson! Xu Damao immediately thought of the saying "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." He Yudong seemed to have offended quite a few people; if he could unite with these enemies, he could definitely teach him a good lesson.

……

"Haitang, what does Xu Damao want with you?" He Yushui asked hurriedly as Yu Haitang returned to He Yushui's room.

"Hmph, that Xu Damao is too hateful. He actually spoke ill of Brother Yudong in front of me." Yu Haitang repeated Xu Damao's words of slander against He Yudong.

He Yushui was immediately furious: "Xu Damao has gone too far! My brother is such a good person, how could he say something like that? Haitang, you must not believe what that bastard Xu Damao says."

Yu Haitang smiled slightly: "How could I believe him? But Yushui, it seems that Brother Yudong and Ding Qiunan are really getting close. Do you think they might...?"

"Don't worry, Haitang. My brother said he doesn't want to date right now. Besides, he gave you a ride on his bike before, so it's definitely just a friendship," He Yushui comforted her.

"Okay, then I'm relieved. Anyway, I don't care, I'll live here from now on. I'll have Brother Yudong drive me to work. You won't mind, will you?" Yu Haitang said.

"Oh, Haitang, so that's what you were planning," He Yushui said with a smile.

"I'm pursuing my happiness, and if I don't take the initiative now, I'll regret it later."

……

When Xu Damao returned home, Qin Jingru quickly came over with a smile.

"What's wrong, Brother Da Mao? Why do you look so unhappy?"

"Oh no, Jingru!" Xu Damao's expression, as if the end of the world had come, immediately frightened Qin Jingru.

"What's wrong? Brother Da Mao, what happened?"

"Do you know He Yudong from the front yard? He reported us to the security office, saying we're living together illegally! Now the security office is coming to arrest us. Just imagine, they'll arrest you and parade you through the streets with a pair of worn-out shoes hanging around your neck—that'll be awful!"

"Oh? Brother Da Mao, what should we do? Why is He Yudong so mean?"

"Don't worry, here's what we'll do: you go home and stay for two days... no, for half a month, until things calm down before you come back. Then we can go straight to get our marriage certificate, and no one can say anything then," Xu Damao said.

"Huh? It's been that long?"

"This is for our happiness, so just bear with it. I'll give you ten yuan, which should be enough for you for the next two weeks. I'll take you to the station now," Xu Damao said.

"Well... alright then." Qin Jingru was reluctant, but she also felt a little guilty.

He took the ten yuan from Xu Damao, then reached for the fifty cents in Xu Damao's hand, and said with a smile, "Give me this fifty cents too."

"Hey, you little greedy thing, fine, here you go."

Xu Damao, however, was secretly planning to find someone better. He figured he could just play around with Qin Jingru, that silly girl, but he couldn't really marry a village girl. Poor village girl, she still didn't realize she'd been played.

……

At noon, He Yudong and Ding Qiunan finished rowing and went to Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant. They ordered a roast duck and some other dishes and were eating.

"Brother He, the roast duck here isn't as good as your dishes," Ding Qiunan said.

"Yeah, it's just so-so. Next time we want roast duck, we'll make it ourselves; it'll definitely taste better than this," He Yudong said confidently. "With the 'butchering knife technique,' making a roast duck is a piece of cake."

"By the way, where are we going next?" Ding Qiunan asked.

"How about we go take a look over at the imperial city?"

"Yeah, I've never been inside the imperial city before."

He Yudong remembered that he owned a three-courtyard siheyuan (traditional courtyard house) near the Imperial City, which he had never visited. He figured he could go see it after he finished touring the Imperial City. Ding Qiunan had a wonderful time today and even took photos with He Yudong. She was really looking forward to picking up the photos the day after tomorrow and keeping them safe.

The Forbidden City was first built during the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty. It was originally the site of the Yuan Dynasty's capital, Dadu, and has been preserved remarkably well for over 600 years. The two strolled around the scenic area, noticed others taking photos, and took a few more photos together before leaving.

It was already past five o'clock when they came out. He Yudong rode his bicycle with Ding Qiunan on the back. Instead of going straight back, they stopped in front of a courtyard house on the outskirts of the capital.

……

He Yudong took out his key and opened the gate to the courtyard.

"Let's go inside, Qiu Nan."

"Brother He, where is this?" Ding Qiunan was surprised that He Yudong had the key to this courtyard.

"This is my house. I haven't stayed here for a long time. I came here today to take a look around. We'll cook here tonight," He Yudong said with a smile.

Ding Qiunan was somewhat surprised: "Brother He, do you live here all by yourself? It's so big, this used to be where a prince lived, right?"

The two went inside, and Ding Qiunan was completely stunned by the modern decor. She had never seen such a beautiful house before; even those small Western-style houses couldn't compare. The interior decoration was in a modern Chinese style, retaining the original classical style while also having a modern feel, making people feel comfortable at first glance.

"This house was left to me by my master. I rarely come here to live. The compound is relatively more lively. After I get married and have a few more kids, it will be more lively here," He Yudong said. He couldn't very well say that he won it in a lottery.

"Huh?" Ding Qiunan blushed to her ears when she heard He Yudong mention having a baby...

"Brother He, what is this?" Ding Qiunan asked, pointing to a square object.

"This is a washing machine. Just put the clothes in, add some detergent, turn it on, and it will wash the clothes automatically."

"That's amazing!"

"And this is a range hood, and this is an LCD TV. But there's not much signal here, so we can't watch anything else, only videotapes."

"Such a big TV, and so thin!"

In those days, television sets were a rarity. Not only were they scarce, but most were small, thick-backed, and black-and-white "antiques." When Yu Haitang saw the large, thin, and brightly colored color TV in He Yudong's house, she was as if she had witnessed a miracle; her eyes widened in amazement.

"Qiu Nan, you mustn't tell anyone what you see here, or it might cause unnecessary trouble." He Yudong said seriously, with a hint of mystery in his tone. "You're the only one who's ever seen anything here; even my brother and sister don't know."

Ding Qiunan nodded obediently, her eyes still glued to the television screen. "Don't worry, Brother He, I definitely won't tell anyone." Then, she asked curiously, "Isn't this TV supposed to play videotapes? Can we try it?"

"Hmm, let me see." He Yudong walked to the TV cabinet and rummaged through the pile of videotapes. They were all movies popular in that era. He randomly picked one, "Some Like It Hot," starring Marilyn Monroe, and put it in.

A clear picture immediately appeared on the screen, accompanied by stereo sound. Both the color and clarity were many times better than those in the outdoor open-air cinema.

"Brother He, this is so high-tech! It's much clearer and more convenient than watching a movie outside." Ding Qiunan's cheeks flushed with excitement.

"Yeah, this is the only one of its kind in the whole country right now, there's no other place like it." He Yudong walked back with a smile. "Let's watch a movie first, then we'll cook. We're not hungry right now anyway."

"Okay, whatever you say."

The two sat side by side on the soft sofa, their shoulders pressed tightly together because the space was small. Although the movie was in its original English language, the visuals were vivid, and Ding Qiunan was completely engrossed. Marilyn Monroe was a top goddess of this era, every smile and gesture exuding charm. The many scenes of American openness depicted in the film made Ding Qiunan, who grew up in this era, blush and her heart race involuntarily.

When she saw one of the suggestive scenes, she subconsciously turned to look at He Yudong, only to meet his deep gaze fixed on her. At that moment, the air seemed to freeze.

He Yudong slowly reached out and grasped Ding Qiunan's slightly cool hand. Ding Qiunan's heart trembled, and she lowered her head slightly, not daring to meet his gaze. Her long eyelashes trembled gently, but she showed no sign of rejection.

Their feelings for each other were mutual, and everything happened naturally. He Yudong was a vigorous young man, and the previous two times they had been interrupted by various unexpected events. This time, in this private little world, with no outsiders to disturb them, their emotions reached their peak.

Just as He Yudong was about to take things further, Ding Qiunan suddenly hummed in a voice barely above a whisper, "Brother He..."

"Hmm?" He Yudong stopped what he was doing.

"Could we... go inside? It's... not convenient here." Ding Qiunan's voice was barely audible, and her face was so red it looked like it was about to bleed.

A smile flickered in He Yudong's eyes, and he nodded indulgently. He bent down and swept Ding Qiunan into his arms. Ding Qiunan shyly buried her head in his broad chest, her arms tightly wrapped around his neck. He Yudong strode towards the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

……

In the courtyard house.

Yu Haitang came out of He Yushui's house, glancing anxiously towards the front door. She couldn't help but ask, "Yushui, why isn't Brother Yudong back yet? Where did he go? I haven't seen him all day."

He Yushui was sitting at the table reading a book when she heard this and shook her head: "I don't know either, he didn't say. It's strange, even my brother hasn't come back. But don't worry, my brother will definitely be fine."

Yu Haitang thought to herself, "Of course I know he'll be fine. I'm worried he's with some vixen right now!" Her concern wasn't He Yudong's safety, but rather her own precarious position. The sense of crisis grew stronger, and she secretly resolved to seize the opportunity and stay with He Yushui from now on—a classic case of being close to the water tower and getting the moon first.

……

Silent all night.

The next morning, the two of them didn't wake up until after nine o'clock because they had stayed up so late the night before.

Ding Qiunan leaned against He Yudong's chest, her face radiant with the lingering warmth of spring and overflowing with happiness. Last night had been the happiest and most exhilarating night of her life, marking her complete transformation from girl to woman. At this moment, her heart and eyes were completely filled with this man.

"Brother Yudong, will you be good to me for the rest of your life?" Ding Qiunan asked softly, even her address naturally changed from "Brother He" to the affectionate "Brother Yudong". Before, when she heard Yu Haitang call her "Brother Yudong", she always felt a pang of jealousy, but now, compared to Yu Haitang, she felt that she was the winner.

"Don't worry, Qiu Nan, I will always be good to you for the rest of my life." He Yudong gently kissed her smooth forehead.

"Yes, I believe you."

"Are you hungry? I'll make you some food. We'll have Western-style steak today." He Yudong said with a smile as he stood up.

"Hmm." Ding Qiunan was about to get up when she frowned slightly, took a deep breath, and felt a little sore all over.

"What's wrong, Qiu Nan?" He Yudong asked with concern.

"It's all your fault..." Ding Qiunan gave him a coquettish glare, her charming appearance making He Yudong's heart flutter.

He Yudong immediately understood, got up and went for a walk, and came back with a bottle of water in his hand: "Drink this, and you'll recover quickly."

"I want you to feed me," Ding Qiunan said coquettishly, her eyes alluring.

"Okay, I'll feed you." He Yudong smiled and fed her the bottle of water mixed with spiritual spring water.

A sweet and refreshing sensation slid down her throat, and Ding Qiunan felt as if her entire body had been cleansed, a warm current flowing through her, and the soreness in her body miraculously disappeared.

"Brother He, what is this? It's amazing!" Ding Qiunan touched her face in surprise.

"This is a medicinal soup I prepared. It has beauty and skin-nourishing effects and is very good for your health. I'll bring you some every day from now on."

"Really? That's great, Brother Yudong, you're so good to me." Ding Qiunan hugged his neck happily.

"Why are you being so polite with me? But you'd better behave yourself later, or don't go home tonight," He Yudong whispered with a wicked smile.

"Oh, Yu Dong, you're so naughty!" Ding Qiunan punched him shyly, but in her heart she was thinking: You're so naughty, I like you so much.

At noon, He Yudong pan-fried snowflake steak, played soothing music, and brought out his precious monkey wine instead of red wine. The two spent a romantic meal in a warm atmosphere.

Since they didn't have to work the next day, the two lingered together until the afternoon. He Yudong then rode his bicycle to take Ding Qiunan back to the factory dormitory before returning to the courtyard house.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, they ran into Yu Haitang, who had just come out of He Yushui's house.

"Haitang? What are you doing here? Are you looking for Yushui?" He Yudong pushed the cart, his expression normal.

"Brother Yudong, I arrived yesterday. Where did you go yesterday? Why didn't you come back?" Yu Haitang looked him up and down, then her gaze suddenly fixed on his neck. "Hey, what happened to your neck? Did you get bitten by mosquitoes?"

He Yudong subconsciously touched the red spot on his neck and felt a little embarrassed—it was a "strawberry" left by Ding Qiunan when she was aroused last night.

"Cough cough... Yeah, I drank with my comrades last night, and I drank too much, so I slept at one of their places for the night." He Yudong quickly made up an excuse.

"Oh, I see. I thought you'd run off somewhere. I was so worried about you." Yu Haitang pouted and said. Just thinking about the kiss He Yudong gave her when he took her home that day made her heart race.

"I'm a grown man, I'm not going to get lost, what's there to worry about?" He Yudong laughed it off.

"By the way, Brother Yudong, I'll be staying here in Yushui for the next few days. I don't want to go back to our courtyard. That Yang Weimin keeps bothering me, I'm so fed up with him," Yu Haitang said, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"Okay, just tell Yushui. Anyway, you're classmates, and you can chat with her sometimes." He Yudong nodded nonchalantly.

"Then I'll ride in your car to work in the mornings from now on, you can't refuse, okay?" Yu Haitang immediately seized the opportunity, her face full of joy.

He Yudong's lips twitched involuntarily. It seemed that Yu Haitang was planning to launch an offensive against him.

She was a little conflicted; she still preferred Ding Qiunan. This damned era was making it so hard to choose. But then she thought, Yu Haitang would probably only stay a few days before going back, so picking her up and dropping her off for a few days shouldn't be a problem. She could just explain it to Ding Qiunan later.

"By the way, Brother Yudong, Xu Damao was talking bad about you to me yesterday."

"Xu Damao? What did that kid say about me again?" He Yudong asked with a smile.

"He said you're full of bad intentions and have messed around with women, and told me not to be fooled by you." Yu Haitang said, her cheeks slightly flushed, her eyes fixed intently on He Yudong.

"Hey, this Xu Damao, he's really something else. We'll teach him a lesson later." He Yudong sneered. "He messed around with Qin Jingru and then accused me of having affairs. I bet after toying with Qin Jingru, he's set his sights on you. You'd better watch out."

"Don't worry, Brother Yudong, I don't believe Xu Damao. I knew he was talking nonsense." Yu Haitang said firmly.

"That guy just wants a son, but he won't admit he's infertile. Whoever marries him is doomed." He Yudong shook his head.

Looking at the system panel, he saw he still had 580 merit points, enough for a ten-pull soon. He also had five bad luck charms; since Xu Damao was so restless, he might as well give him one.

Just then, Xu Damao came out of the inner courtyard with his bicycle. He saw He Yudong and Yu Haitang at a glance, and his heart filled with hatred. What's so good about this kid? How come Yu Haitang and Ding Qiunan both have their eyes on him?

No, I need to find a chance to teach him a lesson.

"Hey, Xu Damao, where are you headed?" He Yudong greeted him with a smile.

"It's none of your business!" Xu Damao glared at him.

"I advise you to go to the hospital for a check-up as soon as possible. There might still be hope if you get treatment early. If you keep delaying, you can forget about having children for the rest of your life. That's really your problem, it has nothing to do with anyone else," He Yudong said earnestly.

"He Yudong, don't talk nonsense to me, or I'll sue you for defamation!" Xu Damao exploded. Yu Haitang was right next to him, and this kid was actually mocking his infertility again.

Damn it, if I don't find a virgin and have a few sons, I'll take your surname!

"Fine, never mind." He Yudong shrugged and then stuck a bad luck charm on Xu Damao.

Xu Damao felt a chill run down his spine, but it quickly disappeared. He dismissed it as a hallucination, glared at He Yudong, and left with his bicycle.

After riding for a while, Xu Damao gritted his teeth in hatred. That damned He Yudong, he would make him kneel before him one day.

Suddenly, the bicycle brakes failed! He was riding fast and tried to stop, but the bicycle veered sharply and headed straight for the outhouse by the roadside.

"ah"

Xu Damao screamed and fell into the latrine with a "plop".

"Help!"

"Ding! The Bad Luck Talisman has punished the bad guys and has been rewarded with 60 merit points."

Just then, Sha Zhu returned with his bicycle, a smile on his face. He had stayed at Lou Xiao'e's house last night and hadn't come back, but Lou's parents had already agreed to the marriage. People are always in high spirits when they have good news, and Sha Zhu couldn't be happier. Tomorrow at work, he would go to Factory Director Yang to submit a report and take Lou Xiao'e to get their marriage certificate.

"Hey, you seem to be in a good mood. Did you get it sorted out?" He Yudong asked with a smile.

Sha Zhu gave an OK sign: "All done! By the way, I heard Xu Damao fell into the latrine? What happened?"

"I guess he did too many bad things and got his comeuppance. Alright, you're back just in time. Hurry up and cook, make a lot, Haitang is eating here."

"Okay!"

Xu Damao was lying in the hospital at this moment. Although he had been cleaned up, he still felt the stench and hated He Yudong to the core. Even though he had fallen in himself, if he hadn't been thinking about revenge against He Yudong, how could he have accidentally fallen into the cesspool?

Just as he was fuming, a pretty young nurse walked in. Xu Damao's eyes widened—her demeanor was far superior to that silly girl Qin Jingru! He immediately decided to launch his offensive. This trip to the latrine had turned out to be a blessing in disguise. If he could win over this young nurse, who would he need a country bumpkin for?

……

After lunch, He Yudong planned to go out for a stroll, stopping by the flea market and the vegetable market to see what he could buy. It was winter now, and snow was falling, piling up on the ground. The New Year's holiday was just a few days away.

He Yudong didn't ride his bicycle; he walked for a while. As he passed near Gongzhufen, he saw two familiar figures in the distance. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Zhou Xiaobai and Luo Yun. The area wasn't far from the military compound.

At this moment, a boy of about seventeen or eighteen years old jumped out from the side, and several other young men joined in the commotion.

"Hey, isn't this my cousin? What do you think I'm doing here? It's been about two years since we last saw each other. How are your aunt and uncle?"

"Look carefully, who is your cousin?" Zhou Xiaobai looked at the boy in front of her warily. Ever since she encountered the thug last time, she has been extra careful every time she goes out.

Who else could this young man be but Zhong Yuemin? He's so bored he's trying to pick up girls, but he ended up picking up Zhou Xiaobai instead.

"Cousin, I'm your cousin. Take a closer look." Zhong Yuemin said with a grin.

Zhou Xiaobai was certain she had never seen this person before. She turned to leave, but Zhong Yuemin quickly stopped her: "That's right, not only do you not recognize me, but I almost didn't recognize you either. Girls really do change a lot as they grow up, becoming more and more beautiful. Cousin, you've blossomed into such a beauty in just two years."