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

"Brother, let's ignore them and go home to cook."

He Yudong pulled He Yushui into the house and slammed the door shut. The matter of Xu Damao and Qin Huairu being like family was no longer their concern.

"Brother, isn't this a bit inappropriate? With Xu Damao's temper, he'll definitely make things difficult for Sister Qin's family." Sha Zhu frowned.

"Brother, you still don't understand?"

He Yudong was disappointed in his son's lack of progress.

"When Jia Zhangshi couldn't get chickens from me, she framed us for stealing them. And now you're thinking of them? How despicable!"

"That's right, Second Brother is right!" He Yushui chimed in. "That old woman is despicable! Our family has helped them so much, and she actually framed Second Brother for stealing chickens, when it turned out it was her grandson Banggeng who stole them!"

He Yudong was very satisfied with his sister's transformation; this silly sister was finally somewhat salvageable.

"I just saw how hard their family had it..." Sha Zhu explained.

"Come on!" He Yudong interrupted. "Do you believe Xu Damao will make Qin Huairu pay back the money, and then take back double the money he gave me? Then Qin Huairu will come begging to you, do you believe it?"

"That can't be," Sha Zhu shook his head.

"Not going to make a bet?" He Yudong raised an eyebrow. "If you refuse to pay, Xu Damao will go to Uncle Yi and have him force me to pay back the money."

He Yushui and He Yuzhu looked at each other, not quite believing it.

Knock, knock, knock. There was a knock on the door, and Qin Huairu's voice came: "Shazhu, open the door."

"See, I told you so?" He Yudong lowered his voice. "Don't agree to her later. Just say you spent all your money on bicycles and clothes and you have no money left."

Sha Zhu thought for a moment and nodded. He also wanted to see if He Yudong's prediction was accurate.

The door opened, and Qin Huairu, her face streaked with tears, looked pitiful: "Shazhu, help your sister! Xu Damao wants us to pay fifty yuan, or he'll send Banggeng to a juvenile detention center! Banggeng is still young, his life will be ruined... Can you lend me fifty yuan?"

"Sister Qin, I have no money," Sha Zhu said, following He Yudong's instructions. "I've been buying a bicycle and clothes these past few days, and I really don't have any money to lend you."

"Silly Zhu, please help your sister..." Qin Huairu reached out to grab him, and Silly Zhu quickly backed away.

"Sister Qin, what are you doing? If people see this, they'll think I'm bullying you. It's not that I don't want to help, it's that I can't. Banggeng steals things; yesterday he stole meat from my house, today he stole chickens from Xu Damao's house. If he's not taught a lesson, he'll definitely learn bad habits. You should ask Xu Damao for help, not me."

These past two days, thanks to He Yudong's advice, Sha Zhu has seen through the true nature of Qin Huairu's family and has become much more aware of things.

"Shazhu, are you just going to stand by and watch us die? Are we, a widow and her children, just because we don't have a man, supposed to be bullied?" Qin Huairu's tears streamed down her face.

Grandpa Yi came out of the house, and Qin Huairu, as if seeing a savior, began to plead. Grandpa Yi looked at Shazhu: "Shazhu, Qin Huairu's family has had a hard life. Please lend them some money. Xu Damao has gone too far."

He Yushui, who was inside the house, saw everything clearly, and it was exactly as He Yudong had predicted. She was both angry and annoyed, and went out to say to Qin Huairu, "Sister Qin, why should my brother have to pay for your family's chicken theft? That's outrageous!"

"Rain, I have no choice..." Qin Huairu's tears never stopped, and He Yudong sighed inwardly: It's a pity this woman didn't go to Hollywood.

"Then you can't make my brother lose money. You should go and beg Xu Damao," He Yushui replied.

He Yudong strolled out slowly, glancing at Uncle Yi and Qin Huairu: "If the child wasn't properly educated, sending him to a juvenile detention center to be managed by the state isn't a bad idea. A child who steals a needle will grow up to steal gold; don't you understand?"

"And you, Uncle Yi, you're quite adept at being generous with other people's money. You made my brother pay for Qin Huairu's compensation, why don't you pay for it yourself? Did my brother's money grow on trees? Your salary is over a hundred, much higher than his!"

"Yudong, what are you saying!" Old Man Yi exclaimed angrily. "If you hadn't asked Xu Damao for thirty yuan, would he have made things difficult for Huairu's family? In the end, it's all your fault!"

He Yudong was furious. The old man had revealed his true colors so quickly: "Xu Damao slandered me for stealing chickens. I lost a bet, that's between him and me! Now it's Bang Geng stealing chickens, those are two different things, why are you dragging me into this?"

"And you, Qin Huairu, how many times have you borrowed money from my brother? Have you ever paid it back even once? No, right? My brother has borrowed at least several hundred yuan from you, and you haven't paid back a single yuan! Don't you understand the saying, 'If you borrow and pay back, it's easy to borrow again'?"

Sha Zhu also remembered that Qin Huairu would borrow money from time to time under various pretexts and never pay it back. He used to feel sorry for them and didn't care, but now he just felt uncomfortable.

"We're all from the same compound, we should help each other out, what are you saying!" Uncle Yi was dissatisfied. Sha Zhu was stupid and could suck blood; He Yudong wasn't stupid, so he naturally didn't like him.

"That's right, they're all from the courtyard. Then please, Uncle Yi, help Qin Huairu pay compensation." He Yudong pulled Shazhu and Yushui into the house. "Brother, let's eat, don't pay any attention to them."

"That He Yudong is going too far!" Uncle Yi said to Qin Huairu. "Huairu, don't worry, I'll go talk to Xu Damao and ask him to ask for less." He didn't intend to pay out of his own pocket. Fifty yuan was not a small amount. It would be best if Shazhu could pay, but if he couldn't, he wouldn't lose money.

屋里

"How about it, Rainwater, Big Brother? I told you so, didn't I?" He Yudong said smugly. "I told you to stay away from that widow, she's a trap! If I hadn't come back, in another year or two, she would have drained you dry, leaving you with nothing but bones."

"I never expected Sister Qin to be this kind of person. Her son stole something and she still wants us to pay for it. That's too much."

"Brother, she really hasn't paid back the money?" He Yushui asked Shazhu.

"Sigh, let bygones be bygones," Sha Zhu sighed.

"Alright, listen to me from now on, I guarantee you'll find a wife within a year." He Yudong patted his chest and said, "Don't worry about Qin Huairu's matter, she's probably already settled things with Xu Damao. When it comes to scheming, Xu Damao is no match for her. They'll definitely be chatting and laughing tomorrow."

Qinhuai Home

"That damned idiot Zhu, he has no conscience!" Jia Zhangshi cursed. "His salary has increased to over seventy yuan, why won't he help us compensate?"

"The most despicable one is that little beast He Yudong!" She became angrier the more she thought about it. "If he hadn't come back, none of this would have happened. Would Xu Damao have known that Banggeng was stealing chickens?" In her eyes, it was all He Yudong's fault.

The next morning, Sha Zhu went to the factory canteen early; He Yushui started studying under He Yudong's supervision. He Yudong specially prepared practice questions for her that included this year's college entrance examination content, saying, "If you do these well, getting into Tsinghua University will be a piece of cake."

After assigning the homework, He Yudong rode his Phoenix bicycle out the door. The infirmary had just been set up, and he needed to check on it from time to time. Since reporting to Xu Shuji, he had officially started working.

Halfway there, a girl suddenly shouted, "Stop thief!"

He Yudong looked in the direction of the sound: an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl had fallen while chasing a thief, who was desperately running away with his belongings in hand. As a veteran and a promising young man, how could he stand idly by? He immediately accelerated on his bicycle, pushing the Phoenix brand to its maximum speed, and charged straight at the thief!

"Ouch!" The thief couldn't dodge in time and was knocked down by the bicycle, the wheel running over his body.

He Yudong parked his car, strode forward, grabbed the thief, and yelled, "Robbery in broad daylight, are you tired of living?" He lifted him up like a chick.

"Brother, let me go! I'll give you all the money! This is the first time, I'll never do it again!" the thief begged for mercy.

The rescued girl: A familiar, pretty girl

Just then, the girl limped over. He Yudong thought she looked familiar and pretty, snatched the money and ticket book from the thief's hand and handed them over: "Comrade, is this yours? Check if anything's missing."

The girl took it, her pretty face slightly flushed, and nodded: "It's mine, nothing's missing, thank you so much!"

"We can't stand idly by when something like this happens," He Yudong said with a smile.

Two police officers who were passing by came over, and the one in the lead asked, "What's going on?"

He Yudong was about to explain when he suddenly recognized him as his comrade-in-arms, Nie Jun! A brother-in-arms from the Northwest battlefield!

"Yudong, when did you get back? That's not very brotherly of you, coming back without saying a word!" Nie Jun gave him a bear hug. The thief tried to run away, but He Yudong kicked a pebble, hitting him squarely in the shin, and the thief stumbled and fell.

"Let's take care of business first, we can catch up later." He Yudong smiled and pulled Nie Jun away.

Nie Jun picked up the thief: "I'll take him back to the station, I'll find you later."

Just then, a wonderful notification sounded in his mind: "Ding, caught a thief, rewarded with 5 merit points." Only five of the thirty members of the reconnaissance squad remained, and Nie Jun was one of them. Although the 5 points were small, they warmed his heart.

After Nie Jun left, the girl finally had a chance to thank him: "Comrade, my name is Ding Qiunan, what's yours?"

"He Yudong, I was just passing by." He Yudong had just finished speaking when he suddenly remembered the female lead of a certain drama. Upon closer inspection, it really was her, and she was even prettier than in the drama!

"What's wrong?" Ding Qiunan tilted her head.

"It's nothing," He Yudong smiled. At that moment, Ding Qiunan lost her footing, tilted to the side, and winced in pain: "I twisted my ankle while chasing the thief."

"I happen to work at the factory clinic nearby, I'll take you there for treatment." He Yudong helped her onto his bicycle.

"You're a doctor too?" Ding Qiunan asked in surprise.

"Yes, I was just transferred to the Red Star Factory clinic."

"What a coincidence! I'm also reporting to the Hongxing Factory Clinic today!" Ding Qiunan's eyes lit up with surprise. From the same workplace!

He Yudong took her to the infirmary on his bicycle.

Ding Qiunan sat on the chair like a quail, not daring to look him in the eye.

He Yudong took off her shoes to check her ankle, which was red and swollen.

"No bones are broken. I'll massage you to clear your meridians and reduce the swelling," he said. He didn't have any traditional Chinese medicine for bruises, so he could only use massage. With his medical skills, minor injuries were nothing.

It hurt at first, but Ding Qiunan felt more and more comfortable. After more than ten minutes, the redness and swelling actually disappeared!

"Try walking around on the ground," He Yudong laughed.

"Wow, my foot is all better! It doesn't hurt at all!" Ding Qiunan exclaimed in surprise. As a medical school graduate, she knew that sprains take several days to heal, but the swelling went down in just over ten minutes. It was amazing!

"It's just a simple massage to clear the meridians and disperse blood stasis," He Yudong said casually. "Don't walk too fast these next couple of days."

"Thank you, Brother He." Ding Qiunan looked at him deeply, her cheeks flushed.

"I'll take you to the job registration. Did you bring the letter of introduction?" He Yudong asked.

"I brought it." Ding Qiunan took out her letter of introduction. He Yudong glanced at it and nodded, "Come on, let's get you onboarded first, I'll take you to the cafeteria for lunch."

"Thank you, Brother He." Ding Qiunan's mood was like a petal blown by the spring breeze. Because of chasing a thief, she picked up a handsome, righteous doctor from the same workplace. Isn't this fate?

Ding Qiunan followed He Yudong toward the steel mill canteen, her steps light as if she were walking on clouds.

Today, her mood was brighter than the sun outside the window. She never expected that He Yudong was not only a colleague but also the director of the infirmary. Although he was only two years older than her, Xu Shuji treated him with great respect.

Even more surprisingly, she originally thought that "applying for a dormitory is as difficult as climbing to the sky," but He Yudong's words led Xu Shuji to approve the application on the spot.

"Brother He, I'm treating you to dinner today!" She looked up and laughed, her eyes curving into crescents. "If it weren't for you, I'd still be renting a place outside."

"Let me treat you." He Yudong waved his hand. "You just started and haven't been paid yet. I'll treat you to a meal after you get your salary." He glanced at the stray hairs stuck to her hair and, as if possessed, added, "It's only natural for a leader to treat his subordinates today."

Ding Qiunan's ears turned slightly red. She was usually cold to everyone, but in front of He Yudong, her smile was like a river that had been opened, and she couldn't stop it.

The aluminum rice bowls in the cafeteria jingled and clanged, and the bitter smell of cabbage wafted from the vegetarian dish window.

He Yudong looked around: workers in blue overalls were crowding at the window exchanging meal tickets. Occasionally, someone would glance at him and Ding Qiunan. The two of them weren't wearing overalls, and the handsome man and beautiful woman naturally became the focus of attention. Ding Qiunan felt uncomfortable being stared at, and quietly moved closer to him, her fingers unconsciously tugging at the hem of his clothes.

"I'll go to the kitchen and get some food." He Yudong took her lunchbox, his fingertips touching her burning hand. "You go back to the infirmary and wait."

"No need to trouble yourself..."

"Listen to me." He smiled, turned and walked towards the kitchen, took out a piece of pork belly from his little world, and bumped into Sha Zhu drinking water from an enamel cup as he pushed open the door.

"Brother, what brings you here?" Sha Zhu's eyes lit up. "Want some meat?"

"I'm treating my colleagues at the infirmary to dinner. The cafeteria doesn't have meat." He Yudong shook the pork belly. "I'll make Dongpo pork, a Jiangnan style. She should like it."

"Wow, this meat is fatty enough!" Sha Zhu rubbed his hands together. "With resources so scarce these days, eating meat twice a month is considered a 'luxury,' and you..."

"I can have it anytime I want." He Yudong patted his shoulder. "Make it for me first, and you can keep the rest."

The kitchen was steaming hot. While Sha Zhu was cutting meat, He Yudong looked out through the window and bumped into Qin Huairu cutting in line.

"Qin Huairu! Get in line!" a worker shouted.

Qin Huairu twisted her waist and rubbed her buttocks against Xu Damao's trouser leg: "Xu Damao helped me with the arrangement."

Xu Damao put his arm around her waist, grinning like a cat that had just stolen some cream: "Yes, this is my sister, so what?"

The surrounding workers laughed, and Qin Huairu laughed with her head tilted back, hooking her finger under Xu Damao's chin: "Has Lou Xiao'e not let you sleep with her these past two days?"

"You understand me so well." Xu Damao whispered in her ear, "Wait for me in the warehouse at noon, I'll bring you lunch."

"Aren't you afraid I'll slap you?"

"Really?" Xu Damao laughed. "It's settled then."

Sha Zhu's face turned pale instantly. Yesterday, Qin Huairu was crying and begging him to "compensate Xu Damao," but today she's arm in arm with Xu Damao!

"Brother, did you see clearly?" He Yudong sneered, "This widow is pretending to be pitiful; she's really trying to seduce someone."

Sha Zhu clenched his fists: "I knew something was off about her! I'm never talking to her family again!"

"Brother He, the meat is ready!" Sha Zhu brought out the Dongpo pork, and the aroma made Liu Lan and Ma Hua swallow hard.

"Master, would you like to try some?" Ma Hua rubbed his hands together.

"No, it's my brother's." Sha Zhu protected the lunchbox. "Brother, I'll pack some for you, and the rest can be shared with our colleagues."

He Yudong nodded, gave Ding Qiunan two pieces, and distributed the rest to everyone in the cafeteria, including Sha Zhu, who usually rarely saw meat. Sha Zhu, holding up a piece of meat, grinned and said, "Director He really cares!"

While they were busy, He Yudong caught a glimpse of Qin Huairu sneaking over, and nudged Sha Zhu: "She's here to steal something, believe it or not?"

Sha Zhu stared wide-eyed: "Impossible!"

"Just wait and see," He Yudong said in a low voice. "She'll definitely play the victim, saying someone took advantage of her, when in reality she's just trying to seduce them for benefits. Remember, don't be soft-hearted."

Qin Huai approached Sha Zhu with tears welling in his eyes, "Brother Zhu, I... I want to borrow some food coupons from the canteen. My kids at home are hungry..."

Remembering He Yudong's words, Sha Zhu took a half step back: "I don't concern myself with your family matters."

"Brother Zhu, you weren't like this before..." Qin Huairu's voice trembled as she placed her hand on his arm.

"Slap!" Sha Zhu slapped her hand away: "Stop pretending! You were hugging and kissing Xu Damao yesterday, and now you're trying to lie to me?"

Qin Huairu's expression changed drastically. She turned and left, her back looking as pathetic as a defeated chicken.

He Yudong carried his lunchbox toward the infirmary. Ding Qiunan was peering out the window at him. Seeing him arrive, she greeted him with a smile, "Brother He, why are you so late?"

"I've run into a little trouble." He shook his lunchbox. "Try this, Dongpo pork, the Jiangnan style."

Ding Qiunan picked up a piece, the rich yet not greasy aroma of the meat melting on her tongue, her eyes shining: "So delicious! Brother He, thank you."