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

He Yudong had just finished killing the chicken and was washing its feathers when Jia Zhangshi came over, staring at the large rooster that weighed several pounds, her saliva almost dripping onto the chicken:

"Yudong, this chicken is too big, you probably can't finish it, right? My grandson is growing, so keep two chicken feet for him, and I'll take the rest home!"

As he spoke, he reached out to grab the chicken. He Yudong dodged to the side, and Jia Zhangshi almost fell on her backside. She immediately put her hands on her hips and scolded, "He Yudong, what do you mean by this?"

"I should be asking you that!" He Yudong sneered. "Trying to rob me in broad daylight?"

"Uncle Yi! Uncle Yi, you've come at the perfect time!" Madam Jia Zhang immediately turned around and shouted, "He Yudong killed a chicken but didn't share it with our family! The chicken is growing and needs nutrition, yet he's hoarding food in this yard, he has no conscience!"

Just as Uncle Yi and Aunt Yi went out, Sha Zhu came over after hearing the noise. Jia Zhangshi immediately turned the tables, accusing Sha Zhu: "Sha Zhu, you have no conscience! You killed the chicken and didn't share with us! It's all your fault that the chicken coop is malnourished!"

Sha Zhu was dumbfounded. What kind of twisted logic was this? What did not distinguishing between chickens have to do with his grandson's malnutrition?

He Yudong chuckled and whispered to Sha Zhu, "Brother, did you hear that? This is the ungrateful wretch you've been supporting for four years. Her grandson can't find a wife, is that our fault too?"

"He Yudong, you're the one who'll never find a wife!" Madam Jia Zhang exclaimed anxiously, poking at Sha Zhu's heart, "You're just like your brother, destined to be a bachelor your whole life!"

Sha Zhu was instantly enraged. Not being able to get a wife was his lifelong regret, and this old woman was actually cursing him!

"Jia Zhangshi, you don't get any of our chickens!" Sha Zhu retorted defiantly.

"Brother, you've finally stood up for yourself!" He Yudong was secretly pleased, staring at Jia Zhangshi with a sneer, "Jia Zhangshi, what does your family's life or death have to do with us? Who am I to you? Why should I give you the chickens? You have hands and feet, yet you lie at home like parasites, trying to suck our blood?"

"Exactly!" Old Man Yi couldn't stand it anymore. "If you want chicken from Yudong, buy it yourself!"

A crowd gathered in the courtyard, some cursing Jia Zhangshi as shameless, others calling her an ingrate. Qin Huairu rushed out from behind the window and grabbed Jia Zhangshi's arm: "Mom, stop it! Isn't this embarrassing enough?"

"What's shameful about me? I'm a grandson!" Jia Zhangshi broke free from her.

"If your grandson has no nutrition, earn money to raise him yourself!" He Yushui came out of the house, glaring at Jia Zhangshi. "Don't even think about taking our chickens!" Having been scolded by her brother yesterday, she had long seen through the true colors of the Jia family and secretly vowed to stay away from Qin Huairu.

Xu Damao suddenly squeezed out from the crowd. After finding out what had happened, he pointed at He Yudong and said sarcastically, "He Yudong, if you can't finish the chicken, just give it to them! A grown man bullying an orphan and a widow, have you no shame?"

"Xu Damao, shut up!" He Yudong snapped. "Don't you have chickens at home? Why didn't you send some?"

"That's right! Why didn't you see him off?" the onlookers jeered. Xu Damao blushed, turned around, and left.

Not long after, Xu Damao came running from the backyard again, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Oh no! My chicken is gone! Who stole it? Shazhu, He Yudong, was it you? That chicken was for Ezi to use during her postpartum period!"

He Yudong stared at him like he was an idiot: "Xu Damao, are you fucking crazy? Who stole your chicken? And can you even have children? Aren't you ashamed?"

"He Yudong, you've insulted my character!" Xu Damao pointed at He Yudong. "Uncle Yi, you be the judge!"

"Jia Zhangshi, did you not brush your teeth?" He Yudong retorted, "You're spewing filth! When did I ever steal Xu Damao's chickens?"

"The chicken is in your pot, what else is that but evidence?" Jia Zhangshi chimed in.

"I remember now!" Xu Damao suddenly slapped his thigh. "Yesterday in the cafeteria you said you wanted to see my old hen! If you didn't steal it, who did? Pay up right now!"

As soon as He Yudong left, Qin Huairu quietly slipped into the cafeteria through the back door. Sha Zhu was cooking; he glanced at her but ignored her.

"Hey, Sha Zhu, can you get me a few pounds of cornmeal? I really can't make ends meet." Qin Huairu tugged at his sleeve and lowered her voice.

"Shun? Wouldn't that be stealing? If I steal from the government, I'll become a thief?" Sha Zhu frowned. These days, stealing from the government is a serious matter, punishable by disciplinary action or even dismissal.

Qin Huairu's face hardened: "We're really starving! I just went to the men's workshop to ask Old Yang for next month's food rations, but what am I going to do next month? We keep putting it off, month after month, when will it end? Yesterday Xu Damao was even demanding money from me, I can't live like this!"

"That won't do either. It's a matter of professional ethics. Stealing is unacceptable," Sha Zhu said righteously.

"Come on, don't you usually have it easy?" Qin Huairu said, dissatisfied.

"Don't talk nonsense! What I took was all leftovers from the factory manager's banquet. The factory manager approved it, and I didn't even taste it myself. Every time, it ended up in your family's stomachs. If you want to steal it, go ahead and do it yourself. Don't come looking for me if you get caught." These past two days, He Yudong's analysis made Sha Zhu see through the Qin Huairu family's scheming. He could no longer be foolishly used.

Seeing that he was unmoved by reason, Qin Huai suddenly leaned closer and said affectionately, "Silly Zhu, please help your sister."

Sha Zhu quickly pushed her away, his face hardening: "Qin Huairu, have some self-respect! How am I supposed to get married if word gets out? Keep your distance from now on, don't let people think we're having an affair."

Qin Huairu burst into tears, her voice trembling with sobs: "What do you mean? I'm only suffering this because I can't even afford to eat! Guo Da Piezi took advantage of me in the men's workshop, and I only got two steamed buns; Xu Damao tries to take advantage of me, and just because I'm a widow, does that mean I have to be bullied?"

"Stop pretending! I just saw Xu Damao in line. You were the one who snuggled up to him and even made plans to go to the warehouse!" Sha Zhu was furious. Xu Damao was no good, but Qin Huairu's distortion of the truth made him even angrier.

Qin Huairu, not expecting to be seen, cried even harder: "What do you know? I'm a widow with five people, do you think it's easy for me? Even you bully me! I trusted you, but you did this to me too!"

Sha Zhu wavered as he cried: "Okay, I'll buy you cornmeal later, but you absolutely can't steal it. Stop crying, or people will think I'm bullying you."

Qin Huairu immediately stopped crying, turning off the water like a tap, her acting skills far surpassing those of an Oscar winner: "You're so good to me, I'll head back now." Wiping away her tears, she left with a smile, handling the silly Zhu in a matter of minutes. If He Yudong saw this, he would definitely slap his silly brother a few times; he'd already been completely under Qin Huairu's thumb.

He Yudong had already returned to the infirmary. Ding Qiunan waited for more than twenty minutes and smiled when she saw him come back: "The food is getting cold, hurry up and eat."

"Try my brother's secret recipe Dongpo pork." He Yudong opened the lunchbox, and an enticing aroma instantly filled the air. Ding Qiunan's eyes lit up. In those days, it was considered good to be able to eat meat once or twice a month. Her monthly salary was only enough for one pound of meat coupons, but the lunchbox contained about one pound of meat.

"Wow, so much meat! Brother He, you must have spent a lot of money on this!"

"Try it first and see how it tastes." He Yudong smiled and pushed the Dongpo pork in front of Ding Qiunan.

For him, pork belly was worthless; he won ten tons in a lottery last time, enough to eat every day. In the resource-scarce 1980s, he was definitely a "tycoon."

Ding Qiunan picked up a piece of Dongpo pork, gently bit into it, and the unique aroma of the pork belly melted on her tongue. It was fatty but not greasy, and the lean meat was tender. That kind of pleasure rushed from her taste buds to her heart.

"I've never had such delicious Dongpo pork before!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining. "Brother He, your brother's cooking skills are amazing!"

"My brother is a descendant of the Tan family cuisine lineage, and his skills are indeed excellent." He Yudong waved his hand with a smile, "But the key to this dish is the quality of the meat; you simply can't buy this quality of pork belly on the market."

Ding Qiunan nodded in agreement. The texture of this pork belly was completely different from what she had eaten before. It was fresher and more moist, with an indescribable sweet fragrance.

The two finished their meal, still savoring the lingering aroma of the meat. Ding Qiunan suddenly said, "Brother He, you treated me to dinner today, so I'll treat you next time, but only after I get my salary."

He Yudong laughed: "Okay, we'll talk about it after you get your salary."

Their eyes met unintentionally, and Ding Qiunan's pretty face instantly flushed red, like a peach blossom after being warmed by the spring sun. She quickly turned her head away shyly, pretending to look at the trees outside the window.

"Take these two days to familiarize yourself with the environment. You'll officially start work the day after tomorrow or the day after that," He Yudong instructed. "The dormitory isn't far from the infirmary, so let me know if you need any help."

"Yes, thank you, Brother He." Ding Qiunan looked up. "Are you coming to the infirmary tomorrow?"

"We'll see how things go tomorrow, maybe they'll come over around noon," He Yudong explained. "We have some medicine to deliver these next couple of days, so we need to check and count it to make sure they don't deliver substandard products."

"Then I'll come help tomorrow at noon too!" Ding Qiunan immediately replied, her eyes showing a hint of eagerness.

"Okay." He Yudong took out a spare key to the infirmary from his pocket. "Here you go. If I'm late, you can go in first. There's not much here. I'll get some books later so you can read them when you're not busy."

After He Yudong left, Ding Qiunan returned to her dormitory, made her bed, and lay down. He Yudong's face kept flashing through her mind: his handsome eyebrows and eyes, his smiling lips, and the seriousness with which he handed her the keys...

She didn't realize that whenever she thought of him, the corners of her mouth would involuntarily turn up, and she would even squeeze her legs together.

He Yudong rode his modified electric bicycle back to the courtyard house. As soon as he arrived at the gate, he saw Grandpa Yan Fugui holding a fishing rod and leading his bicycle, preparing to go out.

"Hey, Uncle San, are you going fishing?" He Yudong greeted him with a smile.

"Yeah, it's the weekend, I'm going fishing in the moat for a while." Yan Fugui glanced at He Yudong's brand-new bicycle, woolen overcoat, tall leather boots, and exquisite watch on his wrist, and couldn't help but feel envious. This kid is dressed so fashionably, it must be because of the new clothes that he looks so handsome!

"Are there fish in the moat?" He Yudong asked curiously.

"Hehe, someone caught a huge grass carp weighing over ten kilograms the other day, they almost broke their fishing rod!" Yan Fugui exclaimed excitedly. "I'm not talking to you anymore, there won't be any good spots left if I go too late!"

"Uncle San, wait for me!" He Yudong suddenly had a sudden idea. "I haven't gone fishing in a long time. I'll go with you."

He had a little plan in mind: there was a spiritual spring pool in the small world, and if he put a few fish in to raise, maybe the fish meat would be more delicious.

"Yudong, no offense, but Yan Fugui immediately adopted a 'master's' demeanor. 'Fishing is an art! If you don't know how, I'll teach you, but there will be a tuition fee. By the way, you don't have a fishing rod, right? I have an old one at home; I can rent it to you for fifty cents an hour!'"

He Yudong's lips twitched. This old guy was more shrewd than anyone else when it came to making calculations. He was a "successful businessman" who had been buried by the times!

"No need, Uncle San," he waved his hand with a smile. "I'll go get my fishing gear. My fishing rod is much more advanced than yours!"

He Yudong planted his old bicycle at the gate of the courtyard, the seat still warm from his ride.

He went inside and searched through all the drawers, but found no fishing gear. He was delighted: the system shop had everything from a "beginner rod" that cost 1 merit point to a "sea fishing king" that cost 20 merit points.

With a swipe of the fingertip on the system interface, 3 merit points were exchanged for a "professional-grade hand rod": the carbon fiber rod body had a matte finish, the reel was so smooth it looked like it had been oiled, and there were several realistic artificial lures in the accessory box, shaped like small fish, with scales that shimmered silver-blue in the light, looking as if they had just been scooped up from the moat.

"Brother, let's go!" He slung his bulging fishing tackle bag over his shoulder and shouted to Yan Fugui, who had just entered the hospital.

Yan Fugui was rubbing his hands together and breathing out white puffs of air when he saw Yu Dong carrying a bag. His eyebrows furrowed: "Yu Dong, where's your fishing rod?"

"It's in the bag!" He Yudong patted the bag. "A high-end item brought back from abroad by our comrades. Can your homemade bamboo poles compare?"

"Hey!" Yan Fugui rubbed his cotton gloves in his palms, his voice booming, "Fishing is all about skill! I'm one of the top three fishing enthusiasts in Beijing. No matter how fancy your fancy gear is, without skill, it's useless!"

He Yudong suppressed a laugh. In the original story, this old man San was just like that—crude in skill but loved to brag.

He knew perfectly well that the reason he was invited fishing today was to introduce Ran Qiuyue to his brother He Yuzhu.

In the original story, that girl was materialistic and only remembered He Yuzhu after falling on hard times, but she was still better than that scheming widow, Qin Huairu. As for myself? I have the system. Women? I'll have plenty to choose from later.

The moat was less than three kilometers from the courtyard. As the two pedaled their bikes, the wind blew into their collars. Yan Fugui hunched his shoulders and muttered, "It's going to freeze over now. If we don't catch anything, we'll have to try again tomorrow!"

When he arrived, he saw a row of old men squatting by the river: wrapped in cotton-padded coats like rice dumplings, bamboo poles stuck diagonally in the snow, the clanging of lead weights hitting the ice mixed with their coughs. He Yudong chose a sheltered spot, unpacked his fishing gear, assembled his rod, the carbon fiber rod unfolded with a "click," the reel spun smoothly, and the lure was hooked, its silver scales shimmering in the sunlight.

"Wow! This rod..." Yan Fugui leaned closer, his fingertips touching the rod shaft. "A foreign product? Can it catch sharks?"

"No problem." He Yudong cast the lure into the water, and the hook shot out more than 20 meters with a "whoosh," splashing only a small amount of water when it entered the water. "Our lure is a simulated small fish, specially designed to catch predatory fish. The fishy smell of earthworms would have scared the fish away long ago."

Yan Fugui pursed his lips and squatted down at his usual "feng shui spot" where there was little ice. He had been there for three days and only caught a two-ounce crucian carp. He quickly baited the hook with an earthworm, and the sinker slammed into the ice with a "plop," the fishing line drawing a crooked line on the water.

He Yudong sat on a small stool, his fingertips twirling the reel, the lure swimming lively underwater. An old man fishing nearby glanced at him and said, "Young man, can you catch fish with that lure? You're just wasting your time!"

He smiled without saying a word. The system had already marked it: this bait was twice as attractive to fish in cold weather, especially since a batch of catfish had recently entered the moat, and they loved this "live" food.

About half an incense stick later, Yan Fugui's float moved. He suddenly lifted the rod, "smack!" The lead weight hit the ice, the fishing line was taut, but there was no fish.

"That's weird!" he muttered. "Yesterday, a carp was served at this spot!"

On He Yudong's side, the reel suddenly started spinning rapidly with a "buzzing" sound—a fish had taken the bait! With a slight flick of his wrist, the rod bent into a bow, the reel creaked as it reeled in the line, splashing water everywhere: "Uncle San, watch closely!"

A half-foot-long catfish was pulled ashore, its tail swishing as it splashed water all over Yan Fugui's face.

"Holy crap!" Yan Fugui wiped his face, his eyes wide with disbelief. "How... how did this fish get hooked?"

He Yudong tossed the fish into the net bag and cast his line again: "What does fishing depend on? Skill + equipment. Fish are tired of your earthworms; my lure looks just like a real fish, how could a catfish not take the bait?"

The older men nearby also gathered around, their mouths watering as they stared at the catfish in the net bag: "Young man, are you selling this fishing rod? I'll trade you my bamboo pole for it!"

Yan Fugui's face turned a deep purplish-red, and he squatted there silently for a long time. He Yudong patted him on the shoulder: "Uncle San, don't be so smug. How about we use this fish to make braised catfish for my brother tonight, and then we can talk about Ran Qiuyue?"

Yan Fugui snorted, but secretly glanced at his fishing rod. The silver-blue lure was still "swimming" in the water, looking like a real fish, making him itch with desire.

"Young man, is this what you call fishing? At that rate, you might not catch a single fish even by tomorrow..."

Before he could finish speaking, the fishing line in He Yudong's hand snapped taut—the fish had taken the bait! The old men who had been mocking him just moments before instantly shut up, their faces burning with embarrassment, as if they'd been slapped in the face. But secretly, they hoped: "Please don't let him actually catch it."

He Yudong reeled in the line methodically, reeling it in a few times and letting it out a few times. The feel of the line told him that the fish was quite large. Before long, the fish was pulled to the shore. He picked up the fish tongs, a dual-purpose tool that could both grip the fish's mouth and weigh it, and "click" clamped the fish's lips, steadily pulling it ashore.

A collective gasp filled the air, even the old man who had just declared he wouldn't catch anything stared wide-eyed.

"Wow, that's incredible luck! It must weigh at least seven or eight pounds!"

"More than that, I think it weighs ten pounds!"

He Yudong glanced at the scale: five kilograms, exactly ten jin, and it was a big bluefish. He smiled at Yan Fugui, tossed the fish into a net on the shore, the net submerged in water to keep the fish lively and jumping.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, the hook flew dozens of meters again. Halfway in, the line taut again, and a second big fish took the bait.

The surrounding old men were completely dumbfounded, as if they were amateurs and He Yudong was the professional "fisherman".

This isn't fishing; it's clearly a trip to "make production."

The second fish was a freshwater bass, weighing about seven or eight pounds. Grandpa San was extremely envious, as his earthworms were not being used by the fish. He Yudong, on the other hand, used artificial bait to catch two big fish in a row.

He Yudong cast his line repeatedly, catching fish with every cast, starting at six or seven pounds and reaching over ten pounds at the largest. In less than half an hour, more than twenty large fish were in the net.

Yan Fugui and several other old men couldn't sit still any longer and gathered around.

"Young man, how did you do that? Teach this old man!"

"Yeah, where did you buy that fishing rod? We want to buy one too!"

"Yudong, I never expected you to be so skilled. How about we make a deal?" Yan Fugui stared at the fishing rod like a starving man seeing a stunning beauty, eager to pounce on her and touch her as much as he could.

He Yudong laughed: "Gentlemen, don't even think about it. This fishing rod was brought back from abroad by my friend. You can't buy it in China."

"I'll pay you ten dollars, sell it to me!" an old man shouted.

"Old Huang, you're too good at taking advantage! The fish you caught today are worth more than ten yuan, I'll bet twenty!" another person eagerly raised the stake.

"Sorry, I won't sell it for any price." He Yudong packed up his fishing gear, picked up the net, and found more than twenty large fish, each weighing at least seven or eight pounds, totaling nearly two hundred pounds. He lifted it up with one hand with ease.

Grandpa San immediately approached, his face full of flattery: "Yu Dong, you can't possibly eat all this fish, can you?"

"Alright, Uncle San, I'll take two back to you."

"That's great! I'll have Sha Zhu make braised fish tonight, and I'll bring some wine to drink with us!"

"Okay, you can continue fishing. I'll head back now." He Yudong took the fish, hopped on his bicycle, and prepared to leave.

"Yu Dong, I don't need the fishing rod right now, can I borrow it from Grandpa San to fish?" Grandpa San came over again.

"Uncle San, this rod is complicated to use. I'll teach you when I have time. It wouldn't be good if you broke it if you didn't know how to use it." He Yudong sneered inwardly. This old guy was shrewd and calculating. He couldn't be indulged. He'd give him a little something first, and once the job was done, he wouldn't mind giving him one. Anyway, he could have as many fishing rods as he wanted. Whether he caught a big fish or not was none of his concern.

"Alright... I'll definitely come to your house for dinner tonight!" Grandpa San happily agreed.

Yan Fugui knew that getting the fishing rod from He Yudong would be a slow process. If he had that rod, he could make a fortune catching ten fish a day, let alone twenty. In his eyes, that rod was a treasure.

He Yudong rode his electric bicycle for half the distance, then picked out a few of the best ones and put them into the spiritual spring pool in the small world. He kept only four in the net: two were promised to Uncle San, weighing seven or eight jin; the other two weighed a full ten jin, which he planned to have his brother make braised fish for him that evening. The two ten-jin ones were enough for several people to have a good meal.

Upon entering the courtyard, I bumped into Aunt San washing clothes.

Seeing He Yudong carrying a net bag filled with lively, wriggling fish, she quickly greeted him, "Yudong's back? Wow, so many fish! Did you buy them?"