Courtyard House: The Fisherman Never Goes Sick

Yang Wei waved his hand to decline the "gift" offered by Sha Zhu, and didn't forget to give a warning:

"Stop fighting all the time. That's for brutes. From now on, I'm going to correct this bad habit of yours."

"That won't do!" Sha Zhu shook his head vigorously. "I haven't even given my wife a good life yet, and I haven't paid back the money I owe you. How can I go to jail?"

Seeing Yang Wei's expression darken, he quickly reassured him, "Brother Yang, don't worry, I promise I will never act impulsively again, nor will I act rashly. I will definitely behave myself!"

"Alright, go back now." Yang Wei waved his hand. Sha Zhu, wearing a short-sleeved shirt, replied with a "Yes," and turned to leave.

After Sha Zhu walked away, Yang Wei turned his head and glanced at Xu Damao's residence on the right. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes. Although violence was not popular these days, killing or crippling a person was easy for Yang Wei, especially a young man like Xu Damao. He could make him cry for his parents with just a flick of his finger.

"Xu Damao, in my past life I hated you the most." He gritted his teeth inwardly. "You'd better not mess with me, or I'll make you regret it and show you what a real villain is!"

Suppressing his anger, Yang Wei's face instantly softened into a gentle smile as he went inside to chat with his wife and grandmother. When his grandmother got tired, the couple went back to their room to whisper sweet nothings, and late at night, they resumed their "baby-making plan," the sound of "Yiwei" echoing in the small room. The next day, Yang Wei got up on time, washed up, made breakfast, and then rode his bicycle to the factory.

He went to the cafeteria and got busy as planned. He didn't take the matter of Qin Huairu and Xu Damao that Sha Zhu had mentioned yesterday to heart at all. They were just small fry and not worth his time.

Around nine o'clock, Factory Director Wang personally came to the canteen to call Yang Wei: "Xiao Yang, you have to go to the leader's house today. He wants to eat your Sichuan cuisine. From now on, every Wednesday will be a fixed week for you to cook for the leader." Factory Director Wang solemnly instructed, "Remember, do more and talk less. This is a task assigned to you by the organization!"

"Yes, Factory Director!" Yang Wei pledged his commitment, but inwardly he was overjoyed. He was finally able to have private contact with the big boss, and he had to find a way to get closer to him!

After handing over his duties at the canteen, he followed the factory's vehicle straight to the leader's villa. His mind raced on the way, pondering how to build a closer relationship. As they approached the villa, he finally came up with a preliminary plan.

The car stopped in front of the villa, and Yang Wei went inside as if he knew the way well. Secretary Chen greeted him as usual and led him to the kitchen: "Chef Yang, I'm sorry to trouble you again. Lunch is at 11:30. The leader is looking at documents right now. He hasn't been feeling well lately, so please make sure the dishes are low in oil, salt, and spice."

"Okay, sure," Yang Wei replied, adding, "Actually, Sichuan cuisine isn't just about numbing spiciness. Authentic Sichuan cuisine can be neither numbing nor spicy. It was only later that it was changed to suit the tastes of people in Sichuan."

Secretary Chen waved his hand: "I don't know much about Sichuan cuisine, but the leader's meals are in your hands. The leader loves your cooking, so please put in the effort." He was often by the leader's side, so he naturally knew that the leader had a good impression of Yang Wei and spoke to him very politely.

Entering the kitchen, Yang Wei glanced at the ingredients and secretly sighed that the leader was truly a "foodie," especially fond of Sichuan cuisine. The sesame paste that was missing last time was now fully stocked. After Secretary Chen left, he started to get busy. It was almost ten o'clock, and he had to hurry up and prepare the dishes, in case he could chat with the leader for a few minutes later and make his presence known.

Just then, Aunt Liu came into the kitchen: "Xiao Yang!"

Yang Wei put down his work and greeted her with a smile, "Hello, Aunt Liu!"

"I'm troubling you again," Aunt Liu said, shaking her head. "After eating the food you made last time, we couldn't even stomach the food anyone else cooked!"

Yang Wei had absolute confidence in his culinary skills. Throughout Beijing, he was intimidated by anyone, from five-star hotels to master chefs of state banquets. Although the system's displayed level wasn't high, it represented top-tier skills in the culinary industry, especially after mastering the control of heat to perfection.

"The factory manager instructed me today that I will come and cook for you every Wednesday from now on," Yang Wei replied.

"At other times, if I'm free on Sundays and it's convenient for you, I can come over too. It's my honor to cook for you, sir!" Yang Wei said with a smile.

"That's great! I can enjoy your cooking a few more times too." Aunt Liu was clearly bored and came over to chat with Yang Wei.

Since that was the case, Yang Wei didn't stand on ceremony and simply treated it as a casual neighborly chat. While busy with his work, he chatted with her about everyday matters. "I'm twenty this year, and I got married on September 15th." In the kitchen, Aunt Liu asked about Yang Wei's background thoroughly, including his family history, who else was in his family, what his wife's family did... she asked him everything. Finally, she glanced at the time; it was almost eleven o'clock, before turning to leave.

After she left, Yang Wei officially began cooking. There weren't many people eating today, so he didn't make too much—just four dishes and a soup. Just as all the dishes were on the table and Yang Wei was about to leave, the senior leader sitting in the dining room suddenly spoke up: "Little Yang, don't go, eat with us!"

Yang Wei was taken aback, scratched his head, and feigned embarrassment before tentatively asking, "Big Boss, is this appropriate?"

"What's inappropriate? Without your hard work arranging this, would I be sitting here eating this ready-made meal?" The big boss smiled gently. "There are no outsiders today, let's eat together!"

"Alright then, I'll take the honor of sitting at the same table as the big boss today." Yang Wei stopped being coy and sat down confidently.

"Want a drink?" The high-ranking official looked at Aunt Liu, begging for a drink like any other man would ask for one. Yang Wei found it amusing, a faint smile playing on his lips as he watched quietly. Finally, Aunt Liu glanced at Yang Wei and said helplessly, "Just one drink, I can't drink any more!"

"Okay, just one glass!" Aunt Liu got up, grabbed a bottle of Moutai, poured a glass for the big boss, and then filled Yang Wei's glass as well. "Little Yang, can you drink?" "I can drink a little, Aunt Liu!" Yang Wei nodded without any modesty. Aunt Liu poured him a little more before he started eating.

During the meal, the high-ranking leader casually ate and drank, chatting with Yang Wei: "Young Yang, judging from your words and actions, you seem like someone who's been to school?"

"I've read some. Before I got married, I often went to the library after get off work in the evenings. I would arrive at 6:30 and return to the courtyard house when it closed at 10:00," Yang Wei answered truthfully.

"What kind of books do you like to read?" "A variety. I dabble in recipes, socioeconomics, antiques and history. I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but I know a little bit about everything."

"Oh? You're studying socioeconomics?" The high-ranking leader was clearly intrigued and pressed, "So what are your thoughts on the current socioeconomic development of the country?"

"To understand the socio-economic landscape, one must first understand society. There are three levels to understanding society: technology, institutions, and culture. From individuals to nations, destiny is ultimately a product of cultural attributes. A strong culture creates strong individuals, and a weak culture creates weak individuals—this is a fundamental law." Yang Wei explained clearly, "Our country is developing rapidly. As long as we cultivate national confidence and pride, future prosperity is only a matter of time. A planned economy is a transition; the future will inevitably be a market economy. Only free and fair competition can drive productivity and balance supply and demand."

After he finished speaking, the senior leader and Aunt Liu stared at Yang Wei in shock. Who would have thought that such a profound theory would come from the mouth of a chef? If they hadn't seen and heard it with their own eyes and ears, they would never have believed it even if they were beaten to death.

"Young Yang, you're a real talent!" the senior leader exclaimed sincerely.

Yang Wei's insightful theory instantly won over the high-ranking leader. The leader's gaze had long since shed its scrutiny of an ordinary chef; instead, it was as if he had met a like-minded comrade, and the admiration in Yang Wei's eyes was undisguised.

If before it was because he craved Yang Wei's authentic Sichuan cuisine, which evoked memories of his parents back home, now Yang Wei has taken it a step further, becoming a close friend across generations with whom he can discuss philosophy and share his thoughts.

"Since you say that to understand society, we need to start with technology, systems, and culture, then let's go into more detail about the differences between these three!" The big boss was in high spirits and had long forgotten Aunt Liu's instruction before the meal to "only drink one glass," raising his glass in a gesture of respect.

Aunt Liu was a sensible person. She had already noticed that Yang Wei's words had made the leader's eyes light up, so she obediently poured a full glass for each of them without saying a word of "no".

Yang Wei thanked the leader and then engaged in a long conversation with him at the dinner table. Although the conversation touched on vague aspects of the country's future development, to the leader it was like a series of unexpected glimmers of light. At that time, people were trapped in a fog of uncertainty about the future, otherwise the later phrase "crossing the river by feeling the stones" wouldn't have been used. Why feel the stones? Because they lacked direction and couldn't see the road ahead. Fortunately, the country had long ago laid a solid foundation of policies and systems for development, allowing it to stand firmly among the world's powerful nations.

Of course, Yang Wei didn't dare to explicitly mention "reform and opening up," only vaguely hinting at some possibilities. Even this speculation made the leader slam his fist on the table and praise him for his "insightful" remarks. In the end, the leader looked at Yang Wei with increasing admiration. He had never imagined that a young man could possess such far-sightedness, such thorough understanding, and such strategic acumen. If he had to figure these things out on his own, it would have taken him a long time, but with Yang Wei's guidance, his long-standing confusion instantly cleared up.

When the conversation ended, the leader was already a little tipsy. He held Yang Wei's hand and kept saying, "Young Yang, you're a real talent! I wish I had met you sooner. You should talk to me more often and communicate with me more!" Judging from his appearance, he was clearly drunk. Yang Wei and Aunt Liu helped him to his bedroom to rest before the matter was considered closed.

Seeing that everything was settled, Yang Wei stood up and said to Aunt Liu, "Aunt Liu, I'm going back." "Okay, I'll have Xiao Chen arrange a car to take you."

Yang Wei got into the car arranged by Secretary Chen and returned to the steel rolling mill. As instructed by the factory manager, he was on leave today and didn't need to work. Upon returning, he first went to the canteen to tell Sha Zhu: he was responsible for cleaning in the afternoon and cooking for the evening banquet. Sha Zhu's cooking skills were already quite good, but they were slightly less impressive with Yang Wei around. "Don't worry, Brother Yang, with me here, nothing will go wrong in the canteen," Sha Zhu assured him, patting his chest.

Yang Wei retrieved his bicycle and headed straight for the courtyard house. Although he had drunk quite a bit at noon, the alcohol at the boss's place wasn't very strong, so he wasn't drunk. He greeted Lou Xiao'e upon returning to the courtyard and then went straight to see Grandpa Guan. His appraisal skills were rapidly improving, and he wanted to use his vacation to accumulate skill points and experience to quickly raise his two appraisal skills to intermediate level. Advanced level couldn't be rushed; it required patience. Although the ghost market had opened a few times, and Uncle Xu had even sent a letter, Yang Wei, reminded by Grandpa Guan, didn't dare go. No matter how valuable the antiques were, his future had to come first.

Yang Wei smiled and quickened his pace into the house, where he saw the old man lying on the small kang (heated brick bed). "Have you had lunch, Master?"

Yang Wei placed the wine jar on the table, then looked up with a grin: "Master, haven't you moved? Too lazy to cook?"

The old man leaned back in his chair, his voice tinged with a lazy weakness: "Indeed, I didn't cover myself with a blanket yesterday because it was cool, and I felt sluggish all over this morning. Since you're here, make a couple of snacks to go with your drinks, and we'll have a couple of drinks together."

Yang Wei's heart skipped a beat. The old man's voice was weak and listless, unlike his usual energetic self. He stepped forward and touched his forehead; it was indeed a little hot. "Master, have you caught a cold?"

"It's a minor ailment, a couple of drinks to break the sweat will do the trick." The old man waved his hand dismissively, "Go cook, stop dawdling."

"That won't do!" Yang Wei turned and ran outside. "I'm going to buy medicine!"

A short while later, he returned with cold medicine in hand, and then retrieved fresh meat and vegetables from his system space. After serving the old man his medicine and tucking him in, he went into the kitchen. When he finished cooking and came out, the old man was already curled up asleep in the blankets, breathing evenly.

Yang Wei stood by the bed for a while, his heart sinking. The old man lived all alone in this city, his son was abroad and rarely came back. If something really happened, there wouldn't be anyone to lend a hand. Han Chunming was only five or six years old and couldn't be used; they wanted to bring him back to the courtyard house, but there was nowhere for him to live.

"I need to find Director Wang from the neighborhood office and ask him to introduce a reliable person to take care of him." Yang Wei stroked his chin and pondered, picking up a book and flipping through it while waiting for the old man to wake up.

He slept until four in the afternoon, when the old man groggily opened his eyes and his first words were, "My disciple, I'm hungry!"

Yang Wei smiled and stood up: "Wait here, I'll go heat up the dishes right away."

He turned and walked towards the kitchen. The old man watched his retreating figure, his eyes slowly welling with tears. It wasn't that he didn't have a son, but his son was wealthy and lived far away overseas, leaving him here alone and helpless. He used to fear that one day he would die of illness, and there wouldn't even be anyone to collect his body. Ever since Yang Wei started coming to class every week (ostensibly for class, but really to keep him company), his heart, which had been lonely for many years, had slowly come alive, as if being warmed by water.

The warmer the environment, the more one craves family affection. Which elderly person doesn't want to be surrounded by grandchildren, with their children caring for them? Isn't this what they've been hoping for all their lives after raising children?

Yang Wei heated up the dishes and brought them to the table. Just as the old man was about to pick up the wine jar, Yang Wei pressed it down, saying, "Just smell it today, I'll drink it for you." He then poured a glass of wine and brought it to the old man's nose, "When you get better, we'll have a proper drink together."

The meal was eaten quickly without alcohol, and after finishing, Yang Wei urged him to take his medicine, after which the two began to chat. The old man was like a walking encyclopedia, his knowledge flowing effortlessly, and Yang Wei listened intently from the side.

It was completely dark when the lights were turned on inside. Yang Wei glanced at his watch. "Master, I need to discuss something with you. I'd like to find you a reliable person to cook, do laundry, and keep you company. I only come here two days a week, and I'm worried about leaving you alone."

"No need!" the old man immediately refused. "I can manage on my own."

"That won't do!" Yang Wei said sternly. "You're my master, so I have to think about you. Besides, don't you love listening to Peking Opera? I'll find someone who can sing, so they can accompany you to the opera and also learn cooking skills. I guarantee they'll take good care of you and make you very comfortable."

Before the old man could refuse again, Yang Wei stood up: "It's getting late, Grandma and Xiao'e must be getting impatient. You should get some rest!"

The moment the door closed, tears streamed down the old man's face. He covered his face, his throat tightening, "My disciple... a teacher for a day is a father for life. My eyes haven't gone blind again!"

He used to envy others who enjoyed being with their grandchildren, but now Yang Wei's address of "Master" has filled the void in his heart. They are not master and disciple, but father and son.

When Yang Wei returned home, Lou Xiao'e was already able to cook simple meals, so he no longer had to worry about the grandmother and grandson going hungry. After washing up and lying in bed, he touched the hand of the person next to him and pondered his "baby-making plan." Only with the warmth of everyday life and the love he had for her would his days truly be fulfilling.

The wind outside the window swept fallen leaves across the rooftop, while the warm yellow light inside enveloped their breaths, and a peaceful scene slowly unfolded.

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