Courtyard House: The Fisherman Never Goes Sick

The next day, before dawn, Yang Wei got up, washed up, turned on the coal stove to cook, and went to the steel mill canteen on time.

Sha Zhu was skimming the oil off the surface of the pot when he saw him come in. He gave him his signature goofy grin, and the two exchanged a glance, everything understood without a word.

No one has revealed the matter of the head of the security department yet. Although judging from Director Wang's attitude yesterday, it seems like a done deal, what if something unexpected happens?

It's not too late to tell everyone the details when the factory issues the official documents and appointment certificates.

Today's meals are the same as always: steamed buns made from cornmeal and wheat flour, and stewed cabbage, tofu, and glass noodles in a big pot as usual.

The workers were on their toes as quickly as if they were on a mission. Yang Wei didn't say much; with a shout, those who needed to chop vegetables chopped vegetables, and those who needed to start the fire started the fire. They were incredibly efficient.

Time flies when you're busy. Before noon, the canteen manager came in, staring wide-eyed at Sha Zhu, who was stirring up a large pot of vegetables. The cook who had been talking to him just a few days ago was now the head of the security department.

I need to be polite to him in the future, otherwise I can easily find an excuse to get back at him.

"Master He, the factory office is looking for you. Go there right away."

Yang Wei and Sha Zhu exchanged a glance, both of them smiling. They hadn't expected the notification to come out so quickly! Yang Wei had estimated that the process would take at least three days, but it was all done in just one morning. The speed of a state-owned factory was truly eye-opening.

"Brother Yang, what about the vegetables if I go to the factory office?" Sha Zhu asked, gripping the spatula.

"Give it to me, you go with the director."

"Hey, thanks, Brother Yang!" Sha Zhu gave up his seat, Yang Wei took the big ladle, and the two followed the director out of the cafeteria.

The workers huddled around the stove, whispering among themselves: "What does the factory management want with him? A raise?" Their knowledge was limited to the canteen; they never imagined this was a signal that Sha Zhu was about to be promoted.

Yang Wei sizzled the vegetables in the large pot, then had two workers carry it to the serving window, cover it with a wooden lid, and wait for the end-of-shift bell. After that, he cleaned up the stove, washed the pots and dishes, and soon after, Sha Zhu returned happily, clutching a red booklet in his hand. The appointment certificate clearly stated "He Yuzhu, Head of the Security Section of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill".

Even more encouraging is the return of Sha Zhu, a level seven cook, to the national government employee rating system. He's now at level 20, with a monthly salary of 86 yuan, down from his previous 35 yuan. That's almost double!

Sha Zhu couldn't stop grinning as he left the factory office, floating all the way back to the canteen as if he were walking on clouds. If it weren't for the vivid memory of Wu Xiuqin taking care of him yesterday, he would have pinched himself; this dream was just too real!

As the cafeteria manager saw him out of the office, his obsequious manner made Sha Zhutou savor the sweetness of power once more. Upon entering the cafeteria and seeing Yang Wei drinking tea, he quickly approached, slammed the appointment certificate on the table, and chuckled, "Brother Yang, this feels like a dream, I'm so nervous! Want me to pinch you?"

"Keep an eye on the food serving today, and stand guard until the very end." Yang Wei took a sip of tea.

"Yes, Brother Yang, I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" Sha Zhu replied, but a sense of reluctance welled up inside him. He had been working with everyone for so long, and now he was really going to become a leader?

Yang Wei spoke without any attempt to hide it from others, and all the surrounding staff pricked up their ears, swarming around him and chattering with questions. When Sha Zhu mentioned the letter of appointment, everyone looked at each other with the same expression of "impossible." The cafeteria was so quiet you could hear the ceiling fan turning. After a long while, applause and congratulations erupted like a pot boiling over.

Sha Zhu, who had just become an "official," had never seen such a scene before. He hid behind Yang Wei, but Yang Wei acted as if he hadn't seen anything, sitting there leisurely drinking tea and watching the commotion with a smile.

Just as Master often says: Life has many facets; wouldn't it be a pity not to see them all?

This scene was unfolding in the cafeteria. Some people were genuinely happy for Sha Zhu, smiling and congratulating him, still calling him "Sha Zhu" in the same tone. Others had already changed their tune, no longer calling him "Sha Zhu" but now addressing him as "Section Chief He." Even though he hadn't officially taken office yet, he had already changed his address quite quickly.

This is reality. Yang Wei has seen it all before, treating it as just more experience. He neither resents nor approves of it. Chickens don't pee, everyone has their own way. What are people living for? Just two words: survival. From the moment you're born, you have to face it until the day you close your eyes. These days, resources are scarce, and survival is even harder. In later generations, people would throw away a roast chicken and complain it wasn't good enough; now, they wouldn't even waste a bite of steamed bun.

"Alright, it's time to leave work!" Yang Wei urged. "Stop crowding around Zhu Zi, go do what you're supposed to do! Zhu Zi is the head of the security department, he hasn't left the steel plant yet. You can chat privately later, but don't gossip during work hours!" He helped Sha Zhu Zi out of the crowd. Local officials are more powerful than county officials, and he calls the shots in the canteen. No matter how much people wanted to get close to him, they didn't dare to disobey.

Sha Zhu grinned at him, tied on his apron, and went to the food window. There was no banquet at noon, so Yang Wei was free, but he had to personally cook the large pot of stew, otherwise the quality would suffer. His subordinates were good at chopping ingredients, but they weren't quite up to the task of cooking. He thought to himself: I need to find someone to replace Sha Zhu quickly. He looked around the cafeteria, but there wasn't anyone capable. He could only look outside, but Qin Huairu and the cafeteria director's relative were coming in next Monday. He could only rely on the two remaining newcomers; whoever had the talent to fill the position, he would try to negotiate a higher salary for them.

After getting off work, Yang Wei chatted with Lou Xiao'e for a while, then went back to reading and grinding skill points. The courtyard was destined to be sleepless tonight; Xu Damao and Uncle Liu Haizhong in the backyard were all listening intently. The news that Sha Zhu had become the head of the security department had already spread far and wide.

That evening, Lou Xiao'e lay down next to Yang Wei and chatted idly: "The whole hospital knows that Zhu Zi has become the section chief. No one will call him 'Silly Zhu' anymore, right?"

"Go ahead and shout if you're not afraid of death," Yang Wei sneered. "Don't think Zhu Zi is really magnanimous; that kid's petty. The people in the compound are better off not messing with him." Before, Sha Zhu was like his father, He Daqing, cowardly and afraid to fight, suffering a lot of injustice. Later, He Daqing ran off with the widow and the money, leaving him with no backing and no money, so he could only endure it. Now that he's a section chief, anyone who calls him "Sha Zhu" to his face will face the consequences. In the original story, Third Uncle Yan Bugui tricked him into introducing Ran Qiuye, only to have Sha Zhu remove the wheels from his bicycle. That's Sha Zhu for you: seemingly foolish, but actually repaying kindness with kindness and revenge with revenge.

"In the end, it's still my man who's amazing!" Lou Xiao'e laughed, hooking her arm around his. "I have the best taste!" Yang Wei smiled gently back and continued reading.

Saturday arrived in the blink of an eye. Tomorrow, he had to cook for the big boss and get up early to go. Tonight, Yang Wei thought he should tell Lou Xiao'e what was going on, so he went straight to Grandpa Guan's place. The matter that Director Wang mentioned had made progress; someone would come for an interview next Monday, and if suitable, the job would be offered. Yang Wei thanked him and brought him pork and vegetables. When he returned, he saw a big Jeep parked in front of the courtyard house, with the familiar driver, Xiao Wei, standing beside it.

"Xiao Wei, what brings you here?" Yang Wei recognized him; this was the driver Lou's father often used.

"Mr. Lou asked me to deliver some things to you, saying he'll only hand them over in person," Xiao Wei said politely. Yang Wei immediately remembered what Mr. Lou had mentioned during his last visit to the Lou family; it turned out he was sending over all the gold and silver jewelry in the house. He laughed, "The old man is really something, he has enough at home but still sends more, what can I do!"

The two carried the oil noodles and boxes from the car into the yard. Yang Wei knew the boxes contained not only meat and vegetables, but also valuable treasures. After several trips, the newly built kitchen area was piled high with things. After Xiao Wei left, Lou Xiao'e looked at the mess and said speechlessly, "What are my parents doing? Are they trying to turn our house into a vegetable market?"

"Your parents are worried about you, afraid you won't eat well here," Yang Wei joked, then asked her to tidy up the living room, "Put the vegetables inside and send some to Zhuzi's family, otherwise they'll spoil if we don't finish them."

Lou Xiao'e went to pack, and Yang Wei opened the box. Inside were not only jewelry necklaces, but also more than ten small yellow croakers. The most eye-catching items were two pieces: a blue and white plum vase with ruyi-shaped shoulders and floral and fruit patterns from the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, and an exquisite mutton-fat jade bracelet. These two pieces would be worth at least hundreds of millions in later years. Adding that bag of jewelry, it's no wonder Lou's father called it a "family heirloom."

While Lou Xiao'e wasn't looking, Yang Wei quickly stored all the gold and silver jewelry, the blue-and-white porcelain vase, and the mutton-fat jade bracelet that Lou's father had brought into his system space. These items weren't worth much now, but in ten or twenty years, they would be priceless treasures. Actually, Lou's father's belongings weren't really antiques; only the blue-and-white porcelain vase was worth anything. The rest were jewelry that could be exchanged for cash. These things could be used to solve any immediate problems. No wonder Lou's family had been able to build such a large business in Hong Kong; it wasn't just about connections, but also about having the capital to back it up. In Hong Kong, a place where survival is paramount, it's difficult to survive without capital.

"Yang Wei, how's the tidying up going?" A moment later, Lou Xiao'e finished tidying up the house and went into the kitchen to ask.

"That's about it." Yang Wei divided the vegetables into two batches, one to keep at home and the other to give to Sha Zhu. "These are for us, and I'll take these to Zhu Zi."

"I'll help you!" Lou Xiao'e joined in, and the two of them carried the vegetables into the house. The rest were packed into boxes, which Yang Wei carried towards the central courtyard.

"Brother Yang, what's this?" Wu Xiuqin and Sha Zhu were eating when they saw him carrying a box over.

"Xiao'e's dad sent too many vegetables, we can't finish them all, so we brought some to you," Yang Wei said with a smile.

"Brother Yang, you're really something! These days, everyone's worried about food shortages, but you're doing just that, sending out what you can't eat!" Sha Zhu chuckled as he took the box, weighed it in his hand, and knew quite a bit about it.

"If you can't speak properly, then shut up!" Wu Xiuqin retorted to Sha Zhu, then turned to Yang Wei with a smile, "Thanks for remembering us, Brother Yang!"

"It's alright, I know Zhu Zi's temper, no need to stand on ceremony with me." Yang Wei waved his hand, "You guys eat, I'll go back and tidy up a bit more."

"Why don't you stay and have something to eat? I'll ask Zhu Zi to cook a couple more dishes?"

"No, you all eat, I'm leaving." After exchanging pleasantries, Yang Wei went back to the backyard to tidy up for a while and cooked some food. After eating, he said goodbye to Lou Xiao'e and the old lady, and headed straight for the old man's house at Zhengyangmen.

They walked briskly and arrived at their destination quickly. This time, they had brought a different bottle of liquor. He opened the bottle and blew on it, and the old man inside immediately called out, "Hmm, Yanghe Daqu! Grandson, come in quickly, Grandpa hasn't eaten yet!" Yang Wei's face lit up with joy. It was like a little game between the master and apprentice; he always wanted the old man to guess wrong once, but the old man was always right.

Upon entering the room and seeing the old man still lying down, Yang Wei couldn't help but say, "Master, can our old man move around a bit? Don't always stay cooped up inside. Even playing a game of chess outside would be fine. Lying down all the time isn't good for his health!"

"Enough with the nonsense, there are vegetables in the kitchen, hurry up and cook a couple, I want to drink!" The old man urged without responding to the previous comment.

"Fine, I guess I wasted my breath." Yang Wei put down the wine bottle and went into the kitchen. Twenty minutes later, two side dishes were served, and he served the old man a drink while also taking a couple of sips himself. The two chatted as they drank, mostly Yang Wei asking questions and the old man answering. Sometimes the old man would tell stories about collecting antiques when he was young, and Yang Wei listened with rapt attention.

"Master, I have to cook at a high-ranking official's house, so I can only come back tonight," Yang Wei said as he left. "The people I found will arrive on Monday. They'll sing, cook, and drink with him." Given the current situation, the old man's meals are irregular; he only eats when he's hungry. This will definitely cause health problems in the long run. Therefore, the people he found need to arrive as soon as possible to regulate the old man's daily routine. Otherwise, the old man's health might collapse after he leaves.

When Yang Wei got home that evening, after washing up and preparing to rest, he transferred several hundred million yuan to Lou Xiao'e before he felt at ease.

The next morning, Yang Wei got ready, told Lou Xiao'e he wouldn't be back for lunch or dinner and that she and the old lady should prepare their own meals, and then rode his bicycle out. Now was a crucial time to build a relationship with the high-ranking leader; he couldn't be late or leave early, and he had to maintain a meeting frequency of twice a week to gradually develop a close friendship despite the age difference.

He arrived at the destination in half an hour. Secretary Chen was off today, and Aunt Liu led him in. "You've finally arrived! You don't know, the leader has been talking about you these past few days!" Aunt Liu said as they walked in.

"Hehe, I knew the big boss was craving my cooking. He came right after breakfast." Yang Wei knew the big boss was reciting his theories, but pretended not to understand and only talked about cooking. "Don't worry, I'll make sure the big boss has a good time for cooking at lunchtime!"

"Oh, it's not about cooking! It's about what you said last time. The more he thinks about it, the more unfathomable he seems, and now he has a lot of questions for you. He specifically told me to take you to see him as soon as you arrive," Aunt Liu explained, waving her hand.

"You flatter me. I regretted what I said last time as soon as I got back. Giving a long speech in front of the big boss was just showing off my limited skills. You and the big boss didn't laugh at me, did they?" Yang Wei scratched his head and said awkwardly.

"You're not talking nonsense. I heard some of it, and although I don't understand it all, I know it makes sense." Aunt Liu led him towards the study. "Come on, let me take you inside."

Yang Wei was pondering: Should he share some open-mindedness and awareness with this high-ranking leader, so that he might have this understanding in advance? Perhaps it could prevent that incident, or accelerate the pace of opening up by a few years. This would be greatly beneficial to him and the country. But he was also afraid of triggering a butterfly effect, so while he didn't stop, he felt increasingly hesitant.

Arriving at the study door, Aunt Liu knocked and announced, "Sir, Xiao Yang is here!"

"Oh, Xiao Yang is here! Please come in!" came the happy voice of the big boss from inside.

A moment later, Yang Wei pushed open the door and entered.

I saw the top leader reviewing documents on the table.

He greeted him with a smile, "Hello, sir!"

"Come, come, have a seat. Pour Xiao Yang a cup of tea. Let me finish this last document, then we can talk." "No rush, you go ahead and do your work!" Another ten minutes passed.

The senior leader finally finished reviewing the documents, stood up, and walked over.

They sat down, took a sip of water, and then slowly began to talk.

"Xiao Yang, what you said to me last time was truly eye-opening!"

"After your explanation, I have many new ideas about many things!" "It's perfect that you're here, Jinwei. We can discuss this in more detail!" the senior leader said with a smile.

He was genuinely surprised, even shocked, by Yang Wei's knowledge and insight.

He compiled Yang Wei's words into his own report, which was carefully studied by the higher-ups, who found that many of the points were applicable.

This earned him not only the attention of his superiors.

At the same time, they also began to examine his report more thoroughly and carefully.

At the same time, it was decided that by the end of the year, a plan would be prepared to find pilot projects nationwide and promote the program.