Courtyard House: The Fisherman Never Goes Sick

Bang Geng slammed down his chopsticks and rolled around in the yard, yelling and screaming, refusing to get up until Yang Wei got some meat.

Madam Jia's face immediately turned as black as the bottom of a pot. She turned to Qin Huairu and scolded, "Is this all you can cook? Is it even good enough to fill a tooth gap? Next time, let Sha Zhu take more!"

Qin Huairu was filled with grievances, how could she dare to refute? Bang Geng was still making a fuss on the ground, so she gritted her teeth and went to He Yuzhu to ask for braised pork—the Jia family and Yang Wei were at odds, so they could only rely on "Silly Zhu" as their lifeline.

After greeting Jia Zhangshi, Qin Huairu went straight to He Yuzhu's house: "Silly Zhu, Banggeng is clamoring for meat. Yang Wei's family has roast pork. Could you help us get some?"

He Yuzhu was wondering why she had come again, but seeing her anxious expression, he immediately nodded, "Okay, I'll go right away!" In his mind, neighborly help was the right thing to do, especially since Qin Huairu was a widow raising the paralyzed Jia Dongxu, which wasn't easy for her. As for Yang Wei? A bachelor should have meat to eat, so it was only right to help him out.

With this thought in mind, He Yuzhu went out and headed straight for Yang Wei's house—swallowing his saliva as he walked, the aroma was too tempting.

When he arrived at Yang Wei's door, he knocked and shouted, "Yang Wei! What kind of meat do you have that smells so good? Want a few pieces to try?"

A questioning voice came from inside the door: "Who is it?"

"You're something else, kid. What kind of meat do you have that smells so good? Can I have a few pieces to try?" He Yuzhu called out from behind the door.

Yang Wei immediately understood—this Sha Zhu was most likely here to beg for meat on behalf of the Jia family. He had a long-standing feud with the Jia family, so why would he offer them any help? Even He Yuzhu wouldn't be able to get a single piece of meat from him!

"No way!" Yang Wei refused without even thinking.

"Yang Wei, neighbors should help each other! Besides, it's not that I want to eat, it's the Jia family—the widow's family, and the paralyzed Jia Dongxu. Their lives are so hard. How can you be so heartless?" He Yuzhu said, banging on the door as he spoke.

"Get out of here and don't disturb my meal!" Yang Wei shouted coldly.

"You little brat, are you asking for a beating?" He Yuzhu was furious and rolled up his sleeves to bang on the door—the temper of the "Courtyard War God" was flaring up.

Just as he was about to exert his strength, the door creaked open—Yang Wei stood behind the door, clutching a kitchen knife in his hand!

He Yuzhu was startled and instinctively took several steps back: "When did this kid become so ruthless?"

His gaze swept across the room, and he noticed a plate of braised pork on the table—the aroma was coming from there! Upon closer inspection of the meat, He Yuzhu's eyes widened: it was a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate, far surpassing his own cooking. Even a chef at a state banquet couldn't have made it better!

"Your braised pork is pretty good! When did you learn to cook it?" He Yuzhu forgot his anger and couldn't help but ask.

"Self-taught," Yang Wei said casually.

"Self-taught? Do you think I'm stupid?" He Yuzhu didn't believe it at all—he had studied for a long time before he even got the hang of it, and Yang Wei said he was self-taught? Nobody would believe that!

"I don't care if you believe me or not, don't bother me while I'm eating, and get lost if you have nothing to do!" Yang Wei's tone was even colder.

"You little brat, you'll get what's coming to you!" He Yuzhu said threateningly, but he didn't dare to go forward again—although he was the "Courtyard War God," he didn't have the ability to fight a kitchen knife with his bare hands.

He returned home dejectedly, plotting in his mind: From now on, when Yang Wei goes to the cafeteria, he'll make sure his hands tremble a few times so he doesn't get a good meal!

Seeing He Yuzhu slink away, Yang Wei put down the cleaver, closed the door, and continued eating. He knew that to deal with a scoundrel like He Yuzhu, you had to be ruthless—and sure enough, the moment the cleaver was brandished, even the "God of War" chickened out.

Yang Wei secretly dreamed: If I could learn a skill that would enhance my combat power, I could deal with him without a kitchen knife!

At this time, it was at the home of Uncle Yi Zhonghai.

An elderly woman was applying medicine to Yi Zhonghai's injured leg—his right calf was covered in black marks, indicating a serious injury.

The aroma of meat wafting from Yang Wei's house wafted in through the window. Yi Zhonghai sniffed and couldn't help but swallow hard: "That Yang Wei kid's got some skills! He actually stewed the meat so deliciously!"

A thought raced through his mind: if Yang Wei could come and take care of the old couple, that would be much more reassuring than He Yuzhu. But then he remembered how he and Yang Wei had never gotten along, and his brow furrowed. He regretted not siding so firmly with the Jia family back then; perhaps his relationship with Yang Wei wouldn't be so strained, and maybe he could have even persuaded Yang Wei to come and take care of them in their old age…

The aroma of meat wafted into Uncle Liu Haizhong's home. The family sat around the table, gazing at their own simple dishes with a mixture of drooling and envy.

"That Yang Wei, I, Liu Haizhong, am at least the second oldest in this courtyard, and he doesn't even know to offer me a little meat as a token of respect! He's a real scoundrel!" Liu Haizhong said, putting on airs and displaying his official arrogance. "With his attitude, he'll definitely run into trouble everywhere at the factory! At this rate, he'll squander all his money in no time!"

The aroma of meat wafted into Uncle Yan Bugui's house, and Yan Bugui immediately began to calculate: Yang Wei's family was wealthy; if he could eat with them, wouldn't he be able to seize his assets? But Yang Wei was not easy to deal with; he couldn't rush things. He had to first have his daughter-in-law, Yu Li, approach him and slowly build a relationship.

He instructed Yu Li, "Yu Li, go to Yang Wei's house more often and help him sweep the floor or something. That kid is generous; he might give you a penny." He often saw Yang Wei buying things for unfamiliar children and concluded that the kid was "easy to manipulate."

Yu Li's husband, Yan Jiecheng, chimed in, "Dad's right, you should go often. Yang Wei is really generous."

Yu Li pretended to hesitate for a moment before nodding, "Alright then." But she was secretly delighted—Yang Wei was tall and handsome, and she had a good relationship with him. She couldn't be happier to go to his house to help out.

Yang Wei had no idea about these thoughts; he was happily enjoying his braised pork. In those days, it wasn't easy to have a meal with meat, so he chewed slowly, savoring the aroma of the meat in his mouth.

Madam Jia's curses were like a broken gong, making the pomegranate tree in the courtyard tremble: "That good-for-nothing Zhu! He can't even steal a piece of braised pork! The Courtyard War God? I think he's the Courtyard's jinx!"

She had just been peering out the window when she saw Sha Zhu being scolded by Yang Wei, his head bowed, his face covered in dust, tumbling back into the house without even a speck of oil on his plate—in 1979, braised pork was a "luxury," requiring meat coupons. With Sha Zhu's meager skills, he only dared to steal a couple of steamed buns from the communal kitchen; stealing meat? In his dreams!

Jia Dongxu squatted on the doorstep, puffing on his pipe, the embers flickering. "God of War? He's a disgrace to the Jia family!" He glanced sideways at Qin Huairu. "Get your lunchboxes back here, and stay away from that idiot! Don't get our baskets dirty!"

Qin Huairu clutched the empty lunchbox, her knuckles turning white—she had just returned from the communal kitchen, where Banggeng was making a fuss about "wanting to eat meat," Jia Zhangshi had smashed a bowl, and Jia Dongxu was cursing and swearing. She was caught in the middle, like a crumpled piece of cornbread.

"I want to eat meat! I want to eat meat!!" Bang Geng's cries burst from the inner room, sharp and unique to children.

Inside the house, Yang Weigang swallowed the last bite of braised pork, oil droplets spreading on his tongue—this was a "task reward" from the system, fatty but not greasy, and so fragrant it seemed to seep into his bones. He wiped his mouth, took out the purple clay teapot given to him by the system, poured boiling water over it, and the tea leaves swirled in the pot, releasing a burst of aroma that was more enticing than any coal stove smell in the courtyard.

"Truly worthy of being a product of the system." Yang Wei took a sip of tea, a warm current rising from his feet to his head, even dispelling the fatigue from researching "technical innovation in the steel rolling mill" last night. In his previous life, he had drunk West Lake Longjing and Wuyi Mountain Da Hong Pao, but none of them had the "heart-warming" power of this tea. As he drank, perhaps he could truly "get enlightened" and decipher the "industrial blueprints" rewarded by the system.

He was refilling the teapot when the knock came at the door.

"Yang Wei, are you home?" It was Yu Li's voice, sweet as honey.

Yang Wei wiped his hands and went to open the door—Yu Li was wearing a faded blue cotton shirt, the collar buttoned up tightly, and her face had a slightly embarrassed blush. She was clutching an old towel in her hand, a pretext for "helping with the cleaning."

"Yu Li, come in quickly." Yang Wei turned to the side, his gaze sweeping over her worn-out cuffs—Yan Bugui's family of six relied on his meager salary of just over thirty yuan, so it wasn't surprising that his daughter-in-law dressed like this.

Yu Li entered the room, her gaze first falling on the purple clay tea set on the table—the gleaming teapot, engraved with "Pine Breeze and Bright Moon," was a far cry from her father-in-law Yan Bugui's chipped enamel mug. "Yang Wei, I...I'll help you clean." Her voice trembled, her hands clutching a towel, her knuckles turning white.

Yang Wei knew perfectly well that Yan Bugui was after his "1000 yuan savings"—in 1979, 1000 yuan could build half a room in a courtyard house, and Yan Bugui was green with envy, which was why he sent Yu Li to "curry favor." But he didn't expose her; instead, he was happy to enjoy it: having a beautiful woman help with cleaning and drinking system tea, why not?

"The house is a mess, thank goodness you came." He smiled and poured a cup of tea. The tea was golden, and the aroma wafted into Yu Li's nose. "Have a cup of tea first to relax."

"No, no, I... I have to clean up quickly." Yu Li waved her hand hastily, glancing at Yang Wei's face out of the corner of her eye—sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, a hundred times better than her listless husband Yan Jiecheng. If she hadn't listened to her parents back then, maybe she could be living this kind of life with Yang Wei now, "having tea to drink and meat to eat"... Her heart ached, and she quickly dismissed the thought.

"Here you go." Yang Wei pushed the teacup towards her, his tone slightly joking. "If you don't drink it, you're disrespecting me."

Yu Li had no choice but to pick up the cup and take a sip—my goodness! This tea was a million times better than the "gaomo" (tea stem fragments) brewed by Yan Bugui! The warmth spread through her throat, and even the grievances she felt from being scolded by Jia Zhangshi last night seemed to lessen. Her eyes lit up, and she took another big gulp. Tea dripped down the corner of her mouth, and she hurriedly wiped it with her sleeve, her face turning even redder.

"Drink slowly, no one's going to take it from you." Yang Wei handed over a bar of "soap" that was a system reward—the packaging was printed with "Shanghai Sulfur Soap," a rare item in 1979. "Wipe your mouth."

Yu Li took the soap, her fingertips brushing against Yang Wei's hand. She recoiled as if electrocuted—this soap smelled ten times better than the "pig pancreas" soap her father-in-law used, and it felt soothing on her face, even her pores felt refreshed. She looked up at Yang Wei; he was smiling at her, his eyes clear and innocent, unlike Yan Jiecheng who kept staring at her lunchbox.

"Yang Wei, this tea... is so delicious," she whispered, her fingers tracing the rim of the teacup.

"Come often if you like." Yang Wei leaned back in his chair, picked up his teacup, and said, "Anyway, I live alone, and my house is a mess."

Yu Li's face flushed red to her ears—there was a hidden meaning in those words, but she dared not think about it too much. For a woman in 1979, marriage was a mountain; she was bound by Yan Jiecheng and dared not even utter the words "I like you."

In the courtyard, Jia Zhangshi's cursing stopped, and Sha Zhu huddled in the corner gnawing on a cornbread. Jia Dongxu had finished his pipe and was thinking about how to get Qin Huairu to "borrow soy sauce" from Yang Wei's house, and also to find out how much money he had.

Inside, Yu Li was drinking her third cup of tea, while Yang Wei's tea set gleamed in the sunlight. She knew Yan Bugui had sent her here for "wedding candy" and "kickbacks," but she couldn't help thinking: if she could drink this kind of tea every day and talk to Yang Wei every day, even if Yan Bugui scolded her, it would be worth it.

"Yang Wei, I... I should go back now." She put down her teacup, stood up, the towel still draped over her arm. "Thank you for today."

"What's the rush?" Yang Wei stood up as well. "Sit a while longer. I still have some 'fruit candies' from the system rewards. Take them back for the kids." He took out a few orange candies from the drawer—the wrappers were cellophane, shimmering with colorful light in the sunlight.

Yu Li took the candy, her fingertips brushing against Yang Wei's hand, and her heart skipped a beat. She stuffed the money into her pocket, said "See you later," and turned to leave the house.

The wind in the courtyard carried the smell of coal stoves. Yang Wei watched Yu Li's retreating figure and smiled. In the courtyard of 1979, scheming and sincerity coexisted, and his "system tea fragrance" was quietly stirring up the deep waters.

Could it be... that she has feelings for me?

A bold idea flashed through Yu Li's mind, causing ripples to spread uncontrollably across her heart.

"It's just a cup of tea, what's there to be embarrassed about?" Yang Wei seemed to see through her thoughts and said with a relaxed smile, "Besides, you'll be coming over often to help me with the housework from now on."

"Okay... then," Yu Li quickly agreed, her voice barely audible.

Kexin, however, started beating her feet wildly like a drum at that moment.

Come often? What does that mean? It means that from now on, she will have opportunities to be alone with Yang Wei every now and then!

A sweet panic gripped her, and fearing that Yang Wei would notice her embarrassment, she hurriedly picked up her teacup, using tea to cover her awkwardness. After quickly finishing the tea, she stood up and said, "Then... I'll start cleaning."

Yang Wei didn't try to stop him, but simply leaned back in his chair, sipping his tea and watching Yu Li's busy figure.

It must be said that for this body to transmigrate to this era, being able to enjoy fragrant tea while watching beautiful women work is quite a rare pleasure. A faint smile appeared on his lips. Thinking back to his previous life, with its nine-to-five grind, when had he ever had such leisure and tranquility?

Yu Li worked quickly and efficiently, and in no time, the room was spotless. Looking at the newly renovated room, Yang Wei nodded in satisfaction. Her efficiency was indeed impressive.

"Yang Wei, I...I've finished cleaning, I should go back now," Yu Li said hastily, stopping what she was doing.

"Thank you for your hard work." Yang Wei pointed to the sugar jar on the table. "Here, take some sugar back as a reward."

As he spoke, he casually grabbed a handful of White Rabbit milk candies.

Yu Li's breath hitched.

White Rabbit!

These candies, which she considered a luxury, were ones she wouldn't even taste for months. Yet Yang Wei so casually grabbed such a large handful and gave them away!

"Thank you... thank you, Yang Wei." She took the candy, her fingertips touching the warm, smooth wrapper, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She felt grateful, yet also a little uneasy. If she returned empty-handed, Yan Bugui and his wife would surely offer another round of sarcastic remarks.

She clenched the candy in her hand, stood up to say goodbye, and turned to leave.

"Wait a minute," Yang Wei called out to her.

Yu Li's heart skipped a beat again, wondering if she had done something wrong.

But then Yang Wei laughed and said, "Don't rush, you can take this one too."

"And more?" Yu Li exclaimed inwardly. This Yang Wei was indeed as Yan Bugui and Yan Jiecheng had described—astoundingly generous!

Yang Wei grabbed another handful of candy, but instead of handing it to her immediately, he said slowly, "Yu Li, you should keep this one quietly for yourself. If you take it back, they'll probably share it again."

"Okay..." Yu Li replied subconsciously, her heart pounding like a deer.

Is Yang Wei... concerned about her? Reminding her to think about her own future?

This unexpected thoughtfulness stirred up her already chaotic emotions even more.

"Alright, you can go back now." Yang Wei waved his hand casually, but he left a bait: "I'll treat you to dumplings sometime."

Nothing tastes better than dumplings...

Yu Li's pretty face flushed red instantly. A thought involuntarily popped into her mind: Could Yang Wei be implying something else?

Her heart was pounding in her throat. She dared not linger any longer. She hastily said, "Then I'll be going now," and fled from the Yang family like a frightened rabbit.

Watching her flee in panic, Yang Wei's smile deepened.

Dumplings, of course, are delicious.

However, that cup of tea and those sugars were merely appetizers.

Now that the fish has run into the door, how could he let it go so easily?

If you want to get something out of him, you always have to pay a price.