Courtyard House: The Fisherman Never Goes Sick

When Yu Li arrived home, a group of people had already gathered around the house—Yan Bugui, Third Aunt, Yan Jiecheng, Yan Jiekuang, and Yan Jieti were all there, eagerly awaiting her good news.

"I helped Yang Wei sweep the floor, and he gave me a handful of milk candy," Yu Li said, taking a handful of candy out of her pocket.

White Rabbit!

Everyone's eyes lit up instantly, especially Yan Jieti and Yan Jiekuang—this was a luxury item, and their father, Yan Bugui, was incredibly stingy, only buying it for the New Year. The two children didn't rush over, knowing that the candy was meant for the shrewd Yan Bugui to divide.

"My dear, you're right, Yang Wei is so generous!" The third auntie beamed from ear to ear.

"Dad, you're really good at planning!" Yan Jieti and Yan Jiekuang gave a thumbs up in unison. If it weren't for Yan Bugui's good planning, how could they have gotten this candy?

"Of course!" Yan Bugui said smugly, rolling up his sleeves. Yu Li placed the candy on the table next to him, and he immediately grabbed it and divided it among himself: two for each person, and the remaining two were just enough for Yan Jieti and Yan Jiekuang to each have one extra. He and the three aunts were getting old, but how could they not want to try this luxury? Yu Li felt a sweet warmth in her heart—Yang Wei was clearly good to her, which was why there was extra candy.

"Yu Li, what else did Yang Wei say after you finished sweeping? Nothing but candy?" After distributing the candy, Yan Bugui immediately became nervous. If he could only sweep this once, how could he scheme against Yang Wei in the future? Not to mention his family fortune.

"Yeah, what else did he say?" Yan Jiecheng was also anxious. Getting a White Rabbit candy after sweeping the floor once? Where else could you find such a good deal? The others were also nervous. What if Yang Wei gave them meat, money, or food coupons next time?

"Yang Wei said that I can go to his place to sweep the floor for a long time from now on," Yu Li replied.

"Oh, that's great!" Yan Bugui was so excited he almost punched his fist, and Yan Jiecheng was also beaming with joy—if they got candy this time, they'd definitely do well next time!

"Dad, you were right! You got Yang Wei figured out!" The group showered him with compliments, and Yan Bugui's face crinkled with smiles—he was so shrewd, all for his family's approval.

The next morning, as soon as Yang Wei woke up, the system notification sounded: "Ding, the master's bait has caught a bronze treasure chest."

He was wide awake and immediately activated the skill with his mind—two rewards! The [Master Fitter] skill and [Gene Potion]!

He's a fitter, but only at level one, far inferior to Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong. Once he gets this skill, his salary will definitely skyrocket. The gene potion can alter genes and strengthen the body. This body is good, but rather delicate, and his strength is considerably less than He Yuzhu's. With the potion, how could he possibly be inferior?

"Do you want to equip [Fitter Proficiency]?" the system asked.

"Equip!" Yang Wei said without hesitation.

Instantly, a vast amount of knowledge flooded his mind like golden light, and previously incomprehensible tricks became clear. He then used his mind to open the system's warehouse, took out the gene potion, unscrewed the cap, and gulped it down—a gentle yet powerful energy spread throughout his body, quickly being absorbed completely. Yang Wei felt his whole body brimming with power, as light as a swallow, and with a light leap, he touched the roof three meters high! He then broke off a piece of wood as thick as his arm to test his strength, and it snapped with the slightest effort. This strength was more than enough to take on ten He Yuzhus!

As his body grew stronger, he also became extremely hungry, needing more energy after the genetic modification. However, he had a fishing system that ensured he never lacked supplies, so he decided to first get himself a bowl of braised pork to fill his stomach.

Early in the morning, the aroma of braised pork filled the courtyard again, prompting early risers on their way to work to exclaim in surprise, "Yang Wei made braised pork again! Eating like this will bankrupt him sooner or later!"

He Yuzhu thought to himself, "This kid, if he keeps eating like this, it'll be terrible!" Qin Huairu, on the other hand, sighed inwardly, "If my family didn't have a conflict with Yang Wei, with my looks, I could definitely get some meat..."

Yang Wei was naturally unaware of all this. He made braised pork but didn't finish it, so he kept half for lunch. After tasting this, how could he possibly swallow the food at the factory?

As soon as I stepped outside, I bumped into an old man named Yi Zhonghai: "Yang Wei, good morning!"

Yi Zhonghai smiled broadly. He had never stopped thinking about Yang Wei's retirement. Where could he find such a skilled and wealthy young man?

"Hmm." Yang Wei responded indifferently and strode forward, leaving Yi Zhonghai bewildered in the wind.

"Yang Wei, you're here so early?"

When Yang Wei first arrived at the steel rolling mill, many people greeted him on the way. Apart from those few "beasts" in the courtyard, he was quite friendly to his other colleagues, and everyone was happy to befriend him.

"Come and familiarize yourself with the machine," he replied with a smile.

As an apprentice, there are still many things he doesn't understand about fitter work, and he needs to learn gradually.

Sha Zhu swaggered into the factory with his hands behind his back, exuding an air of authority, but in his heart, he was plotting how to deal with Yang Wei—Yang Wei had refused the braised pork he offered yesterday, so today he would show the "power" of this head chef. He sneered to himself: I'll give you a little scare, and you'll be terrified! Sha Zhu chuckled twice and turned to go into the kitchen.

A little while later, Qin Huairu and the others arrived. Yi Zhonghai was an eighth-level fitter, working in the high-end workshop; Liu Haizhong was the same; Qin Huairu, however, was just dawdling, looking at the parts from all angles, pretending to be an expert.

At this moment, Yang Wei had already arrived at the workshop. He picked up a part at random and suddenly felt something was wrong. A familiar feeling welled up in his heart, as if he had practiced it a thousand times.

"Could this be the 'Master Fitter' skill taking effect?" he wondered to himself.

He then picked up the parts and began assembling them. Swish! Swish! One, two, three, easily done.

"Holy crap! Yang Wei, your fitter skills are amazing! This doesn't look like a level one fitter at all!" The other workers in the workshop were all dumbfounded.

Yang Wei's assembly speed today was ridiculously fast. While others hadn't even finished half a day's work, he had already completed half a week's worth. Watching him operate the machine, he assembled a part in just a few clicks—you know, these parts have more or less error and require a lot of effort to correct before they can be installed, but Yang Wei did it as if there were no errors, as if it were a piece of cake.

How long has he been here? To have such skills in such a short time, he's not just a first-class fitter, he's a genius fitter!

"Yang Wei is awesome! A genius!" everyone exclaimed.

Qin Huairu, who was dawdling nearby, was also astonished: "When did Yang Wei become so skilled? Was he hiding his abilities all along?"

"Master Yi!"

Yi Zhonghai also came over. He had heard that Yang Wei had performed exceptionally well today, accomplishing in half a day what others did in several days, so naturally he had to come and see—Yang Wei's team was the team of eighth-level veteran fitters he led, and he was proud that his apprentice had such skills! But when he thought about how Yang Wei was indifferent to him and how he would probably not be able to rely on him for retirement, Yi Zhonghai frowned again.

"Master Yi!" the workshop workers greeted him.

"I heard Yang Wei was quite efficient at work today?" Yi Zhonghai said with a smile.

"That's right, they did several days' worth of work in half a day!"

"We all envy his efficiency!"

"Not only is it highly efficient, but its technology is also top-notch!"

The workers were all talking at once.

"That's all thanks to Master Yi's excellent teaching!" Qin Huairu complimented at the opportune moment.

Yi Zhonghai's smile widened: "This Qin Huairu, her flattery is just right, no wonder I've been secretly looking after her! Unlike that Yang Wei, who has no manners at all." He was very pleased.

"Yes, yes, Master Yi taught him well! Yang Wei's skills are definitely the result of your hard work!" Many people echoed. In their view, Yang Wei was a student of Yi Zhonghai, so no matter how skilled he was, it was because his master taught him well.

"Yi Zhonghai really has a lot of nerve." Yang Wei put down his work, his brows furrowed slightly, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. It was true that Yi Zhonghai was his nominal master, but he hadn't taught him anything at all; he had learned all his skills from others after entering the workshop.

He immediately said, "Master Yi, I would like to apply to take the Level 3 Fitter exam."

Everyone was instantly dumbfounded. He wasn't even proficient at being a level one fitter, and he wanted to pass the level three exam? Was he kidding? Becoming a level three fitter wasn't something you could just learn by being "taught"; it required aptitude. Some people spent over a decade in the workshop and still couldn't pass. Yang Wei had only been there a short time, and he thought he could achieve it overnight?

"Yang Wei, don't take too big a step! First, work your way up to level one, learn as you go, and once you have solid skills, take the level two exam, and then the level three exam."

"Yes, you can't get fat in one bite."

"One must take things one step at a time."

The workers tried to dissuade them.

"They're right. You should master the Level 1 fitter skill first, then learn Level 2, one step at a time," Yi Zhonghai pretended to dissuade him. He knew perfectly well that Yang Wei couldn't possibly pass Level 3. He hadn't even taught him Level 2 techniques; self-taught? Impossible! The fitter level exam wasn't that easy; otherwise, the workshop wouldn't be without even a Level 2 fitter.

But Yang Wei embarrassed him twice in a row, so he didn't mind making Yang Wei suffer and make a fool of himself at the assessment site, so he could forget about promotion in the future!

After feigning to dissuade him, he said, "Your drive is commendable. I'll talk to the technical department and see if we can arrange for you to take the Level 3 exam."

"Thank you, Master Yi." Yang Wei replied with a smile. How could he not see through his thoughts? However, with his "Master Fitter" skill, all fitter work was a piece of cake. What was a Level 3 assessment? If he wasn't afraid of being "dissected and studied," he would have directly taken the engineer exam and surpassed Yi Zhonghai's Level 8 fitter!

"Okay." Yi Zhonghai nodded and turned to head straight for the technical department.

Lin Xiaoying, the head of the technical department, had just been transferred from another department and was not familiar with the technical department. When she saw that the senior fitter recommended Yang Wei to take the level 3 exam, and considering that the factory was short of skilled workers and that one more would mean more output, she nodded in agreement.

Yi Zhonghai brought the news back to the workshop: "The technical department has approved Yang Wei's participation in the Level 3 fitter assessment and will send someone to conduct the assessment on-site soon!"

"The technical department approved it?" The workers were surprised. They didn't think Yang Wei could pass. It was absurd for a level one fitter to take a level three exam! Many people suspected that Yi Zhonghai was pulling strings to embarrass Yang Wei.

The news spread quickly, and people in other workshops were also discussing it:

"Yang Wei wants to go for Level 3 without even passing Level 2? That's way too ambitious and unrealistic!"

"Go directly from Level 1 to Level 3? I've never heard of that!"

Many people came to watch the play.

"Yang Wei, you're still too green!" Yi Zhonghai looked at the crowd with a smug expression, determined to make Yang Wei look foolish in front of so many people!

"A level three fitter? He's worthy of the title?" Liu Haizhong shook his head and sneered. It took him three years to go from level one to level three.

"Yang Wei is going to embarrass himself!" Qin Huairu was incredibly excited. Jia Dongxu studied for so long and only reached level three back then...

The workshop director's office was filled with the aroma of jasmine tea. Guo Zhen's enamel mug slammed onto the "Fitter Grade Standard Manual" with a thud, and the red stamp "Level 3 Fitter Assessment Process" was shaken and curled up at the edges.

"Comrade Lin Xiaoying!" His brows furrowed deeply. "A first-level fitter taking a third-level exam? This is absurd! Article 17 of the manual states: promotion requires assessment at each level, and applying for a level skip requires special approval from the factory. Can Yi Zhonghai's recommendation really make an exception? Yang Wei has only been in the factory for three months; does he even know what 'tolerance coordination' means?"

Lin Xiaoying clutched the hem of her clothes, her ears turning red: "Director Guo, Master Yi said Yang Wei is 'exceptionally gifted,' which is because you previously said 'we should value recommendations from senior employees'..."

"Does being a senior employee give you the right to act recklessly?" Guo Zhen grabbed the workshop attendance sheet on the table, his finger pointing at the name "Yi Zhonghai," an eighth-grade fitter with 28 years of service, the factory's "living encyclopedia of technology." "He recommended Yang Wei, clearly because he thinks Yang Wei is young and easy to bully, and wants to embarrass him in public!"

Inside the workshop, discussions spread like engine oil.

"Have you heard? The new guy, Yang Wei, is going to take the Level 3 fitter exam!"

"Jump from one level to three? My dad worked for twenty years before he was promoted from level two to level one!"

"Recommended by Master Yi? Is this some kind of setup to mess with him!"

Yang Wei stood in front of the cast iron workbench, wiping the machine oil on the surface with his fingertips (from repairing the milling machine yesterday). When he looked up, his eyes were clear and bright, and the sunlight streaming through the workshop skylight gilded the top of his head.

"They're here!" someone shouted, and Guo Zhen led Lin Xiaoying and Xiao Wang (a technical staff member) into the workshop, followed by a large group of workers who surrounded Yang Wei's worktable.

"Yang Wei?" Guo Zhen scanned the crowd, his gaze landing on Yang Wei's face. "A level one fitter taking the level three exam, do you even know the rules?"

"I know." Yang Wei stepped forward, his blue work clothes neatly buttoned at the collar. "But Master Yi said that 'those with exceptional skills can be given special treatment,' and I want to give it a try."

Lin Xiaoying secretly sized him up. This young man was even more handsome than in the photo, with a straight nose and eyes as bright as the tungsten filament lamps on a lathe. No wonder the young people in the workshop always stole glances at him.

"The assessment begins!" Guo Zhen turned to Xiao Wang. "Use the second-level fitter standard to repair this damaged transmission gear. The tolerance must be controlled within 0.02mm."

Xiao Wang brought over a cast iron box. When he opened it, it creaked open, revealing a gear with a missing tooth and obvious impact dents on the tooth surface. "This was damaged by the milling machine last week," he said in a low voice. "It took me three days to repair it to meet the required standard. Yang Wei is a first-class technician..."

Yi Zhonghai stood at the back of the crowd, a cold smile creeping onto his lips—he had long seen through Yang Wei's "showy facade." The dent in the gear would require three measurements with a dial indicator and half an hour of repair with a mixed file. It would be strange if Yang Wei didn't crash!

Yang Wei didn't speak, but picked up the gear. Sunlight shone on his fingertips, revealing thin calluses (from repairing bicycles at home). He brought the gear closer, squinted at it for three seconds, then suddenly picked up a file. Without measuring tools or blueprints, he started working.

"Crack, crack," the sound of the file rubbing against the cast iron was like a precise melody. Yang Wei's wrist was suspended at a 45-degree angle, the force as even as the feed rate of a lathe. The onlookers gradually quieted down, and even the roar of the machine became background noise.

"He...didn't use measuring tools?" someone asked in a low voice.

"Look at that posture, it's like my dad's 'feel method' when repairing precision parts!" Veteran fitter Master Li clicked his tongue, "But that feel method takes ten years to master!"

Yi Zhonghai's smile froze on his face. He clearly saw that Yang Wei's filing frequency was "two strokes per second," exactly the same as the "standard technique for an eighth-grade worker" in the "Fitter's Handbook"; the dents were smoothed like mirrors, and even the meshing lines of the gears were aligned perfectly. This was no first-grade worker; he was clearly an eighth-grade veteran on par with him!

"Stop!" Yang Wei put down the file; the gears were now brand new. He blew away the metal shavings from the teeth, looked up, and smiled. "Director Guo, it's fixed."

Guo Zhen strode forward and picked up the gear. Sunlight filtered through the dust in the workshop, casting dappled patterns of light on the gear's surface. He took out a dial indicator from his pocket (standard equipment for an eighth-grade worker), gently placed it on the gear's surface, and the pointer wobbled slightly before finally stopping at the "0.015mm" mark.

"Qualified." Guo Zhen's Adam's apple bobbed, and his eyes changed when he looked up. "Moreover... his repairs are even more refined than most of the level-two workers in the factory."

The crowd erupted in a buzz. Master Li slapped his thigh: "Amazing! This feel... I've practiced for fifteen years!"

Lin Xiaoying covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling—she remembered how Yang Wei had helped her fix the stuck plotter yesterday, also with the same "no measuring tools needed, just a glance was enough" approach. It wasn't luck, it was real skill!

Yi Zhonghai's face turned a deep purplish-red. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. Yang Wei's move had not only slapped him in the face but also caused him to stumble before the "authority of the eighth-grade worker."

Guo Zhen placed the gear back on the table and looked at Yang Wei with a more serious expression: "Comrade Yang Wei, your skills... the factory needs you. The technical department is recruiting an assistant next week, are you interested?"

Yang Wei laughed: "I'd rather stay in the workshop and repair machines; it's more reassuring than sitting in an office."

"Alright!" Guo Zhen decided. "Starting today, you'll temporarily receive the Level 2 fitter allowance! Once you pass the Level 3 assessment, you'll be directly promoted to Level 3!"

As the crowd gradually dispersed, Yang Wei, head down, wiped his file, unaware that Yi Zhonghai's sinister gaze was fixed on his back. Lin Xiaoying walked over and handed him a bottle of soda (a factory perk, something she usually couldn't bear to drink): "Just now... I underestimated you."

"It's not that you underestimate me, it's that I hid it too well before." Yang Wei took the soda, his fingertips touching the back of her hand. They both paused for a moment, then laughed at the same time.

The sycamore leaves rustled outside the workshop. Yang Wei looked at the distant chimney and thought of the "Fitter Skill LV9" on the system panel. In his previous life, he had repaired machine tools for ten years. In this life, he was just returning to his old profession.