Courtyard House: The Fisherman Never Goes Sick

Hearing this, Yang Wei raised his chin and said, "Okay, I understand."

"Please leave, the kitchen is smoky, don't let the smoke bother you."

"Okay, then I'll leave this place to you." Aunt Liu turned and left.

Yang Wei rolled up his sleeves, revealing the real deal: eight authentic Sichuan dishes, all ready in no time. They were all quick stir-fries; stews? Too much trouble, he couldn't be bothered with them.

There were guests at noon, so Yang Wei naturally wasn't invited to the table. By the time everyone had finished eating and drinking and had finished chatting, the sun was already setting, past three o'clock. Only then did the big boss have a moment to spare and called Yang Wei to the study.

Inside the room, the big boss tugged at his collar to let in some fresh air, picked up his teacup and took a sip. He had been talking for a long time, and his throat was parched. Being a leader was definitely not as comfortable as sitting in air conditioning and drinking tea.

"Big Boss!" Yang Wei pushed open the door and grinned, "You finally found me."

"Xiao Yang, sit down! You really made me proud. Your boiled cabbage at the state banquet was amazing! Last time, 740 (Note: the original reference is retained) didn't get to enjoy it to his heart's content. You have to show off your skills again next time!" With his status, he had eaten his fair share of state banquets, but he still couldn't stop thinking about that cabbage dish, acting like a complete gourmand.

"It's my good fortune to catch the eye of such a high-ranking leader," Yang Wei agreed, then sighed, "But you've really put me in a difficult position! You have no idea how I've survived these past few times. The last time, I almost couldn't get out of the state guesthouse; my personal freedom was practically in someone else's hands!"

He deliberately poured out his grievances, determined to make the other party feel some guilt so he could smoothly reap some benefits. He was well aware of the principle of taking advantage of others; it was an honor for them to send him to the state banquet, but it was also a fact that they would throw him into the fire to be roasted. He couldn't just be a tool for nothing.

"Sigh, I didn't expect this to cause you trouble." The big boss touched the tip of his nose. "I'll take responsibility. Just tell me, and I'll do everything I can to help."

Yang Wei's eyes lit up, and his smile stretched from ear to ear: "Great, the big boss is so generous!"

To receive a definite promise from a high-ranking leader is a rare and precious opportunity, something that would be hard to find even with a lantern.

If a small, insignificant family could get their hands on this topic, it would be a piece of cake for them. Unfortunately, Yang Wei's ambitions were completely out of reach of the higher-ups. After much deliberation, only one thing remained that he could actually accomplish.

"My wife keeps talking about that gramophone. Could you, sir, let me use it for a while?" Yang Wei chuckled, rubbing his hands together. "That's all she wants, is that alright?"

"That's it?" The big boss half-covered his mouth with his teacup, his eyes clearly showing disbelief.

"That's it!" Yang Wei scratched his head. "I mentioned it to my wife yesterday, saying that you have a really valuable old gramophone here, and she immediately perked up her ears and told me about it seven or eight times. I was thinking, why don't we give it a try?"

He pretended not to notice the hidden meaning in the high-ranking leader's words. Actually, it wasn't that he didn't want to negotiate for more "practical" terms; it was simply that the high-ranking leader couldn't provide what he truly desired at the moment. Besides, the phonograph was his real objective for this trip. To go from "borrowing" it to "having it in his own hands" meant that decades later, it might still be a valuable item to display—it was a win-win situation no matter how you looked at it.

"Alright, why borrow? Just take it!" The big boss waved his hand and slammed the teacup on the table, showing his generosity.

After speaking, he glanced at Yang Wei again before taking a sip of tea, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"Oh my, the big boss is so generous! I'll thank you very much!" Yang Wei deliberately bent his waist low, pretending to be so excited that he was completely lost.

"You little rascal..." The big boss put down his teacup and tapped the table with his fingertips. "I just can't figure you out! In all these years, I've never seen anyone like you. You have such a great path to take, but you insist on staying in the cafeteria, eating and waiting to die."

"It would be one thing to call you an incompetent ruler, but you clearly possess the ability to govern the world, yet you willingly remain holed up in that shabby little canteen, not even bothering to lift an eyelid. It's truly bizarre!"

The top leader, staring at Yang Wei's "overjoyed over a small gramophone" attitude, simply couldn't understand: could a broken gramophone really be more appealing than the opportunity to become a factory director or enter the central government? After all the back and forth, he finally understood: this kid was a hidden genius, stubborn and inflexible, yet possessing an attitude of "I'll sleep soundly even if the sky falls." He couldn't exactly hold a gun to Yang Wei's neck and force him to take the job, could he? A long sigh escaped his lips, filled with helplessness.

Upon hearing this, Yang Wei grinned, revealing a canine tooth, and retorted directly, "Big Boss, everyone has their own desires in life. Some are after money, some after fame, some cling to power, and some can't resist pretty girls. But I just want a peaceful life, a few quiet days. A simple life is better than anything else. Don't try to give me any more opportunities; I really have no interest in that. If I did, I would have told you the first time you asked. Why have you been making excuses until now?"

"Alright, I won't meddle in your affairs anymore." The big boss picked up his teacup and took another sip, his tone becoming more serious. "But let me make this clear: if I ever have a question for you and you try to evade it, you'll see how I deal with you!"

"You can rest assured!" Yang Wei patted his chest confidently, "I'll tell you everything I know!"

"You're smart enough to know your place." The big boss finally relaxed his brows, and after a few more casual words, Yang Wei got up to take his leave.

"Xiao Chen!" the big boss called out towards the door.

Secretary Chen, who hadn't been resting, entered in response and stood ramrod straight: "Sir."

"Find a car and take Xiao Yang back to the courtyard house."

"yes!"

Yang Wei wrapped the gramophone in a cloth cover, tucked a few vinyl records into his pocket, got into the "big-butt" jeep arranged by Secretary Chen, and hurried home.

Through the gap in the curtains of the study on the second floor, the high-ranking official peeked out, watching Yang Wei's chuckle as he hugged the gramophone, his face crinkling with laughter. He shook his head helplessly and sighed, "What a waste of such talent... If I could keep you by my side, I could save myself a lot of trouble in the future! Sigh..."

Yang Wei, clutching the gramophone, was completely unaware that a pair of eyes were watching him. Even if he did, he wouldn't care; right now, he had only one thing on his mind: how to make his wife happy. That was the real business a man should be thinking about.

As the "big-butt" jeep turned into the alleyway leading to the courtyard, a group of schoolchildren on holiday ran wildly after it, panting as they chased after it. The driver's hands were sweating as he gripped the steering wheel, afraid of bumping into one of the little devils. Finally, they reached the courtyard gate, and Yang Wei jumped out of the car, thanked the driver, and walked into the courtyard with his gramophone.

As soon as I stepped into the front yard, I saw three old women squatting by the well washing vegetables, with the cabbage stalks piled up in the basin like a small mountain.

"Oh my, what kind of treasure is Xiao Yang carrying?" The third aunt brushed a stray hair from her forehead and glanced at him sideways.

"It's nothing, just a little something for my wife." Yang Wei lowered his voice and walked straight to the backyard without stopping.

Seeing his "I can't be bothered with anyone" attitude, the three aunties curled their lip and muttered to Aunt Li, who was picking vegetables next to them, "What's so great about him? He's just a factory director in name only! Now they won't even let him hold meetings, does he really think he's something special?" (The last sentence appears to be an unrelated advertisement and has been omitted from the translation.)

This was the consensus in the courtyard: attending meetings was the "standard practice" for leaders. Ever since Yang Wei stopped attending meetings, everyone in the courtyard had changed their attitude towards him faster than turning the pages of a book. The workers at the steel mill were even more gullible, spreading rumors with great detail: Yang Wei was just a figurehead, unable to utter a coherent sentence in front of the higher-ups, purely a "showpiece," utterly useless, and not as tangible as the security chief Sha Zhu's power.

But Yang Wei paid no attention to these gossips. He knew all too well what kind of people lived in this courtyard. Right now, they were just talking behind his back. If they really angered him, he would investigate the entire courtyard thoroughly, inside and out. If he didn't get his way, he would change his name backwards!

As soon as Yang Wei stepped into the backyard, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Wife! Wife!"

"What are you shouting for! In broad daylight, aren't you ashamed!" Lou Xiao'e heard the noise and hurriedly ran out of the house, covering his mouth with her hand. People these days care about "decency." Even holding hands in the street requires hiding from people, let alone shouting "wife" at the top of your lungs. Who knows, the neighbors will gossip about you behind your back.

"What's wrong with calling out to your own wife? What's there to be ashamed of!" Yang Wei shoved her hands aside, thrusting the gramophone in front of her eyes, his eyes shining like stars. "Look what this is!"

"A phonograph?" Lou Xiao'e leaned closer, her fingers gently touching the cloth cover, her voice trembling. "Really?"

"Of course it's real!" Yang Wei lifted the cloth cover, revealing a brass megaphone that gleamed warmly in the sunlight. "It was a gift directly from the top leader! It wasn't borrowed!"

"Ouch!" Lou Xiao'e covered her mouth, her eyes instantly reddening. "You really have a lot of influence..."

"Of course!" Yang Wei put his arm around her shoulder and led her into the house. "Come on, let's go inside and set it up. Listen to the noise, I guarantee you'll love it!"

Lou Xiao'e followed him into the house, her steps almost unsteady. Neither of them noticed that in the distance, at Xu Damao's doorway, the curtain was quietly lifted a crack and then quickly closed again.

A moment later, the melody of "Symphony No. 5" drifted from Yang Wei's bedroom, tinkling and tinkling like scattered starlight into the room.

Men are like clay, and women are like water. Clay needs water to be kneaded into shape, and men need women to shape them into something useful.

From the outside, it appears to be a man's domain, but in reality, women subtly nurture and protect, quietly warming the lives together. The most alluring women are those whose beauty is imbued with a spirited charm, as clear and bright as water. A woman's tears are also precious; when they fall, they can cause a man's heart to ache. Even the hardest stone softens into mud upon seeing such tears.

So, a loving man shouldn't make his wife cry. But then again, mud is mud, water is water, and their personalities are ultimately different. What should a true couple be like? A woman makes a man more manly, and a man makes a woman more like herself.

At this moment, Yang Wei looked at Lou Xiao'e, who was sitting at the table with her hands supporting her chin, her eyes brimming with tears, and a smile appeared on her face: "Oh, why are you shedding tears? So you really took it to heart?" As he spoke, he quickly grabbed a clean towel and handed it to her.

Lou Xiao'e took the music and wiped her face, her voice still a little hoarse: "It's so beautiful!" She looked up and asked, "Is this the 'Symphony No. 5' you were talking about?"

"That kind of person is just stubborn," Yang Wei tapped the table, "the more they stumble, the more they climb back up, like an indestructible mule!"

Lou Xiao'e murmured along, "Fate..." Then she tugged at his sleeve, "Play it again, I want to hear it again!"

Yang Wei didn't stop her and put the record back on the gramophone. From noon until dinner time, Lou Xiao'e was glued to the gramophone. Yang Wei's ears were practically calloused from listening; this wasn't listening to music, it was clearly listening to the same song on repeat until he was sick of it. Only when he brought the cooked millet porridge and cornbread to the table did he reach out and tug at her elbow: "My dear, eat first! You can listen after you eat, don't stare a hole through the gramophone!"

Lou Xiao'e looked back at the gramophone three times before reluctantly moving away: "I'll never get tired of it, I could listen to it for a lifetime and still not get enough."

"Alright, alright, I give up," Yang Wei shoved the chopsticks into her hand. "Eat up, then keep listening. Don't end up like yesterday, waking the old lady up in the middle of the night!"

Sure enough, the two listened until seven o'clock before turning off the machine, afraid of disturbing the old lady's sleep; otherwise, Lou Xiao'e would have been welded to the phonograph. Yang Wei was puzzled: Why was this girl so addicted to a piece of music? Even the star-struck fans he had seen in his past life weren't this crazy. Could it really be that "different strokes for different folks"? Or was she harboring some unfulfilled wish, which she was using the music to make up for?

The next day, Yang Wei got up early and cooked cornmeal porridge and fried an egg. Before leaving, he nudged Lou Xiao'e's arm and said, "Listen to what I say, but don't look like you've lost your soul!"

Lou Xiao'e was wiping the gramophone when she looked up and smiled, "I know, hurry up and get to work, or the steel mill will dock your bonus!"

Yang Wei pushed his heavy-duty scooter towards the factory, only to find that trouble from the steel rolling mill was already waiting for him. The canteen manager was standing at the entrance, followed by Sha Zhu and two security guards, looking quite menacing.

"Yang Wei, come with us!" the director said sternly. "Someone has reported you for accepting bribes by abusing your position. You're coming with us to the security department for investigation!"

The young man following behind Sha Zhu suddenly raised his voice and shouted. Sha Zhu's face turned dark instantly, and he yelled, "Shut up! Did I tell you to speak?" The young man was stunned; he had already said what he wanted to say and couldn't take it back.

Everyone in the cafeteria was staring at Yang Wei, even Han Rui, who was stir-frying a large pot of vegetables, stopped cooking. Yang Wei, however, remained calm. He had only brought home a gramophone yesterday and hadn't touched anything else. He already knew what was going on and joked, "Another 'beast' has appeared in the courtyard? I wonder which one this time?"

He glanced at Sha Zhu, then swept his gaze over the crowd, and shouted at Han Rui, "Don't just stand there, hurry up and cook the vegetables, or you'll lose work points!" Han Rui snapped back to reality and frantically started flipping the cabbage in the pot.

Yang Wei turned and walked towards Sha Zhu, patting him on the shoulder: "Come on, I'll go with you."

No one spoke the whole way. Sha Zhu clutched the hem of his clothes and shuffled three steps, then shuffled back. It wasn't until he was almost inside the security office that he finally managed to squeeze out, "Brother Yang, did you take it or not? Tell me the truth."

Yang Wei stopped and retorted, "What do you think?"

"I don't believe you're that kind of person!" Sha Zhu said firmly.

Yang Wei breathed a sigh of relief; finally, there was someone with a conscience. He patted Sha Zhu's arm: "Zhu Zi, you'll be glad you said that later."

Upon entering the security department, Yang Wei sat upright, listening to the director read out the contents of the report. He tapped his fingertips on the table. The troubles at the courtyard house had come again. He needed to find an opportunity to sort out that mess, otherwise, the constant backyard fires would be incredibly annoying.

But let's get past this hurdle first. After all, Yang Wei is not someone to be trifled with.