Courtyard House: The Fisherman Never Goes Sick

"Not bad, not bad, it looks like there shouldn't be any problems."

Guo Zhen smiled and patted Yang Wei on the shoulder: "Next test, no problem at all, you've passed the Level 2 fitter exam!" With that, he handed the repaired parts to the technician.

The test results surprised everyone present—after being repaired by Yang Wei, the damaged part performed even better than a brand new part of the same model.

"Yang Wei, your skill level is really impressive!" Guo Zhen couldn't help but give a thumbs up.

"Yang Wei, you're amazing!"

"I doubt even Master Yi could do this job, right?"

"Yang Wei, from now on you'll be our mentor!"

"Teach us how to be like you!"

Exclamations of admiration rose and fell. The damaged parts were repaired to be better than new ones; who wouldn't admire that?

Yi Zhonghai's old face darkened. He had wanted to see Yang Wei make a fool of himself, but he hadn't expected the other party to get away with it so easily, and he felt like a stone was stuck in his heart.

"Everyone should learn more from Comrade Yang Wei in the future!" Guo Zhen said with a smile, looking around at everyone.

"Don't worry, Director Guo, Yang Wei is willing to teach me. I'll study even if I don't eat or sleep!" someone immediately chimed in.

"No, unless you're a lesbian, I don't want to teach you without eating or sleeping," Yang Wei said with a smile.

The room erupted in laughter. Guo Zhen nodded to himself—this Yang Wei was not only technically skilled, but also quite approachable; he was a promising talent worth nurturing.

"Alright, let's continue the assessment." Guo Zhen steered the conversation back to the main topic, "Comrade Yang Wei, are you confident about the Level 3 fitter assessment?"

"Of course!" Yang Wei replied without hesitation.

"Not bad." Guo Zhen nodded in satisfaction.

Xiao Wang, standing to the side, began to explain the Level 3 assessment: designing and manufacturing a part for a specified purpose based on blueprints. This was several times more difficult than Level 2, with much stricter technical requirements, and everyone was worried for Yang Wei.

"I don't believe you can design it!" Yi Zhonghai sneered inwardly. He was an eighth-level fitter and knew that even some experienced third-level craftsmen might fail this test, let alone Yang Wei, who seemed to have no design experience.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Yang Wei thought for a moment, then picked up his tools and "pretended to design on the blueprints"—in reality, with his skills, he didn't need to do this at all; he could start working easily. He just didn't want to shock everyone too early, lest he be "dissected and studied."

A few minutes later, he began to process the parts according to the drawings, his movements so skillful that they were dazzling.

"This technique is a pleasure to watch!"

"If I had this skill, I'd be willing to live ten years less!"

The onlookers whispered among themselves. Guo Zhen and Lin Xiaoying nodded repeatedly—this level of skill was not only comparable to Yi Zhonghai's, but even surpassed it.

After about fifteen minutes, Yang Wei stopped and placed the finished product on the table: "Director Guo, comrades, it's done."

"Not bad, not bad, Comrade Yang Wei. If it weren't for your youth, I would have thought you were a veteran fitter with decades of experience!" Guo Zhen exclaimed sincerely.

"Director Guo, you're underestimating him. He sounds like a 100-year-old fitter!" Lin Xiaoying laughed from behind.

Yang Wei glanced at her—this supervisor was not only beautiful, but also had a pleasant voice. He could tell at a glance that Lin Xiaoying was a recent college graduate.

"Manager Lin is right." Guo Zhen smiled as he picked up the parts, becoming more and more satisfied with them.

Next comes the test. If he passes, Yang Wei will be promoted to a level three fitter—his salary will increase significantly to 46 yuan.

A few minutes later, the results came out: the performance of the parts was comparable to that of a master craftsman.

"I didn't expect Yang Wei to pass the Level 3 assessment so easily!"

"That's amazing!"

"Maybe I should take the CET-4 again; I might pass then!"

"Young and promising, truly a genius among geniuses!"

Exclamations of praise rose again.

"Comrade Yang Wei, congratulations on becoming a Level 3 fitter," Guo Zhen said solemnly. "Work hard, the factory won't treat you unfairly!"

After praising him, Guo Zhen smiled and congratulated Yang Wei, saying, "Thank you, Director Guo." Yang Wei nodded in response.

"So humble and composed, Yang Wei is destined for greatness!" Guo Zhen thought to himself, then suddenly remembered something and changed the subject: "Comrade Yang Wei, you don't have a girlfriend yet, do you?"

"Director Guo, not yet, what's wrong?" Yang Wei asked in confusion—thinking to himself, you're not thinking of introducing someone to me, are you?

Sure enough, Guo Zhen laughed and said, "It's good for young people to get married early so they can focus on their work. I have a nice niece; how about I introduce you two sometime?"

"Director Guo, I value freedom in love, so let's forget it," Yang Wei quickly waved his hand. As a time traveler, why would he act like an old-fashioned person and let someone introduce him to a blind date? Besides, with "a whole forest" in front of him, how could he be tied down by a single woman?

"Alright, I won't force you." Guo Zhen was clearly disappointed—his niece had just missed out on such a talented person; anyone would be disappointed in that situation.

Someone nearby joked, "Director Guo, how about introducing Supervisor Lin behind you?" "Yes! Comrade Yang Wei and Supervisor Lin are a perfect match!" Several people echoed.

Lin Xiaoying blushed and quickly straightened her face: "This is a work site, don't joke like that!"

"Alright, alright, everyone get back to work and stop slacking off!" Guo Zhen calmly came to her rescue, and the crowd dispersed. The workshop returned to normal, but everyone's thoughts were different—especially Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu.

"Yang Wei really passed the Level 3 Fitter exam!!" Qin Huairu's expression was complicated.

A level three fitter earns 46 yuan, while a level one only earns 32 yuan—a full 14 yuan more! She was secretly envious. At this moment, she felt a little resentful towards Jia Zhangshi—if Jia Zhangshi hadn't wanted to seize Yang Wei's house, why would she have had a conflict with Yang Wei? Otherwise, even if she couldn't "bleed" him, she could at least have someone to look after her at work. Now, things are even worse; once Yang Wei becomes more capable, she might even kick him when he's down.

Yi Zhonghai also regretted it: Why did I side with Jia Zhangshi back then? Yang Wei's fitter skills are definitely going to lead him to a bright future!

Before they knew it, it was noon. In the kitchen, He Yuzhu (Silly Zhu) was pondering how to deal with Yang Wei when he got his food—deliberately giving him less rice and vegetables, and seeing what he could do. As the head chef of the cafeteria, even the cafeteria manager had to watch his step, so wouldn't little Yang Wei be easy for him to manipulate? If he didn't get enough to eat and collapsed at his post, his salary would definitely be deducted; if he got injured somewhere, even better! The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.

A little while later, the steel mill employees came in twos and threes for lunch, and there was a constant murmur of conversation:

"Yang Wei is amazing! He passed the Level 3 fitter exam at around 20 years old!" "He'll be a Level 3 fitter soon, I'm so envious!" "I've been in the factory for seven or eight years and I'm still only a Level 1 fitter. It's so frustrating to compare yourself to others!" "Yang Wei is incredibly talented; he was born to be a fitter!" "Looking at his abilities, becoming an Level 8 fitter will be a piece of cake for him!"

He Yuzhu frowned and asked, "What are you talking about? What happened to Yang Wei?"

"Hey Shazhu, haven't you heard? Your neighbor Yang Wei passed the Level 3 fitter exam!" said the worker serving the food.

"What? Yang Wei passed the Level 3 Fitter exam?" He Yuzhu asked in surprise.

"Really! I just heard it. Yang Wei is young, handsome, and capable. A level three fitter earns more than ten yuan more than a level one fitter!" Liu Lan said with a smile.

He Yuzhu was even more surprised—this proved that Yang Wei had indeed become a Level 3 fitter. "Didn't he just arrive not long ago? How could he pass the exam?" He really couldn't understand it, after all, many people in the factory had been there for several years and were still only Level 1 fitters, Qin Huairu was an example.

Hearing everyone praising Yang Wei, he felt a pang of resentment—he had just had a falling out with Yang Wei. "Heh, so what? You, Yang Wei, still need to eat, don't you? When you come to get your food, I'll shake my spoon hard and see if you can get enough. If you faint in the workshop from hunger, then we'll have a good show!" Thinking this, a smile returned to Sha Zhu's face—he was the one who called the shots in this canteen; even the factory manager couldn't do anything about him!

"Yang Wei, go get your food!"

Amidst the smell of machine oil in the steel rolling mill workshop, Old Zhang patted Yang Wei on the shoulder. The setting sun streamed in through the skylight, casting a warm glow on his blue overalls, which were covered in iron filings.

"No, thank you," Yang Wei said with a smile, pulling out an aluminum lunchbox—the lid had a few scratches from when he was repairing the milling machine last week. "I brought my own 'main course' today."

"Two lunchboxes?" Xiao Li leaned closer, his eyes fixed on the lunchboxes. "Brother Yang, did you pack three pounds of meat? These days, who would bring so much braised pork?"

In the steel rolling mill of 1979, meat coupons were more precious than gold. Ordinary workers received only half a jin (250 grams) of meat coupons per month, and the canteen's braised pork required coupons, with a limit of one piece per person. Yang Wei's two lunchboxes contained at least five jin (2.5 kg) of meat—enough for the entire workshop to have an extra meal!

"Let's open it and take a look!" Old Wang rubbed his hands together, his Adam's apple bobbing.

Yang Wei slammed the lid open—the braised pork belly, with its alternating layers of fat and lean meat, was coated in an amber-colored sauce, glistening in the setting sun. The aroma of the meat burst out, overpowering the smell of machine oil in the workshop.

"My goodness!" Old Zhang couldn't help but swallow hard. "This meat is stewed way too well! Look at this fat, it's practically translucent!"

"Brother Yang, your cooking skills are even better than the cafeteria chef's!" Little Li held his chopsticks, hesitant to pick up any food. "If this were sold in the cafeteria, the line would be two miles long!"

Yang Wei smiled and put the lunchbox on the table: "What are you standing there for? Eat together! I can't finish it all by myself, it'll be a waste if it goes bad."

He wasn't lying—ever since the system was linked to him, supplies were plentiful, and braised pork was as common as cabbage for him. But his colleagues were different; these days, being able to eat meat to their heart's content was like celebrating the New Year.

"Well...we won't stand on ceremony!" Old Zhang was the first to pick up a piece; the marbled meat trembled on his chopsticks. "Wow! This fatty meat isn't greasy at all!"

"Delicious! Delicious! Delicious!" Old Wang took a big bite, the juices dripping down his chin. "I've lived for thirty years, and I've never eaten such delicious meat!"

"A hundred times better than Sha Zhu's 'boiled pork in plain water'!" Little Li praised vaguely. "Sha Zhu just puts in a handful of salt when he boils pork, nothing compares to Yang Wei's caramelized sugar, soy sauce, and star anise!"

"Not even enough to carry shoes!" Old Zhang chimed in. "Last time, Sha Zhu brought meat buns to Workshop No. 3, and I tried one—the skin was thicker than paper!"

Amidst laughter and chatter, chopsticks clattered against the lunchboxes. The two boxes of meat were emptied in no time, and everyone patted their round bellies, smacking their lips: "Brother Yang, are you bringing more tomorrow? We'll bring you some cornbread in exchange!"

In the steel mill canteen, He Yuzhu was standing on tiptoe, peering at the food serving window. It was almost seven o'clock, and Yang Wei still hadn't arrived—usually by this time, Yang Wei would have already come with his lunchbox to claim the "prime spot" at his window.

"MCA!" he called to his apprentice, turning to see what that brat Yang Wei was up to!

Ma Hua jogged out and came back a moment later, a gossipy smile on his face: "Master, I found out! Yang Wei is eating braised pork in the workshop, two lunchboxes, a good five pounds! His colleagues said the pork is fatty but not greasy, and even more fragrant than yours!"

"What?" Sha Zhu's spoon clattered into the pot. "Five catties? Where did he get so many meat coupons?"

"He's rich!" Ma Hua said in a low voice. "I heard he passed the Level 3 fitter exam, got a hefty bonus, and has a good relationship with the workshop foreman, so he can get 'insider' opportunities!"

Sha Zhu sneered and added firewood to the stove: "So what if he's rich? Can he eat like this every day? I'd like to see how long his little bit of money can last!"

But Ma Hua's next words made him frown deeply: "They also said... Yang Wei's cooking skills are much better than yours! If he were to take charge of the cafeteria, you'd have to step aside!"

"Bullshit!" Sha Zhu slammed his hand on the table, sparks flying from the stove. "I, He Yuzhu, have been cooking at the steel mill for ten years, and no one has ever dared to say my skills are bad! That kid... he's definitely bragging!"

He put on a tough front, but a sour feeling welled up inside him—how long had Yang Weicai been in the workshop? Not only was his fitter skill outstanding, but he was even better at cooking than him? If word got out, where would he put his face as the "canteen tyrant"?

Inside the workshop, Yang Wei was wiping his lunchbox, listening to his colleagues' laughter, a wide smile playing on his lips. He caught a glimpse of Sha Zhu outside the window—that guy was peering into the workshop through the canteen window, looking like a rooster with its feathers standing on end.

"Is Sha Zhu furious?" Old Zhang leaned over, winking. "He's so jealous his eyes are practically red!"

Yang Wei laughed: "He's just stubborn. I'll bring some more meat buns over tomorrow for him to try."

"Brother Yang, you're such a great guy!" Old Wang slapped his thigh. "Just for your braised pork, we'd work for you in this workshop for life!"

He Yuzhu's face was ashen, and his chest heaved like an enraged bull.

It's one thing if Yang Wei doesn't show up and he can't be dealt with, but now these people dare to mock him for not being as good as Yang Wei in cooking? This is like a slap in the face!

"Heh heh, Yang Wei, you just wait!" His anger flared. "I'll make sure you know exactly how many eyes the Horse King has!"

Seeing that his expression was off, Ma Hua shrank back and quickly shut his mouth, not daring to say another word.

Before he knew it, the sun was setting, and the steel rolling mill's closing bell rang. Yang Wei followed the flow of people out of the factory gate. The Third Steel Rolling Mill was quite large; with tens of thousands of workers arriving at the closing time, the scene was magnificent and spectacular.

"Yang Wei, congratulations! I heard you passed your Level 3 fitter exam today!"

"Yang Wei, you're impressive! You're a hidden talent!"

His coworkers, who knew him, all gathered around, their tone full of flattery. Yang Wei usually kept a low profile, but now that his skills were superb, who wouldn't want to be on good terms with him? Looking at his composed demeanor, he might one day become like Yi Zhonghai, a level eight fitter, or even an engineer, surpassing Yi Zhonghai!

"It was just a coincidence, I was lucky," Yang Wei replied modestly and humbly.

After leaving the factory, Yang Wei headed straight for the vegetable market. His body's genes had been altered, causing him significant energy expenditure; he needed to make sure Weiwei ate well and replenished his strength. He strolled around the market, selecting some fresh vegetables and a large, live fish weighing over ten kilograms, before carrying the bags and packages towards the courtyard house.

It used to take more than 20 minutes to get from the steel mill to the courtyard, but now Yang Wei's physical condition is much better than before. He walks with a brisk pace and arrives at the courtyard gate in less than 10 minutes.

As soon as Yang Wei entered the courtyard, he saw He Yuzhu and Qin Huairu arguing again. Hearing the noise, the two turned around and saw what Yang Wei was holding, especially the plump fish. Their eyes widened, and their envy was palpable.

Qin Huairu thought to herself, "I have to use my looks to please He Yuzhu every time I want to get some scraps. Yang Wei, on the other hand, just because he has a few stinking bucks, he eats lavishly and lives a really comfortable life!"

He Yuzhu scoffed inwardly, "Another big fish! Yang Wei, I don't believe your 1000 yuan inheritance will last long!"

Yang Wei continued walking inside. A glancing, old face flashed past the window of the Jia family home—it was Jia Zhangshi, without a doubt. This old woman was terrified that Qin Huairu would cheat on her, so she constantly peeked around like a thief. This time, she saw Yang Wei carrying large bags and a big fish.

"Yesterday Wei was a piece of pork, today Wei is a big fish. Yang Wei, he's living the high life!" Jia Zhangshi cursed inwardly. "But if you don't help my widow's family, you'll eat yourself to death sooner or later! I hope you, Wei, will eat yourself to death tomorrow or the day after!"

Banggeng, who was frolicking in the snow outside, also saw the fish. His little appetite was immediately whetted, and his mouth watered. He was already imagining what the fish would look like as braised fish, its aroma filling the air. He ran into the house and shouted to Jia Zhangshi, "Grandma, I want to eat fish! I want to eat fragrant braised fish!" In his memory, he had hardly ever eaten fish in his life. The last time was when Qin Huairu got half a fish from He Yuzhu, which was several months ago.

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi knew that Banggeng had also spotted Yang Wei's fish. She immediately cursed Yang Wei in her mind again: "That damned Yang Wei! If he hadn't been showing off, would Banggeng have been clamoring for fish? You don't respect the elderly or care for the young, you don't help those in need, and you don't give alms to widows. I hope you, Mingwei, get buried alive by the snow as soon as you step outside!"

Yang Wei ignored them and continued walking, encountering Yi Zhonghai who was also leaving. An old man immediately noticed the fish in Yang Wei's hand and exclaimed in surprise, "Good heavens! You bought another big fish like that!"

Yesterday Wei Gang mentioned pork, and today Wei Gang has switched to fish—how extravagant! He even knows how to enjoy life better than this level eight fitter. In the entire courtyard, Yi Zhonghai is undoubtedly the wealthiest. Yet even so, he doesn't feast like Yang Wei—firstly, meat coupons are precious, and secondly, he doesn't want to attract envy. In these times of scarcity, people "don't worry about poverty but about inequality," and this old man doesn't want to become a target of public criticism for flaunting his wealth.

Yang Wei carried the fish into his house, a process that naturally didn't escape the eyes of the others in the yard. Immediately, envious, jealous, and gossiping voices rose and fell:

"Hey, Yang Wei bought another big fish! Yesterday, I think he bought a whole bunch of pork?"

"You don't understand. I heard Jinwei and Yangwei passed the Level 3 fitter exam, so they bought fish to celebrate!"

"No way? You really passed? That's amazing!"

"Of course it's true! Go ask that old man; he was proctoring the exam there!"

"Does that mean his salary will increase significantly?"

"Of course!"

"Plus the 1000 yuan inheritance left by his uncle, wouldn't he become the richest person in our compound?"

"That's not all! I heard he's incredibly skilled; he'll definitely pass the level eight fitter exam someday!"

"Some people even say that if he becomes an engineer, he'll outshine even an old man!"

Are engineers well-paid?

"This old man earns 99.6 yuan a month, and the engineer earns more than him. Don't you think that's high?"

"Wow, if that's the case, doesn't that mean Yang Wei is going to become the richest man in our compound?"