Courtyard House: A System Connecting Two Worlds, Resources for the Nation

As for Master Cha, he was an old friend, and Zhou Feng didn't treat him badly; the price was quite fair.

Thirty catties of flour and ten catties of rice were exchanged for that painting; twenty catties of rice, five catties of eggs, and two fingers-wide pieces of pork belly were exchanged for that clock.

Master Cha also breathed a sigh of relief and thanked Zhou Feng repeatedly.

The old man only asked for ten catties of flour for the sandalwood bracelet. Zhou Feng, seeing his pitiful state, added two catties of rice for him, which made him extremely grateful.

The group of people pushed a small cart over, and Zhou Feng calculated the total amount of grain they wanted to exchange, then had them carry several bags upstairs.

As is Zhou Feng's old rule, the total amount given will definitely be more than expected.

Let them handle the grain distribution themselves; don't let him make a fuss over it, it's too much trouble!

These people were quite clever; to avoid trouble, they found a dirty cloth and covered the cart with it.

After seeing the group off, the room fell silent again.

Zhou Feng looked at the newly acquired antiques on the table with a smug smile, then picked up the sandalwood bracelet and smelled it, before carefully examining the pair of vases and the jade writing implement.

These things are already considered valuable in this era, and they will be even more valuable in 2025!

For a middleman like him who sells two things at once, this is truly a good era!

Things were worthless, society was very stable, and there was no obvious class difference. If this were ancient times, even if someone became a merchant and made a fortune, they would still be easily killed by Xun Gui.

I wonder how things are going with Bai Ling. Logically speaking, Director Sun shouldn't make things too difficult for him because of his status as a "patriotic overseas Chinese."

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door again, followed by Bai Ling's voice: "Zhou Feng, I'm back!"

"You're back?"

Zhou Feng put down the agarwood bracelet in his hand and looked up at the door.

Bai Ling pushed open the door, bringing in a gust of cool air from outside, and carried a brown paper document bag in her hand.

"Yes, Director Sun approved it. This is a special approval document for you. As long as it's for your own personal use and doesn't involve the dissemination of sensitive technologies, there's no problem."

"With this, even if someone sees some strange new things in your house, it'll be easy to explain to the neighborhood committee and the police station."

Bai Ling closed the door behind her, walked to the table, and handed the file bag to Zhou Feng.

The latter took the document bag, pulled out the certificate with a bright red official seal, glanced at it, and immediately a smile appeared on his lips.

Sure enough, Director Sun is efficient in getting things done.

"Thanks, now I can let my friend buy it for me without worry. You'll see just how advanced America's technology is now."

Zhou Feng felt a little awkward about what he said. How could the United States possibly develop any electrical appliances by 2025?

Even if the American president, that Lyndon guy, peed blood and took out all the money he had embezzled to invest in research and development, they still couldn't develop it!

Bai Ling, please don't take this seriously. This is just boosting the morale of others and diminishing our own!

Fortunately, Bai Ling didn't react much to what he said. Instead, she hesitated for a moment before saying to him, "Zhou Feng, there's something else... Director Sun asked me to ask you."

"Hmm? What's up?"

Zhou Feng poured himself a cup of hot water and pushed one over to Bai Ling as well.

We won't need thermos flasks anymore; we can boil water whenever we want.

"So... when you bring appliances back from there, if it's convenient, could you... bring an extra set?"

"Bring an extra set?"

Zhou Feng raised an eyebrow, a mocking expression on his face: "What, Director Sun, do you also want to experience the corrupt life of a capitalist country?"

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey! What did you say?!"

Giving Zhou Feng a disapproving look, Bai Ling continued, "These are some of the technical staff in the department. They heard they brought back the latest electrical appliances from America and are really curious about them!"

"You know our country's industrial base is weak right now, so they want to use your machines to do some research and see if they can find some inspiration. Even if they can't produce anything, it's good to understand how far the technology has developed outside!"

"Furthermore, Director Sun said that the department has already acquired a batch of calligraphy, paintings, porcelain, jade, and the like. After the experts appraise and register them, they can select a batch to send to you. The one cent you mentioned before has also been arranged!"

"Hey! Director Sun, that's too polite! Don't worry, I'll put on my purple underwear in a heartbeat!"

???

Bai Ling's eyes widened instantly, and her face flushed red: "You... what did you say about underwear... no underwear... what do you mean?!"

"You can manage with your purple buttocks!"

Zhou Feng chuckled and made a witty remark, which made Bai Ling clench her fists instantly. She really wanted to punch him in the face where he was still grinning foolishly!

Is that how you talk to a lesbian?

There's no way around it; many people unconsciously become a bit unrestrained when they're alone with someone they like, and Zhou Feng was no exception.

It was his identity as a person from the future that saved him, and Bai Ling could only clench her fists and grit her teeth to endure it.

But Zhou Feng sensed the awkward atmosphere and scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly: "Um... I'll definitely buy the best quality, and... and get a few more sets of tools for our technicians!"

Bai Ling rolled her eyes at him and turned to the stove to start a fire.

I was going to be polite to this guy, but who would have thought he was spouting nonsense? I'd better just let him stay there by himself for a while!

As Zhou Feng watched Bai Ling bending over to pick up coal and wood, a surge of warmth welled up in his heart.

While I appreciate it, cooking is still too much trouble these days. I might as well get a portable gas stove; it would make things much more convenient.

The two chatted for a while longer, mainly Bai Ling reminding Zhou Feng to be careful when bringing things back from America, and not to buy anything too conspicuous or dangerous, so as to avoid causing unnecessary trouble.

Zhou Feng naturally agreed to all of them.

For dinner, Bai Ling made a simple pork stew with cabbage, a few cornbread pancakes, and steamed a plate of Bingcheng dried sausage that Zhou Feng had brought over.

The whole courtyard smelled wonderful!

Ever since Zhou Feng criticized Bai Ling for using too little meat when cooking, she's been using it sparingly these days.

Before stir-frying the vegetables, they will specially sauté some pork to ensure the stew has a good aroma.

Add to that the aroma of the dried sausages after they were steamed, carried by the alcohol inside, and half the people in the courtyard were salivating.

In other words, the backyard is less affected and you can hardly smell it.

Seeing the progress of the two penetrations within his body steadily increasing, even though it was a little slow, Zhou Feng still nodded in satisfaction.

This is a little trick he found after the last instant noodle incident.

Although the quantity is small, it's worth the long-term benefits!

Even if a mosquito's leg is tiny, it's still meat, isn't it?

After the two finished eating, Zhou Feng looked at Bai Ling, who was still washing the dishes, and said with a smile, "I'll contact them later and try to get them to deliver the things tomorrow or the day after!"

Bai Ling, with her back to him, secretly rolled her eyes.

Should I tell this guy who ships things from America and can get them delivered the next morning if I contact them that evening?

After thinking about it carefully, I'll just forget about it!

She now understands Zhou Feng quite well. Although he usually has a good temper, he is also a person who cares a lot about his image.

Judging from the fact that he lost face at the state-run restaurant and made such a big fuss before, it's probably fine to just let him continue like this.

If you make him feel bad and he doesn't contact you for a long time, wouldn't that just make you unhappy?

"Okay! Keep the certificate safe. I'll head back now and come back tomorrow afternoon."

Bai Ling knew that this guy needed time, so she specifically told him to come over in the afternoon, and Zhou Feng nodded seriously.

After locking the door, a thought crossed my mind, and I was back in the familiar house of 2025.

To be honest, if Zhou Feng had to choose, even if everyone in the courtyard was an oddball, he would still choose to live there.

Because in that era, the "human touch" had basically disappeared from the high-rise buildings of the future.

Many people live in the same building for five or six years and still may not be able to recognize all their neighbors, as everyone lives in those small rooms.

This is one of the reasons why, after wandering around for so many years, he returned to his hometown to settle down.

But this era also has its advantages; you can simply place an order on JD.com and wait for it to be delivered to your door the next morning.

I buy small appliances like energy-efficient mini-fridges, top-loading washing machines, smart rice cookers, constant-temperature electric kettles, mini ovens, rechargeable heaters, and electric shavers in bulk, usually just two of each.

As for portable gas stoves and such, he can just go to the outdoor equipment store after dawn and buy a few large outdoor power supplies, fully charged, to take with him as backup.

After thinking for a while, he searched for some additional things: basic books on motor principles and introductory books on electronic circuits, as well as the cheapest kind of power bank.

It wasn't that he was unwilling to spend money; he was simply afraid that if it were too advanced, the technicians of that era wouldn't be able to figure it out.

Finally, it's time for a treat for yourself and a big gift to please Bai Ling!

Various vacuum-packed cooked foods, seasonings, candies, and snacks—Bai Ling quite liked these things when she was fishing before, and he remembered them all…

I silently gave myself a thumbs up in my heart. How damn thoughtful!

I just hope the delivery guy responsible for tomorrow's delivery won't swear at me...

After closing the shopping website, Zhou Feng picked up his phone and sent Chen Tao a WeChat message: "Brother Tao, are you asleep? Something came up."

Chen Tao quickly replied, "No, just finished. You found something good again?"

Zhou Feng: "I guess so, I bought a few more items. Is it convenient for us to meet tomorrow? Should I go directly to the store?"

Chen Tao: "Sure! I'm free tomorrow morning. What did you find? Give me a heads-up so I can prepare."

Zhou Feng happily sent over photos of the antiques he had just received, which were displayed on the table.

Less than half a minute later, Chen Tao called back, his voice brimming with excitement: "Holy crap! Zhou Feng, you're amazing! You've only been here a few days! And you've already gotten your hands on such a powerful gadget?"

"Those famille rose butterfly vases, they look absolutely stunning in the photos! And that jade scholar's object... wait, this painting and this clock are way too authentic, are you a tomb raider... ugh! My mouth is full of nonsense, I didn't mean that, I'm just too excited. If all of these are genuine, they'd be worth seven or eight figures!"

Zhou Feng laughed and said, "We were lucky to run into a few old customers who were in a hurry to get money."

Chen Tao hesitated for a moment on the other end of the phone, then suddenly said, "Fengzi, I've been helping you sell your old items lately, and I met a guy. He basically buys everything we sell, and he seems to have a particular fondness for these kinds of things. He's also quite wealthy. I won't ask where your items came from, I just want to know, is it a safe bet? Will it cause any trouble?"

"Don't worry, Brother Tao, these things are absolutely clean. Although I can't tell you their specific origins, they definitely don't involve tomb raiding or fraud."

"Okay, if that's what you say, then I believe you. From what I understand, this guy has pretty strong connections in all aspects. Your stuff is of such good quality, he'll definitely be willing to take it. Besides... weren't you thinking about seeds and stuff before? He has connections with the authorities, maybe he can help you with something!"

After chatting for a while, Chen Tao decided to make an introduction for him.

Not long after hanging up, Chen Tao called again: "It's done. I was originally going to schedule it for a few days later, but when he heard that you had some really good stuff, which you just brought back, he scheduled it for tomorrow morning. I'll send you the address in a bit."

"Thank you, Brother Tao!"

Zhou Feng's thanks were heartfelt. Although he also gave Chen Tao a cut, Chen Tao had indeed saved him a lot of trouble in the modern world!

"Don't mention it, we're brothers! Bring all your stuff tomorrow, let them take a look, they might just take it on the spot."

Chen Tao gave a few more instructions before hanging up the phone.

Zhou Feng put down his phone, feeling much more at ease.

If Zhou Mingzhen is so capable and can handle a large quantity of antiques, then he really can bring back a lot of good stuff from Sun Yue!

This way, you can quickly monetize your assets, and power plants will become an easily attainable goal!

The next morning, Zhou Feng waited at home for JD.com to deliver the goods. Several deliverymen came, and although they looked at him strangely, nothing bizarre happened.

Seeing that it was almost time, Zhou Feng took the antique dealers, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for the address Chen Tao had sent him.

This is a teahouse, with an antique feel and no sign at the entrance. Just as Zhou Feng was about to knock, the heavy wooden door was pulled open a crack from the inside.

A thin, middle-aged man peeked out, glanced at Zhou Feng and the bag in his hand, and then asked in a low voice, "Are you Mr. Zhou Feng? Mr. Chen Tao and Mr. Zhou Ming are already waiting for you. Please come in."

Zhou Feng nodded and followed the man into the courtyard.

The courtyard was small, but it was very elegantly decorated. The ground was paved with blue bricks, and green bamboo and golden osmanthus were planted in the corners of the walls. The air was filled with the faint aroma of tea and incense.

The door to the main room was open, and Chen Tao's hearty laughter and a deep, gentle male voice could be heard from inside.

The middle-aged man who was leading the way stopped at the door and bowed, gesturing for Zhou Feng to go in.

Zhou Feng stepped into the main room.

The room was softly lit and decorated in an elegant and antique style. There was a set of huanghuali tea table and chairs, ink paintings of landscapes on the wall, and a few pieces of porcelain and bronze items on the display shelf.

Chen Tao was sitting on one side of the tea table, with a man sitting in the main seat opposite him.

The man looked to be about the same age as him, with a handsome face, calm eyes, and a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.

He had a calm and composed demeanor, without the shrewdness of an ordinary businessman. Instead, he had the air of an ancient nobleman!