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

Even though he was her own man, seeing him clench his fists, his face red and his neck thick with anger, unable to speak and panting heavily, Yu Li felt no pity whatsoever. Instead, she felt it was utterly absurd from the bottom of her heart.

Seeing that the farce was over, Yu Li snorted coldly, threw the clothes into the basin, and turned to walk into the house.

"Hey? Yu Li? What's wrong with you now?"

The third aunt called out from behind, but Yu Li didn't respond. She went straight into her room and slammed the door shut.

The old lady was taken aback, then looked at her son, sighed helplessly, and carried the basin back to her own house.

Does she not know what "daughter-in-law" means?

The problem is that my own son is the only one who's letting me down. What can I do?

Yan Jiecheng was the only one left in the courtyard, sitting on the stone stool, staring in the direction where Liu Guangtian and the others had disappeared, his chest heaving.

Although he was furious now, the anger had subsided. He didn't have the courage to go to the backyard to settle scores with Liu Guangtian and the others.

After a while, even the stone bench was freezing cold in the dead of winter, so he stood up helplessly, walked to his door, and knocked.

Yu Li was in the room, but she locked the door and didn't give him any response.

The couple has been arguing a lot ever since he started making fake documents.

He had been locked out more than once or twice, and in the end, he could only turn around and go to his parents' room.

Yu Li sat in the room, listening to Yan Jiecheng's footsteps as he left outside, and a cold smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.

She had been married into the Yan family for some time now, and she knew exactly what was going on.

Yan Jiecheng is all talk and no action, but when it comes to actually doing something, he's completely useless.

Do you have any skills? No.

Do you have any connections? No.

All they have is a mouth, yet they always think they're something special.

She watched the whole thing from beginning to end.

My father-in-law took me to the street office, where I was scolded like a grandson, and I returned home looking ashamed.

He would come back and stay in his room sulking, smashing tables and throwing chairs.

If the Liu brothers outside gossip for a few minutes, he'll rush out and start a fight.

Fight? Who could he possibly beat?

Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu, at least they stick together.

What about Yan Jiecheng? If he goes up alone, he'll just get beaten up.

And they even managed to shut them up with their words.

"Leave a criminal record"—what a derogatory term!

The key point is that they weren't wrong; you, Yan Jiecheng, have a criminal record, but they don't.

Everyone else is waiting to go to work with a clean conscience, and what about you? You're just staying at home!

As long as they go to work and get paid, they can live off the government.

Yan Jiecheng was still there, sulking like he hadn't grown up.

The angrier Yu Li became, the more she thought about it, and she grabbed a pillow and threw it hard onto the bed.

Why did she even take a liking to this thing in the first place?

I originally thought that since the Yan family were city dwellers with household registration and a house, and the father-in-law was a teacher, Yan Jiecheng would definitely not lack work and his life wouldn't be too bad.

Who would have thought that for so long, my father-in-law's meager salary had all been spent on food expenses?

Yan Jiecheng was inconsistent in his work, and the little money he earned from odd jobs wasn't even enough to cover his own expenses.

Can I continue to rely on my in-laws to support me? Can they support me for the rest of my life?

Besides, with that father-in-law's scheming nature, it would be a miracle if he supported them for free!

My hands still stung, covered in red marks from washing clothes.

The couple relied on their parents for food and shelter, so naturally they had to do more housework.

But Yan Jiecheng is nowhere to be seen all day, so all these tasks still fall on her shoulders.

Yu Li felt increasingly disheartened as she thought about it. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she felt that her future was bleak.

Day after day, year after year, I have no idea when this will end.

She suddenly felt a stinging sensation in her nose, so she quickly sniffed and managed to suppress the feeling.

Why are you crying? What's the use of crying?

Unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere in her own house any longer, the third aunt came out of her room. Turning her head, she saw her eldest son and daughter-in-law's bedroom door was tightly closed, and couldn't help but sigh: "What's going on here..."

Previously, when her husband was collecting antiques for their neighbor, Xiao Zhou, she was somewhat uneasy and even opposed it.

Looking back now, we were too conservative. Wouldn't it have been better to bring back more supplies?

With the influence of Comrade Zhou, which organization would dare to interfere with him?

It's too late to regret it, truly too late.

Despite the lively commotion inside the courtyard, Zhou Feng's room door remained tightly shut.

At this moment, he was in the Special Operations Department office, and sitting opposite him was not Sun Yue, but a leader he had met before.

Although he was getting on in years, his hair was neatly combed, and his eyes were gentle yet shrewd.

"Comrade Zhou Feng, the reason I asked Xiao Sun to invite you over is because there's something I need to discuss with you."

The leader poured him a cup of tea and pushed it towards him. Zhou Feng quickly took it with both hands: "Leader, please don't be so polite. Just tell me what's on your mind."

Although Zhou Feng was already aware of his own importance, he still couldn't help feeling nervous in front of such a high-ranking leader whose position was no less than Lin Su's.

After all, the other party has a strong presence!

It's not something he can withstand with just a month or two of mental preparation.

The leader smiled and leaned back in his chair: "You're familiar with those new factories we recently opened, right?"

Zhou Feng nodded seriously.

He knew everything about those factories, from the equipment and product samples to the paper production plans and personnel training programs, which he had brought from the future Dragon Country.

"The organization recently held a meeting and decided that we hope you can simultaneously hold the position of deputy factory director in these factories."

???

Zhou Feng was taken aback, looking at the other person with some disbelief, and repeated, "You mean, you want me to be the nominal deputy director of these factories?"

"right."

The leader looked at Zhou Feng with a gentle expression and said slowly, "As the deputy factory director, you don't need to bear production targets, have any tasks, or participate in daily operations, so don't feel pressured."

"Moreover, the equipment in these factories was brought over by you from... that beautiful country, and you've also handled the technology there. So if any problems arise during the production process, you'll need to come forward and communicate with them to resolve them. Therefore, you must have an official status so that you can participate legitimately."

Zhou Feng immediately understood what his leader meant.

They didn't want him to manage the factory; they just wanted to give him a special status so that it would be easier for him to do things in these factories in the future.

After hesitating for a while, Zhou Feng slowly shook his head: "Boss, I am extremely honored to do this, but I am too young and inexperienced. I am afraid I cannot shoulder this responsibility! If the factory needs anything, please feel free to contact me. I will definitely do my best."

Zhou Feng can definitely help with this, after all, his current identity is that of a middleman between the two worlds.

But he didn't want to add so many titles and identities to himself.

These identities bring almost no benefits, and he is not short of money now, but they have added a lot of pressure and responsibility to him, which he does not want to bear.

"Comrade Zhou Feng, China is currently feeling its way across the river by touching the stones. You brought back advanced technology from the United States, and we have to learn about their situation, equipment, and methods from scratch. You definitely know more than we do."

"China is facing difficulties right now, with a shortage of foreign exchange. Whether these factories can be run successfully is crucial to whether we can accumulate some wealth as soon as possible. Please help us, these old folks who won't be able to shine for many more years, so that we can see what China looks like when it's developed!"

The leader's expression was very serious, and his tone was sincere. After a moment of silence, Zhou Feng nodded.

"I understand. The organization trusts me so much, and you trust me so much, I will definitely do my best to complete this task."

Upon hearing his agreement, the leader smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"Just do your best. We all believe in Comrade Zhou's abilities. Trial production will begin after the New Year, and you'll need to help out a lot then. You have a heavy responsibility on your shoulders!"

Compared to the original Dragon Kingdom, the organization in the Siheyuan World has a much more moderate attitude towards Zhou Feng.

After all, he is merely a catalyst for the future development of the Dragon Kingdom.

For the Dragon Kingdom in the world of courtyard houses, it was a lifeline in their time of need, and the importance of the two is naturally incomparable.

During this period, even after winning so many battles, many people were still pessimistic about the future of the Dragon Kingdom.

The changes brought about by Zhou Feng were like a shot in the arm for them!

After chatting for a few more minutes, the leader stood up and extended his hand: "Comrade Zhou, it's settled then. The official document will be issued to you later; just wait at home."

Zhou Feng quickly reached out and shook hands with him firmly.

It was an honor for Zhou Feng to have the opportunity to interact with this leader.

By the time he came out of the Special Operations Unit, it was already evening.

There were many pedestrians on the street, and with the Lunar New Year just around the corner, the festive atmosphere was strong.

Sitting in the jeep and looking out, the whole road was bustling with activity.

Zhou Feng couldn't help but take a deep breath.

He was given the position of deputy factory director in so many important factories.

In this day and age, how much trust must one have to give a young person in their twenties this kind of treatment?

It has to be said that compared to his previous attitude, the way the Siheyuan World organization is treating him now is somewhat beyond imagination.

The root cause, in fact, comes down to one word: poverty.

The Dragon Kingdom is really too poor, which is why it clings to this lifeline!

However, the leaders really kept their word. Although those factories were under construction at a rapid pace, they did not disturb him at all.

He only came to the site once because there was a minor problem during equipment installation.

As time goes by, the Spring Festival in the world of courtyard houses is quietly approaching.

In the original story, this part was quite lively. The Third Uncle was writing couplets, and Sha Zhu was teaching the three little ones from the Jia family how to swindle money from each household. They even held a general meeting for the whole courtyard because of this.

But now the entire storyline of the courtyard world has been completely distorted by Zhou Feng.

Lou Xiao'e and Xu Damao divorced and she returned to her own home.

Sha Zhu, Xu Damao, and Yi Zhonghai were all completely subdued and trembled with fear when they saw him. They even held a hospital-wide meeting to sing his praises.

Given the current situation, Zhou Feng wasn't sure if as many things would happen as in the original story.

However, Zhou Feng underestimated Sha Zhu's psychological adjustment ability in this respect.

When he was first released from the Special Operations Unit, he was indeed like a frightened bird, trembling at the sight of anyone.

But after being introduced to the top leader by Director Yang, his confidence returned.

In just a few days, his old reckless attitude has returned.

Although he doesn't dare to provoke Zhou Feng because of his previous experience with the Special Operations Unit, he doesn't care about the other people in the courtyard.

On the eve of the Lunar New Year, Yi Zhonghai acted as a go-between, contacting both the deaf old lady's and Sha Zhu's families. In the end, it was decided that the four Jia families would celebrate the New Year together.

Previously, Jia Zhangshi would never have agreed to live with them, even if other families provided the ingredients and Sha Zhu cooked the meal himself.

However, Zhou Feng's attitude towards them at the last plenary meeting made Jia Zhangshi adjust her mindset.

It's foolish not to take advantage of a good deal!

Let them come over for the New Year's dinner first. If these two offend Zhou Feng again, we can just sever ties with them.

No matter what, we can't let our own family suffer a loss!

In the afternoon, Qin Huairu's gaze became somewhat complicated as she watched Sha Zhu bustling around inside the house.

To say that she had deep feelings for Sha Zhu would be an understatement.

But to say there was no affection at all would be pure nonsense. After all, they had been neighbors for so many years, and Sha Zhu had taken such good care of her family, so it was bound to touch them to some extent.

However, compared to the situation when Sha Zhu came to the Jia family in previous years, this year was much more awkward.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Feng, who came to the front yard, has made the relationships in the yard so awkward in less than a year.

But everyone in the room tacitly avoided mentioning Zhou Feng's name, instead chatting happily.

It's the Lunar New Year, and nobody wants to talk about unpleasant things, right?

Speaking of Zhou Feng, one thinks of the Special Operations Division; thinking of the Special Operations Division, one thinks of that prison. How can we even get through this year?

Following the usual New Year's rituals, the younger generation kowtowed to offer New Year's greetings, and lucky money was given out. Everyone ate together happily, as if none of this year's events had happened.

The Yan family was quite somber. The father and son hadn't gotten over the embarrassing incident from before, and the peanuts and melon seeds that Old Man Yan brought out were limited, so each person could only get a few.

Yan Jiedi, Yan Jiekuang, and Yan Jiefang didn't have much of a smile on their faces either. It was because when they asked the Third Aunt about the chicken that afternoon, they were scolded by that brother who reacted badly!

Lacking ability and unable to control outsiders, he could only take his anger out on his younger siblings.

On the contrary, after everyone at the table had finished eating, Sha Zhu's eyes lit up, and he started whispering to Bang Geng and the other two kids.