Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"Alright, alright, I'll show you around." He Yuzhu rolled her eyes. "There's an old tailor shop over there. If you want to wear a traditional Chinese long gown and experience the festive atmosphere of the New Year, you can take this opportunity to order one."

The two pushed the cart into the alley, where the tavern was already bustling with activity.

The fire crackled, voices mingled, and several wooden tables were crammed together.

Fortunately, there was an empty seat in the corner, so Sharif quickly let He Yuzhu sit down and went to order food.

Two glasses of beer, a plate of tripe, a few dishes of cold vegetables, and wilted peanuts—the typical accompaniment to beer.

Sharif picked up his glass, took a sip, then picked up a piece of tripe and stuffed it into his mouth. After chewing it a couple of times, he nodded and said, "He, although it's not as good as yours, it's still pretty good."

"The sesame paste flavor is interesting, but it's too thin." He Yuzhu took a bite and frowned slightly. "If you add some minced garlic, vinegar, and chili oil, the flavor will immediately come through."

Besides, this tripe was completely cold by now; it's lost all its crispness.

Sharif nodded in agreement: "Yes, yes, yes! I also think it's a bit lacking, but I can't quite put my finger on what's wrong with it."

"Here, try what I brought."

He Yuzhu smiled mysteriously, took out two sealed small boxes from his bag, and also took out a bottle of amber-colored medicinal wine with a crooked label on the bottle: Lingzhi Deer Antler Wine - Special Brew.

He filled Sharif's glass to the brim.

The wine was clear, and its aroma instantly filled the air, a warm herbal scent mixed with the wine fragrance hitting the tip of the nose.

Sharif took a curious sip—

In an instant, a warm current rolled from my throat into my stomach, as if my limbs and bones were being gently soothed, leaving a faint sweetness on my lips and teeth, with a long aftertaste.

"My God! Wow! This wine is amazing!"

His eyes lit up, and without saying a word, he poured himself another glass and downed it in one gulp! After finishing that sip, the beer in front of him suddenly seemed bland and tasteless, and he couldn't swallow another drop.

The two were enjoying their meal when the curtain at the door was lifted, and a man and a woman walked in.

The man was burly with blond hair; he was Vladimir. The woman beside him had long, curly hair and delicate features; she was his girlfriend, Elena.

"Sharif! My brother, you've arrived ahead of time!" Vladimir said in a loud voice, walking over with a smile and giving Sharif a heavy pat on the shoulder.

Although both were from the White Bear Kingdom, their statuses were vastly different—Vladimir was a diplomat, Elena was in import and export trade, and Sharif was merely a technical engineer stationed there.

We came to China at different times and from different cities, so it's fate that we met.

"Please have a seat!" Sharif greeted them warmly. "Today I must introduce you to my best friend from China—He!"

Upon seeing Vladimir, Sharif's lips immediately curled into a smile, and his eyes shone with familiarity.

Without saying a word, he took out two small wine glasses from his bag, glanced at He Yuzhu, and when the other nodded, he immediately unscrewed the cap of the Ganoderma lucidum and deer antler wine bottle. The amber liquid slowly poured into the glasses, and the aroma instantly exploded in the air.

"Here, have a sip." He pushed the bottle forward, his tone tinged with pride. "This is He's own homemade treasure, much stronger than your vodka, and much better suited for people like us who can withstand the cold!"

The three of them were all people of the White Bear tribe, and that wasn't an exaggeration—in the icy, snowy Siberia, a sip of vodka as sharp as a knife was a way to prolong life.

But Sharif's statement clearly elevates this wine to a divine status.

Vladimir and Elena took a sip with some skepticism, and were both taken aback as soon as it went down their throats.

The liquor is strong but not harsh; it glides down your throat like silk wrapped in honey, with a lingering sweetness in the aftertaste—it's like a glass of nectar that warms you up.

What's even more amazing is that within just a few seconds, a warm current rose from my lower abdomen, as if someone had stuffed a warm charcoal into the gap between my bones.

The two, who had been hunched over their leather jackets, unconsciously loosened their scarves, and their cheeks began to burn.

"Good heavens..." Elena exclaimed, her eyes shining brightly, "This isn't wine, it's a heater! It makes you feel alive all over, and it doesn't give you a headache, it's perfect for where we're from!"

As she spoke, an alluring blush rose on her face, as if she had been kissed by the sunset.

She was there to do business, and her mind worked incredibly fast—buying goods from China and reselling them in Polar Bear, or transiting through there to Europe, could multiply her profits several times over in one trip.

In the past, she would focus on silk fabrics, but this wine in front of her was practically a walking gold mine.

"Sherif, where—" she turned to the two of them, her voice urgent, "where can I buy this wine? I'll pay a high price!"

"You can't buy it." Sharif waved his hand with a smile. "I just said, this was brewed by my brother himself, it's one of a kind."

When he said "brother," his chest puffed out a bit, as if the wine was a trophy they had fought side by side.

Elena's gaze immediately locked onto He Yuzhu, her eyes burning: "He, could you sell me some? Money is no object!"

He Yuzhu shook his head, his tone calm but firm: "No."

Here, private individuals are not allowed to engage in buying and selling.

Besides, there's not enough wine for me to drink, really no more.

The first half is true—the policy is there, and no one can mess with it; the second half… well, that's a bit of a veiled statement.

In fact, he was holding three kinds of medicinal wines: more than 300 catties of tiger penis wine, and more than 200 catties each of Ganoderma lucidum and deer antler wine and snake gall and astragalus wine.

No shortage of medicinal herbs—herbs grow wildly in the Vitality Space, and you can even get your hands on deer antlers and snake gallbladders.

The real challenge is getting the alcohol tickets.

He managed to scrape together over 800 jin of liquor by exchanging industrial coupons, cloth coupons, and cigarette coupons little by little, and by secretly going to the pigeon market to buy up goods.

Sharif was a great help, twice carrying away fifty pounds of it, saying he was celebrating with his colleagues in Bai Xiong—if anyone else had done that, they would have been taken in by the police for questioning.

"Isn't there any other way?" Elena asked, unwilling to give up. "I can contact your officials, discuss cooperation, and go through the proper channels..."

As she said this, a shrewd glint appeared in her eyes.

She knew that once this kind of wine was transported to cold regions, it would be a highly sought-after commodity.

He Yuzhu smiled and said calmly, "Not now, but there will be opportunities in the future, but not today."

He knew perfectly well that Lou's father was already laying the groundwork for the Hong Kong market, and these wines would be on the shelves sooner or later.

If Elena still wants to make connections, someone will take her.

Elena sensed the rejection and her heart sank.

She came to China to buy some silk and fabrics, but she stumbled upon an even bigger opportunity to make money, which she just couldn't grasp.

But she is not one to give up easily.

Since He Yuzhu was unwilling to reveal anything, she decided to go back and try to get information from Sharif so that they could contact each other privately.

Before they could finish speaking, Sharif was already enthusiastically describing the food at the steel mill—braised pork, stir-fried mutton with scallions, braised pork hock, and braised offal—making Vladimir and Elena's mouths water.

The moment he opens his mouth, it's as if he's using a filter; he describes each dish so vividly that the aroma seems to waft out of his words.

The two grew hungrier as they listened, and couldn't resist grabbing the dishes He Yuzhu had brought and munching on them.

Spicy radishes are crisp and refreshing, pickled cucumbers are salty and savory, and even the most ordinary smashed cucumbers are far superior to what they eat elsewhere in China.

After eating there, I completely believed Sharif's words—the steel rolling mill was truly a foodie's paradise.

Just as they were having a lively conversation, a figure quietly approached.

She was a mature woman, dressed in a cheongsam, her hair slightly tied up, and carrying a celadon wine pot in her hand.

She walked steadily to the table, gently set down the wine pot, and spoke in a warm but undeniably weighty voice:

"This guest."

"It was really unacceptable that you were given watered-down drinks at the tavern last time."

"Rest assured, sir, if anything like this happens again—I, Xu Huizhen, will personally smash that signboard."

"Huizhen, do you know each other?"

Vladimir paused, then turned to look at Xu Huizhen, his tone tinged with doubt: "This He... is a friend of a friend of mine, a relatively new acquaintance. You two..."

Xu Huizhen chuckled lightly, her brows and eyes relaxing: "It's nothing serious. There was a little unpleasantness earlier when Fan Jinyou was causing trouble."

Speaking of which, I should thank this guest for intervening.

He Yuzhu waved his hand, a slight smile playing on his lips: "It's just a small favor. We're all compatriots. Seeing this scene today, you can tell the tavern has finally gotten back on the right track."

I just hope we don't have to go back to the same old path.

He said that, but he had no interest in the bottle of Ganoderma lucidum and deer antler wine at all—he hadn't touched a drop of alcohol lately, and even if he really wanted to drink, he wouldn't touch this cheap stuff sold at a street stall.

"Guests can rest assured," Xu Huizhen said firmly. "If anyone dares to cheat people again, I won't need anyone else to lift a finger; I'll tear down the storefront myself."

After saying that, she turned around and left decisively, not lingering for another second, disappearing into the street corner in a hurry.

As soon as the man left, Sharif rubbed his hands together and suggested, "Let's go to the silk shop. We need to get some decent clothes made; we can't keep wearing our work clothes all the time."

Before she could finish speaking, Elena smiled and added, "I know that place. The owner and I know each other very well. I'll lead the way."

After she said that, the others naturally had no objections.

As the group got up to leave, Sharif, quick as a flash, grabbed the half-empty bottle of wine from the table and stuffed it into his pocket, muttering, "Waste is shameful; not a single drop can be wasted."

"Ha, you rascal..." Vladimir couldn't help but laugh and curse.

He Yuzhu glanced at him, knowing full well that the wine was originally meant for him, but he didn't expose it. He just smiled and shook his head, and the group headed towards Xue Ru Silk Shop.

As dusk approached, Chen Xueru sat behind the counter, flipping through account books, her fingertips clicking the abacus beads with a crisp sound.

With closing time approaching, she didn't want to serve any more customers, but when she looked up, she recognized three of the people who had come in—especially Elena, an old friend.

She immediately stood up, smiling broadly as she greeted them: "Oh my, what a rare guest! What brings you to the shop at this hour?"

After Elena introduced Sharif as a senior engineer from the White Bear Aid China team, Chen Xueru immediately became extremely enthusiastic and invited the master tailor to personally take her measurements and make her own clothes.

While the tailor was busy, she sat down next to Elena and chatted about the past.