Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Clearly, these people have learned their lesson—if they can't win openly, they resort to underhanded tactics.

While riding his bike, he suddenly spoke up: "Rain, do you know that those people in the yard are talking badly about me behind my back?"

"I don't know, brother." He Yushui sat in the back seat, thought for a moment, and whispered in his ear, "It was Sister Xueru who called my name in Zhongyuan that made me run out."

When I came out, she was all alone.

"Sister Xue Ru?" He Yuzhu raised an eyebrow. "When did you start calling her so affectionately?"

"Brother, is this not okay?" He Yushui scratched his head, looking serious. "Sister Xueru told me to call her that. She also said that if I'm free in the future, I can go to her silk shop and have a new dress made for me."

Brother, can I go?

"Go if you want, don't go if you don't want to." He Yuzhu's tone softened, then she straightened up. "But let me make this clear beforehand—except for not getting involved with the Jia family and not falling behind in your studies, I won't stop you from doing anything else."

Upon hearing the last two sentences, He Yushui immediately deflated.

Although she was in junior high school, He Yuzhu controlled her studies even more strictly than he had in elementary school.

Homework must be checked every day, and you have to review it after you finish it. You can only play if you pass the test.

But the benefits are also clearly priced: those who rank in the top ten in the monthly exam will be rewarded with a pair of cloth shoes; those who rank in the top five in the grade will be directly rewarded with a woolen coat.

A balance of firmness and leniency, combining kindness and severity.

As for Chen Xueru's small gesture of goodwill? It's just normal human interaction.

Women are shrewd; giving a sweet date is just a way to build rapport.

Even He Yuzhu himself, when he cooked for the factory leaders, didn't he also think about offering his skills for free in hopes of building a long-term relationship? It's just that they wouldn't eat for free and insisted on giving him food coupons.

Back at the courtyard house, he didn't go to Old Wang's house to ask about the situation.

Given his relationship with Lao Wang, if something had really happened, Lao Wang would have come to inform him long ago.

The fact that everything is calm now suggests that those people deliberately bypassed Old Wang and targeted his weak points.

Since you're resorting to underhanded tactics, don't blame me for flipping the table.

He Yuzhu sneered, already having made his plans.

He uses his culinary skills to build connections, not to do charity.

It's time to collect some of the favors we owe each other.

That night, he carved several exquisite wooden talismans and practiced Tongbei Quan (a style of Chinese martial arts). His fists whistled and his palms danced, and his proficiency gradually increased.

After finishing his practice, he wiped away his sweat and went straight to sleep.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, he got up to cook porridge.

When I went out to get water, there were already three or four neighbors standing by the sink, chattering away in front of the tap.

Upon seeing him, her voice abruptly stopped, her gaze drifted sideways, and she wore a cold expression that kept everyone at arm's length.

In the past, he would have just laughed it off.

But now?

These people who call each other brothers but stab each other in the back made him furious.

After seeing He Yushui off, he went straight to the steel rolling mill, asked Li Huaide for half a day off, and then rode his bicycle straight to the street office.

He often came to help, and he knew the way well. He didn't need to ask any questions when registering; he went straight to Director Wang's office.

Pushing open the door, I saw Director Wang making tea. He looked up and, seeing it was me, grinned so broadly my eyebrows twitched: "Oh! Zhu Zi's here? Has the sun risen in the west?"

"Director Wang," He Yuzhu grinned, but his tone turned serious, "I'm really in trouble this time, and I need your help."

He Yuzhu grinned, offered a quick compliment, and turned to Director Wang, saying, "You see, I've always kept to myself and those people in the courtyard. We each go our own way and hardly ever exchange a few words."

Although we didn't have much contact, we never argued or quarreled, and life was relatively peaceful.

After listening, Director Wang's eyebrows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and he sighed softly to himself.

These words sounded calm, but actually carried a chilling undertone.

The neighborhood committee has been promoting harmonious neighborly relations and mutual assistance for years, but the current situation in courtyard No. 95 is clearly far from that standard.

She wasn't unaware of this courtyard—it was notoriously messy.

He Yuzhu has always had a good reputation, especially at the steel mill, where he is known for his excellent cooking skills and reliability. He even gets promoted faster than others.

If problems really arise, the root cause is most likely not with him.

Bad practices are like moldy walls; once the paint peels off, it's not that easy to repaint them white.

"Actually..." He Yuzhu's tone turned serious, and his eyes became more focused. "Yesterday, my friend came to pick up my sister He Yushui. She was a woman, dressed smartly. As soon as she entered the courtyard and asked where I lived, she was immediately surrounded by several middle-aged women."

He sneered, his voice low but laced with anger: "Without saying a word, they assumed I was their blind date and started gossiping right away, badmouthing me completely! They said things like, 'This guy looks honest, but he's got a lot of tricks up his sleeve,' and 'He works long hours and probably hangs out with other people'... They only dispersed when they found out he was just there to pick up his child."

Upon hearing this, Director Wang's face immediately darkened.

How dare someone stir up trouble right under her nose? Destroying someone's marriage is a small matter, but ruining their reputation is a big deal! If it were a more hot-tempered young person, they would have already stormed into their house with their fists.

Only He Yuzhu remained calm and first went to reason with her, the street director, instead of causing a death.

"Pillar..." Her tone softened, but her eyes burned with fire.

He Yuzhu stood up abruptly, his voice crisp and clear: "Director Wang, I am not afraid of confrontation."

"You want me to tell those people face-to-face what heinous thing I, He Yuzhu, have done that deserves their stabbing in the back and ruining my reputation?"

He paused, then his tone hardened: "During this period, I stayed at the steel rolling mill until after 8 p.m. every day before going home. I didn't even have time to touch the pots and pans, as I was focused on reorganizing the canteen."

If you don't believe me, just go to the factory and ask!

Director Wang raised his hand to quell the noise, and a smile finally appeared on his lips: "Alright, alright, I've heard about your little affair—you got promoted to cafeteria director, right? Tsk, you're so young to be in this position, you must be really capable."

"When I hold my wedding banquet later, I'll have to make a reservation with you in advance, otherwise it'll be really difficult to get you to come."

He Yuzhu chuckled and scratched his head: "It's just a matter of a word from you, how could I not give you face? If you really can't get away, I can introduce you to some experts in the industry. I know quite a few people in the entire culinary business."

He then changed the subject seriously and said, "But you really have to take care of this matter."

We can't let them ruin someone's reputation with just a few words.

Director Wang nodded: "Don't worry, I'll handle this immediately." Then she paused, "Could your friend... be invited to testify?"

"It's difficult." He Yuzhu shook his head. "She's a private manager at Zhengyangmen Silk Shop, and she's very busy."

Besides, even if they come, those people will stubbornly deny it and even turn the tables on us, then there's nothing we can do.

His eyes flashed, and he suggested in a low voice, "Why don't you find a girl that no one in the neighborhood office has ever seen before, and have her pretend to ask me about the situation, and see what they say?"

"Just by letting out one inappropriate remark, you have evidence."

Director Wang's eyes lit up.

wonderful!

If you ask someone you know to come forward, the other party will become wary and stubbornly deny it, leading to a stalemate.

But if you change to someone else, a complete stranger, and pretend to probe their intentions unintentionally—those gossipy old ladies will definitely be unable to hold back and will be able to get the truth out of them in just a few words.

If you still dare to deny it and try to evade responsibility, then don't blame her for being ruthless.

Spreading rumors isn't a serious crime, but in her area, she thinks she can be a gossipmonger and spread rumors? Hmph, she'll regret it.

"Good idea." Director Wang smiled with narrowed eyes. "It's a pity that the neighborhood office doesn't have any new staff lately... But!" She suddenly remembered something. "I have a niece who just came to visit me from out of town a couple of days ago. She's young, pretty, and has never been inside a courtyard house before—I'll arrange it."

He Yuzhu's eyes lit up, and his face immediately broke into a wide smile: "That's wonderful! We're counting on you, Director Wang!"

"Stop being so nonsensical!" Director Wang waved his hand. "I'll get it done for you as early as tonight, or at the latest tomorrow night."

Go back and wait for news.

Seeing that he had nothing else to do, he waved him away.

As soon as the person left, Director Wang quickly finished his work, grabbed his bag, and headed out.

She needs to hurry home and talk to her precious niece.

—She had just confirmed the news of He Yuzhu's promotion. At such a young age, he had taken charge of the factory's canteen, and his future was limitless.

The key point is that he was in the right this time, and as the director of the neighborhood committee, she had to stand up for him to the end.

The next morning, a young woman walked into the courtyard at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang.

She had short, ear-length hair, wore a simple dress, small leather shoes, and carried a canvas bag over her shoulder. Her delicate features revealed a unique sense of competence characteristic of city girls.

It was Wang Xiulan.

She stood in front of the courtyard gate, took a deep breath, remembered her aunt's instructions from the night before, pursed her lips, and stepped inside.

As soon as she passed through the moon gate, three middle-aged women by the clothesline in the front yard set their sights on her.

"Oh my, where did this young lady come from?" The three older women blocked her way, looking her up and down. "Dressed so elegantly, you're not from around here, are you? Who are you looking for?"

Wang Xiulan nodded, her eyes crinkling with a smile, and said, "Yes, Auntie, I'm here to see He Yuzhu!"

"He Yuzhu?"

The older woman paused, her brow furrowing slightly, then suddenly realized—this was Sha Zhu! She narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the girl before her, her tone immediately changing: "You mean Sha Zhu? What do you want with him?"

"Huh? Stupid Pillar?"

Wang Xiulan looked puzzled and blinked. "Isn't his name He Yuzhu? Why do you all call him 'Silly Zhu'?"

The three women waved their hands and sneered, "Hey, those are just nicknames! He Yuzhu is stubborn, blunt, and as inflexible as a donkey, so everyone called him 'Silly Zhu'."

"Who in the whole hospital doesn't call him that?" She paused, then lowered her voice and asked, "You're looking for him...something?"

Wang Xiulan blushed slightly, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers, and stammered, "Well... something came up."

The three women's eyes lit up immediately, and their hearts skipped a beat: Oh my, is this a blind date?

She scanned Wang Xiulan from head to toe—oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, wearing a trendy floral shirt, slender waist, and broad hips and thighs; she looked like a woman who could bear children.

He's handsome and comes from a good family, so why did he fall for that scoundrel, Sha Zhu?

A wave of bitterness welled up inside me.

My eldest son, Yan Jie, is already twenty-eight and still has no girlfriend. He's constantly being pressured by the neighbors to find someone, making him feel ashamed.