Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Before he could finish speaking, Yi Zhonghai raised his hand to interrupt: "Alright, stop talking."

Your mother suffered a loss this time, which is also because I overlooked one step.

"Okay, tomorrow I'll go and get an old hen, and stew it for your family to help them recover."

Jia Dongxu felt a warmth in his heart, and his eyes welled up with tears: "Master, thank you!"

"What are you thanking me for?" Yi Zhonghai waved his hand. "If you hadn't stopped me in time, I, the deputy group leader, would have been in trouble too."

Your mother's mouth is like a machine gun; it explodes at the slightest provocation.

Jia Dongxu chuckled awkwardly, "Sorry, Master, my mom just has a quick temper, and her mouth talks faster than her brain..."

"It's nothing." Yi Zhonghai narrowed his eyes, his tone meaningful. "You are my apprentice, and your mother is like an elder to me."

What objection could I possibly have?

He had already rolled his eyes inwardly—he had only been able to tolerate Jia Zhangshi's behavior until now thanks to his acting skills.

But seeing Jia Dongxu's filial piety, his dissatisfaction was suppressed.

Filial piety, obedience, and good manners—these are the qualities that Yi Zhonghai can rely on in his old age.

He patted Jia Dongxu on the shoulder and lowered his voice: "Don't worry, I've heard something important recently."

If I'm not mistaken, Sha Zhu's good days... are over.

Jia Dongxu's eyes lit up.

Yi Zhonghai smiled slightly: "I plan to visit the area where Widow Bai used to live before the New Year, and then take some time to visit the deaf old lady. I'll do both at the same time; I don't believe I won't find something."

On the other side, He Yuzhu had just finished inspecting the canteen, turned around and went into his office, where he picked up his pen and began writing an application report to increase manpower.

Ten people serving two or three thousand people? That's like forcing a duck onto a shelf! Each canteen needs at least three more people, otherwise they won't even have time to catch their breath.

As he was writing, Li Huaide's secretary knocked on the door and came in—he was a young man who had just graduated from high school and said he was a distant nephew who had only been promoted a few days ago.

"Director He, the factory manager wants you to come over when you have time; we have something to discuss."

He Yuzhu put down his pen, grinned, and said, "Sure, I'm looking for him too." He stood up, patted his pants, and said, "Come on, let's go together, so you don't have to run errands."

Upon entering the factory manager's office, he strode in with practiced ease, laughing and exclaiming, "Manager, even after your promotion, you haven't moved to a new place? This room still feels the same!"

The secretary, watching from behind, was stunned: Although his uncle had mentioned that he and Director He had a close relationship, this was far too disrespectful.

Li Huaide chuckled and pointed to the sofa: "Sit down, pour yourself some tea, there's tea in the cabinet."

"No need, no need, I brought my own teacup." He Yuzhu deftly took out an enamel mug, shook out a handful of tea leaves from his pocket, poured hot water over them, and the whole room was filled with fragrance.

He handed over the report, adding, "Factory manager, the vegetables in the greenhouse are almost ripe. As we expect, all the factory workers will be able to eat leafy greens at every meal this winter."

"Don't mention this!" Li Huaide's face darkened; he got angry just thinking about it.

He wrote "Agreed" on the document in a flamboyant style, casually put it in the drawer, and handed it to the personnel department for processing.

These are temporary workers, not permanent staff, paid 12 yuan a month, and include one lunch.

If we expand the workforce in the future, we might be able to select a few from among them, but that depends on whether we have the "connections".

He snorted coldly: "Our greenhouses have only just begun to sprout, and they've already been targeted by several other factories."

They knew that getting goods from me privately would cost them a fortune, so they simply banded together and reported me to the Ministry of Industry!

When Li Huaide brought up the matter, he was so angry that he almost crushed the teacup, and didn't even bother to wipe the tea that spilled out.

Just when it seemed that this batch of fresh vegetables could provide the factory workers with some good New Year's gifts and benefits, the Ministry of Industry reached out and took away more than half of it, reducing the benefits by more than half.

"Factory manager, how many have we actually sent out?" He Yuzhu asked, frowning.

"The brother factories in Beijing received 100,000 jin, but the Ministry of Industry took 70,000 jin, saying it would be transferred to other units," Li Huaide said through gritted teeth, his tone full of resentment.

He Yuzhu quickly realized that the remaining amount that could be deposited into his factory was at most a little over 100,000 yuan.

He gasped, "Wow... that's too ruthless! Swallowed most of it in one gulp, not even leaving any soup?"

"That's right!" Li Huaide slammed his hand on the table. "They even put it so grandly: the steel mill can't handle that much green vegetable, it's a waste not to distribute it! They've blocked all my avenues for adjustment, I've talked myself hoarse but it's no use."

He Yuzhu waved his hand and advised, "Forget it, factory director. At least our factory doesn't have to worry about vegetables anymore. It's much better than having radishes and cabbage for every meal before."

But then again, we've given them such a huge benefit, haven't they shown any appreciation?

Li Huaide sighed: "There is some."

The meat processing plant gave them 800 jin of pork, which was the largest amount they received, and they also took away 10,000 jin of green vegetables, enough to last them until spring.

He Yuzhu understood immediately.

What's the market price for green vegetables in winter? Chinese cabbage is only three cents a pound, while green vegetables have already soared to seven or eight cents. Ten pounds of them can easily be exchanged for two pounds of meat.

With this back and forth, the meat processing plant is making a killing; the plant manager must be laughing all the way to the bank.

No wonder they bypassed us and went straight to the Ministry of Industry—if they talked to Li Huaide privately, they wouldn't even get a single leaf of vegetables without saying "Brother Li" a dozen times.

Besides the meat processing plant, other plants also sent some unplanned flour and grains, but the quantity was limited and not enough to distribute to the entire plant.

In the end, we could only manage to hold one big pre-New Year's dinner to let the workers have a good and lively meal.

Besides discussing the dinner, there was another reason why He Yuzhu was invited here.

"Zhu Zi," Li Huaide lowered his voice, "Leader Zhang's stomach hasn't been feeling well lately, and he's been saying he wants to eat your cooking."

"It won't interfere with your weekend. Just go this Friday morning, and I'll arrange a driver to pick you up."

"Hey, no problem at all, leave it to me," He Yuzhu replied with a smile.

Upon hearing the words "Leader Zhang," he immediately understood the situation.

This is a big shot in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Trade, and the Lou family's matter is currently stuck there.

I'd like to take this opportunity to mention that as long as he agrees, the Lou family's deal to act as a front man in Hong Kong is basically done.

He added casually, "I also have some medicinal wine there, it's quite potent, and it makes you feel great all over."

"I'll bring one back with me when I go, as a gift for my old boss."

Li Huaide's eyes immediately lit up: "Medicated wine? I drank that bottle last time and it was really good. My back doesn't ache anymore, and I sleep soundly."

Is there anything else?

"Yes, I'll bring you a bottle tomorrow to celebrate your official appointment as factory manager."

"You're so thoughtful, Zhu Zi!" Li Huaide slapped his thigh with joy.

The two chatted for a few more minutes, and then Li Huaide suddenly lowered his voice and revealed some inside information: "The wheat and rice in those two hundred square meters are ripe, and the people from the Ministry of Agriculture have taken them all away. I heard they're using them as experimental fields to breed new varieties."

Judging from their complexions, they're probably quite good-looking.

This is a big deal.

If this initiative can be successfully promoted, He Yuzhu's name will undoubtedly be credited.

It's a cross-departmental matter, so promotion is difficult. The reward will probably just be an honorary title or some money.

But He Yuzhu didn't care about any of this.

What does he want? Honor? Just empty fame.

Money? Small stuff.

The real big prize is yet to come—as long as the higher-ups approve the Lou family's efforts to establish connections in Hong Kong, the wealth he can leverage will be ten thousand times, even a hundred thousand times, the amount of the state reward!

Li Huaide looked at his calm expression and secretly admired him.

If I were my age and heard this news, I would have jumped up and cried out to my ancestors for blessings.

After exchanging a few more casual words, He Yuzhu got up to say goodbye, not forgetting to take a packet of tea treasured by Li Huaide with him before leaving.

He usually buys tea, and Bai Danyu and the Lou family also give him some, but he can't resist drinking it every day, and the tea canister at home is always empty.

On Friday, He Yuzhu, carrying the medicinal wine, got into the car with Li Huaide.

Although it was during working hours, he had already made arrangements for the cafeteria and could leave early.

Leader Zhang took three days of sick leave and has only just recovered. His stomach is finally rumbling, and he's finally hungry again—he specifically requested He Yuzhu's cooking.

Since it was Li Huaide who brought the people, Leader Zhang felt embarrassed to have a junior accompanying him, so he casually asked Li Huaide's father-in-law to come and keep him company.

He Yuzhu had already learned from Li Huaide that this leader Zhang was physically weak and had a poor spleen and stomach, and that his condition had not improved despite years of medication.

Without saying a word, he secretly swapped the bottle of medicinal wine he had prepared with the Lingzhi and Astragalus wine he had treasured in his space—this was a treasure he had made by soaking century-old Lingzhi and ten-year-old Astragalus in spiritual spring water. One small cup a day was warm but not drying, nourishing but not greasy, and even the system praised it as a "health-preserving holy product".

He put a lot of effort into this meal.

With minimal oil and salt, and cooked to perfection, the meat dishes are tender yet not greasy, the vegetables are crisp and fragrant, and even the soup is clear and mellow. The aroma alone is enough to whet your appetite, yet it doesn't burden your stomach at all.

Not long after the food was served, Zhang's secretary strolled into the kitchen, her tone polite but leaving no room for refusal: "Director He, the leader requests your presence."

"Okay, coming right away."

He Yuzhu put down the spatula, picked up the bottle of Ganoderma lucidum and Astragalus wine, and walked steadily toward the living room.

When he saw him come in, Leader Zhang smiled and gestured with his hand: "Xiao He, have a seat. I'm so sorry to bother you today, calling you out of your post in the middle of the day..."

"What are you saying, boss? I've already made all the arrangements. I'll make up for the time by working a little overtime this afternoon," He Yuzhu replied with a smile, gently placing the bottle on the coffee table. "This is a medicinal wine I brewed myself, made with Ganoderma lucidum and Astragalus membranaceus. It's mild and nourishing, good for calming the mind and soothing the nerves. Would you like to try a sip if you don't mind?"

Before the words were finished, the secretary frowned slightly, about to speak up to dissuade her or offer to try the drink herself, but a figure beat her to it.

Li Huaide's father-in-law stood up with a chuckle and snatched the bottle from him: "Old Zhang's health isn't good; drinking will damage his liver. Let me check its quality first!"

"You old codger, you're both stealing and tasting! Your skin is thicker than a city wall!" Leader Zhang was both amused and exasperated. He reached out to stop them, but the wine had already been poured into the glass.

The old man squinted, took a small sip, and remained silent for a moment, then lowered his head.

The next second, with a flick of his wrist, he downed the entire glass of wine in one gulp.