Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Thanks to that elusive proficiency system, you can gain experience even by slicing potato shreds, allowing you to progress in all cuisines simultaneously.

Nowadays, let alone Sichuan cuisine at level four, Cantonese cuisine, Shandong cuisine, Northeast stew, Huaiyang knife skills, and even the high-threshold Tan family cuisine all start at level four!

If you were to spontaneously prepare a lavish banquet, you could still impress your guests.

-

I've been a full-time employee for a month now, and my salary is fifty yuan. I haven't spent a single penny; I've saved it all.

There's only one mouth to feed at home, He Yushui, who's still half-grown, so they only feed her breakfast and lunch.

He brings his own lunchbox home for dinner, saving himself a meal and getting some soup to improve his life.

This expense, fifty yuan, was spent like water flowing into dry land—it was simply not enough.

With fifty yuan, after deducting expenses, He Yuzhu can steadily keep forty-five yuan a month.

He currently has over seven hundred in his savings account, and it's not far from two thousand—when Yushui grows up and gets married, this money will be enough to support a decent wedding for her.

But in this lifetime, he doesn't plan to wait until his sister gets married before thinking about himself.

This time, he wants to get ahead of fate.

As soon as they reach a certain age, they immediately start going on blind dates!

By then, I will be impeccably groomed: my clothes will be washed until they are faded but still crisp, and my house will be so tidy that even a pin dropped on the floor would reflect light; I will have a high salary, two rooms, and be an excellent cook, handling everything inside and outside the house with ease, and there will be no gossip about me having any entanglements with widows.

If someone with these qualifications still can't find a wife, then it can only be said that women these days are blind.

At worst, he could grit his teeth and save money, and wait until the 1990s, when awakened women would finally understand what a high-quality man was.

However, he is still young and will have to wait until he is at least twenty years old—that is, four years later—before he can make his official debut.

Unfortunately, that coincided with the three-year period of hardship.

He Yuzhu grinned, resigned to his fate: "I'm really having a run of bad luck."

But even in bad things, there is a chance for a turnaround.

Stockpiling food in advance is a sure-fire way to win.

While others are starving, he pulls out a few bags of rice and noodles from the cupboard and places them at the girl's door—this isn't chasing someone; it's a life-saving act of kindness! His popularity will skyrocket, a definite plus.

Thinking of this, the cleaver in his hand almost left a blur.

With a swift and precise movement, the vegetables and tofu landed neatly in the bowl, the process flowing smoothly and without the slightest mishap.

Even when I was lost in thought, my fingers never touched the blade.

In that instant, a flood of information burst forth in my mind—countless techniques for controlling heat, seasoning ratios, and knife skills came rushing in like a tide, and even the feel of holding the knife became clear and agile.

Level 3 Culinary Skill Achieved!

He Yuzhu was startled, and he couldn't suppress the urge to smile.

It's only been less than two months! At this rate, becoming a master chef in a year or two is not a dream!

Although skill proficiency requires hard work, he chops and cooks vegetables every day, with pots and pans constantly clattering, and his experience points increase rapidly, so he's not afraid of being slow at all.

What excited him even more was the new system notification: three skills maxed out, unlocking system space! After that, the space doubles for each additional maxed-out skill!

What is system space? I don't know.

But that's okay—just knowing "liver" is enough.

I'm currently at the maximum level in Russian and housework. If I could reach the maximum level in another area, the door would open.

He planned to borrow an English book and work on improving his English first.

……

One early morning, before dawn, the courtyard was as quiet as a deep well.

With a creak, He Daqing sat up abruptly and quietly dragged two bundles out from under the bed, his movements as light as if he were afraid of waking a mouse.

"Are you leaving?"

A voice suddenly rang out in the darkness, startling He Daqing so much that he almost dropped his bundle.

"You little rascal, are you trying to scare me?" he muttered in a low voice. "Why aren't you sleeping this early in the morning? What are you pretending to be, some kind of fox spirit?"

He Yuzhu threw off the covers and sat up, his tone lazy: "Who's pretending? It's because you're so sneaky, like a mouse stealing rice. No wonder I opened my eyes."

He had already noticed it these past few days.

He Daqing quietly packed up his belongings; the steel rolling mill had probably already handed them over.

Chairman Lou treated him well; it's impossible for him to just run away without a word.

"Aren't you going to say hello to the rain?" he asked.

He Daqing was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head: "Forget it... She'll definitely cry when she finds out, making a huge scene and letting the whole hospital know."

Besides, you're more mature now and can handle things. I trust you with the rainwater.

He paused, then whispered, "Zhu Zi, listen to your father—stay away from deaf old ladies in the future."

"A deaf old lady?" He Yuzhu was taken aback. "I didn't do anything to her, what's wrong?"

My heart suddenly tightened.

In his past life, he obeyed this old lady without question, not because he trusted her, but because after his father passed away, he, at sixteen, was left alone and helpless in this courtyard with his nine-year-old sister.

Yi Zhonghai did whatever the deaf old lady said, just to keep quiet.

And what was the result? His family was destroyed, he died under a bridge, and his own sister became his enemy.

He no longer believes in fate or in the "guidance of elders" in this life.

He has the confidence to support this family, and even if the sky falls, he can hold it together.

But now, his own father is actually reminding him to stay away from the deaf old lady?

"Think about how your nickname 'Silly Pillar' spread." He Daqing glanced at him meaningfully, "Once you figure it out, you'll understand."

If you don't understand, don't ask. Just do as I say.

You've been quite quick-witted lately, keep it up.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over his son's face with a complex expression.

This "silly Zhu," who was once the laughingstock of the entire hospital, now has clear eyes and a composed demeanor, which makes him feel a little reluctant to part with him.

But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, the white widow's sweet "Brother Qing" echoed in his ears, and his heart was thrown into turmoil again.

The courtyard house is too crowded, and the house is too small; it can't hold the hearts of two men.

"Let's not delay any longer, it'll be dawn if we dawdle any longer." He Daqing picked up his bundle, paused for a moment, and said, "Let's go... Take good care of Yushui."

He Daqing estimated that it was about time, and the train would not wait for anyone, so he grabbed his bag and turned to leave.

The courtyard gate was still tightly closed. He pulled open the iron gate, and a loud clang of metal clashing rang out in the early morning, as jarring as hitting a broken gong.

This startled Uncle Yan Bugui—he threw off the covers inside the house with a "whoosh," rushed out in a hurry, and just happened to bump into He Daqing's back as he slipped through the door crack.

"Old He? Old He!"

Yan Bugui shouted twice, his voice rising eight octaves, but the figure didn't stop at all. With a yank, the door slammed shut, and the person was long gone.

"Hey! Old He, he's like he's in a real hurry, he ran off before dawn?"

Yan Bugui muttered something to himself as he stood at the door, and only then did he feel relieved.

He really thought a thief had broken in after that noise; he was ready to fight even if he grabbed his slippers.

When they realized it was family, they gave up.

But then I thought about it again and felt something was wrong: even if it's urgent, you can't just not say hello. We've lived in each other's houses for so many years, how can we not even have this much courtesy?

I went back to my room and lay down, still feeling resentful, as if I had been wronged.

I decided to go fishing for a few small crucian carp by the river on Sunday, bring them to Old He's house for a free meal, and also find out more about them.

I've been getting along well with Lao He and his son lately, especially their cooking skills—tsk, one bite and your soul flies away, even more amazing than the chefs at state-run restaurants.

Before long, there was a series of movements in the yard.

The taps gurgled, pots and pans clattered, and the aroma of cooking gradually rose.

He Yuzhu hasn't slept a wink since his father passed away.

This room, which was originally shared by him and He Daqing, is now half empty and looks messy.

Two beds with collapsed sides and an old wardrobe with peeling paint stood in the corner, an eyesore no matter how you looked at it.

He pondered: the bed definitely needs to be replaced, and the cabinet should be thrown away; the table and chairs are still sturdy enough to make do; the wall plaster and floor tiles are still clean, so he'll leave them for now.

As for the broken furniture that's been dismantled? I doubt anyone would want it as scrap, but chopping it up for firewood would save on coal briquettes.

The thought came to him immediately, and he jumped out of bed, grabbed an enamel mug, and rushed to the sink—to grab a good spot while there were fewer people.

Now he really doesn't dare to be sloppy anymore. He can't change the wrinkles on his face, but he can't be less clean and neat, at least he can look more energetic.

After washing up, I took out two plates of spicy and sour side dishes from the pickled vegetable jar. The red oil was glossy and the green scallions were very appealing. I also made two cornbreads and two steamed buns and placed them on the stove. Corn porridge was simmering on the stove, bubbling and emitting a sweet aroma.

When the food was almost ready, he slowly went to pat his younger sister He Yushui's blanket.

The little girl groggily got up, rubbed her eyes, and finished washing up. The table was already neatly arranged.

She immediately spotted the bright red side dish, picked up a piece with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. The sour and spicy flavor shot straight to her head, making her squint her eyes in pleasure.

Halfway through the meal, she suddenly paused: "Big brother, where's Dad?"

"I'm leaving." He Yuzhu said calmly, "We'll settle down in Baoding from now on and live in a courtyard house."

Don't worry, I've got your back. You won't go hungry.

As soon as she finished speaking, He Yushui's lips trembled, her eyes instantly reddened, and she looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"What are you crying for?" He Yuzhu raised an eyebrow, his expression immediately changing. "He's not dead! If you dare cry, the candy is confiscated, and you're not going to Donglaishun anymore—go home and write three large characters!"

"Uh... um!"

The sob that was about to burst forth was forcibly swallowed back.

The temptation of milk candy and hot pot was too great, especially with the hellish combination of having to do homework, so she immediately shut up.

She sniffled for about ten seconds, making sure her older brother hadn't changed his mind, then quickly stuffed all the candy into her pocket, clutching it tightly, before weakly asking, "Then... what should I do if I miss Dad?"

"Want to?" He Yuzhu didn't even look up. "If you want to, I'll take you to see it."

I know the address.

Go wherever you want during the holidays, but if your grades aren't good, forget it—I'm afraid your dad will beat you if you go.

Before leaving, he repeatedly warned him: "If you drop even one point in your grade, he'll come back and beat your bottom with a stick."

"impossible……"