Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

He Yushui was stubborn, but her eyes couldn't help but glance at the dark rolling pin in the corner of the wall—it was the "family law" left by her father, and just looking at it made her legs go weak.

"Alright, let's eat." He Yuzhu put down his bowl. "Focus on your studies. We'll eat at Donglaishun tonight. Stop talking nonsense."

After urging his sister to hurry up, he tidied up, pushed the cart out the door, and this time locked the door behind him.

He shook the key in his hand, already making up his mind: he would have to find someone to reinforce the doors and windows and replace them with a lock with a core.

These days, who still believes in "leaving doors unlocked at night"? The magistrate isn't guarding against thieves, he's guarding against enemy agents! One slip and you'll lose your head.

Before Li Yuanguo could even take a sip of tea, he slammed the cup down on the table, the porcelain cup hitting the wooden surface with a loud "thud".

He knew He Daqing was leaving, but hearing the kid casually utter "He's already gone" still sent a shiver down his spine.

"This person... never mind." He shook his hand, suppressing his nameless anger. "I won't talk about him anymore."

"Pillar, if you ever encounter difficulties in the future, don't hesitate to come to your master."

He Yuzhu grinned: "Got it, Master! From now on, when I bring rainwater to your door for a free meal during holidays, please don't chase us away with a broom."

"We're too busy rolling in, how could we possibly leave you two without your bowls and chopsticks?" Li Yuanguo laughed and waved his hand dismissively.

As soon as he finished speaking, He Yuzhu scratched his head, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke up: "Master, do you know anyone who is really good at fighting? You mean someone who knows real kung fu? I want to learn a couple of moves to protect myself."

Although we may be strong, if we had some real skills, we could walk with more confidence.

"Real kung fu?" Li Yuanguo raised an eyebrow.

He wanted to say, "Why are you worrying about this? When problems arise, you still have to rely on the police station to solve them."

But then I thought—with He Daqing gone, only an old man and a young child were left in Beijing to depend on each other for survival. The older one was only sixteen, and the younger one was even younger.

Learning some self-defense skills is good for peace of mind.

He pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay, I'll keep an eye out for this for you."

But let me make this clear—you are not allowed to use it for violence or intimidation.

"Hey, Master, you really don't trust me!" He Yuzhu patted his chest and assured him, "I'm just a cook, how much would fighting affect my professional image? I only learned a few skills to save my life, I would never intentionally cause trouble."

"You're a smart guy," Li Yuanguo laughed. "I'll trust you this time. Let's wait for news."

Who is he? Before he became the head chef at Fengzeyuan Restaurant, high-ranking officials and dignitaries vied to have him cook at their private banquets; he had a wide network of connections.

At that time, He Daqing could only work as his assistant.

Upon hearing that there was a chance, He Yuzhu turned around and went into the kitchen to get busy.

Although he had already been officially hired, he was still incredibly diligent, arriving at work before dawn every day to clean the stove, prepare ingredients, and boil water, taking on all the tasks himself.

This down-to-earth attitude has long been noticed and praised by his mentors.

Arriving early and leaving early—this is a small freedom outside the rules.

But that's not all he's after.

My proficiency level is rapidly increasing, and my English skills are about to reach level five.

Once you break through, the system space will be unlocked immediately! If you learn a few more skills, you can still reach the maximum level through repeated practice.

It can both protect itself and expand its capacity, it's a huge win.

As soon as the afternoon work bell rang, He Yuzhu jumped into his car and headed straight to the school to pick up his younger sister.

As soon as Yu Shui saw her brother, she jumped and rushed over.

When she arrived at the entrance of Donglaishun, her nose had already been filled with the aroma before her feet even touched the ground.

The taste she had tried two years ago reignited her appetite.

Once the car was locked, the brother and sister went inside and sat down, and the waiter quickly led them to their seats.

Ordering is straightforward: two pounds of freshly sliced ​​mutton, one pound of seasonal hot pot vegetables, half a pound of tofu, and half a pound of hand-pulled noodles—enough to eat, and it's cheap, less than six yuan.

As the pot bubbled and the meat slices rolled around, the two of them ate with their mouths full of oil.

Before leaving, He Yuzhu specially packed some tofu and vegetables that hadn't been cooked yet.

"I'll make a soup tomorrow morning, it'll be refreshing."

The night breeze was slightly cool as he slowly rode back to his courtyard house, his eyes squinting from the rain.

As soon as he pushed open the door, he sensed something was wrong—a group of people were gathered in a circle in the open space of the central garden, their eyes fixed on him and his sister.

"Oh, a rally? Uncle, why didn't the neighborhood committee give you a heads-up beforehand?" he interrupted with a laugh, preparing to push the car into the house first.

Before he could finish speaking, Yan Bugui said sarcastically, "Zhuzi, do you know where your father went? I saw Daqing carrying a bundle and leaving this morning, walking in a hurry."

"I know," He Yuzhu said without looking up. "He resigned and went to Baoding. So what?"

"Go to Baoding?!" Yi Zhonghai slammed his hand on the table, abruptly standing up. His voice silenced the entire courtyard. "Shazhu! You kept such a big thing from everyone? What kind of attitude is this?!"

The scene was just like a public trial where a class enemy was dragged out.

He Yuzhu didn't even blink, sneered twice, and looked straight at him: "What attitude? I really don't understand."

"Come, come, sir, please tell me. My father resigned, Chairman Lou of the steel mill approved it, the neighborhood director signed it, and my sister and I were aware of it—do I really need to report to you? We're just neighbors, not superiors or subordinates, what business is it of yours?"

One sentence from him made Yi Zhonghai's face turn ashen, and the veins on his neck throbbed.

"You! Who are you talking to?! I'm your elder!"

"What? Did I say something harsh? Do you expect me to kneel down and kowtow to you? Besides, who do you think you are as an elder? Your surname is Yi, and mine is He. If we didn't live in the same courtyard house, we wouldn't even be nodding acquaintances."

Why are you putting on airs? My dad's going to Baoding, not to his grave. He's perfectly fine!

Yi Zhonghai's face turned ashen from these words. He felt a lump in his throat and almost couldn't breathe. His fingers trembled like leaves, and he could only manage to squeeze out two words when he pointed at He Yuzhu: "You, you—!" The rest of the words were stuck in his throat and he couldn't utter them.

Yan Bugui quietly took two steps back, shrinking his neck and remaining silent.

The original plan was to hold a college-wide meeting to inform everyone that He Daqing had left, but given the current situation, it's clear that's not the case.

His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly drew a line—he couldn't wade into this muddy water.

Liu Haizhong stood to the side, his lips curling upwards in an uncontrollable smile.

He had long disliked Yi Zhonghai. At the factory, Yi Zhonghai was a level 5 forging worker, while Yi Zhonghai was a level 6 fitter, only one level higher. But back in the compound, Yi Zhonghai became the "big boss," while he himself was inferior and had to be called the "second big boss."

If it weren't for his three sons standing up for him, how could he have swallowed this insult?

"Is there anything else?" He Yuzhu glanced coldly around. "If you're holding a meeting just to gossip about my family, then you're really bored out of your minds."

"I'm leaving now, nothing else."

As he spoke, he picked up his bicycle, his hand just resting on the handlebars, ready to take the rain home, when Jia Zhangshi suddenly jumped out and started cursing: "Who knows where he's been gallivanting off to! A stinking cook abandoning his post and running off to Baoding, he's probably been caught having an affair and that's why he ran away!"

"Bullshit!" He Yuzhu whirled around, his eyes blazing, his roar shaking the entire courtyard. "Jia Zhangshi, even if the sky falls, my father won't spew filth like you! All you do is whine about Old Jia, Old Jia, aren't you afraid Old Jia will climb into your bed in the middle of the night and take you away?"

Jia Zhangshi was stunned on the spot, and the fierce look on her face instantly froze.

She can be loud and boisterous, but she's most afraid of eerie words—especially those that are soul-summoning and ghost-inducing.

Her lips trembled, and she was about to burst into tears, but then she remembered the words "Old Jia is here to bring people," and her heart sank. She opened her mouth, but didn't dare to shout anymore.

Jia Dongxu, his face flushed with anger, stepped forward, pointed at He Yuzhu, and roared, "Idiot Zhu! How dare you insult my mother?!"

"I'm cursing your mother! Jia Dongxu, you got a problem with that? Come on!" He Yuzhu slammed his bicycle against the corner of the wall with a loud crash that echoed through the courtyard. His sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms. "Go ahead and try! Let's fight right now and see who comes down first!"

Jia Dongxu was fierce in words, but his legs didn't move.

It's true that he's a few years older than He Yuzhu, but among the younger generation in the courtyard, no one can beat Sha Zhu.

Not only did I eat spicy food from a young age, but the strength I developed from constantly tossing a large ladle was enough to smash a door frame with a single punch.

If a fight really breaks out, he'll definitely be the one who gets beaten up.

"You idiot! You dare to lay a hand on me!" Yi Zhonghai slammed his hand on the table, making it bounce.

He Yuzhu sneered, his eyes piercing like knives: "Yi Zhonghai, are your ears just for show? Are your eyes blind? Jia Zhangshi threw dirty water at my house, and I can't even talk back? Your ass is practically glued to her crotch!"

He Yuzhu has never been one to be bullied, much less by those hypocritical, nice-natured people.

Today is the first day since his father left. If he bows his head and submits now, will he and Yushui have any chance of survival in this courtyard? Sooner or later, they will be devoured until there is not even a bone left!

"What did you call me?" Yi Zhonghai roared, his beard trembling.

"I'm calling your name, what's wrong with that?" He Yuzhu sneered. "Can't I even call you by your name? Who do you think you are? A bodhisattva reincarnated?"

His chest heaved, and anger surged to his head.

If it weren't for his repeated acts of kindness, such as bringing food to the widow and trying to reunite people during the New Year, and the fact that he was ultimately prevented from recognizing his relatives by them, leading to his death by freezing under a bridge—that happened later, but he knows it now!

After treating him like a slave, squeeze every last drop of profit out of him, and then kick him out the door.

These people are now eyeing the He family more ruthlessly than vultures eyeing a dead sheep.