Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

As she left with the radio, Lou Xiao'e immediately gripped the hem of her clothes nervously, but she wasn't opposed to it—she even felt a faint sense of anticipation. That feeling of both resistance and enjoyment made her heart race and her body feel hot.

If she really hated it, she would have left with He Yushui long ago.

"Raindrops...don't do this~"

She murmured softly, her voice a mixture of protest and seduction.

A moment later, the two tidied their clothes and went out. As they pushed their bicycles out of the courtyard, they bumped into Xu Damao and Jia Dongxu, who were flushed from drinking.

Upon seeing He Yuzhu, Jia Dongxu's eyes immediately darkened, filled with hatred. Knowing he couldn't beat him, he could only glare fiercely before turning to sneak into the yard—afraid that He Yuzhu would use this as an excuse to beat him up.

Unfortunately, he was overthinking it. He Yuzhu didn't even bother to look at him; he was just a penniless drunkard, not worth getting his hands dirty.

On the contrary, Xu Damao stopped in his tracks the moment he saw Lou Xiao'e.

The girl was young and beautiful, with a spring-like smile in her eyes. She had just come out of the house, and her face was still flushed with a delicate blush, as if she had just been pampered by someone. Xu Damao's heart pounded wildly. Of all the women he had ever seen in his life, this woman's beauty was definitely in the top five!

He immediately approached with a fawning grin, his long face drawn, "Zhu Zi, who is this?"

"None of your business, get out of here, or I'll slap you if you take another step!" He Yuzhu warned coldly.

Xu Damao was taken aback, then immediately feigned grievance: "Oh, I was just asking, did you have to resort to physical violence?"

"I think you need to be taught a lesson!"

Without a word, He Yuzhu put down his car and was about to teach Xu a lesson. Xu Damao was so frightened that he turned and ran, even sobering up from his drunkenness. In his panic, he bumped into the threshold, his nose hurting, but he didn't dare to stop. He covered his face and fled in a sorry state, looking like a comical clown.

Lou Xiao'e couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He Yuzhu then withdrew his gaze and whispered a warning: "Xiao'e, stay away from this kind of person. He's a typical scheming and malicious person who loves to gossip behind people's backs."

Lou Xiao'e nodded and chuckled: "Don't worry, that guy is too ugly. He has such a long face that he could be used as a donkey. I wouldn't even look at him."

Afterwards, He Yuzhu rode his bicycle and took Lou Xiao'e all the way back to the Lou family home. When they arrived at the door, he politely declined Lou's father's invitation to stay overnight—after all, he had to go to work the next day and it wasn't appropriate to linger too late.

Inside the courtyard, Xu Damao was grimacing as he applied medicine to the bridge of his nose, but the image of that woman kept flashing through his mind.

So young, so beautiful, and with an indescribable charm. He was captivated at first sight.

But I made a fool of myself in front of her, without even getting a chance to ask her name. I was so frustrated.

"Oh, could she be the Lou family's daughter? The age matches up... How could I forget about that! No, I have to ask Mom tomorrow."

If Xu Damao hadn't happened to meet Lou Xiao'e today, he probably wouldn't have remembered this matter at all.

The woman his mother inquired about before, so much time has passed, there should have been news by now.

But the thought that it might be the eldest daughter of the Lou family immediately brought to mind the charming and elegant woman he had met before—tsk, these two women, one youthful and beautiful, the other mature and alluring, are both top-notch. Xu Damao was momentarily at a loss: which one should he choose?

"Mom, how's that thing I asked you to inquire about going?"

The next day, as soon as he got away from the steel rolling mill, Xu Damao slipped away at lunchtime and headed straight for his mother's place.

In his eyes, marriage was paramount. Although he was living a carefree life at the moment, the thought of those two women, both beautiful and from extraordinary backgrounds, made him yearn to settle down, start a family, and win their hearts.

More importantly, neither woman lacked money. One was adorned with jewels and exuded an air of wealth; the other, though pushing a bicycle, wore clothes that revealed a rare sophistication.

"Don't even mention it!" Aunt Xu frowned upon hearing this. "That woman you asked me to inquire about is already married and has children!"

After hearing news of Chen Xueru a while ago, she immediately went to the vicinity of Zhengyangmen to investigate. As a result, the information came too quickly—Chen Xueru was practically a household name in that area.

She was divorced, owned a silk shop, and was exceptionally beautiful. However, in the Zhengyangmen area, she had two major flaws: a stubborn temper and a child from her previous marriage. So she remained single.

Actually, what Xu's mother heard was mostly sarcastic remarks. If she had lowered her standards, Chen Xueru would have been snatched away long ago.

Xu Damao's face fell upon hearing this: "How come she's still a widow...?"

He was getting married for the first time and was a projectionist at the steel mill—a true intellectual. If he married a widow with a child, wouldn't the gossipy people at the factory laugh their heads off?

The problem is, Chen Xueru is just too eye-catching. Her face and figure alone are enough to soften a person's heart.

"Mom, actually... being a widow isn't such a big deal."

Ultimately, beauty triumphed over prejudice. Xu Damao was already tempted and even started planning how to make the connection and propose marriage.

To everyone's surprise, Mrs. Xu flew into a rage: "Bullshit! Do you want us old folks to be gossiped about behind our backs? With your qualifications, is it really that hard for you to find a respectable family's daughter?"

"By the way, Mom, have you found out what kind of relationship Chen Xueru has with He Yuzhu?"

Aunt Xu thought for a moment: "I heard she has connections with some foreigners, and He Yuzhu also knows foreigners, that's how the two of them got together..."

"Oh—" Xu Damao suddenly realized.

No wonder, when that engineer from the White Bear Country came to the factory last year, he was always hanging around He Yuzhu. I didn't expect Chen Xueru to have connections with foreigners too.

But the more he thought about it, the more he felt this woman was no ordinary person. Coupled with the lingering image of her curvaceous figure in his mind, Xu Damao gritted his teeth and made up his mind:

"Mom, I absolutely must marry Chen Xueru!"

"No way! Your father and I have discussed it; you must at least marry a woman from a respectable family!"

"I don't care, I'm in charge of this!"

Amidst a barrage of insults, Xu Damao was kicked out of the factory. But he remained unmoved, his mind preoccupied with how to cultivate relationships and find connections on his way back to the factory.

In the afternoon, the steel rolling mill held another meeting with a clear theme: to allocate manpower to support the newly built washing machine factory.

The factory is located next to a steel rolling mill, and the initial plan is for three workshops, plus management positions, totaling three hundred people. At first glance, it doesn't seem like a large-scale operation, not even comparable to some food factories.

But everyone knows this is just the beginning. Right now, there isn't even a single skilled worker; three hundred people is the limit.

The meeting will finalize the personnel selection, especially for technical positions, most of which will receive subsidies. This is good news for the workers, but it represents a real loss for the steel rolling mill.

Electricians made up the majority of the personnel transferred this time. And because the washing machine project was initiated by He Yuzhu, the steel rolling mill had the right to recommend candidates for management positions.

The decision wasn't made at the last meeting, so it's been delayed until today.

There was another meeting in the afternoon about personnel allocation, so in the morning, He Yuzhu first called Bai Danyu into his office.

The personnel department is crowded and noisy, unlike the cafeteria where no one can enter except the front hall. His office is quiet and convenient for conversation.

"Sister Bai, what were your thoughts on the candidates for the washing machine factory this morning?"

As soon as Bai Danyu stepped into the office, He Yuzhu slammed the door shut and got straight to the point.

"I submitted the washing machine blueprints. The factory wanted me to be the workshop director at the time, but I declined. However, a leader from the Ministry of Industry relented and said that I had the right to make recommendations on cadre appointments."

That's true. A while ago, at a meeting at the ministry, the vice minister personally named him and asked him to choose a position at the washing machine factory—workshop director or deputy factory manager in charge of production would both be fine. After all, he assembled that prototype machine himself, and he completed the blueprints; his contribution is obvious.

But He Yuzhu didn't answer. In a few days, he would have to accompany Lou's father to Hong Kong Island, where they would be working at the new factory for at least a year.

"Zhu Zi, what could your sister Bai possibly think? I don't understand anything about production..." Bai Danyu gently shook her head. Ever since she heard he was engaged, she had always wanted to avoid him; but when they actually met, she couldn't help but move closer.

He had just asked her to get the lunchbox, and she didn't stand up for herself; she obediently did as he asked.

"Sister Bai, you could become the deputy factory manager. It's not difficult to get promoted, and this factory is definitely going to expand in the future! Everyone knows how sought-after the 'three turns and one sound' (referring to industrial components, industrial equipment, and radios) are these days. As long as the supply can keep up, the factory will double in size sooner or later."

He Yuzhu said confidently, "If you go there, you'll be in charge of personnel and logistics first. You'll be very stable. It's not impossible to move up a step when the project expands in the future."

The vice minister did indeed grant him the right to recommend candidates, but among the people he knew, very few were truly qualified. Section Chief Zhou was out of the question; the steel mill was busy debugging new equipment. Li Huaide was even less likely to be chosen; transferring him would be a demotion and a slap in the face. As for his relatives? Clerks were passable, but for a powerful position like deputy factory director, not a single one was qualified.

In the end, he had to make the decision himself.

After looking around, Bai Danyu was the most suitable. It was only natural that she would take one of the two deputy factory director positions.

"Zhu Zi, how could I be the factory manager?" Bai Danyu said with a wry smile.

"Sure!" He Yuzhu waved his hand. "I can push you up there. Whether you can secure a spot is another matter, but based on your usual performance, it's probably a done deal!"

He paused, then lowered his voice: "If I don't go myself, and you don't go either, then I'll tell the higher-ups—there's no one suitable. This opportunity won't come again."

Bai Danyu's heart skipped a beat. This kind of promotion opportunity was rare, happening only once every ten years. A deputy position in a small factory might not be stressful, but the perks were substantial.

But she looked up at him and said, "Zhu Zi, are you trying to push me out because I'm in your way?"

"Oh my goodness!" He Yuzhu almost burst out laughing. "If I wanted to avoid you, would I let you come pick up my lunchbox every day? I'd love for you to see me every day! This is a good thing, we have to seize the opportunity! Besides, how far is the washing machine factory from the steel rolling mill? Twenty minutes by bike. If you miss me, I'll cook for you this weekend. I've even saved some wild boar meat!"

Bai Danyu blushed after hearing those reckless words and spat out, "You're so unserious... Fine, give me a push, but it might not work."