Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

After having lunch at the Lou family's house, He Yuzhu took his leave, satisfied. Although they hadn't achieved anything as significant as the legendary friendship between Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya, Lou Xiao'e had mastered her skill under his patient guidance.

When it was time to eat, the little girl's face was as red as a ripe apple, and even the tip of her nose was pink.

When Lou's mother saw this, how could she not understand? However, since the two were about to get their marriage certificate, she turned a blind eye and pretended not to see it.

Leaving the Lou family's house, He Yuzhu walked briskly straight to the steel rolling mill. Having learned from the foreign trade department that the factory had been keeping a position for him, he decided to go back and check on it.

Upon arriving at the factory gate, he casually handed a cigarette to one of the security guards, greeted him with a smile, and walked in as if he knew the way inside.

He went straight to Li Huaide's office and knocked twice.

The door opened, and Li Huaide froze for three seconds, then his eyes lit up, and he jumped up: "Zhuzi! You're finally back! Without you cooking for me these past few days, I haven't had any appetite, and I can't concentrate on my work!"

"Sure, I'll cook a feast for you tonight." He Yuzhu grinned. "But let me make it clear beforehand, I won't be sitting at the table. This is my treat, and I have to leave as soon as I'm done. I have things to do tonight."

Li Huaide raised an eyebrow: "What could be more important than a brothers' get-together?"

Of course, I'm going to find Chen Xueru, but I can't say that out loud. He Yuzhu pretended to be mysterious: "We're getting married soon. We'll get our marriage certificate and have the wedding banquet after the New Year. I'll give you wedding candy then."

"Hey! That's great news!" Li Huaide slammed his hand on the table. "Just let me know when you're having the banquet, and the gift money won't be lacking!"

"Hey, Brother Li, let's keep it low-key, just have a meal."

The two exchanged a smile, and the atmosphere was harmonious. He Yuzhu then inquired about the factory's recent situation.

The canteen was operating smoothly and the food was of good quality, so Li Huaide often went there to eat.

The greenhouses yielded bountiful harvests year after year, producing continuously throughout the year. Besides supplying other units, there was a large surplus to spare. Li Huaide simply proposed that the extra vegetables be distributed to the employees as welfare, so that everyone could get a share.

This batch of winter-stored vegetables is piled up to the brim; if it's not distributed soon, it'll probably freeze into ice. It'll all be distributed before the New Year, not a single one left.

"Zhu Zi! What a coincidence—the midday bonus has arrived, sixty catties of fresh, green vegetables, ready to be picked up directly from the logistics warehouse!"

He Yuzhu nodded: "Okay, I'll have my apprentice make the trip tomorrow. Brother Li, I'll be back on time after the New Year."

"Hey, do you think I don't know what you're up to? You can come anytime! Old Yang is still being kept in the dark, yelling about wanting to replace the cafeteria director, but one phone call from the Ministry of Industry and Recreation made him back down on the spot..."

Li Huaide's words, while ostensibly stating a point, were actually a dagger to Director Yang's heart—removing He Yuzhu? Not a chance.

He Yuzhu just smiled, didn't respond, chatted for a few more minutes, and then left.

He then visited three more canteens. Each time he appeared, the entire canteen erupted in cheers, the excitement palpable. Several new faces appeared, all temporary workers; among them was Liu Lan, wearing a blue cotton shirt and two braids. He Yuzhu glanced at her but didn't say anything.

The two junior apprentices had just gotten married. Mu Changzheng had gotten his marriage certificate half a month earlier, and He Yuzhu immediately threw out two movie tickets: "Choose first!" After Mu Changzheng had his sewing ticket in his hand, he stuffed the bicycle ticket into Qian Shih-hu's hand. Finally, he stuffed a thick wad of banknotes into each of their hands.

The two boys burst into silly laughter, their eyes reddening, and they almost knelt down and kowtowed, calling him "Dad."

He glanced at a few of the dishes Ma Hua prepared and casually instructed, "Go pick up the vegetables tomorrow morning and deliver thirty catties to your house."

After making his rounds, He Yuzhu leisurely went to report to his superiors, casually dropping a threat: he would cover the first meal after the New Year—ten dishes and a soup, as much as he wanted! But he had to slip away early, as he had urgent business to attend to.

Factory Director Yang was itching to get to the bottom of it, but remembering the phone call from the Ministry of Industry, he could only click his tongue and wave his hand: "Alright, alright... I'm dying to hear about your amazing skill, I have to come and audit it tonight!"

As dusk fell, ten main dishes and a pot of piping hot soup were served. He Yuzhu kept one portion for himself, carefully packed it up, and then picked up a bottle of amber-colored medicinal wine, pushing his cart out the door.

He had told He Yushui that morning, "I'm not coming back tonight. The stove is yours, the bed is yours, and the money is yours too." After saying that, he mounted his bicycle and headed straight for Zhengyang Gate.

The night was as dark as ink, the bed trembled slightly, and the breaths were hot.

Chen Xueru curled up in pain, her chest heaving violently, her lips pressed tightly together and then relaxed, each breath heavy, as if bound by invisible shackles.

He Yuzhu handed her a bowl of warm water. She sipped it slowly, her fingertips trembling, and finally caught her breath.

Her moon-white cheongsam slid down to her waist, and her torn white socks were wrapped around her calves. Far from being disheveled, she looked as if she had been given a critical hit buff, making her breathtakingly alluring.

She suddenly threw herself into his arms and burst into tears—from the moment she bumped into him after get off work, the two of them had barely touched their chopsticks, and had been entangled like madmen until this moment.

He Yuzhu sensed something was wrong, tightened his arms around her, and coaxed in a low voice, "Tell me slowly, I'm listening."

Chen Xueru sobbed as she finished speaking, her words broken and fragmented.

Her son, Hou Kui, was entrusted to Chen's mother's care three months ago, and he disappeared as soon as she turned her back.

The mother and daughter had a falling out over this matter. Chen Xueru insisted: "The money I give her each month is enough to buy rice and flour, but I can't keep an eye on her!" Chen's mother retorted: "You're always at the silk shop, and your son calls you three times and you only answer once? Who's more negligent?"

They argued countless times, neither of them would give in, and in the end, all that was left was a mess.

He Yuzhu guessed this. But based on his understanding of Chen Xueru, it was probably pretty accurate.

Losing a child these days is like a kite with a broken string. They disappear without a trace, neither alive nor dead. The worst is falling into the hands of human traffickers and ending up in a beggar's den—that's worse than death.

She went to every police station, begging and pleading, but after three months, there were zero leads.

What crushed her wasn't tears, but silence. It was the emptiness of day after day.

So tonight, she used this burning hot body to unleash all the pent-up despair, self-blame, and fear on him.

Otherwise, I'll really go crazy.

He Yuzhu pulled her into his arms, his voice deep and steady: "Xueru, don't be afraid. Tomorrow I'll ask around—the police, the factory, even those who can speak up—to cast a wide net and inquire. I will definitely help you find your son."

Chen Xueru gently shook her head without speaking. For the first month, she still held onto hope, and for the second month, she gritted her teeth and believed that Hou Kui would return. But by the third month, her hope had been worn away little by little, and now it was completely gone.

No wonder He Yuzhu felt something was off when he saw her today – she wouldn't eat, but she was in a real hurry. She even accepted all the cheongsams and new clothes he brought out. She seemed even more obsessed than him.

"Rain Pillar, give me a child."

She spoke suddenly, her tone so calm it didn't seem like a spur-of-the-moment impulse, but rather like words she had pondered over countless times in her mind.

"Xueru..."

"I don't care whether we get married or not, I'm determined to have this child. I'll keep it a secret for the first few months, and once my belly gets bigger, I'll go back to the countryside—my mom will help me cover it up, and then only I'll know that this child is yours."

Her eyes were resolute, and her words showed no hesitation. This wasn't a decision made on impulse, but rather a thought that had been buried deep in her heart for a long time. It was only because the possibility of finding Hou Kui was becoming increasingly slim that that longing completely overwhelmed her reason.

"Rain Pillar, give me a child..." she repeated softly again, as if pleading, or as if confirming.

This time, she would never abandon her child to her mother again.

"Okay, Xue Ru, I'll grant you whatever you want."

Before he finished speaking, He Yuzhu flipped over and pressed down on him. Although he had just fought a battle, with his physique, he would be fully recovered after catching his breath.

The war reignited, and the bed creaked as if it could no longer bear the weight.

Before bed, He Yuzhu took out a bowl of nourishing chicken soup that he had prepared earlier from his spatial storage and fed it to her spoonful by spoonful. He had specially prepared it for her that afternoon, but as soon as they met, they went straight to the point. They hadn't eaten, so they could only drink some soup to fill their stomachs first.

Before going to sleep, she quietly moved a pillow under her buttocks to raise the angle, afraid of wasting the fruits of her labor that night.

Silent all night.

The next morning, He Yuzhu prepared a sumptuous breakfast and woke Chen Xueru up to eat. During the meal, he told her that he had to report to the steel rolling mill and would come to see her again that evening.

Chen Xueru touched her lower abdomen, nodded to him, and everything was understood without words.

Yesterday's events were so sudden that I didn't have time to say many things, so I'll have to leave it for next time.

While it was still early, he went back to the courtyard house and gave the breakfast he had just made to his younger sister, He Yushui, as compensation for the sister who had always been neglected.

However, his early morning return still attracted the attention of others. This wasn't the first or second time; He Yuzhu often stayed out all night and then sneaked back before the roosters crowed the next morning.

Qin Huairu had just finished fetching water and setting breakfast on the table when Jia Dongxu got up, ready to eat and go to the factory for his last few days of work before the holiday.

"Dongxu, I just ran into He Yuzhu again," Qin Huairu muttered as she set the table. "I've seen him a few times before. Where could he go if he doesn't come home all night?"

The curfew is very strict now, and He Yuzhu's house has been repaired. Surely he can't sleep at someone else's house?

"What can he do?" Jia Dongxu sneered, his eyes filled with jealousy. "He's probably off having fun in some woman's bed again!"

If he dared to do that himself, he would have been exposed long ago. But he knew in his heart that He Yuzhu had a bicycle, and he couldn't keep up with him on two legs. He would be exhausted in ten minutes.

"Just you wait, don't let me catch him red-handed!" he said threateningly, but he knew in his heart that it was just empty words.

Really want to track and gather evidence? Absolutely not.

"Dad, is that idiot Zhu our family's enemy?"

Banggeng rubbed his eyes and sat down, asking in a childish voice.

Upon hearing this, Jia Dongxu's face immediately darkened with hatred. He stared down at his son and spoke slowly and deliberately:

"Yes, he's our Jia family's enemy! Son, if you ever amount to anything, you must avenge him! Because of him, we had to cut two ounces less meat this year and waste so much money!"