Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

If it weren't for this scoundrel causing trouble, would he have been targeted by the logistics director? The canteen director was also present that day, and ever since then, the portions of food served by the propaganda department have been generous—the scales clearly show the weight—but the slices of meat are so thin they're almost translucent, and the vegetables are piled high. Not satisfied? Fine, here's a spoon, you can scoop it yourself—but who dares to actually reach out? If you scoop out a couple more pieces of meat with one spoonful, you'll immediately be branded as a "food snatcher" and "greedy," losing all your dignity.

Everyone in their department has a diploma, at least a high school diploma, except for Xu Damao, who only has a junior high school education. He relies entirely on his projection skills to keep the show going. How could he do something as low-class as grabbing a spoon?

Some people tried to argue their case, only to find that the lunchbox weighed half an ounce more than the meal ticket indicated – how could they possibly complain? It was clearly a favor, just with less meat and more vegetables. Besides, who can watch the stove every day yelling, "Give me more meat!"? Someone had already shouted this before, and was immediately ridiculed by others: "Is your propaganda department so precious? Don't other people want a piece of fatty meat?"

Worse still, rumors had already spread: the propaganda department was being ostracized, all because of Section Chief Zhao and Xu Damao. The rumors were so detailed and convincing that even the people in the propaganda department themselves believed them to some extent.

Xu Damao often went to the countryside to show movies. When the other people in the department asked Section Chief Zhao for answers, they couldn't get any information from him, so they all directed their resentment at him. If it weren't for his position as section chief, they would have given him a sarcastic and cold shoulder long ago.

"Just hang in there a little longer. The purchasing department sent word this morning that this year's purchasing targets have been met, so we won't have to make those long trips anymore."

Section Chief Zhao's words were like a match, igniting a light in Xu Damao's eyes. But the next second, his face darkened, and he added:

"Learn from this in the future, and don't always argue with your superiors. He Yuzhu turned a blind eye this time; if he really wanted to hold you accountable, you would have been fired long ago."

Xu Damao felt a tightness in his chest and a choking sensation in his throat. He knew perfectly well why He Yuzhu had stopped—his wife, Yu Li, had been frequently visiting the He family lately, enjoying the company of Lou Xiao'e while eagerly doing everything at the He family's house: wiping tables, washing dishes, holding the baby. At first, he had stubbornly refused, but after a trip to the countryside himself, carrying equipment, pushing a bicycle, hanging the screen, adjusting the machines… he was exhausted. Upon returning, he never again stopped his wife's efforts—not out of generosity, but out of resignation.

"Understood, Section Chief."

Upon realizing that this was the last task assigned by the purchasing department, the weight that had been pressing on Xu Damao's chest for days suddenly shattered.

He immediately took leave and rushed home—he was going to show a movie in the mountains in two days, and his workplace was still giving him this much face.

As soon as he entered the door, he shouted at Yu Li, "Quickly, find out the clothes you wore when you went to the countryside!"

It's not that I'm being dramatic, but if you don't prepare three or four sets of clothes to change into, you can stay in a mountain valley for forty days or so. Your clothes will be rotten, your hair will be tangled, and your fingernails will be full of mud. You'll look neither human nor ghost.

Yu Li was wiping the stove when she heard this and straightened up: "Going again? This time it has to be you?"

"This is probably the last time!" Xu Damao slammed the enamel mug on the table, splashing water everywhere. "Once the film is connected, I can sit inside, enjoy the fan, and play film!"

Before he could finish speaking, he gritted his teeth and added, "That bastard Sha Zhu, remember this! The day I step on him, I'll make sure he doesn't get off!"

Yu Li sneered and tossed the rag into the basin: "Calm down! You're just a projectionist, going up against the logistics director? He could whip you into carrying the equipment fifty miles of mountain road next time!"

"I'll be in that position someday!"

This wasn't said out of spite. He'd only truly tasted the power of authority after being sent to some remote mountain village to suffer in the dust a while back—not the glamorous kind, but the kind that makes people bow their heads, give them detours, and dare not openly challenge him. He can hide it now, but he hasn't forgotten a single one of those debts.

Yu Li suddenly leaned closer, her voice low and sharp: "You really want to outdo him? Come with me to the First People's Hospital tomorrow. We need to find out who's stuck there!"

"Bringing this up again?" Xu Damao frowned deeply. "Didn't I buy you the medicine? Did you finish it?"

Yu Li ripped off her apron and threw it against the back of the chair, her eyes gleaming coldly: "I didn't touch a drop of that bitter medicine! I've had myself checked twice, seen both Chinese and Western doctors, and I'm perfectly healthy! If you have nothing to hide, come with me—don't always make me take the blame!"

A few months ago, He Yuzhu took her pulse, but she didn't believe it. She secretly went to two other traditional Chinese medicine doctors and made an appointment at the First People's Hospital, but the results were all the same: her Qi and blood were sufficient, her meridians were smooth, and her uterus was warm as spring. Unable to conceive? Nine times out of ten, it was because his "fire" (physical desire) wasn't strong enough. Yet his mother still brewed dark, murky herbal medicine and forced it into her mouth every day, causing her to have acid reflux at night and feel nauseous at the sight of a clay pot.

She couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't let the neighbors gossip behind her back, saying "Yu Li's belly is useless," and she couldn't be like that old lady who had endured half her life only to be met with a sigh of "bad luck."

"I already had Old Wang check it out, the foundation is very solid!" Xu Damao grabbed an enamel mug and gulped down a large mouthful of cold water, droplets dripping from his chin onto his collar. "You obediently finish your medicine, nourish your body, and the baby will come naturally! Don't do anything reckless!"

After saying that, he grabbed the blue cloth jacket draped by the door, pushed the door open, and left.

Yu Li stood there, staring at the jacket he had casually tossed aside, her fingers clenched so tightly they turned white, almost tearing it in two.

"Oh...it's a boy?"

Upon hearing He Yuzhu's words, Chen Xueru's smile froze, as if half of it had been blown away by the wind. She was a woman herself, yet she couldn't escape that deeply ingrained thought—being looked down upon in business was far more painful than being belittled by a man.

"Why the long face?" He Yuzhu reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, his voice gentle. "I cherish my daughter more than my son! Zihui even took my surname, are you afraid she'll be inferior to me?"

This little woman is reassuring in every way, except for one thing—she's too strong-willed. She used to secretly compete with Xu Huizhen at the tavern, and now she's quietly using Lou Xiao'e as a yardstick to measure herself. It's not that she necessarily wants to tear each other apart or have a showdown, it's just that since she didn't get to wear a wedding dress back then, she's determined to surpass Lou Xiao'e in every way—in terms of life, complexion, children, and self-confidence.

Unfortunately, they lost half a move before the battle even began.

"Have you rested enough? Let's have one more."

As soon as she finished speaking, she lifted the thin blanket, revealing a delicate glimmer of light sliding down her shoulder. June wasn't cold to begin with, and holding He Yuzhu in her arms felt like holding a small stove; whether or not she was covered by a blanket was no longer important.

"Xueru? Didn't you say your arms were sore and your back was heavy?" He Yuzhu's hand had just reached for the bedside table. "Besides, the silk shop has been..."

She raised an eyebrow, grabbed the small umbrella, and slammed it to the corner of the bed: "They've already said they want the child, who are you trying to fool with this?"

A fine, undulating rhythm soon filled the room, the bed frame shifting from rapid to long, drawn-out, finally settling into a suppressed soft gasp.

After leaving the courtyard house at Zhengyangmen, He Yuzhu went into the bathhouse and scrubbed himself until he was thoroughly clean.

Even in summer, some people still soak in hot water, scrape off old skin, and use soap—cleaning themselves from head to toe makes them feel comfortable even in their bones.

Today, at the invitation of Director Yang, I'm cooking for a retired leader from the Ministry of Industry. That man treated him well in his past life, helping him out several times at crucial moments; if he had really followed him on the transfer, would Qin Huairu have even had a chance to be around him?

Unfortunately, they ultimately didn't make it.

But in this lifetime, he still personally stewed an old hen, braised a plate of braised pork knuckle, and steamed a bowl of smooth and tender egg custard—all the flavors that his old leader had been talking about for decades.

The old man ate nonstop, his mouth glistening with oil, too busy shoveling food into his mouth to even offer praise.

Before leaving, upon learning that the baby had just been born, the person handed him several kilograms of milk powder coupons and two packets of malted milk powder coupons without saying a word. He Yuzhu thanked them verbally, knowing in his heart that he didn't need them—but he couldn't be rude or owe them a favor.

After finishing this task, he still had plenty of time, so he hugged Chen Zihui on the way and spent another half hour cuddling with Chen Xueru.

Of the three women, he stayed with Lou Xiao'e the longest and with Bai Danyu the shortest.

Bai Danyu was so busy she barely had time to breathe, and even more afraid of their relationship being exposed, she kept her words to herself but always held back her actions. The two agreed on a fixed time: she would take Bai Ying to her second brother and sister-in-law's house, and he would then sneak over there in the dark. Inside the room, the curtains were drawn tightly, and she bit the corner of her pillow, groaning softly, her voice as if it were muffled by cotton wool, light and trembling.

When He Yuzhu returned to the courtyard house, it was just getting dark. He lay down on the bed, stretched out his limbs, and relaxed completely.

No need to prepare meals—several meals are already prepared in the system; just heat them up and they're ready to serve.

Not long after, the courtyard gate creaked open, and Lou Xiao'e pushed the stroller into the house, just as He Yuzhu was putting the food on the table.

This stroller is so convenient. Lou Xiao'e pushes it with one hand and can still carry a shopping basket with the other. There are spinning bells and bouncing cloth tigers hanging on the stroller. When the child stares at it, she can free up her hand to rub her aching back.

Several neighbors from the neighborhood office saw it and kept asking, "Where did you find this car? Help us find one too!"

Hearing that He Yuzhu had personally devised the idea, everyone immediately got interested and crowded around, wanting to pay him to make another set—this thing was specially designed for taking care of children, with ample size, so that children could sleep comfortably until they were three years old, saving the need for a crib.

However, He Yuzhu was short of money and had many things to do, so he couldn't take care of everything. He simply spread out paper and pen and drew the structure, dimensions, and mortise and tenon joints clearly, then asked Director Wang of the street office to take it to the furniture factory.

If mass production is truly rolled out, it will undoubtedly become the factory's most popular flagship product.

As soon as the blueprints were delivered to the factory, the factory manager rode his bicycle to the courtyard that very day. Upon entering, he grasped He Yuzhu's hand and thanked him. Without saying a word, he made the decision to replace all of the He family's old furniture that had been used for many years—all of it must be made of top-quality elm wood, and the work must be done by a master craftsman with exquisite carving, as a token of his gratitude.

He Yuzhu's family was well-off and had no shortage of grain and cloth coupons. After much deliberation, the factory director realized that this was the only way to express his gratitude.