Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

He Yuzhu ignored Jiang Shouqin's words and turned to Director Yang, saying clearly, "Director, there are no major problems with logistics at the moment: the canteen is operating smoothly, the greenhouses are being monitored closely for the seasons and growth, and the purchasing department's quarterly plans are sufficient... Unless the factory suddenly expands its workforce, then the purchasing list will have to be revised."

"There shouldn't be any plans to expand recruitment in the next few years." After a moment's thought, Director Yang was somewhat surprised. "Hearing you say that, the logistics department is really doing very well."

He Yuzhu waved his hand and smiled: "It was all done by everyone together. As long as we followed the rules and nothing went wrong, there was nothing serious."

Factory Director Yang nodded and turned to the group: "Then you guys should work with Deputy Factory Director Jiang to sort things out from here on out. Director He just needs to give us a heads-up before he leaves; there's no need for him to make any more trips."

He stopped interfering with the details, simply set up the stage, and left the rest to them to see how they performed.

"Okay, got it!"

He Yuzhu readily agreed. Director Yang and Secretary Wang then got up and left.

After the meeting, he had a private discussion with Jiang Shouqin:

The canteen and greenhouses were well-established. The canteen was full of his apprentices, nephews, and senior brothers, as well as cooks he had personally trained. The menus were uniform, and everyone was united. Without a legitimate reason, even the factory director would find it difficult to move a single person. As for the greenhouses, the technicians sent by the Ministry of Agriculture were introduced by his close friend and were trustworthy.

The purchasing department is in a precarious position—they just joined forces to push Jiang Shouqin back last time, and now they are most vulnerable to a counterattack.

But before leaving, He Yuzhu had quietly instructed Section Chief Zhou: Stop the unconventional procurement for now. If it's not necessary, it's better to take a detour than to leave any loose ends.

After all, once someone leaves, the tea grows cold; without someone to protect you, even a single loose thread can expose a web of flaws.

Following his pre-planned approach, He Yuzhu went over the entire logistics reporting process with Jiang Shouqin. Jiang Shouqin listened, simply nodding slightly, without asking any further questions or interrupting.

It seems he's determined to hold back for now before He Yuzhu leaves, and then go all out once He Yuzhu is gone.

This move was prudent—He Yuzhu was a level 16 cadre, a step above the canteen director and the purchasing section chief, and only half a level to one level below him, the deputy factory director. If things really came down to it, his words carried considerable weight.

With the matters at the steel rolling mill settled, as soon as the end-of-get off work bell rang, He Yuzhu hopped on his bicycle and headed home.

Before setting off, he had to explain the matter clearly to Chen Xueru and Bai Danyu. Only after everything was settled could he head to Heilongjiang Province with peace of mind.

"Yuzhu, Director Wang got promoted today! He's been transferred to the district as deputy director."

Lou Xiao'e entered the room with a smile on her face. "Who would have thought that someone nearing retirement could be promoted another rank? She was stunned when the news came down."

Although he is "about to retire," Director Wang is actually only in his early fifties. As long as he is healthy and willing to grit his teeth and persevere, he can work for another ten years without any problem. These kinds of old comrades always stay until the very last moment, burning their last bit of light and heat before they stop.

"Director Wang has always been very kind to me, what do you think I should give him?"

After a moment's thought, He Yuzhu said, "Let's add malted milk powder to the formula. Her grandson is about the same age as He Xiao, so he's probably still breastfeeding."

He had given these two items as gifts in his early years. At that time, pork was already considered a generous gift, while malted milk powder and milk powder were in extremely high demand. Otherwise, White Rabbit milk candy wouldn't have been so popular that people would be scrambling to buy it because of the claim that "one piece is equivalent to a cup of milk powder".

Lou Xiao'e nodded repeatedly: "Okay, these two are fine. I'll buy them tomorrow."

"I'll go with you on this trip and find out who the new director is while I'm at it, so she can take good care of you."

"Oh, no need, no need!" She quickly waved her hand. "I can handle this little thing myself. Don't you have to visit your master and friends before you leave? You've been so busy these past few days, so leave this kind of small task like delivering gifts to me."

She knew in her heart that He Yuzhu had just mentioned that he would be traveling around these few days, so how could she always let him arrange social interactions? There were some things she should learn to handle on her own.

He Yuzhu thought for a moment and nodded, "Okay, I've taken two days off to go and inform Master and Dad. You know where he lives, so if you're unsure, just have someone look for him; you can't go wrong."

After returning to Beijing, He Daqing settled down next to the washing machine factory and now returns to his courtyard house once a week without fail.

Lou Xiao'e smiled and said, "Don't worry, I've got it."

The next day, after seeing Lou Xiao'e off, He Yuzhu went straight to Zhengyangmen to find Chen Xueru.

Upon entering Xue Ru Silk Shop, he pretended to be a regular customer, familiar with the place, and walked to the counter, smiling as he asked, "Xue Ru, could you help me make two cotton-padded coats? I need them in the next couple of days, as I might have to go on a long business trip."

Chen Xueru understood immediately. She turned around and asked the two master craftsmen. Seeing that they nodded in agreement, she immediately took out a soft measuring tape and measured his dimensions by hand.

No sooner had He Yuzhu left than Chen Xueru asked the company manager for leave, quickly walked through Zhengyang Gate, and entered the two-courtyard house.

As soon as the door was locked, she turned around and asked, "Are you going on a long trip?"

He Yuzhu reached out and pulled her into his arms, sighing softly, "There's no escaping it. I have to go to Heilongjiang Province to participate in a classified project, which will take at least a year or two."

"Why did it take so long? Couldn't you come back to visit in between?"

Her voice tightened instantly. Last time they were separated for almost half a year, and she counted down the days. This time, she'd be gone for at least a year, and she was afraid she wouldn't be able to handle it.

At the height of her popularity, she was seduced by He Yuzhu. Having tasted the sweetness, she could no longer bear to leave this tenderness.

"Can I come to you?"

He shook his head with a wry smile after hearing this: Lou Xiao'e could still manage to deal with it, but if Chen Xueru really went after her, their relationship would be exposed immediately, and no one could cover it up.

"I'm afraid that won't work... I'll just have to bear with it and try to finish things up as soon as possible."

"Then your wife will definitely be able to come and keep you company, right?"

As soon as she said those words, a bitter feeling welled up in her heart. Lou Xiao'e was the rightful heir, but she could only wait and hope; yet she was deeply in love, intelligent, strong, and especially skilled in bed—she had thought about extricating herself at first, but in the end, she had given her heart to him as well.

"That's why I came here today. I left you some medicinal wine, as well as clothes and blankets for the baby... Xue Ru, for you and for Zi Hui, I will definitely come back as soon as possible."

"Hmph, all talk and no action... Who knows who you're really thinking about... Hmm~"

Before she could finish speaking, she couldn't help but let out a soft hum.

Despite being a mother of two, Chen Xueru remained a captivating beauty in the Zhengyangmen area. Xu Huizhen, working at a small tavern, might not be any less pretty, but her unadorned and unkempt appearance completely masked her youthful charm, making her seem rustic.

Chen Xueru, however, was the most beautiful crabapple blossom on the branch, which He Yuzhu had already plucked and monopolized.

The moment his fingertips touched her waist, her body went limp, her eyes sparkled, and she didn't need to say another word. The next second, he had already lifted her up and gently carried her to the bed in the inner room.

Before long, the room was filled with soft breathing and moaning.

This time she put in all her effort. Even though her legs were weak and her hands were trembling at the beginning, she bit her lip and refused to beg for mercy, as if she wanted to make up for all the debts she had owed in the coming year today.

But by two or three in the afternoon, she finally couldn't hold on any longer and begged for mercy in a hoarse voice.

That's when I truly understood what "too much of a good thing" means—being full is a blessing, but overeating can cause unbearable discomfort.

When she begged for mercy, she felt like the cream puff that He Yuzhu brought back from Hong Kong Island—soft, fluffy, and trembling slightly.

What was even more disheartening was that he was still full of energy, and she had no choice but to admit defeat and give in.

He Yuzhu then cooked a soft meal, fed her by hand, and watched her fall into a deep sleep before gently closing the door and turning to leave.

Stepping out of the two-courtyard house with its blue bricks and gray tiles at Zhengyang Gate, He Yuzhu carried a heavy gift box and headed straight for his master, Li Yuanguo's, home.

Although Li Yuanguo had retired many years ago and could no longer pave the way for him, He Yuzhu still held him in high esteem—he would visit him every year during festivals, rain or shine; even if he was stranded on Hong Kong Island and could not return, he would always ask a trusted friend to deliver things to him, such as a bag of high-quality goji berries, two bottles of homemade medicinal wine, and several boxes of ginseng slices to nourish qi and calm the mind, leaving nothing out.

This, on the contrary, made Li Yuanguo's face light up. When old neighbors came to visit, he always liked to mention He Yuzhu's name, praising him with great enthusiasm: "My apprentice, He Yuzhu! Quick-witted, steady-handed, and honest!" Sometimes he would even specially carry that jar of amber-colored medicinal wine, waving it around the courtyard gate, and saying with a smile: "Just got it from Zhuzi, it improves blood circulation, one sip and you feel great!"

These past two days, He Yuzhu has barely had a moment to rest, but he only visits the homes of people he truly cares about. If he were to visit every familiar face he saw, he probably wouldn't be able to catch his breath even after working non-stop for ten days.

It wasn't until the weekend that he found time to go to Bai Danyu's house and briefly recount the incident.

Unlike Chen Xueru, Bai Danyu wasn't both surprised and delighted. She simply reached out and repeatedly smoothed out the barely visible wrinkles on his shirt collar. She knew there was no official relationship between her and He Yuzhu, but the words that came to her lips were full of soft, caring concern: "Go to bed early tonight," "Take an extra layer when you go out," "Don't just keep busy, your stomach ache has flared up again, hasn't it?"

At noon, he personally cooked a soft and glutinous yam and pork rib porridge for Xiaobaiying, and then gently massaged her little back with the warmth of his palms—not just a perfunctory attempt to lull her to sleep, but a genuine massage to stimulate acupoints, promote blood circulation, and aid digestion. The little girl's eyelids grew heavier and heavier, her little mouth slightly open, and her breath smelled sweet with milk. Before long, she curled up in his arms and fell asleep.

Once the child was sound asleep, the two of them nestled together and quieted down. This time, Bai Danyu didn't shyly cover her mouth anymore. Instead, she buried her face in his neck, wrapped her arms tightly around his back, and let out soft, suppressed moans, like spring water lapping against the shore, gentle yet resilient, low yet deep. Even as the tide receded, her fingers remained firmly gripping his shoulder blades, refusing to loosen their grip even slightly.

He Yuzhu felt like he was about to fall apart—a round trip to Beijing alone, just greetings, small talk, giving gifts, and comforting people had drained him dry; then there was the matter of dealing with Chen Xueru, Bai Danyu, and Lou Xiao'e. If he weren't physically strong, Lou Xiao'e's fiery temper alone would have been enough to give him a hard time.