Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Before he could finish speaking, he slammed the door and left.

Yu Li clutched the yarn, her shoulders trembling slightly, tears welling up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

Once Xu Damao was out of sight, Yu Li didn't even bother to put away her knitting needles. She simply crumpled the scarf into a ball, stuffed it into her basket, and turned to head towards the He family's house.

If Xu Damao still had even a shred of genuine affection for her, Yu Li would have given him her heart long ago; but these people only know how to pick and choose, chewing and spitting out the freshest things, leaving not even crumbs behind.

The colder he became, the faster the warmth in Yu Li's heart dissipated, and she became even more concerned about Lou Xiao'e—wasn't it only after Xu Damao cornered her that she finally agreed to go to the He family? He complained about how tiring it was for him, how difficult the days were, and tacitly allowed her to bow down and fawn over him, but now he turned on her faster than flipping through a book.

Even couples need to maintain a sense of dignity and have boundaries in their daily lives. Yu Li wasn't the type to kneel and grovel; she'd rather endure being scolded than cower and pretend not to see.

As soon as Yu Li stepped into the He family's courtyard, she saw Lou Xiao'e gently patting He Xiao's back. The little guy burped, grinned, and giggled. Yu Li stood at the door for a moment, then felt a pang of sadness: if she and Xu Damao had such a soft little person, they probably wouldn't have bothered competing with He Yuzhu.

"Yu Li, you're here? Come in and have a seat!"

Lou Xiao'e put the child in the cradle, hung up the rattle drum, and brought out a plate of amber-colored melon seeds, amber-colored walnuts, and candied plums, inviting her to sit down.

"It's been a long time since you've stepped foot on my door."

Although Xu Damao and He Yuzhu didn't get along, Lou Xiao'e had long since figured out Yu Li's true nature—she wasn't malicious, kept her mouth shut, and was willing to tell the truth. If she really had ulterior motives, Lou Xiao'e would have already shut her up; besides, she relied entirely on Yu Li's help in taking care of the baby for the first few months, otherwise she would have been overwhelmed by diapers, night feedings, and crying.

Yu Li forced a smile, which looked a little stiff: "Xiao'e, I'm sorry... I only dared to come over after he left."

In the past, she would have already reached out and grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds to crack open; but today, she didn't even move a fingertip.

"What's wrong?"

Upon hearing this question, Yu Li's eyes immediately reddened, and she poured out the whole story of the cold war that had just taken place—she didn't even hide the fact that Xu Damao was secretly plotting how to trip up the He family.

She was truly heartbroken before she was willing to utter every single word of these words into Lou Xiao'e's ears.

"Dealing with the He family? Yu Li, if he really dares to make a move, don't stop him this time, and don't clean up his mess."

Lou Xiao'e smiled gently and tapped the coffee table with her finger: "There are four channels left by He Yuzhu alone—Director Zhang of the Foreign Trade Department, Li Huaide, and even his father-in-law; there is Bai Danyu, who is ostensibly his adopted sister, but is actually the deputy director of the washing machine factory, with a lot of connections; and finally, there is Team Leader Wang of the transistor computer group."

Bai Danyu is not only a well-known figure in the factory, but also has many relatives across several regions. He is considered a respectable person who has a stable and established position in Beijing.

"I'm determined to leave him alone! Xu Damao is an ungrateful wolf! I've run around doing everything for him, and he turns around and blames me for not being able to have children—his parents are even worse; every time they see me, they make sarcastic remarks, constantly mentioning 'the hen that doesn't lay eggs'!"

Yu Li finished speaking through gritted teeth, her nails digging into her palms, the pain bringing her back to her senses.

Lou Xiao'e sighed, "Sigh, if I had known some people a few years ago, I wouldn't have pushed you into this fire pit..."

Yu Li's nose stung with tears, but she remained silent. She regretted it too—if she had asked one more question or made one more trip back then, she might have overheard the neighbors gossiping behind her back, "Xu Damao has seduced three girls" and "His mother chased away two wives back then."

At that time, the Yu family was only focused on the thick stack of betrothal gifts, the impressive projectionist uniform, and Xu Damao's smooth-talking skills that could make people's ears burn. Yu's parents didn't even lift their eyelids before nodding and sending her into the Xu family's door.

The Yu family benefited, but what about Yu Li? After being married for several years, her belly was flat, her husband was rarely seen, she was always getting into trouble, and going back to her parents' home was like taking a detour. She rarely even showed up during holidays—her life was not much better than that of a widow.

"Xiao'e...I want to ask you for a favor."

Yu Li remained silent for a long time, then suddenly straightened her back. Her voice was not loud, but every word was firm: "I want to borrow four hundred yuan from you. Not for free. I've saved forty-two yuan, and for the rest, I'll write an IOU and pay back ten yuan every month after I start working, not a penny less, until it's all paid off."

Four hundred dollars might get you an ordinary job; a secure job like a steel mill would cost at least six or seven hundred, and you might not even be considered a top candidate.

But today, those words, "Eating and drinking from the Xu family's food," felt like a knife stabbing into her heart—she had to find her own way to survive. Otherwise, she could only rely on mending and sewing shoe soles for others, earning a few cents a day. In this courtyard, only Lou Xiao'e was generous, giving two or three cents for making a garment; as for others? Giving two or three ounces of cornmeal was considered kind.

Besides Lou Xiao'e, who else could she turn to? Xu Damao absolutely refused to let her go to work; the Xu family's meager savings meant they were careful even when buying a pack of cigarettes; Xu's parents only cared about their grandson and practically wanted to force-feed her medicine; as for the Yu family? Yu Haitang was the apple of their eye, and they had already saved up enough money to secure a good future for her.

"Are you planning to buy a job? Do you have someone you know who can recommend you?"

Lou Xiao'e asked bluntly. In this day and age, buying a job is almost like stepping on a landmine; one wrong step and you lose all your money and become a laughingstock.

Yu Li was taken aback, then honestly shook her head: "I haven't even gotten to the bottom of it yet... I'll ask around first."

Lou Xiao'e hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking: "I do know someone who might be able to lend a hand. But I'll have to ask her first."

Yu Li's eyes lit up immediately: "Really? Xiao'e, if it works out, I'll risk my life to repay you!"

"Whether it will work out or not is still uncertain. That person is He Yuzhu's adopted sister. She used to be his colleague at the steel rolling mill, and now she is the deputy director of the washing machine factory. Her surname is Bai, and her name is Bai Danyu."

Lou Xiao'e paused, then added, "Let me sound you out first. If it works out, I'll let you know right away; if it doesn't, then you can think of something else."

By helping her this time, Yu Li would be the first to inform Lou Xiao'e of any future developments on Xu Damao's side—Lou Xiao'e felt that this was a worthwhile investment.

"Xiao'e..."

"No need to thank me." Lou Xiao'e waved her hand, her tone light. "You're someone I trust. Why bother explaining when I'm helping you?"

For a girl from the Lou family, things that others considered unattainable were nothing more than a request or a phone call. Years ago, she wouldn't even need to ask; her family would have taken care of it.

Now that He Yuzhu has established himself, if he were to take just one more step forward, he would have already been appointed deputy factory director, and might even be on his way to the position of factory director.

As soon as Lou Xiao'e spoke, Yu Li felt a surge of warmth in her heart, and her eyes welled up with tears of gratitude—where was Xu Damao? He only made sure she was fed and clothed, and he was stingy with even a kind word, let alone making any plans for her; but Lou Xiao'e truly cared about her affairs, running around for her without the slightest perfunctory attitude.

High judgment.

Two days later, in Heilongjiang Province.

As soon as He Yuzhu and his group stepped off the platform, several off-road vehicles covered in mud came to a steady stop, and the people were swiftly picked up as soon as the doors opened.

Before long, the group of experts and technical personnel who had come from Beijing were escorted into a heavily guarded research institute. Four armed sentries stood ramrod straight at the entrance, their breathing even measured in rhythm; the entire compound, even the shadows of the trees, exuded a solemn atmosphere.

The director was already waiting outside the iron gate. Seeing the convoy approach, he quickly went to greet them and grabbed Leader Wang's hand: "We've been waiting for you! Leader Wang, the Shanghai team arrived a long time ago, we were just waiting for your group!"

"We ran into a few mishaps on the way, but it was worth the few days!" Leader Wang laughed heartily, then turned and patted He Yuzhu on the shoulder. "This is He Yuzhu. We made a special detour to coordinate and invite him here—the project's progress is all thanks to his 'skillful hands' that we've accelerated it."

He Yuzhu stepped forward with a smile and shook hands with the director. The surrounding professors nodded in agreement, their faces showing no dissent—the few technical problems he had casually solved and the three improvement sketches he had drawn on the train during those two days had already won them all over.

"Alright, Yu Li, just go directly to the washing machine factory and find Deputy Factory Director Bai Danyu."

A week later, Lou Xiao'e called Yu Li to her home and handed her a note with a smile.

She had a good impression of Bai Danyu: she was young but had taken on the role of deputy factory director; she was pretty and shy; when she first met her, she spoke softly and her tongue was tied; it was hard to imagine that she was giving orders in the workshop.

"Xiao'e, I really don't know how to thank you!" Yu Li's voice trembled, and her eyes reddened. "A permanent position! Others would pull strings and beg their eyes out to get one, but you got it with just one question!"

Xu Damao, on the other hand, is always glaring at Lou Xiao'e. Doesn't he fear that one day she might just wipe him out with a flick of her wrist?

In the past two days, she and Xu Damao had two more fights—even trivial matters could escalate into a powder keg. The first time, Yu Li was so angry that she slammed the medical examination report on the dining table; Xu Damao jumped up and tried to grab her collar, and their shouts made the window frame vibrate.

Even Uncle Liu Haizhong was alarmed, and he grabbed the gate and shouted, "What's going on? Are you going to demolish the house?" Only then did he manage to stop the car.

But that last bit of affection between them vanished along with the shouting. Divorce? It'll just be a matter of who tears off the mask first.

At first, Yu Li was hesitant—she was unemployed and divorced, so she could only go back to her parents' home. Back then, divorced women were considered a hot potato by their families. Going back to live with them would mean freeloading, which would lead to gossip from the neighbors and embarrassment from her parents, who would be eager to push her back into someone else's home.

Remarried? She'll probably be a widowed man. The Xu family elders probably won't even bother asking her a question; they just hope she disappears quickly so she won't be an eyesore.

But things are different now.

With formal employment status, one can stand tall. The salary may not be amazing, but it's more than enough to support oneself steadily; in the hands of matchmakers, a divorced person with a "secure job" is still highly sought after.