Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

It's not about flipping the table, but about letting the other party know: there are lines you can't cross.

He went straight to the neighborhood office and told them the whole story.

"That Yi Zhonghai!" Upon hearing this, Director Wang slammed his hand on the table, his face turning pale.

She initially valued Yi Zhonghai because he was a level six fitter, steady and reliable, which is why she entrusted the "old man" position to him.

Who would have thought that someone who appears so dignified and respected in public would resort to such underhanded tactics behind the scenes!

Donations from private organizations? They call it helping out, but these three old men are just unofficial mediators—no official positions, no authority. What right do they have to collect money and solicit donations? Rules aren't just for show!

However, considering that he was genuinely thinking of Old Lady Li, Director Wang decided to let the matter drop for the time being.

But a warning must be given—in the future, similar incidents must be reported to the subdistrict office for record-keeping. We support good deeds, but we will never tolerate overstepping boundaries!

What truly enraged her was what happened next: Why did they arbitrarily distribute other people's lunchboxes?

A sixteen-year-old boy, a child of workers and peasants, and you, a mere official in charge, can just order him around like that? What do you call that? That's an abuse of power! If this precedent is set, other courtyards will follow suit, distributing lunch boxes today and rations tomorrow. How can the neighborhood committee control that?

"Zhu Zi, you go to work first." Director Wang's tone softened a bit. "Tonight I'm going to your compound and have a serious talk with you! These three old men are over a hundred years old combined, how come they act like young boys who don't know any rules?"

He Yuzhu nodded and turned to leave.

Sunlight slanted across his shoulders; his steps were light, yet carried an undeniable sharpness.

He Yuzhu nodded slightly, then suddenly seemed to remember something and turned to Director Wang, saying, "Director Wang, Uncle Yan Bugui shouldn't know about this yet, right?"

"Yes, I know," Director Wang replied casually.

After saying that, He Yuzhu said no more, turned around and pushed open the door to leave.

Sunlight slanted across the blue brick ground, and a slight smile played on his lips—this time, let's see how you dare to act so arrogantly in the yard, Yi Zhonghai!

They've already mastered the old tricks of "the big boss in charge" and "the whole hospital meeting" from their past lives.

Yi Zhonghai constantly talked about building a "harmonious courtyard house," acting like a highly respected person; Liu Haizhong was even more obsessed with officialdom, seizing every opportunity to show off his status as a powerful figure, as if he couldn't feel right without giving a few lectures.

After a long day at work, having to come home and listen to their petty squabbles is unbearable. He Yuzhu had been itching to find a chance to put an end to their power struggle.

Now that he has such a golden opportunity, how could he possibly miss it?

After leaving the subdistrict office, he hopped on his old-fashioned bicycle, pushed off, and the wheels spun rapidly, heading straight for Fengzeyuan.

I arrived a little later than usual today, but thankfully I didn't miss work.

He wiped his sweat, leaned his bicycle against the wall, and went into the kitchen.

I've been really busy lately—making furniture, visiting martial arts masters with my master Li Yuanguo, I've been so busy I haven't had a moment to spare.

But he felt at ease. Although he was tired, he could see his skill bar rising steadily on the system panel every day. That sense of security was more refreshing than drinking ten bowls of slow-cooked soup.

The afternoon customers gradually thinned out. A plate of spicy diced chicken had just been stir-fried in front of the stove, and oil droplets were still jumping around the edge of the wok when the manager of Fengzeyuan Restaurant lifted the curtain and came in with a smile on his face: "Master Li, Master He, please come with me."

Li Yuanguo and He Yuzhu exchanged a glance, immediately put down their work, and followed the shopkeeper to the front hall.

"Shopkeeper, what's the matter that you're taking so seriously?" Li Yuanguo asked as he walked.

"Hey, good news!" the shopkeeper said in a low voice. "Just now, a customer finished his meal and kept slapping his thigh, insisting that we go out and host a banquet."

His identity is also quite impressive; he's the director of the Ministry of Industry, a regular customer who's been coming every day lately. He's probably been hooked by Xiao He's cooking.

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu quickly waved his hand, "Oh, please don't flatter me. It's all thanks to Master's judgment that my senior brother and I dared to use the knife and stir-fry."

This sounds modest, but it's actually very well-founded.

Li Yuanguo felt pleased to hear this, but knowing he couldn't overlook his apprentice's achievements, he laughed and said, "Alright, stop pretending. Your senior brother's skills are only slightly inferior to mine when I was young—but manager, you can decide this, why make us choose?"

The shopkeeper waved his hand: "No, no, you have to leave at least one person in the shop to keep things in order, otherwise I'll have to cook myself tonight, and I'll just work myself to death."

The three chatted and laughed as they arrived outside a private room in the front hall.

Pushing open the door, He Yuzhu saw only three people sitting inside. He was stunned as he glanced around—the middle-aged man in the main seat, wearing a dark Zhongshan suit and with a calm face, was none other than Li Huaide, the factory director.

However, the public-private partnership had not yet begun, and he was still working in the Ministry of Industry, which was a time of great success for him.

The shopkeeper bowed and introduced, "Director Li, the dishes you are eating today were made by Chef Li and Chef He together."

Regarding your suggestion to hire external catering staff, you should discuss it directly with them.

"Thank you for your hard work, Manager Li." Li Huaide stood up and smiled, his gaze falling on He Yuzhu with a hint of surprise: "Masters, my father-in-law is celebrating his 70th birthday the day after tomorrow. The old man is from Sichuan and has been longing for the taste of his hometown all his life."

I've eaten a lot of Sichuan food in Beijing, but yours is the most authentic.

If it's convenient for you two, could you please come to my home and prepare a Sichuan feast?

"It's no big deal!" Li Yuanguo laughed loudly, then turned to look at He Yuzhu, "This job can be done by my little apprentice."

The spicy diced chicken and boiled fish you're eating today were all prepared by this kid.

Don't let his young age fool you; his skills are impressive.

Li Huaide raised an eyebrow, clearly somewhat surprised.

But the shopkeeper and Li Yuanguo wouldn't joke about something like this, so they turned to He Yuzhu: "Oh? So you're the junior chef? Well... what do you think?"

He Yuzhu remained calm, but his tone was resolute: "It's all up to Master and the manager."

Li Yuanguo slammed his hand on the table: "It's settled then! Zhu Zi, give it your all, don't let Fengzeyuan down!"

"Yes, Master." He Yuzhu nodded, then turned to Li Huaide, his eyes bright. "Director Li, rest assured, on the day of the birthday banquet, I guarantee the birthday celebrant will be all smiles, and the guests will be so engrossed they won't want to put down their chopsticks—the taste will be absolutely no less than today's meal!"

……

In their past lives, He Yuzhu and Li Huaide had a falling out and even arm wrestled.

One incident involved witnessing the ambiguous relationship between Liu Lan and Li Huaide, which caused quite a stir; the other was about Qin Huairu—that old man dared to make a move on her, and he ended up slapping her to the ground in public.

But this person is strange; he holds grudges, but he's a master at recognizing and employing people.

Even if he was beaten black and blue, they would still pull him out of the workshop and put him into the canteen's kitchen so that he could have a taste of authentic Sichuan cuisine.

What's even more outrageous is that this guy is incredibly lucky and has an even stronger life.

No matter how big the storm, he remained as steady as an old dog, living a peaceful and uneventful life until he was laid off, finally packing up a sum of money and making a graceful exit.

Calling him a shrewd and cunning person is no exaggeration.

He Yuzhu had never had any grudges against Li Huaide in his life. Besides, he had been thinking of using his cooking skills to build connections. And now, the opportunity had come knocking on his door.

Li Huaide is now the director of the Ministry of Industry, and his father-in-law is a high-ranking official with impeccable political credentials.

Being able to build a relationship is certainly a bonus, but even if you can't, earning a day's wages for free is still worthwhile.

After getting off work, He Yuzhu, as usual, carried two lunch boxes and pushed a cart home.

Actually, he originally wanted to bring three—the extra one was for Grandma Li's family.

But then I thought about it again. There are rules in the kitchen that no one can take more than their share. If I break the rules, others will suffer.

He grinned and decided to go back and cook a simple vegetarian dish to make do, which would not only satisfy Yushui's hunger but also help her lose weight.

He's been eating lots of meat and fish every day lately, and he's gotten so fat that he can barely breathe when he's riding his bicycle.

After picking up He Yushui, we rode back to the courtyard house and saw a large group of people standing in the central garden.

It wasn't that the three old men were holding another "hospital-wide meeting," but rather that Director Wang himself had come.

As soon as Director Wang saw him, he immediately called out, "Zhu Zi, you're back just in time! Put your things away first, then come out for the meeting. I have something to say."

"Okay, Director Wang!" He Yuzhu replied readily, his lips curving upwards in an uncontrollable smile.

He deftly pushed his bicycle into the house, led the rain-soaked bicycle out, and the relaxed look on his face made it clear to anyone with eyes that this matter was probably related to him.

Director Wang looked around, cleared his throat, and suddenly raised his voice: "I'm here today to make two things clear! First, from now on, anyone in the courtyard who makes donations must report to the street office! I heard that you secretly raised money for Old Lady Li yesterday, and it was those three 'managing uncles' who led it? The intention was good, but the rules can't be broken! Bypassing the organization is a violation, and in serious cases, it's a crime! Do you understand?!"

Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai's expression immediately changed.

Oh no, they're bringing up old grievances!

He thought he had gotten away with what happened yesterday, but then Director Wang kicked the door open and hit him right where it hurt!

Sha Zhu... it must have been Sha Zhu who told on you!

He glared at He Yuzhu, who was grinning broadly, making no attempt to hide his smugness.

Yi Zhonghai's heart skipped a beat—this kid wasn't afraid of them at all! What kind of big shot was he? In the face of the system, he was just an idle person with no title or status. What could he possibly fight against?

Director Wang's gaze was sharp as he pointed directly at the two men: "Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong, I can understand your good intentions, but this is called doing something bad with good intentions! This is your first offense, and ignorance is no excuse, so we will not pursue the matter."

But this is a one-time exception! Any future donations must be reported to the subdistrict office; otherwise, they will be treated as a disciplinary violation!

"Yes, yes, Director Wang, we know we were wrong. We'll definitely report it first next time!" Yi Zhonghai lowered his head, his tone as obedient as a cat whose tail had been stepped on.