Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

When the food was served, Jia Zhangshi stopped her from touching her chopsticks, muttering, "You went to the hospital, why don't you eat with Uncle? It'll save you two cornbread buns at home, isn't that better?"

Qin Huairu understood immediately—they probably did the same thing at noon. But she wasn't buying it; she had long seen through the principle of playing the long game. She pretended not to hear, picked up her bowl and ate her food clean, then picked up her lunchbox and strolled off to the hospital.

Jia Zhangshi was so angry that she started cursing as soon as she stepped out the door: she had a big appetite, and if she could take away Qin Huairu's share of food, she could have a good night's sleep; now that her hopes were dashed and her painkillers were all gone, she had no choice but to endure it.

The aroma of meat wafting from next door kept filling her nostrils, making her stomach rumble with hunger. She secretly took out some money, saying she was going for a stroll, but actually headed straight for the food stall to treat herself to a delicious meal.

She was not one to mistreat herself—although her retirement savings had dried up, she still had half of Old Jia's pension and half of Jia Dongxu's compensation in her hands, enough for her to live comfortably and have a good meal every day.

"Huairu, has the factory helped me get leave?"

"Uncle, don't worry, I've already spoken to the workshop foreman. However... I heard that the news of you being beaten by He Yuzhu has already spread throughout the factory."

As Qin Huairu lifted the lid of the lunchbox, she gently moved the small cabinet to the bedside, her movements swift and deliberate.

This thoughtfulness far surpasses that of Jia Zhangshi; in addition, the ward was warm and cozy, and she felt hot as soon as she entered, so she casually took off her coat and draped it over the back of the chair.

Those full and firm features made Yi Zhonghai's Adam's apple bob, and he secretly followed them several times, unable to look away.

"What do they know? They're talking nonsense!"

Yi Zhonghai immediately flew into a rage upon hearing this, "The factory leaders are biased! This matter should have been reported to the police, but it was suppressed; and Liu Haizhong, what a idiot, he didn't go to the union when something happened, but instead went to those people in the security department..."

Qin Huairu's words were like a fuse, instantly igniting his pent-up anger.

He cares more about his reputation than his health—now he's not only been beaten and is in the hospital, but even his last shred of dignity has been completely destroyed.

Even the voluptuous curves swaying before his eyes couldn't suppress the pent-up frustration and resentment surging in his heart.

"Sir, please don't get upset. The factory already issued a disciplinary notice against He Yuzhu this morning..."

"What kind of punishment was that? Just a perfunctory warning, nothing serious, and they even made sure he paid exactly the medical expenses, not a penny more, not a penny less..."

Yi Zhonghai suppressed his anger and gritted his teeth at He Yuzhu. This time he had really suffered a big setback, but he had also seen clearly that He Yuzhu was not an ordinary backer.

Even so, he would never back down. This was no longer a matter of pride, but an obsession ingrained in his bones; if he didn't personally bring down He Yuzhu, he would probably be so angry that he would die of rage every time he thought about it for the rest of his life.

What's the point of talking about enjoying a peaceful old age? His enemy is living a prosperous and stable life, while this old man with a limp doesn't even have anyone to bring him tea or medicine.

Qin Huairu is indeed hardworking and reliable, but she's burdened with the mess that is the Jia family—they're barely making ends meet themselves and have to ask him for help every few days, so she's clearly not a good choice for retirement.

But no one can match Qin Huairu's meticulousness. If she could get rid of Jia Dongxu and find someone who listens to her, is capable, and can take care of her in her old age, then her retirement would truly be settled.

The moment Yi Zhonghai opened his eyes in his hospital bed, he realized his health was deteriorating day by day. If he didn't quickly find a suitable replacement, he feared that once he was truly bedridden, he wouldn't even have the chance to regret it.

"Grandpa, don't worry about that now, eat it while it's hot."

Qin Huairu deftly broke the steamed bun into small pieces and carefully placed them into the lunchbox so he could slowly chew with the vegetables using his right hand. His left hand was wrapped in gauze and he couldn't move it, so eating with one hand was already the limit.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you, Huairu."

Looking at the gentle and considerate person before him, Yi Zhonghai felt a sense of comfort and a smile appeared on his face—it was nothing compared to Jia Zhangshi's perfunctory attitude at noon. As soon as the food was served, his stomach was already rumbling, and he quickly devoured it all.

After wiping his mouth, he looked up and asked, "Huairu, what was Zhang Shufen busy with before you came?"

Upon hearing the mention of an older woman, Qin Huairu's heart skipped a beat. After a moment's thought, she replied, "When I just left, she was squatting in the yard washing clothes, like the little jackets of the He family's child..."

"Hmph, stubborn to the end!"

Yi Zhonghai squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth, his voice so low it was like a cat scratching wood. Qin Huairu barely heard him, only noticing his furrowed brow and ashen face, so she wisely shut her mouth.

After a brief pause, he spoke again in a deep voice: "Go back and pass on a message—Zhang Shufen must bring breakfast first thing tomorrow morning. Your mother-in-law, don't show your face!"

"Okay, I'll definitely explain it to that old lady when I get back."

Qin Huairu sighed inwardly: Her mother-in-law had probably angered Yi Zhonghai again. She had hoped to ease tensions by delivering the meal, but instead, it had only added fuel to the fire.

The Jia family mother and son were truly difficult to discipline—one was lazy to the bone, and the other was lazy, greedy, and cunning. Fortunately, she controlled the family income; otherwise, they probably wouldn't see a single piece of meat for a whole month.

After taking a shower, He Yuzhu immediately rolled up his sleeves and started cooking, preparing a table full of hearty dishes.

I have to go back to the steel rolling mill tomorrow. The mill already knew, and being allowed a day off is already a great favor.

These days, who talks about "returning to work for a vacation"? As long as you return to work, you have to be in the workshop right on time the next day, without fail.

His hard work resulted in the entire courtyard suffering – the aroma wafted through the air, making all the neighbors drool, but they could only stare helplessly, unable to get a single bite.

The meal consisted of five dishes and a soup, with the venison soup being his own recipe and the bear paw serving as the grand finale. Such a feast was extremely rare, even nationwide. He entered at three in the afternoon, taking out semi-processed ingredients from his personal space. He spent more than six o'clock just stewing and reducing the sauce.

Looking at the table full of delicacies, Yu Li felt weak in the knees and hesitated to sit down. If it were just ordinary pork, she could use the excuse of being "close friends with Lou Xiao'e" to eat less or make up for it by doing more work.

But the venison and bear paws were so precious that her face burned with embarrassment, and she didn't even dare to pick them up with her chopsticks.

Finally, Lou Xiao'e pulled her down to sit, and the three of them, plus two-year-old He Xiao, were finally able to sit down for dinner.

He Xiao is now two years old and can drink some light and refreshing soup.

Just as they were picking up their chopsticks, someone from the steel rolling mill suddenly arrived—Director Yang's secretary. He entered and only said one sentence: "You must be on duty tomorrow morning. The higher-ups just notified us that an important leader will be making a surprise inspection tomorrow."

He Yuzhu readily agreed. He had already planned to return to work, but he couldn't go to Bai Danyu's place for the time being, and going to Chen Xueru's place too often would easily cause gossip, so going to work was the safest option.

As soon as the person left, Lou Xiao'e, not even bothering to put down her chopsticks, hurriedly asked, "Yuzhu, are we going to give you an award?"

"It's hard to say, we'll know when we get there tomorrow morning."

He Yuzhu shook his head, thought for a moment, and said, "I'm not too clear on what's going on at the factory, but our project has been underway for a while now. If we're really going to give them a commendation, it should be around now. Maybe in a couple of days, it'll be on the front page of the newspaper!"

In those days, any major achievement would be published in the newspapers to encourage and boost the morale of the entire nation.

Lou Xiao'e's eyes lit up: "So what kind of reward can we get this time?"

Looking at her excited expression, He Yuzhu smiled and shook his head: "Our family has everything we need right now. What do you want? I don't really want a promotion; I'd probably prefer honor..."

"Director He, you're back?"

"Master, you're finally back!"

"Uncle-Master..."

As soon as He Yuzhu stepped into the steel rolling mill, he was greeted by a chorus of voices. People in the canteen and the farm were genuinely happy to see him—it was clear that he was well-liked and influential in the factory.

"MCA, where's my senior brother?"

He strolled around the cafeteria and casually asked, "Uncle-Master was just here; he probably went to the outhouse." Ma Hua immediately replied, "He was just here; he probably went to the restroom."

"When he gets back, have him come directly to my office."

After giving his instructions, He Yuzhu turned around and went to the purchasing department. He greeted Section Chief Zhou and held a brief meeting with him.

After the two entered the office one after the other, his senior colleague Zhang Deliang also rushed over.

During He Yuzhu's absence from the factory, Zhang Deliang took charge of cooking at the private kitchen. Although his Sichuan cuisine wasn't as dazzling as He Yuzhu's, he had been immersed in the art for over ten years, and his skills were among the best in Beijing.

Those leaders from other places who had never tasted He Yuzhu's cooking skills all gave a thumbs up and exclaimed how amazing it was after eating a few of Zhang Deliang's signature dishes.

As soon as the two entered the office, He Yuzhu closed the door behind him, turned around and took out two jars of amber-colored ginseng wine from the cabinet, placing them on the table: "I just brought them back from the Northeast. They're not anything rare. Put them in your bag when you leave, so no one else can see them."

When you mention the three treasures of Northeast China, the first thing that comes to mind is ginseng; but for He Yuzhu, this stuff is no longer precious—on his last trip to Hong Kong, he left all the old ginseng he had saved to Lou's father, but the ginseng field in his space has long since sprouted new shoots.

"Ginseng medicinal wine? I've heard that Director He is an expert at brewing it! This kind of thing is hard to find even if you have money on the market, so I really won't refuse, Director He!"

Section Chief Zhou's eyes lit up, and he rubbed his hands together and accepted the gift with a smile.

He had worked with He Yuzhu at the steel rolling mill for many years; they were not only superior and subordinate but also old acquaintances. A few years ago, when he went to the countryside to work, he brought back a few baskets of local eggs and a few wild rabbits, and immediately sent some to He Yuzhu. He knew that the other party might not care about them, but the gift was small but the sentiment was deep, and it was always heartwarming.

Zhang Deliang hesitated before reaching out, and whispered, "Junior brother, isn't this... a bit too thick?"

"Senior brother, take it. It's nothing special. Master has some ready too."

Before He Yuzhu could finish speaking, he seized the opportunity to ask about the main topic: "During the year I was gone, Jiang Shouqin didn't make things difficult for you, did he?"

"How could I not have made things difficult!" Section Chief Zhou immediately lowered his voice, his brows furrowing. "Thank goodness I listened to you and put all the invoices, ledgers, and transfer drafts into a locked metal box beforehand. Otherwise, he would probably have taken my job as the head of the purchasing department long ago!"