Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Only after their figures completely disappeared into the alley did He Yuzhu breathe a sigh of relief and pat Yushui on the shoulder: "Let go. From now on, avoid them when you see them. I'll ride my bike to pick you up at the school gate on weekends."

Raindrop pouted, looking a little aggrieved: "I stopped paying attention to them a long time ago... but I ran into them again on the way back, and they followed me all the way to the gate of the courtyard. I couldn't shake them off."

"They think they can act tough just because they have connections? If they cause trouble at school again, I'll report them to the teacher or call me—I'll teach them a lesson they won't forget!"

He reached out and ruffled his sister's hair, his tone softening: "Alright, she's waiting in the stove. It's rare for you to come back, come on in—I'll show you what I can do for you today."

When it comes to connections, he's truly fearless. Not to mention the old leaders he knows, his own hands, his brain, and the path he's forged are enough to make any petty person think twice—anyone who dares to reach out will have to ask for permission first.

Once a nimble and tough guy was completely unleashed, hundreds or even thousands of soldiers couldn't do anything to He Yuzhu—when he got serious, he carried a car and ran away.

As soon as the two siblings stepped into the courtyard, He Yuzhu immediately tied on his apron and started cooking. He made two kinds of pies: one with a rich and savory beef filling, and the other with a sweet and chewy sugar filling; the sugar filling was specially prepared for He Yushui, because she became picky about food as soon as she got home, finding chicken soup noodles too greasy and insisting on eating smooth and chewy cold shredded chicken noodles.

He only comes home once a week, and he's the only educated person in the He family to walk in with a university acceptance letter, so He Yuzhu could only nod in agreement.

As soon as the stove fire blazed, an irresistible aroma filled the entire courtyard, making even He Xiao, who was tilting his head to read, bang on the table and shout that he was hungry.

The Jia family next door and Yi Zhonghai were drooling at the smell, but their bowls only contained thin corn porridge, hard cornbread, and a dish of pickled radish strips that had turned white – this was the dinner of more than 90% of ordinary people at that time.

Only a very small number of people can afford to eat well every day; but they did risk their lives and shed blood in the hail of bullets in their early years. Besides, while others have professional cooks, He Yuzhu personally takes charge of the cooking, and he creates all the smoky flavors himself.

Banggeng squatted against the wall, swallowing hard, wishing he could sneak into the He family's kitchen for a peek. But he knew very well that he would get beaten up if he went.

But these past few days I haven't been able to find a loophole—when I rush back from school, there's always someone at the He family's house waiting for me; and when the food is on the table, the kitchen door clicks shut, locking it tighter than a safe.

That room wasn't just a stove; it was clearly a small granary: seven or eight strips of glistening cured meat hung from the beams, and jars and pots were stuffed with pickles, vermicelli, and salted duck eggs... Who would dare to leave He Yuzhu unlocked the door?

During the day, there's no way you can sneak in—Lou Xiao'e can push open the door from the inner room directly to the kitchen without even touching the outer door.

As soon as the meal was served, the He family sat down and began to eat. Although Yu Li was not a member of the same family, she got along very well with Lou Xiao'e and He Yushui, like sisters, so she naturally brought her bowl to the table as well. Now they didn't distinguish between "yours" and "mine" anymore, and were like one of the family.

But just as He Yuzhu picked up his first chopstick, three police officers from the local police station arrived outside the courtyard gate. After finding out the address, they strode straight to his house.

The He family never closed the door when they ate, and the three of them stepped inside, their voices booming: "Who is He Yuzhu? Come with us!"

"That's me. But—who are you? From the East District Police Station?"

He Yuzhu put down his chopsticks and stood up. His gaze swept over them, and he knew perfectly well that these three were probably standing up for the few kids from the compound whom he had just publicly reprimanded.

"You are suspected of intentional assault; please cooperate with the investigation!"

One of them didn't answer at all, but simply shook off the handcuffs and made a move to lock the person up.

Lou Xiao'e jumped to her feet: "Yuzhu, I'll call someone right away!"

Before she could finish speaking, a police officer stepped in front of her, blocking her way, and shouted sternly, "Stop! Are you involved in the case too? Trying to tip someone off? Take me away with you!"

That was their plan—to prevent her from contacting the outside world. They only dared to act so arrogantly because they had someone backing them up.

But as soon as the man raised his hand, he received a solid slap across the face. With a crisp "smack," he spun around on the spot and crashed heavily to the ground.

"You've got some nerve, haven't you? You can't even say where you're from, but you dare to handcuff my wife?"

He Yuzhu sneered, his lips taut like a knife. "Fine, since you're willing to be dogs, today I'll turn this place upside down and see if you'll still be able to lick my boots in the end!"

"You've gone too far! You dare assault a police officer?!"

The other two men had already put their hands on their sidearms and were about to pounce on him to subdue him—they had never seen anyone in their lives dare to swing their arms at a policeman.

"Save your energy!"

He Yuzhu reached out and his fingertips precisely caught the trigger guards of the two guns. With two crisp "clicks," the triggers snapped on the spot. Then, he kicked out with both feet, sending the two men flying three steps backward.

"Rain pillars..."

Lou Xiao'e's face turned pale and her voice trembled—those were people in police uniforms.

He Yuzhu waved his hand, his tone calm: "Don't be afraid, these guys are just stirring things up. It must have been those bastards who instigated them. I'll go out now and settle things once and for all. You guys keep eating, no need to wait for me."

After saying that, he kicked the man on the ground: "Get up! Lead the way to your director. I want to see how this matter will end today!"

The man, clutching his swollen face, scrambled to his feet and roared hoarsely, "So! You dare to assault a police officer? I bet you're a spy! I advise you to surrender immediately; going against the government will only lead to disaster!"

"Pah! If you were a truly good policeman serving the people, I'd respect you; but you come up here handcuffed without even explaining your jurisdiction, and you're clearly not smart enough—if you went to the steel mill's security department, would they dare to come knocking like this?!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he casually removed the trigger from the man's gun and shoved him out the door: "Come on! Take me to your station and see if the station chief also intends to use public power for private gain!"

Just as He Yuzhu stepped out the door, Lou Xiao'e suddenly called out, "Wait!" She turned around and went back into the house, took out the Medal of the Republic that he had been awarded a few days ago, and personally pinned it to his chest, saying softly, "I'll go make a call now..."

"Well, don't hide the truth about the rain. I was the one who taught those three thugs a lesson first. Just tell the truth."

He originally planned to contact the factory after arriving at the police station, but then he thought again—these people might say they'd "cooperate with the investigation," but they might not actually take you to a proper place. It would be faster and more reliable to have Lou Xiao'e make the call directly.

After giving his instructions, he kicked each of the three men on the ground once: "Are you coming or not? If you dawdle any longer, I'll personally take you to the East City branch!"

"He Yuzhu! I'm warning you, we are the people's police, this is blatant resistance to law enforcement..."

"Stop with the nonsense! I'm still the logistics director of the Third Steel Rolling Mill, a level 16 administrative cadre! Did you even consult with the factory's security department before coming to arrest me? Do you really think our factory's security department is made of paper?"

He Yuzhu kicked the policeman who had spoken in the shin with such force that the man staggered back a couple of steps before regaining his balance. He grabbed the man by the back of the collar and shoved him forward: "I bent the bolt of your gun, what are you pretending to be confused about? This isn't over until you call your superiors here! I want to see—whether this was your own decision or ordered from above!"

The three policemen turned pale instantly, their hearts feeling as if they had been struck by a heavy hammer: none of them had expected that the person in front of them was actually a level 16 cadre!

This rank was on par with their director; and the Third Steel Rolling Mill where he worked was one of the industrial lifelines of Beijing. There were rumors that the factory's security department wielded more power than two police stations combined.

The three men grew increasingly panicked—they had no idea He Yuzhu was the logistics director of the steel rolling mill before they arrived! The deputy director had only vaguely mentioned "arresting a troublemaker," without even specifying his position. According to regulations, taking action against an official of this rank without approval from the municipal bureau or filing with the Ministry of Industry was simply reckless!

Unless it involves enemy agents or a murder case, why would it be their turn to come to the door handcuffed?

As soon as they stepped out of the courtyard, the oldest policeman wiped his sweat and tentatively began, "Director He... what do you think of this matter..."

"Stop trying to get on my good side! Who's your director?" He Yuzhu sneered, shoving the three men aside. "If you don't give me an explanation today, this isn't over! I didn't break a gun, I broke your wishful thinking—you think you can get away with a few sweet words?"

The medal on his chest gleamed heavily in the sunlight, and his voice suddenly rose: "I don't bother arguing with you! When you see your leader, let him weigh this medal in his own hands—you lot probably don't even recognize what's engraved on the back!"

The three men stared intently at the medal. One of them swallowed hard, his heart sinking: the newspaper had featured it on the front page a couple of days ago—the "Industrial Pioneer" gold medal, personally awarded by the deputy leader! What kind of person had the deputy director ordered them to kidnap? Was it a forced abduction from another region?!

They wanted to de-escalate the situation and quietly withdraw, but He Yuzhu wouldn't give them a way out—not going to their jurisdiction? Fine, then go directly to the Dongcheng District Police Station, or simply send them to the gate of the steel rolling mill's security department!

Just now, with that single arm grab, three people were thrown to the ground like pieces of paper; the throbbing pain in their bones was still lingering, and no matter how much they pleaded and begged, he wouldn't even lift an eyelid. No one was getting away without seeing the boss today.

As soon as He Yuzhu left, Lou Xiao'e picked up the phone and dialed. She then grabbed He Yushui's arm: "Quick, go to the steel rolling mill and explain things to the security department—Director He is a cadre in the factory; if something happens, they can't pretend they didn't see it!"

She wasn't too worried about He Yuzhu suffering a loss: the family had calligraphy personally inscribed by the leader on the wall, and besides, according to He Yushui, it was clearly those people who blocked the door and the road, forcing He Yuzhu to take action.

"What? Our factory director, Director He, has been taken away by the police?"

In the security department's duty room, the team leader jumped up, knocking over his teacup. He Yuzhu was the logistics director! Last time, he beat an eighth-grade fitter in the factory to the hospital, and the security department only managed to quickly detain him, waiting for the factory leaders' signature before making a final decision—in terms of authority, even detaining him for half a day would require reporting!