Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

She is in sixth grade this year and will be entering junior high school soon.

He Yuzhu casually asked about the grades—third in the entire grade.

It sounds good, but in his eyes, it's still far from good.

Taking the college entrance exam? With this ranking, you can't even get past the threshold.

I need to have a serious talk with her tonight.

But He Yushui had no idea what her older brother was planning. All she could think about was: What delicious food is coming out tonight? Her brother didn't bring a lunchbox today, but that didn't matter. Her brother never let his family go hungry.

Back home, He Yuzhu quickly tidied up the house, poked the stove, and the coal fell into the fire pit with a "whoosh," and the flames shot up with a "boom."

As soon as the pot is set up, the meal preparation begins.

Cornbread, steamed buns made from a mixture of corn and water, cornmeal porridge, and the main dish is stewed Chinese sausage with cabbage and vermicelli, plus a side dish of spicy and sour pickled cabbage.

There weren't many dishes, just two kinds, but as soon as that sausage was thrown into the pot, the aroma wafted out of the courtyard, and even Aunt Wang next door could smell it and drool.

He made an extra lot today—he cut two palm-length sausages, intending to give one portion to Old Mrs. Li's family and another box to Old Wang's family.

It's good to share in the joy, after all, He Yuzhu is now a person with a position.

But before the food was even cooked, the door creaked open, and Grandma Li arrived with her two grandsons.

"Oh, ma'am, what a rare guest!" He Yuzhu smiled and looked up. "It's a rare treat to have you here. Why don't you stay for dinner? It'll save you the trouble of going back home."

Knowing that Old Mrs. Li was proud and easily embarrassed, he quickly added, "But you'll have to bring your own staple food; my rice jar is almost empty."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony with you." Surprisingly, Old Mrs. Li didn't refuse; instead, she nodded in agreement, her tone carrying a hint of strangeness. "Zhu Zi, I happen to... have something to tell you."

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu raised an eyebrow slightly.

In the past, she would rather eat cold cornbread than come over for a meal, but today was an exception.

"Alright, then you go back and get the grain first, I'll continue cooking." He said readily, "Let the two children go inside first and listen to the radio with Yushui."

Anyway, there's enough food for three families, so it doesn't matter whose house we eat at.

Grandma Li nodded, told her two grandsons not to cause trouble, and then turned around and went back into the house to get the grain.

Before long, she returned carrying half a pound of cornmeal—more than she usually ate in one meal.

Normally, she eats no more than three ounces of porridge per meal, and a sip of porridge is enough to fill her up.

He Yuzhu took the dough, mixed in some wheat flour, and kneaded it all together to make a two-part dough. He then steamed a pot of soft and fluffy steamed buns.

When the meal was almost ready, he called He Yushui over and said, "Go, get a lunchbox and take a box of sausage and cabbage to Old Wang's house."

The little girl pouted reluctantly, but she did as she was told.

The food was served piping hot.

The sausages were glossy and reddish, the cabbage had soaked up the broth, the glass noodles were smooth and chewy, and the spicy and sour side dishes were crisp and fresh on the side.

The steaming buns made from two kinds of flour were emitting white smoke, and just one whiff of them made your stomach rumble.

The two children from the Li family were initially reserved, shrinking into a corner and afraid to touch their chopsticks.

He Yuzhu picked up a piece of sausage with his chopsticks and put it into their bowls, laughing and scolding, "Eat! Are you just standing there like door gods?"

After several rounds, the two little ones completely let loose and started eating like crazy, leaving the plates cleaner than if they had been washed.

After finishing her meal, Grandma Li took the initiative to get up and clear the dishes: "Zhuzi, I'll wash the dishes and clean the table too."

He Yuzhu didn't stop her, and said cheerfully, "Then I'll leave it to you, ma'am."

He turned around, pulled out two comic books, and tossed them to the Li family's children: "Here, take a look, but don't make a sound."

Immediately afterwards, his face darkened as he looked at He Yushui: "You, your snacks are confiscated and your allowance is suspended until you finish your homework."

"When I get first place in the grade, that's when things will be back to normal."

"Huh?!" He Yushui immediately bristled.

"What?" He Yuzhu raised an eyelid. "Still trying to throw a tantrum? Fine, starting tomorrow, the radio will be turned off, and I won't be giving you any more meat."

With a single sentence, the little girl's face flushed red. She bit her lip and stomped her feet in anger. Finally, holding her breath, she puffed out her cheeks, slammed the door, and went into the inner room to do her homework.

Not long after, Grandma Li returned after washing the dishes and saw her two grandsons engrossed in watching. She couldn't help but laugh: "Zhu Zi, you've figured it out too—I didn't come here today just to freeload a meal."

He Yuzhu waved his hand and grinned: "Hey, just say what's on your mind."

"If I could do it, why would I refuse? Just say so!"

"Then I won't stand on ceremony with you." Old Mrs. Li sat on a small stool, holding a pipe in her hand, and slowly said, "Jianguo and Chunrong's parents wrote a letter. I received it a while ago, but they haven't come back yet."

They finally returned to Beijing recently and settled into their new place. I feel so relieved and plan to move in with them.

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu immediately understood.

In his previous life, Old Lady Li moved away not long after receiving the letter. At that time, he was not familiar with this family and had only heard about this matter, but had no idea about the reasons behind it.

He thought his life would be peaceful and the old lady wouldn't leave—but it turned out she was waiting for her children to be born before settling down, and now that they're grown up, she naturally wants to fly away.

He smiled and said, "Oh my, old lady, this is wonderful news! You're in for a treat!"

Grandma Li grinned, her wrinkles around her eyes smoothing out, but there was something else in her eyes.

She didn't come to see him today just to share good news.

Moving involves a lot of things, and you have to sort them out one by one.

She paused, then lowered her voice: "Zhu Zi, there's something I want to discuss with you... You know that the room in the front yard of the courtyard house is a private property that Jianguo's grandfather bought years ago, not a house allocated by the government."

I'm leaving now, and this room is just sitting empty anyway, so... do you have any ideas? If you're willing, I'll let you have it for a discount."

"Sell the house?" He Yuzhu raised an eyebrow, his heart skipping a beat.

His mind worked quickly, and after a moment's thought, he nodded: "Yes, that's true. Once the person is gone, there's no use keeping the house. It's safest to sell it as soon as possible."

His room is big enough for now, but if he has a baby in the future, it will really become a pigeon coop.

Even adults have difficulty turning around, let alone handling affairs or entertaining guests.

Moreover, he had long intended to renovate the courtyard. If he could acquire Old Lady Li's room, it would provide He Yushui with a place to live, and the brother and sister wouldn't have to squeeze into one room.

With the advantages outweighing the disadvantages, He Yuzhu made up his mind and asked directly, "Alright, old lady, name your price, how much?"

"One hundred and fifty."

"Wow!" He Yuzhu almost burst out laughing. "This price is too reasonable! If it were handled by the neighborhood committee, it would easily be listed for over 180 yuan..."

His words were not exaggerated.

These days, although housing prices aren't high, private houses with good locations and clear property rights like these are still in high demand, with people scrambling to buy them for as little as 200 yuan.

Old Mrs. Li's 150 yuan was practically a free gift.

The old lady waved her hand and sighed softly: "The neighborhood office is dragging its feet on the procedures. I don't have time to waste. My son and daughter-in-law will be leaving in a few days. I need to hurry up and get things sorted out."

"Besides..." She glanced at He Yuzhu, her tone softening, "Our two families have been together for so long, and I remember all the kindness you've shown to Jianguo and Chunrong."

I feel at ease giving you this house.

He Yuzhu felt a surge of warmth in his heart and immediately understood.

This isn't a transaction; it's repaying a favor.

If he hadn't brought lunchboxes to help the two children every day, those two little radishes would have been starving during the famine.

The old lady is trying to repay her kindness in various ways.

But he wasn't the kind of person who would take advantage of small things.

With over two thousand yuan in savings in his pocket and a monthly salary of eighty-seven yuan and fifty cents, he held it all in his hands.

Even if the old lady charges 170, he can afford it.

But Old Lady Li was adamant and refused to budge on the price of 150.

In the end, He Yuzhu couldn't refuse and had to agree.

He knew that refusing again would only hurt feelings.

The two agreed to go to the local street office to transfer the property on the weekend, and that's how the matter was settled.

The house wasn't big, only 26 square meters, but it was spacious enough for one person; if you put up bunk beds, you could fit four or five people in without any problem.

The key is the good location and clean property rights, making it convenient to renovate or rent out in the future.

After finishing their business, Grandma Li led her two children away, her silhouette stretching long in the setting sun.

He Yuzhu stood at the door and watched them go for a while. He went back inside intending to flip through his agronomy books to pass the time, but then he slapped his forehead and remembered that he had taken all the books to the steel mill and hadn't brought them back at all.

He gave up, took out a piece of boxwood from the corner, and pulled out the carving knife he always carried. With a gentle rub of his fingertips, wood shavings fell off.

With his current strength, carving is as easy as slicing tofu.

With a level 2 woodworking skill in hand, he can carve small animals with ease and they are so lifelike that even Old Wang is amazed when he sees them.

In fact, his skills are no worse than Old Wang's.

If you advance one more level, you'll be comparable to a level four or even a level five master craftsman.

By then, you'll be able to make not only a lunchbox, but also a whole set of furniture that you can present to others.

Once his carpentry skills improve further, he can help out the Wang family in a different way—no longer relying on lunchboxes, but instead sending them a sturdy and durable bed, or building a wardrobe or cabinet, which is both practical and presentable.

Besides, he's now the deputy director of the steel mill's canteen, so his status is different.

What kind of behavior is it to carry a lunchbox and compete with the workers for food? A leader should act like a leader. It's okay to have special meals, but you can't openly take advantage of others.

As he pondered, his hands worked tirelessly, the wood grain flowing and taking shape at the tip of his knife, vaguely revealing the outline of a crouching kitten.

A moment later, he put down the carving knife, stretched his wrists, glanced at the system panel in his mind, and smiled slightly.

My skill proficiency has increased significantly, which is pleasing to the eye.

My cooking skills are almost at the top; I'll make breakfast first thing tomorrow morning and my experience points will be maxed out. My agronomy skills will also reach the maximum level in another month. My carpentry and medical skills are progressing a bit slower, but it'll only be a matter of a few months, so it's pretty stable.

That day, the Li family was having dinner in He Yuzhu's house when Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth, took out a few bills from his pocket, went to the grocery store and bought half a jin of braised meat, and also fried three eggs. He called to Jia Dongxu, "Go and call Liu Haizhong over. Today, let's have some hearty dishes."

In front of Jia Dongxu, he specially set aside a small dish of braised food: "Take it to the backyard and send it to the deaf old lady."