Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

But he and Sha Zhu have always had a good relationship, so why is he now going to join forces with Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong to pressure people? To put it bluntly, he's just using his seniority to force people to do things. Doesn't he have any respect for the dignity of a scholar?

He hesitated for a moment before finally speaking: "Jiecheng, why don't you go to the steel mill yourself, or ask the neighborhood office?"

"You've at least graduated from high school; if there really were extra places available, it should be your turn by now."

"A turn? It's not that easy for me to get a turn!" Yan Jiecheng almost jumped up, his temples throbbing with anger. "Didn't you hear what the old man said? This time, with the expansion of recruitment, even the workshop foreman has no say! If I miss it, when will I ever get a turn? Are you even my father? You don't help me when it matters, but instead you're afraid of offending people, just to freeload a few meals? That's really something!"

He turned and shouted into the kitchen, "Mom! Look at Dad! He'd rather I work as a temporary worker my whole life than ask for a favor, all for a bite to eat! How shameful!"

Yan Bugui immediately flew into a rage: "You little brat! How dare you speak to your father like that?"

Yan Jiecheng retorted, "Am I wrong? How can I get married without a job? If the Yan family line dies out with me, don't expect me to take care of you in your old age!"

The third aunt had been listening for a while and was already feeling sorry for her eldest son. At this moment, she couldn't help but interject: "His father, why don't you go? Anyway, you and Sha Zhu are close. If you ask, he will give you some face."

"You're the third uncle, so to be fair, it's not unreasonable of you to say such a thing."

With his wife nagging on one side and his son pressuring him to step down on the other, Yan Bugui was torn between two conflicting emotions.

He knew that if he took this step, his relationship with He Yuzhu would likely be damaged.

But that's his own son's job, a lifelong commitment...

After a long silence, he sighed heavily: "Alright, I'll go take a look tonight."

As soon as the words left my mouth, my heart skipped a beat.

He suddenly regretted it.

Based on his understanding of Sha Zhu, this man appeared simple-minded but was actually incredibly stubborn.

What was it like when they were selling steamed buns back then? They wouldn't deliver even if you put a gun to their head; they were so stubborn it was maddening.

Now that everyone in the hospital is ganging up on him, will he back down?

Most likely not.

But the words had already been spoken and couldn't be taken back.

If he goes back on his word, Yang Ruihua and Yan Jiecheng will immediately turn on him and cause a huge scene.

Left with no other choice, he went to find Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong and whispered, "I'm going."

The three then secretly made contact in the courtyard, and greeted all the families with young people of marriageable age who were hoping to get a job in the factory—they would all visit each other that evening.

The night is getting darker.

Just as they were making preparations in full swing, He Yuzhu returned on his bicycle.

He traveled far today, leaving the city, and is now covered in dust.

On the way back, I stopped by the supply and marketing cooperative and bought some seeds. My pockets were bulging, but I couldn't hide my excitement.

He hurried along, heading straight for the back of his house.

He couldn't wait to go back inside and put the seeds into the life space—to see if this legendary "farming cheat" could really make him live a decent life in this day and age.

"By the way, about moving to a different place... never mind, let's talk about it tomorrow."

He Yuzhu was so preoccupied with a series of troubles that his head was throbbing. It was lunchtime, so it wasn't a good time to go over and talk.

Besides, this isn't urgent; we can bring it up a couple of days later.

"Brother! You're finally back! I'm starving!"

As soon as he pushed open the door, He Yushui rushed over, staring longingly at the bag of meat dishes he had taken from the cafeteria in his hand.

She completely forgot to go out for lunch, staying indoors and squandering all the snacks. She only had a few coins left in her pocket, which were useless to her.

"Hungry? Can't you cook for yourself?" He Yuzhu raised an eyebrow and retorted without any politeness, "Have I spoiled you rotten? Our family has a lineage of imperial chefs, and you can't even cook a hot meal? Starting tomorrow, you'll stand by and watch me cook, and you can't miss a single step!"

He knew in his heart that he owed this younger sister too much in his past life—before marriage, she had a reputation for having a brother who stole chickens and dogs, and when she got married, all she had to do was a broken bicycle and no decent dowry.

He wanted to atone for his sins in this life, but he accidentally went too far and spoiled a girl from a working-class family into a pampered young lady who was lazy and ignorant of basic life skills.

This can't go on any longer.

"Let's start by lighting the fire. Go to the stove, grab some coal briquettes, and get the stove burning—"

Before he could finish speaking, there were two knocks on the door.

It is Yan Bugui.

If he hadn't stopped him first, Yi Zhonghai would probably have barged in like last time.

After all, this is a meeting to "talk," not a fight.

He Yuzhu opened the door and saw a row of figures standing in front of him. The three uncles had all arrived, along with Jia Dongxu and the other two families in the courtyard, crowding at the door as if they were having a meeting.

"Oh? What's wrong with you all today, coming to settle scores with me as a group?"

He Yuzhu sneered, without even raising an eyebrow.

These people, living miserable lives themselves, have time to covet what others have.

Yi Zhonghai coughed twice, adopting the demeanor of a kind elder: "Shazhu, I have something important to discuss with you, why won't you let everyone come inside to talk?"

"No need." He Yuzhu leaned against the door frame, his tone as cold as ice. "I have nothing to hide here."

"Say what you have to say right here, make sure it's clear in the bright sunlight."

He's not buying it.

With so many people rushing in, if things get out of hand and things get smashed, he'll be the one who suffers.

Yi Zhonghai's expression changed slightly, but he quickly put on a smile again: "Okay, it's fine to talk about it outside."

"Shazhu, you must have heard about the steel mill expanding its workforce, right? You're the deputy director of the canteen now, which makes you a manager in the factory, so you're probably well-informed."

In short, it's all praise on the surface, but a trap hidden in the shadows.

The meaning couldn't be clearer: You knew about this but didn't say anything, isn't that a bit unfair?

"There are still several families in the compound where people are unemployed, and their children are all staying at home idle."

If you could lend a hand, give us a chance, we'd all remember your kindness...

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu felt acid reflux.

In his past life, he desperately recruited people into the factory—the Jia family, the Liu family, Xu Damao, Yan Bugui… who didn't benefit from his influence? But what happened in the end? When people left, the tea cooled, and before their bodies were even cold, only Xu Damao conveniently cleaned up the mess for him.

Now look what's happened, everyone's resorting to moral blackmail again?

"What can I do?" He scoffed, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "I've only been there a few days. A deputy director in charge of lunchboxes, do you really have the ability to get people into state-owned factories? Do you think I'm the head of the organization department?"

The colder his tone, the uglier their expressions became.

"I can't do it." He Yuzhu said decisively. "Go find someone else, don't keep bothering me."

Upon hearing this, a hint of joy flashed in Yi Zhonghai's eyes—it worked! This silly Zhu had finally extricated himself from the situation!

He immediately put on a pained expression: "Silly Zhu, we're neighbors in the same courtyard, we see each other all the time."

You are a young cadre with a bright future; we should lend you a hand if we can.

"If it really doesn't work, I'm begging you, please?"

Liu Haizhong frowned and chimed in, "Exactly! Can't we even ask? It's not like you can guarantee anything. How much trouble would it take to just ask around?"

Yan Bugui was so anxious that he wrung his hands: "Zhuzi, why don't you go and ask? Maybe the leaders will give you face and loosen their grip... If we could get a worker into our family, we could finally breathe a sigh of relief."

The reeds on the wall swayed loudly.

Who cares about face when it comes to their own little bit of profit?

He Yuzhu watched them quietly, then suddenly smiled.

His smile was sinister.

"Oh—so you want me to go through the back door?" he said slowly. "Sure, that's fine."

Everyone was taken aback, thinking he was admitting it.

But then he continued, "But I have one condition—you three old men have to cooperate with me."

His gaze was like a knife, slicing across the faces of Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Bugui in turn.

"If you're willing to lend a hand, I can secure at least three spots."

Three spots?!

Everyone held their breath.

Upon hearing He Yuzhu's words, the courtyard fell into a deathly silence.

The three old men, Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Bugui, were all stunned on the spot, their eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

One second he was planning to take advantage of Sha Zhu, the next he was pinned to the ground and rubbed against the ground.

No one expected that—this silly Zhu not only wasn't scared, but actually flipped the table!

Yi Zhonghai's Adam's apple bobbed as he tentatively asked, "Shazhu, you really dare to say that? As long as we cooperate, you can really get three permanent work positions for the people in the compound? Not the temporary kind?"

He Yuzhu sneered, his eyes sweeping over like knives, his voice cold and hard: "When have I ever gone back on my word? Formal positions, state-owned factory recruitment quotas, not one less."

Yan Bugui's eyes lit up, and he eagerly interjected, "So how do we cooperate? Just say the word, and your Uncle San will risk his life to get it done for you!"

"That's right! It's our responsibility to work for the benefit of the compound!" Liu Haizhong quickly chimed in, his back ramrod straight. He caught a glimpse of the neighbors' gazes out of the corner of his eye and felt a surge of pride—he was truly respected this time.

He Yuzhu smirked and slowly uttered, "Alright, I have a solution—you three, resign."

"What?!" the three exclaimed in unison.

"Give up your workstations." He pointed at Yi Zhonghai. "Uncle, give your level 7 fitter position to the Jia family; Uncle, your level 6 forger position can be left to Aunt Zhang's family in the backyard; Uncle, well... your son has been unemployed all this time, so you can take over."

The moment the words left his mouth, the air seemed to explode.

Yi Zhonghai's face immediately darkened. He stood up abruptly, his finger almost poking He Yuzhu's nose: "Idiot Zhu! Are you kidding us? If we hand over our workstations, what are we supposed to do? Don't be ridiculous! Tomorrow you can go talk to the leaders and pull some strings to help the guys in the compound out!"

He Yuzhu grinned, but his eyes were chillingly cold: "Who's joking with you? With your skills, you're not afraid of not finding work! Your eldest uncle is a level seven fitter, which factory wouldn't be eager to hire him? Your second uncle is a level six forger, just throw out your resume, and the recruitment department will be lining up to hire you! If all else fails—I'll introduce you to new companies, and getting promoted back in a few years will be a piece of cake! Now you're clinging to your positions, what are you pretending to be, some kind of benefactor? Why not do something real!"