Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Jia Zhangshi shrank back, ultimately not daring to shout again.

Yi Zhonghai took a deep breath and suppressed his anger: "Listen carefully, quickly prepare some food and send them to the hospital."

Dongxu and Huairu were busy all night and didn't even eat a bite of food.

Especially for Huairu, who was weak after childbirth, the doctor said she needed to supplement her nutrition.

"Repair? What repair?!" Jia Zhangshi immediately jumped up and down. "I've already killed everyone, and you still want to repair them? I'm not going! Whoever wants to go can go!"

"You're not going to do anything about your son going hungry in the hospital? Is he your biological son or an adopted child?" Yi Zhonghai's temples throbbed with anger.

"But I still have to take care of the stalks... and we don't have much food left at home..." Jia Zhangshi's eyes darted around, and she suddenly put on a distressed expression, looking at him pleadingly, "How about... Old Yi, could you send some meat first? I'll cook it and send it to Dongxu, I promise it'll be hot!"

Her eyes clearly showed that she was after the oil in his pot.

Yi Zhonghai's mind cleared instantly, and he immediately understood—if the meat fell into her hands, Qin Huairu would be lucky to even lick the last drop of oil from the bottom of the bowl.

"Fine." He waved his hand, his voice turning cold. "You can stay home and take care of the hamsters."

Prepare some diapers and cotton-padded jackets. I'll have my husband bring them along when he cooks, so you don't need to worry about it.

"Old Yi, I think I should go. I know what flavors Dongxu likes to eat..." Jia Zhangshi was still unwilling to give up.

"Never mind!" Yi Zhonghai said, turning around and leaving, afraid that if he stayed even a second longer, he would start cursing on the spot.

Madam Jia spat fiercely behind his back, muttering, "You wretched, childless man! Such a miser! He won't even part with a single piece of his own flesh! Just wait, retribution will come sooner or later!"

He kept his voice extremely low, afraid that the "old man" would hear him.

After all, Jia Dongxu was still learning the trade from someone else, so she didn't dare to break off relations.

You expect her to spend money on supplements for a "money-losing" girl? Dream on!

He Yuzhu was too lazy to get involved in all this messy stuff about the courtyard house.

After dropping off He Yushui, he picked up his tool bag and headed straight for the steel rolling mill.

He had just finished inspecting the cafeteria when a junior clerk from the logistics department came to him, saying that Director Li wanted to see him.

He casually tossed the medical book onto the table, walked to Li Huaide's office, knocked twice, and pushed the door open.

"Zhu Zi, you're here? Sit down." Li Huaide sat behind his desk, a cigarette between his fingers, his eyes dark and swollen, clearly having not slept well.

But those eyes were frighteningly bright, gleaming with a sharp light, clearly indicating that something good had come of it.

He Yuzhu smirked and asked directly, "Director Li, is the greenhouse project—all set up?"

"You little rascal!" Li Huaide pointed at him, grinning broadly, "You have a sharp eye! You've got it!"

He took a deep drag of his cigarette and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke: "Yesterday's wrangling meeting almost collapsed."

But based on your plan alone, which was well-organized and contained detailed data, the people from the Ministry of Agriculture immediately approved it—our steel rolling mill has produced a homegrown expert!

"Establish a cooperative greenhouse between workers and farmers, and attach it to the logistics department of our steel rolling mill."

The Ministry of Agriculture is just sending a technician to go through the motions; the personnel are on their list, but the decisions are ours.

Li Huaide's lips curled up, a hint of smugness in his eyes.

If it weren't for his father-in-law giving him a push at the crucial moment, this matter would have been truly precarious.

We finally finalized the deal last night after making a phone call to the office.

"They're too lazy to send all the people for a small team of a dozen or so, so we can just recruit a few ourselves."

However—" He paused, gave He Yuzhu a meaningful look, "they just made a copy of your proposal and took it with them."

With so many factories up north, if you follow this path, every household can build a greenhouse.

"Pillar, that kick you gave us opened a huge door!"

He Yuzhu quickly waved his hand, but couldn't hide the smile on his face: "Hey, it was just a flash of inspiration, a coincidence."

Li Huaide stubbed out his cigarette and stood up: "It's a coincidence that you won an award too! You've just joined the factory, so it's hard to change your rank, but this is recorded in the factory's merit book." He pulled out a few tickets from his drawer and handed them over: "One watch ticket, plus meat and grain coupons. In a little while, the whole factory will announce it over the loudspeaker, and everyone will know that our steel rolling mill has produced a capable person."

"Oh, a watch ticket? I was just worried about not having any!" He Yuzhu beamed as he accepted it, not standing on ceremony. "Then I won't be polite, Director Li!"

"You take the lead." Li Huaide's tone suddenly turned serious, and his gaze pierced over like a nail. "The cafeteria is quite idle except for its reception duties."

When we expand recruitment, we'll directly transfer people from your two sects in. Those who pass the cook qualification exam will be promoted immediately. As for the greenhouse project, I'm entrusting it to you; you must set a good example!

The last few words were almost shouted out.

Why are they so concerned? He's well aware of the greenhouse projects that the Ministry of Agriculture is working on in rural cooperatives. If they can achieve high yields and tangible results, their reputation will soar.

This is no ordinary achievement; it's a crucial step in his rise to the top!

"Call me anytime if you need anything, and I'll take care of anything I can."

"Don't worry, Director Li, I've got it covered," He Yuzhu assured him, patting his chest.

Actually, he had been planning this for a long time.

If we don't take control, how can we secretly mix in high-yield wheat and rice? If others manage it, all we'll grow in the greenhouses will be cabbage and radishes.

Saving a steel mill is easy, but what about the people across the country who are starving?

After leaving the office, He Yuzhu didn't stop walking; he turned around and went back to his small room.

The door closed, the curtains were drawn, and the figure was already inside the space of life in the next second.

The sight before him caused his pupils to shrink slightly—

The wheat seedlings stood tall and straight, their green color shining brightly, while the rice ears drooped low like rolling golden waves.

How long has it been? There hasn't been any crossbreeding, yet it's grown stronger than the best seeds!

He crouched down to examine it closely, quickly estimating in his mind: this one acre should yield at least 600 jin of grain! If we use the space to accelerate the cultivation of several generations of hybrids... a yield of over 1,000 jin per acre is not a dream!

The maximum weight we get in the fields outside is around 300 jin (150 catties), but here it's more than double that!

It really is thanks to the space.

Breeding here results in rapid maturation and consistent quality. Once the seeds are tested in a real greenhouse, as long as they can adapt to the soil and climate, an agricultural revolution is just around the corner.

He stood on the edge of the field, his heart burning with emotion.

After leaving the space, I suddenly remembered something—I had to go see He Yushui's teacher; the matter of advancing to the next grade couldn't be delayed any longer.

I forgot to ask for half a day off when I was with Li Huaide.

Just as I picked up my medical book and was about to leave, a sharp and sarcastic voice came from the direction of the next ward:

"How long does she plan to stay in bed after giving birth to such a worthless child? She makes me, her mother-in-law, run around every day. She's so unfilial! She makes a pot of chicken soup, then eats the biggest chunks herself, leaving only the dregs for Dongxu and me. Anyone who didn't know better would think she'd given the Jia family a prince!"

It was Jia Zhangshi.

She was facing away from the bed, changing Xiao Dang's clothes, but her mouth didn't stop. Her voice was loud and shrill, making everyone in the quiet delivery room feel annoyed.

Qin Huairu's face turned deathly pale instantly.

This was the second day after she gave birth, and the first day her mother-in-law came to visit. She didn't give her a friendly look as soon as she entered the door.

She knew why—because it was a daughter.

Back then, her first child was a son; Jia Zhangshi was not like she is now.

Back then, they served tea and water, boiled eggs and stewed chicken, busying themselves like offering alms to a Bodhisattva.

Now look what's happened, she's only been lying down for two days and she's already being called a lazy old woman.

As for the chicken soup... she clearly let Dongxu take it back, and she only drank two bowls of soup and ate two pieces of meat. Where did half a chicken come from?

Tears were already welling up in her eyes, but she bit her lip hard to hold them back.

You shouldn't cry during postpartum confinement, otherwise it will cause health problems later in life.

But the grievance in my heart made my chest feel tight, and I could hardly breathe.

"Mom, I'm fine now." She finally spoke, her voice so soft it seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth. "Let's get you discharged."

We have no choice but to go out.

If I stay any longer, the cold words and sarcastic remarks in this room could freeze me to death.

This is not self-cultivation; it is blatant torture.

Jia Zhangshi snorted coldly, the clothes in her hands rustling as she rolled them up: "I've completed the discharge procedures, hurry up and leave! Isn't it the same to lie in bed at home? Back in the countryside, when did women not go back to weeding on the third day after giving birth? Alright, pack your things, don't dawdle, leave right now."

"I understand, Mom!"

Qin Huairu bit her lip and responded, her eyes almost red.

She married into the city to escape the backbreaking labor of a life toiling in the fields.

Although the Jia family wasn't exactly wealthy, compared to the He family next door—tsk, they were as shabby as a cold steamed bun dug out of stove ashes.

Not to mention the mother-in-law in front of me, who is mean to the core.

If she had known that Jia Zhangshi was like this beforehand, she probably wouldn't have dared to even have their horoscopes matched for this marriage.

Actually, Jia Zhangshi was running around arranging the discharge not because she felt sorry for her daughter-in-law, but because she had good ears—she heard that Yi Zhonghai had paid for four days of hospitalization, while Qin Huairu had only stayed for two days, and that the money for the remaining two days could be refunded!

As for whether or not to return the refund to Yi Zhonghai, Jia Zhangshi didn't even blink, her mind already calculating: three yuan in her pocket would be enough for her to save up her allowance for a month! Thinking of this, the corners of her mouth turned up, and she even helped Qin Huairu carry her clothes before leaving—a rare "motherly" gesture.

Holding her newborn son, Qin Huairu asked softly, "Mom, didn't you call a car? It's so far... I just had surgery two days ago."

"Let's walk back!" Jia Zhangshi said without turning her head, her steps brisk. "I've already helped you with your luggage, what more do you want? You want to take a cart for such a short distance? It costs a dollar a cart! In Pigeon Market, that's the price of half a pound of meat!"

Qin Huairu was startled and almost lost her balance.

Are they treating her like livestock? Someone who just had surgery won't even call a car?

But her pockets were even emptier than her face, and she couldn't say a word. She could only lower her head, hold her child, and stagger to catch up.

Forty minutes later, the two finally stepped into the courtyard house.

A crowd had gathered at the front gate, making it quite lively.

Jia Zhangshi immediately perked up and went over to take a look—the door to Old Lady Li's old house, which had been empty for a long time, was open, and someone was moving boxes inside!

"Someone moved in so quickly?" Her heart skipped a beat, filled with annoyance.

If only she hadn't delayed her discharge, she would have gone to Yi Zhonghai to plead her case and maybe even managed to get the Jia family to agree to the discharge!