Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

He Yuzhu was taken aback, then laughed out loud: "Cooking is no problem, you can order whatever you want for one or two meals."

But not a penny less! We're friends, but the rules can't be broken.

He had already done the math in his mind. After a quick estimate, he pulled out six "big black ten" bills and stuffed them into Bai Danyu's hand: "Keep them. If it's not enough, I'll cook a few more meals to make up for it."

Bai Danyu tried to push him away, but He Yuzhu was strong and held her wrist so tightly that she couldn't move. In the end, she had no choice but to give up.

Actually, she paid 62.7 yuan in advance, and this 60 yuan note wasn't much different, just two yuan and seventy cents, so it was an unspoken understanding between them.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Bai Danyu got up to take her leave.

The moment the door closed, He Yuzhu looked down at the medicinal herbs in his bag, his eyes flickering slightly.

All that's missing is a tiger penis.

He stroked the note in his hand and muttered to himself, "Manager Fang of Sichuntang... looks like I'll have to go there after get off work."

He had visited that pharmacy before. In his memory, it was an old brand hidden deep in a hutong, with a small storefront but a hidden secret.

These tiger penises are mostly privately collected and not accounted for by the government; otherwise, they would have been confiscated long ago.

He had already saved up a lot of wine tickets, so this time he simply prepared a large earthenware jar weighing fifty catties—once the wine was brewed, he would throw it directly into the cellar of the Vitality Space.

When the jar is opened a few years later, it won't be called wine anymore; it will be called liquid gold.

One sip, and you're in heaven.

Before leaving get off work, He Yuzhu toured all three canteens and the greenhouse. After confirming that everything was in order, he breathed a sigh of relief, locked the door, and left.

He first went back to the courtyard house, intending to take He Yushui out with him.

The original plan was to buy the medicinal herbs and then have a meal at Donglaishun – I've been busy these past few days and have neglected the child, so I feel a bit guilty and need to make it up to him.

He hopped on his old Phoenix bicycle, the wheels rolled over the bluestone pavement, and with a jingle, he turned into the street corner, heading straight for Sichuntang.

When they arrived at the location and asked, the worker shook his head: "Manager Huang? He's been missing for quite some time now. These days, he only comes once every two weeks."

His tone was flippant and lacked any respect.

That's true. Nowadays, everyone is a government employee. Who would take a "private sector manager" seriously?

Manager Huang probably knew perfectly well that his family's ancestral shop was no longer his, and coming here would only cause him more distress, so he simply avoided it.

He Yuzhu was not surprised. He turned to a familiar friend to ask for the address. After getting the information, he turned the car around and headed to the new location.

It seems I won't be able to eat at Donglaishun now.

He glanced back at the little girl sitting in the back seat and coaxed her softly, "Rainy Day, we can't go tonight. How about we go this weekend? We'll not only have mutton hot pot, but Daddy will also buy you a piece of floral fabric and make you a new dress, okay?"

"Really?" He Yushui's eyes lit up, and her face instantly lit up.

A man keeps his word.

She immediately became as docile as a cat, clinging to his waist the whole way, quiet and still, not even daring to breathe loudly.

By the time they found Manager Huang's residence, it was already dark.

This house is not far from Zhengyang Gate. It is a two-courtyard siheyuan with gray tiles and high walls. The two stone lions in front of the gate are covered with dust but still look imposing. It is clear that the family has some wealth.

He Yuzhu raised his hand and knocked on the door. Three knocks later, a hesitant voice came from inside: "Who is it?"

"Manager Huang, He Yuzhu, deputy director of the steel rolling mill canteen, has heard that you have tiger root here and has come to buy it."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door creaked open a crack, and a middle-aged man poked his head out. His gaze swept over He Yuzhu and the little girl behind him, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly before he stepped aside.

"Come in."

The front yard reception room is still well-furnished, with an eight-immortal table, a grand master's chair, tea sets and porcelain on the shelves, and a few old items whose age is hard to tell, but now covered with a thick layer of dust, as if they have been forgotten for many years.

He Yuzhu sat down, and Manager Huang slowly boiled water and brewed tea, his movements meticulous, as if he were still running his pharmacy.

As the hot tea was poured into the cup, and steam rose into the air, he finally looked up and asked:

"Director He, how did you know I have a penis? Not many people at Sichuntang know about it. I haven't been there for half a year."

He Yuzhu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said frankly, "I've been to many places, including Sichuntang, but no one knows anything about it."

Finally, having no other choice, I asked a friend to contact Director Bai of the Ministry of Health—Bai Danyu's brother—and that's how I found out you had some stock. So I had to come and bother you.

"So you're Director Bai's friend..." Manager Huang's eyes flickered slightly, and his tone softened noticeably.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "You can look at Tiger Root, but... I have some other medicinal herbs here, all of them are old stock that I haven't had a chance to sell."

If you're interested, why don't you take a look?

"Oh?" He Yuzhu raised an eyebrow. "What kind of things do you have?"

"Deer placenta extract, wild ginseng, dragon's blood, snow lotus... these are all things I've accumulated over the years. I don't need them now, and it's too much trouble to take them away, so I might as well sell them off completely." Manager Huang gave a wry smile. "Actually, even if you hadn't come, I was planning to contact people in my old circle to get rid of them soon."

He Yuzhu's heart skipped a beat, and he tentatively asked, "Manager Huang... are you leaving?"

"Ha." He sneered, his eyes dimming. "If I can't even protect my ancestral property, what am I still doing here?"

He tilted his head back and took a sip of tea, as if to swallow all his pent-up frustration: "Calling me a 'private manager' sounds respectable, but to put it bluntly, I'm just a figurehead with no real authority."

I couldn't get involved in Sichuntang's affairs. I couldn't touch the account books or the medicine cabinet. For a full six months, I stood there like a useless piece of trash.

"I'm only thirty-six, in the prime of my life. How can I be expected to bask in the sun every day while receiving food ration coupons? And live on meat ration coupons at the end of the month? I'm not willing to accept that."

He spoke his last sentence softly, yet every word was barbed.

He Yuzhu understood.

These kinds of people would rather break out and forge their own path than stay in this city and wait to die.

"So...where are you planning to go?"

"Let's go south," Manager Huang said in a low voice. "We have to try and revive the family business."

He Yuzhu did not try to dissuade him.

He knew that these kinds of people either went south or went to sea, and deep down they didn't believe in the idea of ​​"reform".

They have money, skills, and, most importantly, a strong sense of purpose.

Staying is torture, leaving is relief.

He nodded: "Then...can I take a look at the medicinal herbs?"

"Of course." Manager Huang stood up, flicked his sleeve, and said, "Come with me."

Going abroad is indeed not that difficult now. As long as you have connections and some money, or even if you don't have much money, someone can help you get out.

He Yuzhu remembered that there was a talented man on Hong Kong Island who fled there back then and is now doing very well.

He followed Manager Huang into the inner room. As soon as he landed, the manager took out more than a dozen thin brocade boxes from a hidden compartment. Each box was polished to a shine, with no scratches or dents on the edges. They were clearly treasures that had been carefully maintained for many years.

"Director He, you were introduced by Director Bai, so I dare to bring out these best-kept secrets because I trust you." Manager Huang smiled and handed them over. "If you really want to buy them, I'll give you the lowest price I can offer."

He Yuzhu took the box and opened it one by one, glancing at each item—tiger bone, deer antler, wild ginseng, cordyceps… all were top-quality old products, each one plump and oily, as if they had just been dug out of the snow and sealed away that very day.

Its excellent condition meant that if it were displayed in the outside medicine market, it would be snapped up immediately.

Especially that tiger bone, as thick as an arm, with joints gleaming with a deep jade-like light, was the very main medicine he had been searching for.

The medical formulas he had almost maxed out in his mind were already itching to be used. Once these medicinal materials were refined into beeswax pills, their value would at least triple.

He closed the last box, looked up, and said, "Manager Huang, let's not beat around the bush. How much is this package for?"

Manager Huang was taken aback for a moment, then beamed and gave him a thumbs up: "Straightforward! I like people like you who don't dawdle."

Four hundred dollars, take it all.

Four hundred yuan is really not expensive.

He Yuzhu had visited many pharmacies and knew his own limits—that one century-old wild ginseng alone would cost over two hundred yuan on the market.

All the other items added together, this price is practically a clearance sale.

He instantly understood: Manager Huang had probably made up his mind to leave and was busy liquidating his assets to make a clean getaway.

Otherwise, who would sell these gold nuggets so cheaply?

He can afford four hundred yuan.

I currently have a little over 2,300 yuan in my hands. Although I recently bought a radio, purchased a house, and spent some money on banquets, otherwise I would have already reached 3,000 yuan.

He nodded in agreement to the deal, but his gaze didn't leave the house; instead, it slowly swept over the beams, pillars, and eaves of the house.

The courtyard house is a two-courtyard siheyuan, facing south, and is only a ten-minute walk from Zhengyangmen, making it a prime location in the heart of Beijing.

If this place were in later generations, you'd need a reservation just to see it, let alone buy it.

What's even more remarkable is that the entire courtyard is extremely well-preserved, with undamaged blue bricks, intact carvings, and even the threshold worn smooth and lustrous.

Hidden, grand, and with clean property rights, it's like a golden box hidden in the old city.

The thought crossed his mind, and he asked, "Manager Huang, now that you're ready to leave, what are your plans for this house?"

"Oh?" Manager Huang raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. "Director He is interested?"

"To be honest, I'm really envious," He Yuzhu smiled. "It's just that I haven't sorted out my current affairs yet, and it's not easy to find buyers."

If you can't get rid of it right away, I can take over.

"Hey!" Manager Huang suddenly laughed, "You really dare to think of such things."

But I like it.

This courtyard is less than 800 square meters, with one main house, two side rooms, all the necessary wing rooms, and a complete set of rear rooms.

As you can see, it's a ten-minute walk to Zhengyangmen.

Two thousand dollars, fixed price.

This number is not low, but it's not inflated either.

Just by disassembling the wood, bricks, tiles, and door and window carvings, you can get 1,600 yuan.

For the entire hospital, two thousand is a truly fair price.

The problem is that ordinary people simply can't come up with that much cash.

Among the working class, apart from a few highly skilled workers, who can afford to pay two thousand at once? And those truly wealthy former homeowners, who would bother to buy their yards?

Therefore, Manager Huang knew that once this price was listed, there would be very few buyers willing to take it on.

Seeing that He Yuzhu was still thinking, he simply added fuel to the fire: "Here's what we'll do: if you really take over, I'll leave all these old pieces of furniture behind and not take a single one with me."