Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

After a long silence, Professor Wang nodded slowly, his voice deep yet powerful: "Yuzhu, your idea is very valuable."

I immediately contacted a few old friends when I got back, and we held a meeting overnight to discuss the matter.

As for the crops in these two plots—protect them carefully, not a single seedling can be lost!

"Understood," He Yuzhu replied solemnly.

Instructor Zhang, who was standing nearby, quickly reassured him, "Don't worry, teacher!"

Professor Wang glanced at him and said indifferently, "I believe Yuzhu, not you."

Upon hearing this, Instructor Zhang immediately fell silent.

"You should listen to Yuzhu here and not act like an instructor."

Someone who can independently design a complete greenhouse system and successfully implement it—they're already ahead of you in agricultural technology.

"...Yes, teacher." Instructor Zhang bowed his head in apology, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

Upon reflection, that's indeed the case.

If it were him, he probably wouldn't even be able to draw a blueprint, let alone write a business plan.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Professor Wang politely declined the offer to stay for dinner and left in a hurry.

In these kinds of situations, it's all about timing.

The sooner we break through, the more thousands of mouths we can feed.

As night fell, He Yuzhu finished his evening lesson to Engineer Bai Xiong, made himself a hot late-night snack, and then rode his bicycle back to the courtyard house.

The extra meal was well-intentioned, but it dragged out the time to leave work until almost nine o'clock.

But he also made a profit—he carried two heavy lunchboxes in his arms, all of which were subsidies secretly slipped to him by the steel mill.

It wasn't something he wanted; the factory leaders gave it to him voluntarily.

Two simple lunchboxes led to a breakthrough in technological upgrades; the factory workers were incredibly shrewd in making that decision.

……

When he arrived at the courtyard house, the gate was already closed.

I knocked on the door a few times, but there was silence and no response.

He Yuzhu didn't believe that all the neighbors in the front yard were asleep.

At this hour, the lights may go out early, but our ears are still sharp.

There's something fishy going on if no one opens the door.

The Yan family was certainly not asleep.

The lights were off, but the family of three was still inside.

Uncle Yan Bugui lay sprawled on the bed, a cold smile playing on his lips.

The old woman gently nudged him: "Dad, someone's knocking on the door."

"I know." Yan Bugui didn't even lift his eyelids. "I peeked through the crack in the window just now, and the only one who hasn't come back by now is Shazhu."

He slowly rolled over, his tone tinged with schadenfreude: "Didn't he look down on me, his third uncle? Well, he's in my hands now—let him get some fresh air outside, we'll start driving later."

The older woman looked a little uneasy: "Is this... not a good idea?"

"What's wrong with him?" Yan Bugui sneered. "I, the dignified Third Uncle, have already taken the initiative to speak to him, but he's been giving me the cold shoulder ever since."

"Fine, then let me see if he's tougher, or if the chilly autumn night wind is more biting."

Before the words were finished—

Bang!Bang!Bang!

The knocking started again, more urgent and louder than before, as if it were hitting someone on the heart.

The gate slammed shut with three loud bangs, like thunderclaps striking your ears, shaking the entire courtyard.

This commotion was no less intense than the previous ones. The people in the front yard, who had just fallen asleep, were startled awake. The windows in the middle yard were flung open with a "whoosh," and even the elderly residents in the back yard, who were usually hard of hearing, sat up with a start, throwing on their clothes and peering towards the door—was there a fight going on? Or was it haunted?

Yan Bugui was so frightened that he jumped out of bed, his heart pounding. He hurriedly put on his pants, slipped on his shoes, and rushed outside.

When he stumbled to the front door and shakily pulled open the latch, the fists pounding on the door finally stopped.

He Yuzhu stood outside the door, the cold wind whipping up the dust on his shoulders as he pushed a mud-caked bicycle, his eyes piercing in like knives.

A crowd had already gathered in the front yard, their heads craning out like giraffes.

The commotion was so loud that people in the next alley probably woke up.

"Shazhu! What's wrong with you in the middle of the night? Why are you banging so hard? Are you deliberately trying to cause trouble?" Yan Bugui panted heavily, his words tough, but his heart was pounding.

Ever since he broke off contact with He Yuzhu, he had been harboring a grudge—your family is now so successful, and you won't even give me, your dignified third uncle, the courtesy of bowing down to befriend you? Is it really worth turning against each other!

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu sneered, his voice low and devoid of any warmth: "I did it on purpose."

Just like how you 'happened' to be fast asleep and 'happened' not to hear me knocking.

He stepped forward, his eyes piercing: "I just finished a joint reception for engineers from the White Bear Country by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the steel mill, and I didn't get back until after 11 o'clock."

And the result? They couldn't even get into their own house?

The crowd fell silent.

This is no ordinary business trip; it's a diplomatic mission! With the word "foreign affairs" attached to it, who would dare to underestimate it?

"Tomorrow I'm going to see Director Yang and Director Zhang from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I'm quitting this job! After entertaining foreign experts, I'll be blocked at the door by my own family when I get home. What's the point?"

Before he could finish speaking, Yan Jiecheng suddenly rushed out, his finger almost poking He Yuzhu's face: "You..."

"Old Yan!" A loud shout drowned out all the noise.

Yi Zhonghai pushed through the crowd and strode forward, his face ashen. He grabbed Yan Bugui's arm and said through gritted teeth in a low voice, "Are you crazy? He's back from a foreign affairs mission! If you block him from entering, tomorrow he'll report it as 'This old man refuses to open the door,' and it'll go straight to the Education Bureau—do you believe Hongxing Elementary School will immediately send you to clean the toilets?"

Yan Bugui froze, and cold sweat poured out of his body.

What kind of place is Hongxing Primary School? It's a school for the children of workers at the Third Steel Rolling Mill! The principal is appointed by the factory, and the school's funding comes from the factory.

He worked as a teacher there, but to be honest, he was just making a living through connections at the factory.

Once someone is labeled as "obstructing the country's foreign affairs work," forget about being placed on probation; even being allowed to stay on campus to sweep floors is a favor given out of respect to old colleagues!

"I...I..." His lips trembled, and he could barely speak.

Yi Zhonghai glared at him fiercely: "Aren't you going to admit your mistake? Do you really want to grab a broom?"

Yan Bugui gritted his teeth and swallowed a mouthful of blood, and spoke with difficulty under everyone's gaze: "Zhuzi... I was wrong this time."

I didn't hear it... I didn't get up and open the door in time...

"Didn't you hear me?" He Yuzhu's eyes suddenly sharpened. "Or—do you simply not want to open up? Think it through before you speak."

The air froze instantly.

Yan Bugui's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his face turned pale and then red.

Finally, he lowered his head and whispered in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz: "Yes... I deliberately didn't open the door."

Dear neighbors, I'm so sorry. I was confused for a moment and had my mind clouded..."

These words caused an uproar in the room.

Old Wang spat on the spot: "Bah! Third Uncle, how can you say such a despicable thing? You can't stand someone's ability, so you resort to underhanded tactics to shut them down? You dare to call yourself a teacher?"

Although the others remained silent, the disdain in their eyes was impossible to hide.

Not only did it disturb the neighbors, but it also almost ruined a diplomatic mission. If word got out, the whole compound would lose face.

"Heh." He Yuzhu chuckled lightly, turning his gaze to Yan Jiecheng, who was staring intently at him. "And you? What were you trying to say when you pointed your finger at me? Say it now."

"Jie Cheng, apologize!" Yan Bugui shouted angrily.

"Dad?" Yan Jiecheng asked incredulously.

"Right now! Or you'd better move out right now!"

The father's tone left no room for argument.

Yan Jiecheng gritted his teeth, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, but he finally lowered his head and said, "I'm sorry... I was wrong."

"I've got it." He Yuzhu glanced at the two of them, his voice not loud, but it carried a chill. "If you dare to cause trouble again—don't blame me for being ruthless."

After saying that, he didn't look at it again, pushed his bicycle, and walked step by step towards the central garden under the moonlight.

The wheels rolled over the bluestone slabs, making a dull sound that seemed to resonate in everyone's heart.

The turmoil of the night ended with Yan Bugui losing face completely.

He originally intended to play dumb and get away with it, but He Yuzhu was no longer the naive cook he used to be who could be easily manipulated.

He was a rising star in the factory, a foreign affairs reception specialist, and someone who could shake up personnel within the system with just a single sentence.

In the past, He Yuzhu had turned a blind eye to Yan Bugui's continued scavenging for scraps to supplement his family's income in his later years, and would occasionally lend him a hand.

But this old guy, relying on some old friendship, followed Yi Zhonghai in meddling in the strike, and afterwards thought he could just turn the page with a "sorry"?

There's no such thing as a free lunch!

After that incident, He Yuzhu finally understood—the Yan family members were not reasonable people at heart.

From then on, they cut off all contact, out of sight, out of mind.

But Yan Bugui, on the other hand, took advantage of his position as a gatekeeper and really thought he was something special, always looking for trouble to put him down.

He Yuzhu found it absurd and laughable. How could a "Third Uncle" who didn't even hold a proper position be worthy of putting on airs in front of him?

So he simply tore off Yan Bugui's hypocritical mask and exposed his shortcomings in front of the entire hospital.

This time, Yan Bugui's face was completely shattered. Did he still think he could act like a door god in the courtyard? The neighbors passing by would probably spit on him and say, "Oh, isn't that old Yan who got trampled off his pedestal by Director He?"

This weekend, He Yuzhu is going to Bai Danyu's house to cook.

It wasn't a grand banquet, just a simple home-cooked meal, just for the sake of having some fun.

When Bai Danyu heard that he had a younger sister, she casually said, "Why don't you bring your sister along?"

In the morning, he asked He Yushui, and the little girl tilted her head and thought for a moment before shaking her head and refusing, "I made plans with my classmates to go to Nanluoguxiang."

It's not far from home, and the area is safe. The police station and security team take turns patrolling, and the classmate she's looking for is nearby.

He Yuzhu nodded, reassuring her to go. Before she left, he slipped her two yuan and a handful of grain coupons: "Don't settle for lunch, eat something good outside."

He then rode his bicycle, the bell jingling, through the streets and alleys, heading straight for the "cadre housing" built by the joint public-private enterprise at the steel rolling mill.

Although it's called a cadre building, it's not entirely inhabited by cadres.

Some highly skilled workers can also be allocated housing.

The four-story building, built less than two years ago, has snow-white exterior walls and green-painted window frames, looking brand new as if it was just completed yesterday.

When he got downstairs, He Yuzhu locked his bicycle in the stairwell, dusted off his trousers, and went straight up to the third floor.