Courtyard House: In this life, I have a new home!

"If we don't act soon, Zhonghai's control over this compound will be..."

Yi Zhonghai bent down to pick up the enamel mug, looked at the chipped surface, and felt a pang of heartache.

"What control? Even if we drive him away, the people in the compound have already lost their hearts."

Yi Zhonghai sighed.

The deaf old woman said, "Then let's try to get rid of him first. We'll have to wait for an opportunity. There are always people at his house, so it's very difficult to slip anything in."

Yi Zhonghai's mind raced and he immediately understood—this was an attempt to frame Li Weidong.

"No rush, wait for the opportunity."

His eyes were full of malice.

"Pillar, this is something only the four of us should know."

The deaf old woman specifically instructed, "Otherwise, the whole yard will be buzzing with news before we even start."

She was afraid that Sha Zhu wouldn't be able to control his mouth in front of the young widow.

Sha Zhu quickly patted his chest and assured him, "No, I won't tell anyone."

The deaf old woman smacked her lips: "Then go and stew some braised pork, I'm really craving it. Stew it until it's very tender."

Sha Zhu chuckled, "I didn't buy any meat."

He worked overtime last night and secretly bought half a pound of meat, which he delivered to Qin Huairu early this morning. He guessed they were heating it up and preparing to eat it right now.

Yi Zhonghai chimed in, "Zhu Zi, I have half a pound of meat here."

The deaf old woman's face fell: "Only half a jin? How can that be enough for so many people?"

"Grandma, this meat is for you alone. We'll just eat some potatoes."

Yi Zhonghai waved his hand, "Zhu Zi, go and cook the meat, add lots of potatoes, and stir-fry a couple of vegetable dishes too. Have a couple of drinks with me at noon."

Just then, the aroma of frying fish wafted over, making people's mouths water.

The deaf old woman wiped her mouth and cursed, "That little bastard, frying fish in lard, it smells unbelievable! He doesn't know how to be filial to me at all!"

If someone cooks something delicious and doesn't give the deaf old lady a bite, she'll sit at their door and refuse to leave.

But she really didn't dare go to Li Weidong's house.

He Yushui quickly chopped the cold dishes, and Lin Yurou served them one by one.

At this moment, Xu Damao suddenly appeared from the side, carrying four bottles of Moutai, and stood at the gate of Li Weidong's house.

"Director Yang, Director Li, Secretary Zhang, hello! Chief Engineer Li, let me pour you some drinks."

Xu Damao's mind works really fast.

He immediately started referring to "Factory Director Li".

Just now, Liu Haizhong called out "Deputy Factory Director Li".

Well, if Li Huaide didn't make a mental note of it, then Li Huaide would be considered very magnanimous.

"Okay, come in and have a couple of drinks to liven things up."

Li Weidong said with a smile.

Factory Director Yang, Secretary Zhang, and Li Huaide all understood what Li Weidong meant—Xu Damao was a real character, someone to be amused by.

Li Huaide nodded. He often invited Xu Damao to dinner parties, just like Li Weidong: to create a lively atmosphere.

Wow, there's a lot of food here.

Xu Damao stared at the dishes on the table, his mouth practically watering.

There were six plates on the table: a plate of spiced beef, poured from a can; a plate of sardines in tomato sauce; a plate of roast chicken, the aroma of which wafted straight into the nose; a plate of braised pork belly, neatly sliced; a plate of cold tofu salad; and a plate of spicy and sour cucumber.

"Bring me some Moutai, then we'll drink yours at noon."

Li Weidong said with a smile.

Factory Director Yang glanced at Xu Damao: "Did you smuggle this from Lao Lou?"

"Yes, yes, my wife got it from her parents' house."

Xu Damao chuckled, "I only took it out because our three distinguished guests have arrived."

He poured wine for everyone, and that's how the banquet began.

Xiao Xi sat in the shade under the eaves, the electric fan whirring and blowing directly at her. She was gnawing on a large chicken leg, her mouth full of oil—it was something He Yushui had deliberately scraped off for her when she chopped the roast chicken.

He Yushui left some of each dish. Li Weidong had instructed that Lin Yurou, He Yushui, and Xiao Xi would eat in the outer corridor.

After finishing their work, Liu Guangtian and Yan Jiefang each left with a cucumber in their mouths. They both knew perfectly well that there were no seats for them at the banquet.

Dishes were served one after another: daylily stewed with chicken pieces, fish head with chopped chili, fish slices with pickled cabbage, braised fish tail, and steamed mandarin duck.

"The fish was just caught, it's very fresh."

Li Weidong said with a smile, "This bighead carp weighs at least thirty jin. Don't skimp on it at lunchtime, eat it all."

"There's no refrigerator today, and leftovers won't keep. Sigh, I'm thinking of making one."

Factory Director Yang gave a wry smile: "Chief Engineer Li, you're really something. You can even tinker with a refrigerator yourself?"

"Yes, we can, but we're short on materials. I'll figure something out."

Li Weidong said it casually, "Actually, making an air conditioner isn't difficult."

In his opinion, it wasn't difficult at all. After all, he was a god-level mechanical engineer.

"Tsk tsk, get me a refrigerator too when you make it. Forget about the air conditioner."

Factory Director Yang's tone became serious.

At this moment, Lin Yurou went to call Lou Xiao'e to come eat. The four of them sat down at a small table in the corridor, and whatever dishes were served in the room were also served on their table.

"Sister E, would you like some wine?"

Lin Yurou asked.

"I won't drink it, that liquor is too strong."

Lou Xiao'e shook her head.

"It's not white wine. Dong Ge gave it to me, saying it's red wine, made from grapes."

Lin Yurou's eyes sparkled. "I've been reluctant to try it."

"Then take it out and try it."

Lou Xiao'e became interested, "It wouldn't hurt to have a couple of sips of red wine."

Lin Yurou took out the red wine and corkscrew together, but didn't know how to open it. Lou Xiao'e had seen it before, but she was also clumsy and couldn't open it.

"Let my brother drive! My brother can do everything!"

Xiao Xi's voice was sweet and childlike, but full of pride. She was gnawing on the chicken neck, her face covered in soup, looking like a little kitten.

"It's not good to trouble Brother Dong..."

Lin Yurou hesitated for a moment, then said, "Never mind, I'll go find him."

She carried the wine bottle into the main room.

Li Weidong had already heard the conversation outside. He quickly pulled out the cork, and a faint fragrance wafted out.

"Hey, I've seen this red wine at my father-in-law's place before. It's really expensive; it's imported from abroad."

Xu Damao said in surprise, "It looks like something from before the liberation. You can't buy imported ones anymore."

"So it's been around for quite a while?"

Li Huaide's eyes lit up.

"That's right, this one bottle alone is worth more than four bottles of Moutai."

Xu Damao's face turned slightly red as he spoke, and the veins on his neck bulged, but his mind remained clear.

"So precious? Then let's put it away."

Lin Yurou pursed her lips with heartache.

Lin Yurou quickly walked away to get a drink, and Xu Damao immediately stood up and started to liven up the atmosphere.

"I'm truly thrilled to be able to sit and drink with these three leaders and Chief Engineer Li today!"

Xu Damao patted his chest, "My hands are shaking, my heart is about to jump out of my chest! I'd like to toast you all with one big and three small ones as a token of my appreciation."

The moment those words left his mouth, Lou Xiao'e covered her face. She knew Xu Damao too well; she knew he was about to make a fool of himself.

It was the first time Secretary Zhang had a drink with Xu Damao, and he asked curiously, "Master Xu, this is the first time I've heard of 'one big and three small,' what does it mean?"

Li Huaide sat to the side, a smile on his face. He knew perfectly well that Xu Damao's trick would only make him look foolish and add some amusement to the dinner table.

"You're the leader, so that's why you're so important."

Xu Damao gestured to indicate his name, "I'm just a small projectionist, so naturally I'm small. You have one drink, and I'll have three to keep you company, that's called one big and three small."

Li Weidong shook his head. Xu Damao was jumping into a fire pit himself, waiting to make a fool of himself.

Secretary Zhang was a kind and honest man. He raised his glass and said, "Forget all the fancy stuff, let's drink one-on-one. You toast me, and I'll down this in one gulp."

"That won't do!"

Xu Damao panicked, "Boss, you're giving me face, I have to accept!"

He grabbed three glasses, filled them with wine, tilted his head back, and gulped them all down.

Factory Director Li laughed: "Master Xu drinks with gusto! Factory Director Yang, why don't you have a drink too?"

Factory Director Yang, feeling helpless, also picked up his cup and took a sip. Xu Damao, without hesitation, downed three more cups.

"Eat the vegetables, eat the vegetables!"

Li Weidong quickly said, "The daylily stewed with young chicken is cooked to perfection."

"How about I go get some canned fruit to help me sober up?"

Secretary Zhang waved his hand: "Don't spend money, that stuff is very expensive. Chief Engineer Li, you should save your good stuff for the girls."

"We just need tea; this tea is truly top-quality."

Li Weidong watched helplessly as Xu Damao approached Li Huaide again, and the two of them started drinking, one cup after another.

Lou Xiao'e was furious outside, her teeth itching with rage. She knew Xu Damao would definitely come out in a bad mood. And then, she'd be the one cleaning up the mess.

Before he could even have a drink with Li Weidong, Xu Damao's eyes went blank, and he sat there like a wooden statue.

Director Zhang was both amused and exasperated: "I thought he had a high alcohol tolerance."

Li Weidong stood up: "Alright, I'll take him back."

He was afraid that Xu Damao would vomit all over the place, and in the end, Lin Yurou and He Yushui would have to clean it up.

Li Weidong grabbed Xu Damao by the back of the neck and dragged him out of the main room.

Lou Xiao'e stood at the door, her face full of disgust. She pinched her nose, stepped into the room, and pushed the door open.

"Don't put it on the bed, just throw it on the floor."

She pulled a straw mat from under the cabinet and spread it on the brick floor. Li Weidong and she, one on each side, supported Xu Damao's arms and helped him lie down on the mat.

Xu Damao was now completely drunk and a mess.

Li Weidong released his grip and shook his arm. This unintentional movement made Lou Xiao'e's face flush red to her ears. She was genuinely embarrassed for Xu Damao—with such a low alcohol tolerance, he insisted on forcing him to drink to death; wasn't he both incompetent and a show-off?

"Sister E, I'm leaving now."

Li Weidong turned and walked out. Once outside the courtyard, he muttered to himself: "Girls raised by wealthy families definitely have different figures."

Back in his own courtyard, Li Weidong helped Director Yang and the others finish their meal. The three of them were flushed from drinking, and Li Weidong escorted them to the gate, watching them get into a green jeep.

In Li Weidong's eyes, that car was hardly good-looking.

After the car drove away, he turned around and walked back. When he passed the Intermediate People's Court, he saw the deaf old woman sitting at the door of Yi Zhonghai's house, with a floor fan in front of her, blowing a breeze.

Li Weidong recognized at a glance that the fan was brought back by Yi Zhonghai.

The deaf old woman had actually wanted to leave earlier, but the aroma of wine and meat wafting from Li Weidong's house kept her inside. The fragrance wafted into her nose, and her mouth watered.