Courtyard House: Starting as an eighth-grade worker, with too many wives.

However, the house was clean, but empty; there wasn't even a bed.

There used to be one. But that bed had been slept on by Jia Zhangshi and Banggeng. Just thinking about how that old woman and that filthy brat had rolled around on it made Li Jianguo feel extremely disgusted, so he threw it out immediately.

The most urgent task is to get all the furniture ready.

Li Jianguo came out of the house without locking the door. Anyway, it was completely empty; there wasn't a single valuable item inside. The locks had been taken by the Jia family when they were cleaning up, and he'd have to buy new ones later.

He went back into the house, took out various receipts and money he had prepared in advance from his bag, put them in his pocket, and strode towards the alley entrance.

Just as they reached the alley entrance, they ran into a group of young men. One of them was Zhao Erlu, one of the two young men Director Huang had brought during the day. He was boasting animatedly to his companion when he saw Li Jianguo. His eyes lit up immediately, as if he had seen a god of wealth, and the smile lines on his face deepened.

"Hey, see that? That's the new engineer, Mr. Li, who just moved in!" He whispered to his companion, "He's incredibly generous! We were just running errands for him today, moving some things, and he just handed us a dollar!"

Receiving envious glances from his companions, Zhao Erlu straightened his back a bit and went to greet them with a grin.

"Master Li! Are you heading out?" he greeted warmly. "Is there anything I can help you with? I know this area like the back of my hand; I could walk around with my eyes closed!"

Li Jianguo glanced at him but didn't refuse. Although he had lived here as a child, he didn't really know where to buy furniture. He couldn't rely on the "good neighbors" in the courtyard house; having a local familiar with the area to guide him would save him a lot of trouble.

"Let's go buy some furniture," Li Jianguo said. "The house looks like it's been washed."

"Buying furniture?" Zhao Erlu slapped his thigh. "Then you've come to the right person! You should go to furniture factories in the suburbs. They're cheaper there, and the materials are plentiful! But you still need receipts. For some small odds and ends, you can just buy them there with cash, no receipts required!"

You can tell from their voice that they frequently run errands and know everything about it.

Li Jianguo didn't hesitate; he took out two yuan from his pocket and handed it over.

"Then I'll trouble you to come with me today, young man. Here's two yuan as a tip for your trouble. I'll treat you to a meal after the house is all sorted out."

Zhao Erlu's eyes widened as he looked at the two yuan handed to him. He instinctively wanted to refuse, but after glancing at the several eager young men around him, he thought for a moment, then finally accepted it, clutching it in his hand and nodding solemnly.

"Master Li, I'll take the money!" He carefully pocketed the money. "Well then, the three of us brothers will work for you today! We'll help with moving the furniture and stuff! Forget about treating you to dinner; consider this money as our cigarette money. Buy a pack and have a smoke—that's more practical than anything else!"

"Okay," Li Jianguo smiled, patted him on the shoulder, "then thank you."

The simplicity and kindness of these young people surprised him somewhat.

Zhao Erlu told Li Jianguo to wait at the intersection, and he and his two companions sped off. Not long after, the three of them came running from the other end of the alley, each riding a pedal tricycle.

"Let's go!" Zhao Erlu waved his hand, full of vigor.

With the tricycle, the speed increased considerably. After pedaling for nearly an hour, even Li Jianguo, who doesn't usually ride a bike, felt his legs getting a little sore before finally arriving at the furniture factory in the suburbs.

The factory was filled with all sorts of finished furniture. Forget about the styles; they were all old-fashioned: heavy wardrobes, large wooden beds, and square tables and chairs. But the materials were absolutely genuine—all solid wood, beech, elm, and even some old timber; you could tell just by touching it.

Li Jianguo was wandering around inside when suddenly his gaze was drawn to a set of tables and chairs in the corner.

It's made of huanghuali wood.

The chair had smooth lines and a warm patina, while the tabletop was large with clear and beautiful grain. He didn't know much about antiques, but the materials and craftsmanship would definitely be valuable in later generations.

"I'll take this one," he said, pointing to the set of table and chairs.

He bought a lot of things: two beds, a large wardrobe, a dining table, several chairs, plus the huanghuali wood desk and chair set—two tricycles simply couldn't hold them all. Seeing he was a big customer, the furniture factory immediately sent a delivery truck to accompany him.

So when this group of people marched through the alley and appeared at the entrance of the courtyard house, the entire courtyard was once again blown up.

One by one, brand-new pieces of furniture, exuding the fresh scent of wood, were carried by several young men through the hanging flower gate, across the central courtyard, and into Li Jianguo's house in the backyard. The neighbors who had already gone home in the courtyard, like cats smelling fish, all crawled out of their houses, stood at their doorways, craned their necks to watch, their eyes filled with naked envy and barely concealed jealousy.

Uncle Yan Bugui was tending to his precious potted plants in the front yard when he saw this scene and his eyes widened in amazement. With his hands behind his back, he unconsciously followed the furniture-carrying team all the way to the backyard.

"Li Jianguo," he pushed up his glasses, leaned closer to Li Jianguo who was directing the arrangement, and said with a smile, "Are all these new things you bought?"

"Yes," Li Jianguo said without turning his head, directing Zhao Erlu and the others to put the bed against the wall. "The room is so empty you could run a horse through it. We need a place to sleep at night."

His tone was indifferent, indicating he had no intention of continuing the conversation.

Yan Bugui, feeling awkward, gave an embarrassed smile but didn't leave; he just stood there watching.

Li Jianguo ignored him and called over Zhao Erlu, who was covered in sweat, and handed him thirty yuan.

"Second Road, I'll have to trouble you again," he said. "Buy me some pots and pans, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and some meat, vegetables, and eggs. Buy a lot, and have them all stay for dinner tonight. I'll show you how to cook."

Zhao Erlu took the money, his hands trembling slightly. Thirty yuan! That's a month's salary for his father! He'd never held so much money in his hands before. This Mr. Li trusted him far too much!

"Master Li, you can cook too?" he asked in surprise.

No wonder he was surprised. These days, aside from restaurant chefs, it's rare to see a man who can cook. Especially since Li Jianguo is an educated engineer; how could he possibly cook?

"Not only can you cook," Li Jianguo rarely joked, "you cook really well. Hurry up, buy it quickly so you can cook it sooner. And buy some more wine."

"Alright! You can have it now!" Zhao Erlu carefully stuffed the money into his pocket and ran off in a flash.

The commotion in the courtyard was so great that it alerted almost everyone. Not only Yan Bugui, but also Uncle Yi Zhonghai, the eldest uncle, stood at his doorway, looking over with a gloomy face. Uncle Liu Zhonghai, the second uncle, even leaned half his body out of the window, his eyes darting around.