Courtyard House: Starting as an engineer, crushing a yard full of poultry

"Xu Damao, right? Take one of those fish home with you!"

"No need, no need. I'll just come over for a couple of drinks this afternoon. How about I go back and get the wine?" Xu Damao's emotional intelligence is so high.

“Okay, I have some canned goods too. I’ll open those as well.” Li Xiangdong nodded: “You two can come over together.”

Liu Lidong glanced at his watch; it was around 10:30.

"Okay, okay." Xu Damao was overjoyed; he'd finally established a connection with Section Chief Li. He turned and ran back, all the while thinking about what he needed.

"Bring that roast chicken over, and two bottles of Moutai too!"

Chapter Sixteen: The Beasts Come Demanding Fish (Please give me some flowers and votes, my friends!)

Li Xiangdong glanced at the kitchen; it was the first time he'd opened it today. The kitchen, built along the wall, was about ten square meters in size.

There were two wood-fired stoves inside. They looked very sturdy and reliable, but the iron pots on top were missing.

With a single thought, Li Xiangdong tossed out two large iron pots from the kitchen of his mysterious villa. The lids were also taken along.

Before Li Xiangdong's soul transmigrated, he enjoyed cooking with firewood. Sometimes he would even show off his culinary skills on live streams. As for wood, the shavings and scraps from making furniture last night would be enough.

Li Xiangdong cleaned the kitchen, which took only about ten minutes. He tidied it up spotlessly.

On an old, worn table were placed condiments such as soy sauce and vinegar, all in unmarked glass jars. There was also a wide-mouthed canning jar containing Pixian chili bean paste.

This is the Doubanjiang of later generations, with some advanced technology added.

As for MSG and pepper, they had everything. Since we were going to make fish, two glass bottles of Zuhang beer were placed beside us. The labels had long been torn off the bottles.

Li Xiangdong only discovered last night that he could retrieve things from the mysterious villa with just a thought. Throwing them into the city would be the same.

However, to retrieve items from the cold storage, you have to go inside and get them yourself.

The same goes for vegetables grown in the fields outside; with just a thought, a few cucumbers sprouted.

Just as I brought in the wood shavings and other firewood, I saw Xu Damao arrive with Lou Xiao'e. Xu Damao was carrying two bottles of Moutai, while Lou Xiao'e was carrying several preserved eggs and a roast chicken.

"You're too kind!" Li Xiangdong said with a smile. "Then I won't stand on ceremony. Xu Damao, do you know how to clean fish?"

"Yes, I will!"

Xu Damao hurriedly put down what he was holding.

Li Xiangdong invited Xu Damao and his wife to dinner. Of course, it wasn't to befriend Xu Damao. He wanted to get to know Lou Xiao'e's father, Lou Hongyi, through her.

Li Xiangdong wanted to use some high-end items to exchange for some antique yellow croakers or the like from Lou Hongyi.

These things are stored in a mysterious space; they'll be worth a fortune in later generations.

Li Xiangdong's villa contained a considerable amount of cigars and red wine. Of course, these were all inexpensive items, but at this time, they were quite rare and valuable.

Xu Damao went to kill the fish, while Li Xiangdong washed cucumbers. Lou Xiao'e stared wide-eyed; this was such a rare sight.

"Sister-in-law, you should try it, but be careful because it's cold. Share it with Xu Damao."

Li Xiangdong handed over a cucumber with its blossoms and thorns still attached. It was freshly picked, so of course it was very fresh.

"Tsk tsk, no wonder he's a high-ranking official. He can even get his hands on such rare things. What are you standing there for, old woman? Now, what are you going to do?" Xu Damao said to Lou Xiao'e, who was still in a daze.

"Thank you, but Xu Damao, you're really not being polite."

Lou Xiao'e rolled her eyes at Xu Damao and took the cucumber from him.

At this moment, Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Sha Zhu arrived at the screen door and walked straight in. This made Li Xiangdong frown deeply.

Li Xiangdong decided to install a large door at the screen door.

Jia Zhangshi was accompanied by a chubby little boy with a watermelon-shaped haircut and a shifty look. They were watching from behind.

"What's going on with you guys? Don't you have any manners at all? Who let you in?" Li Xiangdong shouted angrily.

"We've come to inform you of something," Liu Haizhong said arrogantly, "You have so many fish..."

"Old Liu, Old Liu, let me do it," Yi Zhonghai said helplessly. Liu Haizhong's words were clearly aimed at starting an argument. He didn't actually want the fish at all!

Liu Haizhong paused for a moment before saying, "Okay, Lao Yi, you tell me."

"Section Chief Li, it's like this, today isn't Sunday," Yi Zhonghai said with a smile. "I was thinking of doing some perks for the compound. You caught so many fish, they were practically free. How about we take some out, have Zhu Zi burn them, and treat the whole compound to a meal?"

"Since you just moved in, this is a way of saying hello to everyone."

Yi Zhonghai secretly calculated in his heart that Li Xiangdong's agreement this time meant he had taken a step back, and in the future, Yi Zhonghai could find ways to make Li Xiangdong retreat step by step.

Given enough time, they'll be able to subdue Li Xiangdong. Having an eighth-level engineer like him take care of you in your old age would be such a comfortable thing.

"Yi Zhonghai, you never know your place. You're nothing but a shoddy, second-rate worker!" Li Xiangdong said coldly. "Do I need you to arrange things for me? What are you anyway!"

"Did I get the fish for free? Did I not put in any work? Did it just fall from the sky?"

"You didn't ask for money for your salary either, so how about you take it out and share it with everyone?"

Yi Zhonghai was speechless; he hadn't expected Li Xiangdong to say something like that.

"Um, well... I have money to use..." Yi Zhonghai said awkwardly.

"Whose money is useless? My fish is also money. So yours is useful, but others' isn't? You're a hypocrite; how can you say something like that?" Li Xiangdong exposed Yi Zhonghai's true colors.

"You use other people's things to curry favor, but you don't spend a single penny on yourself. What a damn cunning scheme! Get out of here, all of you!"

Yi Zhonghai turned and left with a livid face, Liu Haizhong following behind. Sha Zhu gave an awkward smile, scratched the back of his head, and walked away.

"Grandma, I want to eat fish! Grandma, I want to eat fish! Go and get a big fish for me!"

The stalker howled. Its eyes, mostly black with little white skin, were filled with greed.

Jia Zhangshi looked at the large fish lying in the corridor like firewood. Her eyes were filled with greed; she wanted to take them all. But when she saw Li Xiangdong's cold gaze, she suddenly felt a burning sensation on her face, as if that slap had landed on her cheek again.

"Let's go back. I'll have your mother come and get it later." Jia Zhangshi pulled Banggeng away.

Bang Geng was dragged back while crying and wailing all the way.

As she walked, Jia Zhangshi spat and muttered, "Yi Zhonghai is really useless; he was shut down by just a few words."

"Just take out a month's salary and distribute it among everyone. This little bastard, aren't you going to share the fish with everyone?"

"So stingy, no wonder he's childless. He thinks our Dongxu will take care of him in his old age? Dream on!"

Li Xiangdong shook his head, deciding to teach those two beasts a lesson at work tomorrow. Otherwise, they'd show no fear whatsoever and keep coming to cause trouble.

Just as he was about to go back to the kitchen to cook, Yan Bugui returned looking gloomy. He propped up the car and went straight to the screen door, but Yan Bugui was already standing there.

"Um, Li Xiangdong, your fishing spot isn't good. I haven't caught a single fish. My husband is going on a blind date today, so how about you give me a fish?" Yan Bugui said.

"I'll return the big fish to you later!"

Chapter Seventeen: Intercepting Yu Li (Thanks to the user with the last four digits of their phone number, 411, for the donation!)

"Yan Bugui, you've got some nerve," Li Xiangdong sneered. "You're blaming me for not catching any fish? Do you think we're friends? You think you can just come here to borrow fish? Get lost!"

After Li Xiangdong finished speaking, he went to the kitchen and smashed the cucumber.

Xu Damao also cleaned and gutted the big fish. After bringing it into the kitchen, he sat down by the stove and started cooking.

Li Xiangdong poured soybean oil into the pot and fried the big fish. Xu Damao stared wide-eyed and said, "Section Chief Li, you're cooking fish like this...tsk tsk, so much oil!"

"What's the point of cooking fish if there's no oil?" Li Xiangdong said with a smile.

After frying the fish in half until it's set, remove it from the oil and put it in an enamel jar. There's a large quantity of these enamelware items in the labor protection warehouse, I don't know why.

The appearance of such enamelware in this era doesn't feel out of place at all. In fact, it perfectly matches the characteristics of this time.

There was still a little oil left in the pot, so I stir-fried the fermented soybean paste until the oil turned red. Then I added various spices, put the fish in, and poured in two bottles of beer. After seasoning, I covered the pot with a wooden lid.

"Little fire, I'm going out for a bit and I'll be right back."

Li Xiangdong was going to the outhouse to relieve himself. The outhouse was bearable in this weather; it didn't smell bad, just a bit cold. Taking a big urination would make his buttocks ache from the cold.

As Li Xiangdong emerged from the outhouse, he saw a beautiful woman also coming out of the next outhouse. She looked to be about eighteen or nineteen years old, and fit Li Xiangdong's aesthetic standards.

She had a pretty little face and was about 1.7 meters tall. The two bears, Big Bear and Little Bear, were quite large, though somewhat thin. If they were fed well and cared for for a while, they would probably grow even larger.

Li Xiangdong immediately realized that this must be Yu Li, who had come to meet Yan Jiecheng on a blind date.

When Yu Li saw Li Xiangdong, her eyes widened. Seeing Li Xiangdong's intense gaze, she involuntarily lowered her head.

Li Xiangdong knew he had to make a move. He couldn't let Yu Li fall into the Yan family's hands; it would be a waste if she ended up in Yan Jiecheng's.

Yu Li is several times more beautiful than the one in the TV series.

"You are Yu Li, right?" Li Xiangdong asked directly.

"Yes, how did you know?" Yu Li asked warily.

“I am Li Xiangdong. I live right next to the Yan family.” Li Xiangdong said directly, “It’s a real pity that you’re going on a blind date with Yan Jiecheng. He’s still an unemployed street urchin.”

"I'm a level eight engineer and head of the technical department at the steel rolling mill. I earn 150 yuan a month!"

"I've taken a liking to you. You'd better go home right now and come find me at the steel rolling mill tomorrow at noon!"

"It's a bit inconvenient under today's circumstances."

Yu Li's eyes widened. After Li Xiangdong finished speaking, she said shyly, "You...you with such good qualities, how could you be interested in me?"

“I’m from Zuojiazhuang in the suburbs. My father works at a steel rolling mill. My household registration is in the countryside…”

“I’ll get you a job at the steel rolling mill, then your household registration will be settled. You should leave now. This matchmaker introduced you to Yan Jiecheng; he’s just trying to scam you. The Yan family is a huge rip-off.” Li Xiangdong said, “Here’s ten yuan; take it and go home.”

"I'm buying something for my parents. Never mind, wait a minute. Just wait over there in the corner, I'll go get my bike... Can you ride a bike?"