Courtyard House: Drunk and tipsy, the whole courtyard exposed at the start.

She hurriedly followed him out.

"Seeing spring, coming to you and me."

Inside the stable, Lou Xiao'e, He Yushui, Mu Wanqing, Qin Jingru, and Xu Xiaoling poked their heads out in confusion, then looked at Yan Jiecheng. Zhang Dabiao, meanwhile, stared at Yan Jiecheng, continuing to sing with a wicked (lewd) grin, having already sung: "Snowflakes are falling, the north wind is howling—the world is a vast expanse of desolation—"

Yan Jiecheng was extremely embarrassed and wanted to find a hole to crawl into, but there were no pits in this large area. However, there was a small fishpond nearby. Should he jump in and try?

He looked up at the sky, then at the ground, one hand resting on the hoe, unsure where to put the other. Putting it on his waist felt awkward, and on his head? That would be insane.

You can't exactly put it in your crotch, can you?

I almost lost my balance and stumbled while shifting my hands back and forth.

To hide his embarrassment, he looked around and muttered under his breath, "No..."

"No, no... Da Biao..."

"Stop singing..."

"Don't……"

Zhang Dabiao was exasperated. "I even provided the background music, and this is what you give me?"

He slammed the book on the table and roared—

"What are you standing there for? Go after them!"

"oh oh……"

Yan Jiecheng immediately threw down his hoe and ran out, his flustered appearance causing the girls to burst into laughter.

Lou Xiao'e – "Goose, goose, goose, goose, goose, goose, goose, goose..."

Zhang Dabiao was speechless; he was really worried sick about these good-for-nothings.

Suddenly, Yan Jiecheng ran back and peeked out from the small door between the side room and the small courtyard, asking Zhang Dabiao, "Hey, Dabiao, does today count as half a day or a full day?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Isn't it two pounds of cornmeal a day? I'm..."

Zhang Dabiao's face darkened, and he pointed at the door, shouting, "Get out!"

"Okay, sure!"

"I'll come pick it up later!"

"No, I'll come over tonight to farm and make up for the lost time!"

"I'm leaving!"

Zhang Dabiao was speechless...

What the hell are you doing, coming to farm at night?

Why are all the courtyard houses filled with these bizarre things? How are their brains structured?

Is now the time to talk about farming at night?

The girls were laughing hysterically.

Lou Xiao'e – "Goose, goose, goose, goose, goose, goose, goose, goose..."

Zhang Dabiao—"..."

I want to take out my 3M noise-canceling earmuffs...

Xu Damao poked his head out from outside the courtyard: "Da Biao, what's up?"

"Why did Yan Jiecheng run away? He ran faster than a rabbit! Did he go to pick up money?"

"He went after his wife," Zhang Dabiao blurted out.

"What? Yan Jiecheng got a wife? That can't be! I'm not even cured yet, and he's not cured either. Why would he get married? Wouldn't that be ruining someone else's girl's life?"

"No, I have to go check it out!"

"What? Yan Jiecheng's wife? I have to go see her too!" Hearing the commotion, Sha Zhu pushed open the door and ran out.

"Wait for me, Sha Mao!"

"..."

Zhang Dabiao covered his face...

Forget it, I'm too tired. Whatever.

------------

Sure enough, an hour later, the three men returned to the courtyard house with bruises and swelling on their faces, and went to Zhang Dabiao's small side courtyard to settle the matter. Liu Guangqi even came over to watch.

All three had bruises around their eyes and blood from their noses, with Xu Damao being the most seriously injured—it seemed they had all been killed.

It was almost lunchtime, and the girls had all gone home. Evenings were usually the guys' time to get together. Qin Jingru and Yushui had gone to study the new Sichuan dishes they had learned, and they were cooking in the side room, occasionally eavesdropping on conversations in the small courtyard.

"Da Biao, Guang Qi, you two be the judge, is this some kind of insult?"

"I finally caught up with Lily, and before I could even coax her back, Xu Damao ran over and said that my family hadn't paid for my medical treatment, and that Lily should think carefully."

"That idiot Zhu is even more despicable! He's so smug, saying he's the one who hit him! He even said his name is 'Idiot Zhu,' from the steel mill—"

Xu Damao, Zhang Dabiao, and Liu Guangqi all chimed in, "An eighth-level chef earns twenty-seven yuan and fifty cents!"

"Hahahahaha—" As soon as this was said, everyone burst into laughter.

Sha Zhu's catchphrase is so overused, it's just that you say it to every girl you meet... Do you really think being 27.5 is something to be proud of or what?

There are plenty of people in the courtyard who earn forty or fifty yuan a month.

Meanwhile, He Yushui rolled her eyes in the kitchen, not knowing what to say to this silly brother.

Sha Zhu scratched his head and said, "Wait, what are you guys laughing at? I wasn't lying!"

张大彪笑了半天才问道：「傻柱，你8级炊事员不应该是35块5吗？你怎幺只有27块5？」

"This guy is always taking leave. The cafeteria manager asked him to work overtime on weekends to prepare special meals, but he refused. So he got deducted from his paycheck." Xu Damao quickly revealed his secret.

Sha Zhu scoffed, "That's still higher than your apprentice's salary of 22 yuan!"

Xu Damao slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Hey, I'm making 35.5 yuan now too! I'll be a full-time employee tomorrow!"

Xu Damao was smug. He hadn't told anyone about this except Zhang Dabiao. He was counting down the days; tomorrow would be his official promotion!

Teachers, cooks, nursery workers, telephone operators, broadcasters, and projectionists are not subject to the same eight-grade system as workers. For workers, grade one is the lowest and grade eight is the highest, but for them, it's the opposite.

比如说炊事员还有临时工帮厨22块、正式工炊事员学徒10级27块5、9级31块、8级才是正式炊事员35块5。

Childcare workers have a minimum level of 9, while telephone broadcasters have a minimum level of 10.

However, projectionists only receive 22 yuan as temporary apprentices, but once they become regular projectors, they become level 8 projectionists, earning 35.5 yuan.

Xu Damao has finally made it through!

But this means that his father has finished his business and is making room for him, so he's going to move out?

Is Xu Xiaoling leaving too?

Sha Zhu looked a little awkward when he heard that Xu Damao had been promoted.

Liu Guangqi graduated from a vocational school and is now working his way up in seniority. Moreover, Liu Guangqi has been smart since childhood, so his salary as a level 6 clerk is only 43 yuan. Sha Zhu didn't say anything; he simply couldn't compete.

The salaries of the others were indeed not as high as Sha Zhu's. Even though his salary was deducted, he still had the highest salary among the younger generation in the entire hospital (except for Liu Guangqi).

Jia Dongxu, that idiot, has only ever earned 33 yuan as a Level 1 fitter over the years. It seems like he earns a few yuan more than Sha Zhu (but it should actually be 5 yuan less). But does Jia Dongxu dare to say that his salary is higher than his own?

But in the end, this guy Xu Damao came from behind and won?

Both are level 8, one a cook and the other a projectionist, and should both receive 35.5 yuan. So why is my salary being deducted?

And projectionists even get subsidies when they travel for work?! And they even receive local specialties from fellow villagers?!

So Shazhu started to feel nervous!

But what he didn't know was that Zhang Dabiao could make at least 80-100 a month!

Comparable to a level 8 craftsman!

Liu Guangqi patted Xu Damao on the shoulder: "Hey, Damao, you've been promoted! You're going to treat us to a meal!"

Xu Damao said smugly, "Absolutely! Next Sunday, let's have two tables in Da Biao's little courtyard!"

Yan Jiecheng—"Hey! I'm talking about how they interfered with my and Lily's relationship, can you guys stop going off-topic?"

If we keep chatting like this, are we going to congratulate Xu Damao on the spot and set off firecrackers?

Everyone then came to their senses.

Um... I've gone off-topic.

Yan Jiecheng felt so wronged.