Courtyard House: The Road to an Industrial Power

In the military-specific workshop of the steel rolling mill, the roar of machines continues day and night, and the trial production of the Type 95 automatic rifle is progressing steadily.

After days of hard work, the test data of the first batch of prototype guns all met the standards. They are just waiting for the final round of military acceptance before they can enter the mass production stage.

As the project's chief person in charge, Lin Weidong spent every day in the workshop, overseeing every step of the process, from the specifications of a single screw to the assembly precision of the gun bolt.

After a busy week of work, Lin Weidong finally had some free time.

Early Sunday morning, he took some pre-fermented corn and a fishing rod and headed straight for the moat outside the city.

He's been putting a lot of effort into research and development lately, and he wanted to relax by fishing and take the opportunity to sort out his next research and development ideas.

There were already quite a few people fishing along the moat.

Lin Weidong chose a fishing spot with abundant aquatic plants and just scattered the fermented corn to create a feeding area.

Then he heard a familiar voice behind him: "Wei Dong, your fishing method is wrong!"

Looking back, it was Yan Bugui.

He was also carrying a fishing rod and a plastic box filled with earthworms, clearly indicating that he was also there to fish.

Yan Bugui moved closer to Lin Weidong, pointed to the corn he had scattered, and said:

"Has your corn fermented? Fish don't like sweet things in this weather! Besides, isn't it a waste to scatter such good corn like that? I'd say earthworms are better!"

Lin Weidong ignored him and continued tying up the fishing hook and adjusting the float.

Seeing that he remained silent, Yan Bugui leaned closer and said, "Look at this corn of yours, it's a waste to throw it away, why don't you give it to me?"

"I'll teach you how to fish, I guarantee you'll have a full catch today!"

Lin Weidong glanced at him, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "Teacher Yan is so amazing, how about we make a bet?"

Yan Bugui immediately perked up, "A bet? What kind of bet?"

"We'll bet on who catches the most fish. The loser has to give all the fish they caught that day to the winner."

Yan Bugui immediately shook his head: "No, no! This is your first time fishing, isn't it? Even if you lose because you can't catch any fish, it's not a big loss."

Then Yan Bugui stared at the fishing rod in Lin Weidong's hand and said, "If I win, this fishing rod and all the fish you catch are mine. If you win, this fishing rod and all the fish I catch are yours!"

He was certain that Lin Weidong was no match for him, an experienced angler.

This bet is a sure win!

Lin Weidong smiled faintly: "Okay."

The two found their own seats and sat down.

Yan Bugui cast his fishing hook triumphantly, muttering, "Fish, fish, bite quickly!"

Lin Weidong leisurely baited the hook with corn kernels, cast it into the fishing spot, and waited quietly.

A moment later, Lin Weidong's fishing float suddenly sank, and with a flick of his wrist, he caught a half-pound crucian carp.

Yan Bugui stared wide-eyed, then quickly turned to look at his own fishing float, but it remained motionless.

For the next few hours, Yan Bugui's fishing rod seemed to be welded to the water. Occasionally, a fish would bite the hook, but they were all pitifully small minnows.

Meanwhile, Lin Weidong was receiving good news one after another, with crucian carp, carp, and grass carp taking turns to bite, and the bucket was soon more than half full.

Yan Bugui was sweating profusely with anxiety. He kept changing the bait and moving the fishing spot. After all that effort, by the afternoon, he had only caught two small crucian carp, which weighed less than a pound in total.

As the sun set, Lin Weidong put away his fishing rod and looked at the lively fish jumping around in the bucket.

He said to the dejected Yan Bugui, "Teacher Yan, you should accept your loss."

Yan Bugui looked at his two small crucian carp, then at the fishing rod in Lin Weidong's hand, and his heart ached.

He reluctantly handed over the fish and fishing rod, muttering, "Bad luck today, I guess I've lost!"

Lin Weidong didn't waste any more words with him. He picked up the bucket and two fishing rods, turned around, and left.

Yan Bugui was so distressed that he stomped his feet. When he got home, he couldn't eat and sat in the yard sighing.

The three women asked him what was wrong, and he stubbornly replied, "Nothing! I lost my fishing rod and fish, but at least I saved a meal, so it's not a bad deal!"

These words sound tough, but his heart was bleeding. Although the fishing rod was old, he had made it himself over a long period of time!

Lin Weidong returned to the courtyard house carrying a full bucket of fish, attracting the attention of his neighbors.

He gave one to each of the several impoverished households in the courtyard.

After returning home, he asked Zhao Xiulan to make braised fish and fish soup, filling the whole yard with the aroma of fish.

After finishing, Lin Weidong served a large bowl of braised fish and delivered it to Sha Zhu's house.

Sha Zhu, holding the bowl and smelling the aroma of the fish, grinned from ear to ear: "Wei Dong, you're so kind! This fish smells amazing! Perfect timing, your Sister Qin is about to give birth, she should have some nourishing fish."

Qin Huairu quickly thanked him, "Brother Weidong, thank you so much for going to all this trouble to bring it to us."

Lin Weidong smiled and said, "You're welcome."

As soon as I got home, I saw Jia Zhangshi blocking the doorway with a large bowl in her hand.

Smelling the aroma of fish, she smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Weidong, look how much fish you have! Can you give my Dongxu a bowl too? He's been lying in bed for so long, he hasn't had any meat in ages."

Lin Weidong's face instantly turned cold: "No."

Madam Jia's face immediately fell, and she scolded, "How can you be so stingy! It's just a bowl of fish! And you call yourself a high-ranking cadre in the factory? If my Dongxu goes hungry, it'll all be your fault!"

She hurled increasingly vulgar insults, spitting everywhere, attracting a large crowd of onlookers.

Seeing that Jia Zhangshi was still cursing, he raised his hand and slapped her across the face. The crisp sound instantly echoed throughout the courtyard.

Jia Zhangshi staggered back two steps after being hit, then plopped down on the ground, slapping her thigh and wailing, "Murder! Lin Weidong beat an old man! Old Jia, you died too soon, no one will stand up for me!"

Liu Haizhong, who had been watching the commotion, immediately jumped out, sticking out his now noticeably smaller belly, and said, "Lin Weidong! You've gone too far! Even if Aunt Jia was wrong, you can't hit her! Respecting the elderly and caring for the young are traditional virtues, how could you do this!"

The deaf old woman also walked over, leaning on her cane, and said slowly, "Wei Dong, you're a man of status now. Hitting an old woman like this won't do you any good for your reputation if word gets out."

Lin Weidong looked at them coldly: "I hit her because she was being unreasonable and spewing nonsense! She's always trying to take advantage of others, and when she can't, she resorts to cursing. Does she really think my Lin family is easy to bully?"

He paused, staring at Liu Haizhong and the deaf old woman, his tone tinged with sarcasm: "Since you're so compassionate and reasonable, then take Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu back to your home and raise them!"

"This is a good opportunity for you to demonstrate your spirit of dedication, so she won't come to my doorstep to cause trouble every day!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Haizhong and the deaf old woman froze instantly. How could they possibly want to support Jia Zhangshi and her husband, this burden?

Upon hearing this, the deaf old woman quickly waved her hands, saying, "What? What did you say? Oh dear, I can't hear you again. Quick, Xiao Yi's wife, help me back home." After saying this, the older woman helped the deaf old woman back home.

The other onlookers also dispersed, none of them wanting to get involved in the trouble.

Lin Weidong glanced at Jia Zhangshi sitting on the ground, then turned around and closed the door in one swift motion.

After everyone had left, Jia Zhangshi stood up, clutching her swollen left cheek. Looking at the ancestral large bowl that had been smashed on the ground, Jia Zhangshi spat viciously and went home.