I painted an aircraft carrier on the courtyard house for Dongda University.

Upon hearing this, Wu Yousheng immediately clapped his hands in delight and said yes.

He was afraid that Zhou Weiguo would waive his rent again, which would make him feel really embarrassed.

"Brother, this is what I'm thinking: I want to rent all the houses in this courtyard."

Hearing this, Zhou Weiguo nodded and said, "Of course! But brother, are you feeling any pressure about the rent? If so, I can think of some other solutions for you."

Wu Yousheng quickly smiled and said, "No need, no need. Even if things are tight, it won't be as bad as losing ten or eight yuan a month. Actually, I still have several apprentices who haven't graduated yet, and they were entrusted to me by friends who had various family matters to attend to. I was thinking of bringing them back to continue training them and teaching them slowly. What I wanted to ask you was, could I take them with me to the factory so they could learn alongside me? Don't worry about their meals, I'll take care of them myself. Don't worry, I definitely won't take the canteen's lunchboxes."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Weiguo silently glanced at He Yuzhu beside him, and said with a laugh, "Zhuzi, your master is right here, why don't you mention your famous saying, 'If the cook doesn't steal, the grain won't be harvested'?"

He Yuzhu looked at Zhou Weiguo with a face full of fear, as if to say, "Uncle, you've tricked me!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yousheng's expression changed, and he yelled at He Yuzhu, "Kneel down!"

He Yuzhu knelt down on the ground with a "thump".

Wu Yousheng raised his hand to slap He Yuzhu, but after hesitating for a long time, he still couldn't bring himself to do it.

He looked at He Yuzhu with a grim expression and said, "When you became my apprentice, I taught you not to learn this bad habit of your father! Back then, to prevent you from stealing, I would cook three extra portions of a dish for the guests, just in case you stole some, and I would openly display it for you to eat. All this was to teach you to be upright people. We chefs already have a bad reputation, and this is how you expect yourselves to behave? I've taught you for so many years, how come you can't remember?"

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu's face showed a hint of reminiscence, and then he said with a bitter expression, "Master, I know I was wrong, but I really had no choice during that time, and I don't regret it. In those years, I was an apprentice in the steel rolling mill. I worked in the kitchen, and no matter what, I could always get enough to eat. But if I didn't steal, what would I do with the rainwater? If I didn't steal the rainwater, I would go hungry."

Later, when I became the head chef, things got much better. Whether it was leftovers from the large pot or the dishes I cooked in the small pot, it was all with the approval of the former factory manager.

"Of course, don't worry, sir. I haven't taken anything from the factory in a long time. My uncle doesn't allow me to take anything from the factory either. Besides, I'm a leader now, so I definitely wouldn't steal anything."

Hearing this, Wu Yousheng nodded in satisfaction and said, "Alright, get up!"

After listening for a while, Zhou Weiguo quickly changed the subject: "Brother Wu, what you just said about the apprentice learning to cook is a minor issue. At worst, I'll take on a few more apprentice positions. The wages won't be high, but at least we'll have some income."

Hearing this, Wu Yousheng lost his temper and stopped criticizing He Yuzhu. He said in a panic, "Brother, don't misunderstand! It's already a huge favor that you've arranged a few workstations for us; we can't trouble you any further. In my opinion, just arrange two workstations for my family; there's no need for so many. The eldest and second eldest have already completed their apprenticeships; finding temporary work won't be difficult for them."

Zhou Weiguo shook his head: "Brother, if you consider me family, leave this to me. Alright, let's stop arguing here. Let's go to the neighborhood office first and get your house paperwork done."

Afterwards, Zhou Weiguo took Wu Yousheng and went straight to the subdistrict office.

Upon arriving at the subdistrict office, Zhou Weiguo briefly explained the situation to Director Wang. Director Wang didn't cause any trouble and directly helped Wu Yousheng complete the house registration procedures.

After completing the formalities, Zhou Weiguo inquired about who was in charge of the Zhengyangmen area and learned that it was under the jurisdiction of the Qianmen Subdistrict Office. He then drove there to inquire about the situation of Wu Yousheng's house.

Zhou Weiguo searched for a long time before finally finding the Qianmen Subdistrict Office. He parked his car at the entrance of the courtyard and went inside. After asking around, he finally met Director Li of the Subdistrict Office. But when he saw Director Li, he was stunned—this Director Li looked kind and gentle, but his features bore a striking resemblance to Jia Zhangshi.

Zhou Weiguo began to wonder: Could these two be relatives?

When Director Li of the neighborhood office saw Zhou Weiguo and his group, he asked warmly, "Comrades, what can I do for you?"

Zhou Weiguo smiled and said, "Director Li, I'm the head of the technical department at Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill. I'm here today mainly to inquire about the situation regarding my nephew's mentor's house being seized by the local street office. I'd like to know the specifics."

Director Li was taken aback upon hearing this, and asked with a puzzled look, "Are you sure it was our subdistrict office that sealed it off?"

Wu Yousheng quickly chimed in, "Yes, it was Fan Jinyou from your neighborhood office who led a few young men to seal it off."

Zhou Weiguo sensed there was more to the story and immediately said, "Brother Wu, tell Director Li about Fan Jinyou's recent actions against you."

Wu Yousheng nodded and recounted in detail how Fan Jinyou had sealed off the Emei Hotel and his family's Western-style house.

Before he could finish speaking, Director Li slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "Nonsense! Utter nonsense! Has Fan Jinyou gone mad?"

Zhou Weiguo quickly stepped forward to appease him: "Director Li, please don't be angry. This matter is indeed strange. Ordinary people are selling their belongings just to make ends meet. I really don't understand why, for such a small matter, not only are their gold jewelry confiscated, but their houses are also sealed off. Isn't this pushing people to the brink of despair?"

Director Li's face instantly darkened, and he said urgently and sincerely, "Comrade Zhou Weiguo, I understand how you feel right now. To be honest, I was also shocked. I never expected Fan Jinyou to dare to do such a thing. To be frank, current policies do explicitly prohibit the private sale of gold, but this mainly targets 'large and small gold pieces,' not ordinary small gold jewelry. There must be something else behind this. I assure you, I will investigate thoroughly and give Comrade Wu Yousheng a satisfactory explanation. I will arrange for someone to remove the seals now so he can go home as soon as possible."

Regarding the Emei Hotel, I'm not entirely familiar with the situation. However, please rest assured that since the hotel is your private property and you plan to work at the steel rolling mill, you can simply lease it to the local street office through proper procedures. I will communicate with you as soon as the investigation results are available. Is this arrangement acceptable to you?

Zhou Weiguo smiled and politely replied, "Okay, then I'll trouble Director Li. I'm usually either at the steel rolling mill or at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang. Once the investigation is complete, please send someone to inform me. You can also contact Director Wang of our subdistrict office directly; I'm quite familiar with her."

When saying goodbye, Zhou Weiguo politely declined Director Li's offer to see him off.

However, in the instant he turned around, he unexpectedly bumped into someone.

Upon seeing the girl's face sitting on the ground, Zhou Weiguo's expression changed drastically, and he blurted out in shock, "Zhao Lusi?"

P.S.: Please urge me to update more and give me good reviews. Thank you!