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

Yan Fugui stared at him with a strange look and asked, "Young man, are you looking for someone? I'm Yan Fugui, the third uncle of this courtyard. Tell me who you're looking for?"

Zhou Weiguo thought to himself, "Just as I thought," and said politely, "Hello comrade, I'd like to find a cook named He Yuzhu."

Upon hearing this, Yan Fugui smiled and said, "Yes, yes, yes, He Yuzhu lives in our courtyard. I heard he cooked a feast for someone a few days ago. You didn't come here to ask him to cook the feast, did you? Let me tell you, young man, He Yuzhu is a good lad in our courtyard, and he listens to me very much. If I ask him to cook the feast for you, it will be at least half the price." After saying that, he kept staring at the bag Zhou Weiguo was carrying.

Zhou Weiguo didn't deny it and went along with it, saying, "Thank you so much! Come on, come on, don't worry, as long as things are settled, everything else is minor."

Upon hearing this, Yan Fugui's eyes lit up instantly, and he rubbed his hands together with a beaming smile, nodding and bowing repeatedly, saying, "Hey, you're such a generous young man! Alright, I'll take you to find Zhu Zi right away, and I guarantee he'll handle things perfectly for you!" As he spoke, he reached out to take the bag from Zhou Weiguo's hand.

But how could Zhou Weiguo let go? This bag contained pastries he had brought back all the way from Harbin, which he had intended to give to Yushui and Shazhu. How could he possibly give them to Yan Fugui?

He subtly stepped aside, smiling as he switched the bag to his other hand, and casually patted Yan Fugui on the shoulder: "Sir, the matter hasn't been settled yet, so you can't ask for favors. Never mind, you go ahead with your business, I'll find it myself." With that, he walked past Yan Fugui into the courtyard.

Yan Fugui, standing at the door, awkwardly withdrew his hand, a look of displeasure flashing in his eyes. He muttered, "You didn't give me any benefits, yet you expect me to speak well of you? You're dreaming."

Zhou Weiguo walked through the front yard and into the middle yard, where he saw the second famous scene in the courtyard—Qin Huairu doing laundry.

If it weren't for her coarse linen clothes, she would really give off the vibe of Aunt Thirteen. It's a pity she's a green tea bitch and a vampire, wow, I can't play with her.

Zhou Weiguo ignored Qin Huairu and went straight to He Yuzhu's room.

Qin Huairu was doing her usual laundry when she saw a very handsome man walk into the yard. Feeling the man's gaze on her, Qin Huairu felt a surge of attraction. Just as she was about to look up and greet him, the man walked straight towards Sha Zhu's house.

Seeing Yan Fugui following behind, she asked in a low voice, "Third Uncle, what's this?"

Yan Fugui said with a smirk, "They asked Sha Zhu to cook the banquet. Hey, who introduced them? They even knew Sha Zhu's house was in the main house in the middle courtyard. That's quite clear."

As Zhou Weiguo stood at the door of the main house, he heard the sound of chopping vegetables coming from inside.

He raised his hand to knock on the door, but the door creaked open from the inside, and He Yuzhu, wearing an oil-stained apron, was carrying a basin of water to pour out.

But when He Yuzhu saw Zhou Weiguo, he was completely stunned.

Zhou Weiguo first helped He Yuzhu pour out the water, then pulled the bewildered He Yuzhu into the house and closed the door.

He Yuzhu pointed at Zhou Weiguo and stammered "you you you you" for a long time without saying anything else.

Zhou Weiguo looked at Sha Zhu and said earnestly, "My name is Zhou Weiguo. Do you know me?"

Sha Zhu looked conflicted, then suddenly seemed to remember something, crawled under the bed and started rummaging through drawers and cupboards until he pulled out a wooden box. Sha Zhu opened the box; inside lay a yellowed old photograph. Sha Zhu looked at the photograph, then at Zhou Weiguo, then back at the photograph.

He asked, somewhat incredulously, "What's your dad's name? Why do you look so much like my maternal grandfather?"

Zhou Weiguo's gaze fell on the photo, and a faint smile appeared on his lips: "My father's name is Zhou Jiqian, my mother's name is Liu Haimei, and my eldest sister's name is Zhou Dongxue."

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu's hand trembled violently, nearly dropping the wooden box. His eyes instantly reddened: "You...you're really my uncle? Before He Daqing left, I heard him talk about my mother's family situation, but I was too young to listen carefully at the time!"

Seeing Sha Zhu's excited expression, Zhou Weiguo's eyes also welled up slightly. He reached out and patted Sha Zhu's shoulder, his voice trembling slightly, "Yes, I am your uncle! You're not bad, you haven't forgotten your roots on your mother's side!"

As he spoke, he reached out and gently stroked the old photograph, as if he could see the past through it.

"That's great, you still have a photo to remember me by. It's a pity I don't even have any photos left."

He Yuzhu was stunned upon hearing this, looking at Zhou Weiguo with disbelief and saying, "Uncle, what... what do you mean?"

Zhou Weiguo's Adam's apple bobbed as he said, "Your father doesn't know either? Everyone on my side is gone, all gone. Back then, your father, He Daqing, came to the village to prepare a banquet and took a liking to my eldest sister, your mother. Initially, your maternal grandfather wanted to test your father, so he didn't agree directly. Who would have thought that my unreliable eldest sister would be kidnapped by your father? But it was fortunate that she was kidnapped by your father, because not long after, the village suffered a misfortune, and your maternal grandparents died trying to save us brothers."

I was the fifth child in my family. I followed my older brothers, constantly on the run, and endured a lot of hardship. Later, my eldest and second eldest brothers joined the army, but they were killed in action after only a few years. My fourth brother then took me to Harbin, where we finally settled down. However, due to the war, my fourth brother went to Qiongzhou as soon as he had settled me in, and sadly, he never returned.

I was studying at Harbin Institute of Technology, and after graduating, I returned to Beijing to prepare for graduate school. I went to great lengths and inquired everywhere to find you, and the first thing I did upon returning was to see how you were doing, because you are among the few remaining relatives of mine in this world.

He Yuzhu held Zhou Weiguo's hand tightly, his voice choked with emotion: "Uncle, you've suffered so much these years! From now on, you can live with us in Beijing. I'll cook for you, take care of you, and support you in your old age!"

Zhou Weiguo, who was initially moved, immediately lost his composure upon hearing He Yuzhu's words: "What the hell is this about taking care of me in my old age?!" He slapped He Yuzhu on the forehead: "Your uncle is only a few years older than you. Expecting you to take care of me in my old age? Who knows who will pass away first!"

He Yuzhu thought about it and realized it was true. He looked at Zhou Weiguo with embarrassment.

Seeing this, Zhou Weiguo smiled and eased the atmosphere: "But I will remember your kindness."

He glanced at the messy furnishings in the room, frowned, and said, "Zhu Zi, tell your uncle how you've been living all these years?"