Siheyuan (courtyard house): My father, Li Yunlong!

Li Zhenhua stopped and looked calmly at the third uncle, fully aware of the look in his eyes that seemed glued to his flesh.

That old shrewd strategist truly lives up to his reputation.

Li Zhenhua wasn't in a hurry to go in; he wanted to take this opportunity to reaffirm his authority.

He seemed to suddenly remember something, reached into his pocket, and actually bought a brand new pack of "Chunghwa" cigarettes from the mall.

As for why it wasn't another type of cigarette...

He coughed up other things.

These days, cigarettes with filters are a rarity, let alone "Chunghwa" cigarettes.

Li Zhenhua skillfully unpacked the package, pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, then took out a brand new lighter.

With a "pop," it was lit, and he took a deep drag, the movements fluid and graceful.

The old man's gaze immediately shifted from the meat to the pack of cigarettes with white background and red lettering, especially the eye-catching filter, which made his eyes light up, and his face was full of curiosity and longing.

"Wow! Section Chief Li, your cigarettes... are really something else! With a filter? What brand is that? I've lived half my life and I've never seen anything like it!"

Li Zhenhua exhaled a puff of smoke, his tone as casual as if he were remarking on the nice weather, and replied in a nonchalant manner.

"Oh, this one? It's a special edition."

"Special...special supply?"

Upon hearing those two words, the third uncle raised his voice eight octaves, and the envy on his face was impossible to hide.

He stared longingly at the cigarette pack in Li Zhenhua's hand, then at the cigarette in Li Zhenhua's mouth, and his throat bobbed again. His meaning was all too clear: he was just waiting for Li Zhenhua to "give" him one, even if it was just to smell it.

However, Li Zhenhua acted as if he hadn't seen his hint, and took another puff of his cigarette, showing no intention of offering one to the Third Uncle.

He just stood there, looking at the Third Uncle with a calm, even slightly aloof, gaze, and a faint, enigmatic smile seemed to linger on his lips.

The old man craned his neck and waited for a long time, but when Li Zhenhua showed no intention of giving him a cigarette, the smile on his face froze. He was caught between not being able to pull his outstretched hand back and not being able to pull it back, which would be even more awkward. He stood there, his old face turning red, not knowing whether to go forward or back. The scene was extremely awkward.

He then realized that the young man in front of him was probably not someone he could usually appease with a few kind words or a little advantage.

Looking at the Third Uncle's embarrassed appearance, Li Zhenhua sneered inwardly. He then casually flicked his cigarette ash, picked up the meat in his hand, nodded slightly to the Third Uncle, and said in a calm tone.

"Third Uncle, I'll go back and tidy up the house now. Goodbye."

After saying that, he ignored the third uncle who was frozen in place, picked up the string of pork belly that was enough to make the whole courtyard turn heads, and walked calmly into the courtyard gate, leaving the third uncle Yan Bugui alone at the door, watching his back, his face turning pale and then red.

As Li Zhenhua's figure disappeared behind the hanging flower gate, the third uncle, Yan Bugui, spat fiercely at the ground. The forced enthusiasm on his face had vanished, leaving only shame, anger, and resentment.

"What a brat! So young, yet so arrogant! Smoking special cigarettes makes him so great? Showing off with a piece of meat? He's just a greenhorn; he'll get what's coming to him sooner or later!"

At this moment, the third aunt also quietly slipped out of the yard, approached the third uncle, and whispered something.

"Dad, you saw it too? This new kid is carrying such a big piece of meat, it must weigh several pounds, right? It's really eye-catching! Judging from his mannerisms, he doesn't seem like someone easy to get along with. He's offended the Jia family right away."

The third uncle snorted coldly and gestured towards the central courtyard with his lip.

"Hmph, difficult to get along with? That's because he hasn't met his match yet! When I came back, I saw it. As soon as Jia Dongxu got home from get off work, Jia Zhangshi and his wife dragged him into the house, crying and wailing. Right now, they're probably adding fuel to the fire with their complaints. With Jia Dongxu's reckless nature, plus Yi Zhonghai's consistent bias towards his apprentice, do you think he'll let it go? Just wait and see, Li Zhenhua will definitely get what's coming to him soon! Let's see if he can still be so arrogant!"

Li Zhenhua, carrying the meat, walked unhurriedly across the front yard and headed towards the back yard.

This journey has been the focus of everyone's attention.

That ten-pound cut of premium pork belly, with its distinct layers of fat and lean meat, is like a bomb exuding deadly temptation in an era where meat is a rare treat.

The neighbors along the way, whether it was an old lady washing vegetables, a man resting on the doorstep, or a child chasing and playing, all had their eyes fixed on that piece of meat as if they were drawn by a magnet.

The sounds of swallowing saliva rose and fell, and the longing, envy, and even a hint of greed in their eyes were almost tangible.

Several boys, their eyes glued to the meat, instinctively tried to follow it, but their parents held them back tightly and scolded them in low voices.

If it weren't for the lingering force of Li Zhenhua's kick that knocked Jia Zhangshi over at noon, making everyone clearly realize that this newly arrived young section chief was not someone to be trifled with, some of them, driven by hunger, might have actually stepped forward to snatch it.

Li Zhenhua seemed oblivious to all of this, his expression calm and his steps steady. This was exactly the effect he wanted.

Establish authority.

At the same time, he also wants to make it clear to these people that Li Zhenhua is capable and powerful, and they should not provoke him easily.

He walked to the west wing of the backyard, took out the key, and unlocked the door.

He was quite satisfied with the condition of the room.

Director Sun of the Logistics Department was clearly very good at handling things. In just one afternoon, he not only thoroughly cleaned all three rooms (side room, annex room, and small side room), but also seemed to have simply painted the walls, making them appear much brighter.

The main furniture is also fully equipped.

The room contained a brand-new wooden bed with a clean straw mat and plain sheets, a desk, a chair, and a wardrobe.

There were several empty shelves in the side room, presumably for storage.

Even the smallest side room was cleaned up, and a simple stove was built to serve as a kitchen.

What surprised Li Zhenhua even more was that the kitchen was fully equipped with basic kitchen utensils such as iron pots, knives, cutting boards, bowls and chopsticks.

"This Director Sun is quite a talent."

Li Zhenhua nodded in satisfaction, put down his luggage, and then hung the heavy piece of pork belly on a conspicuous hook at the kitchen door.

Things Li Zhenhua didn't know.

Just as he entered the courtyard house.

Yi Zhonghai's house was shrouded in smoke.

Jia Zhangshi was half-paralyzed on the relatively sturdy wooden chair in the Yi family home, one hand clutching her stomach and the other slapping her thigh, spitting as she wailed at Yi Zhonghai, who was sitting at the Eight Immortals table, silently smoking.

"Old Yi! You have to stand up for our family! That damned little bastard, he went too far! My old back is ruined by him! Ouch...it hurts so much! When has such a tyrannical creature ever come to our yard? He comes in and starts hitting people, especially an old man! Is there no law anymore?!"

Beside her, Jia Dongxu stood with his neck stiff, his face full of resentment and indignation.