Siheyuan: A master brewer starts with a jar of bone-strengthening wine!

Then he took off again, making four trips around his big brother's territory: Kyiv, Minsk, Smolensk, and Donetsk, unloading, signing for, and taking photos of the goods in each location and sending them back.

The last stop was the old granary in Mocheng.

Pushing open the door—wow! The whole room was dazzling with gold.

Twenty thousand tons of supplies, at two hundred US dollars per trip, totaling four million US dollars.

Converted into gold? Three thousand two hundred and forty kilograms—that's a full three hundred and twenty-four tons!

Back in Beijing, the sun had just risen directly overhead.

Liu Dong strode towards the small tavern.

Now, without fail, he picks Chen Xueru up from get off work every day after get off work. But to his shame, it's been several months since he's sat down for a proper drink.

"Brother Liu's here—!" Kong Yuqin peeked out from the kitchen, wiping her hands. "What would you like to drink today?"

"Two ounces, please! And a small dish of shredded pickled vegetables, that's all." Liu Dong plopped down, "I'm going to chat with Uncle Niu and the others!"

Sure enough, Old Niu was eating sunflower seeds when he heard the sound, looked up and smiled: "Oh? Trying to copy me today, buying on credit?"

"No credit!" Liu Dong gestured towards the bar. "See that? The proprietress is sitting over there—she'll settle the bill later!"

"Hahaha!" Old Niu laughed so hard that sunflower seed shells flew half a foot away. "Judging by the days, Xue Ru should be here soon, right?"

Liu Dong nodded: "There are still more than two months left."

Changing the subject, he glanced around and suddenly paused: "Hey? Where's Fan Jinyou? I've never seen him. Did he get transferred?"

"What a load of crap!" Xu Hesheng retorted, a cigarette dangling from his lips. "Go back to your hometown and farm!"

Liu Dong felt a surge of warmth in his heart: "What happened?"

Grandpa Niu, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan, said, "That happened more than a month ago! Last month, he grabbed Assistant Director Li by the collar and started a fight in front of the neighborhood office—he even knocked out one of his teeth!"

"The problem is he brought it on himself! He insulted his boss for no reason and then gave him the cold shoulder!"

"The neighborhood committee made the decision that very day: pack your bags and leave!"

Liu Dong nodded silently.

and many more……

He narrowed his eyes, and suddenly his mind clicked.

last month?

It matches up!

He had just given Fan Jinyou the cursed wine, and he was in a hurry, so he just randomly ordered version 5.3 and didn't watch the live replay at all.

It's probably this alcohol that's working! Otherwise, even if that guy's brain isn't working properly, he wouldn't have publicly beaten up his superior.

"Brother Liu, the pickled vegetables are here!" Kong Yuqin quickly brought over a plate of crisp and refreshing pickled radish shreds.

Uncle Niu teased her casually, "I heard you went on a blind date last week? How was it?"

Kong Yuqin rolled her eyes: "Forget it! No formal job, and all you do is tell me 'I'll rely on you to support me' the moment we meet—I wouldn't even want to see you a second time!"

Old Niu laughed: "Oh, then Abu or..."

Liu Dong suddenly looked up and glanced at her a few more times, thinking to himself: This girl has a straightforward temper and speaks frankly; she and He Yuzhu are a perfect match.

Let's try to match them up.

If someone recognizes me as their elder brother, then I have to treat them like a true brother.

We can't be like Yi Zhonghai, scheming against the younger generation our whole lives—that's not what a leader does, that's what a beast does!

He took a sip of his drink and casually asked, "Yuqin, what kind of person are you looking for?"

Kong Yuqin slammed her hand on the table: "I'll find someone like Brother Liu!"

"Hey!" Old Niu immediately clapped his hands. "That ambition, I admire it!"

Chen Xueru, Xu Huizhen, and Zhao Yali all turned their heads to look at them.

Kong Yuqin realized what she had said, and her face flushed bright red: "Oh dear! I was just kidding!"

Liu Dong waved his hand: "It's nothing!"

This girl is of average appearance, straightforward, unpretentious, and easygoing, which makes her likable.

He then asked, "Seriously, what are your criteria for choosing a partner? I'm keeping an eye out for you."

Kong Yuqin counted on her fingers: "The first requirement—it has to be a man!"

"Pfft—!" Old Niu sprayed a mouthful of wine all over the tip of his shoe. "Kong Yuqin, Kong Yuqin, your standards are way too down-to-earth! I, Old Niu, am a man too, want to give it a try? Hahaha!"

The room was filled with laughter.

Everyone knew he was just joking around, but Kong Yuqin still covered her face and exclaimed, "Uncle Niu, don't look at me!!"

"Don't interrupt, don't interrupt, you keep talking!"

She took a breath and continued, "Second, you need to have a decent job; third, you need to own your own house; fourth, you need to be honest and straightforward, not slick or slippery; fifth, you don't need to be scary-looking, just have regular features!"

That's all!

She smiled at Liu Dong, her eyes sparkling. Liu Dong picked up his wine glass and took a small sip.

Are the conditions proposed by Kong Yuqin too high?

At first glance—it seems like nothing special.

But if you really break it down and examine it closely, the threshold is quite high!

First requirement: You must have a formal job.

This one rule alone shuts out most people.

Article 2: You must own your own house.

Fortunately, He Yuzhu is on the right track – he has a stable job, owns three rooms, and although his parents have passed away and he has a younger sister who is about ten years old to support, he is a reliable person and has clean finances.

"Hey, what a coincidence!" Liu Dong grinned. "I actually have someone quite suitable here! Kong Yuqin, she's a master chef at my factory, in charge of the communal meals, her skills are superb, she lives in the company-provided dormitory, her house has three rooms, and it's very tidy. The only problem is her younger sister is a bit small, and she usually takes care of her by herself. What do you think? Can you accept that?"

Chen Xueru raised her eyelids and immediately understood: this was a way to push He Yuzhu into the situation.

She nodded: "I think it's fine."

"Okay!" Kong Yuqin readily agreed. "Then I need to talk to him first. Brother Liu, could you help me schedule a time?"

"No need to wait until tomorrow, let's do it today!" Liu Dong slapped his thigh. "It's Sunday, and Zhu Zi is resting at home! Come to our yard at three o'clock this afternoon, and see what his house is like and what he's like, okay?"

"Great!" Kong Yuqin said decisively. "Brother Liu, it's really done! I'll treat you to a whole braised carp!"

Liu Dong waved his hand: "No need for you to treat me, Zhu Zi will be eager to pay the bill!"

Xu Huizhen interjected with a smile, "I'll give you half a day off this afternoon, go ahead! But you have to be back before dinner—our whole compound is making dumplings tonight, and we can't do without you!"

It was exactly 3 p.m.

He Yuzhu washed his hair early, combed it until it was shiny and smooth, put on his most presentable navy blue shirt, and wore a pair of polished black leather shoes. His face was slightly red, and he stood at the door rubbing his hands.

Not long after, Chen Xueru led Kong Yuqin into the courtyard.

The people in the courtyard had been squatting by the wall or sitting on the steps for ages, waiting.

"This girl looks very energetic!"

"Tall and broad-shouldered, he looks like someone who can handle anything!"

"He seems to have a stable temper, not like someone who likes to cause trouble."

"Zhu Zi is so lucky, his ancestors must have been blessed!"

The elderly folks were increasingly satisfied with what they saw, their mouths practically agape with smiles.

However, Xu Damao, Jia Dongxu, Yan Jiecheng, Liu Guangqi, and the other young men all kept their faces tense and didn't say much.

Why?

In their eyes, there's only one criterion for choosing a partner: how handsome they are!