Courtyard House: Become Stronger Through Blind Dates

Inside the Jia family's house, Jia Dongxu sat on a bench with a long face.

"Mother, why did you invite that idiot Zhu to mess things up?" Jia Dongxu's tone was clearly displeased. "What kind of face do you have with him standing there on my blind date? If word gets out, where will I put my face?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Jia Zhang said dismissively, "What do you know? That silly Zhu is only sixteen, just a greenhorn. Besides, with his old face, standing next to you just makes you look even more handsome, doesn't it?"

Seeing that her son's complexion had improved considerably, Madam Jia continued, "You didn't smell the delicious aroma wafting from the Qian family's house just now. Sha Zhu's wok-flipping skills must have been passed down from He Daqing; his skills are truly excellent."

"Let him cook a decent meal on your blind date. It'll make our family look good, and we won't even have to spend a penny. Others would love to take advantage of that!"

After his mother's analysis, Jia Dongxu's anger subsided considerably, and he even found it quite reasonable.

He asked with a hint of expectation, "Mother, did you make sure you knew the girl the matchmaker introduced this time? I hope she's not like the last one, with a face full of pockmarks..."

Madam Jia's gaze darted away slightly, but she assured her, "Don't worry, this time it's exactly as you requested. I specifically had your Aunt Wang find a perfect match!"

"Your Aunt Wang has given her her word this time. She's exceptionally beautiful, the kind you'd find hard to find anywhere in the surrounding area. I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Dongxu immediately smiled and said, "Really? Mother, you still love me the most!"

Looking at her son's smug expression, Jia Zhangshi felt a little uneasy.

She didn't dare tell the truth: the girl was indeed well-off, but she had a rural household registration.

The girls that the matchmaker had introduced to Jia Dongxu before were all from working-class families in the city, and their conditions were actually quite good. However, Jia Zhangshi had privately found fault with them and urged her son to refuse.

Why? Isn't it because she's worried that if the other woman has her family backing her up, how can her mother-in-law, who has a rural household registration, put on airs and act arrogantly?

She served Old Jia and his son for half her life, working herself to the bone, hoping that her son would marry a gentle and obedient woman so that she could enjoy the blessings of being a mother-in-law sooner.

This time, she secretly asked the matchmaker to turn her attention to the countryside. She heard that this girl was a famous beauty in the surrounding area, and she was determined to marry into the city.

Girls like this have no connections and are easy to manipulate!

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He Yuzhu was woken up by the freezing cold the next morning.

Last night, the fire on the kang (a heated brick bed) went out in the middle of the night. He was feeling lazy and thought that since he was young and energetic, he could just wrap himself in an old quilt and bear it.

As a result, he seriously underestimated the cold of winter nights in Beijing at that time, and overestimated the warmth of the old cotton quilt he was wearing.

"Achoo!"

He Yuzhu couldn't take it anymore. He got up cursing and put on his cotton-padded jacket and trousers, cursing the damn weather all the while.

"The first thing I'm going to do today is get a new quilt, and if I get the chance, I'll find someone to renovate this kang (heated brick bed)!" He Yuzhu thought to himself as he rubbed his hands together, his breath steaming in the air.

He spent half a day queuing at the public restroom to take care of his business, and by the time he finished, his buttocks were so cold he could barely feel them.

After returning home, boiling water, and washing up, he touched the banknotes in his pocket and finally felt a little more confident.

He now has a total of over 3.4 million yuan in assets, and he has to pay back the 100,000 yuan he owes his master today.

Thinking of this, he was too lazy to make breakfast himself, so he put his money and ration coupons in his pocket and went out.

I greeted the neighbors in the courtyard who were up early to cook and empty their spittoons along the way.

He worked as an apprentice at the Emei Restaurant, and it was normal for him to leave early and return late, which the people in the restaurant were used to.

At a steaming breakfast stall at the street corner, he ordered a bowl of hot soy milk and three large meat buns. After eating until he felt warm all over, he let out a satisfied burp and headed towards the Emei Restaurant.

He Yuzhu paused as he passed a tailor shop that had just had its doors removed.

Remembering how freezing he was last night, he went inside without hesitation.

The shop owner was a kind-looking woman in her forties. Seeing a customer enter, she greeted him warmly, "Young man, would you like some clothes made or altered?"

"Big sister, I'd like to have two sets of thick bedding made, with plenty of cotton and durable, stain-resistant covers. What's the approximate price? How long will it take to make?" He Yuzhu asked directly.

The proprietress quickly quoted a price and said that it could be picked up in three days.

He Yuzhu readily paid a deposit of 150,000 yuan, but felt a pang of regret. These two quilts alone cost 320,000 yuan; money really doesn't go far.

Just as he was about to leave, a thought suddenly struck him, and he remembered Deputy Director Wang, who had helped him.

Right now, we're at the height of the "Three Antis" campaign; giving money or gifts would only harm people.

He thought for a moment and asked, "Ma'am, can you make banners here?"

"A banner?" The proprietress was taken aback, then smiled and said, "Sure, we have silk and cloth banners. What kind of words do you want?"

He Yuzhu and the proprietress agreed on the style and wording of the banner and arranged to pick it up in the afternoon.

The proprietress was all smiles as business came in one after another, and repeatedly promised to do a good job in the afternoon.

Clutching the order receipt, He Yuzhu arrived at the kitchen of Emei Restaurant in a good mood.

However, as soon as he entered the room, he sensed that something was wrong.

At this time of day, the kitchen would usually be bustling with activity as food preparation begins.

Today, although everyone was busy, the atmosphere was unusually subdued. No one spoke loudly, and even the act of chopping vegetables seemed listless.

Several familiar senior brothers saw him and only nodded reluctantly, their eyes filled with undisguised worry.

He Yuzhu's heart skipped a beat. He remembered He Daqing's reminder before he left, as well as his own speculation about the "Five Antis". Could it be that Emei Restaurant was really affected?

He walked straight toward his master Chen Baoguo's rest room. Just as he reached the door, before he could even raise his hand to knock, the door creaked open from the inside.

Then, another master chef from the hotel, Master Zhao, came out of the room with a sullen face.

Upon seeing He Yuzhu outside the door, he was visibly taken aback, nodded to him, and then left.

As He Yuzhu watched his departing figure, the ominous premonition in his heart grew stronger.

He composed himself and knocked on the door.

"Come in," came Master Chen's voice from inside.

He Yuzhu pushed open the door and went in, only to see his master, Chen Baoguo, sitting next to the office with a worried look on his face.

"Master," He Yuzhu called softly.

Chen Baoguo snapped out of his daze, saw it was him, and asked, "Zhuzi's back? Have things been settled at home?"

"Yes, it's all taken care of." He Yuzhu nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then couldn't help but ask, "Master, I noticed everyone seems a bit down today. Did something happen? Just now, Master Zhao..."

Chen Baoguo sighed deeply, stood up, walked to the window, and stared blankly out the window.

He remained silent for a while before asking, "Zhu Zi, how did things go with your father?"

He Yuzhu briefly recounted his trip to Baocheng, saying, "Now I've separated from the family and am living independently."