Courtyard House: Become Stronger Through Blind Dates

In the front yard, Qian Daniu carried a bucket of water to the middle yard and immediately spotted He Yuzhu.

The sound of the fists and feet making his heart skip a beat.

"Zhu Zi!" Qian Daniu exclaimed, "What...what are you practicing? Didn't you used to be a wrestler? How come you can box now?"

Without turning his head, He Yuzhu replied, "Wrestling is just for fun; this boxing is the real skill I secretly learned."

"My dad used to be strict and wouldn't let me practice, so I could only sneak out to practice. Now that we've separated the family, I'm in charge of my own life, so I don't have to hide anymore!"

His words were half true and half false, explaining the origin of the boxing style while also reiterating that He Daqing had previously suppressed him.

Soon, a large number of people gathered at the Intermediate People's Court.

Several teenagers watched He Yuzhu practice his boxing, their eyes sparkling with admiration and longing.

A few bolder individuals couldn't resist clumsily imitating He Yuzhu's movements on the open space nearby, making "humming and hawing" sounds as they went.

He Yuzhu glanced at them, ignored them, and offered no advice.

Learning martial arts isn't something you can learn just by looking at it.

Breathing, exertion, and intention—a slight difference can lead to a huge error.

Not only will you not learn anything by practicing blindly, but you might also injure yourself.

Moreover, the saying "the poor study literature, the rich study martial arts" is not just an empty phrase.

The medicinal bath recipes in his mind that are about strengthening the body and replenishing qi and blood deficiency all require money for each of the medicinal materials.

Ordinary families can barely afford to eat their fill, let alone have extra money to buy those expensive medicinal herbs.

Furthermore, relying solely on food to replenish energy is simply not enough to keep up with the energy expenditure of martial arts training; over time, the body will be completely depleted.

When you're in your forties or fifties and a host of health problems come knocking on your door, it'll be too late for regrets!

The door of the Jia family opened, and as soon as Jia Zhangshi came out, she saw He Yuzhu practicing boxing.

She subconsciously touched the cheek that had been slapped yesterday, and felt a wave of fear wash over her.

"That damned devil! Luckily, I was smart enough not to say another word yesterday..." She made up her mind that she would never provoke this living devil again.

He Yuzhu remained focused until he was drenched in sweat and his muscles were slightly sore, then he slowly stopped.

A plume of white sweat rose from his head, standing out starkly in the cold air.

"Phew—" He exhaled a long breath, feeling refreshed all over.

Although my physical coordination is still lacking, the feeling of power flowing through my body is truly captivating.

After fetching water and returning to the house, I heated it up and carefully wiped my body down before changing into a clean and neat set of cotton clothes.

After the body-strengthening pills and his morning workout, he felt extremely hungry.

I headed straight to the breakfast stall at the street corner, devoured five large meat buns and drank two large bowls of piping hot soy milk before I felt about 70% full.

"This appetite... it'll be a problem in the future." He Yuzhu rubbed his still somewhat unsatisfied stomach and thought to himself, "I can't just sit around and do nothing; I need to get the job settled as soon as possible."

Thinking about work, he remembered the letter He Daqing had given him.

He pulled out the slightly crumpled letter from his pocket and muttered, "Anyway, the skill is still here. If it doesn't work, we can just go door-to-door to sell it to each restaurant. It's not like we're some unorthodox self-taught person."

Thinking of this, he got up, left the breakfast shop, and walked towards the direction where the Lou family lived.

The Lou Family Mansion is located in a quiet neighborhood in the west of the city. It is a two-story Western-style building with an independent courtyard, gray walls and red tiles, which looked particularly grand in that era.

He Yuzhu stood outside the tightly closed door and raised his hand to knock on the brass ring on the door.

The sound of knocking echoed at the door in the early morning.

Not long after, the small door on the side creaked open, and a middle-aged man of about fifty years old leaned out.

He sized up He Yuzhu and asked, "Young comrade, who are you looking for?"

He Yuzhu quickly and politely said, "Hello, my name is He Yuzhu, and I am He Daqing's son. My father asked me to deliver a letter to Mr. Lou."

As he spoke, he handed over He Daqing's letter.

"He Daqing?" A look of realization flashed in the eyes of the middle-aged man who looked like a steward. He clearly recognized He Daqing, who used to frequently host banquets at the mansion.

After taking the letter, he carefully examined He Yuzhu's eyebrows and eyes. They did indeed resemble He Daqing somewhat, especially his slightly anxious appearance.

"Please wait a moment." The butler's attitude softened somewhat. "I'll go inform the master. You just wait here."

"Oh, thank you for your help," He Yuzhu nodded in response.

The housekeeper took the letter, turned around, and hurriedly went into the small building.

-----------

In the study on the second floor, Lou Bancheng was sitting behind a large desk reading a book.

"Master, there's a young man outside named He Yuzhu, who says he's He Daqing's son. He's brought a letter." The butler knocked on the door and respectfully placed the letter on the desk.

"He Daqing?" Lou Bancheng put down his book, picked up the letter with some surprise, and said, "Didn't he run off to Baocheng with someone? What does his son want with me?"

As he spoke, he opened the envelope, took out the letter, and began to read it.

The letter was short. He Daqing first briefly explained his own situation, saying that He Yuzhu had excellent culinary talent and had mastered seven or eight parts of the Tan family cuisine. He earnestly requested Lou Bancheng to take care of him in the future, considering their past friendship.

"That He Daqing, he just packed his bags and left, leaving his son in my care?" Lou Bancheng shook his head and chuckled, his tone teasing but not particularly disgusted.

He acknowledged He Daqing's culinary skills, and although he was a bit unreliable, he wasn't particularly wicked.

More importantly, he is indeed facing some minor troubles.

With the recent crackdown on the "Three Antis" campaign intensifying, people of his status must be extra careful about their words and actions.

This afternoon, he had arranged to have a small gathering at his home with several important business partners and two friends who held public office.

In the past, he would have definitely booked a banquet at a high-end restaurant or invited a famous chef to his home to prepare the meal.

But now, inviting outsiders is too conspicuous and could easily give others a handle to use against you.

Using the cook we already have at home? Her skills are just so-so, she can't handle the situation.

Just when I was in a dilemma, He Yuzhu came to my door.

He Daqing's son is someone I know very well.

If his skills are truly as the Qing Dynasty boasted, and he has seven or eight tenths of that level, he should have no problem handling today's banquet.

Moreover, using him wouldn't be considered asking an outsider; at most, it would be like asking the son of an old friend to help out, and no one could find fault with that.

Having thought this through, Lou Bancheng had already made up his mind.

He instructed the butler, "Please invite the person to the downstairs living room. I'll be right down."

"Yes, sir." The butler responded and withdrew.

He Yuzhu didn't wait long outside the door before the butler came out again with a smile on his face and said, "Comrade He Yuzhu, please come in. The master is waiting for you in the living room."

"Okay, thank you!" He Yuzhu was overjoyed, knowing that things were going well, and quickly followed the butler into the Lou family courtyard.

Walk through the neatly manicured garden and into the elegantly decorated living room with its thick carpet.

He Yuzhu couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement; this was even more luxurious than the scenes he had seen in period dramas set in the Republican era of his previous life.

The butler poured him a cup of hot tea: "Please have a seat, the master will be down shortly."

He Yuzhu thanked him, sat down calmly, and looked around curiously.