Courtyard House: Become Stronger Through Blind Dates

The group chatted for a while longer, and it was almost noon.

Tanya stood up and said, "Zhu Zi, let's have lunch here today!"

"Okay!" He Yuzhu didn't refuse; he had come intending to cook them a meal as a way of thanking them.

Lou Bancheng laughed, "Your Aunt Tan has been talking about you for years, saying she wants to eat your cooking. Since you're here today, why not show off your skills!"

"no problem!!"

He Yuzhu followed Butler Zhou to the kitchen, looked at the available ingredients, and quickly came up with a menu.

Since it's a family dinner, it doesn't need to be too complicated; six dishes and one soup will suffice.

He Yuzhu rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

Tan Yali followed He Yuzhu into the kitchen, saying she was there to help, but actually she just wanted to watch him cook.

He Yuzhu shared his knowledge without reservation, explaining as he demonstrated.

An hour later, the dishes were served one after another.

Braised pork belly, steamed sea bass, Kung Pao chicken, Mapo tofu, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, shredded pork with garlic sauce, and a winter melon and pork rib soup.

"Wow, it smells so good!" Lou Xiao'e leaned over the table, her eyes fixed on the braised pork.

"You little glutton," Tanya Li said with a smile, tapping her daughter's forehead. "Go wash your hands; it's time to eat."

After everyone took their seats, Lou Bancheng took out his treasured wine and poured a glass for himself and He Yuzhu.

"Come on, Zhu Zi, let Uncle Lou toast you," Lou Bancheng said, raising his glass. "Wishing you a bright future!"

"Thank you, Uncle Lou." He Yuzhu quickly raised his glass.

The two clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp.

Lou Xiao'e couldn't wait any longer and put a piece of braised pork into her mouth. Her eyes lit up immediately: "So delicious! It's much better than Mom's!"

"You silly child..." Tanya glared at her daughter reproachfully, but her eyes were full of laughter.

She also tasted the braised pork; it was fatty but not greasy, and melted in her mouth—definitely better than what she made herself.

"Zhu Zi's craftsmanship is truly exceptional," Tan Yali praised sincerely.

The meal was quite enjoyable.

Lou Bancheng was in a good mood today, drank several glasses, and became quite talkative.

"Zhu Zi, you're sixteen this year, right?" Lou Bancheng asked. "Have you thought about your future?"

He Yuzhu put down his chopsticks and said earnestly, "Uncle Lou, right now I just want to do my job well and establish myself at the Oriental Hotel. As for the future... let's take it one step at a time!"

"That makes sense," Lou Bancheng nodded. "But you're still young, you have time to plan slowly."

He paused, as if remembering something: "Oh right, your Aunt Tan has a distant relative with a daughter who's eighteen this year. She works in a government agency, and she's good-looking and has a good character. How about...?"

"Old Lou!" Tan Yali interrupted him, "Zhu Zi is still young, what's the rush?"

Lou Bancheng laughed heartily: "Not young anymore, I had that when I was sixteen..."

"What nonsense are you spouting in front of the children!" Tanya blushed and glared at him.

He Yuzhu was amused by the couple's interaction and quickly smoothed things over, saying, "Aunt Tan, Uncle Lou is just concerned about me. But I am still young and want to focus on my career first."

"Did you hear that?" Tanya glanced at her husband smugly. "Zhu Zi is much more sensible than you!"

Lou Bancheng wasn't annoyed. He smiled, shook his head, and didn't bring it up again.

After finishing his meal, He Yuzhu chatted with the Lou family for a while longer. Seeing that it was getting late, he got up to say goodbye.

Tan Yali had the housekeeper, Zhou, pack some imported candies and biscuits and gave them to He Yuzhu, saying, "Zhuzi, take these back and eat them."

"Aunt Tan, I can't accept this..." He Yuzhu declined.

"Take it!" Tan Yali shoved it into his hand without saying a word. "Your Uncle Lou's friends often send him imported things. We have plenty at home. Take it back and try it."

He Yuzhu had no choice but to accept it, thanked them repeatedly, and then left the Lou family.

---------------

It was already 2 p.m. when I got back to No. 95 Courtyard.

He Yuzhu took out the imported candies and biscuits he brought back from the Lou family, selected a few kinds and arranged them on an exquisite plate, which he then placed on the octagonal table.

I brewed another pot of tea and prepared the teacups.

After finishing all that, he checked the time; it was still a while until three o'clock.

He Yuzhu sat in the chair and began to think about the system rewards he might get from this blind date.

"Last time it was cash, and the time before that it was cash too... Can't we have something different this time?" he muttered to himself.

"Like a spiritual spring space or something..."

Just then, Wang the Matchmaker's voice came from outside the door: "Zhu Zi, are you home? I've brought some people!"

He Yuzhu perked up and quickly got up to open the door.

As soon as the door opened, Wang the matchmaker stood there with a beaming smile, followed by two people.

A middle-aged woman, about forty years old, was wearing a decent blue cotton coat.

The other was a young girl, about eighteen or nineteen years old, with delicate features, fair skin, and wearing a thick plaid coat.

Although she's not particularly beautiful, she's pleasing to the eye.

"Zhu Zi, this is Aunt Zhou, and this is Zhou Xiaomei," Wang the matchmaker introduced. "Xiaomei, the young lady of the Zhou family, this is He Yuzhu."

He Yuzhu quickly stepped aside: "Hello, Aunt Zhou, hello, Comrade Xiaomei, please come in."

Zhou's mother looked He Yuzhu up and down and greeted him, "Hello, Comrade He."

Zhou Xiaomei also greeted her softly, "Hello."

The three entered the room, and He Yuzhu invited them to sit down and poured them tea.

"Aunt Zhou, Comrade Xiaomei, please have some tea," He Yuzhu said politely, handing out teacups one by one.

Zhou's mother took the teacup, glanced around the room, and finally her eyes fell on the plate of imported candies and cookies, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

These imported foods are rare items; most people never even see them.

He Yuzhu noticed her gaze and smiled, "This was a gift from an elder I visited today. Try it, it tastes pretty good."

Zhou's mother nodded, picked up a cookie, and tasted it.

Zhou Xiaomei didn't eat; she just picked up her teacup and took small sips without saying a word.

Just then, a system notification sounded in He Yuzhu's mind:

[Ding! A potential blind date has been detected, triggering a blind date task.]

[Task Requirements: The blind date must last at least 30 minutes; otherwise, the task will fail.]

[Quest Reward: Random skill or item.]

Below my field of vision, the familiar countdown appeared.

He Yuzhu was overjoyed; it was a success!

Just as he was about to say something, Matchmaker Wang stood up and said to Zhou's mother, "Aunt Zhou, shall we go out for a walk and let the two young people talk alone?"

Zhou's mother glanced at her daughter and nodded: "Alright."

The two got up and left the room, thoughtfully closing the door behind them.

Suddenly, only He Yuzhu and Zhou Xiaomei were left in the room, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

He Yuzhu cleared his throat and broke the silence, "Comrade Xiaomei, I heard you work in the finance department of the machinery factory?"

Zhou Xiaomei looked up at him and said, "Mm."

He Yuzhu continued, trying to find a topic to talk about: "I have a friend who also works in finance at the factory, and I often hear her talk about her work..."

"Comrade He Yuzhu..." Zhou Xiaomei suddenly interrupted him, her tone firm, "I'm straightforward, I'll say what I mean."

He Yuzhu was taken aback: "You tell me."

Zhou Xiaomei looked at him and said, word by word, "I can't marry you!"