The Fitter Master in the Courtyard: Surrounded by Dead Men

He already knew that his apprentice had bought a bicycle, and he was genuinely happy for him.

If Yang Ping finds a wife in the future, he won't have any more worries.

"Okay then."

Yang Ping didn't try to persuade him further. He just thought that when he had more money in the future and got some extra bicycle tickets, he would get one for the driver so that he could save some effort on his commute.

The two parted ways at the entrance; one walked towards the parking lot, and the other towards the factory gate.

A short while later, Yang Ping arrived at the parking spot, took out his keys, and unlocked the car.

"Yang Ping!"

A clear voice suddenly came from behind.

He knew who it was without turning around, and simply patted the back seat and laughed:

"Gao Yue, come on up, I'll see you off."

The girl hesitated for a moment, but ultimately her liking for him overcame her shyness, and she softly replied:

"it is good."

Yang Ping got into the car first, and waited for her to be seated.

Gao Yue carefully sat in the back seat, her face already flushed red—this was the first time she had been driven by another man besides her father.

Which area do you live in?

Yang Ping asked, stepping on the pedal.

Gao Yue whispered an address.

Yang Ping nodded upon hearing this. He knew the place; it was just at the other end of the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, only a ten-minute walk away, and even faster by bicycle.

"Did you contact me earlier because you needed something?"

As he pedaled his bicycle toward the factory gate, he asked the question.

The burning sensation on Gao Yue's face subsided somewhat, and she asked softly, "Do you know Xu Damao?"

"I know him, we're from the same compound, but we haven't really interacted much."

Yang Ping turned her head and glanced at her. "What's wrong?"

"He claimed that he and you have known each other since childhood and are very close. He also said a lot of hurtful things about you and asked me to have dinner with him tomorrow night."

Gao Yue briefly explained the situation.

Yang Ping's face immediately darkened.

That bastard actually tried to scheme against him.

"I asked him a few questions about you, and he immediately gave himself away, then slunk away."

Gao Yue added another sentence.

"Xu Damao is no good. He's fooled a lot of girls with this trick. Don't talk to him anymore."

Yang Ping spoke earnestly.

"Don't worry, I'm not stupid, I won't fall for that kind of person's tricks."

Gao Yue answered immediately.

"That's good."

Yang Ping's expression softened slightly.

Fortunately, Gao Yue was smart, unlike Qin Jingru who was naive and easily swayed by Xu Damao's sweet talk to go to a hotel, where she almost suffered a great loss.

The two then started talking about other things, and soon arrived near the neighborhood that Gao Yue had mentioned.

"That's enough for now. I'll walk the rest of the way back myself."

Gao Yue quickly replied.

She still didn't dare let Yang Ping escort her to her doorstep, fearing that she might be seen by people in the yard or by her family.

"OK."

Yang Ping gripped the brakes and brought the car to a steady stop.

There's no need to rush right now. It's not too late to visit Gao Yue's home when your relationship has progressed further.

"Yang Ping, see you at school tomorrow!"

Gao Yue waved to him at the intersection.

"See you tomorrow."

Yang Ping responded and rode the old bicycle into the alley.

As soon as I pushed the cart across the threshold of the courtyard, I saw Yan Fugui watering several potted plants by the wall.

Upon seeing him enter, Yan Fugui stopped what he was doing and lowered his voice, saying:

"Yang Ping, there's going to be a good show today—Xu Damao is going on a blind date, and the girl should be arriving soon."

"Xu Damao on a blind date?"

Yang Ping was slightly taken aback.

That's interesting. He was out meeting someone else in the evening, yet he still dared to arrange a blind date. He's incredibly audacious, and he's not afraid of capsizing in the river if he tries too hard.

"That's right. I heard that girl is the daughter of Director Lou of the steel mill. Her name is Lou Xiao'e. She is pretty, a high school student, polite, knowledgeable, and outstanding in everything."

As Yan Fugui spoke, his eyes revealed an undisguised envy.

"If our son can marry a wife like that, it would be a blessing from our ancestors, and we'll never have to worry about food or clothing again."

Yang Ping simply smiled faintly after hearing this.

Although he had never met Lou Xiao'e, he had heard of her and knew that she was a reasonable person.

Whether today's blind date will work out remains to be seen.

He pushed his cart through the front yard and, as soon as he reached the middle yard, he saw Xu Damao standing under the jujube tree, wearing a brand-new blue cloth jacket and with his hair neatly combed.

"Yang Ping, you're back just in time!"

When Xu Damao saw him, he immediately grinned. "I'm going on a blind date today. If it goes well, we'll have a banquet in a few days. You absolutely have to come and have a drink!"

"Okay."

Yang Ping smiled slightly, her tone calm.

Xu Damao is quite easygoing. He acted as if nothing had happened when he snatched Gao Yue away during the day, and he was still able to greet him so warmly. I don't know if he is truly magnanimous or if he simply didn't take it to heart.

"If you ask me, you should hurry up too."

Xu Damao took another half step closer and deliberately raised his voice, "Don't be like some people in the academy, they're in their mid-twenties and still not married, always thinking about what others have, what kind of behavior is that!"

Xu Damao had no intention of letting He Yuzhu off the hook, and before leaving, he threw out another sarcastic remark.

"Are you tired of living?"

He Yuzhu glared and shouted.

"Go ahead and do it!"

Xu Damao raised his chin confidently, "Director Lou's car will be here soon. I want to see how he deals with you."

He Yuzhu choked, his face turning bright red.

It wasn't that he was afraid to hit, but he was afraid that if he did, the Lou family would hold a grudge, and if the factory used that as an excuse to fire him, what would happen to his family?

Seeing his frustrated expression, Xu Damao let out a smug laugh.

"Da Mao is gone."

Xu Fugui strolled out of the house. "Let's wait at the main gate first, so the Lou family doesn't feel that we're being disrespectful."

"Okay, I'll go right away."

Xu Damao responded loudly and strode off to the front yard.

In those days, without a telephone to relay messages, no one knew when the Lou family would set off, so they could only wait and see.

Yang Ping didn't get involved, and silently pushed the bicycle towards the backyard.

He Yuzhu slammed the door and went inside, his anger seething with nowhere to go.

As soon as Yang Ping stepped into the backyard gate, he saw Xu Yueling squatting by her doorstep, her eyes red as peaches.

"Yueling, why are you squatting here crying?"

He stopped the car and asked.

"Brother Yang Ping..."

Xu Yueling sniffed, and tears rolled down her cheeks again. "Our family is moving away in a few days, and then... I'm afraid I won't see you again."

Yang Ping smiled and softened her voice: "Silly girl, it's not like you don't know the way after moving. You can come back anytime you want to visit."

"real?"

Xu Yueling looked up at him with tearful eyes.

"Of course it's true."

Yang Ping reached into his pocket and, under cover of it, pulled out two White Rabbit milk candies from the system, gently placing them in her palm. "Here, sweeten your lips."

Today is your brother's big day. Crying and wailing like this is unlucky.

Just as Liu Guangfu's joyful shouts came from the courtyard, Yang Ping was putting the washed vegetables back into the house.

He wiped his hands and strolled out the door at a leisurely pace.

The two Liu brothers were also hurrying out, their faces filled with curiosity—they both wanted to see which girl Xu Damao was going to meet today.

Yang Ping smiled slightly and followed behind them.

A number of people had already gathered in the middle courtyard.

Xu Fugui, leading Xu Damao, was accompanying the three guests inside.

That was the Lou family of three.

Although there are no gold or silver embellishments, the fabric and tailoring reveal a subtle yet sophisticated quality, exuding an air of composure.

Lou Xiao'e stood beside her parents. She was tall and slender with a beautiful face, but her expression was indifferent, showing little joy.

She hasn't yet been polished by time into her later charm; at this moment, she's more like a sprouting bamboo, delicate yet with a touch of rawness.

Xu Fugui nodded to those around him with a beaming smile: "It's rare for Mr. Lou to come over. The neighbors all wanted to come and welcome him when they heard about it."

The man called Lou Bancheng nodded in response, his weathered eyes calmly sweeping over the crowd; such a scene was nothing out of the ordinary for him.

The woman beside him—Lao Tanshi—was smiling politely and giving a slight nod to those around her.

Only Xu Damao couldn't hide his radiant smile, his gaze fixed on his fiancée, his mouth practically stretched to his ears.

He couldn't help but cast a smug glance in a certain direction, where a sturdy figure could be vaguely seen standing.

The wind swept through the yard, ruffling the clothes hanging on the line.

Yang Ping stood at the edge of the crowd, quietly watching this scene.

Children are simple-minded; a piece of candy can bring them a smile, and they think saying goodbye is as easy as turning around.

But some turns are the last.

He recalled the sparkling eyes of Xu Yueling when she accepted the milk candy, and a faint sense of melancholy welled up in his heart.

Sha Zhu stood in the crowd, his jaw clenched so tightly it made a grinding sound, his cheeks taut.

The Xu family led the Lou family through the middle courtyard, into the back courtyard, and finally disappeared behind the Xu family's door.

The neighbors who had come to watch the commotion hadn't left yet, and their chatter continued incessantly.

"The girl Xu Damao has chosen this time is truly stunning!"

"It's more than just standard. Didn't you see that car parked outside? The Lou family is very wealthy."

"The Xu family has struck gold! Having such a powerful in-law family, they'll never have to worry about food or clothing again!"

"That's right. Even a tiny bit of money leaking from the Lou family's fingers would be enough to make Xu Damao comfortable for half his life."

"Well, don't be envious too soon."

These days, capitalists don't necessarily have an easy time.

Who knows what the future holds? Who will rely on whom?

A cacophony of voices drifted through the air.

Yang Ping ignored those words. He took a few steps and stood next to Sha Zhu.

Sha Zhu stared intently at the tightly closed door of the Xu family's house, his eyes glazed over.

Yang Ping's lips curled up, and he asked:

"So, what do you think of Lou Xiao'e? Isn't she pretty enough?"

"That's right, she's really beautiful... It would be wonderful to have her as a wife!"

Without thinking, Sha Zhu blurted out the words.

He snapped out of his daze as soon as he finished speaking, turned around and glared at Yang Ping: "Yang Ping, what kind of wicked idea are you plotting now? Let me tell you, don't mess with me!"

He knew all too well that nothing good ever came of running into Yang Ping.

"I see you're quite fond of Lou Xiao'e."

Yang Ping said slowly, with a smile on her face, "Just a friendly reminder, if you like someone, go for it as soon as possible."

The marriage isn't finalized yet, so don't wait until they've already held their wedding banquet before you're hiding in a corner beating your chest in regret.

This was the "gift" he prepared for Xu Damao.

.

If that kid dares to intercept him halfway, he'll personally ruin Xu Damao's blind date.

And who else in this courtyard could be more troublesome and more likely to stir up trouble than Sha Zhu?

"Yang Ping! You...you're talking nonsense!"

Sha Zhu seemed to have his thoughts exposed, and suddenly became flustered, his ears turning slightly red.

It's no wonder. With Lou Xiao'e's looks and family background, which man wouldn't take a second look and have some thoughts about her? Sha Zhu's reaction is perfectly normal.

After Yang Ping finished speaking, He Yuzhu was stunned for a moment, and then his expression became serious.

"I know Xu Damao better than anyone else."

He straightened up, as if he had made a decision. "Everyone in the compound knows about showing movies in the countryside. We can't let Comrade Lou Xiao'e jump into a fire pit."

Seeing that the other person had taken his words to heart, Yang Ping simply smiled and didn't reply.

He knew that was enough.

Xu Damao's marriage is almost certainly going to fall through.

As for what will happen between He Yuzhu and Lou Xiao'e in the future, he doesn't have any expectations—this person seems clever, but when it comes to matters of the heart, he always seems to be missing a screw.

If Lou Xiao'e hadn't made up her mind later, he probably would have remained a bachelor for life.

"I'll wait here for Comrade Lou to come out."

He Yuzhu rubbed his hands together and stood in front of the door, not even bothering to eat dinner.

Yang Ping turned around and went back into the house, started a fire, and prepared to cook something simple.

Eat early, and there might be some excitement to watch tonight.

Outside, He Yuzhu waited for a long time before Lou Xiao'e came out of the Xu family's house.