Courtyard House: My max-level medical skills specialize in treating beasts.

"Don't worry, there's no disease in the world that I, He Yudong, can't cure. That bastard Cui Dake with his infectious disease, I was the one who put him down. But that guy was really unlucky, he got hit in the balls by a car at noon, who knows if he's a eunuch now." He Yudong sneered, tapping his fingertips on the table.

"Dr. He, Director He, we were blind yesterday! We offended you because that scoundrel Cui Dake instigated us! Please, have mercy on us!"

"Yes, yes, Director He, please have mercy and help us get treatment!"

"Heh," He Yudong drawled, "your infectious diseases aren't covered by work injury insurance. Do you know how much Cui Dake spent? One hundred yuan! If you want treatment, fine, one hundred yuan per person."

"One hundred yuan? Are you robbing me?" Section Chief Wang suppressed the urge to curse, his face turning red.

"The door's over there. Goodbye." He Yudong raised his chin and pointed to the doorway.

He knew perfectly well that the first day of the illness was the most itchy, and he would have to endure it for two more days, with each day getting worse. If he could only get through three days, he would accept his fate.

"You...you've gone too far!" Section Chief Wang exclaimed angrily. "Believe me or not, I'll report you to the factory manager!"

"Go ahead," He Yudong's smile grew even colder. "If the factory manager finds out you have a contagious disease, firing you on the spot is the least of your worries. And you dare threaten me? If you get treatment now, it'll double the price, two hundred yuan, not a penny less!"

"Two hundred? I..." Section Chief Wang almost cursed, but remembering that he had just threatened to raise the salary by one hundred, he quickly swallowed his words. "Director He, my salary is low! Two hundred yuan is half a year's salary for me!"

"Don't play dumb," He Yudong scoffed. "The head of the security department earns fifty or sixty yuan a month. Who are you trying to fool?"

Section Chief Wang cursed himself for his impulsiveness; he had made a perfectly good threat, but ended up paying an extra hundred yuan for no reason!

"Dr. He, I have a hundred here!" A subordinate hurriedly pulled out some money and slammed it on the table.

"Bring mine too!" another quickly followed.

One hundred yuan was a huge sum for them, but if it rose to two hundred, it would be a disaster. In no time, all five henchmen pulled out their money, piling five hundred yuan on the table. He Yudong took the money, deliberately putting on a stern face: "Your illnesses are very serious, highly contagious. If left untreated, your skin will rot into holes! Don't worry about the price; my medicine is made with ginseng, fritillaria, platycodon, and snow lotus from the Tian Shan Mountains, mixed with royal jelly and refined for forty-nine days. I'll give you a discount on the one hundred yuan! One pill each, take it!"

Ding Qiunan, standing nearby, was trembling with suppressed laughter. He Yudong had told her the truth: the pills only cost five cents to make, but sold for a hundred each, and he made it sound so real. But the medicinal herbs sounded expensive, and the men believed him. They quickly swallowed the pills, none of them wanting their skin to break out; their bodies were already covered in itchy red marks.

"The itching is gone! It's amazing!"

"Me too!" "Me too!"

The five henchmen took the pills, and the itching stopped within seconds. Although the hundred yuan hurt, it was much more comfortable than the two hundred that Section Chief Wang had asked for. Their resentment towards He Yudong had also dissipated considerably. Of course, if they dared to retaliate, He Yudong had plenty of ways to make them suffer even more.

Seeing that all his subordinates were healed except for him, Section Chief Wang anxiously wrung his hands, saying, "Director He, I was wrong! I have a hundred here, please sell me one!"

"Excuse me, Section Chief Wang," He Yudong said without even lifting his eyelids, "yours is two hundred."

"You..." Section Chief Wang gritted his teeth, about to curse, but remembering the lesson learned from threatening to raise prices, he quickly changed his mind, "Fine! Two hundred it is!" He painfully pulled out all his money, exactly two hundred and a few cents, and after handing it over, he only had a few cents left in his pocket. He cursed viciously in his heart, "Just wait until I'm better, see how I deal with you!"

He Yudong slowly counted the money, then smiled and handed over a pill: "Remember, next time you get it, the medicine will be hard to find, and it'll cost three or four hundred!"

"No, no, I'll definitely be more careful next time!" Section Chief Wang swallowed the pill, and as soon as the itching subsided, he rushed out the door, afraid that He Yudong would raise the price again.

"Ding! Money swindled from bad guys, reward 10 merit points."

"Ding! Money swindled from bad guys, reward 10 merit points."

"Ding! Money swindled from bad guys, reward 20 merit points."

The system notification sounded like singing. He Yudong earned seventy merit points this time, bringing his total to over two hundred and ten. With these bastards taking the fall, he was accumulating good karma!

Ding Qiunan looked at He Yudong with even more admiration: earning eight hundred yuan today is equivalent to two years of her salary! She didn't think He Yudong had gone too far. If it weren't for Cui Dake and his gang causing trouble last night, she and Brother He might have taken things further. Thinking of this, her pretty face flushed red.

"Qiu Nan, why is your face so red?" He Yudong teased her.

"No, it's nothing! Brother He, I'm fine!" Ding Qiunan quickly lowered her head, her ear tips burning.

Just then, the sound of brakes came from the doorway, and Xu Shuji walked in, briefcase in hand: "You brat, forgot? You have to go for a follow-up appointment with the old chief today! I'll pick you up."

"Oh right!" He Yudong slapped his forehead. He had to continue the acupuncture treatment for Zhou Zhennan today!

The Nine Dragon Needle suddenly flashed through his mind; he could try it out later to see its effects.

After packing up the medicine kit, He Yudong said to Ding Qiunan, "Qiunan, keep an eye on the infirmary this afternoon. I have something to do and need to go out."

"Okay, Brother He, don't worry, there probably won't be many people this afternoon. You can go ahead."

In the hospital ward, Cui Dake lay sprawled on the bed, his face contorted in pain, tugging at the doctor's arm and asking, "Doctor, what's wrong with me? Why does it still hurt?"

"Don't worry, only one egg is broken; it won't affect your normal life." The doctor paused, "However..."

"But what?" Cui Dake jumped up and down anxiously.

"It's nothing, just take good care of yourself, you still have a chance to recover," the doctor said dismissively.

"Doctor, you have to save me! I'm not even married yet!" Cui Dake cried, then suddenly remembered Deputy Factory Director Li who had hit him. "Where is Deputy Factory Director Li? Where is he?"

"You mean the person who brought you here?" The doctor flipped through the medical record. "He paid the medical bills, got the receipt, and left."

"Damn it! That bastard!" Cui Dake gritted his teeth, wishing he could chop Deputy Factory Director Li into pieces. He originally hated He Yudong, but now he hated Deputy Factory Director Li even more: What if he was crippled in this situation? He hadn't even gotten his hands on Ding Qiunan yet, he couldn't afford to be defeated here!

Inside the general's building in the military compound, Zhou Xiaobai saw He Yudong enter and pounced on him like a bird: "Brother He! Your medical skills are amazing! My dad has been praising you every day these past few days!"

"Xiao Bai wasn't lying." Zhou Zhennan sat on the sofa and laughed. "Ever since you gave me acupuncture, I feel as light as if I'm not sick at all, and I feel even more comfortable after drinking Chinese medicine."

"Uncle Zhou, your illness is about 70-80% better now. If you get another Nine Dragons Needle treatment today and take the medicine for two days, you'll be completely cured." He Yudong said, his fingertips already touching the needle box.

"Then hurry up and do it!" Zhou Zhennan rubbed his hands together. "By the way, do you know how to play Go?"

He Yudong's lips curled into a smile. He had won the "Master of Chess" prize in a lottery, meaning he was proficient in both Chinese chess and Go. Although he had never actually played a game with it, he felt he was no worse than a national champion. "I know a little bit."

"Alright! After the acupuncture, let's play a game of chess, and you can stay for dinner tonight."

He Yudong didn't stand on ceremony, helping Zhou Zhennan lie down before taking out the Nine Dragon Needles. The moment his fingertips touched the needles, he suddenly had a feeling of "looking down on all living beings," as if his acupuncture skills had reached a new level. Each needle insertion was precise to the millimeter, and he could clearly feel that Zhou Zhennan's blood and qi were circulating much faster—the effect was more than twice as strong as before!

Zhou Zhennan felt as if he were soaking in warm water, so comfortable that he closed his eyes and soon fell into a deep sleep. When he slowly woke up, he felt so relaxed that not a trace of discomfort remained: "Damn, I've never felt so good before!"

"Uncle, you slept for half an hour." He Yudong put away the needle.

"Only half an hour? I feel like I slept for a whole day!" Zhou Zhennan's eyes widened.

"You're in deep sleep; you'll recover in ten minutes," He Yudong said with a smile as he prescribed medication. "Take the medicine for two more days, and you'll be completely cured."

"Yudong, if the army had a doctor like you back then, half the casualties would have been avoided." Zhou Zhennan said with emotion as he stood up. "Come on, let's play chess!"

An hour later, Zhou Zhennan slammed down the chess piece, his face full of dissatisfaction: "I'm not playing anymore! How can you be so ruthless, kid? Don't you know how to respect your elders? Is it really necessary to play so aggressively?"

In the four games, except for the first game which was a long and drawn-out battle, He Yudong completely crushed him in the rest of the games. Just when he was in a great position, He Yudong placed a piece and completely blocked his moves.

"The chessboard is like a battlefield; you can't leave the enemy a way out," He Yudong laughed.

"It's a shame you're not staying in the army," Zhou Zhennan shook his head.

He Yudong didn't reply. Now that he had the system with him, he was living a comfortable life, which was better than anything else.

"Xiao He, come and eat! Don't mind him, he's just being childish." Zhou's mother brought over the dishes, looking at He Yudong with increasing satisfaction. If she could have this young man as her son-in-law, it would be perfect. How could a mother not understand the way her daughter looked at He Yudong?

While Zhou Xiaobai was eating, she suddenly put down her chopsticks, her eyes sparkling as she looked at He Yudong: "Brother He, my parents have given their approval to the medical school thing I told you about last time! What do you think?"

He Yudong paused, his hand still holding the food in his hand. "Studying medicine is a good thing, but you haven't even graduated high school yet!"

"It's nothing!" Zhou Xiaobai shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth, his cheeks bulging. "It's winter break now, and I'm bored at home. I can even lend a hand at your infirmary!"

He Yudong didn't respond immediately, but turned to look at Zhou Zhennan and his wife with a questioning look in his eyes.

Zhou Zhennan picked up a piece of braised pork and put it in his mouth, mumbling, "Yu Dong, if you don't mind, take this girl in. Otherwise, she'll be bothering me every day at home like a firecracker. I need to find someone to keep her in check."

"Dad! You actually think I'm annoying?" Zhou Xiaobai slammed her chopsticks down on the edge of the bowl, her cheeks puffing out like little buns.

"You're like a wild girl, you should find someone reliable to keep an eye on you." Zhou Zhennan chuckled, glancing at He Yudong. "I find Yudong a pleasing young man, his character is impeccable, he's just right."

Zhou Xiaobai followed her father's gaze to He Yudong, her face turning bright red to her ears. The way he was talking made it sound like he was finding her a husband!

He Yudong suppressed a laugh and deliberately put on a stern face: "Alright, since Uncle Zhou has said so, I'll accept it. But let me make this clear beforehand: if this student can't keep up, I can immediately send him back!"

"A strict teacher produces outstanding students, no problem!" Zhou Zhennan made the decision. He knew perfectly well that the college entrance examination would be canceled in two years, so his daughter definitely wouldn't be able to join the army. Studying medicine and becoming a military doctor would be perfect for her. Besides, the way his daughter looked at He Yudong was like she was wearing honey. This young man was reliable, and he would be a great son-in-law.

"That's great, Brother He! I'll definitely study hard!" Zhou Xiaobai was so excited she almost jumped up. She was overjoyed, knowing she could spend every day with He Yudong from now on!

At 6:30 PM, He Yudong returned to his courtyard house in a chauffeur-driven car. Just as he got out, he bumped into Grandpa San, who was returning from his walk. Grandpa San stared wide-eyed as He Yudong climbed out of the car, then beamed, "Yudong's back? Where did you go to make your fortune?"

These days, only leaders can ride in cars. Sha Zhu recently cooked for a leader and rode in one too. He never expected He Yudong to have this ability as well. Uncle San thought to himself: These two brothers have a bright future. I should try to curry favor with them. Who knows what benefits I might gain in the future.

"Uncle San, taking a stroll?" He Yudong greeted him with a smile.

"Absolutely!" Uncle San leaned closer, his words laced with self-satisfaction. "I've put in a lot of effort for your brother! It's all that widow Qin Huairu's fault, she's addicted to ruining people's marriages. Today she even came to the school to ambush Teacher Ran, thankfully I stopped her!"

He Yudong knew perfectly well that the old man was asking him for a reward. He had previously said that if Sha Zhu and Teacher Ran got together, he would give Uncle San a benefit. Now that Qin Huairu had ruined things, Uncle San was probably out of luck, so he was eager to take credit.

"Don't worry, Uncle San," He Yudong patted him on the shoulder, "as long as my brother and Teacher Ran get together, you'll get every penny of the benefits."

"Alright then!" In his heart, however, Uncle San cursed Qin Huairu to the core. This widow had cut off his source of income; she was too despicable!

When He Yudong got home, only He Yushui was there. He wandered into his sister's room and saw her engrossed in a book at the table. Seeing him enter, she quickly closed the book and said, "Brother, you're back?"

"Hmm, where's my older brother?"

He Yushui glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then lowered her voice and said, "He's cooking at the old lady's. Qin Huairu just came looking for me, and I lied and told her that my brother went to cook for his boss and hasn't come back yet."

He Yudong chuckled and gave her a thumbs-up: "Not bad, you didn't waste your time studying, you've learned to be cunning!"

"Of course!" He Yushui pouted. "Qin Huairu is so wicked. If it weren't for her meddling, Teacher Ran and my brother would have gotten together long ago. Brother, what do you think of Lou Xiao'e?"

"Lou Xiao'e? What happened to her?"

"Yesterday, the old lady told me she wanted to set you up with Lou Xiao'e, saying she's virtuous and suitable to be the eldest sister-in-law." He Yushui frowned slightly. "But she and Xu Damao have been married for so many years and haven't had any children. What if she can't have children? If that's the case, then my eldest brother will be without an heir?"

He Yudong almost burst out laughing. His ability to correct the plot was quite strong. It seemed that he and Lou Xiao'e were truly destined for each other.

"Silly girl," he flicked his sister's forehead, "Lou Xiao'e is perfectly healthy! It's Xu Damao who can't have children. That guy and Qin Huairu want to have a son, but unless Qin Huairu cheats on him, there's no way they'll have a chance."

"Really?" He Yushui breathed a sigh of relief. "That's alright. It's just that it feels a bit awkward that Lou Xiao'e used to be Xu Damao's wife, and now she's going to be my sister-in-law."

"What's so awkward about it?" He Yudong teased her. "When she has a son with my older brother, Xu Damao will be furious. Just thinking about it makes me feel better!"

"Hehe, brother, you're so naughty!" He Yushui covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes curving into crescent moons.

"Okay, sit down for a bit, I'll go check it out and get you some fruit later." He Yudong smiled and ruffled He Yushui's hair.

"Okay, bro, I want to eat strawberries!" He Yushui's eyes shone like candy balls.

"Okay, wait here." He Yudong replied, turning and leaving. As he circled around to the old lady's house, he first heard the gramophone whirring inside, followed by Sha Zhu's voice: "How about that? Did it scare you? This thing is authentic, isn't it?"

"Hey, you listened? You even had tears in your eyes. Do you know what this is called? Fate!" Sha Zhu started showing off the knowledge of "Symphony No. 5" that He Yudong had taught him before, speaking in a tone like a storyteller.

Lou Xiao'e was a little surprised: "You can tell this is fate?"

"Of course it's true!" Sha Zhu patted his chest and replaced He Yudong's training content with "highbrow" language, spouting it out one after another, leaving Lou Xiao'e stunned and wide-eyed.

He Yudong, standing outside the door, almost burst out laughing. This older brother of his, he'd really mastered the art of showing off. He didn't disturb him, and started walking back. Just as he reached the front yard, he bumped into the old lady heading towards the Foolish Pillar's House.

It turns out the old lady had just gone out for a walk, deliberately giving the two young people some alone time. Now that she was back, she wanted to stop by Shazhu's house for a while before going back to her own room later.

"Grandma, are you going for a walk?" He Yudong went up to help her.

"It's Yudong. He's been coming home late these past few days and hasn't had a chance to visit his wife." The old lady patted his hand, glancing at Qin Huairu's house out of the corner of her eye. "Come in and chat with your wife."

He Yudong helped her walk towards Sha Zhu's house. As soon as they entered the house, Qin Huairu caught a glimpse of the two figures through the crack in the window. She immediately tiptoed out of the house. She always felt that Sha Zhu was acting strangely lately. He would run to the leader's house every few days, saying that he was cooking. Who knows if it was true or not?

Just as Qin Huairu reached the outside of Sha Zhu's house, He Yudong's ears twitched and he heard the noise. He was furious: This widow is a leopard that can't change its spots! He really wanted to grab Sha Zhu's chamber pot and throw it out the window…

But then he thought better of it and decided to let her eavesdrop.

"Yu Dong, your mother has something to tell you about your brother, Sha Zhu." The old lady got straight to the point as soon as she sat down.

He Yudong quickly made a "shh" gesture, pointed to the door, and whispered in the old lady's ear, "Qin Huairu is eavesdropping outside." The old lady narrowed her eyes and nodded. He Yudong immediately raised his voice, "Grandma, what did you say about my brother?"

The old lady, being a seasoned veteran, readily chimed in, "It's about your brother and Teacher Ran! I've met that girl; she's a really nice person. If she marries Sha Zhu, she's guaranteed to give birth to a big, healthy son!"

"Didn't you say that you and Teacher Ran had a falling out?" He Yudong pretended to be confused.

"You don't understand." The old lady lowered her voice. "I saw that girl today. She wants to marry Sha Zhu! She already knew that Qin Huairu was lying to her. Actually, the two of them have been back together for a while, and I reckon they'll be getting their marriage certificate soon." As she spoke, she kept glancing towards the door, like she was performing in a play.

"We can't let Qin Huairu ruin this again. That widow is always doing despicable things!" He Yudong went along with it.

Qin Huairu, who was eavesdropping outside, felt a chill run down her spine. Had she been tricked? She cursed inwardly: "That stupid Zhu, playing tricks on me! Luckily I eavesdropped, otherwise I wouldn't even know he and Teacher Ran were getting their marriage certificate! No, I have to find another way to sabotage this!"

She didn't dare linger and tiptoed back to her own home, planning that when Teacher Ran came to collect the tuition for the next semester in a few days, she could use some tricks to get away with it.

As soon as Qin Huai left, He Yudong noticed and peeked out to see that she was indeed gone. "Gone?" the old lady asked.

"Mmm." He Yudong laughed, "Grandma, your acting is superb!"

"Haha, you little rascal!" the old lady laughed. "If Shazhu had your cunning, he wouldn't always be so easily manipulated by Qin Huairu."

"Are you planning to set up my brother with Lou Xiao'e?" He Yudong asked in a low voice.

"Yudong, Xiao'e made a mistake by dating Xu Damao before, but she's a good woman and a good match for your brother," the old lady said seriously. "Don't look down on Xiao'e just because of Xu Damao."

"I trust your judgment." He Yudong nodded. "Xiao'e is healthy and fertile, while Xu Damao is the one who can't have children. It wouldn't be bad if she and my brother got together. I just don't know if my brother still has feelings for Teacher Ran."

"Teacher Ran is good, but she's too easily influenced; she's not suitable for Sha Zhu." The old lady waved her hand. "Listen to Madam; you can't go wrong."

"Okay, I trust your judgment." He Yudong laughed. "Today's 'secret maneuver' has drawn Qin Huairu's attention back to Teacher Ran, which is perfect for my brother and Lou Xiao'e to get things done."

"You little rascal, you're thinking the same thing as your mother!" The old lady declared. "I'll make the arrangements tomorrow."

"Alright!" He Yudong replied readily.

The two chatted until after nine o'clock in the evening, when Sha Zhu came back humming a little tune, his face beaming with joy.

"Big brother, what good thing did you find? Your mouth is practically stretched to your ears." He Yudong teased him.

"N-nothing..." Sha Zhu avoided eye contact.

"Let me ask you something, how are things going with Teacher Ran these days?"

"Ugh, don't even mention it!" Sha Zhu sighed. "Qin Huairu ruined everything. That guy is so wicked! Maybe Teacher Ran and I aren't meant to be. Oh well, with my looks and qualities, why should I worry about not finding a wife?"

Hearing the loosening in his voice, He Yudong knew what was going on: this guy definitely had a new target, and he and Lou Xiao'e probably had an agreement. "Alright, you decide for yourself, just don't go for a widow with a child, the rest is up to you."

"Look at what you're saying!" Sha Zhu knew he was alluding to Qin Huairu. "How could that be!"

"Oh, right, I've got some good stuff for you." He Yudong pulled out a cloth bag from behind his back.

"What good stuff?" Sha Zhu's eyes lit up, and he pounced on it like a wolf that had spotted meat.