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

"You good-for-nothing! What's so great about He Yudong? Be careful he doesn't sell you out!"

When Jia Zhangshi heard her granddaughter praise that "enemy," she was so angry that she trembled all over. Her triangular eyes widened, and she almost spat on Xiao Huaihua's face.

"Uncle Yudong would never do that..." Xiao Huaihua muttered softly, her head hanging low, not daring to look at Jia Zhangshi's murderous face.

She knew exactly what was going on. Lately, whenever she and her sister Xiaodang went to He Yudong's house in the morning, they were always served a hot breakfast. The two girls, who had previously been thin and pale like bean sprouts due to long-term malnutrition, now had much healthier complexions and were more plump.

He Yudong ate whatever he wanted, and they were never short of food.

In truth, He Yudong didn't harbor much hatred towards Qin Huairu's family. If Qin Huairu's family had known how to be grateful and Sha Zhu had been willing to help them, He Yudong wouldn't have said a word.

The problem is that Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi are selfish to the core!

While sucking Sha Zhu's blood, she was also afraid that Sha Zhu would stop providing for him after he got married. She repeatedly ruined Sha Zhu's blind dates, and even ruined the marriage of Teacher Ran, who was already engaged to her.

If you really liked Sha Zhu and wanted to spend your life with him, He Yudong wouldn't have said anything. But you just want a long-term meal ticket and have no intention of having children with Sha Zhu at all!

He Yudong found these bloodsucking worms disgusting.

As for Banggeng, under Jia Zhangshi's tutelage, he has become a complete ingrate, and He Yudong has absolutely no goodwill towards him.

Fortunately, Xiao Dang and Huaihua can still be saved. These two girls are innocent and pure, and haven't been led astray yet. Seeing that they were hungry, He Yudong didn't mind adding an extra pair of chopsticks, and he also intentionally or unintentionally taught them to distinguish right from wrong in their daily lives.

……

Inside the old lady's house.

"Silly Zhu, what kind of wine is this? I've never tasted anything so good before, it's so mellow and fragrant..."

Lou Xiao'e drank a few sips of monkey wine, and her cheeks were flushed, her eyes becoming hazy.

"This is monkey wine. My brother doesn't know where he got it from. He said it was brewed by monkeys and that it's good for your health." Sha Zhu looked at Lou Xiao'e's beautiful face and his throat tightened involuntarily.

"Don't you...don't you think it's a bit hot in this room?" Lou Xiao'e said, reaching out to unbutton a button at her collar, the effects of the drug already beginning to spread through her body.

Looking at her rosy lips and white teeth, her delicate and alluring appearance, and with the added effect of the alcohol, Sha Zhu felt a little dizzy.

The two looked into each other's eyes, and the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

After a long silence, Sha Zhu's voice trembled slightly: "Xiao'e..."

"Mmm." Lou Xiao'e hummed softly, her voice so gentle it could melt water.

As they drew closer, the heat intensified, and everything was understood without words. Sha Zhu scooped Lou Xiao'e up in his arms, and Lou Xiao'e offered no resistance, obediently wrapping her arms around his neck…

……

Outside.

He Yudong raised his hand to check his watch, estimating that it was about time.

"Ding! You have helped the lovers achieve a happy ending. You have been rewarded with 200 merit points."

Hearing the notification in his mind, He Yudong slapped his thigh and exclaimed happily, "It's done!"

I didn't expect to get 200 merit points for free. This is a great deal!

"Brother, what's done?" He Yushui asked curiously as she approached, while the old lady also looked puzzled.

"Uh..." He Yudong then realized he had been a bit out of line, chuckled, and said, "Yushui, we have a sister-in-law now! And this time, no one can break us up!"

"Huh? Really? It's..." He Yushui glanced subconsciously into the old lady's room, lowering her voice, "It wouldn't be Sister Lou Xiao'e, would it?"

The old lady had mentioned this to Yushui before, and Yushui had kept it in mind.

"Rainwater is so clever." The old lady smiled from ear to ear.

He Yudong nodded: "Let's keep this a secret for now, and talk about it after they get their marriage certificate."

……

Inside the old lady's house, the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped.

Lou Xiao'e leaned against Sha Zhu's chest, tracing circles on his chest with her finger: "Tomorrow... come home with me to meet my parents."

"Okay! Then I need to prepare properly." Silly Zhu agreed readily.

With Lou Xiao'e by his side, Sha Zhu seemed to have grown up overnight. Now, Lou Xiao'e was all he cared about; Qin Huairu and intellectuals were all just fleeting memories.

Recalling the strange smile He Yudong had given him when he delivered the wine, Sha Zhu glanced at the empty wine jug and cursed inwardly, "That brat, it must have been him!"

However, this is indeed a good thing. Now that the deed is done, Sha Zhu, being a man, has to take responsibility to the end.

"You don't need to bring anything, just come back with me," Lou Xiao'e said softly.

Now, she felt that Sha Zhu was a real man, completely different from that despicable Xu Damao. She firmly believed that there was nothing wrong with her body; it was Xu Damao who couldn't have children! She imagined giving Sha Zhu a big, healthy son, then showing him off in front of Xu Damao—just thinking about it made her feel so good!

"I should go now, it's getting late, and it won't be convenient if the old lady comes back soon. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning, and we'll go to your house together." Sha Zhu said, getting up.

"Yes, but let's not let anyone in the compound know for now, especially Qin Huairu and Xu Damao, they'll definitely try to sabotage us," Lou Xiao'e instructed.

Having lived in the courtyard for so many years, she saw all the ins and outs clearly. In the past, when Sha Zhu went on blind dates, Xu Damao would openly sabotage them, while Qin Huairu would secretly cause trouble, either by making her presence known to scare away her blind date or by teaming up with Xu Damao to ruin the whole thing.

Now that I've finally managed to be with Sha Zhu, I absolutely cannot let them succeed.

"Don't worry, even if the Heavenly King himself came, he couldn't break us up this time!" Sha Zhu said with a determined look.

After getting dressed, Sha Zhu walked to the door and pulled it open.

Not moving.

"What's wrong?" Lou Xiao'e asked.

"This door... is locked from the outside." Sha Zhu was taken aback.

Sha Zhu slapped his thigh with a wry smile: "Well, the old lady has locked us both inside."

"Pfft—" Lou Xiao'e burst out laughing upon hearing this; it turned out the old lady had orchestrated this whole thing. Her eyes darted around, and she asked curiously, "So what do we do now?"

"Don't worry," Sha Zhu said confidently, "Just climb out the window. The old lady is probably sitting at my house right now. I'll have her come back and open the door for you." He then added to Lou Xiao'e, "Hey, be careful, don't fall."

"Okay." As soon as Sha Zhu finished speaking, he nimbly climbed onto the windowsill, flipped over in a few quick movements, greeted Lou Xiao'e, and then made his escape.

As soon as he entered his courtyard, he saw the old lady chatting animatedly with He Yushui and He Yudong. The three of them beamed with smiles upon seeing Shazhu return. Shazhu's face immediately flushed red, and he felt incredibly guilty.

The group exchanged knowing smiles, tacitly avoiding the topic. He Yushui spoke up at the opportune moment: "Grandma, it's getting late. Let me take you home to rest."

"Great!" The old lady stood up cheerfully. "When you get old, you become useless. You get tired after sitting for a while. But today, I feel really comfortable."

He Yushui quickly stepped forward to help the old lady back to the backyard.

As soon as he entered the house, Sha Zhu immediately adopted an interrogative stance, staring at his younger brother: "Tell me honestly, did you put something in the wine you gave me last night?"

"Is that important, bro?" He Yudong looked at him with disdain. "You just have such a slow reaction time. If I don't give you a push, you'll be like a turtle, not even moving from your nest."

"You little rascal..." Sha Zhu was speechless, but he knew in his heart that his younger brother had really done a great thing this time.

"Alright, you're so smug." He Yudong stretched. "I'm going back to my room to sleep. I have to go out early tomorrow morning."

"Where are you going first thing tomorrow morning? I'd like to borrow your bicycle," Sha Zhu pressed.

"I've already prepared it for you." He Yudong tossed a bunch of keys over with a "clang." "They're new. They're parked next to my car by the door. Consider it a reward for you."

"Hey, you little rascal!" Sha Zhu's eyes widened. "Getting a bicycle ticket these days is so hard, where did you get it from?"

"No matter where it comes from," He Yudong said with a "you don't understand" look, "your brother is incredibly resourceful, what can't I get? Don't even mention bicycles, I can get you motorcycles too."

This new car was bought from the system's store; all the paperwork is complete, the license plate is brand new, and even the invoice is included. No one is afraid of being envious. The people in this compound are used to being poor; if they suddenly see his family with two new cars, someone might have ulterior motives. Second Uncle's family is definitely capable of doing that.

Sha Zhu shuffled out of the house in his slippers and immediately spotted a gleaming Phoenix 28-inch motorcycle next to his brother's car. He immediately touched it with obvious affection.

……

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, He Yudong got up. As usual, he first practiced a set of internal martial arts, then performed a set of Bajiquan, before going back to his room to make breakfast. After eating, he left some for Shazhu, He Yushui, and the old lady, took one for himself, and rode his electric bicycle out of the courtyard.

At 6:30, he arrived at the factory dormitory entrance on time and knocked on Ding Qiunan's door. A moment later, the door opened, and Ding Qiunan was already dressed and ready. She had woken up early in the morning because He Yudong had said he would take her out yesterday.

"Good morning, Brother He." She looked at him with tender affection in her eyes.

"Good morning, Qiu Nan, you look beautiful today." He Yudong smiled and handed her breakfast. "I brought it for you, you probably haven't eaten it yet, have you?"

"Thank you, Brother He." Ding Qiunan blushed as she accepted the food, feeling a warm glow inside. How early must He Yudong have to get up to buy breakfast at this hour?

After she finished eating, she remembered to ask the important question: "Brother He, where are we going today?"

"Let's go to the Summer Palace first thing in the morning, then I'll take you to Quanjude for Peking duck at noon, catch a movie in the afternoon, and I'll show off my skills by making Western-style steak in the evening. How about that?" He Yudong had planned out the day's itinerary clearly.

"Okay, I'll do whatever you say." Ding Qiunan looked obedient and nestled against him like a little bird, which made He Yudong like her even more. This girl was perfect to be a wife.

After leaving the dormitory, He Yudong rode his bicycle with Ding Qiunan on the back. She sat on the back seat.

He huddled up awkwardly. Luckily, it was the weekend, and there weren't many people on the street, except for the gatekeeper, Uncle Zhang, who was on duty. Upon seeing him, the old man greeted him cheerfully, "Hey, Yudong, here to pick up Dr. Ding so early? It's good to be young!"

"Good morning, Uncle Zhang. You're at work today too?" He Yudong greeted him familiarly. Uncle Zhang was a veteran who had fought in the war, and he and He Yudong were very close. He Yudong had even treated his old wounds. The old man genuinely liked this young man, and he was overjoyed to see him dating Ding Qiunan. "Since you're free anyway, how about you have a couple of drinks with this old man sometime?"

"Good morning, Uncle Zhang. You're at work today too?" He Yudong greeted him familiarly. Uncle Zhang was a veteran who had fought in the war, and he and He Yudong were very close. He Yudong had even treated his old wounds. The old man genuinely liked this young man, and he was overjoyed to see him dating Ding Qiunan. "Since you're free anyway, how about you have a couple of drinks with this old man sometime?"

"Alright, I'll bring you a bottle of good wine later. I'll chat some more today, I'm busy," He Yudong said with a smile.

"Go on, go on, if you dawdle any longer, Dr. Ding will get upset." The old man waved his hand with a smile.

Ding Qiunan's pretty face was already flushed. He Yudong started the tram again, and the tram suddenly lurched forward. Ding Qiunan was caught off guard and leaned forward, softly bumping into his broad back. He Yudong felt a warmth on his back, and his heart felt at ease.

"Hold on tight, Qiu Nan, let's go..." he teased her on purpose.

"Ah!" Ding Qiunan exclaimed, quickly stretching out her arms to tightly hug his waist. An unprecedented feeling of happiness welled up in her heart; being with the person she loved was so sweet.

He Yudong's electric scooter was incredibly fast. The system's products were truly exceptional; a single charge lasted a month, making it more advanced than electric scooters from decades later. In an era where bicycles filled the streets and cars were a rare sight, the way his scooter sped by drew stares and astonishment from passersby—could a bicycle really go that fast?

In less than ten minutes, the two arrived at the entrance of the Summer Palace. Although it was early morning, there were already quite a few people queuing to buy tickets. He Yudong neatly locked the car, naturally took Ding Qiunan's hand, and joined the queue.

Ding Qiunan's face flushed bright red as her hand was held. Although they had already kissed, holding hands in public was still a rare sight in an era when free love was not yet prevalent.

These days, most men and women are conservative; many haven't even held hands before marriage. But He Yudong didn't care about that. Holding hands was just a normal thing.

Ding Qiunan quickly came to terms with it, and even felt quite good about it—the person she liked was so outstanding and handsome, and when they walked hand in hand on the street, other girls would definitely be envious.

The Summer Palace was originally an imperial garden, and it's quite large. Although many buildings are somewhat damaged, it has largely retained its original charm. The weather was perfect that day, and the two of them strolled around before they happened to see someone taking pictures.

These days, even film point-and-shoot cameras are rare, and instant cameras are even rarer. You have to wait several days to pick up the photos, but people still make a living taking photos here.

"Brother He, let's take a picture to remember this moment," Ding Qiunan said. She had finally managed to get out with He Yudong; taking a picture would allow her to look at it and ease her longing for him when she missed him at night.

"Okay." He Yudong naturally had no reason to refuse.

The photographer was a middle-aged man. When he saw He Yudong and Ding Qiunan coming over, he greeted them with a smile: "Young man, would you like to take a picture with your girlfriend? It can be picked up in two days. My photo studio is right at the entrance of the park."

"Uncle, how much for one photo?" He Yudong asked.

"Five cents a sheet, two sheets can be printed."

"Okay, then help us take some pictures and find a good background."

"Okay!" The old man didn't expect He Yudong to want several photos right away, as most of the tourists he served only took one.

He Yudong pulled Ding Qiunan along and picked out a few nice backgrounds. Ding Qiunan leaned close to him, their fingers intertwined, and they took several photos.

"Great background choice! Young man, five photos in total, it'll cost you two yuan. We'll print two copies of each, and you can pick them up the day after tomorrow. I'll give you the tickets then."

"Okay, thank you, uncle." He Yudong paid the money, took the ticket, and left with Ding Qiunan.

Although it was winter, the lake hadn't frozen over yet, and many people were rowing boats. He Yudong seemed to hear the tune of "Let's Row Our Boats" playing in his ears. "Let's go boating, we'll be back around noon." "Okay, whatever you say." Ding Qiunan looked at him with eyes full of trust, like a dutiful wife.

On the other side, Sha Zhu rode his brand-new Phoenix bicycle to Lou Xiao'e's house. When he saw that her house was a detached villa with maids who cleaned and cooked for her, he was taken aback—a typical wealthy family. But in those days, such families were often said to have "bad class backgrounds."

Of course, this saying is mostly spread by jealous people who can't stand seeing others have money. They work themselves to the bone and can't earn much, so they promote the fallacy that "the poorer you are, the more glorious you are."

Lou Xiao'e's parents already knew about her divorce from Xu Damao and were clear that it wasn't their daughter's fault. At first, they felt a little awkward seeing Lou Xiao'e bring a man home so quickly, but when Sha Zhu showed off his superb Tan family cuisine skills, the two elders were immediately won over and agreed to the marriage, urging the two to get their marriage certificate as soon as possible.

Sha Zhu was overjoyed and planned to tell Director Yang as soon as he started work the day after tomorrow to get his certificate quickly, lest something unexpected happen.

Yu Haitang came to the courtyard again. Seeing that He Yudong was not there, but He Yushui was at home, she went straight into the house.

"Haitang, what brings you here?" He Yushui asked.

"Rain, can I stay here for a few days? I don't want to go home." Yu Haitang looked distressed.

"Great, Rain, I knew you were the best!" Yu Haitang leaned closer. "By the way, where's Brother Yudong? I haven't seen him."

Ever since He Yudong took her home that day and she stole a kiss from him, Yu Haitang hasn't dared to see anyone for the past two days, afraid of being rejected. But now she's determined to pursue her own happiness.

"My brother? I don't know. He went out early this morning, and he won't tell me."

"Oh, when is he coming back?"

"Hehe, Haitang, I think you're not here to see me, but to see my brother, right?" He Yushui saw through her words and laughed slyly.

"Xu Damao, do you deserve it?"

Yu Haitang seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, a mocking smile curving her lips, her eyes filled with undisguised contempt.

"What do you have to compare with me? Your projector to Brother Yudong's stethoscope? Or your rambling nonsense to Brother Yudong's real skills?"

"And what about Brother Yudong and Dr. Ding? That's just work-related interaction! Besides, even if Brother Yudong and Dr. Ding really had something going on, they're a perfect match. Who are you, Xu Damao, to gossip about it?"

Yu Haitang became angrier and angrier as she spoke. This Xu Damao was simply disgusting—utterly disgusting.

"Why don't you take a good look at yourself? Everyone in the factory knows what kind of person you are, Xu Damao? You ignore your wife at home and spend all your time philandering, falling in love with every girl you see. Only that silly girl Qin Jingru is completely fooled by you. You dare to say you like me?"

Xu Damao's face turned pale and then red after Yu Haitang's sharp retort. He awkwardly rubbed his hands, trying to save face: "Haitang, how...how could you say that? I was pursuing true love. Qin Jingru and I...that was..."

"Alright! Stop disgusting me!" Yu Haitang interrupted him, taking a step back with a look of disgust. "I'm telling you, Xu Damao, stay away from me from now on. Don't let me see your lewd face in the factory, or I'll tell Brother Yudong and have him 'treat' you properly!"

After saying that, Yu Haitang didn't even bother to look at Xu Damao again, and turned to walk into He Yushui's house.

Xu Damao stood there, watching Yu Haitang's departing figure, stomping his feet in anger and muttering, "You ungrateful wretch! You don't know what's good for you! Just wait and see, one day you'll be begging me on your knees!"

Back inside, Yu Haitang was still a little sullen.

Seeing this, He Yushui asked curiously, "Haitang, what's wrong? What did Xu Damao say to you that made you so angry?"

Yu Haitang took a deep breath to calm herself down and said, "It's nothing, just that scoundrel tried to take advantage of me, and I gave him a piece of my mind. By the way, Yushui, what Xu Damao said about Brother Yudong and Doctor Ding, is it true?"

Although she was quite assertive when she scolded Xu Damao, this matter is still a thorn in her side.

Upon hearing this, He Yushui immediately laughed: "Hey! I thought it was a big deal. You can't believe Xu Damao's words, can you? He's just jealous of my brother! Doctor Ding does have a good impression of my brother, but don't you know my brother? He's like a block of wood. Besides treating patients, he's dedicated to studying medicine. He has no interest in all that nonsense. Besides, even if Doctor Ding likes my brother, he still needs my brother's approval."

Hearing He Yushui say this, Yu Haitang finally felt relieved, and a smile returned to her face: "That's good, that's good. I knew Brother Yudong wasn't that kind of person."

"However..." He Yushui changed the subject, winking mischievously, "If you really want to win over my brother, my help alone isn't enough. You have to take the initiative! These days, good men are in high demand; if you're too late, someone else will snatch them up."

Yu Haitang nodded thoughtfully: "Yes, Yu Shui, you're right. I need to think of a way to get Yu Dong's attention."

The two huddled together and began whispering and discussing their next move.

Meanwhile, Xu Damao slunk back to his doorstep.

As soon as he entered the room, he saw Qin Jingru sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for him with an expectant look on her face.

"Brother Da Mao, you're back? Did you finish your business?" Qin Jingru eagerly handed him a glass of water.

Looking at the timid and indecisive village girl in front of him, and recalling Yu Haitang's fiery temper and pretty appearance just now, Xu Damao's anger flared up even more.

"What a load of crap! It's all your fault, you jinx! You always have such a long face, it's bad luck to look at you!" Xu Damao knocked over the water glass that Qin Jingru handed him and lay down on the bed, cursing as he did so.

Qin Jingru was so frightened that she trembled and spilled water all over the ground. She didn't dare to argue and could only silently squat down to clean up the mess, her eyes filled with tears of grievance.

She was also puzzled. She listened to Da Mao in everything, so why was he still dissatisfied?

Little did he know that in the eyes of someone like Xu Damao, the easier something is to obtain, the less valuable it is.

Chapter 34, the most exciting chapter of the series, is now available! Read it now!