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

Grandpa San held the calligraphy of "Qinyuanchun" as if it were a treasure, carefully wrapping it in three layers of kraft paper, and then ran out the door as fast as he could—he was in a hurry to find a shop to frame it, afraid that the calligraphy would get damp.

The couplets at the entrance of the courtyard were pasted up by He Yudong himself, red paper with black characters, the strokes so strong they could pierce the wind. But in the evening, Yan Fugui led a few old men to block the gate of the courtyard. As soon as they saw He Yudong, they rubbed their hands and laughed: "Yudong, I had no choice—I went to get those characters framed just now, and someone saw your calligraphy and insisted on finding the person who wrote it, so I brought you here."

He didn't mention that he asked the old men for twenty yuan as a "guide fee" for this matter, and that he also got the framing done for free—after all, the money came from the old men anyway.

The white-haired old man at the head of the group squinted at He Yudong: "Young man, did you really write this calligraphy? Write me a copy of 'Qinyuanchun,' and I'll pay you fifty yuan!"

"Go to hell, old man Zhang!" Uncle San exclaimed impatiently, squeezing in from the side. "Fifty dollars for such good calligraphy? Young man, I'll offer a hundred!"

"I'll pay two hundred!" another old man said, pulling out his wallet right away. "I'll pay you now!"

His shout attracted everyone in the courtyard—they all knew He Yudong could earn money by writing calligraphy, and now, seeing six old men vying to pull out two hundred yuan, their eyes widened. He Yudong was both amused and exasperated, but readily agreed: "Since you gentlemen think so highly of me, I'll write one piece for each of you."

With 1,200 yuan in hand, everyone in the courtyard stared as if they were watching a spectacle—Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu's faces turned green: Qin Huairu's monthly salary was only 27.5 yuan, 1,200 yuan would take her three and a half years to save! Xu Damao cursed under his breath, "That brat," and grabbed Qin Jingru to leave, but Qin Jingru was still stunned: "Good heavens, when will we ever finish this money?"

Sha Zhu watched in awe—his younger brother's skills were truly remarkable! "Brother, use my Xuan paper!" He leaned over and handed over some high-quality Xuan paper. "Write the great man's poem 'Qinyuanchun: Snow'."

He Yudong took the paper and felt its smooth texture; the paper was so dense it seemed to absorb ink. He immediately picked up his brush and began to write. His poem "Qinyuanchun: Snow" flowed effortlessly, each character seemingly alive, drawing exclamations of praise from the onlookers. He then wrote "Niannujiao: Reminiscences of Chibi," finishing it in a few minutes, and then wrote a piece for each of the other four old men. The six old men held the calligraphy as if it were a family heirloom, carefully placing it into a cloth bag, saying they would take it home and frame it properly for safekeeping.

The crowd had dispersed, but a lingering scent of envy and jealousy still hung in the courtyard. Grandpa San hadn't left; he rubbed his hands together and leaned closer: "Yudong, how about... you write another one for me?"

He Yudong teased him, "Uncle San, you're not thinking of selling it for money, are you? Calligraphy becomes vulgar when it's associated with money, don't you think?"

Grandpa San chuckled dryly, inwardly cursing: "So he doesn't say anything vulgar when he's taking money, but he acts like a saint when he comes to me?" But outwardly he replied, "That's true, that's true."

"Brother, you're amazing!" He Yushui jumped over and grabbed his arm. "You're making money like it's nothing! You have to give me a big New Year's red envelope!"

He Yudong laughed and tossed her a box: "Here, this is yours."

He Yushui opened the box, and her eyes lit up immediately—inside lay an exquisite women's watch.

"Brother, is this for me?" Her voice trembled as she held up the watch, examining it from all angles. "It's so beautiful! Thank you, brother!"

She had wanted a watch for a long time. These days, not everyone could wear a watch, especially since the one He Yudong gave her was more beautiful than those Shanghai brands or Swiss Titoni watches; the English letters on the dial gave it a sophisticated feel. Actually, it was a Longines ladies' watch, which would only cost around ten thousand yuan in today's world, but its exquisite craftsmanship was something you couldn't find at all in this era.

The next day, He Yudong finished preparing all the New Year's goods and took out meat, rice, and refined flour from the small store. Of all the houses in the courtyard, the He family was the most extravagant. Even Lou Xiao'e, from a wealthy family, was astonished by the sheer amount of stuff, but remembering that he had earned over a thousand yuan the day before writing a few calligraphy pieces, she accepted it.

In the evening, the whole family, including the old lady, sat down for a small reunion dinner. Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, so tonight's meal was already quite a luxury.

Just as I put down my bowl, Yu Haitang arrived, dressed in bright and cheerful clothes.

"Haitang, what brings you here?" He Yudong was a little surprised.

"Brother Yudong, didn't you promise to go to the movies with me yesterday? Did you forget?" Yu Haitang pouted.

"Oh dear, I'm so busy I'm dizzy." He Yudong slapped his forehead.

"Here, this is for you." Yu Haitang handed over a cloth bag.

He Yudong opened it and saw that it was a red scarf.

"I knitted it by hand, it took me a long time to knit it," Yu Haitang said softly.

"Thanks, I'll accept the gift." He Yudong wrapped the scarf around his neck. "I'll make it up to you with a gift later."

Yu Haitang felt a sweet warmth in her heart: "Shall we go see a movie?"

"Okay, the timing is perfect." He Yudong pushed his bicycle, and the two of them left the hospital together.

"Get in the car," he gestured to the back seat.

"I want to sit in the front." Yu Haitang deftly sat sideways on the bar, her face pressed against his chest. A sweet fragrance of a young girl wafted into his nose, and He Yudong cursed inwardly: This girl is doing this on purpose.

"Brother Yudong, let's go." Yu Haitang's voice was so gentle it could melt your heart.

"Okay." He Yudong got on the bike.

A light snow was falling outside, turning everything into a white blanket. When they arrived at the movie theater, there were still quite a few people. He Yudong queued up and bought two tickets, and Yu Haitang naturally took his arm and led him inside.

The movie being shown was a war romance, but Yu Haitang's mind wasn't on the screen at all. They were sitting on the side of the theater, and it was dark outside. She quietly slipped her hand onto He Yudong's.

He Yudong turned his head and saw her looking at him with a blush on her face.

"Brother Yudong..." Yu Haitang leaned into his arms.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" He Yudong reached out and touched her forehead.

Yu Haitang suddenly leaned in and sealed his lips with hers.

He Yudong was stunned—this girl was really bold! Luckily, it was dark in the corner, and no one saw him. He was a hot-blooded man, how could he back down in this situation? If they weren't in a movie theater, he would have really wanted to take her right there and then.

After a long while, Yu Haitang, panting, said, "Brother Yudong, I like you. Let's be together."

"Haitang, I like you too, but Qiunan and I..." He Yudong hesitated for a moment.

"I knew you had feelings for Ding Qiunan! I was the one who liked you first, so why did she get to be first?" Yu Haitang's eyes reddened with grievance.

"How about... you become my sister?" He Yudong wanted to slap himself after saying that—they'd already kissed, and now he was asking to be his sister? Wasn't that the act of a scumbag?

"Who wants to be the younger sister!" Yu Haitang twisted her body. "Anyway, you're not married yet, we're both young, I won't give up, Brother Yudong."

Aside from He Yudong, she couldn't see any other man in her eyes. Since they weren't married yet, and even if they were, they could divorce, she was determined to snatch him away before marriage. She was willing to risk everything for her own happiness.

He Yudong had a bit of a headache: being a scumbag these days is quite difficult. After watching the movie, he rode his bicycle to take Yu Haitang home. Before leaving, the girl gave him another kiss on the cheek before running into the courtyard.

The next day, New Year's Eve, before dawn, Sha Zhu, Lou Xiao'e, He Yushui, and the old lady all got up. Sha Zhu chopped the dumpling filling—beef, mutton, and pork were all included; it was a very plentiful year.

Compared to the bustling He family home, Yi Zhonghai's house was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Qin Huairu's family was doing alright; this year's harvest wasn't bad, at least they had meat. Qin Jingru had even secretly given her sister some food without Xu Damao's knowledge. She was currently faking a pregnancy, and if her belly didn't show any signs of pregnancy after a while, Xu Damao would definitely explode. So lately she'd been particularly "hardworking," but still, there was no sign of anything. She'd have to ask Qin Huairu for advice then, otherwise Xu Damao would beat her to death.

He Yudong prepared gifts for the whole family: he bought a new Zhongshan suit for Shazhu, new clothes for Lou Xiao'e, He Yushui, and the old lady, and even a pair of thick cotton shoes for the old lady.

I was worried she'd get cold. These things were all bought from the system's store; the quality and style are impeccable, you can't buy them anywhere else, they look high-end.

The family enjoyed a lively reunion dinner, and the old lady gave red envelopes to He Yudong and He Yushui—the money came from Shazhu. Lou Xiao'e felt that this was what home truly felt like.

As she was laughing, Lou Xiao'e suddenly felt nauseous and covered her mouth to dry heave.

"Xiao'e, what's wrong?" Sha Zhu quickly went over to her.

"Silly Zhu, you really are silly Zhu!" the old lady exclaimed with delight upon seeing this.

"What's going on? What's this?" Sha Zhu asked in confusion.

"Brother, sister-in-law's complexion is rosy and her forehead is beaming with joy. These are definitely symptoms of pregnancy. Don't you know that?" He Yudong said calmly, putting a piece of braised pork into his mouth.

"What?" Sha Zhu was shocked to hear that Lou Xiao'e was pregnant, then overjoyed. "Xiao'e, you're really pregnant?"

"I haven't gone for a checkup yet, but I think I'm pregnant. I've been feeling nauseous and wanting to vomit since yesterday," Lou Xiao'e said with a smile.

"That's great, Xiao'e, that's great!" Sha Zhu immediately picked up Lou Xiao'e.

"Oh dear, put me down quickly," Lou Xiao'e said.

"Okay, okay, Yu Dong, aren't you a skilled doctor? Take your sister-in-law's pulse and see what's wrong," Sha Zhu quickly said.

"Okay." He Yudong put down his chopsticks and placed his hand on Lou Xiao'e's pulse.

"The fetuses are very healthy. Hmm? Not bad, brother. It seems your wife isn't carrying just one baby. This pregnancy sign indicates twins," He Yudong said.

"Really? You can tell that?" Sha Zhu exclaimed in surprise.

"You don't even know my medical skills? How could I be wrong?" He Yudong said with a smile. "From now on, I'll prepare a bottle of nectar for my sister-in-law every day, the kind I gave you before. It will ensure the baby is healthy."

"If Yu Dong said there are two, then there must be two," the old lady said.

"Great! I, He Yuzhu, am finally going to be a father!" Shazhu exclaimed with joy.

"That's wonderful! Our Xiao'e is so lucky, she got pregnant with twins all at once!" The old lady couldn't stop smiling.

"Shh," He Yudong said, "Brother, can you keep a low profile? There aren't many good people in this neighborhood, and not many who want what's best for you. Let's not talk about this for now."

"Yes, yes, I'm so excited!" Sha Zhu quickly said.

"Brother, didn't Xu Damao say that Qin Jingru was pregnant? So that's false?" He Yushui asked.

"I've said it before, Xu Damao is a eunuch. There are only two possibilities: either Qin Jingru borrowed his seed, or Qin Jingru lied to Xu Damao. Just wait and see. I guess Qin Jingru and Qin Huairu will stage a scene where Qin Jingru falls down and says the child is lost. That way, Xu Damao won't suspect anything," He Yudong said with a smile.

"Qin Huairu is really capable of doing this," He Yushui said. "My brother has never been wrong in his predictions before."

"Xiao'e, let's go back to your parents' house tomorrow and tell them the good news," Shazhu said.

"Okay, whatever you say." Lou Xiao'e was in a great mood. She was sure that when she gave birth to twins, Xu Damao would be furious.

"Brother, you'll have to take care of your sister-in-law's meals yourself from now on. You absolutely cannot eat anything of unknown origin, especially anything given to you by others. There can't be any mistakes, understand?" He Yudong said.

"Don't worry, Yu Dong, I know what to do," Sha Zhu said. He naturally understood He Yu Dong's concerns; he had already seen the treacherous nature of the people in the courtyard.

These past few days, Xu Damao has been treating Qin Jingru incredibly well, buying her the best food possible. As a result, Qin Jingru has gained weight. Xu Damao is now hoping that Qin Jingru will give him a big, healthy son.

As time went by, Qin Jingru's body showed no signs of movement. Xu Damao was unaware of this, but Qin Jingru became increasingly frightened. Early the next morning, she ran to Qin Huairu's house.

"Sister, what should I do? It's been so many days, and I still don't have any signs of being pregnant. If Damao finds out I lied to him in a while, he'll definitely beat me to death," Qin Jingru said.

"Now you remember I'm your sister? I asked you for some food before, and you absolutely refused to lend it to me. You're such an ingrate," Qin Huairu scolded.

"Oh, sis, I was wrong, okay? Xu Damao wouldn't let me help your family, but we're relatives after all, please help me think of a way," Qin Jingru said. "Please, sis, look, I even brought you cornmeal."

"Alright, wait a few days, and you'll listen to me," Qin Huairu said.

She already had a plan in mind: she would frame Lou Xiao'e for Qin Jingru's fall and make Lou Xiao'e take the blame. Qin Huairu hated Lou Xiao'e to the core, even wishing her dead. So she came up with this vicious scheme. Just imagine, when Xu Damao found out that his child had been miscarried because of Lou Xiao'e, wouldn't he tear Lou Xiao'e to pieces?

Not only that, she also wanted to find a way to break up Lou Xiao'e and Sha Zhu, so that Sha Zhu could continue to leech off her. What she didn't know was that Sha Zhu knew all about her sordid affairs, and even if Sha Zhu wasn't with Lou Xiao'e, he wouldn't be with Qin Huairu either.

Early in the morning, Sha Zhu took Lou Xiao'e back to her parents' home.

Just then, a car pulled up in front of the courtyard house. Zhou Xiaobai got out of the car and came in carrying a large bag of things.

Upon entering the courtyard, he asked Yan Fugui, "Excuse me, sir, where does Brother He Yudong live?"

Yan Fugui was surprised to find another beautiful girl looking for He Yudong, and she was no less attractive than Doctor Ding and Yu Haitang. He thought to himself that He Yudong was really popular with girls.

"Young lady, you're looking for Yu Dong, right? I'll take you there." Uncle San was very enthusiastic; after all, he often got benefits from He Yu Dong.

"Thank you, sir."

When Zhou Xiaobai arrived at He Yudong's house, He Yudong just came out.

"Xiaobai, what brings you here?" He Yudong was somewhat surprised to see Zhou Xiaobai arrive on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

"My dad asked me to come and wish you a Happy New Year. This is a gift. Oh, and Brother He, I've already memorized the soup recipe." Zhou Xiaobai handed the gift to He Yudong and showed off.

"Oh? You memorized it so quickly?" He Yudong was a little surprised. In just a few days, Zhou Xiaobai had already memorized the soup recipe.

"Yes, I'm working really hard. Since I've decided to study medicine, I'm determined to do it well."

"Don't just stand there. My sister is cooking dumplings. Come in and have some with us. Uncle San, why don't you join us too?" He Yudong said.

"No need, Yudong, you young people can chat." Grandpa San said with a smile and then left.

Inside, He Yushui had cooked dumplings, and the two little girls, Xiaodang and Huaihua, were already drooling. Early in the morning, the two little girls came to wish He Yudong a Happy New Year. He Yudong gave each of them a dollar as a New Year's gift, but told them to keep it safe, otherwise it might be taken away by the adults or even snatched away by Jia Zhangshi.

"Brother, we have a guest?" He Yushui was curious when she saw another pretty girl come to the house. She hadn't expected her second brother to be so charming, with so many girls liking him.

"This is Zhou Xiaobai, my student, who is now studying medicine with me. Xiaobai, this is my younger sister He Yushui."

"Hello, Sister Rainwater."

"Hello, Xiaobai, it's nice to meet you."