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

"Sister-in-law, it's me," He Yudong whispered into the phone. "Have you landed?"

A tired but relieved sigh came from the other end of the phone: "Everything's settled. Where's Shazhu?"

He Yudong handed over the phone. Sha Zhu stared wide-eyed at the black metal box as if it were a peculiar sight, hesitating to take it.

"Here, press this button to speak." He Yudong pointed to the button.

Sha Zhu, his hands trembling, leaned closer. Upon hearing Lou Xiao'e's voice coming from the other end, his eyes instantly reddened. He gripped the phone tightly and shouted, "Xiao'e! Can you hear me? I can hear you!"

Seeing this, He Yudong quietly left the room. Just as he closed the door, he caught a glimpse of a furtive figure flashing past the corner of the wall—Qin Huairu.

Upon seeing He Yudong, Qin Huairu paused, a hint of guilt flashing in his eyes. He forced a smile and said, "I was just passing by..." Before He Yudong could reply, he slipped away.

Sha Zhu had been talking on his phone for a full two hours. He Yudong was secretly alarmed. If this phone, which didn't need charging or billing, were exposed, he would definitely be labeled a spy in this day and age. He strictly ordered Sha Zhu to keep quiet, and Sha Zhu readily agreed. Listening to Lou Xiao'e's description of life overseas, all he could think about was waiting for his visa to come through so they could reunite.

The next day, He Yudong drove Ding Qiunan back to her parents' home. The elderly couple, having lost their jobs and worrying about food ration coupons, were both surprised and relieved to see their daughter return: "Qiunan, Xiao He, is the factory on holiday?"

"Mom, we—" Ding Qiunan began, but He Yudong subtly grabbed her fingertips, cutting her off: "Auntie, the factory clinic has been quiet lately, so they gave us a day off. That's why we rushed to bring you two some food." Ding Qiunan felt the pressure from the back of his hand and pursed her lips knowingly.

He Yudong unloaded the rice, flour, and dozens of kilograms of meat and vegetables, and said sincerely, "Uncle, don't worry about the job. I know what I'm doing. I'll ask around and find someone I know; we can always find a solution."

Looking at the mountain of supplies, Mr. Ding's eyes reddened slightly. Being family, they exchanged pleasantries. Mrs. Ding took Ding Qiunan to cook, while Mr. Ding discussed medical techniques with He Yudong. Mr. Ding was a pure-hearted man; he became completely absorbed in discussing medicine. A few words of guidance from He Yudong gave him a sudden, enlightening realization. He carefully examined He Yudong's eyes; there was no youthful impetuosity in them, only composure and clarity. He Yudong secretly thought that when he opened his clinic in the future, he would definitely invite his father-in-law to come and help him.

Meanwhile, in the hospital, Deputy Factory Director Li was suffering a fate worse than death. Once the tranquilizer wore off, the excruciating itching, like a thousand ants gnawing at his heart, made him feel as if he had been cursed with death, and he scratched himself raw and bloody.

"Quickly...find my wife...find He Yudong..." Deputy Factory Director Li choked out a desperate cry.

The fat woman from the Li family, used to being domineering, kicked open the gate to the He family's courtyard and yelled at the top of her lungs, "Who is He Yudong? Get out here!"

He Yudong slowly closed the book, leaned against the doorframe, and sized her up: "Did you need something?"

"Stop pretending! Come with me to the hospital right now to treat Old Li!" The fat woman's face was full of arrogance, completely like she was giving orders.

"Treat the illness?" He Yudong scoffed. "The way you're asking for a doctor is like a beggar asking for food."

"Who do you think you are!" The fat woman's fleshy muscles trembled. "I'm Li Yide's wife, and my father is—"

"Even if your dad is the Jade Emperor, it won't help." He Yudong interrupted her without any politeness. "Get this straight, you're the one begging me now. The door's over there, goodbye." With that, he slammed the door shut, using decisive action to replace any unnecessary argument.

"You...open the door!" The fat woman outside was furious, but thinking of Old Li's miserable state, she could only grit her teeth and pound on the door. "Tell me, what do you want me to do?"

"Ten small yellow croakers." He Yudong opened the door a crack and threw out the bottom price.

"Are you crazy?!" the fat woman screamed.

"Today's price is ten sticks, tomorrow it will be twenty," He Yudong retorted coldly. "Goodbye."

"Ten it is! But you have to get treated first, otherwise—"

"Do you think I'm stupid?" He Yudong sneered. "Payment first, medicine later, that's my rule. If you don't agree, get out of here. You can pray that Old Li makes it through the night."

The fat woman was seething with anger, but she had no choice but to give in: "Fine, I'll give it to you! Now come with me!"

"Go back and prepare the gold bars first, I'll come over myself later." He Yudong slammed the door shut. He deliberately left the other person waiting; the itch on this last day was multiplied, and the longer it hurt, the more he would remember.

As He Yudong was leaving, he bumped into Qin Huairu leading Jia Zhangshi, who had just been released from prison, back home. Jia Zhangshi gave him a sinister look, but He Yudong ignored her and rode his bicycle straight to the hospital.

As soon as they reached the ward, they heard Deputy Factory Director Li's pig-like screams. Pushing open the door, Xu Damao jumped up first: "He Yudong, what are you doing here!"

"It's not like I'm looking at you, why are you so nervous, you idiot?" He Yudong didn't even lift his eyelids, directly shutting Xu Damao down.

The fat woman quickly pulled out a cloth bag: "The gold bars are here! If you can't be cured, I'll kill you!"

He Yudong weighed the gold bar in his hand and put it into his pocket. Then, in front of everyone, he rolled up his sleeves and rubbed his arm vigorously, producing a black, muddy ball, which he then tossed onto the cabinet: "Eat this, and the itching will stop."

The fat woman took a half step back in disgust: "You dare to play me? This filthy thing..."

"Take it or leave it, money back guarantee if it doesn't work." He Yudong crossed his arms, the unspoken message being, "You have no choice." The fat woman, having no other option, pinched a mud ball and stuffed it into Old Li's mouth. In less than two minutes, the excruciating itch actually subsided, leaving even Xu Damao and Qin Jingru stunned.

"Once the illness is cured, I'll take responsibility for the scratches." He Yudong clapped his hands and walked straight to the large ward next door.

Inside, the thirteen blue-hatted children were also itching and rolling around on the floor. When they saw him come in, they all shrank back, filled with both hatred and fear.

"What are you looking at? I'm just trying to be helpful by bringing you medicine, if you don't want it, then forget it." He Yudong turned to leave.

"Wait!" the leader in the blue hat exclaimed urgently, "Is there really an antidote?"

"I just gave Director Li one pill, worth ten gold bars." He Yudong casually toyed with his fingers. "As a colleague, I'll give you a discount—one hundred yuan a pill." He took out ten pills: "There are more monks than porridge, only ten left, grab them yourselves."

The moment the words were spoken, the ward erupted in chaos. Some were pulling out money, others were grabbing medicine, all afraid that if they were a moment too late, they would suffer that unbearable torment again.

"Give me one!" "Me too!" "Don't fight, I gave mine first!"

The ten pills were devoured in the blink of an eye. The remaining three blue-hatted students stared anxiously at He Yudong's empty palm: "No...no more?"

He Yudong clapped his hands leisurely and laughed, "There are two left. But who told you to be so slow? The price is going up now, two hundred each."

"He Yudong! You're raising the price on the spot!" one person shouted angrily, his face flushed.

"Take it or leave it. Even if you're willing to pay, I might not be happy to sell." He Yudong observed coldly, his indifferent attitude leaving the other party speechless.

"I want it! I'll pay!" The other two didn't care about haggling anymore. They hurriedly pulled out all the banknotes on their bodies, scraped together two hundred each, and snatched the pills as if they had found a treasure.

Finally, the man in the blue hat gritted his teeth, regretting it to the core—he shouldn't have hesitated and spoken so rashly; now he was the only one left suffering in the room: "Give me one too..."

"Alright, I'll take out another one." He Yudong magically produced another one, but the smile on his lips was mischievous. "But this one, well, it's worthless."

"You—" The man's face flushed red, but the excruciating itch forced him to lower his head. "Fine, fine, I'll give it to you!"

His hands trembled as he rummaged through his pockets and managed to scrape together two hundred and fifty yuan. He Yudong took the money, tossed him the last pill, and added with a smile, "Not bad, you really are a fool."

"Ding! You knocked down the bad guy's bamboo bar. You've been rewarded with 8 merit points."

"Ding! You knocked down the bad guy's bamboo bar. You've been rewarded with 10 merit points."

"Ding! You have damaged the bamboo bar. You have been awarded 30 merit points."

The system notifications rang out pleasantly one after another. Aside from the 30 points contributed by Deputy Factory Director Li, the rest were mostly in the 8, 9, or 10 range. But little by little, they added up, resulting in a direct gain of 165 points, bringing the total merit points to 2415. He Yudong secretly calculated that once he accumulated 2700 points, he would do a 30-pull spree to see what treasures this wind would bring. At this rate, with bad guys popping up one after another these days, merit points were like leeks—cut one crop and another grows back.

In the ward, although Deputy Factory Director Li's itching had subsided, his entire body was covered in scratches, and his injured leg was in a terrible state, likely resulting in permanent disability. Xu Damao was slightly better off, suffering only a fractured bone and avoiding further torment.

But He Yudong had taken those ten small gold bars, and Deputy Factory Director Li was furious. "Wife, immediately send the police to He Yudong's house to ransack it! He just took my gold bars. If they find them, we can arrest him and publicly criticize him! After that, we'll lock him in the pigsty! That bastard, I'll make sure he's dead!"

The fat woman sneered, "Don't worry, it's all arranged. I sent Cui Dake to fetch people."

Just as He Yudong stepped into the courtyard while whistling, before he could even sit down, Cui Dake and his large group of men blocked the entrance with menacing expressions.

Good heavens, there were thirty or forty people, all with blue armbands and carrying steel pipes and wooden sticks. He Yudong glanced at them and chuckled—not only was Cui Dake there, but even Liu Haizhong's two lame sons, Liu Guangfu and Liu Guangtian, had joined in the fun.

Seeing He Yudong about to enter the house, Cui Da shouted sternly, "Stop right there! He Yudong!"

Today, with a large and powerful force, and armed with weapons, Cui Dake was very confident and prepared to take this opportunity to completely crush He Yudong.

He Yudong glanced at him sideways: "What's up?"

"We received a tip from the public that you're a die-hard capitalist roader and that you're hiding contraband in your house! If you know what's good for you, cooperate with the investigation, otherwise... hehe..." Cui Dake grinned, revealing a lewd smile, his saliva almost splattering out.

"Cui Dake, your master is still lying in the hospital unable to get up. Aren't you afraid of falling and becoming paralyzed from the waist down while you're jumping so high?" He Yudong retorted with a sneer.

"Stop talking nonsense! We're here to raid your place today!" Liu Guangfu jumped out, brandishing a stick and yelling at He Yudong.

"That's right, He Yudong, now that you're in our hands, no one can save you!" Liu Guangtian chimed in, taking advantage of the situation.

"Seize my house? You think you can?" He Yudong sneered, his voice suddenly rising, "My family has been farmers for three generations, and we're legitimate soldiers of the People's Liberation Army! You dare to label me a capitalist roader so easily? You have some nerve!"

"Whether there's been any capital smuggling or not, we'll only know after we search!" Cui Dake said through gritted teeth.

"Right! We'll only know if we search! You'd better get out of the way!" Liu Guangfu chimed in.

In the next room, Qin Huairu and his family were watching the drama through the crack in the door, feeling incredibly relieved. Especially Jia Zhangshi, who had just returned from detention, finding He Yudong's misfortune to be her greatest comfort at that moment.

"That damned He Yudong, he'd better be beaten to death!" Madam Jia cursed through gritted teeth, then lowered her voice and looked at Qin Huairu, "By the way, I heard Lou Xiao'e ran away? Is it true?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu couldn't help but smile: "They ran away. The whole family went to Hong Kong, and they probably won't be coming back for the rest of their lives."

"That's perfect!" A glint of shrewdness flashed in Madam Jia's eyes. "Once we deal with that little bastard He Yudong, I won't object to you marrying Sha Zhu. But there's one condition: after you marry him, you absolutely cannot have any children with him!"

Qin Huairu was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly said, "Mom, don't worry, I never thought about having a child with Shazhu." All she wanted was to suck Shazhu's blood; having a child for him? Dream on. Not long after giving birth to Xiao Huaihua, she secretly got an IUD. Otherwise, all these years of maneuvering between Guo Da Piezi, Yi Zhonghai, Xu Damao, and Deputy Factory Director Li, she doesn't know how many more children she would have had.

"That's good." Madam Jia sneered. "Once we kill He Yudong, Sha Zhu will have to support our whole family, and then those rooms of his will be ours too!" They originally came to the courtyard house for Sha Zhu's house, but He Yudong's return ruined everything. Now they finally see hope of turning things around.

In the courtyard, Cui Dake shouted, "Everyone, follow me! There are so many of us, I don't believe he can stop us!"

The men in blue hats behind them started commotion and were about to swarm forward.

He Yudong calmly moved a chair out of the house, picked up a wooden stick, and sat down at the door with an air of authority. He then drew a clear line on the ground with the tip of the stick.

"Anyone who dares to cross this line, I guarantee I'll break their legs."

His tone was calm and even, but the murderous aura that had been forged in the crucible of death instantly spread out, causing everyone present to hold their breath, and no one dared to take the first step.

Cui Dake involuntarily took two steps back. He had witnessed He Yudong's skills before. Although he was not afraid of being outnumbered, he was absolutely unwilling to be the first to stick his neck out.

But if he doesn't take the job, someone else will.

Liu Guangfu, brandishing a stick, burst out of the ranks, pointing at He Yudong and shouting, "He Yudong, I refuse to believe that all of us are afraid of just one person like you! I've stepped forward!"

He Yudong's eyes widened suddenly, and Liu Guangfu jumped back instinctively in fright.

"Ha! I jumped out again!" Liu Guangfu, feeling he had figured out the trick, deliberately crossed the line again. "I'm standing out again!"

"I jumped out again! So what? So what? Hit me, you idiot!" He jumped back and forth like a clown, his face full of provocation.

In the next instant, He Yudong's figure blurred into a streak, his stick hurtling towards Liu Guangfu's face with a whooshing sound. Liu Guangfu didn't even see what happened before a barrage of blows and punches rained down on him.

"Ah—!" A series of screams rang out, and those around instinctively backed away. Liu Guangfu was like a lump of mud under He Yudong's feet, kicked and shoved without any power to fight back. Before long, he was begging for mercy like a pig being slaughtered.

He Yudong lectured him for a while before stopping. He slung the stick over his shoulder, spread his hands at the stunned crowd, and said innocently, "You all saw it. He told me to hit him. Damn it, I've never seen such a request in my life."

The entire room fell silent, and many people had already begun to quietly move to the side. But most people dared not run away—you can run away, but you can't hide; who would dare to be the first to retreat?

"Who else wants to cross the line?" He Yudong shouted sternly.

"You... He Yudong! What right do you have to hit someone?!" Cui Dake accused him, his voice stern but his words betraying his fear.

He Yudong didn't even lift his eyelids, and in a flash, he was right in front of him. *Slap!* A crisp slap sent Cui Dake spinning halfway around, several more teeth flying out. At this rate, two more slaps and he'd be wearing a full set of dentures like Deputy Factory Director Li.

"Ouch—!" Cui Dake cried out, covering his face.

"You've crossed the line," He Yudong said calmly.

Terrified, Cui Dake scrambled backward, pointing at He Yuduo and cursing, "He Yudong! Are you trying to rebel? Everyone, attack! Take down this capitalist roader! Don't be afraid! There are more of us, I don't believe he can... Ah!!"

Before he could finish speaking, He Yudong grabbed him by the back of his collar, lifted him up like a sack of potatoes, and slammed him to the ground. In just one blow, Cui Dake's face was covered in blood.

"Why are you only attacking me?!" This was probably the most desperate question Cui Daru had at that moment.

There's no other reason than that he's the leader of this group and the most disliked person.

Screams filled the air as Cui Dake was quickly beaten beyond recognition, repeatedly begging for mercy: "Stop hitting me! I won't do it again! Stop hitting me!"

He Yudong lifted him up with one hand as if he were a chick, and the onlookers retreated in shock—how much arm strength did that take? With a casual flick of his wrist, Cui Dake flew in an arc and crashed into the crowd. The men in blue hats hurriedly dodged, leaving him to fall solidly to the ground, groaning and unable to get up.

He Yudong's eyes widened in anger, and he roared like a tiger descending a mountain, "Aren't you going to get out of here? Want to stay for dinner?"

"Let's go! We're leaving right now!" These blue-hatted guys were nothing but paper tigers, bullying the weak and fearing the strong. They'd do anything to make a living by smashing and looting, but they wouldn't risk their lives. When faced with someone like He Yudong, who had no sense of martial ethics and was incredibly strong, they had no choice but to back down.

The crowd scattered instantly, and Cui Da was carried away by a flurry of hands, barely clinging to life. Liu Guangfu, on the other hand, wasn't taken away; Liu Guangtian slunk away and carried him home.

When the second aunt saw that her son had been beaten so badly that even his own mother wouldn't recognize him, she burst into tears, crying out, "That damned He Yudong! He beat my son like this! I'll fight him to the death!"

"Mom...it hurts so much..." Liu Guangfu cried miserably. In fact, most of his injuries were superficial, which was relatively minor compared to Cui Dake's.

"Guangtian! Go to the factory and call your dad back! We can't let He Yudong get away with this!" Auntie Er shouted hoarsely.

Liu Guangtian shook his head repeatedly: "Mom, it's no use! So many people came today and we still couldn't do anything. That kid really went all out! I don't want to get beaten up again."

Forget brotherhood; none of it matters as much as their own lives. The selfishness instilled in them by their childhood bangs made these two brothers increasingly selfish.

"No way! We can't let this go! Call your dad back and hold a hospital-wide meeting to criticize He Yudong! Let's see how he'll stay in the hospital after this! This black sheep must be kicked out!" Auntie Er said through gritted teeth.

Liu Guangtian thought this was a good idea; if he couldn't beat them, he could drown them in spittle. He immediately agreed, "Okay, I'll go to the factory right now!"

Inside the room, He Yudong sat with his legs crossed, leisurely peeling an apple and flipping through a book.

I just beat up Cui Dake and Liu Guangfu, which earned me another 60 points. Cui Dake got 50, and Liu Guangfu got 10. Every little bit helps. Now I have 2475 merit points, and I'm only 225 points away from a 30-pull.

A thought flashed through his mind, and he brought up the system panel:

[Host: He Yudong]

[Bloodline: Pure Yanhuang bloodline (immune to all poisons/superior genes)]

Age: 21

Physical fitness: 70 (average value 10)

[Mental Strength: 50 (Average average is 10)]

[Skills: 80% Master-level in Medicine, 75% Master-level in Martial Arts, Proficient in Cold Weapon Combat, Advanced Military Skills, Proficient in Music, Chess, Calligraphy, and Painting, Proficient in the Butcher's Skill, Proficient in the Eighteen Styles of Awei, Proficient in Languages, Photographic Memory, Taoist Breathing Techniques, Ancient Alchemy Techniques, Advanced Financial Knowledge, Advanced Hypnosis]

[Merit Points: 2475]

[Items: 6 Unlucky Cards, 1 Peach Blossom Charm]

Perhaps due to his recent frequent combat experience, his mastery of internal martial arts and Bajiquan has reached 75%, and his understanding of both traditional Chinese and Western medicine has simultaneously reached 80%. His physical condition and mental state have also improved. As for the six unlucky cards and the peach blossom talisman in his inventory, he hasn't been willing to use them. He's already attracting too much romantic attention, and using them again might just bring trouble. Besides, the current situation is turbulent, so he'd rather wait for the right opportunity.

In the steel mill canteen, Sha Zhu was drinking water from an enamel mug. Ma Hua was in charge of cooking today, and he was only giving instructions. In a few months, he would be going to Hong Kong to reunite with Lou Xiao'e, and before leaving, he needed to pass on his most treasured culinary skills to this apprentice. Ma Hua was a righteous and filial man, trustworthy and reliable.

Ma Hua felt that his master had been acting urgently when passing on his skills lately, as if there was something hidden, and was wondering whether he should ask him about it.

Just then, Liu Haizhong, heavily pregnant, stormed into the kitchen and yelled in a loud voice, "Idiot Zhu!"

Sha Zhu frowned and looked up: "What is it, Second Uncle?"

"Call him Team Leader Liu!" Liu Haizhong put on an official air.

"Alright, alright, Team Leader Liu, what can I do for you?"

"Go back to the courtyard house right now! Your brother, He Yudong, assaulted someone without provocation, and there needs to be an explanation today! I've discussed it with Lao Yi; we're going to hold a courtyard-wide meeting, and you have to attend!"

"What? Yu Dong hit someone? Who did he hit?" Sha Zhu's heart tightened. He knew He Yu Dong's temper well; he would never lay a hand on someone unless provoked. Since he did, the other party must have deserved it.

"He hit my son Guangfu! Shouldn't we give him an explanation?!" Liu Haizhong roared.

"Oh, so it's your son. Well done!" Sha Zhu retorted without any politeness.

"Silly Zhu! What do you mean?!" Liu Haizhong's beard trembled with anger.

"What do you mean? My brother never hits people for no reason. Since he hit Liu Guangfu, he deserves it! Don't forget that last time your two sons brought thugs to ambush my brother. What happened? They got beaten to a pulp. Tell me, does he deserve it or not?" Sha Zhu retorted.

Knowing he couldn't win the argument with this scoundrel, Liu Haizhong could only resort to using his status to intimidate him: "Stop talking nonsense! Go back to the compound for a meeting right now!"

"Let's go!" Sha Zhu took off his apron. Who was right and who wasn't, they'd find out on the stage.

As Liu Haizhong, Yi Zhonghai, and Yan Fugui returned to the courtyard, all the residents were summoned to the central courtyard. Only Xu Damao was missing—this newly minted 30-year-old was still in the hospital.

Sha Zhu went straight to He Yudong's room and found him leisurely eating fruit and reading a book. He couldn't help but say angrily, "Brother, what brings you here? Did you leave work early?"

"Liu Haizhong ran to my kitchen and said you hit that bastard Liu Guangfu. He insists on coming back to hold a hospital-wide meeting to criticize you," Sha Zhu said irritably.

He Yudong chuckled: "A bunch of idiots, always crying 'stop thief' while being the thief. I'm lucky he survived because I didn't just cripple him."

"Shazhu! He Yudong! Why aren't you coming out? What are you doing hiding in the house?" Liu Haizhong's roar came from outside the door again.