Courtyard House: A Leisurely and Contented Life

"Put it here, that's right."

"That's it, all right, thank you, Master!"

Yang Jianye offered the man another cigarette, saw him off, and then turned to look at the driver who had helped him.

"Have a cigarette and take a break." Yang Jianye offered him a cigarette.

The driver didn't stand on ceremony and lit the match himself, then lit it for him as well.

Yingzi poured some water and came out of the house: "Comrade, have some water."

"Thank you." He took the cup, drank it all in one gulp, and then handed the cup back to Yingzi.

This clean, efficient, and unpretentious style is truly pleasing to the eye!

Taking a drag of his cigarette, the driver spoke up: "Master Yang, I've been delayed long enough. Let's check the details so I can report back."

"Okay, are all of these?" Yang Jianye asked, pointing to the boxes and crates on the ground.

The driver nodded: "Yes, it's all here."

Seeing the two about to open the box, the onlookers craned their necks, afraid of missing the treasures inside.

And that sewing machine we just brought back, it even has gold patterns on it, it's so beautiful! I've never seen this machine before.

"Jianye, what brand did you buy?"

"They call it Invincible, but I don't really understand it. I just think it looks good," Yang Jianye replied.

"It's not cheap, is it?"

"Not bad," Yang Jianye replied with a smile.

Let them guess the price themselves! Anyway, their guesses are easier to accept than being told the price directly. A sewing machine for 276 yuan? Who would dare to dream of that? Before Old Ma introduced it to him, Yang Jianye hadn't even imagined that such an expensive sewing machine existed.

After looking at the sewing machine, everyone was most concerned about the things that had been delivered to him in a small cart. What they had previously left for Yingzi in the house included a piece of pork, two fish, a bag of peanuts, and a bag of refined wheat flour. Judging by the weight, it must have weighed at least twenty pounds, plus about ten pounds of rice. Those were enough to make everyone in the yard envious; these things packed in boxes and containers must be even more precious, right?

Kneeling down, Yang Jianye looked at the box in front of him, reached out and grabbed both sides, then lifted it up.

The box is open.

The box was crammed full of books, manuscripts covered in cryptic writing, and all sorts of messy notes.

Looking at the other boxes and chests he opened, they were all the same, filled with books, notebooks, and rolls of paper.

The expectations in everyone's hearts instantly diminished.

But what they didn't know was that their earlier assumption was absolutely correct. Those boxes and crates contained genuine treasures.

These are all professional books that you can't buy, study notes made by top experts, used blueprints, calculation formulas, and so on. In Yang Jianye's eyes, they are a great treasure.

What's recorded here are all experiences and conclusions drawn from human practice.

What does it feel like to stand on the shoulders of giants? This is about it for a training room where you can grind experience points!

"Thank you. Please convey my message to the senior leader that I will certainly not let him down."

After closing all the boxes again, Yang Jianye solemnly extended his hand to the driver.

The man paused for a moment, then quickly grasped his hand, shook it vigorously, and said, "Don't worry, Master Yang, I will definitely pass on the message."

I watched the driver leave and walked towards the end of the alley. He had asked his colleague to wait outside in the car he had driven to avoid traffic.

Turning back to look at the box at his feet, Yang Jianye looked up and said, "Jiefang, come lend a hand."

"Hey, Jianye, let me do it!" Yan Jiefang rolled up his sleeves and came over.

He knew exactly what was going on; he never let Yang Jianye do anything for free. He'd get things done quickly when asked, and there was always a reward in return.

Sha Zhu also came up to help, and then Qin Huairu also came over.

"Sir, let me carry it inside for you."

Yang Jianye glanced at her and nodded with an "Mm".

Qin Huairu beamed with joy, quickly bent down, picked up the box, and walked into the house.

Yang Jianye felt that Yingzi was right. He couldn't act too distant; after all, she was his apprentice. If he acted worse than a stranger, deliberately creating distance, it would seem strange. If he really disliked her so much, why did he take her as an apprentice? It would be redundant, hypocritical, and pretentious. Or it would just make the widow seem immoral.

In short, something must have happened inside for this to happen.

So now Yang Jianye doesn't deliberately avoid it anymore; he just lets things be as they are.

"Jianye, what do you need so many books for? Can you even finish reading them all?" someone asked curiously.

Yang Jianye turned around and smiled, "I also need to study to improve!"

Well, that made everyone roll their eyes. It's completely incomprehensible, and you call that progress?

A wave of despair washed over everyone, but even more so, envy and admiration filled their hearts. No wonder Ren Jianye advanced four levels in just three months; who else could pull that off? Of course they could!

With the help of three people, all the boxes and crates were moved in just a few minutes. Those who had been watching the spectacle gradually went home. Today's commotion taught me a lesson.

interesting……

"Yingzi, decorate those peanuts."

After finishing their work, Yang Jianye asked Yingzi to give each of the three of them a bowl of peanuts.

Yan Jiefang was a little disappointed. He had only given peanuts as a gift, and this was another bowl of them... He had even cooked them!

Sha Zhu and Qin Huairu were quite happy; the former loved the food, and the latter was pleased with Yang Jianye's attitude.

She knew that her widow's home was a place of gossip and trouble, but he was her master, and she had to be careful about what he said or said. It was too awkward! You don't need to take special care of me. Just treat me like a normal master and disciple. Qin Huairu was satisfied.

Now, she is quite happy.

I was walking home with a bowl of peanuts when I got to the door and there my mother was.

Yan Jiefang held up the bowl: "Look, your peanuts are back, still raw."

Hearing his tone, the older woman rolled her eyes and snatched the bowl away, saying, "What do you know? Whether it's peanuts or not doesn't matter; what matters is the interaction. Relationships are built through give-and-take. Today I gave him a bowl of peanuts, and he gave me one back. The food is the same, but our friendship has deepened."

Seeing Yan Jiefang's sudden realization, the old woman pointed and laughed, scolding, "Look at you, so foolish! You think you're shrewd? You're just like your father, only good at scheming for the little food in front of you."

Hearing this, Yan Jiefang knew his father wasn't home again: "Did my dad go fishing again?"

The old man, I don't know what possessed him, suddenly developed a love for fishing. Wouldn't it be better to use that time to find a couple of students and make some money?

"What are you saying?" The old woman tapped him on the head. "You dare to do speculative things? Do you think our family is too peaceful and living too comfortably?"

Yan Jiefang kept his head down and didn't say a word, but he felt unconvinced.

You're such an old fogey, I can't reason with you! Aren't there plenty of teachers out there teaching students? It's just you two, always scheming, your courage is smaller than the eye of a needle. And you still expect to make big money?

……

Inside the room, open the box that was stacked on top.

Yang Jianye took out the books, notes, and drawings one by one and laid them out on the ground to categorize them.

"Jianye, are these all for your studies?" Yingzi squatted down beside him and helped him organize them.

"Hmm." Yang Jianye nodded and smiled, looking at the books and notes as if he had found a treasure.

"In the eyes of skilled workers, these are the most advanced martial arts manuals."

Picking up a notebook and spreading it out in front of Yingzi, Yang Jianye pointed to the records inside: "Look how detailed this is! It's like the entire process has been dissected and laid out before you. Things you didn't understand before, once you see it and try it yourself, everything becomes clear."

Glancing at the documents at his feet, Yang Jianye said happily, "With these, I'm confident I can get Level 6 in the next assessment."

Yingzi's eyes lit up with surprise: "Really?"

Yang Jianye nodded, and said firmly, "It's true."

He's already at level six, so of course he's confident. These materials weren't originally prepared for the level six exam, but having them gives him a stronger reason to take the test. Perhaps he can find some technical points within them and demonstrate them during the assessment. That way, the assessment team will immediately know where he learned these skills, and his improved technique will be attributed to his strong "comprehension and learning" abilities.

"Then I'll help you sort these out." Yingzi looked back into the room and found there was no place to put these treasures.

Finally, he got up, opened the wardrobe, and carried the clothes and bedding inside onto the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Yingzi, what are you doing?" Yang Jianye asked.

As Yingzi cleared space in the cabinet, she said, "Fold these clothes neatly and put them on the kang (heated brick bed); they won't take up much room. I'll make room for your documents and books in the cabinet."

Seeing that she was serious, Yang Jianye smiled and said, "No need, I'll just put it in the next room."

"That room is hot and steamy, the books will all get ruined, how can we do that?" he said, picking up a box and stuffing it into the cabinet according to its height and size.

After glancing at the room's layout, Yang Jianye didn't refuse again. With such a small space, it seemed there really wasn't another place to put it if not in a cabinet.

Together with Yingzi, they put all the boxes into the wardrobe. Yingzi left space inside for him, saying, "These are perfect for things I casually look at."

Seeing her flushed face and happy expression, Yang Jianye felt a surge of warmth in his heart, several degrees higher than the boiling water in the pipe.

After watching the commotion in the courtyard, everyone had left.

Yi Zhonghai stood in the courtyard, his expression somber and his figure forlorn.

Seeing Yang Jianye becoming more and more successful, he didn't know what to think!

Regret is definitely present.

Besides regret, there is probably more annoyance and confusion.

Is Yang Jianye really that smart? So much smarter than the average person? And so lucky?!

No matter how much Yi Zhonghai disbelieved it, the latest chapter was already available! Book lovers, hurry back! The facts were right before his eyes.

Don't believe me? What can you do if you don't believe me?

-

In the following days, Yang Jianye spent less time in the courtyard.

He's either reading or studying at home, or he's spending time with his wife.

They would only occasionally bump into their neighbors and exchange greetings when they went out for a walk after dinner.

Early in the morning, everyone was busy. After a while, everyone ate breakfast and went to work.

At the Jia family home, Granny Jia, who had finished cooking, came out of the house with a white cloth covering her face and walked straight towards Yang Jianye's house.

Upon reaching the gate, he picked up the spittoon placed between the two rooms and hurried out of the courtyard.

To Granny Jia, the couple was truly kind and honest.

The spittoon never contained much spittoon, and the smell wasn't too strong. After rinsing it when she got back, scrubbing it a few times with a brush, and rinsing it twice more, it was clean. Because of this, she cursed Yang Jianye less behind his back.

After cleaning the spittoon and putting it back in its place, Granny Jia lifted the white cloth to catch her breath before heading back to the backyard.

Before they even reached the doorway, Granny Jia's expression changed.

I felt nauseous and missed the days when Xu Damao wasn't around during the Lunar New Year.

That bastard is a real piece of trash; not only does he use a toilet, but it's also filled with all sorts of things. Just thinking about it makes Granny Jia want to vomit.

She had almost gotten used to it, but with Xu Damao not around for the New Year, Granny Jia, who had only rested for a few days, was not used to it again.

Seeing the toilet next to the door, I thought to myself—it would be better if it were always there, so I could empty it all the time!

Pulling up the white cloth covering her mouth, Granny Jia quickly stepped forward.

As soon as she got close, the pungent smell made her expression change drastically.

Hold your breath and lift yourself up by the handle—

Clang.

Granny Jia couldn't lift it; the toilet, which was only a few inches off the ground, fell back down.

"This damn thing is hauling bricks, it's so heavy!" Granny Jia muttered under her breath.

I tried lifting it again, but it still didn't move.

Her expression changed, and Granny Jia placed both hands on it and lifted it up with force.

"Oh, isn't this Aunt Zhang? Thank you for your hard work."

Xu Damao stood at the door with a mocking expression, holding a jar and a toothbrush, making sarcastic remarks.

Granny Jia was carrying the chamber pot in both hands and had no time to pay attention to him. She was holding her breath as she lifted the chamber pot, otherwise she would spill everything if she spoke.

Xu Damao, seeing this, became even more enthusiastic: "Slow down, watch your step. Clean it thoroughly, or I'll have to go find Director Wang."

Watching Jia Zhangshi stagger out of the doorway, Xu Damao grinned and cursed, "You old hag, you'll be exhausted!"

-

Xu Damao still harbored resentment in his heart!

He wondered when the marks on his face would disappear. Xu Damao blamed Yu Haitang's lukewarm attitude on this as well.

If his face hadn't been scratched so badly, with his charm, would Yu Haitang have treated him like this? He'd easily won over all the young widows in the commune, whom no one else even looked at. Logically, he should have had Yu Haitang under his thumb long ago.

But look, she didn't even touch it with her little hands.

It's all that old hag's fault; if she hadn't done it, she would have gotten herself into this mess—

"Now it's my turn to get married, you know that?"

Xu Damao was shouting through the wall, his voice low.

The fact that Shazhu was getting married made him feel uneasy.

Why? How could someone as clueless as Sha Zhu get married before Xu Damao? And the woman he married is a teacher, and she's incredibly beautiful. Although she's not quite as stunning as Yu Haitang, she's still a beauty.

That stupid guy who can only cook, does he even deserve a wife like that?

Xu Damao felt increasingly uncomfortable the more he thought about it.

He's just a fool, he deserves to be a bachelor his whole life, he deserves to never find a wife.

No, I need to think of something...

Xu Damao was so engrossed in his work that he didn't even pay attention to Granny Jia's grumbling and cursing when she returned.

After quickly preparing some food, Xu Damao walked out, lost in thought.

Why don't we go to the school and confront Teacher Na Ran, tell her about Sha Zhu, and ruin this whole thing?

But Xu Damao was unwilling to let go of Aunt Liu's advances. What if she introduced him to someone even better than Yu Haitang? If she found out that he was the one who broke up Sha Zhu's relationship, wouldn't that cause trouble?

That's right, he's got both this and that on his mind, and he doesn't want to waste time on either. Can't we look at a few more and choose one?

-

As Xu Damao walked out of the courtyard gate, he saw Sha Zhu.

The simpleton was seen slowly swaying forward, holding a kitchen knife in one hand.

Xu Damao, curious, called out, "Zhu Zi, what are you doing holding a kitchen knife?"

The silly Zhu who was walking ahead turned around, saw that it was Xu Damao, and laughed!

I thought to myself, "I've been waiting for you here," and sure enough, you came.

He glanced down at the kitchen knife in his hand and chuckled, "You mean this knife? I was planning to take it to the factory to have it sharpened."

Sha Zhu turned the blade around, muttering to himself, "This knife's a bit dull. If I run into someone who doesn't know what's going on, I wonder if I can actually stab them in the neck."

Xu Damao felt a chill run down his spine and shrank back like a turtle.

"Zhu Zi, this is no joke, are you out of your mind?" Xu Damao stood rooted to the spot, too afraid to move.

He felt that this fool had seen right through his thoughts. Wasn't that gleaming blade aimed directly at him?

Seeing his expression, Sha Zhu knew he had guessed correctly.

That Xu Damao is up to no good!

Sha Zhu chuckled, lifted the blade, and scraped it with his thumb: "That depends on the situation."

Sha Zhu chuckled, lifted the blade, and scraped it with his thumb: "That depends on the situation."

"Anyone who tries to stop me from getting married and ruin my good time—" With a glare, Sha Zhu grinned strangely, "giving them a knife would be the least of my worries."

Xu Damao stood there, too afraid to move, and Sha Zhu didn't leave either, just standing there holding a kitchen knife and staring at him.

-

What are you two doing blocking this spot?

Yang Jianye pushed the cart out, chatting and laughing with Yingzi.

Xu Damao glanced at him twice but didn't say anything—"How can I talk to you?"

Sha Zhu sheathed his knife, tucked it behind his back, and chuckled, "Nothing much, just chatting for a bit."

As they were talking, Xu Damao, who had seen him put away his knife, slipped past him along the wall.

After running a couple of steps, he turned around and looked at Sha Zhu, who was standing there, grinning at him with a happy expression.

Xu Damao wanted to say something harsh, but then he glanced at the kitchen knife behind his back—

Fine, I'm not going to argue with this uncultured idiot.

That's crazy!

-

Pushing the cart over to Sha Zhu, Yang Jianye saw him grinning at Xu Damao's back, and then glanced at the kitchen knife behind him. He immediately guessed what was going on.

But how could Sha Zhu have such insight? He knew to threaten Xu Damao in advance to prevent him from doing anything bad?

Sure!

Hearing Yang Jianye's praise, Sha Zhu scratched his head and said, "Actually, it was the old lady who reminded me."

Deaf old lady, it seems that the meal we shared during the Lunar New Year wasn't a waste of time.

After saying something to him, Yang Jianye and Yingzi got on their bikes and rode away.

Looking at the steel frame attached to the back seat, Sha Zhu muttered curiously, "What's Jianye up to now?"

-

After dropping off his wife, Yang Jianye paced around in front of the door.

The woman standing at the factory gate couldn't help but laugh and call out, "Oh dear, it's been so many days, haven't you had enough of sticking it together yet?"

"It's always loitering around the gate; anyone who didn't know better would think there's gold right there at the factory gate!"

Yang Jianye blushed when teased like that.

However, we can't afford to lose in terms of momentum.

"It's only been a few days, how could that be enough? Even being glued together 24/7 wouldn't be enough."

Yingzi leaned against the station entrance, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. The laughter of the woman behind her made her blush.

This afternoon, she'll be the butt of jokes again, this time directed at her by a group of older women.

-

Yingzi's guess was absolutely right.

After finishing work at noon, she went to the canteen for lunch, where a group of older women surrounded and intercepted her.

The older woman in front of me asked, "What have you two been doing all day? Have you been staying indoors the whole time? Don't you ever go out?"

The older woman behind her kept asking, "Yingzi, your man isn't just bullying you when he's in the house, is he?"

Yingzi blushed and retorted, "My man is busy! He's at home reading and studying, he doesn't have time..."

"Reading books and studying? I don't believe it!" the older sister joked with a smile, though she was genuinely envious.

In this food factory, who is doing better than Yingzi?

A daughter is pampered and cherished at home. After she gets married and becomes a wife, her husband dotes on her even more, trying every possible way to spoil her.

Look at this Forever brand bicycle; you can't find another one like it in the whole factory.

Oh, no.

Besides, everything Yingzi wears and walks on must cost several yuan.

With this kind of lifestyle, even the young women in the factory have become more discerning when it comes to choosing a partner.

Even if someone isn't as good as Yingzi, at least she should be a wife who knows how to cherish her, and her looks and salary should be similar.

Why bring up "compromise" again? Is it even okay?

The girl rejected him without even meeting him, making things difficult for the matchmaker.

These young girls, they're so young, why do they look so arrogant?

Do you think a man with those conditions would even be interested in someone like you?

Don't you really have any idea what your own situation is like?