Courtyard House: The Fisherman Never Goes Sick

Having a system is great! I can even get rewards for making duck necks first thing in the morning!

Yang Weile happily rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

I just received a reward of three pounds of duck necks yesterday. The ingredients are readily available, so I'm not worried about not having any to make.

With his masterful culinary skills, he quickly braised three pounds of duck necks until they were rich in flavorful sauce and incredibly spicy – ​​just the perfect taste.

Then he heated oil in a wok and prepared eight pounds of crayfish.

The bright red shells and rich aroma wafted through the air above the yard, making all the birds and beasts so hungry they clung to the fence as if they were about to cry.

After finishing breakfast, he happily went to work carrying two large bags of spicy duck necks and crayfish.

There was so much stuff, it filled five whole lunchboxes.

In the past, this weight would have made my hands ache, but now that I'm much stronger, I can carry it like it's nothing.

He didn't notice that as he walked out of the courtyard, a pair of eyes were watching him through the crack in the Jia family's window; it was Jia Zhangshi.

She thought to herself: Yang Wei must have cooked a lot of food, how could he have taken it all with him?

Once he goes to work, I'll send Banggeng over to steal it!

If there's money or other things, take them too!

Yang Wei, that rascal, ate all by himself, making everyone in the hospital drool with envy. He even caused his family to get food poisoning and end up in the hospital. We won't be satisfied until we steal it back and teach him a lesson!

However, she didn't rush to call Banggeng, as the child was asleep and waking him would be troublesome.

After waiting for a while, Banggeng finally rubbed his eyes and got up. His first thought was that he was hungry, and he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Grandma, I want to eat... I want to eat meat!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi quickly moved closer and said with a smile, "My dear grandson, Yang Wei has gone to work. He made a ton of delicious food this morning, he definitely can't take it all with him. Go to his house and steal some, and take the money too!"

Bang Geng's eyes lit up as his stomach rumbled. Without saying much to his grandmother, he took off running towards Yang Wei's house. He had rested all night and his leg was no longer lame, so he ran very fast.

When he arrived at the place, he found the gate locked. He didn't panic. He found an iron bar nearby, pried open the lock with a "click," and slipped inside, heading straight for the kitchen.

After looking around, Banggeng grinned from ear to ear. On the cutting board was a large piece of pork, which he estimated to weigh five pounds. Next to it was something that looked like a whip. Although he didn't recognize it as bullwhip, he knew at a glance that it was edible. In the cupboard were White Rabbit milk candy, apples, and pears, and in a basin were lively crayfish!

He was delighted with the sight of the candies. He first tried to stuff them into his pocket, but the pocket was too small and could only hold a few. So he looked around for a place that could hold them.

A quick glance revealed a large turtle lying in a basin in the corner of the wall. It was quite big, and I figured I couldn't carry it away.

His eyes darted around, and a wicked idea popped into his head: make the turtle drink urine!

When Yang Wei stews turtle, won't I just drink his urine? Yang Wei makes me eat shit, so I'll make him drink urine! Bang Geng became more and more smug as he thought about it.

Having made up his mind, he pulled up his pants and started urinating on the turtle.

Unexpectedly, the turtle, which had been motionless, suddenly stretched out its head, its long neck moving with lightning speed, and snapped its jaws into his little bird.

"ah,!"

Banggeng gripped the turtle tightly and slapped it desperately, but the thing held on tightly and showed no sign of loosening its grip.

He cried out in pain, his face covered in tears and snot.

Hearing the crying, Jia Zhangshi, who was peeking out from outside, felt a jolt in her heart and rushed into Yang Wei's house.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw the turtle biting the lower body of a stick. Her face turned pale instantly. If the turtle bit the child, wouldn't the Jia family line end?

In a panic, she grabbed a wooden stick from the corner of the yard and started hitting the turtle's back, but the stick hit like hitting a stone, and the turtle didn't budge, still biting down hard.

The tortoise shell had shrunk to just a slit, so it couldn't hit its head at all. If it hit any further, the little guy's body would probably be the first to suffer.

Madam Jia was so anxious she kept wringing her hands, staring blankly at the stick: "My precious baby, just bear with it..."

"Grandma, it hurts...it hurts so much..." Bang Geng cried, gasping for breath, his little body convulsing.

The courtyard was quiet; all the adults had gone to work. Jia Zhangshi looked around, but couldn't find anyone to rely on. Gritting her teeth, she turned and ran to the Third Steel Rolling Mill to find Qin Huairu! Although she often scolded her, when it came to such urgent matters, this daughter-in-law was the one who knew what to do.

……

When it was lunchtime at the steel rolling mill, Yang Wei placed the spicy duck necks and crayfish he had brought on the table. As soon as the lunchbox was opened, the aroma of spicy food burst out, and the workshop erupted in excitement, with seven or eight pairs of eyes immediately fixed on it.

"Yang Wei, what delicious food have you made today?" someone asked, sniffing the air. The taste was fresh, unlike the usual home-cooked dishes.

"Delicious duck necks, and crayfish too!" Yang Wei laughed, pushing his lunchbox towards the center. "Lots of food, come and try them all!"

His coworkers swarmed around him, quick and efficient as they were used to grabbing the food he brought.

Of course, they didn't eat for free. One person slipped him a grain coupon, another handed him a meat coupon, and some even directly gave him money. Yang Wei couldn't refuse, so he let them do as they pleased.

"The duck necks smell this good?" Someone picked up a piece, took a bite, and their eyes widened. "Much better than Sha Zhu's cooking!"

"Absolutely! It smells so good it makes your mouth water!"

As they were praising it, someone noticed the bright red crayfish in the lunchbox and muttered, "These things... are they edible? We usually use them to feed chickens and ducks."

"It smells so good, can we still eat it?" Another person leaned over and sniffed it. "Yang Wei said it's edible, so it can't be wrong!"

Yang Wei picked up a crayfish, deftly pried open the shell with his fingertips, revealing snow-white meat. "There's a trick to peeling it," he said, putting the meat in his mouth, chewing it with narrowed eyes, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "Fresh! And spicyly satisfying!"

This immediately whetted everyone's appetite, and they all started peeling shrimp like him. Before long, shouts of "Delicious!" echoed throughout the workshop.

"Amazing! This flavor is so good, I'm afraid I'll feel lightheaded after eating it!"

"Who says chicken feed doesn't taste good? I'll go to the river and catch some every day!"

Everyone's chopsticks flew, and in no time they had devoured a three-pound box of crayfish. At the end, they smacked their lips and sighed, "It's not enough!"

Just as everyone was lamenting, Yang Wei pulled out another box, and with a "whoosh," he lifted the lid. The spicy and savory aroma, along with the steam, wafted straight into everyone's noses. Everyone's eyes lit up, and they devoured it in no time.

After indulging in crayfish to my heart's content, I finally tried some braised duck neck. Between the two, the crayfish was clearly more to my liking.

Yang Wei had anticipated this situation. In his previous life, crayfish were a top-tier food, but they were too expensive back then. Now, however, crayfish are cheaper than duck necks.

After everyone had eaten their fill, Yang Wei told someone to distribute the remaining crayfish to other workshops: "Let more people try them, good things should be spread." He wanted to take advantage of the excitement to make this "new" delicacy famous.

"Aren't these the lobsters used to feed chickens and ducks? How can you eat them?" In the workshop where the crayfish were distributed, the workers stood around the boxes, completely bewildered.

It smells really good, but who has ever seen this stuff served as a dish?

Upon seeing this, the shrimp delivery worker peeled one on the spot to demonstrate. The tender white shrimp meat, dipped in red oil, was bursting with fresh and spicy flavor with every bite.

Everyone immediately went wild and started scrambling to eat, and in no time the two boxes were empty.

Those who didn't get any slapped their thighs in frustration, while those who did licked their fingers and exclaimed, "Who made this? How could it be so amazing?"

"It's Yang Wei from our workshop!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the whole room fell silent. Who would have thought that this skill came from Yang Wei, who was usually quiet and reserved?

Factory Director Yang and Deputy Factory Director Li rushed over upon hearing the news. They frowned at the first thing they heard, but couldn't help but beam with delight: "You can really eat crayfish? And they're so delicious?"

The two of them were well aware of the "invasiveness" of this thing. If it could be promoted, it would satisfy their cravings and eliminate the harm at the same time, which would be a blessing for the people of the whole country!

They immediately grabbed Yang Wei and asked him to teach them how to do it. If they could spread the word, they would be able to wipe out this scourge in no time!

Qin Huairu squatted in the corner, gnawing on a shrimp tail, thinking to herself, "This Yang Wei really has some skills. His lobster is a hundred times better than fried shrimp heads."

She shamelessly picked one up, gasping for breath from the spiciness but unwilling to spit it out, her mind filled with thoughts of "If only I could marry him..."

But the thought was extinguished by Jia Dongxu's name. She was tied up by that dead man, how could she dare to think of such a good thing?

Just as she was feeling lost and disoriented, a voice suddenly called from outside: "Qin Huairu, your mother-in-law is looking for you!"

"What is she doing at the factory?" Qin Huairu's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly wiped her hands and went out.

As soon as Jia Zhangshi saw her, she rushed over, her voice trembling: "Huai Ru! It's terrible! The little bird on the stalk has been bitten by a turtle! That turtle won't let go, and the child is writhing in pain!"

Qin Huairu's face turned pale instantly. She knew how vicious a turtle's bite could be; it could bite a finger and hold its bite for ages. What if it bit a vital spot...?

She didn't dare to think any further, so she turned around and asked the director for leave. She didn't even have time to eat, and ran home as fast as she could.

Jia Zhangshi had returned home earlier and was now watching over the wailing Banggeng. The child was hugging the turtle and kicking his legs, a scene that was both urgent and funny.

Hearing "the bird got bitten," a coworker nearby was so trying not to laugh that his shoulders were shaking: "Qin Huairu, you didn't teach the pheasant to tease the turtle that way, did you?"

"Disgusting!" Qin Huairu's face flushed red, she spat, but her feet moved even faster.

........

"Yang Wei's crayfish is absolutely amazing!"

"Who would have thought that this thing, which used to be considered 'garbage' only fit to feed chickens and ducks, could be turned into this divine delicacy!"

"It's a pity there were so few; I only managed to catch one! The taste, wow, it was so fresh I almost swallowed my tongue!"

"You're lucky! I only managed to eat half of it! Just half! I'm still drooling just thinking about it!"

"No way, I'm going to catch two buckets of crayfish in the ditch when I get home tonight!"

"Easy for you to say. Do you have Yang Wei's skills? Would your cooking even smell as good as a penny's worth?"

"It's not a matter of skill; it's that you simply don't know how to do it!"

"Why don't we ask Sha Zhu? Isn't he known as the top chef in the steel mill?"

"Give me a break, you idiot Zhu. If he knew how to cook, would Weiwei have only gotten a piece of meat the size of a fingernail at the last dinner party?"

The workers were crowded together getting their food in the canteen, and their chatter drifted into the kitchen.

He Yuzhu paused, wiping the spatula, his brows furrowing. Yang Wei had actually brought crayfish into the factory?

Why let so many people taste it? When he heard people comparing themselves to him and saying that his cooking skills were not as good as a country boy's, his face immediately turned as dark as a soy sauce-colored pig liver.

"It's just spicy crayfish, what's so special about it?" Sha Zhu was seething with anger, and slammed the spatula down on the stove.

He clenched his fist: He had to find a chance to test his skills against Yang Wei and crush him! The culinary skills passed down in the He family were far beyond what a country bumpkin could compare to.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the workshop. Factory Director Yang and Deputy Factory Director Li strode in, and the workers were all stunned: "Factory Director Yang, Deputy Factory Director Li, what brings you two here?"

"Come see Comrade Yang Wei," Factory Director Yang said with a smile, gesturing to the crowd. "We heard he's turned crayfish into a delicacy, so we came to see for ourselves. If it's really that good, could you teach us how to make it? This is a great thing for the country and its people!"

"Can crayfish really benefit the country and its people?" Someone scratched their head. "I still think of them as livestock feed."

"Comrade, you don't know this," Deputy Factory Director Li chimed in, "These crayfish are invasive pests. They grow wildly in ditches and can damage dikes and kill fish fry! In the past, nobody ate them, so we could only let them ruin crops and irrigation systems."

Upon hearing this, everyone present was shocked. So this thing was actually a menace?

"But things are different now!" Director Yang slapped his thigh. "If Yang Wei can make everyone love eating crayfish, everyone will be scrambling to catch them. The more they catch, the less damage the dikes and fishponds will suffer. It satisfies their cravings and also kills pests. Isn't that beneficial to the country and the people?"

"Director Yang, I swear on my life! Yang Wei's crayfish are absolutely amazing!"

"Yeah, yeah, give me a hundred pounds, and I can chew it up, shell and all!"

The workers joined in the commotion, each one talking animatedly.

Factory Director Yang turned to look at Yang Wei, a smile in his eyes: "Comrade Yang Wei, now it's up to you to teach the method to everyone."

"Director Yang, what a coincidence." Yang Wei picked up a few strings of live shrimp from the aluminum basin at his feet. "I prepared some fresh crayfish earlier. You two can try them and see for yourselves."

He had expected the leaders to come, but he didn't expect the two factory directors to personally come into the workshop. Judging from their attitude, they really took "eating pests" seriously.

"Bring it here quickly!" Factory Manager Yang rubbed his hands together and leaned closer. "It'll be perfect for us to inspect the goods!"