Courtyard House: A Prosperous and Joyful Life

The girls who passed the exam beamed with joy, huddled together and chattered excitedly; the girls who failed hung their heads, their eyes red as if they were cherries soaked in water, and some almost shed tears. They had missed such a good opportunity, and who knew when they would get a job again.

"Sigh, I received the letter in the middle of the night and rushed here before dawn, only to fail the exam."

"Me too! I live nearby and came to queue up early, but I didn't pass. If I miss this opportunity, I don't know when I'll be able to find a job again."

"Waaah, I've been unemployed at home for three years, and I finally got an opportunity, but it fell through..."

"Three years is nothing! I've been here for four! If I can't find work soon, I'll have to get married early."

"I didn't want to either..."

These days, if a girl doesn't have a job, nine times out of ten she'll get married early, and the authorities can't control it. Wang Jun stood to the side listening, feeling uneasy. He could only grit his teeth, open more factories, and hire more people.

The sun had climbed high overhead, and the 150 spots were finally filled. The girls still in line looked dejected, sighing and complaining.

"Good heavens, it's full already? I've come all this way and haven't even gotten close to the exam!"

"It was almost my turn, but they filled all the spots! What bad luck!"

"I should have skipped breakfast and come..."

"My sister and I came together. She arrived ten minutes earlier and got into the garment factory. I didn't even get to register..."

With no other option, the girls dispersed dejectedly.

Just as Wang Jun was about to leave, he heard a sobbing sound. It was Huaihua, who was squatting on the ground wiping away her tears. He glanced at her and knew exactly what was going on: this girl wanted to get into the factory but failed the exam, and she was feeling down. Seeing that Huaihua's face was still quite pretty from crying, he took out his camera and snapped a couple of pictures.

"Ah!" Huaihua jumped three feet high in fright. "Brother Jun, what are you doing? I'm so sad!"

"What's there to be sad about?" Wang Jun put away his camera. "I'm opening a cannery in a few days, you can go there."

"Really?" Huaihua's eyes lit up immediately. Although the cannery was tiring, she would be content to just get a job there. These days, even temporary workers are hard to find!

……

Meanwhile, Yu Li was chatting with her younger sister, Yu Haitang, in the shop. Although she didn't approve of some of her sister's actions, the two sisters had a good relationship and often got together.

"They want to open a restaurant next to mine, and they're even eyeing my business! I'm so angry!" Yu Li slammed her fist on the table.

"He dares to touch you? Sis, let's find a chance to beat him up and teach him a lesson!" Yu Haitang rolled up her sleeves.

Yu Li was in a dilemma. How could a woman like her possibly fight against a stick? She waved her hand and said, "Forget it, just stay away from him."

"That won't do!" Yu Haitang patted her chest. "I'll stay with you these next few days. If he dares to come, we sisters will face him together!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Bang Geng swaggered in. He was brimming with confidence today, convinced that Yu Li would definitely give in. The moment he entered and saw the two beautiful girls, his eyes widened. Yu Li was already pretty, and Yu Haitang was once the most beautiful girl at the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill! If he could win them both over, why bother with a girlfriend? He'd deal with Yu Li first!

"Yu Li, have you made up your mind?" Bang Geng squinted at him. "If you don't listen to me, you can forget about keeping this restaurant open!"

He was smugly waiting for a reply when Yu Haitang grabbed a large sack and slammed it over the stick-like man's head. Then she kicked him, yelling, "Ouch! That hurts!"

"Yu Haitang, are you crazy?!" Banggeng shouted, pulling at the sack. "Are you looking to die?!"

"Stop right now!" Yu Li stamped her feet anxiously.

Bang Geng was kicked several times and howled in pain. He never expected that Yu Haitang would be so fierce and dare to lay a hand on him!

Just as he was convulsing in pain, Yu Li came running over. She had long disliked Bang Geng, and now that she finally had a chance to beat him up, she wasn't about to let it slip by. She kicked him hard, yelling, "You little rascal, trying to be a pervert!"

Banggeng was in so much pain that his face was covered in tears and snot. He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Stop kicking me! Stop kicking me! Don't kick me there! Ouch, it hurts so much!"

Yu Haitang and Yu Li acted as if they hadn't heard him, focusing their attacks on his crotch area, kicking him more than a dozen times before stopping. At this moment, Bang Geng felt as if his vital spot was being cut with a knife, the pain causing him to break out in a cold sweat, and his heart was filled with panic.

He ripped off the sack covering his head, his anger flaring: "You two dare hit me? I'll call the police and have you arrested and thrown in jail!"

Yu Li laughed instead, hands on her hips, and retorted, "Go ahead and call! If you call the police, I'll say you molested us, and let's see who the police believe!"

Banggeng instantly deflated. He really didn't dare to call the police. If he did, the police would definitely believe Yu Li and her group, and they would get away scot-free, while he would be in serious trouble—at best, he'd lose his job, at worst, he'd be in jail. What's even more humiliating is that being beaten like this by two women—wouldn't he become the laughingstock of the entire capital? A grown man, beaten so badly by women that he couldn't even stand up straight—where would he put his face?

"Damn it!" He felt increasingly aggrieved, almost spitting blood. "Being hit by a woman and not daring to call the police, what kind of behavior is that!"

Banggeng scrambled to his feet and declared menacingly, "Fine, you guys are ruthless! This isn't over, we'll see!"

Yu Li wasn't afraid at all: "Bang Geng, if you dare mess with us again, we'll cripple your thing and make sure you're a bachelor for life!"

These words pierced Banggeng's ears like needles, making the pain in his groin area even worse. He lost all energy for banter and limped towards the door, intending to take the bus to the hospital. But after only a few steps, he turned back. If anyone saw that spot, wouldn't they laugh their heads off? He'd better just go to the street and buy some medicine to apply himself.

There's a small alley near Nantongluo Lane with many street vendors. Banggeng walked about a hundred meters and saw a stall selling "family-inherited plasters." He bought a bottle of bright green plaster for three yuan and took it home.

As soon as he entered the door, Jia Zhangshi stared at him like a radar. Banggeng was her precious grandson, and she couldn't afford to let anything happen to him!

"Bang Geng, what's wrong?" The old lady hobbled over.

"Grandma, it's okay, you just tripped and fell." Bang Geng felt a chill run down his spine.

"Where did you fall? Grandma will see!"

"It's really nothing, I'll be fine soon!" Banggeng quickly slipped into his room, closed the door, and took out the bottle of green ointment to apply to his body. To his surprise, it really made him feel much better; the pain had subsided by more than half, leaving only a little itchiness. He didn't think much of it, assuming it was a normal phenomenon.

Outside, Jia Zhangshi sat on the threshold, muttering to herself: "Things have been so strange lately. She lost over two hundred yuan, and Bang Geng fared even worse—he lost two wallets, more than a thousand yuan gone, and today he fell and got hurt like this. No, I have to find a shaman to exorcise the evil spirits!"

She quickly tidied herself up and ran off to a small alley two kilometers away, where there was a fortune teller named Zhou Banshen, who was quite famous in the surrounding area.

Madam Jia approached, rubbing her hands together with a fawning smile, "My sir, my grandson and I have been having such bad luck lately. Could you take a look and tell us what we've done wrong?"

Zhou Banxian was secretly delighted; he could tell at a glance that this was another person bringing him wealth.

She pretended to count on her fingers for a while.

With a stern face, she said, "Your condition is quite serious. If this drags on any longer, you'll be in even worse trouble, and your life might be in danger."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi's heart leaped into her throat. Having grown up in the countryside, she was a firm believer in shamans and fortune tellers. Now, her legs went weak from the words, and she couldn't sit still. She quickly pulled a ten-yuan note from her pocket and shoved it at them, forcing a smile, "Fortune teller, you have to save us!"

Zhou Banxian was overjoyed; this was practically handing over money, so she wouldn't stand on ceremony. After taking the money, she pulled out two large bottles of water: "This is exorcising water; one bottle each, just drink it."

It's just cool water scooped from a ditch. As long as she doesn't say anything, who can tell? If you get diarrhea after drinking it, she'll say it's "detoxification," a good thing. Believe it or not, it's up to you.

Jia Zhangshi immediately gulped down half a bottle. Despite the freezing weather, her nose was running, but she was secretly delighted. It was purgative water, she had to finish it. Gritting her teeth, she finished the remaining half. Her stomach immediately started rumbling; it rattled as she walked, the contents sloshing around. She still forced herself to run back to the courtyard and gave the other bottle to Banggeng.

Banggeng stared at the full bottle of water, completely bewildered: "Grandma, where did this water come from?"

Madam Jia Zhang rambled on, "We've been having a run of bad luck lately. I got two bottles of exorcism water from Master Zhou. I drank one, and this one is for you. Drink it while it's still fresh."

Bang Geng was puzzled, but upon reflection, he realized he'd been having a really bad run of luck lately: he'd fallen and lost two wallets, losing over 1,100 yuan; and today he'd been badly beaten by two women, getting injuries in sensitive areas and too painful to complain. He was a man destined to open a restaurant and make big money; his luck had to improve, he couldn't afford to be so unlucky. With that thought, he gritted his teeth, tilted his head back, and gulped down the entire bottle of water.

His stomach felt terrible after drinking it, and the injured area itched even more, but Bang Geng endured it without making a sound. Seeing that he had finished drinking it, Jia Zhangshi nodded happily, "Alright, we've both drunk the exorcising water, everything's fine now!"

……

Wang Jun left the garment factory and rode his Changjiang 750 motorcycle towards the courtyard house. Halfway there, he suddenly remembered that Yu Li's hot pot restaurant was about to open, and since he was a shareholder, he thought he might as well go check it out. He turned the wheel and headed straight for the restaurant.

Yu Haitang had already left, and Yu Li was busy running around by herself. When she saw Wang Jun arrive, her face lit up with a smile: "Jun, isn't your garment factory recruiting workers today? What are you doing here?"

Wang Jun laughed: "I also have shares in this hot pot restaurant, can't I come and take a look?"

"Alright, welcome, Mr. Wang."

Wang Jun walked around the shop; it was less than 100 square meters, but comfortably decorated, showing that Yu Li had put a lot of thought into it. He then checked the location near the entrance; high foot traffic meant business would definitely be good after opening. Just as he was about to leave, Yu Li grabbed his arm: "What's the rush? I'm cooking too. Let's eat together later and try my cooking!"

Wang Jun was happy to save himself the trouble, so he stayed. When the conversation turned to Yan Jiecheng, Yu Li said she had gone to buy goods and would be back later, so there was no need to wait.

After finishing his meal, Wang Jun leisurely rode his Changjiang 750 back to the courtyard house. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw a group of people gathered around Qin Huairu's house, pointing and whispering, as if something interesting had happened.

Wang Jun braked the car and heard two people chatting noisily by the roadside. Jia Zhangshi and Bang Geng had eaten something unclean and were being taken to the hospital. Their legs were so weak from the effort.

"Haha, look at Bang Geng's pitiful state! I watched him rush to the toilet five times, and finally he buried his head in it and refused to come out."

"Jia Zhangshi was even worse off. She was old and frail and couldn't withstand the strain. She had diarrhea so badly that she couldn't even walk. I heard that she didn't even have the strength to wipe her own bottom. She just pooped on the bed and smelled so bad that no one dared to come near her."

"That's right, it's a terrible thing."

Wang Jun wasn't interested in any of this; he listened for a couple of minutes and then went back inside.

Three days later, the garment factory officially began production. Wang Jun got up early, settled the antenna materials, and headed straight to the factory.

Three days later, the garment factory officially began production. Wang Jun got up early, settled the antenna materials, and headed straight to the factory.

The raw materials in the workshop were piled up like small mountains, the machines were already running, and the girls were moving around, rushing to make high-end clothes. Before long, a fashionable women's coat came off the assembly line. Although the stitching was still a bit lacking, the design and style were truly captivating. The girls gathered around, their eyes glued to the coat, wishing they could put it on right there and then.

"My God, this is so beautiful!"

"We made it ourselves? It looks just like the ones in the paintings!"

"I can't believe I could make such stylish clothes!"

"I really want to wear it! I wish I could buy one..."

"Forget it," someone said, pouring cold water on the idea. "The factory manager said this is high-end stuff, prioritized for export. Even with money, you might not be able to get your hands on it!"

"They're even exporting that? That's incredibly impressive!"

Wang Jun picked up a piece and examined it closely, quite satisfied. The style was eye-catching; any woman would surely be tempted. Lu Guangrong, standing beside him, rubbed his hands excitedly: "Boss, this dress is a hit! It looks high-end; it's guaranteed to sell like hotcakes! I even want to get one for my husband."

"Take one with you," Wang Jun said casually. "You've been through so much with me these past few days, you deserve a reward."

Lu Guangrong's eyes lit up, and he readily agreed.

Wang Jun glanced at the other sample garments; each one was fashionable, and the girls stared at them, swallowing hard. He turned to Lü Guangrong and said, "Go, call the prettiest girl in the factory."

Lu Guangrong was taken aback: "Boss, what's going on...?"

"What are you thinking!" Wang Jun waved his hand. "Let this girl wear our clothes and take a set of fashion photos, publish them in foreign fashion magazines, it's like giving up, attracting foreigners to buy our goods."

Lü Guangrong slapped his thigh and stood up: "Brilliant! Getting on the magazine cover will definitely cause a sensation!"

A moment later, Lü Guangrong brought over a girl, tall and strikingly beautiful. Wang Jun recognized her and slapped his forehead: "Isn't that You Fengxia? The famous beauty from 'Full House of Love,' her face, figure, and temperament are all flawless, but she's lazy and gluttonous, and she even smuggled color TVs with Deputy Factory Director Li, ruining Liu Haizhong, Yan Bugui, and even causing Xu Damao to lose everything. I never expected her to actually work in my clothing factory."

You Fengxia stole glances at Wang Jun. The young man was handsome and owned a clothing factory; he was definitely a "young and rich" catch. She had always wanted to find a wealthy man since she was a child, and now that she saw Wang Jun, her mind was already racing: she didn't want to work; she just wanted to cling to this "golden thigh."

Lu Guangrong introduced from the side: "Boss, this is You Fengxia, the most outstanding girl in our factory in terms of looks and temperament. Are you satisfied?"

Wang Jun nodded. You Fengxia's character wasn't great, but her looks were truly outstanding. He turned to You Fengxia: "Comrade You Fengxia, I'd like you to be a model, wearing clothes from our factory for a fashion photoshoot. I'll give you 100 yuan as payment after the shoot, and all the clothes you wore will be yours. Are you interested?"

Yu Fengxia's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst. Being a model and shooting fashion photos was something she'd always dreamed of! And she'd get a hundred dollars and some high-end clothes as a bonus? It was like a windfall! Without a second thought, she replied, "Yes! Boss, you can shoot however you want, I'll cooperate fully!"

"Okay, you go back and prepare. Filming will start this afternoon."

You Fengxia nodded vigorously and turned to leave. Wang Jun turned to Lü Guangrong and asked him to buy a few pairs of high heels and draft a contract. "Whether the contract is signed or not doesn't matter, but it's better to have it on hand."