Courtyard House: From Deputy Division Commander to Civilian, Progressing All the Way

Intermediate People's Court.

Inside the Jia family's house.

Jia Zhangshi changed into a dry pair of pants, her face swollen on one side, and sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) sulking.

Suddenly, the rich aroma of meat wafted into her nostrils.

Jia Zhangshi's eyes widened instantly, and her stomach let out a loud rumbling sound, which was extremely disrespectful to her.

"Gurgle—"

"Meat! It's meat! It tastes like braised pork!" Jia Zhangshi sniffed like a dog, drool dripping from the corner of her drooling mouth.

Jia Dongxu was also drooling with envy. Looking at the bland and tasteless cabbage stalks on the table, he suddenly felt utterly bored.

"Mom, it must be the Lin family eating the meat. That half-portion of pork should have been ours!" Jia Dongxu muttered resentfully.

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi's jealousy and resentment grew wildly like weeds.

"These damned bastards! They have so much meat but don't know how to show filial piety to their elders, they just hide in their rooms and eat all by themselves! Let them choke to death!" Jia Zhangshi cursed viciously.

The Xu Damao family in the backyard, the deaf old lady's family, and even Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong, who had just returned defeated, were all tormented by this fragrance, tossing and turning and unable to sleep.

Meanwhile, inside the main room of the Lin family, there was a joyful atmosphere.

He Daqing was indeed quick and efficient.

In less than an hour, the four dishes and one soup were served.

Bright red and glistening braised pork, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside stir-fried pork slices, fragrant braised pork and cabbage with vermicelli, a plate of stir-fried cabbage hearts, and a bowl of steaming white steamed buns.

These days, this is definitely state banquet-level treatment.

Lin Yang picked up a piece of braised pork and put it in his mouth.

It's rich but not greasy, melts in your mouth, has a strong soy sauce flavor, and is cooked to perfection.

"Excellent skills!" Lin Yang praised without reservation. "Old He, you haven't lost the essence of Tan family cuisine."

Hearing Lin Yang's praise, He Daqing's face flushed with excitement, and he waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "You flatter me, sir. As long as you enjoy the food, that's fine."

Lin Yang put down his chopsticks and said to Xiao Li, "Xiao Li, go and cut two catties of fatty pork for Lao He, and also get a bottle of Xifeng liquor."

Those two bottles of Xifeng liquor were the ones Liu Haizhong had left behind but hadn't dared to take with him. Although Lin Yang didn't really care for them, they were still a good gift for someone.

Xiao Li moved swiftly, slicing off a large chunk of snow-white fat with a swift motion.

In those days, fatty meat was far more valuable than lean meat. Fatty meat could be rendered into oil and satisfied cravings; it was a priceless treasure in the eyes of ordinary people.

He Daqing stared wide-eyed at the piece of fat that weighed at least two pounds.

Although he was a cook, the amount of meat available in the factory canteen was limited, and he couldn't get that much good meat in a month.

"Oh! Chief Lin, this... this is too much trouble. I was just helping out." Although He Daqing declined verbally, his hand had already reached out involuntarily.

"Take it," Lin Yang said calmly. "I, Lin Yang, have always been fair in rewarding and punishing. You spoke up for my brother today and cooked this meal; this is what you deserve."

"Oh! Thank you, Chief! Thank you, Chief!" He Daqing accepted the meat and wine, bowing repeatedly with great emotion, and led Sha Zhu out of the Lin family with profuse thanks.

As soon as he stepped outside, the cold wind blew him in. Looking at the heavy piece of fatty meat in his hand, He Daqing felt incredibly happy.

"Silly Zhu, did you see that? That's what you call having good eyesight! Following this Chief Lin, our family will live a life of luxury from now on!" He Daqing said to his son triumphantly.

Sha Zhu chuckled and scratched his head: "Dad, this meat is so white! Let's make dumplings for tomorrow."

As the father and son were talking, Jia Zhangshi, who was returning from fetching water in the front yard, happened to bump into them.

Madam Jia was already craving the aroma of meat in the house, and when she saw He Daqing carrying such a large piece of fat, her eyes instantly turned red with envy.

"Oh, isn't this Sha Zhu's father?" Jia Zhangshi rolled her triangular eyes and spoke sarcastically, "So that's why you were sneaking into people's houses like a lapdog earlier. Turns out you were begging for a bone!"

Because she had lost a tooth, Jia Zhangshi's speech was slightly slurred, but her sharp and sarcastic tone remained unchanged.

Who is He Daqing? He's a seasoned veteran who grew up in the hutongs of Beijing, his verbal skills are sharper than his cleaver.

He stopped and looked Jia Zhangshi up and down, then sneered at her face, which was swollen like a pig's head.

"Who do we have here? It's just that old hag who spews nonsense. What, you were so scared when the commander's soldier pointed a gun at your head that you wet your pants, and you've already washed them clean so quickly?"

He Daqing deliberately raised his voice, as if afraid others wouldn't hear him: "I, He Daqing, earn my living with my skills. The commander rewarded me with meat; that's a sign of respect. Unlike some people, who are utterly heartless and bully orphans, only to be beaten to a pulp and now can only swallow their saliva while smelling the meat. Bah! They deserve it!"

When He Daqing touched a nerve, Jia Zhangshi jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"He Daqing! You old bastard! Who are you calling a lackey?! You're nothing but a sycophantic lackey! You've been a slave to Lin Yang, you've disgraced your ancestors!"

While cursing, Jia Zhangshi bared her teeth and claws, trying to scratch He Daqing's face.

"Damn it, you old bastard, you're asking for it!"

Before He Daqing could even make a move, Sha Zhu, who was standing to the side, got angry first.

Sha Zhu is short-tempered and can't stand it when people insult his father. He also possesses superhuman strength and is a formidable fighter.

Sha Zhu stepped forward like an enraged bull and shoved Jia Zhangshi on the shoulder.

"You old hag, try saying that again!"

Jia Zhangshi was already fat and had an unstable footing. With Sha Zhu's push, she landed hard on her bottom on the cold ground.

"Ah! Someone's been hit! Sha Zhu hit an old man! Dong Xu! Dong Xu, where have you been?! Your mother has been bullied!" Jia Zhangshi sat on the ground, slapping her thigh and wailing.

Hearing the commotion, Jia Dongxu, who was inside the house, quickly put on his clothes and ran out.

When Jia Dongxu saw his mother being pushed to the ground by Sha Zhu, his eyes turned red.

Jia Dongxu was thoroughly frightened by Lin Yang today and was seething with anger with nowhere to vent it. He didn't dare to provoke Lin Yang, so why wouldn't he dare to provoke a cook's son?

"You idiot Zhu! You dare hit my mom! I'll kill you!"

Jia Dongxu roared and charged at Sha Zhu with his fist.

"Come on! You little brat! You think you're scared of me?"

Sha Zhu showed no weakness and charged straight at Jia Dongxu.

The two immediately started fighting.

But Jia Dongxu was no match for Sha Zhu. Sha Zhu had been working in the cafeteria kitchen every day, flipping woks and building up a muscular physique, and he also had his own unique fighting style.

Sha Zhu dodged Jia Dongxu's punch by tilting his head, and then landed a powerful left hook on Jia Dongxu's chin.

"Bang!"

A muffled thud.