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

However, no matter how jealous and insane he felt, as soon as he thought of Lin Yang's cold and piercing gaze, and the four words "Young God of War" on the newspaper, his bangs deflated like a punctured balloon, leaving only deep helplessness and fear.

Yi Zhonghai, with his hands behind his back and his body hunched over, turned and walked back into the house without saying a word.

As soon as he entered the room, he slammed the door shut, leaned against the door panel, and gasped for breath.

"Old Yi, are you alright?" An older woman quickly brought over a cup of hot water.

Yi Zhonghai did not take the water. His cloudy old eyes were bloodshot, and his gaze revealed an unprecedented despair and regret.

"It's over...it's completely over..."

Yi Zhonghai muttered to himself, his voice filled with undisguised bitterness: "Lin Yang is killing us by destroying our spirit! He wants to set up a hundred tables in the factory and three tables in the yard. He wants everyone to see how powerful his Lin family is now! He wants to make those of us who bullied Lin Fan never be able to hold our heads high again!"

"Old woman, get the money ready. Take out our most precious savings," Yi Zhonghai said through gritted teeth.

The older woman paused for a moment, then asked, "Old Yi, how much?"

"Ten yuan!" Yi Zhonghai's heart was bleeding. "No, twenty yuan! Lin Fan is getting married, and we have to give a generous gift! If we give too little, Lin Yang will definitely think we're slapping him in the face. We can't afford to offend him right now, so we can only pay up to avoid trouble and treat him like royalty!"

In an era when an ordinary worker's monthly salary was only a dozen or twenty yuan, twenty yuan was an absolute fortune as a gift. But Yi Zhonghai knew that he had to give this money, and he had to do so respectfully with both hands.

Meanwhile, inside the Jia family's house.

Hiding behind the window, Jia Zhangshi listened to the discussions in the courtyard; her fat face was distorted beyond recognition.

"A hundred tables? Eat them to death! Stuff them until they burst!"

Madam Jia cursed viciously through gritted teeth, but her voice was unusually low, as if afraid of being overheard by those outside. Her face, swollen from being slapped by the guard a few days ago, still ached faintly, a constant reminder of the unassailable authority of the Lin family.

Jia Dongxu sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), his hands covering his head, burying his face deep in his knees, feeling a profound sense of inferiority and humiliation.

Back when he married Qin Huairu, he set up two tables in the courtyard with a feast of cornmeal mixed with wheat flour, barely any meat, and he still felt quite proud of himself. Now, compared to Lin Fan's "hundred-table banquet," his wedding was practically like a beggar begging for food!

"Mom, stop scolding me." Jia Dongxu raised his head, his eyes vacant. "He's the head of security now, and my brother's a division commander. From now on, we'll have to avoid Lin Fan. This courtyard house is no longer a viable place for us."

However, the He family in the Intermediate People's Court presented a completely different scene of bustling activity.

He Daqing thumped his chest loudly and, pulling Sha Zhu along, frantically planned out a famous menu inside the house.

"Zhu Zi! This is a golden opportunity for us, father and son, to shine! Commander Lin entrusted us with such an important task; we have to do everything we can, even if it means selling everything we own, to make these three tables of Tan family cuisine look absolutely amazing!"

He Daqing excitedly scribbled on the paper: "Braised sea cucumber with scallions, braised fatty chicken, steamed grouper, bird's nest with rock sugar... Chief Lin has taken care of all the ingredients! We just need to do the work! As long as this meal is done well, the He family will be able to walk sideways in Beijing without anyone daring to mess with us!"

Sha Zhu was also flushed with excitement, gesturing wildly with two kitchen knives in his hands: "Dad, don't worry! Don't you know my skills? I guarantee those high-ranking officials coming to the wedding will be speechless!"

……

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it was the day of Lin Fan and Ding Qiunan's wedding.

That morning, the weather cooperated, and the heavy snow that had been falling for days finally stopped. A bright red sun rose from the east, and golden sunlight bathed the snow-covered city of Beijing, making it appear exceptionally festive and peaceful.

The courtyard at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang has been completely transformed today.

From the entrance of the alley to the gate of the courtyard house, and then to the main house of the Lin family in the middle courtyard, long strings of bright red lanterns were hung along the way.

On the main gate, there are gold-leaf couplets written by a famous calligrapher from Beijing, and a large "Double Happiness" character hangs above the door.

The courtyard was spotless, and even the snow in the cracks of the bluestone slabs had been cleaned out.

Three square tables had already been set up in the open space of the courtyard. The tables were covered with brand-new bright red tablecloths and set with exquisite blue and white porcelain bowls and plates.

He Daqing and Shazhu got up before dawn and set up two large stoves in the courtyard. At this time, the fire in the stove was burning brightly, and chicken, duck and fish were stewing in several large iron pots. The rich and domineering aroma of meat and seafood, mixed with the fragrance of various precious spices, swept through the entire courtyard like gusts of tornado, and even drifted to several alleys.

The neighbors in the front, middle, and back yards all wore clean clothes that they usually only wore during the Lunar New Year. They stood in the yard early, staring longingly at the three tables of food that were so lavish they made people dizzy, constantly swallowing their saliva.

"Oh my goodness! Is that a whole abalone? And that sea cucumber is thicker than my thumb!" Yan Bugui stood by the moon gate in the front yard, smelling the aroma, feeling like his soul was about to float away.

"Old Yi, the Lin family's ambitions are truly boundless." Liu Haizhong leaned close to Yi Zhonghai and whispered, his eyes fixed on the braised pork bubbling in the pot.

Yi Zhonghai held a red paper packet in his hand, containing the twenty yuan he had gritted his teeth and taken out as a wedding gift. He looked at the lively scene and felt a mix of emotions.

"Don't be envious. These three tables aren't for us. They're for entertaining really important people." Yi Zhonghai gave a bitter laugh, his tone revealing deep inferiority.

Just then, the door to the main room of the central courtyard opened.

Lin Fan wore a crisp black Zhongshan suit, custom-made by a tailor in Shanghai, with a large red flower pinned to his chest. His features were already handsome, but his six months of experience in the security department had given him an air of quiet authority. In this outfit, he appeared even more dashing and imposing.

"Hey! The groom's out! He looks so dashing!" He Daqing quickly put down his work, shouted loudly, and led the applause.

Seeing this, the beasts in the yard also clapped along, their faces full of fawning smiles, loudly offering congratulatory and auspicious words.

"Section Chief Lin, congratulations!"

"Brother Lin, I wish you and your wife a long and happy marriage, and many children!"