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

Yi Zhonghai's face turned deathly pale, and large beads of cold sweat streamed down his forehead. He hadn't expected Lin Yang to not only see through his thoughts but also to be so blunt, showing absolutely no mercy.

Liu Haizhong was so frightened that his legs trembled and he couldn't even speak.

"I'll tell you." Lin Yang straightened up, his eyes revealing a domineering air of absolute control.

"Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill is a national factory! It's not a bargaining chip for you to blackmail leaders and seek personal gain! The country has plenty of skilled workers; even without the two of you, the mill's machines will keep running!"

"I'll remember every single one of the ways you bullied my brother before. Don't think you can bribe me with some cheap cigarettes and alcohol. I, Lin Yang, don't need your cheap stuff!"

Lin Yang pointed to the door and shouted sternly, "Now, take your things and get out! Don't dirty my land!"

"roll!"

With his final roar, Lin Yang used his inner energy, causing Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong's eardrums to ring.

The two of them didn't dare to utter a single word of nonsense. They scrambled to grab the things on the table and fled the Lin family like two stray dogs.

Watching the two men's disheveled figures, Lin Fan let out a long sigh of relief, as if the huge weight that had been pressing on his heart had finally been lifted.

"Yangzi, you're amazing." Lin Fan looked at his powerful younger brother with eyes full of admiration and pride.

Lin Yang turned around, his cold expression instantly melting away, replaced by a gentle smile.

"Brother, to deal with these bullies who prey on the weak, you have to be tougher and more ruthless than them. The more you back down, the more they'll take advantage of you."

Lin Yang glanced at his watch and said to Tian Yu, "Honey, it's getting late, let's cook. My brother probably didn't eat well today, let's have a good meal together."

Tian Yu smiled and nodded, "Okay. Xiao Li, go and bring over that half-eaten pork from the trunk. Let's have a good meal today!"

The guard, Xiao Li, responded excitedly and ran out.

A moment later, Xiao Li carried in the half-eaten fresh pork carcass, still oozing blood, and slammed it onto the cutting board.

Lin Fan looked at the white, fatty meat and the bright red lean meat, swallowed hard, but still said with heartache, "Yangzi, this meat is so precious. Let's cut only a small amount, about half a pound, and stir-fry it with cabbage. We can salt the rest and eat it for several months."

Lin Yang laughed heartily and patted his older brother on the shoulder: "Brother, your little brother is now a high-ranking official, what's a little meat to him? Let's eat our fill today!"

Just as Lin Yang was about to have Xiao Li cut the meat, a hearty laugh suddenly came from outside the door.

"Oh! Chief Lin, this is top-quality black pork! If you cut it badly, you'll ruin such a fine thing!"

Before he finished speaking, He Daqing lifted the curtain and walked in with a big smile on his face.

Behind him followed a boy of about seventeen or eighteen, who looked rather simple and honest. This was He Daqing's son, He Yuzhu, whom everyone in the courtyard called Shazhu (Silly Zhu).

Sha Zhu was carrying a large wooden box filled with various knives and seasonings.

As soon as He Daqing entered the room, he first bowed respectfully to Lin Yang, then glanced at the pork on the cutting board, his eyes shining.

"Commander Lin, I, He Daqing, am a rough man and not good with words. But my cooking skills are among the best in the entire city of Beijing. I'm a descendant of the Tan family cuisine, and that's not just talk."

He Daqing patted his chest and volunteered, "If you trust me, I'll treat you to this meal today! I guarantee you and your brother will eat your fill and wash away all the bitterness of the past ten years!"

Lin Yang looked at He Daqing, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He knew exactly what kind of person He Daqing was. Selfish, calculating, and later even abandoned his two children to run off with a widow.

But there is no denying that He Daqing's culinary skills are truly exceptional.

Moreover, He Daqing had at least stood up and said a few fair words for his elder brother in the courtyard earlier. Regardless of his motives, Lin Yang didn't mind giving him a chance to prove himself at least for now.

"Alright, Lao He." Lin Yang nodded, pointing to the meat on the cutting board. "Since you're so confident, then it's up to you. Let me see if your Tan Family Cuisine is really as amazing as the legends say."

Upon hearing this, He Daqing was overjoyed. He knew he had made the right move! As long as he could curry favor with this young leader, who would dare to give him a hard time in the courtyard?

"Alright! You can hold it!"

He Daqing immediately got into the zone. He unbuttoned his coat, revealing a faded white shirt underneath, and pulled a gleaming kitchen knife from the wooden box that Sha Zhu was carrying.

The kitchen knife flashed a cold light in the dim lamplight.

He Daqing walked to the cutting board, took a deep breath, and his eyes instantly became extremely focused.

"Tap tap tap tap tap..."

A series of rapid and rhythmic chopping sounds filled the room.

He Daqing's knife skills were simply superb. The half-slice of pork was as tender as tofu under his knife.

He skillfully cut a large piece of pork belly into evenly sized cubes, each with distinct layers of fat and lean meat, as if it had been measured with a ruler.

Next, he cut some lean meat, preparing to make a stir-fried pork slice dish.

Sha Zhu assisted him from the side, starting a fire, washing the pot, and preparing scallions, ginger, and garlic. His movements were swift and efficient, clearly showing that he had inherited his father's skills.

He heated the iron wok and threw a large spoonful of white lard into it.

"Sizzle—"

The lard melted rapidly at high temperatures, producing a pleasant sizzling sound.

He Daqing poured the chopped pork belly into the pot and began to stir-fry it.

As the heat is increased, the fat in the pork belly is slowly rendered out, and the surface of the meat begins to turn golden brown and slightly charred.

Next, He Daqing added rock sugar and skillfully stirred it to caramelize. The bright red sugar syrup evenly coated each piece of meat, emitting an enticing caramel aroma.

Next, add scallions, ginger slices, star anise, cinnamon, and other spices to the pot, along with soy sauce and cooking wine.

With a loud "boom!", a cloud of steam rose from the pot.

An incredibly rich aroma of meat instantly filled the room, then stubbornly escaped through the cracks in the doors and windows, quickly spreading throughout the entire courtyard under the influence of the cold wind!

This fragrance is so overpowering!

In this era when even cornmeal is eaten sparingly and there's hardly any oil in our stomachs, the pure, rich aroma of braised pork is simply a deadly poison!

forecourt.

Yan Bugui was holding a bowl of cornmeal porridge so thin you could see your reflection in it, and swallowing it with a piece of pickled vegetable.

Suddenly, the rich aroma of meat wafted in.

Yan Bugui's hand suddenly stopped, and his nose twitched violently a few times.

"Wow! Who's stewing meat here? How much meat did they put in? It smells so good!"

Yan Bugui put down his bowl, ran to the door, and peered into the courtyard, swallowing hard.

The three older women also ran out, sniffing the fragrance in the air: "Old man, it must be the Lin family! Lin Yang just came back with so many good things, this fragrance is amazing!"

Yan Bugui swallowed hard, his eyes darting around. "If I could just get a taste of that broth, even just a steamed bun dipped in it, it would be worth it! Too bad... too bad I offended him earlier. Going now would just be asking for trouble, wouldn't it?"