Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

But Yan Bugui had anticipated this move. With quick reflexes, he grabbed the bucket, dodged to the side, and shoved it directly into the hands of the third aunt.

"Jia Zhangshi, if you want fish, go buy it yourself! Zhu Zi isn't home, and you're taking advantage of the situation to steal from him? Where do you put your face?"

Upon hearing this, she immediately turned hostile, raising her voice to a fever pitch: "Rob? Is this what you call robbing! He Yuzhu is a simpleton, and our family eating two fish from him is already giving him face! Besides, can we possibly finish all these fish? Letting them go bad would be a waste! What's wrong with dividing them between two families? In my opinion, every household in the entire compound should get one, so that the He family doesn't hoard them all!"

Before he finished speaking, Yi Zhonghai strolled over leisurely.

He had been traveling with Jia Zhangshi all the way, but when he saw her make a move, he pretended not to hear. Now, however, he cleared his throat and started to talk about "reasoning".

"Old Yan," he said with a forced smile, "your words may be a bit rough, but they make sense."

We're all neighbors, so it's normal for us to benefit a little.

Besides, this fish was caught by Sha Zhu, not bought with money. It was a cheap catch, so it should be shown off to everyone for fun.

Yan Bugui almost choked on his breath—what kind of absurd logic is this? If he gets one fish today, and the whole hospital comes begging for it tomorrow, will he ever be able to sell fish to make money again?

He Yushui was already terrified and huddled behind the three aunts, only showing half of her head.

Just then, He Daqing returned after finishing his business. As soon as he entered the front yard, he saw a crowd gathered like in a market. He thought something had happened and was about to join in the fun when Yan Bugui spotted him.

"Old He! Old He, you've come at the perfect time!" Yan Bugui immediately called out loudly, "Zhuzi asked me to bring some fish back, and now that you're back, the job is yours!"

As soon as the words were spoken, Jia Zhangshi and Yi Zhonghai's expressions changed simultaneously, and they took a half step back without making a sound.

Yan Bugui was not about to let them off the hook, and immediately embellished his earlier rogue behavior.

Upon hearing this, He Daqing's anger flared up instantly.

My son braved the wind and rain to catch these fish, why should you just ask for them?

He sneered, his gaze fixed on Jia Zhangshi: "You want to divide the fish, is that it? Fine, I'll agree."

Everyone was taken aback, thinking he was admitting it.

But then he changed the subject: "But you also have to do something—you make two pairs of insoles for each family."

Anyway, you gathered the materials yourself, and it didn't cost much, right? It's good for neighbors to warm each other's feet together; that's what good neighborly harmony is!

Before Jia Zhangshi could react, he suddenly turned to Yi Zhonghai and raised his voice: "Old Yi! Your wife sewed a nice quilt cover. I heard the stitches are very tight."

If you're not going to give it away, then don't give it away for nothing—make her resew the quilt covers for every household in the entire compound! Two quilts count as a pair, and we won't ask for payment, we just want people to do the work!

"If you agree, the fish will be divided immediately; if you don't—" he sneered, "then stop playing the philanthropist here."

The air froze instantly.

Jia Zhangshi’s face turned pale and then red – it would take her three or four days to make a pair of insoles, and almost a week to make two pairs. With about ten households in the whole courtyard, she wouldn’t be able to do anything else for more than half a year!

Yi Zhonghai was sweating profusely—if this middle-aged woman really took the job, she would probably have to work through the night for two months, and might even suffer a wrist injury!

"Hey Lao He, look at what you're saying..." Yi Zhonghai waved his hand with a dry laugh, "I was just mentioning it casually. The fish belong to your family, so it's normal not to divide them up, it's normal!"

He verbally admitted defeat, but before leaving, he added sarcastically, "But you know, it's so nice to have a family meal of fish together, why make things so awkward..."

He Daqing wasn't buying it. He immediately roared, "Who said I won't share? As long as your wife starts sewing the quilt cover tonight, I'll chop up the fish and divide it up right now! Let everyone see what 'selfless dedication' really means!"

Yi Zhonghai immediately shut his mouth like a pincer and scurried away faster than a rabbit without looking back.

At this moment, Qin Huairu also arrived. Seeing that things were not going well, she quickly grabbed Jia Zhangshi and pulled her back: "Mother-in-law, come on, come on, don't stand here... Uncle He, please don't mind her, she's just quick-witted, she didn't mean any harm."

Jia Zhangshi, taking advantage of the situation, lowered her head and slunk away.

But she was apprehensive—she was dealing with someone as ruthless as He Daqing, who was really willing to take up arms. Old Jia had been slapped in the face when he was alive, and she didn't dare to take it head-on.

The crowd dispersed, and no fish were caught. A few hungry customers were still grumbling about how unfortunate it was.

Yan Bugui chuckled and chimed in, "Old He, you're really something! I brought you the fish and the bicycle ticket for Zhuzi."

He Daqing took the items, and casually picked out a plump carp from the bucket, weighing about two and a half pounds, and handed it to Yan Bugui: "Thanks, Lao Yan."

"This one will get you your three crucian carp eggs; they'll make a delicious soup."

"Oh my dear brother!" Yan Bugui beamed. "It's worth it! Three crucian carp only weigh a pound and a few ounces, but this is a real big catch!"

……

That evening, He Yuzhu came in carrying a bag of spices. After hearing the whole story, he immediately started swearing:

"Jia Zhangshi is shameless! A gluttonous, lazy, and slacker—a complete parasite of the working class!"

He Daqing waved his hand calmly, "Forget it, they've already run away in embarrassment. Are you going to chase after them and yell at them? Are you looking for trouble?"

A gentle night breeze blew outside, and the courtyard returned to silence.

But what's hidden in that bucket of fishy smell is never just fish.

He Yuzhu finally listened to advice this time and turned around to go into the kitchen to busy himself with making fish soup.

Today, He Daqing brought back two lunchboxes, one with meat and one with vegetables, along with a bowl of crucian carp and tofu soup. They looked ordinary, but they were actually quite substantial.

Even the section chief's family can't afford to eat like this—every meal has meat and fish, plus fresh soup. Who can stand it?

He picked out half a bowl of small crucian carp, deftly scaled and gutted them, drained the water, and then threw them into the pan to fry.

The oil popped with a "sizzle," and the aroma seemed to have grown legs, spreading throughout the entire Zhongyuan Garden on the wind.

The aroma was so strong it was almost bewitching. Whether you'd just finished eating or were munching on cornbread at 8 a.m., a sniff would instantly awaken all the cravings in your stomach.

The Jia family, who lived next door to the He family, couldn't sit still any longer.

Jia Zhangshi leaned against the windowsill, her nostrils flaring, her eyes practically glued to the crack in the wall to catch a whiff of warm breath.

He slurped for air while muttering under his breath, "That He family is a real scoundrel! So many fish, and they didn't even share a bone... Eating all by themselves? They'll get their comeuppance sooner or later!"

"Eat up, you guys eat as much as you want! See if you don't choke on a fish bone one day!"

Jia Dongxu sat at the table, his face ashen, his chopsticks creaking under his grip.

The food smelled delicious outside, but inside people were cursing. Eating this meal felt like being tortured.

He slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Mom! Do you want people to die? The baby's still alive, and you're just going to keep listening to this filth!"

Madam Jia pouted, shuffling back to the table, still grumbling, "Who am I doing this for? It's because I feel sorry for Bang Geng, who's only drinking porridge all day! Other kids eat fish to nourish themselves, while ours can only lick the bottom of the bowl! That old geezer He Daqing, he thinks he's something special just because he's holding a spatula?"

"I know."

Jia Dongxu glanced coldly out the window in the direction of the He family's house, his voice low: "Don't rush, we can't touch them now."

He Daqing was a favorite of Chairman Lou in the factory. He was in charge of all the banquets, and even leaders from other factories would come to have a taste.

My master and I are just ordinary fitters, not even at the seventh or eighth level. We can't afford to mess with us.

He paused, his eyes darkening. "As for He Yuzhu... that kid is ruthless, he never hesitates to fight."

Madam Jia sighed through gritted teeth, "Dongxu, you have to prove me wrong! Our Jia family can't be trampled underfoot by that He fellow forever!"

"Um."

Jia Dongxu picked up a piece of green vegetable with his chopsticks and chewed it with a crunching sound. "I know what I'm doing."

Just as the Jia family mother and son were gritting their teeth, He Yuzhu had already brought out a pot of milky white and fragrant crucian carp and tofu soup to the table.

The soup noodles were topped with a few golden oil droplets, the tofu was so tender it looked like it was about to melt, and the fish was tender and flavorful. Just looking at it made your mouth water.

He glanced at the lunchboxes, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Dad, why are there only two today? You used to bring back five from banquets."

"You little brat, you should be grateful you have anything to eat!"

He Daqing blushed, but his tone remained firm.

Five lunchboxes? Yes, he did take them back—but three had already been secretly slipped under the door of the White Widow's house.

This matter couldn't be kept from He Yuzhu, but no one dared to expose it.

But He Yuzhu knew very well that this kind of thing—raising someone else's child at his own expense—would inevitably lead to trouble sooner or later.

In their past lives, both he and He Daqing were driven out of their homes; one froze to death under a bridge, while the other barely survived by relying on his son.

Good deeds go unrewarded; those who are spoiled will become wolves.

He was too lazy to say anything more, and just waved his hand: "Fine, whatever you want."

When will things be settled over there?

"It'll be ready soon." He Daqing lowered his head and drank his soup. "The house is almost finished, and the certificates are being processed."

I've been mentioning you when I take on jobs lately. Maybe if someone needs someone to cater a banquet in the future, you'll be the first person they contact.

"Okay, I understand."

He Yuzhu nodded, acknowledging that he had taken over this connection.

In fact, he had no intention of taking this path at all—he had decided to stay in Fengzeyuan and steadily save money to hone his skills.

Otherwise, He Daqing would probably try to get him into the steel mill's network of connections, and then he wouldn't be able to shake him off.

After finishing a bowl of soup, even a picky old chef like He Daqing couldn't find any fault with it.

The soup was so delicious it hit you right in the head, the tofu was so smooth it melted in your mouth, and the fish meat fell off the bone with just a touch.

He clicked his tongue, somewhat regretfully: "It's a pity that Tan Family Cuisine is too particular about ingredients, and there are very few people in Beijing who can afford to spend the money."

Otherwise, with your skills, taking on several large banquets wouldn't be a problem.

"It's nothing." He Yuzhu smiled calmly. "Sichuan cuisine is popular enough, appealing to all tastes, and it's spicy enough to satisfy."

What he didn't say was—he's now an all-around culinary master.