Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"Mom, I've got my eye on that girl. Besides, your son is the only projectionist at the steel mill now. The other day, even the factory manager had to ask me to sit with him at dinner. What are you still worried about?"

Xu Damao looked smug, his tone brimming with undisguised arrogance: "Don't be a coward like my dad, you have no guts at all. If I were promoted two ranks higher, what would Sha Zhu be? I'm an educated man, after all..."

After finishing his meal, Xu Damao's mind started to wander. In addition, he had been going to the countryside to show films for many years and had no idea how successful He Yuzhu was in the factory, which is why he dared to speak so recklessly here.

Mother Xu, being rather naive, believed her son's boast to some extent, but her brows remained furrowed: "That's true, but I heard the Lou family is already engaged to Sha Zhu. I no longer work for them, so it's really difficult to bring up the matter of proposing marriage..."

"The Lou family?" Xu Damao suddenly paused, then remembered something. "Mom, didn't you say before that the Lou family's youngest daughter was still in school?"

Mrs. Xu nodded: "That's right, my little sister is still in high school, she won't turn eighteen until next year."

"That's strange!" Xu Damao sat up abruptly. "The woman I saw yesterday was at least in her early twenties, definitely not Lou's little sister! Mom, do you think Shazhu is two-timing? You have to find out!"

Upon hearing this, Xu's mother became anxious about something else: "Twenty-something? Da Mao, that's several years older than you! No matter how handsome he is, you can't marry him! What will people say if word gets out!"

"I don't care!" Xu Damao said decisively. "I've got my eye on her, Mom, you have to find out for me!"

His mind was filled with Chen Xueru's image—that stunning beauty at first glance had long since made him look down on the dusty-faced female workers in the factory. In the entire steel rolling mill, only Section Chief Bai could barely compare, but what was Bai's status? Xu Damao had only been in the factory for a few days when he figured out the details, so he could only silently give up the idea.

"Alright, alright, Mom will ask for you." After a moment's thought, a glint suddenly appeared in Xu's eyes. "If Shazhu really has someone else outside, and tells the Lou family about it, the marriage might fall through. Then you can step in, and the Lou family's little sister will be yours, right?"

The more she thought about it, the happier she became. After all, it wouldn't hurt to ask around.

Seeing that she had relented, Xu Damao immediately put on a smiling face, rubbed his hands together and chuckled, "Mom, can you lend me some more money? I've been treating my colleagues to meals lately, and my expenses have gone up a bit."

Upon hearing the mention of money, Xu's mother immediately frowned: "What time is it? It's not even the middle of the month yet, how come it's gone again?"

"It's all about building good interpersonal relationships!" Xu Damao puffed out his chest and raised his head. "Now, everyone in the publicity department calls me 'Damao.' Go ask around the factory; who doesn't know my name, Xu Damao?"

With just a few words, he bragged so much that he managed to fool Xu's mother.

She sighed helplessly, "Fine, fine, here's ten yuan, use it wisely! That's all, not a single cent more!"

Xu Damao grinned from ear to ear, took the money and stuffed it into his pocket. He immediately made an excuse—"I have to go to the countryside to show a movie"—and was about to leave. Before leaving, he didn't forget to remind her: "Mom, about that woman's matter, the sooner the better."

Ever since he saw Chen Xueru last night, he's been completely captivated. He's not so much so that he can't eat or drink, but whenever he has a moment of free time, that alluring figure appears before his eyes, and his heart starts to burn.

On the other hand, after finishing a day's work, if there were no special cooking duties, He Yuzhu would often cook a hot meal with Li Huaide. Even if it was just a simple bowl of noodles, after he prepared it, it would be so fragrant that people would lick the soup clean.

Now all the seedlings in the greenhouse have sprouted, and Ma Hua is putting in a lot of effort to practice his knife skills. This time, He Yuzhu is teaching without reservation, and his apprentice is learning with great dedication.

At this rate, MCA will soon be able to take charge on his own. When the restaurant chain expands in the future, the head chef position will undoubtedly belong to him.

He Yuzhu had just returned to the courtyard house after finishing his work, and before he could even sit down properly, there was a knock on the door.

He opened the door, and there came Aunt Yi.

"Auntie? You're here so soon? Have you eaten?" He Yuzhu asked casually, stepping aside to let her in.

"I haven't eaten yet. I saw you just got back, so I rushed over..." Aunt Yi's voice trembled. Halfway through her sentence, she rushed forward to plead, "Zhu Zi, it's all my fault. Old Yi shouldn't have been scheming against you. I should have stopped him... Please, have mercy on him! If he leaves, this family will fall apart. I really don't know how I'll live..."

He Yuzhu watched coldly and said indifferently, "Auntie, stop talking. This kind of thing can't be done. Can the aid to the Northwest be withdrawn so easily? If Yi Zhonghai comes back, he'll be facing twenty years in a cowshed. If you really want to see him like that, I can bring him back right now."

The last sentence was pure bragging by He Yuzhu. Not only did he not have the ability to get the message to the Northwest aid construction site, but even if he did have such a channel, he would never dare to touch it.

Anyone who gets involved will lose their head—once the label of "sabotaging national development" is slapped on them, not even a god can save them.

Even seasoned veterans like Li Huaide didn't dare to utter a word; at most, they would send people over there, and no one ever thought they could get them back.

"I didn't call you here for that," He Yuzhu cut to the chase. "Don't pretend. I know what you and Yi Zhonghai are most worried about—retirement. You took Jia Dongxu as your godson, and he's always causing me trouble. Isn't it all for the sake of having someone to rely on in your later years?"

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged woman felt a sudden tremor in her heart.

She had always thought this was a well-kept secret, but when He Yuzhu suddenly pulled up her underwear, she panicked, her palms sweating, and her voice trembling: "Zhuzi, your uncle... he really didn't mean it that way..."

He Yuzhu waved her hand, her face full of impatience: "Alright, auntie, I know exactly what kind of person Yi Zhonghai is. Don't bother trying to cover it up. If he were well-behaved, I wouldn't even bother with him. It's useless to say anything now, but I've always wondered—if he wanted to retire, why didn't he adopt someone himself? Why did he have to pick Jia Dongxu, who has a family to support and children to raise?"

"Zhu Zi, your grandpa..."

The older woman tried to struggle, but He Yuzhu interrupted her.

"If you keep this up, we're done talking." He made a move to get up. "I'm speaking from the heart to you, and you're treating me like a fool? Do you really think I can't understand the hidden meaning in my words?"

The older woman opened her mouth, then lowered her head dejectedly. After a long silence, she finally spoke in a low voice, "Old Yi... has his own plans. He said Dongxu is filial and obedient, and has a job, so he won't cost us much money. He can also save his salary for emergencies..."

"Ha, you're really good at making plans."

He Yuzhu scoffed, his tone full of sarcasm: "Even crops need watering and fertilizing. So Yi Zhonghai expects to reap a bumper harvest without using a single ounce of fertilizer?"

These words stung the middle-aged woman's face. She had tried to advise him, but a stay-at-home mom with no job, her words carried little weight at home—how could she possibly withstand a single finger from Yi Zhonghai?

"Compared to Jia Dongxu, haven't you ever thought about adopting an orphan?" He Yuzhu pressed on. "Even without blood ties, you can build a bond. He's all alone, relying entirely on you. Wouldn't you repay him with your lives? Unlike Jia Dongxu—he has an elderly mother and young children to support. Do you think you're the ones to be ahead of him?"

He continued with a sneer, "In Jia Dongxu's heart, his own son comes first, his mother second, and Yi Zhonghai is barely on par with Qin Huairu. As for you... how many times has he even given you a second glance?"

These words are like a knife, precisely piercing into the heart.

The middle-aged woman's face flushed red and then turned pale. She felt uncomfortable because He Yuzhu had told the whole truth.

Lies can't hurt people, but the truth is what really hurts.

Jia Dongxu was indeed respectful to Yi Zhonghai, but how did he treat her? He did greet her, but his attitude was clearly cold and indifferent, they were not even in the same league.

"You know that in your heart, right?" He Yuzhu pressed on, "If you ask me, why don't you adopt one yourself? A five or six-year-old child, bring them home now, raise them for ten years, and even a stone will warm up. By the time Yi Zhonghai comes back, the child will almost be an adult. You can hand over your work position, and someone will be there for your retirement. Wouldn't that be much more efficient?"

These words struck a chord with the older woman.

She's not even fifty yet, she's healthy and strong, capable of working and staying up all night. She could definitely handle raising a child.

Besides, Yi Zhonghai sends back fifteen yuan every month, most of which is deposited in the bank, but she also has odd jobs, totaling more than twenty yuan, which is enough for daily expenses and can also save some tuition fees.

The thought immediately conjures up images—a child going to school with a backpack, calling her "Mom" after school, and having a family dinner together during the Lunar New Year…

How could she not be tempted?

While other families have grandchildren around them, she can only look at the moldy old photo frame in the corner, waiting day after day for a man who may never return.

"But... about Lao Yi..." she hesitated before speaking, ultimately unable to let go of that name.

He Yuzhu's eyes flashed: "He hasn't come back for over ten years! Besides you, who else knows that place? As long as you don't say anything, by the time he returns, his children will be working and earning money, ready to provide for his retirement. What trouble can he possibly cause?"

"By then, with all the witnesses and evidence, the die is cast. What will he think he can do back out of now? Dream on."

After listening to He Yuzhu's words, the middle-aged woman's heart pounded. She pondered for a long time before finally gritting her teeth and saying, "Zhuzi, we were wrong about what Lao Yi did to you before, and I apologize... But could you help me make a decision about adopting a child?"

"Sure, I'll take care of it." He Yuzhu readily agreed. "I'll keep inquiring and I guarantee I'll find you someone respectable and reliable."

He paused, then lowered his voice and cautioned, "Don't make a fuss about this yet. There are plenty of people in the yard watching you. If word gets out, it could cause a lot of trouble."

He advised an older woman to adopt, ostensibly to help her, but in reality, he had ulterior motives—to cause trouble for Yi Zhonghai.

The child grew up with an older woman. If Yi Zhonghai ever really comes back, who will recognize him as their biological father? Even if the child bears Yi's surname and is nominally his stepson, the emotional connection has already been severed. When that old man returns and sees that he won't even have someone to care for him in his old age, how can he be happy?