Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

As soon as he was seated, He Yuzhu pushed off with his foot, and the car shot off like an arrow.

The gatekeeper had just poked his head out to call out, "Hey! You two..." when the words were already out of his mouth, and the figures had vanished without a trace.

They got off work early and had plenty of time, so the two of them were perfect for a stroll.

Lou Xiao'e used to have an awkward status and her family was very strict, so she had never been to many places in Beijing.

As they approached the park, she suddenly changed her mind: "I don't want to go boating anymore... I want to go fishing with you!"

"Huh?" He Yuzhu was taken aback.

"Didn't you say you were the 'King of Fishing,' that you could catch fish every time you cast your line, and even fish out a weed from a stagnant pond?" Lou Xiao'e smiled, her eyes crinkling. "I really want to see just how amazing you are."

He Yuzhu grinned: "Sure, whatever you say."

He immediately turned the car around and took her back to the courtyard to get her things.

The sun was setting, and groups of middle-aged and young women were basking in the sun, sewing shoe soles, chatting and laughing in the courtyard. It was quite lively.

The moment He Yuzhu led Lou Xiao'e through the door, the entire room fell silent.

This girl is not only beautiful, but also has an outstanding temperament, and her clothes look expensive.

Unfortunately, he had never liked these people in the front yard, so he didn't even look up and dragged them straight to the middle yard.

An elderly woman and Qin Huairu were washing clothes by the pool in the courtyard.

The two looked up and their eyes were immediately fixed on Lou Xiao'e, their expressions identical in shock.

The older woman reacted the fastest, immediately putting on a smile: "Zhu Zi? Why are you back so early today? And who is this...?"

"I've taken leave. This is my girlfriend. We'll talk later." He Yuzhu said crisply, without stopping.

As for Qin Huairu—he didn't even glance at her, not even giving her a chance to say hello.

Lou Xiao'e followed them into the house, her heart pounding faster than usual.

She was incredibly audacious today: skipping class, having a secret rendezvous, and even going straight to her fiancé's house... Although they're engaged, they haven't officially married into the family yet.

"Xiao'e, sit down for a while, I'm going to turn over the fishing rod." He Yuzhu said as he walked towards the cabinet.

"Um."

She responded, but Lou Xiao'e's eyes couldn't help but wander around the room.

The house was neatly organized, and the layout was simple and clear—He Yuzhu's bed was on the left, the living room was in the middle, and the kitchen was on the right, with clear functional divisions.

A row of books and several wood carvings, all hand-carved by He Yuzhu, were displayed on a cabinet against the wall. None of the pieces that remained were perfunctory; the carving was delicate, the expressions lifelike, and they exuded a certain spirit. Although the room was small, it had everything one needed. Lou Xiao'e, like a little fox who had stumbled into a treasure cave, her eyes lit up, and she couldn't tear herself away after just one look.

"Rain pillar, rain pillar! Did you carve this wood carving yourself?"

She held a wooden carving of the Great Wall, admiring it dearly. Besides busts of leaders, he also carved courtyards, the Forbidden City, and majestic passes, each piece lifelike and full of detail.

Just then, He Yuzhu came out with his fishing rod and bait, and seeing her delighted expression, he smiled and said, "Hmm, I carved it. You like it? I'll make you a few more another day."

"real?"

Lou Xiao'e's eyes instantly crinkled into a smile, and her voice became lighter, "Then I want a statue of myself! And a statue of Sun Wukong, and some generals from the Three Kingdoms..."

Recently, comic books have been circulating wildly in her class, and she has also become fascinated with those heroic figures. She prefers these flesh-and-blood characters to the scenery.

"No problem at all." He Yuzhu waved his hand. "We'll start work tomorrow, and once it's finished, we'll deliver it directly to your house."

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly leaned closer, smiling and lowering his voice: "Xiao'e, I've worked so hard to carve this for you, is there any reward?"

Lou Xiao'e was caught off guard and approached. Her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively tried to back away, but the edge of the bed was right behind her. She slipped and fell down onto the bed, with nowhere to retreat.

Her face flushed instantly. She lowered her eyes, her voice barely a whisper: "What...reward do you want...?"

"I want everything my fiancée can give me."

He Yuzhu chuckled and sat down beside her, his eyes burning with a hint of mischief.

The next second, a suppressed "mmm" sound came from inside the room, mixed with slight struggles, which lasted for a while before gradually subsiding.

He stopped just in time—it was daytime, the location wasn't right, and there were plenty of eyes watching outside. He only managed to get a verbal advantage, but he also took a bit of a physical assault.

When he released her, Lou Xiao'e's face was burning, her breathing was slightly disordered, she almost couldn't breathe, and her head was spinning.

"Let's...go fishing..."

Her face flushed, she tugged at his sleeve, her voice soft. If she stayed any longer, she feared she'd be devoured, leaving not even bones.

"walk."

He Yuzhu readily stood up. He didn't really intend to do anything; in broad daylight, if someone saw him and reported him, he would be the one in trouble.

The two picked up their fishing gear and went out.

An older woman saw them and greeted them with a smile, "Zhu Zi, are you going fishing?"

"Yes, ma'am, I'm with my boyfriend today. You go ahead and do your work, we'll be going now."

He Yuzhu responded and pulled Lou Xiao'e away. Although he had helped her adopt Yi Zhiliang, the relationship between the two families was just so-so, not close at all.

After all, she still depends on Yi Zhonghai to make a living.

Stepping out of the courtyard, Lou Xiao'e finally couldn't help but ask, "Yuzhu, why didn't you chat with the neighbors more? Did something happen?"

In her memory, shouldn't the courtyard be lively and full of human warmth? Why is it so cold and frozen here?

"Xiao'e, I have quite a few conflicts with the people in this courtyard."

He Yuzhu rode his bicycle, his tone calm yet sharp, "To put it bluntly, there aren't many good people among them."

He paused, then openly recounted his grudges with the people in the courtyard, especially the older woman—back when Yi Zhonghai was alive, her family had the fiercest feud with him.

As for the others? Even without direct conflict, he still dislikes them.

A bunch of opportunists, swaying whichever way the wind blows, yet they harbor resentment towards the rich. If he does even a little better off, instead of offering a helping hand, they immediately start gossiping behind his back, spreading rumors and gossip one after another.

Otherwise, how could those rumors targeting him have spread so fiercely last time?

As she rode her bike, she recounted her long-standing grievances. Lou Xiao'e listened, clenching her fists and biting her lip in anger: "Yuzhu, these people are going too far! Just because you didn't help them, they're relentlessly smearing you. It's outrageous..."

She was well-mannered and couldn't swear; she could only repeat those two words over and over, but the anger in her tone was no less.

He Yuzhu wasn't just venting when he said these things.

He was giving Lou Xiao'e a heads-up—if anyone were to gossip about Chen Xueru in front of her in the future, she would naturally be on guard: it was probably just some jealous nonsense made up by this group of people.

He Yuzhu smiled, a hint of smugness in his voice: "What's so special about it? They saw me bring you back today, and as soon as we leave, they'll be gossiping behind my back again. Luckily, you're going to marry me, otherwise I'd have to go to the neighborhood office with Director Wang to hold a clarification meeting."

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Lou Xiao'e's ears turned slightly red, and she raised her hand to gently punch his back, the force as light as a feather brushing against him.

As He Yuzhu passed the candied hawthorn stall, he paused and bought two skewers. He stuffed one into Lou Xiao'e's hand so she could eat it on the spot, and carefully wrapped the other one up, putting it in his bicycle basket: "I'll save it to eat with by the river later."

The two strolled leisurely along the riverbank, sunlight scattering across the water like golden scales. He Yuzhu, with his sharp eyes, chose a fishing spot with calm water and shade from the trees. He parked his bicycle to the side, set up a stool, and laid out his fishing gear with fluid, graceful movements.

The moment the fishing rod is cast, it's as if an invisible force pulls the hook and line into the water—a maxed-out fishing skill that never misses. As long as there are fish in this lake, there's no reason to go home empty-handed.

Lou Xiao'e leaned against the wall, quietly telling him about funny things that happened at school. She had barely begun her story when a ripple suddenly appeared on the water. Her eyes lit up, and she quickly nudged He Yuzhu's arm: "Look! A fish has taken the bait!"

He Yuzhu had already noticed it. With a flick of his wrist, he reeled in the line and lifted the rod. A palm-sized crucian carp broke out of the water, leaving a streak of silver light in the air.

"Rain Column! We caught it! We really caught it!" Lou Xiao'e was so excited she almost jumped up.

"This is nothing," he said with a smile as he removed the fish and put it into the bucket. "Just wait, I'll prepare a whole fish feast for you today."

Before he finished speaking, the fishing rod bent into an arc again. This time, he pulled up a carp weighing nearly a pound. It wasn't particularly big, just enough to be a side dish.

Yan Bugui used to love going fishing with him, hoping for a sure-fire catch—He Yuzhu wouldn't even look at the small fish and would just give them to him. But later, that old rascal got greedy and turned against him for a little bit of profit, and they never went out together again.

Now, with Lou Xiao'e by her side, her maxed-out fishing skills are once again shining brightly on the rivers of Beijing.

One fish after another took the bait, and the bucket gradually became lively. He Yuzhu released the smaller ones, letting them grow bigger. Lou Xiao'e watched in astonishment, thinking that fishing was supposed to be this easy.

It wasn't until He Yuzhu pointed to the old man sitting motionless in the distance that she realized—this wasn't normal, this was extraordinary.

A larger crowd gathered. Some watched him reel in his fish repeatedly, their eyes filled with envy; seeing him scoop out small fish, they couldn't help but mutter under their breath, "What a spendthrift! If it were me, I wouldn't let a single one go!"

But everyone could see that this young man didn't care about these small fry at all. Some people had already made up their minds: as soon as he left, they would immediately grab a spot and wait until dark.

Suddenly, the float sank sharply!

He Yuzhu's eyes narrowed, and his grip on the rod tightened instantly. The thing underwater was quite strong, pulling the fishing line with a squeak, but he only slightly lowered his waist, remaining as steady as a rock.

After a brief standoff between the man and the fish, the enormous creature underwater was eventually defeated and dragged little by little toward the shore.

With a splash, a giant shadow emerged from the water—

An old turtle emerged from the waves, its shell nearly a foot wide and weighing at least ten pounds! A wild, old turtle like this is practically a legendary creature in this river area that has long been fished bare.

The crowd erupted in uproar, with gasps of surprise echoing throughout.