Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Even though He Yuzhu had left the steel rolling mill for Hong Kong Island, the canteen didn't let him off the hook. Whenever Jia Dongxu went to get food, no matter which window he went to, his rice scoop would tremble three times.

Give the smallest of the cornbread and the mixed flour steamed buns.

This forced him to bring two steamed buns and pickled vegetables with him every day, otherwise he would be so hungry at noon that he wouldn't have the energy to work in the afternoon.

If it weren't for the fact that Old Wang's family was keeping watch in the courtyard when He Yuzhu left, Jia Dongxu would have already picked up a stone and smashed He's windows to pieces.

"Dad, don't worry, when I grow up, I'll make the He family pay for their crimes in blood, and none of them will escape!"

"Good! That's more like my son, Jia Dongxu! Here, have some meat broth to nourish your brain."

Jia Dongxu grinned and casually pushed the leftover bowl of meat soup from last night in front of Banggeng, implying that he should dip his steamed bun in it.

Since Jia Zhangshi left, the Jia family's life has become much easier. Not only have they saved the five yuan they were supposed to give her each month, but they also have one less mouth to feed, so they are much more financially comfortable.

This bowl of meat soup was leftover oil from when Jia Dongxu cooked two ounces of meat the night before last. He specially saved it for his child this morning as a reward.

Ever since he was assigned to clean toilets, Jia Dongxu has become much more well-behaved. He's also curbed his activities in the alleyways, and even when he does go, he does it secretly in secluded corners. With fewer trips, his expenses have naturally decreased.

Qin Huairu couldn't bear to watch him teach his son like this and couldn't help but advise, "Dongxu, isn't this a bit inappropriate? Banggeng should focus on his studies..."

"What do you know? This is my own son, it's none of your business to tell him what to do!"

Before she could finish speaking, Jia Dongxu shouted, his tone sharp and harsh. Qin Huairu immediately shut her mouth and dared not say another word.

But she had already planned it out in her heart: once you go to work, I'll slowly guide Bang Geng. Now that Jia Zhangshi is gone, and you're gone, I'm in charge of this courtyard.

The dining table fell silent, save for the soft clatter of bowls and chopsticks. Jia Dongxu lowered his head to drink his soup, but a wicked rage raged in his mind—He Yuzhu had been coming home late every night, acting suspiciously; something was definitely up!

But he couldn't keep an eye on it all by himself, so he had to involve Xu Damao in this matter.

Perhaps it's because they've been in cahoots for so long, but ever since they were arrested together and forced to clean toilets together, their relationship has actually grown quite close.

Whether they share the same bad habits or have been through thick and thin together, Jia Dongxu is now willing to discuss things with him. This time, keeping an eye on Sha Zhu is a good opportunity for him to lend a hand.

The next morning, the steel rolling mill held its last factory-wide meeting of 1957.

He Yuzhu was fortunate enough to attend this important meeting.

Each department took turns reporting. He was from the logistics department. The canteen director wasn't considered a leadership position, so he didn't need to speak separately; he could just sit and listen.

The overall situation is excellent. All workshops have completed their tasks, with Workshop 3 even exceeding its targets and taking the lead, earning a collective commendation.

The technical department also made great contributions, overcoming two new machine tool development challenges. A few months ago, leaders from the Ministry of Industry visited the factory and praised them on the spot.

Section Chief Zhou also mentioned He Yuzhu's contributions, and He Yuzhu, who was far away in Hong Kong, was also commended.

With the new machine tools now in operation, military manufacturing efficiency has more than doubled. The upgraded steel rolling mill has even begun undertaking classified production tasks.

The logistics team was also excellent. Although there wasn't much meat, there was plenty of vegetables at cheap prices, and the cooking was superb.

The workers privately remarked, "Those people in the kitchen are really good at getting along."

After everyone had finished speaking, Director Yang raised his hand to quiet the room.

He cleared his throat and began, "Comrades, we achieved remarkable results last year, but we cannot let our guard down! Next year we must reach even greater heights to live up to the trust placed in us by the country and the people!"

After a ten-minute mobilization speech, we finally got to the point:

"We just received a notice from higher up—a batch of meat, 4,500 jin (2,250 kg), will be delivered to our factory the day after tomorrow. Let's discuss how to distribute it?"

"Four thousand five hundred jin? Factory manager, are you kidding me?"

"Good heavens, where did all this meat come from?"

"Factory manager, where did this meat come from? How did it suddenly appear?"

The crowd erupted in uproar.

He Yuzhu knew exactly what was going on—this was all pork he had brought back from Hong Kong Island. The steel mill had allocated more than two tons of it, all so that everyone could have a prosperous New Year.

There's no doubt about the authenticity of the news; the higher-ups have already issued a document, how could it be false?

It's reasonable to divide it so much. There are over 8,000 employees, and behind them are over 8,000 families. Two tons of meat is enough for 20,000 to 30,000 people to have a good meal during the Lunar New Year.

Moreover, he had worked in the factory before, and some of his superiors knew his thoughts, so they would naturally give him some preferential treatment.

At this moment, Deputy Factory Director Li stepped forward and suggested, "There are only a few days left before the holiday, let's skip the fancy stuff. The meat allocated by the higher-ups is based on headcount, so let's be straightforward—half a pound each, pack it up and take it home as an extra meal for the Spring Festival!"

"Agreed!"

"I agree!"

"That's what we'll do!"

Li Huaide's words immediately drew a chorus of agreement.

Who wouldn't think this is a practical idea? Why bother with fancy banquets? It's better to just distribute the meat directly. The workers can take it home and eat it sparingly; it can last them three days. What's the point of eating it all in one meal?

"Deputy Factory Director Li's move is brilliant!"

"That's right, why not just give them to individuals? They can eat them however they want, or give them to relatives if they're happy with that."

Factory Director Yang's face darkened slightly. He had originally hoped to use the opportunity of the meal to say a few words on stage, boost his presence, and solidify his authority among the workers. But now that everyone was siding with Li Huaide, any further opposition from him would be seen as going against the grain. So he forced a smile and said, "Since there are no objections, let's do as Deputy Factory Director Li says. The propaganda department will announce over the loudspeaker in a bit, and the canteen will be responsible for distributing the meat and carrying the baskets."

He Yuzhu and the head of the publicity department immediately agreed, patting their chests and guaranteeing: they would not let them down.

As soon as the broadcast ended, He Yuzhu in the kitchen had already prepared the meat distribution plan.

The most difficult thing about this job was ensuring fairness. But he had a solution—to completely separate fat and lean meat and allocate them proportionally. The exact amount of fat and lean meat allocated to each person was clearly written down and posted on a blackboard at the entrance of the canteen.

What's even more amazing is that there were three scales set up outside—not satisfied? Weigh yourself again on the spot!

"A total of 4600 jin of pork was awarded as a reward, which was divided into: 1400 jin of fat, 1800 jin of lean meat, and 1400 jin of bones. Each employee of the steel rolling mill received one and a half liang of fat and two liang of lean meat. The bones were used to make soup, which was provided free of charge for two consecutive days..."

As soon as the workers entered the canteen, they looked up and saw the large blackboard, with clear entries and precise numbers. The lean and fatty meats were clearly distinguished, and even how to prepare the bones was explained. Who could possibly find fault?

Someone immediately exclaimed, "Wow, this time it's really transparent! Silly Zhu is reliable!"

Those around him nodded in agreement; they were convinced.

But Jia Dongxu, standing in the crowd, curled his lip, snorted coldly, and muttered in a low voice, "Who knows how much benefit that idiot Zhu has amassed behind the scenes? Maybe he's stewing a whole piece of pork belly in his own pot right now..."

The sound wasn't loud, but someone still heard it.

It was none other than the young cafeteria employee who had recently been transferred there. Upon hearing this, his temper flared up instantly, and he downed a mouthful of water.

"What nonsense are you spouting? It's one thing to insult our director, but to throw dirty water on him like that?"

The loud shout instantly attracted everyone's attention.

Feeling humiliated by being stared at, Jia Dongxu immediately snapped back, "What's it to you? I said it's possible! Why are you so hasty?"

"I work in the cafeteria! You slandered our director and dared to swear at us. You're not leaving until you explain yourself!"

As she spoke, she grabbed Jia Dongxu by the collar and refused to let go.

A fellow worker quickly stepped in to break up the fight: "Hey, hey, calm down, why are you making such a fuss over a single sentence?"

"Dongxu, just apologize, it's a simple matter of one sentence."

An apology? An apology to He Yuzhu? Jia Dongxu gritted his teeth, shaking off his grip: "I didn't say anything wrong! Why should I bow my head!"

"Fine!" the cafeteria worker laughed angrily. "Come on! Let's go see the manager and have a word with him!"

He was truly enraged. He Yuzhu had always treated them well, teaching them skills and distributing benefits without holding anything back. Everyone in the canteen respected him as their pillar of strength. Now that their leader had been stabbed in the back, how could he tolerate it?

She grabbed Jia Dongxu again and wouldn't let go, insisting on getting an explanation.

The situation was about to get out of control, and other workers came over to try and calm things down. The noise grew louder and louder, alarming the people in the canteen.

Two men rushed out and shouted sternly, "Stop it! If you keep making trouble, we'll call security!"

Only then did everyone release their grip.

But the young man who stood up for He Yuzhu was already disheveled, his collar was askew, his hair was flying everywhere, and he looked utterly pathetic.

After all, the other side was a group of seasoned fitters, while he was all alone.

When Mu Changzheng saw the temporary workers, their clothes disheveled and their faces marked with red welts, he flew into a rage and pointed directly at them: "So! They dare to lay a hand on us in our cafeteria? We need to call security today! Xiao Chen, go there right now!"

The faces of Jia Dongxu's men immediately darkened. It was originally a small matter, but if it escalated, it would cause trouble for everyone.

"Don't even think about running away!" Mu Changzheng shouted coldly. "I've memorized what you all look like. If you slip away, I'll immediately take the security team to identify each and every one of you!"

Upon hearing this, the faces of the group of fitters beside Jia Dongxu changed simultaneously, their hearts feeling heavy and stifled, as if a stone had been pressed on their chests.

They just came to eat and pick up pork on the side; who would have thought they'd step into this mess?

"What happened?"

As He Yuzhu entered the cafeteria with his lunchbox, he saw a group of people gathered in a circle. He frowned and asked a question.

"Uncle-Master, here's what happened. Just now, Xiao Li..." Upon seeing He Yuzhu arrive, Mu Changzheng seemed to have found his pillar of support and quickly recounted the whole story. Xiao Li also gritted his teeth and pointed at Jia Dongxu: "He lied and said you embezzled ingredients. I was so angry that I grabbed him and wouldn't let him leave."

After listening, He Yuzhu didn't waste any words. He turned around and stared at Jia Dongxu and his group, his voice as cold as ice: "Who did this?"

"Director He, this is actually a misunderstanding..." a fitter quickly said with a smile.

"A misunderstanding?" He Yuzhu sneered. "Since it's a misunderstanding, then step forward and admit—who did it?"

His gaze swept over the man, recognizing him as a level-five fitter from Workshop One, someone who used to be close to Yi Zhonghai. But he wasn't intimidated by this kind of person at all; let alone level five, even level eight might not be enough in his eyes.