Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

He wouldn't refuse this task at all. The old lady was very hard of hearing and quite old; she was truly someone whose meals were numbered. As long as he wasn't busy, he would definitely go over and lend a hand.

"Um...do you have meat? I really can't cook vegetarian dishes."

He Yuzhu grinned.

He wasn't intimidated by this old man at all. The man's salary was quite substantial.

The old man, seeing that he was blatantly lying, had no choice but to nod and agree: "Okay, okay, I'll go buy it after get off work, is that alright?"

"become!"

"Hey, buy more! Don't be like that old man, so stingy and timid. You can't take the money you save to your grave, can you?"

He Yuzhu had just spoken when he suddenly remembered something, turned around and walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, you brat... how can you talk so rudely!"

As soon as the bell rang to signal the end of the workday, He Yuzhu didn't even go inside his house, but went straight into the backyard.

He was a bachelor at home, so he simply ate dinner at the deaf old lady's place for convenience and to save himself the trouble of cooking.

When we arrived at the old lady's house, we found that an old man had indeed brought a lot of ingredients.

He Yuzhu glanced at it, then picked up the piece of pork on the table and weighed it in his hand, estimating that it weighed about a pound.

He chuckled inwardly: This old man is really willing to invest.

You have to understand that these days, not only does a pound of meat cost a lot of money, but you also need meat coupons to buy it.

Upon closer inspection, the amount of meat was indeed plentiful.

He then cut the meat slices into thicker pieces, so that they would be more fragrant and substantial.

I only realized halfway through that the side dishes were almost empty.

This is a bit of a problem: you can't just stir-fry fatty meat with lean meat, can you? That's too extravagant and outrageous.

"Grandma, could you please make a trip to my cellar and fetch two cabbages?"

The so-called cellar was actually just a simple basement with gentle steps that were not steep at all.

Otherwise, he wouldn't dare let the old lady go down by herself.

"Um!"

The old lady nodded. Having nothing better to do, she happily went off, adding a final reminder before leaving:

"Cut the meat into larger pieces; it'll be more flavorful when you chew it!"

"Huh? This isn't considered big?"

"Heh, I'll have an old man bring back a big pork knuckle another day. I won't cut it open, and it'll still taste delicious!"

He Yuzhu replied with a smile.

Since it's not his own money, why would he feel bad about it?

The old lady squinted her small eyes and said cheerfully, "That makes sense!"

After saying that, he immediately went to get the cabbage.

Just as they arrived at He Yuzhu's house in the Intermediate People's Court, they bumped into Qin Huairu, who was rushing over with a worried expression.

Upon seeing the old lady, Qin Huairu immediately asked:

"Deaf old lady, have you seen Sha Zhu? I need to see him urgently, really urgently!"

"What? I can't hear you! Speak louder!"

"Where's Sha Zhu? I'm asking where Sha Zhu is!"

Qin Huairu had no choice but to raise her voice and shout.

The old lady waved her hand and shook her head, saying, "How would I know? I'm looking for him right now! That little rascal hasn't been cooking for me lately; he's deliberately making me go hungry!"

She spoke with a helpless tone, but in her heart she thought: What's with Qin Huairu coming to see Sha Zhu every few days? She's been fed up with it for a long time.

Qin Huairu had only asked casually, and seeing that He Yuzhu's door was still locked, she knew that he definitely hadn't returned. She muttered a few words under her breath and turned to leave.

As soon as I stepped into my house, my younger sister, Qin Jingru, came up to me and asked:

"Sis, where is he?"

"I haven't seen him. I've searched the entire factory and the yard. Where could Sha Zhu have gone?"

Qin Huairu plopped down, poured herself a glass of water, and gulped it down.

That silly Zhu, he's vanished into thin air, you can't even find a trace of him.

"Hmph, he probably went to see a movie! I heard the factory is showing one today."

Zhang, the mother-in-law who was making insoles, suddenly interjected.

"Impossible! Mom, you know perfectly well that Sha Zhu and Xu Damao are sworn enemies."

"Sis, shall we go take a look? Anyway, Sha Zhu hasn't come back yet."

Upon hearing the word "movie," Qin Jingru couldn't sit still.

In those days, there was no television, and you could only see a film projection team a few times a year in the village. The villagers relied on this little bit of excitement to keep their spirits up.

"No way! You're here for a blind date, not to stroll through a temple fair!"

Qin Huairu refused outright.

"Oh, dear sister, please, take me there..."

Qin Jingru went over and shook her sister's arm.

So loudly she could barely hold her needle and thread, Zhang frowned and said, "Huai Ru, just take her! If this keeps going on, I won't be able to finish sewing the insoles. Besides, the child will have to go after school anyway. You two go first and grab a good spot so it won't be crowded."

Qin Huairu didn't want to go, as she was most afraid of running into Xu Damao.

But after hearing what my mother-in-law said, I realized I couldn't avoid it today.

If you're not bringing your sister, are you not bringing any of your three kids either? As soon as those little ones hear there's a movie, they skip meals and sleep to squeeze into the theater.

She pondered for a moment, then finally nodded.

Qin Huairu led Qin Jingru to the steel rolling mill courtyard. It wasn't even dark yet, but the area in front of the screen was already packed with people.

This was Qin Jingru's first time watching a movie in the city; she looked around, everything was new and exciting.

The two sisters had just chosen a good spot to sit down when Xu Damao's voice came from behind them:

"Hey! You can't sit there!"

Why?

Qin Huairu glanced back at him.

When Xu Damao saw Qin Huairu and then noticed the pretty and bright-eyed girl standing next to her, he was taken aback at first, but then he put on a smile and quickly went to greet her.

"Oh, it's Sister Qin! I was wondering who else would it be."

He pointed towards Qin Jingru, his tone carrying a hint of scrutiny: "Who is this girl?"

"Is she eye-catching? Even if she is, it's none of your business. I was just about to introduce my sister to He Yuzhu, so you don't need to worry about her."

Qin Huairu glanced at Xu Damao sideways and replied irritably. Marrying her younger sister to He Yuzhu was indeed the safest option at the moment.

"He Yuzhu? Who's that? That name sounds familiar... Hey, isn't that 'Silly Zhu'? I knew it!"

Xu Damao's tone shifted abruptly, immediately adopting a concerned expression: "Sister Qin, no offense, but how can you handle things like this? Such a clever girl, are you really going to let her marry someone who's not thinking straight? It's unacceptable for anyone to do this!"

Qin Jingru's smile vanished instantly. She turned to stare at her cousin, her voice strained, "Sister, is what he said true? Is that man really an idiot?"

Qin Huairu quickly waved her hand: "Don't listen to his nonsense! He and Sha Zhu are mortal enemies, what good things could he possibly say?"

"Sister Qin, that's going too far!" Xu Damao frowned and sighed, then smiled kindly at Qin Jingru, "Sister, just ask anyone in our factory if He Yuzhu is the 'Silly Zhu' everyone talks about, and I guarantee no one will cover for him."

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu's anger flared up instantly, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "Xu Damao, come with me!"

After saying that, she turned and walked towards a less crowded corner.

Standing against the wall, Qin Huairu stared at him sharply: "What exactly do you want?"

"Give me your sister in marriage," Xu Damao said decisively.

"No way!"

"Fine, I won't show the movie. I'm going to the police station right now to report that your son, Banggeng, stole my chicken and was roasting and eating it under the bridge near the factory gate. Do you dare make him admit it to me in person?"

Xu Damao's lips curled into a smirk, his eyes hardening. He held a handle in his hand, exuding confidence.

"It's just a chicken! I'll pay you back tomorrow!"

"A chicken? What about my thirty yuan?"

"If your son hadn't caused this mess, would Sha Zhu have been able to swindle thirty yuan from me? Qin Huairu, I'm putting this on your tab!"

"I can't handle Sha Zhu, but I have plenty of ways to deal with you."

Qin Huairu wrung her hands anxiously: "But I've already made it clear to my sister that I'd introduce Sha Zhu to her, how can I change her at the last minute?"

"Don't worry, country girls are naive and easy to fool. Just don't cause trouble. The chicken and the thirty yuan are none of your business anymore, okay?"

Xu Damao was quick-witted; this matter was as easy as plucking a blade of grass in his eyes. He was certain that Qin Huairu would agree.

really!

After a moment of silence, Qin Huairu could only lower her eyes and nod slightly.

She felt frustrated, but there was really nothing she could do at the moment.

At this moment, inside the house of the deaf old lady in the courtyard.

He Yuzhu had already prepared the food and served it to the table, sitting down to eat with the deaf old lady, the old man, and the old woman.

The atmosphere was warm at the beginning, with praise filling the room.

"Zhu Zi, your craftsmanship is much better than before!"

"you do not say!"

"This pork belly is fatty but not greasy, and the aroma is so enticing it goes straight into your nose!"

"The side dishes are also refreshing; he truly deserves to be called the top chef in our compound!"

An elderly man and woman chimed in, each one trying to flatter He Yuzhu.

He just smiled and didn't say anything more.

After a few rounds of drinks, the old man became more talkative, and his words kept revolving around Qin Huairu's family, repeatedly reminding He Yuzhu to "take good care of them."

At first, He Yuzhu responded perfunctorily; but as the conversation grew more and more frequent, he frowned, put down his wine glass, and looked directly at the old man:

"Uncle, did you not hear what I said in the cafeteria today, or have you completely forgotten it? Well then, I'll say it again in front of the old lady today."

He sighed, his tone simple yet leaving no room for argument:

"You are kind and generous, everyone in the courtyard respects you. We all know how much you've helped Qin Huairu's family over the years. But you should keep this kindness to yourself, don't drag me down with you."

"You're a level eight fitter, you're well-off; as for me? My pockets are emptier than my face."

"Besides, how many times have I helped her over the years? And what have I gotten in return? Those three kids keep calling her 'Silly Zhu, Silly Zhu,' is that even right? Do you know about Bang Geng stealing chickens? The one Xu Damao lost, he roasted and ate under the bridge!"

After finishing his speech, He Yuzhu remained calm, yet every word he uttered was resounding.

He was no longer the stoic He Yuzhu of the past. He was no longer bothered to hide what needed to be said, nor did he bother to cover up the scars that needed to be exposed.

He did lend a helping hand back then, but he knows perfectly well what he got in return.

Besides, he didn't want to waste his breath on those few words, but the old man was really going too far. He had said those words so many times, yet he kept putting ropes on him. He really couldn't handle it.