Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Even the houses just two units away couldn't help but peek out, and several children, like puppies smelling meat bones, ran barefoot back and forth in the stairwell, sniffing and chasing after the aroma.

In the blink of an eye, they pinpointed the source—the open window at the Bai family's door. One by one, they clung to the windowsill, tiptoeing to peek inside, their eyes fixed on the nimble figure in front of the stove.

The Bai family members also arrived one after another, three sons and one daughter, crowding the room together in a lively atmosphere.

The youngest is Bai Danyu, who is staying in her father's room to look after him.

But now that the food has just been served, the whole house is filled with its aroma. Even though breakfast was only recently finished, everyone is so tempted that their throats are tightening, and they can't wait to take a bite and try it.

Second Sister-in-law sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), cracking sunflower seeds, but her eyes were fixed on the kitchen. Finally, she couldn't help but speak up: "Danyu, where did you find this chef? His cooking skills are probably even better than the chefs at state-run restaurants!"

"Our factory canteen deputy director came to help out today," Bai Danyu said casually. "Before coming to the steel rolling mill, he was a level-two cook."

"What?!" Second Sister-in-law's hand trembled, and sunflower seed shells sprayed out of her mouth with a "poof." Her eyes widened. "A level-two cook? Doesn't that mean he can cook at a state guesthouse? You invited such an important person to cook a family banquet?"

"Don't talk nonsense," Bai Danyu glanced at her sideways, "She's only eighteen."

"Cough cough—!" Second Sister-in-law choked, patting her chest, almost swallowing the whole mouthful of sunflower seeds. "An eighteen-year-old level-two cook? And now he's the deputy director of your factory's canteen?"

Bai Danyu nodded: "Yes, quite capable."

He was in charge of all the catering for the factory's employees; I heard the logistics director personally went to request it.

"Oh my goodness!" Second Sister-in-law suddenly jumped up from the kang (a heated brick bed). "I have to go see! This is the first time in my life I've seen an eighteen-year-old director!"

He then rushed towards the kitchen.

The four rooms at the end of the Bai family's floor were all allocated to them. The eldest and third sons were away from home for most of the year, so the rooms were left empty. They simply opened up some passageways to make it easier for them to come and go.

Bai Danyu wanted to stop her, but her daughter rushed over and hugged her leg, acting cute. Before she knew it, her daughter had disappeared.

Before long, my second sister-in-law returned, her steps as light as if she were walking on cotton, but her eyes were frighteningly bright.

She leaned close to Bai Danyu's ear and whispered, "Danyu, tell me the truth, you've got your eye on that guy, haven't you?"

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Bai Danyu frowned and her face darkened.

She was a widow, raising her child alone, and was extremely sensitive to gossip.

Besides, the other person is only eighteen years old, while I am almost thirty. If this gets out, people will gossip about it.

"What nonsense am I talking about?" Second Sister-in-law persisted. "He looks steady, his cooking skills are superb, and most importantly, he's kind-hearted! Besides, someone as beautiful as you is a perfect match for him..."

"Second Sister-in-law!" Bai Danyu interrupted sharply, her eyes turning cold. The second sister-in-law, startled, immediately shrank back and waved her hands, "Fine, fine, I won't say anything more, okay? Shut up!"

Just then, footsteps came from the stairs—Old Master Bai had returned.

He should have been resting on the weekend, but he was used to working overtime. Just as he reached the corner on the third floor, his nose was hit hard by a strong and tempting aroma of food.

My stomach started rumbling, and I quickened my pace.

The closer you get to the door, the thicker the fragrance becomes, like something stuck to your collar that you can't shake off.

Upon entering the room, the old man was immediately struck by the sight of a table laden with steaming dishes, each dish a feast for the eyes and the palate. He instantly understood the source of this delicious meal.

What truly moved him was the scene just now—his granddaughter had accidentally choked on a chicken cartilage while eating, her face turning red from the effort. He patted her back and tried to help her breathe, but to no avail, he was sweating profusely.

Just as he was about to be taken to the hospital, He Yuzhu stepped forward and, with a few clean and efficient back massages, popped the bone out with a snap.

The debt of gratitude for saving my life is immeasurable.

When it was time to see the guests off, Bai Danyu personally escorted He Yuzhu to the gate of the compound, her face full of gratitude: "Director He, thank you so much for today. If it weren't for you, I don't know what would have happened to my daughter..."

She couldn't describe the feeling in her heart.

Originally, it was just a colleague helping out with cooking, but the person came to her door early in the morning, worked for two hours, and even saved her daughter's life after finishing the meal.

The table was full of food, and everyone, adults and children alike, slumped over, rubbing their bellies, barely able to speak. She herself was so full that she could barely stand up and lean against the wall to see them off.

He Yuzhu waved his hand and grinned, "Hey, what are you talking about? Do you think I'd just stand by and watch the child get into trouble? Alright, Section Chief Bai, that's enough for now. I'm going back on my bike."

He knew that the Bai family had a powerful background—the eldest and second eldest sons both worked in the Ministry of Health. If he cultivated this network of connections well, it might come in handy in the future.

But right now, he doesn't want to seem too deliberate.

Before leaving, Bai Danyu suddenly took out a red envelope from her pocket and handed it over, her movements somewhat hesitant.

That was the reward she had prepared in advance—a brand new black ten.

Originally, Li Huaide said that ten yuan would be enough, but after the meal, she felt that... that amount of money was really not worthy of that table of divine dishes.

Unfortunately, I forgot to bring any extra cash when I went out, so this is the only thing I can give you for now.

"That's a bit too little, I'll do it tomorrow..."

"That's enough, that's enough," He Yuzhu said with a smile, taking the paper with a relaxed tone. "Actually, there's still a bit too much. Just don't tell anyone, Section Chief Bai."

He paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Now that we're acquainted, I'll cook for your next birthday banquet, no charge—consider it a favor to a friend."

Bai Danyu was taken aback, then her eyes warmed slightly: "Then... thank you, Director He."

"Alright, let's go back."

As soon as he finished speaking, he jumped into the car, the wheels rolled over the sun-dappled ground, and his figure quickly disappeared at the end of the alley.

The courtyard behind us still lingers with the aroma of food, as if reminding us that this meal not only filled our stomachs but also quietly planted something within us.

Now, apart from Li Huaide, the number of people who can get him to come can be counted on one hand. Even Director Wang of the street office might not be able to get him to come to him personally—it's not that He Yuzhu is putting on airs, but that his status has changed a long time ago.

He used to be a cook in the steel mill canteen; no matter how good he was, he was still just a laborer. But now, he's a proper cadre, carrying responsibilities on his shoulders, holding resources in his hands, and his words carry weight.

Around 2 p.m., with the sun slanting in the sky, He Yuzhu, carrying the house deed and documents for Old Zhang's house, headed straight for the subdistrict office.

There are staff on duty as usual on weekends, the procedures are complete, and the process is quick.

He handed over the application and placed the certificate on the table. The clerk accepted it without even frowning, saying that once Director Wang came to work and checked it, he would send someone to notify him.

Changing houses might take three to five months for others, requiring them to submit supplementary documents; but for He Yuzhu, it was as easy as willow catkins falling in the wind.

After finishing his business, he turned and went back to the courtyard house, feeling refreshed all the way.

With nothing to do this afternoon, I decided to take advantage of the free time to fully master my agricultural skills.

As soon as I stepped into the courtyard, I saw several people peering out of the window of Old Lady Li's house, as if they were watching a spectacle.

A cold iron lock hung on the door, preventing anyone from getting in.

These people muttered among themselves, unsure whether the house belonged to the local government or not. They were envious but had no idea how to proceed, so they could only swallow their saliva in frustration.

He Yuzhu ignored them and went straight back to his house. He handed over the radio to the authorities, then sat down and opened the thick agricultural textbook, burying himself in reading.

Agricultural skills proficiency +2

Within an hour or two, my mind went blank with a "boom," as if a floodgate had been opened, and a massive amount of knowledge surged into my consciousness like a tidal wave.

Fifth-level agronomy, a complete success!

In an instant, he mastered all the knowledge related to agriculture, from seed selection and seedling cultivation to soil improvement, from hybridization techniques to pest and disease control, as if it were innate.

He even had an impulse to immediately build greenhouses and personally grow wheat and rice that yielded a thousand catties per mu!

"system!"

[Proficiency System]

[Host: He Yuzhu]

【技能：厨艺（满级）、家务（五级）、俄语（五级）、英语（五级）、钓鱼（五级）、形意拳（五级）、木工（三级：72/400）、医术（二级：18/200）、农学（五级：800/800）】

[Vitality Space: 100 cubic meters]

"Wow? The space has doubled?" He Yuzhu was shocked. "Before, it only grew a little bit, like mosquito legs, but now it has grown like a giant in one go, doubling in size... Not bad, not bad at all! This place is now almost as big as several workshops connected together."

He locked the door behind him, and with a thought, he stepped into the space of life.

Suddenly, the view opened up before them—the originally narrow space had now expanded to about fifteen acres, the land was flat, moist and fertile, and the rows of seeds had already sprouted, the tender shoots green and full of vitality.

What's even stranger is that although the place is dark, windless, and sunless, the crops still grow wildly, and he often forgets to water them, yet he manages to do so without any delay.

"They grow quite vigorously... and the key is that they don't get infested with bugs, it's almost uncanny." He Yuzhu squatted down and pinched the soil, muttering to himself, "I just don't know if they can withstand droughts, floods, and frosts... we'll find out after we try them out."

After a routine check, he exited the space.

On the surface, apart from the dramatic increase in area, there are not many other changes.

He wasn't sure when the next full-scale upgrade would come.

But he vaguely felt that this was related to the number of high-level skills he had mastered—it was just that he hadn't figured out the pattern yet.

But things are different now. I've completed my agricultural studies and have more confidence.

Next, it's time to export things.

He has always presented himself as a "hobby" and has recently been frequently visiting agricultural research institutes, becoming familiar with several professors. His public persona has long been established.

When the time comes, write a "Crop Cultivation Guide," deliberately include some minor errors, have experts "review and revise" it, and then distribute it nationwide in their name—legitimate and without any flaws.

If we can develop high-yield wheat and super rice in the future, then we will have achieved great success and can finally take a breather.

Having done this much, I have reached my limit and have a clear conscience.

Moreover, the progress is much faster than expected, and there is still plenty of time.