Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Yesterday he asked Li Huaide for half a day off, saying he needed to talk to the teacher about his sister's college entrance exam.

Li Huaide nodded immediately upon hearing this, without asking any further questions.

In his eyes, He Yuzhu didn't seem like a young man who had just turned nineteen at all.

He is steady in his work, has top-notch skills, knows how to conduct himself and when to advance or retreat, and most importantly—he is truly capable.

For this kind of person, as long as they don't do anything wrong, what can't they be accommodating? What's half a day off? They'll still get paid, and he even made up an excuse: "He was sent out to do food research."

When they arrived at school, the rain led him through the corridor to his homeroom teacher.

She was a female teacher nearing fifty, wearing black-rimmed glasses, her hair neatly combed, and her face screamed seriousness.

She sought out He Yuzhu because Yushui's academic performance was outstanding—she ranked first in the entire grade in the last exam, showing great potential and a strong chance of getting into Sijiucheng Middle School.

That's a top-tier university with excellent faculty and abundant resources; many children of government officials study there.

But He Yuzhu didn't even frown after hearing this; he simply waved his hand.

"Teacher, Sijiucheng Middle School is good, but it is not suitable for rainy days."

"Just let her take the exam normally; Hongxing Middle School would be a good fit."

His tone was crisp and decisive, without any hesitation.

In her previous life, Yu Shui failed her college entrance exam and got married shortly after graduating from high school.

With him watching over her for the rest of her life, she has a 90% chance of getting into university, and a top-tier one at that.

The teacher felt a little regretful upon hearing this, but respected the parents' opinion and nodded.

So what if Yu Shui doesn't end up going to university?

With He Yuzhu's current confidence, who can bully her? If her in-laws dare to have any ulterior motives, they probably won't even dare to step over the threshold.

In the days that followed, the courtyard house was unusually quiet, and things were peaceful at the steel mill.

The neighbors have quieted down for the time being, not because they've had a change of heart, but because—the factory is going to expand, and construction will start soon. Who has time to keep an eye on He Yuzhu and gossip every day?

The wind is subtly changing.

The factory directly transferred one-third of its workers to support the expansion of the steel rolling mill, and the entire workshop was instantly emptied by more than half.

But there's no room for negotiation on production targets—not a single bit less.

The remaining two-thirds of the workers were each burdened with an additional half the workload, practically being squeezed to death.

Originally, we were rushing to finish the work on time, but now, we have to clock in at the factory before dawn, without even having time to eat a hot meal, and immediately plunge into the roaring machines.

I have to stay up an extra hour tonight; I'm so tired my bones are screaming.

Everyone's eyes were bluish, and walking felt like walking on cotton, but no one dared to stop.

Fortunately, a new batch of apprentices arrived. Although they were novices, they were able to handle the rough work such as moving steel and passing tools.

The old workers could finally catch their breath, no longer having to swallow even the time to drink water.

What's even more refreshing is the meat that Li Huaide got his hands on!

He personally patted his chest and guaranteed: "For the next two months, the amount of meat for workers working overtime will double!" This statement nearly caused an uproar at the cafeteria entrance.

The workers' eyes were red—not for the money, but for that real drop of oil!

This is tough on the purchasing department.

In the past, they could use the excuse of "not being able to collect goods in the countryside" to slack off and wander around outside for half a day.

Now? Not a chance! Li Huaide issued a direct order: everyone must complete their monthly meat purchase quota, or they will be publicly criticized over the loudspeaker!

Three times in a row on the blacklist? Immediate reassignment! Nobody can linger in an easy job and enjoy a life of leisure!

The moment the news broke, the purchasing agent turned green with shock.

The bicycle was pedaled so fast it was smoking, and the mountain road was so bumpy that my butt was lifted off the seat. I was literally pedaling so hard that sparks flew out of my feet!

They went all out—they carried back not only fish, but also loaches; wild rabbits, pheasants, pig offal, beef offal—anything that could be cooked to produce oil was taken! As long as it had the word "meat" on it, they hauled it all to the factory!

With ingredients piled up like a mountain, figuring out how to cook them became a problem.

The chefs at the small kitchen were scratching their heads in frustration; there wasn't enough meat, and the gamey smell couldn't be masked.

In the end, it will depend on He Yuzhu's actions.

He can turn the rotten into the magical, even if others can't replicate its flavor.

A few thin slices of meat are stewed into a large pot of soup, with some spices added, the heat is precisely controlled, and then a handful of chopped green onions are sprinkled on top. The aroma can travel for miles on the wind!

Even a half-meat dish can be transformed into the soul of a Manchu Han Imperial Feast in his hands.

Even if each bowl of soup only has two pieces of meat floating on it, drinking it makes you feel completely comfortable, as if a warm breath runs from your stomach to the top of your head.

The workers dragged their weary bodies into the canteen, picked up a bowl of steaming hot meat soup, and after taking a sip, most of their fatigue was washed away.

The next day, he gritted his teeth and went back into the workshop to continue battling with steel.

In this nationwide frenzy of hard work, even He Yuzhu temporarily stopped.

Those three old foxes, Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Bugui, have actually been much more well-behaved lately—not because they've had a change of heart, but because He Yuzhu simply can't be bothered with them.

The entire factory is on edge right now, with Wang Shushu personally overseeing the expansion progress. Who would dare cause trouble at this critical juncture? Even if Li Huaide protects him, causing trouble will ultimately have a negative impact.

The most terrifying people are those who hold grudges; it's even more frightening when they don't act rashly.

He Yuzhu had already calculated everything clearly in his mind: he would endure it for now, and once this wave of expansion was over, there would be plenty of time to settle the score.

The kind of person he is, if he doesn't get revenge, he'll be so angry he'll wake up in his sleep.

Xu Damao, on the other hand, has almost disappeared from public view during this period.

When he occasionally shows his face, his clothes are wrinkled, his beard is unshaven, and his eyes are sunken, making him look like a refugee.

The projectionist, who should have had a peaceful life, was instead caught in the eye of the storm.

The head of the purchasing department had a sudden inspiration and suggested to Li Huaide: send projectionists to the countryside to show movies in the communes where there are supply relationships!

Farmers love watching movies, and if they're happy while watching, they're naturally more willing to sell more meat, eggs, poultry, and livestock.

This move, "exchanging shadow for flesh," is simply ingenious.

Li Huaide immediately approved it!

The steel mill had more than a dozen films on its hands, and even with two projectionists working in shifts, they couldn't watch them all.

But that's not important; the key is that it opened up a path.

After Director Yang nodded, the task was passed down through the ranks, eventually landing on the head of the publicity department.

This guy simply dumped all the responsibility on Xu Damao and his son.

As a result, while other workers could go home for a day off on the weekend, Xu Damao and his father Xu Fugui were rarely seen for half a month.

They slept in the commune warehouse, ate cold steamed buns and drank well water, and carried a projector over mountains and valleys every day, living a life more tiring than a donkey.

But there was no other way; it was a political task.

The entire factory was like a high-speed, spinning steel behemoth, with everyone stuffed between the gears, pushing it forward and crushing everything in their path.

Even Li Huaide was not idle.

In order to secure resources not included in the plan, he begged and pleaded with everyone, and several times he personally invited He Yuzhu to his home for meals.

A delicious meal was served, and the wine glasses clinked, and the frost on the other factory leader's face gradually melted away.

Deals made at the dinner table are more effective than contracts signed in the conference room.

On the very night after returning from a banquet, He Yuzhu opened a medical book and suddenly heard a series of notification sounds in his mind:

[Medical Skill Proficiency +2]

[Medical Skill Proficiency +2]

[Medical skill level increased to level 4]

He smiled slightly, slowly closed the book, and looked calm.

The moment I upgraded, a flood of knowledge rushed into my mind—modern medicine, traditional Chinese medicine classics, herbal identification, acupuncture and meridians, bone setting techniques… I had never read these books before, yet I had already mastered them.

The system doesn't teach him how to learn, but it directly gives him the result that he "has already learned it".

And now, this trump card is quietly becoming stronger.

System panel.

[Host: He Yuzhu]

【技能：厨艺（满级：1600000/1600000）、家务（五级：800/800）、俄语（五级：800/800）、英语（五级：800/800）、钓鱼（五级：800/800）、形意拳（五级：800/800）、木工（四级：135/800）、医术（四级：1/800）、农学（五级：800/800）】

[Vitality Space: 100 cubic meters]

A glint of light flashed in He Yuzhu's eyes as he looked at the row of skill bars that were shimmering in the light.

Carpentry and medicine are just one step away from reaching the maximum level; with a little more effort, they can both reach the maximum level.

Next... where should we go?

He tapped his temples lightly with his fingertips, his thoughts racing.

Electrical engineering? Too broad a field, unlikely to get ahead in the short term.

Mechanical repair? Sure, heavy industry is about to take off, this skill will be in demand sooner or later.

As for kung fu—let's get another tough one! What if he reaches the maximum level and the system gives him a physical enhancement? That would be a huge win.

Once he made up his mind, he felt much clearer-headed.

Once these two skills are maxed out, let's get started!

As for the methods of the new boxing style, there's no need to worry.

Master Zhang of Xingyiquan has a wide network of connections, so it wouldn't be difficult for him to find a master to introduce him to.

Then, his thoughts shifted to his new gains in medical skills.

"I need to carry a set of acupuncture tools with me at all times, and also a few bottles of life-saving pills..." he muttered to himself, his eyes darkening.

The recipes the system provides are no joke.

Sanbao Jiuxin Pills and Sihuang Buxue Pills—either one can save a life in a critical moment.

If this had been used to start a pharmaceutical factory in the 1980s, it would have been incredibly lucrative.

Most importantly—he almost forgot that he still had a chance to survive!

"How stupid!" He slapped his forehead, almost bursting out laughing.

Why bother growing vegetables? Greenhouses are about to be built at the steel rolling mill, and there will be plenty of leafy greens.

If not now, when?

Ganoderma lucidum, Panax notoginseng, Angelica sinensis, Fritillaria cirrhosa... these nourishing ingredients, when placed in the space, increase rapidly in quality, and are far superior to those on the market.

When we take it out in the future, it will be like walking gold.

He was deep in thought when he suddenly heard footsteps outside.

Immediately afterwards, the office door was pushed open, and Li Huaide walked in carrying a briefcase. He looked slightly tired, obviously having just returned from a meeting at the Ministry of Industry.

"Pillar, come here for a second."

Before the words were even finished, the person had already been called.

He Yuzhu moved swiftly, straightened his collar, and headed straight for the director's office.

He knocked twice and then pushed the door open to enter.

"Director Li, you've received another assignment?"

Li Huaide was tilting his head back and gulping down strong tea from his enamel mug when he heard this, and couldn't help but laugh: "You really do have a keen sense of smell."

Others would rather disappear into the ground at the mere mention of a 'mission,' but you're the opposite—you charge headlong into it.

He put down his teacup and pointed to the sofa: "Sit down."

This is a big deal.

He Yuzhu sat down with a thud, his back straight and his gaze focused.