Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

The times have changed.

With the introduction of ration coupons, household registration became a matter of life and death.

Qin Huairu's rural household registration used to allow her to receive some extra grain subsidies, but now the little bit of produce from the fields runs out in two or three months, and she has to buy everything else for the rest of the time.

And him? After seven years of work, he's still stuck at level three.

While others have already progressed to levels four or five, he's struggling even with the assessment.

To make matters worse, the family had a daughter named Jia Dang—who didn't have a quota for urban grain rations.

As she grows up, the family's mouth to feed will only get heavier and heavier.

Jia Dongxu gripped the lunchbox tightly, his knuckles turning white.

He didn't want to back down.

But looking down might be the only way to get a full meal.

The Jia family was no longer the glamorous family they once were in the courtyard house.

Once high and mighty, he now watches helplessly as the He family prospers—they buy two large home appliances, and even "Silly Zhu," whom Jia Dongxu looked down upon the most, has become the deputy director of the canteen.

This sudden change was like a blow to the heart; how could Jia Dongxu bear it?

"Are you really planning to eat half a portion of food every meal from now on? Or are you hoping I'll secretly give you an extra bite every day?" Yi Zhonghai lowered his voice, his tone heavy as if a stone was pressing down on him.

He stared at his apprentice, his eyes filled with helplessness: "Shazhu doesn't give me any face now! Last time I still had the nerve to plead with the factory director, but what about this time? He's a cadre now, can he fight city hall? Besides, if I find out I'm giving you special treatment, we'll both go hungry!"

"But Master..." Jia Dongxu's lips moved, as if he wanted to argue.

"Alright!" Yi Zhonghai interrupted him, his voice even deeper, "If you refuse to back down, then let your wife Huairu apologize for you."

I'll buy some braised dishes as an apology, and that'll be the end of it.

If you still stubbornly refuse to back down... then you won't have the energy to work in the afternoons, and you won't be able to finish your work, so your pay will be docked.

He paused, his tone laced with warning: "It might only cost a few cents a day, but that adds up to three or four dollars a month! And if you're always dragging the team down, you're dragging the whole group down—in this day and age, who dares to be the 'black sheep'? If your reputation is ruined, how will you ever get by in the factory again?"

Jia Dongxu's face immediately turned ashen.

He knew his master was right.

Could he really be made to bow down and admit his mistake to Sha Zhu? That would be worse than tearing a piece of his flesh out.

Finally, he lowered his head, his voice muffled as if squeezed out from a crack in the ground: "Master... how about... Huairu goes with you?"

"Alright." Yi Zhonghai nodded, his expression softening slightly. "I'll find an opportunity to go to Pigeon City, prepare the apology gifts first, and then have Huairu come to apologize in person."

He took a step closer and lowered his voice even further: "Dongxu, now is not the time to be stubborn."

Sha Zhu is powerful; he's established a firm foothold in the yard and the factory. We can't afford to mess with him.

"Bear with it for now, lie low! Once we're strong enough, we'll have plenty of opportunities to strike back hard!"

This was a method the deaf old lady had secretly taught him, and he believed it wholeheartedly.

After all, he has already started training apprentices in the workshop. He has passed on his fitter skills to a few promising students. In the future, when he has many apprentices, even the workshop director will have to be mindful of his feelings. Since the task is completed by him and his team, who can easily touch him?

"Don't overthink it." Yi Zhonghai patted his shoulder. "Go back and tell your mother to stay away from Sha Zhu lately."

Remember this saying: What goes up must come down.

No matter how popular He Yuzhu is now, he'll eventually stumble and fall.

After saying that, he gave half of the food from his lunchbox to Jia Dongxu.

When he said "Silly Zhu will be unlucky," he wasn't just trying to comfort him.

He never gave up trying to find out the hidden clues the deaf old woman had given him.

To this day, it remains unclear who exactly is close to He Daqing.

Moreover, now that Sha Zhu has become famous in the factory, if he rashly goes to the kitchen to sound him out, he might be discovered by the other party and alert them.

-

[Medical Skill Proficiency +2]

[Medical skill level improved!]

As soon as the system notification finished, a vast ocean of medical knowledge flooded into the depths of He Yuzhu's consciousness once again.

This time, I'm going straight for the maximum level!

Top-tier medical skills, fully unlocked.

At this moment, although he dares not say that he can bring the dead back to life, he has mastered practical and feasible treatment methods for many diseases that are currently diagnosed as terminal.

He also possesses countless secret Chinese medicine formulas; any one of them could be a treasure that would shake the entire Chinese medical community.

With these trump cards alone, starting a medical company in the future would be a piece of cake to dominate the domestic market, and looking towards the East, it would definitely be able to join the ranks of giants.

"The vitality space has expanded again, but it's a pity it hasn't been upgraded yet..." He Yuzhu silently opened the system panel and glanced at the data:

[Host: He Yuzhu]

【Skill】

Cooking Skills (Level 5: 1600000/1600000)

Household chores (Level 5: 800/800)

Russian (Level 5: 800/800)

English (Level 5: 800/800)

Fishing (Level 5: 800/800)

Xingyiquan (Level 5: 800/800)

Carpentry (Level 5: 800/800)

Medical Skill (Level 5: 800/800)

Agronomy (Level 5: 800/800)

[Vitality Space: 400×400×400 cubic meters]

With both skills maxed out, the space increased by two times.

The land is now ridiculously vast. He planted all the medicinal herb seeds he bought from several pharmacies, and they only covered less than a third of the land.

Once this batch of medicinal herbs matures, a simple rub will yield tens of thousands of precious pills.

The benefits of maxing out woodworking skills are truly astonishing.

The wooden statues he carved were so lifelike, as if they were about to speak at any moment.

Especially the bust of the leader—the very edge of the blade revealed his spirit, and the imposing presence between his brows made Old Wang's hands tremble as he held it.

"This...this can't be sold!" Old Wang's face turned pale with fright. He carefully stuffed the statue back into his hands. "This sculpture is too lifelike! Holding it in my hand is like standing in front of a real person. How could I dare to take money from it? Wouldn't that shorten my lifespan?!"

He Yuzhu stared at the wooden carving in his hand for a long time, and the same thought came to his mind—if this thing is carved any longer, something bad will happen sooner or later.

He immediately put down his carving knife and never touched portraits of leaders again. Instead, he carved landscapes, pavilions, and small wooden guns for children to play with.

But he had no intention of selling these things cheaply.

Apart from the few items ordered by the foreign bureau, he had Lao Wang triple the price for the rest. Anything less than two yuan? No way.

His carpentry skills are at the highest level, and that's no exaggeration; calling him a master carpenter wouldn't be an exaggeration.

With a casual shave or chisel, the objects that emerge are imbued with a spiritual quality. Those who know their stuff are captivated by them, while even those who don't can't help but hold them in their hands, turning them over and over to examine them, finding them increasingly exquisite.

If it weren't for the fear of being too conspicuous and being reported for "speculation and profiteering," He Yuzhu would really like to let Old Wang directly mark up a wood carving to five or ten yuan!

Now, Old Wang's stall has almost become the focus of Panjiayuan.

Several times, people secretly inquired, "Which master does this old man endorse? How come he releases new items every day, each piece like a work of art?"

Old Wang was terrified and only dared to set up his stall in the morning. As soon as it got dark, he would disappear faster than a rabbit.

These days are nothing like peaceful and prosperous times. Going to the pigeon market at night? That's asking for trouble.

In the dark, you might be targeted by someone who could steal your money or even beat you up.

Why was Jia Dongxu so unwilling to go? First, it was expensive; second, it was dangerous.

Every time, he had to drag Yi Zhonghai along; the two of them together were the only ones who dared to enter the market, and even that wasn't enough to give them courage.

Four wooden carvings, for eleven yuan.

This was carved by He Yuzhu in his spare time, using only one yuan's worth of wood and three mao's worth of paint, costing less than two mao.

If he really decided to quit his job and stay home carving for twelve hours a day, he could easily earn sixty or seventy yuan a day.

Old Wang felt his hands tremble as he held the four or five yuan he received.

He did nothing but run errands, and he earned more than half of his monthly salary! His conscience bothered him, and he kept wondering about the money.

He wanted to take it back, but He Yuzhu raised an eyelid and said, "If you don't want it, just throw it on the street."

Left with no other choice, Old Wang had to work himself to the bone to do odd jobs for He Yuzhu, boiling water, sweeping the floor, buying cigarettes and alcohol—he did everything he could.

Now, if He Yuzhu wants a sip of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), he doesn't need to go out. He just needs to call out, "Old Wang's kid," and the boy will come bounding over, beaming with joy.

"Next... it's time to learn a different style of boxing. I need to go see Master Zhang again..."

Just as I was pondering this, there was a knock on the door.

He Yuzhu snapped out of his daze, got up, and went to open the door.

The moment the door opened, his face darkened.

Standing outside the door were the two people he least wanted to see—Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu.

"What is it?" His tone was as cold as a north wind in the dead of winter, and he didn't even move aside.

"Zhu Zi, can... we go in and talk?" Qin Huairu asked softly, her voice so gentle it was almost dripping with water.

This time she was smarter; instead of calling him "Silly Pillar," she called him "Pillar," and her face looked even more pitiful, with slightly red eyes, as if she was about to cry at any moment.

"Speak your mind, I'm busy." He Yuzhu stood motionless at the door, his face clearly saying, "Don't bother me."

He had absolutely no desire to have anything to do with these two people, let alone invite them into his house.

Upon seeing this attitude, Yi Zhonghai's anger flared up instantly.

But knowing that the purpose of this trip was to apologize, I could only grit my teeth and bear it.

He knew that Qin Huairu had to handle this matter—if he opened his mouth, it would likely lead to a huge argument, and Jia Dongxu would be the one who suffered in the end.

"Zhu Zi, we've come here sincerely to admit our mistake," Qin Huairu pleaded in a pitiful voice. "It's inconvenient to talk at the door, just let us in. It's just a matter of a word, it'll be over soon."

He Yuzhu narrowed his eyes, remained silent for two seconds, and then stepped aside to make way for him: "One minute."

If you're not finished, get lost.

"You!" Yi Zhonghai almost jumped up, his face turning ashen instantly.

How could a senior like him be told to "get lost" to his face by a junior?!

Qin Huairu reacted quickly, grabbing his sleeve and urging him urgently with her eyes: Hold back! Don't ruin things!

The two entered the house, and before they could even stand properly, Qin Huairu suddenly tried to kneel down.

He Yuzhu's eyes flashed sharply: "What are you doing?"