Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"That idiot Zhu deserves to be a bachelor his whole life, destined to have no descendants!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jia Dongxu sensed that something was wrong—Yi Zhonghai's face darkened and his brows furrowed.

His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly realized: Oh no! His master was an old widower with no children, and the word "without heirs" hit him hard!

He immediately raised his glass in apology: "Master! I was a bit tipsy and rambled on a little, please don't take it to heart! A teacher for a day is a father for life, and you still have me. I will treat you with the same filial piety as a son!"

Yi Zhonghai's expression softened, he snorted and picked up his wine bowl: "Alright, that sounds nice."

"Come on, Dongxu, it's all in this bowl."

The two clinked bowls together, drank more and more, and their words became increasingly pointed.

Yi Zhonghai finally couldn't hold back any longer, slamming his fist on the table and complaining, "Why wasn't I chosen for the machine tool improvement group? I'm a level seven fitter! Zhang Wenliang is only level six, are they blind?"

Jia Dongxu nodded vigorously from the side, fanning the flames: "Exactly! Everyone knows your skills, Master. It's obvious someone is deliberately trying to suppress you!"

After the party ended and everyone left, Jia Dongxu staggered drunkenly back to his apartment across the hall, collapsing onto the bed without even taking off his shoes.

Qin Huairu nagged as she helped him undress. He turned over and immediately started snoring.

It wasn't until I got up the next morning that I suddenly remembered the wicked plan from the night before.

As soon as he entered the door, he shouted into the kitchen, "Mom! We can use that trick we used on Sha Zhu now!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi slapped her thigh, her eyes lighting up: "Oh! We should have done this a long time ago! This is something Mom is best at! Don't worry, that little bastard Shazhu will never get married in this lifetime; he's destined to be a wandering ghost!"

As she spoke, she abruptly turned her head and glared at Qin Huairu, her eyes like knives: "Huairu, you need to get moving too! Back when you first married into this family, wasn't Shazhu always staring at you? His eyes were glued to you, he couldn't take them off!"

Qin Huairu frowned immediately, her heart clenching: "Mom, that was so many years ago... Now people are so proper, they don't even give me a second glance, what am I supposed to say?"

"Why can't we say it?" Madam Jia's voice rose. "He's not blind. Didn't he see you back then? We didn't make up any lies! Just tell the truth, say that he was shifty-eyed and had a wicked heart back then! Besides, you're a daughter-in-law of the Jia family. Think clearly and stop always taking the side of outsiders!"

"Mom! What you said is so hurtful..."

Qin Huairu blushed with anxiety and turned to look at Jia Dongxu, hoping he would say something fair.

To everyone's surprise, he also said coldly, "Huai Ru, it's just a short time. Just ruin Sha Zhu's reputation."

I'll buy you meat later to help you recover.

After saying that, he picked up the lunchbox, turned around and left, leaving Qin Huairu standing there, feeling as if a stone was pressing on her heart.

How could Jia Dongxu and Jia Zhangshi let such a trivial matter go unchallenged? Even if Qin Huairu was unwilling, they had to force her to speak—once you enter the Jia family, you have to listen to the Jia family!

The No. 3 steel rolling mill was filled with the roar of machinery.

Yi Zhonghai worked silently for a long time, but the thorn in his heart only grew deeper and deeper.

Finally, he put down his tools and went straight to the workshop director's office.

"Director, I have a question—why wasn't I included in the machine tool improvement group? My technical grade is one level higher than Zhang Wenliang's, that's obvious!"

The director glanced at him and sighed, "Old Yi, you really shouldn't be so unconvinced."

Zhang Wenliang went to listen to the senior engineer's lectures every night, but you? You never went.

"I can't go!" Yi Zhonghai exclaimed anxiously. "There's an elderly woman in the courtyard who lives on government assistance; I have to go back and take care of her!"

"But all the key content is covered in class! If you don't listen in class, how will you get started in the group? Are you expecting someone to teach you from scratch?" The director shook his head. "Besides, it's a good thing to go home and take care of your parents. Don't get stuck on this."

He patted him on the shoulder, turned around, and left.

Yi Zhonghai stood there, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, his pent-up frustration finding no outlet.

A week passed quickly, and He Yuzhu was still as energetic as ever at the factory, with everyone vying to curry favor with him.

Sharif shamelessly came over for a free meal again over the weekend: "Brother Zhu, can you take me to your house for dinner?"

He Yuzhu rolled her eyes at him: "Get lost! I'm going to the Lou family to cook. What's the point of bringing you along, you polar bear?"

Seeing his disappointed look, I couldn't bear it and casually named a few restaurants: "Donglaishun, Quanjude, Fengzeyuan, take your pick, the taste is alright."

"You did a much better job than them..." Sharif muttered.

"Then I can't take you there!" He Yuzhu said, and strode away.

His silhouette was dashing, his steps firm.

He had no idea that a chilling wind was quietly sweeping towards his name.

Early one weekend morning, just as dawn was breaking, He Yuzhu quietly settled He Yushui down, mounted his old-fashioned bicycle, and rode off towards Lou Bancheng's house, the wheels rolling over the bluestone road shrouded in morning mist.

Tan Family Cuisine emphasizes "freshness" above all else; even a slight difference in cooking time can drastically alter the flavor.

Fortunately, Lou Bancheng's wife was also a legitimate descendant of the Tan family, and she had already soaked and prepared the sea cucumber, shark fin, and abalone perfectly, saving him the trouble of guarding the stove all night—otherwise, he really would have had to move in a day earlier.

The car had just come to a stop when the door opened.

Lou Bancheng himself opened the door, dressed in a plain Tang suit with a smile on his face, but the room was unusually quiet, without even a sound of footsteps.

"I've settled all the servants' accounts and sent them away." He said as he led the way, "Zhu Zi, I've been thinking about what you said last time for a long time."

The Lou family needs to make some changes.

He Yuzhu paused, a hint of respect flashing in his eyes: "Chairman Lou, this is called a brave man cutting off his own arm; your courage is extraordinary."

"You've enlightened me." Lou Bancheng patted his shoulder, his tone sincere. "Come on, let's go check the kitchen first."

I'll find you a helper later.

He called himself a "helper," but he had other plans in mind.

A few days ago, I quietly asked my daughter what she thought of He Yuzhu. The girl blushed and said "It's alright," which I took as tacit approval.

Today's meal of Tan family cuisine is both a test of culinary skills and a test of fate.

The kitchen was spacious and bright, with a row of porcelain basins neatly arranged, filled with top-quality dried goods that had been soaked: the yellow lip glue was as clear as amber, the skirt was thick and elastic, and the shark fins were clearly separated, with no fishy smell at all.

He Yuzhu bent down to inspect them one by one, and couldn't help but exclaim, "They're all top-quality goods, and the brewing process is absolutely exquisite! Half the credit should go to Madam Lou."

"Haha, you can say that when you see her later." Lou Bancheng smiled without saying anything, then took a delicate pastry box from He Yuzhu's hand. "These are Hong Kong-style dim sum, I just brought them along. Please have some with your wife."

"Just leave it here, I'll have someone come and get it later." Lou Bancheng said this, but he glanced towards the kitchen out of the corner of his eye—it wasn't about having someone come and get it, it was clearly about leaving it for someone to enjoy alone.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, he tactfully made his exit.

Without anyone to disturb him, He Yuzhu immediately got into the zone.

Tan family cuisine avoids fancy seasonings and emphasizes the original flavor. Success or failure depends entirely on the initial preparation and control of heat.

He rolled up his sleeves, and with a flash of the knife, the ingredients turned into snowflakes on the cutting board.

While I was busy working, the kitchen door creaked open.

A slender figure peeked in halfway, her hair slightly disheveled, her eyes shining like stars fallen to earth.

"Oh, Miss Lou?" He Yuzhu didn't even look up, but a smile appeared on his lips. "You're here for the pastries, right? The box is over there. Give me your feedback after you've finished."

The girl in front of me is Lou Xiao'e.

At the age of fifteen or sixteen, her delicate features revealed a charming innocence, and her floral dress made her look as radiant as newly born spring water.

In their past life, they had stumbled and argued in a courtyard house, and even came close to the threshold of marriage.

Now that she's here again, and she's still the same, He Yuzhu can't help but feel a pang of tenderness in his heart.

"Did you really make this?" Lou Xiao'e picked up a piece of egg tart, took a small bite, and the milky aroma exploded on her tongue. "Wow...it smells so good! What's it called?"

"Portuguese egg tarts," He Yuzhu replied, his fingers moving swiftly. A kitchen knife seemed to come alive in his hand, slicing meat into thin strips as thin as hair and slicing it as thin as paper.

Even blindfolded, he can slice a shiitake mushroom into twenty equal thin strips with an error of no more than half a millimeter—that's the confidence behind his masterful knife skills.

Lou Xiao'e was so engrossed in watching that she unknowingly devoured half a box of egg tarts.

She had only been curious and was sneaking a bite, but she couldn't stop eating, and now her cheeks were bulging with crumbs.

"Hey, you can talk while you're cooking?" She finally snapped out of her daze, staring wide-eyed at the fluid knife skills.

"The hands are moving, and the mouth can open too." He Yuzhu chuckled. "Look at how this shark fin is sliced, doesn't it sound like a piece of music? There's a rhythm in every cut."

Sure enough, each strike was incredibly precise, as steady as a metronome, and the whole set of movements had an almost artistic beauty.

The Tan family's dishes for four people were not complicated to begin with, and with his quick and efficient work, all the preparatory work was completed by noon, the pots and pans were warm, and they were ready to be cooked.

Lou Xiao'e finally came to her senses and realized she had eaten somewhat inappropriately, so she quickly rolled up her sleeves: "Let me help you!"

"Oh no, no, no!" He Yuzhu quickly stopped her. "I've already taken care of everything. Are you in such a hurry to start eating?"

"Who's in a hurry!" Her cheeks flushed. "I was just trying to lend a hand... but how come you finished so quickly?"

She looked puzzled. "My dad clearly said you couldn't handle it all by yourself and asked me to come and help."

"Did Chairman Lou send you?" He Yuzhu was taken aback, then quickly realized what was going on.

He prepares exquisite banquets for single tables, and can handle more than a dozen dishes all by himself. Unless it's a large-scale banquet for a hundred people, he doesn't need any help at all.

Moreover, Tan Family Cuisine is a cuisine that emphasizes tradition and details; outsiders interfering will only make things worse.

"So what did your dad say to you?" he asked, feigning composure.

"He said you might be too busy and asked me to come and lend a hand." Lou Xiao'e paused, her voice lowering slightly, "He also said... you brought me some delicious snacks, and they really were... very tasty."

The last few words were barely audible, and the tips of my ears turned red.

He Yuzhu felt a sudden surge of joy, as if a sudden enlightenment had dawned on him.