Courtyard House: In this life, I have a new home!

167

They don't lack manpower.

All he could do was grit his teeth, carry the hundred-plus pounds of meat, and drag his heavy steps home.

It's getting late.

I'm afraid it will be late at night by the time I get home.

The night was as dark as ink, and the mountains and forests were silent.

The sled crunched and groaned as it rolled over the snow.

Because there were injured people lying in the vehicle, the speed of travel had to be slowed down.

After a bumpy ride, the lights of Qinjiazhuang finally came into view around 1 a.m.

Back at his lodgings, Zhou Jimin began distributing supplies.

According to the principle of sharing equally, he kept more than 200 catties of tiger meat for himself.

The remainder was distributed among Qin Dazhu, Jibuchuhe, and others.

After all, he had already taken all three of the most important treasures—the tiger cubs, the tiger skin, and the tiger penis.

Asking for more would be too unreasonable.

After the distribution was completed, Qin Dazhu suddenly pulled Zhou Jimin to a corner with a mysterious expression.

He lowered his voice and asked, "What should we do with the tiger penis?"

Before Zhou Jimin could speak, Qin Dazhu eagerly pulled out his trump card.

"I have a family secret recipe!"

"Not only can it be used to make tiger penis wine, but it can also be used to brew tiger bone wine!"

The former is nourishing; those who know, know.

The latter strengthens the body and protects against all diseases.

This favor is too heavy.

Zhou Jimin secretly admired the other party's generosity and, without saying a word, took out a wad of banknotes from his pocket and handed them over.

Talking about money is the most hurtful thing to do, but it also shows the most sincerity.

Qin Dazhu was a tough nut to crack and refused to accept the money no matter what.

Zhou Jimin didn't stand on ceremony with him. He shoved the other man a few times, then stuffed the generous gift into the doorway. He turned and grabbed Wangcai and the others, and they ran off in a blur.

Inside the courtyard of Anwenzhuang, Zhou Jimin and Jibuchu worked together to carry the unconscious old hunter into the unused room.

The journey was completely silent.

He usually only rested in this house occasionally, but it seemed he was destined to stay here tonight.

Before setting off, he had already written a letter home and asked Wangcai to carry the letter back to Nanjianzi Hutong to let them know he was safe.

Ding Qiunan had a general idea of ​​what was going on, but he still wanted her to know as soon as possible to avoid causing her any worry.

After staying up all night, the old hunter finally opened his eyes, but his limbs were limp and he couldn't move.

Zhou Jimin frowned and simply had Wangcai drive the sled, carrying the two of them on their way home.

Time passed in the wind and snow. After a whole morning and half an afternoon of running around, we finally returned to Nanjianzi Hutong.

As soon as they entered, Ding Qiunan came to greet them, followed by four excited little ones.

After hearing the whole story, Zhou Jimin took out his prey and showed it off.

Amid gasps of surprise, the two complete tiger skins were particularly eye-catching.

If it's dried and hung up, it will definitely command attention.

But Zhou Jimin shook his head and refused.

The living room is bustling with people, and the place is both unlucky and ostentatious.

It would be better to move it deeper into the master bedroom, where it would be more private and appropriate.

Immediately afterwards, the matter of making medicinal liquor was put on the agenda.

All the medicinal herbs were brought out, but the most crucial one, tiger penis, was missing—Na Dong was inside the space, and these children absolutely could not be allowed to see it.

According to the ancient recipe passed down by Qin Dazhu, he was to prepare two large vats of medicinal wine.

To verify this, he planned to conduct a comparative experiment.

One group used common medicinal herbs available on the market, while the other group consisted entirely of spiritual plants nourished by the spring water of the space.

More than ten auxiliary ingredients, including ginseng, chuanxiong, achyranthes, and gastrodia, are all taken from crops irrigated by spiritual springs within the space.

What happens in the outside world in a year can be repeated five or six times in this world.

With daily irrigation from the spiritual spring, the medicinal herbs that have been cultivated for a long time are in no way inferior to wild ginseng that has been cultivated for hundreds of years.

The base liquor, brewed with spiritual rice from the space, is paired with top-grade spiritual herbs, making this tiger bone wine far superior to ordinary products.

As for how much stronger the effect will be, only time will tell.

Meanwhile, the five tiger cubs have settled in the space, their eyes just opening, exuding a captivating aura.

Whenever he had a spare moment, Zhou Jimin would go to the space to tease the cubs and give them basic training.

Once they reach adulthood, they will never be released back into the wild.

Nowadays, with strict regulations, keeping wild animals as pets is a major taboo.

Once the policies loosen in the future, he will then acquire land to build a park and create a wildlife sanctuary, which will be incredibly prestigious at that time.

If funds are plentiful, one could simply fence off a piece of land on the island to specifically raise those wild beasts.

The thought had barely crossed my mind when it was overshadowed by the sense of urgency Zhou Shuqing and her classmates felt about the start of the new school term.

Winter break homework!

These four words are like a mountain, keeping the four little ones so busy they barely have time to breathe.

Even the little goldfish wasn't spared, forced to sit at the desk and study hard.

After autumn, we will send her to school to study formally.

I've been away from work to give birth for almost half a year, but I can't lose my job at the hospital.

However, the child at home needed someone to take care of him, and his mother-in-law, Fang Xiaochun, had just given birth to a baby boy and was in her postpartum period, so she was too busy to take care of him.

What to do when there's no one to help and housework falls apart?

Zhou Jimin quickly came up with a plan and went directly outside the city to invite Huang Xiaohua into the house.

Actually, Fan Zhaodi is more suitable.

She was Zhou Qingxian's wet nurse and was familiar with the Zhou family, with whom she had a close relationship.

However, Fan Zhaodi is a woman with a shy personality, and Zhou Jimin often has to go to Peking University and Hongxing Company, so it is not appropriate for her to stay at home to take care of the children for a long time.

In comparison, Huang Xiaohua has a clear advantage.

Firstly, she is young, about the same age as Zhou Shuqing, so Ding Qiunan feels at ease using her.

Secondly, the Huang family urgently needed this income, much more so than the Fan family.

Thirdly, Huang Xiaohua is quick and efficient, never dawdles when working, and even takes the initiative to take on tasks, so the employer doesn't have to worry about her at all.

Most importantly, she could also bring her two younger sisters, Pandi and Laidi, so that the little goldfish would have some company.

This achieves multiple goals at once, and everyone is happy.

Huang Xiaohua agreed without hesitation after hearing this.

Her younger sister, Huang Zhaodi, is fourteen years old, an age where she can help out, so there's no need to worry about household affairs.

However, Huang Xiaohua made a request: she didn't want a full salary, just enough to eat.

How could Zhou Jimin agree to such a losing deal?

He insisted on paying her a monthly salary of eighteen yuan, but Huang Xiaohua refused no matter what.

In the end, the two compromised and agreed on a monthly salary of five yuan, plus room and board.

The matter was settled.

As Huang Xiaohua moved into the compound with her two younger sisters, the once empty and desolate place suddenly became more lively and bustling.

Only now did this huge courtyard truly feel like a "home".

It looks like that.

Not long after the children started school, Zhou Jimin received a call from the high-ranking leader, Lao Lin.

This concerns the previously submitted technical improvement proposals for rice cookers and other home appliances.

Old Lin's meaning was clear: he wanted him to serve as the deputy factory director, with full authority over technology and production.

This position is nominally a deputy position, but in reality, it involves overseeing the core business; isn't that just being the factory manager?

Zhou Jimin knew perfectly well what was going on and politely declined on the spot.

Technical issues can be consulted, but it's off-limits to people seeking official positions or cadres.

The nail that sticks out gets hammered down; it's too easy to become the target of everyone's criticism.

Thinking back to his father in his previous life, he was a college graduate who transitioned to civilian life and naturally became a cadre. It seemed glamorous, but in reality, every step he took was fraught with danger.

In the spring of 1960, the atmosphere at Peking University was warm and pleasant.

In the mailroom of the mathematics department building, the letter bearing a foreign postmark was casually placed in a corner by the old postman.

Such letters from overseas are not uncommon at Peking University.

Strangely, several days passed and no one claimed it.

Duan Xuefu stopped abruptly as he passed by, his gaze sweeping over the recipient's section.

"Root number seventeen"

?

This pen name... Zhou Jimin?

His heart skipped a beat, but he calmly pulled the document away and turned to go into his office.

At that moment, Zhou Jimin, who was serving as secretary, was hiding at home, suffering from a splitting headache.

Sitting across from me was Xu Mei, her eyes red and swollen, tears streaming down her face.

The reason was so absurd it was outrageous—she had been promoted in name only and had come specifically to have him back her up.

Even more outrageous, Xu Mei insisted that the two had been intimate, forcing him to comply.

Zhou Jimin wanted to refute, but he was speechless.

That night, Xu Mei was drunk. Although he didn't cross any lines, he did touch her, and the places where his fingertips lingered were already extremely ambiguous.

With irrefutable evidence, this loss was both frustrating and frustrating.

Since that night, he has avoided her like the plague.

Even last month, at the full moon celebration for Sleepyhead and Little One, he deliberately avoided them, for fear of getting entangled with them again.

The reason Xu Mei was crying about at that moment was actually quite simple.

Former leader Lao Yang was promoted and left Hongxing Company.

The new top leader is not Old Zhao, but Zhu Wenjun, who was parachuted in.

The new official's first act was to target Xu Mei.

It was nominally a promotion, and he was given the title of Director of the Group's Secretariat Office.

It sounds like a high-ranking and powerful position, but it's actually a trap.

Although the position is a step above the finance department head and involves dealing with senior executives of the branch offices, the salary hasn't increased much, but the work is so varied it's suffocating.

It's all trivial matters, ostensibly for developing skills, but really just for watching a joke.

Xu Mei had never been involved in this kind of administrative work before, and now she was even more overwhelmed and stressed.

Looking back, when Lao Yang was in power, he had a keen eye for talent and appointed people based on merit.

With her outstanding professional skills, Xu Mei rose to the position of head of the finance department at a young age.

Who would have thought that with a new owner, the situation would become so chaotic?

Zhu Wenjun is incredibly fast.

He had barely stepped into the Red Star Group and hadn't even settled in when he rushed to place his cronies in key positions.

Xu Mei's financial power was instantly stripped away.

The title of Finance Director does sound more prestigious than Section Chief, and it's also a higher rank.

But this glory has absolutely nothing to do with Xu Mei now.

After Xu Mei finished recounting her ordeal, her eyes were full of expectation.

Zhou Jimin could only shake his head with a wry smile.

He rarely even enters the Red Star Company now, so where does he get the confidence to challenge the top leader?

Not to mention changing the minds of those top leaders.

"No, you have a way."

Xu Mei's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable certainty.

"With all the contributions you've made to the steel mill, who would dare stop you?"

Zhou Jimin's face instantly darkened like the bottom of a pot.

"Xu Mei, are you delirious from the fever?"

He lowered his voice, his tone chilling, "If I really did that, what would the higher-ups think of me?"

Using his status as a meritorious official to blackmail his superiors?

This is a blatant disregard for discipline!

That's suicide!

He's not the kind of hot-blooded, impulsive young man who does foolish things on a whim.

If that were the case, Xu Mei would have devoured him completely back in 1958, leaving not even bones behind.

It's absolutely true that everyone is shrewd and calculating.

Seeing Zhou Jimin's ashen face, Xu Mei knew that forcing the issue wouldn't work.

She immediately put on a pitiful look, and tears welled up in her eyes.

That affected and coquettish manner really does have a bit of the shadow of Qin Huairu back then.

The thought of that face made Zhou Jimin feel even more choked up.

"Alright, shut up."

Zhou Jimin interrupted her performance, his voice cold, "Want to go back to the finance department? No way."

Xu Mei was stunned.

She wanted to ask why, but her intuition told her that Zhou Jimin had a backup plan.

She stared intently at the other person, her eyes wide, waiting for what they would say next.

The one who tied the knot must untie it.