Courtyard House: I'm an engineer, and a fairy godmother transferred me to a different position.

Sha Zhu's face instantly turned purplish-red: "Xu Damao! You can't utter a single human word from your dog mouth!"

"You little brat! Stop with your sarcastic remarks!" he retorted, sticking out his neck. "And what makes you think you can do anything? After all these years of marriage, have you even laid half an egg?!"

"Lou Xiao'e and I were just too lazy to have children!"

"He's still better than some guys who can't even get close to a wife and just hang around the widows in the yard all day!"

Seeing him jumping up and down, Xu Damao laughed even harder.

So he simply sat down on the millstone.

He counted on his fingers, "You dare compare yourself to Yan Jiecheng?"

"What is the significance of Hongxing Factory now? It's the top earner of foreign exchange! In addition to monthly wages, there are subsidies and benefits."

"The newly promoted staff are getting treatment that's no less than yours, an eighth-grade cook."

"Others can still get promoted, but what about you? Have you even been moved up a rank?"

He changed the subject...

His eyes glanced in the direction of Qin Huairu's house:

"Every day you carry that tattered aluminum box, wagging your tail like you're sneaking into people's rooms. Who in the whole compound doesn't know what you're up to?"

"The neighborhood committee has good girls; if they don't rush to introduce them to Yan Jiecheng first, are they going to push them onto you and ruin their own reputation?"

These words hit a nerve.

Sha Zhu's arrogance immediately diminished.

Xu Damao was telling the whole truth—the unspoken understanding between him and Qin Huairu had long been exposed by the gaze of the entire hospital.

This is precisely why matchmakers avoid him.

Sha Zhu's face turned red, and he clenched his fists before charging forward.

"Xu Damao! If I don't tear your mouth apart today, I'll change my surname to yours!"

At the base of the central courtyard wall,

Liu Guangqi gently pulled his wife, Zhao Mengyun, back a little to prevent her from getting covered in dust.

The play before us,

Minor quarrels every three days and major disturbances every five days have long been an unchanging part of the entertainment in the courtyard.

These back-and-forth arguments,

It is a microcosm of this world.

No matter what, no one will die.

Let them do whatever they want.

"puff……"

Unable to suppress her laughter, Zhao Mengyun leaned close to her husband's ear, her shoulders trembling slightly:

"Xu Damao may have a sharp tongue, but every word he says makes sense."

A faint smile appeared in Liu Guangqi's eyes.

He nodded slightly.

In terms of understanding the ways of the world, Xu Damao, though a dishonest person, was one of the few clear-headed people in the compound.

He always gets straight to the point—

Sha Zhu's problem has never been about conditions.

The head chef at Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill earns a generous salary and enjoys a good income; he can support himself and his family without worry. This kind of life wouldn't be bad anywhere else.

The only problem is his reputation:

He has a short temper and explodes easily, throwing punches and slamming chairs every few days;

Not to mention the constant gossip in the courtyard, which had long since cemented his place in those ambiguous rumors.

Which respectable family's daughter would willingly jump into such a dangerous place? Now let's look at Yan Jiecheng's side.

In terms of qualifications, he was indeed inferior to Sha Zhu.

But the advantages he possessed were precisely those that Sha Zhu couldn't find. He had a stable job at the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, and he didn't have those messy, troublesome affairs. Comparing the two, any sensible matchmaker would naturally know which one to introduce the good girl to.

In the front yard, Third Uncle Yan Bugui was pacing back and forth in front of the door, hands behind his back, but his ears were already stretched out. Xu Damao's words drifted into his ears, and the barely suppressed smugness on his lips almost reached his temples. Wasn't this like someone handing you a pillow when you're about to doze off? Xu Damao was ostensibly stepping on Sha Zhu, but secretly it seemed like he was supporting his son Yan Jiecheng, even elevating his own status. If the young lady who was coming to visit later heard this, how dignified and glorious it would be!

Good, very good! Xu Damao, you're quite the talker, so say a few more words! When we have a hospital-wide meeting tomorrow, your third uncle will definitely be on your side and make sure Shazhu pays extra for his medicine.

"Bang!"

A muffled thud suddenly rang out, followed by Xu Damao's painful howl, clearly indicating he had taken a solid hit. Yan Bugui's smile froze instantly, and his eyelids twitched. These two burly men really didn't hold back. He quickly cleared his throat and shouted loudly into the house:

"Jiecheng! Wipe those benches in the yard twice with a damp cloth from top to bottom, making sure every nook and cranny is clean! The girl will be here in no time, so don't let anyone find fault with them."

Liu Guangqi watched from the side and couldn't help but chuckle. He hadn't expected to witness such a spectacle on his weekend return to the courtyard house. He wondered what the Fang family's expressions would be when they entered and found this chaotic scene. The couple exchanged a glance, then turned and headed towards their own home in the backyard, not wanting to watch the farce any longer.

Just as he stepped through the moon gate leading to the backyard, Xu Damao's unrestrained cursing still faintly echoed from behind, his voice distorted and hoarse:

"You idiot Zhu! Go ahead and kill me today if you dare! Let me tell you, even if you do kill me, your reputation will be ruined! When it comes to finding a wife in this courtyard, you're no match for Yan Jiecheng! You're just a cook who hangs around widows' houses!"

Those words were truly hurtful. But today's gossip was quite interesting to watch.

……

Old Liu's house in the backyard.

Ruixue and Fengnian, the two little ones, were pushing their walkers, leaving crooked tracks on the brick floor of the yard. As soon as they saw Liu Guangqi and Zhao Mengyun, the two little ones immediately let go of the walker, stretched out their short arms, and wobbled over.

"dad!"

Little Ruixue buried her face in Liu Guangqi's arms, wrinkled her little nose, and complained in a childish voice, "It's so noisy outside."

Liu Guangqi picked up his daughter and gently lifted her, kissing her soft cheek. He said tenderly, "Don't be afraid, we won't go out." Then, as if by magic, he pulled a small wooden contraption from behind his back—an exquisitely crafted toy train, with turning wheels, connected carriages, and even a lifelike chimney. This wasn't an ordinary item available in the market; he had drawn the blueprints himself and commissioned a master craftsman in the general affairs department to make it. The blueprints were merely a pastime Liu Guangqi sketched with his wife and children in his spare time, but in those days, its exquisite craftsmanship was enough to make all the children in the orphanage envious to the point of tears.

Afterwards, the couple played with their two children in the backyard, their laughter keeping the noise from the front yard far away.

Not long after, before the smoke from the coal stove in the front yard had dissipated, a loud voice shattered the tranquility of the yard:

"Hey, we're here!"

The matchmaker led a young woman into the courtyard. The woman wore a floral blouse, her two braids neatly styled, and her features were delicate and pretty. While not exceptionally beautiful, she was dignified and poised—a common sight in those days. This matchmaker was none other than Wang, the matchmaker who had previously arranged Liu Guangqi's marriage. The young woman following behind her was Yu Li.

Yu Li walked slowly, her eyes subtly scanning her surroundings with a shy yet poised demeanor typical of young women. Then, her gaze was immediately drawn to the Volga parked in front of the gate—its gleaming exterior and the guard standing ramrod straight beside it, making it a striking figure in the courtyard filled with old bricks and tiles.

The matchmaker was stunned and didn't move for a long time.

As Aunt Yang Ruihua stepped out of her house carrying an enamel tray full of melon seeds and peanuts, her neighbor grabbed her arm. The neighbor leaned close to her ear, her voice low but betraying a barely concealed astonishment: "Jiecheng's mother, did someone important come to your courtyard today? Look at that car parked outside, it's not something an ordinary family would see!"

Yang Ruihua immediately put on a smile, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothing out: "Come inside and talk! It's the weekend, and Guangqi from the backyard just happened to be home." She spoke lightly, neither ostentatious nor overly concerned with the importance of the visitor. Standing to the side, Yan Bugui unconsciously straightened his half-new jacket, his gaze secretly sweeping over the matchmaker, his mind already racing with calculations.

The group entered the house and had just sat down at the square table when the matchmaker picked up a melon seed and began to chatter like a floodgate opening: "Oh, so it's Guangqi back! Speaking of him, I actually played matchmaker for him." As she spoke, her eyes drifted almost imperceptibly towards Yu Li, her tone carrying the wistful sentimentality of someone with experience: "Unfortunately, the timing wasn't right. Later, that girl always talked about it whenever she saw me, saying she regretted it terribly—and guess what? The guy she ended up dating was from a family of officials working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs! Now Guangqi himself holds an important position in a ministry, and his future looks very bright."

The matchmaker became increasingly animated, and Yu Li's hand holding the teacup paused slightly, causing tiny ripples to spread across the clear yellow tea. Her eyes were lowered, and a subtle, inexplicable turmoil stirred within her. Before coming, she had vaguely heard that a promising young man had emerged from this courtyard, but she hadn't expected him to be the same age as Yan Jiecheng. He had gone directly into a ministry after graduating from university and was now in a position many looked up to. This made her involuntarily lift her eyelashes and glance lightly towards the backyard outside the gate.

"His story was in the newspaper the other day, it took up a whole page! They said he was the chief technical officer." The matchmaker said excitedly, "He's about the same age as Yan Jiecheng, tsk tsk, sometimes you really can't compare people."

These words were like a tiny thorn, gently pricking Yu Li's heart. The same age as Yan Jiecheng… a leader in a ministry… the chief technical officer… with such qualifications, why hadn't the opportunity fallen into her lap back then? A few thoughts raced through her mind. Although she was young then, it wasn't impossible to negotiate… These days, why are there so many age-related restrictions? What a wonderful marriage, how could it have slipped away like sand through her fingers?

She immediately cut off those drifting thoughts; he was already married and settled, so thinking about it further was pointless. When her gaze returned to Yan Jiecheng sitting opposite her, it became a more concrete assessment.

Yan Bugui, standing to the side, listened to the matchmaker's endless praise of Liu Guangqi, his face stiffening. Today was clearly his son's blind date; while praising the woman from the backyard was a source of pride for the neighborhood, the matchmaker couldn't completely forget who the real protagonist was. He quickly cleared his throat and took over: "Guangqi is indeed the pride of our neighborhood. Our Jiecheng got into the Hongxing Factory because of this role model in the neighborhood. He has good benefits at the factory, and he'll definitely have a bright future."

Yu Li nodded slightly, picked up her teacup, and took a small sip. The thin layer of shyness on her face faded somewhat, replaced by more practical considerations. Since the best one was no longer an option, finding someone who lived in the same courtyard as him, someone he might benefit from in the future, seemed like a more prudent choice.

At this moment, Liu Guangqi in the backyard was completely unaware that although he had not appeared in the front yard, he had already become an invisible measure in this blind date. Especially among the matchmakers in this neighborhood, his name had long become the most weighty topic of conversation—when any girl was hesitant, the first thing they would think of was the past between Fang Lili and Liu Guangqi.

Inside the Yan family's house in the front yard, the atmosphere was subtly tense.

Yan Jiecheng sat upright in the chair, rubbing his hands on his knees, looking extremely uncomfortable. He looked at Yu Li in front of him, feeling satisfied, but his tongue seemed tied, and he couldn't find a suitable word to say for a long time.

Yan Bugui and the Third Aunt were much more experienced, with polite smiles on their faces, chatting back and forth with Matchmaker Wang, keeping the situation under control.

Is this excessive? Not at all. This is how it is in ordinary families when they go on blind dates.

"Oh, right," Yan Jiecheng suddenly remembered something, his voice rising slightly with a hint of barely perceptible urgency, "I became a permanent employee last month. Our workshop foreman said I'm young and have some education, so as long as I work hard, I'll be transferred to the CNC operation workshop to learn technical skills... the chances are pretty good."

Sure enough, Yu Li's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this.

What does it mean to master a skill these days?

That was the most eye-catching one among the iron rice bowls, much more respectable than that of ordinary workers.

Her tone became noticeably warmer.

Leaning slightly forward, she asked softly, "Is the workload usually heavy at your factory? Do you often need to work overtime?"

That's a very important question.

Yan Jiecheng was overjoyed and quickly replied, "Heavy! How could it not be heavy?"

"But we're busy with important business, something that's crucial for the country to earn foreign exchange! We get extra pay for overtime, unlike some factories where you work for nothing."

He spoke more and more fluently as he spoke.