"Uncle, please stop stirring up trouble. I'm just a cook. I'm very grateful that the leadership likes my food, but if I were to rely on that to secure a position, it would weigh heavily on my conscience," He Yuzhu said solemnly.
"Besides, I've thought about it. The Steel Mill is mostly men, and the work is exhausting. Yushui will have an easier time at the textile mill."
"That's true!" Everyone chimed in, agreeing with He Yuzhu while they ate.
He Yushui did not object; the textile mill was already one of her options, and quite a few of her classmates worked there anyway. Besides, she still had half a semester left before graduation, so there was no need to rush into a decision.
At the dinner table, an older woman tried to matchmake He Yuzhu and Lou Xiaoe, but she was stopped by an older man. Lou Xiaoe had originally been set up on a blind date with Xu Damao, and if word got out, it wouldn't sound good.
He Yuzhu was in no hurry to decide. He hadn't figured out yet who he should choose as a wife, and he was caught in a dilemma.
After finishing the meal, He Yuzhu walked Lou Xiaoe back.
When they reached the entrance, He Yuzhu saw the bicycle Lou Xiaoe was riding, and his heart skipped a beat. In this era, a bicycle was as rare as a modern supercar. A car was out of the question, nor was it necessary—he wouldn't be traveling far anyway, and having a bicycle was more than enough. Besides, He Yuzhu had always admired the scenes in old movies where the male lead rode a bicycle with the female lead embracing his waist, pressing her face against his back when they felt close. Just thinking about it was wonderful.
Of course, cars had their conveniences, but right now, buying a car was completely unrealistic. Therefore, a bicycle was the only reliable option.
However, although He Yuzhu wasn't short on money, buying a bicycle was still rather difficult, primarily because he lacked industrial coupons. This year was better, but last year every commodity required its own specific rationing ticket. In this era of material scarcity, buying anything required all kinds of coupons, down to the last bar of soap. Even with the economy improving, goods remained scarce, and only those holding the corresponding coupons could make a purchase.
Recently, the Steel Mill had started issuing industrial coupons based on wages, which gave He Yuzhu hope. He calculated that with his monthly income and a few months of frugality, he would be able to save enough industrial coupons to buy a bicycle. With a bicycle, his leisure activities would become much more varied, such as going to the movies, fishing, or seeing a play.
However, having grown accustomed to modern nightlife, he still struggled to adapt to the early bedtime of this era. To pass the time, he had instead developed a reading habit, and with the help of the System's duplication function, he had gradually become somewhat of a well-read scholar.
After seeing Lou Xiaoe off, He Yuzhu headed to Beihai Park for a stroll. It was only a twenty-minute walk from the Siheyuan to the park, about the same distance as going to work at the factory. Usually after dinner, he often came here to run and work out, occasionally practicing his martial arts alone.
At the east end of Nanluoguxiang lived an elderly martial arts master who excelled in the fierce Baji Quan. By treating the old man to meals, He Yuzhu had smoothly learned the art. At first, he was only at the intermediate silver level, but after half a year of effort and the investment of skill points, he had now reached advanced silver.
This was thanks to people having more free time in that era, and he was happy to use it for reading and practicing martial arts. Persisting with his running had made his physique stronger and stronger. In the past, He Yuzhu's appearance had been completely ordinary, but now it was entirely different. Without realizing it, his height had increased by five centimeters to one meter seventy-eight, his skin had become smoother and more refined, and even the shape of his face had changed. Because of this, when Lou Xiaoe caught sight of his profile today, she couldn't help feeling a flicker of admiration.He Yuzhu had, of course, never truly engaged in a real fight, and to this day, he remained unsure of just how effective his martial arts skills were. At times, he even wished to encounter someone bold enough to challenge him, just so he could put his skills to the test. Xu Damao often tried to square off against him, but he had been no match for He Yuzhu in the past, and these days, he was even less of a threat. He Yuzhu simply treated him as a source of amusement, never taking him seriously.
Walking leisurely along the way, He Yuzhu soon arrived at Beihai Park. In those days, there was no custom of selling tickets, and the park was open for anyone to enter freely. While there were staff members on duty during the day, they were merely volunteers sent by the neighborhood office. Wearing red armbands, they patrolled mainly to prevent vandalism or littering. People generally possessed a high sense of civic duty back then, and with their limited ability to create waste, the park remained perpetually clean and tidy.
As one of the oldest imperial gardens, Beihai Park was exceptionally well-preserved, having survived through the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties without suffering any significant damage. He Yuzhu loved Beihai Park not only for its beautiful surroundings but also because of the many fond memories he held of visiting it. Each time he came, he felt something unique. Over time, he stopped seeking out specific landmarks and instead preferred to stroll along the east and north shores. When he grew tired, he would rest at the Huafang Studio, Jingxin Studio, or the Five-Dragon Pavilions to flip through a book. Since it was unwise to exercise right after a meal, he chose to walk slowly, occasionally pausing to toss pebbles and tease the wild ducks and fish in the water.
There were anglers here, though the neighborhood staff did not interfere too strictly. He Yuzhu had no desire to disrupt the natural ecosystem; even though he owned fishing gear, he never fished here. He planned to buy a bicycle and head to a more distant river for fishing once he had the chance. Suddenly, he found himself missing the QQ groups of his past, when everyone would agree to go fishing on weekends—those were days worth remembering.
While resting at Jingxin Studio, he casually opened a book, occasionally glancing up at the pavilion across the way. A few days ago, he had noticed a pretty young woman who also frequently came here to read. It was usually around dusk, when the setting sun bathed her in light, casting a charming silhouette. Since the first time he saw that silhouette, He Yuzhu had rarely chosen to rest anywhere else. No matter how tired he was, he insisted on walking to Jingxin Studio, if only for a glimpse of that outline. Once, he had purposely moved closer and noticed she was reading *Les Misérables*. Having read it himself, he felt they shared a common language, but, to his regret, she had taken absolutely no notice of him.
The girl did not seem to appear today, but He Yuzhu felt no disappointment. Hummed a little tune, he slowly began his walk home.
Meanwhile, taking advantage of He Yuzhu’s absence, Qin Huairu slipped into his house. She sensed that the situation was turning grim; the arrival of Lou Xiaoe had left her feeling immense pressure. Although Lou Xiaoe was just as beautiful as she was, Lou Xiaoe was younger, had attended university, and her experience studying abroad gave her an air of refinement that far exceeded that of the ordinary women in the Siheyuan. Qin Huairu was unwilling to let go of He Yuzhu, her long-term meal ticket, even though he had already grown somewhat distant toward her before Lou Xiaoe had even arrived.Qin Huairu believed this was because she had always kept him on a string, never giving him a taste of sweetness or a glimmer of hope. She planned that if it truly became necessary, she could offer him a small favor, but never too much, lest he lose interest. Before resorting to that, however, she had other methods she had yet to try.
Qin Huairu and Shazhu had clashed before. Whenever she went to He Yushui to vent her grievances, He Yushui would scold Shazhu for bullying a defenseless widow and her children. Afterward, Shazhu would usually come to apologize and continue his daily routine of bringing them food.
One day, Qin Huairu brought out a new shirt, claiming it was for He Yushui. He Yushui was deeply moved but firmly refused to accept it; however, Qin Huairu insisted. The two of them went back and forth for a while. Qin Huairu knew very well that He Yushui would not take it, and even if she did, given their difference in size, the shirt would not fit her anyway.Qin Huairu offered to comb He Yushui's hair and quickly styled it into a beautiful updo, making He Yushui look exceptionally lovely.
However, He Yushui noticed tears welling up in Qin Huairu's eyes.
When asked, Qin Huairu denied that anything was wrong, but He Yushui kept pressing.
With no other choice, Qin Huairu explained that she must have offended Shazhu somehow, as he had barely spoken to her for over half a month.
Standing in front of the mirror, He Yushui furrowed her delicate brows. "Don't worry, Sister Qin. When my brother gets back, I'll make him apologize to you! My brother always listens to me, so you can rest easy!"
"Yushui, don't mention this to your brother, or he'll think I've been complaining behind his back again!"
"He wouldn't do that. I know my brother—his bark is worse than his bite, and he has a soft heart.""When he gets fierce, even First Uncle, Second Uncle, and Third Uncle have to back down, but has he ever harbored any malicious thoughts against anyone?"
"Of course I know that! You and your brother are both good people, which is why I'm willing to keep in touch with you! People like Xu Damao's family pester me all day long, and I can't even be bothered to deal with them."
"Mmm-hmm!"
Hearing Qin Huairu praise them, He Yushui nodded happily.
If He Yuzhu could see this, he would definitely flick her on the forehead a few times to teach her a lesson.
Normally, this girl was quite sharp and did very well in school, but the moment she ran into Qin Huairu, she seemed to lose her mind and let herself be led around by the nose.
Having achieved her goal, Qin Huairu prepared to leave. Just as she was about to go, He Yushui handed her a small bag of white flour.
After a few token refusals, Qin Huairu accepted it.
When He Yuzhu returned home, he caught a fleeting glimpse of Qin Huairu's figure flashing past the main entrance.
His heart tightened as he realized Qin Huairu might have been to his house.
He had already hidden the large packages of ingredients, leaving only a bag of about a pound of white flour outside.
Even so, He Yuzhu still felt somewhat uneasy.
He wasn't afraid of doing good deeds, but he hated being sweet-talked and tricked into doing favors without even getting any acknowledgment for it.
He originally intended to talk to He Yushui about it, but then he reconsidered: she was about to graduate anyway, and by then, whether she moved into the Steel Mill dormitory or got married, she wouldn't be influenced by Qin Huairu anymore.
Ha-ha.
...
He had good luck this time, and the ban was lifted quickly.
Bonus chapter for the generous donation from the VIP reader.
As soon as He Yuzhu stepped into the main room, He Yushui emerged from the side room.