Courtyard Houses: Starting with the principle of hard work paying off

Chapter 13 Fengzeyuan

After exchanging a few words with Yi Zhonghai, Li Hongbing followed Li Hongmei back to the front yard.

I watched something interesting tonight, but it was pretty boring.

In an era where entertainment options are limited and nightlife is scarce, this can be considered a form of entertainment to relieve boredom.

Late at night.

Li Hongbing lay on his bed, but did not fall asleep immediately.

So much happened today.

Li Hongbing never expected that he would travel back in time to this era and have interactions with the people in the courtyard.

Thinking about this, Li Hongbing couldn't help but analyze the current situation.

It's 1952 now, not 65 when the story begins. He Daqing just ran away last year, and Xu Fugui hasn't moved out yet. He's the second oldest man in the courtyard. The third oldest man, Yan Bugui, hasn't taken over yet. This position is currently occupied by Liu Haizhong...

Most of the characters have already appeared, but some things have not yet happened.

E.g.

Qin Huairu hadn't married into the courtyard house yet, the future "Thief Saint Stick" meme hadn't been born, Jia Dongxu hadn't died yet, and Yu Li and Lou Xiao'e hadn't appeared either.

As for the fact that Li Hongmei and her brother did not appear in the original drama, Li Hongbing had two reasonable guesses.

One reason is that they are just extras, not even supporting characters, let alone main characters, so naturally they won't get much screen time.

Another explanation.

If Li Hongbing hadn't arrived, the original Li Hongbing might have already passed away from this serious illness, and Li Hongmei would have married and left this place of sorrow. So, at the beginning of the story, they were no longer in this courtyard house.

But none of this matters.

With Li Hongbing's arrival, some things may no longer be able to develop according to their original trajectory.

For example, this time, Jia Zhangshi was sent directly for further studies, and when she comes back, we don't know what she will be like.

Thinking about these things, Li Hongbing slowly drifted off to sleep.

When he woke up again, it was the morning of the next day.

After sleeping soundly until dawn, Li Hongbing felt much better, completely unlike the sickly feeling he had the day before.

[Host: Li Hongbing]

【Age: 16】

Strength: 52, Agility: 58, Constitution: 57, Intelligence: 86 (Standard adult value is 60)

skill:
[Running: lv0 (7/100)]

[Cooking Skill: lv1 (0/500)]

Driving: lv1 (411/500)

Swimming: lv2 (967/2000)

【Eight Pieces of Brocade: Level 2 (1837/2000)】

……

I checked the system panel and found that my physical attributes had indeed improved slightly.

Although his performance in all aspects except intelligence is not outstanding, it has returned to the normal range.

Comfortable!

Indeed, health is the foundation of everything.

If Li Hongbing had beaten Jia Zhangshi yesterday and she was in this state now, she would be in even worse shape.

"Hongbing, get up! I was thinking of letting you sleep a little longer! Brush your teeth and wash your face first, then we can eat right away."

When Li Hongbing got up, Li Hongmei had already prepared breakfast for the two of them, as usual.

"Sis, I'm going to work at Fengzeyuan after I finish eating."

During the meal, Li Hongbing brought up this idea directly.

Now that he had recovered, Li Hongbing didn't want to stay at home doing nothing. Instead, he planned to go and check on Fengzeyuan. His knowledge of Fengzeyuan was relatively limited, consisting mainly of a few reports he had read online in his previous life and fragmented memories.

Since he had decided to make that place his next training ground, Li Hongbing naturally wanted to familiarize himself with it as soon as possible.

"No."

Upon hearing Li Hongbing's plan, Li Hongmei refused without hesitation, saying, "You're not even fully recovered yet, why are you in such a hurry to go to work?"
The work in the kitchen is not easy, how can you expect me to feel at ease?

Yesterday I asked someone to ask Fengzeyuan for leave for you, so you can stay home and rest for the next few days.

Our family doesn't need you to support us right now. Your most important task is to recover your health as soon as possible.

Being rejected by Li Hongmei was clearly within Li Hongbing's expectations.

But he wasn't in a hurry. He took a bite of his steamed bun and said in a slightly exaggerated way, "Sister, look, I'm all better now, and I'm really great. I can carry two bags of rice!"

Li Hongmei felt somewhat helpless upon hearing this.

Seeing Li Hongbing's insistence, and considering that his complexion was indeed much better than yesterday, Li Hongmei, unable to persuade him otherwise, finally agreed.

After dinner.

After Li Hongmei finished washing the dishes, Li Hongbing went out with her.

"Hey, Hongbing, where are you going?"

As soon as he stepped out, he ran into Yan Bugui, who lived across the hall.

"Uncle Yan, go to work at Fengzeyuan."

Li Hongbing replied.

Are you feeling much better now?

Yan Bugui was somewhat surprised to hear that Li Hongbing was going back to work at Fengzeyuan so soon.

He was unconscious before, but he just woke up yesterday. He recovered so quickly.

"I'm almost fully recovered. Thank you for your concern, Uncle Yan."

After exchanging pleasantries with Yan Bugui, Li Hongbing followed Li Hongmei out of the courtyard and they soon parted ways.

The two did not go the same way.

The food factory where Li Hongmei works is located nearby, not far away.

The current Fengzeyuan will be the future flagship store, located on Zhushikou West Street, near Qianmen Street, and a full five or six kilometers away from Nanluoguxiang.

However, Fengzeyuan has special dormitories for apprentices, and Li Hongbing sometimes stays there for convenience.

By this time, the city already had trams and buses covering some major routes, so there was no need to walk the entire way.

Not long after.

Li Hongbing first walked to Beixinqiao, then took tram No. 2 to Qianmen, and then walked to Zhushikou nearby.

When Li Hongbing arrived at his destination, he couldn't help but stop.

Nestled among blue bricks and gray tiles, the courtyard is hidden in a corner of a bustling street. The facade is unassuming, with only a black plaque with gold lettering that reads "Fengzeyuan Restaurant" in simple yet powerful characters.

This is Fengzeyuan in 1952, a four-courtyard siheyuan.

Many years ago, a folk rhyme circulated in Beijing: "Tongrentang for medicine, Liubiju for pickles, Neiliansheng for shoes, and Fengzeyuan for vegetables."

Fengzeyuan has been around for over twenty years now.

"Hongbing, I heard you were sick? You're better so quickly?"

As soon as he entered Fengzeyuan, someone greeted him. Li Hongbing thought for a moment and then said to the person, "Brother Liu, it's nothing, I came over as soon as possible today."

The other person's name was Liu Qiang, and he was a waiter at Fengzeyuan Restaurant.

Upon hearing this, Liu Qiang couldn't help but laugh and said, "Hey, Xiao Wu is probably overjoyed to see you back. He's been practically crying from trying to get the spoons to come here these past two days. He's been scolded by the chefs several times and has complained to me more than once."

For a moment, Li Hongbing didn't know how to respond.

This task of serving food was originally his job, but since he hadn't been there for the past two days, someone else was found to temporarily fill in.

(End of this chapter)