Courtyard House: She got anxious when He Yushui wasn't licked.

Yu Haitang finished her meal quickly and then made an excuse to leave.

Only Xu Damao and Qin Huairu remained.

Once Yu Haitang left, Xu Damao stopped pretending and directly told Qin Huairu, "Qin Huairu! Let's keep to ourselves. I hope this is the first and last time this happens."

Qin Huairu said with a smile, "Okay! Give me five more steamed buns, and I'll pretend I didn't see you having dinner with Yu Haitang today."

Xu Damao chuckled, then said with a stern face, "Want to eat steamed buns again? No way!"

"Okay! Then next time I won't be able to control my mouth."

Qin Huairu didn't care, since she didn't expect Xu Damao to actually pay her hush money anyway.

The reason for demanding hush money was to tell Xu Damao that if there was a next time, things wouldn't be so easy to talk to.

When Xu Damao heard that Qin Huairu was planning to blackmail him again, he was afraid, but that didn't mean he was stupid!

He just ate the stir-fried pork he specially ordered for Yu Haitang, and now he's asking for five steamed buns. He's utterly shameless.

Qin Huairu couldn't use the same tactics she used on Sha Zhu to deal with Xu Damao, which was also the reason she was able to control Xu Damao. Different methods and approaches were needed for different people.

The two parted on bad terms, and Xu Damao picked up his lunchbox and left.

Qin Huairu put the last steamed bun in her lunchbox, planning to take it home after get off work to ease some of the food shortage.

In the afternoon, He Yuzhu finished cooking the large batch of food in the kitchen, then took off his apron and went home.

The canteen manager rarely interfered with Sha Zhu leaving early, since he was counting on Sha Zhu's special meals to please the leaders.

As soon as He Yuzhu left, Liu Lan and the other kitchen helpers gathered together and started chatting.

"did you see it?"

"I'm not blind! Of course I saw it, Sha Zhu is bringing ingredients directly back from the cafeteria!"

"This silly Zhu is getting bolder and bolder. Isn't he afraid of the factory security department investigating him?"

"The factory security department wouldn't dare to investigate my master."

Ma Hua also joined in the fun, bragging to a few of the kitchen helpers.

He Yuzhu walked out of the factory carrying a cloth bag, and then went to the nearest vegetable market.

In order to make a good impression on Teacher Ran tonight, he has to show off his cooking skills.

The ingredients he smuggled from the cafeteria weren't enough; he needed to buy some out of his own pocket to win the heart of the beauty.

After the factory closed for the day, Yi Zhonghai went to the bicycle shop to bring the two wheels he had bought back to his yard.

Back in the courtyard, Uncle Yan Bugui sat in front of a pile of bicycle parts, looking dejected.

Yan Bugui was listless and dispirited today because of the bicycle incident.

Yi Zhonghai appeared beside the Third Uncle carrying two wheels. When he saw Yan Bugui's appearance, he offered him the two wheels, saying, "Look what I brought you, wheels."

Yan Bugui's eyes lit up the moment he saw the wheels, but he quickly realized that the two wheels Yi Zhonghai had given him were not the original ones for his bicycle. "Old Yi, where did you get these wheels?"

Yi Zhonghai thought it wasn't important and said, "Find the tools, let's try replacing it."

"Alright!" Yan Bugui perked up and started looking around for suitable tools.

It took the two old men twenty minutes to finally install the wheel.

Looking at his bicycle, now reborn, Yan Bugui gazed gratefully at Yi Zhonghai and said with deep emotion, "Old Yi, thank you!"

Yi Zhonghai waved his hand, "It's too formal for us to talk about this."

As for giving the wheel fee to Yi Zhonghai, that's impossible! First of all, Yan Bugui has no money! Secondly, this is Yi Zhonghai's personal action; he didn't ask for money, so we can assume it's Yi Zhonghai's good intention.

When the three women returned from grocery shopping, they found the bicycle was working again. They were overjoyed, as the bicycle was a source of pride for their family.

As for Yan Bugui's children, when they returned home and saw that the bicycle was working again, they showed no expression, at most just a moment of surprise.

"what?"

Wang Lin, who rarely walks through the front gate of the yard, noticed that Yan Bugui's bicycle had been repaired, so he stopped and took a closer look.

It was in that extra glance that Yan Bugui seemed to have caught some important information. He looked Wang Lin up and down like he was a thief and questioned, "Wang Lin, you seem very surprised that my bicycle is okay? Could it be that you're the one who dismantled my bicycle?"

Wang Lin said speechlessly, "Yan Bugui! Use your brain! If I really dismantled your bicycle, what would I gain from it?"

"It seems so." After thinking about it for a moment, Uncle Yan Bugui realized that what Wang Lin said wasn't entirely unreasonable. He really didn't have any deep-seated hatred for Wang Lin.

"Wang Lin, why are you coming through the front gate?" Yi Zhonghai asked, seeing Wang Lin return from the front gate. He couldn't help but wonder why Wang Lin seemed to have gotten sunburned today.

"What? You can walk through the front gate, but I can't?" Wang Lin didn't hold back with Yi Zhonghai and directly confronted him.

"How dare you speak to an old man like that?" Yi Zhonghai said sternly.

"Who are you trying to impress with your authority?" Wang Lin wasn't buying Yi Zhonghai's act at all.

"Disrespectful to elders!" Yi Zhonghai angrily flung his sleeves.

Wang Lin ignored Yi Zhonghai and turned to go back.

He Yuzhu walked in humming a little tune, carrying a large pile of things.

In an instant, everyone's attention was on He Yuzhu.

Despite being stared at by so many eyes, He Yuzhu greeted them in high spirits, "What's going on here? Are you welcoming me?"

Yi Zhonghai certainly wasn't waiting for He Yuzhu specifically. He could tell from the pile of things He Yuzhu had that He Yuzhu planned to cook for him tonight, and couldn't help but ask, "Silly Zhu! It's not a holiday, why did you buy so much stuff?"

He Yuzhu held up a large pile of things and boasted, "We have distinguished guests visiting today, so of course I have to cook a good meal to entertain them."

"A distinguished guest? A woman?"

Yi Zhonghai looked at He Yuzhu, who was beaming with joy, with suspicion. If He Yuzhu said that this distinguished guest was a man, he would never believe it even if he were beaten to death.

Yan Bugui seemed to have found an opportunity to freeload a meal, and he said enthusiastically, "Shazhu! Do you need our help? You definitely can't handle it all by yourself."

He Yuzhu originally didn't intend to pay any attention to this old guy Yan Bugui, but since Yan Bugui had taken the initiative to be friendly, he couldn't be too cold, so he politely declined, saying, "No need, my sister He Yushui will help me when she gets off work."

"Washing the dishes is fine too, just give me some leftovers later." Yan Bugui had been looking at He Yuzhu with high hopes, but He Yuzhu told him that he didn't need to help, and his chance to freeload a meal was gone.

"No need, we'll handle the leftovers ourselves." He Yuzhu didn't want to invite the Third Uncle to cause trouble, so he picked up his things and went back.

Yan Bugui watched He Yuzhu leave with his things with lingering reluctance; his heart followed He Yuzhu away.

Yi Zhonghai had a feeling that He Yuzhu was up to something big behind his back, and his eyelids kept twitching.

As Wang Lin walked toward the backyard, he recalled the general plot. If he wasn't mistaken, He Yuzhu's unusual behavior meant that Ran Qiuye was coming to visit tonight.

I'm finally going to meet Ran Qiuye in person.

In many fan fictions, nine out of ten of the handsome men who replaced Sha Zhu would definitely take Ran Qiuye as their love interest. Moreover, in the original drama, Sha Zhu and Ran Qiuye had already registered their marriage. However, Ran Qiuye was born into a poor family; her parents were capitalists, and during the Cultural Revolution, she could only sweep the floor at school.

As Wang Lin walked, he thought to himself that the first thing he would do when he got home was to prepare a meal.

If you don't eat well, there's something wrong with your brain.

Looking at the stove, Wang Lin suddenly had an idea: hot pot for dinner tonight!

The most authentic and delicious hot pot broth comes from Sichuan and Chongqing.

Wang Lin asked Fang Yue and Chen Amao to prepare some simple dishes, while he made an excuse to go out to his personal spirit realm to bring out the prepared treasure.

Beef tripe! Duck intestines! Duck blood! These are the delicacies Wang Lin has been craving for a long time.

Especially the tripe, which is dipped and cooked in the boiling hot pot broth, is incredibly satisfying.

While Wang Lin was busily preparing hot pot with fresh ingredients, Qin Huairu also returned home.

Bang Geng has already done what Qin Huairu asked him to do. His homeroom teacher will visit his home after class and collect tuition fees.

Qin Huairu waited at home for Ran Qiuye to come for a home visit.

More than half an hour passed.

A well-dressed girl with pigtails, exuding a scholarly air, pushed her bicycle and found the courtyard house.

When Ran Qiuye entered the house, she met her second uncle, Liu Haizhong, and after asking for directions, she found Qin Huairu's house.

"Hello, I am Ran Qiuye, Banggeng's homeroom teacher."

Just as Qin Huairu was getting sleepy, a pleasant voice rang out.

"Teacher Ran."

Banggeng, who was doing his homework, looked up and greeted him.

"Teacher Ran is here, please have a seat." Qin Huairu immediately stood up to greet her.

Once inside, Teacher Ran sat down next to Banggeng. Looking at Banggeng doing his homework, she said somewhat apologetically, "Banggeng's mom, there's another reason I'm here for this home visit: Banggeng's tuition."

Upon hearing about the tuition fee, Qin Huairu told Ran Qiuye to sit down while she went out for a while.

Of course, you should ask Sha Zhu to pay your tuition.

Fortunately, Madam Jia was not in the house at the moment, and it was unknown where she had gone to wander around outside. However, this gave Qin Huairu this opportunity.

He Yuzhu was cooking outside when he saw Qin Huairu arrive. He immediately became excited and stepped forward to ask, "Is it Teacher Ran?"

Qin Huairu nodded and told He Yuzhu to take five yuan with her.

Without thinking, He Yuzhu took five yuan and followed behind Qin Huairu.

Chapter 76 He Yuzhu and Ran Qiuye go on a blind date

At Qin Huairu's house, Banggeng was dawdling over his homework. With Ran Qiuye watching him, he naturally didn't dare to play with Xiaodang and Huaihua.

After waiting a few minutes, Qin Huairu led He Yuzhu in.

Qin Huairu opened her mouth and asked with a smile, "Teacher Ran, are you hungry?"

"Banggeng's mom, I'm not hungry." Ran Qiuye gently shook her head. She didn't come to visit today for a meal. If she couldn't collect Banggeng's tuition, she wouldn't be able to explain it to the school.

"Of course I'm hungry. It's lunchtime already. Just wait a little longer, the food will be ready soon." Qin Huairu assumed that Ran Qiuye was too embarrassed to tell the truth.

"That Banggeng mom, I'm really not hungry! Banggeng's tuition..." Ran Qiuye was still too shy, and her voice trailed off.

"Here's the tuition fee for Bang Geng." He Yuzhu quickly took out five yuan from his pocket and handed it to Ran Qiuye.

Ran Qiuye did not take the five yuan that He Yuzhu handed over, but looked at Qin Huairu and asked, "Banggeng's mother, who is this?"

Qin Huairu formally introduced He Yuzhu to Ran Qiuye, saying, "He is our neighbor in the courtyard, Comrade He Yuzhu. He is also the head chef of our Third Steel Rolling Mill, and he is still single."