Chapter 148

Back Courtyard

Cao Cao Weiguo started cooking as soon as he returned home, the kitchen knife chopping with a loud thud-thud-thud.

"There are only two of us at home; how can we finish so much food?"

"I forgot to tell you, I have to send a portion of this meal to Xu Xu Damao."

"Why send food to Brother Xu?"

Song Song Yulan had been making clothes at home and hadn't heard the commotion in the middle courtyard.

"Xu Xu Damao was beaten by Seeing Shazhu and it's inconvenient for him to cook, and Sister Lou Xiaoe has returned to her parents' home."

"Why is Seeing Shazhu hitting people again! Can't the three masters do something about it?"

Cao Cao Weiguo gently scraped his wife's nose: "You are too innocent. The three masters in this courtyard aren't as competent as you think."

The First Master is a hypocrite.

The Second Master is obsessed with power.

The Third Master loves to calculate.

If there weren't these three masters in the courtyard, perhaps life would be better.

Cao Cao Weiguo befriended Xu Xu Damao also to buy people's hearts and have a helper in the courtyard.

This Xu Xu Damao might not be good at doing good deeds, but he's great at setting people up.

Maybe he'll come in handy someday.

After finishing dinner, he took a portion of food and walked into the Xu house.

As soon as he entered, he saw Xu Xu Damao curled up on the bed; clearly, Seeing Shazhu's kick hadn't been light.

"Brother Xu, get up and eat something."

"Brother Cao Weiguo, thank you!"

Xu Xu Damao sat up from the bed, the pain in his waist making him wince.

Cao Cao Weiguo put the food on the table: "Alright, why be polite between brothers? Your sister-in-law is still waiting for me at home to eat, so I'll go back first. You rest well after eating."

Cao Cao Weiguo left the Xu house, and Xu Xu Damao looked at the food on the table, suddenly feeling a bit moved.

A plate of stir-fried green beans with cured meat, 5 white flour steamed buns, and a roast duck leg.

In this day and age, ordinary families don't get to eat a few bites of meat all year round.

Even he couldn't eat well every few days, only eating meat two or three times a month at home.

Yet Cao Cao Weiguo had gotten him such a sumptuous meal.

This made Xu Xu Damao's favorability toward Cao Cao Weiguo soar.

This brother is righteous!

Liu Family

Liu Guangtian sighed: "Brother Cao Weiguo is really generous, bringing a big plate of meat to Xu Xu Damao, along with white flour steamed buns."

Liu Liu Guangfu swallowed his saliva: "I also saw a duck leg."

The Second Master, Liu Haizhong, was eating stir-fried eggs, frowning and wondering what he was thinking.

The Second Aunt said: "Cao Cao Weiguo is actually not bad; he's loyal and capable."

"Look at Lu Jinpeng and Chi Ping'an, who have good relationships with him; which one of them hasn't benefited from him?"

"Lu Jinpeng has a formal job and often follows Cao Cao Weiguo to do some private work."

"Now the Lu family can eat meat every few days; their life is really good."

"Xu Xu Damao has a good relationship with him, and when there's trouble, Cao Cao Weiguo really helps."

"And that street loafer Chi Ping'an is going to enter the steel mill next month and get an iron rice bowl."

"Who among the residents in the courtyard isn't envious and jealous?"

Cao Cao Weiguo has made it big, and those who have good relationships with him eat well.

Many people in the courtyard are envious and jealous, and it's inevitable they feel regret.

Those who know they have no family or connection with Cao Cao Weiguo, and even less interaction.

If they want to take advantage, Cao Cao Weiguo won't bother with them.

If they can't take advantage, can they feel good or happy?

However, some people have started to change their attitudes, starting to ponder how to get closer to Cao Cao Weiguo.

The Second Aunt is one of them; you have to know that Liu Guangtian still doesn't have a job.

Although Liu Haizhong is a seventh-grade blacksmith and has many apprentices and grand-apprentices,

in the end, he is just an old worker with no real power in his hands.

He has no way to get Liu Guangtian into the steel mill unless he retires early and lets his son take his place.

But is Liu Haizhong willing?

Is the Second Aunt willing?

Even if Liu Guangtian takes his place, he still has to start as an apprentice.

The income of an apprentice and a seventh-grade blacksmith is worlds apart.

Furthermore, Liu Haizhong still wants to be an official; how could he be willing to retire early?

"Guangtian, Liu Guangfu, if you have nothing to do, go help Cao Cao Weiguo with more work."

"There's no harm in building a good relationship with Cao Cao Weiguo."

"Once the relationship is good, let him get you into the steel mill to get an iron rice bowl in the future."

Listening to the Second Aunt's instructions, the Liu brothers nodded in agreement.

Their own father couldn't be relied upon, so they had to find their own way.

They weren't old, but they knew Cao Cao Weiguo was the most capable person in the courtyard.

What First Master, Third Master, including their own father, the Second Master—they were all empty shells with no substance.

They only put on airs in the courtyard; once they leave the courtyard, who recognizes you as a master?

But Cao Cao Weiguo is different; he has money and power, and he is successful both in the steel mill and outside.

Otherwise, where did he get so many supplies?

Otherwise, could he have gotten Yan Yan Jiecheng and Chi Ping'an into the steel mill?

Everyone's eyes are sharp when it comes to who is capable.

Cao Family

Song Song Yulan had already set the table and bowls, just waiting for Cao Cao Weiguo to sit down.

After marrying Cao Cao Weiguo, Song Song Yulan's complexion was getting better and better, and her figure was becoming fuller.

Living with Cao Cao Weiguo, the food was definitely not bad.

They ate meat every few days, eggs every day, and the staple food was white flour steamed buns and fine flour buns.

Since Cao Cao Weiguo married his wife, the family hadn't steamed mixed-flour buns.

Such a life was something Song Song Yulan couldn't have imagined when she was in the countryside.

And this was still her being frugal; if it weren't for her stopping him, the Cao family would probably be eating meat at every meal.

After Cao Cao Weiguo returned home, the couple ate while listening to the radio.

Song Song Yulan was eating roast duck, her lips shining with oil: "Wheat will be harvested next month, and I want to go back to my parents' home to help."

In this era, wheat harvesting relies on manpower, using sickles to harvest.

Commonly known as the wheat harvest and summer rush, the harvest time is generally controlled within about ten days and is greatly affected by the weather.

Once the wheat harvest begins, the whole village goes into action, racing against time to harvest.

Otherwise, if it rains, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Song Song Yulan wanted to go back to her parents' home to help with work; Cao Cao Weiguo didn't mind, but he was worried about his wife getting tired.

"There's a lot of work during the summer rush; how can I let you go back and suffer?"

"How about this: when the wheat is harvested next month, I'll go back with you."

"My father-in-law and mother-in-law raised such a virtuous and beautiful wife for me; I must repay them."

"You are so good."

Song Song Yulan happily picked a piece of meat for Cao Cao Weiguo.

After dinner, Cao Cao Weiguo went into the study and began to organize his recent gains.

The farm was full of chickens, ducks, cows, and sheep, as well as dozens of large, fat pigs.

Wheat, corn, and peanuts were also ready for harvest.

The fields were full of vegetables and herbs, and the mountains had fruit trees laden with fruit.

Even though Cao Cao Weiguo could do whatever he wanted on the farm, he was still busy and sweaty.

The mountain of supplies made Cao Cao Weiguo happy but also distressed.

Turning so many supplies into cash was also a significant project.

Sitting on a stone stool eating a sweet and crisp apple, Cao Cao Weiguo ground the wheat and corn kernels into powder.