Chapter 1: Reborn as He Yuzhu, Confronting the Villains

“Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have successfully unlocked the ‘Courtyard Villain Discipline System.’”

A cold, mechanical voice exploded in He Zhu’s mind.

“What the heck? A system?” He Zhu rubbed his sleepy eyes, muttering to himself.

As a seasoned fan of novels, he understood at once—he’d been chosen as the favored child of fate, about to embark on a legendary life, boosted by a cheat-like system!

“Haha, looks like I’m on the fast track to the top!”

He Zhu couldn’t hold back a laugh, but his joy was quickly replaced by a wave of shock. He realized he had transmigrated into the world of “A Courtyard Full of Affection,” and had become the character famous far and wide as “Silly Pillar”—He Yuzhu.

This… This was just too outrageous.

A jumble of emotions surged in He Zhu’s heart, a complex mix that left him feeling aggrieved. But after a moment’s thought, he decided to make the best of it.

Outside, snow had fallen all through the night.

He Yuzhu dressed himself neatly and set out for the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill. Normally, the walk took only a dozen minutes, but with snow piled thickly on the ground today, it took him over half an hour to arrive.

Despite being late, He Yuzhu showed not the slightest sign of panic. After all, in this factory, he was the undisputed master chef of the canteen—who would dare say a word if he turned up an hour late?

Just as He Yuzhu stepped through the canteen doors, his apprentice Ma Hua hurried to greet him, respectfully taking his coat and carefully brushing off the snow.

“Master, I just brewed a pot of hot tea for you. Please, have a sip and warm yourself up.”

He Yuzhu accepted the teapot, walked over to the stove, and expertly poured himself some tea into a small bowl. The fragrant aroma lifted his mood a little.

But at that moment, an ill-timed voice shattered the tranquility.

“Hey, Silly Pillar, how did your matchmaking go yesterday? Did that girl run off scared after meeting you?” Liu Lan, the kitchen helper, teased as she picked through a pile of chives, her tone laced with mischief.

He Yuzhu’s face darkened instantly at her words. Everyone in the factory knew Liu Lan was the confidante of Deputy Director Li, and He Yuzhu had never treated her with much courtesy.

“Why do you care so much? Or do you have feelings for me?” He Yuzhu deliberately twisted Liu Lan’s words, wanting to tease her.

“Pah! Silly Pillar, stop flattering yourself!” Liu Lan flushed, turned away, and pretended to be angry as she continued picking chives.

But He Yuzhu wasn’t about to let it go so easily. He walked over to Liu Lan and said sternly, “Liu Lan, let me warn you: either call me Master He, or call me Brother, but if you call me Silly Pillar again, I really will lose my temper!”

Everyone was amused by the scene, but also puzzled—why was He Yuzhu suddenly so sensitive about that nickname today?

Of course, they had no way of knowing that the man before them was no longer the original “Silly Pillar.” The moment he’d crossed over from the twenty-first century, He Yuzhu had secretly vowed he would never again play the fool who let everyone trample all over him.

He was determined to shake off that humiliating nickname, and even more so to break off all ties with Qin Huairu.

In the original story, Qin Huairu, a widow, constantly exploited Silly Pillar’s kindness, making him raise her children for her, even plotting to leave him childless. All of that, He Yuzhu had no intention of repeating.

Of course, besides staying away from Qin Huairu, He Yuzhu also planned to solve his own marital prospects.

Yesterday, the original Silly Pillar had gone on a blind date. The girl was quite pretty, and since Silly Pillar was a chef with a monthly salary of thirty-three yuan, she seemed to have a good impression of him. They had even arranged for her to visit his home on Saturday to get to know him better.

Although it was “Silly Pillar” who had gone on the date, He Yuzhu was more than ready to take over—he planned to make a good impression in front of the girl on Saturday.

Meanwhile, in the canteen, He Yuzhu went about his duties as usual, serving up steaming hot meals to the workers.

Just as he was about to finish for the day, a figure hurried into view—Xu Damao, the troublemaker who always gave He Yuzhu a headache.

Xu Damao leaned against the window, a smug smile on his lips, and started to order: “Hey, the usual—a bowl of rice, some mapo tofu, shredded potatoes, and twice-cooked pork.”

His tone was unmistakably provocative, as if he was just waiting for He Yuzhu to make a mistake.

He Yuzhu was thoroughly annoyed—he really didn’t want to deal with Xu Damao—but duty was duty. He held his temper and served the food into Xu Damao’s tray.

Just as He Yuzhu was about to close the window and call it a day, trouble struck again.

“Silly Pillar! What kind of serving is this? Who’s supposed to get full on this?” Xu Damao suddenly raised his voice, his face full of dissatisfaction.

At those words, He Yuzhu’s anger flared up: “Who are you shouting at? If you’ve got something to say, say it properly—don’t go spouting nonsense!” His voice rang out even louder than Xu Damao’s, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.

Xu Damao, sensing the crowd’s interest, ramped up his performance, turning to shout at the onlookers: “Everyone, come take a look! He Yuzhu is abusing his authority, deliberately short-changing people on their food!”

“That’s right, He Yuzhu is worse than a landlord. We work all day, and he won’t even let us have a proper meal!”

“He’s always taking food home for himself—some of us can’t even get a bowl of soup!”

Xu Damao’s words were like a stone tossed into a pond, stirring up waves of discontent. Soon, a large crowd had gathered in front of the canteen, pointing and whispering about He Yuzhu.

“Master He has gone too far—how can he do this?”

“He’s just a cook. What right does he have to bully people like this?”

“I always thought the portions were small, but I never dared to say anything.”

Listening to the accusations, He Yuzhu felt a mix of emotions. He knew they were blaming the original “Silly Pillar,” but now he was the one taking the fall.

He Yuzhu knew he couldn’t lose his head at a time like this—he had to stay calm. He picked up the big iron ladle and rapped it loudly against the serving tray. The sharp sound instantly silenced the crowd, drawing every eye toward him.

“Everyone, even the magistrate hears both sides before making a judgment. You can’t just listen to Xu Damao’s version of the story, can you?” As he spoke, He Yuzhu lifted the dish basin to the window so everyone could see. “Take a look—the dish basin is scraped clean. Did I deliberately give Xu Damao less?”

Everyone peered inside and saw that, indeed, only a few scraps of food and some broth remained. They glanced at each other awkwardly.

“Xu Damao, you came late today. The mapo tofu was already snatched up by others long before you arrived. You can’t blame me for that.” He Yuzhu spoke sincerely. “Everyone, Xu Damao was wrong to accuse me just now. I’ve given everyone the same portion. If you ever feel it’s not enough, you’re welcome to pay for a second helping.”