Chapter 1

In 1958, at the canteen of the Red Star Third Rolling Mill.

A man wearing a white chef's hat was sitting on a chair, looking around in confusion, his face filled with disbelief.

"What's happening to me? I've actually become He Daqing, the father of the character 'Stupid Pillar' in the TV series 'Full of Love in the Siheyuan.'"

After a while, the man's expression calmed down, and he accepted the reality of his穿越.

It turned out that this man's name was also He Daqing, the same as the father of 'Stupid Pillar' in 'Full of Love in the Siheyuan.'

Before He Daqing's穿越, when the period drama 'Full of Love in the Siheyuan' was aired, he also followed the series. Because his name was the same as 'Stupid Pillar's father, he was particularly engrossed while watching the TV series.

Due to his deep involvement, he almost treated the 'Stupid Pillar' in the TV series as his own son.

While watching the series, He Daqing kept cursing the director, as he felt very sympathetic towards 'Stupid Pillar's plight.

Although 'Stupid Pillar' was the male lead and a good person in the series, in He Daqing's eyes, 'Stupid Pillar's life was a tragedy. He was manipulated by the people in the siheyuan all his life, especially by the female lead, Qin Huiru.

At the beginning of the series, He Daqing had a good impression of Qin Huiru, as she was a widow raising three children and her mother-in-law, which was not easy. However, the more he watched, the more he found Qin Huiru disgusting. He thought Qin Huiru was a vampire and a schemer.

She took advantage of 'Stupid Pillar's kindness, pretending to be pitiful, and always took away 'Stupid Pillar's lunch box completely, saying that 'Stupid Pillar' didn't need it. He was puzzled at the time—just because 'Stupid Pillar' didn't need it, did it mean she had to take it? Was it owed to her?

Later, when 'Stupid Pillar' was dating Teacher Ran, she deliberately came in to help clean the room, acting like the mistress, disrupting 'Stupid Pillar's marriage.

Everyone could see how much 'Stupid Pillar' had helped Qin Huiru, yet she did this as a way of repaying kindness with enmity.

She kept 'Stupid Pillar' hanging for eight years, yet she felt justified in taking his salary. Even when 'Stupid Pillar' bought a TV with his extra money, it was taken away by her three children. Later, when 'Stupid Pillar' went to work as a chef at the restaurant run by Yan Jiecheng and his wife, he was fired because Yan Jiecheng bribed 'Stupid Pillar's apprentice, Xiao Pang.

Later, when Yan Jiecheng and his wife found out that Xiao Pang couldn't cook, they wanted to hire 'Stupid Pillar' again, but 'Stupid Pillar' refused. Qin Huiru then negotiated with them and agreed on behalf of 'Stupid Pillar.' She never considered how tired 'Stupid Pillar' was, working at the factory during the day and at the restaurant at night, only thinking about earning money for her three children.

What made him feel even more disgusted was when Lou Xiaoe brought 'Stupid Pillar's son back, and Qin Huiru told He Yushui that she loved 'Stupid Pillar' more than her own children.

He was speechless at the time—how could Qin Huiru have the nerve to say that?

If she really loved 'Stupid Pillar' more than her own children, why did she not marry him for eight years just because of a disagreement? How many eights are there in a lifetime?

If it weren't for the deaf old lady and Lou Xiaoe, 'Stupid Pillar' would have almost become childless.

Anyway, all the signs showed that even if Qin Huiru had feelings for 'Stupid Pillar,' they were not deep. She just wanted someone to share the burden of raising her children.

Moreover, Qin Huiru's three children were also ungrateful. Especially Banggen, who, as a child, was treated the best by 'Stupid Pillar' and often stole his things to eat, but when he grew up, he didn't remember 'Stupid Pillar's kindness at all.

He would call 'Stupid Pillar' by name without any respect.

After returning from the countryside, he followed 'Stupid Pillar's rival, Xu Damao, and treated Xu Damao better than 'Stupid Pillar.'

Later, if it weren't for 'Stupid Pillar' asking a big leader to get Banggen a job as a driver, Banggen wouldn't have paid any attention to 'Stupid Pillar.'

Such an ungrateful person still wanted to take 'Stupid Pillar's house when he got married.

As for the three old men in the courtyard, each had their own agenda, none of them were easy to deal with.

When Lou Xiaoe brought 'Stupid Pillar's son back, she wanted to renew their relationship, but the three old men, in order to have someone take care of them in old age, took turns brainwashing 'Stupid Pillar,' not considering his feelings at all. No wonder many people called this series 'Full of Evil in the Siheyuan,' which was very fitting.

Of course, what made him speechless was not just these people, but also the main character, 'Stupid Pillar.' 'Stupid Pillar' was an eighth-level chef at the Red Star Rolling Mill, earning 37.5 yuan a month. In that era, this was considered a high income, especially since he had no financial burdens and owned three houses. In any case, 'Stupid Pillar' could be considered a successful person.

Yet, he was deceived by Qin Huiru, a white lotus, all his life, working for her and raising her children, giving everything he had.

'Stupid Pillar's life perfectly illustrated a saying:

"A dog that licks, in the end, will have nothing left."

After watching the series, He Daqing became increasingly angry about 'Stupid Pillar's plight, and finally, he fainted after spitting out a mouthful of blood. When he woke up, he found himself in the canteen of the Red Star Third Rolling Mill.

At this time, He Daqing was the head chef of the canteen, a seventh-level cook, earning 40.5 yuan a month, plus a 2 yuan team leader allowance, totaling 42.5 yuan a month.

In this era, a steamed bun cost only 5 fen, a pound of meat cost 80 fen, and vegetables were even cheaper, costing 5 fen a pound.

Cornmeal cost 10 fen a pound, and a pound of cornmeal could make many corn buns.

He Daqing's family of three, with He Yuzhu now working at the rolling mill as a tenth-level chef, earning 22.5 yuan a month, and He Yushui just starting high school, had a total monthly income of 65 yuan. With this 65 yuan, the He family lived a comfortable life, eating steamed buns every day and buying meat or a chicken every few days.

It was unclear whether it was because of He Daqing's穿越 or for some other reason, but the time period was different from when he originally watched the TV series.

At this time, He Daqing's family was a bit different in age from the original series. He Daqing was 38 years old, He Yuzhu was 19 and already working at the rolling mill, and He Yushui was 16 and in high school.

According to He Daqing's memory, He Yushui was not his biological child but was adopted.

Everyone in the siheyuan and He Yushui knew this, as He Yushui was found at the gate of the siheyuan by He Daqing.

At the time, He Yushui was already over ten years old, and her family was gone, leaving her as an orphan. She had fainted from hunger at the gate of the siheyuan and was discovered and saved by He Daqing, who took her home.

He Daqing eventually adopted her as his daughter.

He Daqing did not adopt He Yushui out of kindness; he intended to have her marry 'Stupid Pillar' when she grew up.

However, he did not reveal this intention to anyone.

The other residents of the siheyuan, according to He Daqing's newly acquired memories, had not changed much.

Xu Damao and Lou Xiaoe were already married, and he was about 23 years old.

Qin Huiru was just over 26, raising three children and supporting her mother-in-law, Jia Zhangshi.

They still lived in a three-section siheyuan, just like in the TV series.

The courtyard was divided into three sections: front, middle, and back.

Each section had an old man in charge, like a guardian deity.

Due to his age, He Daqing was not one of the old men in the siheyuan. The other three old men were already in their forties or fifties, while He Daqing was only in his thirties. However, He Daqing had a reputation in the courtyard that was no less than that of the three old men.

After all, He Daqing was the head chef at the rolling mill, responsible for the diet of all the workers, and most of the people in the siheyuan worked at the rolling mill.

To get a bit more food during meals, the people in the courtyard would try to please He Daqing and not provoke him. Otherwise, He Daqing might give them less food when serving in the canteen, which would not be worth it.

Therefore, He Daqing had a reputation in the courtyard that was no less than that of the three old men, as he had a good relationship with the people.

In the front courtyard lived the family of the third old man, Yan Budui, a primary school teacher at Dongzhimen. He was good at scheming, not only against others but also against his own children, resulting in a family of schemers.

In the middle courtyard lived the first old man, Yi Zhonghai, an eighth-level machinist at the Red Star Rolling Mill, earning 99 yuan a month.

Unfortunately, the first old man's wife suffered from a gynecological disease when she was young and could not give him any children.

In the back courtyard lived the family of the second old man, Liu Haizhong, a seventh-level blacksmith who liked to vie for power and authority. Like the third old man, he had three sons, with the eldest working outside and never returning home, and the second and third sons constantly demanding a division of the family.

In the back courtyard also lived Xu Damao, a film projectionist who saw 'Stupid Pillar' as his mortal enemy but could not defeat him.

Next to Xu Damao lived a deaf old lady, a pensioner whose son and husband died in the war, relying on the community to support her in her old age. She deeply loved 'Stupid Pillar' as her obedient grandson.

'Stupid Pillar' and Qin Huiru's family were neighbors, living in the middle courtyard under the jurisdiction of the first old man.