The Beginning of a Courtyard House: Sixty Years of Internal Strength

I heard that she was quite pretty when she was young, so she was placed in this courtyard and the courtyard was given to her.

Alas, it's a pity that when they fled back then, they didn't take her with them. It's said that they ran to Hong Kong and abandoned this old lady in Beijing.

Back then, she made a living by collecting rent. After Beiping was liberated, she seized the opportunity.

She donated most of the courtyard. Then the government saw that she was all alone and pitiful, so they gave her the status of a "five-guarantee household" (a government-provided social welfare program for the elderly, disabled, and orphans).

Otherwise, with his little-footed old lady, she might starve to death in a while.

It's said that Yi Zhonghai was a thug arranged for him by his husband, mainly because he seemed afraid of being bullied. He ended up staying at the courtyard house.

Xu Damao, with a thick lisp, recounted everything he knew about the old woman.

Li Jianguo never expected the old lady to have such a past. It turns out the analysis in his previous life's fan fiction was quite accurate; this old lady really was a mistress of a remnant of the old regime.

However, the probability is indeed quite high. A bound-foot old lady couldn't possibly be a spy, and even if she were, it wouldn't be convenient for her to pass on information.

The two had been drinking and exchanging toasts for a short while when Li Jianguo was about to ask Xu Damao more questions about Yi Zhonghai.

Unexpectedly, Xu Damao was already drunk. Looking at the bottles next to him, the newly opened bottle was already half empty.

The two of them had only drunk one and a half bottles when Xu Damao was already out of sorts, so they had no choice but to help him walk to the backyard.

I had just arrived at the Intermediate People's Court when I ran into Qin Huairu carrying plates out to wash dishes and chopsticks, her slightly protruding belly visible.

Is Qin Huailu pregnant so soon? From what I remember, the wedding was supposed to be at the end of the year.

This timing seems off, doesn't it? Could this child not be Jia Dongxu's? That's quite possible; how could she get pregnant so quickly? Pregnant right after getting married?

Li Jianguo ignored Qin Huairu and directly helped Xu Damao back to his home.

As they approached the Xu family's door, Xu's mother saw the two of them.

"Da Mao has drunk too much again." Xu's mother quickly came up and took Xu Da Mao away.

"Yes, Auntie, Xu Damao drank too much. I helped him back, and I'll head home now." With that, Li Jianguo went straight home.

On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Li Jianguo, relying on his memory, picked up a carrying pole and a sack and went to the steel rolling mill. After arriving at the purchasing department office and waiting for the department head to distribute the tasks, he rushed to the bus station.

He plans to go back to his hometown this time; Lijiazhuang is not close to Beijing.

He hadn't been back before the Lunar New Year because of his appearance, but he had to go back this time.

In my memory, Li Jianguo, the purchasing agent, had a tough job. He often carried a shoulder pole and went to the countryside, and even wandered around the villages near Lijiazhuang.

When we arrived at the bus station, I was completely surprised to find that the buses were actually coal-fired, unlike the large, imposing buses I had imagined.

The driver and workers had to add coal to the gasifier. They could only drive the car after the coal had burned out, which broadened Li Jianguo's horizons.

It's similar to the wood-burning carts from my previous life in the Sun Country, except this stove is in the back.

The exhaust fumes from buses equipped with these gas generators are quite exaggerated, with a large plume of black smoke constantly billowing out.

This black tail was even more powerful than the car he had used for decades in his previous life, and the strong smell of coal smoke in the car made Li Jianguo feel nauseous.

These buses need to be refueled and have their coal dust swept up every 20 minutes or so.

When going uphill, he actually made the passengers get off and push the bike up. It was Li Jianguo who did this, which left me speechless.

After traveling for more than an hour, Li Jianguo finally arrived in the county. He searched for a long time but couldn't find a donkey cart from his village. He had no choice but to walk halfway before he finally came across one. He got on the donkey cart and swayed his way to the village.

After returning to Lijiazhuang, I first went to the village chief and told him.

"Village chief, I'm here. I'm here to collect things. Is there a lot now?" Li Jianguo said, lighting a cigarette based on his memory.

"It's alright, I'll give you a shout-out over the loudspeaker in a bit. How about tomorrow morning? Everyone'll be at the village committee by then. You haven't been here in a while, have you?" The village chief lit a cigarette and looked at Li Jianguo.

"Oh dear, something came up before the New Year and I was delayed. I just managed to finish the task in the city and rushed back after the New Year, didn't I?" Li Jianguo quickly explained.

"Alright, you can go home now. I'll call for you in a bit." The village chief waved his hand.

When Li Jianguo got home, he quickly took out the peach shortbread and two pounds of fruit candy that he had prepared in advance from his bag.

"What are you buying again, you little rascal? It's such a waste of money. If you had some money, you could have bought some fabric and made a new dress. Look at this stuff you bought, it'll be gone in no time," Li Jianguo's grandmother grumbled after seeing the items.

"Alright, Grandma, what are you saying? What do you mean by 'it's gone once it's eaten'? Doesn't it nourish your body after it goes into your stomach? I promise I'll bring cloth next time," Li Jianguo quickly explained.

"Alright, old woman, hurry up and cook," Li Jianguo's grandfather urged.

Because Li Jianguo specially made mixed noodles, steamed buns, cornmeal porridge, and some pickled vegetables when he came back.

After finishing his meal, Li Jianguo went back to his room to sleep. People in this era tend to go to bed early.

My grandfather has a special room for himself because he often comes to the countryside to buy things, and sometimes he goes to neighboring villages. It's convenient for him to have a place to stay.

The next morning, Li Jianguo's grandparents cooked a special meal for him, and the three of them ate together.

Now, during the off-season, people in rural areas usually eat two meals a day. Before, they would only cook for him, but he wouldn't eat. Now, whenever he comes, they cook for three people in the morning.

"Jianguo, you've reached the age today, right? Should we start arranging a wedding for you in the village?" Grandma quickly brought up his wedding plans.

"Stop worrying about it. Jianguo is a city person now. How can he marry someone from the countryside? He should find someone in the city." Grandpa quickly interrupted Grandma.

"It's the same in the countryside and the city. My dad just came to the city too. As long as you're fair-skinned, good-looking, and slim, that's all that matters," Li Jianguo quickly stated his conditions.

"What nonsense are you talking about, kid? How many people in the countryside who work in the fields every day are actually well-off? You should look for someone in the city."

"Besides, she can't carry anything, what's the point of marrying her? It's a waste of food. You young people really don't know what's good for you." Grandpa went on and on.

"Alright, old man, your grandson has gone to the city and doesn't need to do farm work anymore. What's wrong with picking a good-looking one?"

"Jianguo, don't listen to your grandpa. Grandma will find you a job, but it's really hard to find someone with these qualifications. I'll ask around for you." Grandma agreed immediately.

Grandpa pursed his lips but didn't say anything. After all, they were in the city and didn't need to work hard anymore.

"Grandma is the best. She'll definitely pick someone really pretty. I like girls who are tall and well-proportioned," Li Jianguo quickly added.

"Okay, Grandma understands. I'll go find you a matchmaker tomorrow."