The Courtyard House: The story begins with He Yuzhu beating up the White Widow.

He Yuzhu said, "It was only because he lived in our compound that he had the fertile ground to grow arrogant."

He Daqing sighed, about to say something, when screams of agony from the backyard came from the brothers Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu. He Daqing said, "Well! Liu Haizhong is beating his son again."

He Yuzhu asked, "Dad, do you think Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu might be the children of Ma Cuilan and someone else?!"

He Daqing was stunned for a few seconds, staring blankly at He Yuzhu, and said, "Don't talk nonsense, kid!"

He Yuzhu said, "Dad, I'm not making this up. If he were Liu Haizhong's biological son, how could he beat him like that?! Look at Liu Guangqi. Liu Haizhong wouldn't even dare to say a harsh word to him, let alone hit him. That's what you call a biological son."

He Daqing laughed and said, "You little rascal, I really don't know what's wrong with your brain. Whether you're biologically related or wild, you have nothing to do with our family."

"That's true!" He Yuzhu agreed, secretly thinking about when to cooperate with Xu Damao and incite Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu to report Liu Haizhong to the Military Control Commission or the Women's Federation.

Yan Bugui, having been rebuffed at the He family's house, returned home in a huff. Seeing Yan Bugui's reaction, Yang Ruihua knew he had come for nothing. Having already given up hope, Yang Ruihua didn't say much more. She placed Yan Jiekuang in the makeshift crib made from a bench, then went to the table, poured a glass of water, and put it down beside Yan Bugui.

Yan Bugui glanced at Yang Ruihua and said, "Ruihua, I'm thinking after the New Year, we should look for a suitable house. Let's move!"

Yang Ruihua said, "Housing is so scarce in Beijing right now. Where can we possibly move to?!"

Yan Bugui said, "Let's look for it first. If it doesn't work, we'll think of something else later."

Yang Ruihua said, "Didn't He Yuzhu buy the backyard next door? He doesn't live there anyway. Why don't we rent his house? What do you think?!"

Yan Bugui smiled wryly, "Who are the He family?! Trying to get something out of them isn't going to be easy. Don't forget, He Yuzhu works for the Military Control Commission. Dealing with us would be a piece of cake for them. Even if we need to rent a house, we won't rent from them." Then Yan Bugui thought to himself, "Why is it so difficult for me?!"

A little after five o'clock in the afternoon, the long-awaited aroma of cooking wafted from every household. Brothers Yan Jiecheng and Yan Jiefang sat down at the table full of hope, thinking they would finally have a good meal. But to their surprise, today's meal was much the same as usual. The only additions were stir-fried shredded pork with visible meat strips and salted fish that Yang Ruihua had pickled himself.

Upon seeing the food, the Yan brothers, Jiecheng and Jiefang, lost their appetite. However, to avoid going hungry, they remained silent and obediently ate their share of the meal.

Even without Jia Zhangshi, the Jia family had a fairly good New Year. Qin Huairu had been busy all day and prepared a decent home-cooked meal for dinner.

In the backyard of the Liu family's house, the dishes on the table were quite good. However, those good dishes were only for Liu Haizhong, Ma Cuilan, and Liu Guangqi. As for the brothers Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu, they could only eat cornbread. Whether they could eat meat or vegetables depended on Liu Haizhong's mood. If he was in a good mood, the Liu brothers might get a taste. If he was in a bad mood, Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu would still have some meat, but it would only be bamboo shoots stir-fried with meat.

The He family had the best food in the entire courtyard. He Daqing prepared a platter of four cold dishes, six hot dishes, a soup, and two desserts. The square table was piled high with food.

After dinner, Liang Wanping washed the dishes. He Daqing led the whole family to the living room. Once inside, He Daqing lit the stove and brewed a cup of tea. He then made a cup of malted milk powder for Liang Wanping and He Yushui each. Next, he took out some roasted nuts and seeds, like sunflower seeds and peanuts, that they had bought a few days earlier. The family sat together and chatted.

They chatted until around ten o'clock, when Liang Wanping couldn't take it anymore and went to bed. A little over an hour later, He Yushui also couldn't stay awake and went to her room to sleep. Only He Daqing and He Yuzhu remained in the living room. He Daqing picked up his cup, took a sip of tea, and said, "Yuzhu, after the New Year, you're considered an adult. It's about time you started looking for a wife. What are your thoughts on potential partners?"

He Yuzhu said, "Dad, the legal marriage age is now twenty. I'm not old enough yet. I think we should wait and see."

He Daqing thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "Alright, let's talk about it again in two years."

He Yuzhu then asked, "Dad, how's the factory doing right now?!"

He Daqing replied, "It's nothing special." Then he sighed and said, "If I were Boss Lou, I would have left Beijing with my wife and children long ago."

He Yuzhu said, "Didn't Boss Lou already give away the other branches of the family a long time ago?!"

He Daqing said, "They were sent away. What a pity! None of them have the boldness of Boss Lou back then. They're all just lazy bums waiting to die." Then, seeing the puzzled look on He Yuzhu's face, He Daqing continued, "Don't be fooled by Boss Lou's outward appearance. He's actually been a gold mine for a long time. But then again, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. The Lou family still has some wealth. Otherwise, it wouldn't be enough for the other branches to squander outside. Currently, of the Lou family's businesses outside, only Tan Lingya's two sons are doing alright, at least they've kept the family business afloat. As for the eldest son's sons, they're already useless."

He Yuzhu asked, "Dad, how do you know so much?!"

He Daqing said, "Your eighth uncle and Lou Bancheng are practically brothers-in-law. Your eighth uncle's family used to have business dealings with the Lou family. As for what those dealings were, you don't need to ask. The reason we're having this gathering at our house this year is to give your eighth uncle a farewell party. Your eighth uncle's family is preparing to settle in Hong Kong."

He Yuzhu asked, "Dad, is it just Uncle Eight's family?! Do the other uncles and aunts have the same idea?!"

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He Daqing said, "It's hard to leave one's homeland. Sooner or later, one will come back."

He Yuzhu understood that He Daqing and his generation had a strong attachment to their roots. He Yuzhu didn't ask further, saying, "Dad, things are chaotic in Hong Kong right now. Remind Uncle Ba to buy a house there first. Having a house is essential; rented houses always belong to someone else."

He Daqing nodded silently, then suddenly asked, "I heard that Boss Lou's daughter, Lou Xiao'e, has a good relationship with Yu Shui?!"

He Yuzhu instinctively replied, "The two of them do have a good relationship." Then he asked, "What's wrong?!"

He Daqing replied, "It's nothing! I was just asking."

He Yuzhu glanced at the clock and said, "Dad, it's getting late. I'm going to set off the firecrackers."

"Okay! Go and come back quickly. My son and I will make the dumplings in a bit." With that, He Daqing stood up and followed He Yuzhu out of the house.