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

Yan Bugui, looking confident, smiled and said, "It's in my wife's name. What's in my wife's name is mine. The one in Nanluoguxiang is in my name; I rented it from the Military Control Commission. If my name is on this house, I can't rent the one there. I rent it for 2.7 yuan a month. You know the housing situation in Beijing right now. After we move here, that house will be empty. I can rent it out for 3.5 yuan a month. That's 0.8 yuan a month. That's almost 10 yuan a year. If I rent it out for decades, isn't this house practically pure profit?!"

"You, Old Yan, are really good at scheming!" Han Laoqi gave Yan Bugui a thumbs up.

Yan Bugui smiled at Han Laoqi and said, "We're both getting what we need. I'd also like to trouble you with something else: could you help me find a tenant?"

Han Laoqi said, "Alright! Since you've been so agreeable this time, I'll definitely help you find a good tenant. I'm leaving now!"

After seeing Han Laoqi off, Yan Bugui immediately rushed to No. 95 Courtyard. Around 11:00 AM, Yan Bugui finally arrived home. As soon as he entered, before he could even catch his breath, Yang Ruihua anxiously asked, "Old Yan, how did it go?!"

Yan Bugui smiled and pulled out new house deeds and land deeds from his pocket, saying, "Everything's done!"

Yang Ruihua took the house deed and land deed, and seeing her name on them, she was stunned. She asked, "Old Yan, weren't we going to rent a house? How did it turn into buying one?!"

Yan Bugui laughed and said, "I took a look, and the houses over there are bigger than ours. The location is better, and the price is cheaper. I'm thinking, since I'm the tenant here, if I buy the house in my name again, there will be problems sooner or later. So when we transfer the property, we'll put your name as the owner. That way, the two houses won't be related. The day after tomorrow afternoon, we'll go over to take possession, tidy up, and move in. Then we'll rent out the house here again, for decades. Wouldn't that make the house over there practically free?!"

Yang Ruihua laughed and said, "You're really sharp." Suddenly, something occurred to her, and she asked, "If we move out, won't the military control commission come and take back the house?!"

Yan Bugui laughed and said, "Don't worry! I guarantee they won't come to collect it. When we were processing the transfer of ownership, I was careful and had the original owner sign and put their fingerprint on a blank piece of paper. I'll write a certificate authorizing someone to view the house later. Even if they do investigate, we're not afraid."

Yang Ruihua gave Yan Bugui a thumbs up and said, "Old Yan, you're really tall!!"

Before they knew it, it was time for Yan Bugui to take possession of the house. Around noon, Yan Bugui and his wife left without even having lunch. They hurried, covering a journey that normally took forty minutes in just half an hour. When they arrived, Old Ma and his wife were already gone, and the door was locked. Yan Bugui took out the key Old Ma had given him, opened the door, and saw that all the furniture was still there. A bright smile immediately spread across his face.

"Who are you people?!" Just then, an old man's voice rang out from outside the door.

Yan Bugui said, "We are distant relatives of Ma Yongcai. Ma Yongcai went to Baocheng to stay with his son. He knew we had housing difficulties, so he asked us to stay here and help him look after the house. My surname is Yan, my name is Yan Bugui, and I'm a teacher at Hongxing Primary School. This lady next to me is my wife, Yang Ruihua." He then asked, "May I ask your surname?!"

The old man said, "My name is Hong Kui, and I'm one of the three liaisons in this compound. I live across the hall from yours."

"Hello, Master Hong!" Yan Bugui greeted him, saying, "After we move in, please show us around the place."

"That's easy to say. You guys pack up first! I'm heading back now!" With that, Hong Kui turned and left.

Yang Ruihua said, "Old Yan, this house is much better than the one we live in now."

Yan Bugui nodded in agreement and said, "Ruihua, what do you think about arranging this house?"

Yang Ruihua said, "When I came in just now, I saw that a shed had been set up next to the side room, and that's our kitchen inside. Jie Kuang is still young, so we'll let him stay with us for now. Of the remaining three rooms, one is the living room. The other two are for Jie Cheng and Jie Fang to stay in for now. When Jie Kuang gets older, he can live with Jie Fang."

"Alright! We'll do it your way. Let's go back and pack up, and move our things over gradually. I'll also try to find a job. We can sell the job at Hongxing Elementary School later and recoup some of our losses."

Yang Ruihua said, "Old Yan, don't sell your job at the school. Transfer it to me later. That way, both of us will be employed. We'll earn more money too."

Yan Bugui thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay! We'll talk about it after I find a job."

"Oh my?! Teacher Yan, where are you two headed?!" Just as Yan Bugui and Yang Ruihua turned into Nanluoguxiang, He Yuzhu rode past them on his bicycle. He Yuzhu slowed down, looked at Yan Bugui and his wife, and asked with a smile.

Yan Bugui said, "What business is it of yours where my wife and I go?! Instead of working properly, you're out wandering around. Aren't you afraid of being reported?!"

He Yuzhu said with a smile, "Teacher Yan, go ahead and report me if you want! I won't stop you! Want me to give you a ride?!"

"Get lost! I don't want you to take me!" With that, Yan Bugui and his wife angrily turned into a nearby alley. He Yuzhu watched the backs of Yan Bugui and his wife, chuckled softly, and rode away on his bicycle.

After two full days of busy work at home, Yan Bugui and his wife finally finished packing. At the crack of dawn on the third day, Yan Bugui, along with his two sons, gradually moved their belongings onto a borrowed cart. Yan Bugui and his sons began moving. Aunt Pang, hearing the commotion, came out of her house and saw Yan Bugui directing his sons as they moved things. Curious, she asked, "Old Yan, are you moving?!"

Yan Bugui gave an awkward smile, then said, "It's the Pang family. A distant relative of mine, he's retired and moved to Baocheng with his wife to stay with his son. He doesn't want to sell the house, thinking he'll come back someday. So he asked us to move in first and help him look after it. I'll rent out the house here in a couple of days after we've moved out. When he comes back, we can come back and live here. We can't be living on the side of the road when he returns, can we?!"

"That's true!" Aunt Pang agreed, then asked, "Old Yan, do you need any help?!"

Yan Bugui hurriedly said, "No need for help! We don't have anything."

Aunt Pang stared at the Yan family's house for a while, but couldn't see anything wrong, so she went straight home.