Courtyard House: I fish in the heavens, a professional bird abuser.

He Yuanchao carefully tucked the tickets into the inner pocket of his work jacket and patted it.

The weighty feeling it carries is not only a sense of confidence, but also a silent mockery and transcendence of this era of scarcity.

He pushed open the door, and a rush of fresh, cool air instantly diluted the lingering aroma of meat porridge in the room.

He deliberately ignored the still terrifying area of ​​the central courtyard and the stiff figure, keeping his eyes straight ahead and walking steadily through the central courtyard towards the front yard.

The third uncle in the front yard, Yan Bugui, was squatting at his own door, gnawing on a dry, hard cornbread with some pickled vegetable shreds.

When He Yuanchao came out, his eyes behind his small glasses lit up instantly, and he subconsciously wanted to put on a smile and greet him.

But when he caught a glimpse of the miserable state of Jia Zhangshi in the middle courtyard and the pervasive stench out of the corner of his eye, the smile on his face instantly froze, turning into extreme astonishment and barely concealed fear! He abruptly lowered his head, pretending not to see He Yuanchao, his hands holding the cornbread trembling slightly.

He Yuanchao's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, and without pausing his steps, he walked straight out of the courtyard gate.

The alleyway was already showing signs of life in the early morning.

Workers hurried to work, while housewives carrying shopping baskets chatted quietly.

But when He Yuanchao appeared at the entrance of the alley, the air seemed to freeze for a moment.

"Look! It's He Yuanchao!"

"It was him... Yesterday, that silly Zhu and that old man both..."

"Shh! Keep your voice down! I heard even Director Wang is protecting him!"

"Tsk, look at the way he walks, it's really different from before..."

The hushed whispers, like the buzzing of mosquitoes, rose behind him, and the gazes cast upon him were filled with inquiry, apprehension, and even a hint of awe.

The subtle disdain and casualness of the past were gone.

He Yuanchao seemed not to hear, his target clear—the Chaoyang District Supply and Marketing Cooperative located a few streets away.

The storefront of the supply and marketing cooperative was not large, with gray brick walls painted half green.

The glass display case was polished to a shine, and inside were a limited selection of goods: thermos flasks, enamel basins, soap, fabrics... The air was filled with a distinctive smell that was a mixture of ink, new cloth, and dust.

Behind the counter, two female sales clerks in dark blue overalls were knitting, eating sunflower seeds, and chatting idly.

Another slightly older, middle-aged man who looked to be in charge was casually dusting the shelves with a feather duster, looking rather lazy.

"Comrade, buy a bicycle."

He Yuanchao's voice was not loud, but it clearly echoed throughout the somewhat empty supply and marketing cooperative.

The hands that were knitting stopped, the mouth that was cracking sunflower seeds was open, and the feather duster was also suspended in mid-air.

All three sales clerks' eyes were fixed on He Yuanchao.

Bicycles? That's a big purchase! You can't even sell a few all year round!

The middle-aged manager was the first to react, putting down the feather duster and quickly walking to the bicycle counter.

There were a few bicycles parked there all alone, covered with thick tarpaulins, revealing only a hint of their metallic sheen.

"Comrade, do you want to look at bicycles?" The person in charge's tone carried a hint of barely perceptible respect.

People who can just ask to buy a bicycle are not ordinary people.

"Hmm, a permanent brand 28-inch scooter."

He Yuanchao spoke in a flat tone, as if he were talking about buying a cabbage.

The manager's heart skipped a beat! Forever brand! And a 28-inch model at that! This was the most sought-after model! His smile became even more enthusiastic: "Yes! We have it! Please wait a moment!" As he spoke, he winked at a young female sales clerk next to him.

The saleswoman quickly put down the yarn she was holding and ran to the back warehouse to get the key.

The other person who was eating sunflower seeds quickly put them away and stood up straight.

He Yuanchao calmly took out the brand-new bicycle ticket from his inner pocket and gently placed it on the glass counter.

"Clatter."

'

The piece of cardboard, printed with a bright red seal and intricate patterns, landed on the glass with a crisp sound.

The entire supply and marketing cooperative fell silent instantly!

The three sales clerks' eyes were fixed on that small piece of paper, as if drawn by a magnet! A bicycle ticket! A brand new, genuine Forever brand bicycle ticket!

The middle-aged manager's breathing became heavier! He carefully picked up the ticket, turning it over and over, meticulously checking the stamps, seals, dates, serial numbers... confirming that every detail was correct! It was genuine! And it was a ticket he had only recently acquired!

He looked up, his gaze towards He Yuanchao completely changed! It was filled with shock and incredulous envy! So young! He looked to be only in his early twenties! He already had a bicycle ticket? And could afford a Forever brand 28-inch bicycle for over a hundred yuan? What kind of family background must he have? Or… he suddenly remembered the rumors circulating on the street these past two days, saying that a ruthless person had emerged from the courtyard, even the old man and Sha Zhu had fallen, and even Director Wang of the neighborhood committee was protecting him… Could it be him?

"No...no problem! Comrade, the ticket is fine!" The person in charge's voice trembled slightly as he carefully handed the ticket back to He Yuanchao with both hands, his attitude almost obsequious. "Xiao Liu! Quick! Bring out our best Forever 28 motorcycle! Let this comrade see it!"

The young saleswoman, Xiao Liu, had already run back with a bunch of keys. Upon hearing this, she quickly and deftly lifted the tarpaulin covering a bicycle.

The tarpaulin slipped off, revealing a brand-new, gleaming Forever brand 28-inch motorcycle!

The dark green paint job on the car body still exuded a calm and understated luster under the dim light of the supply and marketing cooperative.

The robust frame, the thick and durable tires, the gleaming chrome handlebars, rims, chain guards... every detail exudes the solidity and power of this era's industrial products! The seat is a wide, thick black leather seat, and a brand-new rubber bell hangs on the handlebars.

The two large, gleaming silver metal characters "永永" (Forever) in the center of the vehicle's beam highlight its identity and status!

The car, parked there quietly, was like a steel beast poised to pounce, exuding a silent allure and a sense of oppression!

The few other customers scattered around the supply and marketing cooperative were also drawn over at this moment, gathering not far away, their eyes fixed on the brand-new Forever 28, letting out suppressed gasps and exclamations.

"Wow! It's so new!"

"A Forever brand! A 28-inch motorcycle! This must cost over 150 yuan, right?"

"Wow! Who's this young man? He's so young and already owns a bicycle?"

"Look at that ticket! Brand new! How powerful must that be?"

Envy, jealousy, and disbelief shone like searchlights on He Yuanchao and his bicycle.

The person in charge personally brought over a clean, fine velvet cloth and carefully wiped away any dust that wasn't even on the car body, his movements as gentle as if he were handling a rare treasure.

He pointed to the bike and enthusiastically introduced it: "Comrade, look! It's a genuine Shanghai Forever brand! Manganese steel frame, heavy-duty! These tires are Double Coin brand, the most wear-resistant! Riding it, you can ride it smoothly, not just in Beijing, but even in Tianjin! This seat is made of thick leather! You can sit on it all day without your butt hurting!"

He Yuanchao stepped forward, reached out and grasped the cold handlebars, feeling the solid and steady metallic texture.

He gently squeezed the rubber bicycle bell.

"Ring ring—!"

The crisp, melodious sound of the bell echoed through the supply and marketing cooperative, as if announcing the beginning of a new era.

"That's it." He Yuanchao nodded in satisfaction, decisively.

"Alright!" The person in charge grinned from ear to ear. "Xiao Liu! Hurry up and issue the invoice! Process the paperwork for this comrade!"

Get the invoice and pay.

When He Yuanchao slammed a thick stack of brand-new 100-yuan bills onto the counter, there was another low gasp from the surrounding crowd.

One hundred and fifty-six dollars and eighty cents! That's three or four months' wages for an ordinary worker, even without eating or drinking! And he just took it out so easily!

After the formalities were completed, the person in charge personally handed the brand-new bicycle keys to He Yuanchao and earnestly gave him some instructions on maintenance.

He Yuanchao pushed his heavy, gleaming Forever 28-inch bicycle out of the supply and marketing cooperative's gate with his head held high, under the complex gazes of everyone.

~~~~~~~~~~~

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