Siheyuan (courtyard house): My name is Shazhu!

The roads were slippery on the day the snow melted. There weren't many people out today, but not too few either. At least the brother and sister were able to squeeze onto the bus.

The bus is a Czech Skoda brand bus:

This model is produced by the Czech company Škoda and is a type of trolleybus.

In the early 1950s, Beijing's public transport system introduced this type of vehicle as its main mode of transportation, primarily used to connect the city center with suburban industrial areas.

It's not far from Qianmen. Get off at the station and walk a few steps to Quanjude.

"Brother, there aren't many people on the cars today, the roads are slippery due to the snow, and few people are going out. The snow here has been cleared away."

"This is the main road, and there are many people clearing snow here. Leaving snow on the road affects the city's appearance, so it's being cleared away."

"Brother, Quanjude is just ahead." He Yushui's eyes were sharp.

"Comrade, do you still have roast duck?" He Yuzhu asked the waiter.

"Yes. Comrade, you'll have to wait another half hour; there are people ahead of you in line."

"Thank you." He Yuzhu led He Yushui to join the queue, and it took almost half an hour for them to get to the front of the line.

He Yuzhu ordered a large roast duck, sliced ​​and taken away, which cost 180,000 yuan. He also ordered four other classic duck dishes from Quanjude.

Mustard Duck Feet: Boneless duck feet served with a secret mustard sauce, offering a spicy, crispy, and flavorful taste.

Flaming Duck Hearts: Cooked using a baijiu (Chinese liquor) flaming technique, resulting in a rich aroma of liquor and a crispy exterior with a tender interior.

Braised Duck with Four Treasures: A traditional famous dish, containing duck tongue, duck feet, duck pancreas, and duck breast. The broth is golden in color and has a tangy, spicy, and savory flavor.

Braised Four Delicacies: A classic dish from a whole duck banquet, the main ingredients are duck breast, duck feet, and winter bamboo shoots, with a savory, slightly sweet flavor.

The total cost was 380,000 yuan, which is equivalent to Liu Haizhong's monthly income. Quanjude roast duck is famous in Yanjing City, but not many people buy it because it is expensive.

He Yuzhu's salary is 4/5 of his normal wage, which is simply unaffordable for ordinary working-class families.

I put them in my big backpack, leaving only the mustard duck feet. The other dishes were stored in the store space, as they were either hot dishes or soups, which were not easy to take back. The roast duck didn't taste good when it was cold.

Back at the courtyard house, He Yuzhu put the roast duck back into his large backpack. Some people smelled the aroma and envied He Yuzhu for not saving money and daring to spend it. Quanjude roast duck is not cheap.

They heated up the steamed buns, washed their hands, and prepared to eat. The brother and sister ate the roast duck at the table first. There were thin pancakes and dipping sauces, which they ate with the roast duck. It tasted pretty good.

"Brother, we have a lot of food today. How about we eat it again tonight and go to Donglaishun again tomorrow at noon?"

Comrade He Yushui, I thought you were trying to save money and wouldn't go to Donglaishun for hot pot, but I overestimated your craving for meat.

"Going tomorrow at noon is fine too. Let's have roast duck first today, and in the afternoon, you can go out and play in the snow. Come back around dinnertime."

"I will. Brother, Quanjude's roast duck is better than your restaurant's."

Emei Restaurant also serves roast duck, but the taste is not as good as Quanjude and Bianyifang roast duck. Most people can't tell the difference. He Yuzhu and his team don't have a secret recipe, and their roast duck has been gradually improved.

Traditional Sichuan roast duck:

Smoked using rice straw and rice husks, the finished product is golden in color, tender in texture, and rich in flavor, fatty but not greasy. That's well said, but in Beijing, you can't even sell ten roast ducks a day.

Only during holidays like Chinese New Year do more people buy it. It can't compare to Quanjude roast duck or Bianyifang roast duck. Several generations of chefs at Emei Restaurant have been making improvements, but the results are only so-so.

"When you go to a restaurant, don't mention that the other dishes are bad."

"I know, brother, you've said it several times, badmouthing the head chefs and saying they're annoying!"

Good to know.

Before 2 p.m., the military control committee arrived at the courtyard. For such a trivial matter, Company Commander Yue did not come; instead, three ordinary soldiers arrived. He Yuzhu went out to watch the commotion and only recognized the soldier called "Little Li".

After listening to Jia Dongxu and Liu Haizhong's accounts, Xiao Li wanted to ask the others in the compound, not wanting to believe anyone's side of the story. He spotted He Yuzhu in the crowd.

"Comrade He, do you know what happened? Can you tell us about it?"

"I don't know everything, but I'll tell you what I do know. The story begins yesterday morning... During the night, I only heard the sound of glass being smashed twice."

Because I was reading in bed and it was too cold outside, I didn't go out to see what was going on. I don't know much, comrades, you can ask them.

He Yuzhu recounted what happened on the morning of the second day of the Lunar New Year to sow discord between Jia Zhangshi and others.

"Thank you, Comrade He. Comrades, is there anything else you would like to add?" Xiao Li continued to ask the crowd.

"First, they smashed Jia Zhangshi's windows twice. Then, forty minutes later, just before 1 a.m., they smashed Liu Haizhong's windows. They were arguing for half an hour, disturbing our rest."

"Exactly! Arguing at one o'clock in the morning, not resting themselves and disturbing us—they should all be kicked out. They deserve to have their windows smashed."

"Arguing at night needs to be addressed; it disturbs our rest. Arresting them or locking them up for days is a problem."

"Comrade soldier, the first time started at 11 p.m., the second time before midnight, and the third time before 1 a.m., for a total of three times."

"That's right, it must be related to Jia Zhangshi stealing coal this morning. That old shrew with dirty hands."

"It's not wrong for Liu Haizhong to smash her window; she shamelessly stole coal from Liu Haizhong's house. It's already too lenient of her not to kill her."

"Arrest that old shrew who stole coal; the courtyard doesn't need someone like her."

Jia Zhangshi wanted to argue, but Jia Dongxu grabbed her tightly, covered her face, and whispered to her not to argue or talk nonsense. He told her to let the military control committee handle everything.

In the end, everyone's opinion was roughly the same: to retaliate and harm each other. Breaking windows was a minor matter; as long as the real culprit couldn't be caught, they could continue doing it indefinitely.

They always love a good show!

The three soldiers were also in a bind, as there were no eyewitnesses and they were all imagining what the other had done.

Breaking the glass isn't a big deal; it's not like murder. Taking everyone in the courtyard back for questioning is impossible; the consequences are far more serious than breaking the glass.

From their careful observation, they found no suspicious persons. The vast majority of people were stirring up trouble and hoping to escalate the situation; this was the mentality of the onlookers.

The three soldiers exchanged helpless glances and decided to downplay the incident, each taking equal responsibility, and reinstall their own windows.

"I hope you can live peacefully and not retaliate against each other again. Also, Jia Zhangshi, I've come to the courtyard three times, and each time you've been involved. Be careful."

If you argue at night and disturb other residents' rest, we will arrest the person. This courtyard house isn't just your home; everyone please be aware.

Xiao Li and the other two soldiers were also very worried. They were just soldiers, not crime-solving experts. If they had a case, they didn't know how to handle it without taking it back for questioning.

"Haha, comrades, take Jia Zhangshi back for target practice, and our courtyard will be much quieter."

"Comrade soldier, this is the truth. She's the one who causes the most trouble in the whole courtyard. If you need anything, you can't go wrong by talking to her."

"Soldiers, take her away for target practice immediately. You've done a service to the people; we'd like to present you with a banner of appreciation."

"Jia Dongxu, let your mother go. Let her speak. Do you really think I won't hit her just because there are soldiers around? What kind of person is this old shrew?"

The residents of the courtyard were increasingly disliking Jia Zhangshi. She was indeed too much trouble, always meddling in everything that happened in the courtyard, which annoyed everyone.

"Comrades, Comrade Jia Zhangshi may be a bit arrogant in normal times, but she has not committed any heinous crimes, so it is impossible for her to be shot."

Since we all live in the same courtyard, we should try to understand each other and not always think about revenge. Living our own lives well is the most important thing.

Regarding the incident of the broken windows in your yard, we currently lack evidence. We hope you can provide evidence and let us know if you have any information. We will continue to investigate. We have many other matters to attend to right now.

After saying that, Xiao Li and the other two soldiers left the courtyard.