He Yuyang: The tough eldest brother of the courtyard house

In the autumn of 1956, the wind swept across the fields on the outskirts of Beijing with yellow dust, and the corn stalks in the fields rustled in the wind, but there was no sign of the lively autumn harvest of previous years. Now the fields belonged to agricultural cooperatives, and the members received grain according to work points. Even the courtyards in Nanluoguxiang were stirred up by this wave of collectivization.

Yan Bugui got up before dawn, grabbed a cornbread, and ran to the village cooperative. He had recently registered his entire family's household registration under the name of a relative in the suburbs, becoming "temporary members" of the cooperative, hoping to earn more work points and receive a larger share of grain at the end of the year. But when he got to the fields, he found that earning work points was much harder than he had imagined—harvesting rice required bending over, and carrying manure required lifting it on his shoulders and in his hands. After a day's work, his back felt like it was broken, but he only earned eight work points, less than what the women earned picking cotton.

"Captain, look at my old bones, I really can't handle this kind of heavy work." Yan Bugui sidled up to the captain, rubbing his hands and smiling obsequiously. "How about I go watch the warehouse? I can keep track of work points and stuff, it'll be easy, I can do it well."

The team leader, a dark-skinned, thin farmer, glanced at him and said, "Mr. Yan, the cooperative emphasizes distribution according to work. If you want more work points, you have to put in more effort. If you can't do heavy work, go pick up wheat ears. You get one point for every pound you pick up. The more you work, the more you earn."

Yan Bugui started to calculate: picking up wheat ears while bending over was more tiring, it would be easier to watch the warehouse, since he had the pen to record work points, and no one would know if he wrote down too many. His eyes darted around, and he added, "The warehouse needs someone to watch it, right? If grain goes missing at night, the loss will be huge. I'm not sleepy at night, I'll watch the warehouse!"

The team leader hesitated for a moment, noticing the recent spate of missing wheat ears, then nodded: "Alright, you go check the warehouse, but if anything goes wrong, all your work points will be deducted!"

Yan Bugui happily went to the warehouse, found a haystack to lie down on, and felt quite pleased with himself—guarding the warehouse meant avoiding the wind and sun, and he could even sneak some wheat ears at night; it was a perfect job. But he didn't expect that the team leader had anticipated this and arranged for two old men to patrol in shifts. Early the next morning, Yan Bugui was caught red-handed by the patrolling old men as he was sneaking home with two handfuls of wheat ears. Not only was he docked three days' work points, but he was also publicly criticized at the commune members' meeting, making him so ashamed he wanted to disappear into the ground.

When the news reached the courtyard, the third aunt was so angry she cried, "I told you not to go and join in the fun, but you wouldn't listen! Now look what happened, you didn't earn any work points, and you've lost all face!"

Yan Bugui squatted on the threshold, puffing on his pipe, pondering how to make up for the losses. Hearing a clanging sound coming from the yard, he peeked out and saw Liu Haizhong directing his sons to move iron pots and throw them into the earthen stove in the yard.

"Old Liu, what are you doing?" Yan Bugui quickly ran out and saw his son carrying out the iron pot that he had just bought not long ago. He looked heartbroken.

"Didn't you hear the broadcast? We're launching a massive steel production campaign to surpass Britain and catch up with America!" Liu Haizhong, beaming, held a small flag in his hand, commanding an army like a general. "Every household has to donate ironware—iron pots, iron basins, iron plows—everything that can be smelted has to be smelted! I'll lead the way by smashing pots and pans, striving to be a model worker!"

As he spoke, he swung the hammer and smashed it against his own iron pot. With a loud clang, the pot cracked. His second son, Liu Guangfu, said with heartache, "Dad, this pot is still usable! What will we cook with if we smash it?"

"Cooking? The most important thing right now is steelmaking!" Liu Haizhong glared at his son. "Once we've made steel, I'll buy you not only new pots, but also rickshaws and watches!" As he spoke, he raised the hammer again, but was stopped by Yi Zhonghai who had rushed over.

"Old Liu, you're just messing around!" Yi Zhonghai frowned. "This iron pot is essential for daily life. How are we supposed to eat if you smash it? Besides, what kind of steel can you smelt in that earthen stove? You'll just end up with a pile of scrap iron, and the pot will be gone too. It's not worth it!"

"Old Yi, you don't understand," Liu Haizhong said dismissively. "This is responding to the nation's call. Even if we can't smelt steel, we're still contributing to the country! If you don't donate ironware, you're considered backward-thinking!"

The two were arguing when He Yuyang entered the courtyard carrying his luggage. He had returned to Beijing on leave granted by the military, and had also brought Xu Xiuli and He Jianguo back with him, hoping his mother and father could see the children. Upon entering the courtyard and seeing this chaotic scene, his brows furrowed.

"Uncle Liu, what's wrong?" He Yuyang put down his luggage and walked over to the earthen stove to take a look. The stove was covered with mud and firewood was burning inside. The flames flickered, and there were some broken iron pots and pans piled up next to it. It didn't look like it could be used for steelmaking.

"Yu Yang's back? Perfect, you be the judge!" Liu Haizhong exclaimed, as if he'd found a kindred spirit. "I responded to the call to smelt steel, but this old man is stopping me. Does he have some kind of problem with his thinking?"

He Yuyang didn't answer directly, but instead asked, "Uncle Liu, do you know what temperature is needed to smelt steel? Do you know the difference between iron and steel?"

Liu Hai was stunned, scratched his head and said, "Isn't it just heating it until it's red-hot and then hammering it? The radio said that 'traditional steelmaking methods can also produce miracles'."

"The radio said it's a conditional, rudimentary steelmaking method, requiring professional guidance and the use of qualified ore and fuel." He Yuyang pointed to the pile of scrap iron. "Your iron pot is cast iron, with many impurities. You can't smelt it into steel with firewood. In the end, it will only turn into a pile of iron lumps, which are useless."

He paused, then said, "Responding to the call is a good thing, but we must be realistic. We have to live our lives, and we have to respond to the country's call, but we can't let it ruin our lives just to respond to the call."

Liu Haizhong was rendered speechless, but still stubbornly insisted, "Well... we can't just not respond."

"Why aren't you responding?" He Yuyang smiled. "Go to work, do your job well in the factory, produce more parts, that's also contributing to the country. It's much more practical than smashing pots and pans to smelt iron here."

At this moment, Liu Yan and Xu Xiuli entered the yard carrying the child. Liu Yan immediately recognized the scene and pulled He Yuyang aside, saying, "Don't argue with your Uncle Liu. He's very proud; he won't listen to you anyway."

Xu Xiuli hugged He Jianguo and looked at the pile of broken iron pots. She whispered to He Yuyang, "If we really smash the pots, how will the neighbors cook? I heard Auntie San say at the alley entrance that Uncle Yan's family lost work points because they lost some wheat ears, and they're crying right now."

He Yuyang nodded, understanding the situation. He ignored Liu Haizhong and went to greet Yi Zhonghai first, then took the child to He Daqing's place. He Daqing's residence was not far from the courtyard house; it was a small bungalow allocated by the steel rolling mill, with some vegetables growing in the yard, looking quite peaceful.

"Dad, we're back." He Yuyang pushed open the door, and He Daqing was sitting in the yard picking vegetables. When he saw his grandson, his eyes lit up.

"Oh my, my grandson!" He Daqing dropped the vegetables and rushed over, carefully taking He Jianguo into his arms. Looking at the chubby baby, he couldn't stop smiling. "So good, so good, he's just like Yu Yang when he was little."

Xu Xiuli brought He Daqing a cup of hot water and said with a smile, "Dad, Jianguo is almost half a year old and can roll over now. Why don't you hold him and try?"

He Daqing held his grandson, doting on him, and kept saying, "Slow down, slow down, Grandpa will hold you."

Watching this heartwarming scene, He Yuyang felt much more at ease. After his father had finished admiring it, he told He Daqing about what had happened in the yard, and finally said, "Dad, I think this Great Leap Forward steelmaking is a bit risky. You shouldn't get involved in it at the factory. Just focus on being a good cook, making sure the workers are well-fed and well-dressed. That's better than anything else."

He Daqing nodded: "I know. Some people in the factory were clamoring to smash the iron pots used for steelmaking in the canteen, but the factory director scolded them and told them to stop. The factory director said, 'How can workers work if they don't have enough to eat? Steelmaking requires filling their stomachs first.' Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

As the father and son were talking, there was a knock on the door in the courtyard. Yan Bugui walked in with his head down. When he saw He Yuyang, he forced a smile and said, "Yuyang is back? Perfect timing. I have something I'd like to ask your father."

It turned out that Yan Bugui was dissatisfied with the deduction of work points by the cooperative and wanted to find an easy job. He heard that He Daqing was a chef in the steel rolling mill canteen, so he wanted to ask if he could help out in the canteen, even if it was just sweeping the floor or washing dishes, it would be better than doing heavy work in the fields.

He Daqing looked at He Yuyang, who thought for a moment and said, "Uncle Yan, the canteen is indeed short of a handyman, but it has to be hard work, there's no easy job. If you're willing, I can talk to the factory manager, it should be possible."

Upon hearing this, Yan Bugui's eyes lit up: "I'm willing! I'm willing! No matter how tiring it is, I'm willing! It's better than being mistreated at the cooperative."

"But there's one condition," He Yuyang looked at him, "you have to work diligently and honestly, and you can't try to be clever or slack off, otherwise I won't be able to explain it to the factory manager."

"Don't worry! I promise!" Yan Bugui patted his chest, his worries vanishing completely.

After leaving He Daqing's house, He Yuyang carried the child back to the courtyard house. Liu Haizhong's earthen stove was still smoking, but he hadn't smashed any more pots. It seemed that He Yuyang's words had awakened him, and he was squatting on the ground staring blankly at the pile of scrap metal. He Yuzhu came out of the house, saw He Yuyang, and quickly said, "Brother, you're finally back! Just now, Grandpa Liu almost took our pots and smashed them too, but I stopped him."

"You did the right thing." He Yuyang nodded. "Let's not follow along and make things difficult. Let's just live our lives properly."

Xu Xiuli sat under the locust tree in the yard, holding her child. He Jianguo slept soundly in her arms, his little face rosy, the five-pointed star birthmark on his right foot faintly visible in the sunlight. Liu Yan sat beside him, sewing baby clothes and humming a lullaby, creating a heartwarming scene.

He Yuyang walked over and sat down beside them. Looking at his wife and mother's smiling faces, he felt a sense of peace. The outside world may be noisy, with various movements and trends, but as long as he guards this small place at home and stays true to his simple life, he has nothing to fear from being swept away by the storms.

In the evening, He Yuzhu was busy in the kitchen, cooking porridge with rice soaked in spiritual spring water and stir-frying several dishes. Xu Xiuli helped by holding the child, occasionally teasing the child, making the child giggle. Liu Yan sat in the yard picking vegetables, watching this scene, the wrinkles on her face smoothing out.

Liu Haizhong walked over at some point, and seeing the delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen, he said somewhat embarrassedly, "Zhuzi, can I borrow your pot? My pot... I broke it."

He Yuzhu was about to refuse when He Yuyang stopped him. He Yuyang said with a smile, "Uncle Liu, come in and eat with us. I cooked a little extra porridge."

Liu Haizhong was taken aback for a moment, then a look of gratitude appeared on his face. He rubbed his hands together and said, "Then... thank you so much. I'll buy a new pot later and definitely repay your kindness."

"We're neighbors, no need to be so polite." He Yuyang pulled him into the kitchen. "Eating is the most important thing. You need to be well-fed to have the energy to work, whether it's steelmaking or just making a living."

Looking at the steaming porridge in the bowl, and then at He Yuyang's calm face, Liu Haizhong suddenly sighed: "Yuyang, you're right, I've been messing around with everything. This pot is essential for daily life; without it, everything else is pointless."

He Yuyang smiled and picked up a piece of stir-fried vegetables for him: "It's good that you know you were wrong. Living a down-to-earth life from now on is better than anything else."

At dinner time, the courtyard became unusually lively. Yi Zhonghai was also invited over, and several families sat around a small table in the courtyard, drinking porridge, eating vegetables, and chatting about everyday things. Yan Bugui returned from the canteen and, having heard that He Yuyang had helped him find work, specially brought a bottle of soy sauce, insisting on giving it to He Yuyang while repeatedly expressing his gratitude.

Looking at the harmonious scene before him, He Yuyang was filled with emotion. This courtyard was like a small society, with conflicts and frictions, but also with the warmth of mutual help. No matter how turbulent the outside world was, as long as the people in this courtyard could still sit together to eat and understand each other, life would always go on.

At night, He Jianguo slept beside his mother, his breathing even. He Yuyang and Xu Xiuli sat under the lamp, watching their child's sleeping face and talking softly.

"Do you think this Great Leap Forward steel production campaign will really work?" Xu Xiuli asked with some concern. "If everyone stops farming and cooking, and just focuses on steelmaking, what will we eat in the future?"

"Don't worry, the government will eventually find out the problem." He Yuyang held her hand. "Even if it comes to that, we still have the Spirit Spring Space. We won't go hungry." What he didn't say was that he had already stored enough food and supplies in the space so that even if things got tense outside, his family could live a peaceful life.

Xu Xiuli nodded and leaned on his shoulder: "Our little courtyard is still the best. It's quiet, we can grow some vegetables, raise chickens, and feel at ease."

"Yes, being down-to-earth is the most important thing." He Yuyang gently hugged her. "After the New Year, we'll go back to Baoding and finish up the courtyard. There will be whistles to signal the end of the work, and people will be humming newly learned songs. Although they're a bit off-key, they're full of hope for the future."

He Yuyang knew that there might be more ups and downs in the future, supplies might become increasingly scarce, and there might be more and more physical activity, but as long as he held onto the peace in his heart and protected the health of his family, there was no obstacle he couldn't overcome. Just like the locust tree in this courtyard, no matter how much wind and rain it endures, it will always sprout new leaves in spring and bear locust flowers in autumn, standing there steadily, guarding the peace of the courtyard.

He looked down at his sleeping son, then at his gentle wife beside him, and his heart filled with strength. Tomorrow, he would take his wife and son to the temple fair, buy his son a rattle drum, and his wife a new piece of fabric, to fully enjoy this rare time together. As for the storms and waves, let them go with the wind; life, after all, must go on steadily.