He Yuyang: The tough eldest brother of the courtyard house

The late spring breeze carried a hint of warmth, rustling the leaves of the locust trees in the alley. When He Daqing returned home from get off work, his face showed some weariness, but he clutched an oil paper package in his hand, and his steps were lighter than usual as he entered the courtyard.

"Dad, you're back?" He Yuyang was chopping firewood in the yard. When he saw his father enter, he quickly put down his axe and went to greet him. He Zhu also ran out of the house, sniffed the air, and stared intently at the oil paper package in his father's hand—the aroma of oil wafting from it made his mouth water.

"Yes, the restaurant manager was in a good mood today and gave me two strings of sugar-coated fruit." He Daqing handed the oil paper package to Liu Yan, then sat on the threshold, took out his pipe but didn't light it. He just rubbed the pipe, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he had something on his mind.

Liu Yan distributed the candied fruit to her two sons. Noticing her husband's strange expression, she asked while wiping the table, "What's wrong? Did something happen at the restaurant?"

"It's not that anything bad happened," He Daqing sighed, tapping his pipe. "The manager wants to get a new batch of plates, saying the current porcelain plates are too heavy, making it difficult for the kitchen staff to carry them and they're easy to drop. He wants to switch to wooden plates, but they need to be lightweight and sturdy, while also saving on wood—isn't that making things difficult for us?"

His restaurant, "Fuxinglou," was a mid-range establishment that had recently seen a turnaround in business, and the manager was considering cutting costs. The porcelain plates in the kitchen were indeed delicate, breaking several every month, which added up to a considerable expense. Switching to wooden plates, however, required them to be lightweight and easy to handle, sturdy and durable, while also minimizing the use of wood—these three requirements presented a challenge for the kitchen's veteran staff.

"A wooden tray?" He Yuyang asked, munching on a candied fruit, but his ears perked up. "Dad, what's wrong with wooden trays these days? Are they too heavy or not sturdy enough?"

"They all take up a lot of space," He Daqing said listlessly. "These days, the wooden platters are all carved from single planks of wood. They're thick and heavy, and the waiters' arms get sore after carrying them for a while. If we make them thinner, we're worried they won't be sturdy enough and will crack easily when filled with hot food. The shopkeeper even said that the price of wood has gone up, so we have to use it sparingly. Isn't that making things difficult for us?"

He Yuyang's heart skipped a beat. Carving a plate out of a single wooden board would indeed be wasteful of material and make the plate heavy. In his previous life, he had seen ancient wooden plates with mortise and tenon joints in museums. These were made of thin pieces of wood, which were light, strong, and economical in terms of materials—wouldn't this be the perfect solution to the restaurant's problem?

"Dad, I might have a way." He Yuyang put down the candied fruit in his hand and looked at He Daqing with bright eyes. "I picked up an old painting manual at a bookstall a few days ago. It seems to have drawn a kind of wooden plate. It wasn't made of a single piece of wood, but pieced together. It looked quite light and delicate."

"You?" He Daqing was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled. "What do you know, you little brat? That's a carpenter's job. You can't take what's in a drawing manual seriously!"

"But Dad..." He Yuyang persisted, tugging at her father's arm. "I remember the plate in that picture book had many small squares that held it together, saying it could be assembled securely without nails. How about I draw it for you? Maybe it'll work?"

Liu Yan chimed in, "Dad, since the child says so, why not let him try drawing? It won't take much effort, and what if he actually does?"

He Daqing was swayed by the mother and son's words. He knew his son was more thoughtful than most children and liked to tinker with little things; perhaps he could actually figure something out in drawing. He found a used account book sheet in the kitchen and pulled out half a pencil stub: "Okay, draw it and let me see. Don't mess around if you can't draw it."

"Got it!" He Yuyang took the paper and pen and started drawing while lying on the kang table. He had never studied drawing, so his lines were crooked and uneven, but he drew the key parts of the mortise and tenon structure—the base was made of thin pieces of wood, with grooves around the edges, and several intersecting support strips on the bottom of the plate, which reduced weight and increased sturdiness. He deliberately exaggerated the tenons and marked them "once they're locked, they won't fall off," afraid that his father wouldn't understand.

He Daqing leaned closer to take a look, and his brows gradually relaxed. Although he wasn't a carpenter, he had seen a lot of woodenware and knew the principle behind this "locking". This plate didn't use a whole piece of wood, which did save material; the thin pieces of wood spliced ​​together were definitely lighter; and those crisscrossing support bars looked like they could support the weight of hot food.

"This...this method seems to really work?" The more He Daqing looked at it, the more reasonable it seemed. Pointing to the slot on the drawing, he asked, "Will this really hold it securely? Without nails?"

"Yes, we can!" He Yuyang patted his chest confidently. "That's how it's drawn in the manual. They say it's the old method, and it's even stronger than nails. Dad, ask a carpenter; maybe he can really make it."

He Daqing's heart began to race. If this wooden tray really worked, it would not only solve the restaurant's problem but also give him face in front of the manager, and he might even earn more wages. He carefully folded the blueprints and put them in his pocket: "Okay, I'll ask Carpenter Wang about it tomorrow. If this works out, Dad will buy you two strings of candied fruit."

The next morning, He Daqing didn't go to the restaurant; instead, he went directly to Wang the Carpenter's Shop at the alley entrance, carrying the blueprints. Wang the Carpenter was an old craftsman in his fifties, an old acquaintance of He Daqing. Seeing him enter with a tattered piece of paper, he joked, "Daqing, have you changed careers to become a teacher? And you even brought a sketchbook?"

"Don't make fun of me, Lao Wang." He Daqing handed over the blueprints. "Take a look at this thing. Can you make it? My restaurant needs to make a batch of wooden trays, so I'll follow the method on this."

Carpenter Wang took the blueprints and was initially indifferent, but the more he looked at them, the more his brows furrowed. Finally, he simply took out a ruler and started tracing the blueprints on the paper.

"Who drew this?" Carpenter Wang looked up at He Daqing, his eyes filled with surprise. "This method looks simple, but it's full of intricacies! Look at the angle of the tenon and the position of the support strip—just the right amount to hold the weight. Using thin wood slats to splice together saves at least half the wood and reduces the weight by 30%!"

"Can it really work?" He Daqing was overjoyed.

"Why not?" Carpenter Wang slapped his thigh. "This is the mortise and tenon structure passed down from our ancestors! It's just that nowadays people want to save time and use nails and whole pieces of wood; nobody wants to put in the effort. Your drawings may look rough, but the logic is spot on!" He pointed to the support strips at the bottom of the plate. "Especially these diagonal braces, they're brilliant! When you put hot food on top, the force is completely distributed; it absolutely won't crack!"

Carpenter Wang became more and more excited as he spoke, and immediately found a few scraps of wood, gesturing to the design in the blueprint: "I'll make you a sample first, you can try it out. If it's good, we'll make mass production. This craft isn't difficult, it just takes some effort, and the labor cost will be 20% higher than for ordinary wooden trays."

"An extra 20% is fine!" He Daqing readily agreed. "As long as it works, the wages are not a problem."

Carpenter Wang was very efficient; he made a sample that very afternoon. The wooden tray was about the size of a palm, made from thin poplar veneers left over from furniture making. The joints were perfectly fitted, and when he shook it, it didn't budge. Carpenter Wang poured a bowl of hot water into the tray and tossed it back and forth; it wasn't too hot to handle (thin wood conducts heat slowly), and it didn't warp.

"It's done!" He Daqing held the wooden plate, beaming with joy. This plate was much lighter than a porcelain plate, and could be held steadily with one hand. The edges were polished smooth, so there was no need to worry about it breaking.

He took the sample straight to the restaurant. The manager's eyes lit up at first sight. He took the wooden tray and examined it closely. He even had a waiter try it out, exclaiming repeatedly, "Excellent! Excellent! This is much better than porcelain plates! Lightweight, sturdy, and saves on materials! Da Qing, where did you get this method?"

"It's...it's my son who drew it based on a painting manual." He Daqing scratched his head sheepishly. "It was just a lucky guess."

"Your son is a real talent!" the shopkeeper laughed heartily, immediately deciding, "Make this batch of wooden trays according to this design, fifty of them! I'll give you an extra half-month's wages when they're done! Oh, and the chopping blocks and spice boxes in the kitchen also need replacing. Have your son think about it some more, see if he can modify them to save on materials!"

"Hey! Hey!" He Daqing was so happy he couldn't stop smiling. He pocketed the shopkeeper's tip and hurried home with light steps.

The news quickly spread throughout the alley. Everyone said that the young man from the He family had drawn up a blueprint and helped the restaurant make wooden trays, and He Daqing had even received a reward. Yan Bugui was the first to hear the news, and that very evening he went to their door with half a bag of roasted soybeans.

"Is Daqing at home?" Yan Bugui walked into the courtyard with a smile, placing the roasted soybeans on the table. "I heard your Yangyang is quite capable, earning half a month's wages from just one blueprint? Like father, like son!"

He Daqing knew that Yan Bugui was a notorious "calculator" who would only visit if he had something to ask, so he smiled and invited him to sit down: "What skill do you have? It's just a kid's random doodles that happened to be lucky."

"Don't say that." Yan Bugui glanced around the room, as if looking for He Yuyang. "I heard that the blueprints use an old method, which is economical and sturdy. My son wants to learn carpentry recently, and I'd like to lend him the blueprints so he can learn some skills."

Just then, He Yuyang returned from the backyard. He had just finished watering the seedlings and was holding a small water ladle in his hand. When he saw Yan Bugui arrive, he politely greeted him, "Hello, Uncle Yan."

"Hey, Yangyang's back." Yan Bugui immediately put on a smile and took He Yuyang's hand. "Uncle heard you drew a wooden plate blueprint? That's amazing! Can you tell me how you drew the lines on that blueprint? So my son can learn from you."

He Yuyang was already prepared, so he pretended to be clueless: "What do you mean, Uncle Yan? I just drew it randomly. I picked up a tattered drawing manual at a bookstall the other day. There were some circles and crosses on it, so I just copied it. I threw the drawing manual away a long time ago, and I've forgotten how I drew it."

"Forgot?" Yan Bugui didn't believe him and pressed, "How did the tenon engage? How were the support bars placed? Try drawing it again!"

"I can't draw it anymore." He Yuyang shook his head, looking troubled. "I only remember getting stuck on a lot of small squares, I've forgotten everything else. My mother said what I drew was just scribbles and won't let me draw anymore."

Liu Yan chimed in, "That's right, that kid was just scribbling. I took his paper and pen away a long time ago. Brother Yan, don't listen to the rumors outside, it was just a coincidence."

Yan Bugui wanted to ask more, but He Yuyang insisted that he had "forgotten," and He Daqing and his wife also interrupted from the side, so he really couldn't find any fault with them. He knew in his heart that the He family didn't want to reveal their method, but their reasons were so watertight that he couldn't force them to.

As he left, Yan Bugui clutched the half-sack of roasted soybeans, muttering to himself: "This He family lad seems honest, but he's got quite a few tricks up his sleeve. There's definitely something fishy about these blueprints; maybe it's a way to make money. No, I need to keep an eye on things."

After Yan Bugui left, He Daqing breathed a sigh of relief and patted He Yuyang on the shoulder: "You're a good kid, you're good at keeping your mouth shut. If your Uncle Yan had found out anything, you might have gotten into a lot of trouble."

"Dad, if this method gets out, other restaurants will follow suit, and our Fuxinglou will lose its advantage," He Yuyang explained. "Besides, with Uncle Yan's personality, he'll definitely try to use it to gain benefits if he finds out. We don't need to give him any advantages."

He Daqing nodded repeatedly. He used to think his son was too young and immature, but now he realized that his son was much more thoughtful than he had imagined.

Within a few days, Carpenter Wang had finished making fifty wooden trays. The restaurant used them for a few days and the feedback was excellent. The waiters all said they were lightweight and labor-saving, and the manager was even happier. He not only gave He Daqing a bonus equivalent to half a month's wages, but also encouraged him to think about how to improve other tools in the kitchen.

Taking this opportunity, He Yuyang drew up several more plans: the chopping block could be made detachable, so the top board could be replaced when it got old, instead of replacing the whole thing; the spice box could be made into a multi-layered drawer type, saving space and preventing moisture. He Daqing took them to Wang the carpenter, who slapped his thigh in praise, saying that these methods were both practical and material-saving, and immediately accepted the job.

Now, He Daqing's position in the restaurant became even more secure. The manager often praised him to others, saying he was "capable and quick-witted," and even the kitchen staff looked at him with more respect. Life at home also became more comfortable; Liu Yan no longer had to haggle with vendors over a few coins, and He Yuzhu could occasionally enjoy a couple of skewers of sugar-coated fruit.

That night, He Yuyang lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), listening to his father greeting the neighbors in the yard, his voice filled with an unprecedented confidence. He knew this was just the beginning. Using modern knowledge to improve their lives and protect his family—that was the meaning of his time travel.

The moonlight outside the window was perfect, shining through the paper window onto He Yuyang's face, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. The wheat in the space was ready to be harvested, the spiritual spring water had accumulated quite a bit more, and his mother's health was getting better and better—everything was developing in a positive direction.

However, he didn't forget the meaningful look in Yan Bugui's eyes when he left. A tall tree catches the wind; there are many eyes in this courtyard. He'll have to be even more careful in the days to come.

He turned over, looked at his younger brother sleeping soundly beside him, and silently vowed: Zhu Zi, I will make sure you and Mom and Dad live a good life. No one will dare to bully us.

The night breeze rustled through the locust tree leaves, as if echoing his innermost thoughts. This spring, thanks to this small wooden tray, the He family's lives seemed to be infused with new vitality, warm and hopeful.