He Yuyang: The tough eldest brother of the courtyard house

Just after the Autumn Equinox, the old locust trees in the alley began to shed their leaves, a golden yellow carpet spread across the bluestone path, rustling underfoot. The air at the morning market was filled with the sweet scent of newly harvested grain. Vendors carrying loads called out, "Newly milled millet—," attracting neighbors to gather around and exchange copper coins or cloth coupons (Note: here, due to the absence of grain coupons, it's changed to "exchanging eggs") for it. He Yuyang, carrying a worn cloth bag, mingled in the crowd, his eyes darting towards the coal yard on the street corner.

The autumn wind already carried a chill, and in another month, they would have to burn coal for heating. In previous years, the He family could only afford the cheapest bituminous coal, which burned so thickly it made it hard to open their eyes. This year was different—the autumn harvest in their storage space had been plentiful, with wheat, corn, and sorghum piled up like small mountains. After keeping enough for their own consumption and giving some to their fellow countrymen, there was still quite a bit left. He was planning to exchange it for two truckloads of good coal before the price went up.

"Boss Li, busy?" He Yuyang called out to the coal yard owner, who was weighing coal, as he walked to the entrance of the coal yard. Boss Li, a ruddy-faced man, straightened up and smiled when he saw him: "Oh, it's Yangyang. Did your dad send you to buy coal?"

"No," He Yuyang put the cloth bag on the ground, untied the knot to reveal the plump corn kernels inside, "My mother asked me to ask if I could exchange this newly harvested corn for some coal?"

Old Li leaned closer for a look, and his eyes lit up. The corn kernels were plump and golden—clearly high-quality grain. These days, grain was precious, and coal yards often traded grain for coal, especially new grain, which was much more valuable than old grain. "Your corn is quite good," he said, weighing the bag in his hand. "How much are you planning to exchange?"

"Look at this bag of corn, how much smokeless coal can it be exchanged for?" He Yuyang pretended to be stupid, but he had already calculated it in his mind. The corn yield in the space was high. This bag looked full, but it was actually 20% lighter than the "standard bag" on the market, but it was enough to exchange for a basket of coal.

Boss Li's calculations were working rapidly: "Here's what we're doing. Your corn is of good quality, so I'll give you the highest possible exchange rate: one peck of corn for fifty pounds of smokeless coal. How much do you have?"

"Could we exchange for two cars?" He Yuyang feigned hesitation. "My family is large, and we need to keep things warm in winter. My mother is pregnant..."

"Oh, your mother's pregnant?" Boss Li's eyes lit up even more. These days, the birth of a new baby is a big deal for any family, and they definitely need to stock up on coal for the winter. "Then I'll pick out the best for you! Here's what I'll give you: two cartloads of top-grade smokeless coal, and I'll also throw in a basket of charcoal for kindling. Isn't that generous?"

"Thank you so much!" He Yuyang quickly expressed his gratitude, but he knew in his heart that the "top-grade coal" and "charcoal delivery" were just excuses for Boss Li to exchange for more new grain. He went along with it, "My house is in the alley ahead. You can have your errand boy deliver it there. I'll go home to get my money bag—oh no, I mean the remaining corn."

He deliberately mentioned "corn" to confirm the pretense of "exchanging grain for coal." While Boss Li's employees were delivering coal by donkey cart, He Yuyang had already "moved" several bags of corn out of his spatial storage and piled them in the yard for He Daqing to inspect.

"So much?" He Daqing stared in astonishment at the two truckloads of black anthracite coal. The coal was uniform in size, and when he cracked one open, the cross-section was shiny. It would definitely produce less smoke when burned, ten times better than the bituminous coal of previous years.

"Boss Li said it's more cost-effective to exchange new grain for coal, so I exchanged a bit more." He Yuyang helped the workers unload the coal. "Let's move this half-truck to the cellar, and pile the rest in the corner of the yard. That'll be enough to burn until spring."

He Daqing didn't ask any further questions; his son always knew how to handle things. He and He Yuyang worked together to move the smokeless coal into the cellar—the cellar was deep, warm in winter and cool in summer, making it less likely for the coal to get damp. The remaining half-cartload was neatly piled in the corner of the yard, covered with a tarpaulin, looking quite sturdy.

The commotion naturally didn't escape the notice of the neighbors in the alley. Old Wang, strolling by, peeked out and exclaimed, "Daqing, exchanging for such good coal? Life's really good these days!"

"Thank you for your kind words. The mother of the child is pregnant, so she needs to be kept warm." He Daqing replied with a smile, his face revealing his undisguised pride.

The news spread like wildfire, reaching the entire alley in less than half a day. By evening, "guests" arrived at the entrance of the He family courtyard.

"Is Brother He home?" Jia Zhangshi's loud voice came from outside the courtyard. Before he even arrived, a scent of perfume wafted in—she had just gotten some face cream from her parents' house and was applying it to her face.

He Yuyang was peeling chestnuts for Liu Yan (she had collected them from her spatial storage so her mother could eat them to improve her health) when she heard the sound and frowned. Jia Zhangshi was known in the alley for being greedy and taking advantage of others. Her husband, Jia Dongxu's father, worked as a handyman at a Japanese chicken factory. They weren't doing badly, but he always liked to freeload off other people.

He Daqing went out to greet her: "It's Cuihua, what's the matter?" He addressed Jia Zhangshi by her name according to seniority, with a hint of distance.

"Can't you come over for a visit if there's nothing wrong?" Jia Zhangshi squeezed through the door, her eyes fixed on the coal pile in the corner of the yard. "Wow, this coal is really good! My husband said the price of coal went up this year, and we haven't had time to buy any yet. Look..."

She rubbed her hands together, her words unfinished, but the meaning was crystal clear—she wanted to borrow coal.

Just as He Daqing was about to speak, He Yuyang came out of the house, holding a half-peeled chestnut in her hand: "Aunt Jia, you've come? My mother was just saying she wanted to bring you some freshly peeled chestnuts."

He didn't mention borrowing coal, but changed the subject. Jia Zhangshi wasn't interested in chestnuts at all, and waved her hand, "No need for chestnuts. I came to ask if I could borrow a basket of your coal... I'll return it to you as soon as I buy some."

"Borrow coal?" He Yuyang pretended to be hesitant. "This coal is exchanged per person. Boss Li said that my family of four (including the unborn He Yushui) has just enough to last until spring. If I lend it out, I'm afraid it won't last until next year when it gets warm."

He specifically mentioned "four people" to shut up Jia Zhangshi—the Jia family has three people, so in terms of "headcount," her family shouldn't be short of coal at all.

Madam Jia's face darkened, and she pursed her lips: "What's the big deal? It's just a basket of coal, why are you being so stingy? Your father is the manager of a restaurant now, do you think he's short of money for coal?"

These words were barbed. He Daqing's face immediately darkened, and he glared at Jia Zhangshi: "Cuihua, watch your mouth! My family's coal was obtained by bartering grain, not by a sudden gust of wind. If you want coal, go buy it yourselves, don't gossip about it here!"

He is usually honest, but very protective of his family, especially when it comes to people talking about him as a "restaurant manager"—these days, flaunting wealth can easily lead to trouble, and he always reminds himself to keep a low profile.

Jia Zhangshi trembled under He Daqing's glare and dared not speak harshly again, but she still muttered, "If you don't want to lend it, then don't lend it. Why are you being so fierce? You're getting stingier the more you have..." As she spoke, she slunk away, almost tripping over the threshold.

"Dad, don't get angry with her." He Yuyang helped his father into the house. "That's just how she is; she can't stand seeing others do well."

"I know." He Daqing sat down and took a sip of tea, still fuming. "I'm just afraid she'll go around spreading rumors that we look down on people now that we're in charge."

"Let her say what she wants," Liu Yan said, coming out of the inner room with a small cotton-padded coat (made for the unborn child). "She can say whatever she wants; let's just live our own lives. Besides, who in the alley doesn't know what kind of person she is?"

He Yuyang nodded, but his mind became more vigilant. Jia Zhangshi was a gossip; this matter would surely reach Yi Zhonghai's ears. Yi Zhonghai seemed fair, but he was actually shrewd and calculating, and might use this as an excuse to make trouble again.

He walked to the corner of the yard, lifted the canvas, and looked at the smokeless coal. The coal gleamed dimly in the setting sun, like silent stones. This coal was not only a source of warmth for the winter, but also the foundation of this family's stability. He couldn't let anyone disrupt this stability.

"Yangyang, what are you daydreaming about?" He Daqing called to him. "Come help me chop some firewood. We're making chestnut chicken stew for dinner."

"Coming!" He Yuyang replied, turning to walk towards the kitchen. The chickens in the space grow quickly; he had just "killed" one at noon, and the soup he made would definitely be delicious.

In the kitchen, Liu Yan was adding firewood to the stove. The firelight illuminated her face, giving her a rosy complexion—thanks to the spiritual spring water. He Yuyang looked at his mother's slightly protruding belly and silently prayed: I must ensure my mother and sister's safety.

The wind outside the courtyard grew cooler, rustling the locust tree leaves. He Yuyang knew this was only the beginning of autumn, and winter would bring even more storms. But as long as there was a warm kang (heated brick bed), hot meals, and family at home, he could weather any storm, no matter how fierce.

He picked up the axe and chopped at the firewood with a crisp "crack," as if marking a solid footnote to this autumn.