He Yuyang: The tough eldest brother of the courtyard house

On the morning of the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the aroma of steaming buns filled the kitchen. He Yuyang was helping He Daqing knead the dough when she heard Yi Zhonghai's signature, slow voice from the courtyard gate: "Is Daqing home?"

He Daqing paused in his work, looked up at He Yuyang, and a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment flashed in his eyes. Lately, Yi Zhonghai had been making excuses to visit his house, bringing some pickled vegetables one day and borrowing firewood the next. He seemed friendly, but he always subtly inquired about his family's income, which made him feel uneasy.

"Yes, Master Yi, come in quickly!" He Yuyang answered first, wiped the noodles on his hands, and went out to greet him.

Yi Zhonghai, wearing a slightly worn blue cotton-padded jacket and carrying an oil paper package, smiled broadly: "Just steamed some buns? They smell delicious." He shoved the oil paper package into He Yuyang's hand, "These are sugar cakes that my wife at home fried. Give them to your mother and children to try."

"Thank you very much, Master Yi." He Yuyang took the paper package and ushered her into the house. "Come in and warm up. My mother just made some hot tea."

Upon entering the main room, Liu Yan was leaning against the kang (a heated brick bed) sewing shoe soles. Seeing Yi Zhonghai, she greeted him with a smile, "Master Yi, you've arrived? Please have a seat."

Yi Zhonghai sat down, took a sip of tea, and glanced around the room before finally fixing his gaze on He Daqing. He said slowly, "Daqing, I have something to tell you."

He Daqing's heart skipped a beat, and he put down the basin in his hand: "Master Yi, please speak."

"It's like this," Yi Zhonghai put down his teacup, his tone carrying a familiar warmth, "The restaurant owner has a distant nephew named Wang Erzhu, about seventeen or eighteen years old, who wants to find a place to learn a trade. I was thinking, since you're the head of the kitchen at the restaurant, could you put in a good word for him and get him an apprenticeship?"

He Daqing was stunned. Apprentices in the restaurant's kitchen weren't easy to get into. The manager had set rules: they had to be literate, quick-witted, and pass a trial period—chopping vegetables, mincing fillings, carrying water—and if they failed any of these, they wouldn't be kept. He had met Wang Erzhu once before; he was an idle loafer. The last time Wang Erzhu came to the restaurant to see the manager, he had secretly taken meat from the kitchen and was caught red-handed.

"This..." He Daqing looked troubled. "Master Yi, it's not that I don't want to help, it's just that the restaurant has rules, apprentices have to take an exam..."

"Rules are made by people," Yi Zhonghai interrupted him, his smile fading slightly. "I've talked to the shopkeeper's nephew; he's quite clever, but he's never experienced hardship. Keep an eye on him, and he'll get used to it. Besides, since you've helped the shopkeeper this time, won't he give you preferential treatment in future purchasing?"

The implication couldn't be clearer—helping with this favor would mean getting a discount on grain and meat in the future. These days, supplies were scarce; buying more would make life much easier for the family. He Daqing was tempted, his fingers unconsciously tracing the patch on his apron.

Liu Yan also understood the situation. She glanced at her husband, her lips moved, but she didn't say anything. She knew it wasn't easy for her husband to be the manager of the restaurant. If he could get the manager's favor, it would indeed be a good thing, but... that Wang Erzhu really didn't seem like someone who could learn a craft.

"Master Yi," just then, He Yuyang came out of the kitchen carrying freshly steamed buns and chimed in, "The exam you mentioned, is it about cutting vegetables and carrying water? I heard from my dad the other day that someone who wanted to be an apprentice couldn't even cut potatoes evenly and didn't get the job."

Yi Zhonghai's smile froze, and his gaze toward He Yuyang held a hint of displeasure: "What does a child know? Rules are rigid, but people are flexible."

"I think the rules still need to be followed." He Yuyang put the steamed buns on the table, picked one up and handed it to him. "Think about it, what kind of place is the kitchen? It's a dangerous place with knives and guns. What if an apprentice is clumsy and hurts someone? Besides, if it's easy to get in, wouldn't other people who want to earn a living through their own abilities be disheartened?"

His tone was calm, but he spoke the truth. As He Daqing listened, the slight wavering in his heart gradually disappeared—his son was right, the restaurant's rules could not be broken, otherwise he couldn't be the manager.

"Yangyang is right." He Daqing nodded, then looked at Yi Zhonghai, "Master Yi, it's not that I'm not giving you face, but these rules can't be broken. How about... letting that child try it out first? If he passes the trial period, I'll talk to the manager about it?"

This statement offered Yi Zhonghai a way out without giving him a clear answer. Yi Zhonghai was displeased but couldn't show it, as he was asking for a favor. He picked up a steamed bun, took a bite, and mumbled, "Fine, I'll talk to the boy later. But Da Qing, you'd better think this through; this opportunity doesn't come every day."

"I know, thank you for your concern, Master Yi," He Daqing replied politely, without saying anything more.

Yi Zhonghai sat for a short while before leaving, making an excuse that he had something to do at home. As he was leaving, He Yuyang happened to be going to empty the foot bath water and bumped into him and the Third Aunt whispering in the corner. The voices were very low, but the words "ungrateful" and "shameless" still reached his ears.

He Yuyang sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm. He poured the water and went back inside.

"Do you think...we've offended Yi Zhonghai?" Liu Yan looked at her husband with worry. "He knows everyone in the alley. What if he starts talking badly about us..."

"Let him say it," He Yuyang said, peeling open a sweet cake and handing it to her mother. "We haven't done anything wrong, what are we afraid of? We can't break the restaurant's rules and ruin our livelihood just because of his words, can we?"

He Daqing sighed, "Yangyang is right. I'd rather offend him than let people talk behind my back. But... I'm worried about the shopkeeper..."

His concern was whether Yi Zhonghai would gossip about the shopkeeper. After all, Yi Zhonghai was a distant relative of the shopkeeper, and they often visited each other.

"Father, don't worry, the shopkeeper is a sensible man," He Yuyang comforted him. "He values ​​your honest work ethic, not anyone's reputation."

Despite saying that, He Daqing was still uneasy. In the following days, when he went to work at the restaurant, he always felt that the manager's gaze towards him was a little different, and he felt very anxious.

On the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, He Daqing went to the restaurant early in the morning and did not return until evening. His face was ashen, and he sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) as soon as he entered the door, without saying a word for a long time.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Liu Yan quickly handed over a cup of hot water.

He Daqing took the water glass, his hands trembling: "I...I was fired by the manager."

"What?" Liu Yan dropped the needle and thread in her hand. "Why? Is it because of Yi Zhonghai...?"

"It has nothing to do with him." He Daqing shook his head, his voice hoarse. "The manager said that business is slow at the end of the year, so they have to lay off people. I... I'm the first one to be laid off."

What he didn't say was that when he went there that morning, he happened to see Yi Zhonghai coming out of the shopkeeper's room. The two even exchanged a glance, and Yi Zhonghai's eyes held a hint of smugness that was hard to define. He knew in his heart that Yi Zhonghai had most likely said something behind his back.

He Yuyang frowned. Layoffs? He had gone to buy brown sugar for his mother a few days ago and heard from the restaurant staff that they were short-staffed for the year-end banquet for the "headquarters" of the Japanese chicken restaurant. How could they possibly lay off people? This was clearly an excuse.

"Father, it's alright." He pressed his father's shoulder, his tone firm. "If they don't want me here, there are plenty of other places that will. With your skills, you're sure you'll find work."

"But...but the end of the year is approaching..." He Daqing's eyes reddened, "The family needs money, and your mother is pregnant..."

"Don't worry about the money, I have some savings." He Yuyang took out a few silver dollars from his pocket and placed them on the table. "These are what I saved up from doing work for others before, enough for us to celebrate the New Year."

These silver dollars were naturally taken from his spatial storage, but he couldn't say so. Liu Yan looked at the silver dollars on the table, then at her son, her lips moved, but in the end she just sighed: "Yangyang has grown up and can take care of things for the family now."

That night, the family didn't talk much. He Daqing lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), tossing and turning, unable to sleep, sighing from time to time. Liu Yan comforted him, "Losing your job is fine, we're all together as a family, we won't go hungry. Besides, that restaurant serves boiled chicken every day, I've long been worried about you working there."

Hearing his mother's words, He Yuyang suddenly had a thought. Yes, leaving the restaurant might not be a bad thing. He thought of the incident with the Japanese chicken and the forced requisition of grain, and he had a feeling that something was going to happen to the restaurant.

Sure enough, two days later, news spread through the alley that the restaurant owner, in an effort to curry favor with the Japanese chefs, had taken on a year-end banquet order from the "headquarters," requiring him to prepare a hundred tables. However, the Japanese chefs discovered that the meat they purchased had been adulterated with water, and the owner was slapped in the face. Several chefs in the kitchen were also implicated and made to kneel for an entire afternoon as punishment.

"Luckily, your father resigned early." Liu Yan was still shaken by the news. "If he were still there, who knows what kind of suffering he would have endured."

He Daqing was stunned and speechless for a long time. He remembered that when he used to buy things, the shopkeeper always told him to "be smarter," which meant to add more water or give less weight. He never expected to be tricked by the Japanese this time. If he were still in charge of purchasing, he would be the one to be punished.

"This...this is really..." He Daqing didn't know what to say, only feeling a chill down his spine.

Looking at his father's expression, He Yuyang understood. This was probably a case of "a blessing in disguise." Yi Zhonghai's scheming had inadvertently helped them escape this calamity.

"Father, look," he said with a smile, "leaving the restaurant is a good thing, isn't it? After the New Year, I'll go with you to see other restaurants. With your skills, you'll definitely find a better job."

He Daqing nodded, his frustration dissipating considerably. Looking at his son, he suddenly realized that the boy was more responsible than he had imagined. Perhaps leaving that place of trouble was truly a good thing.

That afternoon, He Yuyang went to the alley entrance to take out the trash and happened to bump into Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui standing in the corner talking.

"...I told you He Daqing was ungrateful," Yi Zhonghai's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear, "He didn't even give me this much face, he deserved to be fired!"

Yan Bugui chimed in, "Exactly! Does he really think he's something special just because he's a manager? Without the restaurant, I bet his whole family will starve!"

He Yuyang stood there, silent. He knew this was just the beginning. Yi Zhonghai held a grudge against his family, and the days to come wouldn't be peaceful.

But he wasn't afraid. He had food and supplies in his spatial dimension, he had the ability to protect his family, and more importantly, his family was united.

He turned and walked home. Sunlight filtered through the bare branches, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The New Year was approaching, and children were starting to set off firecrackers in the alley, the crackling sounds adding to the festive atmosphere.

He Yuyang touched the silver coins in his pocket, a smile playing on his lips. No matter how Yi Zhonghai and the others schemed, he would protect this family and ensure that his parents, younger brother, and younger sister could have a peaceful and happy New Year.

As for those who can't stand seeing others do well, let them continue scheming in the shadows. After all, real life is for yourself, not for others.

Inside the kitchen, Liu Yan had already started steaming rice cakes. The sweet aroma of rice wafted out, mingling with the sound of firecrackers outside the window, warming everyone's hearts. He Yuyang pushed open the courtyard gate and shouted, "Mom, I'm home! We'll have rice cakes tonight!"

"Ah! We've been waiting for you!" came the mother's gentle reply from inside the house.

He Yuyang smiled and quickened her pace to enter the house. No matter how cold the wind was outside, or how many schemes she had, as long as the house was warm, she had nothing to fear.