He Yuyang: The tough eldest brother of the courtyard house

After the Frost's Descent, the weather turned thoroughly cold. The old locust trees in Nanluoguxiang had almost all shed their leaves, their bare branches stretching towards the gray sky. When the wind blew, they whistled, as if they were muttering something. The neighbors in the alley had all put on thick cotton-padded coats, hunching their shoulders when they went out, and walking faster than usual.

That morning, He Yuyang had just returned from the army when he heard a commotion coming from the east end of the alley, mixed with the sound of things being smashed and a woman crying and cursing, which attracted many neighbors to gather around and watch the excitement.

"What's going on? Why is it making such a racket so early in the morning?" He Daqing stood at the gate of the courtyard, frowning as he looked in that direction.

"It sounds like the Li family and the Wang family are arguing." Liu Yan came out carrying freshly washed clothes and also heard the commotion. "I saw them glaring at each other at the door the other day, I don't know what it was about."

He Yuyang was puzzled. The Li family and the Wang family were neighbors across the street from each other. The Li family were carpenters, and the Wang family ran a small general store. Although they weren't particularly close, they had never argued before. Why were they suddenly arguing so fiercely? He changed into casual clothes and said to He Daqing, "Dad, I'll go take a look."

"Don't get involved in other people's business; neighborhood disputes are very troublesome," He Daqing advised.

"It's nothing, I'll just take a look and come right back." He Yuyang smiled and turned to walk towards the east end of the alley.

The further they walked, the clearer the shouting and cursing became. In the open space in front of the Li family's house, Li's wife stood with her hands on her hips, her hair disheveled, pointing in the direction of the Wang family's house and spitting as she yelled, "Wang Laosan! You shameless bastard! How dare you occupy my family's land? I'll fight you to the death!"

Wang Laosan, the third son of the Wang family, was no pushover either. Holding a carrying pole, he roared back, his face red and neck thick, "Bullshit! That land originally belonged to my family! When your family built your house, you encroached on half a foot more than you allowed, and I didn't hold it against you. Now you dare to turn around and blame us?"

Between the two, the Li family man was pulling his wife along, while the Wang family woman sat on the ground, sobbing. Several broken pottery jars lay scattered around them, indicating that a fight had just taken place. The surrounding neighbors had gathered in layers, some trying to break up the fight, others gossiping, creating a chaotic scene resembling a bustling market.

"Quiet down! What's all the noise about so early in the morning? You're disturbing the neighbors' rest!" A loud voice rang out, and Liu Haizhong, hands behind his back, squeezed out from the crowd. The red armband on his blue work uniform was still conspicuous, and his face carried the authority of someone in charge. "What's so trivial that it's worth getting physical? Let me, the 'mediator,' judge this!"

It turns out that the neighborhood recently selected several "neighborhood mediators," and Liu Haizhong volunteered to sign up. He was eager to show off his skills.

"Manager Liu, you be the judge!" Li's daughter-in-law rushed to Liu Haizhong as if she'd seen a savior. "Wang Laosan's family is building a wall, encroaching on more than a foot of my land! Look at the base of that wall, it's past the old locust tree!"

"Nonsense!" Wang Laosan retorted immediately. "That old locust tree was originally my family's boundary marker! It was said when the land was divided that the locust tree would be the boundary. Now your family is insisting that the tree belongs to you. What are you up to?"

Liu Haizhong frowned, walked to the old locust tree between the two houses, circled the tree twice, then squinted at the newly built courtyard wall of the Wang family, cleared his throat, and said, "In my opinion, this matter is not difficult to handle. Li family's daughter-in-law, your husband is a carpenter, and his measuring tape is accurate. Let him measure it and see if the courtyard wall has crossed the boundary."

"Measure it then!" The Li family man was an honest fellow. Upon hearing this, he quickly went back into the house to get a wooden ruler and began measuring under the locust tree. "Look, from the base of the tree to the base of the wall, it's a full 1.2 feet! Isn't this blatant encroachment on my land?"

"That's because the tree has grown bigger and its roots have spread outwards!" Old Wang shouted, his neck stiff. "I was there when the land was divided twenty years ago, and this tree was still half a foot away from my yard wall!"

"You're talking nonsense!"

"I'm not lying!"

The two started arguing again, even more fiercely than before. Liu Haizhong, caught in the middle, his face flushed and paled by turns. He had intended to assert his "official authority," but it was utterly ineffective. He could only raise his voice and shout, "Stop arguing! Listen to me! In matters of this territory, it's always a matter of each side having their own version of the truth. In my opinion, let's both give in! The Wang family will tear down their wall and move it back five inches, and the Li family can stop pursuing the matter. How about that?"

"Why should we move? It's clearly their family that's in the right!" Old Wang said, displeased.

"Five inches isn't enough! We need to move it at least a foot!" Li's daughter-in-law wouldn't back down either.

Liu Haizhong's mediation not only failed to work, but also made the two families argue even more fiercely. He was so anxious that he stomped his feet and muttered, "This is simply unreasonable," but he was helpless. His previous "authority" had long since vanished.

At this moment, Yan Bugui squeezed in, a shrewd smile plastered on his face: "Hey, we're all neighbors, we see each other all the time, what's all the fuss about? In my opinion, this is simple. Doesn't the Wang family want to save the trouble of demolishing the wall? Just compensate the Li family a little money, it's only a few dollars per foot of land at market price, it's worry-free and effortless, isn't that great?"

Upon hearing this, Li's wife immediately glared at him: "Uncle Yan, what kind of talk is that? Is this about money? This is about face! They took our land, and you think paying compensation is enough? How can my family hold our heads high in the alley after that?"

"Exactly! You think you can just pay us off? No way!" Wang Laosan also felt that Yan Bugui was trying to take advantage of the situation, and said irritably, "Boss Yan, you should mind your own business and stop meddling here!"

Yan Bugui was rebuffed, gave an awkward laugh, and shrank behind the crowd, thinking to himself: "They're really biting the hand that feeds them. I was doing this for your own good."

As the scene grew increasingly chaotic, with shoving and pushing nearly escalating into a fight, He Yuyang frowned, stepped forward, and called out loudly, "Stop!"

His voice wasn't particularly loud, but it carried a military authority that immediately silenced the noisy crowd, and all eyes were on him.

"Yu Yang? What brings you here?" The Li family man recognized him and was taken aback.

"Commander He?" Wang Laosan was also somewhat surprised, and his tone unconsciously softened. The neighbors all knew that He Yuyang was a regimental commander in the army who had made meritorious contributions, and they always held him in high esteem.

He Yuyang walked to the old locust tree, and without looking at the two families arguing, he said to a young man watching the commotion, "Could you please go to my house and ask my dad to bring me that steel ruler? It's on the table in my room."

The young man quickly ran away. He Yuyang then looked at the Li and Wang families, his tone calm: "Arguing won't solve anything. There's always evidence regarding the land issue. Let's stick to the evidence, so no one can renege on their promises, and no one will suffer a loss, okay?"

Li's wife wanted to say something, but Li's husband pulled her back. He thought He Yuyang's words made sense, so he nodded and said, "Okay, we'll listen to Commander He."

Wang Laosan snorted, "As long as he's fair, I have no objection."

Soon, the young man brought the steel ruler. He Yuyang took the ruler and said to Liu Haizhong, "Uncle Liu, could you please be a witness and watch over the ruler for me?"

Liu Haizhong, who had just failed to mediate and was feeling embarrassed, quickly nodded upon hearing this, "Okay, okay."

He Yuyang squatted down and first brushed aside the fallen leaves under the tree to reveal the bluestone slab underneath. He pointed to a blurry engraving on the slab and said, "Look, this is the boundary line drawn when the land was divided back then. Although it's blurry, you can still see it clearly."

The two families took a closer look and sure enough, there was a shallow scratch that neither of them had noticed before.

"I happened to see a copy of the old land deed for this area when I was organizing the military files a few days ago. It clearly states that the boundary between the Li family's and the Wang family's land is marked by this inscription. The old locust tree is three feet on the Wang family's side, which has nothing to do with the boundary." He Yuyang said as he measured with a steel ruler. "From the inscription to the Wang family's courtyard wall, it's exactly one foot. Uncle Wang, your wall is indeed beyond the boundary."

Wang Laosan's face immediately turned red. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but no words came out.

He Yuyang then measured towards the Li family's side: "From the mark to the corner of the Li family's house, it is five feet, which matches the record on the land deed."

Li's daughter-in-law became smug and was about to speak when He Yuyang stopped her: "However, the land deed also states that a one-foot-wide passageway should be left between the two families for walking and drainage. Now, this passageway is blocked by the clutter of both families, which is why the boundary is unclear."

He stood up, looked at the two families, and said, "In my opinion, the Wang family should tear down their courtyard wall and move it back five inches, and the Li family should also move the firewood piled in the passageway back five inches. This way, the passageway will be a foot wide, which will not affect the land area of ​​either family's property, will make it easier to walk, and will also avoid future disputes. What do you think?"

He paused, then added, "In the new society, mutual help and consideration are valued. Isn't it worth it to exchange a small piece of land for harmonious neighborly relations? It's much better than arguing every day and treating each other like enemies, isn't it?"

That hit the nail on the head. The man from the Li family thought about it and decided that giving up five inches was nothing; he could even get some peace and quiet in return. He nodded and said, "Okay, I agree."

Although Wang Laosan felt a bit embarrassed, He Yuyang had already brought out the land deed, so he couldn't back out. Besides, the other party had given him a small concession, which was considered a way out. So he snorted, "Hmph, for Commander He's sake, I'll give in these five inches!"

"That's more like it!" Liu Haizhong quickly smoothed things over. "Commander He really knows how to handle things; he solved it with just a few words!"

The surrounding neighbors nodded in agreement:

"Absolutely! That's what fairness looks like!"

"Scholars are truly capable, unlike us, all we do is argue!"

"Commander He is not only a formidable fighter, but he also has a knack for handling these kinds of matters!"

Seeing that her husband had agreed, Li's wife didn't say anything more, only glaring at Wang Laosan before refraining from further insults. Wang's wife also got up from the ground and dusted herself off.

He Yuyang said with a smile, "Since you've all agreed, let's not waste any more time and get started. If you need any help, the neighbors can lend a hand."

"I'll help tear down the wall!"

"I'll help the Li family move their firewood!"

The neighbors immediately sprang into action, the tension vanishing instantly, replaced by the lively sounds of work. Liu Haizhong rolled up his sleeves to help hand out things, a smile finally appearing on his face. Yan Bugui stood by, watching, secretly admiring He Yuyang—this kid was really capable, resolving such a troublesome matter with just a few words, far better than him and Liu Haizhong.

In less than an hour, the courtyard wall was dismantled and rebuilt, the firewood was moved, and a clean passageway appeared between the two families, looking much more refreshing. The men from the Li and Wang families exchanged glances, both somewhat embarrassed. The man from the Li family offered a cigarette to Wang Laosan, who accepted it, signifying a reconciliation.

"It's all my fault. I didn't look carefully before building the wall." Wang Laosan took a puff of his cigarette and, unusually, admitted defeat.

"It's also my fault; I was too serious," the man from the Li family said.

He Yuyang smiled as he watched this scene: "That's right. We're all neighbors, we see each other all the time, harmony brings wealth."

After the neighbors dispersed, He Yuyang was about to go home when the Li family man stopped him. He handed him a small wooden box: "Commander He, these are a few wooden spoons I made myself. They're not worth much, but please accept them as a token of my gratitude."

Wang Laosan also ran home, grabbed two jin of brown sugar he had just bought, and handed it over: "I don't have anything good, this brown sugar is for my sister-in-law and the children to nourish themselves."

He Yuyang couldn't refuse, so he had to accept the gifts. He then took out two apples from his pocket, which he had taken from his spatial storage, and handed them to the two families: "Try them, they were issued by the army, they're quite sweet."

When they got home, Liu Yan saw him holding a wooden spoon and brown sugar, and asked with a smile, "Is it done?"

"Okay, it's resolved." He Yuyang put the things down. "Each family gave way by five inches, and a passageway was still left."

"You really do have a way with things." He Daqing came out with a teacup, his face full of pride. "I just heard the neighbors praising you in the courtyard, saying you're fair and capable."

Just then, Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong entered one after the other. Yan Bugui was holding two packs of cigarettes and chuckled, "Yu Yang, thanks to you today, otherwise those two families would have been in real trouble. Please accept these cigarettes, it's just a small token of my appreciation."

Liu Haizhong exclaimed in admiration, "Yu Yang, you're really something! I'm completely impressed. Those two families wouldn't listen to anything I said, but you settled things with just a few words. You're truly born for great things!"

He Yuyang pushed the cigarette back: "Uncle Yan, please keep this cigarette. We're all neighbors, it's only right to help each other out, don't be so formal."

Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong praised them a few more times before leaving. Watching their retreating figures, Liu Yan smiled and said to He Yuyang, "You've really made our family proud. From now on, no one in this alley will dare look down on us."

He Yuyang didn't speak, but he understood in his heart that resolving the dispute wasn't just about saving face, but also about ensuring a more peaceful life in the alley. He had experienced too much war and knew how precious peace was and how important neighborly harmony was.

In the afternoon, He Yuzhu returned from the martial arts gym and exclaimed as soon as he entered the door, "Brother, you're amazing! I went to buy soy sauce just now, and I heard the neighbors talking about you. They said you're even more capable than those neighborhood committee officials!"

"What's all the fuss about?" He Yuyang smiled. "It's just a small matter."

"This is a small matter?" He Yuzhu retorted. "If it were anyone else, they would have taken it all the way to the police station. Besides, how do you know about the land deed? And how do you know about the boundary lines?"

He Yuyang smiled mysteriously: "I had long anticipated that there might be land disputes in this area of ​​old houses. A few days ago, I specifically asked the comrades in the military archives to help me check, and I didn't expect it to actually come in handy." In fact, he found the old land deed copy in his space. It was some old information he had collected before, and he didn't expect it to be useful.

He Yuzhu then understood and was filled with admiration: "Brother, you're amazing! You thought of everything!"

During dinner, Yushui chirped, "Brother, all our teachers know about your dispute mediation work. They call you a 'peace ambassador'!"

The family chatted and laughed, filling the courtyard with warmth. The wind was still blowing outside the window, but it no longer sounded so harsh; instead, it seemed to be accompanying this harmonious neighborly relationship.

He Yuyang sipped his porridge, feeling calm. He knew that life was like that, inevitably filled with bumps and bruises, but as long as everyone took a step back, showed more understanding, and held less grudges, conflicts could be resolved. The vibrant atmosphere of Nanluoguxiang wasn't just about the mundane details of daily life, but also about the mutual tolerance among neighbors—that's what real life is all about.

He recalled the scene of the two families shaking hands and making peace during the day, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips. Perhaps, what he could do was not only to protect his family, but also to contribute more to the peace and tranquility of this alley.