Courtyard House: Starting by inheriting the tradition and suppressing the barbarians.

Li Xuan stood at the courtyard gate, watching his mother's departing figure, when suddenly something occurred to him.

He slapped his forehead hard. "Oh dear, look at my brain!"

"Mom is in good health now."

"But I can't keep walking to work, it's too tiring."

Li Xuan touched his chin.

Although he had only recently bought his old bicycle, it was a men's model and the crossbeam was too high.

It was very inconvenient for my mother to ride a horse when she wore a skirt or cheongsam.

Moreover, the car is heavy, making it difficult for women to drive.

"Since I still have a bicycle ticket and plenty of money, why don't I..."

Li Xuan snapped his fingers. "Buy another one! Buy a women's chariot!"

In those days, owning a bicycle was like owning a luxury car in later generations—a true symbol of wealth.

If one family could have two...

That definitely requires not only money, but also connections to the highest levels.

There's no way around it, tickets are hard to get!

If we push this back into the hospital, won't it give those conjunctivitis sufferers a stroke from anger?

Thinking of this, Li Xuan's smile deepened.

"Xiao Tian, ​​Xiao Yu, come on! I'll take you to the department store!"

"Are you going to buy delicious food again?" Xiaoyu's eyes sparkled.

"This time, instead of buying food, I'm getting Mom something big!"

……

Wangfujing Department Store.

As the most bustling commercial center in Beijing, this place is still teeming with people.

Li Xuan headed straight for the bicycle sales area.

Rows of brand-new bicycles gleamed with an alluring metallic luster under the lights.

Permanent, flying dove, phoenix... these are the industrial aesthetics of that era.

"Comrade, I want that Phoenix brand 26-inch women's bicycle."

Li Xuan immediately took a liking to a dark green Kunche.

The curved beam design makes getting on and off the vehicle easier.

It also comes with an exquisite chain case and a basket, making it both beautiful and practical.

The sales clerk looked at the teenager with some surprise: "Young man, this car isn't cheap."

"One hundred and sixty-eight yuan!"

"And you also need a bicycle ticket."

"I have."

Li Xuan calmly took out some money from his pocket and gently patted it on the counter.

Since he wanted to buy a bicycle, he had already taken care of the bicycle ticket!

"Smack."

The money and tickets are complete, and the procedures are compliant.

The sales clerk quickly issued the invoice and picked up the car, and the way she looked at Li Xuan changed.

These days, a young man who can casually pull out so many bills must come from a family with a very powerful background!

I paid the money and got the official stamp.

Li Xuan told Li Tian to ride the new car back.

He rode his old-fashioned bicycle home with Xiaoyu on the back.

……

It was near noon at the entrance of the courtyard house.

Yan Bugui was squatting at the door, tending to his few potted plants that were about to wither.

Actually, they were just waiting for someone to come to them, hoping to get some freebies from someone else.

Suddenly, a clear and melodious bicycle bell rang out.

"Ring ring!"

Yan Bugui looked up and almost dropped his glasses.

Li Tian was seen riding a dark green women's bicycle.

Li Xuan, on the other hand, was riding his old-fashioned bicycle.

The sunlight shone on the electroplated parts of the two bicycles, and the reflected light almost blinded Yan Bugui's dog eyes.

"My God!"

Yan Bugui jumped up, not even caring that the shovel in his hand had fallen.

He rushed over in a few strides, circling the new car several times, his hands trembling.

"Is this a Phoenix brand Kunche (traditional Japanese car)?"

"This one must cost 160 or 170, right? And you need a ticket!"

"Li Xuan, you...didn't you already have one? Why did you buy another one?"

Li Xuan stopped the car and smiled faintly: "Third Uncle, you have a good eye."

"I bought my mom a bicycle because it's inconvenient for her to ride a heavy motorcycle to work."

"Did you buy this for your mom?"

Yan Bugui felt as if his heart had been squeezed tightly, the pain making it hard to breathe.

Yan Bugui has been scheming for most of his life, but he hasn't even managed to save up a single wheel.

Li Xuan, on the other hand, got two without making a sound!

Two cars in one door!

This is an unparalleled display of extravagance in the entire Nanluoguxiang area!

"Oh my, are these seats genuine leather? The paint..." Yan Bugui couldn't resist reaching out to touch them.

"Don't touch it, it's a new car and you'll get it dirty."

Li Xuan slapped his hand away without any politeness and pushed the cart straight inside.

As Yan Bugui watched the two cars disappear into the distance, his mental calculations nearly crumbled.

"Two cars...how much will that cost!"

"What kind of windfall did the Li family acquire?"

"No, this is too serious. I have to talk to Lao Yi about it!"

……

Crossing the front yard, we arrived at the middle yard.

It was cooking time for everyone, and there were quite a few people in the courtyard.

The Li family had two bicycles, which instantly caused an uproar, like a depth charge dropped into a fishpond. The entire courtyard was in an uproar.

"Wow! Look! The Li family bought another car!"

"It's a women's Phoenix brand! This kind of car is harder to buy than a big truck!"

"Two cars per family? That's incredibly extravagant! The first of its kind in our compound!"

The neighbors gathered around, all extremely envious, and started gossiping amongst themselves.

At the entrance of the Jia family's residence.

Qin Huairu, who was washing vegetables, heard the noise, looked up, and saw the cabbage in her hand fall into the basin with a "plop".

She stared at the exquisite and beautiful car, her eyes instantly captivated.

This is exactly what she's been dreaming of!

If she could have a car like that and ride it back to Qinjiacun, what a status it would be!

But now, this car is the one Li Xuan bought for his mother.

Qin Huairu looked down at her rough hands.

Looking at the Li family's thriving life, I felt so sad I wanted to cry.

"What are you looking at! What's so interesting!"

A furious roar came from inside the house.

Jia Dongxu stared intently at the two cars through the window, his eyes as red as a rabbit's.

He was Yi Zhonghai's apprentice and a level-two fitter.

But to this day, I haven't even touched a bicycle, and I still have to walk to work every day.

But why should Li Xuan, a child without a father, live a better life than him?

"It's definitely speculation and profiteering! It's definitely theft!"

"Otherwise, where would we get so much money and tickets!"

Jia Dongxu, in a fit of impotent rage, slammed his fist on the table with a deafening roar.

Madam Jia sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), her old face contorted like a dried orange peel.

"What a tragedy! Heaven is blind!"

"Why don't you just let that little beast go out and get hit by a car!"

"Buying two cars? What's with the showing off!"

"It'll be stolen sooner or later!"

She cursed, but dared not raise her voice too high.

After all, the psychological trauma Li Xuan left on him was too great.

She now feels both hatred and fear towards Li Xuan.

……

The entrance to the main house.

Yi Zhonghai walked out with his hands behind his back, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

Looking at Li Xuan surrounded by the crowd, and those two glaring bicycles, he felt a terrible pang of unease.

As an elderly man, a level eight fitter, he only owns one car.

This widow and orphan from the Li family actually outshone him?

How can this make him, an old man, put his face?

More importantly, Li Xuan's behavior of "flaunting his wealth in a high-profile manner" is also problematic.

In his view, this was a serious case of "being detached from the masses" and "undermining unity."

"This kid is getting too cocky."

Yi Zhonghai squinted, thinking to himself, "If I don't teach them a lesson, who in this courtyard will respect my discipline?"

"If everyone follows his example, will this 'advanced courtyard house' designation even be possible anymore?"

Just then, Yan Bugui came running over, panting, and whispered in Yi Zhonghai's ear:

"Old Yi, look at the mess this has made."

"The Li family is going too far! Two cars for one family—what a waste of resources!"

"There are quite a few people in our department whose legs break from walking to work, like Dongxu..."

"What do you think...?"

Yi Zhonghai's eyes lit up, and he exchanged a glance with Yan Bugui, instantly reaching a tacit understanding.

"Old Yan is right."

Yi Zhonghai nodded, raising his voice slightly so that those around him could hear.

"Our institute is an advanced collective, and we believe in mutual help and assistance."

"Some people have surplus resources at home, which just sit there rusting away, without ever thinking of helping their neighbors in need."

"This level of ideological awareness is indeed problematic."

"I think it's necessary to hold a hospital-wide meeting tonight to properly discuss this issue of neighborly mutual assistance!"

……

The backyard, the Li family's house.

Li Xuan parked the car, completely ignoring the gossip outside.

Not long after, Su Yun returned home from get off work.

When she walked into the house and saw the brand-new Phoenix brand bicycle parked in the main room, she was completely stunned.

"Xiao Xuan, what... what is this?"

"Mom, this is for you."

Li Xuan walked over with a smile, "You can ride it to work from now on; it'll save you energy and make you look presentable."

"You're a legendary doctor now, how can you manage without a car?"

Su Yun touched the smooth handlebars, and her eyes instantly reddened.

"You wasteful child!"

"Mom can walk there..."

Although she scolded him verbally, the joy and emotion in her eyes were impossible to hide.

After her husband left, she single-handedly shouldered the burden of the family, enduring countless grievances and hardships.

Now, her son has truly grown up and can protect her from the wind and rain.

It even allowed her to live a good life that she never dared to dream of before.

"Mom, this is nothing."

Li Xuan wiped the corners of his mother's eyes and said, "From now on, our family's life will become more and more prosperous."

"Let those who were laughing at us have their eyes pop out!"

Outside, the cold wind howled.

Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui are going door-to-door to announce the start of a large meeting.

A storm of forced donations targeting the Li family is brewing.

But Li Xuan didn't care at all.

Are you trying to morally blackmail me?

Perfect timing! Let's take advantage of this conference tonight and teach these beasts another lesson!

......