Courtyard House: I, the eldest son of the Jia family, have returned from the battlefield.

A childish voice came from inside the house, and then, Xiaodang hopped to the door like a sparrow.

Jia Dongming bent down, scooped her into his arms, and asked with a smile, "Was our little Dang well-behaved at home today? Did she help Grandma take care of her little sister?"

Little Dang immediately puffed out her little chest, looking like a little adult: "I was very good! I even made milk for my little sister!"

"Oh?"

Jia Dongming feigned curiosity, "So...did you secretly taste your sister's 'breasts'?"

Two blushes immediately rose on the little girl's face. She hesitated for a moment, then spoke even softer, "I...I only tasted a tiny bit...really just a tiny bit!"

Hearing this, Madam Jia Zhang was both amused and annoyed. She couldn't help but complain to her son, "Don't even mention it! This girl said she was helping her sister, but she almost drank all the milk powder that was prepared for Huaihua, which made Huaihua cry loudly."

Jia Dongming just smiled when he heard that.

He has plenty of milk powder on hand; he's already accumulated a lot through the system. "Mom, don't worry about the milk powder; I have connections."

If you want to drink it, feel free to brew it.

He spoke in a relaxed tone.

Madam Jia immediately felt distressed: "Dongming, you can't say that! I heard that stuff is very expensive, and it's hard to buy even with coupons. A bag costs several yuan! You're capable of earning it, but you can't let these two girls waste it."

If you ask me, I'd say feeding Huaihua some rice cereal from now on would be fine...

Knowing his mother's frugal nature, Jia Dongming knew that this conversation would go on and on, so he subtly changed the subject: "By the way, Mom, I just got back and saw Grandma Zhang's two little ones in the backyard rummaging through the garbage dump at the alley entrance, picking through the winter snacks."

What does this mean?

Madam Jia sighed, the complaining look on her face fading, replaced by a touch of wistfulness: "You know, the Zhang family... they really had it tough."

Old Mrs. Zhang had a hard life. When she was young, her husband was conscripted and never heard from again.

She raised her son alone, got him married, and just when good times were about to come, a famine struck two years ago. Her son and daughter-in-law went into the mountains to find food, but they encountered bad people... and they all died.

Now, she barely manages to support her two grandsons with the meager subsidies from the neighborhood committee and the money she earns by collecting and selling scraps.

Jia Dongming listened silently, feeling a heavy weight in his heart.

He thought for a moment, then asked, "Didn't any of the neighbors in the courtyard think of lending a hand?"

"How could I not have thought about it?"

Jia Zhangshi lowered her voice, "But Old Madam Zhang is very stubborn and refuses to take things from others for free."

She refused both money and food offered to her, saying she wouldn't feel at ease owing favors.

Jia Dongming nodded, pondered for a moment, and said, "Mom, the small canteen in our factory's security department is short of someone to help wash and prepare the vegetables."

I was thinking, could we let Grandma Zhang go? It's a decent job, she gets paid a little each month to supplement her household income, and she feels at ease doing it.

Is this suitable for you?

Upon hearing this, Madam Jia was taken aback at first, then waved her hands repeatedly, her expression becoming more serious: "Dongming, it's not that your mother is hard-hearted."

You absolutely must stop saying that! That idea... is unacceptable!

With so many families crammed into this courtyard, if you only find a job for Old Lady Zhang, other families will get envious and come to you for work too. Will you help them or not? Don't be fooled by the prestigious plaques hanging in our courtyard. When it comes to matters of life and death, who doesn't think about their own livelihood first?

After his mother's reminder, Jia Dongming suddenly remembered Yan Bugui's hint in the afternoon—that he wanted to ask him to find a way out for his son, Yan Jiefang.

As he pondered the complex thoughts and intentions of his neighbors, he realized that he had indeed been inconsiderate.

After a long silence, he suddenly had an idea: "Mom, how about this—I'll submit the recruitment quota to the neighborhood committee, and then the neighborhood committee can legitimately allocate it to Old Lady Zhang?"

Madam Jia's eyes suddenly lit up: "This method is thorough! But be sure to keep it a secret, don't let the people in the courtyard suspect that you're the one pulling the strings behind the scenes."

"I understand."

Just as Jia Dongming agreed, his mother seemed to remember something and lowered her voice: "Oh right, Master Lei sent word at noon that he wants you to go to the side courtyard after you come back, saying it's something important."

Jia Dongming gently put down his babbling baby daughter from his arms, turned around and passed through the moon gate.

As I stepped into my own courtyard, my gaze swept over the newly built grape trellis and hexagonal pavilion, and a faint smile unconsciously appeared on my lips.

Master Lei was squatting in the main room measuring dimensions when he suddenly heard a greeting coming from outside the door.

Looking up, he saw Jia Dongming standing outside the threshold, an unopened cigarette between his fingers: "Master Lei, I heard you were looking for me?"

The craftsman quickly patted the dust off his hands and stepped forward to greet them: "The Dong family has arrived just in time."

"Would you like the floor inside to be paved with cement or bricks? If you're choosing bricks, I know a way—I have a batch of imperial kiln bricks, materials specially used for the repair of the imperial city. I wonder if you'd be interested?"

This "BRICS"

The two words made Jia Dongming's eyes freeze, and even the gesture of offering him a cigarette stopped mid-air: "What's the price?"

Seeing that he knew his stuff, Master Lei added a touch of warmth to his words: "Since it's an item that came from the palace, it's naturally more valuable—this is the price for one piece."

He held up one and a half fingers, "If the whole house is covered, the price can be more flexible."

Jia Dongming then remembered the cigarette in his hand and quickly handed him one: "In your estimation, how many rooms would it take to cover them all?"

"I've already calculated it for you."

Master Lei took the cigarette and tucked it behind his ear. "If we calculate based on each brick being 2 feet 2 inches square, then each square meter will yield 41 bricks."

Your house is a total of 120 square meters, it must cost at least five thousand dollars.

Five thousand gold bricks—an amount that an ordinary family couldn't save up in half a lifetime.

If it weren't for that unexpected windfall a few days ago, he wouldn't even be able to afford a corner of a wall with his livelihood as a hunter in the deep mountains.

Jia Dongming pondered for a moment, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the cigarette box: "Could you please help me find out the bottom price?"

If an agreement can be reached, the entire land will be handed over to Gold Brick.

"Alright, I'll go ask tonight."

Master Lei readily agreed, but then noticed Dong Jia's gaze slowly shifting to the roof beams. Suddenly, he smiled and asked, "Does your friend have any old timber suitable for beams? Rosewood, huanghuali, or golden nanmu are all fine—but it must be old timber, the less conspicuous the better."

The old craftsman was taken aback at first, then realized what he meant: "You mean... you want to replace the beam?"

"The thought that popped into my head when you mentioned BRICS."

Jia Dongming looked up at the dark, gnarled beams with their interlocking mortise and tenon joints. "New materials are too flashy. It's best to use old wood that's been around for a long time and whose origins are hard to discern."

Master Lei gasped, "Dong family, these materials cost more money than gold bricks!"

Jia Dongming tapped the newly erected wooden partition lightly with his fingertips, his voice low: "Master Lei, look at this material... I think I'll replace it all."

Master Lei paused with his plane, sending sawdust flying into the air: "Dong family, this is no small matter."

The partitions are only half-built; starting over would be a waste of both labor and materials.

"The ingredients must be top-notch."

Jia Dongming took out a cigarette from his pocket and handed it to him, saying, "Any amount is fine. If it's convenient for you, I have some yellow cigarettes to pay for it."

"Yellow?"

Master Lei's eyes lit up suddenly. He took the cigarette and tucked it behind his ear. "If you really want gold, let alone gold bricks, I can find cheap ones. Even old wood and old furniture—I have ways to get a few decent pieces."

A sliver of light slanted in through the windowpane, landing on Jia Dongming's smiling eyes: "Then I'll trouble you to do so."

I'll give you the market price, discounted to the yellow one.

Master Lei's throat bobbed.

Those gold bricks were originally kept at the bottom of a chest by his ancestors, and over the years he had always worried about how to sell them off without making a fuss.

Now someone is actually offering to buy it, even in exchange for yellow croaker—it's like a godsend.

He rubbed his rough hands together: "Don't worry, Dong family, I'll get everything done."

Jia Dongming glanced at the small, faded side door in the corner of the courtyard, his voice lowering even further: "When Dongxi comes and goes... it's best not to disturb anyone."

"know."

Master Lei gestured with his chin toward the two young craftsmen beside him, "One is my own son, and the other is my nephew. They're both tight-lipped."

They carried it in through a side door at night, and you couldn't see a single ghost in it.

Just then, the small door at the base of the courtyard wall creaked open.

A door was pushed open, and a boy popped out: "Uncle! Grandma's calling for dinner!"

Jia Dongming responded and turned to Master Lei with a smile, saying, "You should also finish work early."

We'll discuss Mingri in more detail later.

Master Lei squatted down to tidy up his tools: "Since we're changing the materials, we won't rush to finish these tasks today."

Mingzao, I've come to find you.

Jia Dongming gently stuffed the remaining half pack of cigarettes into his tool basket: "Okay, Mingri, I'll be waiting for you."

At the dinner table, Jia Zhangshi scooped a spoonful of stewed cabbage and vermicelli into his bowl and said, "What did Master Lei say to you that you wanted me to stay?"

"It's about discussing the thickness of the timber."

Jia Dongming shoveled some rice into his mouth and mumbled a reply.

The next morning, before the morning mist had completely dissipated, Master Lei was already waiting under the old locust tree in the villa.

Seeing Jia Dongming push open the door and come out, he hurried to greet him: "Dong family, there is news about the matter you asked me about yesterday - because of your use of yellow croaker for settlement, each gold brick can be exchanged for two cents."

Another friend has two century-old golden nanmu trees, five old rosewood logs, and a complete set of rosewood furniture.

Jia Dongming pondered, "If we use only yellow croaker as compensation, how do we calculate it? As you know, the official price and the black market price are worlds apart."

"Currently, banks are buying yellow croaker for three yuan per gram."

Master Lei glanced around and whispered, "The black market price has already jumped to twenty."

My friend urgently needs yellow (a type of brothel), and is willing to settle with you at 18 (presumably referring to a price).

Jia Dongming's lips slowly curved into a smile: "This price is reasonable."

Please calculate the total.

Master Lei had clearly calculated this beforehand, and blurted out, "Ten gold bricks plus one yellow croaker, and ten more pieces of wood furniture."

If you agree, it can be delivered tonight.

The wind blew through the corridor, making the tenons of the half-partitions creak slightly.

Jia Dongming looked at the dappled sunlight on the courtyard wall and nodded gently.

Jia Dongming mentally reviewed the amount Lei Master had quoted and found it acceptable, so he replied, "The price is settled then."

Don't take the goods here; deliver them to Gulou Dongdajie—I'll give you the exact address on Mingri.

Master Lei nodded first, then rubbed his hands together: "Mr. Dong, my friend would like to collect some deposit money. I wonder if it would be convenient for you?"

Jia Dongming could naturally sense the probing in those words.

He didn't say anything, but just smiled and said, "Please wait a moment, I'll go inside and get it."

A moment later, he returned to the courtyard, took out five bright yellow goldfish from his pocket, and spread them out in his palm: "Master Lei, this is the deposit, please check it."

Upon inspection, there were five "small yellow croakers".

Master Lei's eyes twitched, and he overestimated the Dong family's background even more.

He took one, cracked it between his teeth, and then smiled broadly: "Okay! I'll accept this deposit on behalf of my friend."

The timber and gold bricks will be delivered tonight, and the furniture will definitely be delivered during the day.

"You can arrange it as you see fit."

Jia Dongming waved his hand, "I'm going to work now, we'll talk about the rest later."

After leaving the courtyard, he rode his bicycle to the steel rolling mill.

After entering the factory gate and parking the car, instead of heading straight to his office as usual, he turned around and went to the logistics department.

"Good morning, Director! What brings you here today?"

Zhang Guoping was writing something at his desk when he looked up and saw Jia Dongming standing by the door. He quickly got up.

"Guoping, I heard you say the other day that the cafeteria was looking to hire a kitchen helper. Have you found someone yet?"

Jia Dongming walked in and closed the door behind him.

Zhang Guoping paused for a moment: "I've been busy with miscellaneous things these past two days and haven't had time to make any arrangements yet."

"Director, do you have a suitable candidate in mind?"

"That's how it is."

Jia Dongming sat down on the chair opposite him. "Yesterday on my way home from get off work, I saw two teenagers rummaging through the garbage for winter snacks."

Later, I asked my nephew and found out they lived in the same courtyard as me.

"When I got home, I asked my mother and learned that the two children's parents had gone out to the city to dig for wild vegetables two years ago and were robbed and died. They are now living with their grandmother."

The old lady was forty-seven years old and struggled to raise her two children by doing odd jobs and collecting scraps.

"Our cafeteria just happens to need staff, so I was thinking, could I lend a hand?"