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

"First check-in complete."

Rewards: Twenty ten-yuan banknotes, a set of "Three Turns and One Ring" shopping vouchers, 100 jin each of rice, flour, and cornmeal, 100 jin each of pork, mutton, and beef, 10 each of processed chicken, goose, and duck, 10 jin of eggs, 10 jin of White Rabbit milk candy, 10 jars of canned fruit, and two sets of household daily necessities.

"The origin of all items is clearly traceable, and the host can use them with peace of mind."

The items have been stored in the auxiliary space.

Although the hardest days are over, this is still an era where paper money is king.

To live comfortably is almost a luxury.

At this moment, in the space that quietly unfolds deep within consciousness, a dazzling array of reserves floats silently, as if slumbering with infinite possibilities.

As Jia Dongming gazed at the dappled sunlight outside the window, a brand new picture quietly unfolded in his mind.

"Dongming, you rest first. Mom is going to the market to buy some meat to warm up your house tonight and welcome you back."

Jia Zhangshi's cheerful voice brought him back to reality.

Jia Dongming turned his head and saw the genuine smile on his mother's face. Thinking of the Dongxi in the space, he said, "Mom, don't bother, I'll go."

"I happen to have a comrade who works at the supply and marketing cooperative. I'll go check it out; maybe I can get some good winter goods."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi's wrinkles smoothed out, and she quickly said, "Alright, Mom will tidy up the house for you here."

Money and tickets…

She turned and headed home.

Jia Dongming's heart skipped a beat—in the story of the courtyard house, this mother was known for tightly guarding her pockets.

This gesture warmed his heart.

He quickly stopped her, saying, "No need, Mom."

The factory's deputy director, Li, gave us some vouchers; that's enough.

Madam Jia stopped insisting and simply smiled and told her, "Then be careful on your journey and come back soon."

Jia Dongming left the courtyard and went directly to the nearby supply and marketing cooperative.

When I came out, there was a shiny Forever brand bicycle next to me.

He bought a few more sturdy cloth bags and then climbed onto the bicycle seat.

First, I went to the police station and paid three yuan to have a steel stamp put on the new car.

He then turned into a quiet, deserted alley, looked around, and a thought began to stir in his mind.

Ten pounds of rice, ten pounds of flour, three pounds of glistening pork belly, two pounds of eggs, a clean and plump hen, along with brand-new bedding and toiletries, quietly appeared in the back seat and the basket hanging on the handle.

He got back on his bike and rode towards the courtyard house.

In the front yard, the three older women were chatting idly with a few of their older friends.

The faint sound of bicycle wheels rolling over the threshold made her look up, and when she saw Dongxi on the bicycle, her eyes lit up instantly.

"Dongming, is this a new car? It looks great!"

Her gaze swept over the meat and chicken hanging on the handlebars, and her smile grew even more eager.

Jia Dongming stopped and nodded amicably: "Yes, Auntie San."

The factory management was kind enough to give me a train ticket, which I bought to make commuting easier.

The three women were stunned for a while before they could process Jia Dongming's words. Their eyes lit up instantly, and they immediately asked, "Where can you buy such fatty pork belly at this time of year?"

As Jia Dongming pushed his cart toward the central courtyard, amidst several envious glances from the crowd, he said in a low voice, "An old comrade from the supply and marketing cooperative specially reserved this for me."

As he pushed his bicycle around the moon gate and disappeared from sight, the group of elderly women stood there watching.

Someone couldn't help but speak up first: "I was thinking that without Dongxu, the Jia family would have a hard time in the future."

Who would have thought that after the younger one left, the older one would return—with Jia Dongming holding things together, this family probably won't collapse.

The middle-aged woman next to her immediately chimed in: "That's right! I heard Jia Zhangshi mention before that her eldest son is the head of security at the steel rolling mill, and he earns more than a hundred yuan a month, which is more than the old man in charge of our compound."

* * *

Meanwhile, Jia Zhangshi was instructing Qin Huairu to tidy up the house when she looked up and saw Jia Dongming pushing a brand-new bicycle into the yard.

Her face instantly lit up with a smile, and she rushed over to him, asking, "Dongming, where did you get this car?"

Jia Dongming first secured the bike under the eaves before turning around and smiling, "Mom, didn't I tell you? Deputy Director Li from the factory gave us some tickets, including one for a bicycle."

I went to the supply and marketing cooperative to find a comrade-in-arms, and happened to see a vehicle, so I pushed one back.

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi raised her voice eight octaves and shouted into the house, "Huairu! Come out and see! Dongming bought a bicycle!"

Little Dang, who was playing by herself in the yard, saw it and toddled around on her short legs, "thump thump thump."

She ran over, looked up at me with her little face, and said in a childish voice, "Uncle, Xiaodang wants to ride in the car."

Madam Jia's face immediately darkened. She was about to speak when she suddenly remembered her son's earlier instructions, so she swallowed the words back and just stood aside with her lips tightly pressed together.

Jia Dongming bent down, reached into his pocket, and magically produced a few milk candies. He smiled and handed them to Xiaodang, saying, "Xiaodang, have some candy first. After Uncle has put Dongxi away, I'll take you for a ride, okay?"

Upon seeing the handful of white milk candies, Madam Jia hurriedly exclaimed, "We just had candy, why are you giving us more?"

Jia Dongming calmly peeled a fruit and put it directly into his mother's mouth: "A comrade gave it to me, Mom, have a sweet treat too."

This made Jia Zhangshi beam with joy. With a candy in her mouth, she mumbled to Xiao Dang, "You're only allowed to eat one piece of candy. Save the rest for your brother when he comes home from school."

Xiao Dang had been reaching for the candy whenever she saw it, but when Jia Zhangshi yelled at her, she immediately pulled her little hand back and timidly looked at her grandmother.

Only after hearing this did she reach out her little hand again to take a piece of candy, and replied softly, "Xiao Dang knows, I'll share it with my brother when he comes back."

Jia Zhangshi had been so focused on the bicycle that she only noticed the glistening, fatty piece of pork belly and the wriggling old hen when Jia Dongming untied Dongxi from the handlebars.

She slapped her thigh, her voice trembling with joy: "Oh my! This meat... at this crucial moment, where did you get such good pork belly?"

As Jia Dongming untied the rope, he laughed and said, "My comrade left it for others, and when he saw I needed it, he gave me half."

"A whole three jin (1.5 kg)!"

As he spoke, he lifted several heavy bags one by one, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible pride: "Not only meat and chicken, but also ten catties of rice, ten catties of flour, and two catties of eggs."

Upon learning that her son had brought back so many winter clothes, Jia Zhangshi was overjoyed. She quickly called out to Qin Huairu, who was busy in the kitchen, "Huairu! What are you still dawdling in there for? Come out and lend a hand, and move all the winter clothes that Dongming bought into the kitchen."

Qin Huairu, who was in the kitchen, had heard the commotion outside and knew that Jia Dongming had brought back a large piece of pork belly. She was itching to see what it was, but because of her fear of her mother-in-law, she had to suppress her thoughts and continue to tidy up.

Hearing the call, she quickly wiped her wet hands and rushed out of the kitchen.

Upon seeing the several bulging cloth bags on the ground, she couldn't help but widen her eyes and ask curiously, "Uncle, why did you buy so many?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi's face lit up with a smug expression, and she commanded, "Huairu! My son is capable enough to afford all this."

Hurry up and tidy things up. Go back home and get two cabbages; we'll make dumplings tonight.

Upon hearing his mother's instructions, Jia Dongming quickly replied, "Mom, where's the cabbage? I'll go get it and bring the luggage back with me."

"Huairu moved your luggage over a while ago; it's in your room."

Madam Jia immediately said, "Go back to your room and tidy up. Just wait for dinner."

Hearing that the luggage had been settled, Jia Dongming smiled and asked, "Where's the cabbage? I can get it and then pack it."

Madam Jia then pointed out, "It's in the kitchen cabinet. You'll see it as soon as you go in and open the cabinet door."

Jia Dongming went to the Jia family's kitchen as instructed.

As soon as I pushed open that old wooden door, it was dimly lit inside, with only a few rays of light leaking through the window lattice.

He bent down to open the cupboard door, reaching for the two vibrant green cabbages, when suddenly a child's joyful shouts rang out from the yard:

"Grandma! I'm home!"

Then, the voice suddenly changed tone, sharp and filled with panic:

"Thief! Help! Catch the thief!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Dongming immediately understood—this must be his nephew, whom he hadn't even met yet, the future renowned "Master Thief."

Bang Geng.

He never expected that when he came to get two cabbages, the child would mistake him for a thief trying to break in.

"Bang Geng! That's your uncle, not a thief!"

An elderly woman who was sewing shoe soles in the yard heard the commotion and immediately remembered Jia Dongming who had just entered. She hurriedly explained loudly.

Madam Jia, who had been watching Qin Huairu clean in the next yard, rushed out after hearing her grandson's shout, her face tense: "My dear grandson! Where's the thief? Tell Grandma quickly!"

Seeing her anxious look, the older woman quickly said to Ming, "Sister-in-law Jia, there's no thief. Bang Geng has mistaken Dong Ming for a stranger."

Jia Zhangshi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She looked up and saw Jia Dongming carrying a cabbage as he came out of the house. She quickly pulled Bang Geng over and introduced him gently, "Bang Geng, Grandma's good grandson. This is your uncle, your father's older brother. He's not a thief at all. Come on, call him uncle."

Bang Geng looked up at the person in front of him—their features did indeed resemble his father's by seven or eight points, but he was still confused: "Grandma, when did I have an uncle? How come I've never heard you or Dad mention him?"

Madam Jia reached out and patted her grandson's head, her eyes full of affection: "Your eldest uncle joined the army many years ago, so you haven't met him."

At that time, Jia Dongxu had just left, and Bang Geng had not yet been corrupted by his grandmother.

After hearing this explanation, he turned to look at Jia Dongming, his eyes sparkling with curiosity: "Uncle, Grandma said you joined the army a long time ago, is that true?"

Looking at the child's pure and adoring expression, Jia Dongming realized that Bang Geng was still a promising young man who hadn't gone astray.

He smiled and nodded: "Bang Geng, Grandma is right."

Uncle, I was already a young soldier in the Youth Corps when I was ten years old.

"He became a soldier at the age of ten?"

Bang Geng's eyes widened in admiration. "Uncle, could you tell me about fighting in wars and killing bad guys?"

"Of course I can talk about it."

Jia Dongming smiled gently, "But today Uncle bought a lot of pork, so we'll make dumplings at Uncle's house tonight."

How about we eat dumplings and tell stories about fighting the enemy?

These days, being able to eat a bite of meat is a great joy for any child.

Upon hearing the word "dumplings," Bang Geng's eyes lit up immediately, and he jumped up and down, cheering, "Dumplings for dinner! Dumplings for dinner!"

As Jia Dongming entered the courtyard, Bang Geng suddenly remembered something from the past and looked up to ask, "Uncle, didn't Engineer Xue used to live in this courtyard?"

Madam Jia straightened her back, her voice tinged with pride: "My dear grandson, your uncle is now the head of security at the factory. This yard was allocated to him by the factory, and from now on it will belong to our Jia family."

The Jia family originally lived in one room, and Bang Geng slept with Jia Zhangshi since he was a child; later, Jia Dongxu left, and Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu slept in the same bed, so Bang Geng slept alone in his grandmother's old bed.

Upon hearing that the courtyard and all the houses inside belonged to his family, Bang Geng hurriedly tugged at Jia Zhangshi's sleeve: "Grandma, is it true? Can I move in here?"

Bang Geng was the only boy in the Jia family in this generation, and Jia Zhangshi always indulged him in everything.

Without a second thought, she replied, "Why not? If my grandson wants to move, Mingtian will have your mother prepare a room for you."

"What are you moving?"

Qin Huairu was chopping meat in the kitchen when she heard this and quickly leaned out. "Mom, this is a house the factory allocated to my eldest brother. How can Bang Geng just move in like that?"

Jia Zhangshi often spoke without considering the consequences, while Qin Huairu was meticulous and thoughtful.

Fearing that Jia Dongming would be upset, she quickly stopped her mother-in-law from speaking.

Jia Dongming was not surprised by Jia Zhangshi's reaction, but Qin Huairu's keen observation made him take a second look.

He placed the cabbage he was holding on the table and smiled at Qin Huairu: "Sister-in-law, Bang Geng is not a child anymore, it's really inconvenient for him to always sleep with you guys."