Courtyard Houses: Longevity Since the War of Resistance

The commotion at the Intermediate People's Court continued until dark.

A small pile of candy wrappers and melon seed shells was swept up. Inside the house, an old woman touched her protruding belly, while Yi Zhonghai drank tea, only feeling that this tea...

Ok?

sweet!

Lights began to come on in the windows of the houses outside, and the courtyard quieted down. Xu Damao, however, couldn't stay still. He paced back and forth in the house, almost smearing the floor, and had already smoked half a pack of cigarettes.

Does Yi Zhonghai have any descendants?

A skilled practitioner for treatment?

It's still my son!!!

Every word felt like a boy pointing a finger at his head and asking, "And you?"

Xu Damao abruptly stubbed out his cigarette. What did face matter in front of his son? He gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, walked to the cabinet, and started rummaging through it.

He took out a bottle of fine wine, then rummaged through two boxes of good pastries, and put them in a mesh bag. After thinking for a moment, he also took out a few cloth coupons and industrial vouchers, and stuffed them into his pocket.

It was late at night, and Xu Damao figured everyone in the yard was asleep. He took a deep breath, picked up his things, and sneaked out of the house like a thief, tiptoeing to Yi Zhonghai's window.

The light was still on; I gently knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" came Yi Zhonghai's impatient voice from inside the house.

"Uncle, it's me, Da Mao." Xu Da Mao lowered his voice, and the door opened a crack, revealing Yi Zhonghai's face behind him. When he saw that it was Xu Da Mao, and especially when he saw what he was carrying, his eyebrows twitched, but he didn't move aside.

"Da Mao? Something wrong so late?"

"Uncle, I have something I'd like to ask you, just a few words," Xu Damao said with a smile, lifting the things in his hands higher.

Yi Zhonghai hesitated for a moment, then stepped aside. "Come in."

He gestured for Xu Damao to sit down in the outer room, and Yi Zhonghai sat down opposite him without pouring him any water, just watching him.

Xu Damao placed the wine and snacks on the table. "Uncle, I'm truly happy for you on this joyous occasion! This is just a small token of my appreciation, something to help you and Auntie recover."

Yi Zhonghai didn't even lift his eyelids: "Get to the point, Da Mao. We live in the same compound; we don't need this."

Xu Damao rubbed his hands together, forcing a stiff smile: "Yes, yes, sir, I just wanted to ask if you could introduce me to that expert you mentioned earlier who specializes in regulating health? You know, Xiao'e and I..."

He sighed heavily. Yi Zhonghai picked up his teacup, slowly blew away the foam, took a sip, and then put it down. He didn't look at Xu Damao; his eyes were a little blurry.

"Oh, Da Mao, this expert has a strange temper. He doesn't let anyone reveal his name easily. I went to great lengths, pulling strings and showing my sincerity, before he reluctantly agreed to take a look at me. Before leaving, he repeatedly told me not to tell anyone, to avoid trouble."

"Uncle, I understand, I understand. I'm not someone who doesn't know what's important. There's really no other way. Could you please make an exception? Just point me in the right direction! I, Xu Damao, will remember your kindness for the rest of my life!" As he spoke, he took out cloth coupons and industrial vouchers and gently pushed them to the corner of the table in front of Yi Zhonghai.

"Please don't refuse this small token of my appreciation; consider it a small gift for my nephew."

Yi Zhonghai glanced at the roll of tickets, didn't move, sighed, and stretched out two fingers, rubbing them lightly on the table, making a suggestive gesture.

"Da Mao, it's not that I don't want to help you. I've gone to great lengths to bribe and honor the master in order to get a definite answer. He's truly capable; countless people have come to him with mountains of gold and silver. I just happened to be lucky enough to get the answer."

Xu Damao's heart skipped a beat; this old man was trying to extort him!

Suppressing the pain in his eyes, he forced an even more earnest smile: "Sir, please give me a price! I'd sell everything I own just to make a connection!"

Yi Zhonghai looked at him, remained silent for a long while, as if he were having an internal struggle, and finally made a great decision, lowering his voice: "Five hundred."

"How much?!" Xu Damao almost jumped off the stool, his voice trembling.

Five hundred dollars!

Making extra money by showing movies takes time and effort; this old man is really bold!

Yi Zhonghai's face darkened, and he picked up the tickets on the table, about to push them back: "See, I already said it, forget it, Da Mao, just pretend I didn't say anything."

"No! Uncle! No!" Xu Damao panicked and grabbed Yi Zhonghai's hand, his mind racing.

Five hundred yuan, it hurts like hell. But if it could really cure him, if he could have a son, Xu Damao could find another young woman.

This money was well spent!

With a determined heart and gritted teeth, he pulled a small, tightly wrapped bundle from the inner pocket of his coat. Unfolding it layer by layer, he found neatly folded banknotes inside. His hands trembling, he counted out five hundred yuan—brand new bills—and placed them on the table. The sight of that thick stack of bills made Xu Damao's heart bleed.

"Sir, please order."

Yi Zhonghai then smiled slightly, slowly putting the money away and tucking it into his pocket. He then leaned closer to Xu Damao, lowering his voice to a whisper, and said, word by word, "The expert is in the backyard, the newcomer Li Shan, Section Chief Li."

Xu Damao's expression froze instantly, as if he had been struck by lightning or heard the most absurd joke in the world.

Li Shan?!

"Grandpa! Are you kidding me?!" Xu Damao stood up abruptly, his face turning a deep purplish-red, and he forgot to control his voice.

Yi Zhonghai's face hardened, and he stood up, pointing to the door. His voice, though not loud, carried an undeniable air of dismissal: "You gave the money willingly, and I've told you what to do. Believe it or not. Xu Damao, let me warn you, Section Chief Li is no ordinary person. You'd better show him some respect. Now, please leave!"

Xu Damao's chest heaved violently. Looking at Yi Zhonghai's face, which had suddenly become distant and indifferent, and then at his own bottle of fine wine and exquisite pastries on the table, a surge of anger and frustration—feeling that he had been tricked, extorted, and had no way to retaliate—rushed straight to his head.

He glared at Yi Zhonghai, grabbed the roll of cloth coupons and industrial vouchers on the table, turned around, slammed the door, and rushed out.

As Xu Damao's suppressed, exasperated footsteps faded into the distance, Yi Zhonghai slowly sat back down in his chair and shook his head.

The curtain to the inner room was lifted, and an older woman came out. "Old Yi, isn't this a bit much? What about Section Chief Li?"

He took his wife's hand and patted it gently. "Don't worry. This was all instructed by Section Chief Li. This five hundred yuan is to teach him a lesson. As for how to treat him, that's up to Section Chief Li." He weighed the wad of money in his arms and smiled. "It can also save some money for our unborn son's milk powder."

The older woman finally breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but laugh, giving him a light punch: "You men..."

A gust of cold wind blew outside the courtyard, and Xu Damao's feverish mind cleared up a little.

He stood in the dark courtyard, looking at the window of Li Feng's house in the backyard that let in a faint light, his hand tightly gripping the rolled-up ticket, his knuckles white.

Five hundred yuan!!!

Li Shan!!!

To go or not to go?

Should we throw away our face, or keep it?

Finally, he spat out a curse, "Fuck it, go!"

If I don't go, I won't get my 500 yuan back.