Courtyard House: A Leisurely and Contented Life

"Yingzi, Yingzi!" The calls, like pebbles, broke the stagnant air in the courtyard.

Li Ying, who was still anxiously waiting, snapped out of her daze and replied, "Hey, Jianye, I'm here!"

Yang Jianye poked his head out of the house, smiling and urging, "I know you're here, but what are you standing there for when we're voting? Our family is part of the compound too, we have to vote!"

"Huh?!" Li Ying blinked, her mind still reeling. Was she being asked to raise her hand? But her hand was already up.

"That's right!" Jianye laughed. "We're a collective; we can't stand idly by!"

Before the words were even finished, several families raised their hands. Aunt Liu was among them. She knew perfectly well that her family had no relatives or friends in the courtyard, except for Jianye's family (because of the husband's friendship with Jianye's father). Therefore, they had to listen to Jianye's wishes. As for offending Granny Jia? She didn't care at all. What did it have to do with her family?

While others might fawn over him or flatter him, Yang Jianye was now truly capable within the factory. He wasn't just a worker with influence like the older, less respected figures; he was even officially registered in the system. Without approval from above, how could the factory dare to call on the entire workforce to learn from him? These days, a "call to action" is a powerful tool. In a large factory with tens of thousands of employees and dozens of branch factories, how much influence does a simple "learn from Yang Jianye" carry? Those in the know understand the weight it carries! Yu Haitang, having just arrived at the factory, immediately tried to become familiar with him—wasn't it because she saw his political value as a "call to action" target? When ordinary people are in trouble, do they trust someone with real ability or a street urchin? If they haven't been drinking, they'll definitely choose the former.

One household after another raised their hands, and more than half of them did. There were about twenty households in the courtyard, and now seventeen or eighteen had raised their hands—oh no!

An old man, his face dark, peered through the crowd at Jianye's house: "That idiot Zhu's outburst at Granny Jia earlier must have been instigated by him! Using idiot Zhu as a pawn, what a shrewd scheme!" But if Jianye knew this, he'd laugh his head off. With idiot Zhu's meager connections, using him as a pawn would have ruined the whole thing long ago. Jianye didn't care about this mess, but idiot Zhu just happened to be there, a simple favor he couldn't pass up. Granny Jia resentful? He'd love for her to hate him more; a talented person isn't without envy, and this resentment would give him a boost.

The old man glanced at the second old man, who was staring at his arms and counting. After counting, he reported, "Nineteen, more than halfway done." The old man's elbows trembled even more violently: "Are you really hoping Zhang will be kicked out? Haven't you thought about what will happen when you get old and senile? This fool is also obsessed with officialdom, how rare!"

"Since everyone agrees, it's settled then." An old man stood up, and Granny Jia became anxious. But he continued, "The courtyard has to report to the street office after it's decided. I'll go tomorrow and see what the leaders think."

After all that fuss, nothing got done, and most of the night was wasted. Yang Jianye chuckled to himself inside: "Report to the street office? I'll send Yi Zhonghai tomorrow; this matter will definitely be dropped." However, to appease everyone, Granny Jia needs to be punished a little; it won't be a complete waste of time. Anyway, she only has mouth; let her do whatever she wants!

The meeting ended, and Granny Jia got up with her head down and went back to her house without a word. Qin Huairu sat there holding Banggeng, feeling helpless: Why wasn't she going back to her house to sleep in the yard in the middle of the night? Finally, she stomped her foot and took Banggeng into the house. Sha Zhu was dissatisfied but had no choice. An old man said that he had to report to the street office and get a certificate before they could kick her out, otherwise she would become an "unregistered resident" and wouldn't even be able to eat.

An old man tried to fool Xu Damao: "I'll go to the neighborhood office tomorrow and make things clear. It's not that our compound is intolerant of people, it's that Aunt Zhang is inhuman." Annoyed, Xu Damao replied, "Come on, let's go to my place."

Back inside, Sha Zhu grinned and said, "Hey old man, you've got a girlfriend, huh? Tell me what's going on!"

"What's the rush? Have some water first." An older woman poured water, and an older man slowly spoke up: "An honest man, a full-time worker at the packaging factory, with a city household registration, good family background, three generations of farmers. His parents are gone, his two older sisters are married off, and he's self-sufficient."

Sha Zhu nodded, satisfied with all the conditions. The loss of his parents wasn't a big deal; it was almost the same as not having a father at all. But what he cared about most was that his uncle hadn't mentioned it yet! Seeing that Sha Zhu had no objections, the uncle stared at him intently, clearly waiting for him to continue.

An old man took a sip of water and cleared his throat: "Young lady, you have regular features and a graceful demeanor. I've heard you have a good figure, are fertile, and good at managing a household. Let's meet sometime."

"Okay!" Sha Zhu chuckled. After agreeing on a time, they turned and walked back.

Seeing Sha Zhu leave happily, the old woman's face immediately turned ugly.

"Zhonghai, can that girl make the same request as Zhuzi?" She had seen that girl before. She looked... although her features were regular and generous, her face was square, like a "pancake".

"Why not?" Yi Zhonghai shouted, flicking his sleeves. "Can good looks put food on the table? That girl is just fine to me!"

With no parents and two older sisters who are married, there's no man in the family—a typical "lineage without heirs." If she marries Sha Zhu, why worry about her having other intentions? She's lost her family; where can she run off to? Isn't that perfect!

Sha Zhu happily returned to the Intermediate Court. When he saw that the light was still on in Yang Jianye's side room, he wondered to himself, "Is this job not finished yet?" He went upstairs to lend a hand and also to tell Yang Jianye that his "good things are coming soon."

As soon as they reached the door, they heard Yang Jianye inside showing off to Yingzi: "This big tin box can hold more than a bucket of water. After washing, just add water from the other end and keep boiling."

"No need, no need," Yingzi smiled, her eyes crinkling into crescents. "The water circulates and stays warm inside, so it's convenient to use whenever you want!"

"Jianye, you're amazing!" Yingzi was bubbling with happiness. Taking a bath at home! Just thinking about it makes her feel so comfortable. What a wonderful thing that would be!

"Hey, Jianye, all done?" Shazhu peeked out from the doorway. He saw that the pipes, just like the ones next door, wound around the wall twice. A shiny tin box hung on the top of the wall, with pipes leading directly to the bathtub. Whether it worked or not, it looked quite impressive.

"That's it, we can use it tomorrow after installing the stove." Yang Jianye hugged Yingzi and nodded to Shazhu.

"You really have to be a craftsman!" Sha Zhu said cheerfully. "When you take on jobs later, you'd better give me a discount!"

Reminded by him, Yang Jianye's eyes darted around: "We'll see!" He had no interest in taking on freelance work. These days, freelance work was hard to come by, and there weren't many "lazy jobs" that would keep him busy every day. But not taking on freelance work didn't mean there were no benefits: although the technique was considered "outdated" and "low-tech," and installation was time-consuming, in an era when "being able to take a hot shower at home" was a luxury, who cared about such things?

The whole set of equipment costs forty or fifty yuan. Yang Jianye got an internal price. Adding labor, transportation, and installation, the two of them spent half a day, and the total came to about a hundred yuan. It's expensive for ordinary people, but if the factory produces it in small batches and installs it for grassroots leaders, the profit is not low! The key is that after spending money, people will remember your favor.

The "leading cadres" Yang Jianye referred to weren't high-ranking officials, but rather lower-level leaders like Factory Director Yang. They didn't have better facilities at home; to bathe at home, they had to use a basin to scrub or a tub to boil water, a process that took an hour or two. After bathing, they had to scoop water out, wasting all their time on "bathing." It was much more comfortable to go to a public bathhouse on weekends. But going to a bathhouse required time, sometimes even three weeks without a break; bathing at home was too much trouble, but not bathing left them feeling uneasy. Yang Jianye went to all this trouble to install a bathhouse for the sake of "comfort."

"Jianye, what are you thinking about? You seem so engrossed." Seeing that he was absent-minded after returning to the room, Yingzi squatted down and reached out to rub his feet.

"No, I can do it myself!" Yang Jianye exclaimed, lifting his foot.

Yingzi chuckled and pressed back, "It's just washing your man's feet, why are you so scared?"

Yang Jianye gave an awkward smile, not out of fear, but out of unfamiliarity. Who knows, in the "new era," this action might get him "beaten to death," and even Yingzi would be nailed to the "pillar of shame," told that he "dwarfed himself and was ashamed to be associated with her!"

Yingzi wiped his feet clean, and Yang Jianye, slipping on his shoes, helped her to move over: "It's fine for you to wash your own man's feet, but it's not okay for me to wash my wife's feet?"

"No, no!" Yingzi waved her hands anxiously. "What kind of man washes a woman's feet!"

"Why not?" Yang Jianye said seriously. "Even great men say that women hold up half the sky! My wife is virtuous, beautiful, and capable. She's a full-time employee at the food factory, managing both work and housework perfectly. She's a model of an outstanding young woman in the new era. Why can't I enjoy this? You surprised me today, so I have to give you one in return. That's called fairness!"

Yingzi had been wiping away tears, but he made her laugh. Watching her husband gently wash her feet with his rough hands, she felt that his hands were softer than cotton, and a warmth spread through her heart. This life was worth it!

In the tender night, even the moon swayed and hid behind the clouds.

The next morning, a torrential downpour began. Everyone was busy fixing leaks. After checking that there was no water seepage in the two houses, Yang Jianye returned to the main house and saw a man carrying an umbrella and braving the rain passing through the yard. Was it Xu Damao? Rushing around so early in the morning, there must be some good stuff to watch.

The roof tiles of Granny Jia's house had cracked, and water droplets were splashing onto the ground. Qin Huairu forced herself to say to her mother-in-law, who was sitting cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), "Mom, you keep an eye on things, I'm going to work now."

No one answered. Granny Jia's face was as white as paper, and her eyes stared at her like dead fish.

"Mom, I'm scared..." Banggeng huddled in the corner, truly terrified of his grandmother. She was scarier than any ghost in a story, and he had woken up several times last night in fear. Xiaodang also kept her distance, but fortunately, Granny Jia didn't like this "money-losing brat" and let her play by herself.

"What nonsense are you talking about? That's your grandma!" Qin Huairu scolded, but gently patted the back of the stick. Actually, she was scared herself.

After Banggeng ran out, Qin Huairu turned to look at her mother-in-law, gritted her teeth, and stepped forward, her voice filled with grievance and urgency: "Mom, it wasn't that I wasn't on your side yesterday, it's just that I really couldn't! Shazhu was already bad enough for us to offend, why did you provoke Xu Damao? You scratched his face, and his eyes were fixed on our Banggeng. With his character, what wouldn't he do if he really disfigured him? What if Banggeng gets ambushed and injured on his way to school..."

As Qin Huairu spoke, she became emotional and lowered her head to wipe away her tears. Granny Jia's face gradually regained its color, her eyes gleaming, clearly somewhat moved.

"You're finished! You've offended the whole courtyard with just one word, what can I say!" Qin Huairu wiped away her tears. "If I don't say anything, people might still have some sympathy for us, a widow and her orphan; if I side with you, how can this family maintain our standing in the courtyard? Wouldn't that just be adding fuel to the fire?"

She paused, then continued, "Besides, with Uncle Yi around, how could he possibly just watch you get sent back to the countryside? He and Dad are best buddies, and Dongxu is his apprentice. Would he just abandon you? Uncle Yi is the head of the neighborhood, and he's respected. His word carries more weight than mine. You heard him say he'd report it to the neighborhood committee; that's just an excuse. You'll definitely be fine!"

After this flurry of words and actions, Granny Jia's anger subsided considerably. She realized that she had acted impulsively yesterday and shouldn't have provoked Xu Damao. Although Sha Zhu was simple-minded, he wasn't all bad; Xu Damao, on the other hand, was a wicked and vicious man who was capable of anything if provoked. Most importantly, Qin Huairu's words, "You'll definitely be fine later," put her at ease.

"Do you think Yi Zhonghai won't go to the neighborhood committee?" Granny Jia was most concerned about herself. It's human nature to think of oneself first in times of trouble; heroes are rare indeed.

"I have to go," Qin Huairu said firmly. Granny Jia's face darkened again. If she was going, what was the point of her earlier explanation? But she still had to explain clearly, otherwise she couldn't go to work with peace of mind: "But what do we say when we get there? It all depends on Master Yi..."

"Qin Huairu, Widow Qin, are you home?" A shout from outside the door interrupted her. Qin Huairu quickly replied, "Don't worry, everything's fine!" She stepped forward and lifted the curtain: "Oh, I'm here!"

As soon as the door opened, Qin Huairu looked up and saw Xu Damao with his face wrapped in gauze, with Director Wang from the neighborhood committee standing beside him. Qin Huairu's heart skipped a beat: This shouldn't be happening, why is it Xu Damao who brought people? Where is the old man? In the backyard, Yi Zhonghai was cracking eggs and eating, still planning what to say to the neighborhood committee after he finished eating: He had to talk about the matter, but he couldn't condemn Granny Jia too harshly; he had to say it was an unintentional mistake, that she was senile, and that a little education would suffice; he absolutely couldn't mention the affair, it would ruin his reputation, and Yi Zhonghai cared about his image. He was making his own calculations, unaware that the courtyard was already "on fire."

"That old woman! Not only did she teach her grandson to cheat, but when she was caught, she turned around and blamed me! We were all discussing how to discipline the child, and she just came up and scratched me like this!" Xu Damao pointed at his face, relentlessly pressing the issue. "Yesterday, the whole neighborhood held a meeting and everyone agreed to send her back to the countryside. Director Wang, our neighborhood is an advanced unit, and so is the street you manage. When has this ever happened? If word gets out that there's an old woman in our neighborhood teaching her grandson to cheat, we'll all be cursed to death!"

Xu Damao's words were reasonable and well-founded, putting Director Wang on a pedestal. Qin Huairu became anxious and hurriedly said, "Director Wang, please sit down and have some water so I can speak slowly." But her hands were trembling and she was flustered; Xu Damao's actions were quite unexpected.

"We won't drink the water. We'll look into the situation." Director Wang said sternly, already displeased with Granny Jia. There had been some rumors circulating about her, which she had initially thought were exaggerated, but now it seemed the rumors were even less true: teaching her grandson to steal—it was utterly ridiculous! In this society where everyone is united in production, even a thief is despised, yet she was teaching her grandson to steal?

"Well, they're all neighbors, so... I just took a few peanuts, the child was craving them..." Granny Jia stammered, her words barely coherent. She was terrified. The neighborhood committee had come to her door; this was a serious matter, like the police knocking and brandishing handcuffs. Only now did she realize the gravity of the situation. But she was a rural, illiterate shrew, used to making a living through tantrums and throwing tantrums. She never thought before she spoke, completely oblivious to the fact that her words were tantamount to jumping into a fire pit: Stealing from neighbors? Calling stealing "taking" and making it seem acceptable? A few peanuts were nothing to her, and her reason for stealing was that the child was craving them—that was robber logic! If everyone thought like that, what kind of society would it become?

Director Wang realized that Granny Jia's actions were not just about corrupting her grandson and instigating theft; they were a typical example of outdated practices and serious distorted and erroneous ideology.

Inside, Li Ying urged Yang Jianye to leave quickly, as it was raining heavily and the roads were slippery. Yang Jianye waved his hand and said there was no rush, as someone would be there soon.

Sure enough, just as the stove was tidied up, Director Wang from the neighborhood office arrived in the rain.

"That's right. Banggeng said it himself; his grandma wouldn't let him take anything expensive, just a handful of milk candy would be fine." After hearing the report, Director Wang's face turned ashen, and he trembled with anger. "Good heavens! Such a strange thing happens in my jurisdiction! It's truly an eye-opener!"

If no one reports this and it continues to be kept secret, who knows what kind of trouble it will cause. At that point, not only will she lose her position as director, but she will also face disciplinary action from the Party. These days, honor is more important than life, and Director Wang feels she has no face to live with a disciplinary action.

"Comrade Yang Jianye, thank you for supporting the work of the subdistrict office. I won't keep you from going to work."

"Going to work" is an honor for workers, saying this is flattery. Yang Jianye smiled and replied, "Workers and peasants are one, it's only right, please take care." He watched Director Wang enter the Jia family's house again before preparing to leave.

There are all sorts of ways to get around in the rain: those with good conditions wear black raincoats (standard issue for the People's Liberation Army, soft and waterproof); those without use umbrellas or raincoats; and those with no other options just walk in the rain, thinking, "It's just a little rain, it won't kill me."

Yang Jianye took out the black raincoat he had bought earlier and put it on Li Ying, then found the old straw raincoat left by his parents and put it on himself.

"Jianye, what about Granny Jia?" Li Ying muttered as she pushed the cart out the door. She was kind-hearted but had her principles; you could treat her badly, but you couldn't treat your own man badly. Granny Jia cursed Yang Jianye's father every day, and Li Ying had long felt resentful. At this moment, she could only say, "Serves her right," "She should be sent to the countryside for reformation, and come back after she's reformed!"

"Come back? If we really go down there, I'm afraid we won't be able to come back for many years!" Yang Jianye said with a sigh. It wasn't that he felt sorry for Granny Jia, but that he felt the wind was blowing in the wrong direction. Even the grassroots street offices had caught wind of it.

Director Wang declared in front of the entire hospital, "Anyone who throws a tantrum or does something careless because of this is welcome to report me!" Xu Damao, who was initially reluctant to let Granny Jia off the hook, rubbed his hands together with glee upon hearing that she was to empty the chamber pot, "Hey, from today onwards, I'm staying home! You old hag, you just wait!"

Learning is simpler now; we can't miss a single publicity meeting or literacy class held by the neighborhood committee.

"Director Wang, how can I have that time? I need to catch my breath, right?" Granny Jia didn't dare to be tough in front of Director Wang. He had said that not sending her to the countryside was a sign of leniency; otherwise, she would be sent directly to the police station for reform. Whether she would work in the cell or outside, she knew without even thinking what she would choose.

"There will be breaks; the renovations are for your own good," Director Wang said in a cool tone. "Finish the renovations as soon as possible, and then it'll be over." He then turned to the neighbors with a smile, "I will spread the word about our neighborhood's strong sense of justice so everyone can learn from it. Don't hide problems; be brave enough to admit them and actively work towards improvement!"

Just then, Yi Zhonghai, who had just stepped out of the gate, heard the words "promote learning" and his heart jumped. He quickly went up to him, smiling broadly, and said, "Director Wang, why don't you come in and sit down? I have something to discuss with you!"

"Is that so?" Director Wang's expression was displeased, but he patiently continued, "Yi Zhonghai, you're the oldest man in this compound, assigned by the neighborhood committee, right?"

"Yes, yes, it's all for the benefit of the neighborhood!"

Director Wang waved her hand: "Regardless of who said it, Comrade Yi Zhonghai." She tugged at the hem of her clothes and warned sternly, "I'm telling you formally: if you can't correct your attitude and understand your place, next time I'll ask the courtyard to elect a new head of the household. Think carefully!"