Courtyard House: A Leisurely and Contented Life

Aunt Liu led Ran Qiuye into the alley, her mouth never stopping as she praised Sha Zhu in every way imaginable.

"Tall, at least this tall." She gestured. "Strong build, and good-looking too. Being a cook is a lucrative profession, the salary isn't low. If it weren't for these qualities, I wouldn't have introduced you to someone like that. Anyway, once you meet him, it's up to you to decide whether it works out or not."

As they approached the courtyard house, Aunt Liu noticed someone squatting outside. Xu Damao also spotted Aunt Liu at a glance, and greeted her with a smile, but his eyes were fixed on Ran Qiuye beside her.

Was Ran Qiuye beautiful? Back then, she was absolutely stunning. She hadn't suffered much hardship, her skin was delicate, she dressed impeccably, and her demeanor was impeccable. Just standing there, you could tell she was different from the women on the street; in the past, she would have been a well-educated and refined young lady from a respectable family.

Xu Damao's eyes widened, but he was very attentive, saying, "Aunt Liu, you've arrived! You must be tired. Would you like to come inside and rest?"

The moment Aunt Liu saw his expression, she knew exactly what was going on—he had taken a liking to her daughter. However, she wasn't angry. Her daughter was beautiful and cultured; he wasn't the only one who'd stared at her on the way here. But Xu Damao had no chance. She was the one she'd brought to meet He Yuzhu; she wasn't going to let someone else steal her away.

"I'm not resting anymore, I still have things to do!" Aunt Liu replied, beckoning Ran Qiuye to come inside.

Xu Damao quickly stopped her, smiling ingratiatingly, "Auntie, Aunt Liu, I want to talk to you about something."

"What's wrong? I have an appointment with someone." Aunt Liu was a little unhappy now. She had already made herself so clear, but you still had to stop me, and your eyes were still glancing at the girl's daughter. What, are you trying to be a pervert?

Xu Damao was a quick-witted man; he knew how to read between the lines. Sensing the off-key tone, he knew he'd offended someone, and quickly averted his shifty eyes: "I won't bother you any longer. I just wanted to ask you to act as a matchmaker; that's all."

Seeing that he had stopped looking around, Aunt Liu's expression softened a bit: "Whether it works or not, I need to understand the situation first. People are waiting right now! Here's what we'll do: I'll find you after I'm done here. Which room are you staying in?"

"I'll be waiting for you in the house in the backyard. When you're done, just call out to Xu Damao, and I'll know and come out to meet you."

Aunt Liu nodded: "Alright then, girl, let's go!"

Ran Qiuye, who hadn't said a word the whole time, followed into the courtyard, and could still feel the gaze on her back as if it were locked onto her.

"You scoundrel," Ran Qiuye muttered under her breath.

Aunt Liu didn't hear clearly and turned around curiously: "What's wrong?"

Ran Qiuye shook her head: "Auntie, I don't think that Xu Damao is a good person."

Aunt Liu glanced back and saw Xu Damao grinning and waving at her; on the surface, nothing seemed amiss. However, she was still bothered by it. That look from earlier had indeed made her uncomfortable. She'd have to ask Jianye and Yingzi later; those two were reliable.

After bringing Ran Qiuye into the courtyard, Aunt Liu didn't lead her to Sha Zhu's house first. Instead, she called out to Yang Jianye's house, whose door was open, "Jianye, Yingzi, are you home?"

"Oh, he's home!" Yingzi came out of the house. "Auntie, Jianye is inside taking care of himself. Did you bring him along?"

As she spoke, Yingzi looked at Ran Qiuye and greeted her, "Hello, my name is Li Ying, and I was introduced to you by Aunt Liu."

Ran Qiuye stepped forward and extended her hand: "Ran Qiuye."

After shaking hands, Ran Qiuye smiled and said, "I heard from Aunt Liu that your marriage is her biggest selling point."

Just then, Sha Zhu, who had been restless since hearing the commotion inside, opened the door. Upon seeing the unfamiliar figure, he immediately felt relieved—the person had arrived, so at least things had begun, and he no longer needed to worry about whether the person would actually come, nor would he waste the delicious meal he had prepared.

"Aunt Liu, you've arrived!" Sha Zhu called out as he came out of the house.

Hearing the noise, Ran Qiuye turned around.

Ran Qiuye wasn't actually satisfied when she first saw Sha Zhu. She still harbored romantic fantasies about love; literary young women often have a touch of unrealistic sentimentality. Sha Zhu looked like a big, burly man with a simple, honest face, and he didn't know how to dress up. He was just a kind and honest person, which was a bit different from her standards.

Now that she was here, she had a general understanding of Sha Zhu's situation. Putting aside his outward appearance, his circumstances weren't bad. She didn't have high demands in terms of material things; Sha Zhu's family was well-off, and he seemed quite content. However, she had some standards regarding their thinking. At the very least, they needed to have common topics of conversation. How could they live together if they were completely incompatible?

When Sha Zhu saw Ran Qiuye, he didn't have many ulterior motives. His first thought was: This is so much better than the old man's description of her as "well-proportioned and elegant"! She's pretty, and her figure... even though she's wrapped in a sweater and coat, she doesn't look bad. Her clothes are impeccable; while everyone else is wearing thick cotton-padded coats, she's layered on top of that, wearing a white shirt collar with a red sweater and a coat, immediately setting her apart from the others.

It's different, so very different.

"Zhu Zi, look, I've brought the person here." Seeing that the two didn't speak, Aunt Liu quickly acted as a go-between. At this moment, she didn't care about Ying Zi, and after saying "We'll talk later," she urged the two to go inside.

Blind dates need privacy. It's the first time meeting someone, and everyone is unfamiliar. If you let a bunch of people stare at you, it will only make things awkward.

Seeing that the door across the hall was closed, Yingzi turned and went back inside. Yang Jianye, who was fiddling with a radio, heard the noise and turned around to ask, "Are you gone?"

"Yeah, he went inside. Why didn't you come out and say hello when you were done?" Yingzi leaned closer to watch him answer the phone.

Yang Jianye smiled and said, "He Yuzhu and Teacher Ran are the main characters today. If I go, is it too much or too little? Aunt Liu doesn't want to bother anyone, and she's too busy. It's better not to cause trouble. We can talk about it at home after they're done."

Hearing this, Yingzi stopped asking questions. Instead, she looked at the thread board in his hand and asked curiously, "You can even do this? Is there anything you can't do?"

Yang Jianye found it amusing; connecting a power strip was such a simple thing, what couldn't he do? But he said aloud, "Your man has plenty of skills!"

In the opposite room, Aunt Liu and Ran Qiuye were invited to sit down, and Sha Zhu busied himself pouring them tea.

Ran Qiuye took the opportunity to glance around the room and felt satisfied. It was bright, spacious, and although a little messy, it was clean. She wasn't a picky person, nor was she a clean freak. It was normal for a bachelor's house to be a bit messy. Her father, when he was home alone, also left things scattered everywhere and threw dirty clothes around carelessly. As long as he wasn't a slovenly man with a charred stove, she wasn't picky. It would be rare for him to be perfectly clean and tidy!

"Here, have some tea. It's not anything special, just this much." Sha Zhu brought the tea to the two of them.

Aunt Liu replied with a smile, "It's alright, it's alright, as long as there's some tea, what's there to be picky about?" Tea is a rare commodity, so it's good enough to have some to drink.

"Xiao Ran, you two chat amongst yourselves," Aunt Liu said, taking a sip of tea and starting the conversation.

"Teacher Ran, please have some tea." Sha Zhu became more civilized.

Ran Qiuye picked up her teacup and said with a smile, "No need to call me Teacher Ran, I'm not a teacher yet!"

Sha Zhu chuckled and said, "It's alright, I think you'll definitely succeed, so I'm just congratulating you in advance."

Ran Qiuye was pleased by his words, and asked, "I heard Aunt Liu call you Zhuzi, is it okay for me to call you that?"

"Why not?"

"Then just call me Qiuye, don't be so formal."

Once they started chatting, the atmosphere immediately became lively. After only a few words, Sha Zhu smelled the aroma of cooking coming from the yard. He slapped his forehead, "Oh dear, look at my head! I've already cooked for us, you two wait here."

Ran Qiuye wanted to exchange a few polite words, but Sha Zhu had already gotten to work. He had prepared all the ingredients in advance, turned up the fire, and was about to start cooking when the oil was hot.

Clang, clang...

Seeing Sha Zhu's posture, Aunt Liu tilted her body towards Ran Qiuye with a smug look in her eyes and laughed, "How about it?"

Ran Qiuye's eyes flickered as she looked on, and she nodded gently.

What kind of man is the most handsome? A man who is serious and has a special skill is the most handsome.

Previously, the honest and simple-minded Sha Zhu became incredibly efficient and skillful when cooking. Watching him cook, the phrase "flowing and graceful" popped into Ran Qiuye's mind. It was quite pleasing to watch…

While Sha Zhu was busy preparing the meal, Yang Jianye also stewed mutton in his house.

The leftover leg of lamb was hanging under the eaves of the next room. It was freezing cold, so hard it was practically solid. You could even use it for self-defense; a single blow from it would be as solid as cast iron. But now that there's a stove burning inside, the temperature's risen, and the lamb leg won't keep. We have to eat it quickly to avoid wasting it.

"Jianye, it's so hot in here, what are we going to do with all this stuff?" Yingzi stirred the mutton soup in the pot with a large spoon, her face full of worry.

With this heat, rice, food, cabbage, and other vegetables are all going to spoil. People are comfortable, but what are we going to do with the food?

Yang Jianye glanced at the well-stocked cabinet and pondered the situation. It seemed he would have to build a cellar.

There was a cellar in the yard, but Yang Jianye didn't want to share it with anyone. His family didn't just eat cornmeal and cabbage scraps every day. If he really put those things in the cellar, anyone who went in would be drooling. These days, the temptation of a piece of meat is far greater than that of a beautiful woman. Isn't this a test for the cadres?

The adjacent side room was separated from the front yard by a space about two people's width. It was just the right size to serve as the entrance to the cellar. Dig down three meters, turn right, and you'll find your own side room. Putting the cellar underground would prevent anyone from gossiping.

Yang Jianye planned to find some scrap materials at the factory and ask the workers for help. They would weld on a few steel rails and a sheet of earth, then prop it up inside. The cellar would be stable, and so would the foundation! Laying a layer of rock wool between the steel plate and the soil would also provide insulation.

"Okay." Yingzi turned around and nodded, saying, "Then you prepare the materials first, and we'll work together after work." Yingzi considered herself a good worker.

"All done." After connecting the power strip and aligning the cable against the wall, Yang Jianye placed the power strip behind the radio. He plugged it in and turned it on!

"Buzz... A meeting is about to be held... to thoroughly implement the adjustment of the national economic policy..."

Yingzi walked over happily, pointed at the radio, and said, "I've got it! I've got it!"

"Hmm." Yang Jianye was also smiling, but there was more worry in his smile.

"I...the vast majority of intellectuals are intellectuals of the working people, not intellectuals of the bourgeoisie..."

After her initial excitement subsided, Yingzi returned to the stove to cook. She listened with a smile to the good news coming from the radio. In those days, communication was scarce; radios, newspapers, and broadcasts were the only means of communication.

These are all the channels through which people can learn about information from the outside world.

Yang Jianye walked outside, took a stool, sat down at the door, and unconsciously took out a cigarette from his pocket.

*Snap, snap.* *Whoosh.*

Light it up, and smack it with a smack.

Inside the house, Yingzi's smile gradually faded. This was the first time she had seen her husband smoking inside the house, and his once upright back seemed to have bent a little.

A bowl of mutton soup for dinner, eaten with flatbread and pickled vegetables, left him sweating profusely. After finishing, Yang Jianye wiped his forehead and said with a smile, "Yingzi, you're all sweaty. Shall we take a shower later?"

Yingzi, who was scrubbing the dishes by the stove, muttered to herself, "You think you can just wash up? I don't even want to talk to you."

"Hmm." But her body language betrayed her. Her own man, he's got a marriage certificate, so what?

Yang Jianye went to fill the bathtub with water and then went to the yard to fetch water to add to the stove.

The door across the hall opened, and Aunt Liu led Ran Qiuye out. Sha Zhu followed behind, saying, "Don't worry, Aunt Liu, I'll make sure she gets home safely."

"Okay, I trust you, Aunt Liu," Aunt Liu replied with a smile. Judging from this, today's blind date should go quite smoothly.

Sha Zhu, wearing a coat, looked up and saw Yang Jianye by the pool: "Jianye, what are you doing?"

"Add some water to the stove and wash it," Yang Jianye replied.

Sha Zhu chuckled and shook his head. "Your life is like this."

Ran Qiuye nodded to him, thinking to herself, 'This must be Yingzi's man, right?'

"I'll go see Teacher Ran off first, we'll talk later."

"Okay." With a wave of his hand, Sha Zhu accompanied Ran Qiuye away.

Aunt Liu came over with a smile on her face; judging from her expression, she must have had a few drinks.

"Jianye, your auntie has something to ask you."

"Please speak."

Aunt Liu looked around and whispered in someone's ear, "What's a guy like Xu Damao in your yard?"

Xu Damao is a terrible person, definitely rotten.

This person is a complete scoundrel.

Praising the powerful and belittling the weak means nothing to him; what he truly desires is chaos.

He feels comfortable when he sees others uncomfortable.

Talking behind people's backs is one of his specialties.

Now that you're in power, you're my boss.

If your building collapses tomorrow, hey!

That scoundrel!

"Auntie, is he asking you to introduce him to someone?" Yang Jianye didn't answer the question, but asked in return.

"Of course, it's all thanks to you and Yingzi," Aunt Liu said, flatteringly.

Yang Jianye said politely, "What are you saying?"

After finishing, he hesitated for a moment before speaking, "It's best if you don't take on this task."

Judging from his expression and the meaning behind his words.

Aunt Liu understood. "Okay, I get it. I'll go over and say a few words and then leave."

"Okay, take your time. Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything." He watched as Aunt Liu entered the inner courtyard.

Yang Jianye turned off the tap, picked up the basin, and went back inside.

"Xu Damao, Xu Damao."

Once inside the backyard, Aunt Liu called out twice, and Xu Damao immediately came out of the house.

"Aunt Liu, this way, please come in, please come in." Xu Damao went up to help her, but Aunt Liu dodged him.

"Let's just talk for a bit, it's getting late, I need to hurry back!"

"Oh, since you're already here, I must offer you a cup of tea. I've already put out the tea leaves."

"Please come in, please come in."

After inviting the person inside, Xu Damao closed the door slightly before going to get the thermos to pour water.

There were indeed two cups of tea on the table, with some tea leaves inside.

The leaves are quite large, and they look much taller and prettier than those of Sha Zhu.

"This is a gift from a leader; it's top-quality black tea, said to be good for your health. Please try it."

Xu Damao rinsed the water, pulled out a chair, and sat down in front of Aunt Liu.

"Okay, I'll try it." Aunt Liu looked at the unfolded rolled-up stem with interest.

I thought to myself, 'I'll listen to him for a bit longer, and have a cup of tea to help with my digestion.'"

Xu Damao kept Aunt Liu there before he began to tell her about his situation.

The projectionist's monthly salary is thirty-eight yuan and fifty cents.

This is nothing.

"Auntie, let me tell you something. We're not showing movies down there for nothing."

"My fellow villagers would occasionally give me a little something, a local specialty, which I'd bring back—it was all top-quality stuff, something you'd only find in the city!"

Aunt Liu understood what he meant; every industry has its own rules.

Go downstairs and stuff two eggs and a few pounds of rice and noodles from your own commune.

This is nothing!

Aunt Liu never dared to imagine that Xu Damao could bring back two old hens after going down there.

However, even Aunt Liu has to admit this.

His qualifications are indeed quite good. Although he can't compare to Yang Jianye, he's still quite impressive among ordinary people.

It's a good thing that we have this house, and the elderly in the family are also here. They can help with the furnishing.

But what Yang Jianye had said earlier made Aunt Liu determined that she couldn't take on this task.

Who is Jianye? Go out and ask around, and then go to the factory to ask him.

Everyone would give a thumbs up and praise it as "excellent".

I would never talk about someone behind their back.

Just today, I asked him myself how Xu Damao was doing.

The person didn't say a word more and told me not to take the job.

So, you can tell at a glance who to believe!

Having kept things in mind, Aunt Liu just listened to it for fun.

After drinking the tea until it was weak, he finally spoke: "Da Mao, I'll remember this. We'll talk about it again when a suitable opportunity comes along."

After hearing all that Aunt Liu said, Xu Damao gleaned two words from it: no chance.

What?

Who spoke ill of her?!

"Auntie, did Sha Zhu say something?" The first person Xu Damao thought of was Sha Zhu.

Aunt Liu had eaten in his room earlier and chatted for quite a while; she must have said a lot.

If you were to casually ask him, Sha Zhu definitely wouldn't be able to say anything good about him.

"No way, the human pillar didn't say anything, and I didn't ask."

Aunt Liu looked at him and said, "Also, you can't keep calling him 'Silly Zhu,' people have names."

Xu Damao opened his mouth, about to retort, "That's a fool."

But secretly hoping that Aunt Liu would introduce him to someone, he smiled sheepishly and held back.

"That's right, that's right, I was in a hurry!"

"You can't rush it."

"Da Mao, let me tell you the truth, you absolutely must not let a man gossip."

"A grown man shouldn't act like that old lady at the alley entrance, gossiping all day long and talking about people behind their backs."

"This guy, he's definitely not going to amount to much!"

Hearing that Aunt Liu was even lecturing him, Xu Damao felt a little unhappy.

Aunt Liu noticed it too.

Without saying anything more, he got up and was about to leave.

Xu Damao panicked when he saw this: "Auntie, Auntie, please tell me, what's wrong with me?"

"No, that's not wrong. I won't talk to you anymore. I'll let you know if I find someone suitable later."

"The girl you like, she has to have someone else before I can introduce her to you and help you get together."

"You can't just say it and expect me to conjure someone up with a wave of my hand, can you?"

Xu Damao looked embarrassed and pressed on, "That idiot... why didn't He Yuzhu go up earlier? You would have found someone suitable for him this afternoon."

"That's just good luck, they just happened to be there." Aunt Liu had had enough of staying there.

go!

Xu Damao glanced at it and thought, "It's probably hopeless."

Why does this old lady not like me?

The only reason Xu Damao could think of was that someone must have said something to her.

Fine, you want me, Xu Damao, to never find a wife, right?

Hey

I don't think you can underestimate me.

"Auntie, Auntie, please wait a moment." He stepped forward, took Aunt Liu's arm, and then invited her back.

Aunt Liu said impatiently, "Da Mao, you can't do that. I already agreed to it."

"Auntie, I'm not in a rush for you to find me a wife, I have something else I want to tell you."

splash

Yang Jianye poured the last basin of water into the water tank, put down the basin, and thought to himself, "That's enough."

"Yingzi, okay, you go and wash up first, I'll take the things over."

Yang Jianye grinned broadly, while Yingzi lowered her head, picked up a small bamboo basket, and went to the next room.

Yang Jianye packed up his things and headed over.

Then he saw Aunt Liu rushing towards him through the gate in the inner courtyard.

"Jianye." Seeing her posture, Yang Jianye knew something must have happened.

Somewhat helplessly, Yang Jianye stopped and asked, "Aunt Liu, what's wrong?"

"Jianye, I have a question for you. Tell the old lady the truth."

"Okay, go ahead and ask, I'll definitely get back to you."

"Did someone say today that I, Aunt Liu, could possibly find someone a good family to marry into? Is that true or not?"

"..." He glanced at the gate to the inner courtyard.

Who else could have shrunk their head like that, but Xu Damao?