Courtyard House: A Leisurely and Contented Life

It's not surprising that Qin Huairu could get He Yushui on her side with just a few words. Compared to her silly brother marrying a widow and ensuring the family line wouldn't end, her own happiness was more important.

As for Qin Huairu, she could get honest men to help her shoulder the burden of the family, and there were even people secretly encouraging her. How could a widow with three children and an old woman waiting to die refuse such a good thing?

Anyone in Qin Huairu's position would not be able to refuse.

Why would we turn away a good thing that's practically begging to be offered?

In her heart, the eldest uncle was respected, her younger sister was absolutely trusted, and Qin Huairu was a gentle, virtuous, filial, and hardworking woman who raised her family with great effort.

The three of them drew a circle together, and Sha Zhu lived inside that circle.

But Sha Zhu trusted these three people completely, and no one in the courtyard was willing to offend them to remind this "fool" who was enjoying himself. Their own uncle and sister were willing to help, so why should you, an outsider, meddle in other people's business?

We might get caught up in a trap by three more people, ending up pleasing neither side.

In the end, the deaf old woman treated Sha Zhu like her grandson, but couldn't bring herself to offend the old man and Qin Huairu.

When all else failed and I knew I didn't have long to live, I saw a kind-hearted, naive girl in front of me, so I thought, "Okay, you're the one."

After a thorough brainwashing, Sha Zhu was able to have a descendant.

Good person? Bad person?

Hey, who knows!

After comforting Da Liu, Yang Jianye put the things on the table, covered them with a basin, and got up to leave. Da Liu stopped him, saying, "Jianye, once you're married, live a good life. As for matters in the courtyard, listen more, speak less, and don't get involved."

Yang Jianye gave him a meaningful look: "Uncle... you understand perfectly well!"

After leaving the house, he shook his head with amusement: "People, damn it, are so complicated!"

Inside the courtyard, Xu Damao called out to him, "Jianye, I heard you went on a blind date, how did it go?"

Yang Jianye glanced at him twice: "Two things, is something wrong?"

Sensing his cold attitude, Xu Damao's smile vanished: "I'm just concerned about you, why are you so ungrateful?"

"Take care of yourself. I have other things to do. See you later." Yang Jianye pushed his bicycle and was about to leave.

Xu Damao spotted his car and, forgetting his anger, asked, "Jianye, did you buy this car?"

"Ah, just bought it, a Phoenix." Yang Jianye patted the handlebars and pushed it away.

Xu Damao's expression changed, and he angrily cursed, "A petty person who has gained power."

.......

Yang Jianye went straight to the supply and marketing cooperative.

After going around in circles, he returned. Furniture could be purchased with coupons. He had coupons for a square table, six chairs, two dish racks, one chest, one wardrobe, and one toilet, one foot basin, and one bathtub.

This is a big shopping trip. Even if things don't go well with Li Ying, the house still needs to be tidied up.

When you arrive at the supply and marketing cooperative, they issue a ticket first; if you don't have a ticket, the salesperson won't bother with you.

The ticket is printed with "Imperial City Furniture Supply Ticket", and the type, address, validity period, and invoice unit are clearly stated. It is stamped with two seals.

This little gadget is indispensable; you can't move an inch without it.

I need a square table, six chairs, two dish racks, a chest, a wardrobe, a toilet, a foot basin, and a bathtub.

After buying the goods, Yang Jianye went to the door to find two porters, negotiated a price, and loaded the cart onto a handcart. He followed behind, pushing his bicycle. The porters were very efficient at pushing the cart, so later he simply had them ride the bicycle ahead to lead the way.

Yang Jianye didn't stand on ceremony, got on his bike and rang the bell twice: "Go ahead."

"That's it, we're here." At the entrance of the compound, he asked the driver to move the cart to the side.

Hearing the commotion, the third aunt came out and called back into the yard, "Come quick! Jianye bought a lot of furniture!"

Thank you so much!

Even though someone else arranged it, the furniture in the house couldn't be hidden forever.

Yang Jianye didn't intend to hide it. All these things added up to only a month and a half's salary. Did he spend your family's money?

"Go inside, there are two adjacent side rooms in the middle courtyard. Just put them by the door." He pointed out the way and stood guard at the door.

The three older women sidled up and touched the brand-new bathtub on the cart: "Jianye, did you actually hit the nail on the head?"

"Oh, is that even a lie?" Yang Jianye wondered. "I have to report to you every time I go on a blind date. You might as well just move to the seaside."

"Wow, look at this chair, it's so nice!"

Handsome? Handsome isn't yours, just wait and see!

After moving the goods and stacking them at the door, Yang Jianye paid the two workers 2.15 yuan each, and then took out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to each of them.

If you give me a single stick, I'll thank you both verbally and in my heart; if you give me a whole pack, I'll thank you verbally, but who knows what I'm really thinking? Only a fool would give out packs.

The two men, cigarettes dangling from their lips, pulled the cart and drove off.

The courtyard and the doorways of each house were full of people; the factory workers had finished their shifts.

Qin Huairu touched the new items and said with delight, "Jianye, you bought all of these, they must have been expensive, right?"

"Hmm." Yang Jianye responded indifferently, first propping the car against the wall, then opening the door and carrying it out. He had to take out the old things and clean them before he could put in the new ones.

An old man came over, looked at all the things piled up, and said: "Jianye, are you trying to ruin your life?" Getting married is supposed to involve buying new things, but replacing so many things at once is too extravagant.

Yang Jianye turned around: "No way."

No explanation, no argument, just a simple, unassuming sentence.

The old man was stunned. If you ask someone a question and they can't answer, what else can they say?

An older woman pulled him aside and laughed, "Jianye, your uncle doesn't mean that. If you're going to get married, you should really prepare properly."

"Auntie, I didn't mean anything by it. I've been working for three months... and it's all here." Yang Jianye patted the handlebars with his right hand and the low wardrobe with his left.

These words infuriated people. You've earned so much in just three months? The old and young men in the compound are living like dogs!

"It's fine to spend money, as long as it can be earned." The old lady said nicely, but in her heart she was envious. Who else has the momentum to marry a daughter-in-law like Jianye?

They treat giving you five or ten yuan like it's their life, and before your wife even enters the house, they're already planning how many children to have, how much salary to contribute, and how much work to do.

The person I envy the most is Qin Huairu, with so much new furniture, including a newly bought Phoenix brand 28-inch double-bar chair with the Phoenix logo on the front that makes people dizzy and tremble.

With Yang Jianye's attitude, won't his future wife enjoy all the good things after she marries into the family?

Oh, I regret it!

The pretty widow's eyes were dim, lamenting her unfortunate fate.

Yang Jianye carried out some old furniture, placing a few items by the door. The old man's eyes darted around like bullets: "Jianye, how long can you keep this up by yourself? Ask my son to lend a hand."

He turned and walked towards the front yard, calling out as he went, "Jiefang, bring your younger siblings over here, let them lend a hand to your brother Jianye!"

Second Uncle glared at him, knowing perfectly well that Third Uncle had his eye on the old things and wanted to take advantage of the situation by lending a hand.

But Yang Jianye didn't refuse; why not let his child lend a hand as well?

Before he could figure it out, the third uncle returned with a group of people: "Hurry up, lend a hand, it's too tiring for one person to do it alone!"

As he spoke, he went up himself, rolled up his sleeves, slammed his hand on the table with the missing leg, and held it still!

"Hey, this shameless old man." The second uncle stood in the crowd, rubbing his hands together and cursing inwardly.

An old man watching the commotion frowned. If he had a son, he would have called his son over to help out and get a table and chairs.

The Third Uncle's family is really scheming. Would it kill them to take a little less advantage?

Qin Huairu stood at the back of the crowd, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers, swallowing hard with longing.

She wanted all those little stools and the old cupboard that had just been moved from next door. Although the items were old, they were made of old elm wood. With a little sanding and a coat of paint, they would look brand new!

"This Yang Jianye is really bad at managing money," Qin Huairu muttered to herself.

"What's going on? What are you all doing all huddled together here?"

With a shout, Sha Zhu, carrying a net and a lunchbox, strolled over with his hands behind his back as if he were visiting his own yard, a simple, honest smile plastered on his face.

"Hey, Jianye bought new furniture and is busy tidying it up!" someone said.

"Oh my, really? Let me see!" The crowd automatically parted to make way, and Sha Zhu walked to the front with a gleeful smile.

An old man in the courtyard, Qin Huairu, and a deaf old woman were all his "backers." He was also a simple-minded fool, and apart from Xu Damao, that real scoundrel, no one dared to mess with him.

"Hey, Jianye, this will work!" Sha Zhu squinted his eyes with delight as he saw Yang Jianye moving a long table.

Yang Jianye put down the table and dusted it off: "Master He, would you like some?"

"For me?" Sha Zhu pointed to himself, a little surprised. There's such a title? "Master He"... Hey, that sounds really nice!

Yang Jianye shook his head: "I can't give it to you, I'll just send it to you."

"Last time you gave me a handful of peanuts, this time I'll give you an old table in return, is that appropriate?"

As soon as Yang Jianye spoke, Qin Huairu's face turned bright red, and she was so embarrassed that she kept scratching her heels.

When Yang Jianye asked Sha Zhu to borrow grain, Sha Zhu had no grain, so he tried to give him the leftovers from his lunchbox. Jia Zhangshi overheard this, lifted the curtain, and rushed out shouting:

"You idiot Zhu, why are you using my family's grain to help outsiders!"

Finally, the lunchbox was taken away, so Sha Zhu had no choice but to grab a handful of peanuts to feed Yang Jianye.

Yang Jianye still remembers this incident to this day!

Qin Huairu apologized to Sha Zhu and bought him a bottle of wine to calm her down. Now that the old story has been brought up again, she wishes she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

But she couldn't bear to leave those stools and cupboards, so she kept her head down and stayed where she was.

Sha Zhu scratched his head and laughed sheepishly, "Ha, I got a great deal by exchanging a handful of peanuts for a table, didn't I?"

Yang Jianye nodded: "If you think it's okay, then it's fine. Liberation."

"Hey, Jianye, I'm here!" Yan Jiefang quickly came over.

Yang Jianye slapped the table, and dust fell down in a flurry: "Move it inside for Master He."

Yan Jiefang was unhappy. He would get benefits for helping Yang Jianye, but not for Sha Zhu.

What's the point!

The third uncle was a cunning schemer, and the children below followed suit, all harboring their own little schemes!

Sha Zhu wasn't really stupid; seeing Yan Jiefang's reluctant look, he knew he was having doubts.

Someone else might have carried it themselves, but he just wouldn't. Jianye told him to move it for him, and he's just that stubborn.

Seeing that Sha Zhu didn't move, Yan Jiefang stood there dumbfounded. The Third Uncle grew anxious, supporting his back and urging, "Jiefang, why aren't you going? We haven't gotten the goods yet, and Yang Jianye is still in charge! If you just stand there and make people unhappy, you won't get anything in the end, what a waste!" He muttered to himself: How could someone as shrewd as himself have such a stupid son?

"Yes," Yan Jiefang replied, reluctantly lifting the table.

Qin Huairu glanced furtively at the table. Yang Jianye spoke up, "Master He, this table is a gift from me. You can keep it; if you use it for firewood, the gift is yours, that's only fair. But if you give it away, who will it be…?" He grinned, "Then please bring it back to me, I'll chop it myself for firewood, to keep things warm in the winter!"

Sha Zhu waved his hands, "No way! You gave it to me, how can I just give it to someone else? Look at what you're saying..."

Sha Zhu didn't understand everything, but someone else did, and that's enough!

The old elm wood table was emptied. Sha Zhu happily carried the table legs into the house, grabbed a cloth and started wiping it. He didn't care about the "pretty widow" at all; all he could think about was cleaning the table and putting it somewhere.

Seeing that there was no excitement to be had, the crowd gradually dispersed.

Just as Qin Huairu was about to speak to Sha Zhu, he shoved the lunchbox into her hands, saying, "Give this to the child. This table is really nice." Then, he happily carried the table into the house to clean it.

After tidying up, Yang Jianye called on Yan Jiefang and his three siblings to be his free laborers, making them do whatever they wanted: after moving things, they were made to sweep, splash water, and mop the floor. He leaned against the wardrobe, lit a cigarette, and exhaled a smoke ring. He didn't usually smoke, finding his yellow teeth disgusting, but today he was in a good mood, so a little self-satisfaction wouldn't hurt. Getting anyone from the Third Uncle's family in this courtyard to do was really difficult!

Only after cleaning all the cobwebs and grime from every nook and cranny of the room with a dry broom, and after the sweat from my body had completely cooled down, was the job considered done.

Next, we moved the new furniture. I kept hearing "Be careful" and "Go slowly" all the time. After everything was in place, the room looked brand new.

As Yang Jianye touched the grain of the old wooden furniture, he felt at ease and satisfied. Life was becoming more and more hopeful.

As night deepened, he turned his head and saw Yan Jiefang and his sister, their noses and faces covered in ash, laughing heartily: "Alright, go back now. Take whatever old things you like outside."

Upon hearing this, the four siblings ran out joyfully, shouting in their cheerful voices, "Dad, Jianye said, take whatever you like!"

The courtyard was deserted, except for the third uncle who was standing guard, his back aching from standing, but he dared not go back into the house to get a stool, afraid that if he left, his things would be stolen.

He knew exactly what Qin Huairu and his second uncle were thinking: they all wanted it, but Yang Jianye was ignoring them.

Thinking about how he had decisively called for both of his sons, the third uncle grinned from ear to ear with pride: "I want them all, I want them all!"

My back doesn't ache anymore, my legs don't hurt anymore, and I can just reach out and grab the table.

"Ouch!" With a slight strain, her back throbbed with pain. "Dad, are you alright?"

"No, no, help me sit down!" The old man slumped into a chair, urging the children, "Let's move the things first, go on, go on!"

The four siblings were exhausted, but the thought of having more stools and more cupboard openings gave them the strength to carry the load home.

Inside the house, Yang Jianye carried a washbasin out to fetch water for washing. A long day was no less tiring than working.

"Jianye, if you need any more to exchange tomorrow, tell Uncle San that it's my business to lend a hand!" Uncle San, who had already benefited from the exchange, had been keeping it in mind for a while.

Yang Jianye smiled and said, "I'm afraid we'll need to move next time. How about we swap houses? This place won't be big enough for me after we get married!"

"..." The third uncle immediately fell silent and shut his mouth.

Just as they were fetching water, the curtain at Qin Huairu's house was suddenly lifted with a "whoosh," and Jia Zhangshi came over with a gloomy face. She went straight to Yang Jianye's door and reached out to grab a stool: "Hey, hey, hey, what's going on? Granny Jia, those are all my houses!"

"What do you mean 'your family'? Didn't I just say whoever wants it can take it themselves? How did it become yours?" Jia Zhangshi said as she pulled the bills into her arms, one, two, three...

The third uncle got angry, stood up while holding his back, and said, "You old hag! Jianye was talking about Jiefang from our family, what does he have to do with you? How dare you! You didn't help at all, and now you come up and try to rob me, are you a bandit?"

"What are you saying? What are you saying? Who's a bandit?" Jia Zhangshi was quick-witted and could argue even when she was wrong. "I told your Jiefang family what he said, but I didn't hear it. These junks are just there for people to pick up. Why can you take them but I can't? I'm taking this stool anyway, so what?"

She yelled at the top of her lungs, and the whole front yard heard her. The third auntie came running over with her four children: "Dad, dad... someone's stealing our things!"

Jia Zhangshi tried to slip away while holding onto the stool, but Third Uncle rushed forward, enduring his back pain, grabbed the stool leg, and managed to stop her.

In the blink of an eye, Jia Zhangshi was surrounded by the three women and their family.

Inside the room, Qin Huairu peered out the window, her face flushed with embarrassment. She had told her not to go, not to go! Now she had made a huge fool of herself!

Yang Jianye stood at the door, watching with amusement: It's a pity a fight didn't break out...

After arguing for a while, the third aunt stopped arguing with Jia Zhangshi and only asked Yang Jianye, "Jianye, these things are yours, so who do you think they're for?"

Yang Jianye poured the dirty water into the drain in the corner of the yard, draped a towel over his shoulder, and let water droplets drip from the corner of the towel onto his blue work clothes, leaving a small damp stain: "Whoever helps me collect the recyclables, the stuff belongs to them. There's no such thing as a free lunch; you have to accept that!"

The old woman tightened her grip on the stool leg, yanked hard, and dragged the elm stool to her feet with a creak. She stiffened her neck and said, "Did you hear me? No free lunch! You think I care about this piece of junk?"

With her hands on her hips, Jia Zhangshi's fleshy face trembled like waves: "Good deeds go unrewarded! Bah! Utterly despicable, not a single one of them is any good!"

She grumbled and pushed her way through the crowd toward the courtyard gate, looking like a defeated old hen.

"Hey, that old hag!" The third uncle slapped his thigh in anger, then sat down on the steps, clutching his back. "I guarded her all night, and she almost got robbed! Jianye, that kid, is too kind-hearted!"

Yang Jianye folded the towel into a square and stuffed it into his pocket, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Don't be angry. Being reasonable and measured makes you a 'human,' while being unreasonable and argumentative makes you a 'beast.' Why bother getting angry with a beast?"

He turned and went into the house, slamming the door shut, leaving the old man shaking his head at the old locust tree in the corner of the yard.

The next morning, instead of steaming eggs, Yang Jianye moved a jar of yellow peaches from the warehouse. The glass jar was labeled "Shanghai Yimin Food Factory" and gleamed in the morning light.

He pried open the lid, and a sweet aroma burst out. He scooped out a spoonful and put it in his mouth: "Checking in."

[Signing in for four consecutive days this week has earned you: 1 radio ticket, 1 sewing ticket, 50 catties of refined wheat flour, and 1 job upgrade card.]

"Good heavens!" Yang Jianye's eyes lit up. 50 jin of refined white flour, enough to feed the whole family for three months; and the job upgrade card, he's currently a level four riveter, with this card, he might be able to reach level six!

He stuffed the empty can into the corner, splashed cold water on his face, and pushed his newly bought Phoenix bicycle out the door, the bicycle bell ringing crisply.

"Hey, Yang Jianye bought a car?" Xu Damao leaned against the gate, a cigarette dangling from his lips, and said sourly, "It's just a bicycle. Who can't afford one?"

Sha Zhu, brushing his teeth by the sink, spat out the toothpaste foam and slammed his enamel mug against the edge of the sink with a "pfft": "If you, Xu Damao, are so capable, why don't you buy it? If you can't afford it, don't embarrass yourself here!"

"Hey, Sha Zhu, you were bribed with a broken table?" Xu Damao raised an eyebrow.

Sha Zhu glared, his cheeks puffed out like walnuts: "Shut up! Yang Jianye calls me 'Master He,' but who in the compound calls me by my real name? Everyone just calls me 'Sha Zhu, Sha Zhu,' like calling a dog! Only when he calls me that do I feel like a 'person'!" He got angrier and angrier, tossing and turning in bed all night, feeling increasingly aggrieved. "How much food did I bring to Bang Geng's family? How much money did I borrow? Now I don't even need to say thank you! And he, on the other hand, traded a handful of peanuts for a table to repay my favor. People should have a conscience!"

"You're an idiot, that's nonsense!" Xu Damao was hit where it hurt and jumped up and down in a panic.

"Xu Damao, you need a beating!" Sha Zhu raised his teacup, ready to charge, but Xu Damao yelled and darted out of the yard, hugging the wall to reach the front yard: "I'm not going to argue with an idiot! You're so uncultured!"

"Look at your cowardly appearance, and you call yourself cultured!" Sha Zhu cursed at the outside of the courtyard, spittle splattering onto the white shirt on the clothesline.

In the factory workshop, as soon as Yang Jianye parked his Phoenix bicycle in the bike shed, a group of coworkers immediately surrounded him.

"Engineer Yang! Bought a car?" Li Yaoye, a level-seven welder in the special workshop and Yang Jianye's teammate, patted him on the shoulder and laughed, "A Phoenix brand! How long did it take to save up the necessary permits?"

"I bought it on the day of the blind date, promising to give out wedding candy. Then I bought furniture, so it was delayed." Yang Jianye touched the "Phoenix" emblem on the car seat, as proudly as if he were patting his own child's head. "Looking forward to the wedding!"

"Really?" Li Yaoye's eyes lit up like light bulbs.

"Of course it's true!" Yang Jianye patted his chest confidently. "When we working-class people are looking for partners, matchmakers practically wear out the door!"

Li Yaoye nodded vigorously. In those days, workers and peasants were the "big brothers." If you offended the workers, even the leaders had to think twice. He glanced at the welding torch in Yang Jianye's hand and lowered his voice, "I heard the factory director wanted to see you?"

"They're waiting for me in the office." Yang Jianye took off his gloves. "But the work isn't finished. If I leave, the team needs a break. Are level four riveters really that valuable?"

Li Yaoye gave a thumbs up: "Your awareness is impeccable! That's how we workers should be; labor is the most glorious thing!"

The workshop was steamy, and welding sparks flew like stars onto the workers' blue overalls. Yang Jianye, wearing protective goggles, stared intently at the weld. He was skilled at this job, having advanced four levels in three months thanks to his keen eyesight, skillful hands, and focused mind. He had just used his "job upgrade card," and his experience points were ticking away in his mind, "+10, +9," bringing him one step closer to becoming a level six riveter.

"Master Yang! The factory manager is urging us!" someone called from the doorway.

"Got it!" Yang Jianye put the welding torch on the stand. "Li Yaoye, give it your all! Once we're done, let's go to the cafeteria for braised pork. It's on me!"

"Alright!" Li Yaoye smiled and raised the welding torch, the arc light reflecting off his flushed face.

In this era, workers were judged on their skills, not their official positions.

Take Uncle Yi Zhonghai, for example. He was an eighth-grade fitter. Everyone in the factory called him "Engineer Yi." Even the factory manager had to address him respectfully as "Master Yi." Uncle Liu Haizhong was a seventh-grade blacksmith. He would whip his children at home every day. He relied on the brute strength he had developed by "swinging a sledgehammer" as a blacksmith. Blacksmiths were also called "blacksmiths." If you couldn't hit a red-hot iron block accurately with a hundred or so hammer blows, you couldn't even get into the factory.

If Liu Haizhong hadn't been so focused on becoming an official and had instead put his mind to his technical skills, he would have become an eighth-level forging craftsman long ago, and his salary could have increased from 92 yuan to 108 yuan. Making money is much better than being an official.