Courtyard House: A Leisurely and Contented Life

Before, I was just a person, my heart was always adrift; now that we've got the marriage certificate, I finally feel grounded. Things have only just begun, and there's a lot to do ahead, but of all things, eating is the most important thing, so let's fill our stomachs first.

"Where's the food at home? I'll cook." Li Ying rolled up her sleeves, naturally embracing the role of the lady of the house.

"In the cupboard." Yang Jianye pointed to the cupboard hole where he had previously stored sunflower seeds and candy. Upon opening it, he found it brimming with: pork, beef, cabbage, vermicelli, persimmons, eggs, and salted duck eggs; grains including cornmeal and refined wheat flour; and side dishes including canned fruit, sunflower seeds, and milk candy... even bowls and chopsticks were provided.

Li Yingren was dumbfounded: "These...are all from our family?" What kind of family is this? How much money do they have to be so extravagant?

"Yes, they're all ours." Yang Jianye chuckled, squatted down beside her, and seeing her wide-eyed expression, couldn't resist kissing her cheek. Li Ying blushed, glared at him, and recovered from her surprise.

"Jianye, where did all this grain come from? Did you earn it all through your own labor?" Only what is earned through labor is honorable; she wouldn't accept anything that wasn't earned.

"Of course it's earned through hard work, the quota issued by the factory, and there are special bonuses." He explained how his improvement plan was recognized and promoted throughout the factory. Li Ying's mouth dropped open, her eyes filled with admiration: My man is amazing!

"Then... how about noodles?" Li Ying was a little hungry and wanted to make a bowl of fragrant noodles by mixing refined white flour with cornmeal.

"Alright, let's splurge on our wedding today." Yang Jianye took out refined white flour, and Li Ying was startled, waving her hands repeatedly: "No way! Mixed flour is fine, I can't eat it all refined white flour, no family can afford to be so extravagant!"

"I'll just add more flour." She took a step back, but still stared straight at him, her eyes flashing with a mixture of guilt and unwillingness to back down. Yang Jianye laughed heartily, "Fine, my wife has the final say." Li Ying blushed, but felt as sweet as if she had eaten honey.

Mixed wheat flour and cornmeal is a yellowish mixture, softer and more fragrant than pure cornmeal, which is already excellent for ordinary people. Pure refined wheat flour? Li Ying dared not think about it, afraid of wasting food, and even more afraid that after one meal, they would have to eat cornmeal for every meal. She was not afraid of hardship herself, but she was afraid of wronging Yang Jianye: judging from his appearance, he had eaten plenty of refined grains before, and he couldn't let their life "go backward" after marrying her.

Just as he was kneading the dough, Sha Zhu's shout came from the courtyard: "Jianye, are you home?"

"I'll go check." Li Ying grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and some milk candies. Yang Jianye went out, and Sha Zhu, carrying a bag, grinned foolishly: "Jianye, I heard from Auntie that you got your marriage certificate! Congratulations!"

"Thank you, Master He. Here, have some wedding candy." Yang Jianye took out melon seeds and candy, which Sha Zhu held in both hands. Jianye was really generous; others might be afraid of giving too much, but he gave so much that he couldn't even hold it all in one hand.

"Here, take this bag." Sha Zhu let him take his bag. Yang Jianye picked it up and looked at it: cornmeal! Well, the cornmeal is here, but he was still wondering where that laying hen would come from.

Sha Zhu, mimicking Yang Jianye's tone from the day before yesterday, raised his head and said, "You treated me to drinks yesterday, so I'll give you ten catties of cornmeal in return, okay?"

"Okay." Yang Jianye nodded with a smile.

"Gotcha!" Silly Zhu chuckled as he went back inside. The next second, Bang Geng lifted the curtain and ran out: "Uncle Silly, what delicious food did you bring today?"

Sha Zhu stopped and gave him a complicated look. He used to think the boy was smart, but now... "There's nothing here. The factory didn't offer any hospitality. I didn't even bring a lunchbox. Go back!" He shouted at the Jia family twice and went straight into the house. His words were clearly meant for the Jia family to hear.

Yang Jianye glanced at Sha Zhu's house, then at the stunted cornbread standing foolishly in front of the Jia family's door across the street, grinned, and carried the cornmeal back into the house.

"

Banggeng stood dumbfounded at the door, completely bewildered. Why did Shazhu suddenly not bring his lunchbox today?

If you don't bring a lunchbox, where are you going to eat meat by yourself? Also, why didn't Yang Jianye share the melon seeds and milk candy that he gave Sha Zhu earlier?

"This silly Zhu, is he really stupid?!" he muttered to himself.

But he was still just a child. Seeing that Sha Zhu's attitude had changed, he became a little scared, scratched his head, and went back into the room through the curtain.

The tattletale: asking grandma for candy.

"Grandma, Shazhu didn't bring a lunchbox, saying the factory didn't provide any!" Banggeng complained pitifully to Jia Zhangshi, "And Yang Jianye didn't give me any of the melon seeds and milk candy he gave him!"

"Grandma, I want candy, I want candy..."

Banggeng was as clever as a monkey from a young age. He knew that his grandmother had the most say in the family, and that she loved him the most. Whenever he made a fuss, his grandmother would definitely find a way to get him something delicious. This trick never failed him.

Jia Zhangshi's favoritism: She only gave candy to the sticks.

Hearing her eldest grandson's commotion, Jia Zhangshi's face instantly darkened, and she cursed, "That damned Yang Jianye, that dog! He saw my grandson and didn't even grab him! And that stupid Sha Zhu, I used to think he had a conscience, but he's no good either, he's destined to have no descendants!"

After scolding him, she immediately put on a smiling face and coaxed the little boy, "Sweetie, don't cry, don't cry, Grandma will get you some candy!"

Jia Zhangshi opened the small cabinet door, took out the hidden milk candy, peeled one and held it in her hand. As for Xiao Dang and Qin Huairu, as long as they don't starve to death, why would they want to eat candy?

"My grandson is so good, is it delicious?" She stuffed the candy into the stick's mouth.

"Mmm, sweet!" Bang Geng nodded happily; this trick really worked!

But just as he was about to ask for more, he saw Xiao Dang run over from beside the stove, staring longingly at the candy in his mouth.

"Grandma, Xiaodang wants candy too!" Xiaodang tugged at Jia Zhangshi's clothes.

She had already come over from beside the stove, drawn by the aroma. Grandma had taken away all the melon seeds and milk candy Yang Jianye had given her, leaving her only four melon seeds covered in dirt (dropped on the ground when they were fighting over them), which she ate with relish. But now, seeing her brother eating candy, she remembered the taste of milk candy.

"No! All you do is eat all day!" Madam Jia waved her hand dismissively, pushing Xiao Dang away. "Didn't that damned Yang Jianye give you some at noon? He even fed it to you. If you want some, go find him!"

She sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) holding a stick, making her eldest grandson laugh happily. She didn't see that her little grandson had tears in his eyes. He sniffled and ran back to the stove, squatted on the ground, and silently shed tears.

"Mom says Grandma is the closest person to me..." Xiao Dang felt wronged. "But why does she always complain about me? What did I do wrong?"

Little did she know that the mistakes she made were predetermined from birth; if there were any mistakes, they were called "birth mistakes."

"Mom, Jianye got married?" Qin Huairu lifted the curtain and came in. She had just heard about it from her third aunt and couldn't help but ask.

Jia Zhangshi, who was happily holding her grandson, suddenly frowned: "What? You're still thinking about that scoundrel?"

"Mom, what are you saying!" Qin Huairu said with a bitter face, "I was just asking casually, and the children are all here..."

"What's wrong with me?" Upon hearing her retort, Madam Jia jumped off the kang (a heated brick bed) with her grandson in her arms and shouted, "He's allowed to do it, but I'm not allowed to say anything? He's a complete scoundrel, eating and drinking well all day long, but he doesn't even bother to help the orphans and widows in the orphanage! His heart is black!"

"I've figured it out now. There's no good person in this courtyard, none of them are good people!"

She got more and more excited as she talked, and ended up offending the entire courtyard with her words.

Qin Huairu quickly advised, "Mom, keep your voice down, someone might hear us!"

"What did I hear? What did I hear?" Madam Jia's voice grew louder and louder as she continued her incessant cursing.

The boy on the kang (a heated brick bed) was thoroughly enjoying the sight of his grandmother, his eyes sparkling; but Xiao Dang in the kitchen was terrified. His grandmother's face was contorted in a frightening grimace, as if she wanted to devour him.

She covered her ears and ran out of the house, glanced at the house across the street belonging to Sha Zhu, then turned and ran towards Yang Jianye's house, calling out as she ran, "Uncle Yang, Uncle Yang..."

Li Ying, who had just beaten eggs to make braised tomatoes, heard a voice call out, "Is that Xiao Dang?"

Yang Jianye, who was lying on the kang (a heated brick bed), sat up and put on his shoes: "Okay, you're busy, I'll go take a look."

As soon as the door opened, Xiao Dang covered her ears with her hands, tears streaming down her face, and rushed over to hug his leg: "Uncle Yang, Xiao Dang is scared, Grandma... she's frightening!"

Yang Jianye listened to Jia Zhangshi's insults, sighed, and looked down at Xiao Dang: "You stay here and go back later."

"Okay, thank you, Uncle Yang." Xiao Dang nodded, put down his hands, looked around, and sat back down on the small stool against the wall by the door, like a frightened kitten.

With a creak, Li Ying's little stool made Xiao Dang sit up straight immediately, her little hands neatly placed on her knees, like a newly sprouted sapling.

Li Ying, who was picking vegetables, turned around and saw this adorable child. Her heart melted like cotton candy. This child was just as her husband had described—endearing! She took out the fruit candy that Yang Jianye had given her from her pocket (the wrapper still held his warmth), unwrapped it, and held it to Xiao Dang's mouth: "Here, Auntie will give you some candy."

Little Dang looked up, her sweet voice calling out, "Thank you, Auntie!" Her eyes curved into crescents as she sucked on the candy, and she swayed her head as she sat on her small stool, candy crumbs clinging to the corners of her mouth like scattered millet grains. Li Ying watched that smile, her heart aching with a bittersweet feeling. The candy was a gift from Yang Jianye; she couldn't bear to eat it herself, saving it for entertaining guests, hosting banquets, and visiting her parents' home. But seeing Little Dang so happy, she touched the remaining candy in her pocket: "It's worth it for the child's happiness, even if it means a little less for the adults!"

The aroma of sugar was comforting, but a "cold wind" was blowing inside the Jia family's house.

Jia Zhangshi's sharp tongue was like a machine gun: "Qin Huairu, you lazy bum! Your cotton trousers are still torn, and all you do is squat at the door and cry!" The more Qin Huairu tried to persuade her, the more she yelled. In the end, Qin Huairu stopped talking, lifted the curtain and went out, squatted at the door, hugged her knees and sobbed. Her shoulders trembled, and she looked like an eggplant that had been hit by frost.

Hearing the commotion inside, Sha Zhu slammed the enamel mug he was holding against the edge of the table with a clang. He sighed. Widow Qin had it tough; her mother-in-law was difficult, and she had three children to support. These days, a widow couldn't live comfortably without some "tricks." But just as he was about to get up, the story Yang Jianye had told him that night suddenly popped into his head: "Why should you take my money to support your wife after a slap?" His face flushed, and he stomped his foot angrily, slamming the door shut: "I don't care anymore!"

I thought Qin Huairu would come crying to complain, but instead, it was Yi Zhonghai who came.

"Shazhu, what's wrong with you?" Yi Zhonghai burst through the door and berated him. "Widow Qin is so aggrieved, and you're just pretending not to see? What kind of teachings did your grandfather always give you? Be kind, and neighbors should help each other!"

Sha Zhu was dumbfounded. Yi Zhonghai's demeanor made it seem like he had committed a crime of indecent assault. But upon hearing the words "mutual assistance," he suddenly "saw something": when his father ran off with the widow Bai, it was Yi Zhonghai who comforted him and his siblings, bringing them food and vegetables; later, when he got a job at the steel mill, it was also Yi Zhonghai who helped him. But when Yang Jianye's family was in trouble, why didn't Yi Zhonghai lend a hand? And when Qin Huai was in trouble, Yi Zhonghai, whose salary was only ninety-nine yuan, insisted on forcing him to help?

"Uncle, you said neighbors should help each other..." Sha Zhu scratched his head, "But why didn't anyone help Jianye's family when they were struggling? Why didn't you see that?"

Yi Zhonghai's face stiffened, then he waved his hand: "Jianye's situation is special! Widow Qin is different; she's a widow raising three children alone—it's not easy for her!"

Sha Zhu was internally churning with frustration. In Yang Jianye's story, the Jia family's habitual assistance had ironically fostered resentment. Yi Zhonghai's "special circumstances" sounded like double standards. Looking at Yi Zhonghai's "moral exemplar" face, he suddenly felt this "exemplar" was a bit skewed: "Your salary is high, why don't you shoulder more responsibility? Why do you have to be so kind to me?"

Yi Zhonghai was speechless after being asked the question, and chuckled dryly twice: "You, Sha Zhu, are strong, it's only right that you help your neighbors!"

Sha Zhu looked at him and suddenly remembered what Yang Jianye had said about "eating brains." He used to believe that Yi Zhonghai was his second parent and threw his brain away. Now that Yang Jianye had enlightened him, he realized that "his brain had changed" and he could see the scheme behind this "help": Yi Zhonghai didn't want to spend money himself, but he wanted to establish a "good person" image, so he used Sha Zhu as a pawn.

Qin Huairu was still squatting at the door. Hearing the argument inside, she secretly curled up the corners of her mouth. Her "grievance drama" was a success. Sha Zhu's "brain" started working, and Yi Zhonghai's "moral standard" was shaken.

Inside Li Ying's room, Xiao Dang had finished her candy and was licking her lips, teasing Li Ying, "Auntie, are you coming for candy again tomorrow?" Li Ying smiled and playfully pinched her nose, "Here! Auntie saved some for you!"

While Li Ying was stir-frying and braising, she was restless, her ears perked up, peering out to listen to the sounds coming from the courtyard.

She immediately recognized that it was Jia Zhangshi cursing, and that she was cursing her own husband. She was immediately annoyed: if there were minor conflicts between neighbors, an apology would suffice, but the more she listened, the more irritated she became. This wasn't a grudge; it was clearly the old lady's jealousy, her envy of Yang Jianye's increasingly prosperous life!

You curse me if I don't help you? And with such vile language, constantly using terms like "old" and "dead." Li Ying had seen shrewish, gossipy women before, but she'd never encountered anyone as unreasonable and foul-mouthed as Jia Zhangshi. Her husband was busy contributing to the country and had no time to deal with this kind of person, but Li Ying wouldn't stand for it. Did she really think she was someone important?

Li Ying scooped the brine into a bowl, poured water into the pot and put it on to boil. She called out to the head of the kang (heated brick bed), "Keep an eye on the water," wiped her hands on her apron, and lifted the curtain to leave the room.

Just as Yang Jianye was about to follow them out out of curiosity, he heard a shout of "Hey!" from the doorway: "There's a dog in this yard? Why didn't anyone say anything? Judging from the sound, it's an old dog, quite energetic, probably overeaten. Master He, I'm Jianye's wife, Yingzi. From now on, if there's any leftovers at home, I'll bring them over too. An old dog can't go hungry, or it might bite!"

Yang Jianye almost slammed his fist on the table in admiration: This wife was definitely worth marrying!

"Jianye's wife, what nonsense are you talking about? That's Aunt Zhang!" The familiar nausea washed over her, the authentic stench of moral blackmail. "Apologize to her right now!"

"Where did this wild girl come from? Who are you calling names?" Madam Jia Zhang jumped up and down, hands on her hips. "I'll tear your lousy mouth apart..."

"You old bastard, try cursing me again!" Yang Jianye suddenly stepped forward, blocking Li Ying's way, and glared at Jia Zhangshi standing on the platform by the door.

"This is outrageous! The two of them are ganging up on this old woman..." Jia Zhangshi kicked her legs and sat down on the ground, throwing a tantrum.

Seeing the "older sister-in-law" being "wronged," the moral exemplar Yi Zhonghai couldn't sit still any longer: "Yang Jianye, don't go too far!"

"I went too far?" Yang Jianye shook his head at Li Ying, shielding her behind him, and stared directly at Yi Zhonghai. "How long has this old man been cursing in the house? My Yingzi's dinner is almost ready and he's still not done! His mouth is full of foul language. What did my mother owe you when she was alive? And he's always gossiping behind my back. Do you think I don't know?"

"I'm busy with work and don't want to talk to her, so she really thinks she's something special!"

After being rebuked, Yi Zhonghai was speechless, his face darkening. Everyone had heard Jia Zhangshi scolding him in the courtyard. Even an old woman had mentioned his gossip, but he just thought it was "the younger generation should be scolded by the older generation"—a typical example of moral hypocrisy.

"Then your wife shouldn't have sworn at you either!" Yi Zhonghai argued forcefully, resorting to his signature tactic, "In front of elders, you have to call her Aunt Zhang!"

"Oh dear, I don't want to live anymore..." Jia Zhangshi wailed even louder, "You two are bullying me, old Jia, open your eyes and see!" The two of them sang in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized. Yang Jianye was secretly delighted: these two were truly a match made in heaven.

Sha Zhu stood behind Yi Zhonghai, wanting to speak several times but holding back, feeling as if two little people were fighting inside him, causing him a headache from the conflict.

Yang Jianye raised his hand, his lips trembling slightly: "I didn't argue with you before, but I'm putting this out there today: whoever makes my wife suffer or is bullied, can forget about living together from now on! Let's see if you're stubborn or if I'm more cunning." He paused, then added, "In the steel rolling mill, asking for favors to get an apprenticeship... is still an option."

In a single sentence, Qin Huairu, who had been uninvolved, was dragged into the situation. Qin Huairu's face turned pale, and she hurriedly lowered her head. How could she dare to cause this trouble? Wasn't she afraid of getting a bad reputation for "bullying a widow"?

"You dare!" Yi Zhonghai glared, his beard bristling. "Yang Jianye, are you trying to turn the world upside down!"

"I wouldn't dare, I just can't bear to see my wife suffer." Yang Jianye smiled insincerely, took Li Ying's hand, and said, "Come on, let's go back inside and eat." Why bother arguing with that old beast? I'd rather eat a couple more bowls of rice and tease my wife.