Courtyard House: A Leisurely and Contented Life

Yingzi clutched the corner of her apron, her fingertips digging into the fabric, her head almost touching her chest: "Jianye, did I cause you trouble? I should have just pretended not to hear her and ignored her..."

Yang Jianye was wiping the table when he heard this. He looked up and laughed, reaching out to pinch her puffed-up cheek: "What trouble have you gotten yourself into? I'm overjoyed that my wife is protecting her man!"

He pointed to the window, "From now on, we'll cook with the window open, so we can eat and drink well every day and make that old hag drool!"

Yingzi chuckled and glanced up at him. This man always managed to turn her angry words into sweetness.

She loosened her grip on the apron, turned, and walked towards the stove: "I'll make some noodles for you; I'll show you my 'noodle-pulling skills' today!"

Xiao Dang huddled on a small stool by the door, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers, timidly glancing at the two of them.

Seeing Yang Jianye smile, she asked softly, "Uncle Yang, did Grandma make you angry?"

The little girl's face showed fear, like a frightened sparrow.

Yang Jianye's heart clenched, and he squatted down to pat her head: "It's alright, Xiaodang is Xiaodang, and she is herself. Just remember, Uncle Yang and Aunt Yang love you."

Standing in front of the stove, Yingzi glanced back at the two of them, a smile creeping onto her lips. She had long understood her husband's thoughts: This girl has a hard life, stuck with such a grandmother. We have to give her some warmth, let her know that there are still people in the world who care about her.

In Yang Jianye's hands, pulling noodles is like magic. He throws a two-finger-wide, leather-thick dough ball onto the cutting board with a "smack," and with a pull of his hands, the dough is stretched into translucent thin strips, which then float and bubble in the boiling water.

"Uncle Yang, these noodles... are so much wider than the ones my mom makes!" Xiao Dang knelt on the chair, his chest resting on the table, his eyes fixed on the pot.

"That's right, your aunt's cooking is amazing." Yang Jianye added some firewood to the stove, and the flames licked the bottom of the pot with a "whoosh".

Yingzi brought over a tomato and egg sauce; the golden egg pieces mixed with the bright red tomato sauce smelled so good that Xiao Dang couldn't help but swallow his saliva.

Two bowls of noodles were served, and Xiao Dang's bowl contained two soft-boiled eggs. She imitated Yingzi, picked up the bowl and slurped the noodles up, the noodles were so chewy that they clung to the braising sauce, and her cheeks puffed out like a little hamster.

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you." Yingzi wiped the braised sauce off her face. "There's more in the pot if you're not full."

"Enough, enough!" Xiao Dang didn't even look up, finishing the bowl of noodles completely, drinking every last drop of the broth and sauce. He even licked the bits of sauce stuck to the bottom of the bowl. "Uncle Yang, this noodle dish... is this a dream?"

Yang Jianye chuckled, picked up a mouthful of noodles with his chopsticks, and slurped it into his mouth. The chewy texture made his eyes squint. "Delicious, isn't it? Your auntie used half wheat flour; she usually wouldn't use that much!"

Yingzi smiled with her head down, her fingertips twirling the corner of her apron. The white flour was something she had secretly borrowed from her parents' home. Usually, she and Yang Jianye ate a mixture of cornmeal and white flour, but this bowl for Xiaodang was made entirely of white flour. Her heart clenched: "Too extravagant..."

But seeing how much Xiao Dang enjoyed his meal, I felt it was worth it.

After the meal, Yingzi urged Yang Jianye to rest, saying, "A grown man like you shouldn't be getting in the way!"

She quickly cleared away the dishes and poured the thick noodle soup into a basin: "I'll heat it up tomorrow morning and have it with steamed buns."

Yang Jianye leaned against the door frame watching her busy at work, the firelight casting a warm glow on her profile.

He recalled Yingzi's glance earlier, and he understood that she felt sorry for Xiaodang. After living together for so long, the two of them even breathed in sync.

"Xiao Dang, go back inside, your mother should be looking for you," Yang Jianye called out.

The little girl slid off the chair with a "whoosh," stepped over to him on the edge of the chair, and bowed deeply: "Goodbye, Uncle Yang!"

He ran behind Yingzi, head bowed low, and said, "Goodbye, Auntie!"

Yingzi steadied her, saying, "Slow down, don't fall!"

Little Dang steadied herself and smiled sweetly, "Auntie, when I grow up, I'll buy you lots and lots of flour!"

Yang Jianye watched her run away and said softly, "Silly girl, there's no need to buy flour. This bowl of hot noodles is enough."

..........

Xiao Dang bowed to Yang Jianye on tiptoe, almost hitting his forehead on the edge of the table. This kind of bow was not taught by Qin Huairu, nor by that old hag Jia Zhangshi, but was something he had secretly learned from Uncle Yan Bugui when he was scolding the stick-stick ...

"People should know how to be grateful. When you see someone who is kind to you, you should bow to them! What's the difference between someone who doesn't know gratitude and an animal?"

Little Dang has etched the word "bowing" into his little head. Although he has forgotten "respecting teachers and valuing the way," he has memorized the idea that "you have to bow when someone is nice to you."

Uncle Yang gives her candy, and Aunt Li gives her hot meals, but she'd rather bow down like an animal than do that!

Inside the house, Li Ying was dawdling in front of the stove, wiping it again and again with a rag dipped in water, until the stove was so clean you could see your reflection in it.

It was completely dark when she touched her burning face and wondered to herself: Will Yang Jianye be back soon?

"Master Yang!"

A shout at the door startled Yang Jianye, who was secretly planning to "ambush" his wife. He turned around and saw Li Ying holding a washbasin with her back to him, her ears red enough to bleed, and her eyes almost brimming with tears.

Just as he was about to step forward, someone came to disrupt him!

"You go wash up first, I'll go take a look." Yang Jianye turned and walked out, his face saying "I'm not happy." Anyone would be in a good mood if they were interrupted.

When Yang Jianye saw who it was at the door, his heart skipped a beat: it was someone from the factory! And they were even in a car!

In those days, the entire steel rolling mill had only two cars, neither new nor old, which were used exclusively to receive important leaders for inspections.

Factory Director Yang was usually elusive, but in reality, he was busy managing more than thirty subordinate units. Later, he was tricked and demoted to a workshop, which was a pity.

The fact that they're picking him up in a special car now means it's urgent; I'm afraid those two old hens that lay eggs are going to get into trouble because of this!

"Master Yang, I'm so sorry, it's extremely urgent!" The man said with a pained expression. "I know the rules, I'll go back inside and tell my wife before I leave."

"You got your marriage certificate? Congratulations!" Yang Jianye forced a smile. It was a factory rule that you had to inform your family before going on a mission.

When he returned to the room, Li Ying was wiping the washbasin with her back to him, and he could clearly hear the commotion outside.

Her heart was pounding like a rabbit's, her ears were perked up, but she also knew: "Something's happened at the factory, I have to go right away."

"Okay, I'll wait for you at home." She calmed her wildly beating heart, turned around and helped Yang Jianye put on his coat. "Don't move, I'll do it."

When her fingertips touched his cold buttons, Li Ying paused, then slowly fastened them, smoothing out the coat as if she were caressing a precious treasure.

She took two steps back to look at herself, then smiled, revealing two dimples: "Alright, go ahead! Be careful what you do, you're not alone anymore."

Yang Jianye said "Hey," and went out through the curtain.

Inside the courtyard, the visitor pointed to the car at the entrance: "Master Yang, take this one."

The three middle-aged women were peeking out from under the door frame, and when they saw the car, they looked at it as if they had seen a wonder. These days, bicycles are big-ticket items, and cars? Those are "exclusively for leaders"!

"Jianye, is your boss picking you up?" The third auntie chimed in loudly.

"There's an emergency at the factory," Yang Jianye nodded in greeting.

The courtyard immediately erupted in chaos.

"Wow, Jianye got picked up in a car! How impressive!" Auntie Er shouted, hands on her hips, and yelled at Li Ying, "Yingzi, did you hear that? Jianye's really going to make something of himself!"

"Second Aunt, I don't remember you saying that?" Xu Damao suddenly appeared from the backyard, startling the two of them.

"Da Mao, you little rascal!" Auntie Er slapped her thigh. "You said back then that Jianye's life would definitely go downhill without his parents!"

Xu Damao scoffed, "When did I say anything wrong? Don't accuse me unjustly."

After saying that, he called out to Auntie San and slipped away. It would be beneath him to argue with Auntie Er!

An older woman, who had been cooped up inside all day, finally came out for some fresh air. Looking at the empty yard, she wondered, "Where's Da Mao, Auntie Da?"

The old woman watched Xu Damao's retreating figure and spat, "Don't even mention it, that bastard! He's always getting back at people!"

The three women were puzzled, their eyes darting towards the outer yard: "He's gone? You mean he's changed his ways?"

Xu Damao was a notorious troublemaker in the courtyard, with a mouth even more venomous than Jia Zhangshi's.

Normally, on occasions like this, he would definitely shout a few times to embarrass his second aunt and let Li Ying hear it, making a ruckus and causing chaos. He loved seeing the courtyard in turmoil every day.

But today, even though they had the upper hand, they didn't cause any trouble and even left?

Moreover, he's been quite well-behaved these past few days, which is completely unlike Xu Damao's style.

The two middle-aged women stared at each other, wondering to themselves, "Is Da Mao up to no good?"

Xu Damao was harboring mischief, but had nowhere to use it. Li Ying wasn't a member of the compound, and before he could figure out how to cause trouble, the two of them had already gotten their marriage certificate.

If he caused any more trouble now, he would only make an enemy of Yang Jianye! He was filled with wicked thoughts, but it wasn't worth making an enemy of Yang Jianye. He might as well fool that idiot in the courtyard, incite the two of them to fight, and have some fun himself.

However, there's something more important right now than doing something malicious: finding a wife for myself, someone who has to be even better than Li Ying.

Yang Jianye's wife is beautiful, has a good figure, is a city resident, has gone to school, has a good family background, and is a full-time employee at a food factory!

If Xu Damao, a bachelor, can get married, why should I be any worse off?

Xu Damao went out after dark and headed straight for the black market, a hidden market that opened at night, selling a variety of goods and posing great risks. It was named for being "dark and gloomy".

His salary is no less than Sha Zhu's, and he lives alone. His parents are still saving money for him, so he gritted his teeth and bought a bicycle. He's quite capable.

Mr. and Mrs. Xu were happy to contribute money; it was a good thing that their son was getting married!

The courtyard fell silent, and a cold wind blew, causing the two older women to go back inside.

The woman wanted to stay a little longer, but the night wind was too strong for her; she was afraid it would make her sick.

Upon entering the room, one could see Old Yi with a livid face.

The old woman sighed inwardly, ignored her, and walked straight to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). She was still angry from the argument between the two men.

With my body like this, how can I let the wind blow on me at night?

He sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed) without saying a word. His anger gradually subsided, and when he looked at Lao Yi's hunched back, he felt a pang of heartache.

Ultimately, it's because she didn't give him a son or daughter that he's so calculating.

"Zhonghai..." an older woman called out, but then swallowed her words.

"It's getting late, go to sleep!" It would be more troublesome if we started arguing again.

The lack of offspring is a major worry for Lao Yi, and also for the older woman.

The two just had different ideas: Old Yi was always thinking about who would support him in his old age, while the old lady was more open-minded, believing that no matter how difficult things got, she couldn't let herself starve to death.

She felt that instead of calculating and scheming, it would be better to live peacefully and have the neighbors help each other out.

It's hard to say what the new era will be like, but as long as we have goodwill, who won't lend a hand when someone is in trouble?

If no one helps, and there's still the house, draw up a written agreement stating that whoever carries the coffin, observes mourning, and carries the burial will own the house.

Affection alone isn't enough; even a house can be provided. As for paying respects during festivals? You can't even rely on your own children, let alone outsiders.

"Jianye is kind-hearted. Now that life is better, how many times has he visited Da Liu's family? On the contrary, you've gone to so much trouble and lost all your goodwill," the old woman muttered to herself.

"When Yang Jianye's parents were alive, they treated you, their old man, quite well. After they passed away, you handled things perfectly, so how could this kid not appreciate it? But you just don't understand, always testing this person and that person, didn't you just make enemies?"

She was more worried about Sha Zhu. The old lady understood Sha Zhu's attitude tonight better than Yi Zhonghai: Usually, if anyone dared to argue with Lao Yi, Sha Zhu would explode long ago, and he wouldn't hold back his words until he was beaten black and blue.

But today, after Yang Jianye and his wife came out, Sha Zhu didn't utter a sound. He turned around and went back into the house, leaving Lao Yi and Jia Zhangshi standing in the yard, their faces full of resentment. Sha Zhu probably understood what was going on.

The older woman is now worried that Sha Zhu is too shrewd and will mistake kindness for scheming. In that case, forget about taking care of her in her old age; she'll be lucky if he doesn't scold her.

..........

In the courtyard at night, the wind carries the smell of coal smoke and seeps into the window cracks.

Yi Zhonghai stared at the light in Yang Jianye's house and sighed heavily. This kid had figured out everyone in the compound perfectly.

Old Yi lay down in the dark, feeling extremely regretful: If he had paid more attention to Jianye back then, how could Jianye have stolen his reputation as a "good person in the compound"?

He and the middle-aged woman were sleeping in the same bed but dreaming different dreams, each with their own ulterior motives. They had no idea what the word "true love" meant.

There was a knock at the gate; it was Da Liu's wife.

"Jianye's daughter-in-law, Yingzi!"

"Hey, Auntie, come in quickly!" Yingzi opened the door, wearing an old cotton-padded coat. She saw Liu's wife carrying more than a dozen cardboard boxes, stacked like nesting dolls. She laughed, "Auntie, what are you doing? Sending so many boxes?"

"I don't have any special skills, I'm just good with my hands."

Liu's wife placed the box on the table, her fingertips tracing the openwork design. "It's convenient for storing melon seeds and milk candies, don't mind."

Yingzi picked up the smallest one; the box was hollowed out and carved with a pair of mandarin ducks, looking very cheerful.

She knew that the Liu family was struggling financially. The other day, Jianye went to visit the Liu family and brought beef, braised pork, melon seeds, and milk candy, which cost at least a dollar.

"Who would bring such an expensive gift when visiting? It's clearly meant for us."

With tears in her eyes, Da Liu's wife said, "We'll remember this kindness."

But what will they use to repay it?

Da Liu is a factory worker who earns thirty-eight yuan a month. She makes shoe soles to supplement her family's income, so she doesn't have any "expensive things".

Her little daughter, Juanzi, tugged at her clothes: "Mom, we can't afford anything expensive, so let's give a token of our affection!"

That's why they pasted these boxes overnight. Juanzi is very skillful; she carefully crafted the characters for "double happiness," mandarin ducks, and phoenixes.

"Xiao Juan is so skillful!" Yingzi praised, noticing that Da Liu's wife's eyes darkened.

She had never met Juanzi.

Liu's wife sighed, "Two daughters, the older one is called Dajuan, and the younger one is called Juanzi... but we don't have a son."

The phrase "extinction of all descendants" is like a thorn, causing unease and anxiety.

These days, men are the pillars of society; not having a son is considered "cutting off the family line," and everyone avoids such men.

An elderly woman was driven to despair by this; Yi Zhonghai had spent half his life calculating his conscience; Sha Zhu would turn on her on the spot if he mentioned those two words; Yingzi touched her belly, her heart pounding with anxiety: what if she also gave Jianye a daughter?

What to do? She trusts Jianye, but the Yang family has had only one son for three generations; she's afraid of letting down her ancestors…

After seeing off Da Liu's wife, Yingzi turned off the light and lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), staring blankly into space: "I wonder where my husband is right now?"

Outside Beijing, Yang Jianye drove his car to the boiler factory with a clang.