Courtyard House: The Fisherman Never Goes Sick

Among Beijing's department stores, Wangfujing is a well-known name. For ordinary people looking to buy big-ticket items, Wangfujing is the first place they go. If they can't find what they're looking for at Wangfujing, they have no chance anywhere else.

As soon as Yang Wei stepped through the door, he was enveloped by a cacophony of voices. Although most people were struggling financially these days, many still had plenty of money. Housewives were crowding around the counter trying on fabrics, and young people were standing on tiptoe to look at their watches. The air was filled with the mixed scents of face cream and candy.

He pushed through the crowd and found the bicycle counter, where he saw a female sales clerk in blue overalls looking down at the merchandise, her ponytail swaying slightly with her movements, completely unaware of his presence.

In the past, which salesperson didn't greet customers with a smile? But these days, those with stable jobs don't have the time or inclination to put on a smiling face. Yang Wei was used to it, took two steps forward and said, "Comrade, I'd like a Forever brand bicycle."

"Permanently?" The saleswoman looked up and her eyes lit up. These days, you can't get anywhere without money and tickets. Only the rich and powerful can afford to buy a bicycle.

Looking at Yang Wei again, she saw that he was handsome with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. Even she, who was used to seeing people, couldn't take her eyes off him. She thought to herself that if she looked at him a few more times, she might get some good fortune.

She smiled and her tone became warmer: "Comrade, do you have a bicycle ticket? A Forever brand one hundred and seventy-eight yuan."

Yang Wei pulled out the tickets and coupons from his pocket, then pushed out neatly folded banknotes. The saleswoman deftly took the money and tickets, gesturing with her chin, "Come with me."

She led Yang Wei to the back area, where a row of gleaming Forever brand bicycles stood against the wall, their handlebars gleaming with chrome plating.

Yang Wei scanned the cars and picked one with the most even paint, then went to the counter next door and picked up a Red Lantern brand radio.

As Yang Wei headed to the police station with the receipts in hand, he thought to himself: I need to get the official seal stamped for it to be legal to drive on the road.

The lady at the window collected a one-yuan handling fee, then slapped the stamp onto the groove on the frame. The red mark seeped into the metal, like a blooming plum blossom.

Carrying the paperwork, Yang Wei didn't go straight home. Instead, he went to a grocery store and bought a bag of lime to whitewash the walls of the old house.

As he rode his new bicycle into the courtyard, the bicycle bell rang loudly, startling the bamboo pole used for drying clothes.

Several women chatting in the courtyard looked up, their eyes glued to the bicycle. A few girls with braided pigtails were even more direct, their eyes darting between the bicycle and Yang Wei's face, their minds racing with unspoken thoughts:

If I could marry such a respectable young woman, I'd be laughing in my sleep every night.

Yang Wei rode steadily, the wheels rolling over the bluestone road like a gust of wind, leaving no chance to exchange a word.

As they were walking, a figure suddenly appeared ahead. Yang Wei squeezed the brake and pressed the bell, the "ding-a-ling" sound startling the cat by the wall, which scurried away from its den.

A figure darted to the side; it was Qin Huairu, just returning from the supply and marketing cooperative. The soy sauce bottle in her bamboo basket clinked softly. She turned her head and saw the radio on the back of Yang Wei's bike, then glanced at the brand-new bicycle. A slight smirk appeared on her lips as she muttered under her breath, "Money really is precious. Buying a bicycle and a radio just like that..."

She felt a pang of envy.

She has never ridden a bicycle since she was a child.

In the entire courtyard, only the third uncle had an old car. Despite its dilapidated state, he still polished it to a shine every day, which showed how precious it was.

She had never even touched a radio. Thinking about how her family was penniless and constantly in trouble, even their precious bird had been injured, her brow furrowed.

Lost in thought, Yang Wei rode his bicycle past the Jia family's house.

Jia Zhangshi happened to be at the door and spotted it immediately; there was a radio strapped to the back seat!

Her eyes widened, and her chubby face couldn't hide her envy.

"It's just a car and a radio, what's the big deal? You'll crash and die sooner or later!" she immediately cursed.

"Mom, don't worry, he'll fall down as soon as he gets to work tomorrow!" Jia Dongxu's cursing voice followed from inside the house.

He saw Yang Wei ride past through the crack in the door, and with envy mixed with jealousy, he joined in the murmur.

"That bell rings so crisply, is it a new car? Who bought it?"

"Who's so generous?"

"Could it be an old man?"

The ringing of the bell startled everyone in the courtyard, who rushed out to see what was happening. What they saw made them even more astonished: the person riding the bicycle was Yang Wei, and he had a radio attached to the back of the bike.

"Being rich really makes a difference; you can eat and drink the best food, and even buy new cars and airplanes!"

"When will I be able to be this carefree?"

Someone who knew the details quickly chimed in, "Yang Wei didn't buy the car and radio himself!"

"He didn't buy it? Did he give it away for free? Who's being so generous to him?"

"It was an award from the factory."

Why did the factory award him?

"His crayfish were so delicious, and he even contributed to the company's economy. The factory manager held a special meeting to decide to award him a car and machinery!"

"Is making crayfish considered a contribution?"

"Crayfish are a pest; they destroy dikes and harm fish fry. Now that everyone knows they're edible, they all go and catch them, eliminating the harm—that's a contribution!"

"So that's what happened!"

"I really envy Yang Wei, he's so lucky!"

"This isn't luck, it's skill. Could you have cooked crayfish like that?"

"That's true."

Everyone was chattering, never expecting that making crayfish would earn them such a rare prize from the factory.

Bicycles and radios were items that even money couldn't guarantee you'd get a ticket for, but Yang Wei had them delivered directly to him by the factory.

This situation made Uncle Yi Zhonghai and Uncle Liu Haizhong frown deeply. The more smug Yang Wei became, the more uncomfortable they felt, as they already had a grudge against him.

Only the third uncle, Yan Bugui, was all smiles. He had sent Yu Li to work for the Yang family because he was sure Yang Wei was a promising man, and his family would benefit from it. He was sure they could get some benefits from the Yang family in the future.

Seeing this, the family members quickly began to flatter him:

"Dad, you always had such a good eye!"

"I've had my eye on Yang Wei for a long time!"

"We've already got Yang Wei wrapped around our little finger!"

Yan Bugui felt incredibly comfortable, as if he had been showered with honey, after being praised by his family.

His oft-repeated phrase popped into his head again: "If you can't plan ahead, you'll end up poor."

"From now on, Yu Li, you should go to Yang Wei's house more often to help him out! That way you'll get more benefits; Yang Wei isn't a stingy person!"

"Dad, you were absolutely right!"

His family showered him with flattery, making Yan Bugui beam with joy and feel completely elated.

At the same time, after venting her anger, Jia Zhangshi suddenly remembered something: Bang Geng's injury was caused by Yang Wei, which also made Qin Huairu take half a day off. Yang Wei should compensate her for this!

Yang Wei bought a bicycle and a radio, which made Jia Zhangshi extremely envious! She clenched her fists and stormed into Yang Wei's house in a fit of rage.

Just then, Yang Wei parked his bicycle at the door and saw that the lock had been smashed to pieces. His brows furrowed instantly. Without asking, he knew that a thief had broken into his house.

His first thought was that kid Bang Geng. Who else but him, the "Master Thief," would do such a despicable thing?

He went inside and looked around. Aside from the turtle being gone, nothing else had been touched. Yang Wei wondered: Only the turtle? That didn't seem like Bang Geng's style.

Just as he was pondering this, footsteps sounded outside. Looking up, he saw Jia Zhangshi's fat face squeeze into the doorway first: "Yang Wei, you damned bastard!"

She stared at the bicycle for half a second, her eyes burning with desire, then her voice exploded: "You injured my pheasant, costing me ten yuan for medicine at the hospital! You have to pay me back! Otherwise, I, Jia Zhangshi, will haunt you even in my ghostly form!"

"How did I cause Banggeng to get injured?" Yang Wei was genuinely confused. He had just entered the room and hadn't even seen Banggeng. What was the connection?

"Your big soft-shelled turtle bit my family's stalk! The Jia family line almost died out, do you know that? Pay me twenty yuan!" Jia Zhangshi roared, hands on her hips. "Otherwise, I'll fight you to the death!"

Yang Wei was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. His manhood was bitten by a turtle? This kid Bang Geng is a real "talent"! Even though he had seen many strange things, he was speechless at this moment.

"What are you laughing at? You almost ended the Jia family line! Pay up!" Madam Jia's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

"Pay me compensation? Jia Zhangshi, have you no shame?" Yang Wei sneered. "Your family's servant broke my lock, stole my turtle, and you still have the nerve to talk to me about compensation?"

"What's so great about a child stealing?" Jia Zhangshi retorted sarcastically. How could she possibly have such awareness? Bang Geng had stolen from the yard countless times, when had he ever paid the price?

Before she could finish speaking, she plopped down on the ground and started yelling, "Neighbors, come quick! Yang Wei bit my dog, and now the Jia family line is ending! He won't even pay us back!"

"Old man! Get up! If you die, Yang Wei will bully us, a widow and her children!" she wailed, slapping her thigh. "He wants to wipe out the Jia family line! He's not human!"

Jia Zhangshi's voice was so loud it sounded like it had a megaphone, instantly attracting everyone in the courtyard.

Yang Wei didn't rush to retort; he wanted Jia Zhangshi to make a fuss so that the story of the stick being bitten by a turtle could spread.

The public-spirited Yi Zhonghai was the first to rush over. He'd been thoroughly humiliated by Yang Wei yesterday, so he was determined to get his revenge. He put on a stern, impartial face and asked, "Mrs. Jia, what's wrong? What heinous thing has Yang Wei done this time?"

Liu Haizhong, the second uncle who had followed, chimed in with a dark face, "That's right, what kind of trouble is Yang Wei causing now?"

Yesterday, several of Liu Haizhong's uncles learned chess from Yang Wei, and their skills improved significantly, overshadowing Liu Haizhong's previous arrogance. Back home, Liu Haizhong was furious and kept cursing Yang Wei. If it weren't for Yang Wei's instruction, would he have lost? Would he have renege on his defeat? Would he have lost face in public? Ultimately, it was all Yang Wei's fault!

The onlookers were all listening intently, wondering what Yang Wei had done to the Jia family this time. Not long after returning, Bang Geng was still lying in the house, and no one knew he had been bitten by a turtle.

Seeing so many people asking questions, Jia Zhangshi immediately gained confidence. She got up from the ground, pointed at Yang Wei, and gritted her teeth: "The turtles Yang Wei raised bit my family's swan!"

"No way? How did a turtle bite my genitals?"

"How serious is it?"

"Won't the Jia family line die out?"

Everyone stared wide-eyed, their minds filled with questions. How could a skewer have been bitten by a turtle?

"It must have been Yang Wei who did this!" Jia Zhangshi said angrily. "Otherwise, why would the turtles keep biting my stalk? You have to pay for medical expenses and emotional distress, a total of twenty yuan! Otherwise, I won't let this go!"

Yang Wei wasn't in a hurry. He slowly pointed to his own lock and said, "Here's what happened. I went to work, and Bang Geng saw that no one was home, so he came and broke the lock."

Everyone crowded around to take a look, and sure enough, the lock was smashed to pieces. Yang Wei continued, "Then he sneaked in, saw my turtle, and probably wanted to compare sizes," he paused, suppressing a laugh, "so he took that thing out and held it up to the turtle to compare sizes... You can imagine what happened next."

Before he could finish speaking, Yang Wei burst out laughing. He had just guessed, but imagining the scene made him unable to hold back his laughter.

Lou Xiao'e, Yu Li, and a few other women couldn't hold back and burst out laughing, covering their mouths. The men were even more exaggerated, clutching their stomachs and laughing so hard that even Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong couldn't help but laugh.

A turtle biting one's genitals—that's truly bizarre! Usually, turtles bite the hands, but a penis is a different story…

"What are you laughing at!" Jia Zhangshi's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. "It's a fact that Yang Wei let the turtle bite my family's stalk! It's a fact that he almost wiped out my Jia family line! He has to pay me twenty yuan, or I'll never forgive him!"

"That's right!" Liu Haizhong nodded in agreement. "Yang Wei, you have to compensate for this!"

Yang Wei was wondering how He Yuzhu had gotten involved with Jia Zhangshi when he heard He Yuzhu shouting in defense of the Jia family, acting as if he were acting on behalf of Heaven.

He was stunned for a moment, wondering to himself: Is Sha Zhu out of his mind or is he deliberately trying to cause trouble?

He then retorted coldly, "Silly Zhu, why should I pay you money?"

He Yuzhu, his neck stiff and his face righteous, said, "You raised those turtles, so of course you're responsible for what happened! Besides, you almost caused the Jia family line to end, how are you going to settle that score?"

"Tsk tsk, that bastard stole my turtle and hasn't returned it yet. You still have the nerve to talk about reasoning with me?"

Yang Wei curled his lip, a cold sneer tinged with mockery. "Isn't this the same as you stealing a knife from my house, then using it to chop up a bird, and then blaming me?"

Upon hearing this, the people around were taken aback at first, then covered their mouths and burst into laughter, even the old man standing by the wall basking in the sun was laughing.

He Yuzhu, however, wouldn't let it go, stubbornly retorting, "Of course it's your fault! If you hadn't raised the turtles, would Banggeng have been bitten? Besides, can a child stealing a little something even be called stealing? You have no compassion whatsoever. Banggeng often comes to my house to steal things, have I ever uttered a sound? The Jia family is having such a hard time. Jia Dongxu is paralyzed in bed, Weiwei is too sick to get out of bed, Qin Huairu is a woman raising three children, taking care of an elderly person, and also having to look after her paralyzed husband. Her life is unbearably difficult! You won't help, fine, but you're throwing a tantrum because he stole a little something from you?"

He became more and more eloquent as he spoke, acting as if he were acting on behalf of Heaven. Yang Wei almost gave him a thumbs up. He was full of twisted logic and good at moral blackmail. Only Sha Zhu would dare to lie so blatantly.

Yi Zhonghai listened intently, rubbing his hands together. He actually agreed with her somewhat, but he swallowed his words. He had been thoroughly humiliated by Yang Wei yesterday, and he didn't want to make a fool of himself again.

"The Jia family is in trouble? Sha Zhu, I think you've been bewitched by Qin Huairu." Yang Wei interrupted coldly, "If we're talking about poverty, the Third Uncle's family is even more shabby than the Jia family!"

These words were like a firecracker thrown into a crowd, instantly causing an uproar. Yan Bugui, who had been standing with his arms crossed, raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, thinking to himself: Yang Wei actually spoke up for me? It seems that sending Yu Li to help him with the housework was the right move!

"Yang Wei, what kind of talk is that?" someone couldn't help but ask.

Yang Wei's gaze swept over Yan Bugui: "Third Uncle, how much is your monthly salary?"

"Twenty-seven yuan," Yan Bugui answered readily.

"Where is Qin Huairu?" Yang Wei asked, turning to the crowd.

"He's about the same age as the Third Uncle." Someone immediately chimed in, as many people at the steel rolling mill knew him.

"What about Jia Dongxu?"

"He receives a monthly allowance of ten yuan," Yan Bugui blurted out, knowing all about it.

Yang Wei counted on his fingers: "So, the Jia family earns around thirty-seven yuan a month, divided among six people, that's a little over six yuan per person. The Third Uncle's family, with six people, earns twenty-seven yuan a month, averaging less than five yuan per person, much less than the Jia family. So, who's really poorer?"