I feel right at home in the world of the courtyard house.

Time flies, and before they knew it, it was spring of 1962. Li Jing'an and Wei Jialing chose an auspicious day and held a grand wedding, officially becoming husband and wife.

On their wedding night, in Li Jing'an's courtyard, a neatly dressed, reserved-looking man entered. He immediately clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, beaming and repeatedly saying, "Congratulations! Director Li, congratulations on your marriage! May you have a long and happy life together!"

Li Jing'an wore a perfectly warm smile as he gestured for the person to enter the house, deftly poured them hot water, and then offered them cigarettes, lighting them with practiced ease. Turning to the inner room, he called out, "Jialing, bring me my notebook."

Wei Jialing was busy tidying up the fruits and snacks on the table when she heard this. She paused for a moment, looking at her husband with a puzzled expression, not understanding why he needed a notebook on such a joyous occasion. But she still obediently turned around and went into the house, quickly bringing back a dark blue hardcover notebook, which she gently handed to Li Jing'an.

Li Jing'an took the notebook, turned to a brand new page, and smiled as he looked at the visitor, pen in hand: "Excuse me, which unit are you from? What's your name?"

The man stiffened, then quickly stood up straight and replied, "Director Li, I'm from the Education Bureau, my name is Sun Li."

"Oh, Comrade Sun, good." Li Jing'an nodded, his pen scratching across the paper as he wrote "Education Bureau—Sun Li." After finishing, he glanced at the gifts the other man had placed on the corner of the table—a brand-new enamel basin, an aluminum kettle, and a thin blanket. He casually wrote them all down after his name, his movements natural and fluid.

Wei Jialing stood to the side, completely bewildered. She couldn't help but tug at Li Jing'an's sleeve and asked in a low voice, "Jing'an, why are you memorizing all this?"

"Of course we have to remember." Li Jing'an said without looking up, his tone matter-of-fact. "There are so many people here today, and the gifts are all over the place. If we don't write them down, how will we be able to tell them apart later? People have brought gifts to congratulate us, so it's a token of our appreciation to write them down. We can't let them down."

These words struck Sun Li like a needle piercing his heart. He instantly became restless, shifting between his legs on the stool, his palms sweating, and the forced smile on his face stiffening. He quickly leaned forward, hastily explaining, "Director Li, I... I didn't come specifically to deliver anything, I just came to offer my congratulations. I just wanted to get acquainted with the place today, I... I'll come again tomorrow!"

Li Jing'an put down his pen, looked up at him, his eyes gentle yet carrying a hint of something unfathomable: "Oh? Is that so? Okay, I'll add it to your notes tomorrow."

Sun Li felt as if he had been granted a pardon and hurriedly took his leave. As he walked out of the courtyard gate, he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his heart pounding with anxiety: Oh no, this is terrible! This little thing has been written down in the notebook... Tomorrow I absolutely have to bring some decent gifts and come back; I can't just get away with this!

Just as Sun Li left, another person walked in through the courtyard gate. The moment this person stepped inside, he saw the notebook in Li Jing'an's hand and the gifts on the table. His eyes flashed, and he instinctively hid the cloth bag behind his back, forcing a polite smile: "Director Li, congratulations! I'm from the Finance Bureau. I just came to get acquainted with the place. Sorry to bother you."

Li Jing'an knew exactly what was going on, but he didn't say anything. He just nodded slightly and greeted him politely.

The next morning, Li Jing'an's courtyard became lively again, with people coming and going in an endless stream. Everyone who entered first offered their congratulations, then handed over gifts or red envelopes. Li Jing'an still carried that notebook, meticulously recording each person's workplace, name, and a list of gifts, without missing a single word.

Looking at the ever-growing pile of cloth bags and cardboard boxes in the corner, Wei Jialing couldn't help but pout and mutter with disgust, "Why bother with all this junk? We don't need it, it just takes up space and is a hassle."

While taking notes, Li Jing'an smiled and reassured his wife, "You can't say that. It's all just a kind gesture, a matter of courtesy. Let's sort them out properly later. We'll separate the cigarettes and alcohol, the candy and tea, and the daily necessities. We can send the ones we don't need to my sister, and also send some to my parents. It won't be a waste."

He paused, then suddenly remembered something, looked up and asked, "By the way, where are all those envelopes we received? Where did you put them?"

"They're all on the bed in the bedroom, a whole bunch of them," Wei Jialing replied casually.

"Come on, let's go inside and have a bite." Li Jing'an pulled his wife into the bedroom.

Upon entering, the two saw a bulging pile of envelopes on the bed, each clearly labeled with the giver's name and workplace. Li Jing'an's eyes lit up, she grinned, and picked them up one by one to open them.

As he opened the envelope, Li Jing'an suddenly frowned, picked up a thin envelope and examined it repeatedly. His face darkened, and his tone was tinged with dissatisfaction: "Isn't this sports bureau too stingy? They have the nerve to offer just these two pennies?"

He turned to Wei Jialing and instructed, "Jialing, remember this person's name. When you have time, tell Dad to give him a piece of his mind and teach him a lesson."

Wei Jia rolled her eyes helplessly and casually replied, "Okay, I'll remember."

Li Jing'an then suppressed his displeasure and continued to happily open the remaining red envelopes, his face full of unconcealed smiles.

"Jing'an, don't just look at the red envelope, I have something else here." Wei Jialing turned around and took out a delicate little cloth bag from the wardrobe. When she opened it, she found several watches, several pens, and a few pieces of jewelry that were not particularly flashy.

Li Jing'an glanced at them, his expression turning serious. He whispered to his wife, "You pick some out. If you like any, keep them for yourself. I'll have someone secretly dispose of the rest." Wei Jialing nodded obediently and began to choose carefully.

Just then, a series of knocks came from the east gate of the courtyard, mixed with the laughter and chatter of neighbors. Li Jing'an opened the door and saw his old neighbors, all of whom lived in the same courtyard, each carrying something.

He quickly ushered everyone inside, politely declining, "Oh, please come in and sit down. We're all old neighbors, no need to bring anything, it's too formal!"

"Of course, of course! It's Director Li's wedding, how could we come empty-handed! Congratulations!" The neighbors congratulated him all at once, dumping their gifts on the table. They were all ordinary items, nothing of value.

Li Jing'an glanced at them with a smile, already understanding the situation, but his face remained warm. Wei Jialing didn't want to deal with these petty people at all, so she simply stayed in her bedroom and didn't bother with socializing.

After finally seeing the neighbors off, Li Jing'an had just closed the door when Wei Jialing came out of the house, her face clearly showing complaint, and her tone becoming aggrieved: "Jing'an, when is your steel mill going to allocate you a house? I'm not used to living in this little courtyard with people coming and going. How about... we go stay with my parents?"

Li Jing'an's heart tightened, and he quickly stepped forward to take his wife's hand, patiently comforting her. He didn't want to live at his father-in-law's house from the bottom of his heart. What difference was there between living under someone else's roof and being a live-in son-in-law? He would have to watch his wife's every move, and he wouldn't even be able to breathe properly. He would feel so suffocated.

"Jialing, stop it. Our little courtyard is nice, it's a detached house, not like we're crammed into a big tenement." Li Jing'an gently hugged her from behind, coaxing her softly. "I haven't been at the steel mill for long. According to seniority, I'm not going to get a room. Besides, I have some savings, so it's not good to do this openly, it would give people something to talk about."

Wei Jialing pouted, persisting, "Then why don't you go ask at the factory? What if there's a chance? If they really do allocate housing, we can work hard to get a turn eventually."

"Okay, okay, I'll listen to you. I'll go to the factory to ask in a couple of days." Li Jing'an quickly agreed, afraid that she would be unhappy.

He softened his tone and said gently, "If you really don't feel comfortable staying here, we can visit your parents more often. You can also go back and stay for a few days by yourself, don't worry about me. I'm busy with work at the guesthouse, and sometimes I can't come back, so don't make yourself suffer."

Wei Jialing was unhappy, her face scrunched up, full of reluctance: "It's not easy for us to live together, and you keep going back to the guesthouse! There's so much to do at the guesthouse! I don't want to go back alone, I can't bear to leave you."

Li Jing'an lowered his head, a mischievous smile playing on his lips, and stared into her eyes, his tone teasing: "Oh? Are you reluctant to part with me, or with something else?"

Wei Jialing didn't flinch at all, looking at him frankly: "I can't bear to part with you! I wish I could be with you 24 hours a day, never separated for a moment."

Li Jing'an sighed inwardly, thinking to himself, "You're not just reluctant to part with me, you clearly want to keep me by your side. You'll drive me crazy sooner or later." But he didn't dare say it aloud. He could only hug his wife and coax her with gentle words for a long time until Wei Jialing's face relaxed and she was filled with joy.