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

Siheyuan.

He Yuzhu had just pushed open the door from inside the house and stood on the threshold, lazily stretching. The sunlight made him squint.

"Silly Zhu, what time is it? Why are you only now coming out?" Jia Zhangshi's shrill voice immediately drifted over from the other side of the courtyard, like a needle piercing into your ears.

He Yuzhu wasn't annoyed and replied with a smile, "Aunt Jia, I don't need to cook at the canteen's main stove at noon. I went home for a nap at noon to get enough rest so I can cook special meals for the leaders tonight." As he spoke, he casually glanced around the yard and saw the items drying in the air—sheets and duvet covers hanging on the lines, swaying gently in the breeze.

He rolled his eyes and casually joked, "Hey Aunt Jia, why have you been airing out your sheets and blankets every day these past few days? And today you even have an extra towel blanket. Washing and airing them every day, I didn't realize you were so well-off."

Jia Zhangshi's smile froze instantly. She quickly waved her hand, but unconsciously lowered her voice: "Shazhu, don't talk nonsense! Everyone in the courtyard knows how difficult things are for our Jia family. It's getting warmer, so we're just taking out things that have been stored away all winter to wash and air them out. Besides, not everything we wash is our own; a lot of it is for Director Li." As she spoke, she deliberately gestured towards Li Jing'an's courtyard.

"Thank you for your trouble." He Yuzhu didn't delve into it, picked up his aluminum lunchbox, and strode out of the courtyard. His footsteps quickly disappeared at the entrance of the alley.

The courtyard was quiet for a moment. Not long after, another middle-aged woman peeked in from the gate, looked around, walked straight to the Jia family's door, and knocked twice.

Hearing the noise, Madam Jia came out. Upon seeing the person, she frowned and complained, "Oh, why are you so late?"

"Hey, I just went to another store to pick up some things, so it wasn't that late." The other person smiled and smoothed things over, carrying a bulging cloth bag in their hand.

"Where is it? Let me see it."

"Those are hanging outside." Madam Jia stepped aside to let them pass, and then pointed to two sheets and a quilt cover hanging on a rope in the yard.

The older woman stepped forward, pinched a corner of the bed sheet, and rubbed the fabric back and forth between her thumb and forefinger. Jia Zhangshi immediately leaned in, her chin slightly raised, and said with a hint of smugness, "How about it? It's all good stuff, government goods, pure cotton fabric for cadres only."

"The items are nice, but it's a pity they're not new," the older woman said casually, without even raising her eyelids, clearly trying to lower the price.

"How can it not be new? Look at it yourself, what's the difference between it and a new one?" Jia Zhangshi grabbed the bed sheet, flipping it over and over, her tone full of indignation. "It's only been used two or three times, and there's not a single tear. Look at the stitches, the density, it's not something an ordinary family could afford."

"No matter how good it is, it's still a used bed sheet," the older woman said unhurriedly. "Not many people care about it, so it's hard to sell."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi immediately understood. The smile on her face vanished instantly, and she snorted coldly, "Not selling well? How many cloth coupons does a person have these days? Let me tell you, even if you don't want it, plenty of people will be scrambling to buy it." With that, she grabbed the bed sheet and made as if to carry it into the room.

The other person quickly stopped her with a smile: "Oh, don't be in such a hurry, sister. I didn't say I didn't want them. Are these the only two items?"

Madam Jia glanced at her sideways, snorted, and said with a hint of arrogance, "There are plenty of good things out there, I'm just afraid you don't know their value."

"But I have to see the goods first," the older woman said with a smile. "As long as the quality is good, the price will definitely satisfy you."

Madam Jia glanced warily at both the front and back gates of the courtyard, making sure no one was around, before gesturing towards the house and saying in a low voice, "Come in and talk."

The two entered the house one after the other. Jia Zhangshi closed the door, took out a neatly folded towel blanket from the cupboard, unfolded it, and spread it on the bed board.

"Take a look, name your price, including those outside."

The visitor took the items, examined the stitches and loops of yarn from all angles, and her eyes lit up immediately: "I didn't realize you were so discerning! You have quite a complete collection." She then lowered her voice, leaned closer, and almost whispered in Jia Zhangshi's ear, "Older sister, are there any other good things? Bring them out together, and I'll calculate everything for you, so you don't have to make several more trips later."

A smug smile curled at the corner of Jia Zhangshi's lips as she glanced at her and said slowly, "Of course we still have the items, but I'm afraid you can't afford them."

"Oh, what are you saying?" The woman slapped her thigh, her face beaming. "Even if I can't afford it, at least let me see something interesting. Who doesn't love to look at good things?"

After a string of compliments, Madam Jia was quite satisfied, unable to suppress the smile on her lips. She cautiously glanced out the window again before lowering her voice, as if revealing a huge secret: "There are two blankets in the house, plus a silk quilt cover. The silk is incredibly smooth; you've probably never seen or touched it before—it's something only high-ranking officials can afford."

"Oh my!" The woman's eyes lit up instantly, her voice trembling. "Now that you mention it, I'm really curious! Let me take a good look at it!"

Seeing the other person's anxious look, Jia Zhangshi felt a surge of smugness, like dough swelling. She slowly turned around, deliberately drawing out her words, "What's the rush? I'll get it for you right away..."