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

As dawn broke, the cobblestone path in the alleyway still glistened with the dampness of the night dew. Li Jing'an pushed his old-fashioned bicycle out of the courtyard gate, the wheels clattering over the stones with a dull thud. He glanced up at the sky; the gray-blue horizon was just beginning to lighten with the first hints of dawn—he had to hurry, or the good meat would be gone.

Dongdan Market is about seven or eight miles from Nanluoguxiang, a twenty-minute bike ride away. Yet, in just a short while, a long queue had already formed at the market entrance. People were carrying net bags and baskets. Li Jing'an locked his bike, pulled his navy blue Zhongshan suit tighter around his waist, and squeezed into the crowd.

The market was already bustling with noise. The meat stall on the west side was packed with people, and the few pieces of pork left on the cutting board were mostly lean with little fat, glistening with a pale reddish sheen. The vendor was a plump woman in her forties, wearing an apron stained with oil, chopping bones with a heavy cleaver, each strike making the cutting board tremble.

"Comrade, give me a pound of hindquarters meat." Li Jing'an squeezed to the front row and said with a smile.

The woman didn't even lift her eyelids: "The buttocks are gone, that's all." She pointed with the tip of her knife to a few slightly dry pieces of leg meat next to her.

"Well... this one will do then, please weigh it for me."

The woman deftly tossed the meat onto the scale, glancing at the markings: "One pound and two ounces, eighty-four cents."

Li Jing'an counted out a few crumpled bills and meat coupons and handed them over. The woman took the money, tossed it into the money box, quickly tied the meat with straw rope, and tossed it onto the counter without saying a word. An older woman nearby tried to ask if they had any lard, but was immediately cut off: "No, no, come earlier tomorrow!"

Li Jing'an took the meat, inwardly shaking his head. These sales clerks, each one arrogant and speaking in a sarcastic tone, yet you still have to smile and be polite. He carefully placed the meat into the cart basket and walked towards the central area.

The smell from the fish stall was stronger, the fishy odor mixed with moisture hitting your nose directly. In the cement pool, a few grass carp swam listlessly. Li Jing'an picked a medium-sized one. The young fishmonger was quick and efficient, weighing, scaling, and gutting it, but he kept a straight face the whole time, as if the person buying the fish owed him money.

Li Jing'an paid and then went to the vegetable section in the north. The cabbages were piled up like small mountains, the radishes were still covered in mud, and the spinach was fresh and crisp. He picked out two cabbages, a few potatoes, and weighed out a pound of spinach. The girl weighing the vegetables was about twenty years old, with two braids, and she was more friendly than the other saleswomen. She even broke off some of the outer leaves of the vegetables before putting them on the scale.

"Spinach is three cents, cabbage is two cents, potatoes are five cents, that's one cent in total."

As Li Jing'an walked out of the market, he let out a long sigh of relief. The air outside was crisp and cool, but much fresher than the pungent smells inside. He glanced at his haul in the basket—meat, fish, and vegetables—it was all there. Then he pushed the cart toward the state-run breakfast shop on the street corner.

The shop wasn't crowded; a few customers sat around the greasy wooden tables. Li Jing'an ordered a bowl of soy milk and two fried dough rings, then found a seat by the window. The fried dough rings were golden and crispy, making a "crunch" sound when you bit into them. He ate slowly, watching the street outside the window gradually become bustling, pondering whether to braise or steam the fish for lunch.

When I got back to the courtyard house, it was not yet eight o'clock. Yan Bugui, who lived in the front yard, was squatting in front of his flowerpots, loosening the soil with a small shovel. Hearing the bicycle bell, he looked up and pushed up his glasses.

"Oh, Jing'an's back so early?" Yan Bugui stood up, his gaze sweeping over the vegetables hanging on Li Jing'an's handlebars. "Went to buy groceries?"

"Yes, if you go too late, there won't be any good meat left." Li Jing'an parked the car and took the vegetables down. "Have you eaten?"

"Just finished eating." Yan Bugui leaned closer and lowered his voice. "How was the meat today? I went late yesterday and only managed to buy some scraps."

"It's alright, it's leg meat, it shouldn't be dry if stewed." Li Jing'an paused, "It's just that the saleswoman was really rude. She was so indifferent, like we were begging her to buy from her."

Yan Bugui chuckled, his wrinkles deepening. "You're making a fuss over nothing. What kind of place is the vegetable market? It's a proper state-owned enterprise! The people working there all have secure jobs. Arrogant? They have the right to be arrogant! To be honest, I'm quite envious."

Li Jing'an shook his head, not replying. He knew in his heart that Yan Bugui's words were half-joking and half-sincere. In this day and age, being a sales clerk in a state-owned enterprise was indeed an enviable job. But that attitude… He thought of the butcher woman's long face, and still felt a little uncomfortable.

"Okay, you're busy, I'm going back inside." Li Jing'an carried the groceries to the backyard.

Passing through the moon gate, you enter the central courtyard. By the pool, Qin Huairu is bending over, washing dishes. She wears a faded yellow shirt, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, revealing a section of her fair forearm. The morning sun shines obliquely, casting a soft halo around her profile. Her movements are gentle, her waist swaying slightly with each stroke.

Li Jing'an slowed his pace. His gaze lingered on her for a moment—from her slender waist to her rounded hips, and then to her hands, still wet with water droplets. Qin Huairu seemed to sense something; she lowered her head even further and scrubbed the bowl with more force, but she never looked up to greet him.

Li Jing'an withdrew his gaze, a faint smile playing on his lips, and walked straight into his courtyard.

After he left, Qin Huairu slowly straightened up. She stared in the direction Li Jing'an had disappeared, her eyes filled with complex emotions. The bowl in her hands was already gleaming from washing, but she continued mechanically repeating the motions until her fingers turned red from the cold water, at which point she snapped back to reality.

"Sister Qin!"

A rough shout interrupted her thoughts. Sha Zhu emerged from the east room, shuffling in cloth shoes, his hair disheveled, clearly having just gotten up. He strode to the sink, grinning, "Washing the dishes? How's Bang Geng? About yesterday…"

"It's nothing," Qin Huairu interrupted him, her voice very soft. "The child wasn't in a good mood today, but nothing else."

"That's good!" Sha Zhu slapped his thigh. "But this isn't over! That bastard Xu Damao, I have to find another chance to beat him up! How dare he bully Bang Geng, he's gone too far!"

"Zhu Zi, stop." Qin Huairu turned around and said seriously, "Stop fighting. Let bygones be bygones. It's not necessarily Xu Damao's doing."

"Why not? Who else could it be but him?" Sha Zhu raised his voice. "Sister Qin, you're too soft! This kind of person needs to be taught a lesson!"

As the two were talking, the door to the west room creaked open. He Yushui walked out of the side room, her short hair neatly combed, making her look capable and efficient.

"Brother, what's all the commotion about so early in the morning?" He Yushui walked over and nodded to Qin Huairu. "Sister Qin, are you washing the dishes? I worked overtime yesterday and came home late, so I missed the whole hospital meeting. My brother told me about Banggeng. Is the child alright?"

"It's alright, thank you for your concern, Rain Water." Qin Huairu forced a smile.

"It's good that you're alright." He Yushui glanced at Sha Zhu. "Brother, don't always threaten to hit people. Uncle and the others are in charge of things in the courtyard."

Sha Zhu wanted to say something more, but after being glared at by his sister, he could only shut his mouth sheepishly. He Yushui exchanged a few more pleasantries with Qin Huairu before hurrying back to her room. Sha Zhu stood there for a while, making small talk, before scratching his head and going back to his room.