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

I accompanied Mr. Li for a drink of dark beer that evening. He only drank one bottle before putting down his glass, saying he couldn't enjoy the taste.

That night, Li's mother barely slept a wink. She tossed and turned in the darkness, her mind preoccupied with plans to return to the countryside. As soon as dawn broke, she got up and quietly tidied the house inside and out, as if she wanted to pack all her worries into the cleanliness.

the next day.

Li Jing'an also got up early. After washing up, he went to the yard to check the car, filled it with gas, and then squatted down to check the tires and brakes. Only after confirming that everything was in order did he go back inside. As soon as he entered the house, he bumped into his father carrying two bulging cloth bags, a smile on his face.

"Dad, where did you go so early in the morning?" Li Jing'an asked, somewhat puzzled.

"I went to Old Zhang's house next door and exchanged some cornmeal." Li's father put the bag on the ground, untied the knot, and the bag was full of golden cornmeal. "Adding what we have left, it weighs about seventy or eighty pounds. Take it to your aunt. They're all family, and we can't favor one over the other."

"Dad's thinking is so thoughtful," Li Jing'an smiled. "I'll move the car upstairs right away."

"Wait, there's this too." Li's mother came out from the inner room, carrying several items—a few bottles of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), two cartons of Daqianmen cigarettes, and four packets of mooncakes wrapped in oil paper. She handed them to Li Jing'an, saying, "Your father specially picked these cigarettes and liquor at the supply and marketing cooperative yesterday for your uncle. He likes them, he'll definitely like them."

Li Jing'an took it, understanding that his parents were ultimately closer to his two uncles.

"You've thought of everything so thoughtfully," he remarked. "This way, all the formalities are in order." He paused, then added, "I still have some rations left in my food ration book. I'll go to the grain store later and buy some more cornmeal to make it a hundred catties. A hundred catties for my uncle's family and fifty catties for my aunt's family, that'll be just right. I'll also take those twenty catties of wheat flour to my uncle so they can have a taste."

Upon hearing this, Li's mother's face lit up with a smile, fine lines appearing at the corners of her eyes. She took her son's hand and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Good, good, my son is so thoughtful. This is wonderful; your uncle's family will be overjoyed."

Without further ado, Li Jing'an quickly ate a few bites of breakfast and then drove his mother to the grain store. These days, grain stores open early, and a queue had already formed outside, with people clutching their ration books and coupons. Li Jing'an parked the car, and he and his mother went inside. Using their own ration books and coupons, they bought another twenty-odd jin of cornmeal, bringing their total to one hundred jin.

The shop assistant tied up the flour sacks, and Li Jing'an carried them to the car. Together with his mother, they rearranged the grain. They sorted the bags, deciding which ones went to his eldest uncle's house, which to his second uncle's house, and which to his aunt's house, so they would know what to do and avoid being flustered later.

After getting ready, Li Jing'an glanced at the time; it was just past eight o'clock. Since it was still early before noon, he said to his mother, "Mom, let's go to the West City market to buy some meat. We'll be having lunch at Uncle's house; we need to buy some meat to cook a few dishes and make it more festive."

Li's mother immediately nodded: "Good idea, buy some meat and some vegetables, and cook a good meal for lunch."

The mother and son drove to the market. The market was bustling with activity; vegetable stalls, fruit stalls, and grocery stalls lined the streets, their vendors' calls echoing throughout. But in those days, meat was a rare commodity, rationed and not even available every day. When Li Jing'an and his mother reached the meat stall, the vendor waved his hand at the waiting crowd, saying, "No meat today. If you want some, come early tomorrow."

The light on Li's mother's face instantly dimmed, and she sighed, "Oh, what bad timing. What should we have for lunch?"

Seeing the disappointment on his mother's face, Li Jing'an felt a pang of sadness. He patted his mother's shoulder and comforted her, "It's alright, Mom, it's okay if we don't have meat. We can buy some vegetables, and Uncle's family definitely has eggs. We can make a few dishes together, and it'll be just as lively."

Despite saying that, he was secretly plotting—he had to get some meat to please his mother and make the meal more substantial. Just then, a place suddenly flashed into his mind: the Dahongmen Meat Processing Plant!

The idea struck him, and his eyes lit up. He said to his mother, "Mom, don't worry, I know where to find meat. Let's go to the Dahongmen Meat Processing Plant; we're sure to find some."

Li's mother was taken aback and looked at him with suspicion: "Dahongmen Meat Processing Plant? Isn't that only for government use? Can we, as private individuals, buy from there?"

"Mom, don't worry, I have a plan." Li Jing'an smiled and started the car.

Li's mother was skeptical, but seeing her son's confident demeanor, a glimmer of hope rekindled in her heart.

The car drove all the way towards Yongdingmen.

There was a guard at the gate of the meat processing plant, and the gate was tightly closed, with only trucks carrying meat coming and going. Li Jing'an parked his car by the gate and said to his mother, "Mom, please wait in the car for a while, I'll go in and talk to you."

He got out of the car, walked to the gatehouse, smiled and nodded at the gatekeeper inside, took out his work ID and handed it over: "Comrade, hello. I am Li Jing'an, the director of the steel rolling mill's guesthouse. I would like to talk to your factory director about something. Please let me know."

The security guard took the work permit and examined it carefully, then looked him up and down—a neat Zhongshan suit, a composed demeanor, unlike an ordinary person. He nodded: "Please wait a moment, I'll call the factory manager's office."

The call connected, and after a few brief words, the security guard put down the receiver: "Director Li, the factory manager wants you to come in. Just keep going in, to the very last building, the factory manager's office is on the second floor at the far west end."

"Thank you very much," Li Jing'an said with a smile, and drove into the factory area.

The meat processing plant was bustling with activity, the machines humming and the air thick with the faint smell of meat. Workers in white coats moved about busily. Li Jing'an parked his car in front of the office building, told his mother to wait inside, and followed the directions to the second floor, where he knocked on the door of the plant manager's office.

A short while later, he came out of the building with a middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit and waited downstairs for two minutes. Soon, a man carrying a cloth bag came running from the production area. The three exchanged a few more words, and then Li Jing'an took the cloth bag and went back to his car.

Li's mother had been peering in, and when she saw him return, she quickly went up to him: "Jing'an, how did it go? Did you buy anything?"

Li Jing'an smiled and handed her the cloth bag, untying it to show her: "Mom, look. Not only did we buy pork, but we also got seven or eight catties of pork fat. The factory manager is a kind man; he specially sent it to us."

Looking down, Li's mother saw fresh pork and glistening white pork fat, neatly arranged. The gloom on her face vanished, her eyes brightened, and she exclaimed, "Great! Great! Now we can probably cook a good lunch. This pork fat is perfect for your two uncles. Jing'an, you're really something, managing to buy meat like this!"

Li Jing'an started the car and said with a smile, "Mom, let's go."

Li's mother nodded repeatedly, her face full of anticipation. Then, remembering something, she added, "Remember to bring some gifts for people during the New Year. It's only right to reciprocate; we can't let people do our favors for nothing."

"Don't worry, Mom, I know what I'm doing."

Li Jing'an stepped on the gas, and the car slowly drove away from the Dahongmen Meat Processing Plant, heading towards Huairou.

The sun shone brightly, casting a warm glow on the car. Inside, Li's mother was filled with joy; outside, the city scenery gradually faded, and the fields unfolded. The wheat seedlings were just sprouting, tender and green, stretching as far as the eye could see, swaying gently in the breeze.