Courtyard Houses: Starting with Li Yunlong's Comrades-in-Arms

Liu Erhe thought this made sense, so he chuckled twice and said nothing more.

It was Liang's mother who hesitated for a moment before asking, "Erhe, do you think it's appropriate for us to go there? I heard that the place where your brother lives is full of high-ranking officials. Won't we, as ordinary people, cause them trouble?"

Liu Erhe turned around and replied, "It's alright! My brother lives in a detached house with a big yard. We're just going to celebrate the New Year, not to do anything else. Don't worry, Mom, we just need to stay inside after we get there. My brother has made all the arrangements, so there's nothing to worry about."

Hearing her son-in-law say this, Liang's mother felt a little more at ease.

There weren't many pedestrians on the road. The streets were much quieter than usual on Lunar New Year's Eve. Occasionally, one or two people on bicycles would pass by, their bicycle bells ringing a few times.

After riding for about half an hour, the road ahead gradually opened up, and the gray walls of the North City Compound came into view.

Liu Erhe rode his bicycle to the gate of the compound with practiced ease and stopped in front of the guard's duty room. He got off the bicycle, propped it up, and walked to the guard's window to greet the guard inside.

The guard recognized him and, following procedure, had him register his visitor information. He then had Liang Cheng register as well. The whole process took only two or three minutes, but Liang Cheng's hand was noticeably tighter when he signed, and his handwriting was several times neater than usual.

The three of them pushed their bikes into the compound, rode along the main road for a short distance, and then turned onto a quiet side road. Liu Yuheng's small brick building soon came into view, with a black Volga sedan parked in front of it, gleaming with a calm luster under the winter sun.

Liu Erhe parked his bicycle in the open space next to the small building and locked it. Liang Cheng followed suit and parked his bicycle as well. The three of them carried their bundles to the door, and Liu Erhe raised his hand and knocked on the door.

The door opened quickly. Yao Qingwan stood inside, wearing a maroon sweater with a light gray cardigan over it, her hair loosely tied back. She looked very homely and warm. Upon seeing the three of them, she immediately stepped aside to make way for them, her face breaking into a smile: "Uncle Liang, Aunt Liang, come in, come in! It's cold outside!"

Liang Cheng and his mother hurriedly greeted each other with "Happy New Year!" as they entered the house. As soon as they stepped inside, a wave of warmth enveloped them.

As soon as Liang's mother stepped through the door, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh my!" with a look of surprise on her face. "How come this room is so warm? It's warmer than a stove! My hands and feet were frozen stiff from riding all the way here, but as soon as I came in, I felt like I melted."

Wang Xiuhe was sitting at the coffee table in the living room making dumplings when she heard the sound. She looked up and saw her in-laws coming in. She quickly pointed into the house with her floured hands and said, "Come in and sit down! Take off your cotton-padded coat. It's hot in here. Don't sweat."

Mother Liang put down what she was holding and looked around. The living room was spacious and bright, with dark wood furniture such as the sofa and coffee table, all kept clean and tidy. There was a row of radiators in the corner, with several damp towels draped over them, emitting warm steam.

She walked over and touched the radiator. It was warm but not hot to the touch. She couldn't help but exclaim, "This thing is really good! It's much better than our stove. It's warm and doesn't smell smoky. In our old courtyard, we used a stove in the winter, and the whole house smelled of coal ash, making everyone cough."

Wang Xiuhe laughed and added, "Yuheng told me this is called central heating. We don't have it where we live; it's only found in large courtyards. This is my first time using it, and it's definitely much more comfortable than a stove."

Mother Liang walked to the coffee table, put down the bundle she had brought, rolled up her sleeves, and offered to help: "I'll wrap them. Look how well you rolled out these dumpling wrappers. Let me lend a hand."

Wang Xiuhe didn't refuse and made room for her. Liang Cheng also washed his hands, moved a stool over, and sat down to help roll out the dough.

The two mothers-in-law sat around the coffee table, one rolling out dough and the other wrapping dumplings. Their work was efficient and coordinated, and they chatted about everyday things as they worked.

Liang Cheng was quietly rolling out the dough, occasionally chiming in with a comment. The atmosphere was harmonious and relaxed, filled with the warm, homey aroma of dough and meat filling.

Liu Yixuan was squatting on the living room carpet playing with a small wooden train. Liu Tingting sat beside him, occasionally straightening the carriages that were about to tip over. Liang Fangfang, heavily pregnant, sat on the sofa, with Yao Qingwan sitting next to her. The two were talking quietly, with occasional soft laughter.

Liu Tingting played with Liu Yixuan's little wooden train on the carpet for a while, but gradually got a little bored.

She looked up at the adults. Wang Xiuhe and Liang's mother were making dumplings, Liang Cheng was rolling out the dough, Liu Shuanzhu was preparing ingredients in the kitchen, Liu Erhe was sitting idly peeling garlic, and Liang Fangfang and Yao Qingwan were chatting quietly on the sofa. Everyone in the room was busy with their own things, except for her and Liu Yixuan, who were the only two idle people.

Liu Tingting's eyes lit up, and she grabbed Liu Yixuan's hand, ran to Yao Qingwan, tilted her head up, and said in a slightly coquettish tone, "Sister-in-law, I want to go to the movies!"

Yao Qingwan was talking to Liang Fangfang when she heard this. She looked up, smiled, and pointed to the dark wooden cabinet in the corner of the living room: "The tickets are in that drawer over there. Your brother brought them back. He said there are several shows. Pick a time that suits you."

Upon hearing this, Liu Tingting immediately released Liu Yixuan's hand, rushed to the cabinet, opened the drawer, and saw several movie tickets neatly arranged, with times ranging from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Just as she was about to reach for it, Liu Erhe appeared behind her like a gust of wind, peering into the drawer and his eyes immediately lit up.

"So many tickets!" Liu Erhe rubbed his hands together, his tone filled with barely suppressed excitement. "Come on! Second Brother will take you and Yixuan to see it! The 9:30 show this morning is perfect!"

Before Liu Tingting could nod, Liu Shuanzhu's voice came from the kitchen doorway, carrying an unyielding weight: "Come here and roll out the dough! I still need to prepare the filling after I finish the vegetables. Do you think you're some kind of lord here?"

Liu Erhe's face immediately fell, as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over his head. He stood in front of the cabinet, clutching a movie ticket in his hand, turning it over and over to look at it reluctantly, then turned his head to look towards the kitchen. Liu Shuanzhu was standing in front of the cutting board, chopping scallions, the cleaver making a clattering sound, clearly waiting for him to come and help.

Liu Erhe sighed, put the ticket back in the drawer, and walked slumped toward the coffee table. As he picked up the rolling pin, he muttered to himself, "It's been so long since I've seen a movie..."

Wang Xiuhe didn't even look up, flipped the dumpling wrapper in her hand, and casually said, "If you could be as successful as your brother, you could go to the movies too."

Liu Erhe choked for a moment, pursed his lips, and obediently started rolling out the dough.

Liu Tingting didn't care about her second brother's depression; she had already taken Liu Yixuan's hand and walked to the door.

Yao Qingwan pointed towards the door and said, "Tingting, come back after one show! Don't forget to come back for lunch. If you like it, you can go again this afternoon; we have plenty of tickets."

Liu Tingting turned around and replied crisply, "Okay, sister-in-law!"

Before she could finish speaking, the door opened, and she bent down to tighten Liu Yixuan's scarf, then took his little hand and stepped out.