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

The family was talking when the aroma of food wafted from the kitchen.

Wang Xiuhe and Liang Fangfang, mother and daughter-in-law, busied themselves inside for about half an hour. Liu Yixuan smelled the aroma, lifted his head from the toy car, sniffed, smacked his lips twice, and called out in his childish voice, "Meat!"

Liu Yuheng laughed and reached out to flick his nephew's little nose: "You little glutton, your nose is even more sensitive than your father's."

A moment later, Wang Xiuhe came out carrying a large tray, followed by Liang Fangfang, who also carried two plates. They placed the food on the table one by one: shredded pickled vegetables, cornbread, a dish of stir-fried cabbage, a bowl of braised pork, a braised fish, and a steaming bowl of cabbage and tofu soup.

There weren't many dishes, but the portions were generous, especially the fish and the bowl of meat, which looked like delicacies reserved for the Lunar New Year.

"Come, come, sit down, everyone sit down." Liu Shuanzhu called out to everyone, bringing out chairs and setting up a table full of chairs.

He deliberately placed a stool next to Xiao Li, patted the back of the chair, and said with a smile, "Comrade Xiao Li, please sit down too. Don't be shy when you get home."

Xiao Li glanced at Liu Yuheng, who smiled and nodded. Only then did Xiao Li sit down.

Liu Erhe placed a piece of fish belly meat into Liu Yuheng's bowl and casually asked, "Brother, I remember the bodyguard who was with you three years ago, wasn't it this one? What about Xiao Sun?"

Liu Yuheng put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and gestured towards Xiao Li: "This is Li Baoguo, my new bodyguard. He's been with me for almost two years. Xiao Sun has already been demoted to platoon leader. He was promoted during the war and now leads a platoon; he's no longer by my side."

Liu Tingting's eyes widened: "You're a platoon leader? Does that mean you're in charge of a lot of people?"

"I'll be in charge of about thirty people," Liu Yuheng said with a smile.

Liu Tingting exclaimed "Wow!" with a look of envy.

Wang Xiuhe placed a piece of braised pork into Xiao Li's bowl and said kindly, "Comrade Xiao Li, eat more, you're so thin."

Xiao Li quickly thanked him and took a bite.

Liu Yuheng picked up a piece of cabbage, chewed slowly, and casually asked, "Dad, how's your restaurant doing lately? Still busy?"

Liu Shuanzhu put down his chopsticks: "It's the same old routine, chopping and cooking vegetables every day, dealing with pots and pans. I've been doing this for most of my life, I could do it with my eyes closed."

He paused, picked up his wine glass, took a sip, smacked his lips, and continued, "But things are different now. Before, the private owner was in charge. My boss's surname was Zhao, and he was a decent person, just getting old and not managing things much anymore. Now the restaurant is a joint public-private enterprise, and a new public manager has been sent down from above. He's young, in his thirties, and very energetic. The original owner, Mr. Zhao, is now the private manager. He's still the manager in name only, but he doesn't really manage anything anymore; he's just a figurehead."

Liu Yuheng nodded without saying anything more. Public-private partnerships were an inevitable trend.

He turned to Liu Erhe and asked again, "Erhe, how about you? How's the factory?"

Liu Erhe was serving food to Liang Fangfang when he heard his older brother ask him a question. He quickly replied, "I'm still a junior worker."

His tone carried a hint of reluctance, but more so, anticipation: "But brother, I have something to tell you. Our new factory manager mentioned in a meeting that the factory might implement an eight-level worker system next year. He said it's based on skill level, with level one being the lowest and level eight the highest, and the higher the level, the higher the salary. I don't know if it's true or not, but if it is, I'll have to study hard and try to get a senior level."

Liu Yuheng put down his chopsticks, looked at his younger brother's expectant face, and nodded seriously: "It's true."

Liu Erhe was taken aback, not expecting his elder brother to answer so decisively.

"The eight-level worker system has been piloted in Northeast China for several years with good results. In the future, all factories across the country will implement this system, not just your steel rolling mill, but everywhere. You've worked in the fitter's workshop for so many years, and your skills are quite good. Getting a level three or four shouldn't be a problem. Keep up the good work, don't rush, take it one step at a time."

Upon hearing this, Liu Erhe's eyes lit up.

Liang Fangfang listened from the side and smiled as well.

Liu Yuheng paused, then, remembering his unit, added, "We'll be implementing a salary system next year too."

"A salary system?" Liu Shuanzhu put down his wine glass, frowned, and asked, "What do you mean?"

"It'll be like in a factory, with wages paid according to rank, and we won't have this supply system anymore," Liu Yuheng explained. "Right now, we eat and wear government-provided food, and everything is rationed by the military. From now on, it will be a salary system, with wages paid monthly."

Upon hearing this, everyone at the table became interested. While the rationing system was convenient, it left little spare cash, requiring careful budgeting even for small household purchases. A salary system, however, would be a completely different story.

Wang Xiuhe spoke first, her voice filled with curiosity and eagerness: "How much money can you get in a month? Is it enough?"

Liu Tingting joined in, her eyes sparkling, and even put down her chopsticks: "Brother, your rank is so high, your salary must be quite high, right? Do you make a hundred yuan a month?"

When asked by the mother and daughter, Liu Yuheng couldn't help but laugh and shook his head: "We don't know yet. We'll have to wait until the specific ranks are determined next year. It's all just talk now; it only counts once they're decided."

"Oh." Liu Tingting shrank back a little disappointed, but quickly became excited again. "Then you have to tell us when you get your level! Let us be happy too!"

Liu Yuheng smiled and replied, "Okay, I'll let you know when it's decided."

While eating, Liu Erhe thought about what had happened in the courtyard over the past two years. He put down his chopsticks and started talking.

"Brother, I need to tell you something."

"In the middle of 52, Uncle He, He Daqing, ran away."

Liu Yuheng paused slightly in the hand holding the wine cup.

"He ran off with a widow from Baoding." Liu Erhe shook his head and clicked his tongue. "It's good that he ran away, leaving He Yuzhu and He Yushui, a brother and sister, sixteen and six years old respectively, all alone. It was Uncle He who stepped in and got Shazhu a job as a cook at the steel mill. He was supposed to be an apprentice, but it was really just a favor to him because of the neighbors. Shazhu is learning to cook from the master chef at the factory, and I heard he's doing quite well. After all, he's Uncle He's son, he has a good foundation."

After listening, Liu Yuheng held his wine glass without moving, his mind racing. He had heard about He Daqing's escape before in that world, but back then it was just something he saw in TV dramas and thought it was just a plot device. Now that it was actually happening to him, the feeling was completely different.

A man in his forties abandoning two children and running off with a widow—in this day and age, such a thing would be the subject of gossip and slander. But He Daqing still ran away. Whether there were other reasons, or whether this had anything to do with Yi Zhonghai, he couldn't be bothered to think about. After all, Yi Zhonghai was only forty at this time, perhaps still clinging to the fantasy of being able to have children, and with Jia Dongxu as a backup, there was no need for him to do such a thing.

Seeing that Liu Yuheng didn't speak, Liu Erhe continued, his tone filled with emotion: "There's another thing. At the beginning of this year, Jia Dongxu got married."

"His wife's name is Qin Huairu. I heard she comes from the countryside. She's quite pretty, hardworking, and has a sweet tongue. She greets everyone warmly."

"That hothead Jia Dongxu, I don't know what luck he had, to marry such a capable wife. Yi Zhonghai even bought the Jia family a brand new sewing machine as a wedding gift, and the whole courtyard came to see the spectacle. You didn't see the scene, Jia Zhangshi was grinning from ear to ear that day, wandering all over the courtyard."

Liu Yuheng picked up a peanut, put it in his mouth, and chewed it slowly. His expression didn't change much, but his mind raced.

Well, it's bound to happen. The white lotus of the courtyard has arrived. He recalled the TV dramas he watched back then. Qin Huairu was a two-faced woman, seemingly gentle, virtuous, and hardworking, but actually very shrewd, having kept Sha Zhu firmly in her grasp for decades.

Liu Yuheng shook his head slightly, banishing these thoughts from his mind. These trivial matters were none of his concern for the time being. He didn't want to get involved, nor was it worth getting involved.

Wang Xiuhe seemed quite interested in these topics, and continued the conversation: "Huai Ru is indeed a good child, diligent and sensible. She's only been here a few months, and everyone in the courtyard praises her. It's just that her mother-in-law..."

She paused, then lowered her voice, "You all know that Jia Zhangshi is no pushover. Qin Huairu's life after marrying into this family won't be easy."

Liang Fangfang sighed softly beside her. As a fellow new bride, she felt a natural sympathy for Qin Huairu: "That's right. Last time I went to the backyard to fetch water, I saw Qin Huairu washing clothes by the well alone. It was freezing cold, and her hands were all red from the cold. Her mother-in-law was sitting inside eating melon seeds and didn't even come out to look at her."

After finishing her meal, Wang Xiuhe put down her chopsticks and began tidying up Liu Yuheng's room. She stood up, took off her apron and draped it over the back of a chair, and beckoned to Liu Shuanzhu and Liu Erhe: "His father, Erhe, come with me to clean up the south wing. That room has been empty for more than half a year and has accumulated a lot of dust. We need to sweep it and make the beds. Yuheng is back; we can't let him stay in a guesthouse. We have plenty of room at home."

Liu Yuheng put down his chopsticks and quickly waved his hand, pressing Wang Xiuhe back into her chair: "Mother, don't bother. The side room has been unoccupied for so long, it's cold and damp, and it'll be a lot of work to clean it. I'll just stay at the guesthouse for one night. The conditions there are good, there's hot water, and the beds are clean. Besides, there's Xiao Li with me, it's convenient for the two of us to stay at the guesthouse."

Wang Xiuhe wouldn't listen and tried to stand up again: "No guesthouse is as good as home. You rarely come back, what's wrong with staying at home for one night? You can squeeze in."

Liu Yuheng held her hand and patiently explained, "Mother, it's really not necessary. The higher-ups have allocated me a house. It's in the north of the city, a detached house with several rooms. I'll go buy some daily necessities tomorrow and I can move in. It'll be more convenient than a guesthouse. We'll just stay at the guesthouse tonight, and I'll pick you up tomorrow to see the new house."

When Wang Xiuhe heard the words "allocated a house," she was stunned for a moment and didn't react immediately.

Liu Tingting jumped up, grabbed Liu Yuheng's arm, and her voice was so shrill it could lift the roof off: "Brother! You got a house? Really? Is it big? Where is it? Can I go see it?"

Liu Yuheng was shaken so badly by her that he swayed from side to side. He laughed and pressed her hand down, saying, "Really, really, stop shaking me. If you keep shaking me, my bones will fall apart. It's in the north of the city, a two-story house with a yard. I'll come pick you up tomorrow. Anyone who's free can come and see it."

Liu Tingting blushed with excitement, clasped her hands together, and exclaimed with shining eyes, "A two-story house! Brother, you're amazing!"

Wang Xiuhe finally realized what was happening. She looked at Liu Shuanzhu, then at Liu Yuheng, her mouth slightly agape. After a long pause, she managed to squeeze out a sentence: "You've been allocated a house? Is it... is it just for you?"

"I live alone," Liu Yuheng said with a smile, "but I have plenty of rooms, so you can come and stay if you want in the future."

Wang Xiuhe turned to look at Liu Shuanzhu, her voice trembling slightly: "Dad, our eldest son has been allocated a house, a two-story building."

Liu Shuanzhu held his wine glass and thought for a moment before speaking: "I have to go to work tomorrow, so I can't go. You guys can come along and take a look."

He glanced at Wang Xiuhe and said, "Take more money with you and see what the boss needs. Buy everything he needs. Pots and pans, blankets and quilts, rice, flour, oil and salt—make sure he has everything. He's a grown man; he won't know how to take care of these things."

Wang Xiuhe nodded, already starting to plan what she wanted to buy.

Liu Erhe sighed, his smile fading slightly, revealing a hint of regret: "I have to work tomorrow, so I can't go. Brother, I'll go see your house another day."

Liu Yuheng patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "It's okay, the house isn't going anywhere. Come whenever you're free."

After sitting for a while, Liu Yuheng stood up and said to everyone, "Father, Mother, Xiao Li and I are going back to the guesthouse first. We'll come pick you up tomorrow morning. Anyone who's free, come along."

Wang Xiuhe stood up, took Liu Yuheng's hand, and gave him a few words of advice: "Be careful on the road, and come early tomorrow."

"Okay, Mother."

Liu Tingting ran over, tugged at Liu Yuheng's sleeve, and looked up at him, saying, "Brother, you have to come pick me up tomorrow! I can't wait to see your big house!"

"Okay, I'll be the first one to pick you up tomorrow."

Liu Yuheng led Xiao Li out of the east wing and the whole family saw him off to the middle of the courtyard.

Wang Xiuhe stood at the door, watching Liu Yuheng's figure gradually disappear into the alleyway. She stood there for a long time before turning around and going back into the house.