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

Seeing this, Liu Yuheng quickly changed the subject, deliberately making his voice a little more relaxed: "Mother, I have something to tell you. I just got back yesterday, and the old brigade commander dragged me to a blind date."

The effect of those words was immediate. The slight disappointment on Wang Xiuhe's face vanished, and she perked up completely, leaning forward and raising her voice several decibels: "A blind date? How did it go? What does the girl do? Is it going to work out?"

Liu Yuheng was a little overwhelmed by her barrage of questions, and waved his hand with a smile: "She seems alright. The young lady's name is Yao Qingwan, she's twenty-five years old, her parents are both university professors, and she works at the Women's Federation."

Wang Xiuhe's eyes lit up instantly, her voice filled with surprise and delight: "A university professor? The Women's Federation? Really? With such great qualities, how could she possibly be interested in you?"

Liu Yuheng was drinking his second bowl of porridge when he was choked by those words and almost spat it out. He put down the bowl, wiped his mouth, and said, "Mother, what are you saying! What have I done? I'm a decorated army commander, a high-ranking officer, how am I not good enough for her?"

Wang Xiuhe looked at him and gave a couple of perfunctory "ohs."

Liu Yuheng's lips twitched. Knowing that it would be pointless to continue, he decided not to argue with her and steered the conversation back to the main topic: "Mother, I'm being serious. I have to leave the day after tomorrow, so I plan to go to the Yao family tomorrow to propose marriage and finalize the engagement. We'll get married when I return from my business trip."

Wang Xiuhe's chopsticks froze in mid-air, and she paused for two seconds before reacting: "Proposing marriage? So soon?"

Liu Yuheng nodded: "Time is tight, so we can only finalize things first."

Wang Xiuhe and Liu Shuanzhu exchanged a glance, their eyes both shining.

Wang Xiuhe put down her chopsticks, wiped her hands on her apron, and turned to Liu Shuanzhu, saying, "Dad, go ask for leave later and come with me to buy some things. When we go to propose marriage, we can't skimp on the gifts; we can't let them think our family doesn't know proper etiquette."

Liu Yuheng quickly waved his hand: "Mother, there's no need to go to so much trouble. The old brigade commander has prepared some things for me, and I also have some rations of my own, like cigarettes and alcohol. You can come with me tomorrow and just buy some snacks and such."

"No way!" Wang Xiuhe's tone left no room for negotiation. "You're preparing your own, but we, as parents, also need to prepare a copy. That's the rule, we can't cut corners." As she spoke, she turned to Liu Shuanzhu, "Did you hear that? Go ask for leave right now, don't delay things."

Liu Shuanzhu grunted in agreement and put down his bowl of porridge. "I understand. I'll go tell the manager."

Seeing that Wang Xiuhe already had a shopping list in her mind, Liu Yuheng knew he couldn't stop her, so he said, "How about this, let Dad take tomorrow off, and we'll go together first thing tomorrow morning. You guys go to work or school today, and I'll take Mom to buy the things."

Wang Xiuhe thought about it and felt the arrangement was reasonable, so she nodded. Liu Shuanzhu stood up, put on his coat, picked up his lunchbox, and went out. Liang Fangfang also stood up, put Liu Yixuan on the kang (a heated brick bed), cleaned up the dishes, wiped her hands, and prepared to go out as well.

Wang Xiuhe glanced at the clock on the wall and quickly urged Liu Tingting, "Tingting, aren't you leaving yet? You're going to be late for school!"

Liu Tingting said "Oh," glanced at Liu Yuheng reluctantly, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and walked out. At the door, she turned back and said, "Brother, will you still be there tonight? I'll come find you after school!"

Liu Yuheng waved to her: "I'm here. I'll be waiting for you to come home from school tonight."

After Liu Tingting left, the room became much quieter.

Liang Fangfang was tidying her coat in preparation for going to the street factory when Liu Yuheng called out to her, "Sister-in-law, wait a moment."

Liang Fangfang turned around and looked at him.

"Your job at the neighborhood committee office isn't a formal position, is it?"

Liang Fangfang paused for a moment, then nodded: "No. If the neighborhood office has any work, everyone goes to work for a few days. If there's no work, we just stay home and rest. We don't earn much money."

Liu Yuheng hummed in agreement, his tone resolute: "Then you shouldn't do this for now. When I come back this time, I'll arrange a formal job for you."

Liang Fangfang nodded vigorously, unable to suppress the smile on her lips: "Okay, thank you, brother. But I have an appointment with the neighbors in the other courtyards today, so I have to go over there. I'll be back early tonight." After saying that, she turned and left, her steps much lighter than usual.

Wang Xiuhe glanced at Liu Yixuan, who was already playing with his rocking horse on the floor, then at Liu Yuheng, and said softly, "After you get married, you have to treat your daughter well. You can't just focus on work and neglect your family."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yuheng paused for a moment, then nodded solemnly: "Mother, I understand."

Wang Xiuhe didn't say anything more. She turned around and started clearing the dishes, quickly wiping the table clean and tidying up the stove. Then she took off her apron and hung it behind the door, patting the dust off her clothes: "Let's go, let's go buy something. It's getting late, if we go too late, all the good snacks will be sold out."

Liu Yuheng stood up, bent down, and picked up Liu Yixuan, who was playing with his rocking horse on the ground. The little guy wasn't shy at all; after being picked up by his older brother, he wrapped his chubby arms around Liu Yuheng's neck, while still tightly clutching the rocking horse in his other hand, and called out in a childish voice, "Uncle!"

Liu Yuheng's heart softened. He bounced the chubby little guy in his arms and replied with a smile, "Okay, let's go buy some delicious food with your uncle."

Upon hearing the words "delicious food," Xiao Yixuan immediately perked up, wriggling in Liu Yuheng's arms and pointing his little finger towards the door: "Buy delicious food!"

Wang Xiuhe locked the door of the east wing, and the three of them walked through the front yard and out of the courtyard gate.

Liu Yuheng carried Liu Yixuan in his arms and walked ahead, with Wang Xiuhe following behind, reminding him as they walked, "Slow down, don't let him fall."

The three of them turned the corner of the alley and walked to the jeep parked by the roadside. Liu Yuheng opened the back door and let Wang Xiuhe get in first. After Wang Xiuhe was seated, he handed the little one in his arms to her.

After being taken by his grandmother, Liu Yixuan immediately became restless, touching this and that with his little hands, patting the leather cover on the seat one moment, and reaching out to peek at the back of the seat the next, full of curiosity about everything.

Wang Xiuhe quickly pressed him down and whispered, "Sit still and don't move around."

Liu Yuheng closed the back door, walked around to the driver's side, opened the door, and got in. He started the car, and the engine hummed softly. Liu Yixuan's eyes lit up at the sound, and he pointed his little finger at the dashboard, shouting, "Uncle! It's ringing! It's ringing!"

Liu Yuheng glanced at him in the rearview mirror, smiled, and replied, "Yeah, it's ringing. Let's go."

The car slowly drove out of the alley and onto the main road. Liu Yixuan leaned against the car window, curiously looking at everything outside, asking questions incessantly. Wang Xiuhe answered his questions while supporting his shoulder, afraid he would bump into something.

After driving for a while, Wang Xiuhe suddenly remembered something and looked up to ask, "By the way, what about Xiao Li, who was with you last year? Why are you driving yourself this time? Did he get transferred?"

Liu Yuheng glanced at Wang Xiuhe in the rearview mirror and smiled: "Xiao Li has been assigned to a unit. My job has changed, I'm no longer in the 45th Army, so how could I have a bodyguard following me? Besides, I was just transferred back here, and I'll be going on a business trip in a couple of days, so I didn't ask for a driver and just drove myself."

Wang Xiuhe said "Oh" and nodded, without asking any further questions.