Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

She was still breathing heavily, and fearing he might actually take her now, she quickly grabbed his wrist, her voice soft but firm: "Zhu Zi, it really can't be today... It's just bad timing, next time, next time..."

"Next time?" He Yuzhu's eyes suddenly lit up. Of course, he knew it wasn't appropriate right now—there was still Xiao Baiying squatting outside. But Sister Bai's words clearly indicated that she had given in.

Bai Danyu felt her heart burning under his gaze, and her hand was firmly held by him, unable to pull away. She could only bury her face even lower and squeeze out a sound from her throat: "Mmm... next time."

"Then... I'll come see you next time, Sister Bai!"

He deliberately emphasized the word "look" in a light and heavy tone, and Bai Danyu instantly understood. She was so embarrassed that she raised her hand and slapped his arm—the force of which seemed more like a coquettish gesture than an angry one.

When He Yuzhu left Bai Danyu's house, he felt light and refreshed. Although his passion had been suppressed, he still managed to take advantage of the situation before leaving.

The sky was already tinged with gray-blue as he hopped on his bicycle, the wheels crunching in the evening breeze as he hurried home.

Just as they entered the courtyard gate, before even stepping over the screen wall, a cacophony of wailing erupted in the central courtyard—Jia Dongxu's wound had reopened, and blood was seeping out; Qin Huairu was screaming for help in the courtyard.

He Yuzhu pushed the cart into the Intermediate People's Court and stumbled upon this scene: Qin Huairu's face was covered in tears, and her second uncle and several neighbors were gathered around Jia Dongxu's bedside, discussing how to get him to the hospital.

Upon seeing him, Liu Haizhong immediately called out, "Yuzhu! Dongxu is bleeding! He needs to be taken to the hospital immediately! You're the only one with a bicycle in the hospital, so quickly lend a hand and take him there; it's a matter of life and death!"

He Yuzhu frowned, then retorted with a cold smile, "You want me to carry him on my bike? What if I fall halfway down the road? Do you expect someone to run all the way to help me? I can't take that risk—or how about I lend you the bike and you ride it?"

"This...this is a matter of life and death..." Liu Haizhong choked, his neck turning red. Before he could finish speaking, He Yuzhu pushed the car forward and shoved it into his hands: "Precisely because it's a matter of life and death, I dare not be careless. Everyone knows Dongxu's injuries. He could fall off the car with the slightest bump...I dare not gamble, and I don't want to take the blame. Since Second Uncle has spoken, it's safer for you to make the trip yourself."

How could Liu Haizhong dare to take on this hot potato? He had only casually passed the mess over to him when he returned; who would have thought that He Yuzhu would throw it back at him?

He knew in his heart that if someone chased after him to help him, no matter how fast their legs were, they couldn't keep up with the wheels; if he was tied with a cloth strap and dragged backwards, who would carry Jia Dongxu when they got to the hospital?

He Yuzhu has the strength, but he refuses to use it foolishly.

Seeing Qin Huairu's eyes red from crying, an older woman couldn't help but ask, "Zhu Zi, tell me, what are we going to do?"

"Doesn't Old Li next door have a coal cart? Can we borrow it? Uncle Er's family has three strong men; lifting someone is a piece of cake for them!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he pushed the cart straight home.

Liu Haizhong immediately became agitated: "He Yuzhu! Why should we, father and son, go? Why did you...?"

"If you find it tiring, I'm always ready to take over this manager's position for you."

One sentence was enough to make Liu Haizhong's face turn a deep shade of liver—removing him from his post was more painful than having his flesh ripped out.

He immediately shut up, turned around, and slapped Liu Guangtian on the back of the head: "Hurry up and borrow a cart!"

He then turned to Yan Bugui and urged, "Old Yan, your two sons should lend a hand too!"

Just as Yan Bugui was about to start calculating, Liu Haizhong added in a deep voice, "Old Yan, these are our neighbors!"

Yan Bugui stiffened, then immediately broke into a smile: "Oh, that's right! Jiecheng, Jiefang, go help! Four young men, all set!"

As soon as the cart arrived, everyone hurriedly lifted Jia Dongxu onto it. Liu Haizhong pulled the rope at the front, while the young men from the Liu and Yan families steadied him. Qin Huairu handed the child to an older woman and quickly followed.

Lou Xiao'e had glanced at the doorway and, seeing the commotion, realized a woman like her couldn't get involved, so she turned and closed the door. When He Yuzhu returned, she was already leaning against the doorframe, smiling broadly as she greeted him.

"Yuzhu, you're back? How did your visit go today?"

"It's alright. My old boss mentioned the steel plant and wanted me to be transferred there as deputy director—but it's too far from home, so I didn't agree."

He Yuzhu casually mentioned it, and Lou Xiao'e's mind flashed with the image of that person. She blurted out, "Is it Deputy Factory Director Li?"

"Hmm, you know him?"

Lou Xiao'e casually shook out the clothes, hung them on a hanger, and said in a light tone, "You often cook at his father-in-law's house, how could I forget? By the way, what happened to Jia Dongxu just now?"

After a moment's thought, He Yuzhu realized that it was just a case of making a big fuss over a minor injury, a bluff.

"It's probably because the wound reopened, and the bleeding is quite heavy; as long as there's no redness, swelling, or fever, a trip to the hospital for a few stitches will be enough."

Lou Xiao'e nodded: "Oh, that's alright."

She knew He Yuzhu's skills well; he had often treated her parents' health in their younger years, and the medicine always cured them. But this time it was Jia Dongxu, and He Yuzhu didn't even lift an eyelid, not wanting to get involved at all.

After dinner, the two cuddled for a while before falling into a deep sleep.

Lately, he's been working too hard, and even though he's been soaking his feet in medicinal wine every day to nourish himself, he can't keep up with the overexertion. So He Yuzhu has decided to press the pause button—no matter how strong an ox is, even the ridges of a plow need to catch their breath.

No sooner had Lou Xiao'e closed her eyes than a commotion arose in the front yard, and Jia Dongxu was helped back.

He Yuzhu turned over, put his arm around Lou Xiao'e's waist, closed his eyes and continued to sleep.

He only heard about what happened the day before when he was washing up the next day.

As expected, Jia Dongxu rolled off the bed in the middle of the night, reopening his old wound. He was taken to the hospital for re-stitching and then sent back home.

They could have been hospitalized, but the 90-cent bed fee per day was enough to buy nearly two pounds of pork. The Jia family gritted their teeth and couldn't bear to part with it, so they had to ask the Yan and Liu families for help to bring them back.

In the morning, Qin Huairu brought six steamed buns made from two kinds of flour to express her gratitude. There were three buns in the family, which were divided appropriately.

The steamed buns were accepted, and her red-rimmed eyes and choked voice as she repeatedly expressed her gratitude melted away the impatience in both families.

She now pays close attention to everything in the courtyard, and her words and actions exude gentleness, kindness, humility, and frugality, hoping that her neighbors will lend a helping hand—and she actually succeeded. The Yan and Liu families had been busy for most of the day, and were full of complaints, but after eating three steamed buns and uttering a few tearful words of gratitude, their anger subsided.

In the days leading up to the start of the project, He Yuzhu spent most of his time at home with Lou Xiao'e, except for visiting Chen Xueru whenever he had a spare moment.

In her spare time, she carved a few pieces of wood, including a family of six: three members of the He family and three members of the Lou family. Lou Xiao'e loved it dearly and finally placed it solemnly next to the bust of the leader as a keepsake.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the afternoon of the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, He Yuzhu was fast asleep, holding Lou Xiao'e in his arms, when suddenly a heart-wrenching wail erupted in the courtyard—

"My son—what happened to you? Has that little vixen bewitched you? Old Jia, open your eyes and look at your son..."

That raspy voice ripped through the warm winter dream, piercing straight to the eardrums. Taking a nap on a cold day should be a blessing, but this howling made me feel unwell.

Lou Xiao'e frowned and muttered, "Yuzhu, who's howling outside?"

"It's Jia Zhangshi, isn't it? A shrewish old woman. She used to steal and perform shamanistic rituals, so I asked the neighborhood committee to take her back to the countryside. This time, it seems Qin Huairu submitted an application, which is why she was sent a telegram to be brought back. But as soon as she arrived, she started her shamanistic antics again..."

He Yuzhu succinctly described this person: quicker to take advantage than anyone else, harsher to curse than anyone else after succeeding, and with a skin thicker than a city wall brick.

"Ignore her. If she dares to cause trouble for you, I'll deal with her."

Last time, before leaving, Jia Zhangshi tried to snatch meat from He Yushui. During the scuffle, she almost pushed him into a ditch. He Yuzhu grabbed her and slapped her several times, then kicked her twice before she slunk back to her hometown.

If she dares to retaliate again, it can only be said that she has a short memory and is as stubborn as a donkey.

In the middle of the garden, an older woman rushed out upon hearing the commotion. Seeing Jia Zhangshi slapping her thigh and wailing in the yard, she quickly advised, "Sister-in-law, stop talking! Have you forgotten how you got back to the countryside?"

These words were like a stone thrown into boiling water, and the rest of Jia Zhangshi's lament was stuck in her throat.

She was dragged back home not primarily for stealing a piece of meat—that was a shamanistic ritual, drawing talismans to exorcise evil spirits, a far more heinous act. If it were just for stealing meat, at most she would have had to write a self-criticism; why would she be expelled from the city?

"Hmph, I'm not afraid! Those who report me are all heartless and rotten..."

He spoke tough, but his voice was so low it was barely audible, even to the elderly woman standing next to him.

Although the older woman knew it wasn't a kind word, she still kindly advised, "Come inside, let's talk inside."

This time, Madam Jia listened and glared at Qin Huairu, dusted off her trousers, and went inside.

She had intended to establish her authority by crying and making a scene, but an older woman's words silenced her on the spot. Instead of gaining any real power, she was persuaded to go back inside.

As soon as she entered, Qin Huairu immediately stepped forward, holding the box of steamed buns in both hands, and thanked her humbly, "Thank you so much, Auntie."

"Don't mention it, go back and give them a good talking to. At this critical juncture, the whole family needs to stick together."

The old woman's words were not unfounded—Qin Huairu had recently become virtuous, prudent, and considerate, and the old woman had long regarded her as family. Seeing Jia Zhangshi bullying her in public, she couldn't help but step in.

But it was ultimately someone else's business, and she could only touch on it briefly, not daring to interfere further.

After Qin Huairu returned to her room, the older woman suddenly remembered that she hadn't written to Lao Yi in a long time. She needed to tell him about it as soon as possible.

Inside the Jia family's house.

As Jia Zhangshi stepped across the threshold, she immediately saw Jia Dongxu lying on the bed: his right calf was gone, his left foot had also been amputated, and his legs were wrapped tightly in bandages. Her heart clenched as if it were being squeezed, and she felt an unbearable ache.

The Jia family relied on this son to uphold their reputation and make a name for themselves, but now they've ended up like this...

"mom--!"

Upon seeing his mother, Jia Dongxu burst into tears. No matter how stingy, mean, or greedy Jia Zhangshi was, at this moment, she was the only pillar of the family.

As soon as Qin Huairu stepped into the house, Jia Zhangshi raised her eyes and shouted, "Hungry! Qin Huairu, after a long day's travel, get something cooking!"

"On the stove? Mom, the leftover cornbread from lunch is still in the jar. I'll heat it up for you right away, and then..."