Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly stopped, staring at his ashen face, and blurted out, "Was it... He Yuzhu who did it?"

Xu Damao kept his eyes down and remained silent. He carried the projector over mountains and valleys, visiting more than a dozen remote cooperatives—the mountain roads were slippery, the gullies deep, and he dared not travel at night in the pitch black, fearing he might run into wandering vagrants or hungry wolves lurking in the wilderness. During the day, he traveled, his feet blistered and bleeding, and he licked his chapped lips when his water bottle was empty. Two months was the shortest time he could manage, achieved only through gritted teeth.

Yu Li felt a lump in her throat, and a surge of anger welled up inside her. She plopped down on the edge of the bed, slapping her thigh repeatedly. "I told you not to mess with him! Don't touch him! But you wouldn't listen! Now look what's happened, two months isn't over yet, who knows if he'll still be watching you or trying to take advantage of you?"

"No, I'll go find Lou Xiao'e right now! If all else fails... I'll even kneel down and beg him!"

"Stop!" Xu Damao sat up abruptly, his eyes red-rimmed. "It's just showing movies in the countryside, right? If you do it well, you can even get an award! Just hang in there—if you dare go to Sha Zhu, I'll divorce you!"

His voice was taut. He and He Yuzhu had been at odds since they were kids. If he were to make his wife come to his door and kowtow to him just to avoid two days of hard work, he would never be able to hold his head up high again!

Besides, begging wouldn't have helped. He walked around the factory three times today, even barging into Jiang Shouqin's office, and almost got yelled at by the deputy factory director.

It was only two months; he endured much harder times.

He sternly stopped Yu Li, grabbed his car keys, slammed the door, and left—he was going to his parents' house tonight, and he needed to tell them the truth about this in person.

This caused quite a stir among officials, but the frontline workers didn't hear a thing.

To the other leaders, all they saw was that Jiang Shouqin, the deputy factory director, had been publicly humiliated by He Yuzhu and the purchasing department; the logistics department was now firmly in He Yuzhu's hands, even more so than Li Huaide had been back then, and was as secure as watertight.

The subordinates conspired to force the deputy factory director to resign? If this were exposed, the consequences could range from being demoted to a workshop and forced to wield a sledgehammer to being permanently banned from the workforce. Yet, the purchasing department actually did just that—Section Chief Zhou even threatened a job transfer to his own throat, showing remarkable defiance. Although the canteen manager didn't say anything, everyone knew perfectly well that the moment He Yuzhu showed any signs of weakness, that person would be the first to step forward and take the fall for him.

Section Chief Zhou's reluctance to let Jiang Shouqin interfere in the purchasing department was also based on genuine self-interest. Unplanned purchases were lucrative—in the era of meat ration coupons, an extra two cents per pound of pork could add up to tens of yuan a month; even a chicken falsely reported as costing seven or eight mao was still in high demand. This alone could bring in nearly two hundred yuan a month, a steady and substantial income.

He Yuzhu could have gotten a share of the benefits. When he first took office, Section Chief Zhou had given him a hint, but he flatly refused, only saying: as long as it doesn't go too far, he'll turn a blind eye.

Later, when the purchasing agent went to a distant village, the portion allocated to him was simply split into several parts and given to the errand runners as a reward for their hard work.

In his past life, he often carried dried fish and mountain products into the city to sell to canteens. It had long been a routine at the steel rolling mill—it was unavoidable, and there was no need to restrict it.

Going to the countryside is a life-threatening job, and a tough one. Two years ago, a purchasing agent was robbed and murdered by vagrants in a village. When his body was found in a ravine, the film reel was still wrapped in his clothes. The murderer was shot, but morale was low. The purchasing department didn't dare leave the city for more than a month, spending their days circling the city's vegetable market.

Section Chief Zhou sided with He Yuzhu precisely because of this—if Jiang Shouqin were in charge, he would definitely investigate thoroughly. He had long seen that the man was upright and honest, and not one of them at all.

After He Yuzhu sent Xu Damao to the countryside, he didn't push him down again. Once he succeeded, he tried again and again. The purchasing department had about ten people working in shifts, trying to wear him down. By the time he caught his breath and returned half a month later, the propaganda department's application forms were already prepared, not giving him a break at all.

After giving his instructions, Xu Damao hopped on his bicycle and sped out of the courtyard.

After hearing his words, "Don't go asking for favors," Yu Li didn't rush to the He family's house on the spot. She planned to wait a few days after he left before visiting—otherwise, Xu Damao would definitely turn on her.

The moment Xu Damao stepped out of the courtyard, chaos erupted in the Jia family.

Banggeng and Xiaodang had already been taken by Qin Huairu to the steel mill canteen for lunch. The two children were as well-behaved as little quails, not even turning their heads back. At this moment, only Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu remained in the Jia family house. The stove was cold, the pot lid was covered in dust, and there was no aroma of food—Jia Zhangshi was too lazy to even light a fire.

Their stomachs were rumbling, their intestines were knotted, and both of them were so hungry that their stomachs were practically sticking to their backs.

Madam Jia kept talking, repeatedly cursing Qin Huairu for being "vicious" and "pretentious," but no matter how loudly she cursed, no one in the room responded; all that could be heard was her own spittle splattering on the wall.

"Dongxu! Where did Banggeng and Xiaodang go? They were just wandering around the yard a moment ago, and they've disappeared in the blink of an eye?"

Madam Jia Zhang walked around the yard, panting, and returned to ask. Jia Dongxu didn't even bother to open his eyes, muttering in a low voice, "Maybe he went to play by the wall. Mom, if you're hungry, why don't you make me a bowl of noodles?"

"Give in to that little whore? No way!" She slapped her thigh. "I'd rather beg than serve her and establish my authority! When she gets back, she'll make her cook and do the cooking, not a single penny less!"

Before she finished speaking, she had already thrown off the covers, jumped off the kang (a heated brick bed), and swayed her hips as she strode towards the door.

Stepping out of the house, she mentally scanned her neighbors: the He family? She dared not think of them. Last time, when they stole a piece of cured meat, He Yuzhu chased her down three alleys with a rolling pin, resulting in her being confined to a farm for thirty days and ultimately being forced back to her hometown. A moment of craving might be satisfying, but a life-threatening situation is truly deadly.

She decided to try the older woman's house—the food might not be as fragrant as He's, but at least the woman was gentler. She gripped her sleeves tightly, rushed to the door, and pounded on it like a drum.

An impatient shout immediately came from inside the house: "Who is it?!"

The door opened a crack, and the middle-aged woman, recognizing her, immediately stretched her face considerably, managing only a weak upward smirk: "Oh, it's you, sister-in-law? What's up?"

"Hey, old lady—" Jia Zhangshi leaned forward, craning her neck, "Qin Huairu has vanished without a trace, leaving Dongxu and me at home to suffer. Our bellies are practically empty! If you have anything warm left, please share a spoonful with us..."

Before she could finish speaking, she was already tiptoeing inside. The aroma of scallion pancakes mixed with stewed cabbage wafted into her nostrils, making her mouth water.

The middle-aged woman, quick as a flash, pushed the door shut, narrowing it to a slit: "Sister-in-law, what bad luck! We just finished shoveling the last grain of rice out of the pot, and it's completely dry. Why don't you... go look around somewhere else?"

She held her arms tightly, afraid that if the door were even a finger's width wider, her son Zhiliang, who was sitting at the table eating a steamed bun, would surely choke if he saw this.

"Oh dear, we still have to clean up the dishes after we finish eating, so we won't keep you any longer!"

As soon as the words were spoken, with a "bang," the door slammed shut, the latch locking tightly, leaving no gap whatsoever.

Jia Zhangshi stood frozen in place, her teeth grinding together: "Giving you a meal is a blessing from your ancestors! Bah!"

Unable to get a free meal, she went to Liu Haizhong's house and Yan Bugui's house, but they wouldn't even open the door fully. Before she could say a few words, two hands reached out from the crack in the door and pushed her out.

If you were to ask who was the most disliked person in the courtyard, He Yuzhu wouldn't bother with anyone, but that was because he couldn't be bothered; Jia Zhangshi, on the other hand, would deliberately pick on people's sore spots and then complain about the dust on her shoes. In terms of popularity, she was undoubtedly number one, and no one dared to challenge her for second place.

After going around the store, they returned empty-handed and hungry. As soon as Jia Zhangshi entered, she began to curse: "A bunch of heartless bastards! They're so stingy, they'll get their comeuppance sooner or later!"

His voice was so loud it could lift roof tiles, and the sparrows on the clothesline in the middle courtyard all fluttered away.

An old woman was squatting by the sink washing dishes when she heard this. Her hand trembled, and the bowl almost slipped into the sewer. Her face turned pale instantly—this old hag has a worse memory than a fish! In the past, when the Jia family was struggling to make ends meet, wasn't it always she who brought them steamed cornbread?

The He family had just finished their banquet. Lou Xiao'e came out to wash the stack of dishes, taking over the task that He Yuzhu should have done.

"Even when you're pregnant, you still have to move around," she laughed as she wiped herself. "The neighborhood office is so busy, you're practically a porcelain doll when you get home? He cooks all the meals, so I still have to wash the dishes a couple of times."

"Auntie, just finished eating?" She looked up and greeted her, then frowned and shook her head. "Auntie Jia's mouth is always rife with trouble..."

An older woman sighed, "Let her be, it's her old problem."

But in her heart, she thought to herself: Popularity isn't something you can buy with sweet words. The He family may seem indifferent, but the moment Lou Xiao'e shows up, everyone greets her with a smile. He Yuzhu is now a celebrity in the factory; even the neighborhood committee director offers him a cigarette—whether people are willing to talk to you speaks volumes more than whether you are willing to talk to them.

Before she could finish speaking, Lou Xiao'e spotted Yi Zhiliang leaning against the doorframe, and casually took out two milk candies from her pocket, stuffing them into the child's hand: "Here, Zhiliang, they're sweet, suck on them to satisfy your cravings."

Zhiliang's eyes lit up like lamps, but he turned to look at his mother first. The older woman waved her hand: "Xiao'e, that's too precious; rainwater is needed more..."

"The rainwater is piling up like a mountain over there!" Lou Xiao'e interrupted with a laugh. "I'm pregnant, and Yuzhu is very strict; he won't let me touch any sweets. Just looking at them without being allowed to eat them is more agonizing than a cat tossing its paws. Zhiliang is so well-behaved, shouldn't he be rewarded with a couple?"

The candy wrappers were rustled open, and Zhiliang eagerly popped one into his mouth. He then stood on tiptoe to unwrap another for the older woman. After declining twice, seeing that the child's arm was getting sore from holding the candy, the older woman finally smiled and took it. The sweetness melted on her tongue, and her brows relaxed.

"Zhiliang is so sensible. This old lady has a lot of good days ahead of her."

"Oh, right, Xiao'e—you're pregnant? I'll wash these dishes!" The old woman suddenly remembered and hurriedly rolled up her sleeves.

"Yes, it's been over a month. No need to trouble you, ma'am."

Lou Xiao'e smiled and said, "Yuzhu insisted on washing the dishes, but I'm not heavily pregnant yet, and I'm still a long way from giving birth. Pregnancy isn't something I should be worrying about right now."