Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"Black? I'd like to throw a bucket of cold water on him to wake him up! Yi Zhonghai and Jia Zhangshi, two troublemakers in this courtyard. With them around, this courtyard will never have peace."

He Yuzhu lowered his voice: "Back then, he fabricated the story that I embezzled money, trying to ruin me. That's why I took the opportunity to 'send' him to the Northwest for aid work. According to the rules, he can only return to Beijing after ten years, and it's only been four years... Do you think his leg was really crippled from a fall, or did he smash it himself with a hammer?"

"Who's stupid enough to trade their legs for a better life? Yuzhu, you've got it wrong. Come on, look at our son, he just woke up, his eyes are as bright as stars."

Lou Xiao'e pushed the cart closer, but He Yuzhu didn't respond. Instead, he squinted at the side room and suddenly asked, "Xiao'e, why did that old lady and Yi Zhiliang move to the side room?"

"I heard that the area was cleared for Yi Zhonghai to recuperate, so that it would be quieter."

"Peace and quiet? I think it's more like a cold war." He Yuzhu paused for a moment, then said, "How about this, you invite them over for dinner tonight."

"Auntie, you've been making this bed for ages, I bet the stove isn't even warm yet, right? Come over to my house for dinner tonight," Lou Xiao'e said with a smile, standing at the doorway of the side room. The auntie, who was bending over to stretch out the mattress, straightened up when she heard this, paused for a moment, and blinked as if she had misheard.

"Xiao'e, what did you just say?"

"I told you that you haven't lit the stove, so there might not be time to cook. Why don't you come to my house for a while? Yuzhu is cooking right now, and I happen to have something I'd like to ask you for a favor."

This time, the older woman listened seriously, but she had her doubts: she and Lou Xiao'e were only nodding acquaintances, barely exchanging more than three words; He Yuzhu was even worse, avoiding her when she frowned and taking a detour when she saw Yi Zhonghai. In the entire courtyard, only Yi Zhiliang, with his sweet talk, could occasionally get a piece of fruit candy from Lou Xiao'e.

What's the wind blowing today?

Lou Xiao'e was still standing at the door waiting for a reply, so the older woman had no choice but to agree: "Xiao'e, please wait a moment, I'll go and call Zhonghai..."

"No need to call him." Lou Xiao'e waved her hand gently. "Yuzhu said that you and Zhiliang are invited to go over."

She paused, then added, "The Jia family just bought food and wine, probably to invite Yi Zhonghai over for dinner—if you go, you might not even be able to find enough bowls and chopsticks."

The woman's face froze instantly.

What hurt her wasn't Lou Xiao'e's words, but the Jia family. For the past two years, the Jia family had been short of rice and flour, and she had carried coal briquettes to their homes time and time again, all while Yi Zhonghai was far away in the Northwest. She was the one who truly lent a helping hand. But as soon as she returned, the Jia family rushed over like dogs, not even offering a word of greeting. Her heart felt like it was stuffed with damp cotton, suffocating her.

Before he could finish speaking, the side room door was pushed open with a bang—Yi Zhonghai strode in, leaning on his cane, and his face immediately darkened when he saw Lou Xiao'e.

Lou Xiao'e didn't even lift her eyelids, only nodded to the older woman, and said, "Then I'll head back now."

After saying that, he brushed past Yi Zhonghai without stopping and walked straight towards his house.

As soon as the figure disappeared, Yi Zhonghai asked with a stern face, "Was that He Yuzhu's wife? What did she want with you?"

"It's nothing," the middle-aged woman swallowed her words, then asked, "What is it?"

"The Jia family invited me to dinner; they want to have a good talk with Dongxu today. You don't need to save any food for me."

"Then... shall I go with you?"

"Go where? Can two people even sit at the Jia family's table?"

Yi Zhonghai uttered a sentence, his gaze sweeping over Yi Zhiliang in the corner, his eyes dark and gloomy. In the end, he didn't utter the curse, but turned and left, leaning on his cane.

As soon as the door closed, the middle-aged woman's knuckles turned white as she gripped the rag, her chest heaving. She knew the Jia family was in trouble; but no matter how difficult things were, they should remember who had brought them charcoal in the snow, who had carried their child to the doctor in the rain. Today, the stove was cold, and she couldn't even be bothered to ask if they were hungry. This kindness was like feeding a dog.

No sooner had Yi Zhonghai turned into the Jia family's courtyard than an old woman led Yi Zhiliang toward the He family's house. He Yuzhu's stove was blazing, the oil sizzling in the pan. She had started the fire herself, and it would have taken her half an incense stick to heat the stove to a blazing red, so she simply went over there.

"Master..."

When Jia Dongxu saw Yi Zhonghai limping into the room, his nose stung and he burst into tears.

Yi Zhonghai choked up, and his eyes reddened. The master and apprentice were truly a pair of star-crossed lovers: one had both legs crushed in a runaway train, and the other had one leg broken in an attempt to return to Beijing ahead of schedule. Now that they were together, their limping was perfectly aligned, like a pair of custom-made crippled partners.

After crying for a while, Qin Huairu picked up her bowl and chopsticks and urged, "Dongxu, sir, please sit down."

The two then stopped crying, wiped their faces, and sat down at the table by the window.

Qin Huairu had already set out several good dishes, with diced meat piled high in the bowls of scallion and small bowl, while Jia Zhangshi only had a small dish of pickled vegetables in front of her. She fiddled with her chopsticks, her eyes constantly glancing at the table, wanting to pick up food but not daring to reach out, and in the end she could only move her stool forward, her elbow almost touching the edge of the plate.

Having just been scolded by Jia Dongxu, if Jia Zhangshi were to insist on going over for a few bites of food, she was sure to enrage him and cause him to turn hostile on the spot. She had no choice but to shrink back to another table, remaining silent while inwardly cursing him incessantly.

Jia Dongxu poured Yi Zhonghai a full glass of wine and took the opportunity to ask him about his life over the past few years.

Yi Zhonghai chatted casually for a few minutes, but he was faking his limp, and he didn't even let his confidants know a word about it; he was determined to keep this to himself and never reveal it, not even in his grave.

"Master, I injured my leg in an 'accident,' but luckily the factory loosened its grip and let Huairu fill in for me—for now, the Jia family can still hold on... By the way, Master, what are your plans after you come back?"

After drinking several cups, Jia Dongxu's cheeks flushed, and he became more talkative.

"Huai Ru got a job at the factory? Good! At least we have a place to stay. Once Bang Geng grows up, the family will finally have some hope."

Yi Zhonghai sighed deeply, then continued, "As for me, it's not a done deal yet. I'll most likely be going back to the steel rolling mill... Although my leg is lame, my skills haven't declined. During those years in the Northwest, I honed my skills with top technicians every day, and my craft actually became even more refined..."

"However, I still need to go to the factory tomorrow to sound them out—I wonder if they'd be willing to take on a lame old master craftsman."

That's no exaggeration. Everyone in the Northwest aid team was an expert. They practiced and honed their skills every day, and Yi Zhonghai's craft improved even further.

Lately, he feels comfortable handling wrenches, and he estimates that with a little more practice, he'll be able to reach for an eighth-level fitter's certificate!

Upon hearing this, Jia Dongxu's eyes lit up immediately: "With Master's skills, even the steel mill wouldn't dare to snatch him up! Besides, you're a national model worker, how could the factory leaders dare to say 'no'!"

"If you really go back to the factory, Huairu will have someone to look after her. Why don't you let her become your apprentice? She can serve you tea and water and run errands every day; that would be a way of showing filial piety..."

Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai was slightly shaken, and his gaze involuntarily drifted to Qin Huairu, who was busy with various tasks—her waist was slender and her figure was plump. For a moment, he was somewhat distracted.

"This matter is not urgent. Let me go back to the factory first and find out the details. If I can go back to my old job as a fitter and take care of Huairu, that would be the least I can do."

He raised his wine glass and gently clinked it against Jia Dongxu's, his tone steady: "You call me master, so it's only natural for you to protect your disciple."

"Then thank you, Master! I'll have Huairu formally kowtow and become your apprentice later—right now, following Wang Aiying, she's just doing odd jobs and hasn't learned any skills at all..."

Jia Dongxu chuckled in response. But Qin Huairu, standing to the side, was secretly troubled: on one hand, she hoped that Yi Zhonghai would give her a promotion after returning to the factory, and on the other hand, she was reluctant to part with Wang Aiying—although she had a lot of work to do, all the methods she used to deal with the Jia family were learned from Wang Aiying.

But after weighing the pros and cons, she knew in her heart that Yi Zhonghai would be a level seven fitter once he returned, far superior to Wang Aiying.

Later, Yi Zhonghai, a little tipsy, leaned over and called out to Qin Huairu, "Huairu, go check if your aunt has eaten yet? If she hasn't touched her chopsticks, ask her to come and have a bite."

"Okay, sure."

Qin Huairu agreed verbally, but her heart sank secretly—she had originally thought that if she had some leftovers, she could reheat them for a meal the next morning. But the old woman had always been kind to her, so she paused, then turned and went out of the yard.

Not long after, she returned. Yi Zhonghai squinted and asked, "How did it go? Did she get some?"

"Yes, I just finished eating... I ate at the He family's."

"The He family? Which He family?"

Yi Zhonghai paused for a moment, then repeated it again before his mind suddenly cleared: This courtyard belongs to the He family, isn't it just He Yuzhu? His mortal enemy!

"That Zhang Shufen, she's gotten so bold, daring to come to Sha Zhu's house for a free meal!"

He sat up abruptly, the alcohol rushing to his head, and turned to rush out the door to grab the person.

Qin Huairu reacted quickly, grabbing his arm and saying, "Grandpa, calm down! If we go over there now, He Yuzhu will probably tear the roof off..."

Upon hearing the name "He Yuzhu," Yi Zhonghai stopped in his tracks. Over the years in the Northwest, he had long since ingrained the word "patience" into his very bones.

When Qin Huairu helped him up, he was unsteady on his feet, and his shoulder accidentally brushed against her soft arm. The warmth went straight to his heart, stirring up his emotions slightly.

He shook his head, a wry smile playing on his lips: At my age, what am I thinking about...?

He finally heeded the advice and slowly sat back on the edge of the bed, saying in a deep voice, "Fine, we'll leave her alone for today. But Sha Zhu is no pushover—Dongxu, you don't know what's going on in the Northwest…"

He then began to talk on and on about the Northwest, his voice gradually lowering, but his emotions slowly calming down.

As night deepened, Yi Zhonghai staggered back into the house. Just before entering, he caught a glimpse of light shining through the paper window of the side room, knowing that Zhang Shufen had already returned.

He raised his foot as if to storm in and reprimand them, but then stopped himself abruptly—if things really got out of hand, he might turn the whole courtyard upside down. He snorted heavily through his nose, turned around, and slammed the door shut as he went inside.

The following Monday was a workday. Yi Zhonghai came out to wash up, leaning on his crutches.

He didn't get home until late last night, and then the Jia family called him out for dinner, so he didn't have a chance to chat with the neighbors. This morning, as soon as he showed up, everyone in the courtyard, except for the He family, nodded and greeted him.

"Grandpa, you're back!"

Good morning, sir! How's your leg...?