Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

According to old customs, one had to consider which elder shared the same surname: if it was the same as Lou's mother, one would call them aunt and uncle; if it was the same as Lou's father, one would call them uncle and aunt. But in the current situation, why bother with such details?

Lou Xiao'e caught a glimpse of his dazed expression and couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle, her eyes full of playfulness: "Silly Zhu."

He Yuzhu gritted his teeth and said, "Then... I'll call them Mom and Dad from now on? It sounds more intimate, and it makes me feel more at ease."

After all, if you're going to be a kept man, you have to do it with a clear conscience and a sense of right and wrong.

Lou's mother beamed from ear to ear: "Good! Good child, I felt an instant connection with you the first time I met you, it's truly a match made in heaven!"

He Yuzhu immediately chimed in, "When I first saw my mom, it felt like seeing family; it was so warm and comforting."

Lou's father interjected with a smile, "This is the fate between our two families, there's no exaggeration in it."

Lou's mother clapped her hands: "You all seem so reserved here. Xiao'e, go with Yuzhu for a walk and get some fresh air."

He Yuzhu immediately bowed and said, "Dad, we'll go out now."

Lou's father nodded: "Remember to come back for dinner. There's some hot soup left for you on the stove."

The two walked out of the Lou family's gate side by side.

Lou Xiao'e glanced at him sideways, her voice soft yet barbed: "You're incredibly affectionate with my mother, but you become mute when you see me?"

He Yuzhu understood immediately—the vinegar jar had been overturned, and the stage had been set up.

He quickly smiled apologetically, "How can you compare! Mom is an elder, a pillar of support; you..." He paused, his voice lowered, but each word was clear, "The first time I saw you, my heart started pounding. It wasn't out of respect, it was out of liking, a genuine flutter of the heart."

Lou Xiao'e's ears instantly burned red, and she spat out, "Pah! You're so shameless! Those are my parents, not just yours!"

He Yuzhu stood firm: "Of course they are our parents—we don't distinguish between you and me."

You can't live off a woman alone; you have to hold the bowl firmly and the pot securely in order to sustain it for a long time.

Lou Xiao'e couldn't do anything about him, so she turned her head and snorted, changing the subject.

He Yuzhu suggested, "Shall we go for a stroll in the Summer Palace? I heard the lake is covered with a thin layer of ice, making the scenery exceptionally clean."

Lou Xiao'e shook her head: "No, the wind is so strong it hurts my face."

The two strolled slowly around the alley entrance, in front of the department store, and on the steps of the post office, not daring to hold hands or touch shoulders. The previous incident was still fresh in their minds, and neither dared to act rashly.

He Yuzhu looked around as he walked, not only at people, but also at the unique atmosphere of this era—the smoke rising from the chimneys between the gray walls and green tiles, the crisp tinkling of bicycle bells, and the blue cloth shirts worn smooth by the cuffs of passersby.

As dusk deepened,

As soon as the two of them entered, Lou's mother's voice brightened a bit: "Zhu Zi's back? Come in, come in!"

He Yuzhu smiled and replied, "Yes, Mom."

Lou's mother called out loudly upstairs, "Old Lou—dinner's ready! The children are all home!"

after dinner,

Lou Xiao'e pushed her old-fashioned bicycle and escorted He Yuzhu to the front gate. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they had long forgotten about the last tram.

She shoved the handlebars into his hands: "Ride slowly, be careful on the road."

"See you tomorrow, you should go back now." After saying that, He Yuzhu got on his bike and pedaled a few steps.

Lou Xiao'e stood under the porch lamp and watched him ride seven or eight meters away until his shadow turned into the alleyway. Only then did she turn around and run back into the house.

From today onwards, I'm a married man. He Yuzhu hummed an off-key rendition of "Nanniwan" all the way, the wheels of his car jingling merrily as they rolled over the bluestone slabs.

..............................

Inside the Lou family's house,

As she folded her apron, Lou's mother said to Lou's father with a smile, "Little He is such a sweet-talking and warm-hearted child, he's so adorable."

Lou's father lit his pipe and slowly exhaled a puff of white smoke: "No wonder he did it. His mother passed away early, and Lao He was away running a transport business all year round. He had to raise the child all by himself."

The two of them started talking about how he had just called out "Mom and Dad."

Lou's mother sighed, but her eyes held a smile: "Ah, this child is so sensible. He raised his younger sister single-handedly; it wasn't easy for him."

Mr. Lou nodded: "It's a blessing that Ezi won't have to worry about her mother-in-law's attitude after she marries into the family."

Lou's mother laughed and replied, "With her personality, it's better that her mother-in-law isn't keeping her in check. Otherwise, she might offend someone badly one day without even realizing it."

Lou Xiao'e was lying on the bed, secretly amused—this silly Zhu, though he seemed simple-minded, was very shrewd and had already figured out the marriage proposal perfectly, making her worry for nothing.

At that moment, over at the courtyard house, He Yuzhu was knocking on the gate.

It's too late. Uncle San, that "old oil lamp," is probably fast asleep.

"Who is it? In the middle of the night!" The old man's voice was thick with a nasal tone and he sounded groggy.

He Yuzhu quickly replied, "Third Uncle! It's me, Sha Zhu!"

"Hey, it's Sha Zhu?" The third uncle shuffled in his slippers to open the door. "What time is it? Where have you been? The streets haven't been safe lately, you'd better watch out!"

He Yuzhu replied, "Okay, Uncle San," while pondering—

What does "not peaceful" mean? Uncle San's words sound a bit mysterious.

Once the latch was secured, the third uncle rubbed his hands together, pulled him down to squat on the doorstep, and started chatting away.

The third uncle said, "These past few days, as soon as it gets dark, my boys sneak out and they're guaranteed a beating! We've been searching the whole alley with sticks, but we can't find a soul—it's probably some street thug causing trouble here!"

Hearing what the third uncle said, He Yuzhu immediately understood.

As they were talking, the old man glanced around and spotted the bicycle parked against the wall. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Hey? Where did you find this bike? At first glance, it really has a sharp, sleek look!"

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "I borrowed it from a colleague. Alright, sir, you can rest now. I won't bother you any longer."

He walked along, trying not to laugh—the car was so new and shiny that even the bell rang crisply, and the Third Uncle really didn't recognize it.

The next day

As soon as He Yuzhu entered the factory gate, all he saw were blue work clothes: the indigo fabric was stiff, and the cuffs and collars were covered with fine stitches. The new work clothes for autumn and winter had been distributed since yesterday.

Tsk... A strong sense of nostalgia washes over you!

At the entrance of the canteen, Ma Hua stood tall and looked at himself in the glass window, his brand-new work clothes crookedly worn, like a child wearing an adult's clothes.

"Master, look! Don't you look energetic? It's just... a little tight, it's making it hard for me to breathe!" He was still admiring himself.

"You're wearing Master He's size; it would be strange if it fits perfectly!" Master Liu said with a smile, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

He Yuzhu: ...

"Master, can I borrow your clothes for a couple of days?" Ma Hua approached with a grin.

"Master He hasn't even touched it yet, and you've already ruined it with wrinkles!" Master Liu joked, flicking off his cigarette ash.

He Yuzhu: ...

"It's just for two days! I'll wash it whiter than snow and iron it as neat as a block of tofu. I guarantee it will be returned to its rightful owner!" Ma Hua proudly stretched out his sleeves.

He Yuzhu: ...

It turned out that the logistics department had distributed the uniforms to each department the previous afternoon, and then the directors would distribute them. Each set cost seven yuan. When Director Zhang called He Yuzhu's name, he saw that He Yuzhu was absent due to leave, so he casually put the uniform in his drawer, intending to make up for it the next day. Ma Hua, quick-witted and sharp-tongued, immediately said, "I'll take it home for my master!" Director Zhang thought that it was reasonable for his apprentice to take it on his behalf—who would dare to touch public property under his nose? As long as it wasn't personally handed over to someone, it was still considered factory property in the ledger.

If it were the original owner of this body, she would have already sent the money to Qin Huairu's house by now. Why would she be willing to buy herself new clothes? The cotton-padded coat she was wearing in winter was probably the tattered cotton-padded coat left by He Daqing, with half of the quilting already gone. Qin Huairu's eyes reddened, and she emptied all the candy, grain coupons, and new cloth coupons from her hands.

He Yuzhu pointed to the cutting board: "Ma Hua, chop these onions."

"Alright!" Ma Hua thought the master was testing his knife skills, as this job used to be done by temporary workers.

Master Liu turned his back, his shoulders shaking.

Less than ten minutes later, Ma Hua rushed over, rubbing her eyes, her face covered in tears and snot: "Master... these onions are too pungent! They're so spicy I can't open my eyes!"

—I didn't know it was spicy? I was just waiting for you to say something like that.

He Yuzhu didn't even lift his eyelids: "Finished cutting?"

"Hmm..." Ma Hua nodded dejectedly.

"Alright, go help Liu Lan steam some buns."

"Master, Sister Liu Lan didn't come today—she took the day off yesterday. Director Zhang saw that you weren't showing up either, so he simply had Master Liu arrange all the work. He even specifically told her that he was worried you might have something to do today."

Another series of crackling sounds...

He Yuzhu sighed inwardly: I still have to give a gift. Look at Director Zhang, how good he is at handling things! I'll have to buy two packs of Daqianmen cigarettes on my way home at noon.

Lunch break —

He Yuzhu had just reached the gate of the steel rolling mill and was about to step out.

Suddenly, a clear laugh came from the other side of the path, as crisp as a silver bell, ringing out in the air.

He subconsciously glanced to the side.

Two women were standing under the shade of a tree, chatting with Ma Hua.

Look again closely—

The one on the left is indeed Liu Lan; the one standing on the right is a girl with skin as white as a freshly peeled lotus root, her cheeks glowing with moisture.

He didn't want to take another look, but as soon as He Yuzhu caught a glimpse of her profile, his foot slipped and he almost stumbled.

I'm a darling!

miss? !

He stood frozen in place.

—This isn't a steel rolling mill! Did we stumble upon the set of "The Story of a Noble Family"?

Judging by his age, he's at most seventeen or eighteen; he hasn't quite shed his student-like demeanor yet.

As a seasoned homebody, he knew that face all too well—he had imagined countless times holding her hand as they strolled through Liulichang, buying her candied hawthorns, and sheltering her from the wind and rain...

The thought had barely crossed my mind when I found myself moving in that direction.

At first, it was far away and blocked by a few slender willow branches, so I could only catch a glimpse of a blurry outline; only when I got closer could I see it clearly—

The girl in front of me has a bit of soft baby fat, but her eyes and brows are surprisingly bright. She is bare-faced and doesn't even have a trace of makeup on, yet she looks more vibrant than if she were wearing rouge.

She wore a thick braid, and when she smiled, shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks. The old, hand-sewn cloth shirt she wore was faded from washing, which made her look like a magnolia flower floating on spring water.

Just like the ancients wrote about West Lake—after all, the scenery of West Lake in June is different from that of other seasons.

She is beautiful without vying for attention, yet she is captivating.