Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

As soon as he entered the kitchen, he gently pushed Lou Xiao'e out: "Today you just sit and wait for the meal to be served, you don't need to touch the stove - there will be plenty of opportunities to cook together in the future."

Lou Xiao'e's ears burned, she smiled, turned and left, her steps as light as if she were walking on clouds.

He rolled up his sleeves and got to work: he sliced ​​ginger and garlic thinly, and chopped pickled peppers diagonally; he put pig's trotters into a pot of water, added a few spoonfuls of cooking wine, and brought it to a boil over high heat to remove the fishy smell; he then rinsed off the scum. He heated oil in a wok until it reached medium heat, then sautéed Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant, followed by pickled peppers, pickled ginger, garlic slices, and fermented bean paste, sautéing until the oil turned red, then added the pig's trotters and stir-fried them until they were coated with color; he added sugar to enhance the flavor, cinnamon to add aroma, and soybeans as a base, then covered the wok, brought it to a boil over high heat, and then simmered it over low heat for forty minutes.

In a separate pot, dice the lean meat, mix it with soy sauce, cooking wine, egg white, starch, and a pinch of baking soda, and marinate for half an hour. Chop the scallions, ginger, and garlic into pieces the size of a fingernail, and mix them with two tablespoons of soy sauce, one tablespoon of cooking wine, and half a tablespoon of starch to make a thick sauce.

Heat a dry wok, fry chili segments and Sichuan peppercorns until slightly charred and fragrant, add diced meat and stir-fry quickly until it changes color, sprinkle with a pinch of chili powder to enhance the aroma, then pour in the sauce and stir well, finally sprinkle with a handful of crunchy peanuts, toss with a spatula, and it's ready to serve!

"Xiao'e, come and serve the dishes!" he called out. He then steadily carried the pot of stewed pork trotters, which were tender and fragrant, and lifted the curtain to step out.

Lou's mother picked up a piece of pig's trotter, blew on it, took a bite, and her eyes lit up immediately: "Zhu Zi, your skills have really improved! We're in luck today!" She gave him a thumbs up without hesitation.

Lou's father also took a bite out of curiosity, and his chopsticks stopped: "Wow! This taste... I've never had it before! I've only ever heard people say that pig's trotters are delicious, and it's really true!"

Back then, good meat was expensive, and ordinary families rarely dared to even consider it; offal, bones, and trotters were what poor families wanted to eat, so they would buy them to make some soup and satisfy their cravings, and it didn't cost much.

Later, someone figured out a new way to do it, and slowly these "scraps" became hot commodities, overshadowing the main products—but let's leave that aside for now.

Father Lou savored the flavor, nodding repeatedly: "You all should try it! Zhu Zi's cooking is spot on; the trotters are tender yet firm, fragrant but not greasy—absolutely delicious!"

Lou's mother smiled and replied, "Yes, good! Xiao'e will be in for a treat from now on!"

Lou Xiao'e lowered her head and ate a mouthful of rice, her cheeks slightly hot, but she didn't say anything—she was only thinking about eating a few more pieces while they were hot, because once they cooled down the skin would harden and all the flavor would be gone.

After the meal, Lou's parents brought up the Mid-Autumn Festival again: "Zhuzi, you must come to our house for a family reunion that day, and bring your sister too."

He Yuzhu nodded in agreement, his tone reassuring.

As she was leaving, Lou Xiao'e stood on the steps and waved to him: "Drive carefully, it's windy. You can ride the bike for now, no rush to return it—go home and rest early."

"Okay! You should go to bed early too."

He watched her turn and go inside before getting on his bike and pedaling all the way back to the courtyard house.

Just as I turned into the alley, I heard the third uncle squatting under the jujube tree calling out, "Silly Zhu! You're only coming back now?"

"Yes, Uncle, have you eaten?"

"Silly Zhu!" The third uncle took a few steps closer, lowering his voice, "Tell me the truth, where did this car come from? We're like brothers, I'd never tell anyone!"

"It's really not mine, Uncle." He waved his hand. "If you're looking for a better one, why don't you go to the repair shop, sit down, chat with the old mechanics, and ask them to keep an eye out for you—I have to rush to deliver food to the old lady, we can talk more another day!"

"Hey, silly Zhu!" The third uncle patted him on the shoulder. "If you get married, just bring me a portion of meat and vegetables whenever you're cooking, and I'll help you find a partner!"

He Yuzhu inwardly scoffed: "You wish! What I'll bring you next time will probably be leftover soup scraps from your mother's bowl—besides, I don't even have a girlfriend yet, so it's none of your business! If I'd known you were just a lazy bum who only takes gifts and doesn't do anything, I would have avoided you like the plague, how could I dare to upset you? You think you can get a free meal? Dream on!"

"I really don't plan on it for the next two years. I'll wait until Yushui graduates. I'm afraid that if I find a wife, it will stop her from studying." He said sincerely, "I'll have to ask you to help me find someone suitable later."

As soon as he left, Yan Bugui squinted, a cigarette dangling from his lips: "That silly Zhu, his tongue is so smooth, he didn't utter a single truth."

Who lets you ride their bicycle every day? If his own daughter lent it out, he'd kick her out of the house with a broom handle! He didn't believe that kind of talk at all; he just wanted to get the truth out of her—that once someone got involved in speculation and profiteering, they'd have leverage over them later.

He Yuzhu knew that this old man was not a kind person, and since they lived in the same courtyard, there was no need to fall out with him. He was not worried about being fed a few bites of food or half a pastry.

As soon as I pushed open my own courtyard gate, I saw He Yushui holding Xiao Huaihua, pacing back and forth in front of Qin Huairu's house, humming an off-key song.

"It's freezing cold, are you going to freeze?" He quickly stepped forward. "The child is so young, he'll easily catch a cold from the wind, and Aunt Jia will cause trouble again!"

He Yushui looked up and said, "Brother, she kept crying. Sister Qin's foot is still swollen. Aunt Jia just went out to buy rice, so I carried her out for a walk."

He glared at her: "Can't you just walk around inside? Why do you have to stand in the wind?"

"The room is so small, you'll bump into a wall if you turn around three times."

"Even banging my head against a wall is better than getting sick! The courtyard gate is bright and spacious; I can wander around there!"

After saying that, he was too lazy to say anything more, so he turned around, went home to heat up the food, served half of it, and took it to the old lady.

When he returned, he saw He Yushui still lingering in the same spot. He sighed and took the remaining plate of braised pork into Qin Huairu's house.

He sighed inwardly: This spendthrift girl, she's ignoring medicine.

With a bang, the door was locked; out of sight, out of mind.

He Yushui: "Sister Qin, please eat while it's hot. Only after you've recovered can you quickly get back to the kitchen and get busy."

Qin Huairu: "I really don't want to eat. If you make such a fuss, your brother will start nagging you."

He Yushui: "Don't worry, my brother and I are very close! He brought this meat from outside, so please don't refuse, have some to eat."

Seeing Qin Huairu swallow the last piece in small bites, He Yushui relaxed, picked up the food box, and walked briskly to the pool, rinsing it clean.

"Brother, open the door!"

The door creaked open, and He Yuzhu stood in the doorway, his apron still tied around his waist.

He Yushui leaned closer and sniffed: "Brother, this meat smells so tempting! Who did you cook for today?"

He Yuzhu glanced at her, his lips twitching slightly, but he didn't reply. He just raised his hand and rubbed his temples.

"Go to bed early and stop asking about me—focus on your studies so you can find a stable family to marry into and have a smooth life."

He knew in his heart that he had to protect, support, and send his sister out of the house. Only then could he finally have peace of mind.

……

When I opened the door at dawn, golden light spilled all over the floor.

He Yuzhu slowly pushed his bicycle out of the courtyard, the wheels rolling over the thin frost in the cracks of the blue bricks, clanging all the way to the steel mill.

As soon as he turned into the alley behind the canteen, Director Zhang intercepted him from the corner and pulled him into the hall.

Two people were squatting inside, their heads bowed low, their fingers digging into the cracks in the cement floor, barely breathing.

Similar situations quietly broke out in various workshops this morning.

Once everyone was almost present, Director Zhang walked in with a stern face, raised his hand to stop them, and everyone was ushered into the hall.

"Let's have a real meeting today!" His voice was like a piece of metal scraping against an enamel basin. "There are bastards in the canteen—blatantly stealing money and food from the factory! It's egregious and must be thoroughly investigated! You two, step up and explain yourselves in front of everyone!"

His gaze swept across the entire room, so cold it could freeze.

Everyone below bowed their heads, their shoulders tense, not daring to breathe—who hadn't taken half a steamed bun or a pinch of salt? Jumping out at this moment wasn't asking for a scolding, it was asking to be kicked out.

Normally, Director Zhang would turn a blind eye: if a few steamed buns or cornbread were missing, or the salt shaker was a inch too shallow, he would just assume it was a mouse that had taken them. After all, he personally took inventory, calculated materials, and made lists before leaving get off work, and he was never ambiguous about the details.

But this morning, a group of supervisors who came out of the security department all had dark faces and pale lips. Deputy Factory Director Li's words, and the undisguised sarcasm on his face, felt like a knife stabbing into their hearts—as if they were all just decorations, and that all their problems would surface once the new manager arrived, which was tantamount to pointing a finger at their noses and saying: "You were all just messing around before!"

How do I stand up straight and start speaking during the upcoming meeting?

Director Zhang slammed his hand on the table: "From today onwards, those two will be responsible for all cleaning in the cafeteria. A five-yuan fine, depending on their behavior! I won't bring up past offenses; but a second offense—ten yuan, and two months of full cleaning duties. Meeting adjourned!"

The crowd retreated silently to the kitchen, even the clatter of spatulas against pots and pans subsided. The old score was over, but from now on, they'd probably have to walk on tiptoe.

Someone was wiping sweat as they chopped vegetables, secretly relieved—thank goodness for He Yuzhu's reminder before they left work yesterday: "It's been tough lately, don't grab anything." Otherwise, if they had really been charged five yuan, their family would probably be starving this month.

The morning meeting ended, and although Deputy Factory Director Li wore a smug expression, he was seething inside: his proposal to take over the propaganda department had been rejected on the spot by Factory Director Yang and a group of directors. However, he had at least gained some concessions in return.

He planned to settle down in the factory. But as a newcomer, where would he find ready-made help? He had to slowly sift through and carefully select.

To gain real control of the narrative, the Women's Federation was indispensable. But Wei Guangyu completely ignored him.

I've heard that Wei Guangyu's transfer order has been issued, and she will soon be taking up her new post at the local women's federation. No rush, the time will come; things will naturally fall into place.

In the cafeteria, He Yuzhu glanced at everyone's dejected appearance and almost burst out laughing.

A new official makes three bold moves, but after that, life goes on as usual. But he couldn't say that—if word got out, it would be seen as instigating the theft of state property, and a simple self-criticism wouldn't be enough to cover it up; he'd probably be packing his bags and leaving.

Liu Lan secretly clenched the edge of her apron, silently chanting Buddhist prayers: "I used to bring groceries home every day. If I get caught this time and fined five yuan, my whole family will really have to tighten their belts to get through the winter."

What she didn't know was that if the investigation really came to her, Deputy Factory Director Li might not actually punish her—that little "trick" was nothing to him, not even worth mentioning.

It took two or three hours for the atmosphere to ease up a bit.