Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"You idiot Zhu... Humph!"

Yi Zhonghai was so angry that his face trembled, and he turned and left.

This kid used to know how to be respectful to his elders, bringing them some good food when he visited. But now, he doesn't even bother to look at them.

That deaf old lady keeps muttering things like "Shazhu will take care of you in your old age," what a load of bull! Besides being able to cook two dishes, what makes this guy any better than Dongxu?

After he left, Xu Damao sneered, raised his glass and gave a perfunctory toast towards the door: "Brother Zhu, did you notice? That old bastard is craving food, he just wants to get a bite of your food."

"Dream on." He Yuzhu sneered, his eyes sharp. "I'd rather be dumped into a swill bucket to feed pigs than let him touch a single bite."

Xu Damao laughed heartily, picked up another piece of Sichuan-style spicy chicken and stuffed it into his mouth. The spicy and savory flavor exploded on his tongue. Even though he was already 80% full, he couldn't help but smack his lips and savor the taste.

"Brother Zhu, on my wedding day, I'll do anything to get you to cook!"

"Sure." He Yuzhu glanced at him sideways, slowly took a sip of wine, "On the condition that you save up enough money for the bride price first—my banquet is very expensive, and most people really can't afford it."

He Yuzhu put down his chopsticks, then casually picked up a large mouthful of stir-fried spicy and sour cabbage with cured pork and stuffed it into his mouth, the oil glistening on his lips.

Ever since his cooking skills improved by leaps and bounds, every time he invites people to dinner, it's like feeding a hungry wolf—the best dishes are served and in the blink of an eye, only oil droplets remain on the bottom of the plate.

No matter how strong he was, he didn't dare to snatch food from the guests. After all, what kind of behavior would it be if the host rolled up his sleeves and fought over it? Over time, he developed a skill: he would only eat the less popular dishes, or he would simply start eating the grand finale last.

After finishing his meal, he carried the mountain of bowls and plates to the sink, the clinking of the porcelain plates making a crisp, loud sound.

Xu Damao was slumped on the stool, picking his teeth with his cheeks puffed out. Before he could even finish savoring the lingering taste of the food, he suddenly noticed He Yushui wiping the table. He immediately perked up and asked with a sidelong glance, "Yushui, is your brother doing all the housework at home by himself now?"

"snort."

He Yushui let out a cold snort without even lifting her eyelids.

This person used to laugh at her behind her back, calling her "Silly Sister Zhu," and just now at dinner, he even tried to steal the last piece of cured meat from her. Does he think she doesn't know?

Xu Damao wasn't annoyed. He grinned, revealing two rows of yellow teeth: "Oh, still holding a grudge? Your brother Damao will buy you a whole bag of White Rabbit milk candy next month when he gets his salary! Tell me, doesn't Sha Zhu do your laundry and cook for you guys every day?"

"You still call him 'Silly Pillar'?" He Yushui suddenly looked up, her eyes sharp as blades. "Don't even think about tasting a single bite of his cooking again."

Xu Damao opened his mouth, wanting to retort, "Fine, I won't eat it then!" But the image of that plate of glistening red oil chicken, the crispy edges of the cured pork, and the crunchy sound of the spicy and sour cabbage flashed through his mind... His throat tightened, and his tone immediately softened: "Okay, okay! Brother Zhu! Can't I just call him Brother Zhu?"

"My brother does all the housework." He Yushui's tone softened a bit, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes. "He said I just need to focus on my studies."

However… I washed my own clothes, and he even helped me with the outer layer… but it’s too intimate, so I couldn’t keep bothering him.”

Her voice grew softer and softer, and the tips of her ears turned slightly red.

Xu Damao clicked his tongue in amazement, and was about to exclaim, "Silly Zhu has really changed!" when he caught He Yushui glaring at him out of the corner of his eye, and quickly changed his tune: "No, no, Brother Zhu, you've really been reborn!"

But his mind was in turmoil: a second-level cook earns seventy or eighty yuan a month, and He Yuzhu has no parents to support, only a younger sister, and can still take on private banquets and sell boxed lunches. It's no exaggeration to say that he can make a fortune every day.

He's only in his early twenties, yet he lives ten times better than a projectionist apprentice like him! The other guy is only two years older than him, so how come the difference is so huge?

Just as I was getting so jealous, a voice urged me, "What are you standing there for? The hospital-wide meeting is about to begin."

He Yuzhu came out of the kitchen wiping his hands, his apron already off, and said in a crisp voice, "Uncle Xu isn't here, so you'll have to take care of things at your house. Hurry up and get ready."

"Rain, you stay home and do your homework. This little mess won't make both of you suffer."

……

In the past two years, the courtyard has held several general meetings, which are nothing more than repeating the same old tunes about street announcements, ration coupon adjustments, and public-private partnerships.

But He Yuzhu and Director Wang had a very close relationship—He never refused to lend him his bicycle, and he readily accepted invitations to banquets.

Although the price wasn't low, after the wedding banquet, the host kept praising it as "worth it"! And that's how word of mouth spread.

Director Wang was pleased with himself, so naturally he treated him differently.

In the past, He Yuzhu was always a silent observer at meetings, never interrupting unless it concerned him.

This time, I planned to continue being a background character, so I moved a low stool to my front door and sat against the wall. It was the most secluded spot, but I could still see the whole scene.

As people gradually arrived, the Third Uncle set up an old square table in the center of the courtyard, and Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Bugui carried chairs forward and sat down.

Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong each carried an enamel tea mug. When they lifted the lids, the aroma of tea mixed with the smell of smoke wafted out. Yan Bugui, on the other hand, was holding a handful of melon seeds, cracking them open with gusto—those melon seeds were probably stolen from someone else's house, either from the Yi family's or Liu family's stock.

As expected, Liu Haizhong grabbed the microphone as soon as the meeting started.

"Fellow neighbors!" He stood up, cleared his throat, and spoke in a long, deep voice, "At this solemn and important moment, the three of us elders have gathered here to hold this significant general meeting of the entire community—there is a very important matter that we must announce to you all! The importance of this matter is related to you all… to you all…"

He got stuck, his brows furrowing.

Yan Bugui cracked sunflower seeds, not even lifting his eyelids: "Closely related."

"Yes, yes, yes! They're closely related!" Liu Haizhong slapped his thigh, smoothly smoothing things over. "Now, please welcome our respected and steadfast elder of the courtyard—Comrade Yi Zhonghai—to reveal the answer!"

As soon as Liu Haizhong finished speaking, he plopped down on the bench, picked up his teacup, and took a swig.

The scalding tea slid down his throat, and he squinted, inwardly thankful that he had casually slipped Yan Bugui a handful of melon seeds before leaving home that morning, which saved him from being embarrassed on the spot.

As soon as he sat down, Yi Zhonghai stood up, put his hands behind his back, and calmly glanced at everyone in the courtyard.

"I've gathered everyone here today to discuss two things."

His voice wasn't loud, but it commanded respect.

"The first thing is to prevent theft."

Starting tonight, the gate to the compound will be locked at 9:00 PM sharp, and the key will be hanging on the windowsill of Uncle San's house.

Whoever wants to leave, takes it themselves; whoever wants to enter, opens the door themselves.

We used to leave the doors ajar for peace of mind, but a couple of days ago the neighboring courtyard was burgled, and several households were ransacked.

The street administration has issued an order, so we have to follow the rules.

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded slightly.

Although it is a small matter, it is of great importance—people's hearts are not what they used to be, and closing the door at night is now a necessity.

Yi Zhonghai paused, his tone slightly somber: "The second thing... is grain."

His gaze slowly swept across the crowd, as if he were observing or weighing things.

"As everyone knows, each person with a city household registration has a food ration book, which allows them to buy rice and flour with coupons."

But in our courtyard, there are several families who are barely able to get enough food.

He didn't explicitly say who it was, but everyone knew perfectly well.

—Who else could it be besides the Jia family?

Back then, Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu were so attached to their little piece of land in the countryside that they refused to change their household registration. Now that grain coupons have become their lifeline, they are left with nothing.

Although Jia Dongxu was a level three fitter and earned more than his third uncle, he had many mouths to feed and had to pay a high price for coarse grains every month, making his life even more frugal than Yan Bugui's.

Not to mention cornmeal and dried sweet potatoes, which the kids eat every day, making their faces turn yellow.

There are other families in the courtyard who also have rural household registrations, but most of them are just one elderly person, so the burden is light.

For a family like the Jia family, with three generations living together and relying entirely on external purchases for food, it's like jumping around in a fire pit.

The courtyard was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Food is a matter that touches the heart of every household.

No one dared to speak up, and no one dared to respond easily.

But just as the silence fell, Yi Zhonghai glanced at Qin Huairu and, as if receiving a signal, immediately stepped forward.

Her eyes were red-rimmed, her lips trembled, and her voice quivered: "Neighbors... please, for the sake of us living in the same compound, lend us a hand... the child cries from hunger every day, and at night he eats nothing but crumbs of cornbread for a midnight snack... and... and..."

At this point, she covered her mouth, her shoulders shrugging, her acting was incredibly convincing.

Yi Zhonghai took over the conversation at the right moment, sighed and said, "Dongxu and Huairu are both shy, so let me tell you the truth for them—Huairu is pregnant again, and in a few months, they'll have another mouth to feed."

We're already struggling to make ends meet; if we have another one, we might go hungry!

He looked around, his gaze finally settling on Yan Bugui: "Old Yan, you're a teacher, you've seen a lot, tell me, what's your idea?"

Yan Bugui felt a chill run down his spine.

Why are you targeting me again?

He was inwardly groaning.

He and his family of five barely made ends meet on his meager salary as an eighth-grade teacher. They would fish to exchange for vegetables or mooch meals from He Yuzhu's stove. Every grain of rice they saved was hard-earned.

But right now, he is the third uncle and an intellectual. How can he pretend to be deaf and dumb in front of everyone?

He had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "It's not like there's no other way... One pound of fine grain can be exchanged for four pounds of sweet potatoes at the commune; cornmeal can also be exchanged for black bean flour, one pound for one and a half pounds."

Cigarette coupons and liquor coupons can also be used; at least they can be exchanged for some food...

Before she could finish speaking, Jia Zhangshi suddenly stood up, slapped her thigh, and started wailing:

"Oh my God! You old coward Yan, how could you be so heartless? Making my grandson eat sweet potatoes and bean flour? Is that even fit for human consumption? How old is my grandson? Are you trying to starve him to death?! Old Jia—someone in the yard is trying to harm our family's flesh and blood—"

That shout was sharp and piercing, like a knife cutting through the twilight.

Yan Bugui's face instantly turned ashen.