Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Qin Huairu picked up a piece of meat and put it into the bowl with the stalk, her voice soft but firm: "Make two more trips, and we'll call it a day. From now on, every few days when you buy meat, you can squat in the yard and feed the chickens. If anyone asks, just say you didn't hear or see them—I'll clean up when I get back."

Madam Jia nodded hurriedly: "Don't worry, I won't hold you back."

Qin Huairu nodded and put her chopsticks on the table: "Let's eat."

……

early morning

Clutching her transfer letter, Lou Xiao'e stepped into the Xinhua Bookstore through the light snow, got the director to stamp it, and officially transferred to the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill.

He Yuzhu took leave and stayed by her side the whole time to handle the procedures.

Since the certificate wasn't ready yet, the two went to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get their marriage certificate.

It was a red paper certificate from the early 1960s, with mandarin ducks playing in the water, twin lotus flowers, and plum blossoms braving the snow on the cover—a festive yet solemn occasion, wishing for national peace and prosperity, family harmony and business success, and even more so, hoping for a couple to grow old together and weather the storms of life together.

The inner pages are printed with the words "Issued by the People's Government of Beijing in accordance with the Marriage Law" in large cinnabar characters, with names listed side by side in neat ink.

This certificate didn't require a photo; it was simple and elegant. It wasn't until 1966 that a photo was mandatory, and a letter of introduction from the employer was also required.

He Yuzhu held the certificate in his hands, his voice fervent: "Comrade Lou Xiao'e, from now on we're in this together, I'll protect you, cherish you, and never let go for the rest of my life."

Lou Xiao'e's ears turned red, her eyes softening: "Comrade He Yuzhu, no matter how long the rest of my life is, I will only walk with you. If the sky falls, I will hold up half of it for you."

Those two sentences, once spoken, have become like nails driven into the annals of time.

Outside the window, snow was falling heavily, but He Yuzhu felt a surge of spring in his chest, and warmth rushed straight to the top of his head.

He grabbed Lou Xiao'e's hand: "Come on! Let's go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy sugar first, then to the department store to pick out a thick coat—I've saved up my cloth coupons for over a year, enough for you to make two!"

Lou Xiao'e smiled, looking down at the melting snow on the tips of her cotton shoes: "I'll do whatever you say."

We need to prepare plenty of ingredients tonight: the candy needs to be divided into small paper packets, so we can set up two tables tomorrow for a lively and warm-up event.

While browsing the department store, He Yuzhu's eyes were almost glued to the glass display cases—flannel hats, aluminum lunch boxes, face cream, polyester shirts… he wanted to buy everything, but he only had a few thin bills in his pocket.

The two walked back to the compound hand in hand; it was already afternoon, the time when everyone was leaving work.

Uncle Erda, Yan Bugui, leaned against the stone steps at the door with a pipe in his mouth. He saw them carrying bulging cloth bags as they entered.

He Yuzhu greeted him with a smile: "Second Uncle, this is my wife, Lou Xiao'e! Please take these wedding candies home with you; we'll have a simple celebration at our house tomorrow!"

Yan Bugui chuckled as he accepted the packet of candy: "Silly Zhu's planning a feast? Second Uncle's off duty, I'll cook for you!"

He Yuzhu waved his hand: "I wouldn't dare trouble you. We're short on food at home, so we'll just have two tables of home-cooked dishes for a get-together with friends."

After saying that, he took Lou Xiao'e's hand and walked towards the central courtyard.

Knock on Liu Haizhong's door, and Liu Haizhong peeked out.

He Yuzhu introduced loudly, "Uncle, this is my wife, Lou Xiao'e! I'm bringing you some wedding candy. We'll be seeing each other all the time in the future."

Liu Haizhong clapped his hands repeatedly: "Congratulations! Two tables? An old man will definitely be there to show his support!"

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "We really don't have any extra food, so we're just having a few acquaintances sit together for good luck."

Liu Haizhong nodded: "I understand. We all know how difficult it is for you to earn money to support the family on your own."

He Yuzhu walked to Qin Huairu's house again.

"Sister-in-law, this is my husband, Lou Xiao'e. I'll save some wedding candy for you. We won't be having a banquet; we're short of food at home."

Qin Huairu accepted the candy packet with both hands, her smile warm: "Congratulations on having a baby soon, and may you live a happy and harmonious life together."

He Yuzhu sincerely thanked her, saying, "Thank you for your kind words, sister-in-law. I still have other deliveries to make, so I'll take my leave now."

Qin Huairu stepped aside to make way: "Go quickly, don't delay important matters."

He delivered wedding candies to his neighbors door to door, finally stopping at Yi Zhonghai's door.

"Uncle, Aunt, this is my wife, Lou Xiao'e. Save the candy for Jiye and Fangfang; come over tomorrow night for a couple of drinks and try my new braised pork!"

Yi Zhonghai patted him on the shoulder: "Okay, it's good that you're married."

Aunt Yi wiped the flour off her hands and said cheerfully, "I'll come over first thing tomorrow morning to help you chop the filling and roll out the dough!"

He Yuzhu turned and walked towards the north room where the old lady lived. The candy in the courtyard had all been given out, and even a handful of wedding candy was stuffed into the crack of Xu Damao's creaking wooden door—no banquet was being held, but the joy couldn't be spared, two pieces for each person, wrapped in red paper, sweet and substantial.

He pushed open the door and went in, with Lou Xiao'e following closely beside him, holding a small blue cloth bag in her hand, with sugar granules gently clinking inside, like a string of tiny joys.

"Grandma, may I share in your joy!" He Yuzhu's voice was clear and bright, with a smile still lingering on his brow.

Lou Xiao'e called out in a clear, cheerful voice, "Hello, Grandma! I've brought you some candy!"

The old lady was sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) sewing shoe soles. As soon as she saw people, she beamed with joy. She pushed her sewing basket aside and reached out to pull Lou Xiao'e: "Oh my, my new granddaughter-in-law is just like a peony with dew on it! Come sit here, it'll be warmer next to Grandma." She then waved to He Yuzhu, "Silly Zhu, you go ahead and do your work. I'll take care of things here."

She took the candy, peeled one open, put it in her mouth, squinted her eyes and nodded. Before the sweetness had even dissipated, her words flowed out warmly.

He Yuzhu had just turned back into the house to clean up the pots and pans, and had just stepped across the threshold when He Yushui suddenly popped out from behind the screen wall, with a tuft of hair sticking up, like a sparrow that had just woken up.

"Brother! Where have you been? I called you three times and no one answered!"

I borrowed some review materials from a classmate and flipped through them for a while.

"Come to Grandma's room for dinner tonight—your sister-in-law has joined the family, and they've registered their marriage. From now on, don't call her 'Sister Xiao'e,' call her 'Sister-in-law.'"

"Hey! Sister-in-law!" Before the words were even finished, she had already run towards the north room, her shoes making a loud clattering sound as they hit the blue bricks.

When He Yuzhu entered the courtyard carrying a vegetable basket, laughter was already ringing out from the north house, with bowls and chopsticks clinking lightly and voices echoing around.

After the meal, the three walked back side by side. The moonlight shone on the bluestone road, like scattered silver.

"Tonight, your sister-in-law will be sharing a room with you," He Yuzhu said as he walked. "Tomorrow, invite a few trusted friends over for a casual meal, and that will settle things."

He Yushui grinned: "Okay! Brother, let me hold my little nephew or niece soon!"

He Yuzhu was speechless, only shaking his head and sighing.

Lou Xiao'e's ears burned, and she looked down at the tips of her shoes, her fingers secretly twisting the hem of her clothes.

After entering the house, He Yushui quickly slipped back to her room. He Yuzhu, leaning against the doorframe, said softly, "Xiao'e, it's not that I don't want to marry you in a grand and spectacular way, but right now, the more settled things are, the better. When things get easier, I'll definitely give you a bright and warm wedding."

Lou Xiao'e looked up, her eyes clear and bright: "Mom and Dad told me a long time ago to listen to you in everything. By the way, you have to come to my house tonight; they're waiting for you."

"Alright, let me tell you a few important things first—I'll set off when it gets a little dark."

He lowered his voice: "There aren't many people in this courtyard who can keep their mouths shut. Continue to be respectful to the old lady as usual, but don't speak too confidently; it's not that you don't trust her, but you're afraid of leaks. Yan Bugui in the front courtyard is short-sighted and loves to take advantage; Liu Haizhong in the middle courtyard is scheming to the core; Uncle Yi in the back courtyard... you should also avoid mentioning family matters, lest someone try to trick you into revealing information. The two families you need to be most wary of are Liu Haizhong and Xu Damao—I'll tell you more about them later. You rest first, I'm going to the Lou family now."

After Lou Xiao'e left, He Yuzhu wrapped his coat tighter, stepped out of the courtyard under the cover of night, and headed straight for the Lou family's house with steady steps.

Pushing open the door to the Lou family's living room, Lou's father was already waiting under the lamp, with several yellowed boat tickets and a worn-out old leather suitcase spread out on the table.

"Zhu Zi, everything's ready. Your mother took a boat to Jinshi Port early yesterday morning. I'll take the rest with me tonight." He pointed to the suitcase. "If there's no more room, take everything you can carry from the house. This key is for you—donate the house to the neighborhood committee, do your part for Xiao'e. And this…" He handed over a sandalwood box, his voice trembling slightly, "This is what her mother left behind. Keep it safe for her."

Watching Lou's father get into the old car alone, the taillights flashing at the alley entrance before disappearing into the distance, He Yuzhu felt a lump in his throat, but remained silent. For some farewells, silence is the most profound gift.

He turned around and rushed into the kitchen, first gathering rice, flour, oil, salt, pots, pans and bowls into his storage space, and then sweeping the entire building like a comb: towels, washbasins, enamel mugs, glass bottles on the windowsill, bamboo dustpans hanging on the wall... he even swept away a speck of dust that had been rubbed off the wall.

He had considered dismantling the doors and windows—but without a crowbar or a saw, he had to give up. From large items like double beds and dressers to small items like thimbles, half-burnt candles, and even the brass bells hanging from the curtain tassels, everything was stored away.

It wasn't greed, it was a lack of confidence. Antiques? He couldn't recognize them; valuable? He wasn't sure. He'd rather bring more than leave anything behind—in his eyes, everything usable was life itself; everything he could take was a spark.

……

The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, He Yuzhu climbed onto He Yushui's old bicycle, with Lou Xiao'e on the back. The wheels crunched over the thin frost as they drove toward the factory.

Every bit of hardship you endure now will become the strength to support her in the future.

He Yushui squatted in the yard, repeatedly wiping the nearly new bicycle with an old cloth. The shiny steel rims reflected the morning light. He wiped it carefully, as if it were not a bicycle, but his own newly built stove.

He Yuzhu took Lou Xiao'e to the finance department and told her to wait for him at the canteen at noon after she finished the formalities, and that he would take her to see the workshop in the afternoon.

He stepped into the cafeteria, his sleeves still dusted with flour, and greeted everyone with a smile, offering them candy: "May this bring you good fortune!"

Liu Lan took it, smiling broadly, and said, "Congratulations, Master He!"

"Come over to my house tonight, I'll warm up a couple of pots of wine."

She nodded, twirling the candy wrapper between her fingers, without saying a word.

He strolled over to Master Liu and said the same thing again: "Let's have a drink tonight."

Ma Hua was also there; he seemed more composed, but his eyes held a deeper depth than before. I heard he'd completely broken things off with Ke Yujuan, and the bride price had been returned in full.

He Yuzhu sighed inwardly: This kid has finally tasted the bitterness of life—a poor man insisting on climbing the social ladder, he's not getting a wife, he's digging his own grave.

Liu Lan stood to the side, looking embarrassed. She was both the matchmaker and a colleague, putting herself in a difficult position.