Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"Don't worry, it's none of his business," Qin Huairu said casually. "He has nothing to do with this at all, so don't worry about it."

Some thoughts remained unspoken—no wonder she always felt Hong Jingqiu's gaze towards Liu Haizhong was off; now she knew the root of the problem lay here. But this had nothing to do with Xu Damao, much less with her. Xu Damao would love for Liu Haizhong to suffer another major setback so he wouldn't betray Hong Jingqiu.

At the police station, the two were detained separately.

The police asked Xu Damao, "Liu Haizhong reported that you colluded with a fake official to swindle him out of 500 yuan. What do you say?"

"That's pure fabrication!" Xu Damao insisted. "I don't even know where he was scammed, so why are you blaming me?"

"He said you introduced him to a 'leader,' is that true?"

"No!" Xu Damao said firmly. "I only had one meal with Director Lin from the workshop at the state-run restaurant, and I even invited Liu Haizhong to sit with us—Director Lin can testify to that! As for who he later recognized as his 'leader,' I haven't even seen a trace of them!"

"He also said that you took him to the main factory workshop in the middle of the night and met a fake administrative director. Is that true?"

"A complete injustice!" Xu Damao slammed his fist on the table. "Apart from meals, we've never even left the yard together! All the neighbors can testify to that!"

Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong were temporarily detained. The police then visited the courtyard and confirmed that in the past month, Xu Damao had indeed not accompanied Liu Haizhong anywhere, nor had he left the courtyard.

The police then took Xu Damao to question each household near the main factory workshop, but his coworkers, security guards, and vendors all shook their heads: "We've never seen him bring anyone here!"

Liu Haizhong insisted that he was dragged away by Xu Damao at 1 a.m., while Xu Damao vehemently denied it. The police returned to the courtyard and brought in Director Hong to verify: the money was indeed the bride price returned by Hong Jingqiu's family. With the truth revealed, Xu Damao was released on the spot.

The state-run restaurant, the courtyard house, and the main factory—there was no trace of Xu Damao at any of these three places; Liu Haizhong's one-sided statement alone was insufficient to establish a case. Moreover, he couldn't even clearly state the name, unit, or position of that "leader," only vaguely insisting that "Xu Damao introduced him."

Before leaving, the police gave Liu Haizhong a stern warning: If you have been scammed, you can report it to the police, but you cannot make false accusations or use the opportunity to harm others; the follow-up investigation will continue.

Several police officers shook their heads privately: a late-night meeting in the factory's residential area? One in the morning? Instead of verifying his identity at the office, they believed a "cadre" of unknown origin? If it were true, that person should have been investigated for corruption long ago—this lie was so bad that even a three-year-old wouldn't be fooled.

Xu Damao pushed open the door to his house, only to find the house cold and deserted, with no sign of life.

Just then, Qin Huairu pushed open the door and came in carrying a bowl of steaming egg drop soup and two steamed buns. He stared at the bowl of soup, his throat tightening—this was the first time in days that he had tasted the feeling of being cared for.

She sat at Xu Damao's house for a while, offering a few words of gentle comfort before getting up to leave. Xu Damao held the soup bowl, the steam making his eyes sting. He suddenly felt a deep emptiness: without a child, he might not even be able to count on a hot meal in his old age. These past few days, Qi Laosan's mother had been visiting every few days, her words filled with the hardship of "having no offspring"; even Yi Zhonghai often said: raising a child, regardless of gender, would ensure someone to help you in your final days, making your life worthwhile.

Today, Qin Huairu held the child protectively in her arms and repeatedly told him not to overexert himself and to rest more. Xu Damao felt a warmth in his heart, thinking that this woman was reliable and sensible, especially since the two little ones couldn't even remember what their father looked like, yet she was still so concerned. He put down his rice bowl and went straight to Qi Laosan's house to ask his mother to go to Qin Huairu's house to put in a good word—if it worked out, it would put his mind at ease; if he dragged it out any longer, with his health and age, it would be hard to find someone who truly cared for him.

Qi Laosan's mother came to the door that very day, and immediately patted her chest to tell Xu Damao: It's settled! From now on, Qin Huairu will move in with her child, while Jia Zhangshi will stay in the old house, and will continue to pay her monthly allowance. The two families will have a simple meal together tomorrow, and then the matter will be finalized.

Xu Damao couldn't suppress his joy, as if he could already see a stove set up and smoke rising in front of him. Not only would he have someone to warm his bed from now on, but Liu Haizhong and his two sons would also fall into his hands sooner or later.

He Yuzhu was tiptoeing, carrying a clay pot of chicken soup into Lou Xiao'e's room—it was simmered in the space until it was fully cooked, with a rich aroma that was not at all ostentatious; he also gave the old lady a small bowl as well. He Yushui and Lou Xiao'e squatted by the threshold, sharing the chicken, the door was tightly sealed shut, not even letting a wisp of wind in.

I just got off work at noon the next day—

Xu Damao, holding Qin Huairu's hand, went from house to house in the courtyard handing out wedding candies. He glanced up and saw He Yuzhu, immediately rushing over with a broad smile.

"Silly Zhu, have a piece of candy! Qin Huairu and I have registered our marriage, so we're skipping the banquet for peace and quiet."

"Congratulations." He Yuzhu took it, casually stuffed it into Lou Xiao'e's hand, and turned to leave.

There were still two households in the courtyard that hadn't been visited—Yan Bugui's and Liu Haizhong's. Before they'd even finished unwrapping the candy wrappers, the two had already gone back inside.

Qin Huairu sat down, her expression serious: "Da Mao, there are a few things I need to say to you from the bottom of my heart."

"I remember every word you said." He nodded vigorously—he was counting on her to take care of him in his old age and see him off in his final days.

"Stay away from Sha Zhu, don't provoke him, and especially don't test his limits. This guy is like a deep well; the surface is calm, but the undercurrents are turbulent. That time with Bang Geng, he slapped you in the street; then there was the laxative incident, and that mess with Hong Jingqiu... You know the truth, you didn't even catch him red-handed in the latter two cases. If he really intended to kill you, he probably wouldn't even find the body, let alone any evidence. Let's live a peaceful life; that's better than anything else."

This wasn't just a wild guess. Qin Huairu had already sensed something was wrong: Sha Zhu was usually as lazy as a lump of mud, but when he struck, he was ruthless enough to break tendons and shave bones, leaving no chance for anyone to cry out for justice.

"How did you figure it out?" Xu Damao's voice tightened.

"Let's not even talk about the joke. Just the night you got beaten up—I saw him sneak into the room in the dark, and you were both lying on the bed groaning and moaning. His voice was so loud it made the window paper vibrate! What did you do to offend him? Did you get anything out of him? Did you take advantage of him? Take my advice: I don't want to be a widow. Just keep living."

She was genuinely terrified. Sha Zhu was close to those managers at the factory; if he broke her neck at night and buried her in the ditch behind the mountain, who would investigate? Who would believe it?

Xu Damao's Adam's apple bobbed: "From now on, if you say east, I won't go west; let's invite all the children over for dinner, and warm up our relationship from a young age."

"Okay." Qin Huairu's gaze was calm. "I will teach them to call you Dad, word by word, clearly and distinctly."

"I remember that debt with Liu Haizhong!" he said through gritted teeth.

"There will be someone to deal with him." She waved her hand gently. "You just live your life—you'll see in a few years."

……

Five years passed in the blink of an eye, and it was now 1966. He Yushui graduated from university and became a technician in an agricultural machinery factory. He spent his days surrounded by newly manufactured machines, with a wrench always in hand and blueprints always in his eyes.

The "old man" was long gone from the courtyard. Back then, Liu Haizhong got into a fight with Xu Damao, was publicly reprimanded by Director Hong, and was subsequently impeached by a petition from everyone—who would respect someone who brought their son to beat up ordinary people? After that, no one wanted to take on this hot potato anymore.

Jiye is in second grade, Fangfang is in first grade, Banggeng is in fifth grade, and Xiaodang is in the same class as Jiye.

The canteen had changed too: five familiar faces from Liujia Village had appeared—Liu Lan, Liu Hong, Liu Erdan, Wang Ya, and Liu Dasao. Wang Ya, through her husband's permanent employment status, and by secretly giving Director Zhang a few dozen yuan, finally became a permanent employee after a year of temporary work. The couple would occasionally peek out from outside the elementary school to watch Jiye and Fangfang skipping in and out of the school gate, but they never visited Yi Zhonghai's house, only asking him to bring some snacks for the children.

The steel mill has been completely transformed: a children's playground of about 200 square meters has been set aside in the open space, surrounded by a tight wooden fence. Rocking horses, seesaws, slides, spinning tops... all were handcrafted by the factory workers. If you're too busy at home, you can simply drop your child off at the playground and go to work with peace of mind.

Qin Huairu and Xu Damao haven't bothered Shazhu for years, and their lives have been peaceful and uneventful. The only one who's bothered is Lou Xiao'e—people are practically wearing down her doorstep to complain.

That noon, Lou Xiao'e had just finished reporting to Director Zhang when she stepped out of the factory gate and ran into the daily "chase and escape scene": she was carrying the fourth son, Lou Mancang, with a pair of three-year-old twins following behind, and He Aijun running wildly in front of her, howling as he ran; she was panting as she chased after him, clutching a bamboo stick in one hand, and her steps were a little slow to keep up.

He Yuzhu was already waiting by the roadside. He quickly picked up the twins, put them on the back of the bicycle, and slowly pushed it forward.

"Stop right there! If I don't beat you up today, I'll change my surname!" Lou Xiao'e roared with great force.

He Yuzhu shook his head and smiled bitterly. This kid was incredibly well-behaved when he was little. When Lou Xiao'e took him to the Women's Federation for duty, he would sit in the corner eating a steamed bun without crying or moving. But this year, he was running amok in the activity area: if he couldn't grab the seesaw, he would push people off; if he couldn't beat someone, he would turn around and break their legs on the rocking horse... He would be beaten up, but he would still do it the next day.

He Yubing looked up at her with her little face: "Daddy, chubby!"

He Aidang tugged at his sleeve: "Give me your tin frog, brother!"

"We'll talk about it when we get home," he said in a low, steady voice.

He Aijun rushed into the courtyard, heading straight for the old lady's house, yelling as he ran, "Grandma! My mom's going to beat me to death! Let me hide for a bit!"

Lou Xiao'e stepped into the house, hands on her hips blocking the doorway: "Come out! I won't hit you today—wait for your father to come back, and I'll make him forgive you!"

"I don't believe you! Swear to your great-grandmother!"

"Then you'd better not show your face today."

He Aijun was her favorite, but also her biggest headache. Every day, he was constantly being complained about by teachers, caregivers, and neighbors, making her temples throb.

Lou Xiao'e: "Grandma, I'm going back to my room to cook. I'll bring it to you in a bit."

The old lady nodded without even lifting her eyelids: "Okay, just knock lightly a few times later—the little kid won't know any better."

Under the bed, He Aijun was curled up in a ball, trembling. This great-grandmother was so unreasonable! She promised Mom wouldn't lay a hand on him, so why did she just turn around and let it go? And she even said "the child doesn't understand"... He didn't just not understand, he never even had the chance to understand!