Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"Have you eaten? Planning to hide here for a few days?"

"I've already eaten. I'd like to stay here for a few days."

"What about going to work then? Taking a long leave?"

"It's alright, he won't dare make a big fuss with the publicity department."

"Okay, you can settle in comfortably. By the way, did you bring enough changes of clothes?"

"I brought two outfits, and left them at my sister's house."

As the two chatted about their youthful days in junior high, Yu Haitang's gaze swept over the sewing machine in the room, the gleaming bicycle, and the pair of shiny leather shoes by the bedside, and a slight ripple quietly stirred in her heart.

He Yuzhu quickly prepared several hot dishes, providing the children with a hearty lunch—they had been busy at the factory all morning and their stomachs were empty; a full meal would give them the energy to play wildly. The second son was a natural-born rascal, always scheming to get the meat out of other people's bowls, especially fond of tricking his older brother, with one trick after another, each more ingenious than the last.

When Liu Guangtian entered the courtyard that day, he caught a glimpse of Yu Haitang, and his heart pounded as if a bird was fluttering in his chest. He turned around and ran home.

"Dad! I've taken a liking to Yu Li's younger sister. Please help me propose marriage!"

Liu Haizhong, legs crossed, said, "Once I'm in the team leader position in the next couple of days, you won't have to worry about not finding a wife!"

Liu Guangtian scoffed: "You said the same thing two years ago, and now?"

Liu's mother quickly tried to smooth things over: "How can you talk to your father like that? Back then, he was competing for a management position with his colleagues. They had only a junior high school education, while your father only had a primary school education, and he still didn't get selected."

Liu Haizhong corrected, "It's upper primary school!"

Mother Liu quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, it's elementary school!"

When the topic of "becoming a cadre" came up, Liu Guangqi almost burst out laughing – he had been tricked out of 500 yuan by Xu Damao a while ago, and he had gritted his teeth and paid it back for half a year, even losing a large portion of his salary in the process.

He cleared his throat: "The factory has allocated housing. I came here today to let you know. I'll be moving there with my wife tomorrow."

Liu Guangtian's face immediately darkened: his older brother's wedding had cost the family most of their savings, but when it came to his own wedding, his parents didn't even mention it.

Liu Haizhong is quite sensible. Recently, when he sees He Yuzhu, he bows and scrapes more often than when he sees a leader. The smile on his face is like the warm sunshine in spring.

Yan Bugui was still being criticized at school—his past misdeeds were brought up again, and the red armband-wearing boys surrounded him and lectured him for the entire morning. When he got home, he slumped into a wicker chair, sighing and groaning incessantly.

Ever since the eldest son became a temporary worker, he has cut off all contact with his family and hasn't uttered a single word to them. He arranged his wedding banquet entirely on his own, without asking his family for a single penny or asking anyone for anything.

Yan Jiecheng now has a secure job, while Yu Li is still a temporary worker. The young couple lives a stable life, but the factory only allocated one room, which is so cramped that Yu Haitang can't even fit a bedding roll.

At noon, He Yuzhu called out to He Yubing at the gate of the courtyard, "Time to go to work!"—there was no one at home to look after the children. As soon as he and Lou Xiao'e stepped out of the gate, Yu Haitang caught up with them, chatting with Lou Xiao'e as they walked, her voice light and cheerful, as if nothing had happened.

At the factory gate, Yang Weimin was already waiting, and the two started arguing again as soon as they met. Yu Haitang quietly tugged at Lou Xiao'e's sleeve, hoping He Yuzhu would step in and put Yang Weimin in his place—after all, he held the title of temporary director, which should be enough to intimidate people. But He Yuzhu didn't even lift an eyelid, leading the child straight into the factory, as if the argument was just a leaf falling in the wind, completely unrelated to him.

Xu Damao and Qin Huairu watched with great interest from behind, and even went up to Yang Weimin to persuade him: "You've already returned everything, why are you still bothering him?" But Yang Weimin had his sights set on Yu Haitang, his eyes were determined, and he looked every bit the part of someone who "would marry no one but her".

playground

He Yuzhu grabbed the second son, who was playing with firecrackers, and said in a deep voice, "If you play with gunpowder again, I'll kick your butt! Don't you dare make the first move, and don't you dare take the third son's things, you hear me?" The second son was a boy, and it was no big deal for the brothers to push and shove each other a few times; the adults would turn a blind eye.

He Aijun nodded solemnly, his little face tense. He Yuzhu sighed, turned and walked towards the office, thinking to himself: He'll be better when he's a couple more years older. Right now, he's been disciplined and punished, but he still runs wild all over the yard. Maybe he should send him to the army? The rules there are strict, the atmosphere is upright, and it'll be perfect for toughening him up.

Among the children his age on the playground, only one a year older than him could keep up with him; the rest had long since gone to school with their backpacks. This kid grew quickly, with broad shoulders and long legs, and never lost a fight. He was much more ruthless than He Yuzhu was when he was young—back then, He Yuzhu was at most the king of the courtyard, but this kid, among the teenagers around the steel mill, had beaten so many that they had cried and run to their parents to complain, the number of times was countless.

He protected his own younger siblings, not allowing anyone else to touch them; even if Lou Xiao'e lightly patted his butt, he could lecture her for a long time, with a whole set of reasons.

He Yuzhu stepped into the office, and Wang Jian was waiting to relay a message: the factory was holding an emergency meeting. When he returned from the meeting, he learned that this time they were tightening their belts—a large number of benefits had been cut, and even zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) would not be given out for the Dragon Boat Festival. The only two festivals left to look forward to were the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Spring Festival.

He strolled to the cafeteria and called out to Chef Liu, "Chef Liu, call everyone to a meeting!"

Once everyone was present, he stood still and said succinctly, "Just to let you know, the Dragon Boat Festival benefits are cancelled."

After saying that, he turned and left without offering any further explanation or even glancing at anyone.

港岛

In the two-story Western-style house on the mountaintop, Mr. and Mrs. Lou sat on rattan chairs on the terrace, with wisps of tea smoke rising from their teacups.

Looking at the distant sea, Lou's father sighed, "The people who have recently escaped here are all in a sorry state, their clothes disheveled and their faces covered in ash."

Lou's mother took a sip of tea and said gently, "Don't sigh. If it weren't for Zhuzi reminding us to set off early, we probably wouldn't even have this peaceful life."

When Lou's father arrived in the country, he took gold bars, antiques, and calligraphy and paintings with him, exchanged them all for pounds, and plunged into the port transportation industry. In a few years, he made a fortune. Lou's mother opened a Cantonese restaurant, which had a great reputation and was always packed.

He has recently invested in the Hong Kong Jockey Club and New Territories real estate developments, establishing himself firmly in the Hong Kong Island business community. He employs four or five domestic helpers, has a car, and lives a well-ordered life.

Lou's father suddenly put down his teacup, his voice lowered: "I'm just worried about Xiao'e and Zhuzi... I wonder how they are now."

Lou's mother gently patted the back of his hand: "If you can trust Zhuzi, you'll be reunited sooner or later. Luckily, I listened to him and didn't send a single letter home—otherwise, it would have harmed them."

Lou's father nodded, gazing into the distance: "I've been looking forward to this day, truly looking forward to it."

At this time, in Beijing

Lou Xiao'e grabbed He Aijun's ear with one hand and gave him two light pats on the buttocks with the other.

"Are you trying to drive me crazy?" she frowned. "Ma Lian is your sister. You're scaring her by catching bugs? Have you no conscience?"

He Aijun looked up, her voice full of self-righteousness: "It wasn't me who scared her! It was the second son! I caught bugs for him to play with, and he traded them for his sister's candy. After getting the candy, he immediately stuffed the bugs into his sister's collar—that's why she cried!"

Lou Xiao'e raised an eyebrow: "Then why did you hit him?"

"He scared his sister, so he deserves a beating!"

Lou Xiao'e was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing—this kid had one twisted logic after another, and even after beating someone up, he still occupied the moral high ground.

He Aidang had already nimbly climbed onto the back seat of He Yuzhu's bicycle, shrinking his neck and feigning innocence, with a look that said, "I didn't see anything."

Ma Lian is Ma Hua's daughter, a few months older than the second son; she also has a son, the same age as Lou Mancang. Ma Laosan helps take care of the children at home, while Ma Lian often runs around the factory with the He family's kids. Although Ma Hua calls He Yuzhu "Master," the two families are on equal footing, and neither is inferior to the other.

As He Yuzhu passed by, he glanced at the second son and gritted his teeth, saying, "I'll deal with you when we get home."

Ma Lian ran to the Women's Federation office, her face streaked with tears and snot, sobbing as she complained. Lou Xiao'e flew into a rage on the spot, grabbing He Aijun by the ear and rushing him toward the factory gate. On the way, they bumped into Ma Hua and his wife, and she quickly apologized and begged for forgiveness.

Zhou Xue took it in stride, waving her hand and saying, "They're just kids, being naughty." Ma Hua only chatted with He Yuzhu about the canteen's purchasing matters, without mentioning this incident at all.

Back home, He Yuzhu dragged his second son to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and pressed him down on the ground: "Kneel properly! Take responsibility for your mistakes yourself, don't drag your brother down with you."

……

The year is drawing to a close again. Lou Xiao'e gave birth to a daughter in the hospital, named Lou Yue. He Yuzhu was completely impressed by his daughter-in-law's approach to naming the child—she dreamed of a grain bin overflowing with grain, so she named it "Guizi" (meaning "bind"); she saw a bright moon, so she named it "Yueliang" (meaning "moon"). He thought "Liang" (meaning "bright") was too straightforward, so he changed it to "Yue" (meaning "moon"), which sounded softer and more pleasant. The name for their son was chosen casually. Originally, they planned to name him "Lou Guizi" (meaning "Lou Guizi"), but he changed it to "Mancang" (meaning "full granary"), which sounded reassuring and auspicious.

The Women's Federation approved Lou Xiao'e's one-month maternity leave, allowing her to return to work after recovering.

Qin Huairu now lives with her children at Xu Damao's house. The three children call him "Dad" all the time. Except for Banggeng, who still has the surname Jia, the two daughters have taken Xu's surname. Xu Damao paid three yuan a month to negotiate this with Jia Zhangshi in person.

He Yuzhu wrapped Lou Xiao'e tightly in a thick quilt, carried her on his back, and walked away; He Yushui followed closely behind, holding the baby in swaddling clothes, wrapped up tightly.

As soon as I entered the room, I gently placed Lou Xiao'e on the kang (a heated brick bed).

He Aidang immediately jumped down, pointing at the second son and yelling, "Dad! He kicked me! He even stole my blanket!"

He Yuzhu glared at him: "All of you, shut up! I don't want to fight today—this month, anyone who dares to upset your mother will have their whole family rolling in the snow and kneeling!"

He Aijun glared at his second son, his lips pressed tightly together, not uttering a single word. The fourth son, almost two years old, stumbled to He Yuzhu's legs, reaching out for a hug—he was clingy as a piece of candy. He Yuzhu scooped him up, supporting him with one hand, his eyes sweeping over his two sons: "Aren't you going to bed? Are you waiting for me to pick you both up and discipline you?"

He Yushui gently placed Lou Yue next to Lou Xiao'e, then turned around and went back into the house to check if He Yubing was sleeping soundly—the Liu family was coming to arrange the engagement tomorrow, and she and Liu Yuanhao had been dating for almost a year, so this was the proper time for them to formally meet.