Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Liu Guangtian secretly glanced at Qin Jingru a few times—her face was well-proportioned, her eyes were bright and spirited, her nose was straight, and her black hair was shiny. Compared with Yu Haitang, one was as clear and beautiful as spring water, and the other was as bright and beautiful as the morning sun. It was hard to tell who was better.

He nodded silently.

Qin Huairu raised an eyebrow: "That's good! We like Brother Guangtian from the bottom of our hearts. This will make our relationship even closer and we can get along even better in the future."

Xu Damao picked up a piece of peanuts with his chopsticks and said firmly, "Of your three brothers, you're the most outstanding—you came to work on your own, without being lazy or shirking your duties; your eldest brother? He relies entirely on our parents' money and connections; and your youngest brother? He's more timid than a mouse. From now on, the Liu family's hopes rest entirely on your shoulders!"

These words struck Liu Guangtian to the core. He had long seen through it all: his father had money, and he was willing to help outsiders, help his elder brother get married and settle down, and pave roads and bridges for him, but when it came to himself, he was stingy with even a penny for a tactful gesture. All his skills and confidence were earned through gritted teeth and hard work.

He staggered out of the Xu family home, his steps unsteady yet heavy, heading towards his own room. As he passed through the courtyard, he happened to see Qin Jingru bending over, fixing her hair. Sunlight fell on her earlobes, giving them a warm glow—at that moment, something seemed to gently strike his heart, and the thought became clear and burning: he wanted to marry this girl.

Qin Huairu was pulling Qin Jingru to sit on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and talking.

……

Xu Damao's family

Qin Jingru tilted her head and asked, "Sister, are you talking about him?"

Qin Huairu shook her head and laughed: "How could that be! Chen Wenbin in the factory is a level three fitter, and his monthly salary is forty-two yuan and fifty cents; Liu Guangcai only makes twenty-two yuan. Would I let you suffer a loss? I invited him to dinner today so he can show his face first, so don't be nervous. In a couple of days, your brother-in-law will be showing a movie at the factory, and I'll take you to see it—and meet him while we're at it. When you see him, don't be so serious, smile and be warm."

Qin Jingru pursed her lips: "Sis, where will I sleep tonight?"

"You'll be staying in that room with Grandma Banggeng. Don't worry, everything will be fine. I won't make you feel uncomfortable."

Qin Huairu led her younger sister toward Jia Zhangshi. Just as they turned the corner, they suddenly saw three children kneeling at the door of He Yuzhu's house, their little heads bowed and their shoulders shrugging.

Qin Huairu frowned: "Whose family are they? Why do they have so many children?"

Just then, He Yuzhu stepped in—carrying one on his back, holding another in his hand, with Lou Xiao'e behind him leading two others by the hand and carrying a swaddled baby in her arms.

Qin Huairu quickly tugged at her sister's sleeve: "That's Master He, who's in charge of logistics at the factory. He and his wife are both cadres. When we run into them later, greet them with a smile and don't be lacking in courtesy."

Before she finished speaking, Lou Xiao'e came out of the house with a bowl in her hand. She saw Qin Huairu at a glance and immediately greeted her with a smile.

Lou Xiao'e: "You brats! I told you not to cause trouble, but you wouldn't listen—this time, even your mother can't protect you!"

He Aijun turned his face towards the wall, while his second son, He Aidang, pouted and muttered, "Mom, wasn't it you who told Dad to hit us just now? How come you forgot so quickly?"

Lou Xiao'e slapped her forehead: "Oh dear, what nonsense are you talking about! Is Mom that kind of person? Come inside and eat! Once I've appeased your dad, I'll let you both get up!"

He Aijun rolled his eyes: "Please spare me, don't add fuel to the fire."

Lou Xiao'e smiled and poked his forehead. Seeing his awkward expression, she shook her head with amusement.

He Yuzhu stood at the door and roared, "Aren't you getting in here yet? Kneel on the kang and reflect on your actions! Who gave you the guts to steal Lao Si's candy? You all just wait!"

He was very puzzled: Why did the eldest brother always beat up the second brother and steal his food? They each had their own portion, and neither of them was short.

Liu Guangtian lay on the kang for a while, then sat up and walked straight to his parents' room.

Pushing open the door, I saw Liu Haizhong slowly sipping Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) while eating scrambled eggs from a small dish.

Liu Guangtian stopped, his voice low but steady: "Dad, there's something I want to discuss with you."

Liu Haizhong didn't even lift his eyelids: "Speak."

"I want my mother to ask someone to propose marriage to Qin Huairu's family—I want to marry her cousin."

Liu Haizhong paused, then put down his wine glass. "Hmm, I'm getting on in years. That girl, have you met her?"

"I've met him. He's honest, handsome, and has a fresh, youthful appearance."

"Have you found out about the bride price?"

"Just like Yu Haitang's family."

"We don't have that much cash at home. Let's find another place; there are plenty of good girls out there."

Liu Guangtian felt a lump in his throat, his blood rushing to his head—his older brother got married, and his parents sold everything they owned; when it came to him, it was either a lack of money or simply not being able to make it.

He clenched his fist tightly: "Then give me back my salary from the past two years."

Liu Haizhong scoffed, "Your little bit of money isn't even enough for me to support you for ten years! Want money? Thirty at most. Don't want it? Not a penny!"

Liu Guangtian's Adam's apple bobbed, and he almost lunged forward.

"As a temporary worker for a year, after deducting my allowance, I only had ninety left; this year, after becoming a permanent employee, I saved another one hundred and seventy—a total of two hundred and sixty. Today, you have to give it to me, or I'll take it back!"

"Slap!" A resounding slap landed across his face: "You've gone too far! You little beast, I've raised you all these years, and you dare to ask for money?!"

That slap was like a fuse detonating a volcano that had been simmering for a whole year in Liu Guangtian's heart. He roared and slapped back hard, then grabbed a stool and started smashing it against his father. Liu Guangfu, who was in the next room, heard the commotion and quietly peeked out through the crack in the door—he saw his second brother straddling their father and swinging his arms, and couldn't help but smirk.

As soon as Liu Guangtian's mother entered the house carrying a vegetable basket, she saw her son grabbing her husband by the collar and fighting. Terrified, she screamed for help at the door.

The father and son were rolling on the ground, their faces bruised and swollen, neither willing to let go. Liu Guangtian hit harder and harder, as if he wanted to unleash all the cold looks, grievances, and resentment he had suffered over the past ten years into each punch.

Within two minutes, everyone in the courtyard had gathered around. The father and son were covered in blood, their clothes torn, and they were still desperately tearing at each other.

Several young people quickly stepped forward and pried the two apart. Some of them ran to the neighborhood office to find Director Hong. There were no elders or anyone in charge in the courtyard. When something like this happened, they could only rely on the neighborhood office to handle the situation.

Even after they were pulled apart, the two continued to hurl insults at each other. After listening for a few moments, bystanders understood the situation: Liu Haizhong was too biased, refusing to even pay a bride price for his son's marriage; no matter how aggrieved Liu Guangtian felt, he shouldn't have hit his father.

Director Hong pushed his way through the crowd, his voice booming as if the roof tiles were shaking: "Are you all crazy? Son beating father? Is there no humanity left?!"

The entire room fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Director Hong's gaze was sharp as he swept over the two disheveled faces: "Speak! Why did you attack? This is utterly disrespectful and lawless!"

Liu Guangtian clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms: "Director Hong, I admit my mistake, but I can't swallow this! Why can't I get married with the money I earned through hard work? If the money's gone, where did it go? Or did it disappear into the ground?"

Liu Haizhong slammed his hand on the table, his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets: "I raised you for seventeen or eighteen years, and what do you do? You eat, live, and wear clothes for free, but you won't even give me a hair!"

Director Hong's temples throbbed as he listened—this wasn't living a normal life; it was a powder keg piled up in the yard! The old man didn't act like an elder, and the son didn't act like a junior. Of all the families in the building, his and Yan Bugui's were the most troublesome. Every time the neighborhood committee came to complain, eight out of ten times it was these two families who caused the mess.

Director Hong slammed the enamel mug on the table, splashing water everywhere: "Divide the property! Liu Guangtian's salary will be returned in full, and he'll get a separate room; when you retire, if he doesn't support you, bring a note to the neighborhood office and sue him, and I'll stamp it!"

With his neck stiffened, Liu Haizhong retorted, "I have no money! No house! And I don't need him to support me! I have my eldest son to carry on the family name!"

Director Hong sneered and took half a step forward: "Fine, you won't budge no matter what, then I'll just say it here today—those old-fashioned 'father is the head of the family' mentality, put it away as soon as possible! Either do as I say, or we'll sever all ties! All the money he's earned in the last two years will be returned to him, the neighborhood committee will allocate a piece of land next to the courtyard wall, build him a house on the spot, and from now on, we'll go our separate ways, and neither of us will have anything to do with the other!"

Liu Haizhong stubbornly retorted, "Anyway, I'm completely broke right now."

Liu Guangtian felt as if a burning coal was lodged in his chest—his monthly salary, along with Liu Haizhong's share, had all been secretly and openly stuffed into his elder brother's granary! The more he thought about it, the more his heart burned, and the flames of anger shot upwards.

Director Hong pointed to the east wing: "Sell this room to Liu Guangtian for sixty yuan! The remaining one hundred and fifty yuan, you pay in monthly installments. If you delay for even a day, I'll go to the steel mill to find your factory manager! Consider the fifty yuan as medical expenses; whether you want to sever ties or not is up to you. See you at the neighborhood committee tomorrow morning at nine o'clock!"

He paused, then added, "From now on, Liu Guangtian must give the two elders five yuan every month, without fail."

He Yuzhu leaned against the gate of the courtyard, his heart sinking: the father was not like a father, the son was not like a son. The result of trying to treat them equally was that no one was favored. The child was beaten even when he hadn't done anything wrong, and the adults vented their anger on the child. Over time, their hearts were drained of all their vitality, leaving only a dull, hard shell.

Xu Damao sauntered over, patted Liu Guangtian on the shoulder, and sighed like a bellows: "Brother Guangtian, you're really unlucky to have parents like these! All the money you earn goes into your older brother's bottomless pit, and they won't even let you get married—they're going to squeeze you dry and then bury you in the ground!"

The implication was quite clear: Liu Haizhong had no intention of letting Liu Guangtian settle down; he just wanted to keep him tied down and make him serve his elder brother like a slave for the rest of his life.

Liu Guangtian gritted his teeth: "From today onwards, I sever all ties with them! If they dare to lay a hand on me again, I will not acknowledge them as my father; I will only consider them as enemies!"

Liu Guangfu huddled against the wall, watching his second brother swing his arm and curse. He felt a mix of sourness and satisfaction, wishing he had slapped him instead! But when he touched his own thin arms and legs, he shrunk back down dejectedly—if it really came down to a fight, he probably wouldn't last three moves.

……

A few days later

He Yuzhu stepped into the room under the cover of night. His trousers had barely touched the threshold when He Aijun grabbed them tightly with both of her small hands, like vines clinging to tree roots.

He Aijun looked up, his eyes shining like stars: "Dad! They're showing a movie on the playground tonight! I want to go!"