Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

He Yuzhu, dressed in a crisp navy blue cadre uniform, collar buttoned tightly, shoes polished to a shine, strode steadily across the tree-lined path of the Party School, heading straight for the third classroom. When he pushed open the door, the classroom was already packed—no one was late, and no one was whispering. This was no longer the days of his school days, when rushing into the classroom at the sound of the bell might offer a "lucky" escape; now, if the discipline committee recorded "unexcused absence" or "classroom misbehavior," a rusty nail would be permanently hammered into their file: at best, they'd be placed on the "lax conduct" list by the Organization Department; at worst, their promotion prospects would be directly jeopardized. Disrespect for teachers and elders, disregard for regulations—these eight words weighed heavily on anyone.

He had barely sat down for two minutes when a middle-aged man in his early forties darted into the classroom. His hair was slicked back and perfectly combed; his clothes were neat and sharp, with four distinct pockets on his Zhongshan suit and a silver-tipped fountain pen clipped to his left breast pocket. He looked like a model who had just stepped out of a picture frame, full of energy.

He strode up to the podium, his voice clear and bright: "Hello students, my name is Wang Guangyuan. Starting today, I will serve as the organizer and lecturer for Class 3. If you need to take leave or have any questions, you can come to room 302 on the second floor of Building 1 anytime—but remember, make an appointment in advance, so you don't run into a meeting." Before he finished speaking, he pointed to the front row, "Class monitor, please take attendance."

Cui Qingfeng stood up at the sound of the call, his back ramrod straight, his voice crisp and clear, each name like a resounding drumbeat; the students whose names were called stood up in unison, their "Here!"s being identical, short and forceful. As soon as he sat down, the deputy organizer and discipline committee member flipped through the roster, ticking off each name, then strolled to the back of the classroom, stood by the aisle, his gaze sweeping over every subtle movement like a searchlight.

Wang Guangyuan raised his hand and gestured: "Please bring out 'Anti-Dühring'."

He looked around and asked, "Has anyone flipped through this book in the last few days?"

Silence fell over the room. Indeed, no one had touched it—this was an old edition published by the People's Publishing House in 1999, now only distributed to Party School students, and long since disappeared from ordinary bookstores.

Anti-Dühring can be considered the first "general outline" work of Marxist doctrine. Engels, with his sharp pen, forged the entire theoretical system into three sharp blades:

First, it cuts through the fog of old philosophy and raises the banner of dialectical materialism and historical materialism.

Secondly, it dissects the fabric of capitalism to reveal the surging economic rhythms behind the relations of production.

Third, we must sever the vines of utopian socialism and allow scientific socialism to take root in the historical mission of the proletariat.

Marx and Engels had long regarded the "communist worldview" as an indivisible whole, but it was this polemic work that truly forged its three pillars into a complete ideological weapon—it is not a compilation of dogmas, but a practical manual with sharp edges and logical conclusions.

Instead of simply reading from the book, Wang Guangyuan broke it down, drawing on his own observations from working at the grassroots level: "This book isn't just about theoretical principles on paper; it's a yardstick for calculations and a key to breaking through bottlenecks. In the future, when you're managing projects, leading teams, or writing reports, how can you do without it?"

An hour and a half later, the bell rang, and he and the discipline monitor walked out of the classroom one after the other. Today's classes were over. Tomorrow was a holiday. He Yuzhu closed his notebook, locked several textbooks in his drawer, and only took the half-open copy of *Anti-Dühring*, then turned and walked towards the school gate.

He pondered his teacher's words all the way—it turned out that "thorough understanding" wasn't about rote memorization, but about extracting the three main threads: how to view the world, how to calculate economic costs, and how to lead a team to get things done. Back at the Prince's Mansion, as soon as he stepped through the courtyard gate, he saw Yang Chengyi sitting on the veranda talking to He Yubing.

It turned out he had set up a small stall across from the department store that morning: five newly tailored spring outfits, all worn by his wife as a living advertisement. He lowered his voice and called out, "Comrade, take a look! This fabric, this cut, it's two cents cheaper than the new styles at the department store!" The women who gathered around initially hesitated, but once they saw the fabric's beautiful drape and the perfectly fitted waist, they immediately rushed forward to place their orders. In less than ten minutes, all five outfits were sold out, and some even chased after him with money in hand, asking, "Are you coming again tomorrow? Don't let someone else beat you to it!"

Yang Chengyi rubbed his hands together and laughed, "Yubing, I'm thinking, could we hire a couple of female workers, pay them daily wages, just to help us with fittings and serving customers?"

He Yubing shook her head: "No rush. Let's hire two experienced tailors and two mechanics first, and have them work for a full month. What if the novelty wears off and people don't buy anymore? Wages, fabric, utilities—aren't those all real money expenses?"

"Okay! I'll do as you say." He took out two yuan and fifty cents. "Here, the design fee, not a penny less."

"Brother, what's the point of you coming every day? Just come once a month from now on. I trust you, so don't doubt me either—for a business to last, it's about exchanging sincerity for sincerity."

"That's right!" he laughed heartily. "Then come back next month. If there's anything you're unsure about, you'll have to teach me wholeheartedly!"

"You can never earn enough money," she replied with a smile. "That's something my dad always says. We're partners, but more than that, we're like siblings—I, He Yubing, will never hold back when I can help someone."

The two chatted for a few more minutes about everyday things when He Yuzhu suddenly entered. Yang Chengyi immediately stood up and greeted him with a smile.

He Yuzhu waved his hand: "You guys chat, I have something to do."

"Let's go!" Yang Chengyi packed his cloth bag neatly. "There's soup simmering on the stove at home."

"Go ahead, come visit often when you have time."

"Hey, Uncle, you should rest!"

Lou Xiao'e heard the noise and quickly came out to greet them, her apron still tied around her waist.

"Was today's class difficult? You haven't systematically learned these things before, so don't force yourself if you can't keep up. We'll work through it slowly."

"Okay, I'll go to the lounge and browse through some books. If the kitchen is too busy, just call me."

"How dare I disturb the leader's study session!" she deliberately dragged out her words.

"Stop being ridiculous! Even if he's your boss, he's still your man. Do you think I'd pretend I didn't hear you?

She chuckled, "Okay, if I'm really too busy, I'll come and call you. Xu Damao's family is having a banquet this afternoon, I'll come and call you around noon."

He Yuzhu nodded and turned to go to the lounge—reading a few more pages in his spare time would allow him to delve deeper into the ideas of his thesis and go further.

Just past noon, Lou Xiao'e pushed open the door carrying a brand-new bed sheet, grabbed He Yuzhu, and headed straight for the old courtyard house. As they approached the gate, Qin Huairu and Xu Damao, already dressed in their finest red silk robes, stood before the screen wall to greet them. Seeing He Yuzhu and his wife approaching, Qin Huairu immediately beamed, her voice clear and warm:

"Officer He is here? Please come in, everything is prepared inside!"

He Yuzhu waved his hand and laughed sincerely: "We're all neighbors, why bother with all this formality?"

As soon as he stepped into the central courtyard, Banggeng, with his sharp eyes, darted out from under the corridor and approached him in a few steps. He lowered his head, rubbing his hands together, and his voice was a little tense:

"Uncle... I was ignorant when I was young and made you angry many times. I apologize to you in person today."

He Yuzhu patted his shoulder, his tone kind and gentle: "People grow up gradually. Turn the page on the past, and try to share more of your mother's burden in the future—she raised the three of you, and every single day she did it with gritted teeth."

Lou Xiao'e had already stuffed the gift money into Yan Bugui's hand, and then pulled He Yuzhu to find a round table to sit down.

……

The festive atmosphere of the New Year was growing stronger, and the sealing of the Kitchen God would be just around the corner. That day, Lou's father called again, chatting animatedly with Lou Yue. After hanging up, her face flushed, and she wiggled her toes with delight. Not long after, the New Year's gifts that Grandpa had sent arrived: all from Hong Kong, two different outfits for each person—He Yuzhu wore a sharp suit with two pairs of shiny leather shoes; Lou Xiao'e wore a well-tailored overcoat and a high-necked cashmere sweater; the three boys each wore a puffy down jacket and a pair of thick riding boots; the two daughters' outfits were exactly the same as their mother's; only Lou Yue received a handful of dolls, blonde and blue-eyed, dressed even more elegantly than the real thing.

Lou Xiao'e unfolded the clothes one by one, folding them as she said, "Wear these for the New Year, for good luck! Wearing them now won't feel right."

He Aijun nodded silently, saying little; Lou Yue, however, pouted, her eyes darting around, and while her mother turned to pour water, she darted into the house, changed into her new clothes, and rushed off to her aunt's house to show them off.

He Yuzhu shook his head, looking at her and said, "Let her be! If she really wants to wear them, she can just buy two more sets. Cloth coupons are practically obsolete these days, so don't throw away old clothes. They can still be worn for a few more years when we go back to Dongli County."

Lou Xiao'e glared at him: "You know perfectly well who I'm talking about—stop playing dumb with me! If you love your daughter, just say so, don't beat around the bush. Besides, aren't all those four women careful with their clothes, patching them up until they're faded but still intact? But her, in less than three days, her collar looked like it'd been chewed by a dog, and her cuffs were shiny with grease. I almost thought I'd brought home a mud-covered little monkey!"

He Yuzhu scratched his head: "Kids are like living beings when they're a little naughty."

Lou Xiao'e snorted, "Why isn't the third son like that? You spoil him, and you still protect him?"

With university on winter break, all the kids rushed to help out at the Prince's Mansion. Business was booming, they were busy from morning till night, barely having time to catch their breath—they'd just finished wiping three tables when the kitchen erupted in shouts as a dozen or so customers poured in. Lou Xiao'e raised her voice and immediately beckoned her eldest son to lead his younger brothers to the front lines: "Don't just stand there daydreaming! Little Fifth is nowhere to be seen all day, don't you dare follow her example!"

He Aijun stole a glance at He Yuzhu, his lips moved, but he swallowed them back, his face full of unspoken words.

He Yuzhu understood immediately and winked at him: "If you want to go out, just tell your mom. It's not like you're in jail. You're not going to have trouble finding a place to run wild, are you?"

He Aijun's eyes lit up, and he quickly turned around to ask Lou Xiao'e for leave. He quickly put on his new clothes, pushed out his bicycle, and left with a "clatter".

A few minutes later, Yang Chengyi led his entire family into the Prince's Mansion in a lively atmosphere. After settling the elderly and children into a private room, he turned back and went straight to He Yuzhu's side.

Yang Chengyi lowered his voice and gestured with a "two": "Uncle, I can now steadily make this much money every day."