Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"Okay, you decide on this."

Seeing Lou Xiao'e's brows relax, He Yuzhu also breathed a sigh of relief—what he least wanted to see was her silently grieving.

Before he knew it, it was New Year's Eve. Two days earlier, He Yuzhu had visited all the relatives he needed to see and contacted all the contacts he needed to reach out to, offering New Year's greetings in a lively and festive manner. His appointment notice had already been issued, and he was to set off for his new post early on the third day of the Lunar New Year.

After seeing off the last group of relatives, he casually dialed Lou's father's number.

He Yuzhu: "Dad, Mom, Happy New Year! I wish you both good health, happiness, and lots of smiles."

Lou's father: "Oh, good! Quickly hand the phone to Xiaoyue, I want to have a good talk with her."

He Yuzhu smiled and handed over the receiver—the older generation in the family nowadays all love to chat with Lou Yue; she's sweet-talking and thoughtful, and can make people smile with just a few words.

Less than a minute after the microphone was handed to Lou Yue, a hearty "hahaha" came from the other end. The laughter was clear and carefree, indicating that they were having a very enjoyable conversation.

He Daqing received his first paycheck at the private restaurant and immediately rushed home with bags and packages. He first delivered a generous gift to He Yushui's family, and then distributed the rest to his grandchildren, ensuring everyone received a share, including Lou Xiao'e and He Yuzhu.

The salary was set by He Yubing—it was paid according to the head chef's standard, with the sole responsibility of overseeing the taste of the dishes. He only needed to keep an eye on the stove and wouldn't have to serve dishes, run errands, or do odd jobs. He Daqing initially refused to accept it no matter what, but after a few words from Lou Yue, he actually nodded in agreement, his face beaming with a joy even brighter than during the New Year.

Later, He Yubing quietly revealed the truth: Lou Yue had whispered in her grandfather's ear, "Grandpa, it doesn't matter where you work, you're earning money. You keep the money in your own hands, you can buy whatever you want without asking anyone. You can buy new clothes or snacks for any of your grandchildren or great-grandchildren, whatever you please. Besides, if you don't take this money, it will become shares, and in the end, it will all go to Uncle Ma's family!"

He Daqing felt a warmth in his heart when his granddaughter said this: In old age, he can still earn money by his own ability, spend it as he pleases, without asking for help or being a burden. It's a down-to-earth and dignified life. How could he not be happy?

As he watched Lou Yue chatting animatedly with her grandfather, he quietly took out the New Year's gift he had prepared for Lou's father, and picked up the phone to join the conversation—the two old friends had been friends for decades, and when they talked about the old days, every sentence was full of energy and eloquence.

Lou Xiao'e interjected, "Tomorrow the whole family will go to your aunt's house to celebrate the New Year. After that, your father and I will be going to work in Dongli County, so we'll be leaving the family in your care. As for the Prince's Mansion, we'll have to trouble you to take care of things; Yubing is young and inexperienced, so you'll have to lend a hand and keep an eye on things."

He Daqing waved his hand, his tone resolute: "You can go with peace of mind. I'll take care of things at home. The more I look at Yubing, the more I like her—she's calm, knows what's important, and is even more reliable than Zhuzi. I'll discuss anything with Peng Mei, and I'll call you anytime for anything, big or small."

Lou Xiao'e was still a little worried: "I'm afraid she's too young and might get carried away when things happen."

He Yubing rolled her eyes at her mother playfully upon hearing this—when had she ever acted impulsively? But she swallowed the words back: "If I say one word back, I'll have to listen to her nagging half the night. It's not worth it."

……

Just as dawn was breaking, He Yushui arrived with her child to pick up the family—He Daqing and He Yuzhu's family, as usual, were going to her house for their reunion dinner. This had been arranged long before the holiday.

This was the first time in so many years that she had spent New Year's Eve with her father. Lou Xiao'e had already packed the gifts, letting each of the children carry one, while she and He Yuzhu walked empty-handed behind He Yushui, chatting and laughing all the way to the bus stop.

As soon as He Yushui entered the house, He Yuzhu rolled up his sleeves and went into the kitchen to help the children pick vegetables, wash dishes, set the table, and prepare ingredients.

Liu Yuanhao quickly stopped them, saying, "Brother, sister-in-law, you two should rest! How can you expect to do all the work as soon as guests walk in?"

He Yuzhu chuckled, "We're family, why would we need guests? It's more lively with more people, and food tastes better and warms the stomach when everyone pitches in."

Liu Yuanhao nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, yes! We're family, it's just that I'm bad with words—" Before he could finish speaking, he turned around and grabbed He Aijun and his brother, "Aijun, Aidang, are your university studies going well? Are you doing okay?"

He Aidang scratched his head: "It's alright, the coursework isn't too overwhelming."

He Aijun grinned: "It's much easier than high school, and the teachers don't keep an eye on me every day."

As soon as night fell, firecrackers crackled and popped, and Xiao Wu rushed into the yard to light the fuse.

Lou Xiao'e shook her head and sighed, "That wild girl, she'll seize any opportunity and cause trouble at any time. There's just no way to deal with her."

Lou Yue skipped back, and the New Year's Eve dinner began immediately. After the meal, He Aijun led the way, and his younger siblings and cousins ​​lined up to kowtow to their elders and wish them a Happy New Year.

First, they paid respects to He Daqing, giving each person two yuan as a New Year's gift. Then they paid respects to Liu's parents, and finally to He Yushui and his wife. After going around the circle, their pockets were bulging, and Xiao Wu's mouth was practically stretched to his ears in a grin.

Xiaoqin and Xiaotong looked dejected—He Yushui had taken all their money, leaving them with only 50 cents in their pockets.

He Yushui said with a stern face, "Mom saved it for you! You'll need it all for notebooks, pencils, and candy when school starts. Who are you trying to fool with that long face?"

Lou Yue grabbed her two younger siblings and her eyes curved into crescents: "Xiao Tong, Xiao Qin, I'm rich! Whatever you want to buy, I'll pay for it—I won't hesitate to pay a cent!" Before she finished speaking, she chuckled to herself, grabbed them, and rushed out, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

He Yuzhu pressed on, saying, "Yushui, your sister-in-law and I will be setting off in a couple of days. We'll be relying on you to take care of Dad and Xiao Wu."

He Yushui patted her chest and said, "Don't worry! I'll take care of things here. I've already quit my job at the neighborhood office and am now partnering with Yubing to make clothes. Once the machines her grandfather sends arrive, our backyard won't be big enough to accommodate them, so we'll have to find a factory building as soon as possible."

He Yuzhu nodded: "Go to the neighborhood office later and buy that vacant factory building in the back. If you don't have enough money, I'll figure something out."

He Yushui waved his hand: "We've already raised the money! We've also recruited quite a few people—Grandpa Yubing gave us the equipment for the two production lines as a gift; the machines alone are worth over 50,000 yuan."

He Yuzhu laughed and said, "You two are as useful as you can. Her grandfather is eager for them to take over the family business. Now it's just a matter of who can shoulder this responsibility. No matter which path they take, the old man will support them."

He Yushui rubbed her hands awkwardly: "I feel... a bit embarrassed to accept such a big gift for nothing."

He Yuzhu slapped his thigh: "We're family, why are you being so formal? This is called contributing technology as equity, it's perfectly legitimate!"

Even He Yuzhu was kept in the dark about this—He Yubing didn't let a word out. No one knows how she coaxed and pleaded with her grandfather on the phone, but she managed to persuade him to willingly hand over the money. Among the children, Lou Xiaowu was the most resourceful. She would make a long-distance call every other day. If the family hadn't actually started a business, the phone bills alone would have wiped out her allowance.

He Yushui lowered his voice: "Yubing told me that they make a net profit of five or six yuan per set of clothes, and a single line can produce hundreds of sets a day. Brother, I'm a little worried—what if they really make money? Will they get targeted again? Like before, will they raid our house with just a notice?"

He Yuzhu's gaze was steady: "Don't worry, this time it won't happen. The country is hoping for factories like ours to emerge, to revitalize the market and improve people's livelihoods. When you set up a factory, you're not only starting a business, but also providing jobs for your neighbors. As long as the procedures are complete and the accounts are clear, no one will come knocking on your door to cause trouble."

He Yushui: "Now I can finally relax. Yubing's designs are truly eye-catching, far superior to my old clothes. Looking at these styles, I feel like a country bumpkin who just came to the city from the countryside."

He Yuzhu: "If you two, aunt and nephew, can stick together as one, I won't have any worries at all—harmony in the family brings prosperity, which is better than anything else. Let's not wait until things get better and then find that there's a rift between us."

He Yushui: "Brother, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

He Yuzhu: "If you have extra money, you should buy a few courtyard houses as soon as possible. They are treasures left by our ancestors. In a few years, they may be hard to find."

He Yushui: "Yeah, I'll listen to whatever you say, brother."

He Yuzhu: "How's Aunt Liu's business near the train station going?"

He Yushui: "I earn twenty or thirty yuan a day, which is two or three times more than the fixed salary in the factory. Now I'm smiling so much that wrinkles have formed at the corners of my eyes."

He Yuzhu: "If you have some spare cash, hurry up and secure that shop space—if you're even a step too late, you might not be able to snag a storefront at all."

He Yushui: "The deposit was paid a long time ago, and the balance will be settled in the second half of the year. My dad also resigned and is now focusing on helping my mother-in-law manage the business."

He Yuzhu: "I only feel truly at ease when you are all doing well, and I can finally work with full force at work."

He Yushui's family saw He Yuzhu and his wife off at the main road at the village entrance. Lou Yue and He Daqing did not return to Beijing with them, but settled down here from then on.

On the way home, the family walked and talked, their conversation never stopping.

Lou Mancang: "Mom, I want to take over your little restaurant and run it myself."

He Yuzhu glanced at him sideways.

He Yuzhu: "If you have money, why don't you start your own business? Why do you have to target our old mess?"

Lou Mancang: "A good chef can't just be hired whenever you want. After thinking it over, I've decided that our own kitchen is the most reliable."

He Yuzhu: "If you want to take a chance, then go for it. I'll introduce you to two old buddies—they're reliable and skilled. As long as you treat them with sincerity, you can't go wrong."

Lou Mancang: "Dad, don't worry. In business, harmony is paramount and integrity is essential. I've long understood these principles."

He Yuzhu: "I'll take you to Uncle Liu Weimin's house first thing tomorrow morning. He's been cooking for decades and has a firm grasp on the heat; Liu Erdan is also capable of handling things on his own. In the catering business, you need honest people like this—they're reliable and worry-free."

Lou Mancang: "Then I'll thank you for your kind gesture, Dad."

He Yuzhu: "What are your plans, eldest and second eldest sons? What do you want to do? Dad will help you think it over."

He Aijun: "I just want to focus on my studies and haven't thought too far ahead yet."

He Aidang: "You're so focused on your books, Qian Liuyue has already passed you by. What are you pretending to be, a respectable person?"

He Aijun glared at her younger brother but didn't say a word.

He Yuzhu shook his head as he looked at the two brothers, but Lou Xiao'e became interested and leaned closer to ask: