Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Su Jiang raised his hand and knocked on the door. Su Yu responded and came out. Su Yu's nose tingled, and she rushed over to hug his shoulders, tears streaming down her face—her third brother had separated from the family and had never stepped into the old house again; she wanted to come and see him, but as soon as she mentioned Wang Guifen's name, she was scolded and didn't even dare to cross the threshold.

Su Yu patted her head: "Why are you crying? Third Brother isn't missing any limbs. From now on, if you catch loaches, I'll give you cakes to eat; if you help me with chores, you'll get food."

Su Yu nodded, took the pancake, and took small bites, her cheeks bulging. Su Yu was worried about not having enough hands, as they would be going up the mountain to dig yams and kudzu roots in a few days.

……

Wang Guifen stood at the gate of the courtyard, watching helplessly as her two beloved children strolled into the house carrying pancakes.

Wang Guifen: "Who gave it to you?"

Su Jiang: "Stop worrying about this."

Wang Guifen: "Why should I care about you?"

Su Yu: "Third Brother gave it to us, saying that if we did things for him, he would feed us as much as we wanted."

Wang Guifen snorted, "That ingrate finally remembered a little bit of kindness. From now on, go straight to his place after work. Everyone needs a pot of rice, right? Besides, he really does care about you guys—Fourth brother, how did you get that cut on your arm?"

Su Jiang: "What's it to you?"

Wang Guifen: "You're not going to talk? I'll call your older brothers to deal with you later."

Su Jiang: "I broke into my third brother's house today, and I got a beating."

Wang Guifen slapped her thigh: "What a terrible thing! Why did you try to break the lock? You deserved to be beaten to death! He knew all along that I wasn't his biological mother. Last time when we bought the iron pot, I thought he was keeping it a secret and trying to sneak some good stuff back. But your deadbeat father spilled the beans to him, even revealing the hundred yuan he'd hidden... I'm doomed for life!"

The eldest and second eldest sons stared at the pancakes, swallowing hard, and leaned forward to ask, "Mom, when did you buy these? Why didn't you save a couple for us?"

Wang Guifen rolled her eyes: "Go eat shit! You're lazy and sluggish all day long, earning fewer work points than a mouse digging a hole. I'm so angry I could die! From now on, if you don't have enough work points, you're not even allowed to stand by the stove!"

The two immediately shut up, shrinking their necks and not daring to utter a sound.

Su Yu added, "It was given to me by my third brother, not bought by my mother."

Upon hearing the name "Su Yu," the two brothers stiffened and felt a chill run down their spines—she was not someone to be trifled with; she was truly capable of killing.

Wang Guifen glanced at him sideways: "They earned this by working for the third brother. Want some? Go and work hard yourself. Whether they accept you or not is not my concern."

Su Qing's eyes lit up: "Really? What kind of work can I do to earn pancakes?"

Su Yu: "I'll do whatever Third Brother tells me to do, without a word."

The Soviet soldier scoffed, "Boring! I'm not going to his place. You guys go eat by yourselves, don't drag me into this."

Wang Guifen sneered, "You want to eat shit? Do you think anyone cares about you? You've always pushed every chore onto the third son since he was little! Now you've raised two lazybones who still have the nerve to beg for food! If you could earn half his work points, I'd be laughing in my sleep!"

The Soviet soldier retorted, his neck stiff: "Then why did you kick him out in the first place?"

Wang Guifen blurted out, "I get annoyed just looking at him, okay?"

That's true—she really hates Su Yu, and she's even more afraid that he'll spend all her savings for her coffin when he gets married in the future.

Su Qing reached out her hand: "Fourth brother, can I have a bite?"

Su Jiang tucked the pancake into his clothes: "Gone! Not a single one left! What am I going to eat tomorrow? You were eating roasted bird eggs on the mountain, your mouth was all greasy, didn't you share even half with me?"

Wang Guifen looked at her two eldest sons and felt a surge of anger—they were listless when it came to work, but quick as lightning when it came to grabbing food.

At this moment, Su Yu carried a heavy basket of loaches and entered the gate of the state-run restaurant.

Director Zheng waved from afar: "Xiao Su, come over here, I have something to tell you."

A waiter nearby shoved him with a smile, "Go on, go on, it must be good news!"

Su Yu was completely bewildered—what could possibly make her laugh like that? Did she have mud on her face?

He walked into the office, and Director Zheng gestured with his hand, "Xiao Su, have a seat."

Su Yu had just sat down.

Director Zheng began, "I heard you graduated from elementary school?"

Su Yu nodded: "Yes, I didn't attend any more classes after that."

Director Zheng leaned forward slightly: "Here's the thing—my cousin and his wife have been transferred to another region, and the old chef in the kitchen, who is also his father, has gone with them. Right now, we're short a head chef, so you can come and work as a temporary worker for a few months, and then I'll make you a permanent employee. I know you live far away, so I've kept the bicycle my brother asked me to sell for you—it's been ridden for four years, and it's still like new. It's 130 yuan, you can take it."

Su Yu knew perfectly well: First, she had a job; second, she had a means of transportation; third, her future depended entirely on how hard she worked and how honest she was.

He quickly stood up: "Director, I really don't know how to thank you! I've saved up two hundred yuan for that car locally, can you just charge me one hundred and fifty yuan?"

Director Zheng readily nodded: "Okay! Fill out the forms, the car is parked right outside. You can take the loaches in first, or ride them away, or bring the money tomorrow. Loach work will be difficult in a few days when it gets colder, so it's good to take a break."

Su Yu bowed deeply: "Thank you so much! I'll make sure I don't take up any more of your time from now on. I'll be going now."

Director Zheng nodded: "Okay, you can go ahead and get busy. You need to start the early shift tomorrow morning."

Su Yu responded with an "Yes," turned around, and went into the kitchen, immediately followed by a commotion.

"My treat tomorrow! All you can eat!" she laughed loudly. "There's a long road ahead, and I'm so grateful for everyone's support!"

A burst of applause erupted. Su Yu pushed open the door of the state-run restaurant, took out the brass key given to her by Director Zheng, and with a "click," pried open the lock of the gleaming bicycle at the main entrance. She hopped on the pedals and rode towards the post office, the wheels making a crisp "clunk" sound as they rolled over the bluestone pavement.

Stamp prices: 8 cents for ordinary mail, 20 cents for registered mail.

Ordinary mail doesn't issue invoices, isn't registered upon delivery, and doesn't require a signature; registered mail, however, is meticulous in every way—it's traceable, trackable, and comes with proof. If ordinary mail is lost, the post office will not take responsibility; but if registered mail is truly lost, you'll be compensated double the postage, not a penny less.

The girl behind the window looked up and asked, "Comrade, are you mailing a letter or picking up a package?"

"Make the registration." Su Yu handed over seven letters neatly, the corners of the envelopes pressed down neatly, and the sealing wax bright red.

"One dollar and forty cents." The girl flicked her finger across the abacus, the beads making a crisp sound.

Su Yu paid, turned back to her bicycle, bent down to tighten the iron hoops on both sides of the wooden bucket, making sure they weren't loose, before hopping on her bike and speeding towards the black market. Entering the grove, she lightly touched the ground with her toes, and the bicycle vanished in a flash; in the blink of an eye, she was already carrying a bamboo basket, striding forward—the aroma of pastries mingled with the scent of wheat, wafting far on the evening breeze. The young man collecting the grain took a bite, his eyes immediately lit up, and he immediately decided: "From now on, I'll take it all, two yuan and twenty cents a pound, I'll cover any profits, big or small!"

Su Yu readily nodded. She hadn't planned to do much anyway; with someone else guaranteed to take the goods, why not?

Now, Su Yun is learning the craft from Xiao Yulan. The two of them can easily make ten catties of pastries a day, earning a net profit of six yuan. When Su Yun starts school, Xiao Yulan personally promised to give her a share, and she would get one yuan from each day's sales. Right now, she is teaching Xiao Yulan how to prepare the filling, control the heat, and trim the edges, taking each step as seriously as if she were teaching a family heirloom.

The moment Su Yu rode her bicycle into the village, the entire village erupted in excitement. Adults and children alike took off running, calling out to their friends as they headed straight for her courtyard gate—the first bicycle in the whole village, who wouldn't want to take a peek?

Su Guang peered over the fence and whispered, "Sanzi, where did this car come from? Don't let it get you into trouble!"

"It was a gift from my dad's old comrade-in-arms." Su Yu adjusted the handlebars, her tone frank. "I even found a temporary job in the city. I'll repay the favor slowly."

Before the words were even finished, a buzz of discussion erupted in the crowd. A government-supplied food ration! That's the key to a secure job! Everyone sighed at Xiao Yulan's good fortune. Several newlywed women huddled against the wall, their envy practically radiating from their nostrils—who else in the village had a car? Her family was the only one who could afford to clean and ride it every day!

Liu Yan was also mingling in the crowd, her eyes fixed on the gleaming black Phoenix car, her fingers clenched so tightly they turned white. But ever since Su Yu married Xiao Yulan, he seemed like a completely different person. He wouldn't even lift an eyelid when she saw Liu Yan, his gaze as cold as a knife. She pondered this over and over: It must be Xiao Yulan gossiping behind her back, dredging up all the old grievances! Otherwise, why would Su Yu suddenly turn on her?

If the two families reconcile... then wouldn't she be able to ride the car around a few times? With that thought, she sped off towards Su Yu's yard.

……

As Liu Yan stepped across the threshold, she was almost pushed out of the house by the people inside—there were people everywhere: around the stove, under the door frame, and in the shadow of the locust tree in the courtyard. Xiao Yulan was smiling as she distributed pastries to the neighbors, while Su Yu leaned against the door of the main room talking to someone; neither of them glanced in her direction at all. She wasn't annoyed at all; instead, she smiled and picked up the teapot, refilling the water for each of the elders, her words as sweet as honey.

Su Yu didn't say a word in response. Right now, he was busy going to the city to work, and Xiao Yulan was home alone. It wasn't worth ruining things over a shrew who couldn't understand reason—why bother with a fight that could be settled with three pounds of cornmeal?

What did she do in the original story? She tricked a female educated youth from out of town into going into the mountains alone to collect herbs, took a few dollars from him, and then set her sights on the girl who was unfamiliar with the area. If it weren't for the male educated youth who happened to be returning from patrolling the mountains that day and caught her in the act, the girl would have been murdered long ago. Once this was exposed, the darkness in people's hearts could no longer be hidden.

When the scheme failed, Lai San slapped her several times and returned all the money. She then went back to her parents' home and set up another scheme, sending Lai San to a labor camp.

Su Yu had no time to play along with her melodramatic act. His eyes were on the house in the county town, the name on the household registration book, and the ever-growing pile of cash in his pocket. If she ever dared to interfere—Su Yu sneered, noticing the empty fertilizer bags piled in the corner of his room.

Su Guang pulled him into the inner room, and only spoke after closing the door: "You work in the city, do you want to transfer your ration book?"

"Temporary worker, can't be transferred." Su Yu shook her head, "The food rations still have to be handled by our brigade."

"If you don't work, how will your work points be calculated?" Su Guang frowned. "Here's what we'll do: we'll have a meeting tomorrow and set a figure—you'll pay a certain amount each month, and that'll get you full work points."