Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

The He family waited especially for He Wenyuan to return for dinner. She had said before that as long as he did a good job, the boss would send him a dish every day. Today, Wu Xiaoying bought a whole beef skeleton, which was hardly touched during the day, except for the table of guests at noon, who ate it all up, leaving not even the bones.

Just before leaving get off work, Liu Hongchang personally ladled out a pot full of tenderly stewed beef bones, putting the broth and meat into an enamel pot, and told her to take it home: "Just wash it and bring it back tomorrow morning. In this weather, it'll spoil overnight. If a customer gets sick from eating it, our reputation will be ruined." — So, tonight everything was stewed thoroughly and portioned out, and any leftovers were packed up.

Wu Xiaoying hopped on her bicycle, while He Wenyuan carried the pot in one hand and held the edge of the pot with the other. The two of them, one in front of the other, wobbled their way home.

As soon as He Wenyuan stepped into the courtyard, he saw a figure standing at the entrance of the main room.

He Wenyuan: "Sis? When did you arrive?"

He Wenhui: "I just pushed open the door, I hadn't even gotten my footing yet, and you're back carrying a pot?"

Yu Qiuhua peeked out and exclaimed, "Working at Liu's restaurant? This pot...did the boss pack his bags and run away?"

He Wenyuan quickly explained the origin of the pot of beef bones.

He Wenhui raised an eyebrow: "Liu Hongchang? That Chef Liu from the second canteen?"

He Wenyuan: "I really can't say for sure whether he actually worked in the second canteen. But his cooking skills—tsk, they were absolutely amazing! The customers who came to eat there were always full of praise for him."

He Wenhui: "I'll go there myself tomorrow, to see for myself."

He Wenyuan: "Sister, where are you working now?"

He Wenhui: "I took the initiative to approach the teacher who was in charge of the garment factory, and he managed to secure the job."

The family sat around the table, enjoying Liu Hongchang's cooking. The bone broth had just been served, and before they'd even touched a few bowls of rice, everyone was already stuffed and burping. They exclaimed how authentic the flavor was. He Wenyuan quickly washed the pots and pans, afraid of delaying returning them to his boss the next day.

A month passed in the blink of an eye, and it was payday at Liu's Restaurant. Liu Zi had long since stopped working there and had taken over his own breakfast stall, located diagonally opposite the train station exit.

He Wenyuan clutched the thirty yuan in his hand, wondering to himself: Wasn't it agreed that he would be paid as an apprentice? Why is there more than ten yuan extra?

Liu Hongchang grinned: "If we work hard, we won't let anyone down."

Wu Xiaoying also received her 100 yuan salary today, but she smiled and said to Wen Yuan, "Same as me, not a penny less."

Liu Hongchang made several phone calls to the old chefs at the second canteen, but they held onto their secure jobs firmly and wouldn't budge an inch.

This month, the small restaurant made a net profit of over seven thousand yuan. Yang Maixiang's hands trembled as she counted the money—after paying taxes, there was still more than five thousand left, more than a high-ranking official's annual income! She sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), clicking her tongue in amazement, unable to recover for a long time.

Liu Hongchang patted her on the shoulder: "This is just the beginning. It wouldn't be surprising if you doubled your earnings in the future."

The eldest couple hid inside, laughing so hard they were doubled over. Liu Yunchang earned nearly 800 yuan this month, and Wu Xiaoying also received a full 100 yuan. They also had social security benefits, so the factory didn't force them to retire. Although it was a "low-paying job," 20 yuan a month was still a steady sum in their pockets.

Wu Xiaoying's eyes lit up: "Almost a thousand a month! If we work our hardest for a year, we'll definitely be millionaires!"

Liu Yunchang slapped his thigh: "We need to put the housing issue on the agenda too! One house for each of the two kids in the future, how spacious that would be!"

Wu Xiaoying nodded: "A little over four thousand a unit is just right now. I'll go to the neighborhood committee at the end of the year to find out more, then buy another one and rent it out. That way, I can supplement my household expenses every month."

The couple became more and more energetic as they planned, and before their pillows were even warm, they were already counting money in their dreams.

When He Wenyuan stepped into the house, Yu Qiuhua was waiting for her to come home for dinner. He Wenhui's work unit had approved the housing allocation, but Yu Qiuhua was used to living in the old house and didn't want to move; Wenyuan and she would continue to stay here, while their two younger brothers had been clamoring to start their own household.

As soon as the mother and daughter picked up their bowls, Wenyuan said with a beaming smile, "Mom, payday! The boss gave me thirty yuan a month, and said if business gets even better, he'll give me a raise right away!"

Yu Qiuhua put down her chopsticks and took out a stack of cloth coupons from the cupboard: "Great news! You haven't bought a decent piece of clothing all these years. I've been saving for a long time, and all the money went to supplement the family income, but I've saved up quite a few cloth coupons—take these to buy some cloth, and I'll sew you a few presentable outfits."

Wen Yuan's eyes welled up with tears: "Mom, you are truly my good mother."

Yu Qiuhua sighed softly: "From now on, you can do whatever you want with the money you earn. Your sister has sixty a month, which is enough for Wentao and Wenda's school expenses; Mom will grit her teeth and support you to repeat a year."

Wen Yuan nodded: "Okay, then I'll go study now."

Upon hearing that the burden on her family had been lightened, she immediately picked up her textbook and studied every word in her heart—hoping for the day she would pass the imperial examination with flying colors and finally see the smiles on her mother's face.

Li Jianbin was taking a walk with He Wenhui. The two families had already made it clear: the wedding date would be set as soon as he graduated. Looking at this handsome and intelligent college student, the Li family was genuinely satisfied.

He Wenhui spent her entire first month's salary on her younger brothers—she knew perfectly well that the whole family had tightened their belts to support her education all these years, and now it was her turn to shoulder the responsibility. She even had a plan for the apartment allocated to her by her work unit: to leave it to Wentao as their wedding home. She chatted with Li Jianbin all the way, her eyes shining.

The more they talked, the darker Li Jianbin's face became. In the end, he simply shut his mouth and didn't utter a sound for a long time.

……

He Wenhui stopped and asked softly, "Jianbin, are you feeling unwell?"

Li Jianbin shook his head: "It's nothing, I'm just thinking about something."

He Wenhui said gently, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Anyway, you'll graduate next year. I'll just scout out the path for you and help you smooth out the obstacles ahead."

Li Jianbin nodded reluctantly, but his mind was in turmoil: her two younger brothers were like two peas in a pod, one as stubborn as a rock, always looking down on everyone; the other as greedy as a little mouse, always eyeing the best food, clothes, and things. He had just bought two pounds of fruit today, a little over three yuan a pound, and the two of them had devoured it in the blink of an eye, leaving not even the pits, faster than monkeys picking peaches!

He secretly comforted himself: things might get better after marriage... but he never expected that things would really "get straight to the point" after marriage.

After Wentao and his brother moved into He Wenhui's place, they were completely carefree—no one nagged them, no one disciplined them, and they lived more freely than monks in a temple.

The next morning, He Wenyuan brought a classmate to the restaurant. Liu Hongchang was extremely busy and needed a quick and efficient young woman, so he asked her to help him find one.

Liu Hongchang was straightforward: "The first month depends on performance. If you do well, your salary will increase; if you are diligent, we will definitely treat you well."

He Wenyuan followed Liu Yunchang onto his bicycle and they went to the morning market together to sell roujiamo (Chinese hamburger). She only helped Liu Yunchang keep an eye on the mornings – this was a job assigned by Liu Hongchang: Wenyuan's salary was paid by him, the restaurant was quiet in the mornings, and the two people in the kitchen could easily wash vegetables and sweep the floor; at noon, when the customers surged, she would immediately go back to the shop to lend a hand.

He Wenyuan rode his bicycle straight to the entrance of the train station, where crowds thronged. Whether business was good or bad depended entirely on luck.

While shouting "Hot roujiamo (Chinese hamburger)!" she busily packed and handed out the goods, earning nearly ten yuan in just one morning.

Of the forty yuan, fifty cents belonged to her—just this one trip in the morning could earn her an extra fifteen yuan a month. Her heart was pounding like a bird in her chest.

When Liu Yunchang returned at noon, Wen Yuan had already handed the money to Wu Xiaoying and then turned around and busied himself in the kitchen.

After lunch, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and took a short break. Liu Hongchang never worked non-stop; as long as things went smoothly during peak hours, everyone could catch their breath.

Liu Hongchang smiled at the new girl: "Xiao Cui, are you settling in alright?"

Gao Xiaocui wiped her sweat: "It's fine, not as tiring as I thought."

Liu Hongchang nodded: "You'll get used to it. The main event is this afternoon, so you should rest for a while."

He Wenyuan moved a small stool to the shop entrance and sat down, a book spread out on her lap. She longed to be like her sister, to get into a good university, and have an easier life afterward. Right now, she could support herself with her own hands and hold onto the opportunity to retake the college entrance exam—an opportunity that hadn't come easily, and she dared not relax for even a day.

Seeing that no one came to eat lunch, Liu Hongchang quickly wiped the stove clean, put away the bowls and chopsticks, grabbed his apron, and strolled over to Liu Zi's place. Liu Zi had already been enlightened by him and got married to Xiao Li; hearing that Liu Hongchang ran a restaurant on his own and earned four or five thousand a month, the couple gritted their teeth and submitted an application, renting a small shop on the street corner to specialize in hand-pulled noodles—Liu Hongchang even taught him all his secrets from his previous life in making braising broth, including the heat, spice ratios, and simmering time, without holding back a single detail.

At that moment, Liu Zi and Xiao Li were hunched over behind the counter, fiddling with the abacus beads. Hearing the curtain rustle, Liu Zi immediately put down his pen and rushed out to greet them.

Liu Zi: "Brother! What brings you here to see us today?"

Liu Hongchang patted him on the shoulder with a smile: "Missed you, you silly boy! How's business?"

Liu Zi grinned: "Sure thing, after deducting costs, we'll net a little over a hundred a day."

Liu Hongchang raised an eyebrow: "You're right to trust me, aren't you? These days, if you don't hold your own rice bowl and work for yourself, how can you gain a foothold? From now on, this business will only get better and better, believe it or not?"

Liu Zi's eyes narrowed into slits as he laughed: "How could I not believe you? You've never flattered me once since we were kids."

Liu Hongchang pointed to the door and said, "Come over tonight, let's have a couple of drinks, eat and chat."

The two squatted on the threshold, chatting about the old days of the second canteen—now only Old Qin was left to keep it afloat, Su Hou had been transferred to the provincial capital for further studies, Liu Zi and Liu Hongchang had both left, and with the stoves cold, the food was no longer what it used to be. Many regular customers would rather go out of their way to squeeze in here.

Just as Liu Hongchang turned to walk back, a neatly dressed couple entered through the door and were whispering something to Wu Xiaoying. He glanced up, a thought striking him: weren't these Director Hou and his wife? It seemed no one in the second canteen dared to take on this hot potato. He thought for a moment; Cantonese cuisine emphasizes freshness and natural flavor, and the freshness of ingredients is crucial. As for seafood procurement, their unit had connections, so he didn't need to worry about it.

"We'll handle the wedding banquet, eight yuan per table," Liu Hongchang said calmly. "We only charge a processing fee; we'll provide the oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. You'll need to bring the rest yourself."