Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

After the 1990s, wanting to live in a courtyard house? Forget about it. If you really renovate it, it's bright, airy, and spacious, much better than those cramped concrete buildings.

During the busiest time at noon, only He Wenyuan, Gao Xiaocui, and Liu Hongchang were left to keep the shop running. Without one more person, it felt like a pillar was missing, and everything was in disarray. Just then, Lao Qin pushed open the door and walked in.

……

Old Qin glanced around at the bustling scene inside the store, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his face.

He Wenyuan wiped his hands and came forward: "Hello, comrade, what would you like to order? The menu is all written down, just tell me and I'll write it down for you."

Old Qin waved his hand: "No rush, I'll find Master Liu Hongchang. When is he available?"

He Wenyuan wiped the sweat from his brow: "It'll take two or three hours. He's the only one cooking in the kitchen, so he can't get away."

Old Qin smiled and said, "Then I'll fill my stomach first—I'll have some braised pork intestines, a plate of braised pork belly, and a bottle of Fenjiu liquor. That'll do for now."

"Alright, please have a seat!" He Wenyuan turned around, brewed a pot of hot tea, placed it on the table, put the cup down, picked up the menu, and went into the kitchen. He stood by the cutting board and started preparing the ingredients. Although he was still not very good at stir-frying, he could handle everything from selecting vegetables and washing them to preparing ingredients and plating them.

Under the blazing midday sun, Old Qin leisurely sipped his wine, savoring the taste of a piece of fatty intestine with his chopsticks, living a truly content life.

Liu Hongchang finally brought out his meal, and upon seeing Lao Qin, he greeted him with a smile, "Hey, Lao Qin, what distinguished guest has graced us with their presence?"

Old Qin raised his glass: "I came to ask you for a favor, let's have a drink first."

Liu Hongchang sat down opposite him: "You? Impossible! Liu Zi has been dismissed, Su Hou has gone to the provincial capital for further studies, and even if the Second Canteen lays off everyone, they will not lay a finger on you."

Old Qin picked up a piece of meat, chewed it, and sighed, "It's not for myself, it's for my son. He just returned to the city, and a relative asked me to help him. I thought about it for a while, and then I remembered you."

Liu Hongchang stared at him for a few seconds before speaking: "Is he hardworking? You saw it here yourself. Anyone who tries to shirk their duties or be lazy will be kicked out on the spot."

Old Qin: "The couple just got their permits to return to the city and are looking for work all over the place. You can pick and choose, but if you don't like any of them, just let me know and I'll send them back home immediately."

Liu Hongchang: "Okay, bring some people over this afternoon to give it a try—we're busiest in the afternoon, serving dishes, chopping vegetables, and keeping an eye on the heat; that's when you really show your skills."

Old Qin: "Alright! I knew you were a good friend, a worthwhile one indeed!"

Old Qin put down his chopsticks, paid the bill, and turned around. The leftovers were neatly packed into a brown paper bag, and half a bottle of bulk liquor was stuffed into his pocket. He then left the house.

Gao Xiaocui: "Boss, are you still hiring?"

Liu Hongchang: "Hire! Why wouldn't we hire? We need two people to prepare side dishes, two to serve food, and one apprentice. You two can write orders, wipe tables, and greet customers in the lobby. It's easy and respectable."

Gao Xiaocui: "My brother is still idle at home, so I want him to try out an apprenticeship."

Liu Hongchang: "Sure, as long as he's willing to put in the effort and isn't afraid of getting tired, I'll teach him step by step and guarantee he'll learn real skills."

Gao Xiaocui: "Then I'll go back and call him. He'll report for duty tomorrow morning."

Liu Hongchang nodded. The second floor remained empty and untouched—he needed to assess the business potential first: if it became deserted immediately after renovation, wouldn't that be a waste of money? Only with a steady stream of customers did he dare to begin construction. Actually, it wasn't complicated; he just needed to buy a few sets of tables and chairs and put them in. In another two weeks, Director Hou's son's wedding banquet would be held here. If things went smoothly, others would naturally follow suit—even the director chose this place for his banquet, why would you go to a state-run restaurant to join the fun? Wouldn't that be lowering your own status? Over time, it would become known as a "respectable place" among the neighbors.

Less than an hour later, Gao Xiaocui led a thin young man wearing glasses into the room.

Liu Hongchang looked him up and down: "What's your educational background?"

But a thought kept running through my mind: "Judging by this bookish air, is he a high school student just wasting his time here? Going to university is the right path these days. It's such a waste for him to be chopping scallions and cooking hot pot here."

Gao Yun: "Graduated from primary school." Clean and concise, without a single wasted word.

Liu Hongchang felt relieved—thankfully, this wasn't someone who would jeopardize his future.

Liu Hongchang: "An apprentice earns eighteen yuan a month. We are a private business with few benefits. There are no dormitories, no food coupons, and no labor insurance. We have to earn everything ourselves."

Gao Yun nodded in agreement. Before he finished speaking, Old Qin pushed open the door and came in, followed by a young couple. The woman was wearing an old cloth shirt, her hair was tied up tightly, and her eyes showed restraint; the man had broad shoulders and rough fingers, and he looked like he was used to farm work.

Old Qin: "I've delivered the person to you. I'm leaving now. There's still soup simmering on the stove at home."

Liu Hongchang: "Alright, take care. Come on, tell yourselves—what's your name? How old are you? How many years of schooling did you have? What did you do for a living before?"

Wang Shufang took half a step forward and said in a clear voice, "My name is Wang Shufang, I am twenty-three years old, I have an elementary school education, and I can do everything at home, from washing clothes and cooking to taking care of children."

Qin Yong rubbed his hands together: "My name is Qin Yong, I'm twenty-five, I graduated from junior high school, and I've always farmed in the village. This is my first time in the city, and I've never done any housework before."

Liu Hongchang: "Okay, Wang Shufang, you'll be in charge of preparing the ingredients. I'll teach you knife skills, ingredient arrangement, and portioning step by step. Qin Yong, do you want to be a waiter or an apprentice?"

Qin Yong scratched his head: "What's the difference between these two?"

Liu Hongchang: "The starting salary for a food runner is 25 yuan. If you do a good job, you get a bonus at the end of the year and can get a raise later. Apprentices earn 18 yuan. You can talk about wages after you've completed your apprenticeship. But the skills are something you truly hold in your own hands."

Qin Yong: "I want to be an apprentice."

Liu Hongchang: "Okay! Two sets of uniforms will be provided. Take them back and wash them thoroughly before wearing them. If anyone loses or tears them, the cost will be deducted from their wages. Give me the size, and I'll place an order immediately."

Right now, we're just short two food runners, one food preparation worker, and adding another waiter would be just right.

Two more young men came in the afternoon. After asking a few questions, Liu Hongchang immediately made a decision – one named Liu Yu and the other Jiang Ting.

He rode his bicycle to the garment factory that very day and ordered more than a dozen sets of work clothes. The factory promised to pick them up the next day. Although he could have them made by a tailor, he couldn't wait—it was urgent, he had to act fast!

In the afternoon, Liu Hongchang led the newcomers in practicing cutting potato shreds. Apprentices not only had to keep an eye on the heat and adjust the saltiness, but knife skills were also fundamental to their livelihood—steady hands, meticulous attention, and precise cuts were all essential.

Nowadays, the aroma of Liu's restaurant can be smelled from afar; at mealtimes, the restaurant is packed with people inside and out, so crowded that it's hard to even turn around.

After closing up shop in the evening, everyone sat down for dinner.

Liu Hongchang glanced around and said, "If there's anything you're not used to, say it while it's still fresh in your mind. Don't keep it bottled up."

No one spoke up. This kind of job is harder to find than gold right now—easy, meals provided, and the boss doesn't yell at you; you couldn't find one even with a lantern.

Liu Yunchang is going to sell fast food at the construction site entrance tomorrow, so Liu Hongchang needs to prepare the ingredients in advance and make sure all the stir-fries are ready before 10 o'clock.

After the meal, everyone pitched in, scrubbing the kitchen until it gleamed and tidying the dining area before leaving on time. The restaurant was now running smoothly, and Liu Hongchang no longer gave He Wenyuan and Gao Xiaocui special meals—he had promised a five-yuan monthly allowance, and he couldn't go back on his word. After all, he was the one who suggested it, and now that the rules had changed, he had to make sure things were agreed upon.

He plunged into the kitchen to braise meat, knowing full well that the fast food business was still in its infancy and he couldn't slack off on his main job.

Yang Maixiang didn't go home today; she went straight into the kitchen with him to help out. Wang Cuilan, on the other hand, took her two grandsons home first.

While chopping meat, Liu Hongchang asked, "Is the tricycle ready?"

With no cars in sight, he felt a little uneasy.

Liu Yunchang: "Don't worry! I'll ride over before dawn tomorrow morning—Old Wang welded the frame overnight, and only the final polishing is left. He'll work overtime tonight and it'll be done."

Upon hearing this, Liu Hongchang felt relieved. As long as the truck arrived, the vegetables wouldn't wait, and the road wouldn't be congested.

……

He Wenyuan stepped into the courtyard empty-handed, and the neighbors all turned to look at her: Why didn't you bring back a vegetable basket today? Did you lose your job? The whispers behind her drifted into her ears, but she pretended not to hear them and went straight back into the house.

Yu Qiuhua was sitting under the lamp waiting for her to eat. When she saw that Wen Yuan's hands were empty, she immediately put down her chopsticks: "Wen Yuan, what happened? Didn't you go to the shop today?"

He Wenyuan picked up a piece of food and said in a calm tone, "I'm gone. The boss talked to me specifically today and said that the restaurant is stable now, so he won't be cooking for me separately anymore. Xiao Cui and I will each get a five-yuan meal allowance per month, and we're the only two in the whole restaurant to get this treatment. This month, I'll get fifty yuan in salary."

Yu Qiuhua frowned: "Why so many? Wenyuan, we may be poor, but we can't be spineless."

She stared at her daughter, a barely perceptible worry flickering in her eyes.

He Wenyuan: "Mom, what are you thinking about? The boss's brother asked me to go to the train station every morning to sell roujiamo (Chinese hamburgers). The subsidy alone is 50 cents—the restaurant used to pay me 30 yuan a month, plus this 50 cents for food, isn't that exactly 35? I wrote it clearly in my ledger!"

Yu Qiuhua: "You're quite capable! When I was your age, I was so happy with just fourteen yuan a month that I couldn't sleep. In the end, I carried that fourteen yuan for half my life."

Yu Qiuhua is skilled with a knife and quick and efficient, but without a diploma or connections, who would be willing to give her a permanent position? It's so easy for her relatives to take her place! Even if she were to be fired one day, no one would speak up for her. She's already grateful to have this temporary job. She only managed to raise her children thanks to the compensation her husband received for his work injury; without that money, she'd probably be begging on the street with her kids by now.

That flute was a secondhand item her father had bought when he was still alive; the paint was worn and scratched. He Wenyuan had always been a stubborn person: on the one hand, she thought her brother-in-law Liu Hongchang was not good enough for her sister He Wenhui, but on the other hand, she felt at ease spending his family's money; when money was tight, she would always think about buying new dresses and new schoolbags, afraid that her classmates would laugh at her for being unfashionable and shabby—until she was hit hard by life a few times, and then she saw Liu Hongchang's steadfastness and responsibility.

Now that Liu Hongchang is not around, the family immediately ran out of food, and even the rice jar was empty. If Gao Junling hadn't secretly slipped them two jin of grain coupons and a few yuan, Yu Qiuhua would have forced the two sisters to drop out of school long ago.