Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Xiao Zhiyuan patted him on the shoulder: "It's tough being out there all alone, taking care of your own daily needs. Your brother's been having a blast these past few days, so don't just laugh it off—study hard, take responsibility, and you'll be worthy of this uniform."

Xiao Yao opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

He was a little confused—how come, in the blink of an eye, the festive atmosphere of the New Year hadn't even faded yet, and the wind of parting was already blowing in front of him?

"Dad, Mom... will you come again?" he asked cautiously.

"Silly boy, the first thing Dad will do after retiring is move in with you!" Xiao Zhiyuan laughed heartily, then lowered his voice, "Your mother and I are saving up to buy a small apartment, so it'll be lively in our retirement. A good man's ambition lies in all corners of the world, why have you become so hesitant now that you're all grown up?"

"Brother! I'll be the first one to come over during winter break! You're not allowed to complain about my antics!" Xiao Yun shouted, jumping up and down, her eyes sparkling.

As the four walked out of the guesthouse, Xiao Zhiyuan and Lin Wan insisted that Xiao Yao not see them off. In late November in Beijing, the north wind stung their faces, and the roads were covered with a thin layer of ice. The military vehicle would take them directly to the train station.

"Mom and Dad, take care of yourselves. I'll come visit you after I graduate." Xiao Yao stood on the steps, her voice soft but clear.

"Good! You've grown up, and you speak more steadily now." Xiao Zhiyuan patted his shoulder twice.

"Son, take good care of yourself, remember to eat on time, and wear more clothes when it's cold..." Lin Wan's voice choked, her eyes red, and she kept repeating these few words.

"Don't worry, Mom. I've worked in the countryside before. I'm good at everything, from cooking and repairing fences to making scarecrows!" Xiao Yao scratched his head, trying to make her laugh, but as soon as he said it, his eyes welled up with tears.

He stood silently in the snow, watching the jeep slowly drive away. The shadow of the vehicle grew smaller and smaller, fainter and fainter, until it shrank into a gray line and merged into the leaden gray horizon.

The wind whipped up fine snowflakes that stung his face, chilling him to the bone. He suddenly remembered how his parents used to stand like this at the school gate when they took him to school, and they would only turn away slowly after he turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

My chest felt like it was stuffed with a wad of waterlogged cotton, both suffocating and heavy.

Inside the car, Lin Wan was already sobbing uncontrollably. As soon as the car started moving, she clung tightly to the rear window, desperately looking out until the car turned at the intersection and disappeared completely. Only then did she bury her face in her hands, her shoulders heaving. Xiao Zhiyuan, his eyes red, patted her back repeatedly, his Adam's apple bobbing, but he couldn't utter a single word.

His heart felt as if it were shrouded in an unyielding fog—

I remember that kid falling from a tree and breaking his arm when he was little, wincing in pain but refusing to cry; I remember him leaving home to join the army at fifteen, not writing a single letter for three years, not even a word on his birthday…

Now he's finally willing to lower his head and call me "Dad," willing to send letters home, and willing to let his family members truly enter his life.

Happy? Of course.

But beneath this joy lay a heavy, indescribable bitterness.

When Su Man came to find Xiao Yao, she pushed open the door and saw him lying on the kang (a heated brick bed), his eyes blankly fixed on the roof beam, like a piece of wood whose soul had been taken away.

"Is it... that you're reluctant to part with your uncle and aunt?" she asked softly, placing a cup of hot tea on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Why are you here?" Xiao Yao suddenly turned her head, her voice hoarse.

"My mom invited you over for dinner tonight—she knows that once your aunt and uncle leave, you'll be all alone in the empty house, so she thought it would be more fun to have dinner with you from now on!" Su Man explained with a smile.

The Xiao family had known about Xiao Yao and Su Man's relationship for a long time, and they had even visited with gifts a while ago. They were in a hurry that time and only had a brief chat. Before leaving, both sides agreed to discuss the engagement in detail next time.

The Su family understood perfectly well: it wasn't easy to get leave from the military, and besides, the Xiao family were military dependents, with all three of them stationed at the camp. They didn't have time to travel back and forth. Naturally, they didn't have any reason to complain.

Xiao Yao and Su Man were admitted to the same university—Renmin University of China; Cheng Jianjun and Su Meng went to Beijing Normal University.

As soon as the two stepped out of the courtyard gate, they saw Han Chunming walking towards Su Meng's house with his mother, eldest sister, second sister, and Director Wang from the neighborhood office, carrying large bags and small packages.

Su Meng's parents were already waiting at the door with smiles on their faces. As soon as they saw Director Wang, they immediately went up to him and warmly shook his hand.

Xiao Yao knew perfectly well that today's visit was most likely to finalize the marriage. He had no interest in joining in the excitement, so he simply tugged at Su Man's sleeve, and the two of them walked out of the courtyard side by side.

Cheng Jianjun clung to the window, his teeth grinding together, wishing he could rush out and tear Han Chunming to shreds. But Director Wang was standing there, and he swallowed his anger, not daring to even step out the door.

His father had already warned him, "Even if you graduate, you might not be as successful as Han Chunming." He wanted him to focus on his studies and maintain good relations between the two families. But those words went in one ear and out the other—why should someone who didn't even finish junior high be allowed to step on him? Why did Su Meng, who was so outstanding, choose Han Chunming, someone who hadn't even been to a college entrance exam hall? What was wrong with him?

Hearing the cheerful laughter coming from the next room, Cheng Jianjun felt as if he were being pricked by needles. From today onwards, Su Meng belonged to Han Chunming. A surge of anger rose in his chest, and he could only vent his frustration by pounding the bed twice—he dared not touch the dishes, chopsticks, tables, or chairs in the house.

"Chunming, he's been running around in our compound since he was a kid. He's a bit mischievous, but he's honest and helpful, and now he's making a name for himself." Director Wang's voice was loud and clear, and his purpose was made obvious in just a few words: "I'm here today to act as a go-between and make connections. You live in the same compound, so you know his family better than I do. I won't waste any more time on unnecessary words!"

In fact, she had never worked as a matchmaker before—Han Chunming promised her family a job opening, so she reluctantly agreed to come and put on a show.

Han Chunsong vehemently opposed the marriage arrangement with someone from the courtyard, but his mother was in charge. Han's mother knew perfectly well that her son only had eyes for Su Meng; if she stopped him this time, who knew when he'd ever have a grandson. So, as soon as Han Chunming opened his mouth, she immediately nodded in agreement.

Grandma Su took the gift box, weighed it in her hand, and nodded with a slight smile—the Han family's gesture was quite considerate. She then turned to chat with Han's mother, her smile never fading.

The Su family was only concerned with maintaining a respectable image when their daughter married off. They didn't really care much about anything else.

Amidst laughter and chatter from both families, the marriage was settled.

Once the in-laws were recognized, the Su family found Han Chunming increasingly pleasing to the eye, even noticing the pleasant tone of his voice.

Before they knew it, the end of the year was approaching, and the festive atmosphere grew stronger every day. Mr. and Mrs. Xiao asked someone to send them a lot of local specialties from their hometown, along with a letter, promising to visit him in Beijing during the Dragon Boat Festival.

Ever since Su Man forbade Xiao Yao from cooking for himself, he has spent almost all his time at Su Man's house, except when he goes back to his room to sleep at night.

……

This Spring Festival, Xiao Yao simply stayed at the Su family's house. The Su family specially vacated a clean room for him to stay in, with newly changed bedding, hot water available, and even the windowsill was polished to a shine.

In early March, students from other places returned to school one after another to register.

When Xiao Yao and Su Man walked into the gates of Renmin University, they were among the last to arrive. At the gate, teachers and school leaders were busy hanging banners with three large characters on a red background: "Welcome Station."

At that time, there were not many upperclassmen on campus, and they were definitely among the first batch of freshmen to step into the school.

The teachers at the welcome station were all all smiles and had warm eyes. As soon as they saw the new students, they came up to them, helped them fill out forms, carried their luggage, and gave directions. They were so busy that they didn't have a moment to spare, but they didn't show any signs of fatigue.

Xiao Yao took Su Man's arm and slowly walked inside. Looking at the young faces passing by, he couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth in his heart: These people will all become great figures in the future.

A graduate of Renmin University, and one of the "Old Three Classes"—that's a prestigious background, no matter where you are.

On the way, he chatted with a few classmates and learned that Renmin University was being extremely strict with its admissions this year, with very few places available.

He applied to the Applied Physics major in the Physics Department, and there were only about twenty people in the whole class.

Although there aren't many people, the pressure is even heavier—the fewer people there are, the higher the threshold; none of those who can sit here are easy to deal with.

The short-haired female teacher patted him on the shoulder, her voice crisp and clear: "Xiao Yao, our department's professors are all 'living encyclopedias' with decades of teaching experience; we would never let such a promising talent go to waste!"

A male teacher nearby chimed in, "If you have any difficulties, come to us anytime! Once you're in the school, you're family. Study hard and work diligently; this is an opportunity many people would give anything for!"

Xiao Yao quickly bowed and thanked him sincerely.

The short-haired teacher added, "By the way, the department just started a 'Young Physicists' Salon,' and key teachers from other universities will be coming to exchange ideas. You're welcome to sit in!"

Xiao Yao's eyes lit up, and she blurted out, "Okay! Thank you, teacher!"

After completing the formalities, the two turned around and went to apply for their day student permits.

Nowadays, the vast majority of students live on campus, and the school's access control is very strict, with no exceptions for access control, verification, and registration.

Along the way, he saw several students carrying thick stacks of books, hurrying past, discussing formula derivations in hushed tones as they walked, their steps even rhythmic.

Xiao Yao took a silent breath: As expected of Renmin University, just this kind of spirit makes people dare not relax.

Here, even slacking off feels out of place.

If he were to slack off while others are working so hard, he would feel ashamed.

Fortunately, he wasn't the playful type, so he wasn't bothered by being bored. At most, he'd lie in bed at night, read a couple of pages, and then take a nap.

The dormitory is a four-person room, and it's not full yet. The teacher gave them a brief tour first, and their bunkmates will be arranged last—once they get a certificate to be issued for day students, everything will be settled.

The weather wasn't too cold yet, and several students who arrived early had already quickly unloaded their luggage, spread out their bedding, and started making their beds with practiced ease.

Xiao Yao and Su Man followed another teacher down the steps into the depths of the campus to explore the new environment firsthand.

As Xiao Yao walked, he paused frequently, his gaze sweeping over the tree-lined avenue, the old auditorium covered in vines, and the glass curtain wall of the laboratory building gleaming in the distance—his heart warmed slightly, and he couldn't help but sigh softly: Who would have thought that he, who had never even touched the school gate in his previous life, would now be standing on the campus of Huada University?