Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"That nickname...sounds kind of weird."

"Let me tell you the story slowly. It all started when he was twelve or thirteen years old. His father was also a cook. That day, he made him carry a basket of steamed buns by himself to sell outside Dongzhimen."

"On the way, he ran into a group of wounded soldiers who tried to snatch the buns from his hands. Sha Zhu refused to let go, so he hugged the basket tightly and ran away."

"Those wounded soldiers were incredibly stubborn, chasing him all the way from Nanshuncheng Street to Chaoyangmen. But Shazhu was a native of the capital, able to navigate the alleys and lanes with his eyes closed. He managed to outrun them, and that basket of steamed buns was something he risked his life to protect."

Ran Qiuye was taken aback: "Huh?"

"Don't rush, this isn't over yet!" The old man waved his hand. "After shaking off the wounded soldier, he sold the steamed buns to a passing merchant on the way home, pocketing the money to report back. When his father touched the money, it was all counterfeit!"

"He pointed at Zhu's nose and cursed him right there in the yard: 'You stupid Zhu! You're so stupid! You can't even bring back the steamed buns, but you brought back counterfeit money!' From then on, the nickname 'Stupid Zhu' took root in the yard."

"In the end, it's because his father was too impatient. How could a twelve or thirteen-year-old distinguish between real and counterfeit money?" The third uncle shook his head with a smile.

"What a coincidence, I also received counterfeit money a while ago," Ran Qiuye said with a light smile.

"Teacher Yan, now that you mention it, he does seem quite bold."

Just as the third uncle was about to reply, the third aunt gently nudged his elbow and urged in a low voice, "Stop chatting, go ask Huai Ru when Sha Zhu is coming back. Didn't you ask her to pass on a message this morning? We can't just leave Teacher Ran sitting here waiting, can we?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" The old man slapped his forehead. "Teacher Ran, please have a seat. I'll go ask right away!"

He strode through the courtyard and immediately spotted Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi sitting inside.

"Huai Ru!" he called out, "Where's Sha Zhu? Where did he go?"

Madam Jia glared at her and said irritably, "If we knew, would we be wasting our time here?"

Qin Huairu added, with a hint of doubt, "Third Uncle, what do you need Sha Zhu for?"

Upon hearing this, the third uncle's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, "Oh no!"

"Huai Ru," he cleared his throat, "didn't I mention to you this morning that I wanted to play matchmaker for Sha Zhu? Did you talk to him about it?"

Qin Huai sighed helplessly, "Third Uncle, it's really not my fault. I didn't see him when I entered the factory this morning, so I didn't have a chance to speak at all."

"He didn't go to the factory? Where could he have gone?"

The third uncle was taken aback. Seeing that Qin Huai didn't seem to be lying, his brows immediately furrowed.

"He did go, but he was called away by the canteen manager shortly after he started work, and he hasn't shown up since."

"Oh...when will he be back?"

The more Uncle San asked, the more anxious he became. He had specially invited Teacher Ran today. If He Yuzhu didn't even show his face, wouldn't all his efforts have been in vain?

Oh no, this is a complete disaster!

He had originally planned it all out: to find a partner for He Yuzhu, so that she could treat him like family, bringing him a hot lunchbox every now and then, and he would have something to eat with his drinks.

That's the real reason he was so eager to arrange this.

"How would I know? Third Uncle, you're too impatient. Introducing Sha Zhu to a potential partner isn't like going to a market; it has to be today!"

"Actually, it doesn't have to be today, it's just that Teacher Ran has already arrived."

In his anxiety, the third uncle blurted out the words.

"What?"

"Teacher Ran? Which Teacher Ran?"

Qin Huairu's heart sank. She knew very well that in the elementary school where her third uncle taught, there was only one teacher surnamed Ran, who was Banggeng's homeroom teacher.

She had met him a few times; he was young, handsome, and had a scholarly air about him. If this Teacher Ran and He Yuzhu were to actually meet, she probably wouldn't even get a chance to get close to him.

No, this absolutely cannot happen!

"Who else could it be? It's Bang Geng's homeroom teacher, Ran Qiuye."

The old man had just finished announcing his name when he added:

"What do you think? Is pairing her with Sha Zhu a bit of a waste?"

But as soon as she heard that it was Bang Geng's homeroom teacher, Qin Huairu didn't hear a single word that followed.

"Hey, what are you spacing out for? Uncle San is talking to you!"

Zhang noticed at a glance that her daughter-in-law's expression was off, so she deliberately shoved her, her tone full of dissatisfaction.

"I know……"

Qin Huairu responded sullenly, her shoulders slumping as she nodded.

Seeing that he couldn't get any answers from the question, the third uncle had no choice but to take his leave.

"Alright, I can't talk to you anymore. I need to hurry back and explain things to Teacher Ran. And that silly Zhu, where did he go? Why hasn't he shown up yet at this hour!"

……

By evening, He Yuzhu was still nowhere to be seen, but Xu Damao had entered the courtyard.

He had just stepped across the threshold when Qin Huairu, who was squatting on a washboard, immediately picked up a wooden basin and hid inside. She tried to go around him, but Xu Damao blocked her way first.

She stood him up during the day, which made him angry all day.

When he arrived after get off work, his steps were so brisk he seemed to have a gust of wind. He grabbed her and, his voice low and clenched, said through gritted teeth:

"Well, Qin Huairu, you've got some nerve, daring to play me for a fool?"

"Wait, keep your voice down... I really didn't mean to avoid you, I just felt really unwell today, that's why I didn't go."

Qin Huairu took a deep breath, and her expression gradually calmed down.

We must keep him calm right now, otherwise this matter will really get out of control.

"Hmph, don't give me that crap! You're coming to my place tonight, or you'd better think twice about the consequences!"

"No! My mother-in-law is still at home, how can I go?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu's palms instantly became sweaty.

"So, how do you plan to end this?"

Xu Damao stared at her for a few seconds, but didn't press her too hard. After all, they would run into each other again, and with so many neighbors watching, forcing things would only cause trouble.

"Xu Damao, please allow me a few days. These next few days are really inconvenient..."

She lowered her eyes, her voice softened, and her shoulders hunched slightly, looking just like a frightened little sparrow.

Xu Damao's heart softened, and he could no longer hold back: "Okay, I'll trust you this once. Remember, I'll wait a few days!"

After saying that, he stuffed all five white steamed buns he was carrying into her basin, then turned and left.

Zhang witnessed the whole scene clearly.

At dinner time, the three children saw white steamed buns in a blue-and-white porcelain basin on the table, not the usual cornbread. Their eyes lit up, and they rushed to grab them, one for each of them, their mouths covered in crumbs.

But Zhang sat at the table with her arms crossed, not moving, neither eating nor making a sound, her face ashen, clearly sulking.

Across from her, Qin Huairu's eyes were red-rimmed. She lowered her head and sipped the thin porridge in her bowl, which was almost empty. She remained sitting stiffly.

After a moment, Zhang finally couldn't help but let out a cold laugh:

"Alright, stop playing the victim! I'm asking you a question, are you going to answer or not?"

Qin Huairu immediately raised her head: "It's really not what you think, that's not true at all!"

"Did those steamed buns fall from the sky? I'd believe one or two, but five white flour steamed buns? Do you think we're still living in the old days when people ate whatever they could get their hands on?"

Zhang snorted, her face full of disbelief.

"I haven't done anything wrong, say what you want!"

As soon as she finished speaking, tears streamed down her face. These days were truly bitter to the core.

"Hmph, you know perfectly well whether you've done something wrong or not. Anyway, this steamed bun wasn't obtained cleanly."

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu loosened her grip, slamming the bowl down on the table. She wiped her face, grabbed the cloth bag hanging behind the door, and turned to leave: "I'm going back to my parents' house tonight!"

But it was already dark, and the last tram had long since disappeared, so she could only walk step by step out of the city.

As soon as she left the hospital, she subconsciously looked towards He Yuzhu's house. The windows were dark and the lights were off, so he definitely hadn't returned yet.

Where did he go...?

She had a whole host of questions on her mind: Why the sudden coldness? Why didn't he bring her lunch anymore? What had she done to offend him?

These past few days, she's been thinking about it over and over again, but the more she thinks, the more confused she becomes, unable to pinpoint the root of the problem.

Thinking back, her resentment resurfaced: if he had still protected her like before, the incident of Banggeng stealing chickens would have been suppressed long ago;

If he were still willing to stand up for her, she wouldn't have been forced to do this by Xu Damao, and her mother-in-law wouldn't have suspected her of betraying the Jia family...

By the time she arrived at her parents' home in the countryside, it was already past nine o'clock. The house was so crowded that there wasn't even room to lay out her bedding, so she ended up having to share a kang (a heated brick bed) with her cousin, Qin Jingru.

Qin Jingru, wrapped in a blanket, was full of energy and showed no signs of sleepiness. Her eyes sparkled as she asked:

"Sister, is life in the city good?"

She had been awake for a while; if Qin Huairu hadn't come, she would have been fast asleep by now.

People in the countryside go to bed early, lying down as soon as it gets dark, and apart from the chirping of insects, there is no other sound at night.

After Qin Huairu married into the city, she became the "model" in the eyes of the village girls:

Who wouldn't want to marry into the city, live in a bright house, eat fine grains every meal, and live a decent and comfortable life?

These days, Qin Jingru's mind is filled with thoughts, and at night she dreams of wearing city clothes and living in a small house with a window, just like her cousin.

"What's there to envy? We're all just living our lives."

"There's not much difference at all."

Qin Huai shook his head with a wry smile, his tone revealing exhaustion.

Is the city really as glamorous as she imagined? Especially now, as a widow with three children and a mother-in-law to care for, life is even more difficult than it was in the countryside.

Not to mention, she had just finished a day's work and walked for an hour or two to get home. Her eyelids were drooping and her whole body felt weak.

But Qin Jingru's eyes were bright, and once she started talking, she couldn't stop.

"Sister, I also want to marry someone from the city! Can you help me find a suitable person there?"

As soon as he said this, Qin Huairu's mind popped into his head the other day when his third uncle had arranged a marriage for He Yuzhu. Yes, his younger sister was of good character and hardworking, so wouldn't it be perfect to introduce her to He Yuzhu?

Besides, He Yuzhu has become a different person these past two days. He doesn't even greet her when he sees her. The confidence that used to be able to control him has unknowingly dissipated.

She was pondering how to win him back and get He Yuzhu to listen to her and follow her wishes when her sister's words were like striking a match, illuminating everything before her eyes.