Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

She grew up in this tenement, her ex-husband died early, and she has supported the family all these years with her sharp tongue and her tough personality.

She immediately started screaming at the top of her lungs: "Help! Someone is trying to kill my child and me! Call the police! There's a robber breaking into our house!"

"What kind of robber? Huiyun, what are you yelling about!"

He Daqing rushed to the door, his face darkening. He quickly interrupted her, turned to the onlookers with a forced smile, and said, "It's nothing, it's nothing. My son came all the way from Beijing. There was a misunderstanding. Everyone, please disperse. It's not worth getting the police involved."

"Bullshit!" The white widow's eyes were red-rimmed, her voice shrill enough to pierce the sky. "He almost beat my son and me to death! Open your eyes and look around this house—cabinets are overturned, bowls are smashed, and knives are stuck in the table! You call this a 'misunderstanding'?"

She stubbornly refused to budge, determined to get He Yuzhu imprisoned today, otherwise she wouldn't be able to swallow this insult.

Before he could finish speaking, He Daqing suddenly roared, "Enough! Bai Huiyun! If you keep causing trouble, we're done living together!"

The shout was like a thunderbolt striking her head; the white widow froze on the spot, her lips trembling as she couldn't utter a word.

It's not that I'm afraid he'll yell at me, it's that I'm afraid he'll say something like that.

She knew very well that the family was able to survive entirely because He Daqing worked as a head chef at the cotton mill.

With a monthly salary of 51.5 yuan, plus the extra oil and fat from the lunchboxes they brought home at night, the mother and her two children lived a more comfortable life than anyone else in the tenement.

If He Daqing were to leave and return to Beijing, she would have to go back to her old ways, squatting at the alley entrance weaving insoles and doing manual labor, leaving the family of three to eat only cornbread and pickled vegetables for breakfast and dinner.

She shut her mouth, her shoulders trembling slightly.

He Daqing glanced at her and knew she had given in.

This woman is usually quite fierce, but in bed she's incredibly strong; once the lights are off, she'll do whatever he wants.

Those two brats are the only ones who are good for nothing. They've been rolling their eyes since they were little, and now they're taking advantage of my kindness.

"Neighbors, it's really nothing." He Daqing turned around, smiling and waving his hand. "My child was just a little excited to come back, and made a lot of noise, which made everyone worry."

When the white widow stopped crying, the crowd quietly dispersed.

But an elderly man didn't leave; he was the same Mr. Liu who had stopped He Yuzhu to ask him questions earlier.

He strode forward, stood by the threshold, and his voice was heavy, as if weighed down by a weight:

"Daqing, you've been here for two or three years now. The neighbors have all seen how Xiaobai treats you."

Now that things are more familiar, is it really fair to let her feel wronged?

Upon hearing this, He Daqing's heart skipped a beat, and a hint of shame flashed across his face.

Indeed, the White Widow treated him well.

When you have a drink, she roasts peanuts herself; if your clothes have a hole, she'll sew it up and hang it by your bedside the next day.

He remembered all those small acts of kindness.

Before he could even speak, He Yuzhu had already stepped forward with a cold smile, staring straight at Grandpa Liu:

"Old man, where does your sense of justice come from? If you really think my dad is bullying her, go call the police and the neighborhood committee right now! But if you get involved and make my dad angry and leave, and then the three of them can't even afford to eat, do you think she should kneel down and thank you, or burn down your door in the middle of the night?"

Grandpa Liu's face instantly turned purple, and he opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

He knew the kid's words were harsh, but the truth was even harsher—if the Great Qing government simply packed up and went back to Beijing, the Bai Widow's family would immediately be plunged into a quagmire.

"Zhu Zi! How dare you speak to your elders like that!" He Daqing pretended to be angry and scolded him, then turned to Uncle Liu with a smile, "Uncle Liu, my son is a wild child and doesn't know any better. Please forgive him."

"Never mind... I shouldn't meddle." Grandpa Liu waved his hand, sighed, and turned to walk away slowly.

As soon as the people dispersed, the wind stopped.

He Daqing then stepped forward to help the widow up, glaring fiercely at He Yuzhu as he did so: "You attacked me so aggressively the moment you walked in? You got bullied in Beijing and took it out on me? Huh? You just wasted seven or eight yuan like that!"

He Yuzhu scoffed and spread his hands, saying, "Come on, Dad. Look at those two little bastards, which one of them even gave you a second glance? Even Nurhaci couldn't handle this, and you think you can? Dream on!"

"Stop your nonsense!" He Daqing growled, helping the widow Bai into the inner room. "Go inside and lie down first, we'll talk later."

Once he entered the inner room, He Yuzhu's eyes turned cold. He strode over to the two boys who were cowering in the corner pretending to be dead, grabbed them by the arm, and kicked them in the backside with his knees and toes.

"Stop pretending! Get to work! If you don't clean the floor properly and put things back in their place, I'll cripple you both right now! You hear me?!"

The two boys were terrified. They nodded repeatedly, clutched their backs, and scrambled to their feet, trembling as they began picking up the broken pieces and supporting the cabinet.

One of them tried to pull out the knife that was stuck tightly in the table, but after trying twice and not getting it out, he was so scared that he immediately withdrew his hand and ran to sweep the floor.

In less than five minutes, the house was barely restored to its original state.

At this moment, He Daqing came out from the inner room, moved a chair to sit at the table, and waved to He Yuzhu: "Come, sit down."

Tell me, why exactly?

He Yuzhu walked over, sat down lazily, and crossed his legs:

"It's nothing serious."

I've been so busy lately, and Yushui keeps saying she wants to see you, so I brought her along too.

He Yuzhu plopped down in the chair, waved his hand lazily, and glanced at Widow Bai's two sons.

The two men immediately shrank back, like chicks being choked, and slunk back into the house.

"Rain, come here, come to your father!"

He Daqing grinned, his eyes crinkling with wrinkles.

I haven't seen my daughter for two years, and I've been longing to see her.

Upon closer inspection—wow, the girl hadn't lost weight at all; in fact, she had become quite plump. Her body was wrapped in silk clothes, which shimmered as she walked, clearly indicating that she had been pampered and spoiled.

But she couldn't hide the grievance on her face. As soon as she threw herself into his arms, her eyes reddened. She held his sleeve tightly and wouldn't let go. She also had a bulging bundle on her shoulder, as if she was determined to settle down and live here.

How could He Daqing not understand? His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately understood the gist of it: This girl must have caused trouble again. The eldest daughter was so angry that she couldn't control her temper, but since she was her own sister, she couldn't really do anything about it. She had a belly full of anger with nowhere to vent it, and she just happened to run into those two ignorant widows, so she took the opportunity to teach them a lesson.

He turned and glared at He Yuzhu: "You, as her brother, why are you taking your anger out on her again? Didn't you promise to take good care of her before you left? She's your own sister!"

"Take care of?" He Yuzhu scoffed and shook his head. "Where would I have the time for that? The steel mill just promoted me to deputy director of the canteen. I have to run back and forth between three canteens, and I'm also in charge of the greenhouse. Next month, I have to host the engineering team from the big brother. I have to keep an eye on everything, from their food and drink to their bathroom needs."

"It's a miracle I was able to squeeze in a visit to you these past few days."

Upon hearing this, He Daqing was stunned, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

He remembered that before he left, He Yuzhu was still a naive young man called "Silly Zhu". He had finally become a fourth-level cook, which was a great honor.

Who would have thought that in just a few years, he would have risen to the rank of cadre, and even become a powerful figure with multiple responsibilities!

If he hadn't been transferred to Baoding, he might actually be bowing down and calling out "leader" now.

Wow... He Daqing clicked his tongue in amazement. He used to laugh at his son for being silly, but now, this silly Zhu has grown up and is flying higher than anyone else.

He Yuzhu took a sip of tea and continued, "I really can't take care of my family right now."

Rainwater is getting lazier and lazier, not even wanting to wash clothes, and yet it still seems to dislike me, saying I'm too strict.

But what about her? She insisted on currying favor with the Jia family next door, saying things like "Sister Qin is different from the Jia family." When I said a few words to her, she turned around and took the sausages to them, begging their daughter-in-law to do her laundry—don't you think she deserves a beating?

He paused, then lowered his voice: "I kicked Huiyun today because Widow Bai caught her and locked her in a room. My sister almost cried herself to death."

If I don't take action, who will stand up for her?

He Daqing listened in silence.

If he were in He Yuzhu's position, he probably would have already grabbed a stool and smashed someone.

This son may seem careless, but he's actually very shrewd and fiercely protective of his own.

"Alright." He sighed, patted his daughter's hand, "Don't cry. I'll take the day off tomorrow and show you and your brother around the city."

Where are you staying tonight? Should I arrange a place for you?

"No need," He Yuzhu waved his hand. "The guesthouse has the letter of introduction."

Don't worry, you won't go hungry or cold.

As soon as he finished speaking, his ears twitched, and he noticed a rustling sound coming from the inner room—it was the White Widow eavesdropping, so nervous that her breathing became erratic.

He sneered and deliberately raised his voice: "Dad, it's one thing for you to come to Baoding, but you don't even go back to visit during the New Year? Why don't you just go back to Beijing this year? In previous years, it was just me and Yushui, so quiet and deserted, no one even set off firecrackers."

The room fell silent instantly.

Immediately afterwards, there was a loud crash, as if someone had knocked over a porcelain jar.

He Daqing's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly said, "Going back to visit is fine, but moving back is out of the question... Your Aunt Bai has been quite good to me."

"Not bad?" He Yuzhu suddenly looked up, his tone turning icy. "If I hadn't come, wouldn't those two little brats be pointing their fingers at you and cursing you every day? Listen to this, when have Yushui and I ever said a single bad word about you?"

He stood up, looked down at his father, and said with a mocking smile, "Fine, if you don't want to leave, I won't bother trying to persuade you."

There are plenty of courtyard houses available, ready for you to come back anytime.

Just keep writing letters—how much is a train ticket? But if those two little bastards dare to disrespect you again…”

The voice suddenly lowered, like a night breeze brushing against the eaves, light and airy, yet carrying a chilling edge.

"...Then don't blame me for being ruthless."

The white widow in the inner room trembled all over as she listened, covering her mouth tightly with her hand, afraid of making the slightest sound.