A courtyard house; Li Yunlong, a subordinate of the deputy director of Harbin Military Engineering I

"Still burning paper money? How many times have you burned it?" Zhang Renfeng took a sip from his briefcase, the liquor burning hot as it went down his throat. He smacked his lips. "I burned paper money in the army too. Every Qingming Festival, I'd burn a stack facing south, thinking that you, my brother, died in the Central Plains War, and probably no one would add soil to your grave. We brothers were in sync, you burned for me, I burned for you, for almost twenty years."

Zhang Rende wiped away his tears and laughed out loud: "That's right, every year during Qingming Festival I go to Shichahai Beach to burn offerings, find a secluded spot, and while burning the offerings I mutter, 'Little brother, don't be stingy with money over there, I'll burn you extra. If you need anything, tell me in a dream.' But you, on the other hand, are living a more robust life than me."

The two brothers clinked their bowls together, and Zhang Rende poured the last drop of wine from the bottom of his bowl into his mouth, letting out a satisfied sigh: "Renfeng, what I've dreaded most these past few years is festivals. On the fifteenth of August, when other families are eating mooncakes and admiring the moon, I just think of how you used to chase after the moon when you were little, running all over the yard, shouting that the moon should follow me."

During the Lantern Festival, everyone else ate tangyuan (sweet rice balls), but I wanted to take them from you. You couldn't beat me, and you even knocked over the bowl, which earned you a beating from Dad.

"I remember that very clearly," Zhang Renfeng grinned. "Dad was whipping my bottom with a bamboo stick, and you stood there saying you got a piece of it too. But Dad said you were older than him, and it was only right that you let your younger brother have his way. Big brother, you were really loyal back then."

"Loyalty my ass!" Zhang Rende slapped his thigh. "I only beat you because you looked so pitiful, crying so hard you were practically snotting up your nose. If I kept hitting you, the whole village would hear. You know what kind of man my father is; after he beat you, he'd make you kneel in the ancestral hall, kneeling there until midnight."

He paused, his gaze drifting to the side, his voice lowering slightly, "Later, my parents passed away, and the ancestral hall collapsed long ago. I've lived in Beiping for almost twenty years, and I can barely remember what my hometown in Guangxi Province looks like."

"After the war is over and the whole country is liberated, let's go back to our hometown for a visit." Zhang Renfeng picked up his wine bowl. "Let's light incense for our parents and tell them that we two brothers are still alive."

Zhang Rende's Adam's apple bobbed, but he didn't speak. He tilted his head back and took a big gulp of wine.

Just as the guests and hosts were enjoying themselves, the courtyard outside suddenly became lively. First, there were a few loud footsteps, followed by Yan Fugui's slightly obsequious voice calling out, "Master Zhang! Is Master Zhang home? Your esteemed students have arrived, and I've brought them in!"

Then came a cacophony of footsteps and voices. Someone shouted, "Master, I brought you braised beef!" and someone else yelled, "Second Uncle is inside, don't push me!"

Zhang Rende was clinking bowls with Zhang Renfeng for the second time when he heard the commotion. He frowned and said, "Who's this idiot making such a racket so late at night?"

Mu Xiuhua put down her chopsticks and stood up: "I'll go take a look."

She walked to the gate of the courtyard, peeked inside, burst out laughing, and turned to Zhang Rende, saying, "It's all because of your precious apprentices. They heard our second uncle was back, so they brought food and drinks and insisted on coming in to see him."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Rende slammed his wine bowl down on the table with a loud bang: "It must have been that bastard Yi Zhonghai who started this! Get them out of here! Tell Yi Zhonghai that if they don't leave, I'll break his legs!"

Zhang Renfeng quickly waved his hand: "Brother, brother, don't rush. Since they're your apprentices, let them come in and sit down. It'll be good for me to get to know them."

He spoke politely, but he was secretly overjoyed.

When I watched the TV series in my previous life, when was Yi Zhonghai ever punished in that courtyard house?

He always puts on airs like a moral saint, lecturing this person and that person, acting as if he's the most polite person in the whole neighborhood.

Now look what's happened! He's acting like a mouse before a cat in front of his older brother. He might as well watch this show.

Zhang Rende snorted, then calmed down. Oki Hideka waved her hand: "Alright, let them in. But! That wretched woman, Jia Zhangshi, Jia Gui, is not allowed in this door! I find her filthy!"

Zhang Renfeng nearly spat out his drink: "Brother, do you have a grudge against Jia Zhangshi?"

As Mu Xiuhua walked out, she comforted him, "Oh, Rende, that's all in the past. Besides, didn't she have Jia Gui break her leg? Look at you, still holding a grudge."

Zhang Renfeng was horrified: "Sister-in-law, what's going on?"

Before Mu Xiuhua could speak, Zhang Guilin leaned over and whispered to his second uncle, "Second Uncle, it's like this. Brother Jia is my dad's apprentice. That Jia Zhangshi thinks Jia Gui has mastered the craft and is ready to graduate, so she wants him to break ties with my dad. A while ago, she went to the factory and said some unpleasant things, saying that my dad is controlling his apprentice and that teaching an apprentice will starve the master. My dad heard it, and he directly called Jia Gui a henpecked husband in front of more than a dozen people in the workshop! Brother Jia has a very upright temper, and that day when he got home, he broke Jia Zhangshi's leg! He scolded her for being unreasonable and said that in this world, the first thing to learn is to be grateful."

Zhang Renfeng was stunned: "Broken leg? Jia Gui was that ruthless?"

"Brother Jia said," Zhang Guilin mimicked Jia Gui's tone, lowering his voice, "that I, Jia Gui, have been on the streets for so many years, and I hate it when people argue with me. You're gossiping about my master, which is a slap in the face to me, Jia Gui! Breaking your leg is the least of my worries."

Zhang Renfeng clicked his tongue. In his memory of that courtyard house, Jia Zhangshi was an old shrew who wouldn't listen to reason, a master of tantrums and throwing a tantrum. She was practically the toughest nut to crack in the courtyard. How could this be?

As they were talking, Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, Jia Gui, He Daqing, and Yan Fugui entered the courtyard.

Leading the way was Yi Zhonghai, carrying a package of pig's head meat wrapped in oil paper. He walked with a slight hunch, a fawning smile on his face, and spoke first: "Master, Second Uncle, we heard you were here, so we came to see you. Did we disturb your meal?"

Liu Haizhong followed behind him. Liu Haizhong had a slightly round belly, his hands behind his back, his chin slightly raised, and he was carrying two bottles of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor). He walked with a swagger, looking just like a leader on an incognito inspection tour.

Jia Gui walked in third place, wearing a worn black cotton-padded jacket with the collar open, revealing a coarse cloth vest underneath. He carried a pot of braised pork, the aroma of which filled the entire courtyard.

He wasn't tall, but he had broad shoulders and a large stride, walking with a powerful and energetic air. He didn't have a smiling face, but his eyes revealed his sincerity.

He Daqing walked at the very back, carrying two bags of pastries. His eyes darted around, and as soon as he entered, he bowed and scraped to Zhang Renfeng: "Hello, Second Uncle! Hello, Second Uncle! First time meeting you. I'm He Daqing, a cook at Zhengyanglou. If you have time to eat there, I'll cook for you!"

Yan Fugui followed at the back, carrying nothing in his hands, both hands tucked into his sleeves, and said with a fawning smile, "Master Zhang, I brought everyone with you, and I helped carry all the things; they're so heavy."

Zhang Rende, with a stern face, scanned the room: "Where are the women?"

Yi Zhonghai quickly said, "I didn't bring any, I didn't bring any."

Zhang Rende's expression softened, and he gestured with his chin towards Zhang Guilin: "Guilin, introduce him to your second uncle."

Zhang Guilin stood up and, like a little adult, pointed at Yi Zhonghai and said, "Second Uncle, this is Brother Yi Zhonghai, my father's apprentice, who works as a fitter at Lou's Steel Rolling Mill."

Yi Zhonghai quickly bowed and scraped to Zhang Renfeng, saying, "Hello, Second Uncle, I am Yi Zhonghai. We heard that you are a high-ranking officer in the People's Liberation Army, so we came here specifically to pay our respects to you."

He kept saying he was paying respects to the boss, and he was indeed bowing quite low with a warm smile on his face. However, there was something in his eyes. When he looked people up and down, he would first look at the epaulets, then the collar, and then his gaze would drift to the pistol on his waist.

Zhang Renfeng knew perfectly well that Yi Zhonghai was the kind of person who said one thing to one person and another behind their back; his mind was full of scheming.

However, in front of his elder brother, this monkey couldn't cause any trouble. He politely said, "Master Yi, you're too kind. Please have a seat."

Zhang Guilin then pointed to Liu Haizhong: "This is Brother Liu Haizhong, he also learned fitter work from my dad."

When Liu Haizhong was called upon, he cleared his throat and put on an air of importance: "Second Uncle, I am Liu Haizhong. I have been learning the craft from Master Zhang for several years. We working class value solid skills and mentorship, don't you think?" When he said the words "we working class," he stood up straight and raised his chin slightly, as if he were some important person.

Zhang Renfeng almost burst out laughing, but quickly composed himself: "Master Liu is right, mentoring is an old tradition of ours."

Zhang Guilin pointed at Jia Gui: "This is Brother Jia Gui."

Jia Gui stepped forward, his back straight, and clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute to Zhang Renfeng: "Second Uncle, I, Jia Gui, am a rough man and not good at sweet talk. Today I specially made you a bowl of braised pork. Please try it and see if it suits your taste. In the future, if you need any errands or odd jobs in Beiping, just let me know."

After he finished speaking, he took a step back, his gaze open and honest.

Zhang Renfeng noticed that his voice was deep and resonant, with a slight Tianjin accent, completely different from Yi Zhonghai's roundabout manner.

Zhang Guilin then pointed to He Daqing: "This is He Daqing, the head chef at Zhengyanglou. His son is called He Yuzhu, you met him this afternoon."