Courtyard House: I'm an engineer, and a fairy godmother transferred me to a different position.

We're all workers in the same factory, so who wants to be inferior? We can never be careless when it comes to matters of face.

"Second Uncle is right, it only gets this lively once a year!"

"We can't let this prize fall into someone else's hands."

"I agree!" "Me too!"

Ultimately, most of the residents in this courtyard house are workers from the steel rolling mill. This year, the factory's business has been relatively good, and everyone is doing a bit better off financially.

If you can't buy meat and grain with ration coupons, surely you can still afford a few strings of firecrackers?

Therefore, everyone is happy to have some joy at the end of the year.

As the general meeting of the entire college drew to a close, the matter of buying firecrackers was settled.

As for how to raise the money and how much each family should contribute, Yan Bugui had already calculated it in his mind, but he spoke very fairly:

"Then I'll go to the supply and marketing cooperative first thing tomorrow morning to inquire and try to buy a few more strings of 1,000-firecrackers, plus a couple more two-stage firecrackers."

"We absolutely have to make sure our commotion outshines those guys next door!"

Yan Bugui patted his chest and spoke with great passion, his spittle almost splattering out.

Sha Zhu, hands in his pockets, glanced at him sideways, still spitting out insults:

"Uncle, you'd better watch out this time, lest you secretly slip the money for firecrackers into your own pocket again."

As soon as he finished speaking, several young people in the courtyard chuckled.

Yan Bugui's face flushed red, and he retorted, "What nonsense are you talking about! When did I ever do such a thing?"

He quickly retorted, but his gaze darted away, avoiding direct eye contact with Sha Zhu: "This time, I'll have Second Uncle come with me to oversee the whole thing. He'll keep a detailed record of how much was spent and what was bought, is that alright?"

With his round belly protruding, Liu Haizhong, the adjutant, regained his air of authority, nodded in satisfaction, and waved his hand dismissively:

"Alright, I'll go with Lao Yan. I guarantee everyone will get a good deal and a great product!"

Seeing this, Yi Zhonghai also smiled and ended the conversation:

"Alright, that's settled then. It's getting late, everyone go home and get some rest."

The crowd dispersed in twos and threes, and the once noisy courtyard became empty in the blink of an eye.

It was nearly midnight when the meeting ended. The moonlight gently shone on the bluestone slabs of the courtyard, reflecting the warm yellow lights shining from the windows of each house.

Liu Guangqi took Zhao Mengyun's hand and walked towards the backyard.

During the general meeting of the entire college, he always regarded himself as a junior, and no matter how his father Liu Haizhong and the other two uncles tried to persuade him, he refused to go forward and say anything.

He knew in his heart that once he changed his identity and spoke, the atmosphere in the courtyard would be different—that would be really boring.

Zhao Mengyun chuckled softly, "I didn't expect the meeting in the courtyard to be so lively."

Liu Guangqi was amused by her words and gently squeezed her hand:

"This is the first time you've seen him."

"It's only because it's Chinese New Year that everyone puts aside their usual petty thoughts and tries to be harmonious and peaceful."

He paused, lowered his voice, and spoke with a hint of teasing:

"On ordinary days, they can argue so fiercely over a single scallion or a couple of ounces of meat that they'd practically tear the roof off. The neighbor might lose a chicken, the neighbor might be missing a piece of coal—what trivial matters don't they talk about?"

"So, we're just coming back for the Lunar New Year to join in the fun, like watching a show."

Zhao Mengyun burst out laughing upon hearing this.

As Liu Guangqi said, this courtyard house is full of scheming and conflicts, but it also exudes the most genuine human warmth.

When the year draws to a close, all the arguments, frictions, and those trivial and annoying matters are temporarily put aside because of the "New Year"—this is the New Year's spirit deeply rooted in people's bones.

As they talked, they walked to the backyard.

Second Aunt had already made the kang (heated brick bed) warm and neat:

"You're back? Come on up and warm up on the kang (heated brick bed), it's freezing outside."

Liu Guangqi gently stroked the neatly folded quilt beside him and said softly, "Your father and two uncles are still discussing the firecrackers in the front yard. Let them be."

"The kang (heated brick bed) is warm now, Meng Yun, you can get a good night's sleep."

"Thank you, Mom."

Zhao Mengyun has a sweet voice and a smile in her eyes.

Liu Guangqi took off his coat and led her to sit on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). A warm current surged from the soles of his feet, instantly dispelling the chill of the winter night. He looked at his newlywed wife beside him, then glanced at his mother's busy figure in the inner room, and a calm ripple stirred in his heart. The hustle and bustle and calculations in this courtyard were like the howling north wind outside the window; they sounded noisy, but they couldn't penetrate his warm and cozy world. His life was no longer entangled in those trivial matters.

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, Liu Guangqi accompanied Zhao Mengyun on a leisurely stroll through Nanluoguxiang. His Zijinshan camera was quite eye-catching, drawing attention wherever they went. Zhao Mengyun followed beside him, watching him carefully adjust the lens, sometimes to a weathered old wall, sometimes to a upturned eave, a smile constantly playing in her eyes. The two chatted softly, and as they returned to their courtyard, they saw their neighbors busy sweeping and cleaning.

"Guangqi, taking your new wife for a walk?"

"Oh, so this is the bride? She's really beautiful!"

Upon seeing Zhao Mengyun, the neighbors' eyes lit up. This girl was not only beautiful, but her composed demeanor was also rare in the alley. Several unmarried young men, carrying brooms, secretly followed her with their gazes, and when they looked at Liu Guangqi, their envy was almost undisguised. Several matchmaking aunties from the street were also present; their initial competitive thoughts vanished upon seeing Zhao Mengyun in person, and they couldn't help but click their tongues in admiration.

"No wonder Guangqi never paid attention to any introductions before; it turns out he was waiting for such a fairy-like person!"

As they were talking, Liu Guangqi had already taken two long brooms from the yard and pulled Zhao Mengyun into the busy crowd.

"Aunt Wang, everyone is busy, let's lend a hand."

Zhao Mengyun smiled generously at the matchmaker, rolled up her sleeves to reveal a section of her fair wrist, and deftly began sweeping. Her movements, though slightly clumsy, were crisp and orderly, in no way inferior to a woman accustomed to housework. The surrounding whispers grew louder:

"See that? They work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but they have absolutely no airs!"

"He's both respectable and hardworking. Guangqi is truly blessed; he's one of a kind in the entire compound."

On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, the Changdian Temple Fair was bustling with people. Although the supplies were simple, the festive atmosphere was undiminished. The air was filled with the sweet and sour aroma of gourds and the oily fragrance of fried cakes, and the shouts of vendors rose and fell in waves. Liu Guangqi carefully protected Zhao Mengyun as they slowly made their way through the crowd.

"Freshly dipped candied hawthorns—crispy and sweet!"

"A piping hot donkey roll, have a bite!"

The two squeezed into a ring toss stall, where various small items were displayed on the ground: porcelain dolls, cloth tigers, bamboo baskets, and more.

"I want that..." Zhao Mengyun smiled, took out some change from her pocket, exchanged it for ten bamboo rings, and handed them to Liu Guangqi.

Liu Guangqi smiled knowingly, took the hoop, and weighed it in his hand. Zhao Mengyun took a fancy to a cute cloth tiger, its stitches exquisite and lifelike. He focused intently, aimed carefully, and with a deft flick of his wrist—the bamboo hoop swept through the air and landed steadily on the cloth tiger's neck.

"I got it!" Zhao Mengyun cheered softly, her eyes crinkling like a crescent moon.

The stall owner reluctantly handed over the cloth tiger, which Liu Guangqi took and placed in her arms: "Which one do you like?"

This scene attracted many glances. The two stood side-by-side; the man was tall and handsome, the woman bright and gentle, holding trinkets they had won at the temple fair. They looked exceptionally well-matched. Several girls strolling nearby whispered among themselves:

"Look at that man, he's so considerate to his wife."

"Yes...and she's so beautiful. If I could find a partner like her, I'd be laughing in my dreams."

Whispers and fragments melted into the bustling atmosphere of the temple fair.

The words gently reached Zhao Mengyun's ears.

A faint blush rose to her cheeks, and the small joy and sweetness in her heart almost overflowed. She didn't say anything, but simply hugged the cloth tiger in her arms a little tighter, and quietly wrapped her other hand around Liu Guangqi's arm, her fingertips slightly tightening.

That night, they also went to listen to a crosstalk performance on the street.

There was no stage; the streetlights cast a soft glow, and a few bluestone slabs served as seats. The future renowned gentlemen stood in the light, their every word eliciting laughter from the entire room. Zhao Mengyun laughed so hard her body trembled, leaning gently on Liu Guangqi's shoulder: "This is much more interesting than our courtyard's parties, so lively!"

Liu Guangqi smiled and straightened the tassels on her scarf for her.

"If you like it, I'll come with you every year from now on."

In those days, there was no television, let alone grand celebrations on New Year's Eve. The happiness of ordinary people was exceptionally simple—the sky was overhead, and the ground beneath them was solid. No matter how simple the circumstances, they could not suppress the brand-new joy of reunion.

The lively time flew by.

It's New Year's Eve in the blink of an eye.

At midnight, Nanluoguxiang seemed to be set ablaze with fireworks, the crackling sounds suddenly tearing through the night sky, one after another, making the window paper tremble. Every household was determined to have the loudest and best luck at this juncture of transition between the old and the new.

Yan Bugui stood with his hands behind his back under the eaves of the front yard.

Amidst the deafening noise, a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips. He twirled a few crisp bills in his pocket—though he had asked Liu Haizhong to go with him to buy firecrackers, a shrewd man like him wouldn't try to profit from the situation. This trip had not only been free, but he'd even earned a little extra money, naturally making him very pleased.

The people in the courtyard were already used to this. When someone runs errands, how could they not give them a little something in return? The extra money each person saved through their own efforts went into their own pockets, and nobody complained. Only someone as straightforward as Sha Zhu would complain; everyone in this courtyard was a shrewd person. They saw through it all and simply laughed it off.

If you don't offer any incentive, who will work for nothing?

If you feel it's inappropriate, you can go by yourself.

At least on this matter, no one in the hospital will say much.

Before the smoke from the firecrackers had even dissipated, the sun on the first day of the Lunar New Year began to rise slowly.

Then came the children's "New Year's gathering"—the children in the yard changed into brand new clothes, lined up in a long row, and bowed all the way from the front yard to the back yard, and finally did not forget to go around to Liu Guangqi and Zhao Mengyun.

Zhao Mengyun had already prepared red envelopes.

Each child received a 50-cent note, and she said gently, "Happy New Year, take this to have some snacks."

A moment later, Yan Bugui, Jia Zhangshi, and the other neighbors looked at the brand-new five-cent coins in their children's hands, and smiles appeared at the corners of their eyes: "Guangqi's wife is so generous! The children are really lucky this year."

Yan Bugui pulled Yan Jiekuang aside, but in his heart he was secretly calculating how many kilograms of rice and noodles he could exchange for those five cents.

After seeing the children off, Zhao Mengyun took out two thick red envelopes and handed them to Liu Haizhong and his second aunt: "Dad, Mom, I wish you both a happy and healthy New Year and all the best."

Inside were two high-denomination banknotes.

Liu Haizhong was taken aback, and quickly declined, "Why would this child give us money?"

Zhao Mengyun smiled:

"This is a small token of our appreciation from Guangqi and me. Please accept it."

The second aunt took the red envelope, and upon touching it with her fingertips, she knew the amount was considerable. Her eyes immediately reddened: "Okay, okay, Mom will keep it..."

Finally, Zhao Mengyun gave Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu two yuan each.

"Guangtian, study hard. Guangfu, you take this too."

"Thank you, sister-in-law."

The two men knew that if their sister-in-law had given them a larger sum, their parents would most likely have kept it for safekeeping. These two dollars were already a very respectable gesture.

Not long after, one of the old people let it slip.

The news that Guangqi's wife had given her parents-in-law two large bills each as New Year's money spread like wildfire throughout the entire courtyard.

Looking at his desolate main room, Yi Zhonghai felt increasingly uneasy.

He also hoped that his son and daughter-in-law could be there to take care of him. Old Liu... he really knows how to hit the nail on the head.

And so, the first day of the Lunar New Year quietly passed amidst the hustle and bustle and everyone's mixed thoughts.

On the morning of the second day of the Lunar New Year, the sky was just before dawn.

The alleyways were still shrouded in a light blue morning mist. A faint, lingering scent of firecrackers floated in the air, a trace left by firecrackers on New Year's Eve, mixed with the crisp winter air, making it cool and refreshing to breathe in.

The stone steps in front of the courtyard house were covered with a thick layer of scarlet firecracker scraps, making it look like someone had specially laid out a red carpet.

The old custom is as follows: sweep the front yard on the first day of the lunar new year, and sweep the middle yard on the second day. The red paper scraps all over the ground cannot be swept outwards; they must be brought back into the yard. According to old sayings, this is called "collecting wealth."