Age: My Small World

"Oh, Director Zhang, what brings you here? Is there anything you need to tell me?"

As soon as I entered the front yard, an old man came out rubbing his hands together, apparently having been cooking.

"Teacher Li, we're all comrades, so please don't give me any orders or instructions. I can't accept that." Zhang Lijun quickly shook her head. If those words were to come true, the consequences would be dire.

Besides, they were just being polite.

Sure enough, the teacher Li she mentioned smiled and said, "I was just thinking of asking if there was anything I could do for you, so I made a special trip over here."

Zhang Lijun then said, "I've brought your neighbors over."

She stepped aside, revealing Yang Junlai, who had fair skin and a clean appearance.

"This is our new comrade in the alley, named Yang Jun. He will be living in your backyard from now on. Please take good care of him and help each other out."

"Oh, so you're my future neighbor! Hello, hello."

Teacher Li immediately greeted him warmly.

Zhang Lijun then waved her hand: "Teacher Li, you go ahead and do your work. I'll take Yang Jun to the backyard to see the house."

"Alright, alright, you go ahead with your work." Teacher Li stepped aside.

The two continued towards the backyard.

Zhang Lijun explained to Yang Jun, "Because there are many residents in each compound, it's not easy for our street office to handle things promptly. So, we have each compound elect three people to manage it together. If you have any conflicts or disputes with your neighbors, just go to them."

"By the way, the three people in charge of this compound are Teacher Li, who just spoke; Officer Wang, who lives in the middle courtyard; and Grandpa Liu from the steel factory, who lives in the back courtyard. He is a highly respected elder."

After introducing the three managers, Yang Jun had a better understanding of the situation.

As they spoke, they had already arrived at the backyard.

A courtyard that can accommodate more than a dozen families is certainly large enough. It even seems that this place used to be a royal palace or something, but it has now been transformed into everyone's residence.

Yang Jun looked at the room, which had a somewhat dilapidated door, and his lips twitched. No wonder it was all given to him; this place was probably uninhabitable before.

"Don't be fooled by how dilapidated these houses look; they're actually quite clean inside. If things get too difficult, the neighborhood committee can help you replace the doors and windows."

Zhang Lijun was also a little embarrassed, after all, the house's exterior wasn't very nice.

However, when she opened the door, the inside was indeed quite tidy, just as she had said, and it must have been cleaned recently.

Yang Jun didn't say anything tactless. Instead, he smiled and said, "Thank you, Sister Zhang. I'm quite satisfied with these rooms. They'll be just enough for my mother and sister when they come over. I also want to thank you for bringing me here."

"Hehe, there's no need to thank me. It's all what I should do."

Zhang Lijun was naturally happy to be called "sister" by a young and handsome man.

Moreover, she knew that Yang Jun was a high-ranking official, and it was absurd that he was at the same level as her, since this guy should have just been assigned a job.

"Oh right, you haven't picked up your ration book yet, have you? I'll get it for you later."

"Thank you so much, sister."

Yang Jun spoke sweetly.

He was officially assigned a job, and from then on he could use his ration book to buy food, instead of relying on his second sister's ration book for rice and flour.

After a while, Zhang Lijun was about to leave, reminding him to pick up his ration book the next day. Yang Jun saw him off to the front gate before returning.

"Young man, you seem to know Director Zhang quite well. Is he a relative of yours?"

Just as Yang Jun was about to leave, Teacher Li suddenly appeared.

Hearing his question, Yang Jun shook his head: "We only met today."

Teacher Li narrowed her eyes, her expression clearly showing some disbelief.

However, he didn't say anything more. He just greeted everyone and went home for lunch. He was a primary school teacher nearby and had to rush back to school after lunch.

Because everyone is still working or in class today, the compound is quite quiet.

However, Yang Jun also met many of the neighbors he would be living with in the future. Most of them were elderly people or women, and they generally relied on their families to work as laborers. This phenomenon was all too common.

Because Yang Jun was brought by Director Zhang, everyone was initially just curious but dared not ask too many questions until a woman spoke up: "Comrade, do you work nearby?"

Yang Jun stopped and looked at the middle-aged woman sitting at the door eating with a bowl in her hand. He was truly helpless. Gossip really is a woman's talent.

"Yes, Auntie, I work nearby. I moved here today, and I hope everyone will take good care of me from now on."

"Hehe, that's how you scholars talk, all so literary." The woman laughed heartily.

"Don't call me 'Auntie' anymore. I'm younger than Director Zhang. Just call me 'Sister-in-law Dong'."

It seems this family is surnamed Dong.

Just as Yang Jun was about to speak, an old woman spat out a mouthful of saliva.

"Pooh!"

"Dong family, stop being so lewd. You're a mother of three, and it's one thing to seduce my Sheng'er, but now you're even going after young men. Aren't you ashamed?" The old woman went straight for the kill, not giving Dong's wife a chance to retort.

"Don't you realize you're forty years old? Do you think anyone would still be interested in you? You'd better stay away from my Sheng'er from now on, or I'll teach you a lesson."

Enraged by being suppressed, Sister Dong slammed her rice bowl down on the stool next to her, stood up, and roared at the old woman with a furious expression, "You old hag, if you want to die, then die already! Who seduced your Liu Sheng? With his character, let's hear what people in our compound think. Who would like him?"

"Besides, Liu Sheng's wife died so young, who knows if it was because of you and your son? Anyone who marries into your family will be incredibly unlucky."

After hearing these words, how could the old woman remain seated? She immediately stood up and started arguing with Sister Dong.

Yang Jun was mortified when he heard the vulgar language around him.

They haven't even said anything yet, and they've already started arguing.

It was lunchtime, and the women and children from each household who had prepared their meals immediately took their bowls and sat down at the door to eat, while enjoying the traditional Chinese music playing in the background.

You know, Chinese people just love watching a spectacle.

The farce only ended when Teacher Li from the front yard walked in.

"What's all the noise about? I can hear you two old women talking right here in the front yard. Do you still want our yard to get on the honor roll?"

Although Teacher Li didn't give Yang Jun a good first impression, she was quite qualified as one of the three managers. She handled things with ease and quickly resolved the dispute between the two.

"Tch, this is no fun anymore." The crowd dispersed. (End of Chapter)