An extraordinary life journey through old Beijing courtyard houses

Tom extended his hand: "For the next ten days, you will be both my guide and my assistant, Jiang."

Jiang Baobin quickly shook his hand: "I won't let you down."

The Dong'an Market, located in Wangfujing, opened in 1903.

It was the earliest comprehensive market established in Beiping.

At that time, during the late Qing Dynasty, there were many shops and stalls on both sides of Dong'anmen Street.

Further east from this area is the Donghua Gate, through which ministers entered the Forbidden City for court audiences.

Therefore, many imperial relatives, civil and military officials purchased residences nearby.

However, the large number of vendors often caused traffic congestion, which directly affected the access of high-ranking officials and nobles to and from the palace.

As a result, Na Tong, the infantry commander who lived in "Jinyu Hutong (connected to "Dong'anmen Street, further east)" proposed to improve the city's appearance and build roads.

In this way, all the street vendors were moved to the training ground of the Eight Banners Shenji Battalion in the southeast.

It was named after its proximity to Dong'anmen Gate.

Tom bought some daily necessities, while Mrs. Smith came to the market to buy food.

There are shops in Dongjiaomin Lane that cater specifically to foreigners, but they don't have everything, so they come here.

From what I can tell, they're having a dinner party, inviting Tom's friends over to welcome him.

At this point, Jiang Baobin naturally had to perform well, helping to recommend products, bargaining with merchants, and also carrying bags for them.

Because of his hard work, he left with two more knives in his pocket.

They say money gives men courage, and it's absolutely true. As his wallet grew fatter, Jiang Baobin's arrogance changed.

"I laugh triumphantly, laugh triumphantly again, watching the world's mortals never grow old..."

Jiang Baobin hummed a tune as he returned to "Qianmen" and then took "Bus No. 5" to "Gulou".

Then walk to "Xitao Hutong".

To their great disappointment, the person sitting at the door of "Liu Yifei's" house was not the young lady they had been longing for.

He was a man in his forties who was picking his toes.

This man, with a protruding belly and bare chest, had eyes that, though not large, shone with a sharp glint; he was clearly someone not to be trifled with.

Beside him was a small table with a purple teapot, a delicate porcelain teacup, cigarettes, and matches.

These days, people who can afford to drink tea and smoke cigarettes are definitely considered well-off among ordinary people.

Even in his disappointment, Jiang Baobin had to keep acting: "Excuse me, I'd like to buy two fire ropes."

This guy didn't say anything, he just rolled his strange eyes and looked people up and down.

Wow! It's just a "spotlight," who's afraid of who?

So Jiang Baobin stopped talking and just stared at him.

He also wanted to know if this man was Liu Yifei's father.

After looking at it for a long time, I finally concluded that the two were like persimmon and flower – completely unrelated.

That's strange. This guy's attire and the fact that he's guarding Liu Yifei's door must mean they have a close relationship.

So what is the relationship?

The man gave a mocking smile: "At least four at a time."

Jiang Baobin took out a copper coin from his pocket: "I'm not well-off today, I only have one coin."

The man sized him up again, his mockery deepening: "You're dressed like a proper man in a suit, but you only have one copper coin in your pocket?"

Jiang Baobin retorted without backing down: "What? Wearing a suit means you're broke? Is it wrong for me to be having a run of bad luck lately?"

The man was a little surprised that someone who was clearly penniless could be so self-righteous.

However, since Jiang Baobin had already said so much, if they continued to make things difficult, they would offend people.

The saying "Leave a way out for others so you can meet again in the future" reflects the traditional Chinese way of life, which is highly valued by people from old Beijing.

"Just wait!"

The man left two words and went inside, returning shortly with the items...

Since he wasn't in a hurry to go home, Jiang Baobin found a place to squat down.

I just hope Liu Yifei can come out to use the restroom or something.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned; it was already dark, and there was still no one in sight.

Sigh, the fairy sister is truly a fairy sister, doesn't she need metabolism?

In the middle of it, he even wanted to find out what the relationship was between this shrew and Liu Yifei, but in the end he held back.

Because there's a high chance it will get back to other people's ears, which is a bit taboo.

Since she wanted to pursue Liu Yifei, she couldn't avoid this guy, so she just needed to figure out how to get along with him.

I came full of enthusiasm but left disappointed. What a frustrating experience!

Going home is also a hurdle, especially considering what he did yesterday.

He was afraid of being blocked and getting a "bamboo shoot stir-fried with pork" meal.

With that small frame, no one can beat him.

So after returning to the compound, there was no rush to go inside.

It wasn't until Yan Bugui came out to lock the gate that Jiang Baobin repeatedly bowed to him, begging for mercy.

Who is Yan Laokou? He immediately gave him a meaningful look.

What's so hard to understand? People in later generations have been quite quick-witted in this regard.

Jiang Baobin then handed him a matchlock rope.

Yan Bugui immediately beamed with joy, waved his hand, and signaled to let them pass.

In fact, given Yan Bugui's tendency to protect himself, even if Jiang Baobin ignored him, he wouldn't cause any trouble.

However, Jiang Baobin had a different idea—

This old man Yan is sharp-witted and quick-witted, but he only has half a copper coin to his name.

From now on, I'll have an extra eye on things in the compound. Why not?

This thing first peeked inside before crouching down and crawling in.

Then, a new problem arose—the back room was locked!

Jiang Baobin frowned immediately. Something must have gone wrong again, otherwise why would they lock the door?

It's obvious this is a move to kick them out.

But what could have happened? They've all kept their distance.

I tried to find someone to ask, but Old Man Yan had disappeared without a trace, and every household had their doors tightly shut.

Presumably, once the gate is locked, everyone will be busy trying to find peace and quiet, otherwise they'll be hungry and it will be even harder to endure.

Although the door was locked, it couldn't stop Jiang Baobin.

Due to years of disrepair, the windows of the rear building could not be closed properly and could be pried open with a tool.

After jumping into the house, Jiang Baobin first took down the flowerpots from the windowsill.

It's impossible to tell what kind of plant it is anymore, because only a stem remains.

Jiang Baobin dug out all the money buried underneath, then sat on his bunk in a daze for a while.

If nothing unexpected happens, this will be the last time I enter this room.

It's a bit of a pity that he didn't inherit the memories of his predecessor, so he doesn't know how much joy and sorrow this place holds for him.

And now that I'm leaving, it's a way for me to take the place of my predecessor and put an end to his resentful past...

The next day, the rooster crowed three times.

Jiang Baobin got up early and jumped out of the window again.

However, he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he hid outside the gate, flipping through a dictionary while peering inside.

As expected, the younger sister was the first in the Jiang family to rise to prominence.

Yawning, he carried the chamber pot out.