An extraordinary life journey through old Beijing courtyard houses

The deaf old woman said, "Don't hold a grudge anymore. Just live your own life well. That's better than anything else."

"Say hello during holidays and festivals, so your neighbors won't laugh at you for being impolite."

Jiang Baobin replied perfunctorily, "Alright, I'll listen to you, I won't hold a grudge against anyone, and I won't cause them any trouble."

The deaf old lady nodded in satisfaction: "That's right, gentlemen, don't be petty, or people will look down on you."

"From now on, work hard and try to get married as soon as possible."

"Having another big, healthy son is the life a decent person should live."

"Alright, don't worry, I'll definitely do my best."

"That's good." The deaf old lady said, taking Jiang Baobin with her to find the owner of the courtyard.

That is, the son born to the deceased man and his legal wife of the deaf old woman.

This guy is in his fifties, and he looks like a heavy smoker.

After signing the agreement and paying a deposit of half a dollar, both parties agreed that three months' rent plus one month's security deposit would be paid within three days.

Otherwise, the deposit will not be refunded.

Jiang Baobin was quite excited to finally have his own house.

I'm finally free!

Let all the anger I suffered before go to hell!

Then, Jiang Baobin discovered the real-world problem—

Apart from two fire ropes, his family has nothing left now.

And another match cord is about to be lit, so there will only be one left.

Haha, it's not bad to roll it up and use it as a pillow.

He couldn't help but chuckle to himself, wondering if he was the most low-level time traveler in history.

Wandering around inside and outside the house, I was thinking about what I needed to buy:

A water tank is a must, as are pots and pans, dustpans, brooms, fire hooks, and small shovels.

When a family is living together, how can they do without these things?

The most urgent task is to buy bedding; we can bear with it today, but we can't do it later.

When you're in a good mood, your appetite is naturally good too. This guy ate two bowls of braised noodles at a food stall.

He actually prefers noodles with soup, like Lanzhou beef noodles and Yangchun noodles.

My least favorite food is dry, crumbly fried noodles with soybean paste.

However, it's unclear whether the old Beijing residents haven't been conquered by foreign cuisines, or if they simply chose the wrong place to eat.

Since there were no other noodles available, braised noodles were the only option he could accept.

There were plenty of dumpling and wonton stalls, but he always felt that these things didn't keep him full for long.

Of course, pure meat is an exception, but the problem is that even if the stall owner wants to sell it, customers won't buy it.

The reason is simple: it's too expensive.

A dollar can only buy a few pounds of pork, and how many rich people would patronize a snack stall?

That's why old Beijingers liked to say that adding meat was a way of saying "borrowing flavor," which shows how precious it was.

That night, although the conditions were extremely simple, white strips were placed on the reed mat.

But Jiang Baobin slept very soundly, probably because he was in a good mood with his new home.

However, just when I was sleeping soundly, the system started causing trouble:

"Ding!"

"Game cheat codes for virtual world players in courtyard houses"

Current time: November 31, 1948

Player: Jiang Baobin

Health Status: 95%

"Physical Attributes:"

"Intelligence: 13 (The average value for ordinary people is 10, and the same applies to the following four items)"

"Explosive Power: 11 (The body has now returned to normal; the following two items are the same)"

Endurance: 11

Agility: 10

"The five senses: 14 (sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch)"

"Game map: The protagonist's previous activity area was the entire inner city;"

"Task (No. 2): The player moves out of their original, unloving home."

"Ding! Hidden quest completed: 'Body restored to optimal condition (health level reaches or exceeds 95%)."

Hidden quest complete, reward issued:

"① Martial Arts Introduction: Stance Training (Authentic)";

"②, Martial Arts Introduction: 'Fourteen Footwork Techniques (True)';"

Note: You need to practice for at least one hour every day to build a solid foundation.

××××××

Searching my memory, I indeed found many more memories related to "stance training" and "fourteen footwork techniques".

Jiang Baobin simply got off the kang (a heated brick bed) and started practicing.

The result was far more difficult than imagined.

Take standing meditation as an example. According to the number he silently counts in his mind, his arms and legs would feel sore and weak after about six or seven minutes.

He simply gave up and started training according to the "footwork".

At this time, it is still necessary to have some ability to protect oneself.

However, the moves provided by the system are all very ordinary.

If you have a mobile phone, you can find the information online by searching.

However, simplicity also means ease of practice, and Jiang Baobin quickly became immersed in it. After his hands and feet recovered, he continued practicing standing meditation...

The term "ghost market" first appeared in "Dongjing Menghualu" written by Meng Yuanlao in the Song Dynasty.

The book describes a trading market on the crossroads east of Panlou in Kaifeng.

They were accustomed to trading by lamplight at the fifth watch of the night, that is, between three and five in the morning.

As soon as it gets light, the market closes down, and the vendors and customers disappear without a trace.

The timing of "meeting at midnight and dispersing at cockcrow" is very similar to the time when "ghosts" appear in supernatural tales.

Therefore, people jokingly call such markets "ghost markets".

Good products at low prices naturally attract more customers to Taobao.

Jiang Baobin certainly wasn't after the baby.

You don't know anything! Are you on Taobao or getting ripped off?

Don't ever say there were no counterfeit goods during the Republic of China era. The Chinese are clever; they're masters at hurting each other.

The more valuable the item, the more counterfeit it is. If you manage to scam a fool, you can make a fortune.

Jiang Baobin came to exchange everyday items.

Don't immediately think of antiques or other valuable items when you hear the term "ghost market".

This is incorrect. In fact, the ghost market mainly sells daily necessities, such as pots, pans, and bowls.

Although buying secondhand goods is a bit taboo, Jiang Baobin is an easygoing person who is willing to accept whatever comes his way, as long as it's cheap.

These days, we earn money by bowing and scraping, so we don't care about such things anymore.

The main problem was that he didn't have much cash on hand, but he did have seven US dollars (of which he had already spent almost one dollar).

This thing needs to be redeemed by someone; small vendors won't accept it.

Jiang Baobin came over to see if there were any "separate pieces" available.

However, he clearly overestimated the "ghost market." Professional scalpers who trade foreign exchange should be found near major banks.

In Shanghai, those who speculate in foreign exchange are called "scalpers," while in old Beijing they are called "flirters."

Since that's the case, let's go on a big shopping spree: get a 60-centimeter diameter iron pot (to match the stove in the side room).

Strangely enough, the landlord provided all the tables, chairs, and benches in the house, but took away the pot. I don't know what kind of logic that is.

As bedding, dishes, and chopsticks were added one by one, the money in my hand shrank significantly.

They wrapped the plates and bowls, which were fragile, in bedding, and then hired a cart to carry the iron pot and water vat onto it.