Courtyard House: Passing through the Silly Pillar, Activating the Blessed Cave Heaven

8

When the Workers' and Peasants' Party shifted to a counter-offensive in 1947 and the three major battles began, transportation between the North and South would be disrupted, and it would be necessary to obtain seeds from the South before November 1948.

But right now, what we lack most is money.

If you have money, you can buy seeds of southern crops from pharmacies, such as seeds of the camellia tree, which can clear heat and detoxify.

The seeds of many plants are medicinal materials themselves and are not difficult to find in pharmacies.

The problem is, where will the money come from? Asking his father, He Daqing, might be okay for small amounts, but he certainly won't give him large sums.

I'm so young, no one dares to lend me money.

Once you have the initial capital, making money won't be difficult once the blessed land starts producing.

The difficult part is figuring out where to get the first pot of gold.

Lost in thought, he fell asleep again.

When I woke up again, it was already dawn; this time I was woken up by the urge to urinate.

He Daqing was busy in the main room, preparing to make breakfast.

"Zhu Zi, get up and wash your face quickly, dinner will be ready soon." He Daqing said as he saw him get up and get dressed. "After you wash your face, come and watch the pot. I'll go call your sister."

He Yuzhu didn't answer, hurriedly put on his shoes and rushed out the door.

Watching his flustered retreating figure, He Daqing shook his head helplessly and chuckled, "That kid!"

He Yuzhu ran to the front yard following his memory, and the gate was already open.

He turned right and ran 150 meters, rushed into the public toilet, and started unbuckling his belt against the wall.

After emptying his bladder all night, He Yuzhu's face showed a look of relief.

Only then did he have the leisure to examine the public toilet in front of him—it was called a public toilet, but it was actually just a deep pit dug in the ground, surrounded by brick walls, with a few stone slabs on top, leaving gaps between the slabs so that people could squat above the gaps to use the toilet.

He secretly rejoiced that it was winter and the smell in the public toilet wasn't too pungent.

If it happens to be a hot summer day, the smell is so strong that it can make people unable to open their eyes.

As He Yuzhu stepped out of the public restroom, a gust of cold wind hit him in the face, making him shiver.

He quickly tucked his hands into his sleeves and hunched his shoulders as he ran home.

When I arrived, I was so stuffy that I ran all the way and didn't feel cold. But now that I've relaxed, I truly understand how harsh the winter is in Beijing.

Back home, He Yuzhu poured some hot water from the thermos into a basin, then added a ladle of cold water.

After testing the water temperature and finding it suitable, he quickly washed his hands and dried them with a towel.

After tidying up, he walked to the coal stove and took the spoon from He Daqing's hand.

"Dad, go and dress the rainwater. I'll watch the pot."

He Daqing walked to the east room, stood in front of the bed and rubbed his hands together until they were warm before hugging his daughter, afraid of hurting her delicate skin.

He Yuzhu stared intently at the bubbling porridge in the pot, stirring it occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.

Before long, He Daqing came to the basin with Yushui, who was still sleepy-eyed, and wiped her face with a wet towel.

Then, he carried the child to the toilet under the porch outside the door, pulled down the child's pants, and let the rainwater relieve him.

When He Daqing returned to the room, He Yuzhu had already served the porridge and placed it on the table.

The family sat together and ate breakfast.

"Dad, I want to go out for a walk today, could you give me some money?" He Yuzhu asked his father tentatively.

He Daqing took a sip of porridge, and seeing his son's expectant eyes, his heart softened: "Alright, I'll give you a thousand yuan later, but keep it safe."

"So many?" He Yuzhu's eyes widened in surprise.

"A lot? Ten years ago, we couldn't even scrape together 1,000 yuan by selling our entire house."