The sky collapsed, and in the blink of an eye, I found myself transported to Nanluoguxiang.

After agreeing on the time for tomorrow's transaction with Zhao Yu, Li Kaixin and Zhao Yu parted ways and left the alley.

Li Kaixin returned to courtyard house number 93, got on his bicycle, and headed straight for the department store.

When he passed the trust store, he stopped the car, thought about it, and went inside anyway.

Li Kaixin decided against taking out the rosewood tables and chairs, the small-leaf sandalwood canopy bed, and the dressing table that she had bought before.

He had underestimated the situation. The neighbors in courtyard number 94 weren't like Aunt Zhao and her neighbors. There was a chance that someone would recognize the furniture and report him later.

The only person in the shop was the clerk surnamed Fang, who was leaning over the counter, fiddling with the abacus beads with one hand and flipping through the account book with the other.

Li Kaixin walked to the counter with a smile on her face.

The shop assistant sensed someone approaching and immediately stopped what she was doing and looked up: "Sir, is there something you'd like to look at?"

"I'd like to buy some tables and chairs," Li Kaixin said, glancing around the shop. "Is that old man not here today? I haven't seen him."

"It's you, comrade!" Shop assistant Fang recognized Li Kaixin and smiled broadly. "You mean Old Xiao? He took the day off today and didn't come."

As he walked out from behind the counter, his attitude became even warmer: "Are you looking for tables, chairs, and benches? Let me show you to the back storeroom!"

"Okay, thank you for your help, Comrade Fang."

Li Kaixin isn't here to buy expensive furniture this time, so there's no need for him to specifically seek out Old Master Xiao.

Seeing this, the shop assistant immediately turned around and led Li Kaixin toward the warehouse in the backyard.

Upon arriving at the backyard, seeing that the shop assistant was heading straight to the warehouse where expensive furniture was stored, Li Kaixin quickly said, "Comrade Fang, I'm just here to buy some ordinary furniture today."

"Don't worry, comrade," the shop assistant explained with a smile, "Even if you wanted to buy the same kind as last time, we don't have any in stock right now. What's in this warehouse are all ordinary wood furniture in better condition."

This was also because Li Kaixin was generous last time; otherwise, he wouldn't have just let it go!

Upon entering the warehouse, Li Kaixin looked up and, just as the shop assistant Fang had said, not a single piece of furniture made of huanghuali or zitan was missing.

This made him believe what Old Xiao had said last time.

Those few items I bought before were probably the most treasured items in this trust store.

Li Kaixin carefully selected items in the warehouse and finally decided on a square table, a mahogany cabinet, four stools, and two chairs with backrests.

The shop assistant, Fang, who was standing nearby, wrote down each item in her notebook.

Back at the counter, clerk Fang picked up the abacus and started clicking away for a while. Then she looked up and smiled, "Comrade, the total is one hundred and fifty-five yuan."

Li Kaixin deftly pulled out some money from his pocket and handed it over, smiling as he asked, "Comrade Fang, could I leave these things with you for a day? I'll come back to pick them up tomorrow."

"No problem, you can leave it here!" The shop assistant took the money and readily agreed.

Seeing this, Li Kaixin took out an unopened pack of Daqianmen cigarettes from his pocket and gently placed it on the counter: "Then I'll trouble you to take care of it. Comrade Fang, I'll be going now."

"Don't worry." When the shop assistant saw the pack of cigarettes, her smile deepened. "I'll take good care of everything for you."

After leaving the trust store, Li Kaixin immediately headed towards the department store next door.

……

At 5 p.m., Li Kaixin appeared at the entrance of No. 93 Courtyard, his bicycle back seat crammed with various household items.

The car was loaded with all sorts of things: thermos flasks, wooden basins, enamel mugs.

The receipts he had previously obtained on the black market were used up all at once this time, and Li Kaixin even went to several other department stores for them.

As soon as I pushed my bicycle into the yard, the four middle-aged women who were chatting in the front yard all stopped talking and came to greet me with smiles. The one leading the way was Aunt Wang.

Li Kaixin stopped, somewhat confused: "Aunt Wang, what brings you all here?"

"Happy, I heard you're moving?" Aunt Wang walked over.

"Yes, Aunt Wang." Li Kaixin nodded with a smile, "I'm on vacation these few days, so I'm just packing up and moving in."

Hearing this, Aunt Wang's smile remained unchanged: "It's like this, a few of us discussed it this afternoon and were thinking of throwing you a housewarming party to celebrate and have some fun. What do you think?"

"Isn't this too much of an expense for you?" Li Kaixin felt a warmth in her heart and was a little embarrassed.

He thought that Aunt Wang and the others had come to ask him if he would still share things with them when he returned from long journeys, but he had misunderstood.

Aunt Zhao, who was standing nearby, quickly chimed in, "There's no need to spend money! We've lived in the same courtyard for so many years. Now that you're moving away, we elders should at least show our appreciation, shouldn't we?"

Aunt Liu and Aunt Sun nodded in agreement.

Just then, Li Kaixin's parents came home from get off work and pushed their stroller into the yard.

Seeing that Aunt Wang and the others were talking to their eldest son, Qin Xiuli, the mother, asked with a smile, "What are you all talking about? It's so lively."

Her voice immediately attracted the attention of Aunt Wang and the other three.

Aunt Wang turned around and saw Qin Xiuli. Her tone was slightly reproachful: "Xiuli, it's such a big thing for Kaixin to move, and you didn't even tell us. We could have lent a hand and helped out!"

"Exactly! Don't you even consider us your neighbors anymore?" Aunt Zhao chimed in. "If I hadn't asked today, we wouldn't even know when Kaixin moved away!"

Knowing that everyone meant well, Qin Xiuli, the mother, explained with a smile, "Sister Wang, Sister Zhao, we just didn't want to cause you any trouble. Besides, the place Kaixin moved to is just next door, not far at all."

Then, she turned to her eldest son and said, "Kaixin, weren't you going to your apprentice's house? It's so late, why aren't you there yet?"

"I was just about to put the things down before I went," Li Kaixin said, patting the things strapped to the back of the bicycle.

Aunt Wang was a little surprised: "Kaixin is taking on apprentices now?"

The other three middle-aged women also looked surprised.

"Yes, Sister Wang." Mother Qin Xiuli said with a smile, "He had only been a few days after he became a full-time employee when the station assigned him an apprentice."

At this moment, his father, Li Mingde, came over and said, "Kaixin, we'll pack your things on the bike. You can ride this bike to your apprentice's house; don't keep him waiting."

As she spoke, she stepped forward and steadied her son's bicycle.

"Yes, Father."

Li Kaixin nodded in agreement, then turned to say goodbye to Aunt Wang and the other three: "Aunt Wang, Aunt Zhao, Aunt Liu, Aunt Sun, I'll be going now. We'll talk again later."

"Go on, don't delay your business." Aunt Wang waved her hand with a smile.

The other three middle-aged women also waved to him with smiles.

Without further delay, Li Kaixin pushed his father's bicycle out of the courtyard gate and rode towards Zhou Zhiming's house.