Courtyard House: Drunk and tipsy, the whole courtyard exposed at the start.

In May, Hong Kong was sweltering, like a giant furnace turned upside down in the sky.

For days, not a drop of rain fell, and a notice from the Hong Kong British authorities was posted all over the streets and alleys. Water would be supplied every other day, but only for four hours at a time.

This news has caused a huge uproar among all Hong Kong residents.

Long lines formed at water taps on every street corner, with elderly men and women carrying iron buckets, wooden basins, and even spittoons, fighting each other for a better spot. The air was filled with noise and the clanging of buckets being smashed.

In contrast, Mixue Ice Cream in Shau Kei Wan was bustling with activity in its backyard.

Qin Mancang, shirtless, hastily wiped away sweat with a towel. Several workers were diligently pressing the handle of the deep well. Cool groundwater gushed out, pouring into huge plastic buckets, each half a person's height.

Cheung Yiu-yeung (Cheung Tai-piu) spent a lot of money to have two deep wells dug for each Mixue Ice Cream branch. The process was a bit bumpy, and it wasn't like you could get a bite of water right after digging one well. But fortunately, the money was right, and water was eventually produced in each of them.

With the addition of filtration through maifan stone and charcoal gauze, plus high-temperature sterilization, at least the water is still usable in the end.

"Hurry up! The shop up ahead is asking for ice water!" Qin Mancang shouted at the top of his lungs.

Jin Youlai walked over from the front hall with an account book in his hand, and pushed up his glasses.

"Brother Mancang, the line is almost stretching to the next street corner. We don't have enough water buckets."

Qin Mancang turned his head.

"The boss already gave instructions that only 500 barrels of water can be sold daily, and we have to keep going. Shouldn't the truck from Yufan Plastics Factory have arrived by now?"

Just then, a large truck pulled up in front of the shop, its engine roaring. Lou Yufan jumped out of the passenger seat, drenched in sweat, his shirt plastered to his back.

He delivered the goods himself today.

Workers began unloading brand-new large plastic buckets and stacks of disposable plastic cups.

Lou Yufan squeezed into the backyard and patted Qin Mancang on the shoulder.

"Brother Mancang, Boss Zhang is truly a living god!" Lou Yufan's voice trembled.

Qin Mancang handed over a bowl of cold boiled water.

Lou Yufan drank it all in one gulp and wiped the water from his mouth.

"Since last week, my plastic factory's phone has been ringing off the hook. The whole of Hong Kong Island is demanding these large plastic water tanks. The workers are working 24-hour shifts, and the machines can't be stopped. Profits have increased more than tenfold in the last few days!"

Lou Yufan was truly convinced. Back then, when Zhang Yaoyang had him stockpile raw materials and set up two production lines specifically for making these seemingly insignificant plastic buckets and cups, he thought it was a losing proposition. Now, he wished he could erect a longevity tablet for Zhang Yaoyang.

Jin Youwu, who was fiddling with an abacus beside him, looked up and interjected.

"Boss Lou, our shop has benefited too. Other tea and ice cream parlors don't even have water to wash their cups, they've all closed down. We use disposable plastic cups here and can even provide chilled drinks. This business is almost exclusive to us."

Lou Yufan nodded repeatedly and paced back and forth in the courtyard.

This is too strange. In this severe drought, when others dig wells, all they get is yellow mud and sand, but the two deep wells that Boss Zhang dug in the designated locations have clear, sweet water that they can't seem to drain no matter how hard they try.

For Zhang Dabiao, it was pure luck. With the tap water he handled every night, the four shops had enough water, and there was even some left over to supply the public.

A commotion arose from the front hall. Ah Xiang ran into the backyard.

"Brother Mancang, Superintendent Hale is here."

Qin Mancang nodded and took out a thick kraft paper envelope from the drawer.

Superintendent Ronald Percival Hale swaggered into the store with several officers. He was heavily pregnant and was banging his baton on the wooden table.

"This street is a complete mess, but you guys are all well-behaved. Not bad, not bad at all," Hale drawled.

Qin Mancang went up to him and subtly slipped the envelope into Hale's coat pocket.

"Superintendent, you've worked hard. It's so hot, have a glass of ice water to cool down."

Hale squeezed the thickness of the pocket and smiled with satisfaction.

"Your boss is a smart man. He keeps the water price at 2.5 yuan a bottle, providing it at a fair price without raising prices arbitrarily. I will definitely report this to my superiors and have you recognized as a model business."

Hale, speaking in an official tone, led his men away carrying several buckets of water. He planned to go back and inflate the meal budget, saying that the restaurant was hygienic and the water quality was guaranteed, thus pocketing the difference.

Of course, Cheung Yiu-yeung wouldn't be eyeing the police department's budget; that would be insane.

As soon as the police left, Ah Xiang came over and whispered something.

"Brother Mancang, the neighbors are saying that our boss has a British background, and some even say that he is a feng shui master who can find auspicious sites and water sources."

Qin Mancang glared at him.

"Get back to work! Who gives you the right to gossip about the boss?"

Ah Xiang shrank his neck and quickly went to the front to help fill the water containers.

In the evening, when it was time to settle accounts, Jin Youlai summarized the revenue of each branch.

Including dividends from Yu Fan Plastics Factory and revenue from magazines such as "Martial Arts World," after deducting all expenses, Zhang Yaoyang's account balance was approaching one million Hong Kong dollars.

In Hong Kong at that time, this was an absolute fortune.

Qin Mancang looked at the number and breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't let Yaoyang (Zhang Dabiao) down.

What he needs to do now is to help Brother Yaoyang (Zhang Dabiao) keep the shop safe.

Back on the mainland, his family was doing well, and he would occasionally ask Yaoyang to exchange some RMB and bring some photos back with him.

Once Yaoyang's business is completely stable in two years, he should get married and have children. What's not to like about this kind of life?

------------

The scene shifts to Beijing.

The warm May sunshine shone on the blue bricks of courtyard number 95.

The supply of non-staple foods in the city has improved significantly recently. You can see chunks of pork and baskets of eggs on the counters of the supply and marketing cooperatives again, although you still need ration coupons, at least they're not empty shelves anymore.

Zhang Dabiao lay on the rocking chair in the east courtyard, while Erhei lay at his feet with his tongue lolling out.

Qin Jingru walked over carrying a plate of peeled apples.

"Big Brother Biao, have an apple. This apple is really sweet."

Zhang Dabiao sat up, took one, and took a bite.

The taste is indeed very good.

Footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate, and Director Wang from the neighborhood office walked in carrying a cloth bag.

"Hey, Da Biao, you seem to be having a good time," Director Wang greeted with a smile.

Zhang Dabiao quickly stood up and moved a stool over.

"Aunt Wang, what brings you here? Jingru, go peel another apple."

Director Wang sat down and accepted the apple.

"It's almost June, and the weather is getting hot. I've come to check on how the fire and flood prevention preparations are going in each hospital."

"This year, things have finally gotten a bit better. Residents have some money in their pockets and don't have to live on such a tight budget like they did in previous years."

Zhang Dabiao nodded.

"Yes, everyone looks much better. The other day when I went to the market, even the people queuing to buy vegetables had smiles on their faces."

Director Wang lowered his voice.

"Da Biao, you suffered a lot during the Five-Anti Campaign a while ago. Don't take the whistleblower letter to heart."

"And that kid with the stick-like appearance..."

"Can you please stop messing with him? If this keeps going, something serious is going to happen."

Zhang Dabiao quickly retorted—

"No, I didn't, don't talk nonsense!"