Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

On the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, just after the Little New Year, a wind even more frigid than the Siberian cold front swept through the streets and alleys of Beijing, and mercilessly poured into every corner of the courtyard house at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang.

The name of the wind is ticket.

Early in the morning, Director Wang of the neighborhood committee personally led several staff members to knock on doors one by one, solemnly handing each household a manila envelope. Inside the envelopes were freshly printed Beijing urban residents' grain and oil supply certificates, still smelling of ink, as well as grain coupons, oil coupons, meat coupons, cloth coupons, and industrial coupons, all carefully calculated and cut according to family size and occupation.

"Dear neighbors," Director Wang stood in the courtyard, holding a tin megaphone, his voice echoing in the cold air, carrying an undeniable seriousness, "From today onwards, Beijing, like many major cities across the country, will officially implement planned rationing, with purchases made by coupon! This is a necessary measure taken by the country during this special period to ensure everyone has basic living standards and to concentrate resources on construction and major undertakings! The coupons you hold are your proof of food and clothing! Keep them safe and use them according to regulations! Any hoarding, speculation, or resale of coupons is disrupting the socialist economy and is a crime!"

The crowd was completely silent. Faces, some blank, some tense, some calculating, and some calm, were particularly clear in the winter morning light. People looked down at the colorful little pieces of paper in their hands, printed with different denominations and uses, their minds racing with calculations and considerations.

In the front yard, at Yan Bugui's house, Old Yan, his hands trembling, put on his reading glasses and carefully counted the coupons in the envelope, muttering to himself: "Grain coupons... 60% coarse grains, 40% refined grains... As a primary school teacher, according to cadre standards, I get 28 jin a month... Auntie, your family member, 27 jin... Jie Cheng is an adult, considered lightly physically fit, 32 jin... Jie Kuang and Jie Di are minors, divided by age... Oil coupons, half a jin per person per month, meat coupons... oh, only four liang? Cloth coupons... only 15 feet 6 inches a year? This... this is barely enough to make a set of clothes..."

三大妈在一旁愁眉苦脸：「他爸，这定量……够吃吗？解成正能吃着呢……」

"Be frugal! Plan your meals!" Yan Bugui adjusted his glasses, his small eyes gleaming. "From today onwards, our family will eat two meals a day: thin porridge in the morning and evening, and solid porridge at noon. Save the fine grains for holidays or when we have guests. Meat coupons... see if we can exchange them for egg or tofu coupons. Cloth coupons, prioritize the children; our clothes can still be patched up and worn." He had already begun mentally calculating how to use the limited coupons to get the family through this "tight time," and even... whether he could find a "trick" in it.

At the Intermediate People's Court, at Yi Zhonghai's home, an elderly woman named Wang Cuifang, holding the ration coupons, seemed to breathe a sigh of relief: "Honey, this ration... seems to be a bit more than we usually buy? Especially the proportion of refined grains."

Yi Zhonghai nodded, his expression relatively calm. He was an eighth-grade worker, receiving a high grain ration of 45 jin (approximately 22.5 catties) per month, with a higher proportion of refined grains. The older woman, a family member, also received 27 jin (approximately 18.5 kg). His newly adopted niece, Yi Aijia (9 years old), and nephew, Yi Aiguo (5 years old), were given special consideration by the neighborhood committee because they were orphans of martyrs; their rations were higher than those for urban children, with a higher proportion of refined grains. "This is the country's way of ensuring our basic living needs during difficult times. From now on, you'll need to bring your ration coupons when you buy things, remember that. Aijia, Aiguo, I'll keep your coupons for you; I'll give them back to you when you need them."

Yi Aijia nodded understandingly, holding her younger brother's hand tightly. Yi Aiguo was still young and didn't understand the meaning of these little pieces of paper; he just felt that his uncle and aunt seemed to value them very much.

后院，刘海中家。二大爷拿着票证，挺着肚子，在家里发表「重要讲话」：「看见没？这就是国家的大政策！咱们工人阶级，要带头拥护！以后，光有钱不行了，还得有票！这说明什幺？说明咱们国家的经济，越来越有计划性，越来越像苏联老大哥靠拢了！这是好事！」

The second aunt muttered from the side, "What's so good about it? There's only so little meat..."

"What do you know! That's just a woman's view!" Liu Haizhong glared at him. "This is a temporary difficulty! When our country becomes strong, we'll have beef stew with potatoes every day! Right now, we need to work hard!" He was actually worried. His three boys were just getting by, the kind of kids who could eat their father out of house and home. This ration... it seemed like he'd have to make sure they drank more thin porridge.

In the west courtyard, Wang Huanbo and Lou Xiao'e also received their ration coupons. Wang Huanbo, a senior engineer and chief engineer, enjoyed the highest level of technical cadre benefits, with a high ration and a special allowance for senior intellectuals (which could be used to purchase small quantities of eggs, sugar, etc.). Lou Xiao'e, being a family member, received her own ration. Wang Huanbo glanced at the coupons briefly and then handed them to Lou Xiao'e: "Xiao'e, you'll be in charge of household purchases from now on. Use them wisely, but don't skimp on yourself. The factory might provide some additional subsidies; my share is enough, and my family will send me some food and supplies every month."

Lou Xiao'e carefully put away the ration coupons, feeling much more at ease. With these coupons, at least she had some peace of mind, knowing how much she would get each month. She began to plan; Wang Huanbo worked hard, so she needed to ensure his nutrition, saving him as much refined grains, meat, and eggs as possible. Her parents could also support her, and Wang Huanbo's family would ship some supplies from Hong Kong every month, so her family didn't have to worry about food and drink at all!

However, the most eerie and oppressive atmosphere in the entire No. 95 courtyard was that of the Jia family.

贾张氏捏着那个薄薄的信封，手抖得像秋风里的落叶。信封里，只有一张粮油证，上面写着户主贾东旭的名字，定量是38斤每月（二级工，轻体力劳动）。后面家庭成员栏：秦淮茹（妻，农业户口），贾梗（子，随母，农业户口），贾张氏（母，农业户口）。没有定量。附带的票证，也只有贾东旭一个人的份额：粮票、油票、肉票……少得可怜。

"What...what does this mean?" Jia Zhangshi's voice was shrill, filled with disbelief and panic. "Only Dongxu has it? What about us? What about Huairu? What about Banggeng? What about me?"

Qin Huairu held the bewildered child, her face pale, her lips trembling, unable to speak. She had vaguely heard about the importance of household registration, but Jia Zhangshi had always prevented her from transferring it, saying that rural household registration was better because it included land. She couldn't go against her mother-in-law's wishes, and also thought that her family in the countryside could provide some financial support, so she didn't insist. Unexpectedly…

"Mom..." Jia Dongxu came out from the inner room. He had just returned from his vocational school winter break a few days ago, and his face still carried the scholarly air of a young man. But now his brows were furrowed, and he held a copy of the *People's Daily* he had brought back from school. The front page headline was an editorial and report about accelerating the socialist transformation of rural areas and promoting the people's commune system. "The newspaper said that the countryside is undergoing collectivization. Land, oxen, and large farm implements will all be incorporated into the commune, collectively owned, and managed uniformly. Labor will be recorded in work points, and rations will be distributed according to work points and population. In the future... there will be no more private plots, and we can no longer buy and sell grain privately. The city's supply will only cover non-agricultural households..."

"What did you say?!" Jia Zhangshi jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, snatching the newspaper. She wasn't very literate, only able to make out a few large headlines, but even that was enough to make her dizzy. "Land going back to the public? Then my… my three mu of good land in Jiajia Village… my brother cultivates it, giving me two hundred jin of wheat every year… and Huai Ru's little land in Qinjia Village… all gone?! They're not giving it to me anymore?!"

"It's become a commune; the land belongs to the public. Relatives can't even privately divide the grain anymore; that would be undermining socialism." Jia Dongxu's voice was dry. Having systematically studied policy documents and social development at school, he understood this more clearly than his mother. Besides panic, he felt a deep regret and anger towards his mother's past shortsightedness and greed.

"Damn it! This is going to wipe out our family line!" Madam Jia Zhang plopped down on the ground, slapping her thigh and wailing, "My land! My food! Gone, all gone! I can't live like this anymore!"

Her wails echoed throughout the courtyard. Families quietly opened their doors a crack or stood at their own doorways, looking in the direction of the Jia family with complex expressions. Some gloated, some sympathized, some shook their heads and sighed, but most felt a chilling sense of shared misfortune—this era of ration coupons was truly serious! There wasn't a single loophole to exploit!

Yan Bugui strolled out of his house, pretending to check the weather, but actually listening intently to what was happening at the Jia family's place. His small eyes gleamed with "Just as I thought" and a hint of secret pleasure. He recalled Jia Zhangshi's smugness in the past and snorted inwardly.

Liu Haizhong stood at the door with his hands behind his back, his pregnant belly protruding, exuding an air of "I expected this," and said to the second aunt, "Look, this is what happens when you don't keep up with the times! Agricultural household registration, trying to take advantage of the state? Now you're dumbfounded, aren't you?"

Xu Damao was pushing his bicycle, heading out to show a movie, when he passed the courtyard and heard Jia Zhangshi's wailing. He smirked and whispered to his apprentice, "See? That's karma. Before, they were so smug about having land in the countryside and being able to harvest grain, looking down on us city folks. Now? Heh heh..." But what he was really thinking was that he needed to quickly finish writing the article about Engineer Wang's successful development of the "Little Cannon" and try to get it published on the factory radio station and in the district newspaper. This was a great opportunity to keep up with Engineer Wang and show his progress! What was Jia's mess compared to flattering Engineer Wang?

易中海在家里听着隔壁的哭闹，眉头紧锁。一大妈担心地看着他：「当家的，贾家这下……可难了。东旭一个人38斤粮，要养活四口人（秦淮茹又怀上了），这……」

"Sigh!" Yi Zhonghai sighed heavily. He was Jia Dongxu's mentor and had once considered having Jia Dongxu support him in his old age, showing considerable care for the Jia family. However, ever since Jia Zhangshi's repeated misdeeds, and with him having found his own nephew and niece, his feelings had long since faded, and he even regretted his past indulgence of the Jia family. Now that the Jia family was in trouble, he should logically lend a hand, but the thought of Jia Zhangshi's greedy and shameless face made him feel disgusted. Moreover, he now had Aijia and Aiguo to support. Although his ration was high and he received subsidies for families of martyrs, he couldn't just squander the money. In this day and age, food was life!

"Let's take another look, let's take another look. Dongxu... he's had a tough time." That was all Yi Zhonghai could say in the end.

The Jia family's crying and commotion continued for a while. Jia Dongxu managed to calm his mother down, but Jia Zhangshi seemed lost in thought, slumped in her chair, her eyes glazed over, muttering repeatedly, "It's all over, everything's ruined." Qin Huairu silently wept, clutching Banggeng, staring at the meager amount of ration coupons in her hand, filled with fear for the future. Banggeng seemed to sense the oppressive atmosphere in the house and was too frightened to cry or make a sound.

Watching all this, Jia Dongxu felt as if his heart was being fried in oil. He recalled the political economy and social development history he had learned in school, and the "necessity of socialist transformation" and "superiority of collectivization" that his teachers had discussed. He understood the principles, but when this cold reality crashed down on his family, the pain and helplessness were so real. And all of this, when traced back to its root, was largely due to his mother's shortsighted greed and stubbornness!

A long-suppressed anger, mixed with shame and despair, surged within him. For the first time, he looked at his mother with an almost stern gaze.

「妈，」他的声音沙哑，「当初街道和厂里几次动员，让把淮茹和棒梗的户口迁到城里来，您死活不同意，说什幺农村户口好，有地，有依靠，还能占点便宜。您还笑话后院老李家、前院老张家，说他们傻，把农村户口转了，没了根。现在呢？人家的户口在城里，有定量！咱家呢？就我一个人的口粮，要养四张嘴！淮茹还怀着孩子！这年怎幺过？！」

Startled by her son's unprecedentedly stern questioning, Jia Zhangshi was momentarily stunned. Then, as if struck on a sore spot, she flew into a rage, retorting in a shrill voice, "How was I supposed to know this would happen? How was I supposed to know the government would just take away the land like that? How was I supposed to know we needed ration coupons for food in the city? Wasn't I just doing this for the family? Trying to get more benefits? Who knew…who knew…" She burst into tears again, this time with a hint of tantrum, "My life is so miserable! I've worked so hard all my life, and in the end, I don't even have enough to eat…"

「为了这个家？」贾东旭悲愤地打断她，「您那是为了占便宜！为了那点不用您出力就能得到的粮食！您目光短浅，只看到眼前那点小利！现在好了，便宜没占到，全家都要跟着饿肚子！您知道现在黑市粮价涨到多少了吗？您知道这一张粮票有多金贵吗？！」

The mother and son's argument resumed. Those in the courtyard shook their heads and sighed. Many recalled Jia Zhangshi's boastful face when her family sent her grain, and now they felt only irony.

Yi Zhonghai heard everything clearly at home, and his initial sympathy for her faded somewhat. That Jia Zhangshi, she really… brought this upon herself.

For the next two days, a somber atmosphere hung over the Jia family. Jia Dongxu, clutching his meager ration coupons and money, went to the grain store and grocery store, carefully calculating his purchases to buy only a small amount of grain and even less oil and salt. Looking at the pitifully small amount, Jia Zhangshi cried several more times. Banggeng, smelling the faint aroma of meat wafting from other houses, cried with longing, and when Jia Zhangshi irritably yelled at him a few times, he cried even harder.

It was the evening of the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month. An even more explosive piece of news spread throughout the compound—the Red Star Factory had distributed its reward supplies! Everyone received one! Although it wasn't much, at this critical juncture, it was undoubtedly a godsend!

Except for the Jia family (only Jia Dongxu, an employee of the Red Star Factory, was eligible for a share), every household in the compound was beaming with joy. The Yi Zhonghai family received four shares (himself, an older woman, Aijia, and Aiguo). Although Aijia and Aiguo received their share through the martyrs' family subsidy program, the items were the same. Looking at the flour, pork, beef, eggs, seaweed, and canned goods they brought home, the older woman's face showed a long-lost, contented smile. Yi Zhonghai also felt a little more confident.

贾家，只有贾东旭拿着一份东西回来。贾张氏看着那一斤白面、半斤猪肉、半斤牛肉、十个鸡蛋、半斤海带、两罐罐头，眼睛都绿了。再看看别人家，特别是易中海家，领了四份，堆了小半桌子，那种对比带来的刺激和嫉妒，像毒蛇一样啃噬着她的心。

Why? Why is Yi Zhonghai, that old man without a son, living a better life than ours? He even has an illegitimate child! Those things should have belonged to Dongxu! They should have belonged to the Jia family! If it weren't for Yi Zhonghai, would Dongxu have been injured? Would he only be a second-level worker? Would he only have such a small quota?

A wicked thought began to frantically grow and expand in Jia Zhangshi's mind, which was consumed by greed, jealousy, and despair.

That evening, dinner was just being served at Yi Zhonghai's house. It was a rare treat to have meat, so the older woman used half a pound of pork, mixed with cabbage and seaweed from the factory, to stew a fragrant pot of pork, cabbage, and seaweed stew. She also steamed a pot of flower-shaped buns and fried an egg for each of the two children. The aroma of the food wafted out of the house, attracting many envious glances.

Looking at the golden poached egg in the bowl, Yi Aiguo whispered to his sister, "Sis, the egg...smells so good."

Yi Aijia thoughtfully placed a piece of meat on his plate: "Aiguo, eat up, Auntie's cooking is delicious."

An older woman looked at the two children with eyes full of love.

Just then, with a loud "bang," his door was suddenly pushed open! Jia Zhangshi rushed in like a black whirlwind, her face ashen, her eyes fierce, staring straight at Yi Zhonghai.

「易中海！你个老绝户！黑心烂肺的玩意！你给我说清楚！」贾张氏叉着腰，唾沫星子几乎喷到饭桌上。

易中海一家都愣住了。易爱国吓得手里的馒头掉在桌上，往姐姐身后缩。易爱佳也紧张地抓住一大妈的衣服。一大妈赶紧把两个孩子揽到身后，像老母鸡护崽一样。

"Sister-in-law Jia, what are you doing? Say what you have to say, don't scare the child!" Yi Zhonghai's face darkened, and he put down his chopsticks and stood up.

"Scare the child? How dare you talk about a child like that?" Jia Zhangshi pointed at Yi Zhonghai's nose, her voice shrill and piercing. "My Dongxu is your child! Your apprentice! The one you should be supporting in your old age and seeing off in your final days! Now you've brought in two bastards, and you think you can kick Dongxu aside? No way! I'm telling you, no way!"

「你胡说什幺！」易中海气得脸色发白，「什幺野种？爱佳和爱国是我亲弟弟的骨肉，是烈士遗孤！你嘴巴放乾净点！」

「我不管什幺烈士不烈士！」贾张氏耍起横来，「我就知道，东旭的工伤，是你造成的！是你没教好，是你那破工具机有问题！不然东旭能残了一只手？能只拿二级工的钱？现在国家发粮票了，东旭一个人养我们全家，眼看就要饿死！你得赔！赔我们粮食！赔钱！不然我就去厂里告你，去街道告你！让你这八级工也当不成！」

这颠倒黑白、胡搅蛮缠的话，把易中海气得浑身发抖。贾东旭的工伤，明明是意外，是他第一时间拉了电闸，保住了徒弟的命，事后厂里都有定论！王工还亲自来拆了机器救人！怎幺到她嘴里，就成了自己害的？

「贾张氏！你血口喷人！东旭的工伤怎幺回事，厂里有档案，有结论！你再胡搅蛮缠，别怪我不客气！」易中海怒道。

「我不跟你废话！拿粮食来！拿钱来！」贾张氏看着易家桌上那锅肉，那白面馒头，那鸡蛋，眼睛里的贪婪几乎要溢出来，「就按以前说好的，你易中海的家产，以后是东旭的！你现在就得给！每个月，不，每十天！给我们送十斤，不，二十斤粮票！再拿二十块钱！要不然，我就天天来闹！让你这年过不安生！让这两个小野种也过不安生！」

As she spoke, she actually reached out to grab the basket of steamed buns on the table! Yi Aiguo was so frightened that he burst into tears.

「你敢！」一大妈猛地站起来，挡在桌前，平时温顺的脸上此刻满是怒容，「贾张氏，你还要不要脸？这是国家发给烈属和孩子的东西！你也敢抢？你再动一下，我跟你拼了！」

易中海看着被吓得大哭的侄子，看着怒髮冲冠的老伴，再看看眼前这个面目狰狞、无理取闹的老虔婆，心里最后那点因为贾东旭而起的犹豫和旧情，瞬间被怒火和决绝烧得乾乾净净！

这个人，这个家，是填不满的无底洞，是沾上就甩不掉的烂泥！为了爱佳和爱国，为了这个好不容易重新有了温度的家，他必须彻底割裂！

He slammed his hand on the table, the loud noise startling even Jia Zhangshi.

"Zhu Zi! He Yuzhu!" Yi Zhonghai roared at the door, "Go! Notify everyone in the courtyard, young and old, to hold a meeting! A general meeting of the entire courtyard! Today, I, Yi Zhonghai, will settle every old and new score with Jia Zhangshi, clearly and thoroughly!"

他的声音洪亮，带着破釜沉舟的决绝，瞬间传遍了寂静的四合院。