Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

The study in the west courtyard was brightly lit. Wang Huanbo rubbed his throbbing temples. On the desk in front of him lay thick stacks of English technical documents, densely packed calculation drafts, and a simplified structural sketch he had drawn himself of an early automatic telephone exchange based on the crossbar principle. The air was filled with the faint smell of ink and the lingering warmth of his late-night snack—a bowl of white fungus and lotus seed soup that Lou Xiao'e had brought earlier was still half-eaten and had gone cold.

The idea of ​​building the Internet had been brewing in his mind for a long time. But when it came to taking the first step, he encountered a seemingly basic problem that was an insurmountable barrier in China at that time—a reliable, high-capacity automatic telephone exchange system. Without an automatic exchange, there would be no efficient and stable circuit-switched network, and subsequent remote computer interconnection and data transmission would all be castles in the air. At that time in China, many places did not even have widespread hand-cranked telephones, and large cities mostly relied on manually connected exchange rooms, which were inefficient, had limited capacity, and were prone to errors. What he wanted to do was to realize a leapfrog technological concept on this basis, and the difficulty of that was unimaginable.

Wang Huanbo's gaze fell upon the complex circuit diagrams and logic gate symbols. His mind raced, trying to find the optimal solution within the existing, achievable industrial capabilities. Materials, processes, stability, cost... each aspect was like a complex equation to be solved. He would sometimes pick up a pen to modify the sketches, and sometimes ponder deeply, completely immersed in the world of technology.

Just then, a faint arguing sound, mixed with a woman's clear rebuke and a man's slightly slick explanation, drifted in from the direction of the front gate, breaking the silence of the night and interrupting Wang Huanbo's thoughts. He frowned, walked to the window, and lifted a corner of the curtain to look out. In the twilight, he could see two figures standing indistinctly at the gate; one was Yu Li, and the other… judging from their figures, it seemed to be Yan Jiecheng, the eldest son of the Yan family in the front yard?

Wang Huanbo didn't have a deep impression of Yan Jiecheng, only knowing that he seemed to have recently become an apprentice at the Hongxing Motorcycle Factory, leaving early and returning late, so they rarely saw each other. What was he saying to Yu Li at the door so late at night?

Before Wang Huanbo could listen carefully, a loud bang came from the direction of the kitchen in the middle courtyard. Immediately afterwards, a tall figure wearing an apron and carrying a gleaming spatula rushed to the front door like an angry rhinoceros, exuding a chilling murderous aura! It was Sha Zhu! He had obviously heard the noise as well, and he could hear the displeasure in Yu Li's voice.

Wang Huanbo, watching clearly from behind the window, saw Sha Zhu rush to the front door. Without even asking a question, he swung the spatula and, using its heavy wooden handle (or perhaps the back of the spatula?), slammed it down hard on Yan Jiecheng's hand that was gripping Yu Li's arm! The movement was swift and decisive, without any hesitation. Yan Jiecheng screamed and released his grip. Sha Zhu immediately shielded Yu Li behind him, the spatula pointed at Yan Jiecheng's nose, his angry curses echoing through the gradually quieting courtyard.

Then came Yan Fugui's hasty appearance to smooth things over, Yan Jiecheng's timid apology, Sha Zhu's resounding warning, and finally, Sha Zhu holding Yu Li's hand tightly, walking back to the central courtyard with his head held high amidst the complex gazes of the crowd, like a victorious general protecting his treasure.

Wang Huanbo lowered the curtains, a slight smile playing on his lips. This guy, Sha Zhu, usually seems honest and even a bit "foolish," but once it comes to someone he cares about, his protective instincts and explosive power are truly something else. The way he swung the spatula was fast and precise, reminiscent of his usual wok-tossing skills. It seems Yu Li holds a truly special and inviolable place in his heart.

Soon, the commotion in the front yard subsided, and the neighbors who had come to watch the commotion dispersed, whispering amongst themselves. Wang Huanbo heard Sha Zhu's still-angry voice coming from the middle yard, along with Yu Li's gentle words of comfort. He thought for a moment, then pushed open the study door and went out.

Inside the courtyard, the main structure of the new house was basically completed. The workers had finished their work, and the scaffolding and building materials were gathered in a corner and covered with rainproof tarpaulins. Sha Zhu and Yu Li stood at the entrance of the new house, where the doors and windows had not yet been installed. A temporary electric light hung under the eaves, emitting a dim but warm glow.

"Brother Zhu, sister-in-law, are you alright?" Wang Huanbo walked over and greeted them.

Sha Zhu turned around, his anger still simmering, but when he saw Wang Huanbo, he forced a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Huanbo, you're still not resting? Did I disturb you? Damn it, that Yan Jiecheng kid, he's a real scoundrel!" Mentioning this made him angry again.

Yu Li's face was still a little red, whether from anger or embarrassment, she didn't know. She gently tugged at Sha Zhu's arm and smiled apologetically at Wang Huanbo: "Engineer Wang, it's nothing, just a little misunderstanding. Jie Cheng... he probably just got off work and his mind wasn't quite clear, so he said some nonsense."

"Nonsense?" Sha Zhu's eyes widened. "That's nonsense? That's a toad lusting after a swan! He should take a good look at himself in the mirror! He dared to lay a hand on you? If it weren't for Uncle San's sake, I would have broken that paw of his today!"

"Alright, alright, calm down," Wang Huanbo patted Sha Zhu's shoulder, then looked at Yu Li, "Sister-in-law, what exactly happened? Yan Jiecheng... he's causing you trouble?"

Yu Li sighed and recounted the events that had just transpired at the door. She described how Yan Jiecheng feigned questioning, how he slandered Sha Zhu, how he boasted about his status as an apprentice at the Red Star Factory and his "bright future," how he shamelessly poached talent from the factory, and how he even physically assaulted her. Although Yu Li's tone remained calm at the end, her eyes betrayed lingering fear and disdain.

"...He was like he was possessed, insisting that he felt a connection with me, that Yuzhu was not good enough for me, that there was no future with him, and that with Yan Jiecheng he could live in an apartment building and eat government-subsidized food... He even... he even grabbed me." Yu Li said, subconsciously rubbing her arm where Yan Jiecheng had grabbed her earlier, where there seemed to be some red marks.

"You bastard!" Hearing this, Sha Zhu's anger flared up again; the veins on his hand gripping the spatula bulged. "I should have hit him a few more times! To make him wake up!"

As Wang Huanbo listened, the smile on his face gradually faded, and his eyes became somewhat profound. Yan Jiecheng... Yu Li...

The two names, linked together, acted like a key, instantly unlocking a deliberately sealed corner deep within his memory. Fragmented and absurd scenes from the "original plot" uncontrollably surfaced.

In those scenes, Yu Li… was indeed Yan Jiecheng's wife. They lived crammed into the Yan family's small, dark, perpetually sunless rear room, meticulously calculating and arguing with Yan Fugui over every penny of their meager monthly wages, food allowances, and even the limits of nighttime light usage. Yu Li was shrewd and capable, yet also possessed the somewhat harsh calculating nature honed by the lives of ordinary citizens of that era. Her marriage to Yan Jiecheng was more like a makeshift arrangement based on survival needs, filled with petty arguments and mutual resentment. Yan Jiecheng was weak and lacked ability, struggling to breathe under Yan Fugui's shadow and scheming. They seemed… never to have children? Why no children? The original drama didn't explicitly state it, but the long-term malnutrition, mental depression, and economic hardship…

Wang Huanbo's gaze involuntarily drifted towards the Yan family's front yard. He had watched the four Yan children—Yan Jiecheng, Yan Jiefang, Yan Jiekuang, and Yan Jiedi—grow up during the years he had transmigrated. Each one was like a bean sprout, pale and thin, much shorter than their peers. Especially Yan Jiecheng, a young man in his early twenties, who always gave off an impression of frailty, timidity, and lack of confidence. In the original story, Yu Li and Yan Jiecheng had been married for many years without children… Now, thinking back, it was probably not just because of poor living conditions and conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law (actually father-in-law). Yan Jiecheng grew up under Yan Fugui's "teachings" of "you won't get poor from eating or dressing, but you will if you don't plan ahead" and his extremely stingy "raising"—what did he even eat? The cornmeal porridge was so thin you could see your reflection in it, the cornbread was as hard as a brick, and the pickled vegetable shreds were measured out by Yan Fugui with a thread, just a few strands for each person, no more. An egg was only eaten occasionally, during the New Year, or when Yan Fugui was in a particularly good mood, or when he needed something from his children. What kind of nutrition could such a diet provide? How could their bodies develop properly? Long-term malnutrition would inevitably affect physiological functions, and the quality and motility of sperm… were truly worrying.

Was Yan Fugui really that poor? Wang Huanbo sneered inwardly. In the original drama, Yan Fugui was the first person in the courtyard to buy a bicycle! Although it was secondhand, in those days, it cost over a hundred yuan. He was also the first to buy a radio and the first to buy a television! Keep in mind, the highest-paid man in the courtyard, Uncle Yi Zhonghai, was an eighth-grade fitter, earning ninety-nine yuan a month; Uncle Liu Haizhong, a seventh-grade blacksmith, also earned a decent salary. Yet, in the original drama's timeline, neither of them had acquired these "three major items"! Yan Fugui, a poor elementary school teacher who constantly complained about "twenty-seven yuan and fifty cents" and "it's not easy to support a large family," why should he?

Unless... he's not actually as poor as he claims to be!

Wang Huanbo suddenly remembered that Hongxing Primary School was the factory-run primary school for the children of employees of the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill. However, since his arrival, the Hongxing Mill had long since ceased to be the original Hongxing Mill. It was now the Hongxing United Industrial Corporation, an industrial giant directly under the central government! Its efficiency, benefits, and investment in its subordinate units far surpassed those of the original steel rolling mill. As a senior teacher at the factory-run primary school, Yan Fugui's salary could not possibly be only the twenty-seven yuan and fifty cents he constantly complained about. As far as Wang Huanbo knew, the average salary of a regular primary school teacher within the Hongxing system, including various subsidies and benefits, was around forty yuan. Yan Fugui, with his long teaching career and status as a "senior" teacher, would only earn more, not less! Moreover, the Hongxing Mill was profitable, and during holidays, he received generous benefits such as rice, flour, oil, meat, eggs, and even industrial coupons and cloth ration coupons. Yan Fugui's family had many children, so the burden was heavy, but it was certainly not to the point where he was on the verge of starvation.

Then why does he keep pretending to be poor? To cry poverty?

Combining the original drama's plot with observations of Yan Fugui's daily behavior, Wang Huanbo gradually understood. This was an extreme, ingrained calculation and self-protection. Feigning poverty was to avoid others borrowing money or things. "Look how poor I am, how dare you ask me for money?" Feigning poverty was also to minimize or avoid spending on social obligations, especially weddings, funerals, and collective expenses within the compound. "Uncle San's family is struggling, please bear with us," became his best shield. The money he saved was used to purchase "big-ticket" items that showcased "respectability," brought convenience (like bicycles), or provided spiritual enjoyment and satisfied vanity (like radios and televisions). These things were truly Yan Fugui's assets, which no one could borrow or take away. This was a distorted survival philosophy, building all security on material accumulation and external "defense." He was extremely harsh on himself and his family.

Having figured all this out, Wang Huanbo viewed Yan Jiecheng's actions with even more pathetic and laughable intensity. Yan Jiecheng grew up in the extremely repressive and calculating environment of Yan Fugui, harboring a deep yearning for recognition, for advancement, for escape from his father's control, and for a better life. His job at the Hongxing Motorcycle Factory gave him hope. The expected monthly salary of thirty-five yuan (after probation), and the possibility of a new apartment in five years—these "bright prospects" inflated his ego, fueling unrealistic fantasies. When he saw Yu Li, beautiful, generous, and with a demeanor completely different from the other girls in the compound, this inflated ego and fantasy were instantly ignited, twisting into an absurd obsession that "she should belong to me." He eagerly flaunted his not-yet-fully-secured future, belittled the "good-for-nothing" Sha Zhu, and even resorted to physical force, attempting to "win" her over. While this behavior was undoubtedly shameless, at its core, wasn't it a distorted outburst of long-term repression and contempt? Is it a pathetic attempt to prove one's worth and combat inner inferiority by "possessing" an outstanding member of the opposite sex?

However, he chose the wrong person and used the wrong approach. Yu Li's "worldly wisdom" allowed her to see through the essence of life. What she wanted was a stable, reliable, and responsible life, not Yan Jiecheng's unrealistic promises and superficial boasts. In Yu Li's eyes, Sha Zhu's "naiveté" and "stubbornness" were reliable and genuine; his "maturity" was the mark of life's trials; his actions of using all his savings to build her a house and provide for her were genuine sincerity and responsibility. These were things that Yan Jiecheng's meager salary promises and illusory "housing dream" could never compare to. Not to mention, behind Yan Jiecheng stood Yan Fugui, a man scheming to the core. If Yu Li had truly followed Yan Jiecheng, what awaited her would likely have been the endless scheming, arguments, and hardship depicted in the original drama, not the stable life of being cared for and cherished that Sha Zhu could provide.

"Huanbo? Huanbo? What are you thinking about?" Sha Zhu asked, seeing that Wang Huanbo had fallen into deep thought after listening to Yu Li's story, and his expression was changing.

Wang Huanbo snapped out of his daze, looking at the concerned and still angry Sha Zhu, and at Yu Li standing beside him, whose eyes remained clear and resolute despite her fright. A sudden, indescribable sense of relief and comfort welled up within him. The wheels of history, under the influence of his "butterfly," had subtly shifted. Yu Li hadn't married Yan Jiecheng, hadn't entered the scheming and oppressive Yan family. And Sha Zhu was about to escape the fate of having no heir, marry a virtuous wife, and begin a new life. Perhaps this was another meaning of his time travel, besides promoting technological development—to change those heartbreaking tragedies and allow kind and honest people to receive the happiness they deserve.

"It's nothing," Wang Huanbo smiled, his tone relaxed but pointed, "It's just that I feel some people, some families, are like they've fallen into a quagmire of money and scheming, unable to get out themselves, and trying to drag others in as well. Fortunately, my sister-in-law has sharp eyes and a clear mind, and wasn't blinded by those flashy 'future prospects.' Brother Zhu, you're lucky."

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu scratched his head, chuckled foolishly, and looked at Yu Li, his anger long since replaced by an overwhelming tenderness: "That's right! My Lili is the best!"

Yu Li felt embarrassed by his gaze and lowered her head, but a happy smile curved her lips.

"However, Brother Zhu," Wang Huanbo said seriously, "Although Yan Jiecheng was in the wrong today, and you taught him a lesson, you know Yan Bugui well. He's very calculating and loves face. You embarrassed his son in public today, and although he apologizes on the surface, he might still hold a grudge. From now on, you two should live a harmonious life behind closed doors, but you still need to be wary and keep your distance from outsiders, especially from that family in the front yard. The house is almost finished, so you two should live your own lives behind closed doors and not meddle in the troubles in the yard. If Yan Jiecheng dares to do anything improper again, tell me, or go directly to the neighborhood committee or the factory security department. There's no need to take matters into your own hands; getting your hands dirty will only give them a handle against you."

Sha Zhu nodded and said in a muffled voice, "I know, Huanbo. I just lost my temper today. I'll be more careful in the future. As long as they don't bother me and Lily, I won't bother with them."

Yu Li also said softly, "Wang Gong is right. Yu Zhu, let's just live our own lives from now on. Today's incident has served as a reminder to me; I'll try not to come over alone at night anymore."

"Yes!" Sha Zhu nodded heavily and gripped Yu Li's hand tightly.

After chatting for a while, Sha Zhu remembered that there was still soup simmering for Lou Xiao'e in the kitchen, so he quickly ran back to check on the fire. Yu Li also said goodbye and went home.

Wang Huanbo stood in the middle courtyard, looking at Sha Zhu's new house, which was already taking shape in the night and radiating warm light. He then looked at the dimly lit house in the front yard belonging to the Yan family, which always seemed to be shrouded in an atmosphere of stinginess and calculation. He shook his head and turned back to his study.

On his desk, those intricate blueprints and formulas still awaited him. The Internet, automatic switches, the future of national communications, a technological blueprint as vast as the stars and the sea… These grand themes seemed to exist in two completely different worlds from the small turmoil that had just occurred in the courtyard—a turmoil involving marriage, calculation, choice, and protection.

But Wang Huanbo knew that they were essentially interconnected. Technological progress was meant to make people's lives better, freer, and more dignified. The clear-headed choices of people like Yu Li, the genuine protection of people like Sha Zhu, the twisted calculations of people like Yan Fugui, and the pathetic arrogance of people like Yan Jiecheng… all represent the most authentic and vibrant aspects of human life on this land, and are part of the lives and destinies of "people" that technology ultimately aims to serve and change.

He sat down, picked up his pen again, and his gaze sharpened and focused once more. Solving the problem of the automatic exchange was to pave the way for information connectivity to the future. And protecting the tangible, ordinary, and genuine happiness before him was also his, Wang Huanbo's, inescapable responsibility as a time traveler and as a member of this courtyard.

The night outside the window grew deeper, and the courtyard fell completely silent. Only the faint sounds of Sha Zhu humming a tune as he tidied the kitchen from the new house in the middle courtyard, and the suppressed, indistinct scolding from the Yan family in the front courtyard (probably Yan Fugui reprimanding Yan Jiecheng), intertwined to form the final, meaningful footnote of this night. Those who schemed ultimately failed; those who were clear-headed finally got what they wanted; and those who were grounded were building their own solid and warm future with their own hands. Wang Huanbo picked up his pen and wrote a new formula symbol on the edge of the sketch. The pen tip scratched across the paper, making a soft rustling sound, like the firm and clear footsteps of the times moving forward.