Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

As soon as Director Wang Hongmei entered the courtyard, she raised her voice, her tone carrying the distinctive penetrating quality of a street-level cadre: "Everyone come out for a moment! We'll have a short meeting to introduce a new neighbor!"

That shout was like a boulder thrown into a calm (but actually turbulent) lake. The curtains of each house were lifted, and heads popped out, some carrying rice bowls, others carrying chores; men and women, young and old, all eyes turned to it. Soon, twenty or thirty people had gathered in the spacious courtyard.

Wang Huanbo stood beside Director Wang, his gaze calmly sweeping over the familiar and unfamiliar faces, quickly matching them to the names in his mind.

The old woman sitting cross-legged on the stone slab in front of her house, pounding cloth with droopy eyelids and a downturned mouth, with a mean-spirited look, was undoubtedly Jia Zhangshi. The young woman next to her, carrying a winnowing basket, seemingly meek but with her eyes constantly glancing this way, was Qin Huairu. She was much younger and more vibrant than she appeared in the drama, carrying a hint of the timidity of a newlywed woman who had just arrived in the city. Beside her was a little boy with a snotty nose, toddling along; that must be Banggeng.

The man with thick glasses, a thin build, wearing a faded Zhongshan suit, and clutching half a piece of chalk in his hand, looking like he'd just come back from school, must be Uncle Yan Bugui, the Third Uncle. Beside him is his wife, Aunt Yan Bugui, who has a shrewd and calculating look on her face.

Another middle-aged fat man with a non-existent belly, hands behind his back, trying to project an air of officialdom, was Second Uncle Liu Haizhong. Behind him were two timid-looking teenagers, Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu.

Finally, a middle-aged man with a kind face and a gentle smile, but whose eyes held a hint of scrutiny and calculation, emerged from the main house. Needless to say, this was none other than the "pillar of strength" of the courtyard, Uncle Yi Zhonghai. Beside him was his wife, Aunt Yi.

There were also other residents, such as Xu Damao's parents and several young workers, whom Wang Huanbo also briefly mentioned.

It seems He Daqing doesn't live in this courtyard. I did see his son, Shazhu, though. He was a naive, half-grown boy, wearing an old cotton-padded jacket with shiny cuffs, staring at me with wide, curious eyes. Beside him was a timid little girl with two braids, He Yushui.

What Wang Huanbo cared about most was an old woman sitting in an old rattan chair in front of Yi Zhonghai's house, leaning on a cane, with white hair, a wrinkled face, and seemingly cloudy eyes, but occasionally flashing a shrewd look—Grandma Sun, now a deaf old woman.

Wang Huanbo felt a pang of sorrow. Eighteen years had passed, and Granny Sun had aged so much. She seemed not to recognize him, or perhaps she dared not, and simply gazed at him silently.

"Let me introduce him to everyone!" Wang Hongmei said loudly when she saw that almost everyone had arrived. She stepped aside to let Wang Huanbo step forward. "This is Comrade Wang Huanbo! He's a mechanical expert that our country specially invited back from the United States! He's a PhD from that very famous MIT (or something like that)! (She couldn't remember his full name.) He's a truly high-level talent! From now on, he'll be our new neighbor in building number 95!"

"Whoosh—" The crowd stirred up and began to murmur.

"Back from America?"

"A PhD? My goodness, that must be incredibly learned!"

"So young and already a PhD? He looks younger than my son Jiecheng..."

"You're dressed really well. That coat, it's wool, isn't it?"

"Experts living in our compound? Are you kidding me?"

Surprise, curiosity, envy, jealousy... all sorts of gazes were cast upon Wang Huanbo.

As the eldest uncle, Yi Zhonghai was the first to react, his face plastered with his usual smile representing "fairness" and "enthusiasm." He stepped forward and said, "Welcome, Comrade Wang! I am Yi Zhonghai, the eldest uncle in charge of the compound. This is the second uncle, Liu Haizhong, and that is the third uncle, Yan Bugui. From now on, we are all neighbors. A close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. If you need anything, just say the word, don't be shy!" He tried to take the initiative and set a tone of "mutual help" for his new neighbors.

Liu Haizhong puffed out his belly and adopted the air of an old man: "Ah, yes! Welcome, Comrade Wang! The atmosphere in our compound is praised by the entire neighborhood—united, friendly, and respectful of the elderly and caring for the young!"

Yan Bugui adjusted his glasses, his small eyes scanning Wang Huanbo's suitcase and clothes, quickly calculating their value in his mind, while saying politely, "Welcome, welcome! Comrade Wang is young and promising, a true honor for our institute!"

Wang Huanbo smiled and shook hands with each of them, his attitude humble: "Uncle, Uncle, Uncle, Uncle, hello everyone, please take care of me in the future." His manners were impeccable.

However, Wang Hongmei's next words instantly shattered this seemingly harmonious atmosphere.

"There's another announcement I need to make," Director Wang raised his voice, silencing the murmurs below. "After deliberation by the neighborhood committee, it has been decided that the three newly renovated tile-roofed houses in the west wing of our compound, along with that small kitchen, will henceforth be allocated to Comrade Wang Huanbo!"

This sentence was like a drop of cold water falling into a pot of boiling oil, instantly causing an explosion!

"What?!" The first to scream was Jia Zhangshi. Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, she sprang up from the stone slab, her triangular eyes wide, pointing at Wang Huanbo, her voice shrill and piercing, "Why?! Director Wang! That west wing is the one our family has wanted for a long time! Our Dongxu only has one room, and Huairu is pregnant, and his penis is too big to move around in! Shouldn't the neighborhood committee prioritize families like ours, the most disadvantaged? Why give it to this newcomer? He's a single young man, living alone in such a big courtyard? Isn't that a waste?!"

Qin Huairu lowered her head at the opportune moment, wiping away non-existent tears with her hand, looking like a wronged little wife. Jia Dongxu's face flushed red, and after a long pause, he muttered, "That's right, it's just too unfair..."

Yan Bugui was also anxious and forgot about his calculations. He stepped forward and said, "Director Wang, this...this is probably not appropriate, is it? The west wing has three rooms, and it's indeed...it's a bit too spacious for Comrade Wang to live in alone. My husband Jiecheng is about to get married and we're short of a room...it would be great if we could have one of them, right? This...this doesn't conform to the principle of thrift!" He tried to reason with him, but the urgency in his tone betrayed his selfish motives.

Liu Haizhong spoke in a bureaucratic tone: "Director Wang, the allocation of housing should take into account the actual difficulties and reasonable needs of the residents in the compound! Shouldn't we hold a general meeting of the whole compound for democratic evaluation? Several households in our compound are facing housing shortages!" He was thinking that his eldest son was almost of age.

Yi Zhonghai frowned. He hadn't expected the neighborhood committee to be so decisive, settling on the house so quickly. He walked up to Wang Hongmei, his tone earnest: "Director Wang, we certainly support your decision. However, Comrade Wang has just returned from abroad and may not be familiar with the situation in the compound. Although the west wing has been renovated, its location is remote and next to the back wall, making it cold in winter and damp in summer. Comrade Wang is a highly skilled individual, and his health is paramount. Moreover, living alone would pose problems for him in terms of meals and laundry. I think it would be better to find Comrade Wang a single room in the front or middle courtyard first, so he can familiarize himself with the environment. The west wing issue can be discussed further later." His words seemed to be for Wang Huanbo's benefit, but in reality, he still wanted to obstruct the process for future arrangements.

Faced with the agitated crowd (mainly several stakeholders), Wang Hongmei's face darkened, and she adopted the authority of a street-level official: "What's all the commotion? What's all the noise about? This is a decision made by the street committee! It has been approved by higher authorities!"

Her sharp gaze swept over Jia Zhangshi, Yan Bugui, and Liu Haizhong: "The neighborhood committee has taken your family's difficulties into account! But the allocation of the west wing to Comrade Wang Huanbo was the result of comprehensive consideration! Comrade Wang is a senior expert who needs a quiet environment to conduct important technical research and data compilation, which is related to the country's industrial development! Can you compare to his contributions?"

She then looked at Yi Zhonghai, her tone softening but still firm: "Old Yi, I know your concerns. But the organization will consider Comrade Wang's living conditions. As for whether the house is damp, it was treated with moisture-proofing during the renovation, making it better than some of your old houses! This matter is settled!"

Wang Huanbo remained silent throughout, calmly observing the spectacle. Jia Zhangshi's shrewishness, Yan Bugui's scheming, Liu Haizhong's ambition for officialdom, and Yi Zhonghai's seemingly impartial yet self-serving "advice" were all exactly as he had anticipated. He noticed that Sha Zhu was grinning and watching the spectacle, seemingly finding it amusing. The deaf old woman remained seated in her wicker chair, her eyes half-closed, as if asleep. However, Wang Huanbo keenly observed that when she heard the name "Wang Huanbo," her age-spotted fingers twitched almost imperceptibly.

Wang Hongmei's assertive stance temporarily quelled the commotion at the scene. After all, the authority of the neighborhood committee was still quite high in this era. However, the hostile gazes directed at Wang Huanbo became even more pronounced.

"Comrade Wang, come on, I'll take you to see the house," Wang Hongmei said to Wang Huanbo, ignoring the others.

"Okay, thank you, Director Wang." Wang Huanbo nodded and picked up the suitcase.

Under the complex gazes of the crowd, Wang Huanbo followed Director Wang through the central courtyard, heading towards the west wing that held the memory of his home. As he passed the deaf old woman, he paused slightly, casting a deep glance at her. The old woman seemed to sense something; her eyelids lifted slightly, and her cloudy eyes met Wang Huanbo's clear gaze for a fleeting moment, a brief, indescribable emotion flashing across her face before returning to its usual calm.

The west courtyard was indeed newly renovated, with blue brick floors, bright and clean windows, three north-facing rooms, and a small east-facing room used as a kitchen. Although not large, it was independent and quiet. The courtyard wall had also been raised, providing excellent privacy.

"Comrade Wang, are you satisfied? If there's anything missing, just tell the neighborhood committee," Wang Hongmei said.

"Very good, very satisfied. Thank you for your trouble, Director Wang." Wang Huanbo sincerely thanked him.

After seeing off Director Wang, Secretary Liu, and Lou Zhenhua (who had arranged to pick him up the next day to report to the factory), Wang Huanbo closed the newly installed wooden door in the west courtyard, temporarily shutting out the noise and prying eyes outside.

He stood in the center of the courtyard, looking around this little world that truly belonged to him. Sunlight shone on the clean blue bricks, warm and peaceful.

[Ding! Detected that the host has successfully checked into the designated location—the west courtyard of No. 95 Nanluoguxiang! Core conditions met! The Multiverse Transmigration System is officially activated! System space (10000 cubic meters, time frozen) is open! A newbie gift pack has been sent to the space; please check it!]

The system notification sound, which had been silent for eighteen years, finally rang clearly in my mind again!

A long-awaited smile appeared on Wang Huanbo's lips.

It’s just a good show.