Courtyard House: After disbanding the Elderly Care Gang, I went to the countryside to cultivate immo

After the settlement for educated youth was built, Lin Shengli felt that he was becoming more and more adapted to life in the village.

Having my own private space, not needing to think too much every day, going to work, cultivating myself, life is very comfortable.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, Lin Shengli and his group have been in Heisonggou Village for almost two months.

Autumn comes early to Northeast China. Before you know it, it's almost the White Dew solar term. The sky becomes high and clear, and the air is filled with the dry scent of grass and trees. Before the harvest season begins, the farm work in the villages enters a relatively quiet "mid-game break."

Every day is still the same routine of going to work and coming home, weeding, accumulating fertilizer, and repairing farm tools, but the pace is no longer as frantic as during the summer rush to plant and manage crops, and the faces of the commune members are now filled with more casual conversation and smiles during breaks from work.

That afternoon, as the sun began to set, it bathed the dirt roads, houses, and distant rolling mountains in a warm golden-brown hue.

Lin Shengli and Li Kuiyong had just returned from the potato field in Beigou, carrying hoes, their clothes still smelling of mud and sweat.

As you approach the old elm tree at the entrance of the village, you'll see a postman in a green uniform, his hat pulled low, struggling to pedal a rickety old-fashioned bicycle into the village.

Two bulging, dark green canvas mailbags were strapped to either side of the back seat, rustling as the vehicle bumped along the road.

"There's mail! The postman is here!" someone shouted, like a pebble thrown into a calm pond.

The educated youth, who had been walking leisurely, immediately perked up and quickened their pace as they surrounded the postman.

Jiang Yuanchao adjusted his glasses, Wei Min stood on tiptoe, and even the usually composed Li Kuiyong had a glint of expectation in his eyes.

For these young people who are far from home and have settled in foreign lands, a letter from afar is nothing less than the most precious comfort in their monotonous lives and a fragile umbilical cord connecting them to the outside world.

"Comrade, is there any news from the educated youth settlement in Heisonggou Village, Hongqi Commune?"

"Do you have one? My name is Li Kuiyong, I'm from Beijing!"

"And me, Jiang Yuanchao!"

The postman stopped his vehicle, propped up his footrest, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and pulled out a small notebook from his pocket, which was slightly soggy from the sweat. He flipped through it skillfully, muttering names to himself.

Each time a name was called out, it caused a small commotion and cheers. The person whose name was called squeezed forward with a happy expression to sign and receive the letter, and couldn't wait to tear open the envelope on the spot and read it greedily.

Lin Shengli stood on the periphery of the crowd, not pushing forward. He leaned on the handle of his hoe with both hands, watching the scene calmly.

He didn't have much expectation of receiving the letter.

In her previous life, she was all alone. In this life, her parents died, and she had no close relatives or friends in Beijing.

Wang Aiguo might remember him, but given that straightforward uncle's personality, he was more likely to send a telegram or ask someone to pass on a message rather than write a letter.

As for others, the possibility is even smaller.

Just as he thought he would go home empty-handed again and was about to turn around, he heard the postman raise his voice and read it again: "Lin Shengli! There's one more letter, from Lin Shengli!"

Lin Shengli was slightly taken aback, somewhat surprised. Li Kuiyong also turned around and glanced at him in surprise, then shoved him: "What are you standing there for? Your letter!"

Amidst the curious gazes of the surrounding educated youth, Lin Shengli stepped forward, signed his name, and received a thick, earth-yellow kraft paper envelope from the postman. The envelope was the most common type available, with the address and recipient's name written on it in blue ink. The handwriting wasn't particularly beautiful, even somewhat crooked, but each stroke was firm and forceful, conveying a sense of sincerity. The sender's address was simply written as "No. 95, Nanluoguxiang, Beijing," without a signature.

Who could it be? Lin Shengli's doubts deepened. He squeezed the envelope; it seemed there was more than just a letter inside.

After greeting Li Kuiyong and the others, Lin Shengli did not rush to open the letter on the spot like the others. Instead, he carefully put the envelope into his pocket, picked up his hoe, and walked unhurriedly towards his small courtyard.

The setting sun stretched his long shadow even longer, and the golden afterglow shone on his calm face, but it could not penetrate the faint cloud of doubt in his heart at this moment.

He closed the door, shutting out the smoke and noise of the outside world and the children's play. He sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and, in the last bit of daylight streaming in from the window, carefully examined the envelope in his hand.

The address is indeed a courtyard house. Only Sha Zhu knows the location of his trip to the countryside. Could it be him?

With this uncertainty in mind, Lin Shengli carefully tore open the seal on the envelope.

The first thing that slid out was a small, neat stack of banknotes! They were all brand new "Big Unity" notes, six in total, sixty yuan.

In the late 1960s, this was by no means a small amount; it was equivalent to two or three months' wages for an ordinary worker in the city, and an even larger sum in the countryside.

Beneath the banknotes were several neatly folded pages of letter paper.

Lin Shengli first put the money aside and unfolded the letter.

Just as he expected, it was indeed He Yuzhu's letter.

"victory:

You disappeared without a trace after you left; I wonder how you're doing in the countryside.

Uncle Zhu is writing this letter to you for two reasons. First, to let you know that I've let Yushui and her husband come back to live in the house you asked me to look after.

The apartment allocated by the unit is small, and the family of several people is so cramped that there's hardly any room to move around. Before you left, you suggested that she come and stay, and I thought about it and it made sense. If she comes, she can help you look after the apartment and bring some life to it.

Don't worry, Rain and Water are both honest people, they'll make sure to clean it up perfectly, it won't break.

I've already discussed the rent with them: five yuan a month, sixty yuan a year. I'll send the money to you with this letter; please keep it safe. If you feel it's not suitable, or if you have any other ideas, just write to me. Don't be shy.

Upon seeing this, Lin Shengli nodded slightly.

Giving the house to He Yushui is indeed a good choice.

He Yushui had a good reputation in the original drama; she was well-educated and reasonable, and more sensible than her unruly brother.

With her living there, the house is maintained, and it won't attract unwanted attention from other people in the neighborhood.

As for the rent, he didn't care, but Sha Zhu's initiative in offering and sending it warmed his heart with his sincerity and thoughtfulness. He picked up the sixty yuan, his fingers tracing the crisp bill, but his thoughts weren't on the amount of money, but on this simple promise and responsibility from afar.

With a thought, the stack of banknotes quietly disappeared from his hand and was stored in his absolutely safe cave space.

He continued reading.

"The second thing I need to tell you about is all this mess in the hospital right now. Since you left, things have completely changed. Qin Huairu, Yi Zhonghai, and I have fallen out completely! Now when we meet, we don't even exchange a single word."

Lin Shengli's gaze sharpened, and a barely perceptible hint of coldness flashed across his lips.

Sure enough, the "cause" I planted before I left has begun to bear "effect".

"Ever since you said those things to me last time, I've resolved my entanglements with those two families, and I've thought about it for a long time. I can't describe how I feel. Over the years, I've been schemed against by people in the compound, and I always thought I wasn't stupid. In the end, I really did become a 'foolish pillar'."

Lin Shengli could imagine how Sha Zhu felt when he wrote those words.

This seemingly carefree but actually loyal man experienced a complex mix of shock, regret, anticipation, and bewilderment upon learning that his bloodline might still exist.

He may have tossed and turned countless nights, recalling his brief but sincere past with Lou Xiao'e, hating his cowardice and foolishness back then, and feeling a humble yet strong hope for the future.

The clumsy yet sincere outpouring in this letter made Lin Shengli feel as if he could see that lonely figure writing the letter with red eyes, drinking cheap liquor under the dim light of the courtyard.

"Now that Banggeng is gone, the Jia family has calmed down a lot. Although Jia Zhangshi's old mouth still grumbles and curses, without my help, their family is struggling financially, and their arrogance has diminished. Qin Huairu is always looking gloomy. Xiao Dang and Huaihua are a bit more sensible, and occasionally they try to help me sweep the yard and houses, but I feel uncomfortable with that, so I don't really pay them any attention."

Lin Shengli could almost picture the Jia family's current predicament.

The fact that Bang Geng, the "master thief" and "princeling of the courtyard house," was sent to a labor camp in the Northwest was undoubtedly a fatal blow to the Jia family.

Having lost this most troublesome and most anticipated male heir, Jia Zhangshi's arrogance and Qin Huairu's scheming both lost their most important support.

Furthermore, with the supply of Sha Zhu cut off, the Jia family's standard of living will inevitably decline sharply.

Without sufficient incentive for Sha Zhu, who else can Qin Huairu use her "pure and innocent" skills and tears on? Xu Damao? Or other men in the brothel? The effect would probably be greatly reduced.

This slow and gradual decline is perhaps more despairing than a direct blow.

"However, as the saying goes, 'press down the gourd and the ladle floats up.' The Jia family has quieted down, but those half-grown boys from the Liu and Yan families have started to stir up trouble again. Liu Guangtian, Liu Guangfu, Yan Jiecheng, and Yan Jiefang have become the 'little tyrants' of the courtyard. They gather a bunch of alley hooligans all day long, wandering around outside, stealing chickens and dogs, fighting and brawling, and they're never serious. Liu Haizhong can't control them now, and the third uncle, Yan Bugui, does want to, but with his calculating and stingy nature, no one listens to him."

Lin Shengli shook his head. It was truly a case of "wildfire cannot burn it all, the spring breeze brings it back to life."

The courtyard houses seem to never lack such idle and troublesome young characters. The Liu brothers inherited their father Liu Haizhong's greedy and rude genes, while the Yan brothers inherited their father Yan Bugui's scheming and selfish nature.

This trend is both a microcosm of the disorientation of some urban youth during that particular era and an inevitable result of failed family education and the breeding of a negative atmosphere within these communities. It's just unknown how long their "good days" can last.

Sure enough, Sha Zhu provided the answer in his next letter:

"But these young men won't be able to be so arrogant for long. The neighborhood committee came to announce the policy of sending young people to the countryside recently. It's getting stricter and stricter. All the eligible young men in the compound who don't have proper jobs will have to leave, without exception! Liu Guangtian, Liu Guangfu, Yan Jiecheng, Yan Jiefang, and even the second son of Old Li's family in the backyard are on the list. Because they didn't volunteer in advance like you, they don't have a choice now. The places they'll be assigned to... all over the country, wherever it's the hardest. I heard some are being assigned to the Gobi Desert in the Northwest, some to the deep mountains and forests of Yunnan, and some to the Great Northern Wilderness. When the notice came out, these young men were dumbfounded. Liu Guangtian's mother and his wife were crying and wailing, and Yan Bugui was calculating with his abacus beads, but he couldn't come up with a good result. He was so worried that a few strands of his hair turned white. Now the compound is full of sighs and groans, and it's much more 'lively' than before."

Upon seeing this, Lin Shengli felt little emotion, but rather a faint sense of irony and fatalism. The wheels of history roll ever onward, and the individual appears so insignificant before them.

These shrewd and short-sighted residents in the courtyard may be able to gain some small advantages in a short time and place, but in the face of the tide of the times, their little tricks are useless.

Bang Geng's fate was self-inflicted, but weren't Liu Guangtian and Yan Jiecheng also pushed into an unknown future by their own laziness, impetuosity, and lack of family education?

For some, going to the countryside was a period of hardship and opportunity, while for others it marked the beginning of confusion and hardship.

One can imagine that the courtyard must be filled with complaints, fears, the clamor of parting, and the busy calculation of final gains at this moment.

This contrasts sharply with the relatively simple life in Heisonggoutun, where people live closely connected to the land for survival.

At the end of the letter, Sha Zhu's handwriting became slightly lighter:

"Shengli, I've finally figured things out here in Beijing. I've distanced myself from those rotten people and things, and it's made me feel much lighter. Now I'm focused on honing my skills, perfecting everything from large pot dishes to small kitchens, from hot pot to cold dishes. I take on freelance work whenever I have free time, catering for weddings and birthday parties. It's tiring, but the money is clean, and I feel at peace. I need to save some money for my son. I can't let him come back and suffer poverty with me, and I can't let his mother look down on him."

"You're doing well in the countryside. If you need anything or suffer any injustice, just write to your uncle and I'll help you figure something out. Be careful and take good care of yourself while you're away from home."

That's all I'll write. My handwriting is ugly and my words are rough, but every sentence comes from my heart.

**He Yuzhu**

At the end of the letter, there was no date, only the name written with great effort.

Lin Shengli slowly folded the few pages of letter paper again, put them back in the envelope, and carefully put them away together with the sixty yuan that had already been stored in his space.

He didn't get up immediately, but instead sat quietly on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) as the sky outside the window had completely darkened, digesting the information in the letter.

In the dim light, his eyes were deep and unfathomable, as if they could pierce through the earthen wall in front of him and see that familiar courtyard house a thousand miles away.

He seemed to see Sha Zhu in the empty room, writing each word clumsily but earnestly under the dim light.

Seeing Qin Huairu's even thinner figure and the unyielding sorrow between her brows as she washed clothes.

Seeing Yi Zhonghai's flustered avoidance of Sha Zhu's gaze, and Liu Haizhong's still protruding belly yet unable to hide his boredom at home, he put on a show of authority.

Seeing the fear and bewilderment on the faces of Liu Guangtian, Yan Jiecheng, and others when they received the notice to go to the countryside, and the despair and scheming on the faces of their families...

When this "butterfly" who had traveled from the future first arrived at that beastly courtyard, it was merely to protect itself and repay a little kindness from Sha Zhu, so it flapped its wings a few times.

Exposing the truth about Yi Zhonghai's embezzlement of child support, exposing Qin Huairu's scheme to get an IUD, and sending Bang Geng to the labor camp he deserved... at the time, these might have seemed like limited retaliations targeting only individuals.

However, once the causal chain is started, the resulting chain reaction far exceeds the initial expectations.

Sha Zhu's awakening and break with the family were like removing a vital pillar upon which the Jia family and Yi Zhonghai depended for survival. The disappearance of Bang Geng further deprived the nursing home of its most important support.

Choosing to go to the countryside and sell his job quota allowed him to completely escape that quagmire and gain access to a brand new and vast world.