Courtyard House: I Have Countless Bodyguards

The low, mud-brick house was dimly lit. Qin Huairu's family of four—her parents, her brother, and herself—had all stayed indoors in silence, a rare occurrence for them all.

The air was so heavy it was hard to breathe.

Finally, it was Qin's father, the head of the household, who broke the suffocating silence by taking a few puffs of his pipe. His voice was dry as he spoke: "Huai Ru... I know... this matter... has wronged you. You... you mustn't blame your father for being heartless."

He didn't dare look his daughter in the eye, and continued with his head down, "You know the situation in our village. The harvest from the fields is just so-so, barely enough to feed the four of us."

He paused, then brought up the most crucial reality: "Your brother... is getting on in years, it's time for him to settle down. But the bride price... the family just... can't afford it."

His voice trailed off, "Now... people from the city have come, saying... they can find your brother a decent job in the city... the condition is..."

He found it difficult to say what followed, and let out a long sigh.

These simple yet weighty words starkly reveal the harsh reality of rural families at the bottom of society and the deep-rooted patriarchal ideology in an era of extreme material scarcity.

The son's ability to carry on the family line, get married, and establish a career is considered the most important thing for the family and the hope for continuing the family line; while daughters are often seen as the "price" that can be exchanged for resources and paved the way for the son's future.

At this moment, Qin Huairu's fate seemed to have been clearly priced.

Qin Huairu sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), her head down, tears falling silently like beads from a broken string, wetting her patched clothes.

When she overheard her father's conversation with that strange man yesterday and realized that she was going to be "sold" to the city to be a "woman without status" for an official, she felt like half of her world had collapsed.

In her limited understanding, those who were "sold" were slaves, no different from livestock, subject to beatings and abuse, and utterly devoid of dignity. Fear and despair overwhelmed her.

However, looking at the bare walls of her home, her parents' worried faces, and her brother's predicament of being unable to get married due to poverty, she experienced a fierce inner struggle.

Ultimately, her sense of responsibility to her family and resignation prevailed, and she nodded with difficulty, almost numbly.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Qin's father quickly wiped his hands and went to open it. It was Li Bing, who had come yesterday.

As Li Bing entered the room, his gaze swept over Qin Huairu, whose eyes were red and swollen, and the Qin family members, whose faces were embarrassed. He immediately understood seven or eight parts of the situation.

His face was expressionless, and he spoke in a businesslike tone:

"Judging from the situation, it seems the family hasn't reached an agreement yet? Our leader has instructed us not to force anyone. If it's really difficult, then forget it, we'll look for another company. You two should discuss it further."

After saying that, he made a move to turn around and leave.

Qin's father became anxious upon hearing this!

He immediately understood that the other party saw that his daughter was unwilling and, fearing future trouble, wanted to replace her.

That was his son's chance to escape rural life and get a proper job! He quickly stepped forward to stop Li Bing, his face beaming with eagerness.

"No, no, no! Comrade, you've misunderstood! We've already discussed it! We've already discussed it! Huai Ru... she's just a little reluctant to leave home, that's why she's crying! No problem! Absolutely no problem!"

Li Bing stopped in his tracks. He knew, of course, what a formal job at a steel rolling mill meant to this impoverished farming family, and that they would never give it up so easily.

His words were merely a strategic retreat, designed to completely dispel the other party's hesitation and force them to make a statement on the spot.

He stopped looking at Qin's father and instead focused his gaze on Qin Huairu, who had been keeping her head down. His voice was calm, even somewhat cold:

"Comrade Qin Huairu, I'm asking you directly now. Do you personally agree?"

He left no room for ambiguity: "If you agree, we'll process the paperwork now, and you'll come with me. If you don't agree, I'll leave immediately and pretend this never happened. I will never force you."

He paused, his tone carrying an undeniable warning: "But you need to think this through. Once you agree, you have to follow the rules and behave yourself. If you go back on your word or cause trouble later, you'll bear the consequences. If you're unwilling, there are plenty of people who would kill for this opportunity."

All the pressure fell on Qin Huairu.

She raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears, and looked at her anxious father, then at her silent mother and brother, before finally fixing her gaze on Li Bing's expressionless face.

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. In the end, she could only nod with all her might, in an extremely slight, almost imperceptible gesture. This action seemed to have drained all her strength.

Seeing Qin Huairu nod, Li Bing stopped hesitating.

He immediately pulled out the letter of introduction stamped with a red seal and three stacks of money (one stack of ten yuan and one stack of ten one-yuan bills).

He handed the letter of introduction and the three stacks of ten-yuan bills to Qin's father: "This is an official job introduction letter for the canteen of the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill. Once you're in, you'll be part of the working class and get government-supplied grain. The canteen has plenty of oil and water, so you won't go hungry."

Then, he took out the ten one-yuan bills from the three stacks of money and said in a serious tone, "This ten yuan is an extra settlement fee for your family. After you take this money, she will be a city dweller. Don't bother her unless necessary." His words carried a clear sense of separation.

Qin's father accepted the letter of introduction and the money with trembling hands, as if he were holding a heavy burden.

He dared not look his daughter in the eye, only lowering his head and murmuring, "Oh, oh... thank you, comrade! We understand... Huairu... when you get to the city... take good care of yourself..."

His words were filled with complex and indescribable emotions: guilt, relief, and a hint of worry about the unknown.

The transaction was complete. Li Bing didn't linger any longer and simply said to Qin Huairu, "Pack your things and let's go."

Qin Huairu silently got up, went back to the inner room, and wrapped a few old clothes for changing into in an old blue and white floral cloth.

Then, with her head down, she followed Li Bing out of the home that had given her birth and raised her, yet had "exchanged" her, and embarked on the road to Beijing.

Her future will henceforth be inextricably linked with that man named Liu Jianguo.

Li Bing and Qin Huairu hurried back to No. 95 Nanluoguxiang. By then, it was already dark, and only a few dim streetlights cast a faint glow in the alley.

Instead of going through the front gate, Li Bing skillfully circled around to the quiet dead-end alley in the southeast corner of the yard and stopped in front of a newly opened, inconspicuous little wooden door.

He glanced around warily to make sure no one was around before taking out his key to unlock the door. He then whispered to the uneasy Qin Huairu behind him, "Come in with me, keep your voice down."

After saying that, he led Qin Huairu through the back door of the East Wing and quietly entered the courtyard.

Stepping into the courtyard, Qin Huairu immediately felt a sense of openness and tranquility.

Although it was night, with the light coming from inside the house and the dim moonlight, she could still see that this yard was more spacious and flat than the entire threshing ground in her hometown.