Courtyard Check-in: Starting with a Small World of Cultivation

The bicycle wheels rumbled softly over the cobblestones of Nanluoguxiang. The aroma of food wafted through the alley at dusk; several courtyard gates were open, revealing lights and busy figures inside. He Yuzhu pedaled his bicycle, muttering to himself about the events that had transpired in the courtyard over the past four months.

"...The Jia family is really quiet now! Since Zhang Xiulan came back, that old hag Jia Zhangshi has become much more obedient. Now she stays home every day sewing shoe soles, saying she's saving money for Banggeng's tuition. You didn't see it, but Zhang Xiulan dealt with Jia Zhangshi so efficiently..."

Chen Yu sat in the back seat, holding onto the luggage, listening quietly. The setting sun cast long shadows of the two of them onto the mottled wall.

"Xu Damao's case is over; he was sentenced to seven years for trafficking in cultural relics! Lou Xiao'e divorced him and moved back to her parents' house last month. The house is currently vacant; the neighborhood committee says it will be redistributed..."

"Where's Liu Haizhong?"

"Liu Haizhong got a lighter sentence, five years. His eldest son, Liu Guangqi, is in charge now. That kid's an apprentice at the machine repair shop; he's more reliable than his father. His second aunt cries all the time; she's almost gone blind from crying..."

As the bicycle turned into the depths of the alley, the familiar gate of a courtyard house came into view. Some of the red paint had peeled off, but the plaque reading "Home of Honor" still hung above the door. The gate was ajar, and voices could be heard coming from inside.

He Yuzhu stopped the car, picked up his luggage, and said, "Come on, let's go inside! Everyone's waiting!"

Pushing open the courtyard gate, several people were already standing in the middle courtyard. There was Uncle Yi Zhonghai, Uncle Yan Bugui, Zhang Xiulan, and a few neighbors. Hearing the noise, everyone turned around.

"Xiao Chen is back!" Yi Zhonghai was the first to greet him, with a genuine smile on his face.

"Uncle, neighbors, I'm back." Chen Yu put down his luggage and clasped his hands in a greeting.

Yan Bugui adjusted his glasses and looked Chen Yu up and down: "Wow! Chen looks great, you must have been eating well in Hong Kong! And that outfit... the material is nice!"

Indeed, Chen Yu was still wearing a dark gray Zhongshan suit made in Hong Kong. The fabric was crisp and the cut was perfect, making him stand out in the courtyard house of that era.

Zhang Xiulan stepped forward, her eyes a little red: "Xiaoyu, it's good that you're back, it's good that you're back... You've lost weight, you must have suffered a lot out there?"

"Aunt Zhang, I'm doing well." Chen Yu looked at his mother's old friend and felt a warmth in his heart.

Just then, the door to the west wing creaked open.

Qin Huairu stood at the door.

Four months had passed, and she had changed a lot. Her belly was prominently protruding, suggesting she was seven or eight months pregnant. She had some pregnancy spots on her face, but her complexion was good. She leaned against the doorframe, staring intently at Chen Yu, her lips moving but no words coming out.

Chen Yu walked over in a few steps and took her hand: "Huai Ru, I'm back."

Qin Huairu's tears streamed down her face. She raised her hand to wipe them away, but the more she wiped, the more tears flowed. Finally, she buried her face in Chen Yu's shoulder, her shoulders heaving as she sobbed.

Everyone in the courtyard laughed, a good-natured laugh. He Yuzhu said loudly, "Alright, alright, everyone disperse! Let the young couple have a chat!"

As the crowd dispersed, only the two of them remained in the courtyard. The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the blue brick ground, merging their shadows together.

Chen Yu helped Qin Huairu into the house. The room was still the same as when he left, but there were some changes—two potted plants on the windowsill, a New Year's picture on the wall, and a sewing basket and several well-worn books neatly arranged on the table.

"Sit down, don't stand." Chen Yu helped her sit down on the edge of the bed, then squatted down and gently placed his hand on her stomach. "Let me listen."

The little one inside seemed to sense it and moved slightly.

"He kicked me." Chen Yu looked up in surprise.

"The baby's been moving so much these past few days." Qin Huairu wiped away her tears, her face glowing with maternal tenderness. "The doctor said the baby is in the correct position, everything is fine. It's just..."

"What is it?"

"My due date is the 15th, and I'm... a little panicked." Qin Huairu held Chen Yu's hand. "I can't sleep well at night when you're not here."

Chen Yu's heart tightened: "I'm sorry, I should have come back sooner."

"It's not your fault." Qin Huairu shook her head. "You went to take care of important business. Aunt Zhang said it's only right for a man to venture out into the world. I just... I just missed you."

Chen Yu sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulder: "I'm not leaving this time. At least not until the baby is a month old."

"Really?" Qin Huairu's eyes lit up.

"real."

After talking for a while, Qin Huairu suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, someone from the factory came yesterday and said you've been transferred to the production department as a technician assistant, and your salary has increased to thirty-five yuan. They told you to report for duty as soon as you get back."

Chen Yu nodded. He already knew about this while he was in Hong Kong, but he didn't expect the transfer order to come down so quickly.

"And..." Qin Huairu took out a small notebook from under her pillow, "This is your salary for the past few months. I've collected it all and saved it. Grain coupons, cloth coupons, meat coupons... they're all here. I don't need to spend much since you're not here."

Chen Yu took the notebook and flipped through it. The notebook meticulously recorded income and expenses in neat, beautiful handwriting. His four months' salary totaled over a hundred yuan, and with various receipts and vouchers, it was a considerable sum.

"Huai Ru, thank you for your hard work."

"It's not hard work," Qin Huairu leaned on his shoulder. "It's just...our house..."

When the topic of housing came up, Qin Huairu's expression darkened. They were still living in government-provided housing, but once their child was born, they would need their own home.

"I'll take care of the housing issue," Chen Yu reassured him. "Isn't Xu Damao's house vacant? I'll go talk to Director Wang about it."

"Will it work? Several people in the yard are eyeing that house."

Don't worry.

Just then, He Yuzhu's loud voice came from outside: "Xiao Chen! Dinner's ready! Come out and eat! We're treating you to a welcome dinner!"

Dinner was at He Yuzhu's house in the front yard. He Yuzhu cooked four dishes and a soup: braised pork, scrambled eggs, stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, smashed cucumber, and a bowl of tomato and egg soup. In those days, this was quite a lavish welcome feast.

Besides He Yuzhu, those accompanying him included Uncle Yi Zhonghai, Uncle Yan Bugui, and Zhang Xiulan. Jia Dongxu had originally wanted to come too, but after being glared at by Zhang Xiulan, he sheepishly went back.

"Come on, Xiao Chen, try my cooking!" He Yuzhu put a large piece of braised pork on Chen Yu's plate. "You didn't get to eat this during your time in Hong Kong, did you?"

Chen Yu ate with a smile: "Brother Zhu's cooking is still the best."

"That's right!" He Yuzhu said proudly. "I've heard of Hong Kong; it has a lot of foreign stuff, but when it comes to home-style cooking, it has to be our old Beijing!"

During the meal, Yi Zhonghai inquired about Chen Yu's situation in Hong Kong. Chen Yu had already prepared his answer—he only said that he was introduced by a relative in Hong Kong and was helping to manage some business, vaguely omitting the specific details.

"Doing business is good, but you have to be careful about the impact," Yi Zhonghai said in the tone of an elder. "Although the policies are more relaxed now, you can't be labeled as a 'speculator.'"

"Don't worry, sir, I know what I'm doing."

Yan Bugui, however, was more concerned with practical benefits: "Little Chen, you... made quite a bit of money this time, didn't you?"

Chen Yu smiled and said, "I've earned a little money through hard work. Uncle, I brought some biscuits and candies from Hong Kong. I'll take them to you later."

Yan Bugui immediately beamed, "Oh dear, how could I... but I've never tried Hong Kong biscuits before!"

Zhang Xiulan didn't say much, but kept putting food on Chen Yu's plate. Chen Yu knew that she genuinely treated him like a nephew.

After dinner, Chen Yu returned to his room. Qin Huairu had already boiled water and was preparing a change of clothes for him.

"Take a shower first; you must be covered in dust from your journey." She handed her a towel.

After washing up, Chen Yu changed into clean pajamas. Qin Huairu sat under the lamp sewing baby clothes—they were for their unborn child.

"Huai Ru, stop doing it, it'll hurt your eyes."

"Just a few more stitches." Qin Huairu looked up and smiled. "Go to sleep, you have to report to the factory tomorrow."

Chen Yu was indeed exhausted. Four days of travel, coupled with the previous battle, had left him physically and mentally drained. He lay down on the bed and quickly fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, he was awakened by a rustling sound. Opening his eyes, he saw Qin Huairu carefully getting up and walking outside, supporting her back.

"What's wrong?" Chen Yu immediately sat up.

"It's nothing, I just... need to go to the bathroom," Qin Huairu said shyly. "That's how it is in late pregnancy, I always have to get up at night."

Chen Yu helped her to the door and watched her slowly walk towards the public toilet in the courtyard. In the moonlight, her figure looked somewhat clumsy, but every step she took was steady.

Chen Yu stood at the door waiting, a night breeze carrying the coolness of spring. He looked up at the sky; the Beijing night sky was clearer than Hong Kong's, and he could see many stars.

Suddenly, his mind stirred.

Outside the courtyard wall, there were two faint breaths!

He wasn't a cultivator, but he wasn't an ordinary person either—his blood and energy were vigorous, his breathing was deep and even, he was a trained martial artist! And his location... was right behind his house!

Someone from the National Security Bureau? Or...

Chen Yu remained calm and waited for Qin Huairu to return before helping her to bed. Then, he pretended to go to the bathroom. He quietly slipped through the back window and landed in the shadows behind the house.

The two men were crouching against the wall, talking in hushed tones:

"...Are you sure you're coming back today?"

"Confirmed, He Yuzhu went to pick them up at the station."

"We've been told to keep an eye on him and see who he's in contact with."

"Is it really necessary to make such a fuss over a steel rolling mill technician?"

"What do you know? He did so much during those months in Hong Kong... Never mind, don't ask questions you shouldn't ask."

Chen Yu understood. It was indeed someone from the National Security Bureau, and of a high rank, who knew about his affairs in Hong Kong.

He quietly retreated back into the house and closed the window. It seemed that the "national security" letter wasn't a joke. His every move in Hong Kong was indeed being watched.

However, the other party is only monitoring and hasn't taken any action, indicating that nothing will happen for the time being. But we need to be careful; in Beijing, we can no longer act with the same impunity as we did in Hong Kong.

The next morning, Chen Yu went to the neighborhood office to find Director Wang.

When Director Wang saw him, he was both surprised and delighted: "Xiao Chen! You're finally back! How's everything going in Hong Kong?"

"It went smoothly, thank you for your concern, Director Wang." After a few pleasantries, Chen Yu got down to business, "Director Wang, I came here today to inquire about Xu Damao's house..."

"I knew you'd ask about this!" Director Wang laughed. "After that house became vacant, several people from the compound came to me. But I kept holding off on approving it—I was thinking of waiting for you to come back."

Chen Yu felt a warmth in his heart: "Director Wang, thank you so much."

"Don't thank me, it's your own merit that's earned you this favor," Director Wang said seriously. "You're now a technician assistant in the production department of the steel rolling mill, and you're on a cadre payroll. Comrade Qin Huairu is from a rural area and is about to give birth, so she really needs a decent home. Both for the sake of the company and for her own sake, that house should be allocated to you."

She took a document out of the drawer: "This is a housing allocation application. I've already filled it out for you. Just sign it, and you can get the keys tomorrow."

Chen Yu took the document and solemnly signed his name.

"If there's anything in the house that needs repair, just let us know," Director Wang said. "The neighborhood can cover some of the material costs, and as for labor... there are so many neighbors in the compound, everyone can lend a hand."

Chen Yu felt relieved as he left the neighborhood office. The housing issue was resolved; a major problem had been solved.

Next, he went to the steel rolling mill to report for duty.

Four months had passed, and the factory hadn't changed much. The slogan at the gate had changed from "Work Hard for 100 Days" to "Learn from Daqing, Achieve High Output." Old Zhang, the gatekeeper, still recognized him and greeted him with a smile, "Technician Chen's back! I heard you got promoted!"

"Hello, Mr. Zhang, you still look so energetic."

The production department was on the third floor. Chen Yu walked to the office door and knocked.

"Please come in."

Pushing open the door, I saw three people sitting in the office. By the window, Liu Yuhua was hunched over her desk, writing something. Hearing the noise, she looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes: "Chen Yu? You're back!"

"Sister Liu, I'm back to report for duty," Chen Yu said with a smile.

The other two technicians also gathered around; they were old acquaintances. Chen Yu took out several bags of candy he had brought back from Hong Kong from his luggage and distributed them to everyone, instantly making the office lively.

"Chen Yu, you're finally back!" An old technician patted him on the shoulder. "Your waste recycling plan has been officially implemented in the factory! Last month alone, it saved us over four hundred yuan! Director Li—the former Director Li—specifically praised you at the meeting!"

Liu Yuhua also said with a smile, "You're quite the star in our production department now. By the way, I've always kept your desk for you; it's right next to mine."

Chen Yu looked at the table, which was spotless, without even a speck of dust, clearly indicating that someone cleaned it regularly.

"Thank you, Sister Liu."

"Don't mention it." Liu Yuhua blushed slightly and turned to pour water.

After completing the registration procedures, Chen Yu went to see Director Li. The old leader was very happy to see him, and chatted with him for more than half an hour, asking in detail about his experiences in Hong Kong, and telling him to work hard and that he had a bright future ahead of him.

It was already noon when Chen Yu came out of the factory manager's office. He went to the canteen for lunch and, as expected, ran into Zhou Xiaomei again.

Four months had passed, and Zhou Xiaomei had changed a lot. She had permed her hair, wore a fashionable Lenin suit, and a Youth League badge pinned to her chest, looking youthful and beautiful. Upon seeing Chen Yu, she paused for a moment, then walked over confidently: "Comrade Chen Yu, you're back?"

"Technician Zhou, it's been a long time." Chen Yu nodded politely.

"I heard you got married, congratulations." Zhou Xiaomei smiled politely, but her eyes held a complex expression. "My husband... is he due soon?"

"It'll be soon, in the next few days."

"That's great." Zhou Xiaomei paused for a moment, "I got married too, last month."

"I heard about it, congratulations."

After a few seconds of silence, Zhou Xiaomei suddenly smiled: "The past is the past. We'll still be colleagues and friends."

"Of course," Chen Yu said sincerely.

Zhou Xiaomei nodded, picked up her lunchbox, and left. Chen Yu watched her departing figure, a sense of感慨 (gan3 kai3, a feeling of mixed emotions, including regret and sadness) welling up inside him. This girl, who had once had feelings for him, had finally found her place.

fair enough.

In the afternoon, Chen Yu left work early to go see Xu Damao's house.

The house was in the middle courtyard, with two main rooms and a small kitchen, twice the size of his current residence. After Xu Damao moved out, the house was empty, but the structure was intact and could be moved into after a little repair.

Chen Yu was planning: one room would be a bedroom, one a living room, and the kitchen could be expanded a bit. A small shed could also be built in the yard to store miscellaneous items...

Just then, the voice of Pseudo-Man Number One sounded in my mind: "Master, the summary of the situation at the courtyard house over the past four months has been completed. There are a few things you need to pay attention to..."

Through the fake report, Chen Yu learned that Jia Dongxu had been marginalized at the factory because of the whistleblower incident and was now just an ordinary worker; after Zhang Xiulan returned, the Jia family's financial situation improved, and she took on sewing work in the neighborhood, earning a dozen yuan a month; Liu Haizhong's eldest son, Liu Guangqi, was doing well and was recognized as an advanced worker at the machine repair shop; Yan Bugui was still calculating his meager savings and had recently become obsessed with collecting old books...

Everything seemed calm, but Chen Yu knew that beneath the surface, undercurrents never ceased.

That evening, Chen Yu told Qin Huairu about being allocated a house. Tears welled up in her eyes again as she touched her belly, saying, "Baby, can you hear me? We're going to have our own home..."

"I'll find someone to renovate it tomorrow, and try to move in before you give birth."

"Is it too late? There are only three days left..."

"There's still time."

At night, Chen Yu entered the small world. He was pleasantly surprised by the changes in the small world after four months away. The medicinal herbs he planted by the spiritual spring were growing vigorously, and the purple-gold grass had already multiplied into a small patch. The fruit trees he had planted before were also in bloom. Although they were just ordinary varieties, the flowers were exceptionally bright under the nourishment of spiritual energy.

More importantly, he sensed that the spiritual energy concentration in his small world had increased by about 10% compared to four months ago. It seemed that as his cultivation level increased, his small world was also slowly evolving.

He gathered some medicinal herbs, preparing to refine a batch of elixirs to soothe the fetus and nourish the spirit for Qin Huairu. With childbirth imminent, no preparation was too much.

It was already past midnight when they exited the small world. Qin Huairu was fast asleep, her hand still instinctively protecting her stomach.

Chen Yu lay down beside her, looking at the moonlight streaming in through the window.

Go home.

But new challenges are about to begin.

The baby is due, the house needs renovation, work needs to begin, the National Security Bureau is still monitoring the situation, and the threat from the Heavenly Alliance hasn't been eliminated...

All of this would intertwine to form a new chapter in his life in the spring of 1964.

Outside the window, the courtyard was quiet.

But Chen Yu knew that this tranquility would not last long.