Courtyard House: The Fisherman Never Goes Sick

After finishing their conversation in the study, Yang Wei followed Lou's father out. As soon as they sat down, Lou's mother glanced at him sideways and said, "Hiding in there again, sneaking a smoke! How many times have I told you, smoking isn't just burning cigarettes, it's burning your life!"

Though he scolded her fiercely, his eyes revealed his heartache. The two had supported each other through the hardships of life, weathering countless storms and trials. Their "companionship in old age" had become an ingrained bond. When Lou's father ventured to Hong Kong and built his vast fortune, there was never a single word of gossip about his family. Even though he passed away early, he protected the family meticulously, ensuring that Lou's mother never suffered any hardship.

"Okay, okay, how about you take less commission from now on?" Mr. Lou quickly raised his hands in surrender. "Can you give me some face in front of Xiao Yang?"

"Hmph, if it weren't for Xiao Yang coming back, I wouldn't bother arguing with you." Lou's mother waved her hand, then turned to Yang Wei, her eyes crinkling with laughter. "Xiao Yang, listen to my advice: it's fine for men to drink a little, a little for enjoyment or social occasions. But cigarettes are pure rottenness; never touch them again!"

"Auntie, you can rest assured, I have absolutely no interest in cigarettes," Yang Wei replied with a smile.

"Our Xiao Yang is so much easier to deal with," Lou's mother nudged Lou's father's elbow. "Unlike some people, they can't change their ways no matter how much you tell them!"

Watching the couple bicker, Yang Wei felt a warm glow in his heart. Although both families were respectable, this kind of warmth was something that money couldn't buy. That's why Lou Xiao'e, at twenty, was still like a blank sheet of paper; the influence of her family of origin had long since softened her personality.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Yang Wei decided not to eat there for free. He got up and went to the kitchen, saying, "Aunt Wu, I'll prepare the dishes first. You can heat them up and eat them tonight." After giving these instructions, he pulled Lou Xiao'e back to the courtyard.

Lou's mother originally wanted the two children to stay, but remembering that the old lady was waiting at home, she swallowed her words and could only hold Lou Xiao'e's hand and sigh, "Come back often..."

On the way, Lou Xiao'e clung to Yang Wei's arm and asked, "What did Dad say when he called you to the study?" Yang Wei, having already received instructions from Lou's father, chuckled and brushed it off, "What else could it be? He just asked if I was comfortable living in the yard, and if I was missing anything. Your dad just loves to worry about things he doesn't need." Lou Xiao'e pursed her lips in disbelief but didn't press the matter further.

By the time they returned to the courtyard house, it was already dusk. Yang Wei rolled up his sleeves and rushed into the kitchen, urging Lou Xiao'e, "Keep chatting with the old lady, dinner will be ready soon." Before long, several hot dishes were served. When the old lady was called out, the wrinkles on her face blossomed into a smile. Her lips, which used to droop, were now as sweet as honey, and even her eyes were bright. Gone was the solitary air she once had.

But at the dinner table, the old lady always kept muttering, "When will I be able to hold my great-grandson?" Strangely enough, Yang Wei worked incredibly hard every day, but Lou Xiao'e's belly remained flat. He hadn't used any contraception, which shouldn't be the case, right? Sometimes Yang Wei himself wondered: Could there be something wrong with me? Like Xu Damao?

But then Yang Wei thought again, something wasn't right. Maybe it was related to the fact that he had transmigrated. His body and soul weren't aligned, and that might be the reason why Lou Xiao'e couldn't get pregnant.

But he wasn't sure if going to the hospital for a checkup would be helpful, so for now he could only take it one step at a time. If nothing happened, then he would definitely have to go.

"Almost there, almost there! We'll be able to see our great-grandson soon!" Yang Wei said cheerfully as he served the old lady some food.

At times like this, Lou Xiao'e would silently eat her meal without saying a word. Yang Wei knew perfectly well that this was a common problem among women these days; if a couple didn't have children, they would first look for faults in the woman, never considering the man. So every time the old lady said this, Lou Xiao'e felt a tightness in her chest, as if she had a wad of wet cotton stuffed inside.

She was no longer a naive young girl who knew nothing; she naturally understood that a man and a woman coming together could produce a child. But after being married for so many days, her period arrived regularly every month, yet her belly remained flat. She had secretly asked Yang Wei about this several times, her face scrunched up like a wilted cabbage, her eyes full of worry. Yang Wei was at a loss, and could only make up stories to comfort her, saying things like "the time isn't right" one day, and "the timing wasn't right" the next.

Yang Wei put in all his energy to work out at night, but he still had to get up on time for work the next day.

Just after noon, the gatekeeper called out to him, "Comrade Yang, there's a letter for you!" The envelope clearly stated "Shandong University of Technology," and it was a reply from Ran Qiuye. The letter, sent a week ago, only arrived today, showing how tedious it is to exchange letters these days.

Yang Wei found a quiet corner and opened the book. He first noticed the neat, regular script, written as if he were tracing characters, and admired the writing for a while before reading the contents. Only then did he continue reading:

Yang Wei: It's like seeing you in person as I read this. I miss you so much! I hope everything is going well at university, don't worry about me. The school environment isn't as rough as I thought, and I've made a few friends I can really talk to. I've also learned a lot from some very knowledgeable professors. But to be honest, their knowledge and experience are nowhere near half as impressive as yours!

It's been over a month since I've been away from you, and your image fills my mind and heart. Nothing seems to matter anymore. I long to rush back to you, to smell your scent, to snuggle in your arms, and to hear your stories of floating, and all the new things I've never heard before. Oh, and you still owe me the story of Qing Ji! It's been 687 days and you still haven't told it!

Yang Wei, I miss you so much. I don't know how I'll get through the days to come. There's an old saying, "The pain of unrequited love is unbearable, it breaks your heart," which I used to think was just a literary expression, but now I truly understand its meaning. Every day feels like an eternity! To suppress the itch in my heart, I bury myself in books every day, devouring them. Only when I'm reading can I temporarily forget about you; otherwise, this longing would torture me to death!

By the way, I've been learning recently...

What is love in this world that makes people willing to die for it? Words cannot express the depth of our sorrow at parting.

After reading the letter, Yang Wei felt a dull ache in his heart, as if a cat had scratched at him. Memories of Ran Qiuye flashed through his mind: their first conversation at the library, the long shadows cast by the streetlights when he walked her home, and the sticky, tender moment at her house... Each memory played out like a miniature movie.

Who knows what Qiuye is doing right now, so far away in Shandong Province? Perhaps she's holding a book and trying to suppress her thoughts, just like she said in the letter; or perhaps she's staring at the clouds in the sky, lost in thought, imagining the clouds are looking at her as if she were herself.

Yang Wei squatted there in a daze for a while before picking up a pen and paper and writing a reply to Ran Qiuye.

Yang Wei stuffed the letter into an envelope, slipped out of the workshop in the afternoon, and mailed it at the nearest post office.

The return address was still Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill. His excuse to Ran Qiuye was that "if I keep running back and forth between the steel rolling mill and the courtyard house, the letters are easy to lose." Ran Qiuye didn't suspect anything. After all, Lou Xiao'e was still at home, so how could Yang Wei dare to let her send letters to the courtyard house?

Yang Wei has been feeling uneasy lately, especially with National Day approaching. The whole country will be on holiday, and if Ran Qiuye comes back at this time and finds out about his wedding... Although he has already prepared an excuse, he is afraid that the girl will not be able to understand and will cause some trouble, which is not what he wants.

What's done is done, there's no going back, we can only take it one step at a time. Yang Wei sighed and returned to the workshop. No one noticed that he had slipped away halfway through; in the canteen, he was the one in charge.

Near the end of the workday, the canteen manager called him aside and said, "Master Yang, the factory has decided to send two new employees to the canteen next week. One is Qin Huairu, whom you mentioned, and the other is Han Rui, who is a distant relative of mine. Please take good care of her."

The director's words were clearly an offer of favor; this spot was, in fact, a perk he was entitled to. Yang Wei knew this perfectly well and patted his chest, saying, "Director, don't worry, with me here, I guarantee she won't suffer any losses."

"Alright, I feel relieved to hear that." The director waved his hand and left.

Yang Wei shook his head as he watched his retreating figure. The old saying was true: having connections in high places makes things easier. So many people were scrambling for that lucrative position in the canteen, but in the end, it all came down to the director's word. A local official is more powerful than a distant one! Having transmigrated here, he was used to this kind of thing and didn't take it to heart at all.

The workday bell rang, music played over the loudspeaker, and everyone packed up and rushed out. Yang Wei followed the flow of people, pushing his bicycle out of the factory gate.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Xu Damao riding back on a brand new bicycle, its handlebars gleaming, clearly just bought. He was definitely trying to outdo him! Xu Damao deliberately raised his chin and gestured at him, the meaning obvious: What are you looking at? I can afford a bicycle too!

Xu Damao had earned a decent salary as a projectionist over the past few months, and being unmarried, he was indeed financially comfortable. But compared to Yang Wei? Five of him bundled together wouldn't be enough. Yang Wei didn't even glance at him, heading straight for the backyard.

"Hmph, what's with the attitude!" Xu Damao spat at his retreating figure. "I'll make you submit sooner or later!"

He didn't think at all about his own fault in the last incident, blaming Yang Wei entirely. He believed that Yang Wei had gossiped behind his back, causing him to be kicked out of the film projection team and even get a scolding from the factory director. Now, all the young men his age in the compound have found their sweethearts, even Sha Zhu has gotten married and is living a comfortable life. Xu Damao is green with envy.

Passing through the Central Plains, Xu Damao glanced at Qin Huairu's courtyard, but no one was there. Well, he turned and went back to his own backyard.

Yang Wei was busy as usual: washing his hands, stoking the fire, steaming cornbread, and serving the old lady rice, all while saying, "Please be careful, it's hot."

Just as the food was being served, Xu Damao's loud voice came from outside: "Sister Qin! Are you home?" He was holding a bag of cornmeal and heading straight for Qin Huairu's door.

Less than half a minute later, Qin Huairu came out, rubbing her apron. Seeing the bag of flour in his hand, she raised an eyebrow: "Xu Damao, what's wrong with you? Blocking my door in the middle of the day?"

Xu Damao pulled the noodles closer to his chest, pretending to be very honest: "Hey, don't misunderstand! I'm living my own life. Yesterday, when I went to the countryside to show a movie, the villagers insisted on giving me twenty pounds of cornmeal. How could I possibly finish it all by myself? I saw that your family is a bit strapped for cash lately, so I brought it over to lend a hand."

Qin Huairu's eyes immediately turned cold. Who in the entire courtyard didn't know that this guy was "sly and wicked"? He was always trying to take advantage of others. How could he let others have their share of the cornmeal? It must have been damp or infested with worms before he threw it out! But today he was acting strangely, calling her "Sister Qin" so affectionately. He must have done something shady.

She leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed, bluntly retorting, "Did the sun rise in the west? I may be drooling over the noodles, but I won't answer without you saying so clearly. What are you up to?"

Xu Damao was taken aback by her words, then scratched his head and laughed, his face crinkling with mirth. "How could that be! I just... wanted to ask Sister Qin to do me a favor and let me date your cousin, right?" Seeing Qin Huairu's face darken, he quickly added, "I heard you wanted to set her up with Sha Zhu? But Sha Zhu is already married to He Yuzhu, and I'm not bad myself! If it works out, we'll be relatives, right? Would I dare to laugh at you after that?"

「你？」秦淮茹气笑了，指着他鼻子骂，「想娶我表妹？做你的春秋大梦！」她往前凑了半步，声音压得发狠，「以后少往我这儿凑！不然我喊傻柱和杨伟，让你尝尝挨揍的滋味！」

After saying that, he turned around and slammed the door shut, leaving Xu Damao standing outside with a loud bang.

Xu Damao stood there frozen, holding the bag of flour, his mind buzzing. When did things change in this courtyard? He used to be able to do whatever he wanted here, but now Qin Huairu dared to use Sha Zhu to intimidate him! Sha Zhu's fists were no joke; last time he stole his meat buns, he punched him so hard his cheekbone swelled up for three days. He stole a glance in the direction of Sha Zhu's house, quickly stuffed the flour into his pocket, and ran away, his steps faltering.

Once he was out of sight, the curtains in Shazhu's house were slammed shut, blocking the gaze fixed on the doorway from behind the window.

Yang Wei stayed in the backyard; he didn't have superhuman vision, so naturally he couldn't know everything. But Sha Zhu was now his staunch supporter. Ever since their marriage, Wu Xiuqin would constantly nag Sha Zhu, "You should learn from Xiao Yang!"

Xiuqin had already heard about Yang Wei: his cooking skills, honed in just half a month, far surpassed Shazhu's decades of accumulated expertise; he was on friendly terms with the factory director; and when he asked to borrow three hundred yuan, someone would immediately deliver it to his door… By the time Shazhu heard these stories, Yang Wei had become a god-like figure in his eyes, whom he worshipped wholeheartedly. Hearing all this, Wu Xiuqin's admiration for Yang Wei also soared.

"Zhu Zi, what are they doing over there?" Wu Xiuqin asked as she was clearing away the dishes and saw that Sha Zhu had drawn the curtains again.

"What else could it be? That bastard Xu Damao is probably trying to fool Qin Huairu with some nearly spoiled cornmeal again." Sha Zhu spat. "Let me tell you, wife, I despise his character more than anyone else in the whole yard! Just you wait, he'll get what's coming to him sooner or later!" He paused, then scratched his head. "Oh, by the way, I just heard Qin Huairu mention your name and Brother Yang's name. Could it be that this guy is also trying to make a move on Brother Yang?"

"Who cares what he's up to! Since Brother Yang was mentioned, you'd better go to the backyard and tell him." Upon hearing this, Wu Xiuqin immediately put down her chopsticks and pushed him, "Better safe than sorry, don't you understand?"

"Alright!" Sha Zhu grinned, patted his behind, and walked out. "It's been a while since I've seen Grandma, I'll go chat with her!"

As soon as they arrived in the backyard, Sha Zhu shouted at the top of his lungs, "Brother Yang!"

Hearing this, Yang Wei, who was inside talking with Lou Xiao'e and the old lady, lifted the curtain and peeked out: "Oh, looking for me so late at night? Didn't you chat enough during the day, so you're continuing tonight?"

"How could that be!" Sha Zhu rubbed his hands together and chuckled. "I missed our ancestors, so I came over to say hello."

"At least you still have a conscience." Yang Wei ushered him into the house. Sha Zhu hurriedly greeted Lou Xiao'e and the old lady, "Hello, sister-in-law!" "Grandma, Sha Zhu has come to see you!" Lou Xiao'e smiled and handed him a cup of hot tea, "Zhu Zi, have some tea." "Oh, thank you, sister-in-law!" Seeing him call her "sister-in-law" so often, the smile lines at the corners of Lou Xiao'e's eyes widened.

After chatting for a while, Sha Zhu suddenly stood up and winked at Yang Wei: "Brother Yang, want to talk for a bit outside?" Yang Wei noticed that his expression was off, so he followed him out of the house.

Sha Zhu glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then lowered his voice, "Brother Yang, I just saw Xu Damao go to the Intermediate People's Court to see Qin Huairu. He mentioned your name when he was talking. I reckon he's up to no good, so he came to give me a heads-up. You should keep an eye on him!" He rolled up his sleeves, "Or should I go and beat him up right now? So that bastard won't be so arrogant, daring to mess with you!"

Yang Wei was puzzled. Shouldn't Xu Damao and Qin Jingru be a couple? That silly woman was completely swayed by him just to get into the city, and later divorced him when she found out he couldn't have children. If anyone in this world still cared about Xu Damao, it would only be that silly girl Qin Jingru. Now he was pestering Qin Huairu—was he hoping she would introduce him to someone? He figured it was pretty much true.

"No need," Yang Wei waved his hand. "I know what I'm doing. You go back first. He can't cause any trouble."

"Really not going to do it?" Sha Zhu was still not giving up.

"Really, there's no need." Yang Wei patted him on the shoulder. "From now on, try not to resort to violence so easily. What if you accidentally cause trouble? Do you want Xiuqin to wait in an empty room while you go to jail?"