Courtyard House: A Prosperous and Joyful Life

Comparing yourself to others can be incredibly frustrating.

When the news spread that Wang Jun had bought an imported large-screen TV, Yi Zhonghai snorted and said with a sneer, "It's just a TV, what's there to show off!" Although he spoke toughly, he was really itching to see it. A 24-inch imported large-screen TV, who wouldn't want to see what it looked like with their own eyes? But he had fallen out with Wang Jun a while ago, and he would lose face if he went to see it now.

In the backyard, Liu Haizhong patted his round belly and clicked his tongue, "That Wang Jun is living a better and better life! Yan Bugui really has a good eye, getting in touch with him early on. He's probably making countless amounts of money." His mind is now completely consumed by money. None of his three sons are filial; he's long since destroyed any father-son bond. He can't rely on his sons for his old age. If he wants to avoid suffering in his old age, he has to make more money himself.

The more he thought about it, the more envious he became of Yan Bugui: that old man had long been tied to Wang Jun, and now he certainly wouldn't have to worry about his retirement. He could eat whatever he wanted with his money, and if he got sick, he could just hire someone to take care of him. His old age would be as secure as a nail driven into the ground. "I have to get on good terms with Wang Jun, I absolutely have to!" Liu Haizhong muttered, clenching his fist. "If I make money with him, I won't have to worry about my retirement."

His second aunt, who was outside, heard him muttering to himself and came over to ask, "Old Liu, what are you muttering about? Who are you trying to get on good terms with?"

"Wang Jun," Liu Haizhong glared, "is doing this to make money! We can't count on our three sons, so we have to save money for our retirement ourselves."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Er burst into tears. Liu Haizhong was known for beating his son frequently, destroying any father-son bond. She had three sons, but in the end, they couldn't even be relied upon for her old age.

"What are you crying for!" Liu Haizhong waved his hand. "If they won't support us, we'll earn our own money and support ourselves!"

At Wang Jun's house, the crowd grew larger and larger. Everyone in the courtyard who wasn't at work squeezed in, forming layers upon layers to watch with great interest. A full half hour passed before the crowd reluctantly moved on. Several children clung to the door frame, refusing to leave, and were eventually dragged away by their adults.

Seeing that everyone had left, Wang Jun breathed a sigh of relief. The room was so crowded that there wasn't even a place to stand; if they hadn't left, he really would have had to kick them out. Guo Hongbing, Li Xiangdong, Luo Xuenong, and Tang Xiaoshan, the four young men, were also happy; now they could finally watch TV in peace. Huaihua was even happier; she cooked for Wang Jun, and now she could legitimately stay inside and watch TV.

"TV is so good!"

"This is the first time I've ever seen such a big color TV!"

"The people on TV are so stylish!"

Huaihua was completely mesmerized, not paying attention to the plot at all, her eyes glued to the beautiful clothes and fashionable shoes on the screen.

Seeing her infatuated expression, Wang Jun smiled and asked, "Aren't the locust flowers beautiful?"

Huaihua nodded vigorously: "It's so beautiful! Brother Jun, why are the clothes on TV so pretty? I have to follow you to make more money so I can buy a room full of beautiful clothes and shoes!" At this moment, she had only one thought in her mind: to make money with Wang Jun, and no one could stop her!

Wang Jun was delighted. This girl had completely become his little fan. He figured she would be happy to do anything he asked her to do from now on.

Huaihua is a pretty girl, but Wang Jun has never even considered marrying her. The reason is simple: Qin Huairu's family is a bunch of troublesome troublemakers he can't get rid of, and he doesn't want to get involved in that mess. However, she'd be nice as a little maid.

Inside, Wang Jun and his friends got busy. He fiddled with the radio on one side, while Guo Hongbing, Li Xiangdong, Luo Xuenong, and Tang Xiaoshan installed the antenna on the other. They could also catch a glimpse of the TV while working, so they got the job done quickly.

At lunchtime, Huaihua brought out a large bowl of pork, its white fat sizzling and glistening with oil. Another bowl was of cabbage; in this freezing weather, cabbage was the only edible green vegetable left. Many people in Beijing would stock up on hundreds of kilograms of it in their cellars before winter, relying on it for their winter's vegetables. Besides these two dishes, there was also a large bowl of egg and seaweed soup, with eight or nine eggs inside—enough for two eggs per person. In those days, this was a truly luxurious meal.

Guo Hongbing and the others drooled as soon as they saw the fatty meat and seaweed and egg soup. With meat and eggs, life was simply heavenly.

Wang Jun waved his hand: "The dishes are all ready, let's eat. Huaihua, you can have lunch with us from now on."

Huaihua nodded happily, "Thank you, Brother Jun!"

Guo Hongbing and his companions immediately went for the fatty meat, stuffing chunks of fat into their mouths with sizzling sounds. But after a few pieces, the greasiness kicked in, and the fat lost its appeal.

Wang Jun urged, "Don't stop, keep eating! Don't like fatty meat? This bowl is for you."

The group forced themselves to eat a few more pieces, their brows furrowing from the greasiness. Guo Hongbing couldn't take it anymore: "Boss, this is really too much, I can't eat anymore."

"Me too." "Too much oil." Everyone complained.

Wang Jun laughed and said, "No, this dish was made especially for you. You must finish it and not waste any."

Encouraged by Wang Jun, the group worked hard again, and after more than ten minutes, they finally emptied the large basin of pork fat. Wang Jun chuckled, "Not bad, not bad, you did a great job. I've decided, we'll have pork fat again tomorrow, you can eat your fill." He was actually a little surprised; these guys really had big appetites. That basin of pork fat weighed more than five pounds, which averaged out to one pound each, and they finished it all. However, he was planning to buy a few more pounds tomorrow and see how long they could last.

……

The Luo family next door were discussing something. Their son worked at a steel factory in Beijing, and recently had triplets. Money was flowing out like water, their savings were completely depleted, and they were struggling to make ends meet. The couple decided to sell their house to ease the burden. But these days, who has money to spare? Even if the house is dilapidated, it's useless if no one buys it.

Uncle Luo sighed, "My daughter-in-law is weak after giving birth and her hospital stay cost a lot; my three grandsons also require money. Our savings are all gone, so we have to think of something."

The woman looked distressed: "Then we can only sell the house. But who would want this dilapidated house? Besides, nobody has any money, so it's hard to find a buyer."

Uncle Luo seemed confident: "It's not difficult. Our neighbor is quite wealthy. I'll go talk to him later."

The auntie's eyes lit up; her neighbor was none other than Wang Jun. Wang Jun had once been dirt poor, but now everyone in the courtyard knew he was the richest. The auntie estimated his net worth was at least two or three thousand, and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, sell it to Wang Jun! Husband, how much can we get for this house?"

Uncle Luo pondered for a moment: "Twelve hundred. The house is a bit old, but it's quite spacious."

After the two had reached an agreement, Uncle Luo got up to go find Wang Jun.

Wang Jun was engrossed in fiddling with the parts of a radio when there was a knock at the door. He opened it to find Uncle Luo from next door, clutching a bunch of keys and looking a little hesitant.

"Jun, I have something I want to discuss with you." Uncle Luo rubbed his hands together. "I'm planning to sell this house. Are you interested? If so, I'll sell it to you directly."

Wang Jun paused, his screwdriver momentarily gone. This news was more exciting than any solder wire. His small room, barely big enough for one person, was now being used as a workshop, piled high with materials, making it difficult for several people to even turn around. If he could buy Uncle Luo's room, wouldn't this problem be solved?

"Uncle, can I go to your house to take a look first?" Wang Jun asked quickly.

"Okay, I'll take you there." Uncle Luo led him through the narrow passageway and pushed open the door of the opposite house. Wang Jun peeked out and his eyes lit up. This house was much more spacious than his own, at least ninety square meters.

"Uncle, your house is quite big."

"Hey, the first people to move into this courtyard, the house was 95 square meters, divided into three rooms, it was very bright." Uncle Luo patted the mottled wall, "It's just that it's been around for many years, so it looks dilapidated."

Wang Jun walked around the house, his heart already brimming with joy. The house was old, but its size was undeniable. Combining it with his own home would allow him to partition off a toilet and kitchen, and even create two more rooms to add a bright living room. No more having to bundle up like a bear and run out to the toilet in the dead of winter—just thinking about it made him feel wonderful!

"Uncle, how much are you planning to sell it for?" Wang Jun went straight to the point. He was determined not to let this opportunity slip by, as long as the price wasn't outrageous.

Uncle Luo was secretly delighted; asking the price meant he was interested! He cleared his throat: "One thousand two hundred."

Wang Jun mentally did the math: in 1987, the average price of commercial housing was over 400 yuan per square meter. With inflation in a couple of years, it could soar to 900 to 1800 yuan per square meter. His uncle's house was 95 square meters, which worked out to only 126 yuan per square meter—more than half the price of commercial housing, a real bargain! But he still had to negotiate: "Uncle, this house is in terrible condition; it'll cost a lot to renovate. I'll offer 1000 yuan, what do you think?"

"That won't do, it's too little," Uncle Luo shook his head.

After some haggling, they finally settled on 1,080 yuan. Uncle Luo was overjoyed; in his eyes, the dilapidated house was damp and dark, and selling it for over 1,000 yuan was like winning the lottery.

In the 1980s, most people looked down on traditional courtyard houses: the ground was uneven, there was no running water, and going to the toilet at night was a struggle in the dark, making it inconvenient and unsettling for the elderly. Everyone longed for apartment buildings, where water flowed automatically from the tap, the rooms were bright and clean, and people felt much more at ease. Because of this, apartment prices were significantly higher than courtyard house prices, and they kept rising. Uncle Luo was eager to upgrade to an apartment; selling this dilapidated house didn't bother him at all; he even felt he had made a profit.

Seeing Uncle Luo's delighted expression, Wang Jun chuckled inwardly. These days, most people don't understand the value of courtyard houses; there are plenty of clearance sales. These people will definitely regret it later. But for Wang Jun, this is precisely the opportunity. Once he has more money, he'll definitely buy several more.

"Jun, when are we going to complete the formalities?" Uncle Luo was in a hurry for money. "I'm a little short on cash these days."

"Uncle, let's get it done today!" Wang Jun was also eager to secure the money as soon as possible.

"Okay!"

In the afternoon, Wang Jun helped Uncle Luo complete the formalities and immediately handed over 1,080 yuan to the old man. The money and goods were settled, and the deal was done.

"Uncle Luo, please keep the money." Wang Jun handed over the money.

Uncle Luo grinned from ear to ear as he clutched the money: "Alright! I'll move tomorrow. I have a lot of stuff, so it'll probably take a whole day. If you're doing renovations, you can come the day after tomorrow."

Wang Jun put the property certificate and related documents into his bag, still feeling a surge of warmth in his heart. This was the first time he had owned a property since he traveled back to the 1980s.

With the house in hand, the next step is renovation. But these days, where can you find private renovation companies? Finding a professional one is impossible. However, finding a construction team isn't difficult. In the 1980s, many skilled craftsmen started forming teams to take on jobs, and the leaders were called foremen. Back then, foremen were highly sought after; they made money very quickly. Wang Jun remembers that many foremen later became wealthy and even kept mistresses, including college students.

As Wang Jun came out of the office, he bumped into Yu Li, who was holding several pieces of paper in her hand, presumably there to complete some formalities.

"Sister Yu, what brings you here?" Wang Jun waved and greeted her.

When Yu Li saw it was him, her face lit up with a smile: "I want to open a restaurant, and I've come today to get the business license."

"Congratulations!" Wang Jun chuckled. "With the license in hand, you've become a boss's wife!"

Yu Li's eyes lit up. She had been talking about wanting to be her own boss for a long time, and this license was the first step. After chatting for a bit, Yu Li asked warmly, "Jun, are you here on business today? Need any help? I know this place well."

"I just bought Uncle Luo's house, and all the formalities are complete."

Upon hearing this, Yu Li's eyes widened. Uncle Luo's house was over 100 square meters, which was no small sum in the 1980s! She clicked her tongue enviously, "You bought that house? It's so spacious and bright, you're really capable!"

Which woman doesn't want her own house? Yu Li was no exception. Having a house gave her confidence and made things easier. She had always hoped that Yan Jiecheng would be more ambitious and earn more money to buy her a house, but Yan Jiecheng was incompetent. Relying on him? No way.

Seeing her envious look, Wang Jun casually said, "It's just a house. Once you make money, you can easily buy one too."

Yu Li is a decisive person, shrewd in business, and making money is not difficult for her. Wang Jun remembers that in the TV series, she later hired Sha Zhu as the head chef, and the restaurant became very popular; after Sha Zhu left, she switched to a hot pot restaurant, and the business was still booming.

"Jun, how much did you spend on that house?" Yu Li asked curiously.

"Not expensive, just over a thousand."

Yu Li's mind went blank for a moment. Over a thousand yuan—equivalent to two years' wages for a worker! And he said it wasn't expensive? That's real manly generosity! Then she looked at her own Yan Jiecheng, who wasn't good at making money and was physically weak; living with him would be too unfair. She couldn't help but say, "Jun, you're amazing! Next time there's work that pays, you have to call me!"

Wang Jun casually agreed, then suddenly remembered the renovation: "Sister Yu, do you have the contact information for a construction team? I want to find a team to do my renovation."

"Easy!" Yu Li patted her chest with a smile. "I have a relative who has a construction team. They're skilled and meticulous. If you want, I'll have him contact you tomorrow."

"Uncle Luo is moving tomorrow, let him come the day after tomorrow."

"OK!"

Wang Jun returned home.

His purchase of the house,

It has already been spread.

The entire courtyard was in an uproar.

This year,

I bought a big piece of fatty meat.

Everyone had to say a few words about it.

Not to mention something as big as buying a house.

"Did you know? Wang Jun bought Uncle Luo's house!"

"Of course I know. Uncle Luo has already started packing his things and is preparing to move."

"Wow, Wang Jun is really rich! First he bought a big color TV, and now he's bought a big house. His life is getting better and better!"

"Uncle Luo's house has three large brick rooms, probably around 100 square meters. I wonder how much such a big house cost!"

"It must be very expensive."

"yes."

"In this courtyard, the most promising one is Wang Jun. I used to think Bang Geng was a promising kid, but now it seems he can't compare to Wang Jun."

"Hehe, not even close."