Courtyard House: A Prosperous and Joyful Life

As Banggeng stepped into his workplace, he was met with a group of strange stares. Before he could figure it out, several women had already gathered around him, chattering away.

"Hey Banggeng, didn't you go on a blind date today? How did it go?"

"I heard your blind date ran off with a handsome young man, is that true?"

"Tell me quickly, what exactly happened?"

"Did they look down on you?"

"Hey, don't keep quiet, say something!"

Bang Geng's face turned green instantly, as if he had swallowed a bitter pill. His blind date had run off with someone else; how embarrassing would that be if word got out! He had originally intended to keep it quiet, but the bad news spread faster than a rabbit, and in the blink of an eye, the whole workplace knew. He had become a laughingstock.

He was incredibly frustrated, and with a dark expression, he snapped, "There's nothing to say. Everyone, disperse. Don't hold me back from my work."

The moment these words were spoken, the women erupted in uproar.

"Hey, why are you swearing right away?"

"You're paid to do this, what kind of behavior is this? You have no manners!"

"No wonder that girl didn't like you; you treat your own people like this!"

"I was going to introduce you to another one, but forget it, I won't worry about that anymore."

"I didn't believe everyone when they said you failed at your blind date, but now it's clear it's true!"

These women were masters of arguing; every word they uttered was like a knife to the heart. Bang Geng couldn't withstand their barrage and could only return to his seat dejectedly.

But he had other plans in mind—Tang Yanling. Yes, it was her. The more he thought about it, the more satisfied he became, even considering pursuing her. But then he thought again, Tang Yanling probably had her eye on Wang Jun. Wang Jun was handsome, rich, and capable; he couldn't compare to him in any way.

However… he was the leader's driver and knew how to drive! Wang Jun didn't have that.

An idea immediately popped into his head: pick up Tang Yanling in the leader's car. These days, motorcycles were rare, and cars were even rarer, practically impossible to buy even with money—private ownership of cars was strictly prohibited. Picking someone up in a car was undoubtedly the most prestigious thing imaginable. Even if Tang Yanling had seen a bit of the world, she'd probably never ridden in a car before; the moment it stopped in front of her, she was guaranteed to be captivated.

After a few trips around Beijing, the two of them will get to know each other, and falling in love and getting married will be a natural progression.

The more he thought about it, the happier he became, and Banggeng's mood brightened accordingly. He couldn't help but snort: "So what if Wang Jun is handsome and rich? You'll never own a car in your life. With me on the scene, Tang Yanling will definitely choose me."

……

Meanwhile, Wang Jun accompanied Tang Yanling around the trust store. As they came out, he glanced at his watch and casually said, "I have to go back to work. Comrade Tang Yanling, why don't you come to my house for a while?"

It was just a polite remark, but Tang Yanling unexpectedly responded with a smile: "Sure, since you've invited me, I'll go take a look. I'd really like to see how you assemble the radio and antenna."

Tang Yanling was an intellectual and very interested in hands-on work. Moreover, she was also curious about Wang Jun, so she readily agreed.

Wang Jun suddenly stammered, "Uh..."

Left with no other option, Wang Jun took Tang Yanling back to the courtyard house.

Tang Yanling was pretty, and as soon as she entered the courtyard, the older women craned their necks to look at her, chattering amongst themselves.

"That girl is really pretty!"

"When did you meet Wang Jun? You've kept it a secret for a long time!"

"Could it be her boyfriend?"

"Most likely! These days, young people are all about free dating; they just date secretly and then bring their partners back."

Just as things were getting lively, Banggeng strolled back carrying his schoolbag. He caught sight of Wang Jun holding Tang Yanling's hand and froze on the spot as if struck by lightning—good heavens, taking her away was one thing, but bringing her home? Wasn't this blatantly cheating on him?

He rushed over and blocked Tang Yanling's path: "Comrade Tang Yanling, you mustn't date Wang Jun! He's no good person!"

Wang Jun chuckled—talking badly about someone to their face, was he deliberately asking for a beating? But before he could speak, Tang Yanling couldn't hold back any longer: "Comrade Jia Banggeng, what nonsense are you spouting! Comrade Wang Jun is a truly excellent comrade!"

The older women nearby swarmed around, all chiming in to support Wang Jun:

"Yes! Wang Jun is a good comrade!"

"Bang Geng, how can you talk nonsense? Wang Jun led the entire hospital to wealth, how could he be a bad person?"

"Wang Jun has always been honest and hardworking since he was a child, while you were always stealing chickens and dogs!"

"Don't make up stories about people; talking badly about others is immoral!"

Bang Geng blushed after being rebuked. He opened his mouth to shout, "He stole my blind date away!" but swallowed the words back down his throat. If this embarrassing thing got out, he would become the laughing stock of the whole hospital.

In a moment of inspiration, he puffed out his chest and said, "Comrade Tang Yanling, tomorrow I'll pick you up in my car and take you sightseeing in Beijing! It's the company car, it'll make you look really prestigious!"

When he mentioned "cars," his chin practically floated to the sky—these were rare items back then, and he couldn't believe Tang Yanling wouldn't be tempted.

Hearing the old women's words, Tang Yanling already had no good impression of Jia Banggeng. She frowned and waved her hand, "No, Comrade Jia Banggeng, I'm not going."

"Huh?" Banggeng thought he misheard. "I'll pick you up in my car, don't you like that?"

"I don't like it." Tang Yanling rolled her eyes—if it were Wang Jun, she'd be happy; but a pig? She'd rather stay home and sleep!

Wang Jun chimed in with a sarcastic remark: "Nonsense, the car belongs to the company. How dare you drive it out without permission? Should I report this to your boss?"

Banggeng broke out in a cold sweat instantly—if he lost his job, it would be difficult to find a girl from the countryside, let alone a girl from the city!

Wang Jun put his arm around Tang Yanling's shoulder: "Come on, ignore this idiot." Tang Yanling nodded and followed him into the house. Bang Geng watched their backs, stomping his feet in anger, but there was nothing he could do.

Inside, Guo Hongbing and the others were tightening screws around the table when Tang Xiaoshan's eyes lit up when he saw Tang Yanling enter. "Sister, what brings you here? Did you come to see me?"

Tang Yanling glared at her younger brother—she had come to peek into Wang Jun's house, so how could she tell the truth?

Wang Jun smiled and smoothed things over, "Comrade Tang Yanling, it's lunchtime, why don't you grab a bite here?"

Before long, Huaihua brought out the dishes: a large bowl of juicy fatty pork, a big bowl of stir-fried shredded potatoes, and a bowl of tomato and egg soup. Tang Yanling stared at the bowl of fatty pork, her eyes wide open—she had never seen such a large bowl of fatty pork in her life!

"Brother, do you eat this every day?" she couldn't help but ask.

Tang Xiaoshan said with a bitter face, "Sis, I'm sick of eating fatty meat at every meal! You've come at the right time, help me finish it off!"

Guo Hongbing and the others nodded in agreement—they used to love gnawing on fatty meat, but after eating it for several meals, they felt nauseous just looking at it and couldn't swallow it at all.

Tang Yanling was completely speechless—in all her life, this was the first time she had ever seen someone who was afraid of eating fatty meat!

Outside, Banggeng peered through the doorframe into the courtyard—Wang Jun, Tang Yanling, and Huaihua were eating and laughing around the stone table, steaming noodles with soybean paste filling the air. His chest tightened, and his nails dug into his palms.

"That damn Wang Jun! Not only did he steal my blind date, but he also brought her home for a free meal. You think you have some money? I'm going to make some too! More than you! With money, Tang Yanling will definitely be with me!"

In his mind, Tang Yanling was only after Wang Jun for money. This thought, once it took root, grew stronger and stronger—he was convinced of only one principle: he had to start a business and become richer than Wang Jun!

He glared fiercely at Huaihua again: This brat is glued to Wang Jun, eating in his house like a free bride. If this were the old society, he would have sold her to a brothel long ago!

"If Wang Jun can make hundreds a day through connections, so can I! In less than three months, I'll be the richest man in the courtyard!" He spat, turned around, and kicked a pebble away.

In the evening, Sha Zhu carried an aluminum lunchbox into the house, followed by Qin Huairu carrying a pot of stewed cabbage. Bang Geng and Huai Hua also came home from school. As usual, Yi Zhonghai moved a small stool to sit in the main room. Ever since the old lady passed away, he had been relying on this young couple for his retirement, and he would come over for meals every few days.

At the dinner table, Banggeng suddenly put his chopsticks down on his bowl, cleared his throat, and said, "Grandma, Mom and Dad, I feel like I don't earn enough at my job—I want to work as a driver while also running a business to make big money!"

Everyone at the table was stunned. A driver for a leader earns a respectable fifty-odd yuan a month—a very respectable job in a courtyard house—and this guy thinks it's too little?

Huaihua laughed first, tilting her head to tease him, "Brother, are you jealous because Wang Jun is making so much money? Want to learn how to do business too?"

Bang Geng's face flushed red, and he glared at her: "What nonsense are you spouting, you brat!" — Although he was jealous, how could he say it outright?

Huaihua leaned closer and whispered, "Let me tell you, you're not cut out for business. You can't even use an abacus properly; you're sure to lose everything!"

She knew her brother all too well: he dropped out of junior high and started hanging out with bad friends. Doing business? He'd be lucky if he didn't lose money!

Banggeng slammed his fist on the table in anger, yelling, "Damn it—" and lunged forward, clenching his fist. Huaihua, however, was prepared. She darted behind Shazhu, grabbing his apron and crying, "Uncle Zhu, save me! My brother's going to hit someone!"

Sha Zhu laughed, slapping his thigh and shielding Huaihua behind him; Qin Huairu also chimed in to smooth things over: "It's good that Bang Geng wants to do business, but he has to choose the right path."

Yi Zhonghai stroked his chin and nodded, his eyes shining: "The hottest business right now is opening a restaurant! Old Li's son opened a small restaurant the other day and makes three or four hundred a day; if he gets a wedding and rents out the whole place, he can make over a thousand—more than he makes in a year of working! Yan Jiecheng and his wife in the front yard are renovating their place and they're going to open a restaurant too."

These words were like a firecracker, and everyone in the room's eyes lit up—Shazhu was the famous "culinary king" of the courtyard, and the aroma of his stir-fries could waft through half the alley. Opening a restaurant? Wouldn't that be a sure thing?

Banggeng jumped up, patted his chest, and shouted, "Let's open a restaurant! Our restaurant will definitely become the most famous in Beijing, earning hundreds or even thousands of yuan a day!"

Everyone laughed along, as if they could already see the money piled on the table. Only Huaihua pursed her lips and remained silent—she felt that Banggeng was just stirring up trouble, but seeing her brother's clenched fist, she swallowed her words: if she poured cold water on him now, she would surely get a beating.

Sha Zhu picked up a piece of stewed meat and gave it to Bang Geng, laughing and scolding, "Alright, it's good that you have this ambition. Tomorrow I'll go ask the neighborhood office what permits are needed to open a restaurant."

Qin Huairu chimed in, "I'll go ask Aunt Zhang next door where to buy seasonings cheaply."

Yi Zhonghai, holding his wine bowl, clinked it against Sha Zhu's glass: "With you, the master chef, in charge, it's guaranteed to be a hit!"

Banggeng tilted his head back, feeling that he was just one step away from becoming the "richest man in the courtyard"—as for Huaihua's grumbling, he had long forgotten about it.

In the front yard, Wang Jun had just finished soldering the last coil of copper wire onto the signal amplifier. Before going to bed, he took out his account book and started calculating—today, assembling radios and installing antennas brought in a total of over 13,000 yuan. After deducting the cost of parts, he made a net profit of 12,000 yuan.

He touched the money he hadn't touched in the past two days and suddenly laughed: Since he had earned enough today, he might as well spend it on a ten-pull and see what kind of treasure he could catch.

"System, give me ten beginner fishing sessions!" he declared.

Getting 1,000 yuan in ten draws is a lot of money for most people, but Wang Jun earns a lot now, so spending this money is like scratching an itch.

As soon as the command was given, a barrage of notification sounds erupted: [Command received - Ten beginner fishing sessions initiated] [1000 yuan deducted] [Fishing begins].

The translucent fishing line darted out with a "whoosh," disappearing into some unknown corner. Then, a warning tone blared like a death knell:

Congratulations on receiving "3000 Examples of Fashion Design" ×1

Congratulations on obtaining 2 canned food recipes!

Congratulations on receiving 1 small garment factory production equipment!

Wang Jun sat up abruptly, blurting out, "Holy crap! They actually hooked a garment production line!"

Was opening a garment factory profitable in the 1980s? As long as the styles weren't ugly, clothes would sell like hotcakes. When trendy items like bell-bottoms, leggings, and t-shirts became available, production was met with frenzied demand, and factories were being built like crazy in the south. This equipment clearly indicated a drive to make a fortune!

He quickly opened the system panel to read the instructions: [Small garment factory production equipment: Imported from the United States, including a complete set of equipment for cutting, sewing, ironing, and packaging; considered advanced in the 1980s. Requires 150 workers; daily output 2500 sets].

Wang Jun felt reassured: although it wasn't as automated as it is now, 2,500 sets a day was absolutely top-notch speed in the 1980s. Looking at that book, "Three Thousand Examples of Fashion Design," it was full of the hottest styles from the 80s and 90s; you could just copy the drawings and produce them—wasn't that a ready-made "fashion code"?

"With this book and machine, my factory will definitely be able to lead the nation, and who knows, it might even go global and make me the king of clothing!" He became more and more excited as he thought about it, and his hands were shaking.

Then he looked at the canned food recipes—[One recipe each for canned soybeans in tomato sauce and canned tomatoes, developed at a cost of hundreds of millions, the finished product is absolutely delicious]. Wang Jun's eyes lit up: Chinese people don't like canned food, but foreigners love it to death! He remembered some data—in 98 in the United States, every household stored canned food, averaging 24 cans per household; 86% of parents said, "We can't get through a week without canned food."

"These two recipes can earn foreign exchange! In addition to the garment factory, we also need a cannery." He made the decision and set the direction.

The next morning, just as they got up, they heard a commotion outside the courtyard—eight young men were standing at the door carrying tools, and the foreman, Yu Laosan, was rubbing his hands together and laughing: "Boss, how do we install it?"

Yu Laosan was a relative of Yu Li from the countryside. He was in his forties and very shrewd. Wang Jun handed over the renovation plans: "Follow the plans. Two requirements: the quality must be solid, and the speed must be fast!"

With just over twenty days until the Lunar New Year, he wanted to spend the holiday in his new house. Old Yu glanced at the blueprints and patted his chest confidently, "Don't worry, boss! We specialize in courtyard house renovations lately, and everyone in the neighborhood says we're meticulous. Ten days! We'll have it all done in ten days!"

Wang Jun nodded, and Yu Laosan waved his hand: "Let's get started!" The young men picked up their tools and got to work, and the yard instantly became lively.