Courtyard House: A Prosperous and Joyful Life

Yan Bugui was busy roasting melon seeds, the seeds in the pan were popping and crackling, and he had no time to pay attention to Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai couldn't continue the conversation and decided to get straight to the point: "Old Yan, we're all getting old, and our health is declining year by year. I'm thinking of starting a mutual aid group for the elderly, so that if anything happens, we can look out for each other..."

He said a lot, but it all boiled down to one thing—to recruit Yan Bugui.

Yan Bugui, however, remained unconvinced, continuing to stir-fry the food without looking up, and said, "Old Yi, I'm not interested in your mutual aid group. You've already given your salary to Qin Huairu; Qin Huairu and Sha Zhu's whole family will take care of you in your old age. You can just enjoy your retirement. Why bother with a mutual aid group?"

Yi Zhonghai's smile froze, and he felt a tightness in his chest.

He also wants to enjoy his retirement! The problem is, the Jia family has too many messy affairs; relying on them for old age isn't very reliable. Bang Geng was scammed, losing four thousand yuan in one go. Now Sha Zhu is opening a restaurant; if it loses money and leaves him with a mountain of debt, who will have the resources to support him then?

Undeterred, Yi Zhonghai changed his approach: "Old Yan, not to be rude, but even though you have three sons, you can't rely on any of them. You need to think about your retirement."

Upon hearing this, Yan Bugui calmly smiled.

Two months ago, he was indeed so worried about his retirement that he couldn't sleep for nights on end. But now—he has seen a way out.

Yan Bugui shook his head and said, "Old Yi, I've already figured out a way to retire: make money! I'm currently selling roasted melon seeds. It's hard work, but I make money every day. If I keep doing this for another three to five years, I won't have to worry about retirement."

When Yi Zhonghai heard this, he was completely bewildered.

Is that old bastard Yan Bugui planning to make a living by roasting melon seeds for his retirement? It seems his plan to recruit people has fallen through again.

For a time, Yi Zhonghai even considered roasting a batch of melon seeds himself and selling them on the street.

He casually grabbed a few sunflower seeds from the winnowing basket next to him, popped them into his mouth and popped them in. To his surprise, they tasted really good, fragrant and crunchy, much better than the ones sold at the supply and marketing cooperative.

"Old Yan," Yi Zhonghai's eyes lit up, "could you give me a copy of this recipe for roasted melon seeds? I want to try it out when I get back."

Yan Bugui waved his hands repeatedly, his smile fading, and said seriously, "No, no, no, this recipe can only be obtained by those who have worked for Wang Jun. Old Yi, although you're one of the oldest people in the compound, you haven't worked for Wang Jun, so I can't give you this recipe."

Yi Zhonghai's lips twitched, he had nothing to say, shook his head and left.

As Aunt San watched Yi Zhonghai's figure disappear through the doorway, she turned and whispered, "Old Yan, this recipe for roasted melon seeds isn't a secret. Lots of people in the yard know it. Why didn't you give it to Old Yi?"

Yan Bugui chuckled and lowered his voice, saying, "Old Yi offended Wang Jun before, have you forgotten? If I give the formula to Old Yi, and Wang Jun gets upset and makes things difficult for our family, we'll be in big trouble. So, I won't give this formula to Old Yi. If he wants it, he can find someone else."

Aunt San thought about it and agreed.

Yan Bugui stirred the sunflower seeds in the pan again, saying confidently, "Our business is getting better and better; this pan at home can't keep up with demand anymore. In a few days, I plan to rent a shop specifically to sell sunflower seeds. We'll hire two young men to roast them. Selling three to five hundred catties a day won't be a problem, and our income will increase several times over; we might even earn two or three hundred yuan a day."

Aunt San's eyes lit up immediately.

They rent a shop, hire people to roast melon seeds, and they just sit there collecting money?

She never dared to dream of such a life.

"That's wonderful!" Aunt San rubbed her hands together excitedly. "With a shop, we can sit back and collect money! It's like living the life of a landlord! Old Yan, you're so clever!"

Yan Bugui proudly raised his head: "Now that reform and opening up have begun, the country is encouraging us to get rich. We must respond to the call and get rich quickly! Before long, our family will be the second richest in the courtyard!"

He paused for a moment, then added, "By the way, let's ask Wang Jun for advice tomorrow. When it comes to business, listening to him is always a good idea."

Aunt San nodded repeatedly, giving a thumbs up: "Yes, yes, we must ask Wang Jun! He's our lucky star; we have to ask him about this!"

Yan Bugui took the last batch of sunflower seeds out of the pan, and the whole room was filled with the aroma of roasted sunflower seeds. He stared at the pile of golden sunflower seeds, his eyes shining.

There was a time when he meticulously calculated every penny of his salary, even hesitating for a long time before buying notebooks for his son. Now, Yan Bugui's luck is about to change.

All of this started after Wang Jun came to the courtyard house.

Yan Bugui secretly vowed in his heart: In this life, he would follow Wang Jun.

The next day, just after Wang Jun finished breakfast, Yan Bugui came to his door, carrying two large fish.

Wang Jun found it strange: "Third Uncle, what's the matter?"

Wang Jun found it strange: "Third Uncle, what's the matter?"

Yan Bugui nodded: "Jun, the sunflower seed business is getting better and better. I'm thinking of renting a shop and hiring two people to roast sunflower seeds. What do you think?"

Wang Jun immediately understood—Yan Bugui had come to learn from him. No wonder he brought two large fish so early in the morning.

He thought for a moment and said, "Opening a shop is a good idea, no problem at all. But when choosing a location, we need to find a place with high foot traffic..."

Wang Jun casually offered a few suggestions, and Yan Bugui nodded repeatedly, thinking to himself that the God of Wealth was indeed different, as his suggestions were all practical.

Yan Bugui said gratefully, "Thank you so much! This is my first time opening a shop, and I didn't know where to start. After listening to you, I feel much more confident."

Wang Jun smiled.

Yan Bugui then brought up another matter: "By the way, Lao Yi contacted me last night wanting to start a mutual aid group for the elderly, but I refused."

Wang Jun was slightly taken aback. In the original storyline, Yi Zhonghai had also organized a mutual aid group for the elderly, and Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong had both joined. Unexpectedly, Yan Bugui refused this time.

But thinking about it carefully, it makes sense—Yan Bugui is busy doing business and making money now, so why would he have the time to join any mutual aid group? With money, retirement is not a problem at all. Even if his children are unreliable, he can hire someone to take care of him, and he will still live a comfortable life.

Wang Jun said, "Third Uncle, it seems you're planning to earn your own retirement."

Yan Bugui smiled and said, "That's right, that's the plan. I've finally figured it out—no matter how close your children are, they're not as close as money. If you don't have money, don't expect your son to treat you well; you'll be lucky if he can even feed you. With money, it's different. You can spend some money to hire someone to take care of you, and everyone will be comfortable."

Wang Jun smiled; the old man's insight was quite profound.

After Yan Bugui left, Wang Jun also prepared to go out. Construction had already started on the courtyard house, and he planned to go and take a look.

He picked up the toner and opened the door—just then, he saw a middle-aged man in his forties carrying a snakeskin bag walking towards him.

The man had dark skin and wore a military green cotton-padded jacket with several large patches. On his feet were a pair of worn-out liberation shoes, covered in mud, indicating that he had walked quite a distance.

They look like they're from the countryside.

Wang Jun glanced at the man and found him very familiar. He quickly remembered—this was Luo Yong, his father's comrade-in-arms from his previous life. After retiring from the army, Luo Yong had apparently become the village chief. When his father passed away, Luo Yong had helped with the funeral arrangements; he was a very loyal and compassionate person, and Wang Jun felt he had been kind to him.

Wang Jun quickly waved and called out, "Uncle Luo!"

Luo Yong stared at Wang Jun for a while before recognizing him, then laughed, "Jun! It's been half a year since I last saw you. You've grown quite a bit taller; I almost didn't recognize you."

After speaking, he looked around the house again. Six months ago, the house was dilapidated, but now it has been whitewashed, the windows have been repainted, and the glass has been replaced. It looks much nicer now.

Wang Jun walked over and said, "Uncle Luo, it's cold outside, come inside and sit down."

Luo Yong nodded, saying as they walked, "Jun, I've been so busy lately, I haven't had time to see you. I only got a little free after the New Year. By the way, have you been starving these past six months? Do you have enough clothes at home?"

At this moment, several middle-aged women came over to watch the commotion. Hearing Luo Yong's words, they all laughed and started chattering amongst themselves—

"Comrade, Jun is the richest man in our courtyard; he won't go hungry!"

"Comrade, Jun is a big boss now, his business has expanded overseas, how could he possibly starve!"

"What's outside compared to the interior of this military building? It's truly magnificent! Comrade, you'll be amazed when you go inside."

"Hahaha, even military families have achieved the Four Modernizations! Even factory leaders' families aren't this well-off!"

"Jun is a big boss now, owning two factories. He makes an unknown amount of money every day, so you don't need to worry about him going hungry."

Luo Yong was stunned—Jun had become a big boss? And doing business with foreigners? How could that be?

Wang Jun laughed and said, "Uncle Luo, I'm doing great, eating fish and meat every day."

"Feasting on meat and fish every day?" Luo Yong didn't believe it at all. He was the village chief himself, and his family was considered well-off in the village; they could only afford to eat meat once or twice a month.

Luo Yong said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Do you think I don't know your family's situation? Alright, I brought you forty jin of cornmeal this time, take it and eat it."

After saying that, he took the burlap sack off his shoulder. It was full of cornmeal.

Wang Jun felt a surge of emotion. He still had over a hundred pounds of meat and various ingredients in his refrigerator, so this amount of cornmeal was nothing to him. But these forty pounds of cornmeal were carried dozens of miles by Uncle Luo—it represented a token of his kindness.

This kindness must be remembered, and it must be repaid.

Wang Jun took the snakeskin bag and said, "Come on, Uncle Luo, come inside and sit down." He then pulled him into the house.

Luo Yong arrived at the door and was immediately stunned.

A crystal chandelier, a gleaming floor, a massive 24-inch TV, luxurious sofas… all these things together created an exceptionally opulent atmosphere. He couldn't take it all in; he looked around as if he were in a dragon palace.

Then he looked down at the smooth floor and then at his muddy canvas shoes—he was too embarrassed to step inside, afraid of getting the floor dirty.

Wang Jun smiled and opened the car door, saying, "Uncle Luo, this is my car. Don't worry, it won't break down."

Luo Yong stood at the car door, hesitated for a long time, looked down at his mud-covered cloth shoes, and then at the shiny seats inside the car, but he refused to step inside.

"Well... I'm all dirty, I don't want to get your nice car dirty." Luo Yong rubbed his hands, looking troubled.

Wang Jun shoved Luo Yong into the passenger seat, closed the door, and said, "Uncle Luo, it's just a car, nothing to be afraid of. Please sit tight, let's go."

Luo Yong sat in the passenger seat, his whole body tense, his hands neatly placed on his knees, not daring to move an inch. The car seat was as soft as sitting in a pile of cotton, and there was an indescribable fragrance in the air; he didn't even dare to breathe heavily.

Wang Jun started the car, and the Mercedes-Benz W126 smoothly drove out of the courtyard.

As the car drove along Chang'an Avenue, Luo Yong looked out the window at the street scene, his mouth slightly agape and his eyes filled with disbelief.

He had lived for over forty years, and the farthest he had ever traveled was from his village to the town. The best mode of transportation he had ever used was an oxcart. He had never even touched a jeep, let alone a car.

"Jun, how much does this car cost?" Luo Yong couldn't help but ask.

"It's not expensive, only a few hundred thousand tons," Wang Jun said casually.

Luo Yong swallowed hard. Hundreds of thousands? He couldn't earn that much even if he farmed his whole life.

"Jun, what kind of business are you in now? How can you make so much money?" Luo Yong asked cautiously.

Wang Jun smiled and said, "I did some small business, selling clothes and melon seeds, and even set up a garment factory. I was lucky and made some money."

Luo Yong nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, saying, "Doing business is good. Look at Yan Bugui, he's made quite a bit of money roasting melon seeds. But Jun, don't be too extravagant; you need to be more frugal."

Wang Jun replied, "Uncle Luo is right, I'll remember that."

The car left the city and entered a dirt road leading to the suburbs. The road surface was full of potholes, but the Mercedes remained steady. As Luo Yong looked at the increasingly desolate scenery outside the window, his heart grew more and more uneasy.

He recalled that just six months ago, Wang Jun was an orphan who couldn't even get enough to eat, wearing patched clothes and enduring countless scornful looks in the courtyard. And now, in such a short time, he was driving a car, living in a big house, and having tables laden with fish and meat.

We're all human, so why is there such a huge difference?

After driving for about forty minutes, Luo Yong pointed to a village ahead and said, "Jun, we're here, we're here. It's that village ahead, Qianjin Village."

Wang Jun slowly drove the car into the village entrance.

His arrival in the village immediately caused a sensation.

The villagers had never seen such a magnificent car before. Its paint was so black it shone like a mirror in the sun, and the wheels were even bigger than their pot lids.

"Hey, come quick! A big bus is coming!"

"Whose relative is this? Such a grand entrance!"

"Good heavens, this car probably isn't for city officials, is it?"

The villagers rushed out of their homes and gathered on both sides of the road to watch the spectacle.

Luo Yong's face flushed instantly, feeling hot, but a surge of indescribable pride welled up inside him. He subconsciously straightened his back a bit.

Wang Jun parked his car in front of Luo Yong's house, got out, and started unloading things from the trunk.

First, bring out a large 20-inch color TV.

The villagers gasped in shock.

"A color TV! Isn't that a color TV?"

"My God, a 20-inch color TV! We don't even have black and white TVs in our village!"

Then, they brought out three Red Lantern brand radios.

"Radios! One, two, three! Three radios!"

Then, half a pig.

The white, fatty meat glistened in the sunlight, making everyone in the village stare in disbelief.

"Meat! That's meat, isn't it? Half a pig!"

"I've never seen so much meat during Chinese New Year!"

Finally, a big bag of clothes and shoes.

The villagers were completely dumbfounded.

Luo Yong was also dumbfounded.

He only knew that Wang Jun was going to give him things, but he didn't expect it to be so many things! Color TV, radio, pork, clothes... How much are all these things worth?

"Jun, this...this is too much, I can't accept it!" Luo Yong's face turned red with anxiety, and he waved his hands repeatedly.

Wang Jun carried the items one by one into Luo Yong's yard, saying, "Uncle Luo, please keep these things. Keep the color TV in the main room so you can watch TV at night. Keep one radio, and give the other two to your brothers. Marinate the pork and eat it slowly. Distribute the clothes and shoes among your family; there should be enough."

Luo Yong's eyes immediately reddened.

He had never been treated like this in his entire life.

Although the villagers were poor, they valued their reputation above all else. He didn't want to shed tears in front of everyone, so he blinked hard and forced the tears back.

"Jun... what am I supposed to say to you..." Luo Yong's voice trembled.

Wang Jun patted him on the shoulder and said, "Uncle Luo, you helped me when I was going through the toughest time. You deserve this. If you ever have any difficulties in the future, just come to me."

Luo Yong finally couldn't hold back any longer. He raised his hand to wipe his eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "Good boy, good boy..."

The surrounding villagers watched this scene with a mixture of envy and emotion.

"Luo Yong's nephew is really something!"

"More than just successful, they have a conscience! They don't forget their roots after making money!"

"That's called being grateful, unlike some people who turn their backs on their family once they have money."

Wang Jun chatted with Luo Yong for a few more minutes, glanced at the sky, and then prepared to leave.

Luo Yong grabbed his hand and said, "Jun, have dinner before you leave. I'll have your sister-in-law cook you a couple of dishes."

Wang Jun smiled and shook his head: "No, Uncle Luo, I have things to do back home. Next time I come to see you, I'll definitely stay for dinner."

Luo Yong nodded, repeatedly telling him to be careful on the road. He escorted Wang Jun to the village entrance and watched the large black sedan disappear at the end of the dirt road before slowly turning around and walking back.

Back in the courtyard, seeing the large color TV, three radios, half a pig, and a big bag of clothes and shoes, Luo Yong's wife and children gathered around, their eyes filled with surprise and disbelief.

Luo Yong stood in the middle of the courtyard, took a deep breath, and nodded heavily in the direction Wang Jun had left.

He silently said to himself—

I've accepted this nephew as my own for life.