Sha Zhu's Rebirth in the Courtyard: Starting with Hitting Someone in the Head

Chapter 17 Acquiring Household Goods

The next day, He Yuzhu went to the cross-courtyard.

The new gate has been installed; it's made of natural wood and hasn't been painted yet. Pushing the door open, the hinges make a stiff, rattling sound; they need to be oiled.

Yangshi Lei squatted in the courtyard, holding a twig and scratching something on the ground. The ruins had been cleared away; all the broken bricks and tiles had been removed, and the ground had been leveled, revealing the original rammed earth. A large stack of old bricks was piled in the corner, intact pieces salvaged from the ruins.

He Yuzhu walked over and kicked the stack of bricks: "Let's keep these bricks to build a big stove."

Yangshi Lei looked up at him and stood up.

He Yuzhu took out a cigarette and handed one to Yang Shilei, then lit one for himself and struck a match.

"Master Lei, I heard that traffic improvement projects are being carried out at the three city gates of Chongwenmen, Xizhimen, and Yongdingmen, and a lot of large city bricks have been removed."

Yangshi Lei took a drag of his cigarette and nodded: "That's true. Those city bricks are so big." He gestured with his hands, "One of them is equivalent to several ordinary bricks, solid and hard even after hundreds of years."

"Is it available for purchase?"

Yang Shilei's eyes lit up: "Boss, you and I are thinking the same thing. I was just about to discuss this with you. The foundation is the most important part of building a house. City bricks are good for a solid foundation, and they're also good for building walls. They're thick, warm in winter and cool in summer. It's just that the transportation cost is a bit high, and those things are incredibly heavy."

He Yuzhu nodded: "I'll pay for the shipping, you buy the bricks."

"Alright." Yangshi Lei grinned. "It's settled then. I'll go get the materials today, before the ground freezes, and dig out the foundation first. That will make the rest of the work easier. We won't have to worry about the cold when we're building the walls; we can cover them with straw mats to prevent freezing."

"You can decide for yourself. How long will it take to complete?"

Yangshi Lei calculated: "It took more than five months to finish everything, inside and out."

He Yuzhu took out a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it. It was a sketch he had drawn last night. It showed a folding table and a folding stool. The tabletop could be folded up and the table legs could be folded back. The stool also had a seat that folded up and the legs that joined together.

"Master Lei, can you do this?"

Yangshi Lei took the paper and squinted at it: "Yes, of course it's possible. It's just that the mortise and tenon joints need to be done properly, otherwise it won't last."

"Make five tables and twenty stools. For the stalls, so people can sit down and eat."

Yangshi Lei folded the sketches neatly and tucked them into his pocket: "Give them to me. I'll bring the timber back with me."

He Yuzhu chatted for a few minutes and then left the courtyard. He didn't ride a bike; he walked.

On Qianmen Street, there was a consignment shop. The storefront was small, and the window displayed various secondhand goods: clocks, copper basins, kerosene lamps, and leather suitcases.

He Yuzhu pushed open the door and went in. There was a smell of something old, something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

The shopkeeper was a thin, old man who wore round-framed glasses.

"Young man, what would you like to buy?"

"Tricycle".

The shopkeeper was taken aback: "You?"

"no?"

The shopkeeper sized him up. A teenager, sixteen or seventeen, coming alone to buy a tricycle. "Sure, sure, why not?"

There were more than a dozen old vehicles parked in the shop, including bicycles and tricycles. The shopkeeper patted one of the tricycles: "I bought this one last year. The frame is sturdy, the chain is newly replaced, it's just that the wooden planks in the cargo bed are a bit old, but it doesn't affect its use."

He Yuzhu walked around the bike, squatted down to look at the chain, squeezed the tires, and shook the handlebars.

"How much?"

One hundred and sixty-five.

"One hundred and fifty."

The shopkeeper's eyes widened behind his glasses: "Young man, you're haggling way too much. One hundred and sixty."

"One hundred and fifty-five. If not, I'm leaving."

The shopkeeper stared at him for two seconds: "Alright. One hundred and fifty-five it is."

He Yuzhu took out his money and counted out 155 yuan. The shopkeeper took the money and glanced at him again: "Young man, what do you need the tricycle for?"

"Selling boxed lunches."

The shopkeeper paused for a moment, then asked, "Selling boxed lunches?"

"Um."

He Yuzhu pushed his tricycle out and asked, "Shopkeeper, do you have any pots here? Big iron pots."

"Yes, you can choose the backyard yourself."

He Yuzhu then picked out three large iron pots, cast iron, incredibly heavy; a bamboo steamer, five layers high; a thick cutting board; two galvanized iron buckets; and a large coal stove. He loaded everything onto the truck, filling the truck bed to the brim.

They pushed the cart before getting on and pedaled towards Nanluoguxiang.

Pedestrians on the street turned to look. A teenager was pedaling a tricycle loaded with goods. Someone laughed, "Is he opening a restaurant?"

He Yuzhu ignored the person and pedaled his tricycle back home.

In the afternoon, the sun was setting. The gate was open, and He Yuzhu pushed his tricycle into the front yard, the back wheels of which had been carried in.

Yang Ruihua was sitting at the door picking wild vegetables when she heard the noise. She looked up and opened her mouth. The tricycle was fully loaded with a large iron pot, a steamer, a cutting board, a coal stove, and a water bucket.

"Zhu Zi, what's wrong with you...?"

He Yuzhu didn't stop: "Buy some things." He pushed the cart towards the Central Court.

In the middle courtyard, Jia Zhangshi was sitting at the door sewing shoe soles when she heard a noise. She opened her eyes and stared wide-eyed at the sight of the tricycle.

"Hey, Pillar, what are you doing?"

He Yuzhu ignored her.

Jia Zhangshi stood up and circled the tricycle: "Big iron pot, steamer... are you selling steamed buns?" Her loud voice attracted all the women in the courtyard. Yang Ruihua followed her in from the front yard, still clutching vegetables in her hand.

Tan Xiulan peeked out from the east wing, then quickly withdrew.

Madam Jia reached out and touched the steamer: "Weren't you an apprentice at Fengzeyuan?" Her eyes darted around, "Should we get it opened?"

Yang Ruihua tugged at her.

Madam Jia didn't take it seriously: "I knew it! How could a kid like you stay at Fengzeyuan? That's a fancy restaurant. Now you want to start your own business? Selling steamed buns is a good idea; it's your family's traditional skill."

He Yuzhu parked his tricycle in front of his house and turned to look at Jia Zhangshi. Jia Zhangshi took a half step back.

He Yuzhu didn't say anything, he just looked at her.

Jia Zhangshi swallowed hard. "I...I was just saying." She turned and walked away, but after a few steps, she looked back at the big iron pot and mumbled something that was hard to hear.

The women who had been watching dispersed.

After He Yuzhu opened the door, he began unloading the truck. He carried the large iron pot down and placed it in the corner of the room, carried the steamer down and stacked it, carried the cutting board down and stood it against the wall, and carried everything into the room one by one.

Behind the window of the west wing, Jia Zhangshi's face was pressed against the glass as she looked out, while Tan Xiulan's eyes were also watching through the crack in the door of the east wing.

He Yuzhu pushed the tricycle into the house and closed the door.

He sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) watching the vehicle. Everything was ready; he'd pick up the license plate tomorrow and head to Tianjin immediately. In a couple of days, the boxed lunch business could open.

We need to find a helper. One person can't handle it all—cooking, packing, and setting up the stall.

He Yuzhu's mind went through the faces of the people in the courtyard, finally settling on one face.

Old Li, from the back of the house. He's in his fifties, without a wife or children. He does odd jobs, and when he's not working, he stays home pasting cardboard boxes. He's honest, keeps his mouth shut, and doesn't get involved in anything in the yard.

He Yuzhu hadn't spoken many words to him in his past life, but he knew the man was honest and reliable. Old Li went out to find work every morning and came back in the evening.

He would nod to people but say little, and rarely spoke during meetings in the courtyard. He never watched Jia Zhangshi's tirade, nor did he join in when Yi Zhonghai pretended to be a good guy. This was the kind of person he was, practically invisible in the courtyard.

He's made up his mind. It'll be Old Li.