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

Chapter 89 Revisiting the Past

Lunar New Year's Eve in 1 was January 27, 1960.

On the 25th, He Yuzhu gave his two apprentices a day off, stuffing each of them with a large cloth bag. The two brothers opened it and found 20 jin of cornmeal, 10 jin of wheat flour, 2 jin of pork, and a chicken that they had slaughtered themselves.

Ma Hua stood there dumbfounded for a long time, holding the cloth bag, and said, "Master, this is too much." He Yuzhu waved his hand and said, "Go back and have a good New Year. We'll come back on the sixth day of the new year." The two of them carried the cloth bags out of the courtyard. They took a few steps and looked back, then took a few more steps and looked back again. He Yuzhu stood at the door, laughing and scolding, "Get out of here!"

The apprentice had left, but the gift-giving wasn't over yet. He Yuzhu rode his tricycle all day, first to his master's house, then to Uncle Chen's house, and finally to the big boss's house.

In those days, no one had more resources than him. He sent each family twenty catties of wheat flour, ten catties of millet, a piece of cured meat, a chicken, and two bottles of Moutai.

When the leader's wife took the chicken, her eyes were a little red. "Zhu Zi, you've already killed all of this for me. So many things, you always think of us every year."

"Don't be so polite, sister. It's the New Year, after all. You should return the favor with a gift. Here are two cartons of Uncle Bi's special cigarettes. He should smoke less; it's not good for his health."

The older woman was amused by him and went into the room to bring him two packs of Zhonghua cigarettes.

On the afternoon of New Year's Eve, Tan Yali held her daughter's hand and gave her many instructions, saying that she was going home for the New Year and would return after the fifth day of the new year. "Xiao'e, it's best for couples to have sex two months after childbirth. Don't listen to outsiders who say it's forty days after the full moon; women need to know how to take care of themselves."

He Yuzhu rode his three-wheeled motorcycle to take his mother-in-law home. A large basket was placed in the back of the motorcycle, covered tightly with an old cotton quilt.

Tanya Li lifted a corner and peeked inside. There were two bottles of imported wine, two large green watermelons, two pounds of fresh spinach, and two pounds of chives—things that money couldn't buy these days.

Tanya pulled the quilt back over herself and settled herself in the truck bed before speaking. "Zhuzi, did your friend send this again?"

"Yes, a friend brought it from the south. The vegetables were grown in a greenhouse in the rural commune, and there wasn't much of it, so this is all I got."

Tan Yali didn't press the matter further. After staying in the neighboring courtyard for over a month, her son-in-law would bring out unusual items every few days. She wasn't stupid; she knew these were things the deputy section chief of the supply and marketing cooperative couldn't possibly obtain. But since her son-in-law didn't say anything, she didn't ask further. As long as her daughter was well-fed and clothed, that was enough.

On New Year's Eve, He Yuzhu cooked Tan family dishes for the New Year's Eve dinner, plus chicken soup with gastrodia elata. Yushui ate with a greasy mouth, his chopsticks flying back and forth between the dishes.

Lou Xiao'e sat beside He Xiao, holding the little one who was fast asleep after eating her milk. There were only three people and one baby in the courtyard, so it was quite peaceful.

After finishing the New Year's Eve dinner, Yu Shui washed the dishes and set them aside, then sat down in the main room to stay up all night. He Yuzhu took out two ten-yuan bills from his pocket and stuffed them into her hand. "Why stay up all night? That's feudal superstition. We need to break free from old ideas. This is New Year's money. Go to bed early."

Rainwater held up two large bills and blinked. "Brother, are we really not going to stay up all night?"

"I already told you it's feudal superstition. Go to sleep."

Lou Xiao'e, holding He Xiao, peeked halfway out of the bedroom door, witnessing the whole thing, her smile barely contained. He Yuzhu closed the door, took a shower, changed into clean pajamas, and crawled into bed, reaching out to put his arm around Xiao'e's shoulder. He leaned close to her ear, his voice filled with suppressed urgency. "Xiao'e, you're finally out of confinement. We can..." he said, his hand already reaching inside her clothes.

Lou Xiao'e wrapped her pajamas tighter, moved closer to the edge of the bed, and wore a gentle yet firm smile. "Brother He, Mom said before she left that I need to wait two months after giving birth."

He Yuzhu's hand froze in mid-air, his smile slowly fading. He sat up in bed. "Then we have to wait another twenty days?"

Xiao'e nodded, her eyes full of a sly smile. She pulled her pajamas tighter, her voice low but with a hint of flirtation. "Mom said it has to be two months. Brother He, you've worked so hard, just bear with it a little longer."

He Yuzhu instantly deflated, lying back on the bed, staring at the ceiling with a bitter expression. "This long? Is that even scientifically possible?"

Xiao'e covered her mouth and laughed, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. She turned over, propping her head up with one hand as she lay on her side, the collar of her pajamas slightly open. She deliberately softened her voice, making it a little nasal, and whispered in his ear, "Good brother, I'll help you."

Looking at his wife's flushed face and the way she lightly licked her lips, He Yuzhu felt a surge of anger rise within him again. He proudly recalled his decision to teach Xiao'e to play the bamboo flute years ago, which he considered the wisest choice of his life.

That night, he ate and drank his fill, making the most of the more than one month of medicinal diet.

On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, my mother-in-law returned on time. As soon as she entered the door, she put down her bundle, pulled her daughter into the inner room, and asked in a low voice whether they had slept together.

Lou Xiao'e blushed and shook her head repeatedly, saying, "Mom, don't worry, I'll listen to you." Tan Yali nodded in satisfaction and said, "Zhuzi and you are both good children."

He Yuzhu endured each day. Finally, two months passed.

Lou Xiao'e could finally take a nice hot bath, but when He Yuzhu tried to push the door open, it was locked from the inside.

"Xiao'e, let me in."

"No. Mom's still here..."

"Mom passed away a long time ago!"

"Don't lie to me, Mom said she's leaving tomorrow," she said, peeking half her face out from the crack in the door. "I'm sure I won't be able to hold back my scream, and it would be so embarrassing for her to hear." She then closed the door tightly and locked it.

He Yuzhu stood at the bathroom door. In his more than twenty years of life, this was the first time he had ever felt such genuine hatred for his mother-in-law.

It was night. Lou Xiao'e had a towel between her teeth, her voice muffled and suppressed. One corner of the towel was soaked with saliva, but she couldn't hold back any longer. A long, suppressed moan pierced through the towel, exceptionally clear in the quiet courtyard.

In the west wing, Tan Yali had just fallen asleep when she was woken up by the noise. She listened intently, and twenty minutes passed, but the noise only grew louder. Another twenty minutes passed before it gradually subsided.

Tanya cursed inwardly: "Beast."

The next morning, Tan Yali got up and went to the main room to say goodbye to her daughter. Lou Xiao'e was still asleep, her hair spread out on the pillow, a slight smile on her lips.

Tan Yali sat down by the bed and gently shook her shoulder. Lou Xiao'e opened her eyes groggily and called out, "Mom."

"How long did it last last night?"

Lou Xiao'e snapped awake, her face flushing crimson. She buried her face in the pillow, stammering for a while before whispering, "I didn't check the time... It usually takes more than an hour. Last night, Brother He was in a good mood, so it was a little earlier."

Xiao'e didn't hear her mother's response, so she peeked out with half her face showing and saw her mother staring blankly with her mouth wide open. "Mom, what's wrong? Why are you so surprised? Didn't you say that all men are like that, and you'll get used to it?"

"How was I supposed to know that Zhu Zi was such a beast? When your dad was in good condition, it only took him ten minutes or so."

Tanya grabbed her daughter's hand, her eyes shifting from shock to worry, then to urgency. "Silly daughter! You must find another one for Zhuzi. No wonder you said you'd die; now I'm afraid you might... Sigh. Just find one among the women who fled to Beijing; pick the pretty ones. Men all like pretty women; bring them back and raise them."