I feel right at home in the world of the courtyard house.

At the entrance of the courtyard, Yan Bugui—the third uncle in the courtyard—had just returned from get off work and was looking at his precious chrysanthemums in the slanting sunlight, his hands behind his back. Liu Haizhong—the second uncle—had also just entered the courtyard, carrying a worn black imitation leather bag. He looked somewhat tired. When he saw Yan Bugui, he stopped and started chatting.

The conversation revolved around trivial matters in the factory workshop, prices, and the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. When the Mid-Autumn Festival was mentioned, both men sighed in unison. Yan Bugui pushed up his glasses: "Sigh, I heard the supply of mooncakes is even tighter this year. The boss was saying he wanted to get some a few days ago, but it's not that easy."

Liu Haizhong snorted and was about to say something when he saw He Yuzhu from the Central Court—Silly Zhu—staggering over from the alley entrance, carrying a flat, rectangular cardboard box with red patterns on it.

Yan Bugui, with his sharp eyes, immediately raised his voice and asked, "Silly Zhu! What good stuff are you carrying? The packaging looks quite nice!"

Sha Zhu walked over, casually lifted the box up, a hint of smugness on his face that he tried to suppress but couldn't help but reveal, and said in a deliberately relaxed tone, "Hey, Third Uncle, you have a really sharp eye. It's nothing, just a box of mooncakes."

"Mooncakes?!" Liu Haizhong's voice rose several decibels, his eyes widening. "At this crucial moment, where did you get mooncakes? From the supply and marketing cooperative? I've never heard of that!"

Yan Bugui also moved closer, his eyes behind his glasses fixed on the box, filled with curiosity and envy.

Sha Zhu's grin widened, and he shook his head. "Buy? Where are we going to buy it? Someone gave it to us as a gift!"

"A gift? Who's so generous?" Yan Bugui pressed.

"Who else could it be but Director Li from our institute, Li Jing'an!" Sha Zhu didn't keep them in suspense any longer. "I ran into him in the cafeteria at noon, and he insisted on giving it to me. I said I didn't want it, but he insisted, saying we're good friends and there's no need to be polite. Tsk, Li Jing'an, what a generous guy!" He emphasized the words "good friends," then whistled off-key, held his head high, walked past the two old men, and entered the central courtyard.

Yan Bugui stared at Sha Zhu's retreating figure, then looked in the direction where the box of mooncakes had disappeared. He clicked his tongue, his face full of envy, and muttered, "Li Jing'an...? He's really capable; he managed to get that."

Liu Haizhong's face darkened instantly, faster than the sky darkening. He pursed his lips, staring at the ground, saying nothing. Li Jing'an? He actually had connections to get mooncakes and casually gave a box to Sha Zhu? Why Sha Zhu? Liu Haizhong was the second-in-command in the compound, a level seven forger at the steel mill, a key member of the workshop! Sha Zhu was just a cook!

A feeling of frustration, a mixture of jealousy, incomprehension, and a subtle challenge to his status, stuck in Liu Haizhong's chest.

Just then, Xu Damao pushed his gleaming bicycle into the alley. Hanging prominently on the handlebars was an identical mooncake box with red patterns!

"Second Uncle, Third Uncle, enjoying the cool air?" Xu Damao was clearly in a great mood, greeting them with a smile.

Liu Haizhong suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed on the box of mooncakes like a hook, and blurted out, "Da Mao! You...you got this from Li Jing'an too?"

Xu Damao was taken aback, then laughed, a knowing and boastful smile on his face: "Oh, Second Uncle, you're quite well-informed! Who told you?"

Yan Bugui quickly chimed in, "Shazhu just brought a box back, saying it was a gift from Li Jing'an. Da Mao, is yours too?"

"Of course!" Xu Damao propped up his bicycle, took off the mooncake box, and deliberately waved it in front of the two old men. "But, this box is different from Sha Zhu's."

He lowered his voice, adopting a mysterious air, "That was probably a tip from Director Li to the cook when he saw how hard Director Li was working on the dishes at the cafeteria at lunchtime. This box of mine..."

He puffed out his chest. "That was this morning. When Director Li personally came to our office building to deliver mooncakes to the factory leaders, he specifically called me over and gave them to me personally! He even asked me to bring a box to our section chief as well! How could the quantity be the same?"

His words were half-true and half-false, but they had a resounding effect. Liu Haizhong's face darkened further, and his cheeks puffed out. Yan Bugui exclaimed in surprise, "Whoa! Sending them to the factory leaders? Where did Li Jing'an get so many mooncakes?"

Xu Damao had been waiting for this question, and his face immediately lit up with excitement, as if he had discovered a secret: "Third Uncle, you've come to the right person! I was curious too, so I specifically inquired about it. Guess what? It's the First Food Factory! This morning they specially sent a jeep, drove directly to our factory, and specifically delivered it to Li Jing'an! I heard that Li Jing'an met him yesterday while having dinner with the leaders of the Second Commerce Bureau. Tsk tsk, just look at Li Jing'an's background, his influence!" He shook his head, seemingly proud of himself.

After boasting a few more times about how "Li Jing'an values ​​me" and "I might need his help in the future," he finally pushed his bike home, completely satisfied.

Liu Haizhong was left standing there, his chest heaving, his face alternating between red and white. He remained silent, then suddenly turned around, put his hands behind his back, and walked heavily back to his own house in the backyard, slamming the door shut with a loud bang.

Only Yan Bugui remained at the door, gazing at the empty alley, feeling as if a cat was scratching at his heart.

He pondered: Li Jing'an can get so many mooncakes and give them away without batting an eye; he must really have connections.

Should I take the initiative and try to build a relationship? Maybe even exchange it for a different box? My family hasn't had a decent box of mooncakes in years.

Would he ask for money? Probably not, they're neighbors... But what if he did? Yan Bugui was caught in a classic contradiction between shrewd calculation and a thirst for scarce resources. He decided to "coincidentally" bump into Li Jing'an at the door tonight. Unfortunately, his wait tonight was destined to be in vain.

Unlike the cold and calculating atmosphere here, the Jia family in the middle courtyard was filled with a rare warmth, carrying the sweet aroma of food.

When Qin Huairu returned home from her afternoon shift, carrying her bulging old cloth bag, she carefully avoided the front yard where she might encounter idlers and quietly entered the house.

"Mom, I'm home," she greeted.

The three children—Xiao Dang, Huaihua, and the boy Banggeng—were playing inside when they heard the noise and gathered around. Banggeng, with his sharp eyes, immediately spotted the cloth bag: "Mom, what's in the bag? It looks like there's a box inside."

Qin Huairu smiled gently yet mysteriously, placed the cloth bag on the table, and took out the box of mooncakes from it.

"Mooncakes!" Xiao Dangxian exclaimed first. Huaihua also came closer, sniffing the mooncakes with her little nose.

Hearing the commotion, Jia Zhangshi, who was in the inner room, also came out. When she saw the box of mooncakes on the table, her dim eyes widened in surprise. "Mooncakes? Huairu, where...where did this come from? Our family hasn't seen a whole box like this in years!"

"Yes, yes, Grandma, it's mooncakes!" Banggeng said excitedly, reaching out to touch the box.

Qin Huairu slapped his hand away: "Don't rush, we have to wait until the Mid-Autumn Festival night, when the moon comes out, to celebrate a happy reunion."

The children's faces immediately fell, filled with disappointment. Banggeng muttered, "There are still a few days left..."

Seeing the children's disappointed expressions, Qin Huairu's lips curled slightly, and as if by magic, she slowly pulled two oil paper packages from her cloth bag. The packages opened, revealing two golden, fluffy, and soft loaves of bread, and the aroma of wheat and sweet milk immediately filled the air.

"Wow! What is this?" Huaihua asked curiously.

Banggeng suddenly jumped up, his eyes shining: "Bread! It's bread! My classmate told me he ate it at his dad's workplace and said it was delicious, fragrant, sweet, and soft!"

Madam Jia was also stunned: "This...this is also..."

"Hmm." Qin Huairu responded softly, picked up a loaf of bread, and carefully broke it open. The bread had a delicate texture and evenly distributed air pockets. She divided the bread into four pieces, giving the largest piece to Banggeng, two slightly smaller pieces to Xiaodang and Huaihua, and the last piece to Jia Zhangshi.

"Mom, you should try some too."

Jia Zhangshi waved her hand instinctively: "I...I'm old, my teeth aren't good, you children can't eat..."

"Grandma, please eat! It's so delicious!" Xiao Dang held up the bread she had been given to Jia Zhangshi's mouth.

Unable to refuse, Jia Zhangshi took the small piece of bread, hesitated for a moment, and then carefully took a bite. Instantly, that long-lost, pure, sweet aroma filled her entire mouth; the soft texture required almost no chewing. She squinted her eyes, slowly chewing each bite as if savoring some delicacy. After a while, she sighed and whispered, "Li Jing'an gave it to me, didn't he?"

Qin Huairu was watching the three children wolf down their food when she heard this. She nodded gently and took a small bite of the bread crumbs she had been given.

Madam Jia took another small bite of bread and mumbled, "In the evening... I heard a commotion in the front yard. It sounded like... Sha Zhu also brought back a box of mooncakes, saying it was from Li Jing'an." She paused, looking at the golden bread in her hand, which looked especially tempting under the dim light, and then at her grandchildren's satisfied smiles. Her voice lowered, carrying a complex emotion, "That Li Jing'an... he's really something. In this day and age, to be able to get all this... tsk."

Qin Huairu didn't reply. She simply picked up the last crumbs of bread clinging to the oil paper, carefully gathered them together with her fingers, and then put them in her mouth. So fragrant, so sweet. The sweetness spread across her tongue.

The night in the courtyard seemed as peaceful as ever, but the name Li Jing'an, along with the taste of "mooncake" and "bread," was like a pebble thrown into calm water, creating ripples of varying sizes and meanings in the hearts of every household.

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