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

Logistics Director Li Huaide's Office

Li Huaide looked up and saw Li Jing'an enter. He immediately put down his pen and put on a warm smile: "Jing'an, what brings you here at this hour?"

Li Jing'an stepped forward and offered a cigarette, smiling as he explained his purpose: "Brother Li, I'm here today to ask you for a favor. I'd like to exchange some food from the canteen for visiting relatives in the countryside these next couple of days."

Upon hearing this, Li Huaide's smile didn't fade at all. He immediately nodded in agreement, quite readily: "What's the big deal? It's a piece of cake! Just tell me, little brother, how much or what kind of grain you want to exchange, and I'll call the canteen manager to arrange it right away."

"Thank you, Brother Li." Li Jing'an smiled gratefully. "I'd like to exchange for more cornmeal. It's a good thing to eat, and it's what's most lacking in the countryside. But I don't have many coarse grain coupons. I was wondering if I could exchange them for refined grain coupons."

Li Huaide laughed heartily, patted Li Jing'an's arm, and said generously, "Hey, what's the problem! Grain coupons are for the employees anyway. You can exchange them for some grain to visit relatives; we won't let you suffer. I'll call the canteen manager right now and have him prepare some for you. I guarantee you won't be shortchanged."

"Thank you so much, Brother Li." Li Jing'an felt relieved and thanked him repeatedly, feeling that Li Huaide was a very understanding person.

"Don't be so polite with me." Li Huaide waved his hand, picked up the phone on the table, and dialed the cafeteria's number.

111

Li Jing'an parked the jeep at the kitchen entrance. As soon as he opened the car door, he saw Director Wang from the canteen come out to greet him with a simple smile. He walked up to him and said, "Director Li, you've finally arrived! Director Li just called me and knew you wanted to change to cornmeal, right? I'll prepare it for you right away. I guarantee it's all freshly milled and of the best quality."

"Then I'll trouble you, Director," Li Jing'an replied with a smile. "I'd like to exchange for 200 jin (100 kg). Is it convenient at the cafeteria?"

"Two hundred jin is no problem! There's plenty in the canteen's granary." The canteen manager readily agreed. "Come with me to the office first to settle your grain coupons and pay the money, then I'll ask the cooks to help you carry it."

"Okay." Li Jing'an nodded and followed the cafeteria director to the cafeteria office.

In the office, Li Jing'an took out his food coupons and money from his pocket, counted them out one by one, and handed them to the canteen director with both hands. The director took them and carefully checked them twice to confirm that the amount was correct. Then he carefully wrote it down in the ledger, signed it, and wrote a receipt for him, saying, "Director Li, please keep this safe. This is the receipt."

"Thank you." Li Jing'an put away the receipt and followed the cafeteria manager to the kitchen.

The kitchen was bustling with activity as several chefs busily prepared lunch. Seeing the cafeteria manager and Li Jing'an enter, they all greeted them with smiles. Sha Zhu was tossing vegetables in a wok, the oil sizzling, when he saw Li Jing'an. He immediately turned off the stove and approached with a smile, "Brother Jing'an, what brings you to the kitchen? Want to try my food?"

"Shazhu, stop what you're doing and come lend a hand." The canteen manager called out to him, "Director Li has changed some cornmeal. You and your two apprentices carry it to Director Li's car."

"Okay!" Sha Zhu readily agreed, then looked curiously at Li Jing'an, "Brother Jing'an, what are you going to do with all this cornmeal?"

Li Jing'an didn't hide anything from him, and said with a smile, "I'm going back to the countryside to visit relatives, and I'm bringing some back for my uncle's family. These days, nothing is more reliable than grain. It's all exchanged with grain coupons and money, not taking advantage of the government." He said this deliberately, feeling open and honest, and not afraid of what others might say.

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu waved his hand, turned around and called to his two young apprentices, then turned and walked towards the granary.

The granary was next to the kitchen, and it was piled up full of cornmeal, wheat flour, and millet—all the guesthouse's reserve rations. Sha Zhu and his two apprentices, familiar with the place, weighed out two hundred catties of cornmeal, packed it into two large coarse cloth bags, each carrying one, and followed Li Jing'an out of the kitchen.

Li Jing'an opened the jeep door, and Sha Zhu and his apprentice carefully carried the grain bags onto the vehicle, only letting go after they were securely in place.

"Thank you for your hard work, Sha Zhu, and the other two comrades." Li Jing'an was very grateful to see the three of them covered in sweat. He took out the half-smoked pack of Peony cigarettes from his pocket and threw it to Sha Zhu. "Here, share it with your apprentices. Have a smoke and take a break."

Sha Zhu took the cigarette, glanced down and saw it was a Peony brand. His eyes immediately lit up—this was good cigarette! He quickly stuffed it into his pocket, smiling and thanking him, "Thank you, Brother Jing'an! Then I won't be polite!"

After saying goodbye to Sha Zhu and the other two, Li Jing'an was about to start the car when he saw the canteen director running out of the canteen carrying two bulging cloth bags, shouting as he ran, "Director Li, wait! Wait!"

Li Jing'an quickly opened the car door and got out, looking at him with a puzzled expression: "Director, what's wrong? Is there something else?"

The canteen director walked to the car and stuffed two cloth bags into Li Jing'an's hands, his face still bearing a simple, honest smile: "Director Li, this is over twenty catties of wheat flour, you should fill it up too. You're already losing money by exchanging your grain coupons for cornmeal, how can we let you suffer a loss for nothing? This little bit of wheat flour is a small token of the canteen's appreciation."

Li Jing'an looked at the bag of white flour in his arms and quickly declined, "How can this be? I've already exchanged two hundred catties of cornmeal. How can I take your white flour? No, I can't accept it."

"Director Li, please accept this!" The canteen manager pushed the bag towards him again. "This flour isn't anything valuable; we have plenty more in the canteen. It's just a small token of our appreciation. Besides, you gave me a box of mooncakes yesterday; those are much rarer than this flour."

Unable to refuse such kindness, Li Jing'an had no choice but to accept the cloth bag and bow to Director Wang, saying, "Then I'll accept it with my bare hands. Thank you so much; I'll remember this favor."

"Why are you being so polite with me?" The cafeteria manager waved his hand with a smile.

"Then I'll be going now, you can go back." Li Jing'an loaded the flour into the car, waved goodbye to the canteen director, got into the driver's seat, started the car, and slowly drove away from the canteen.

Li Jing'an went back to the guesthouse, loaded all the things he had prepared into the car, and then drove to his parents' house.

Before long, the jeep arrived at the entrance of the alley where his parents lived. Li Jing'an parked the car in an open space, locked the door, and quickly walked into the alley.

His mother was sitting on a small stool by the door, picking vegetables. When she saw him return, she immediately put down the vegetables and greeted him with a smile: "Jing'an, why are you back? Don't you have to go to work today?"

"Mom, I'm planning to take you back to the countryside tomorrow to see your uncles and aunts." Li Jing'an smiled and pointed outside. "I borrowed a car from my workplace, and I'll drive you there tomorrow. I haven't been back for so many years, I can't even remember the way. I'll feel more at ease with you coming along. Oh, and I exchanged some food at the canteen; it's all in the car."

"Really? We're going back to the countryside?" The mother's eyes lit up instantly, her face full of surprise, and she almost dropped the groceries in her hands. "That's wonderful! I haven't been back for years. I wonder how your uncles and aunts are doing, and how grown up the children are."

Seeing his mother's overjoyed expression, Li Jing'an knew perfectly well that although his mother hadn't said it, she had always missed her family. This trip back home would fulfill one of her wishes.

The mother's joy was palpable. Holding Li Jing'an's hand, she chattered on about the details of returning to the countryside. Her smile never stopped, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out, as if she had suddenly become several years younger.

"Then we'll have to prepare properly." The mother said as she walked into the house. "I'll go pack my things now. We're leaving first thing tomorrow morning, so we can't be late."

Watching his mother briskly go inside to pack her things, Li Jing'an smiled and shook his head, then turned and walked out of the yard to the car at the alley entrance to unload his belongings. He carried the beer, tea, and sugar home.