Courtyard Houses: Starting with Li Yunlong's Comrades-in-Arms

Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong returned from the steel rolling mill one after the other. Yi Zhonghai walked ahead, still wearing his worn-out gray-blue work clothes, but his expression was noticeably different from usual. He usually maintained a calm and composed demeanor, but today the corners of his mouth were turned up, and the lines around his eyes were wide with laughter.

Liu Haizhong followed a few steps behind, walking slower than usual, his expression less than pleasant. He had failed the eighth-level worker assessment in the forging workshop. His practical score was far below par, and he hadn't passed the theoretical section either.

The two entered the courtyard one after the other. As soon as Yi Zhonghai reached the hanging flower gate, he saw He Yuzhu and Qin Huairu busy around the stove. He nodded in satisfaction and called out to He Yuzhu, "Zhuzi, you've worked hard. Just smelling this, I know today's dishes will be excellent."

He Yuzhu looked up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and grinned: "Uncle Yi, don't worry, the fish and chicken are already stewing. Just wait a little while, and I guarantee you'll have a decent meal today."

Yi Zhonghai smiled and nodded, his gaze sweeping around the courtyard. He spotted Liu Shuanzhu and Liu Erhe returning to the east wing. He raised his voice slightly, his tone carrying the warmth of a host to his guests and just the right amount of pride: "Old Liu, Erhe, come over early! The wine is all ready; let's have a good drink today."

Liu Shuanzhu nodded at him and replied in a nonchalant tone, "Okay, I'll be there in a bit."

Liu Erhe responded in kind, and the father and son turned and went back to the east wing without saying anything more.

Yan Bugui had been listening intently the whole time. As soon as Yi Zhonghai finished speaking, he stood up from the stone steps, took two steps forward, and with a warm smile on his face, he took the initiative to speak: "Old Yi, don't worry, I'll be there in a bit, in a bit."

Yi Zhonghai glanced at him, his lips twitching slightly. He seemed about to say something but swallowed it back, simply nodding without saying anything more, and turned to walk towards his home. Yan Bugui didn't mind, smiling as he sat back down on the stone steps, already planning which dish to start with once the meal was served.

Not long after, Liu Haizhong, Xu Damao, Yan Bugui and his son, and Liu Shuanzhu and his son arrived at Yi Zhonghai's door one after another. Yan Bugui and Yan Jiecheng arrived the fastest. As soon as Yan Bugui entered, he glanced at the table, his gaze lingering on the plate of braised fish and the pot of stewed chicken for two seconds, and he swallowed.

Yi Zhonghai had already set the table inside. Bowls and chopsticks were neatly arranged in a circle, and wine glasses were poured, the liquid gleaming amber under the lamplight. Several cold dishes were already on the table: smashed cucumber, tomatoes with sugar, cold black fungus salad, and a plate of fried peanuts. Although they were all vegetarian dishes, they were considered quite decent for that era.

Yi Zhonghai's wife was carrying the last plate of cold dishes out of the kitchen. When she saw everyone come in, she smiled and invited them to sit down.

Yi Zhonghai stopped beside the square table and shouted at the top of his lungs toward the door, "Zhu Zi, serve the food!"

He Yuzhu responded from outside, his voice booming, "Coming!"

He first scooped out a large spoonful of braised fish and stewed chicken, put it in a large bowl, and handed it to Qin Huairu, who was adding firewood next to him: "Sister Qin, take this back for Banggeng and Xiaodang to eat first. The children have been hungry all afternoon. Don't wait for us adults."

Qin Huairu paused for a moment, then glanced at He Yuzhu as she took the large bowl. Her expression was somewhat complicated, but it was quickly masked by a gentle smile. She thanked him softly, then turned and walked towards the Jia family's house with the bowl in her hand.

He Yuzhu filled a second bowl, placed it beside the stove, and called into the house, "Jia Dongxu, bring the dishes!"

Jia Dongxu came out of the house and took the bowl of food. His fingers touched the rim of the bowl and burned them. He carried the bowl inside, and just as he reached the door, he caught a glimpse of Qin Huairu carrying the bowl of food into the Jia family's house. He then turned back to look at He Yuzhu's smiling face by the stove, and his lips twitched violently.

He suppressed the urge to curse, put the bowl on the table, pulled out a chair and sat down. His expression wasn't good, but he didn't say anything in front of so many people.

Yi Zhonghai's wife came out of the kitchen and saw Jia Dongxu's expression. She quickly walked to Jia Dongxu's side and said in a low voice, "Dongxu, just sit down, I'll take care of the rest. Today is a good day, don't think about those unnecessary things."

Jia Dongxu glanced at her, but didn't reply. He simply nodded, picked up the teacup in front of him, and took a sip.

When He Yuzhu brought the last two hot dishes to the table, he took off his apron, wiped his hands, and found a seat at the corner of the table. The table was already laden with food: braised fish, stewed chicken, scrambled eggs, stir-fried cured pork with garlic sprouts, several plates of vegetables, and a dish of peanuts. In these years of rationing, the abundance of this meal made several people at the table secretly swallow their saliva.

Yi Zhonghai picked up his wine glass, stood up, and looked around at everyone present. His smile finally broke into a wide grin: "Everyone, this meal has two meanings. First, I've finally passed the eighth-level worker exam. After working in the factory for over ten years, I've finally achieved this level. Second, Dongxu has also passed the third-level worker exam. It hasn't been easy for him to go from second to third level, and as his mentor, I'm very happy for him. Today is a good day, so let's all have a drink together and support Dongxu and me."

Everyone raised their glasses, saying "Congratulations!" and took a sip.

Xu Damao drank the most heartily, finishing half a glass in one gulp. He wiped his mouth, gave Yi Zhonghai a thumbs up, and said, "Uncle Yi, an eighth-grade worker, amazing! The only one of its kind in our compound!"

Yi Zhonghai waved his hand with a smile, saying "Not at all," but he couldn't hide the smugness on his face.

Liu Haizhong sat to Yi Zhonghai's right, holding a wine glass, his expression indistinct in the lamplight. He, Liu Haizhong, the second oldest man in the No. 95 compound, had worked in the forging workshop of the steel rolling mill for over a decade, a level seven worker. He and Yi Zhonghai used to be at the same level, both at level six. Later, Yi Zhonghai was promoted to level seven, and he followed suit. They had always progressed neck and neck, neither able to surpass the other.

This time, however, Yi Zhonghai had reached level eight, while he remained stuck at level seven. From today onward, in this courtyard, in the steel mill, and even on the street, Yi Zhonghai would have the upper hand. This feeling made him gulp down another mouthful of wine, trying his best to suppress the irritability and frustration.

After several rounds of drinks, half the dishes on the table were gone. Yan Bugui and his son Yan Jiecheng were eating the most voraciously, their chopsticks almost never stopping. Yan Bugui had reduced the braised fish on the plate to just the skeleton, and Yan Jiecheng had scooped up two spoonfuls of chicken broth and mixed it into his rice. As he ate, Yan Bugui chatted idly with Xu Damao next to him, a rare look of satisfaction on his face.

He Yuzhu sat at the corner of the table, not saying much, but glancing towards the door every now and then, as if checking to see if Qin Huairu would come again. Jia Dongxu sat diagonally opposite him, and their eyes occasionally met. He Yuzhu would look away, and Jia Dongxu's expression would darken.