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

By the time the food was served, it was already completely dark.

Liu Yuheng sat down at the table, picked up his bowl of porridge, took a sip, and then picked up a piece of cabbage with his chopsticks and chewed it. These days, the dishes on the table are much simpler than they were a couple of years ago, but the women in the family are meticulous in managing their finances and can always come up with something special from what they have. The cabbage is finely chopped, and the tofu is stewed until it's flavorful, making it quite palatable.

After taking a few bites, Liu Yuheng put down his chopsticks, glanced at Liu Shuanzhu, and casually asked, "Dad, is there enough food at home? Is there any left of the stuff I had Erhe and Fangfang store a while ago?"

Liu Shuanzhu was drinking his porridge when he heard this. He looked up and nodded with the tip of his chopsticks: "That's enough. There's still plenty of rice and noodles, and we've also stored some dried sweet potatoes and mixed grains. If we eat them sparingly, it should last until autumn. But—"

He paused, put down the bowl of porridge, and continued, "Now, every household in the courtyard is eating less. They used to eat three meals a day, but now several families have switched to two. They drink a bowl of thin porridge in the morning, and the afternoon meal is a little thicker. They don't eat dinner, saying that if they don't work, they won't starve if they skip a meal."

Wang Xiuhe chimed in from the side, a piece of pickled vegetable still in her hand: "That's right. Old Li's family next door skipped dinner last month. The husband said that since there's not much work to do at night, they can go to bed early and get up early, and then they won't be hungry. Several other families in the yard followed suit, saying that every bite saved is a bite saved for when things get tougher."

Liu Yuheng listened and nodded without saying anything more. He knew that the rations on the food ration book had been reduced in those days, and every household was trying to tighten their belts to make ends meet. Two meals a day were not unusual in those days, and even some young cadres in the ministry were doing the same.

Liu Shuanzhu seemed to recall something amusing, shook his head and clicked his tongue, then continued, "But these days, if anyone cooks meat, it gets quite lively. Jia Zhangshi will shamelessly go over there. As soon as the meat goes into the pot, she smells it and comes over, standing at the door chatting for ages, glancing into the kitchen, saying things like, 'You're having a special meal today?' She'll chat for half an hour, and if they don't give her a single bite, she won't take it with her."

He paused, his tone a mix of exasperation and amusement: "Last month, Old Zhao's family in the backyard got half a pound of meat and stewed a pot of cabbage and pork slices. Jia Zhangshi smelled the aroma and went over. She stood at the door chatting with Old Zhao's wife for ages. Old Zhao's wife couldn't refuse, so she gave her two slices of meat. But Jia Zhangshi wasn't satisfied. When she left, she even asked, 'Are you stewing it again tomorrow?' which made Old Zhao's wife so angry that her face turned green."

Liu Yuheng paused, his hand holding the food in his chopsticks momentarily still, and the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

Yao Qingwan, sitting to the side, listened intently from beginning to end, her expression showing obvious confusion and disbelief. In the years since she married into the Liu family, she hadn't had much interaction with the people in the courtyard. She had only witnessed Jia Zhangshi's mannerisms from afar once or twice, and had never truly experienced them firsthand.

She put down her chopsticks, turned her head to look at Liang Fangfang, and asked with a hint of inquiry, "Is the Jia family really in such dire straits now?"

Liang Fangfang was wiping Liu Qingyan's mouth when she heard this. She looked up, paused for a moment, and then shook her head: "Sister-in-law, what are you thinking? Jia Zhangshi is just greedy. It has nothing to do with whether life is hard or not."

She put down the handkerchief and began counting on her fingers: "Shazhu brings lunch to the Jia family every day now. He works in the steel mill's canteen, and they cook special meals for him at night. He brings back leftovers, but there's a good amount of meat and vegetables. Jia Dongxu passed the third-level worker exam last year, and his monthly salary is over forty yuan, which is more than many people in our compound. And—"

"I heard from Aunt Yan that every month, Qin Huairu would borrow most of Sha Zhu's salary within a few days of receiving it. It's called borrowing, but I've never seen it paid back. Add to that the savings the Jia family has accumulated, and to put it bluntly, their family lives better than most families in our courtyard."

Upon hearing this, Yao Qingwan exclaimed, her expression shifting from confusion to surprise, then to a complex mix of emotions. She opened her mouth, as if wanting to say something but unsure where to begin: "Then why is Jia Zhangshi still…?"

Liu Yuheng chuckled and shook his head, then continued, "Qingwan, your Yao family is a scholarly family. Your parents were both educated, and they taught you from a young age to be respectable, tactful, and not to cause trouble for others. Naturally, your family wouldn't do something so shameless. But Jia Zhangshi is different. She's capable of anything—crying, making a scene, threatening suicide. Respect isn't worth much to her; getting a few more bites of meat is what really matters."

He picked up the bowl of porridge and took another sip. As he put the bowl down, he added, "If she shamelessly goes to someone's door, they'll probably give her a bite out of politeness, and she'll have gained something. If they don't, she doesn't lose anything either; she's got plenty of free time to pester people. As for whether Jia Dongxu looks good or not, when has she ever cared?"

Liu Shuanzhu nodded beside him, finished the last mouthful of porridge in his bowl, put it down and said, "That's how it is. Several families in our courtyard have gotten to the point where they cook meat behind closed doors. The fumes go out through the chimney, but the smell still gets there. Jia Zhangshi comes over as soon as she smells it. If they don't give her any, they feel bad, but if they do, they feel bad about wasting the money. Later, some families simply stopped cooking meat altogether and exchanged their meat coupons for millet. One pound of meat coupons can be exchanged for several pounds of millet. It's better for them to have a couple more meals of dry food than to cook a meal of meat and give half to Jia Zhangshi."

Liu Yuheng nodded without replying. He knew very well how valuable meat coupons were in those days. A pound of meat coupons could be exchanged for a lot of things on the black market. Ordinary families only had that much ration per month, so who would be willing to share it with others?

Jia Zhangshi's behavior, which would have been annoying in good times, is now hated in times of hardship.

However, he couldn't and didn't want to get involved in such matters. As long as the trivial matters in the courtyard didn't involve his family, he was too lazy to bother with them.

Liu Shuanzhu, who was about to bring his bowl to his lips, paused upon hearing this: "No need, don't worry. We have enough food here. Even if things are tight, it's still better than when we were fighting a few years ago. We'll talk about it when things really get unbearable."

Liu Yuheng glanced at him, but didn't press the matter. He simply nodded and said, "Alright, as long as you understand. If you encounter any difficulties, don't force yourself; just let me know."

Wang Xiuhe nodded in agreement, adding, "Besides, if we really move here, it won't be convenient for Yixuan and Qingyan to go to school. The school in the compound is closer, just a few steps away. Although you have a school in the compound, the children will need time to adjust to a new place, it'll be a hassle."

After the meal, Wang Xiuhe and Liang's mother cleared away the dishes on the table, and Yao Qingwan and Liang Fangfang also got up to help.

Liu Shuanzhu glanced at the clock on the wall; it was almost eight o'clock. He stood up and said to Liu Yuheng, "Alright, it's getting late. We should go back."

Liu Yuheng also stood up and said, "I'll have a car take you back."

Upon hearing this, Liu Shuanzhu immediately waved his hand: "No need, no need, we'll walk back. It's not far, only half an hour's walk. It's late at night, there aren't many people on the road, it'll be quite comfortable. Keep your car for tomorrow, don't bother the driver."