Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"Do you expect us to share our private conversations with the neighbors as snacks?"

Lou Xiao'e smiled and nodded, but when her gaze swept over his eyebrows, she sensed something unusual—his eyes were burning brightly, and there was a hint of mischievousness in the corner of his mouth.

He Yuzhu didn't explain much, but pulled her to sit on the edge of the bed and took out a stack of photos from his bag: there was a photo of Lou's father standing in front of the new house, Lou's mother watering flowers on the balcony, and a bedroom that had been specially prepared on the second floor of the small villa, with the curtains half open and the sunlight falling on the bedding.

He took all of these photos himself on Hong Kong Island. Before leaving, he had already decided that he had to make his life tangible before he could put them into film and bring them back for her to see.

Lou Xiao'e's eyes welled up with tears the moment her fingertips touched the photograph. Her mother had been gone for almost a year, and her father for almost two—she had gazed at that window across the sea for far too long.

He Yuzhu let her lean on him and gently patted her back until her nose stopped stinging before continuing to speak.

Lou's parents are in very good health. With him watching over their diet and taking medicine every day, their complexion is even better than before.

She asked him all sorts of questions, and he answered them one by one. Finally, he suddenly looked at his watch, gripped her hand tightly, and said in a serious tone, "Xiao'e, guess what Mom told me before I left?"

She sat up straight, her eyes bright: "Yuzhu, what did Mom say?"

"She said it's time to have a grandson. So all those previous 'wait a little longer' and 'let's talk about it later' are now invalid—this time, we have to listen to Mom."

Lou Xiao'e's face instantly burned. She was about to scold him when she caught a glimpse of the sly smile in his eyes. Then she glanced at the tightly closed doors and windows and immediately understood—this was no way he was conveying any last instructions; he had clearly planned this all along!

"No, no, it's broad daylight..."

"We haven't seen each other for half a year, don't you miss us?"

"I can't even think about it! If someone hears me, how can I ever go out in public again?"

"Then you should keep your voice down..."

"That's even worse! Tonight... tonight you can do whatever you want..."

"Okay, let me massage your back first—lie down and don't move."

He took a half step back, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She kicked off her shoes and was helped onto the bed by him, her arms limply resting on the pillow, still holding onto the last shred of vigilance: a massage was fine, but nothing else was allowed during the day.

But she underestimated the strength of his fingertips—in just a moment, her back felt like it was falling apart, her legs went weak, and she didn't even have the strength to lift her hand.

He Yuzhu didn't get up until it was almost dusk.

He strolled into the kitchen and took out several old-fashioned dishes from the system space: braised pork knuckle, braised fish, and salt-baked chicken, along with three light stir-fries and a bowl of mushroom and chicken soup. The soup was still steaming hot when he lifted the lid.

It was almost time for school to end, so he put the vegetables into the steamer to keep them warm, then turned around and went back into the house to help Lou Xiao'e.

The passionate encounter that afternoon was a long-awaited pleasure for him—in the end, he had to lean down and kiss her to swallow all her broken breaths.

Once you've decided to have a child, there's no need to take any precautions.

He poured her a bottle of ginseng and fruit drink—it was sweet, refreshing, and perfect for relieving fatigue. She drank it in small sips, and after a while, she managed to sit up.

"It's all your fault! You acted recklessly in broad daylight, I almost shouted out loud and embarrassed myself..."

She playfully slapped his arm, but he just chuckled...

"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll tear your mouth apart!"

She raised her hand in a gesture, but her arm was weak and unsteady; she turned her face away in embarrassment. Seeing this, he quickly coaxed her, "It was my fault for being too hasty, I forced you—don't do it again!"

After she straightened her clothes and tied her hair up, he scooped her up and carried her steadily to the dining table.

The two had just sat down when He Yushui's clear voice called from outside the door: "Sister-in-law, I'm back! I heard my brother is back... Brother! When did you arrive? I missed you so much!"

"I just got off the train this afternoon. Come on, have a seat. These are some dim sum I brought back from Hong Kong Island. Try them while they're hot."

He Yuzhu greeted her with a smile, and as soon as she sat down, three pairs of chopsticks reached for the plates and bowls on the table.

During the meal, He Yushui kept chattering, asking all sorts of questions about what her brother had done on his business trip. He Yuzhu only talked about the light and interesting things, not mentioning anything important; before leaving, he secretly winked at Lou Xiao'e—this matter must be kept a secret, and we should tell her slowly after Yushui graduates from university and her mind is more mature.

This girl is acting rashly and can't keep her mouth shut. The things in Hong Kong are too complicated, and we can't let even the slightest word slip out.

She'd scoff and shake her head at the mention of work-related trivialities, but then her eyes would light up and she'd exclaim, "Brother, take me next time! I want to see Victoria Harbour too!"

He Yuzhu thought for a moment, then smiled and nodded: "Sure! I promise you—but this is just between the two of us, don't tell anyone else, I'm only here on official business..."

"Hey bro, why do you always treat me like a three-year-old?!"

He Yushui frowned and pouted, but then turned around and started talking non-stop about the interesting things happening at school.

As they were chatting, she suddenly stopped, looked up at him, and asked, "Brother, is Dad coming home for Chinese New Year this year?"

He Yuzhu ate a couple of mouthfuls of rice, then pondered for a moment: "I'll write to Baoding tomorrow to ask. But Dad's easily swayed. Last year he ruthlessly sent those two Bai boys to Baoding, and he might soften his heart again this year... Don't get your hopes up too high."

Unless he agrees to let those two boys come back together—which is absolutely impossible. Even if they do set foot in Beijing, they won't be able to linger under his nose. Otherwise, he will keep his promise to "break their legs."

He placed a large piece of cured meat into He Yushui's bowl: "Eat your fill first. I'll mail the letter tomorrow morning, and I'll get back in three days if things go smoothly. If he doesn't reply, I'm sure to get a letter; if he does, we'll stay home and wait for him, making dumplings."

"Okay, brother, I've got it."

The dining table immediately became lively again, filled with laughter and the aroma of food.

The rich, savory aroma wafted out through the cracks in the windows and doors, making the neighbors salivate. The Jia family, in particular, were so hungry that Bang Geng was jumping around in the house, banging on the table and shouting that he wanted to eat meat.

Unfortunately, Jia Zhangshi was not there, and Jia Dongxu was slumped in his recliner, too lazy to pay attention. Qin Huairu could not bear it any longer, so she raised her hand and hit him twice with a crisp sound, making Banggeng sob and shovel a bowl of rice into his stomach with tears in his eyes.

The next morning, Lou Xiao'e hurriedly finished breakfast and rushed to the subdistrict office. With the end of the year approaching and work piling up, she became more and more energetic as she worked.

Now her monthly salary can support three people—only she, Director Wang, and those she helped know this. The recipients are extremely grateful, but Director Wang repeatedly instructed them that this matter must be kept secret. Although they dare not speak out, every time they see Lou Xiao'e, their eyes are warm, as if they are holding a flame.

Right now, the He family has everything they need: He Yuzhu alone earns more than 100 yuan a month, all three of them have urban residency, and he brings back a bag of good stuff every now and then.

Just look at the cured pork hanging on the kitchen beam. He cured more than ten pieces before he left, and now there are still four or five pieces left, glistening with oil.

He Yuzhu never stopped Lou Xiao'e from helping others, but he had only one rule: help should be worthwhile, and don't feed a heartless ingrate who turns his back on you—his own family was well-off and he had no worries about food or clothing.

As soon as Lou Xiao'e left, He Yushui also put on her schoolbag and went to school. With only a few days left before the holiday, He Yuzhu rode his bicycle straight to the post office to mail a letter, making a detour to Zhengyangmen on the way.

His eldest son must have been two months old when he was born. He was stuck in the south and didn't even hear the baby's first cry.

Now that the person is back, their heart has already flown back; they're eager to hug and see the person.

But it was broad daylight, and the child was still being looked after by Chen's mother. He had no choice but to go into the silk shop first, pick out a new outfit, and let Chen Xueru know: I'm back.

"Hey—a rare guest has arrived! This face is so unfamiliar, I almost didn't recognize him!"

Chen Xueru was busy calculating accounts when she looked up and saw He Yuzhu. Her eyes crinkled into a smile as she teased him. Before she finished speaking, she closed the ledger, grabbed the measuring tape, and waved to the shop assistants, saying, "I'll measure this one myself. You all go about your other business."

Now she's back in charge of the silk shop. Fan Jinyou had been transferred long ago and sheepishly ended up working as an ordinary clerk in the neighborhood committee.

Before the public-private partnership, he was a director, but after a few years, he only got worse and worse.

Because he stubbornly refused to approve Chen Xueru's maternity leave, she resigned from her position as private manager in a fit of anger and went home to rest and prepare for childbirth. As a result, the silk shop fell into his hands and immediately became as deserted as if covered in frost—a perfect replica of the old path of the small tavern: business dwindled day by day, and customers became fewer and fewer.

Let alone the annual dividends and top three rankings in Zhengyangmen at the end of the year that Chen Xueru was in, in the end they couldn't even pay their employees' salaries.

The neighborhood committee director, an elderly woman, couldn't take it anymore and had to report it to the district. Without hesitation, the district dismissed Fan Jinyou, brought Chen Xueru back, and selected a more honest and reliable manager to lead the team.

The silk shop then came back to life.

As for Chen Xueru occasionally bringing the child to the store, the shopkeeper asked her twice, and she insisted that the child was adopted, with complete household registration and adoption documents. When the shopkeeper pressed her further, Elena—the foreign lady from White Bear—even came to her door to testify on her behalf.

The paperwork was laid out in solid form, and there were witnesses too. The old woman rubbed her hands together, staring blankly, and finally could only sigh and let it go.

"Where did you go? It's taken you so long to show up..."

Chen Xueru lowered her voice and secretly hooked her fingertips around his sleeve. If there were no other people around, she probably would have already jumped into his arms.

"Just like last time, on official business in the south."

He Yuzhu leaned close to her ear, his voice as soft as a feather: "Xueru, come to the second courtyard house, bring the children... I miss you all."

"You're just trying to sweet-talk us. You miss us, mother and daughter, so why didn't you come back a few days earlier?"

She subtly pinched his fingertips, the pressure light, but it made his heart flutter. He then lowered his eyes and whispered, "You go back first, I'll bring the child over later."

"Alright! I'll stew you pork hock for lunch, all you can eat!"

He Yuzhu grinned, got on the car and sped towards the second courtyard, the wheels seeming to fly.

Before Chen Xueru arrived, He Yuzhu had already started preparing: a soft and sticky red date and white fungus soup was simmering on the stove, steaming custard buns were in the steamer, and there were also a few appetizing side dishes; the baby's things were also prepared neatly - a small quilt, soft socks, and goose down diapers, all of which he had picked out by hand, with the packaging paper torn off cleanly, but each item was thick and of high quality.