Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Just like last time, she kept a small portion of the door for the neighborhood office as welfare, and distributed the rest to impoverished households and families of martyrs in the neighboring neighborhood.

The people in the district felt embarrassed, but they couldn't very well ask for the meat back—could they say, "We're craving it, so please spit it out"?

Sending the meat was actually He Yuzhu's way of paving the way for Lou Xiao'e: he wanted to ask Director Wang to take good care of this pregnant woman. He had heard that Director Wang's grandson was experiencing a milk shortage, so he casually brought two bags of milk powder and two cans of malted milk powder, which he packed tightly in a blue cloth bundle.

Upon seeing her, Director Wang immediately wondered: Could she be here to ask for a permanent position? Lou Xiao'e was indeed very efficient, but the street-level staffing quota was strictly controlled, and there were no vacancies at the moment.

Once He Yuzhu laid out his intentions—that he wanted her to take care of Lou Xiao'e during her pregnancy—Director Wang immediately agreed. Even if she didn't accept the gift, she had to protect the woman carrying the baby.

He Yuzhu made a special trip to visit because he was going on a long business trip to Hong Kong Island.

The Ministry of Foreign Trade had appointed him, and Lou's father was also eagerly awaiting his assistance. Although Lou Xiao'e had just been diagnosed with pregnancy, Lou's mother readily agreed, "I'll come back and stay with her for two months," which relieved He Yuzhu.

This trip went smoothly, taking three months in total.

His main task was to help Lou's father resolve several business disputes, stabilize the He family's boxing gym, and procure ginseng, deer antler, and other valuable tonics from the pharmacy. Before leaving, he also escorted a cargo ship to transport urgently needed equipment and raw materials back to shore, ship by ship.

He Yuzhu was thinking about home and didn't stay in Hong Kong Island for long. At the end of October, he took his luggage and stepped into the Beijing Railway Station.

During his first two days back, he told Lou's mother in detail about the recent situation in Hong Kong; she only stayed for one night before rushing to catch a New Year's flight back the next day.

Zhenghe Group cannot function without her—she is both its backbone and its stabilizing force. Recently, the company's assets have skyrocketed, and the traditional Chinese medicine shop has become an inexhaustible gold mine, allowing Mr. Lou to expand his business further and further.

In just a few years, Zhenghe Group has firmly established itself as one of the top three Chinese enterprises; what is even more remarkable is that it has achieved this without ever setting foot on land, relying entirely on the hard work of factory assembly lines, pharmacy cabinets, and dock loading and unloading teams.

With increased wealth, more people began to keep an eye on them. The practice of having concubines in Hong Kong was still in effect, and women from all walks of life were sending invitations and pulling strings, hoping to squeeze into the Lou family's household. But with Mrs. Lou sitting regally in the main hall and Mr. Lou engrossed in his account books and workshop blueprints, no one managed to pry open that door.

Lou's father originally wanted to set an example for He Yuzhu, but little did he know that this boy had been secretly keeping two confidantes in Beijing, keeping it a secret from Lou Xiao'e.

As soon as He Yuzhu was born, he made up his mind not to move—nothing is more important than the baby. At least he wouldn't go anywhere while Lou Xiao'e was in postpartum confinement.

Zhang, the leader of the Foreign Trade Department, knew perfectly well that after He Yuzhu returned, he never sent another official letter.

The good deeds that He Yuzhu and Lou's father have done over the years have piled up into a mountain: ship after ship of supplies were transported into the country, and in the years when grain and oil coupons were still hot to hold, they managed to tear open several gaps in the tight pockets.

Of course, the gap in a country cannot be filled by just two people. Today, China is forging ahead with all its might, and they are doing their utmost, which is already the highest level of responsibility.

When Leader Zhang heard that He Yuzhu loved fishing, he jokingly invited him, "Would you like to visit Beichahe sometime?"

He Yuzhu readily agreed. However, if they were to actually cast their lines together, Zhang would probably have to pack up after less than three minutes—being in the same frame as a master angler, his interest would be completely dampened before he even lifted his rod.

Before they knew it, the due date arrived. He Yuzhu didn't believe Lou Xiao'e's confident words, "It's okay, no need to go early," and immediately picked her up and took her to the hospital.

Back then, maternity wards were very expensive. A day's hospital stay cost one yuan, which was more than half a month's salary for an ordinary worker. Without connections, you couldn't even squeeze into the corridor.

Fortunately, He Yuzhu had a wide network of connections. After making a few phone calls, a delivery room at the First People's Hospital was immediately vacated, and the room still smelled fresh with disinfectant.

Lou Xiao'e was stubborn, but once inside the delivery room, she clutched the blanket and trembled uncontrollably. She'd been married at seventeen, become a mother at nineteen, and this was her first time undergoing surgery—how could she not be panicked?

Fortunately, He Yuzhu stayed by the bedside the whole time, his palms warm and his voice steady.

As Lou Xiao'e was wheeled into the delivery room, He Yuzhu himself tensed up. In his previous life, when his son He Xiao was born, he didn't even know which way the delivery room door faced; this time, watching Lou Xiao'e being wheeled away, his heart pounded so hard he almost broke his ribs.

He even had the thought: why not rent a room and deliver the baby himself? With his skills, he was willing to do a cesarean section, let alone a natural birth.

But the idea was quickly dismissed: Who would dare to agree?

"Zhu Zi, stop swaying. Xiao'e is in good health; the doctor said so himself!"

He Daqing spoke up from the side, still holding the canteen spoon in his hand—he had moved back to Beijing long ago and worked as a level seven chef at a washing machine factory, and was allocated a bungalow just two hundred steps from the factory gate.

Widow Bai also came along. He Yuzhu originally thought the two had broken up long ago, but unexpectedly He Daqing brought her back with him.

Later, I heard that He Daqing gave up his job to the widow Bai's eldest son before the widow agreed to go north with him.

He Yuzhu shook his head after hearing this: Widow Bai played her game very cleverly—she got a secure job for free, settled down in Beijing, and could send money back to her hometown every month to support her two sons.

He couldn't be bothered to get involved. Anyway, He Daqing was stuck with this willow tree for the rest of his life, while He Yuzhu had enough money in his pocket in a month to keep He Daqing busy for a thousand years.

Lou Xiao'e's cries in the delivery room grew louder and more heart-wrenching. He Yuzhu tried several times to rush in, but stopped himself—standing there might not be safe; it would only make things worse.

Until a loud cry pierced the corridor, He Yuzhu's legs went weak and he almost knelt down.

The doctor stepped out, his mask pulled down to his chin, and smile lines crinkled at the corners of his eyes: "Congratulations! Mother and child are safe!"

Lou Xiao'e stayed in the hospital for two days, and her complexion was already radiant. He Yuzhu's personally prepared herbal medicine, acupressure points, and porridge helped her recover much faster than ordinary postpartum women; she was able to get out of bed and pick vegetables on the third day.

On the day of discharge, He Yuzhu carried the baby in one arm and supported Lou Xiao'e with the other, walking steadily out of the hospital gate.

The news of Lou Xiao'e's newborn son had just spread through the courtyard, and neighbors flocked to the He family's house with eggs, noodles, and brown sugar. He Yuzhu, never one to refuse anyone's gift, accepted it with a smile and said warmly, "Oh, thank you for thinking of me, please come in and have a seat!"

But neither the Jia family nor the Yan family was seen. Qin Huairu had intended to send some red eggs to ease the tension, but as soon as she spoke, Jia Zhangshi jumped up—

We can't even afford to cook our own meals, yet we're sending celebratory eggs to our "rivals"? No way!

During that period, they fought almost every day, and running out of food at the end of the month was commonplace. In the end, it was only by gritting her teeth and taking out her deepest savings that Jia Zhangshi managed to get through those days.

Qin Huairu knew perfectly well that all she could do was protect her two children and prevent them from crying from hunger. Sometimes she would save half a bowl of rice at noon to cook some thin porridge in the evening; if she had no other choice at the end of the month, she would help an older woman wash pots and dishes, take apart and wash bedding, and exchange them for a few pieces of cornbread or half a dried sweet potato.

But she had long since lost any say in household affairs. As soon as her salary was paid, she would invariably hand it over to Jia Zhangshi, and then never inquire about it again. Holding onto the money, Jia Zhangshi loosened her grip—at the beginning of each month, she would buy a box of painkillers, followed by either a roast duck or a bag of braised pork hock, squatting at the alley entrance, gnawing on them with greasy mouths. Occasionally, Jia Dongxu would catch her, and she would reluctantly break off a small piece to bring back and give to her lame son.

At this rate of spending, how could twenty-odd yuan possibly last until the end of the month? Not to mention that at the beginning of the month, she and Jia Dongxu each had to save three yuan, so Qin Huairu's salary was immediately reduced by six yuan.

By mid-month, the mother and son had no choice but to use all their savings to supplement their household income. They had no choice but to give it up—Qin Huairu's pockets were emptier than her face. Jia Zhangshi even tried to force her to hand over her factory meal tickets, but Qin Huairu held on tightly and wouldn't let go, even when Jia Zhangshi slapped her thigh and wailed in the yard.

The noise was so loud that it disturbed Lou Xiao'e, who was resting inside. He Yuzhu flew into a rage upon hearing this, rushed out, and slapped Jia Zhangshi across the face. Jia Zhangshi covered her face and scrambled back into the Jia family home.

She tried everything, from gentle persuasion to forceful tactics. Jia Zhangshi even shamelessly went to other people's houses to freeload, but they all locked the doors and wouldn't even let her through a crack. In the end, she had no choice but to take out her piggy bank and slowly pluck out the money.

After several months, a headcount revealed that not only had she not saved a single penny, but she was also twelve yuan less than when she first started managing the household. Jia Zhangshi's heart clenched: Only a few months? In a few more years, forget about retirement savings; she feared even the money Old Jia had saved for his coffin would be wiped out!

She had long considered quitting, but she couldn't bring herself to ask Qin Huairu for help—if she did, Qin Huairu would surely take the opportunity to cut off her hopes for retirement. So the matter remained at a stalemate, with neither of them willing to back down first.

the other side.

Yu Li pulled out a blue cloth bag, filled it with a few red eggs and two packets of pastries, and prepared to go and congratulate Lou Xiao'e.

Xu Damao spotted him immediately and quickly lowered his voice to stop him: "Where are you going?"

"Go see Lou Xiao'e and offer your congratulations." Yu Li said without looking up.

Xu Damao immediately exploded: "Are you crazy? Who caused me to look like this? And you're coming to congratulate your enemy?!"

"If you're not going to try and get close to me, how long are you planning to stay? Sneaking back in the middle of the night? You even brought your bicycle inside to hide?!" Yu Li retorted sharply—we're barely making ends meet, what's with the airs!

In over eight months, Xu Damao spent a total of about forty days at home, spending the rest of his time at the rural film screening site. He became so thin that his cheekbones protruded. When he returned home, he would deliberately wait until just before the roosters crowed, tiptoeing into the yard with his cart—afraid of being seen by He Yuzhu and then being sent back to the countryside again. The first two times, he had only been lying down for a few days when the procurement department's transfer order came, causing him to make one wasted trip after another.

After hearing Yu Li's explanation, Xu Damao fell silent, his shoulders slumping. He had truly had enough. If Yu Li could actually persuade He Yuzhu... he would accept it, even if it meant pretending to be blind and deaf.