Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

He must have encountered something serious and been through some kind of ordeal.

Now it seems that this hammer and chain are a blessing from God—all that's missing is a wife to completely tie this guy down.

He Yuzhu went back to his room and immediately pulled out his dirty clothes, squatting down by the sink to wash them. Cloth coupons were precious, and he only had two or three sets of clothes, patched upon patched. It was true that he wore new clothes for three years, old clothes for three years, and then patched and mended for another three years.

I need to scrape together some food rations these next few days and make a trip to the black market to exchange them for some cloth coupons. I don't mind making do for myself, but Yushui is a young lady, so she should dress neatly and presentably.

Just as she was soaking the clothes in the water, Qin Huairu came over with a basin—she had just finished wiping Banggeng's body and changing his clothes.

Her eyes were red and swollen, and her voice was hoarse: "Today... I really don't know how to thank you enough."

She looked down at the clothes in He Yuzhu's hand, bit her lip, and said, "Give them to me! I don't have anything decent to offer as a thank you gift, but washing these clothes is the most practical thing I can do."

To be honest, Qin Huairu's tenacity is truly rare these days—she can be humble yet also shoulder heavy responsibilities.

Decades later, if a child falls and scrapes their skin while playing at someone else's house, the two families will probably fight so fiercely they'll tear the roof off.

Then look at her mother-in-law, Jia Zhangshi, who was still spitting and cursing Sha Zhu in the house, wishing him "a terrible death." The two of them were not on the same page at all.

He Yuzhu waved his hand: "Sister-in-law, don't flatter me. You're the only one holding up the sky, and you still have to take care of the elderly and children after work. It's not easy for you."

He paused, thinking of the family in the front yard: when the son and daughter-in-law came home from get off work, the mother-in-law had already hung the clothes out to dry, cooked the rice, and kept the children quiet and well-behaved... Before he could finish speaking, he buried his head in rubbing his collar.

At this moment, two older women, one older and one younger, also came over carrying the old man's undershirt.

Qin Huairu's eyes reddened again: "If it weren't for you kind-hearted neighbors... I would have blocked him..." The second half of the sentence stuck in her throat and she couldn't say it.

An older woman patted her on the shoulder: "Hey, we're neighbors, why be so formal?"

The three women nodded in agreement: "That's right, that's right!"

Qin Huairu silently gathered the two people's clothes into her basin and bowed deeply again.

The cool moonlight quietly spread across the edge of the pool.

She stood there alone, the soapberry syrup slipping and dissolving between her fingers, her figure thin and frail, as if she would be blown away by the night breeze.

He Yuzhu's words, one by one, fell into my ears and into my heart—

I work myself to the bone to earn work points, but that old geezer stays at home making shoe soles and won't even make a pair of cloth shoes for his family. All he does all day is sit with his pipe in his mouth and berate people...

He Yuzhu planted this thorn without making a sound.

It's just waiting for the day when the wind blows and the soil loosens, and it will sprout on its own.

……

He Yuzhu flashed into the space, sowed the corn seeds back into the field, and allocated 200 jin of the 500 jin of stored grain to feed the pigs and chickens.

We shouldn't rush to plant potatoes; we can stockpile them and sell them slowly. We also need to go to the farm as soon as possible to pick out a healthy piglet.

At dawn, just as the sky began to brighten—

"System check-in".

"Sign-in successful, reward: two catties of meat coupons."

In the back kitchen of the steel rolling mill's canteen, the stove fire was still burning, and the aroma of oil lingered.

Director Ye pushed open the back door and poked his head in: "Master He! Master He!"

He Yuzhu wiped his hands and went to greet him: "Director Ye, you've arrived? What can I do for you?"

Director Ye pulled out his notebook: "Starting tomorrow night, the factory will be holding night school literacy classes! Those who do well will receive an elementary school diploma upon graduation. Can you take a count for the kitchen staff and see who has signed up?"

On May 24, 1952, the nationwide literacy campaign was launched in full swing, and its climax lasted until the end of the 5s.

The government set up literacy classes, crash courses, and factory night schools, and the results of literacy campaigns were tangible.

Every year after the literacy campaign ended, those with outstanding grades could enter technical schools, cadre schools, or cultural remedial classes; educational level had long been a hard threshold for promotion to cadre.

But even with annual literacy campaigns, what everyone cares about most is still arithmetic—

The teacher slammed his fist on the desk during the first class: "If you can't even handle math, can you read a payslip? If I shortchange you by 50 cents, you can't even keep the accounts right!"

Uncle Liu Haizhong, the second eldest, met his downfall here. A level seven fitter, his skills were outstanding, but he didn't even finish junior high school. Otherwise, with his abilities, he would have been the workshop foreman long ago.

He felt that night school was a waste of time trying to curry favor with the leaders, so he would pretend to be deaf every time the director mentioned it.

The document was handed to him? The document recognized him, but he didn't recognize the document.

This time, however, is He Yuzhu's chance—his lack of primary school education will inevitably be exposed sooner or later.

After Director Ye left, He Yuzhu stared at the steamer on the stove for a while, lost in thought.

He Yuzhu raised his hand to signal everyone to stop what they were doing: "Everyone, take a break. I'd like to say something—the night school officially starts tomorrow night. Anyone want to sign up? I'll submit the list to Director Ye."

Anyone can attend a night school literacy class, but if you're not registered, don't expect to get an exam paper, a certificate of completion, or even a letter of introduction—they simply don't recognize you.

Everyone responded in unison, "We've already learned that, we're not going! You MCA, the new temporary worker, haven't even stepped through that door yet!"

He Yuzhu slammed his hand on the table: "Those who have learned, get to work! Those who haven't registered, come over and fill in your names right now! Make sure you all submit yours before you leave work!"

As a result, there was complete silence, and no one moved.

Everyone was thinking: who has time to study right now? Supporting their families and saving money to get married are both urgent matters.

At noon

He Yuzhu walked into Director Ye's office

He Yuzhu: "Director Ye, I'm the only one who signed up for the cafeteria."

Director Ye didn't even look up, just waved his hand and said, "Okay, fill out the forms and come to class on time tomorrow night."

In the evening, at the entrance of the Lou family

Lou's father greeted him from afar: "Little He, we've been waiting for you! My old comrade-in-arms has been waiting for you to cook something delicious, so we'll have to trouble you again today!"

(Thinking to myself: If people come often, I can gradually get closer to my daughter.)

Lou Xiao'e peeked out from behind the door: "Shazhu! Can you recreate that dish from the other day tonight?"

This girl is still thinking about the chewy texture of pigskin!

Lou's mother quickly put on a stern face: "What are you shouting about! How rude! Please don't take offense, Xiao He!"

—Actually, she knew very well: the young man in front of her was tall and upright, with bright and clear eyes, and full of energy; besides, could someone who was "foolish" develop such amazing skills? Could he speak so eloquently? Could he be so poised and generous in his dealings with others?

He Yuzhu waved his hand with a smile: "It's alright, Auntie, that's what everyone in the yard calls me, I'm used to it."

Lou Xiao'e grabbed him and pulled him into the kitchen, then turned around and slipped back into the living room.

Lou's mother frowned: "You child! You used to be so sensible, why are you so reckless today?"

Lou Xiao'e blushed slightly and muttered, "I only called him 'Silly Zhu' twice, so what? He even called me 'Silly Moth'! Humph!"

Lou's father, speaking in a low voice, joked, "Water spinach! Oh dear—the water spinach is about to be eaten away by the pigs!"

Lou's mother was both amused and exasperated: "You... I really don't know what to do with you."

Before he could finish speaking, Lou's father suddenly gave a wink to the stairwell.

Lou's mother immediately understood and got up to follow.

"What's wrong? You look so pale. What happened?" Lou's mother asked with concern.

Lou's father slowly exhaled: "I met a leader today, and his words were loaded with meaning—it seems the steel mill is about to loosen its grip."

Lou's mother was taken aback: "Our family was a model household that took the lead in donating grain and cloth and responding to the call during the War of Resistance Against Japan. We shouldn't be implicated, right?"

Lou's father shook his head: "The higher-ups remember clearly, but the winds have shifted, and people's hearts are unsettled. It's better to be safe than sorry..."

Lou's mother paused, then said softly, "If all else fails, we still have old connections in Hong Kong, so there's always a way out..."

Suddenly, Lou's father changed the subject: "Do you think Xiao He is reliable?"

After thinking for a moment, Lou's mother said, "He's skillful, quick-witted, well-mannered, and comes from the He family. His character can't be bad."

Looking out the window, Lou's father's voice deepened: "I'm afraid that once we leave, Xiao'e will be all alone in the capital, suffering hardship and exhaustion... Even if someone takes care of her in Hong Kong, she will still be a wanderer in a foreign land..." He let out a long sigh, which seemed to weigh down the bricks and tiles of the entire courtyard.

Back then, everyone had a deep-seated attachment to their homeland—who would leave their hometown unless they were at their wit's end?

Lou's mother also sighed: "Let's wait and see. After all, it's a major event in Mo's life, and we can't rush it."

As soon as they finished speaking, the two quickly put on smiles, went downstairs one after the other, and opened the door to welcome their guests.

The people were already seated in the living room.

Lou Xiao'e rushed into the kitchen like a whirlwind: "Shazhu! The dishes are ready to be served!"

While tossing the food in the wok, He Yuzhu replied, "Alright, you silly moth!"

"Come sit down after you finish serving the dishes! My mom wants to chat with you about the ins and outs of Tan Family Cuisine!"

"Okay!"

……

Lou's mother warmly greeted him, "Xiao He, please sit down, don't be shy!"

After the meal, Lou's mother said gently, "Our two families have known each other for over ten years, and we've been friends for a long time. The children should visit each other more often so that we don't become estranged."

Lou's father stood up: "Xiao'e, see Xiao He out."

The family of three saw them off together. He Yuzhu and Lou Xiao'e walked out side by side and escorted them all the way to the tram stop.

He Yuzhu suddenly laughed: "Silly girl, does that thing still count?"

Lou Xiao'e was taken aback: "What's wrong?"

He Yuzhu blinked: "What I said at your house that night—if no one raves about boiled cabbage, I'll cook for you for the rest of my life."

(But deep down he knew: very few people knew about this dish, and those who had tasted it were either rich or noble; ordinary people, seeing it as just cabbage, would never touch it. They thought it was bland, lacking in oil, and so on... They were overthinking it.)

Now that we're closer, I dare to joke around so freely.

Lou Xiao'e spat, "Dream on! You filthy scoundrel!"

Before he could finish speaking, two young men wearing red armbands rushed forward, quickly pinned He Yuzhu to the ground, and dragged him by the arms and legs, ready to take him to the police station.

Lou Xiao'e was stunned on the spot: What... what did he do?

She quickly stopped him: "Comrade, wait! What's going on?"

One of them said righteously, "Don't worry, ladies! We'll hand this kind of hooligan over to the police station right away!"—His expression was as if he had just done a good deed and was waiting for the organization's praise.

No matter how He Yuzhu explained, the two ignored him.

Lou Xiao'e used gestures and explanations, and it took a lot of effort to get them to let go.

The two walked away dejectedly, muttering to themselves, "Bai Zhun got a lot of praise..."

Before leaving, he gave He Yuzhu a perfunctory nod as an apology.