Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Lou Xiao'e couldn't hold back and burst out laughing, glancing at him sideways.

He Yuzhu scratched his head: "This misunderstanding is my fault. I'll treat you to a movie tomorrow to make up for it!"

Lou Xiao'e's eyes lit up: "Okay!"

……

He Yuzhu hummed a little tune as he walked towards the courtyard, his steps lighter than usual—being able to arrange to go to the movies was a good start.

If you actually ask a girl out, and she always makes excuses like "I'm busy lately" or "I can't get away," once or twice, that's a polite refusal, and she doesn't even bother to be polite anymore.

Just as I turned into the alley leading to the restroom, I bumped into someone unexpectedly.

Xu Damao jumped up with a cry of pain, clutching his back and grimacing, "Hey, you silly Zhu! You deliberately pushed me down like that, I saw stars!"

He Yuzhu stood with his hands on his hips, chin slightly raised, and eyelids half-closed as he stared at him: "Sha Mao, you're like a thief crying 'stop thief'—you charged in headfirst and now you're blaming me for revenge?" He stood straight, his shadow looming over him like an iron gate.

Xu Damao had never won a fight against the original owner of this body since childhood. At this moment, his throat tightened and his palms were sweaty. If they really started fighting, he would probably get another beating without even having a chance to fight back.

He had already planned his next move and wasn't in a hurry. If he couldn't gain the upper hand verbally, he would wait until later—when the matter was settled.

He Yushui was squatting in front of the stove, tossing the wok, the oil sizzling and popping in the pan.

Hearing the sound of the courtyard gate, she poked her head out, her apron still covered in flour: "Brother? Why are you here so early today?" Before she finished speaking, her brows were already furrowed.

The factory had closed long ago, but my brother's trouser legs were covered in dust, his cuffs were torn, and his collar was askew, making him look like he had just rolled out of a pile of dirt.

Although this guy is known for his sharp tongue, would he actually throw a punch? I've never seen him do that over something so trivial since I was a kid.

He Yuzhu placed the paper package on the stove: "I picked this up while helping out at someone else's house. Heat it up and share half with the old lady."

"What happened to you? You look like you've come back from digging coal, all dusty and dirty!"

How could he not be embarrassed? Two burly men pressed down on his shoulders from both sides and pushed his lower back with their knees, forcibly shoving him into the mud.

"I slipped on my bike at the alley entrance and fell flat on my face." He shook the handlebars. "I can borrow it for a day tomorrow."

—I can't exactly say I was cornered against the wall as a pervert, can I? Humph!

"No way! You've only ridden it for two days and you're already thinking of taking it back? Dream on!" He Yushui slammed the enamel mug onto the cutting board, splashing a few drops of water.

In the 1960s, 28-inch manganese steel cars and semi-manganese steel cars were as precious as rare treasures.

Forever Model 13, Flying Pigeon Model 17, Phoenix Model 18... large sprockets, electroplated single support, electroplated rear fork, rotating bells—all are "high-end" standard equipment from the factory. Not to mention, you have to buy them with ration coupons, making it even harder than grabbing meat.

That look is exactly like the Ferrari of yesteryear.

When her brother shoved the car keys into her hand the day before yesterday, she almost jumped onto the roof; she'd only ridden it for two days, and her heart was bubbling with sweetness, how could she let go? She'd ride it for at least another three days!

He Yuzhu shrugged: "Tomorrow is one day, and you can ride with me after that."

No car to the appointment? You probably won't even be able to step out of the alley.

"You mean what you say?" He Yushui squinted at him, pulled out the key to the chain lock, and said, "Here, take it!"

She had just turned to walk towards the backyard with the heated dishes when Qin Huairu was already standing at He Yuzhu's door, her fingertips digging into the door frame until her knuckles turned white.

"Silly Zhu... I want to borrow half a pound of rice to make some porridge for Huaihua." Her voice trembled, and her eyes were dark circles. "I'll pay you back every penny when I get my salary next month."

As soon as I entered the door today, I heard Huaihua crying until her voice was hoarse.

After hesitating for a while, the old woman finally revealed the truth: Banggeng had been eating coarse grains for several days, and yesterday he was given manure water, which made him so angry that he went crazy and poured all the one pound of life-saving rice from the locust flower plant into the pot to cook porridge.

But the child was too young and got carried away playing. He ran off for half a day, and when he came back, the bottom of the pot was charred and clumped together, and the rice water had long since burned to charcoal.

The mother-in-law was so anxious that she took out the shoe soles she had been sewing for half a month, put them in her bosom, and ran out to sell them—but she disappeared without a trace, and the rice was gone too.

That little bit of rice, enough for the locust flowers to chew on for several days, was all ruined in the blink of an eye.

He Yuzhu scratched the back of his neck: "Sister-in-law, it's really unfortunate, I didn't buy rice today... Here, take these two yuan I have to tide me over."

Borrowing? That's like throwing hot buns to a dog—gone and never to be returned.

Consider this repayment for what Jia Weiguo did for the original owner back then. From now on, we're even, and we'll go our separate ways.

"Thank...thank you, Sha Zhu!" Qin Huairu clutched the money, her nails digging into her palms. "I'll remember this kindness!"

Don't underestimate two yuan—rice is only two mao per jin, enough to buy ten jin!

But it was already dark, and the grain store was definitely closing.

She turned and ran towards the old man's house, her steps unsteady.

If Xiao Huaihua goes hungry for another night, she'll probably have convulsions and roll her eyes back.

Why didn't Jia Zhangshi ask to borrow rice or pay for it during the day?

Firstly, her reputation in the courtyard was already bad; she had to be careful even to borrow half a steamed bun.

Secondly, if Huaihua were a boy, she might actually be able to cut off a piece of meat to feed him, but unfortunately she is a girl—a money-losing burden.

These days, without exorbitant bride prices, girls are expected to give out dowries when they get married. If they don't marry well, they'll frequently return to their parents' home to beg for money.

As soon as she arrived at the old man's house, Qin Huairu's knees buckled and she knelt down on the blue brick ground with a "thud".

An older woman rushed out upon hearing the commotion and grabbed her arm, saying, "Child, get up! Let's talk this out. Your uncle and I will definitely help if we can!"

My hand touched it, but I couldn't pull it away.

An old man also came out in his cloth shoes.

Qin Huairu's tears fell to the ground: "Huaihua's food rations... have been ruined by the corn stalks. The child has been hungry all day. Please, you two old folks... lend us some rice to make a bowl of porridge to keep him alive..."

If even the eldest uncle in this courtyard refuses to lend a hand, then there's no one else to rely on.

He's a level 7 fitter, earning 70 or 80 yuan a month, and he doesn't have a family to support. He's the only one in the entire institute who's quite well-off.

Other families have a bunch of kids, and their wages and food allowances are barely enough to make ends meet. Where would they find any surplus?

To say that Qin Huairu is bad? Not entirely.

Whether you think she's good or not depends on who you're talking about.

As for Jia Weiguo? He has a clear conscience—three children, the oldest is six years old and the youngest is only two months old. Once her husband left, anyone else would have packed up and run away long ago, or even given the children away to other families, claiming that they were "finding a good home."

She, a woman, raised her young children and took care of her mother-in-law without shirking her responsibilities; she was truly a woman of unwavering integrity.

Is it possible to address the original owner?

Ha, thank goodness he's not a silly guy anymore.

So no matter how hard her life was, he couldn't be bothered to lift a finger—as long as she didn't try to take it out on him, he would pretend she didn't exist.

An older woman turned and went inside, returning shortly with a small cloth bag bulging with about two pounds of rice: "Here! Quickly cook this for the child."

"I'll pay you back as soon as I get paid!" Qin Huairu choked up.

"What else? How much can two old people like us eat?" The old woman waved her hand.

She kowtowed heavily, got up and ran home. The flames in the stove had just started to rise, and the rice porridge was already bubbling in the pot.

At this moment, He Yuzhu had already slipped into the space, picked up a coarse cloth bag: three catties of corn grits and two catties of potatoes, and walked heavily towards Qin Huairu's house.

Many people in the backyard of the central courtyard saw that kneel.

The current social climate is such that people help each other when neighbors are in trouble; if there's really no other way, everyone is understanding.

But these past few days, her family has been steaming buns and gnawing on pig skin, making the whole alley drool with the aroma—if you stand idly by, you're afraid the spittle behind your back could drown you.

He raised his hand and knocked on Qin Huairu's door, then pushed the door open and went inside.

He Yuzhu: "Great job! I came to see you today—your family is having a really tough time right now, so please accept this little something!" He handed the cloth bag forward with a quick and decisive motion.

Deep down, he knew perfectly well: this wasn't a genuine act of kindness, but rather a performance for the neighbors. He didn't expect thanks this time, but he knew he wouldn't be able to ask for help again next time! A slight smile played on his lips, but it didn't reach his eyes.

Jia Zhangshi immediately stepped forward, snatched the bag, and felt its weight on her wrist. Her heart warmed instantly—this amount was enough for three full meals! A smile quickly spread across her face, and her eyes relaxed.

Qin Huairu, holding Xiao Huaihua, was feeding her rice cereal spoonful by spoonful. Her voice was hoarse, and her eyes were red-rimmed: "Shazhu... it's really kind of you to make this trip. Our home is so humble, we can't even afford a decent cup of tea. Why don't you sit down and have some water before you leave?"

He Yuzhu waved his hand: "No need, sister-in-law. We're neighbors, no need to be so polite." Before he finished speaking, he had already turned and left, his back view very neat.

No sooner had he left than the drums and gongs began to sound from inside the old wooden door of the Jia family's house. Unfortunately, no one could witness it; only a soft sigh escaped: "I really wanted to move a stool and sit down to listen to the whole thing."

……

The first thing He Yuzhu did upon returning to the house was to drag out the well-worn bamboo stool and place it against the wall of the courtyard—even though the stage had collapsed, at least there was still some noise.

These days, entertainment is scarce; even the rustling of wind through the treetops is considered a sound. No wonder the older generation often says, "It's better to beat the children on a rainy day than to do nothing else." Indeed, life is so empty that you can hear even the buzzing of mosquitoes.

He had planned to go to the department store to find a semiconductor radio in the next few days, but when he asked the price, he was stunned: forty industrial invoices, plus forty-three yuan! He almost thought he had misheard.

Just as I was pondering this, a commotion suddenly erupted next door—each voice louder than the last, each word barbed and each sentence flaring with anger.

With her hands on her hips, Jia Zhangshi spat as she spoke: "You worthless wretch! Do I need you to tell me what to do? If it weren't for my son, you'd still be toiling in the mud! Without my approval, could you have gotten a factory job? Could you have settled in the city? You've raised a thankless wretch, and now you're biting your master!"

Qin Huairu held Huaihua tightly, her face ashen, but her voice was steady: "My husband is gone, and your son died long ago! If I had come back even a moment later today, were you planning to let Huaihua starve to death?"

Madam Jia Zhang stamped her foot angrily: "Bah! You let it slip, didn't you? Not coming back? Where else do you think you're going to seduce some random man? Tomorrow I'll storm the steel mill gate and cause a complete uproar, let's see if you dare to hide then!"

Qin Huairu stood her ground, her voice sharp and piercing: "Stop spouting such filthy nonsense! I'm working myself to the bone at the factory earning work points, while you're letting the kids starve at home to the point of eating plaster!"

She took a half step forward, her eyes sharp as knives: "From today onwards, I'll lay two paths before you—first, hand over all of Wei Guo's pension money, and from now on, I'll be in charge of the family; second, I'll give you my job, and you can pack your bags and go back to the countryside all by yourself, without expecting anyone to take care of you."