Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

At noon, Yu Wenyan came to her door, handed her fifty yuan, and said very little, just one sentence: "Let's part amicably. It's not dignified for anyone to tear each other apart." She accepted it decisively—she couldn't let her image collapse; her child was still counting on her to set an example.

To be honest, she is quick-witted, composed, calm in the face of adversity, and acts with restraint; she is indeed no ordinary person.

When Liu Haizhong stepped into the courtyard this morning, his mouth was practically stretched to his ears in a wide grin. Xu Damao had dragged him to the state-run restaurant this morning, and he had managed to squeeze into the table with the factory leaders, offering them a toast. His hands were trembling, but his heart was soaring.

The man was in his early forties, with slicked-back hair that was perfectly combed; his Zhongshan suit was ironed without a single wrinkle, and his leather shoes were so shiny they reflected a person's image; a silver pen flashed on his chest, and he had an air of importance that surpassed even Director Yang's.

He was certain: the promotion was practically a done deal! He just had to wait for Xu Damao to bring him a generous gift next time, be polite, and be persistent, and the deal would be done. He went home, grabbed the braised pork hock and bottled liquor he had just bought, and headed straight for Xu Damao's house. After delivering them, he hummed a little tune all the way, and walked with his head held high towards the factory.

Lou Xiao'e nudged He Yuzhu, and the two washed their faces and left right on time.

Just as I turned out of the alley, I saw Yan Bugui being shoved to the ground, his hat flying far away, arguing heatedly with someone, his face red with anger.

He Yuzhu didn't even lift his eyelids, and led Lou Xiao'e to quicken their pace, heading straight for the factory gate.

As soon as I stepped into the cafeteria, Liu Songgui came up to me.

Liu Songgui: "Master He, Liu Lan took the afternoon off this morning. She was too busy this morning and only just remembered to tell you."

He Yuzhu: "Are you guys able to hold on?"

Liu Songgui: "Very stable."

He Yuzhu: "Okay, then I won't interfere."

Liu Lan, holding her brother Liu Hong's hand, headed straight for the logistics department to find Director Zhai Junhui. Although her brother worked at the guesthouse, his official position was under the jurisdiction of Zhang Steel Plant, and the allocation of housing ultimately required the approval of the logistics department.

Liu Hong had been working here for almost three months, and this was the first time he had stepped into the logistics department. The guesthouse's daily affairs were handled by designated personnel, but for things like housing applications, one had to personally go, write, and wait—there were very few permanent employees in charge of housing allocation, and most of them were long-time employees from the neighborhood. However, even young and middle-aged people who had started families lined up to submit their applications.

The brother and sister, carrying gifts worth nearly twenty yuan, knocked on Zhai Junhui's office door. Nowadays, as long as you don't offer cash or force people to break the rules, things are negotiable: if there are vacant rooms in the factory, regular employees can be assigned; it's just that whoever is ahead or behind in the queue depends entirely on their word, and there's nothing you can do if you're anxious—after all, you're not the only one in line, and the rules are there, so who can you reason with?

After the gifts were placed on the table, Zhai Junhui hesitated for a moment before speaking:

"Comrade Liu Lan, the house next to yours is a detached house, and it will be quite cramped if Comrade Liu Hong brings his child over in the future. There are two empty rooms not far from your yard, with a small kitchen. Would you like to consider them?"

See? They've already planned everything out for you.

Upon hearing this, Liu Lan felt a surge of warmth in her heart—He Yuzhu was absolutely right: one must know how to be tactful; if you don't offer benefits to people, who will be willing to make room for you?

She immediately smiled and agreed, "Then I'll trouble you, Director! On the day of the move, I'll definitely invite you over for a couple of drinks and to try our homemade dishes."

Zhai Junhui nodded, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes—this girl is sensible.

"Yes, I think it can be approved this afternoon. Take the paperwork back with you and settle down as soon as possible. You'll feel more at ease when you're settled. That's our duty as the logistics department."

Clutching the approval slip, Liu Lan grabbed Liu Hong and rushed downstairs like a whirlwind. Two clerks glanced at the slip, quickly stamped it, and filled out a form; then, following the logistics officer, they led them directly to the courtyard near Liu Lan's house, where the key clicked and was handed to Liu Hong.

The brother and sister ran home, tidied up the house, moved their luggage, and even shoved Liu Hong's bedding rolls inside. Once Liu's sister-in-law was officially employed and the child's household registration was settled, moving to the city would be a natural progression.

Liu Hong scratched his head: "I'll give you the eight yuan as soon as I get my salary this month. It made you take half a day off and run around all day with me."

Liu Lan waved her hand: "We're siblings, why are we making such distinctions? If you bring it up again, I'll lose my temper."

Liu Hong quickly smiled apologetically: "Okay, okay, I was wrong! I'll just bring my parents here to stay for a few days this month, so they'll know the way when they come—I've tried to persuade them three or four times already, but they just can't bear to leave those few plots of land back home."

While folding the quilt, Liu Lan reminded him, "Don't forget to invite Director Zhai tomorrow. You have to keep your promises. Otherwise, he won't even bother to listen next time you ask."

Liu Hong nodded vigorously, thinking to himself: his sister's mind is much sharper than his own.

With the end of the workday approaching, he sneaked to the factory gate early to wait for his wife to finish get off work so they could go back to their new home together—now that they had their own house, they no longer had to worry about the neighbors gossiping behind their backs, saying that they were taking advantage of their sister's house.

……

February was approaching, and the weather was getting warmer day by day. The snow crust in the forest was thinning, and it crunched underfoot. As usual, He Yuzhu carried Lou Xiao'e to the factory. Her wages had just been paid a few days ago, and she would be able to collect her summer cloth ration coupons next month.

Lou Xiao'e felt unwell all day; her stomach was churning, and she kept gagging. She suspected that the braised pork with green beans in the cafeteria yesterday wasn't fresh and planned to ask Aunt Li about it later. She gritted her teeth and endured it, sweeping the floor for a while. As soon as Aunt Li lifted the curtain and came in, she couldn't hold it in any longer and vomited with a "whoosh."

Aunt Li strode forward, placing one hand on her shoulder and gently patting her back with the other:

"Girl, sit here and rest for a while. Auntie will get you some water to rinse your mouth!"

Lou Xiao'e nodded, but her throat still felt tight, and she couldn't help but bend over again.

Aunt Li brought over some warm water, watched her rinse her mouth, wiped her mouth with a towel, and then lingered on her pale face, lost in thought.

Aunt Li: "Could it be that she's pregnant? Let's go to the clinic to have her checked."

Lou Xiao'e froze, her eyes fixed on Aunt Li, forgetting to move.

Aunt Li sighed and gently tugged at her sleeve: "Silly girl, don't be confused. Come with me, and you'll feel at ease."

The two walked one after the other through the blue brick path and entered the clinic. The old Chinese medicine doctor took their pulse, closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment, then a slight smile appeared on his lips.

The traditional Chinese medicine doctor said, "Your pulse is slippery, so you are indeed pregnant, just over a month along. The fetus is unstable in the first three months, so you must not lift water, move boxes, or sweep high places. It will be more stable after the first hundred days. Drink more soup and stew some soft and nourishing foods every day, and don't neglect your health—don't worry, everything is fine."

Lou Xiao'e lowered her head, her fingertips gently resting on her lower abdomen as if touching a fragile treasure. Then she silently followed Aunt Li back to the cleaning area, bending down to clean up the vomit stains that hadn't been wiped clean.

Aunt Li quickly stopped her: "You can come outside, I'll come inside—I'm afraid you'll feel nauseous again if you smell it."

Lou Xiao'e said softly, "Thank you, Auntie."

Aunt Li waved her hand, fine lines appearing at the corners of her eyes as she smiled: "We've been together day and night for over a month, why are you still being distant? Just be careful, that's better than anything else."

Lou Xiao'e felt a strange ripple in her heart: So this is what it feels like to have a child? But her body felt light and airy, her belly was flat, and her heart barely beat twice.

After lunch, He Yuzhu was already waiting at the factory gate with his old bicycle, a blue cloth bag hanging on the handlebars.

As soon as Lou Xiao'e appeared, he immediately went to greet her.

"This car is too bumpy, would you like to ride with me for a while?" she said softly.

He Yuzhu nodded, turned the car around, and followed closely beside her, the wheels creaking as they rolled over the stone pavement.

She suddenly stopped and turned to look at him: "Zhu Zi, I'm pregnant."

He froze on the spot, his mind went blank, his mouth opened and closed repeatedly, his palms were sweating, and he even felt like he couldn't breathe—becoming a father? How did this happen to him?

"I...I..." He stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence.

Lou Xiao'e looked at his flushed face and couldn't help but smile: "Are you being silly again? Look at you, you're really useless."

He Yuzhu snapped back to reality and grabbed the handlebars: "Let's go! Let's go home first! I'll ride to the hospital later and ask them about everything I should avoid and what I should eat!"

Lou Xiao'e tilted her head and smiled: "It's for nourishing the baby in my belly, not for nourishing me."

He puffed out his chest, his tone resolute: "I'll make sure you're healthy and radiant first, so the baby will grow strong. That little guy hasn't even met me yet; you and I are the ones who'll be living together."

Lou Xiao'e couldn't resist him, and he kept her laughing all the way back to the courtyard house, her steps swaying in the setting sun.

He Yuzhu turned around and rode his bicycle to the hospital again, asking about dietary dos and don'ts one by one: staple food should be japonica rice and enriched flour; meat should be chicken breast, beef shank, lean pork and fresh crucian carp; fruits and nuts should be grapes, crisp apples, walnuts, black sesame seeds and honey dates; vegetables should be tender sweet potato leaves, garlic chives and bok choy; eggs and fresh milk should be eaten every day.

The flock of chicks he used to raise on the black market are now being sold off, with the hens laying eggs and the roosters all being taken away by the black market.

Now he's making plans: the robots in his space are finally coming in handy—he'll slaughter a chicken every month for stewing and slow-cooking; and fish, one every five days, prepared in rotation of steaming, boiling, frying, and grilling. The biggest headache is the pair of sows. They're fine as breeding stock, but they need a boar for mating. Luckily, the space already has ten acres of prepared land, and three fruit trees have sprouted new buds—perfect for spring planting. Having this cheat code is really great!

Don't keep the ginseng hidden away; it's perfect for stewing chicken. Even more surprisingly, the robot was able to "clone" new shoots from those old ginseng plants—luckily, he didn't let them grow wildly, otherwise the ginseng would be piling up like a mountain. Right now, the daily check-in fruit trees are only locked on apples and grapes; the system is incredibly stingy, not even giving out a pear tree.

When Lou Xiao'e returned to the courtyard, she had already gone to the backyard to have a private chat with the old lady.

He Yuzhu went back inside and locked the door. He then set up instructions in his spatial storage to do things like buying groceries, making soup, feeding the pigs, and raising seedlings before quietly heading out. Before he even stepped into the courtyard, a burst of hearty laughter drifted out from inside.