Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

The old folks from Liujia Village nodded in agreement, their eyes shining: if He Yuzhu hadn't forced the note on Liu Lan that year, they would probably still be counting ears of wheat on the ridges of the fields, and they would never have imagined the life they have today.

He Yuzhu laughed and said, "It's because everyone trusts me, He Yuzhu, that they're willing to entrust their livelihoods to me. Since they've entrusted me with this, I have to reciprocate with sincerity and never let anyone suffer a loss."

Ma Hua quickly tried to smooth things over: "Oh, let's not talk about this anymore! Everyone has their own standards. Without a mentor, we wouldn't even know which way the factory gate faces, let alone be in this great situation! Come on, let's have a drink, let's talk about something happy!"

Everyone raised their glasses and clinked them together, laughing and talking about the earth-shaking changes over the years—the wrinkles on their faces had smoothed out, their backs were straighter, and every family had a Forever brand bicycle. Every family had a 14-inch Feiyue color TV. The hard times were finally over.

As they chatted, the conversation turned to the children: those who were unemployed were all placed with He Yushui. They were hardworking and reliable, and Yushui treated them well, providing them with food and lodging and even teaching them skills.

Liu Erdan wiped his mouth and grinned, "Since Officer He is here today, I must invite you in person—my son is getting married the day after tomorrow, you must do me the honor of attending the wedding banquet!" He had originally invited He Yushui, but now that the person in charge was back, he naturally had to invite her in person to show his sincerity.

Liu Erdan pondered for a long time, unsure whether to call him "Master He" or "Director He," feeling it was too formal and afraid of being impolite.

He Yuzhu laughed heartily, "Sure! I'll definitely be there the day after tomorrow, going with Xiao'e to share in your family's joy!"

They talked until late into the night, and once they started, they couldn't stop. Even Liu Erdan, who used to be a quiet person, was talking non-stop and his face was beaming with excitement.

Lou Xiao'e, Zhou Xue, and Liu Lan sat to the side listening, occasionally interjecting with a comment, handing over a piece of melon seed, or refilling a cup of tea.

Liu Lan glanced at the clock on the wall and smiled, reminding her, "Oh dear, it's almost eleven! We have to get up early to work tomorrow, so let's call it a day and chat another time!"

Everyone looked up at the clock and realized it was getting late. They got up to tidy up the tables and chairs, walked out of the Prince's Mansion together, patted each other on the shoulder and bowed, and headed home under the moonlight.

Lou Xiao'e pushed her bicycle out and said with a smile, "Luckily I left Aijun's bicycle in the yard—come on, I'll give you a ride home."

He Yuzhu, feeling tipsy, didn't refuse and sat on the back seat, letting Lou Xiao'e pedal and take him through the streets and alleys.

As they approached their doorstep, Lou Xiao'e said softly, "You always carried me on your back before, this is the first time I'll carry you."

He Yuzhu smiled with narrowed eyes: "Then you'll be carrying it from now on."

Lou Xiao'e snorted, "Dream on! Carrying someone while pedaling is hard on your back and legs, do you want me to collapse from exhaustion?"

Before he could finish speaking, the car had already stopped in front of the gate. He opened the gate and went inside; it was quiet, everyone was fast asleep. He Yuzhu tiptoed in, careful not to disturb their dreams. Lou Xiao'e had already boiled water in the kitchen and came out with an enamel basin, steaming: "Wash your face before you sleep; the smell of alcohol is giving me a headache."

He Yuzhu obediently finished washing up before tiptoeing into the bedroom.

As dawn broke, He Yuzhu got up and walked into the living room. Lou Xiao'e had already set out breakfast. Liu Qiang and Qin Xiaoyue were holding soy milk and fried dough sticks, chewing and praising the liveliness and extravagance of Kyoto.

He Yuzhu laughed and replied, "The Bund in Shanghai is flashing with neon lights, and Shenyang Middle Street is packed with people. When you have some free time, I'll take you there."

The two then realized he had gotten up, so they quickly put down their chopsticks and greeted him in unison.

He Yuzhu waved his hand: "Don't stay cooped up at home these days, go out more. Xiao'e, where are the children?"

Lou Xiao'e: "I left early this morning and didn't even have time for breakfast. Xiao Si is still catching up on sleep in his room—he's been really busy with schoolwork lately, so I didn't bother him. You can have a bite to eat first, and later we'll bring some fruit and pastries to visit your brother-in-law and the others. Yesterday was too busy, and we didn't have a chance to go."

He Yuzhu nodded in agreement, "What a coincidence, I was just planning to treat them to dinner today and bring some gifts to pay them a visit."

Lou Xiao'e smiled and said, "I just arrived yesterday and didn't have time to pay a visit. I feel really bad about it. They've been busy in Dongli County and have been sending things over every now and then. We, on the other hand, have been so busy that we've completely forgotten about it."

As soon as she put down her chopsticks, Qin Xiaoyue quickly cleared away the dishes, rolled up her sleeves, and followed Liu Qiang into the kitchen, where they washed the dishes while planning where to go for a stroll that day.

Lou Xiao'e picked up the gift box she had prepared earlier in Dongli County and went with He Yuzhu to the department store to buy some decent items. Afterwards, they went straight to Zhang Huaqiang's house.

Peng Mei happened to be off work at home. As soon as the nanny saw them, she immediately opened the door: "Oh, it's you! Please come in, Comrade Peng is resting today."

Lou Xiao'e greeted her with a smile, "Hello, Aunt Wang, thank you for your trouble."

As soon as the two stepped into the courtyard, Peng Mei came out of the kitchen to greet them, her apron still tied around her waist, and rushed forward to meet them.

"When did you arrive? Why didn't you give us a heads-up? Your brother-in-law would have insisted on picking you up!"

"I landed yesterday afternoon, but I didn't say anything because I was afraid of delaying your work. I came here today specifically to see you both."

"Have you had breakfast yet? If not, let's have something to eat together. Aunt Wang just steamed some buns, they're still warm."

"I just ate at home. Why don't you try this dress on? I've been looking at it for a long time. If it doesn't fit, we can go out and change right now."

The two women leaned closer to examine and compare the clothes. Lou Xiao'e had been reluctant to wear the blue cotton shirt that Peng Mei had asked someone to bring from the department store a while ago; this time, she also picked out a navy blue twill shirt in Peng Mei's size, with dense stitches and crisp fabric. The two women chatted and laughed as they tried on the clothes.

Peng Mei placed Lou Xiao'e's hand in her own, then turned to He Yuzhu and said, "Go ahead and do what you need to do. Xiao'e, stay here and keep me company. We're having a really good chat."

She knew in her heart that He Yuzhu still had to visit a few old acquaintances today—relationships are something that rely on give and take, and that keep things fresh and new; if you don't meet for a long time, even the strongest friendship will quietly rust. Unlike those who rolled in the trenches back then, decades later, just mentioning their names still brings tears to their eyes.

He Yuzhu nodded: "Then I'll go to Uncle Liu's place first." Before he finished speaking, he got up and walked out.

Aunt Wang escorted him all the way through the blue brick courtyard wall and around the pomegranate tree, only turning back when they reached the large iron gate.

The bus swayed and rattled towards Yuquan Mountain. The checkpoints were much stricter than before: a check at the entrance, another halfway up the mountain, and an identity check and registration at the gate of the courtyard. After several rounds of questioning, He Yuzhu finally stood in front of Uncle Liu's familiar red-lacquered wooden door.

Aunt Li opened the door herself, and when she saw him, her eyes immediately lit up with a smile: "Little He! It's been months since I last saw you. Your shoulders have broadened, and your face has gotten quite tanned—come in and sit down! Old Liu just went out for a walk; I reckon he should be back soon."

He Yuzhu smiled and adjusted his hat brim: "Aunt Li, you look great, even more energetic than last year."

Aunt Li waved her hand, her eyes crinkling with laughter: "Who gets younger as they age? You're just trying to make me happy."

As she spoke, she led He Yuzhu through the courtyard and into the main room.

……

He Yuzhu put the gift box in the kitchen cupboard, then turned and went back to the living room to talk to Aunt Li. Before they had exchanged more than a few words, the courtyard gate creaked open, and Uncle Liu, leaning on his bamboo cane, strolled in. His face immediately lit up with warmth when he saw him.

"Little He's here? Come on, let's set up a chessboard in the study—I'm itching to play, let's play a couple of games."

He Yuzhu quickly stood up: "Okay, Uncle Liu!"

Aunt Li brought over a cup of warm tea and casually invited the guests to stay, saying, "Don't leave at noon, have a home-cooked meal here before you go."

"I'll listen to you, Aunt Li."

"Then I'll ask Xiao Wu to go to the market and buy some fresh produce." As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and went into the kitchen.

At this moment, the chessboard was laid out in the study, with black and white pieces lying quietly between the sandalwood shelves, waiting for the battle to begin.

Not long after placing his piece, Uncle Liu suddenly put it down, his tone becoming more serious: "Your application to build a port has been approved—not only will it be built, but it will be built on a large scale. In the future, Dongli County will be the main hub for north-south freight transport."

He Yuzhu tapped the edge of the chessboard with his fingertips: "Then this current plan will probably have to be scrapped and started over. Since it's a core transit station, the original area we allocated is really too small."

Uncle Liu nodded, his gaze calm: "We've had experts repeatedly analyze this matter. For it to truly take effect, we need to overcome two hurdles: First, Dongli County must completely abolish ration coupons—all purchases and sales must be free of charge. Only then will convoys traveling north and south be willing to set up warehouses and store goods in our territory; otherwise, who would be willing to take a detour?"

"Secondly, we must establish a solid foundation for both light and heavy industries. Light industry can stabilize people's livelihoods, while heavy industry can provide the backbone. But right now, the foundation is too weak, and just shouting slogans won't achieve anything."

He Yuzhu pondered for a moment: "Could the heavy machinery manufacturing line first shoulder the industrial backbone of Dongli County?"

Uncle Liu shook his head: "Without equipment and production lines, it can't be made from blueprints alone."

"So... is it legal for private individuals to raise funds to build a factory?"

Uncle Liu's finger paused, the chess piece hovering in mid-air, hesitant to fall.

He Yuzhu's voice was not loud, but very steady: "My dad is in Hong Kong, and he can make connections to import the entire production line from the US. We'll handle the other difficulties ourselves."

Uncle Liu looked up at him for a moment, then slowly said, "This matter needs to be discussed at the meeting. If you have an idea, write it down clearly, and I'll take it to the meeting for you—we'll discuss it together and decide."

He Yuzhu leaned forward slightly: "We can ask overseas business partners to purchase key equipment on our behalf, and at the same time, we can pair recent graduates with senior professors to form a task force. The factory will provide the funding and facilities, and they can conduct experiments with the old equipment, learning as they go, imitating as they innovate, and turning the 'old stuff' that others have discarded into our own 'new backbone'. Even if we start with second-hand equipment, we can still fill the gap in heavy industry."

Uncle Liu frowned slightly: "But would they be willing to sell?"

"My dad and the others have their own ways of getting it back."

Uncle Liu leaned back in his wicker chair, remaining silent for a long time. Outside the window, the shadows of the sycamore leaves swayed gently, as if he were weighing the weight of this matter—if it really succeeded, it would not only fill the gaps in the industry but also give the entire industrial framework a ten-year head start.

After a moment, he asked, "Is the factory willing to cover the research funding? After all, money is being spent like water."