Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Su Yu, carrying a hoe, strolled over to them and began digging in the opposite row. In about ten minutes, only a narrow strip of soil remained untouched at their feet. Even if the two of them squatted down and dug with their hands, it would be clean in two more minutes at most.

He ignored the two people's astonished looks, picked up the gifts, and turned to leave. Halfway there, he waved to Su Yun. She jogged after him, and Su Yu grabbed a few pieces of candy and stuffed them into her pocket.

"I'll eat it quietly myself; it was a gift from the educated youth. I have something to do, so I'll head back now—please return the hoe to Third Brother for me."

"Finished?"

"Um."

Su Yun opened the scorebook and quickly wrote down: Su Yu, 18 points. She nodded and let him go.

Su Yu went home, locked her things in the bottom of a box, and ran to the pond to catch loaches. Just as she bent down to touch the fish, Su Guang caught her red-handed.

Su Guang shook his head and sighed, "You child... I really don't know what to say to you! I was planning to have you train the newbies, and I'd give you ten points a day as if you were training an apprentice. But what happened? You complained that they were too slow, and you sneaked off to slack off! These mudfish are so fishy, ​​the muddy smell hits you right in the head! Come on, come with me to the brigade headquarters, let's borrow thirty catties of grain to fill our stomachs!"

Su Yu wiped her hands: "Third Uncle, the land is really tilled. We're just waiting to sow the rapeseed tomorrow."

"You're really not kidding me?"

"If you don't believe me, go and see for yourself."

Su Guang stamped his foot: "Fine! Let's go, let's go to the brigade headquarters to get our rations—look at you, you're so thin your cheekbones are practically protruding!"

Su Yu chuckled and scratched his head: "I was just having a good time. I just bought thirty catties of grain yesterday, enough to last until the summer grain is distributed."

Su Guang was taken aback for a moment, then grinned: "Alright! You go ahead and have fun, your third uncle will get back to work—by the way, your third uncle has found you a good girl, I'll pay the bride price, so that our Su family line can continue!"

Su Yu's brow twitched, but she didn't respond. Her third uncle was a straightforward man, with only one principle: carrying on the family line—those four words were etched into his very bones. He picked up two buckets of lively loaches, slung a carrying pole over his shoulder, and strode towards the county town.

As she finished work, Granny Wang hummed a little tune as she entered the Xiao family's courtyard.

Liu Yan leaned against the doorframe, squinting as she asked, "Aunt Wang, did you find a gold nugget today? You're all smiles!"

Granny Wang clapped her hands: "Isn't this good news? Su Yu, that is, the third son of the Su family, has taken a liking to your eldest daughter!"

Liu Yan didn't even lift her eyelids: "Oh? Good thing. But I'm not changing the price I set—aren't you afraid that his third uncle, being the brigade leader, can just get a freebie? No way!"

Wang Po sneered inwardly: You're so tough, why don't you yell at me to my face? Tomorrow I'll make you and your husband carry manure, let's see if you're still a hero! Back then, Su Guang thought you were shrewish and difficult, so you jumped into the river and pretended to be dead to scare people—can a good person do such a thing?

But she smiled broadly: "Oh, don't mention it! Su Yu is very straightforward; thirty yuan and fifty jin of grain, not a penny late. As for the date, you can pick an auspicious day, and I'll be there anytime!"

Liu Yan waved her hand dismissively: "Give us the money and the supplies, then we'll take them immediately. A banquet? We don't have time for that!"

Granny Wang nodded: "Alright, I'll get back to you right away."

As soon as she stepped out of the Xiao family's gate, she spat, "Pah! A good-for-nothing! Just because they're not her biological daughter, does that mean they can treat her like this? God, open your eyes!"

Xiao Yulan huddled in the corner of the kang (heated brick bed) in the west room, hearing every word. Tears streamed down her face silently, her heart utterly cold—her grandmother and father were just drinking tea and eating melon seeds in the main room, not one of them asking if she was hungry or cold. For an entire day, no one had brought her a bowl of water or even half a steamed bun. Liu Yan wouldn't even let her sit at the table; if it weren't for the hard flatbread Su Yu had given her yesterday, she would have fainted by the stove long ago. The only warm thought in her mind was of the boy from yesterday, whose voice was clear and whose eyes were resolute.

Just then, Su Yu reached the village entrance and was stopped by two militiamen wearing red armbands.

A man in a red armband blocked his path, a small red flag waving slightly in his hand: "Stop! Where are the paperwork? Show me your letter of introduction!"

Su Yu's shoulders slumped as two buckets of lively loaches swished their tails at either end of the carrying pole, splashing water onto her trouser legs. "These are goods delivered to the state-run restaurant. Here's the receipt they gave us—take a look and see if it's in accordance with regulations?"

He was actually unsure: whether the red seal was applied properly, whether the paper was new or old, and whether the handwriting was neat or not all depended on the other party's words.

The man in the red armband leaned closer to examine it, ran his fingertips along the edge of the paper a couple of times, then held it up to the light to check the stamp. Finally, he nodded: "Okay, compliant. Let's go."

Su Yu breathed a sigh of relief and headed towards the restaurant, carrying the buckets. It was still light outside, but a short queue had already formed at the entrance, and steam rose from the glass windows. A waiter led him through the front hall, lifted the thick curtain, and a wave of heat from the kitchen hit him.

A man in a gray Zhongshan suit appeared by the stove, with a hard nameplate with the words "Director Zheng" pinned to his chest. He had come specifically to watch Su Yu take the food out of the pot, stir-fry it, and season it, and then taste it himself before he would approve the order.

Su Yu rolled up her sleeves and, without saying much, first braised a pot of loach in a glossy, dark sauce; then coated it in batter and deep-fried it until crispy and golden brown; next, stir-fried it over high heat, the scallions, ginger, and garlic crackling and popping; finally, she simmered a pot of milky white loach and tofu soup, the steam carrying a delicious aroma rising upwards. Four dishes, two hours in total. With each bite, Director Zheng nodded slightly, his Adam's apple bobbing, his eyes shining.

"Not a trace of muddy smell, clean and refreshing!" He wiped his mouth. "Four cents a pound, no coupons needed, no extra grain allowance. We'll tell you how much you need the evening before, and you can prepare it and bring it over first thing the next morning."

"Thank you, Director Zheng! You've been a great help!" Su Yu's voice was sincere.

Director Zheng waved to the side: "Xiao Li, weigh it and settle the bill. From now on, we'll settle every day, no delays and no debts."

"Alright!" Little Li deftly picked up the scale; twenty jin, eight yuan.

But Su Yu waved her hand as soon as the food was cooked: "I can't take this money—the dishes are all done, and you all enjoyed them, which is already giving me face."

Director Zheng smiled with narrowed eyes, gently pressed on his shoulder, and lowered his voice, saying, "If you have any 'wild game' like pheasants, rabbits, or clams, send them over quietly. I'll pay for them out of my own pocket, not through the official accounts."

Su Yu also lowered her voice: "I'll send it to you if I have any, no need to mention money—I should thank you for trusting me."

Director Zheng smiled, patted him on the back, turned and left, his steps brisk.

……

Su Yu carried two empty buckets, hurrying home with light steps. This business was truly straightforward—zero capital, earning a living through skill. From now on, as long as he maintained good relationships, the state-run restaurants would only recognize his loach and eel, and he could even teach others to cook them with ease.

Meat is currently in short supply in the county town; even fatty meat is rare, let alone fresh, live animals. Everyone is scrambling for any kind of meat that they can chew and swallow.

Just as she turned into the alley, Granny Wang was standing at his door. She knocked for a long time, but no one answered. She sighed, turned around, and went back to her room to eat dinner, planning to come back to check on him when it got dark.

When Su Yu pushed open the door to the courtyard, porridge was bubbling on the stove. The door slammed shut, and he quickly wiped his hands to open it.

An old man stood outside the door, his hair as white as frost, his back slightly hunched—he was one of the old men who had been sent down to the countryside from the cowshed.

"Grandpa, it's so late... what's the matter?" Su Yu asked in a low voice.

The old man's throat bobbed, his voice hoarse: "My wife has a persistent high fever and just wants some rice porridge... I wonder if you could spare some rice? I'll pay for it." He opened his palm, revealing several crumpled banknotes curled up in his hand, their edges worn.

"We don't have rice." Su Yu paused, then stepped aside. "Why don't you come in and take a look at this—would you like it?"

He turned around and retrieved a can of malted milk powder, its aluminum cap gleaming and its cardboard box brand new, and handed it to the old man.

The old man's fingers trembled slightly. He wanted to take the money but then pulled it back. After hesitating for a long time, he stammered, "Could you... give me credit this time? I'll pay you back slowly..." As he spoke, he was about to bow.

Su Yu grabbed his arm: "I have no use for this. You should take it back; the child is sick, that's more urgent than anything else. I know you've lived here for many years and aren't a bad person—take it quickly and leave under the cover of darkness, so no one sees you."

The old man gripped the jar tightly, gave him a deep look, then turned and disappeared into the night, like a drop of ink seeping into water.

Just as Su Yu picked up his bowl, there was another knock at the courtyard gate. He got up and opened the door, where Granny Wang stood in the lamplight, carrying a blue cloth bundle.

"Auntie? Is there something you need now?"

"That gossipy Liu Yan is causing trouble again!" Granny Wang was furious. "She said, 'We'll pick her up when we get the money!' We've already taken the bride price, but she won't even hold a decent wedding banquet. Her skin is as thick as a pot lid! You pick a time, and we'll go pick her up right now!"

"Let's go now!" Su Yu put down her bowl. "I'll pack up the grain right away."

The two hurried to the Xiao family that very night. As they walked, Granny Wang gritted her teeth and said, "I've never seen anyone treat people so badly! Luckily, she met you, an honest young man, otherwise Yulan would probably have been tortured to death... If her mother knew this in the afterlife, she would probably cry her heart out."

Upon arriving at the Xiao family's door, Xiao Dong opened it and, seeing the two of them, quickly invited them inside. Liu Yan, seeing Su Yu carrying a fifty-pound sack of coarse grains on her shoulder, immediately put on a smile: "Put it here! Dad, catch it! Mom, quickly call Yulan out—let's talk things out face-to-face; I'm doing this for her own good!"

Granny Wang's lips twitched, but she couldn't squeeze out a single auspicious word. In the past, when she was a matchmaker, auspicious words flowed effortlessly from her lips, but today it felt like she had a burning coal in her mouth, so hot that she couldn't utter a sound.

Su Yu took out thirty yuan from her pocket and placed it on the table along with the grain bag: "Auntie, the money and grain are here, please count them."

Upon seeing the three brand-new "Unity" bills, Liu Yan's eyes crinkled with laughter: "Oh dear, we're all family! Quickly, make some tea—what are you all standing around for when the new son-in-law arrives!"

Granny Wang turned her head and snorted: "You have tea? Can a dog spit out ivory?"

Xiao Yulan sat timidly at the table, waiting for a long time, only to be served two bowls of water.

Liu Yan waved her hand: "You know what's going on at home, so we're not having a banquet. Just live a good life with Su Yu and don't overthink things. Get some rest tonight; you have to take the kids to school tomorrow morning."

These words were clearly an invitation to leave. Granny Wang didn't say anything, but got up, took Yulan's hand, and led her all the way to Su Yu's house, treating it as a wedding send-off to ease her mind.

Once inside, Su Yu took out three yuan and gave it to Granny Wang.