Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Su Yu sneered, "Serves them right! They were inexperienced and timid, yet they sent a few teenagers to climb trees and raid nests. If they hadn't been quick-witted and dodged into the muddy ditch, those kids would have been the ones getting stung!"

The day the beehive fell to the ground, the children sprinted towards the muddy pond by the field, burying themselves in the black mud with a few splashes. Su Jiang, however, foolishly rushed to retrieve it, his face swelling up like a steamed bun in the blink of an eye, his eyes almost closed. If he hadn't run fast, he might have lost his life. He had been pampered by Wang Guifen since childhood, never even touching a hoe. To please a female classmate, he boasted that he could get royal jelly to give away, then immediately sent the neighbor's children to risk their lives for him. Once the incident happened, he immediately washed his hands of the matter. But the other parents wouldn't let it go. Su Jiang was a seventeen or eighteen-year-old adult, while the children were only ten-somethings. Wang Guifen stormed their door alone, only to be surrounded and scolded by the adults in the yard until she was red-faced, finally taking her son to the clinic, humiliated. The children secretly took the beehive home and divided it up, but what about Su Jiang? I went to school with my head swollen like a purple pig's head, attracting constant laughter along the way.

After Su Yu finished making the last basket of raisins, she grabbed a small handful and stuffed it into a coarse cloth bag, which she delivered to Su Yun every day without fail to satisfy her craving.

Having just finished their breakfast, Xiao Yulan washed the wild fruits thoroughly, water droplets still dripping from them, and the two locked the door and left the courtyard together.

The threshing ground at the village entrance was already crowded with people, young and old, men and women alike. Xiao Yulan stood among the children, immediately becoming the center of attention—her newly tailored blue cotton shirt, crisp black trousers, and white-soled cloth shoes with black buckles were dazzlingly clean. The newlywed women in the village, whenever they caught a glimpse of her, would have their eyes sparkle with envy.

Su Guang had advised Su Yu several times: "Let Yulan go to the fields with you, so she can earn more work points."

Su Yu simply waved her hand: "The work points for cutting pig feed are enough for her to eat and stay warm, that's enough."

Su Guang frowned again: "What will we do when we have children?"

Su Yu lifted her eyelids: "Supporting the family is a man's responsibility."

A group of people, carrying hoes and baskets, shuffled towards the fields, their movements as languid as marionettes: some squatted on the ridges picking wild amaranth, some carelessly dug at the soil with their hoes, and many more simply leaned against tree roots and dozed off. Farm work was relatively easy at the moment, and everyone was just loafing around like this, unless they were transferred to repair reservoirs or pave roads—but where would they find manpower these days?

Su Yu squatted down with Su Yun at the edge of the field to pull weeds, chatting idly as she watched Su Yun casually pick up a raisin and pop it into her mouth with a crunchy sound.

"Little sister, you're skillful and can make osmanthus cake and jujube paste pastry. You're just sitting around doing nothing anyway, why don't you come to my house and learn a few things from your sister-in-law? I'll help you carry them to town to sell. I guarantee you'll earn enough for your high school tuition."

"Brother, are pastries really that profitable?"

She only saw these words with her own eyes on the streets of the county town a year later, but at this moment she hadn't even thought about them.

"Don't you want to study anymore?" Su Yu gently brushed the grass clippings off her sleeve. "As long as you can scrape together the tuition, your third aunt can't stop you, and your third uncle won't hold back those few work points."

"Okay! I'll go over after I finish work this afternoon and give it a try."

"Alright! I've prepared the steamer, molds, and parchment paper. This is a secret between you, me, and heaven, and no one else can be allowed to hear a word about it."

"Don't worry, this is my own way out."

What troubles Su Yun the most is that she held the admission notice but couldn't step into the university gates back then. Now, Su Yu has paved the way for her again. In a few months, the graduation and job assignment notice will be issued. As long as she grits her teeth and studies hard, she can be sure of getting into university.

As the sun began to set, the crowd slowly began to wander back. Xiao Yulan had already set the dinner table, steaming hot. Every day, she would give three raisins to the children who helped her cut pig feed. The little ones would scramble to do it, and she wouldn't even have to touch the sickle—this was a method Su Yu had taught her: it made the children happy to be close to her, and it also made the adults feel like they had gotten a good deal, making everyone happy.

During her three-hour lunch break, Su Yu raced against time to make jam. A row of glass jars she'd collected from the county town filled four small jars perfectly with the jam from a basket of wild fruit; the amber-colored liquid was clear and inviting.

"Su Yun is coming over this afternoon to learn how to make pastries. Can you lend a hand?"

"Alright!" Xiao Yulan lifted the lid, took a sniff, and her eyes lit up. "This sauce smells amazing, the sweet and sour flavors are just right!"

"Keep one jar for yourself, I have a use for the rest."

"Then should I go up the mountain tomorrow and pick some more wild fruit?"

"Don't go! There are snakes and the roads are slippery in the mountains. I'll go up the mountain myself."

Xiao Yulan pursed her lips and nodded, as obedient as a kitten that had just been groomed.

As usual, Su Yu carried the loaches to the state-run restaurant, passed through the kitchen as if she knew the way well, and went straight into Director Zheng's office, where she took out a jar of jam and placed it on the table.

"Director Zheng, this is homemade wild fruit jam. It enhances the flavor of porridge, spread on flatbread, or added to stews. Please try it. If you like it, I'll send you a few more jars every now and then."

Director Zheng lifted the lid and took two bites. The slight sourness on his tongue stimulated his stomach, and he immediately felt hungry. State-run restaurants always served greasy food, leftovers from leaders, and gifts from the cooks, which made people nauseous. He craved this refreshing taste instead.

"How much is a can? My daughter loves sweets, could you buy a few cans for me?"

"How could I dare to accept your money? Please use this bottle first, and I'll give you the rest if you like it."

"Alright, kid, I'll remember this favor! If you ever need anything in the future, just let me know."

"You flatter me! I rely on you for help every day!"

Director Zheng laughed heartily and personally escorted him to the restaurant entrance.

……

Su Yu hurried briskly towards the supply and marketing cooperative. She planned to move to the city someday, where connections were more valuable than food coupons—being well-informed and having wide connections was crucial for survival in critical moments. If she constantly asked for favors, her relationships would eventually wear thin, and when it truly mattered, no one would lend a hand.

You don't have to ask for everything, and the other person will remember your kindness. If you want to exchange your efforts for the smallest benefit, then it's not a friendship, it's a business transaction.

The counter at the supply and marketing cooperative was sparsely populated; staff were tidying up abacuses and pulling down the iron gate. Su Yu reached out and grabbed a handful of raisins, handing them to a saleswoman in her forties.

"Comrade, would you like to try this? Does the supply and marketing cooperative accept it?"

The woman picked up a piece and put it in her mouth. After chewing it a couple of times, her eyes suddenly lit up. She grabbed a handful more and stuffed them into her mouth, unable to stop.

"I can't make that decision myself; I'll have to call our director to take a look!"

She pushed open the office door and entered. A few minutes later, a female cadre of similar age came out to greet her, wearing a brightly washed Zhongshan suit with all four pockets neatly arranged.

The female director greeted him with a smile: "Hello, comrade! We haven't really set a price for these raisins here. How does your village plan to sell them?"

Currently, the village is engaged in collective livelihood, and apart from their old trades such as embroidery, sewing, and glove making, they dare not touch anything else.

Su Yu answered decisively: "Four cents a pound, and the whole village only dried a hundred pounds in total."

The female director nodded: "Okay, I'll issue you a letter of introduction right away—bring the goods tomorrow so we can make the handover."

Su Yu quickly thanked him, "Thank you, Director! This is just a small token of my appreciation. Please try it and see if you like it." As she spoke, she handed him a small bag of raisins.

The female director took the letter and a raisin, peeled one open and put it in her mouth—it was sweet and sour, with a rich fruity aroma; she had never tasted anything so authentic before.

After leaving the county town, Su Yu carefully put the letter of introduction into her inner pocket, and walked briskly into the black market supply and marketing cooperative: she bought two catties of pork belly with a good balance of fat and lean meat, half a catty of granulated sugar, and two catties of snow-white high-gluten flour before heading home.

I promised to teach the youth at the educated youth compound how to make raisins today. Wild grapes, if not picked in time, will rot on the vines in no time; last time they saw Su Yun chewing them with relish, they kept asking her why, and only then did they find out that Su Yu had dried them herself. It's the same principle as digging for wild vegetables—you pick them yourself, dry them yourself, eat them yourself, and giving them away isn't against the rules.

Liu Mei traded half a pound of sugar for the skill, and Su Yu agreed to teach them today: first spread them out to dry thoroughly, then add sugar and mix well, and finally dry them and harvest.

She slipped into the grove of trees and, in the blink of an eye, stored all the meat, sugar, and flour she had bought into her spatial storage. She then quickened her pace and returned to the village, heading straight for the educated youth compound.

A crowd had already gathered at the entrance of the courtyard, craning their necks to look out, waiting for her to appear.

Su Yu washed her hands, rolled up her sleeves, grabbed a handful of raisins, and demonstrated: "Pay attention, add the syrup little by little to save sugar and avoid getting a headache; use a light touch, like kneading dough, to spread it out evenly; lay it flat to dry completely, and it will be done naturally."

She explained and acted it out two or three times, and everyone got the hang of it. Before leaving, someone secretly slipped her a few candies, and the crowd surrounded her as they saw her off at the gate.

Back home, Su Yun was busy in the kitchen, the glutinous rice flour, brown sugar, and jujube paste for steaming cakes were already mixed perfectly, and a warm aroma wafted from the stove.

Xiao Yulan smacked her lips: "Third Brother, Xiaoyun's cooking is absolutely amazing! It's so soft, sweet, and delicious; every bite is bursting with flavor!"

Su Yu smiled and broke off a piece, handing it over: "Eat more if you like. Here, this is candy the educated youth gave me. Try it."

Xiao Yulan took it without even lifting her eyelids—it was nothing new for Su Yu to always have candy in his pocket. What others might look forward to all year was like a candy jar that was always open to him; she was used to it.

Su Yun wiped her hands: "Third Brother, it's done. If it sells well, I'll keep going; if nobody wants it, then forget it, don't waste your grain."

Su Yu waved her hand: "Take a few pieces back to fill your stomach. Don't worry, Third Brother knows what he's doing when he asks you to do it. Go back quickly, don't let Third Uncle worry about you."

As soon as Su Yun left, Su Yu bolted the courtyard gate, strolled to the corner of the yard, and glanced at the pile of timber—the surface was dry and whitish, and after another four or five days of drying, it would be ready to be sawed and used.

He turned to Xiao Yulan and said, "Let's go, before the sun completely sets, let's go to Grandpa's house."

Setting off at this time allows for a safe journey in the dark; during the day, with so many people around, delivering things is more likely to arouse suspicion.

He deftly packed the meat, sugar, malted milk powder, lard, and thirty catties of grain into a bamboo basket, took Xiao Yulan's hand, and walked towards the Red Star Brigade.

On the way, Xiao Yulan started talking, recounting her childhood: Although her maternal grandfather's family was poor, whenever there was something good to eat, she would always get a share first; when her paternal grandfather was alive, she would always be the first to take a bite of any fried egg; after her paternal grandfather passed away, life became increasingly dull... Fortunately, fate brought Su Yu to her side again.