Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

—These words were meant for the girl. They were to prevent her from being too reserved to eat her fill. These days, everyone has a large appetite, not because they're greedy, but because they don't have enough oil and fat, and they're burdened by heavy physical labor. How can they have the energy if they don't fill their stomachs? In later generations, half a bowl of rice with a few bites of vegetables would be enough to fill one up, but now, a girl like Wu Qun can easily devour three or four bowls in one meal.

Su Yu looked her over and almost thought she was a refugee from famine—her clothes were patched upon patched, washed until they were faded and fuzzy, but no matter how clean they were, they couldn't hide her shabby appearance.

Su Yu spoke in a light tone: "Yulan, dig out those two old outfits you've been keeping at the bottom of your trunk and alter them to fit Xiaoqun. I'm taking her to the department store today to pick out a new outfit, otherwise my colleagues might misunderstand and think I'm too stingy as her aunt."

These words, ostensibly for her own sake, were actually a way of subtly relieving the young girl of her burdens, and also made Xiao Yulan aware of the situation: she wasn't one to hold grudges, and helping out among relatives was common practice. Nowadays, everyone was tightening their belts to make ends meet, but her family was an exception—the grain stored in her spatial storage was piled up like a small mountain, and every now and then she had to take a few bags to the black market to exchange for some pocket money.

Xiao Yulan readily agreed: "Okay! I'll take her to the market at noon, and we'll go straight to the department store after we buy the groceries."

Wu Qun listened intently, her little face tilted up, her heart pounding like a tiny sparrow. At home, she didn't even dare to eat too much; if her mother said, "Let your little brother eat first," she would have to huddle by the stove and eat cold bread.

The shadow of male chauvinism was so strong that it couldn't be dispelled. Su Yu didn't try to persuade her much, but simply let her into the house—once she entered, she would share half of the bowl with her if there were a few grains of rice left.

Xiao Yulan added, "My eldest uncle just delivered fifty catties of grain, saying it was specially prepared for Xiaoqun's rations."

In the city, food rations were strictly controlled, with each person receiving only a small amount per month. Without hesitation, the Wu family shared their own food rations.

Su Yu nodded: "Okay, I'll go to the factory to pick up the matchboxes first thing tomorrow morning so you can start work."

After saying that, she picked up her shopping basket and turned to leave—the restaurant was packed with people during lunchtime, and she had to rush back to cover her shift. Everyone would take turns eating, and she would also bring over the dishes she had prepared at home.

Wu Qun clutched Xiao Yulan's sleeve, following her step by step onto the street, her eyes darting around: blue brick walls, glass windows, dessert stalls under the arcades... everything was dazzlingly new. After buying groceries, Xiao Yulan led her into the department store. She stood there, stunned, staring blankly at the buzzing television set in the display case—she had heard about it a thousand times, but seeing it in person, she realized that moving pictures could actually be stored in an iron box.

Xiao Yulan casually picked up a navy blue cotton shirt, held it up against Wu Qun's body a couple of times, and paid for it promptly. After taking a bath at home, Wu Qun stood in front of the mirror clutching the new clothes, her fingers hesitant to touch the fine stitches—she had always worn hand-me-downs from her mother, who had cut off the sleeves and altered the shorts; how could she have imagined that she would one day wear brand-new clothes? Lan Hua, the village's older sister, had only worn new clothes on her wedding day. She had secretly gazed at her reflection in the stream, fantasizing about what she would look like wrapped in that red wedding dress… Unexpectedly, her cousin reached out and brought that dream to life.

She suddenly threw herself into Xiao Yulan's arms, her tears falling onto Xiao's shoulder.

Xiao Yulan patted her on the back: "Why are you crying? Your brother-in-law is worried that you're dressed too shabbily, and he'll lose face when his colleagues come over for dinner. Here, alter these two outfits to fit your size, and they'll be yours from now on."

Wu Qun stared at the two neatly folded clothes, so new they shone, the tags still on. His hand hovered in mid-air, hesitant to take them.

Xiao Yulan pushed her arm: "Quickly take it back inside! I need to wash the rice and vegetables."

Wu Qun clutched her clothes tightly, turned, and rushed to the kitchen. She quickly cleaned the vegetables, polished the stove, and swept the floor three times—doing whatever she could without waiting for anyone else to ask. Before dusk, she had cooked the rice until it smelled delicious. Just as she lifted the lid, a lively commotion arose outside the courtyard gate, and seven or eight people, laughing and talking, poured into the house. She deftly brewed tea, served it to each guest, and then sat quietly beside Xiao Yulan, like a timid little seedling.

Zhang Yishu handed over an oil paper package: "Sister-in-law, please accept this. Congratulations on your housewarming! Let's keep in touch."

Xiao Yulan smiled and accepted it, saying, "Thank you, Brother Zhang!"

Seven or eight generous gifts were piled heavily on the table. She served tea and chatted with the guests. Wu Qun caught a glimpse of Su Yu finishing the last dish with a spatula and immediately ran over to bring it to the table.

When it was time to eat, she lowered her head and slipped back to her room.

Su Yu called out, "Xiao Qun! What are you looking for? Eat first, then you can look for it slowly!"

She slowly moved out and sat down. Xiao Yulan filled a bowl with rice and pushed it in front of her: "Eat quickly, the lights are on tonight, there's a lot to do, you need to fill your stomach to have the energy."

Su Yu held up a bottle of liquor and laughed: "I brought back a few bottles of Xifeng liquor from the department store today, three yuan a bottle, all you can eat! I've also prepared the jam for the ladies—I mixed the jam I gave you last year with water, added a spoonful of sugar, and it'll be sweet and sour."

Xiao Yulan divided the amber-colored juice into three enamel mugs, and then ladled a large bowl for Wu Qun separately, with a few glistening sugar granules floating on the rim of the bowl.

When the men were slightly tipsy, Su Yu got up to see them off, escorting them all the way to the alley entrance before turning back.

Wu Qun rolled up his sleeves and squatted in the kitchen with Xiao Yulan to wash the dishes, but his eyes were fixed on the incandescent light bulb above their heads, its filament flickering like a dancing star.

Su Yu, wiping her mouth, interjected, "We don't have the old rule of 'girls can't sit at the table,' so don't hide next time, remember?"

Wu Qun nodded gently. Su Yu didn't ask her how she had lived before, but was certain of one thing: in this house, she, like everyone else, had the right to sit firmly.

Su Yu hiccuped: "Yulan, teach her to recognize the light switch in her room. I'm feeling a bit dizzy right now, I'm going to wash up and go to bed."

Xiao Yulan responded, "Yes, Third Brother, please rest!"

After tidying up, she pulled Wu Qun to point out the light switch, press the button, and watch the light turn on and off. Finally, she rubbed Wu Qun's hair and went back to her room to wash her feet.

Wu Qun stood alone in the room, looking at the snow-white sheets, the bright light bulbs, and the small wardrobe with brass buckles, and felt as if he were walking on clouds instead of cement.

She murmured to herself, "If this is a dream... please don't wake up."

Before dawn, Su Yu was already hurrying towards the match factory, her feet crunching on the frost. A long line had already formed at the factory gate—some were waiting to register their delivery slips, others were waiting to collect matchboxes to take home and glue. The line wound its way through the crowd, their breaths creating white mist.

When it was Su Yu's turn, she took out the temporary processing certificate stamped with the factory's red seal, neatly collected the two people's share, and turned to run home.

Pushing open the door, I saw porridge bubbling on the stove, and plump steamed buns dotting the top of the steamer.

Su Yu rolled up her sleeves: "Come on, I'll demonstrate once, you all watch closely—the glue is specially made, one box per case. Too much won't stick properly, too little won't seal well, got it?"

She spoke and demonstrated simultaneously, her movements as swift and precise as a knife slicing through tofu. The two men held their breath, not daring to look away.

"That's it! Try it yourself. It's okay to be slow the first day; everyone starts as a beginner."

After saying that, he put down his tools, ate a couple of mouthfuls of food, hopped on his bicycle, and headed to the factory.

……

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it's the 28th of the twelfth lunar month. Su Guang, carrying a glistening piece of pork on his shoulder, stepped into the city, covered in dust from his journey. This was the village's year-end bonus; Su Yu and Xiao Yulan together received twenty jin, enough to last them a year. Occasionally, the commune would also slip in a few oil coupons, which were better than nothing.

A few households in the mountain valley secretly raised pigs, and the team turned a blind eye—anyway, they would be called upon to lend a hand on the day of the pig slaughter, and they would always get a few pieces of meat with alternating layers of fat and lean meat from the knife.

Su Guang raised his hand and knocked on the courtyard gate. Upon hearing the sound, Xiao Yulan quickly stepped forward and opened the door.

Xiao Yulan: "Third Uncle, come inside and warm yourself up!"

Wu Qun deftly slipped into the kitchen, boiled a kettle of water, brewed a cup of hot tea, brought it into the main room and handed it to Su Guang, then turned around and sat back down on the small stool, his fingertips flying as he glued the matchbox.

Su Guang placed the basket on the wall and sat down by the stove. His eyes fell on Wu Qun's skillful hands—the cardboard was folded neatly, the paste was spread evenly, and with a few presses and a stick, the box stood up.

Xiao Yulan greeted him with a smile: "Third Uncle, please rest for a while. Su Yu will be back from get off work soon."

Su Guang waved his hand: "Keep the meat safe, I have to leave in a few minutes."

"That won't do. The food is all prepared; you can't leave without eating your fill!"

"There's a mountain of things to do in the village. The old accountant can't keep up with everything by himself, even with just his abacus. If I don't hurry back, the account books will pile up like a mountain."

He picked up the teacup and took several sips, the warmth sliding down his throat. He then quietly watched the two figures bowing their heads as they pasted the box for a while before standing up and stepping out the door.

Xiao Yulan quickly chased after him to the eaves, handing him two bottles of wine: "Third Uncle, please take this as a small token of our appreciation. After the New Year, our whole family will come to pay our respects!"

Su Guang didn't refuse, and took it steadily, a smile appearing on his face: "It's a token of my child's affection, so I feel at ease accepting it."

"The wind outside is like a knife, hurry back!" Before the words were finished, the person had already stepped into the cold wind, and their back was quickly enveloped by the gray-white mist at the alley entrance.

Su Yu finished work early at noon. Just as she turned past the old locust tree at the village entrance, she bumped into Su Guang hurrying back.

"Third Uncle! Why are you leaving so soon? Come in and have some food before you go!"

"Why are you being so polite with me? The village is desperately waiting for my signature and stamp. Let's have a good chat another day when we're both free—go back inside, don't get cold!"

Su Yu smiled and didn't stop him. She knew her third uncle's temperament all too well: when he was really busy, not even eight oxen could stop him; when he wasn't busy, he could sit by the stove, smoke three pipes of tobacco, and chat for half an afternoon, and once he started talking, he couldn't stop.

As soon as she entered the room, Wu Qun had already brought out the food. The steaming dishes were emitting white vapor. Su Yu lifted the lid of the food box, and the three of them sat around the stove. As soon as they started eating, the aroma of the food filled the room.

"Here's twenty-one yuan, your wages for this month's work. You two can split it."

After delivering the goods in the morning, the boss settled the payment on the spot without delay.

Just then, the courtyard gate creaked open. Su Yu put down her chopsticks, got up, opened the door, and fastened the bolt so they could eat in peace.

"Uncle? What brings you here?"