Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"Yes! What exactly happened?" Second sister Han Chunyan immediately chimed in.

"I was caught red-handed stealing bread from the factory," Han Chunming confessed honestly.

"Stealing once isn't enough to get you expelled! How many times did you steal? Who did you give it to? Explain yourself clearly!" Han Chunxue said, exasperated.

"I ate it myself this time, and I'm sharing it with you all to try!" Han's mother quickly chimed in.

"The rest...we gave them all to Cai Xiaoli, a female worker at the factory," Han Chunming casually made up a name.

"Fifth brother is better than me in this respect. I haven't even caught a glimpse of a girl who would give me candy yet," the second brother, Han Chunsheng, interjected sourly.

"If you really dare to send it to her house, I'll kick down her door today and ask her what happened!" Han Chunxue gritted her teeth, slamming the enamel mug in her hand.

"That's right! Last time Grandma Su made a scene, our family lost all face in the yard!" Han Chunyan stomped her feet angrily.

"Stop arguing!" Mother Han declared decisively. "Fifth son, what exactly is this job you were talking about?"

"Xiao Yao quit and wants me to go with him to the garment factory tomorrow to handle the transfer." Han Chunming straightened his back.

"He's abandoned his post? How will he make a living from now on? Just ask him to find you a temporary job. Don't let him turn around and bite you when he has nowhere else to go." Han's mother said worriedly.

"I don't know either... but he's made up his mind." Han Chunming didn't mention the college entrance exam—Xiao Yao had specifically told him that this was inside information, so he knew what was going on and how to prioritize.

"Buy two catties of pork belly tomorrow and take it to Xiao Yao's house. Even the closest relationships need to be maintained through regular visits." Han's mother pulled out three crumpled bills from the bottom of her sewing basket and stuffed them into his hand.

Early in the morning, Cheng Jianjun stealthily followed Su Meng out of the courtyard gate. He had barely looked up when he saw Xiao Yao leaning against the gate, her gaze sweeping over him without even lifting an eyelid. Immediately afterward, Han Chunming appeared. The two exchanged a glance, then tacitly avoided Cheng Jianjun, as if avoiding a puddle of filth.

"Chunming, where are you and Brother Xiao Yao going?" Su Meng asked softly.

She had heard that he had been laid off from the factory, and a sense of unease settled in her heart.

"He said he'd treat me to soy milk and fried dough sticks," Han Chunming said with a smile, trying to be polite. Cheng Jianjun was right next to him, and he didn't want to say another word.

"Oh? So you're surviving by mooching meals now? You'll probably never even be able to get a job in the future," Cheng Jianjun sneered sarcastically.

Xiao Yao stepped forward on the pedal, and Han Chunming immediately got on his bike and chased after him, as if the sound behind him was just a gust of wind that would blow away as soon as it passed.

"How dare you still chase after Su Meng?" Cheng Jianjun muttered in a low voice. Before he could finish speaking, Su Meng glared at him coldly, turned around, jumped onto her car, and sped off in the morning light. Cheng Jianjun hurriedly pedaled to chase after her.

……

"Chunming, Yang Jianhua from the educated youth office is organizing a get-together. We'll be gathering in the auditorium the day after tomorrow, and you might even have to sing a few lines or show off your talents on stage—are you going?" Xiao Yao asked casually as he rode his bike uphill.

"If the paperwork goes smoothly today, I'll go! From now on, I'll be a proper employee!" Han Chunming raised his chin, his lips curving upwards—in serious dramas, he should be squatting in alleys collecting scraps, how could he dare to step onto such a stage?

"Okay, let's go together then. Should we invite Su Meng? She's been really interested in the things that happened to the educated youth in the countryside; she kept pestering me for details last time."

"I'll ask her out tonight when I get back!" Han Chunming said with a beaming smile, his smile practically radiating from his sleeves.

Before long, the two stopped in front of the garment factory's metal gate. Su Man was leaning against a gatepost waiting when she saw Xiao Yao approaching with his childhood friend. She stepped forward to greet him, her smile gentle:

"You must be Han Chunming? I'm Su Man, Xiao Yao's classmate—he often praises you for your loyalty."

"He's probably talking about me behind my back." Han Chunming grinned, hooked his arm around Xiao Yao's shoulder affectionately.

The three of them went to the personnel department together. Xiao Yao readily gave up his position to Han Chunming and asked Director Su to transfer his file to the garment factory; Su Man, on the other hand, transferred her spot to a relative. After completing the formalities, the two strolled leisurely toward the factory gate.

The night before, when Xiao Yao agreed to give up his post, he knocked on Su Man's door under the moonlight and told her the whole story.

"Let's go, you can come to my house to study from now on—my grandma lives alone, so I can keep her company often." Su Man pushed her bicycle, the wheels making a soft creak, and the two rode side by side, their shadows stretched long and thin by the streetlights.

"The day after tomorrow, the educated youth are having a get-together. Do you want to go and join in the fun?" Xiao Yao asked, turning her head to the side.

"Outsiders can come in?" Su Man's eyes lit up.

"It's not a meeting, just an old buddy get-together to chat and catch up," Xiao Yao said with a smile, waving his hand.

"Then... I'll go with you to take a look." Su Man's ears turned slightly red, and her voice was as soft as willow catkins in the wind.

Before long, they arrived at Su Man's house. It was a two-story Western-style house with a small courtyard, a gift from the state to recognize her maternal grandfather's contributions. Her grandfather had only one daughter, Su Man's mother, and after the old man passed away, the family lived in the house.

Su Man brewed two cups of hot tea, handed one to Xiao Yao, and then picked up her book and buried herself in reading. Occasionally she would look up and chat for a few minutes, but her mind remained focused on the words.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Su Man stood gracefully at the door, wearing a navy blue woolen coat and a simple gray-blue scarf around her neck, waiting for Xiao Yao to come and pick her up on his bicycle.

At this moment, Han Chunming, holding his new work pass, and Su Meng had arrived at the scene early. On the stage, Secretary Yang was speaking, and the audience applauded. As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Huajian took the microphone, said a few words casually, and glanced around, suddenly noticing Han Chunming joking and laughing with Su Meng.

"Han Chunming! Where are you hiding? Come on up and show me what you've got!" Yang Huajian shouted, half-jokingly, "Who used to be the most energetic? It was you, kid!"

Han Chunming was forced onto the stage, and as soon as he opened his mouth, he revealed embarrassing stories about Yang Huajian stealing chickens from the neighbor's house and Mao Tudi wetting the bed when he was a child. Every sentence was barbed and every word was hurtful.

Xiao Yao shook his head from below the stage, while Su Man pursed her lips and sighed softly.

What do people fear most? It's having old wounds ripped open in public. You might enjoy a moment of pleasure, using laughter to cushion someone else's embarrassment—but you may not be able to taste how bitter that feeling is for them.

When Cheng Jianjun forced him to call him "grandpa," putting him in an awkward position, Han Chunming hid in his room and downed half a bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor). His mouth really had no gate; you couldn't stop it no matter how hard you tried.

Su Man had never heard Xiao Yao mention these old grievances before. She only remembered that when he first started working in the fields, he was so flustered that he mistook the tender green seedlings for weeds and pulled them all up.

Laughter erupted from the audience. Xiao Yao glanced at Mao's face, which was ashen, yet he was still forcing a smile; Yang Huajian's smile was frozen on his face, stiff as if covered in a layer of paste.

Yang Huajian immediately turned the tables and teased Han Chunming—knowing full well that he was tone-deaf, he still singled him out to sing; even more outrageous, he pointed to the piano in the corner: "Come on, play a tune!"

Xiao Yao shook his head, thinking to himself: This time it's your turn to get tricked.

"Stop messing around! Who here can play the piano? No one, right? As long as one brother has ever touched a piano key, I'll immediately acknowledge him as my master!" Han Chunming said firmly, his neck stiff.

"Nobody's responding? Then I'm leaving!" He knew in his heart that Yang Huajian was just making fun of him.

Before he could finish speaking, Cheng Jianjun jumped to his feet: "Oh, just because you can't play doesn't mean all men in the world are incapable?"

"Oh, you're going to do it yourself?" Han Chunming teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Chunming, let's settle this score today—what will you do if I actually make a sound?" Cheng Jianjun smiled, but his eyes flashed with cold light.

"Just making sounds doesn't count; you have to play a complete piece! Everyone agrees, right?" Han Chunming immediately fanned the flames.

"Alright! Then I'll make a fool of myself and sing a song—I sincerely invite Miss Su Meng to sing 'Moscow Nights,' and I'll accompany her on the instrument!" Cheng Jianjun said proudly, full of self-satisfaction.

Han Chunming's smile vanished instantly, but he still forced himself to clap.

Xiao Yao watched quietly, hoping he would remember this lesson: the more exhilarating it is to expose someone's weaknesses, the more humiliating it will be when your own secrets are revealed. You'll never learn to hold back until you experience it firsthand.

As the music ended, Cheng Jianjun stood up and said loudly, "Chunming, now, do you dare to take back what you just said?"

Han Chunming stood up with a dark face, his voice deep: "I wouldn't dare—I was blind and underestimated you, a master like you."

Yang Huajian then chuckled and smoothed things over, saying, "You've really changed! I never expected Jianjun to have such a hidden talent! Everyone, how about another one?"

Han Chunming lowered his head, his lips pressed tightly together, and mechanically clapped along with the others, his palms burning hot.

Upon seeing this, Su Meng's face immediately darkened. She silently walked off the stage and sat down next to Han Chunming.

Su Man looked at the stage and then at Xiao Yao, asking softly, "Aren't they best friends? Why are they being so ruthless?"

"I don't understand either. But it's good this way—it's better to see a person clearly than to blindly rush forward. There's still time to turn back." Xiao Yao's tone was gentle, yet it conveyed a sense of certainty.

Han Chunming suddenly stood up, walked straight to Xiao Yao, grabbed him, and headed for the door. Su Man was startled, but immediately followed. Seeing this, Cai Xiaoli quickly chased after them.

"Xiao Yao, have a couple of drinks with me."

"Weren't you quite enthusiastic about exposing other people's shortcomings just now? Why did you wilted when it came to yourself? Look at Mao Tudi and Yang Huajian, how happy they are, how loudly they are clapping—why don't you join in the fun?" Xiao Yao looked at him calmly.

Han Chunming was stunned. The exhilarating feeling of biting off more than he could muster hadn't faded, but now it felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head—so this was what it felt like to be stabbed. No wonder the entire room was silent when Cheng Jianjun made his move; not a single person had uttered a word in his defense.

If an acquaintance had smiled and smoothed things over, saying, "Hey, Chunming's just joking around, don't take it seriously!" the matter would have been over long ago. But no one spoke up—because everyone was waiting for this moment, waiting for him to embarrass himself, waiting for him to stumble.

Looking at Mao and Yang Huajian, their mouths were practically stretched to their ears, and they were slapping so hard that the window frame was buzzing. What were they after?

Let's go to my place, we'll have a couple of drinks! I'll take them home first, then I'll go home and cook a couple of dishes to go with the drinks, and wait for you to come.

As soon as Xiao Yao finished speaking, he grabbed the handlebars of the bicycle, took the initiative to push the bike, and accompanied Su Man home.