Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

I was so focused on chasing after him that I didn't really get a good look.

"I got some fabric ration coupons from Xiao Yao yesterday, and this was made fresh! How's it? When I get into style, I'm not inferior to the people in public, am I?" Han Chunming said, head held high, a hint of shyness mixed with pride. "Let's go see a movie! Xiao Yao bought two tickets on the spur of the moment, but we didn't need them, so he gave them to me." — In fact, he had specifically dragged Xiao Yao along yesterday to browse through all the department stores before choosing the fabric.

Su Meng looked at him, her face flushing instantly. She nodded slightly and jumped into the back seat. The wheels turned, and the two sped off towards the movie theater.

Xiao Yao had arranged to go to the movies with Su Man tonight, but Su Man's mother had prepared a table full of dishes early on and insisted that Su Man bring him home to sit down.

The dinner table was steaming hot. Su's mother kept nodding as she served Xiao Yao braised pork. Good-looking, reliable—couldn't get into university? No problem! She could easily arrange a job for him. Hearing that Xiao Yao's parents weren't around, she was even happier: after they got married, the young couple could move in directly, her daughter wouldn't suffer, and their life would be peaceful and stable.

Director Su glanced at his wife's beaming face, knowing that his words were completely unnecessary—his wife always made the decisions at home. Looking at Xiao Yao more closely, he realized that although she was a bit lazy, she was easygoing, gentle, and just like him. The worst thing in a relationship is arguing, so this was perfect.

The most important thing right now is the college entrance exam. My wife told me that the national college entrance exam will be officially reinstated tomorrow. We've been cramming for over a month now, and with another month or so left, we should be fine with a little extra effort.

The family sat around in the living room, drinking tea and chatting, while the sky outside the window gradually darkened.

"Su Man, see Xiao Yao out," Su's mother said gently, putting down her teacup.

Xiao Yao stood up and greeted them with a smile, "Uncle and Aunt, I'll head back now."

Director Su waved his hand, indicating that there was no need to be so polite.

The two walked side by side toward the courtyard gate, the evening breeze blowing and the shadows of the trees swaying.

"See you tomorrow." Su Man smiled faintly.

Xiao Yao pushed his bicycle, turned around, and called out, "See you tomorrow!"

He had just turned into the alley when he bumped into Han Chunming driving Su Meng back.

"Be careful not to run into Grandma Su, or she'll pour a bucket of cold water over your head!" Xiao Yao winked mischievously.

"I'm not afraid." Su Meng smiled. "Grandma knows we're dating. She might not say it's good, but she would never publicly discourage us."

Looking at the radiant Han Chunming beside her, her heart felt as if it had been caressed by a spring breeze, softening and burning. When they came out of the movie theater, several girls secretly glanced at him, and Su Meng boldly took his arm, her fingertips trembling slightly.

Xiao Yao understood that a young girl's heart was always both passionate and shy.

The three of them walked into the courtyard together, with Su Meng chattering away the whole way, her laughter clear and bright.

Cheng Jianjun trailed far behind, his face so gloomy it could wring water out of it. He gritted his teeth, thinking: once the college entrance exam results are released, the difference will be clear—for now, let Han Chunming enjoy his glory for a few more days.

Seeing that Su Meng was still holding Han Chunming's hand at the courtyard gate and reluctant to let go, Cheng Jianjun finally couldn't hold back and suddenly called out her name.

Su Meng glanced back and saw it was him. She didn't even bother to give a perfunctory greeting, and the scene immediately froze.

But Cheng Jianjun was not about to give up.

"Su Meng, what time is it? Your grandma will start nagging you later." He brought up Grandma Su to put on a show of support.

"Don't worry about it. If there's nothing else, go back and rest early." Su Meng's tone was calm, but her face remained expressionless.

Cheng Jianjun choked on the spot, his face turning a deep purplish-red. Without saying a word, he pushed the cart away, muttering Han Chunming's name under his breath, his voice so low it was almost inaudible.

The next morning, Han Chunming found Taozi and Cai Xiaoli under the locust tree and discussed: the factory's egg supply must continue; only a fool wouldn't take money that's been handed to them for free.

"But last time the security department almost got us arrested!" Taozi frowned. "If we do it again, aren't we just handing them over for trouble?"

"Don't worry, this time we have an expert to advise us, it's a sure thing." Han Chunming patted his chest, his eyes shining.

"Who is this expert? If you stumble again, it won't be as simple as just standing in the corner as punishment!" Cai Xiaoli frowned deeply.

"Trust me, this trip is a sure thing, no mishaps." Han Chunming's tone was firm, each word resounding.

It turned out that Xiao Yao had already planned it out with him: even if Cheng Jianjun betrayed him, it wouldn't matter—the first step was to pack up the rural eggs, bring in the head of the security department and the director of the logistics department to join in, without spending a penny, and just wait for the dividends; in the future, the entire factory's procurement would be in his hands sooner or later.

Han Chunming felt a chill run down his spine after hearing this: This idea was too ruthless and too extreme.

"A fixed monthly salary of fifty yuan versus a guaranteed extra income of two hundred yuan every month—only a fool would hesitate. This doesn't cross any red lines. You buy eggs according to the factory's unified price, and you buy them in the countryside at the market price. Who would check the business under their nose? Besides, the factory rules don't explicitly prohibit this, and there's no falsification or adulteration." Xiao Yao's words were sharp and went straight to the point.

If all the eggs from an entire factory go through you, how can one or two villages possibly supply them? Once this operation is established, a team can be quickly assembled: you go to the countryside to collect eggs under the factory's name, and then resell them back to the factory, just in a different way; registering a purchasing company later is a natural progression. With more people, the roads widen, and the rules naturally stand firm—there's no exploitation of farmers at all; on the contrary, it saves them travel time and raises prices.

Han Chunming stared at Xiao Yao, as if seeing his face clearly for the first time.

……

Han Chunming first treated the head of the security department and the director of the logistics department to a hearty meal at the state-run restaurant. He didn't make any empty promises, but simply stated the facts: "The quality of the eggs is exactly the same as what the factory used to supply. You don't need to give them any special treatment. Just make sure they buy from me regularly. The net profit of two hundred yuan per month will go to you two."

The two exchanged a glance and vaguely replied, "We'll think about it later." Just before leaving, they finally relented, saying, "As long as the eggs are fine, we'll buy them at the factory price."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two walked out of the restaurant side by side. Han Chunming breathed a sigh of relief—the most important thing right now was to find egg-collecting agents in each county: each person would earn 18 yuan a month to collect eggs from various villages at a designated point, and he would send a truck to pick them up.

Having just finalized the selections for two counties, Han Chunming has already set his sights on the canteens of other factories—this move is inevitable.

Cai Xiaoli and Taozi gritted their teeth and borrowed some money, then plunged headfirst into the scheme with Han Chunming. After hearing the whole plan, the two were completely relieved: it was flawless. The people no longer had to walk ten miles under the scorching sun, carrying eggs, to the supply and marketing cooperative; they could sell them right at their doorstep. They earned the price difference; and the food factory also secured a stable, high-quality, and transparent procurement channel.

A month later, the three of them sat around the table, staring blankly at the mountain of banknotes—after deducting all expenses, the net profit had exceeded five thousand.

"The portions for Section Chief Chunming and the Director, as well as the hard-earned money for the county agents, have all been distributed. The rest is all ours." Cai Xiaoli's voice trembled.

"Divide it into four portions," Han Chunming suddenly said. "It's too hot for me to handle."

"Even though the person who came up with the idea didn't do anything, we can't just take the benefits without giving them anything in return. If we dump him today, who will be willing to open their heart to help you tomorrow?" Taozi nodded in agreement.

Cai Xiaoli nodded vigorously.

Han Chunming had long ago decided that he would take advantage of the money being delivered to Xiao Yao's doorstep to ask for guidance. He was no longer interested in such a small amount of profit—he needed to expand his business and broaden his connections, and of course, the more money the better.

He put the money in a coarse cloth bag, walked in the dark to Xiao Yao's door, and knocked three times lightly.

The door opened, and Xiao Yao looked up to see it was him.

Han Chunming slipped into the house, closed the door behind him, and put his index finger to his lips to shush.

"Are you doing something like a thief?" Xiao Yao frowned.

"Here's a little something from you guys—1250 yuan! Is that enough?" Han Chunming grinned, his face full of pride.

"I wasn't involved in this. Take it back." Xiao Yao waved his hand. "It's enough for me."

"Take a look first before you buy it, or may I be struck by lightning!" he said, shaking open his cloth bag and stacking stacks of brand-new, crisp "Big Unity" bills on the table.

Xiao Yao's expression remained unchanged. Han Chunming's gaze was fixed on him, scanning him inch by inch.

"Alright, I've examined your eyes. Take it and go. You're running your own business, don't you need to keep some capital?" Xiao Yao suddenly smiled, a hint of warmth in his eyes.

This kid is indeed reliable—these days, someone who would personally come to your door with such a large sum of money is one in a million. This money is enough for the whole family to live comfortably for five or six years, without worrying about food or clothing.

"No way! Didn't we agree to share the good times and the bad?" Han Chunming immediately switched to a familiar tone.

"I never said that," Xiao Yao shook his head.

"When I was six years old, I was sitting under the locust tree in this yard, eating a cornbread, and you were squatting next to me. You told me this yourself! I even broke off half and put it in your hand. Don't you remember?" Han Chunming made it up on the spot, making it sound more real than the truth.

"Alright, alright, kid, just say what you want to say." Xiao Yao couldn't help but chuckle.

Han Chunming hooked his arm around his shoulder: "Brother doesn't want to sneak around making this little money anymore, I want to do something big and honest—you mark the way, and I'll share everything with you!"

After going around in circles for a while, I finally got to the bottom of my mind.

"Now that the logistics and security departments have tasted the sweetness, right? Then your next step is to just take down the production director—get him to mention at the factory meeting that a joint public-private trade department should be established, and that will make things much more logical, won't it?" Xiao Yao tapped the table lightly with his fingertips.

"Tell me in detail!" Han Chunming's eyes lit up.

"Affiliate with Yili Food Factory and register a trading company. On one hand, purchase raw materials for the factory, and on the other hand, go to the countryside to collect local products and distribute them yourself. It's legal, compliant, and legitimate. The factory will take half of the profits, and the rest will be yours—whether you do it or not depends on your courage." Xiao Yao hadn't finished speaking when his fingers were still tapping.

"You mean... build a farmers' market?" Han Chunming was startled, unsure of what to believe.

"That's right. As long as the factory approves, it's a legitimate business. Your market has a wider selection than any department store, so you won't have to worry about a lack of customers or unsold goods. Take this money back as seed money." Xiao Yao pushed the cloth bag in front of Han Chunming.

"But... with this little money, I'm afraid we can't even afford to rent a plot of land." Han Chunming scratched his head.