Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

He led a group of children straight to the central garden of the community, where they swung on swings, went down the slides, and played shuttlecock, getting all sweaty and thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Su Man and her mother were also busy. One carried a fruit platter back and forth to replenish supplies, while the other stood on the stone steps as a "lookout," afraid that some of the kids might wander into the bushes and get lost—after all, it was their first time here, and they didn't even remember all the building numbers.

With about half an hour to go before dinner, everyone boarded the minibus and headed to the hotel. Xiao Yao first settled the relatives into the private room, then turned around and went back to the entrance with her parents to wait for the elders who had just returned from their work.

"Big brother! Hello, big brother!"

As soon as Xiao Yun appeared, supporting Zhao Jiao, her parents only nodded hurriedly to Zhao Jiao, urging her to hurry into the private room. They didn't even glance at Xiao Yun; their eyes had already passed over his shoulder and were fixed on the entrance.

"You all go in and sit for a while, and help look after your younger siblings," Xiao Yao instructed softly.

"Okay!" the two readily agreed.

Soon, taxis pulled up in front of the hotel one after another. Xiao Yao greeted them and led them in one by one. Some were families from the same workplace, while others were from different streets or different systems, so he had to act as a go-between.

The two large private rooms, each named "Di," were instantly packed with people. He also made a point of inviting all his relatives scattered around: to strike while the iron was hot and get to know each other so that they wouldn't feel awkward when visiting each other in the future. He couldn't possibly pass by his own relatives and not recognize them.

Xiao Yao was dragged around the room by Xiao Zhiyuan and Lin Wan. He had missed the last wedding, so this time he simply became the "chief family acquaintance officer." Su Man was pregnant and feeling heavy, so her parents stopped her, saying, "Go and rest. There are plenty of opportunities in the future."

He had barely taken a few bites of food when he had already recognized all sixty-plus relatives. Their names, generational status, jobs, and children's ages were all neatly arranged in his mind.

……

Xiao Yun wasn't pushed forward to be introduced this time—the "highlight" of his wedding banquet was recognizing relatives, and today he was avoiding the limelight. Xiao Yao's smile was stiff, but she didn't relax, managing to keep that smile perfectly natural.

There were sixty or seventy people; the scene wasn't extravagant, nor was it deserted. Before the gathering ended, everyone exchanged phone numbers. Xiao Yao gave everyone Su Man's number—in case he missed it while on a business trip or in a meeting, and it might cause an emergency at home.

After dinner, Su Man couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle as she watched Xiao Yao rubbing his cheek.

She squatted down and waved goodbye to her younger siblings one by one: "You'll stay at your older brother's house for the next few days. Once the new house is all set up, you can move in."

"You have so many relatives... When I was a child, it was just my parents, grandma and me during Chinese New Year. We would watch an old TV together and count the firecrackers as they went off."

On the way home, Su Man leaned against the car window and said softly.

"I lived with my grandfather when I was little. He and my father didn't get along, so they separated early on. My father was heavy-handed back then, and I was often beaten before I was ten. Later, I started boarding school, and I only saw him a few times a year." Xiao Yao paused, "So to be honest, this is the first time I've ever experienced this kind of situation."

New Year's Day has arrived in the blink of an eye.

This time, Xiao Yun got married, and his relatives were especially enthusiastic—it was their second reunion since returning to Beijing, and their first time seeing his wife. What was even more remarkable was that everyone was able to be present and gather around a table in a lively atmosphere.

As dawn broke, relatives began to gather downstairs at Xiao's father's house.

"Big brother! Big brother!" A group of children surrounded Xiao Yao like sparrows, their eyes fixed on the bunch of artificial flowers in his hand—he was standing on tiptoe hanging the ribbons, his head throbbing from the chatter.

As soon as a few flowers were handed out, the little ones immediately held them and giggled, instantly silencing the noise by half.

Su Man carried a jar of candy through the living room, stuffing candies into the children's hands one by one; her parents, meanwhile, sat on the sofa with tea, chatting warmly with the elders. It wasn't the wedding day yet, so everyone was relaxed, laughing and chatting all the while.

Once the gossipy aunts and uncles start talking, they can't stop.

"Our country's technology is truly amazing these days! Yesterday, my husband and I went to look at cars, and the salesman said that Longxia has already reached its third generation; the TV we bought the other day is as thin as a brick—ten years ago? We wouldn't have even dared to dream of that!"

"Absolutely! Back then, we saved up for half our lives to afford our first car. Now, wages have gone up, life is much easier, and we can even video call on our phones and talk to real people face-to-face—isn't that amazing!"

As my second aunt spoke, she pulled out a brand-new smartphone. The screen was so bright it was dazzling, attracting a group of people to come closer and take a closer look.

Lin Wan...

These people have been living on the frontier for a long time, and their pace of life has fallen behind that of the city. These past few days, she's been running around helping them choose things, from how to set a timer on a rice cooker and how to dehumidify an air conditioner, to how to scan a code on an electric scooter and how to change the battery in a smart lock. She's been going door-to-door helping them pick things out, teaching them how to use them, and comparing prices.

"My colleagues told me that Longxia cigarettes are made in China, and they're even exported! Do you know what 'exported' means? It means they're sold overseas!"

My second aunt spoke with great enthusiasm.

"Sister-in-law, you can't say 'foreign devil' anymore, you have to call them 'foreign friends'." Third Aunt smiled wryly, rubbing her forehead.

"Friends? I prefer to call them foreign devils, it sounds better!" Second Aunt stubbornly refused to budge.

No one in the room took it seriously—who cares what it's called, as long as we can make their money back, isn't that enough? As long as we don't call it that in front of foreign guests, who's going to nitpick over the words?

Everyone had long since figured out her temperament, so they just laughed it off and no one took it to heart.

"Sister-in-law, you're absolutely right! These days, it's not just cars going overseas, but even our home appliances and children's toys are being sold abroad. In terms of technology, we are now truly at the forefront of the world—take mobile phones for example, when you put foreign products side by side, they simply can't compare to ours."

My third aunt worked at the Foreign Trade Bureau for several years; she was well-informed and spoke with confidence.

"What?! They can even export kids' toys?" My second aunt's eyes lit up, and she immediately slapped her thigh. "Then I'll go up the mountain tomorrow to cut down some hardwood logs, spin a few tops, and exchange them for foreign exchange!"

My third aunt's face immediately darkened, and her lips twitched—this sister-in-law was always so impulsive; she'd barely heard anything before her mind wandered off to the farthest reaches of the ocean. She'd never even seen what an export toy looked like, yet she was already thinking about spinning tops.

"Third son, take out the toys your mother bought you and show your aunt what they're like." She beckoned to her son helplessly. She had to let her second aunt see for herself what "export-grade toys" were like, otherwise, if she really went up the mountain with an axe to chop wood, where would she put her face? The key point was—she really was capable of doing it.

Years ago, when my second aunt heard that someone was buying mountain produce, she would carry a bamboo basket and venture into the deep mountain gullies to dig up shepherd's purse and pick dandelions, chasing after the buyer and asking, "If this isn't mountain produce, then what is?" The buyer was so confused by her question that he almost doubted that he had chosen the wrong profession.

Lin Yue tiptoed and carried the spinning, singing little princess toy to the center of the coffee table. With a flick of the switch, a clear nursery rhyme rang out, and the little figure immediately began to spin around, its skirt fluttering, its eyes flashing blue. Her second aunt stood there, mouth agape, speechless for a long time—she couldn't even draw the blueprints for this thing.

The room suddenly became lively, with everyone chattering around the toys: one person wanted to buy one for their daughter, another was thinking of giving it to their nephew, and someone even muttered, "Isn't this too soft for a boy?" They quickly pressed their aunt, "Do you have any remote-controlled tanks or robot sets?"

Over at the men's side, however, was a completely different scene. The conversation was entirely focused on the new cars—two production lines were currently running simultaneously: one for the gasoline-powered "Longxia Power Edition," and the other for the all-electric "Longxia Cloud Speed ​​Edition." The few who had just picked up their cars were huddled together, flipping through the manuals, still figuring out how to adjust the seat heaters.

Soon, Xiao Yun's second uncle helped him into a brand-new Zhongshan suit, pinned a big red flower to his chest, and the group walked downstairs in a grand procession. The convoy was parked neatly, with twenty or thirty gleaming new cars—these people had only returned to Beijing a few days ago, and their car keys hadn't even warmed up yet, but they were already proving very useful today.

Xiao Yao had already set up the camera and, like a nimble swallow, darted back and forth through the crowd, capturing the joyous atmosphere frame by frame.

In the blink of an eye, they arrived at Zhao Jiao's house. Today, Xiao Yao didn't need to bother explaining, handing out notes, or waiting for approvals; he was simply ushered into the courtyard. He headed straight for her room with his equipment, only to be blocked at the door by Zhao Jiao's several close friends, who stood with their hands on their hips, presenting him with a test: "Answer three questions correctly before you're released!"

Xiao Yao's eyes darted around, and he lowered his voice: "We haven't taken a picture of the living room yet, we need to take a panoramic shot!" The girls believed him and quickly made way for him—otherwise, Xiao Yun would probably still be standing outside the door like a statue waiting for her husband.

Mr. and Mrs. Zhao smiled broadly at the camera, their eyes crinkling with wrinkles. They even leaned in to chat about the embarrassing story of Zhao Jiao losing her teeth when she was little, their tone as warm and friendly as if they were having a casual conversation.

Nowadays, wedding customs are becoming increasingly detailed, almost like those of later generations. As Xiao Yao adjusted the focus, he thought: These scenes will have to be edited into a film so that Xiao Yun can watch them slowly when his hair turns gray.

When the wedding procession set off, Zhao's brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, and other relatives all followed, with a dozen or so cars trailing behind.

Firstly, it's about the dignity of the bride's family, ensuring their daughter is safely delivered to her husband's family; secondly, it's also an opportunity to get to know relatives and build relationships—making more friends will provide more options for things in the future.

The motorcade made a grand entrance, briefly stopping in front of the Xiao family's house before heading straight to the Jinghua Imperial Banquet Palace for the wedding ceremony, where red silks were hung high and guests filled the hall.

"It's a good thing we went to work early, otherwise we would have been exhausted just dealing with all these formalities." Su Man quietly nudged Xiao Yao's arm.

"You can't say that. Some people love this kind of excitement and liveliness, it's auspicious and lively. If you really want to hold a make-up event, we can arrange it anytime."

Su Man quickly waved her hand: "No way! I'd rather work two more days."

Xiao Yao helped her sit down, then turned around and raised the camera again. After filming this side, he rushed to Han Chunyan's wedding next door, slipped her a red envelope, and only then could he catch his breath and look around for Han Chunming.

Turning her head, she saw her second sister winking at her—Han Chunming was standing behind her, his suit sleeves rolled up to his forearms, with a familiar, slightly tired yet gentle smile on his face.