Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Before she finished speaking, Su Man's eyes crinkled into a smile. She had always trusted and supported him—even if he were transferred to a laboratory thousands of miles away, she would be willing to go with him; if they could stand side by side at their doorstep, it would be even more comforting.

Just then, Xiao Yao's phone rang. Looking at the screen, it was Han Chunming.

After a few days, this guy has returned.

"Hey! Xiao Yao! I heard you've had twins?!" Han Chunming's voice boomed like firecrackers during Chinese New Year.

"It was my wife who gave birth, not me—if you keep spouting nonsense, I'll make your son call me godfather!" Xiao Yao feigned anger.

"Same here! Su Meng's due date is in the next few days, how about we arrange a marriage between our children? It would be a double blessing!" Han Chunming laughed without any seriousness.

"No way. Who the children will live with in the future is their own fate. If we interfere, what's the difference between us and exchanging birth certificates in the old society?" Xiao Yao flatly refused.

"Alright, alright—I can be your godfather, right? It's not illegal!" Han Chunming immediately backed down.

"Okay, where are you?" Xiao Yao thought to himself, hearing his light tone: Isn't this kid supposed to be overwhelmed by the factory? How come he has time to make a phone call?

"Not in the hospital, at the factory! The due date is still a few days away. The group of college students you found are already on the job, and they're incredibly efficient—they produced a prototype of the remote-controlled airplane in just three days, and the production line is running at full capacity right now. But selling them for sixty yuan apiece, isn't that a bit too much?" Han Chunming finally got to the point.

"The prices are very reasonable. The main focus is on exports, and domestically, we only supply boutique toy stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen."

These toys are made of solid materials and won't fall apart even if you drop them or roll around on them. As long as you don't smash them with a hammer, they can last for three to five years without any problems—this price is really not expensive.

"Alright, you get back to work. I'll send you the results report once the first batch of overseas orders arrives!"

After Han Chunming finished speaking, he hung up the phone, turned around and dialed a few foreign numbers, only saying, "New gadgets are here, get your wallets ready, don't blink."

After connecting with Han Chunming, Sam firmly established himself in the European market. New toys sold out as soon as they appeared, and there was simply no time to restock. His products were solidly made and brilliantly designed, and their reputation soared, making his wallet bulge. He set Han Chunming's phone number as a "starred contact," afraid of missing a call. In order to be able to personally conduct business, he hired three Chinese teachers to take turns teaching him over the years, from pinyin to daily conversation, and he even dreamed of saying "hello" and "how much?"

In Europe today, teaching Chinese is practically a golden opportunity—parents are lining up to grab spots so their children can order food, ask for directions, and make friends when they study in China. Meanwhile, China has opened the door to global trade with batches of civilian-grade high-tech equipment, letting the world see for themselves that the place once known as the "ancient country of the East" has long since shed its old labels and is at the forefront of innovation.

Some people learn Chinese purely to be more confident when negotiating business deals—after all, with a translator, who can say for sure whether the other party "agrees to cooperate" or "negotiates for another three years"? My teacher said that in Chinese, the word "打" (dǎ) can mean making a phone call, buying soy sauce, playing basketball, or even going to court… Guessing will inevitably lead to disaster. It's better to speak it yourself; that's much safer.

"Hello, Mr. Han! Is there good news calling so late?" Sam asked tentatively in slightly rolled Chinese.

He knew that nine out of ten times, Han Chunming's phone calls were for business opportunities.

"Hello Mr. Sam! It's just past noon here. We're here to discuss cooperation, of course." Han Chunming spoke quickly. "We've just launched a brand new remote-controlled airplane—it hovers at a height of five meters, has a two-hour flight time on a single charge, charges directly via USB, requires no battery replacement, and generates no waste. As for the price, we can discuss it in detail once you've seen the actual product."

Sam's eyes lit up instantly. He'd never seen anything like it before! Older toys always came with batteries or chargers, and even then, they were prone to leaks. This one was like the evolution from flip phones to full-screen direct charging – no need to remove the back cover, no need to pick up different charging cables, it looked so much cleaner and more reliable. He made the decision on the spot, booked a ticket that very night, and flew directly to Kyoto.

……

A year and a half passed in the blink of an eye, and Xiao Yao officially received an appointment letter from the University of Science and Technology, becoming a young professor at the university.

Clutching the red-stamped, gold-embossed letter of appointment, he hurried back to his old neighborhood. Zhang Jie had received a new assignment and would no longer accompany him on his guard duties. Xiao Yao stood at the familiar entrance to his building. Two years had passed since he last returned. Not a single patch of paint had fallen from the stairwell walls, but Kyoto had changed drastically: elevated highways pierced the clouds, glass curtain walls reflected the setting sun, and even the wind carried a scent of fresh paint mixed with the aroma of coffee.

As soon as Xiao Yao stepped into the courtyard, she saw Xiao Zhiyuan with two little pigtails on his head and his face painted like a New Year's picture doll, chasing after two little girls in circles. Xiao Yao was momentarily embarrassed. She wanted to greet him but was afraid of scaring the children, so she simply lowered her head and pretended not to see him, and quickly walked upstairs.

Just before entering the lab, he learned that Su Man was pregnant again, and her two daughters were already six months along. The little dumpling who used to only babble and giggle in his arms could now stagger along the wall, laughing and rushing towards every swaying balloon.

Xiao Yao raised his hand and knocked on the door. Lin Wan opened the door, carrying a chubby little guy. As soon as she saw him, her eyebrows immediately rose: "Oh, you're on holiday? This time it's been really long!" Her tone was full of reproach—she hadn't even been seen during the New Year, where did she go?

"I really can't find time off this time, and I won't need to in the future," Xiao Yao laughed as he took off his coat. "I'll just be teaching at the University of Science and Technology. Is Su Man still at get off work?"

"We're almost there!" Lin Wan looked at him, travel-worn, and felt a pang of heartache mixed with amusement. She scolded him gently, but her hands deftly pressed him into the sofa. "Sit still, don't move!"

The kitchen curtain was lifted, and Su's mother came out carrying a steaming bowl of pork rib soup: "Have some soup to tide you over, you must be starving!"

"Mom, I just bought a sesame seed cake with braised beef at the door, I'm full!"

"This is your son, Xiao Yu. He's six months old, a chubby little thing. He cries when he's hungry and sleeps when he's full. Compared to his two older sisters, he's as quiet as a kitten." Lin Wan gently bounced the baby in her arms, her eyes curving into crescent moons.

Before she could finish speaking, the keychain rattled as Su Man pushed open the door and entered, followed by three little butterflies fluttering in: a pair of twins clung tightly to her legs, while the youngest stumbled along behind, his face painted in vibrant colors; Mr. Xiao and Mr. Su stood side by side at the door, watching the scene with smiles, carrying the jelly and bubble solution they had just bought.

When the three little ones saw Xiao Yao, they all shrank behind their grandfather and maternal grandfather, only peeking out their three fluffy little heads, blinking as they looked at this "strange father".

"Dad, Su Man." Xiao Yao stood up, her voice gentle.

Su Man smiled, took two steps closer, and brushed her fingertips against his slightly disheveled collar: "You've lost weight." She then turned to her two daughters, squatted down, and said softly, "Look, this is the father you talk about every day."

As soon as he finished speaking, tears streamed down the two little girls' faces like a dam had been opened. They sobbed and burrowed into Xiao Zhiyuan's legs, their little shoulders heaving. It was hard to tell whether they were feeling wronged, scared, or flustered from not seeing each other for so long.

Xiao Zhiyuan quickly hugged them and comforted them, "Don't cry, sweeties. Daddy won't go anywhere else from now on. I'll stay home with you every day, okay?"

Before the words were even finished, the two of them simultaneously released their grandfather's hand and stretched out their arms to Xiao Yao—who caught them and held them steadily in his arms. Strangely enough, as soon as they touched his chest, their little heads automatically buried in it, their ears pressed against his heartbeat, neither of them willing to look up, as if the rhythm of his heartbeat was the beat they knew best.

At dinner, the two children clung to him, refusing to get down, which made Mr. Xiao sigh anxiously, "Oh dear, these two ungrateful little ones, they forget their father as soon as they see him!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the two children slid off Xiao Yao's lap and buried themselves in the arms of the two elderly people, giving each of them a quick kiss: "No way! We love Grandpa the most! We love Grandpa the most!"

The two old men immediately burst into laughter, their eye wrinkles crinkling into crescents.

After the meal, Su Man sat down next to Xiao Yao and asked softly, "They... all graduated successfully?"

"Yes. They've all been assigned to key laboratories." Xiao Yao nodded. "I didn't get involved this time; they completed the entire process independently. It's like a 'final exam'."

"Have you secured a job?"

"The application was submitted a month ago and it's been approved." He took out an envelope from his bag, pulled out the letter of appointment and a letter of introduction with a bright red official seal, and wrote, "Lecturer at the University of Science and Technology, officially starting work."

Looking at the two little bodies sleeping soundly in Xiao Yao's arms, Su Man smiled: "They press their faces against the window every day and ask, 'Everyone else's dad has come home, where is our dad?'"

Xiao Yao reached out and brushed the stray hairs from her daughter's forehead, her voice soft: "Now that you're back, you'll never leave again. There aren't many classes, and there's a long life ahead of you—thank you for your hard work, and thank you to your parents."

"What can I do? At most, I can go home after get off work and make them laugh—the children were all raised by their parents."

As she spoke, Su Man took off her apron and casually draped it over the back of the chair.

"It's so good to have you."

Xiao Yao spoke softly, her tone carrying a reassuring warmth.

"bandit!"

Su Man's cheeks flushed slightly, and she blurted out the words, then couldn't help but laugh.

"Is this Xiao Yun's daughter?" Xiao Yao leaned closer, her gaze falling on the little girl with pigtails in her arms.

"Yes, eldest, Xiao Shuya. The second child's due date is in the next few days, I heard she's about to give birth. Xiao Yun and Dad had a huge argument about this, they fought three times in total."

"Why is it making such a fuss?" Xiao Yao was taken aback.

"It was a custody battle. Xiao Yun insisted on taking care of the child herself, but her father flatly refused, saying he had no time to take care of a baby—and then he brought the child here. Xiao Yun got angry and went to the door to take the child. The father and son almost came to blows. The father raised his cane and hit her. Xiao Yun was so angry that she didn't step into this door for half a year. Later, it was all thanks to Zhao Jiao, who was there every day after work, feeding the baby, changing diapers, and comforting and playing with her."

Su Man sighed, her fingertips unconsciously twirling the hem of her clothes.

Xiao Yao's heart sank. He suddenly remembered that his father, Xiao Zhiyuan, had done the same thing when he was young—he went to his father with his household registration book to ask to take him away, but he was whipped with a rattan cane until his back turned blue, and he was sent to the Great Northern Wilderness that very day.