Courtyard Houses: The Great Masters of a Nation Hidden Within

The door rattled a few times.

The old man put down his work, went over and opened the door. Standing outside was a young man who was a little over 1.8 meters tall. He had a clean face, a straight posture, and a smile on his lips, but he didn't recognize the man. There was definitely no one like him in the courtyard.

Before he could ask, Gao Jianguo gave him a forced smile and said, "Excuse me, are you Uncle Yan, the third uncle in the courtyard?"

"it's me."

"Hello, Uncle. I'm a college graduate who just joined Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill. The mill assigned me to this courtyard. I live in the east wing opposite you. The clerk from the logistics department just pointed me out that you live here."

The old man was quick-witted and immediately understood – a new neighbor!

To be able to secure those three east wing rooms right after entering the factory, this person must either be capable, have connections, or be a college graduate. These days, which college graduate doesn't have their future in their own hands?

Based on this logic, being polite and warm to people is always a good idea.

"Oh, welcome, welcome! Come in and have a seat, come in and have a seat."

Gao Jianguo waved his hand and took half a step back: "No, no, I just arrived. The house is still a mess, like a pigsty. Don't make it dirty for you."

Changing the subject, he got to the point: "Here's the thing, I just got here, and this afternoon I have to run around to the factory and the neighborhood committee to handle some paperwork and pick up all those certificates and receipts, otherwise I'll starve to death in this yard. But my room is still in disrepair and I don't have the time to clean it. By the time everything's done, it'll be completely dark, and I won't even have a place to sleep. I was thinking, you know the area well, and you have a lot of family members, could you find someone to help me tidy up that room?"

Before the old man could speak, Gao Jianguo added, "Of course, this will take up your time. I'll compensate you with one yuan as compensation for your loss. How about that?"

One dollar!

The old man's ears perked up, and without any hesitation, he readily agreed: "No problem, no problem, you go ahead with your work. My wife and I have a few kids here, we'll make sure they're all clean and tidy for you."

"You're too kind with how you address me. Just call me Jianguo. To be honest, you've been a huge help to me. So, apart from my luggage roll, I don't need anything else in the room. You can do whatever you want with it."

Upon hearing this, the third uncle was overjoyed. Although there didn't seem to be anything valuable in the house, he figured he could sort it out and maybe get a few cents at the scrap yard.

He immediately called over three aunties and a few able-bodied children, and the group followed Gao Jianguo to the east wing.

Gao Jianguo piled all the luggage onto the kang (heated brick bed) in the north room, mumbled a few important words, and then took out a one-yuan note and stuffed it into the hands of the third uncle: "I'm afraid I'll forget it when I get busy. Please keep the money for now. After you're done packing, please lock the door. I'll come to your place to get the key after I get off work this afternoon."

He handed over the money, then casually pulled out a pack of Xiangshan cigarettes and slapped it into the old man's hand: "Keep these cigarettes for yourself."

The third uncle's face was beaming from ear to ear. While he was thinking about where he could exchange these cigarettes for cash, he patted his chest and assured him, "Alright, Jianguo, don't worry, I'll make sure this place is spotless for you."

Gao Jianguo thanked him profusely, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and turned to leave the courtyard.

He wasn't too worried about leaving the things there. Firstly, all his valuables were locked in his personal storage room. Secondly, although his third uncle was greedy for money, he believed in acquiring things ethically and needed a pretext. He wouldn't do anything as despicable as petty theft.

As for what Gao Jianguo was rushing out of the house to do?

The answer is incredibly simple—go fill your stomach.

He studied in Beijing for four years, and with all the ration coupons he received, he wouldn't go hungry even without the system's safety net.

But when someone is working hard for you while you, the landlord, just sit there with your legs crossed and watch, it's a bit embarrassing in today's society.

It was almost lunchtime, so I decided to sneak out to a restaurant. This way, I could avoid embarrassment and fill my stomach—a win-win situation.

As for inviting Uncle San's family to eat together? Gao Jianguo has a good temper, but not to that extent; he wouldn't go out of his way to do that.

For two ounces of grain coupons and eight mao (0.8 yuan), Gao Jianguo enjoyed a delicious meal with three meat buns and a bowl of wontons.

After finishing his meal and wiping his mouth, he left the state-run restaurant. He looked around to make sure no one was there, then pulled out a large apple from the system and started crunching on it. It weighed 0.15 kilograms, which was nothing compared to his withdrawal limit accumulated since the system started. People should never shortchange themselves if they have the means.

While Gao Jianguo was happily enjoying his meal alone, Uncle San's family was working hard and enthusiastically.

The third auntie swept the dust with her broom, chatting with the third auntie: "This young man looks quite energetic and is very generous. We haven't even started the work yet, and he's already handed over the money. You know, he works at the steel mill and is a college graduate, so he must be at least a technician. His salary is probably higher than Sha Zhu's."

The old man looked thoughtful: "That goes without saying. A college student's internship pays 48.5 yuan, and even more after becoming a full-time employee. Sha Zhu probably can't compare, let alone his future potential. But this young man seems to have some connections. Think about it, how many people are eyeing this east wing in the front yard? Who got it? Even if he's a college student, to be able to control all three rooms, he must have some skill or powerful backing. We need to be careful when dealing with him in the future."

"That's right, that's right. Ah, if only our house could have a dragon flying out like that, then all the pretty girls on the streets would be ours to choose from!"

"What are you dreaming about? With my salary, I'd be lucky to raise all these kids. Stop thinking about things that aren't even real. But you know what, this young man's looks, his height, his overall appearance—which girl wouldn't be smitten? But I always feel like this young man looks so refined at first glance, but there's always something... something else hidden under those eyes..."

The old man tilted his head, pondered for a long time, and suddenly blurted out a word: "That's it, murderous intent! It's murderous intent!"

The three women looked completely bewildered: "I think you've been reading too many storybooks and you've gone mad."

"You don't believe me? Just you wait and see. This guy is definitely not someone you can easily bully. By the way, if anyone in the yard sees us tidying up his house, don't tell them he paid us to do it."

"With your temperament, everyone in the neighborhood knows who you are. Even if I say I'm helping out for free, the neighbors still have to believe me."

"Anyway, you can't mention money. Right, just say it's compensation for our losses. That's a good way to put it. Compensation and money sound similar at first glance, but the implications are completely different. Wow, this young man is indeed a college graduate; he's quite shrewd."

While savoring his food with great relish, the third uncle turned to urge the youngest member of his household, "Jiecheng! What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and put those broken pieces of wood back in our house."

Yan Jiecheng, the eldest son of the Yan family, just finished junior high school last year. He failed all the entrance exams for high school and vocational school. He makes a living by doing odd jobs and earns a little money. He is a bit listless.

As he reluctantly dragged the log toward his house, he muttered under his breath, "All he does is rush me, he doesn't give me a single penny, all he does is scheme, scheme."