Courtyard House: Starting as an eighth-grade worker, with too many wives.

Autumn in 1963 came earlier than usual.

A green train traveling from Northwest China to Beijing chugged along, panting heavily, through the desolate plains.

Li Jianguo sat by the window.

After a day and a night of bumpy travel, my whole body ached and I was exhausted, but my mind was incredibly clear. The air in the carriage was stuffy, a mixture of sweat, foot odor, and cheap tobacco. People were lying haphazardly in the aisle, and sacks were stuffed under the seats. Adults were yelling and children were crying, creating a constant buzzing noise.

Li Jianguo does not belong here.

His memory is still stuck in the cubicles of the 21st century, with the progress of unfinished projects jumping on the screen.

My heart suddenly tightened, followed by endless darkness. When I opened my eyes again, I was a passenger on this green train.

The original owner's memories flashed back and pieced together in his mind like tattered film reels. It took him several days to barely understand his situation.

1963.

An eighth-level engineer at a steel rolling mill.

Level 8 workers are among the few people in the entire factory who can be counted on one hand, and their wages are higher than the factory manager's.

This time, he was transferred back to Beijing to work at an automobile steel rolling mill in the eastern part of the city.

When someone is transferred by the organization, their personnel file is stamped with the official seal, leaving no room for refusal.

Even more absurdly, he only realized this after the memories had completely merged.

He found himself transported to the world of "Full House of Love".

He'd seen that show. At the time, he felt his values ​​were being utterly shattered. The eldest uncle in the middle courtyard, Yi Zhonghai, was a hypocrite spouting platitudes; the second uncle in the back courtyard, Liu Haizhong, was obsessed with officialdom and always put on airs; the third uncle in the front courtyard, Yan Bugui, was a cunning schemer. Then there was the seemingly gentle Qin Huairu, full of hidden agendas; the cowardly but lustful Sha Zhu; the treacherous Xu Damao; the shameless Jia Zhangshi; and the deaf and black-hearted old lady. And then there were those ungrateful, spoiled brats.

Not a single person in this courtyard is normal.

His original self lived in the backyard of this courtyard house.

Both of my parents were engineers at a steel rolling mill, and they owned the three best brick houses in the backyard.

More than ten years ago, his parents took him to the Great Northwest to support its development.

Instead of staying in the perfectly good city of Beijing, they insisted on going to that bitterly cold place with its sandstorms.

Besides their fervent patriotism, their actions were also inextricably linked to the people in this courtyard.

Back then, the neighborhood was selecting the "Five Guarantees" households. The people in this courtyard used every trick in the book to compete for a spot.

The deaf old lady had no children, but did she lack food and clothing? Yi Zhonghai, Sha Zhu, and others took meticulous care of her. How could she possibly meet the criteria? Yet she still got the award.

Li Jianguo's parents disapproved of this and grumbled about it at home.

Some people say the deaf old lady shouldn't have gotten the spot, because there are many people in worse situations than her.

Somehow, these words reached the ears of the deaf old lady.

Coincidentally, she was no longer deaf at that time.

Because of this incident, the deaf old lady harbored resentment towards their family.

Relying on his age and seniority, he pulled in his eldest uncle Yi Zhonghai, second uncle Liu Haizhong, and third uncle Yan Bugui, and then fooled that dim-witted Sha Zhu.

They insisted on driving the family out of the courtyard house.

The situation escalated to the point that even my work was affected.

People in the factory were gossiping, saying that his parents didn't respect the elderly and cared for the young, and that they had problems with their ideology.

His parents were exhausted from all the trouble, and in a fit of anger, they applied for a spot to support the Northwest and took him away from this troublesome place.

Conditions in Northwest China are indescribably harsh. Although engineers are paid well, the harsh climate and lack of medical care are things that money can't buy.

My parents died one after another on that land, and never came back.

He inherited his parents' business, was hardworking, and quick-witted, and worked his way up to become an eighth-grade worker.

When Beijing needed him, he remembered his home, which he hadn't left for ten years, so he submitted a report and returned.

"Waaah—"

The train's whistle blew long and drawn out.

Li Jianguo snapped out of his daze, moved his stiff neck, and heard his bones crack.

He picked up the huge backpack and squeezed down with the crowd.

His backpack contained all his belongings.

A few changes of clothes, a stack of technical books, some of my parents' belongings, a few yellowed letters from home, and a faded family photo.

The moment his feet touched the platform, he felt a little dazed.

Before me stands Beijing Railway Station in the 1960s. The platform is dusty, the crowds are dusty. Everywhere are people carrying large and small bags, wearing faded, patched cotton-padded coats, their faces dark, their eyes weary. Dust swirls in the sunlight, and the air is thick with the smell of coal smoke and sweat.

It was a completely different world from the glamorous international metropolis he remembered from his previous life.

Li Jianguo shrugged his backpack over his shoulder, took a deep breath of the air mixed with coal dust, and strode toward the exit. He was sturdy and strong, and he managed to push his way through the crowd.

After exiting the station, I found the bus stop by following the route I remembered, and after a bumpy ride of who knows how long, I finally got off at the entrance of an alley.

Standing at the entrance of Nanluoguxiang, Li Jianguo's eyes were filled with complex emotions.

Familiar. Yet terrifyingly strange. Old houses with blue bricks and gray tiles, narrow and long alleys, honeycomb briquettes and cabbages piled up at the base of the walls, and passersby hurrying by in bulky cotton-padded coats. Sunlight slanted in, dividing the alley into light and shadow.

"We've finally arrived."

He muttered to himself, his breath dissipating in the cold air. From now on, he would be neighbors with that yard full of beasts.

Li Jianguo strode deeper into the alley. The cobblestone path beneath his feet was uneven, still damp from the rain of the previous two days, making a squelching sound as he stepped on it. Most of the houses on both sides of the alley had their doors closed, and only occasionally could one hear children crying and adults scolding.

He walked to the entrance of the courtyard house and stepped over the threshold.

The front yard was quiet, with hardly anyone around. Several old locust trees stood bare, their branches stretching towards the gray sky. He went straight through the moon gate and into the backyard.

The backyard was tidier than he had imagined. Neatly stacked honeycomb briquettes stood under the eaves, and a row of large cabbages stood against the wall. His gaze fell on the three main rooms.

That's his house.

The house his parents left him.

He felt a surge of warmth in his heart and quickened his pace. But as he got closer and looked through the window, Li Jianguo froze on the spot.

There are people inside.

A boy in a tattered cotton-padded jacket was doing his homework at the kang table, while a younger girl was playing with a beanbag next to him. The stove was burning brightly, and the place was full of pots, pans, bedding, and clothes, clearly indicating that the place had been occupied for a long time.

A surge of hot blood rushed to the top of his head.

Li Jianguo's eyes reddened. After his family left, these people actually occupied his house? He took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and walked towards the door.

"Who are you?!"

A sharp child's voice suddenly rang out behind me.

Li Jianguo turned around, and a snotty-nosed boy rushed over, wearing a tattered cotton-padded jacket covered in patches, his face filthy, and his eyes wide and hostile. He wasn't tall, but he was quite strong, and he shoved Li Jianguo hard.

Caught off guard, Li Jianguo took a step back.

"This is my house! You thief, don't even think about getting in! Get out!"

The child waved his arms, bared his teeth, and his eyes gleamed with ferocity.

Li Jianguo recognized him.

Banggeng. Jia Zhangshi's beloved grandson, Qin Huairu's son, is a notorious ingrate in this courtyard.

"Whoa! Ha!"

Seeing that Li Jianguo wasn't leaving, Banggeng's eyes darted around, and he darted to the eaves, pulled out a stick as thick as a child's arm, and swung it around as he charged at Li Jianguo.

"Trying to steal from my house! I'll kill you!"

The stick whistled down with a whooshing sound.

Li Jianguo's eyes narrowed. He dodged the swinging stick, easily snatched it from the handle, and tossed it aside.

"Whose unfortunate child is this? Don't the adults know how to discipline them?"

He stared at the stick stem, his voice as cold as the winter wind.

"Today I'll teach you a lesson on behalf of your parents!"

He had barely finished speaking when he raised his hand and slapped her across the face.

The slap wasn't delivered with full force, but it was enough to teach the kid a lesson.

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound.

Banggeng was spun around on the spot by the slap, landing hard on his backside, his left cheek quickly swelling up. He froze for a second, tears welling up in his eyes, his mouth agape—

"ah--!"

Banggeng burst into loud, wailing cries. His sobs were shrill and piercing as he rolled on the ground as he cried.

"stop!"

"Help! A thief has broken into the yard!"

"You dare hit my grandson! I'll fight you to the death!"

A piercing scream erupted from behind Li Jianguo.

He turned around and saw a short, fat figure waving a broom, rolling over like a ball of flesh.

Jia Zhangshi. This old woman wore a dirty cotton-padded jacket, her fleshy face jiggling as she ran, her squinting eyes filled with malice. She was panting heavily as she ran, cursing under her breath.

"I'll beat you to death, you thief! How dare you hit my grandson! I'll fight you to the death!"

She brandished a broom and swung it down on Li Jianguo's head.

"Grandma! Grandma! He's a thief! He tried to break into our house! Kill him!"

When Banggeng saw that his backer had arrived, he stopped crying, covered his swollen face, jumped up from the ground, hid behind Jia Zhangshi, and showed half of his head, his eyes filled with both hatred and smugness.

"Well, you dare steal from the Jia family in broad daylight! You've got some nerve!"

Jia Zhangshi cursed and swung her broom with great force.

Li Jianguo's eyes turned cold. He reached out and grabbed the broom handle with perfect accuracy.

Jia Zhangshi pulled back with all her might, her face turning red, but the broom didn't budge.

"What did you say?"

Li Jianguo took a step forward, his voice low.

"Old man, whose house is this? Say it again if you dare!"

With a forceful pull, the broom slipped from Jia Zhangshi's hand.

Madam Jia staggered and nearly fell. She took two steps back, her face twitching.

Li Jianguo, holding a broom, walked towards her step by step.

"Speak up. Why are you stopping?"

Jia Zhangshi felt uneasy and subconsciously took a step back, her feet shuffling.

"What...what do you want? Let me tell you, this is Beijing, a place where the law still applies!"

I don't know what I stepped on, but I slipped.

"Ouch!"

Jia Zhangshi fell hard on her backside, sprawling on the ground. She paused for a second, then started howling at the top of her lungs.

The commotion had already alerted the entire courtyard. Men, women, young and old, poured in from the front and middle courtyards, completely surrounding the back courtyard.

As soon as Jia Zhangshi saw people arrive, her spirits immediately lifted. She sat down on the ground, kicked her legs, slapped her thighs with her hands, and started howling at the top of her lungs.

"Everyone, come quick! In broad daylight! This guy not only broke into my house to steal things, but he also beat up my granddaughter and me!"

"Look what happened to my grandson! His face is all swollen!"

"This guy was about to hit me! My old bones can't take his beatings!"

"Come and judge for yourselves! Isn't this just bullying our Jia family's orphans and widows...?"

She was sobbing uncontrollably, and while crying, she secretly peeked through her fingers at the reactions of those around her.

Li Jianguo watched her performance with a cold eye.

"mom!"

A man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face rushed out from the crowd; it was Jia Dongxu.

He pushed through the crowd and saw his mother sitting on the ground, his son's face swollen badly. He was instantly furious and rolled up his sleeves, ready to charge forward. But halfway there, he saw Li Jianguo's build and slowed down.

Behind him, Qin Huairu, carrying Huaihua and holding Xiaodang's hand, followed at a leisurely pace. From a distance, she first glanced at Li Jianguo. Her eyes flickered slightly. This young man was truly handsome. She slowed her pace, standing at the edge of the crowd, watching coldly like an outsider.

Jia Dongxu rushed up to Li Jianguo, and the two stood face to face. Only then did he suddenly realize that this kid was half a head taller than him, had a wider shoulder, and thicker arms.

In terms of presence, he was already at a disadvantage.

"You...you brat..."

He forced himself to speak, but his voice was somewhat weak.

When Jia Zhangshi saw her son arrive, she felt as if she had grasped a lifeline.

"Son! This kid is bullying us because we don't have anyone else! He even hit your eldest son just now! You can't let him get away with this!"

"Don't worry, Mom!"

Jia Dongxu stiffened his neck, staring wide-eyed with a tough exterior but a weak interior.

"I'm going to beat the shit out of him today!"

Before the words were finished, a shout came from outside the crowd.

"stop!"

An old man named Yi Zhonghai pushed through the crowd and walked in, followed by Sha Zhu.

Yi Zhonghai, dressed in faded blue overalls, stood with a stern face and an air of authority, his gaze sweeping over Jia Zhangshi, Banggeng, and Li Jianguo.

"Why can't we talk things out? Our compound is a place where reason prevails. It's not too late to get things cleared up before taking action!"

Sha Zhu stood beside him, arms crossed, glaring menacingly at Li Jianguo.

"Grandpa! And everyone else, you have to stand up for our family!"

When Jia Zhangshi saw the person in charge arrive, she wailed even louder.

"This kid appeared out of nowhere! He just showed up and tried to come into my house! What else could he be but a thief? He even hit me with a stick! He even tried to hit this old woman just now..."

"young people!"

Yi Zhonghai immediately straightened his face and looked sternly at Li Jianguo.

"How could you lay a hand on an elderly person and a child? Don't you understand the principles of respecting the elderly and caring for the young?"

Sha Zhu immediately chimed in.

"Exactly! Why would someone so young have to steal? And even hit someone?"

Uncle Liu Haizhong, the second uncle, walked out with measured steps, carrying an enamel mug.

"This matter demands an explanation!"

He struck a pose like a leader, his chin held high.

"In my opinion, this is indeed the young man's fault. However, the Jia family didn't lose anything, did they? Let's discuss and resolve this privately..."

"solve?"

Li Jianguo laughed. He looked at the faces of the people in front of him.

"Uncle, you only listened to Aunt Zhang's words, why don't you listen to what I have to say?"

In the crowd, Xu Damao, cracking sunflower seeds, casually chimed in with a remark.

"If you're going to call him a thief, how stupid would he have to be to brazenly walk in and steal things in broad daylight?"

He has no good intentions; he's just here to stir up trouble.

Lou Xiao'e, who was next to him, frowned slightly, stared at Li Jianguo's face, and muttered to herself thoughtfully.

"This young man... he looks kind of familiar?"

"Huh? You know him?"

Xu Damao glanced at her.

"I don't know him."

Lou Xiao'e shook her head.

"I just feel like... someone I've met before."

"Xu Damao is right."

Third Uncle Yan Bugui pushed up his glasses and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Young man, tell me, why did you come to the Jia family and even hit their stick?"

"Why are you asking?!"

Jia Zhangshi jumped up from the ground in a flash.

"Isn't it obvious? Third Uncle, you're not trying to take sides, are you?"

She stood with her hands on her hips, staring fiercely at Li Jianguo.

"I don't care what you're trying to do! You hit my grandson, that's a fact! My grandson is so young, how could you do that! You have to pay compensation!"

Her eyes darted around, and she quickly started making plans in her mind.

"I'll take my grandson to the hospital for a checkup in a bit!"

"You have to pay for medical expenses, nutritional supplements, and lost wages! You're only getting... a hundred yuan in compensation!"