All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

Han Chunming didn't chase after them, but just called out from behind.

"The grandson of the famous Prince Su has fallen into such a sorry state. How interesting!"

When the ragpicker heard Han Chunming's words, he paused, turned around and walked back to Han Chunming's side. His expression was serious, and he was even a little nervous. He looked Han Chunming over carefully for a few moments, and finally couldn't help but ask.

How do you know about my background? Who are you?

When Han Chunming saw the usually carefree and irreverent Hou with such a serious expression, he burst into laughter, then stepped forward and put his arm around Hou's shoulder.

"Don't be nervous, I mean no harm. Let's get acquainted. My name is Han Chunming, and my master is the Nine Gates Admiral. You know him, right? Haha, let's go. Now that we've met, I'll treat you to a meal, it's on me!"

Old Master Guan and the ragpicker Hou were old acquaintances; one was a descendant of a prince from the late Qing Dynasty, and the other was a descendant of a tax collector at the city gates during the late Qing Dynasty.

However, they weren't exactly friends; they were even enemies. But that was a thing of the previous generation. Their fathers had a feud, but their social status meant that their quality of life in this era was destined to be quite ordinary.

The ragpicker had two great hobbies in his life: the first was antiques, and the second was freeloading.

He could go without food and drink for the sake of antiques, but he could also be shameless for the sake of free meals, eating three meals a day at other people's restaurants for several years without feeling any shame.

So when he heard there was free food and drink, he was immediately alert, and when he heard that the young man was Old Man Guan's apprentice, he was immediately relieved.

He and Old Man Guan knew each other before the liberation. At that time, they were both playboys and even had a drinking contest. The ragpicker lost. Later, their status plummeted and they lost contact long ago.

But now that the past is gone, everything has changed, and there's no point in talking about it anymore.

Upon hearing the young man offer to buy him a drink, a smile immediately appeared on Broken-Robbery Hou's face. He looked Han Chunming up and down, and seeing that he didn't seem to have any hostility, he smiled and said.

"Alright, I'll take advantage of you today, bro!"

Han Chunming laughed heartily and didn't stand on ceremony. The two put their arms around each other like two old brothers. Po Lan Hou was probably really hungry, because he was walking unsteadily. Han Chunming helped him walk through several streets and into an alley. There, they saw a small wine shop.

In those days, people mostly ate at state-run restaurants, which was commonly known as "eating out." But in those days, being able to eat out was something to brag about.

After all, in those days, the salary of a regular worker was only thirty-four yuan, and a temporary worker like Han Chunming only earned seventeen and fifty cents. If he went out to eat, it would cost several yuan. If he ate something nice, he wouldn't be able to afford a meal in a month.

Moreover, eating at state-run restaurants required not only money but also food coupons, making it expensive and troublesome. Ordinary people simply couldn't afford it. But in any era, where there is demand, there is supply.

Thus, small grocery stores selling food emerged in the streets, alleys, and hutongs. These stores were small, mostly only ten square meters, with rather old-fashioned storefronts. Inside, there was a semi-enclosed glass counter, and outside the counter were three or five small tables and a few wooden stools. The environment was, indescribably, disappointing.

This general store sells cigarettes, alcohol, sugar, tea, cooked meat, pastries, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea. These things don't require coupons. However, some scarce commodities that people from Yanjing often buy, such as cooking oil and sesame paste, are generally not sold here because they require coupons. To buy those, you have to go to the vegetable market or a larger grocery store.

On the counter, there are usually several wine jars, all of which are bulk white wine. There are also special wine scoops, one ounce of wine per spoonful. The cheapest wine costs one ounce and ten cents, while better ones cost one ounce and thirteen cents or one ounce and seventeen cents.

Of course, there was also draft beer, which cost four cents a liter. However, in those days, few people drank beer. The beer was brownish in color and had a bitter taste. It didn't have any bubbles at all, and it tasted completely different from the chilled beer of later generations.

The snacks served with alcohol here are mainly cooked food, mostly braised dishes, but they are mostly offal, such as intestines, heart, liver, lungs, etc., as well as meat jelly, fried fish skin with soybeans and broad beans, etc.

Peanuts are also available, but they are a bit expensive because peanuts are still a scarce commodity. They can be pressed for oil, and ordinary people can only afford half a jin (250 grams) during festivals. They are reluctant to eat them, so most of them sell the tickets to ticket scalpers, and then they are resold at high prices to these secondary markets.

Therefore, regular grocery stores don't usually sell peanuts. If they do occasionally have some, it's usually because regular customers want them and they prepare them in advance. And the price is higher than other beans.

Han Chunming and the ragpicker pushed open the door of the general store, and an indescribable smell wafted towards them. It was hard to describe in a short time, but it was probably the smell of sweat, tobacco, alcohol, and various foods mixed together, and then fermented for a hundred days.

Han Chunming didn't come to places like this very often. He didn't have any pocket money to come here before, and besides, he had just returned from his time in the countryside, and he had been here several years ago.

He suppressed his discomfort and glanced inside. There were only three small tables, all of which were now full. However, at one of the tables on the side, there was only one person sitting. Han Chunming and Polanhou exchanged a glance, smiled, and went over. They didn't mind and immediately joined the table.

Han Chunming also put himself in the role of an old Yanjing resident and tried his best to adapt to the place. Sitting opposite him was an old man, but Han Chunming guessed that he was no more than fifty years old. The reason he said old man was because this guy was obviously a drunkard.

A "liquor enthusiast" is someone who spends all day hanging around small liquor stores. These people don't have much money, but they love drinking, and they're shameless and love to freeload.

Some heavy drinkers would buy a five-cent bottle of wine and sit there all day. If they ran into an acquaintance, they would try to get close to them, trick them into drinking a glass of wine, and then chat and joke with everyone all day long, having a great time.

People who drink heavily for a long time are usually in poor condition and look old. This person in front of me is a perfect example. He wears patched clothes, doesn't care that two buttons are missing, and has messy hair with a few gray hairs.

In front of the other person was a small glass, the kind that holds about an ounce of liquor, and the liquor inside was almost gone. There were no snacks on the table, just half a cucumber, which was probably brought from home.

The other person put his legs on the stool and shook them, chatting animatedly with the people next to him. He reeked of alcohol. When Han Chunming and his companion sat down, he didn't do anything and continued chatting, his mouth drooling and spittle flying everywhere. He showed no intention of leaving.

The ragpicker usually doesn't like drinking in small taverns like this. If he has money, he'd rather buy some cheap liquor and cooked food to drink slowly by himself. But today, Han Chunming is treating, so there's no need for formalities. The two of them sit down, and there's no menu. They just casually call out to the owner.

Since Han Chunming was treating, he naturally ordered. Han Chunming smiled and called out to the boss.

"First, half a catty and 17 cents each, then a plate of garlic sausage, a plate of small tripe, a plate of pork skin jelly, and finally, we asked the owner, and he happened to have peanuts, so Han Chunming ordered a plate of peanuts too. That's all!"

Han Chunming and his companion ordered a pound of wine and four side dishes, immediately attracting the attention of the people around them, especially the drunkard across from them. Upon hearing what Han Chunming had ordered, he immediately forgot about chatting and turned around, looking at the two men with a fawning expression.

In those days, for two people to be able to eat like this meant they were quite wealthy, and since the two were strangers, it was a good opportunity to ask them for a drink.

The drunkard revealed several large, yellowish front teeth, two of which were missing, making him look disgusting. He flattered Han Chunming with a fawning smile.

"This young man looks unfamiliar. Is he new here?"

Han Chunming shook his head and replied somewhat impatiently.

"Brother, if you'd like a drink, just say the word. I'll treat you to this today. How about you take two ounces home and enjoy it slowly?"

Upon hearing this, the drunkard realized that the young man disliked him and wanted to kick him out. However, hearing that there was wine to drink, he readily agreed and put his legs down on the stool.

The liquor enthusiast got up and walked towards the counter, asking the owner for two ounces of liquor. Clearly, he was a regular customer. The owner took a bottle and poured him two scoops of liquor. Han Chunming greeted the owner, and the liquor enthusiast smiled broadly, picked up the bottle, and walked towards the door.

When he got to Han Chunming's table, he didn't forget to offer a few polite compliments, basically saying that he would treat him next time they met!

After saying that, the drunkard ran away in a flash.

The ragpicker Hou is also a typical freeloader, but he's much more cultured than this kind of drunkard. He never says anything flattering, and he not only eats, but he eats with an air of righteousness, like a big shot.

After the boss brought the food and drinks to the table, Po Lan Hou acted as if he were the host, picked up his chopsticks and grabbed a handful of garlic sausage, stuffing it into his mouth.

Seeing this, Han Chunming was not angry. He smiled and filled the wine pot for him. The ragtag Hou picked up the wine cup with a clear conscience, drank it all in one gulp, and enjoyed it with garlic sausage. The taste was wonderful!

The ragpicker had been observing Han Chunming and found him to be generous, unpretentious, and decisive, which suited his taste. After three cups of wine, the ragpicker finally spoke.

"Your name is Han Chunming?"

Han Chunming nodded, picked up a peanut and threw it into his mouth. It was crunchy and delicious. He ate it with the wine, and it tasted quite different.

Marquis of Broken Relics hesitated for a moment, then continued to ask.

"Thank you for the drink. I, the Ragpicker, don't owe you any favors. I'll give you two junk items as payment!"

As he spoke, the ragged Hou took out two small famille rose bowls from the burlap sack beside him, one of which had a slight chip. He placed the two bowls directly in front of Han Chunming's table and said.

How about we use these two bowls as payment for this meal?

Han Chunming didn't answer. He picked up two small bowls, looked at them, and nodded with a smile.

"A pair of Daoguang imperial kiln famille rose chrysanthemum and cricket bowls—I got a great deal on these!"

Han Chunming's words startled the ragged Hou. The look in his eyes when he looked at Han Chunming again was noticeably brighter. He then smiled and said...

"I live at No. 137 Yanzhi Hutong. You can come to my house sometime, and I'll treat you to drinks!"

Han Chunming nodded, then placed the two bowls aside and, without saying anything more, refilled the other person's bowl once again.

Inviting the ragpicker to drink was simply because he thought it would be interesting. Like Old Man Guan, this man was also a pitiful person.

The man named Polanhou has an eccentric personality and a stubborn temper, but he is a good person with principles. He is meticulous about small things, but decisive about important matters. He would be a good friend.

During the meal, Han Chunming didn't say much to the other party. The two had just met, and Han Chunming only casually mentioned that he lived nearby, without revealing much else.

The ragpicker was probably really hungry, as he kept picking at his food. Han Chunming also got up and asked the owner if they had any staple food. They didn't sell staple food here, but the owner still had a few steamed buns left, so Han Chunming bought them and filled the ragpicker's stomach.

Halfway through the meal, Han Chunming suddenly remembered the purpose of his trip and quickly got up to say goodbye. After paying the bill, he also bought a pound of wine and some cooked food to take away.

He walked up to the ragged man, casually took out ten yuan from his pocket, placed it in front of the ragged man's wine glass, patted the man on the shoulder, and turned to leave.

Looking at the ten yuan on the table, the ragpicker Hou's expression stiffened slightly. He wanted to put down the wine glass he was holding, but he only sighed after Han Chunming walked out the door, picked up the glass and drank it all in one gulp.

This is not the future, but the 1970s. The shadow of that special era has not completely dissipated. In fact, the ragpicker Hou and Grandpa Guan are the same kind of people, both poor.

Only after Han Chunming had walked away did the ragpicker slowly put away the ten yuan. He then looked up and saw that the two famille rose bowls were still on the table; Han Chunming hadn't taken them at all.

This scene immediately dampened the spirits of the ragpicker, making him feel anxious and indebted to someone who owed him a huge favor!

Han Chunming didn't think that much about it. Since he had encountered the situation, he figured he might as well lend a hand if he could.

In this world, he wasn't as obsessed with antiques as he was in the original story. Besides, he knew that the man named Broken-Scrap Hou was a passionate and devoted lover of antiques. Just now, the other party was clearly reluctant to part with those two bowls, so he decided not to take what the other person loved.

If you want to collect antiques, there are plenty of opportunities. Han Chunming's purpose in meeting the Ragpicker Hou today also included this.

Let's get to know each other first, so that when I need something from the ragpicker, I can ask for help!

It's enough to let the other party owe you a favor first!

When Han Chunming returned home with the wine and food, the family had almost finished eating. Han's mother asked him reproachfully why it took him so long to buy the food. Han Chunming smiled and said that he had run into an acquaintance.

Everyone put the food and wine back on the table and began to eat. When Han's mother saw the food and wine, she still looked at Han Chunming with a little worry in her eyes.

Han Chunming knew exactly what his mother meant by that look; she was probably worried that his money was of dubious origin.

Han Chunming secretly thought to himself, "It seems I need to find a way to make some money."

But in this day and age, how do you make money legitimately?

Han Chunming really couldn't think of any solutions, so he decided to wait and see.

The weekend was fast approaching, and Han Chunming was really looking forward to it. He was also a little excited about the mixed-race girl, Qi Siqiao.

This week, the courtyard was relatively quiet. Cheng Jianjun was still at work, but perhaps because of what happened with Han Chunming, he avoided meeting Han Chunming now.

His father, Cheng Qinghua, is still suspended from his post and is currently traveling around all day. It is unknown whether he will be able to be reinstated.

The incident involving the Cheng family has sparked much discussion in the compound. Fortunately, Han Chunming didn't mention Cheng Jianjun's accusation against him, otherwise the Cheng family would likely have been the subject of much gossip. Currently, no one seems to understand the situation.

Su Meng hadn't spoken much to Han Chunming these past few days, perhaps out of shyness, but he caught her sneaking peeks at him from behind several times.

In short, the atmosphere in the compound was a bit strange this week, but it was still relatively peaceful.

Han Chunming didn't think that much about it. He ate and drank as he pleased. These days, eating and drinking don't cost much, as long as you don't show off too much.

On Saturday, Han Chunming pushed his bicycle and stood at the entrance of the courtyard house, waiting and waiting. It was almost nine o'clock, but Qi Siqiao still hadn't come. Could it be that the guy stood him up?

Han Chunming noticed that Su Meng kept popping her head out from across the street and looking at him, clearly wanting to see what his "girlfriend" looked like!

Seeing that it was almost ten o'clock, Han Chunming was getting annoyed. It seemed that it was time to go and have a good talk with Master Huang.

Just then, a figure carrying a shoulder bag suddenly appeared on the street, running towards them. When they got closer, it was none other than Qi Siqiao.

Seeing that the other person was out of breath, Han Chunming looked at her with some doubt.

Qi Siqiao looked at Han Chunming with some trepidation, as if afraid he would be angry, and quickly explained.

"Sorry, I overslept today!"

Han Chunming snorted, guessing that this girl had almost forgotten about her date with him, otherwise she wouldn't have been so late. However, she looked alright dressed today, so he patted the back seat and said.

"Get in the car!"