Courtyard House: He Yuzhu started in 1948

After bidding farewell to Lü Qinghuan, He Yuzhu took the silver dollars and copper coins and made his way home through the alley.

He was worried that he would run into thugs and shady police officers again, and that his money from selling steamed buns would be stolen. Even though he was strong, he was still just a child and couldn't beat an adult with a gun. Besides, thugs would do anything for money. He Yuzhu was lucky to have escaped yesterday, but he didn't believe he would be lucky forever.

As he was walking in the alley, a group of little kids came out from both ends of the alley and blocked his way.

"Um?"

He Yuzhu narrowed his eyes as he looked at the large group of children.

These kids don't seem to have any good intentions.

So, even without encountering any thugs, a bunch of kids are trying to rob me?

He Yuzhu was unwilling to take risks, but he was not a pushover either. He joined Meituan before graduating from university and became part of Meituan's ground sales force, which he earned through hard work.

He Yuzhu is not afraid of fighting!

Moreover, he's an adult and dares to kill.

Just as He Yuzhu was getting ready for battle, a clear voice came from behind: "What are you doing? We're looking for Brother Zhu to cooperate with, not to rob and plunder. Get out of the way, don't scare Brother Zhu."

Soon, the children surrounding He Yuzhu made way, and a girl wearing a felt hat, a patched cotton coat, and a cotton bag slung across her shoulder walked out.

He Yuzhu relaxed her guard a little, not because she was a girl, but because what she said made her feel much more at ease.

"Brother Zhuzi, my name is Tian Zao, and I live in Suoyi Hutong. You live in Qingyun Hutong, right? We're on opposite streets."

The young lady… no, Tian Zao had the air of a江湖人 (jianghu person, someone from the martial arts world), and clasped her hands in a fist and bow, saying, “Yesterday you were chased by some thugs, and my brothers saw it. Today we’ve come to find you to make a deal. From now on, you can sell steamed buns at Dongzhimen and Chongwenmen, and my brothers and sisters will protect you. How about that?”

He Yuzhu had never heard of Tian Zao, nor did he have any memory of her.

Making a deal with a group of children?

He Yuzhu shook his head: "I'm sorry, I met the teachers at No. 5 Middle School while I was selling steamed buns today. I probably won't be selling steamed buns under the city gate anymore."

"what……"

Tian Zao hadn't expected this turn of events. She hesitated for a long time, unsure what to say next. Finally, she reached into her crossbody bag, pulled out a wad of cash, and handed it to He Yuzhu: "Here, you were cheated out of your money by that guy in the black hat yesterday. We brothers helped you get it back. Count it… is this money correct?"

"Well……"

He Yuzhu looked at the money Tian Zao handed him, somewhat at a loss.

Is this little girl really that arrogant?

What does she do?

He Yuzhu didn't take the money, but Tian Zao got impatient and grabbed He Yuzhu's hand, stuffing the money into it: "You big men are so hesitant, fine... here's the money, even if the deal falls through, we can still be friends, Brother Zhu, see you later."

After saying that, Tian Zao turned and left.

"etc."

He Yuzhu called out to Tian Zao and asked her, "What kind of deal are you talking about?"

After hesitating for a moment, Tian Zao finally revealed his purpose.

To put it bluntly, it's about collecting protection money. She guarantees that He Yuzhu won't be bullied when he sells steamed buns in Chongwenmen and Dongzhimen, but He Yuzhu has to give a portion of the money he makes to feed his brothers.

Tian Zao is young, and He Yuzhu has lived two lives, so it shouldn't be a problem to get some information out of Tian Zao.

Soon, He Yuzhu found out what was going on between Tian Zao and her "little brothers".

The dozen or so children who followed Tian Zao came from all over Beiping, from the east, west, south, and north. Most of them were homeless and had no family. Tian Zao and her brother Tian Zhuang depended on each other for survival. Tian Zhuang was learning wrestling from Zhang Wenshan, a wrestling master, in the eastern part of the city. Tian Zao, like a tomboy, became a street urchin. Because of her kind heart, she took in many children.

She did business with He Yuzhu this time for the sake of feeding the group of teenagers behind her. Tian Zao led everyone to collect coal scraps, steal grain, and scavenge for scraps. With the help of neighbors, they barely managed to fill their stomachs.

The main reason for discussing business with He Yuzhu was that He Yuzhu was about the same age as them, and they could also secure a stable source of income from him.

After hearing this, He Yuzhu thought for a moment and then gave the money Tian Zao had given him back to Tian Zao: "Don't collect protection money anymore. How about this... let's go into business together. You can take this money and use it first, consider it our capital for starting a business. Wait for me at the entrance of No. 5 Middle School this afternoon, okay? After I finish talking with the teacher inside, we'll discuss how the business deal is going."

Tian Zao looked at the money in her hand and hesitated: "This money... we don't know how to do business."

"It's alright, we can discuss it again this afternoon."

He Yuzhu didn't care about the money.

What good will it do to get the money back? Will it erase his nickname "Silly Zhu"?

Since he already had the nickname "stupid," He Yuzhu naturally wouldn't take the money back.

Making friends with Tian Zao and his group of alleyway folks is not bad either.

He Yuzhu and Tian Zao agreed on a time, and then He Yuzhu went home.

He Daqing, acting as both father and mother, couldn't go out to find work. He could only chat with the old women in the courtyard about everyday matters. When He Yuzhu walked to the door, he saw He Daqing grinning from ear to ear and thought to himself:

This kind of behavior... no wonder he could abandon his son and daughter to raise the children of a widow surnamed Bai in another city.

Thinking of this, He Yuzhu's DNA stirred.

Could this fondness for widows be hereditary?

He Daqing, who was chatting with the old women in the courtyard, immediately stopped smiling when he saw He Yuzhu return. He looked at He Yuzhu and the empty drawer with a serious expression.

Sold out?

Look at the sun... it's not even lunchtime yet, how come it's gone so fast?

Following the principle of "teaching one's son in public," He Daqing looked at He Yuzhu and said, "Silly boy, are you out of steamed buns? Did you accept counterfeit money again?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the old women around him suppressed their laughter and looked at He Yuzhu with expressions of amusement.

Qin Huairu's future mother-in-law, Jia Zhangshi, also lived in the courtyard. At present, Jia Zhangshi was still alive and her husband was still alive, but she would not work with the old women in the courtyard. It was not that she did not want to, but that her mouth was too foul and the old women in the courtyard did not like her.

"Sold out."

He Yuzhu took out a silver dollar and a handful of copper coins and handed them to He Daqing: "I didn't receive any paper money today, only silver dollars and copper coins."

Upon seeing the silver dollar, He Daqing immediately blew on it to his ear. Hearing a clear sound, he confirmed that the dollar was real. After putting the money away, he said to He Yuzhu, "Oh, you've run into a big customer today?"

He Yuzhu nodded: "Yes, a teacher from a school bought it."

As for discussing matters in the afternoon, He Yuzhu didn't say anything. Success is achieved in secret, and He Yuzhu wouldn't say too much in front of so many people.

This was also He Daqing's requirement: as a chef, one should only focus on making good dishes and not consider anything else.

They just focus on cooking, without asking who the guests are!

After He Yuzhu got home, he put his things down and took He Yushui from He Daqing's arms to play with her. He Yushui liked He Yuzhu very much. Being held by her brother, she laughed and giggled. He Yuzhu's heart melted at the sight, as if she were his own daughter.

During lunch, He Yuzhu told He Daqing about going to No. 5 Middle School that afternoon, and then said to He Daqing, "Dad, I want to go to the school to take a look. If I can help out in the school kitchen, I'd like to go too. Maybe I can get some education."

He Daqing was very surprised when he heard He Yuzhu say that he wanted to go to school. This kid has never been good at studying since he was a child. Why does he want to study now?

Could it be that calling him "Silly Zhu" hurt his pride?

Thinking of this, He Daqing felt a little guilty.

"Then I won't go sell steamed buns this afternoon. It's good to read some books first. Let's go and see how things are going."

After He Daqing finished speaking, he continued, "If you're free this afternoon, come back early... Boss Lou called me and asked me to cook at their house tonight. I'll go buy ingredients this afternoon. Ask Yi Zhonghai's wife to watch over Yushui for a while. When you get back, cook something to eat to tide you over and put Yushui to sleep. I'll bring some food back tonight. If you're hungry, you can eat something then."

"become!"

Yi Zhonghai has never had children, and after a medical check-up, the problem was found to be with his wife. This made his wife feel ashamed in the yard, and she became quiet and reserved most of the time.

Fortunately, the couple had a good reputation in the neighborhood, and no one bullied his wife.

Moral Venerable Yi Zhonghai... Putting aside everything else, just considering this era of "of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is having no offspring" and "raising children to provide for old age," Yi Zhonghai has never abandoned his wife, which is worthy of respect.