Chapter 36: Dealing with the House
The Second Senior Brother did not attend He Yuzhu’s graduation banquet because he was presiding over the operations at Fengzeyuan.
He had taken good care of Yuzhu since he first arrived at the restaurant, even assisting him with the purchase of his home. The day after the banquet, Yuzhu sought him out.
"Second Brother, are you busy?" Yuzhu asked with a polite greeting.
"Zhuzi, congratulations on graduating. I heard from Master that you really did him proud yesterday," the Second Senior Brother replied.
"Hardly. I just made sure not to embarrass him," Yuzhu said modestly.
"Sichuan, Lu, and Huaiyang—the three major cuisines—plus Tan family cuisine. You really are something, kid. It’s a pity I had to stay at Fengzeyuan and missed it." The Second Senior Brother shook his head with regret.
"I’m here today to treat you to a meal and drinks to make up for the ones you missed," Yuzhu said.
"Is that so? Then I’m in for a treat today," he replied.
"Of course. I’ve been so well looked after by you during my time here, both at work and in life," Yuzhu said.
"Since you put it that way, I’ll certainly have to taste your cooking. But let’s agree on one thing: no Sichuan cuisine today," the Second Senior Brother requested.
"Deal. I’ll make you something else. I’ll be waiting for you at home tonight," Yuzhu promised.
"Good, I’ll head over as soon as I finish my shift."
Yuzhu returned home and began his preparations. Around 7:00 PM, he heard a knock at the door. When he opened it, he was surprised to see both the Second Senior Brother and Wang Dong.
"Second Brother, Brother Dong, please, come in!" Yuzhu said, slightly taken aback.
"Zhuzi, I ran into Wang Dong right after work. He was heading to Fengzeyuan to look for me, and when he heard I was coming to see you, he tagged along," the Second Senior Brother explained.
"Zhuzi, I heard there was good food to be had, so I shamelessly invited myself. I hope it’s not an inconvenience," Wang Dong added.
"Don't say that. I was actually going to ask the Second Brother to invite you today. Please, come in."
Yuzhu led them into the living room, where his sister, Yushui, was reading comic books. She greeted the Second Senior Brother warmly.
"You’re such a good girl, Yushui. Here, have some candy," he said, pulling a handful of sweets from his pocket.
Yushui looked at her brother for permission. "Go ahead and take them, but don't eat too many, or you’ll get cavities," Yuzhu said.
"Second Brother, Brother Dong, please sit. I’ll get the dishes from the kitchen." After pouring tea, Yuzhu headed to the kitchen and soon returned with a table full of delicacies.
"Wow, Zhuzi, this is too much! Dong and I are truly lucky tonight," the Second Senior Brother remarked.
"It’s just some ingredients leftover from yesterday. I hope you don't mind," Yuzhu said.
"If we minded this, we’d have nothing left to eat," Wang Dong laughed.
Yuzhu poured the wine and raised his glass. "Thank you both for coming, and for all the care you’ve shown me." They toasted and drank.
"Come, try the food," Yuzhu urged.
"Zhuzi, where did you learn this Huaiyang style? It’s excellent," the Second Senior Brother said after tasting the braised eel.
"I found a cookbook and taught myself. I only know a few signature dishes," Yuzhu replied.
After the meal, the three sat down to drink tea.
"Brother Dong, thank you for your advice last time. If it hadn't been for you, the courtyard next to mine would have been rented out already," Yuzhu said.
"I didn't do much. There’s such a housing shortage in the city that we have to encourage people to rent out their empty spaces, though it’s not mandatory," Wang Dong replied.
Yuzhu knew, however, that the situation would eventually shift toward government-managed rentals, and he would lose control of the property. "Renting is easy, but getting it back is hard. It’s too much trouble; better to avoid the headache," Yuzhu said.
"Exactly. The buildings are collapsing faster than we can build new ones. It’s a real headache for us," Wang Dong agreed.
After they finished complaining about the difficulties of neighborhood management, the guests took their leave. Yuzhu gave each of them two jars of medicinal wine to take home.
After seeing them off and tucking Yushui into bed, Yuzhu sat at his desk, contemplating his future. He decided that he had enough money for now, so he would take things one step at a time. The most pressing issue was his house; he needed to handle it before the residents of the courtyard could seize it.
The next morning, after dropping Yushui off at his master's house, Yuzhu rode his bicycle to the Red Star Neighborhood Office.
"Uncle, I’m looking for Director Wang," Yuzhu said, handing a cigarette to the gatekeeper.
"Director Wang is in her office. Go on in," the gatekeeper replied, accepting the cigarette.
Yuzhu knocked on the door and entered. "Zhuzi? I was just about to look for you," Director Wang said upon seeing him.
"Director, is something the matter?" Yuzhu asked.
"I heard from the people in your courtyard that you aren't living there anymore. I wanted to ask what’s going on," she said.
So, people were already eyeing his property. "My master took pity on us, and since we have no one else, he invited us to live with him," Yuzhu explained.
"I see. You two have had a hard life with a father like that. It’s a relief that someone is looking after you," she said. "Was there something you needed today?"
"I’d like to trade my current house for a small, standalone courtyard," Yuzhu said.
"That’s fine, as long as both parties agree and it’s registered with the neighborhood office," she replied.
"I was wondering if the office had any vacant ones," Yuzhu asked.
"Where would we find vacant houses? There are so many people waiting for housing as it is," she said with a huff.
"I don't need a nice house. You have those abandoned, empty courtyards, don't you?" Yuzhu asked.
"What would you want with an abandoned courtyard?" she asked, puzzled.
"I just want a private space so people will stop saying we’re unwanted," Yuzhu said, playing the victim to gain sympathy.
Director Wang sighed, thinking it was understandable that the siblings wanted to move away to avoid the gossip. "There is one, but where would you and your sister live if you trade for a ruined place?"
"We’ll stay with my master. In a couple of years, when I’m ready to start a family, I’ll rebuild it," Yuzhu said.
"Very well. Come with me, I’ll show it to you," she said, standing up.
They arrived at a hutong in the Red Star courtyard district. "This is a nearly 300-square-meter plot. It was destroyed during the war. Take a look," she said, opening the gate.
Inside, the ground was uneven, and parts of the house had collapsed.
"Are there any others?" Yuzhu asked.
"The others are already spoken for. The large ones are being rebuilt for housing, and the others are slated for repairs. This is the only one in such a state of disrepair. It's more cost-effective for us to build elsewhere," she explained. "You could just sell your house and buy land somewhere else."
Yuzhu thought, *If I buy land but don't build, the government won't like it. If I build but don't live there, that's worse. I might as well take this.*
"I’ll take this courtyard," Yuzhu decided.
"Are you sure? You’re trading a good house for this; the neighborhood office won't provide compensation," she warned kindly.
Yuzhu knew that if the people in his old courtyard found out he was selling, they would cause trouble. It was better to act quickly and transfer it to the neighborhood office—they wouldn't dare make a scene with the authorities.
"I’m sure. I’ll save up and rebuild it in a couple of years," Yuzhu said.
"Very well, let’s go back and process the paperwork."
Back at the office, Director Wang handled the procedures personally. Once the new deed was in hand, Yuzhu said, "Director, could you please keep this private? Don't tell anyone about this deal yet."
"Fine. I’ll just say you sold the house to the neighborhood office. As for the rest, I’ll know nothing," she promised.
"Thank you, Director Wang." Yuzhu thanked her and left.