My Courtyard Shelter

Chapter 17: Envy

When they arrived at the parking lot, Xu Ting looked at her younger brother’s new car and couldn’t help but say enviously: “Wow! You’ve even upgraded to a Mercedes—you’ve really struck it rich. You’re a rich guy now.” After saying that, she gave him a thumbs-up. Xu Dong couldn’t be bothered to respond. So what if he was rich? Being rich isn’t a crime. Ma Jie quickly broke the awkward silence. “Dongzi, how much did you pay for this car?” “Bro-in-law, it cost me 5. 58 million in total,” Xu Dong replied. Xu Jingyi gasped and blurted out, “That’s so expensive!” “No need to be jealous—I’ll have my nephew-in-law buy you the same model someday,” Xu Dong couldn’t resist teasing. Everyone laughed good-naturedly, while Xu Jingyi alone turned bright red. During the Lunar New Year in Yanjing, traffic was even more congested than usual due to the ongoing Winter Olympics and the influx of tourists. By the time they returned to the Siheyuan, it was already past 2:00 p. m. Xu’s mother and the others had received a call and were already waiting at the gate to greet them. Ma Lingling was the first to jump out of the car, her words coming just as quickly: “Grandma, Grandpa, Happy New Year! Auntie, Happy New Year! Ke Ke, Le Le, Happy New Year!” Xu’s mother stepped forward, took her granddaughter’s hand, and examined her closely, her face beaming with a smile: “Good… good… good. You’ve grown taller and prettier.” After getting out of the car, Xu Ting greeted Xu Dad. Seeing how energetic he looked and how full of vigor his voice sounded, she thought to herself that her parents must be doing quite well here, and she finally felt at ease. Seeing that everyone was too busy catching up, Yang Lina quickly spoke up: “Let’s all go inside. It’s cold out here—the weather forecast said it’ll only be seven or eight degrees today.” “Right, let’s go inside quickly. Don’t let the kids catch a chill. Oh, what a scatterbrain I am—I got so happy seeing you all that I completely lost my train of thought,” Xu’s mother said, feigning self-reproach. “Mom, it’s okay. Lingling and the others are young—they’ve got plenty of energy and aren’t afraid of the cold,” Xu Ting reassured her. Before they even entered the courtyard, a series of high-pitched dog barks came from inside. Mr. Xu scolded the dog a couple of times, and it immediately quieted down. Once inside the courtyard, everyone’s first thought was, “It’s really big.” Their second thought was, “Why does it smell so strongly of Sichuan peppercorns? “Mom, what’s pickling in that jar? Why does it smell so strongly of Sichuan pepper?” Xu Ting asked directly. Xu’s mother shot Xu Dong a disapproving glance and replied, “It’s salted pork. I just pickled a bit too much.” “How is that ‘a little too much’? That’s clearly way too much…” Xu Ting began counting the large water jars: “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7—I’d say there’s at least one or two thousand jin in here.” And if you added the air-dried chickens and ducks hanging all over the courtyard, the total would be even greater. “The market’s been good lately, so we made a bit extra,” Mrs. Xu explained. She couldn’t very well air her family’s dirty laundry in front of her son-in-law; the older one gets, the more one values one’s reputation. A hint of envy flashed in Xu Ting’s eyes. It seemed her mom’s “business” wasn’t just doing well—it was booming. She now felt an urge to stay and help her mom make dried goods—it didn’t matter if it was tiring; the key was that it really paid well! But when she thought of her two children still in school, she had no choice but to suppress that thought. Unless… Better not even mention it—that opportunity was even less likely. Upon entering the living room, she set down the gifts. Mrs. Xu hurriedly invited everyone into the dining room to eat. The noodles had been timed perfectly and were just right. The freshly cooked noodles were topped with a generous spoonful of steaming hot stir-fried donkey meat—the rich broth and tender meat looked so appetizing at first glance. “Have a bowl of noodles to tide you over first; Grandma will make something delicious for you tonight,” Mrs. Xu said politely. “Grandma’s noodles are the best—I want another bowl,” Ma Lingling said, eating her noodles while buttering her up a little. Aunt Xu was overjoyed. “If you like it, eat as much as you want—we’ve got plenty of meat here at Grandma’s house.” After eating noodles, Mr. Xu—as the nominal head of the household—began showing his son-in-law around the Siheyuan, with Xu Dong accompanying them. As for Yang Lina, she took the two Ke Ke sisters and three younger relatives out shopping; when they returned, they were sure to be laden with bags of all sizes. Meanwhile, Mrs. Xu pulled Xu Ting aside, and the two of them retreated to the bedroom to whisper to each other while keeping an eye on the triplets. “Say ‘Auntie’!” Xu Ting teased Er Bao. “Gugu, gugu…” “Hehe, Er Bao is such a good boy,” Xu Ting said, giving Er Bao a kiss before turning to ask Xu’s mother, “Mom, when did Er Bao and the others learn to call people by name?” “They learned not long after their first birthdays. Xiao Bao picked it up the fastest, while Da Bao, as the big brother, was actually the slowest,” Xu’s mom said, recounting the details as if they were old stories. “Da Bao and the others have grown so much. How much do they weigh now?” “We weighed them just yesterday. Da Bao and Xiao Bao are both a little over nine jin; Er Bao is a bit lighter, but still eight jin and four liang.” “Can they walk yet?” “Da Bao can walk a little, but Er Bao and Xiao Bao still need someone to hold their hands.” After chatting a bit more about some funny incidents involving the triplets, Xu Ting shifted the conversation to Xu’s mom. “Mom, you and Dad… are you getting used to living in this Siheyuan?” “What’s there not to like? It’s so much easier than when we were in Luyang. There are plenty of rooms, so we don’t have to crowd together. We have heating in the winter, and the courtyard is so big we don’t even have to leave the house to take a walk,” Mrs. Xu replied with a smile. Xu Ting said enviously, “A Siheyuan this big—you’ve got me wanting to move in here too.” Although she knew her daughter was joking, Mrs. Xu couldn’t help but remind her: “Would your husband agree to that? Just live your life properly—don’t cause any trouble!” “I was just joking…” Xu Ting said dejectedly. Deep down, she thought to herself: A daughter who’s married off is truly like water poured out—she’s no longer part of her parents’ family. Mrs. Xu breathed a sigh of relief and asked, “How long are you staying this time?” “Ma Jie’s time off runs until the 13th, so we can only stay for four days at most.” “Why don’t you have Ma Jie go back first, and you and Lingling stay a few more days?” Xu’s mom suggested. Xu Ting shook her head and explained, “That won’t work, Mom. You’ve forgotten—Lingling and the others have to go back to school after the 15th. It’s better if we all go back together.” “Oh, look at my memory,” Mrs. Xu said with a wry smile. As they chatted, the conversation turned to Xu Dong. Xu Ting asked, “Mom, what’s going on with my little brother? It’s no good for him to just be hanging around all day like this.” Mrs. Xu shared her concern: “You’re absolutely right. If he keeps loafing around like this, he’ll end up getting into trouble sooner or later.” “What does Dad think about this?” “What could your dad possibly be thinking right now? He’s completely focused on the convenience store, and besides, he can’t keep Dongzi in line,” Mrs. Xu sighed. “So, is the convenience store still going ahead?” When the topic turned to the store, Mrs. Xu perked up: “We’re definitely opening it. Before the Lunar New Year, Dongzi even took your dad to look at several storefronts. According to Dongzi, they’ll sign the contract after the Lantern Festival.” “But didn’t they say convenience stores don’t make much money?” Xu Ting asked, puzzled. “It didn’t make money before, but now, thanks to selling free-range chickens and eggs, it’s actually turning a profit. If it weren’t profitable, your dad would never in a million years agree to keep the store open.” What Mrs. Xu didn’t know was that the convenience store’s current profitability was entirely due to Xu Dong’s private subsidies totaling over 100,000 yuan. For example, every time Xu Dong sold a free-range chicken to the convenience store, he personally lost several dozen yuan. Xu Ting whispered, “Mom, how much does the convenience store make each month now?” Xu’s mom didn’t beat around the bush; she held up three fingers: “About 30,000 yuan.” “Wow, that’s 360,000 a year—that’s quite a lot,” Xu Ting said enviously once again.