Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 243 Lunar New Year 4

On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, construction officially resumed in Beijing amidst the lingering smell of firecracker debris that had persisted for several days.

On the streets, bicycle bells jingled and clanged, and the faint roar of machinery could be heard from the direction of the factory, as if the entire city of Beijing had come back to life.

Lin Yan, with a fluffy white hand warmer nestled in his arms, strolled slowly towards the tavern. Where else could you find such well-informed news, and where else could you find such reliable gossip? Just thinking about it made Lin Yan feel cheerful.

As soon as he arrived at the door, the cotton curtain was stirred by the rising heat from inside. He lifted the curtain and went in, and wow, it was only ten o'clock in the morning, but the shop was already half full. Regular customers were chatting in groups of three or five, their spittle flying as they talked, and the topic was mostly about the "unexpected disaster" that had struck Japan a couple of days ago.

Several of the regulars, with sharp eyes, spotted Lin Yan as he entered and immediately waved and greeted him with smiles: "Young man, you're here early today!"

Lin Yan smiled slightly and nodded in response. He walked straight to the counter.

Xu Hui was looking down at the abacus, checking accounts, when she sensed someone approaching. She looked up and saw Lin Yan, and her shrewd eyes immediately curved into a smile.

"Happy New Year, Boss Lady!" Lin Yan said casually, taking a wine bottle from Xiao Qi's snack bag and placing it on the counter. "A New Year's gift for you, homemade fruit wine," he leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice, "a wine aged for over a hundred years."

Xu Huizhen's eyes lit up, her hands moving faster than her mind, snatching the bottle and quickly stuffing it into the cabinet drawer, as if someone would steal it if she hesitated. Her face lit up with a smile, and her voice softened: "Oh, thanks, Brother Lin! Such a valuable thing… It's on me today! I won't serve you any wine; I doubt you'd even want my 'horse piss'." Her gaze fell on Xiao Qi, who was peeking out from Lin Yan's arms, and she changed the subject, "I'll treat Xiao Qi! How about a braised pig's trotter and a plate of braised beef?"

"Woof!" Upon hearing this, Xiao Qi immediately perked up, its two front paws gripping the edge of the counter, and its little head nuzzling against Xu Huizhen's hand in a flattering manner.

Xu Huizhen was overjoyed as it rubbed against her, and couldn't resist reaching out to hug it: "Oh my, Brother Lin, your little Qi is so intelligent! It's so adorable! Come here, Little Qi, let Auntie hold you!"

Xiao Qi immediately shrank back, turned her head and buried herself in Lin Yan's arms, leaving only her furry back of her head facing outwards.

"Hey, this little thing is still shy around strangers!" Xu Huizhen wasn't annoyed and smiled as she lightly tapped it.

Lin Yan looked around and noticed that the two familiar faces, Uncle Niu and Uncle Pian, weren't there today, so he found an empty table against the wall and sat down. Before he could even settle in, Xu Huizhen came over with a tray and deftly placed two glistening, red-brown braised pig's trotters and a plate of thinly sliced, evenly cut, and distinct slices of braised beef on the table.

After putting down the vegetables, she didn't leave. Instead, she pulled a rag from her shoulder and, using the warm water basin beside her, meticulously wiped every nook and cranny of the table in front of Lin Yan, polishing the wooden surface until it gleamed. Not content with that, she turned and called out to the kitchen, "Qiangzi! Go to the inner room and bring Comrade Lin my chair with a backrest!"

This series of courteous gestures was observed by the patrons at the nearby tables.

One of the regulars couldn't resist teasing, his voice booming, "Hey! Xu Huizhen, it's been years since I've seen you so attentive! What's up, got your eye on some young man?"

A burst of good-natured laughter immediately filled the tavern.

Xu Huizhen straightened up, put her hands on her hips, spat in the direction of the hunched neck, but with a hearty laugh on her face, and cursed back: "Pah! You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth! Brother Lin is one of my most distinguished customers! Do you think everyone is like you, spending the whole morning on a few small orders? If you keep talking nonsense, I'll tear your mouth apart!"

Her words, though seemingly a scolding, were actually tinged with familiar warmth. After scolding him, she turned and smiled at Lin Yan before going to greet the other guests.

Lin Yan sat calmly in the chair, listening to the bustling noise of the marketplace. He casually tore off a piece of tender tendon and put it in his pocket.

Little Qi immediately took the food with a "whoosh," munching away and wagging its tail like a propeller.

Yes, this place is really comfortable.

Less than half an hour after Lin Yan sat down, the curtain was lifted, and Old Niu, radiating a chill, entered. His eyes swept across the room, immediately locking onto Lin Yan in the corner. Without even going to the counter, he walked straight over, his face beaming with smiles.

"Brother Lin, Happy New Year! You're here so early today?"

"Brother Niu, Happy New Year! I've been waiting for you to tell me some interesting stories about Beijing," Lin Yan said with a smile, inviting him to sit down. He then pulled a wine bottle from his cloth bag and placed it on the table. "Here, let me treat you to a drink."

When Uncle Niu saw the bottle, his eyes widened. He rubbed his hands together and sat down, exclaiming, "Oh my! What... what is this good stuff? I've been craving this all year!"

"This tiger bone wine is homemade and has been brewing for quite some time," Lin Yan said casually, pouring him a bowl. "Try it, it'll warm you up."

The amber-colored liquor was poured into the bowl, releasing a rich aroma of herbs and wine, even more potent than the wine from before the New Year. Old Niu held the bowl with both hands, carefully taking a sip. He felt a fiery sensation travel from his throat to his stomach, warming his entire body. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Good heavens! This wine is potent! It's truly excellent!"

After a few sips of wine, Uncle Niu started talking non-stop. He lowered his voice and said, "Brother Lin, you have no idea, a lot of strange things have happened in Beijing these past two days!"

"Oh? What's so strange about it?" Lin Yan asked cooperatively, tearing off a piece of beef to feed the eager-looking Xiao Qi in his arms.

"Those guys who usually act all high and mighty, hiding their true selves," Uncle Niu covered his mouth with his hand, his voice even lower, "a lot of them must have had some bad luck, getting arrested by the police one after another! I heard some were raided while they were sleeping at home, others were tackled on the street, and they were incredibly accurate!"

He clicked his tongue, a look of both confusion and satisfaction on his face: "The weird thing is, I heard the police seem to have supernatural powers, they catch them every time! Isn't that strange? It's the New Year, it's like God is taking people away!"

Lin Yan listened, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips. He picked up his wine glass and took a sip: "Really? That makes things a bit quieter."

"Who says otherwise!" Old Niu slapped his thigh. "Serves them right! These troublemakers!"

As the two were talking, Pian'er Ye also hunched over and came in. Upon seeing this, he quickly moved closer and sat down. Lin Yan casually poured him a bowl of tiger bone wine. Pian'er Ye accepted it with a flattered expression, took a small sip, and immediately felt warm all over.

Grandpa Pian took a satisfying sip of his wine, and following Grandpa Niu's lead, he stammered, "That's right! Those little devils have finally gotten their comeuppance, it's truly a blessing from heaven! I felt so relieved yesterday that I went to the Yonghe Temple to burn incense, to thank our ancestors for their protection!"

"puff--"

Lin Yan spat out the wine he had just taken a sip of, but luckily he turned his head in time, spilling it all over the ground. He choked and coughed repeatedly, his face instantly turning bright red, his eyes looking at the devout-looking Master Pian with a complicated expression.

He took out a handkerchief and wiped his mouth and clothes.

"Brother Lin, drink slowly!" Old Niu quickly patted him on the back, both concerned and distressed about the wine. "Such good wine, it's such a waste!"

Lin Yan waved his hand, finally managing to stop coughing, his face still flushed with embarrassment. He looked at Master Pian, opened his mouth, and finally managed to squeeze out, "You... well, there's no need... no need for that!"

He shook his head, said no more, and poured himself another bowl of wine.

Niu Ye and Pian Er Ye exchanged a glance, both feeling that Brother Lin's reaction was a bit strange, but they didn't think much of it, assuming that he had just choked on the alcohol.