Chapter 318

The joy of the family outing on National Day was like the last splendid maple leaf of autumn, destined to be replaced by the ever harsher cold wind.

As the calendar pages turned one by one, the chill of deep autumn gradually seeped into the marrow, and the people in the Siheyuan all began to prepare for the impending long winter.

This Sunday, the sky was overcast and gloomy, with a hint of dry cold. Li Ping'an and Chen Jianghe had already agreed to go together today to haul coal back to make honeycomb coal. Li Ping'an had just gotten up from a big bed when Chen Jianghe came over, and they ate breakfast together, then rented a donkey cart from a nearby elder. The donkey pulling the cart wasn't particularly strong, but it was mild-tempered, snorting and blowing white steam. Today's goal was clear—buy coal for the winter.

One ton of coal, for an ordinary household, is no small amount, but for the Li family, who need to keep the Xi Kua Yuan warm throughout the entire winter, and for Li Ping'an, who may also need to help his sister's family, it is a necessary reserve.

The two drove the donkey cart through the gradually waking alley and arrived at the coal yard. Black piles of coal were stacked like mountains, and the air was filled with the choking smell of coal dust. After selecting small coal chunks, weighing them, and loading the cart, after a flurry of activity, the donkey cart was piled high with a small black mountain.

Back at the siheyuan, the two unloaded each heavy lump of coal at the corner of the Xi Kua Yuan gate. Although Li Ping'an and Chen Jianghe were in decent shape, after all that exertion they worked up a sweat on their foreheads, and their hands and faces inevitably got smeared with coal dust.

"Brother, this coal is good, solid, and suitable for burning." Chen Jianghe wiped his sweat with a towel, looking at the coal pile, feeling somewhat relieved.

"Hmm, we still need to make it into honeycomb coal, otherwise it's too wasteful." Li Ping'an nodded. Burning raw coal chunks directly is not only wasteful but also produces a lot of smoke; making honeycomb coal allows it to burn more completely and saves fuel. The Xi Kua Yuan has its own faucet, making water access convenient, so we can do this job ourselves.

After catching their breath, the two began preparing the coal mixture. Li Ping'an carried out the prepared yellow clay from a corner of the courtyard, mixed the coal dust and yellow clay in the proportion taught by the old master, then fetched water from the faucet and stirred repeatedly with an iron shovel. This is both a labor-intensive and a technical task; the ratio of water to clay must be just right—too dry and it won't hold shape, too wet and it becomes soft and collapses.

Just as the two rolled up their sleeves and were working on the ever stickier, heavier coal slurry in the courtyard, Third Elder Yan Butou from the front courtyard came over, hands in his sleeves, strolling.

His small eyes, hidden behind his glasses, first glanced enviously at the little mountain of coal, then at the convenient faucet at Li Ping'an's gate, and finally settled on the donkey cart that had not yet been returned.

"Yo, Ping'an, Jianghe, have you stocked up all the winter coal? That's quite a lot!" Yan Butou stepped forward, his face breaking into his usual calculating smile, "This donkey cart… will you still be using it later? If not, could I borrow it, Third Elder? I also want to haul some coal back with our coal coupons, but it's hard to find a cart…"

His inner abacus clicked away: renting a cart costs money, hauling coal himself is tiring, but if he could piggyback on Li Ping'an's favor, saving both cart fees and labor, that would be a great deal.

Li Ping'an was vigorously stirring the coal slurry, head down, voice steady yet unquestionable: "Third Elder, we have to return this cart shortly—someone is waiting for it. If you need a cart, you'll have to rent one yourself."

Trying to take advantage of him, Li Ping'an? Not a chance. He has always been the model of keeping to himself in the courtyard; aside from being somewhat amiable with Sha Zhu, he draws clear boundaries with other neighbors, especially those like Yan Butou who never get up early unless there's profit.

Yan Butou was momentarily choked, his face a bit embarrassed, but seeing Li Ping'an's sturdy arms and his tone that allowed no argument, he dared not press further and could only give an embarrassed laugh: 'Oh oh, then never mind, never mind…'

But he didn't leave; his gaze shifted to the pile of coal slurry being processed, watching Li Ping'an and Chen Jianghe work in seamless coordination—one stirring, the other already using the honeycomb coal mold to press out neat briquettes with twelve round holes each—and his mind started racing again.

"Hey, your honeycomb coal is really well-made—just as good as what the coal shop sells!" He first gave a compliment, then shifted tone: "Ping'an, look… your tools are ready, you've mixed this much mud, so… why not, as a favor, make a bit of coal for Third Elder's place too? It's only a hundred or so briquettes, wouldn't take much effort! Third Elder will…"

He wanted to say 'I'll thank you later,' but not knowing exactly how to thank and unwilling to part with anything substantive, his words got stuck halfway.

This time Li Ping'an set down his iron shovel, straightened up, looked at Yan Butou with a neutral expression, and said: "Third Elder, our coal slurry is mixed in exact proportion—just enough for our own use. We only have this one set of tools, and we need to finish our own batch first. As for yours, you'll have to figure something out yourself."

Having said that, he ignored Yan Butou and kept his head down, continuing to work. Chen Jianghe didn't even lift his head, focusing solely on pressing the honeycomb coal; under his hands, one glossy, uniform briquette after another took shape, and they were neatly stacked to the side to dry.

Yan Butou stood there, neither able to leave nor to stay, his face alternating between pale and flushed. Watching Li Ping'an and the other work busily and efficiently, then looking at his own household's still-unsettled winter coal, his heart felt as if scratched by a cat—both sour and bitter.

For the first time he clearly sensed that the Li Ping'an household was different from his own and from the other families in the courtyard. They had ability, they had calculation, and moreover they had clear boundaries—they would never let Yan Lao Xi take advantage of them for free.

In the end, he could only mutter resentfully, 'Well, you guys keep busy, you guys keep busy,' hands in his pockets, slinking back to the front courtyard, his mind turning over whether to grit his teeth and hire someone to do it, or simply go through the trouble himself.

At the gate of the Xi Kua Yuan, Li Ping'an and Chen Jianghe continued toiling away. In the cold air, the mingled scent of coal dust and yellow clay, the scrape of the iron shovel against soil, the muffled thud of the mold pressing—these together formed the most rustic melody on the eve of winter.

Although they were tired, seeing the gradually piling-up honeycomb coal that would be enough to keep the family warm through winter, both felt a sense of reassurance.

In the central courtyard, Sha Zhu came out to dump the slop water, saw the scene at the Xi Kua Yuan gate, and shouted at the top of his voice: 'Brother Ping'an, are you busy? Just shout if you need a hand!' He was genuinely sincere, without all the ulterior motives.

"No need, Zhuzi, go about your business—this will be done soon!" Li Ping'an replied, his tone much gentler than when he spoke to Yan Butou.

This stark contrast made Yan Butou, who had been hiding behind the indoor window to peek, feel utterly vexed. He came to realize that in this courtyard, trying to take advantage of Li Ping'an was harder than plucking hair from an iron rooster! This winter, he could only watch the Xi Kua Yuan stay warm and cozy while his own household scraped by on whatever little coal they could manage.