Chapter 26: Couldn't Be Better

"Well, since you paid for this television, why not just keep it in your room?" He Yushui tried to ease the atmosphere, though her eyes still held a trace of apprehension, the recent unpleasantness between them still fresh in her mind.

"Forget it. My room is like a birdcage—cramped as it is. If I put the TV in there, I wouldn't even have room to turn around," He Yuzhu said with a feigned casualness, a subtle smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he teased his sister.

"Oh, stop it! How about we just take turns keeping it? How does that sound?" Upon hearing this, He Yushui's eyes immediately curved into crescents, and she agreed readily, "Yes, yes, that would be perfect!"

The siblings set off toward the state-run store, chatting and laughing as if the friction of the past few days had never happened.

In those days, a television was a rare luxury not every household could afford. Firstly, the price was exorbitantly high, far beyond the reach of ordinary families. Secondly, the ration coupons required to purchase one were extremely scarce and hard to come by. Even with He Yuzhu’s relative wealth and having a coupon in hand, it had taken a great deal of effort to successfully purchase a set.

When they arrived at the state-run store, He Yuzhu glanced at his watch. It was only a little past nine in the morning, yet the queue for televisions already stretched out of sight.

"Brother, do you think we'll actually get one?" He Yushui asked anxiously, terrified that they would be sold out by the time their turn came.

"We’ll just have to wait in line. It’s better than just standing around doing nothing," He Yuzhu reassured her.

And so, the siblings joined the long line. Time ticked by second by second; televisions were carried away one by one, yet their line seemed to barely budge.

"Heaven, please let me get a television," He Yushui whispered, her palms pressed together in prayer. "I’ve never even seen a TV in my life; just let us take one home."

"Yes, exactly. Buying a TV is my birthday wish, and I’m making it early. Heaven must make it come true," He Yuzhu chimed in, though he was actually quite nervous himself. To him, this television was a genuine treasure.

Amidst He Yushui’s continuous prayers, they finally reached the counter. Fortune favored them—in the final batch of televisions, there was indeed one with their name on it!

The siblings held the television with extreme care, as if it were a hot potato, terrified of dropping it. When they reached the bicycle, He Yuzhu instructed, "Yushui, I’ll set the TV on the ground, you go and steady the bike."

"Alright, easy now—set it down slowly. Don't you dare bump my treasure," He Yushui replied, watching the television intensely, fearful of any mishap.

Truth be told, people really do change with their environment. In He Yuzhu’s original world, a television was merely a piece of furniture that held no interest for him. But in this era, owning one felt like possessing a mountain of gold, enough to keep him happy for a long time.

With one pushing the bike and the other steadying the TV, they turned a thirty-minute trip into an hour-long trek, finally bringing the set safely back to the courtyard.

The news spread like wildfire, and the entire courtyard was in an uproar! After all, this was the first television in the entire complex. He Yuzhu’s room was instantly packed with people, everyone talking at once, creating a scene of bustling chaos.

"I’ve never seen a television in my life. Zhuzi, this thing wasn't cheap, was it?"

"Of course not. In this entire house, this is the most precious thing."

"Zhuzi, your family is doing better and better. You’re the only ones in the whole yard with a TV; the rest of us don't have anything to watch."

"Master He, we’re all neighbors here—could we come over to your place to watch TV?"

Facing the barrage of questions, He Yuzhu could only smile and agree to each request. By the time he finally managed to see everyone off, his throat was nearly hoarse.

"Why does it matter to them that we bought a TV? Look at how excited they all were," He Yushui complained.

He Yushui was a bit of a loner. Since she was small, she hadn't liked interacting with the others in the courtyard, preferring to keep to herself, which made her seem somewhat detached. Both the adults and children in the yard gossiped about her, calling her strange.

"Yushui, you’ve grown up in this courtyard your whole life. Why aren’t you used to being close to everyone?" He Yuzhu poured himself a glass of water, drank slowly to soothe his throat, and continued, "You’re a young woman now; you need to learn some social graces."

"When you see people in the courtyard, take the initiative to greet them and chat a bit. Don't let the Third Uncle and the others say you’re rude or unsociable."

Upon hearing this, He Yushui’s eyes widened in shock as she stared at He Yuzhu, as if looking at a total stranger. She muttered to herself, *Is this my foolish brother? Why has he suddenly become so long-winded and started lecturing me?*

He Yuzhu didn't offer much explanation for her confusion, simply insisting repeatedly that she change her personality and interact more with the neighbors.

In truth, when he first arrived in this world, He Yuzhu had been just as unsociable as He Yushui. But as time passed, he realized he had to change. The times were different, and so were the ways people interacted. Back in the high-rise apartments of the future, neighbors rarely even saw each other, and relations were naturally distant. But here in the courtyard, you saw the same faces every single day; it was hard not to interact. If he kept acting like he was pushing everyone away, it would not only make his life inconvenient but would lead to being ostracized by the rest of the compound.

He Yuzhu had bought the television recently, and it was a novelty. Last night, he couldn't wait to turn it on and watched it until the middle of the night, waking up the next morning with dark circles under his eyes. He rushed off to work in a panic, leaving the door unlocked in his haste.

However, he didn't know that after he left, someone was lurking in the shadows of a corner. Once the working residents had left and the courtyard became quiet, Xu Damao snuck into He Yuzhu’s room.

"He Yuzhu, don't blame me for letting myself in—who told you to leave your door unlocked!" As soon as Xu Damao stepped inside and saw the television, his expression turned gloomy. He grumbled to himself, *So the guy bought a TV—does he have to show it off to the whole compound? What a bumpkin! Today, I’m going to teach him a lesson!*