Courtyard House: Starting as a mediocre engineer

Here, Editor Zhu used a fairly common logic. It's similar to something you often hear in school—the teacher's standard answer must be correct. Since your answer is different from the standard answer, it must be wrong.

This then extends to life and work: parents are always right, bosses are always right, foreigners are always right, and wives are always right...

Okay! You can take care of your wife at home. But the other explanations are commonplace. They're not entirely without merit, just based on experience.

However, this is precisely where experience-based judgment is unsuitable. Reactive armor is a completely new invention; it has never existed before. Where would we get any experience from?

If this is the case, then there will be no need for scientific research and innovation, let alone inventions and creations, since we have no experience in these areas. Does that mean we can't do anything at all?

"Editor Zhu, you've misunderstood. The working principle of reactive armor isn't primarily about thickness and strength, but rather active recoil. It uses reaction force to counteract the warhead. You probably haven't seen my subsequent calculations, have you? It's here..."

To be fair, rejection isn't a big deal, and Zhuang Zhongchen is quite tactful. But he's fundamentally an engineering type, and he's very meticulous about these things. Therefore, he needs to make his point clear.

However, Editor Zhu became impatient: "Look at this, isn't this the problem? Explosives hidden in the interlayer? Aren't you afraid of blowing yourself up?"

"That goes without saying. Isn't there a base plate for protection? Do you even know what directional blasting is? We're using inert explosives here."

"Oh, you even know about directional blasting? Isn't that still an explosion? Can you guarantee you won't blow up the wrong thing?"

"So you need theoretical calculations! Don't I have them all in the attachments?"

"Then let me ask you this: does this reactive armor explode with the slightest impact? Who would dare use it?"

"Holy crap! Isn't it written right here in black and white? It's supposed to be adjusted to such a high sensitivity that it won't even activate when a heavy machine gun bullet hits. It only activates when a certain pressure is reached, like when a shell hits it. Professor Zhu, couldn't you have read it again carefully?"

"No need, it's a complete waste of time. Alright, go back and study properly."

"Holy crap! They call themselves 'striving for excellence'? You guys don't even bother to look at the manuscripts, is this how you review them?"

"What's so interesting about a piece of trash like yours? Do you think our editorial department is just bored out of its mind?"

"Tch, I think that's about right. Holding a position without doing any work."

"What? What did you say? You little comrade, you're just a half-baked know-it-all, yet you're spouting nonsense. You don't even understand the basic principles, do you understand?"

"You're the one who pretends to know everything, you're just a blockhead."

"Incompetent and ignorant! Yet you dare to act like a thug! I'm warning you..."

"Warning to your grandma, you're a fucking idiot!"

"grass……"

Words flew in the air. The two started arguing on the spot, and then... Zhuang Zhongchen was ruthlessly kicked out.

The old man stood by, chuckling as he escorted him: "Kid, I knew you were a scoundrel, but I didn't know you could be this much. Don't cause me any trouble, and listen to me, get the hell out of here!"

"What is your surname, sir?"

"Your surname is Zhou. What? You want revenge on me?"

"No way. I know what's good for you, you didn't offend me. I'll put that idiot in a sack if I have to."

"Damn it!" Grandpa Zhou laughed heartily. "You're such a chatterbox! Even I can't help but want to punch you."

"Sure! I'll treat you to a drink then!"

"Then I'll take it seriously. Don't forget the mutton head."

"Okay! Let me check the time. It should be in the next few days!"

"..."

……

That's the helplessness of life; there will always be things that don't go as planned. Since that's the case, then let's enjoy some fine wine and beautiful women!

"Hey, Brother Chen, what brings you here?" Mi Cuicui asked with delight.

"I'll stay here tonight. I just went to the housing management office to ask them to help clean the place. It should take more than a month!"

"Really? Won't your neighborhood suspect something?"

"My workplace rented me a dormitory room, so I don't need to go there often." Zhuang Zhongchen smiled and opened several oil paper packages. "These are all freshly bought cooked dishes. You should put them away. Tonight, we'll have braised pork knuckle."

"Okay. I'll go to the market and see if I can buy a block of tofu."

In the past, the area under soybean cultivation was relatively fixed. If too much soybeans were planted, too little staple food would be grown. This created a balance, with soybeans primarily used for the production of various soy products.

However, after the founding of the People's Republic of China, a new technology for soybean oil extraction was developed, which increased the oil yield by about 100%. Furthermore, the deodorization process for soybean oil was largely solved.

Of course, the deodorization technology at this time was not yet perfect, and it still had some beany smell. This was crude soybean oil, later known as raw oil. Indeed, people consumed crude oil during this period. It wasn't until the 80s, when new technology was introduced from abroad, that filtration and deodorization processes became more mature, and it was eventually called refined oil.

That said, crude oil actually has a unique flavor, and some gourmets seem to really like it. They want it to have that beany, beany taste? They'll specifically seek out small workshops that use traditional oil-pressing methods.

However, the demand for soybean oil has increased significantly, while the planting area has remained almost unchanged. This has led to a shortage of both soybean oil and soybean products. As a result, the market has been relatively tight throughout this period.

As we all know, after the 80s, China began importing large quantities of soybeans from overseas, and the annual import volume increased year by year.

Interestingly, a certain balance was eventually reached—domestic soybeans were used to make soy products, while imported soybeans were used to extract oil, soybean meal, and so on. In short, it was all for the sake of everyone's indulgence in food and drink.

After a flurry of activity, the table was laden with food and wine, and Mi Cuicui sat down beside Zhuang Zhongchen with a smile.

It should be said that Mi Cuicui's home environment is quite nice. Because Da Chan had previously separated his house into a separate yard for gambling and theft, and even added a small gate at the back, he rarely interacted with his neighbors, which conveniently made it easy for that scumbag dog to meet him.

"Chenzi, are you getting married after your new house is finished?"

"Not that early, it'll be next year."

"Oh, by the way, Da Chan just sent a letter. He's doing quite well at the farm, so they've given him a chance to meet his family. His parents want to visit. They'll get too old later, and maybe they won't be able to see him again!"

"Hmm, would you like to bring Xiaoxue along?"

"Pretty much. It'll be good to keep the elderly company and look after them along the way. Probably until the weather gets warmer! Sigh—!"

"Okay. Let me know before you leave."

"Mmm. You're so nice."

The labor reform farms in Beijing were all located in other places, requiring several days to travel by train or long-distance bus. Under normal circumstances, it was impossible to find time to visit the prisoners, and the journey was extremely inconvenient.

And Da Chan's sentence is a full 20 years. By the time he gets out, his parents should be...? Never mind, let Mi Cuicui and Xiaoxue go and check on him!