Courtyard House: The Chef's Intelligence System

Li Jiuzhou's advancement was a complete shock to Nanluoguxiang.

He's a genuine department-level official.

The tree may wish to remain still, but the wind will not cease; news cannot be kept secret.

What Li Jiuzhou did was not hidden from his superiors, so if he doesn't get promoted now, when will he?

Factories all over the country owe him a debt of gratitude, not to mention the workers. When factories shut down, it is the workers who suffer the most.

Before parting, Secretary Nie also presented Li Jiuzhou's wife with a piece of calligraphy, as follows:

"The roc rises with the wind, soaring ninety thousand miles high!"

His handwriting reflects his personality: unrestrained, free-spirited, and extremely arrogant!

Li Jiuzhou hung it in his study, and admiring it every day made him feel very happy.

The father-in-law, however, had a different mindset and brought Li Jiuzhou even more books.

He earnestly advised her to keep a low profile, saying, "You're still young..."

Study, and more studying... Let it all out...

Li Jiuzhou understood his father-in-law's intentions, humbly accepted them, and expressed that he would definitely keep a low profile in his personal life but a high profile in his work.

As for the issue of the Li family uncle and nephew working in the same unit and being the top two leaders respectively, there was no mention of any changes or adjustments.

You two are right under our noses, what are you going to do? Are we blind? If you're so capable, try and cause some trouble.

We dared to put the two of you together because we weren't afraid you'd cause trouble. If you did, it just means we were wrong to judge you.

This is both an affirmation from above for the uncle and nephew, and a test.

At the same time, Li Jiuzhou also received an admission notice to study at the highest party school for three months.

It's not a full-time study program; you have to manage factory affairs while you're studying.

We're all in the capital, so don't even think about taking time off to study. Your time to be tested has come, you little brat!

Li Jiuzhou naturally went with full enthusiasm, and as a result, he was the one who got the most money, having a blast.

All the leaders, all at the vice-ministerial and ministerial levels, were studying together, while he was just a department-level official. It was really too much of an honor for him, Li.

This learning assignment was personally requested by the top leader.

How can you improve if you don't study?

Li Jiuzhou was awarded the title of "Little Li" in the cadre team.

Let's call him Lao Li. He's only 28 years old, and several of his students are old enough to be his grandfather.

Li Jiuzhou was extremely humble and eager to learn, and dared not show the slightest hint of youthful smugness; even if he did, he would suppress it with all his might.

And so he studied while handling factory affairs.

Fortunately, my second uncle, Li Huaide, was able to control the overall situation, and there were no major problems in the factory.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Li Jiuzhou had to conduct countless self-criticisms and self-reflections during class.

Of course, he wasn't the only one; all his old classmates had to engage in self-criticism and self-reflection.

An ordinary graduation, with a graduation certificate.

It was already mid-October.

During this period, No. 95 Courtyard was very peaceful. It is worth mentioning that Yan Bugui successfully became the vice principal of Hongxing Primary School.

He's considered a big shot in the hospital.

The old man was not satisfied with the status quo. He was not dissatisfied with the position of vice principal, but rather with his current living environment.

How can a vice principal be allowed to keep only two side rooms? What face does that leave him?

So he started jumping around again, but the school didn't have any housing to allocate to him; there weren't enough places for the teachers to live.

The neighborhood committee, needless to say, wouldn't even bother with him.

You're just a primary school vice principal, earning at most a hundred yuan a month, and you don't have any administrative position. Why should I give you a house?

The principal is the principal, and the staff are the staff; their roles are different.

So he tried to find connections everywhere, but to no avail.

The neighbors saw it all and were secretly pleased.

That's just how people are; they're never satisfied and are always greedy.

You dare not directly mock Yan Bugui; that old man is petty, and if he finds out you're laughing at him behind his back...

He might make things difficult for your child at school; Yan Bugui is really capable of doing that.

The Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill Family Compound is now definitely the best residential area in Nanluoguxiang.

With running water and electricity, and even heating, I could wake up smiling even in my dreams.

Ordinary people in the streets only have one water tap for daily life, and in winter they have to burn stoves and kang (heated brick beds), which is very troublesome.

Sure enough, it's only mid-October, and Yi Zhonghai has already moved into his new home with his wife.

Meals were still cooked in the yard, and after eating, we went to sleep. It was incredibly comfortable.

Whenever Aunt Yi talked about how great the new house was, Jia Zhangshi felt a strong urge to move in.

The Liu family was having dinner that night.

A plate of scrambled eggs, cabbage and tofu, and cornbread buns as the staple food.

Liu Haizhong also enjoys a little wine and lives a very comfortable life.

Liu Guangqi's face was full of anticipation:

"Dad, now that I've been officially hired, do you think I have a chance to become Brother Jiuzhou's secretary?"

Liu Haizhong put down his wine glass:

"What do you mean, 'Brother Jiuzhou'? You should call him Director Li. It's okay to say that at home, but you can't say it like that outside. People will think you're disrespecting your superiors."

"Yes, yes, I understand, Dad. Do you think I still have a chance?" Liu Guangqi asked excitedly.

Liu Haizhong gave his son no hope whatsoever:

"You have absolutely no chance! Who do you think you are?"

"A vocational school graduate wants to be the factory manager's secretary?"

"The factory manager's secretary starts at least as a deputy section chief. In what ways do you qualify?"

Liu Guangqi still refused to give up:

"Dad, we're neighbors with the factory manager, can't we try to get some connections?"

"Sigh..." Liu Haizhong sighed.

"That was before. Now they've moved to the family compound. Although they come back occasionally, it's not the same as before."

"Jiuzhou is now the factory manager, a high-ranking and powerful position. Many people want to be his secretary. Guangqi, I'm not trying to discourage you, but your qualifications are really far too lacking..."

"If possible, Dad would like you to be the factory manager's secretary, but I don't have the ability to do so."

"Even if we were to give a gift, what would be a good one? Kyushu has plenty of things to offer."

"Besides, as long-time neighbors, it's not appropriate for us to give him expensive gifts, and he wouldn't accept them anyway."

Liu Haizhong's words were reasonable and well-founded. Without Li Jiuzhou needing to explain, he rejected his son's idea on his own, proving himself to be a good subordinate who understands how to consider the leader's feelings.

Liu Guangqi's face was full of bitterness:

"But Dad, this is the best way to get promoted. As long as I become a secretary, I'll be a deputy section chief. I really want to advance..."

Liu Haizhong shook his head helplessly:

"Then you'll have to figure it out yourself. I doubt you'll even be able to get through the gates of the Kyushu family."

As the saying goes, "When one person attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven." With Li Jiuzhou becoming the factory director, someone naturally had to take over the position he left behind.

Someone from the logistics department has taken over, and Sha Zhu is temporarily in charge of the canteen.

Sha Zhu is carefree at home, either teasing his son or going to the balcony to smoke.

This made Qin Huairu, who had something on her mind, a little resentful:

"Hey Zhuzi, can't you just sit quietly for a while instead of walking around like this?"

"Now that I'm a factory manager, haven't you thought about helping me get promoted too?"

Sha Zhu chuckled:

"Honey, you don't understand how things work out within the system. I've only been a section chief for a little over a year."

"The next promotion would be deputy director level, but even a rocket can't get you that fast."

"I'm happy that my senior has made progress. We shouldn't cause him any trouble. The right thing to do is to be law-abiding and do our job well."

Qin Huairu was genuinely worried about her husband:

"Zhu Zi, you're his own junior brother. If he doesn't promote you, who will he promote?"

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu frowned and immediately retorted coldly:

"Shut the hell up, or I'll punch you."

"The steel rolling mill is owned by my senior colleague. He can't just promote whoever he wants!"

Qin Huairu never expected her usually doting husband to yell at her. Her eyes reddened, and she stubbornly retorted:

"Isn't that right?"

"I'm your mother my ass!" Sha Zhu roared, slamming his right hand over the coffee table, shattering cups on the floor.

Qin Huairu and Xiao Shitou were startled.

"I'm warning you, if you keep babbling, I'll beat you to death. Don't you dare interfere in men's business."

After saying that, he went downstairs.

Qin Huairu was left alone, weeping.

Qin Huairu has a typical rural mindset, and her limited perspective restricts her thinking.

She was still thinking that if one person attained enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs would benefit from it.

They even thought that once Sha Zhu got promoted another step, they would let him bring his poor relatives to the factory to eat government-subsidized grain.

From her perspective, this is not wrong.

But Sha Zhu is different. He follows his senior brother's lead and lets his senior brother decide how things are arranged.

He's content with his current situation, even if he doesn't get promoted, because his senior brother won't mistreat him anyway.

My wife is a bit too idealistic; I need to give her a good talking-to.

Sha Zhu is also intelligent. He didn't graduate from junior high school, but that doesn't mean he's uneducated.

He also attended night school and became politically savvy and politically aware.