Courtyard House: A Major Power's Heavy Industry, Hand-Crafted Nuclear Fusion

The compensation from the Jia family has been received.

One hundred yuan, plus the thirty-eight-and-a-half yuan IOU that Yi Zhonghai signed.

In this day and age, this is an absolute fortune.

Instead of saving the money, Su Zheng decided to spend it wisely—improving his living conditions.

After all, deep winter was just around the corner, and winter in Beijing was no joke. The original owner's dilapidated house was drafty and the paint was peeling off; living in it was truly miserable.

The next morning, Su Zheng went to the factory and asked for half a day off.

He first went to the factory's logistics department, found a few temporary workers who usually did odd jobs, and then went to the waste warehouse and the lumberyard.

Around noon, a flatbed cart loaded with materials stopped at the entrance of the courtyard house.

"Ouch! What... what are you trying to do?"

The three middle-aged women who were sunbathing at the door stared in disbelief.

The truck was piled with bundles of wooden planks and plasterboard, as well as a large roll of something black and rubbery.

"Su Zheng, are you building a house?" the third aunt couldn't help but ask.

Su Zheng directed the workers to unload the goods without looking up: "We're not building houses, just tidying things up a bit. It's too cold outside, the houses are uninhabitable."

"Just a quick tidy-up?"

Yan Bugui pushed up his glasses and leaned closer, his shrewd little eyes fixed on the bundle of planks.

"This is...red pine? Or treated flooring material? Su Zheng, you've really gone all out! How much does this truckload cost?"

Su Zheng said casually, "Not much. It's all scrap material from the factory. I thought it was still usable, so I bought it. Uncle, please move aside, don't let it hit you."

"Scrap material?" Yan Bugui clearly didn't believe it. Although the wooden board looked a bit old, the grain was clear and the texture was hard; with a little planing, it would be a good product.

His eyes darted around, and he reached out to touch the bundle of planks: "This material is quite good, Su Zheng. I see you have a lot here. If you can't use it all..."

"Don't move."

Su Zheng's voice suddenly turned cold.

He grabbed Yan Bugui's hand, his gaze sharp as lightning: "Third Uncle, these are supplies disposed of by the government, each one is numbered. Every single one must be registered in the accounts. If you take one, and the accounts are checked later, will you be held responsible for 'stealing public property'?"

"Stealing...stealing public property?"

Yan Bugui was so frightened that he quickly withdrew his hand, his face turning pale.

Ever since yesterday, when the stick-shaped object was labeled as "sabotaging scientific research," people in this institute have become particularly sensitive to the word "public property."

"I'm not taking it! I just want to look! Can't I even look?" Yan Bugui sheepishly took a few steps back, muttering, "So stingy... It's just a few pieces of broken wood..."

Su Zheng ignored him and directed the workers to move the materials into the house.

"Bang!"

The door closed.

Su Zheng took out a piece of red paper that he had written on beforehand from his pocket and pasted it on the door.

There are only four large characters on it, written with powerful strokes that seem to penetrate the paper.

[Construction site restricted, unauthorized personnel not permitted].

inside the house.

The workers got busy.

Although he was hired as a temporary worker, Su Zheng was the real commander-in-chief.

"First, level the ground, then lay the moisture barrier, and then lay the joists."

"A keel also needs to be installed on the wall, with this roll of sound insulation cotton filled in the middle, and then plasterboard is installed on top."

Su Zheng gave instructions while personally demonstrating the techniques.

His standards were extremely high; every seam had to be perfectly fitted and every nail had to be driven in precisely.

Although the workers found the young foreman's demands a bit strange, they worked extra hard because Su Zheng paid them well (including a meal with meat and vegetables).

"Sizzle—sizzle—"

The sounds of planing wood and hammering nails echoed throughout the house.

Strangely, these sounds became muffled and not harsh when they reached outside.

This is the effect of the "soundproofing layer" that Su Zheng specially prepared.

What he wanted to create was not just a warm nest, but an "independent space" completely isolated from the beasts that filled the yard.

Even if it's noisy outside, it should remain as quiet as still water inside.

It was evening.

As darkness fell, the interior decoration was basically completed.

The once uneven cement floor has now been covered with a layer of red pine flooring that exudes a faint pine scent. Although it's not painted, its warm texture has elevated the entire room's overall quality by several levels.

The walls are no longer mottled whitewash, but covered with smooth plasterboard. Although they haven't been painted white yet, the cleanliness is already pleasing to the eye.

"This is too much..."

The workers were all dumbfounded.

They'd been in the renovation business their whole lives, and they'd never seen anything so "meticulous."

"Master Su, this isn't just house repair, it's more impressive than the factory manager's office!"

Su Zheng smiled and handed out a pack of cigarettes to everyone.

"It's not over yet. We'll have to trouble a few more workers to finish the ceiling tomorrow."

At this moment, in the courtyard.

Yan Bugui stood guard at the door, wanting to see what Su Zheng was up to.

Seeing the workers come out, he quickly went over and peered inside.

That glance completely shattered Yan Bugui's composure.

By the light inside, he saw the wooden floor that covered the entire room, and the smooth walls...

"My God..."

Yan Bugui felt a sharp pain in his chest. "How much money is this going to cost? Is Su Zheng... is he just throwing money away? He's burning it like paper!"

The three women were dumbfounded: "Old Yan, our floor is still dirt... and they've laid wood on it? Won't we need cloths to mop it now? That'll use up so many cloths!"

It wasn't just the Yan family.

The Jia family in the middle courtyard also caught a glimpse of the "luxurious" interior through the crack in the window.

Jia Zhangshi was so angry that she crushed the cornbread in her hand.

"That's my money! That's all my money!"

Madam Jia gritted her teeth, her eyes red with rage. "That was the hundred yuan I owed him! He used my money to pave the floor! That heartless, childless bastard! Doesn't he fear retribution in the middle of the night?!"

Looking at the warm and bright house, and then at her own dark, damp, and musty house, Qin Huairu felt a mix of emotions.

If we hadn't fallen out... if we had been able to maintain a good relationship with Su Zheng back then...

Even if you were just cooking or doing laundry, you could probably sit on that wooden floor now and enjoy its warmth and comfort.

Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs".

That night.

Many people in the courtyard are suffering from insomnia.

The tightly closed door of Su Zheng's house was like an insurmountable chasm, forcibly separating "poverty and scheming" from "wealth and dignity" into two separate worlds.

But this is just the beginning.