Courtyard House: My Hidden Wheat Seeds Caused a National Sensation

The big, fat pig, along with Cui Dake who was escorting it, got into the truck heading to the machine repair shop.

A few days later, Li Jianye and Dilireshilin finally arrived in Beijing.

"I finally made it back before National Day."

He gazed at the familiar city gate and let out a soft sigh of relief.

"This is Beijing!"

Delilah stared wide-eyed at the bustling street. "It's so big and lively."

She grew up in the vast but sparsely populated Xinjiang province. When she first saw such dense housing and bustling crowds, her eyes were full of novelty and amazement, like a child who had just entered the city.

"Once I'm done with these busy days, I'll show you around properly."

Li Jianye smiled and said, "Let's take care of business first."

I need to see my supervisor and then handle the paperwork for your work relationship and household registration transfer.

Because of Dilisilin's exceptional skills and her status as a retired platoon leader, she was eventually assigned to the public security system, even though she was originally engaged in agriculture.

Back then, police weren't called "police."

They are called "People's Police" instead.

The organization was no longer called the police station, but the public security bureau—in order to distance itself from the image of the old era.

The people use different names for them; some still call them police, some call them police officers, and some call them public security officers.

Dilisilin was determined to become such a police officer.

The specific police station to which he will be assigned has not yet been decided.

Li Jianye first had to meet with Mr. H to report on the progress of fertilizer and subsequent matters, and to hear the arrangements from above—whether to build a new factory or renovate the existing factory.

These will all be major tasks for him in the next phase.

He thought to himself that it would be best to arrange for Delilah to be assigned to a police station closer to him.

"Let's go back to the Academy of Agricultural Sciences first."

Li Jianye hailed a tricycle. "You can rest in my dorm for a bit. I'm going to make a call and see if the boss is there."

The car drove through the bustling streets towards the Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Upon arriving at their destination, Li Jianye settled Dilisilin in her dormitory to rest, then turned and walked towards his office.

The office door closed gently behind me.

He dialed the number for China Overseas.

A confirmation came from the other end of the line—Mr. H was currently in his office and had no meetings scheduled.

So he drove straight there without stopping.

The aroma of tea wafted out from the slightly ajar door first.

When I pushed open the door, Mr. H was already sitting opposite me at the coffee table, the tea in his cup just warm.

"H Gong".

"You're back?"

Mr. H looked up, smiled, and waved to him, "Sit down."

After this trip, my face is all tanned to a wheat color.

"A darker spirit."

Li Jianye sat down opposite him, his eyes shining. "This trip was quite fruitful. We found several very special wild wheat plants."

With these, I'm confident I can double the yield per acre.

"good!"

Mr. H clapped his hands, then took out a small cotton bag from beside him and gently pushed it to the center of the coffee table. "This is what you wanted—wild rice seeds from Africa. I had someone find some for me, but not much."

Li Jianye's eyes lit up.

He remembered that in another time and space, a wild rice that could grow for many years grew in the African wetlands.

If we can find it and increase its yield through hybridization, we might be able to breed a perennial super rice variety—just like the one he had seen in the literature, which grows for five years and is harvested twice a year, saving both manpower and resources, as easy as planting a tree.

It's just unknown whether this small bag of brown seeds contains that legendary perennial lineage.

I won't pry into what you're hiding in your heart.

Mr. H smiled and took out two more small bags. "These are wheat and corn seeds from Africa. Perhaps you can use them."

"This is so useful."

Li Jianye took them, already planning how to integrate them into the breeding atlas.

Wheat may be able to achieve further breakthroughs, but corn represents a completely new world.

"H Gong,"

He paused for a moment, then took out a stack of papers covered with writing from his bag. "I sorted out some ideas on the way here, about the production pathways for fertilizers and pesticides...maybe it's feasible."

Mr. H took the book and read it page by page, his expression gradually becoming serious.

He never expected that this young man, who came from the fields, would have such a clear understanding of the ins and outs of the chemical industry.

The detailed plan on paper is like a lamp in the dark, illuminating a practical path.

If the body can actually land, the hands that are stuck around the neck might finally be released.

"well!"

Mr. H's hand trembled slightly. "I will arrange for the Academy of Sciences to verify it immediately."

"If it's feasible, build a factory and start production immediately."

He knew all too well what this meant—fertilizer and pesticides were the wings of the land.

Once they take flight, the harvest will soar to the sky, faster than breeding and more intense than waiting.

The shadow of famine might indeed fade somewhat as a result.

"Little Li..."

Mr. H carefully put away the stack of papers, looked up at me with a warm gaze, and said, "You always surprise me."

"And that's not all the surprises."

Li Jianye smiled, and his tone suddenly softened.

"Oh? What else?"

"In Xinjiang, I met a girl."

We...are planning to get married.

Mr. H froze, his teacup hovering in mid-air.

After a long pause, he slowly put down his cup, a smile spreading across his eyes, which also seemed like a sigh.

"You child... you talk about such an important life event like it's a work report."

Why did the person who sent you to do the research bring back a girl?

The thought flashed through my mind.

But then he remembered the seeds Li Jianye had found in the wild, and the report he had presented about increasing production and fertilizer, and the old man's surprise dissipated.

"Perhaps for some people, the real purpose is to travel to the frontier and meet someone they like along the way."

He pondered to himself, a smile involuntarily appearing on his face, and joked, "That's great! On your wedding day, I'll be your witness, how about it?"

"That would be wonderful!"

Li Jianye's eyes lit up, his joy almost overflowing.

With this old gentleman in charge, it's a great honor.

"However... I'm afraid we'll have to wait a while longer."

He immediately stopped smiling, his brows furrowing slightly. "Sir, we need to get these two things—increasing production and fertilizer—starting as soon as possible."

I'm also planning a trip to the Northeast.

"What are you going to do in Northeast China?"

"I have collected some good wild rice varieties in the border areas and plan to launch a hybrid rice breeding program at the same time."

The rice in Northeast China is ripe now, and I'd like to go and see if I can find any more wild varieties with superior traits.

"good!"

The old man nodded approvingly, his smile deepening, and picked up a paper bag from beside him.

"Here's something else good for you."

"This is?"

Under Li Jianye's curious gaze, the old man slowly untied the bag, revealing candies wrapped in blue and white striped wrappers and printed with white rabbit patterns.

"It's milk candy!"

Li Jianye was overjoyed.

He naturally recognized that this candy, which was about to become popular all over the country, was still a rare commodity at that time.

The rich, milky aroma from his memory seemed to resurface on his lips, but he immediately reminded himself of his current "identity."

—Theoretically, he shouldn't even know about this thing yet.

So he quickly took one out, unwrapped it, and looked at the old man with feigned surprise: "This is... a milk candy?"

"That's right."

The old gentleman nodded with a smile, "The new White Rabbit milk candy will be available in stores after the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Take these; they're perfect for winning over your sweetheart.

Thank you!

Li Jianye accepted the candy with a smile and carefully put the bag away.

"And this too."

The old gentleman then took two more receipts from the drawer and handed them over.

Li Jianye took it and saw that it was from the "Old Moscow Restaurant at the Bear Exhibition Hall".

Special certificate.

"This is a meal voucher for the Old Mo Restaurant."

You can take this and bring your partner to try it.

But remember to bring plenty of cash; you don't need tickets for meals there, but they're not cheap.

"thank you!"

Li Jianye felt another surge of joy.

Old Mo Restaurant is the most fashionable place right now, and he's long wanted to go there, but he doesn't have the connections.

Great, now I can take Delilah to experience it.

"Don't thank me yet."

The old gentleman waved his hand, his smile gentle.

"Once the results of the increased production and fertilizer verification are confirmed, we will give you two meal vouchers like this every month from now on."

in addition……"

When Li Jianye pushed open the door, the scene inside made him slightly taken aback.

The windows were bright and clean, the tables and chairs were spotless, and even the books he casually placed next to the bookshelf were neatly stacked.

Delilah was resting against the back of her chair when she heard the noise. She turned around and her eyes immediately lit up with a smile.

"You're back?"

She stood up and walked closer, her gaze falling on the things he was carrying. "What new have you bought?"

"Rice, flour, oil, and salt—daily necessities."

He placed the cloth bag containing the ingredients in the corner, then picked up another slightly more elegant bag. "These were given to me by the boss."

The bag was opened, revealing two bottles of wine, a carton of cigarettes, and a can of tea.

Dilisilin leaned closer to take a look, pointed at the pack of cigarettes, and said softly, "I recognize this cigarette. Uncle Liu smokes this one; he said it's a special supply."

He then curiously examined the bottle. "Uncle Liu usually likes to drink Fenjiu, but I've never seen this before."

What variety of tea is this?

"Don't just focus on these things."

Li Jianye smiled, reached into his pocket—actually from a hidden place unnoticed by others—and pulled out a handful of milk candies wrapped in blue and white wrappers. "Try this."

Delilah took one, unwrapped it, and put it in her mouth. Her eyes widened suddenly: "It's milky! So rich and creamy."

"Let's try the White Rabbit milk candy before it's officially launched."

Looking at her delighted expression, Li Jianye said gently, "They won't be available on the market until around National Day, and they'll probably be hard to get by then."

"It's delicious."

She sipped the candy, the sweet, milky flavor swirling on her tongue, and looked up at him with undisguised admiration in her eyes. "You always have a way of getting your hands on these rare things."

The conversation he had with Mr. H earlier was now slowly settling in Li Jianye's mind.

H's words were subtle yet clear: he could try to get the stipend for academicians, but the matter was sensitive and required approval from higher authorities.

That monthly allowance of one hundred dollars became a topic of conversation for many people after the turmoil of 1957, and no one has received it since.

But he was different—Mr. H said he deserved the subsidy; after all the hard work, it was always good to have more money on him.

In addition, the qualification of a Level 9 agricultural machinery operator has been approved, and the salary will increase by another 45 yuan.

Mr. H instructed him to remember to go to the Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the steel rolling mill to collect the difference for the past few months.

"That adds up to five hundred and forty-five dollars a month."

Li Jianye silently calculated in his mind, and even he was surprised.

This amount is equivalent to a year and a half's wages for Chef He in the cafeteria.

He recalled Mr. H's reply when he asked about the production arrangements: there was no need to build a new factory; it could be placed in the existing fertilizer plant and its supporting facilities in Beijing, not far from the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, and he could go there to provide guidance.

This suited him perfectly—that way, by assigning Delilah to a police station whose jurisdiction included the courtyard area, the two of them could commute to and from get off work on the same route.

Afterwards, he chatted with Mr. H for a while. When it was time to leave, Mr. H insisted that he take the two bottles of Moutai, the carton of Zhonghua cigarettes, and the can of tea with him.

He couldn't refuse, so he had no choice but to accept it with a smile.

As I walked out of Zhonghai, the gazes of several staff members along the way held undisguised surprise.

Others see leaders carrying gifts when they enter, but he always brings something out when he comes.

Back at his dormitory at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, before opening the door, he deliberately took out some grains, oil, and fresh vegetables from the storage space that only he could reach.

Pushing open the door and seeing the house neatly organized, I felt a warmth in my heart.

At this moment, Delilah still had a candy in her mouth, her cheeks slightly puffed out, and her eyes reflected the twilight light streaming in from the window.

Li Jianye arranged the cigarettes, alcohol, and tea on the table, then turned to look at her. Suddenly, he felt that the originally simple house had gained a different warmth because of her presence.

Delilah had never imagined that such a taste existed in the world.

This is so amazing it's unbelievable.

"The best is yet to come."