Courtyard House: My Hidden Wheat Seeds Caused a National Sensation

Li Jianye's tone carried a hint of barely perceptible mischief, "Remember that silk shop? The one with the small storefront and the manager being a woman?"

"I remember."

Delilah blinked, then suddenly sat up straight, alert. "That female manager is quite beautiful... You... you wouldn't happen to have other ideas, would you?"

Her face suddenly turned pale, her eyes quickly filled with tears, and her fingertips unconsciously clenched his sleeve.

"What are you thinking about?"

Li Jianye chuckled, raised his hand to gently stroke the top of her head, a touch of helpless tenderness passing through his heart—a woman's thoughts are indeed like a winding corridor, always taking unexpected turns.

"I had several special clothes made there."

Go and fetch it in a few days, and when I return... wear it for me to see.

"So that's how it is..."

Delilah's tense shoulders suddenly relaxed, and she let out a long sigh of relief.

She then frowned, and whispered wistfully, "Are you leaving again? How long will you be gone this time?"

"At the latest, we'll be back before 1960."

Li Jianye softened his voice, as if making a promise, "I'll try to do it as soon as possible."

I heard there are some rare things over there, I'll bring some back for you.

"The things don't matter, your safety is the most important thing."

Delilah grasped his hand, her fingertips slightly cold. "Don't let it be like when we first met, when we were surrounded by wolves... I'm always afraid of that."

"rest assured."

Li Jianye responded gently and pulled her closer to his side.

While chatting, the two had already returned to the front of the courtyard house.

That night, the lamplight flickered on the window for a long time. Dilireba and Delireba were especially tender, as if they wanted to draw upon the time after their separation in advance. It wasn't until the night was deep that they finally fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next morning, after Li Jianye took Dilisilin to the police station, he drove to the chemical plant.

I need to finish up my current tasks before heading north.

The train will head towards that vast land beyond the Great Wall.

Looking out the car window at the rapidly receding scenery, Li Jianye felt a vague sense of anticipation rising within him.

That place is rich in produce and resources. When he returns, his farm and ranch will probably be filled with many unexpected joys and harvests.

---

The training room was filled with a faint smell of chalk dust.

Li Jianye closed his lecture notes and glanced at the focused and energetic faces below the stage.

These key technical personnel will soon be dispatched to various regions to shoulder the important task of promoting fertilizer production.

"Everything that needed to be taught has been conveyed to everyone."

His tone was calm, with a sense of relief that everything had settled down, "The training can now be concluded successfully."

The ministry leader accompanying him walked up with a smile: "Member Li, the technical hurdles and production processes for fertilizers have now been overcome."

Now there's only one last important thing left—to give it a name.

This achievement is the culmination of your hard work, so the right to name it naturally belongs to you.

Comrades, don't you agree?

"yes!"

A unified and enthusiastic response rang out from the audience.

Li Jianye pondered for a moment, a distant and slightly amused smile appearing on his lips.

"Since that's the case... let's call it 'Golden Fertilizer'."

"Jin Ke La?"

The leader paused slightly, pondering the words, "This name... is there any particular significance to it?"

"Jin is the Jin of gold."

"Clops of soil in the fields, that's what we older farmers often called them."

Li Jianye slowly explained, "'Jin Ke La' means that it can turn a clod of dirt into a lump of gold."

Isn't this precisely the purpose of fertilizer?

"Great! What a wonderful 'Golden Fertilizer'!"

The leader clapped his hands and laughed heartily, his expression invigorated. "The name is fitting, and it has a powerful feel to it! From today onwards, this fertilizer will be officially named 'Golden Fertilizer'! I hereby declare the 'Golden Fertilizer' project fully launched!"

He turned to all the trainees, his voice suddenly rising: "Comrades, time waits for no one, and the task is heavier than a mountain! We must go all out to produce enough fertilizer to ensure a bumper harvest next summer! Do you have confidence?"

"Yes! Mission accomplished!"

The rousing roar almost burst through the roof.

"For a bountiful harvest!"

"A bountiful harvest! A bountiful harvest!"

The shouts echoed in the classroom, as if one could already see the heavy waves of wheat undulating in the fields.

The fields in the golden autumn echoed with enthusiastic cheers.

Looking at the bustling crowd before him, a smile appeared on Li Jianye's lips.

Many fragments of memory suddenly flashed through my mind—a comical and chaotic scene of countless people scrambling for a certain fertilizer, like an absurd carnival.

"In this life, its reputation can finally be clean."

He thought to himself, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

"It won't be a joke anymore... But once it becomes truly famous, will it attract envy from outsiders?"

"What if someone intercepts us halfway, shouting something like, 'Use this, and the yield will be 1,800 per mu!'"

Thinking of this, his smile deepened, carrying a hint of something unfathomable.

In the afternoon, everyone gathered together for a lively meal.

After the meal, Li Jianye took a car to the Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

He called his assistant over, carefully explained the work plan for the next step, and then made a phone call to China Overseas.

Upon learning that the other party was in a meeting, he abandoned the idea of ​​personally going to say goodbye and instead had the car drive to the police station.

Delilah stood there waiting for him.

The two embraced tightly and did not separate for a long time.

He intended to leave just like that, but she insisted on taking him to the train station.

He couldn't persuade her otherwise, so he had to nod.

On the platform, she kept watching his back until the train completely disappeared at the end of the tracks.

Zhang Wen, who was standing next to her, gently persuaded her several times before she finally turned around.

"Sister-in-law, don't worry too much, my brother will be back soon."

Delilah forced a smile and thanked her softly.

Accompanied by Zhang Wen, she returned to the courtyard house.

She had barely stepped into the courtyard when news of Li Jianye's latest business trip spread to every corner of the country.

The night is getting darker.

Yi Zhonghai led Jia Dongxu into He Yuzhu's house.

Medicine was not very advanced back then, and medicine was scarce.

Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu received several injections at the hospital and were almost fully recovered; however, He Yuzhu, who was relying on medication to get through the illness, was still lying in bed, his face ashen.

"Zhu Zi, are you feeling any better?"

Upon entering, Yi Zhonghai did not inquire about the matter at first, but instead spoke with gentle concern.

He Yuzhu felt a surge of warmth in his heart upon hearing this and quickly agreed.

Jia Dongxu laughed from the side:

"Hey Shazhu, I have good news for you—Li Jianye is out again!"

"really?"

He Yuzhu's eyes lit up, and he almost sat up in bed. "Then, his beautiful wife, could we...?"

"Pillar!"

Yi Zhonghai's face darkened, and he interrupted him.

"Haven't you had enough of him? It's not like he's not coming back; he might really kill you then!"

"I...I'm not afraid of him at all..."

He Yuzhu remained defiant, but his voice gradually lowered.

Seeing his outwardly strong but inwardly weak appearance, Yi Zhonghai shook his head and changed the subject.

"His departure has given us an opportunity."

As Yi Zhonghai spoke, a hint of weariness crept into his voice.

"We need to use this time to gradually rebuild our ruined reputation."

As soon as he said those words, he felt as if a stone was pressing on his heart.

Every time Li Jianye left, he would go to great lengths to repair his image; but as soon as the man returned, he would only need a few words for everything to crumble again.

If this happened a few more times—he feared he really wouldn't be able to hold on.

"From now on, do as I say."

He composed himself and looked at the two people in front of him.

"We need to seize this opportunity and regain the face we deserve."

Jia Dongxu and He Yuzhu simultaneously responded in low voices, "Yes."

……

Inside another room.

Delisilin was carefully wiping the weapon in her hands.

She was a civilian police officer and, as usual, was not allowed to carry a gun.

However, after Li Jianye acknowledged Zhou Ping'an as his nominal mentor, he also managed to obtain a gun license for her through certain connections.

"I wonder if those people in this courtyard will be so foolish as to run into us?"

She was cleaning her gun, but her gaze was fixed on the window, a playful smile playing on her lips.

She felt no fear whatsoever towards these petty thugs.

How could a woman who once faced a hundred hungry wolves alone in the wilderness be afraid of these trivial disputes?

Moreover, her own skills are by no means inferior.

Although she belonged to the agricultural production and construction corps and her rank was only platoon leader, she never relaxed her self-discipline.

If we're talking about hand-to-hand combat, the man in the courtyard, known as the "God of War," is the best.

He Yuzhu was no match for her.

That's why Li Jianye felt comfortable leaving her alone here.

"I just don't know when he will return."

As her thoughts shifted, that figure resurfaced in Delisilin's mind, and she sighed softly.

……

Time slipped by like flowing water, and more than a month passed in the blink of an eye.

During this period, the city of Beijing appeared calm on the surface, but undercurrents were surging beneath.

Yi Zhonghai, He Yuzhu, and Jia Dongxu's reputations have gradually recovered somewhat.

In the courtyard, Yi Zhonghai regained control of the conversation, and many things were once again inseparable from his instructions.

He Yuzhu originally planned to see a doctor at the end of October, but Yi Zhonghai stopped him and told him to postpone it for a while.

He Yuzhu didn't ask any further questions and nodded in agreement.

Yan Jiecheng, the eldest son of the Yan family, has been idle since graduating from high school.

One day, while fishing, Yan Bugui stumbled upon an opportunity and managed to get his son a job at the Hongxing Aquatic Products Processing Plant.

If it weren't for this chance encounter, Yan Jiecheng would probably have been unemployed at home for quite some time.

Cui Dake, a farmer who delivered live pigs to the machine repair shop under Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill last time, managed to get a temporary job at the factory thanks to his quick wit and flattery.

However, this job does not grant him the right to change his household registration, so he remains a rural resident.

Cui Dake is now inquiring everywhere, hoping to find a widow with a city household registration to marry into.

As long as he becomes the son-in-law of a city family, he can stay in Beijing even if the factory no longer wants him.

However, being a son-in-law still doesn't grant him a formal "rural-to-urban" residency status.

He was still secretly looking for other ways out.

Dilireshlin retrieved a batch of items that Li Jianye had previously ordered from Chen Xueru.

After Chen Xueru explained the uses of each item, her ears burned with embarrassment and anger. She secretly resolved to settle the score with him when he returned.

Just as she was gritting her teeth and waiting, Li Jianye finally appeared on the platform, looking travel-worn.

"We're finally back."

He stepped out of the train station, looked at the familiar streets and alleys before him, and let out a long sigh of relief.

This long trip yielded far more fruitful results than expected.

"How has Xiao Di been doing these days?"

He carried his luggage and walked out, thinking to himself.

……

After more than a month away, the appearance of Beijing seems to have not changed much.

But upon closer inspection, one can sense an indescribable chill in the air.

Li Jianye recalls that in the past, many tricycle drivers would gather outside the station waiting for fares, their shouts and the sound of wheels echoing incessantly.

Now it's completely empty, not a soul in sight.

He understood that this was because food was becoming increasingly scarce.

People struggle to even get enough to eat, so how can they have the strength to pedal their vehicles and solicit customers?

"1958 and 1959 were just the beginning..."

He muttered to himself, continuing his walk towards the familiar courtyard.

In the late autumn of 1959, the chill of winter seeped into the land earlier than in previous years.

From October onwards, the shadow of famine pressed down like leaden clouds, and many places began to lose the breath of life in large swaths.

Li Jianye stood alone on the platform, gazing at the gray sky, his faint hope swaying precariously in the cold wind.

Earlier, he had a long conversation with Mr. H, which revolved around the prevailing trend of exaggerating production figures in various regions at the time.

The two shared the same views and got along very well.

However, he had no idea whether those words would reach the ears of the emperor, or even slightly change the course of events.

Some things are simply too subtle to be easily swayed by words.

"Brother! I've been waiting for you!"

A shout pulled him back to reality.

A black sedan silently pulled up in front of him, the window rolled down, revealing Zhang Wen's smiling face.

"The train is very late."