Courtyard House: A Leisurely and Contented Life

These days, riding in a car is a nightmare.

The Russian-made ZIS engine that Yang Jianye was sitting in was shaking so badly that he felt like he was about to fall apart.

His thoughts drifted away, and he recalled the automobile industry he had just learned about.

The first domestically developed sedan in the industry was the Dongfeng CA71, which rolled off the production line in 1958: it had a bright red body, with the words "Made by First Automobile Works" printed in gold on the fenders, and its logo was a golden flying dragon.

The craftsmanship was copied from the "big brother" (referring to the original manufacturer), and to ensure quality, everything was handmade. A special task force was even formed.

The engine is from the Mercedes-190, the transmission is a self-designed three-speed mechanical transmission, the chassis is based on Simka, and the design top speed is 128 km/h.

However, only 30 units were ever built. Due to instability, complex processes, time and effort required, inability to mass-produce, and difficulty in overcoming technical challenges, coupled with pressure from higher-ups, the project was swept into history.

Independent research and development is too difficult!

Compared to readily available advanced production lines, technologies, and support abroad, the path to self-reliance is fraught with difficulties.

Fortunately, due to special needs, the previously failed technology was eventually used to assemble the Hongqi – a high-end sedan.

Shanghai is also drawing on this experience and plans to launch a brand called "Shanghai Sedan" for the general public.

Foreign cars still dominate the market: official vehicles are mostly old ZIS and Jeep models left over from the "big brother" (referring to the older generation of Chinese automakers), while domestic brands like Dongfeng and Hongqi are the most prestigious; Mercedes-Benz is the most respected in the business sector.

Private vehicle ownership rate: 0.

Lou Xiao'e's family owns a car, but it is registered under the name of the steel rolling mill, and Lou's father can only use it as a director.

Like the strongest post-80s generation in later generations, who clearly owned a Maybach, but it was the people's Maybach, and he was just borrowing it to drive.

Thinking of Lou Xiao'e, Yang Jianye felt a mix of emotions.

He never met the real her, but the character he saw in the original story was truly pitiful.

"Jianye, we've arrived."

The swaying "tumbler" finally stopped, and Yang Jianye got out of the car. The car stopped in an open area of ​​the factory, and the workshop gate was seven or eight meters ahead. As soon as the car entered, the leaders who had been waiting at the gate immediately came to greet it.

"Director Ma, is this Master Yang?" Factory Director Hu went straight to Yang Jianye—he was anxious and under a lot of pressure.

"I'm Yang Jianye, hello leader." Yang Jianye greeted him, then said proactively, "Let's get down to business first, shall we go check on the things?"

"Yes, don't be so polite, time waits for no one." Director Ma nodded repeatedly.

Since the person in charge had said so, Director Hu had no objections: "Please come in, Director Ma and Master Yang, follow me."

The workshop was brightly lit, and the tired faces covered in oil stains had bright, shining eyes.

When the factory manager brought people in, they looked at Director Ma and only after being introduced did they realize that the person in charge was Yang Jianye.

"Will this work?"

Yang Jianye is too young; he doesn't seem like someone who can solve all problems.

Riveting (sheet metal work) was a rare profession in those days. Most of them worked in research institutions or large enterprises like Dongfeng and FAW, doing important projects with a sense of mission and honor, such as the outer shells of automobiles, airplanes, and missiles. They also had the highest salaries.

Nowadays, when a leader brings along a "young, inexperienced person" to solve a problem, it looks like a desperate attempt to find a cure.

"Director Ma, you can speak first!"

The factory manager can also give an introduction, but some things are more convincing when said by an outsider.

Director Ma understood that he had to gain the genuine approval of the mentors for Yang Jianye.

Next, we need their cooperation to understand the problems and solve them in a targeted manner; ultimately, they will be the ones to do the work.

If someone is dissatisfied, outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, or even shirks responsibility, no one can bear the consequences.

"Thank you for your hard work, boiler factory workers!"

Director Ma hopped onto the worktable, thanked the workshop workers for their hard work, and then got to the point:

"Let me introduce you. This is Master Yang Jianye from Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill. Don't let his young age fool you; he has already passed the Level 4 riveting worker assessment. The veteran workers all praise him for his solid foundation and excellent skills, saying he will surely become a great talent in the future. Some companies even wanted to poach him, but the steel rolling mill kept him. So, don't doubt his skills just because he's young."

He paused, then said solemnly, "Everyone knows the situation. Director Hu and the steel rolling mill won't act recklessly at a time like this, right? So, everyone, cheer up and cooperate with Master Yang to find the problem and solve it. After it's done, I'll ask Director Hu for a good celebratory meal!"

Then Factory Director Hu stated, "Let's do as Director Ma said. After we finish this job, the canteen will cook two meat dishes, and we'll have a good meal!"

With meat to eat and assurances from their superiors, the workers' morale soared, and their skepticism and hostility towards Yang Jianye subsided.

"Master Yang, shall I tell you about it?" an experienced craftsman asked.

Yang Jianye stepped forward and politely offered cigarettes to the two men, lighting them for them and then handing the nearly untouched Qianmen cigarettes to the young man next to him: "Light these up for the masters, to keep them alert and get them ready for a big push."

He knew in his heart that to become an advanced worker and a role model, he needed the support of the workers.

The purpose of the boiler cannot be explicitly stated, but the overall design drawings are complete and require clear labeling.

The problem is this: a loop design needs to be added to the boiler, but it happens to block a critical welding point. If the design is kept, the boiler will not meet the standards; if it is not kept, the task cannot be completed!

Yang Jianye didn't say anything. He first spread out the blueprints and studied them carefully, then ran to the boiler to touch and examine it.

If I'm not mistaken, this is for trains.

Based on recent rumors and the current situation, this should be an attempt at independent research and development.

With his level four (actually level five) skills, he couldn't have solved the problem in a short time before; but now, his skills have reached level six, and he can handle this kind of work with ease.

"Masters, I understand the problem. Let's get started!"

Yang Jianye asked someone to bring paper and pen and clear the table, and then began to draw.

The overall appearance remains largely unchanged, but the internal structure has undergone minor adjustments.

Just as dawn broke, two Jiefang trucks drove into the boiler factory: the front truck bed was empty, while the rear truck was full of escorts carrying equipment.

As time ticked by, Director Hu paced anxiously, but there was no movement in the workshop. He wanted to go and check, but he was afraid of appearing clueless.

With five minutes left until the deadline, the workshop suddenly erupted in excited cheers: "It's done! It's really done!"

Factory Director Hu, who had been on edge all night, finally felt relieved.

"Hey everyone, see you at the cafeteria! Pork and cabbage stew with glass noodles, gotta be late, hey..."

Director Hu watched as a group of people rushed towards the canteen, and he couldn't stop smiling.

"Master Yang, come on, come on, you have to eat more!"

The workers surrounded the young Yang Jianye, practically "inviting" him into the canteen.

"Hey, my hands are covered in oil, I need to wash them!" Yang Jianye yelled, but no one paid any attention.

The young apprentice who had helped him hand out cigarettes last night quickly called out, "I'll go get you some water!"

Seeing the workers' attitude towards Yang Jianye, Director Hu smiled even more happily.

A capable person will thrive anywhere.

However, he also had to figure out what kind of thank-you gift to prepare for Master Yang.

That night, Yang Jianye drew more than a dozen blueprints, constantly pointing out and revising them, and even personally polishing them. His relentless spirit inspired everyone.

For that alone, he should thank them properly.

Moreover, you can't just use someone sent by your superiors and then discard them. Otherwise, if you need their help next time and they say "I don't know," you'll be left helpless.

As he approached the canteen entrance, Director Hu heard a rooster clucking: "Chicken, chicken, chicken..."

His eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands, saying, "That's right! Doesn't the factory have two laying hens?"

In the canteen, two large bowls were filled with pork and cabbage stew with vermicelli and whole-grain steamed buns.

Each person gets a lunchbox of food, plus two steamed buns, and then they start munching away.

After washing their hands, they ignored the oil that couldn't be rubbed off, wiped it off, and went to get their food.

Yang Jianye didn't bring a lunchbox, so the canteen staff prepared a separate plate and bowl for him. The plate was full of meat, so much so that you could see it spread out on the surface. They also took two white steamed buns from the steamer behind him. They were big and white, and they were warm and soft when you squeezed them!

"Master Yang, the factory manager specifically instructed me to steam this for you early this morning."

Yang Jianye held up the bowl, said "thank you," took two coarse grain buns from the basin, and turned to leave.

The chef was stunned, but it was too late to stop him. Yang Jianye walked to a table and put the white steamed bun into Yan Xiaochuan's lunchbox: "Xiaochuan, please eat."

Yan Xiaochuan, who was chatting and laughing with his coworkers and had just envied Yang Jianye for having white flour steamed buns, suddenly had tears in his eyes: "Master Yang, this was prepared for you by the factory manager. I'm just an apprentice and haven't done any work..."

—Flour! Even the factory leaders don't get any; they rely entirely on rations. Even entertaining guests requires a written application.

Yang Jianye sat down with a chuckle, taking a bite of his dark, coarse-grain bun: "Who said you didn't put in the effort? Which of those parts didn't you carry around running around with? When the screws wouldn't fit, didn't you crawl in and tighten them with your neck hunched over? You even scraped your legs raw, didn't everyone see that?"

He looked around at the other masters, and everyone nodded in agreement. Even those who hadn't seen anything followed suit.

Xiao Chuan really put in a lot of effort last night, running around and eagerly doing the work. With that kind of hard work, he's sure to be a great guy in the future.

Seeing that everyone agreed, Yang Jianye continued, "Last night you said you forgot what wheat flour tasted like, so these two wheat flour steamed buns today will help you remember it better, haha..."

Everyone laughed and started chattering amongst themselves:

"Ogawa, you'd better remember this!"

"If I want to eat this again, I'll have to learn a better cooking skill, get a raise, and buy it myself!"

"We workers have to earn our living through our skills and our labor!"

"Xiao Chuan, eat up! Chef Yang's food is excellent, you must remember it!"

Yan Xiaochuan wiped away his tears, but a happy smile played on his lips: "I'll definitely study hard and treat you to a meal someday!"

Yang Jianye laughed loudly: "Alright, I'll be waiting!"

Yan Xiaochuan tore off a small piece of white steamed bun to taste it. He planned to finish the rest and pack it into a lunchbox to take back for his grandmother, younger brother, and younger sister to try—he had never seen what a white steamed bun looked like before.

I said "I forgot the taste" earlier just to avoid being embarrassed.

Thinking of all this, he lowered his head, tears streaming down his face, reluctant to swallow the little bit of white porridge in his mouth.

Two coarse grain steamed buns, a large portion of pork and cabbage stew with vermicelli, and a bowl of meat soup afterward—Yang Jianye ate until he was sweating profusely, with water dripping from his forehead.

Looking at him, the masters felt even closer to him: highly skilled, capable, focused and hardworking; approachable when giving guidance, quick to learn, humble, without the pretentious airs or false arrogance of a scholar, and truly admirable!

In those days, white flour was precious, and the factory manager specially steamed white flour buns for him. Seeing that Yan Xiaochuan was pitiful, he gave them up without hesitation.

Who wouldn't give a thumbs up and praise someone like that?

Wiping his sweat, Yang Jianye stood up and said, "Masters, I'll be leaving now."

"Don't rush off! Let's have a couple of drinks tonight before you go!"

"Mr. Yu is right, I'll pay for the drinks!"

"I'll offer two pounds of pork!"

"Hey, Lao Xu's being generous today!"

"Then who is it for?"

"These peanuts are mine; I guarantee you'll have enough to eat!"

Everyone chimed in, and together they prepared a large table of dishes to celebrate their gratitude.

Yang Jianye waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Everyone has their struggles, don't make a fuss, this is my job. Besides, my wife is waiting at home!"

The mention of wives energized everyone: "Master Yang misses his wife!"

"Being young is really tough; they couldn't resist after just one night!"

"Master Yang's wife must be extraordinary!"

"My wife is no ordinary woman either; when she curses, she can bring the dead back to life!"

"Go to hell...you old bastard!"

The workshop was bustling with activity.

Director Ma came over wiping his mouth. He had eaten so much pork, cabbage and vermicelli stew that his mouth was greasy. It had been a while since he had such an oily dish. He was only able to enjoy it today because of Yang Jianye.

He knew perfectly well that his career as a workshop director was over, but Yang Jianye was young and had unlimited potential.

After this job is done, Yang Jianye's reputation will definitely spread. Not only will he be registered with the factory director, but the branch factory, subordinate units, and large units that need boilers will also take notice of him.

If you want to build a good relationship, you have to do it now, otherwise once he's on a high pedestal, you won't be able to curry favor with him anymore.

Seeing that the workers were holding Yang Jianye back and wouldn't let him leave, insisting on drinking, Director Ma quickly came to his rescue.

"Masters, you have to understand Master Yang!"

Once everyone looked over, Director Ma explained the situation: "Master Yang just got his marriage certificate yesterday and didn't even spend a night with his wife before I intercepted him and brought him to the boiler factory. How can we not be anxious now? Let's postpone the wedding banquet for another day and let Master Yang go back to his bridal chamber first. What do you all say?"

The crowd cheered and offered their congratulations, expressing their admiration. They thought, "He had a mission on his wedding night and he just went. What a high level of awareness!"

After saying goodbye several times, Yang Jianye finally managed to get away and got into the car with Director Ma.

A moment later, Factory Director Hu rushed over carrying two chickens: "Wait! Master Yang, here are two chickens for you!"

He shoved the flapping hen into the car, panting, and said, "Master Yang, please let me know if you need anything in the future!"

"Oh, that's great!" Yang Jianye nodded with a smile.

After exchanging pleasantries, Director Hu reached into his pocket, grasped Director Ma's hand, and handed him an envelope: "Director Ma, you've had a long trip."

Yang Jianye pretended not to see it. After Director Ma exchanged a few pleasantries and thanked him for his old hen, the driver finally drove off.

After leaving the factory, Director Ma asked the driver, Xiao Li, "Did I forget to take you?"

Xiao Li chuckled and patted his pocket: "How could we be short? We've got it in the front door!"

—Not only the front door, but also a small subsidy, which used to be called "throat moisturizing".

These days, drivers of small car fleets are like walking lords; you can't afford to offend anyone but them.

As the saying goes, "It's easier to deal with the King of Hell than with his underlings." Who knows, one day a big boss might be in a car and chat with the driver for a couple of minutes. If the driver then passes on some hearsay, it could leave a bad reputation in the boss's eyes.

When you go back to doing something, even a small mistake can be magnified infinitely because of a bad first impression, and you won't even know where you went wrong.

So he'd give small favors to appease her if he could, and he wouldn't dare to be too greedy.