Courtyard House: A Leisurely and Contented Life

When it got dark, the lights were turned on inside the house.

Yang Jianye rolled all twenty jin of wool into felt, stacked them one by one, and carried them back to the main house.

Crunch, crunch—

In front of the "Invincible" sewing machine, Yingzi was engrossed in sewing. The original grass-green fabric had been used for too many years, and repeated washing had faded it, giving it a grayish-white hue. Yingzi cut out four squares, each about the size of two palms, drew a pattern according to the size of her palm, and then cut according to the pattern, leaving an inch of excess fabric on the outside. Finally, she gathered the thread inward and tied the two sides together to form a glove.

Seeing him approaching, Yingzi stopped pedaling, moved the cable aside, and gestured with her chin at him: "Go, wipe your hands and come here."

"Here, this is for you." Yingzi took out two pieces of cloth, laid them flat on the table, and asked him to place his palms on them.

"I don't need them, the factory already provided cotton gloves."

Hearing this, Yingzi looked up at him, her expression gentle yet firm: "Then I don't want it either. We'll keep it for the child."

Well, that was pure manipulation.

Yang Jianye could only smile wryly and press his palm onto the square cloth.

"Spread your five fingers slightly... then close them a little more, okay, don't move."

As Yingzi spoke, she quickly drew lines along his fingers with chalk, then measured his palm and wrist repeatedly with a soft ruler, muttering to herself to reinforce her memory. After finishing, she made him move his hand away, picked up the fabric, turned and left, sitting back down at the sewing machine, and began working earnestly.

Yang Jianye remained silent, took out a notebook he was reading from the wardrobe, and sat down in front of the kang (heated brick bed) to read it. He would occasionally glance up at his wife.

The room was quiet and cozy.

It wasn't until late at night that Yingzi finished the first glove. She dried the fabric over a hot water pipe, then repeatedly kneaded and pressed it by hand to keep it soft. Finally, she stuffed it with the felt she had made, put the glove on him, and Yingzi asked expectantly, "Is it warm?"

Yang Jianye grinned broadly: "Wife, my palms are sweating, they're so warm. My wife's hands are so skillful—"

"What you're saying... there's still work to be done!"

"What kind of work is this in the middle of the night? We can do it tomorrow."

pat-

The lights in the room went out.

The baby walker that Yang Jianye made by hand caused a stir in the workshop.

Some people wanted one for their own child, some wanted one for their grandson, and others wanted one for a relative. Go find a carpenter to make one? That thing is too expensive. Regardless of salary, spending seven or eight yuan on a stroller and then only using it for a year or two? Let alone others, even Yang Jianye wouldn't buy one himself—with his skills, wouldn't it be better to make a steel one?

The factory approached him with the same thought: buying is too expensive! But he could make one himself from scrap materials at the factory—that would only cost a dollar or two. Handmade? Is doing something for your own family considered handmade? Do you live in some kind of magical urn?

"Everyone, don't panic, listen to me." Yang Jianye raised his hand, and the scene immediately quieted down.

This leadership made Old Ma, who was standing next to him, extremely envious. If he weren't still of retirement age, he would have liked to step down and hand over the reins to a more capable person. In the minds of these people, Yang Jianye was already the "de facto director" of the special workshop.

"Everyone, register what you want with Qin Huairu, then we'll coordinate the ingredients, and you'll even get a few cents off. Then I'll draw up the blueprints and things to watch out for, and you can build it yourselves. Bring it to me when you're done, and I'll fix any problems. We need to make sure our children can use it with peace of mind."

"Great!" Li Yaoye was the first to applaud.

Seeing his posture, Yang Jianye was truly helpless. You're a level seven welder, practically a level eight skilled worker, how come you're increasingly acting like a comedian? Are you going to be fighting for someone's job under a bridge tomorrow?!

"Alright, everyone go register." Yang Jianye waved his hand, then added, "Let's make it clear, don't delay your own work!"

"Team leader, when has our workshop ever embarrassed you?"

"Exactly, register first, then we'll deal with this when we get to work."

"Yes, we can't let important matters get in the way!"

"Keep an eye on each other, I want to see who doesn't have that awareness."

One sentence was all it took to get the workshop moving. Old Ma was furious, his beard bristling and eyes bulging – Damn it! Back then, when he asked these guys to speed up the process, he almost had to kneel down and kowtow like a grandson, and they were all acting like county magistrates, so difficult to talk to. And now, with a wave of their hand, hey, they're all volunteering?

Old Ma is so tired!

Fortunately, he didn't need to worry about anything on a daily basis; he was just a figurehead, and Yang Jianye handled the actual work. At first, Old Ma was a little worried that this kid might accidentally cause trouble for him and make him take the blame. Now... Old Ma was afraid that he would cause some trouble again, and a huge windfall would fall into his lap, leaving him with a free reward.

Old Ma was embarrassed. This reward was too good to pass up! It was illegitimate, something he'd gotten for free by just riding on someone else's coattails—wasn't that burning his hand? Old Ma certainly felt it was burning his hand. But when he offered it to Jianye, they refused, insisting he keep it himself.

He knew Jianye was helping him out. Don't let Lao Ma's position as the special workshop director fool you; in terms of salary, he's practically a nobody. Anyone present, excluding apprentices, earns more than him. He has elderly parents to care for, young children to support, and three burdened children to raise! So despite his outward success, Lao Ma's life isn't easy.

Old Ma remembered Yang Jianye's kindness to him. Otherwise, no matter how good his skills were, would Old Ma have been willing to hand over the reins of the workshop and become a hands-off manager, taking the blame in name only?

The higher you stand, the stronger the wind blows. If something really goes wrong in the special operations workshop, regardless of whether Lao Ma was involved or not, he'll definitely be the first to be criticized and held accountable. Not involved? He'll be punished for being a licentious official, making his crime even more serious!

"Jianye, I'll be going now. You guys keep busy." Old Ma said goodbye and planned to go and visit other workshops.

He can't really help much here, and besides, he's a supervisor after all. Even if he could swallow his pride and work alongside the foreman, it would still be uncomfortable for the foreman to watch—your skills aren't up to par, should I say anything or not? If I say anything, you're a supervisor, after all; if I don't say anything, the work can't be done.

So Lao Ma didn't want to cause trouble for anyone and just kept walking.

In high spirits, Lao Ma wandered around helping out in other workshops. He'd lend a hand to anyone short-handed, and he was happy to teach apprentices who wanted to learn. The unity within the special workshop not only influenced the experienced workers, but also deeply inspired him, the nominal worker.

As long as you're willing to learn and are diligent, we'll teach you everything you know. After all, I'm a senior level six fitter; if I can't teach my own workshop's workers, surely I can teach others outside?

"Master Ma, can you take a look? Why does this always get deformed?"

"Let me see...you kid, hold on tight! If you hold it like that, anyone could deform it. Like this, you need to straighten it up, then twist it like this. Do you know how to use a finesse? Don't just use brute force like a fool, you need to be skillful, like this...oh, right."

"Master Ma, could you take a look at this? I just can't figure it out no matter how hard I try."

After glancing at it, Old Ma said with a stern face, "Which master taught you this? Did they tell you that this job requires a mold?"

"And what about your eyes? Are they just for firecrackers? That's a mold, and what about your mouth? Is it only used for eating?"

After being scolded harshly, the person couldn't get angry, and just scratched his head with a sheepish smile and left.

The master craftsman's words are all you need: the work must be of high quality, observe carefully, and ask questions. Three essentials, and you're all set!

The rest? Beep...beep...beep...automatic filtering.

"Hey, Old Ma's here again!" The experienced workers in the workshop greeted Old Ma warmly.

This person is approachable, helpful, and occasionally gives his apprentices some pointers. He treats everyone equally.

When Lao Ma first arrived, he wasn't used to it and always seemed a bit awkward. Later, the workshop foreman said—just treat him like an ordinary fitter.

Plus, Old Ma is good at networking; he's happy to lend a hand to anyone, and he's even willing to explain his skills to his apprentices. With that kind of open-mindedness, who could possibly say no?

What? You're hiding your skills, but you won't let others teach you? Besides, Old Ma isn't trying to steal your apprentice; he's teaching you for free. You can't find such a good deal even with a lantern. Who would complain?

Before anyone knew it, Lao Ma had become the most popular person in all the workshops. And the spirit he brought from the special workshop also spread.

When everyone had some free time, Old Ma would like to talk about what happened in the workshop. He couldn't say exactly what kind of work they did, but he could talk about other things! The atmosphere among the workers, their spirit of unity, their loud singing, and their courage to face difficulties head-on—not only did the apprentices love to listen, but the veteran workers also listened with great interest.

Old Ma figured that with his quick wit, he could easily make money after retiring and setting up a storytelling stall under the overpass.

If Yang Jianye knew what he was thinking, he'd definitely give Li Yaoye a heads-up first: "Old Li, someone's trying to take your stall under the overpass!"

Clang clang—

The bell rang, and the busy workshop quieted down. Groups of workers walked out together. If you're not even eager to eat, what else can you do?

"Master Ma!"

"Master Ma, tell us more about Master Yang when you have time!"

"Yes, tell us again, we didn't finish last time!"

"I'm eager to hear how Master Yang solved that difficult problem!"

"Me too!"

I want to hear it too!

"Master Ma, tell us about it!"

Seeing everyone's enthusiasm, Old Ma chuckled and said, "Alright, I'll tell you all when I have time."

Just then, the song on the radio suddenly stopped.

"Buzz—Comrades, fellow workers, good afternoon!"

"I am the announcer, Yu Haitang."

"Today, we're having a special broadcast—"

"We've invited Master Yang from the special workshop to join me in reading the instructor's letter aloud."

The factory erupted in chaos!

Those with hats grabbed them and threw them into the air; those without hats grabbed their own hair and let go! They grabbed their coworkers and jumped up happily, their cheers echoing throughout the entire Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill.

In the broadcasting studio, Yu Haitang sat upright, her cheeks flushed, her gaze fixed on the simple and unadorned letter in front of her.

She memorized each sentence over and over again. The praise and descriptions of Yang Jianye were of utmost importance—not because she was going to read them aloud later, but because the protagonist being praised was sitting right next to her.

After the opening remarks, Yu Haitang gave a look and pointed to the microphone, indicating that it was ready.

Yang Jianye cleared his throat into the microphone.

He could hear everything outside clearly. Yang Jianye spoke up, "Fellow workers, comrades, this is Yang Jianye."

"Oh my god—!"

The cheers grew even louder, as if they were about to overturn the steel rolling mill.

Yang Jianye could only wait quietly until the cheers subsided before speaking again: "It is an honor to receive a letter from the instructor. This is recognition and care for me personally, and also for the vast working class. We must—"

Yu Haitang's eyes lit up as she listened to Yang Jianye's propaganda and mobilization speech.

Why couldn't I have met him sooner? It would have been so much better if I had gotten to him before Li Ying!

Looking at Yu Haitang beside him, who was reading the letter aloud with perfect pronunciation, Yang Jianye felt a strong sense of shame—it was like being at a social death scene.

That's so awkward!

Imagine someone praising your virtues in front of tens of thousands of people. Even though the praise is genuine, you still feel incredibly embarrassed.

Yang Jianye initially insisted on reading the letter aloud himself, intending to have that section deleted. Unexpectedly, this simple matter alarmed a high-ranking leader, who personally called him.

"Jianye, have you forgotten everything I told you?"

Be courageous and take responsibility, dare to be the locomotive, and drive the rest of the train forward. That's what it means to be upright and stand tall! A timid, hesitant, and petty attitude is unacceptable...

Then, the top leader made the decision for him.

He would read the rest, while the "important" parts would be handed over to the factory's announcer. The top leader even specifically asked the head of the propaganda department – ​​how was this announcer? If his professional skills weren't strong, he would send someone else.

The head of the publicity department immediately vouched for her: Comrade Yu Haitang was the most professional announcer he had ever seen, with clear pronunciation, solid basic skills, and outstanding abilities.

Only after the head of the publicity department repeatedly assured him did the top leader abandon his plan to send someone personally.

And Yu Haitang was hit by a windfall.

Although the way it was hit was unexpected, the pie was real, and the benefits of eating it were real too. What more could you ask for? Let's do it!

"...to contribute my own strength to the motherland and the people."

After Yu Haitang finished reading the last word, there was no movement in the factory for a long time.

This made her excited heart uneasy, and she leaned out the window, holding onto the table—

"ah--!"

"oh--!"

A wave of cheers surged into Haitang's brain, causing her to jerk backward and lose her balance—

"ah--!"

Yu Haitang reached out and grabbed wildly, and the next moment, her waist was supported by a strong arm.

Before Haitang could figure it out, she was lifted up by the force behind her.

Lowering his arm, Yang Jianye said calmly, "It's nothing, I'll be going now."

Yang Jianye picked up the letter from the table, put it in the original envelope, and turned to leave.

Once the door was closed, Yu Haitang suddenly realized what was happening and ran after it, calling out, "Master Yang! Master Yang, wait!"

Stopping Yang Jianye who was about to leave, Yu Haitang bowed deeply to him: "Thank you for saving me just now."

Yang Jianye said in a calm and clear voice, "No need for that, it's nothing."

With a quick twist of her foot, Yu Haitang stepped in front of him, saying earnestly, "That won't do. It's a small favor for you, but it's a different story for me."

There was a stool right behind me, and the corner there isn't smooth. If I had accidentally bumped into it, who knows what kind of trouble would have happened? So I have to thank him.

"I'll treat you to dinner at Donglaishun."

"No need, I have to pick up my partner after work."

Yang Jianye understood perfectly—was she trying to express gratitude to him? No, she was actually lusting after him.

Forget it, let's go.

"Shouldn't it be alright to invite your spouse along as well?" Yu Haitang stated her decision.

This was a last resort, a desperate measure. Did she not want to be alone with Yang Jianye? No, she desperately wanted to. But Yang Jianye was unyielding, giving her absolutely no chance to get close. If it weren't for the high-ranking leader's intervention during this broadcast, she probably would have just sat there watching him finish reading the letter and leave.

Now that we've been blessed with good fortune, how can we easily give it up?

Yu Haitang didn't know what was wrong with her, but she just wanted to be with Yang Jianye—to see him more often, to talk to him more, even if it was just watching him... with other women.

Thinking about this, Yu Haitang's feelings became complicated.

Why did a sudden surge of inexplicable bitterness and emotion well up in my heart?

Love drives people crazy, and that is why it is great.

"I'll ask her opinion, maybe tomorrow." Yang Jianye didn't refuse directly, finally getting rid of this persistent nuisance.

As soon as Yang Jianye stepped out of the building and back into the factory area, he was "tied up"—several hands grabbed him and lifted him above his head!

"Well done, Master Yang!"

"Master Yang, you'll be my role model from now on!"

"Master Yang, we are so proud of you!"

"We are proud of you! Let's learn from Comrade Yang Jianye!"

"Learn from Comrade Yang Jianye!"

"Siheyuan: A Leisurely and Contented Life": Explosive word-of-mouth and rave reviews!

Yang Jianye cleared his throat into the microphone.

He could hear everything outside clearly. Yang Jianye spoke up, "Fellow workers, comrades, this is Yang Jianye."

"Oh my god—!"

The cheers grew even louder, as if they were about to overturn the steel rolling mill.

Yang Jianye could only wait quietly until the cheers subsided before speaking again: "It is an honor to receive a letter from the instructor. This is recognition and care for me personally, and also for the vast working class. We must—"

Yu Haitang's eyes lit up as she listened to Yang Jianye's propaganda and mobilization speech.

Why couldn't I have met him sooner? It would have been so much better if I had gotten to him before Li Ying!

Looking at Yu Haitang beside him, who was reading the letter aloud with perfect pronunciation, Yang Jianye felt a strong sense of shame—it was like being at a social death scene.

That's so awkward!

Imagine someone praising your virtues in front of tens of thousands of people. Even though the praise is genuine, you still feel incredibly embarrassed.

Yang Jianye initially insisted on reading the letter aloud himself, intending to have that section deleted. Unexpectedly, this simple matter alarmed a high-ranking leader, who personally called him.

"Jianye, have you forgotten everything I told you?"

Be courageous and take responsibility, dare to be the locomotive, and drive the rest of the train forward. That's what it means to be upright and stand tall! A timid, hesitant, and petty attitude is unacceptable...

Then, the top leader made the decision for him.

He would read the rest, while the "important" parts would be handed over to the factory's announcer. The top leader even specifically asked the head of the propaganda department – ​​how was this announcer? If his professional skills weren't strong, he would send someone else.

The head of the publicity department immediately vouched for her: Comrade Yu Haitang was the most professional announcer he had ever seen, with clear pronunciation, solid basic skills, and outstanding abilities.

Only after the head of the publicity department repeatedly assured him did the top leader abandon his plan to send someone personally.

And Yu Haitang was hit by a windfall.

Although the way it was hit was unexpected, the pie was real, and the benefits of eating it were real too. What more could you ask for? Let's do it!

"...to contribute my own strength to the motherland and the people."

After Yu Haitang finished reading the last word, there was no movement in the factory for a long time.

This made her excited heart uneasy, and she leaned out the window, holding onto the table—

"ah--!"

"oh--!"

A wave of cheers surged into Haitang's brain, causing her to jerk backward and lose her balance—

"ah--!"

Yu Haitang reached out and grabbed wildly, and the next moment, her waist was supported by a strong arm.

Before Haitang could figure it out, she was lifted up by the force behind her.

Lowering his arm, Yang Jianye said calmly, "It's nothing, I'll be going now."

Yang Jianye picked up the letter from the table, put it in the original envelope, and turned to leave.

Once the door was closed, Yu Haitang suddenly realized what was happening and ran after it, calling out, "Master Yang! Master Yang, wait!"

Stopping Yang Jianye who was about to leave, Yu Haitang bowed deeply to him: "Thank you for saving me just now."

Yang Jianye said in a calm and clear voice, "No need for that, it's nothing."

With a quick twist of her foot, Yu Haitang stepped in front of him, saying earnestly, "That won't do. It's a small favor for you, but it's a different story for me."

There was a stool right behind me, and the corner there isn't smooth. If I had accidentally bumped into it, who knows what kind of trouble would have happened? So I have to thank him.

"I'll treat you to dinner at Donglaishun."

"No need, I have to pick up my partner after work."

Yang Jianye understood perfectly—was she trying to express gratitude to him? No, she was actually lusting after him.

Forget it, let's go.

"Shouldn't it be alright to invite your spouse along as well?" Yu Haitang stated her decision.

This was a last resort, a desperate measure. Did she not want to be alone with Yang Jianye? No, she desperately wanted to. But Yang Jianye was unyielding, giving her absolutely no chance to get close. If it weren't for the high-ranking leader's intervention during this broadcast, she probably would have just sat there watching him finish reading the letter and leave.

Now that we've been blessed with good fortune, how can we easily give it up?

Yu Haitang didn't know what was wrong with her, but she just wanted to be with Yang Jianye—to see him more often, to talk to him more, even if it was just watching him... with other women.

Thinking about this, Yu Haitang's feelings became complicated.

Why did a sudden surge of inexplicable bitterness and emotion well up in my heart?

Love drives people crazy, and that is why it is great.

"I'll ask her opinion, maybe tomorrow." Yang Jianye didn't refuse directly, finally getting rid of this persistent nuisance.

As soon as Yang Jianye stepped out of the building and back into the factory area, he was "tied up"—several hands grabbed him and lifted him above his head!

"Well done, Master Yang!"

"Master Yang, you'll be my role model from now on!"

"Master Yang, we are so proud of you!"

"We are proud of you! Let's learn from Comrade Yang Jianye!"

"Learn from Comrade Yang Jianye!"