Courtyard House: A Leisurely and Contented Life

While Qin Huairu was suffering from intense mental torment, things were quite lively in the courtyard—Sha Zhu and Teacher Ran got their marriage certificate!

Right now, he is leading Ran Qiuye from house to house, handing out candy to win favor.

The first place we went to was the deaf old lady's room. She was old enough to be considered, and besides, Sha Zhu had to call her "Grandma."

Seeing Ran Qiuye, the deaf old lady was truly overjoyed. Now that Sha Zhuzi's big problem was solved, as long as he lived a good life from now on and didn't follow in his unreliable father's footsteps, the good things were yet to come!

Looking at Ran Qiuye again, she's strong and healthy; even from behind, she looks like she'd have a good fertility. Having two children in three years is definitely no problem!

The thought of this made the deaf old woman even more energetic. If Sha Zhu calls her Grandma, wouldn't he call her Madam when he has children? Suddenly, life seemed to hold more hope.

"Zhu Zi's wife, come here." The deaf old woman called Ran Qiuye over, taking her hand. "This old lady doesn't have any other skills, and all my relatives are gone. It's just me, an old woman, living alone. Zhu Zi treats me like his grandmother, so I can't be stingy."

The deaf old woman looked at Sha Zhu: "Zhu Zi, bring me my box."

Sha Zhu smiled and stepped forward, moving the dowry chest from the cabinet.

"Open."

Once the box was opened, its contents were revealed—a jumble of patches, needles and thread, and odds and ends, seemingly nothing of value. But the deaf old woman reached inside, rummaged around for a bit, and pulled out a bundle of rags containing some items.

"Alright, put it back."

Sha Zhu carried the box away, and the deaf old woman unwrapped the rags, revealing a pair of gleaming silver bracelets spread out in front of Ran Qiuye.

If Ran Qiuye still didn't understand what the old lady was going to do at this point, then she was just pretending to be stupid.

"Grandma, I can't accept this." Ran Qiuye waved her hand in refusal; she couldn't very well take things from an elderly person.

The deaf old woman, her face beaming with smiles, took her hand and said, "You're a good girl. I'm a good judge of character. This isn't anything valuable, just a keepsake. But I'm so old, how many more days do I have left? What good will this do me when I'm gone?"

Holding Ran Qiuye's hand, the deaf old woman stuffed the scraps of cloth directly into her grasp, smiling broadly and saying firmly, "Take it, consider it my wedding gift to you two."

Ran Qiuye was caught in a dilemma and looked up at Sha Zhu.

She's a decisive person, but that was when she had no other choice. She had no opinions of her own, and no one made decisions for her. Now it's different. She's married to Zhu Zi, has a man, and her natural desire to rely on someone has come out.

Sha Zhu looked at her happily and said, "Grandma gave it to you, so just take it. We'll take good care of her from now on."

Only after hearing Sha Zhu's words did Ran Qiuye agree to accept it.

This had taken quite a while, and seeing that everything that needed to be said had been said, Sha Zhu urged her to leave. Leaving the deaf old woman's solitary dwelling, Sha Zhu headed straight for Xu Damao's house.

"Da Mao! Da Mao! I've come to bring you wedding candy!" Sha Zhu banged on the door, his expression so smug that anyone who saw him would want to punch him.

Xu Damao, who opened the door, had the same thought, but he didn't dare to make a move and accepted the wedding candy with a gloomy face.

bang——

The door was slammed shut without a single word of thanks.

Ran Qiuye frowned, feeling somewhat displeased. This person was incredibly rude. Even if there were some conflict between neighbors, if someone came to your door with wedding candy on their big day, you should at least say thank you. How could you accept the candy and then just slam the door and kick them out?

"Don't pay any attention to him." Seeing that she was unhappy, Sha Zhu explained their relationship to her—they had been friends since they were little, but neither of them could stand the other, so it was perfectly normal for them not to get along.

He came to give Xu Damao wedding candy first, but he didn't have good intentions. He knew Xu Damao couldn't stand to see him doing well, so he deliberately came to annoy him and make him unhappy. A handful of wedding candy for Xu Damao's gloomy face—worth it, totally worth it!

Amused, Ran Qiuye felt she understood Sha Zhu a little better. A burly man, yet he had a childlike, immature side. Indeed, a man is a boy until the end.

After wandering around for a while, Sha Zhu stayed a little longer in Yi Zhonghai's house. Last time, the deaf old lady acted as a go-between, and he had a drink with Yi Zhonghai, which improved their relationship considerably. Although the matter of living together in old age was not mentioned again, Sha Zhu did not fall out with him again. They would deal with the rest slowly and deal with it later.

When Yi Zhonghai saw Sha Zhu bring his wife to the door, he was happy, and so was Aunt Yi. She rummaged through the cabinet and actually took out a dress.

The "blouse," or Soviet-style dress, was once very popular due to the Soviet Union's influence. Although it's not as fashionable as it used to be, it's still a rare and desirable garment for ordinary girls.

"Take this; it's a token of our appreciation from your Uncle Yi. Live a good life, okay?"

Hearing Aunt Yi's instructions, Sha Zhu scratched his head and nodded happily: "I'll definitely live a good life. Isn't that why I got a wife?"

Yi Zhonghai stood by, smiling but saying nothing, behaving quite obediently. These days of sweeping the streets and studying for reform had given him some peace of mind and time to reflect on his past actions.

Thinking back on his scheming, Yi Zhonghai felt a pang of shame as he calmed down. When had he become like that? Looking back now, even he felt a chill. No wonder his wife said she didn't recognize him anymore—not even Yi Zhonghai himself.

He didn't know how he changed. It was as if, while he was calculating, he forgot his original intentions and became increasingly greedy and irrational.

Having fallen to this state, Yi Zhonghai felt nothing but regret, sadness, and shame, but also a tiny bit of relief—what would he have become if it weren't for this labor reform? He had no answer to that question, no matter how hard he tried.

After visiting all these families and getting a generous amount of wedding candy from Uncle Yan, Sha Zhu finally brought his new bride to Yang Jianye's house.

"Jianye! I've come to give you wedding candy!" Shazhu knocked on the door cheerfully and called out into the house.

"Come in!"

Inside the house, Yang Jianye and Yingzi had just finished tying the big red flower. As soon as Sha Zhu led his new bride in, he saw the baby walker and tricycle on the ground.

"Hey, Jianye, where did you get this?" Shazhu, who was itching to get one, came up and asked. Could you get one for him too? He'd definitely love it when he had kids.

Ran Qiuye, who was standing next to him, reached out and pinched his arm, her face slightly red, feeling embarrassed—who would discuss children in front of others right after getting married? This Zhuzi, he really doesn't treat himself like an outsider.

But Yang Jianye chuckled and said, "No need to wait, this is for you."

Sha Zhu was stunned, then exclaimed in surprise, "Jianye, you're not kidding me, are you?"

Seeing that he didn't reply and seemed serious, Sha Zhu said uncertainly, "Are you really going to give it to me?"

"Really, when have I ever gone back on my word?" Yang Jianye nodded.

Yingzi let go of him and happily stepped forward, pulling Ran Qiuye to sit down: "Teacher Ran, Jianye made this especially for the two of you. What do you think?"

Hearing Yingzi's words, Ran Qiuye nodded happily, "Beautiful! It's so gorgeous!"

The frame is polished smooth and shiny, the wheels are black, and the design is exquisite and compact. It's clear that it was made with care and effort. Except for one less layer of paint on the outside, it looks even better than those sold in department stores.

"Qiuye, this is definitely better than the one in the mall! The latest chapter of '[Title of the novel]' is packed with exciting plot developments! Come quick! Jianye uses pure steel materials."

Sha Zhu squatted there, rubbing the frame with his hand and grinning foolishly—sturdy is good. The set Yang Jianye made is much sturdier than the ones in the mall.

Seeing his relaxed demeanor, Ran Qiuye also relaxed, thinking to herself: It seems that the relationship between this pillar and Yang Jianye's family is really good. If they weren't close, would they give him such a nice gift?

Besides his honest and reliable nature, which made Ran Qiuye feel at ease, the other reasons she decided to marry Sha Zhu were his high salary, decent job, house, household registration, and good family background. In addition, his relationship with Yang Jianye was also a factor.

It's not that she had any ulterior motives; she simply felt that Sha Zhu's connection was a valuable asset. Knowing more capable people meant she wasn't lacking in ability herself. Besides, if anything happened in the future, these connections might come in handy.

Ran Qiuye also had her own little schemes. But these schemes were nothing to worry about—not just in this day and age, but throughout history and into the future, everyone has their own little plans; who doesn't want to live a good life?

Looking at the baby walkers and tricycles, Ran Qiuye suddenly longed to have a son soon. Wouldn't it be a waste if such good things were left unused?

Sha Zhu and Ran Qiuye got married!

Lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) at night, Yang Jianye felt a sense of disorientation, as if he were in another world, but also a little proud and gratified—he could actually become the "hand" that changed the fate of others.

This feeling is absolutely amazing!

Yingzi, who was nestled against his chest, looked up and saw his changing expression. She chuckled and said, "What's wrong? You seem troubled."

Ever since he met Ran Qiuye and Shazhu, he has become somewhat strange. Yingzi could sense it, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why.

"It's just... a bit of a感慨 (gan3 kai3, a feeling of mixed emotions, often including nostalgia or regret)," Yang Jianye sighed. "Ask around this courtyard before, who would have thought Zhuzi would get married, let alone become a teacher?"

Remembering what he had said and what Aunt Liu had told her about the past, Yingzi suddenly understood his thoughts. "Don't think about it anymore. Isn't our compound getting better and better?"

"You deserve some credit for this."

Hearing his wife say that, Yang Jianye chuckled and said, "I wouldn't dare accept that. I'm just being myself."

Yingzi retorted, "Being yourself is already amazing. Jianye, really."

She looked at him earnestly, her eyes filled with admiration: "Hearing Aunt Liu talk about the past, I feel like I'm dreaming. People say that environment changes a person, but my man is different. He wasn't changed; in fact, he became even better."

"Jianye, the elders all say there's such a thing as a past life. Do you think I spent my past life in a temple, praying for a good marriage in this life?"

Lowering his head, gazing into Yingzi's bright, adoring eyes, Yang Jianye took her hand and said softly, "If there was a past life, it must have been when I prayed before Buddha for five hundred years."

Yingzi smiled wryly, her eyes already glistening with tears: "Five hundred years is too long. I'd be content with fifty years like this."

The sounds gradually subsided, and a spider that had been peacefully sleeping on the eaves suddenly awoke, looking at its web but finding no prey. It looked around blankly—had it been an earthquake?

The sounds gradually subsided, and a spider that had been peacefully sleeping on the eaves suddenly awoke, looking at its web but finding no prey. It looked around blankly—had it been an earthquake?

-

"Second steel, add some more here."

"High tide, unload the material, slowly... be careful."

"Qin Huairu, Qin Huairu—"

"Master, I'm here!"

"What are you doing? Can't you see everyone's busy? What method are you using for cutting the materials this time?"

Yang Jianye pointed ahead, letting Qin Huairu decide on the method of feeding the materials.

Qin Huairu glanced ahead and said, "The rotation method is the most stable and safest; the straight-line method can also be used, and it's even more effective."

"Alright, go ahead!" Yang Jianye waved his hand, letting her leave.

The answer was passable, but it still showed a lack of rote learning and experience. Yang Jianye thought to himself: Maybe next time I should let her do the cutting? Since we should treat everyone equally, it's not right to always let the tide come.

His thoughts quickly shifted, and he returned his attention to the task at hand.

The shell parameters required for this mission were extremely high, and all the materials were transported from the train station by the security department. For the special workshop and Yang Jianye, the challenge of this mission lay in how to complete the frame assembly according to the blueprints without damaging the material properties.

This is the biggest challenge!

Materials are limited, preventing multiple experiments. Three experiments are the maximum, and the remaining materials are enough for two more. In other words, if all three experiments fail, they only have two chances left. If these two attempts also fail, all their efforts will be in vain, and the mission will end in failure.

Zhang Chao was carefully adding materials, afraid of ruining them with a slight tremor. Before even starting this experiment, he had personally gone to the office to get stamps from the security department, materials department, and logistics department – ​​going through all that process before the experiment could proceed. With so many procedures involved just for using materials, how could Zhang Chao not be nervous?

As the last inch was plunged in, Zhangchao let out a long sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his brow, and exclaimed excitedly, "Master, it's done!"

"Um."

Yang Jianye nodded expressionlessly and said, "Masters, let's begin!"

Cutting the material is only the first step; the real test of skill comes next.

Yang Jianye personally took to the field, holding a welding torch and exchanging hushed conversations with the other experienced welders. Around a sheet of metal, all the top technicians from the special workshop were gathered. The apprentices stood behind, their expressions tense, constantly craning their necks to get a better look. Looking at Zhang Chao and Qin Huairu standing beside Yang Jianye, their eyes were filled with envy.

It's good that they're here; they can go and observe too. It's because they're learning riveting, and they have Li Yaoye, an eighth-level welder, to help them out. Riveting and welding are inseparable; having an eighth-level welder to guide them speeds up their learning. That's why people say that having a good master is truly a blessing from one's ancestors.

"Slow down, watch the solder joints, don't rush!"

Yang Jianye handed the welding torch to Li Yaoye and took charge of directing the operation. The two worked together seamlessly, with Li Yaoye's hand remaining as steady as a rock.

However, it still failed at the seventh solder joint.

Watching the faint spots spread outwards, Li Yaoye, who was squatting on the ground, lifted his mask and threw it hard on the ground.

"What are you doing?"

Yang Jianye straightened up, his face expressionless, and said, "Control your temper. Failure is inevitable. I know the higher-ups are taking this mission very seriously, and so are you all in the factory. But whatever you're thinking, shut it up and get your mindset right. Anyone who acts like this again will be replaced."

After Yang Jianye made an example of him, Li Yaoye lowered his head and remained silent. The restlessness in the hearts of the others in the factory also subsided.

Everyone really cared about this mission, not only because of the importance attached to it by their superiors and their own pride, but most importantly because of the rewards and honors—they heard that if they did well on this mission, they might receive a collective merit award.

Even a third-class merit is a tremendous honor. For ordinary people, it brings glory to their family.

Who isn't anxious? Who doesn't care?

But when your mind is restless, it will show in your hands when you're working. If you're thinking about how to do the job well instead of how to get credit, then you might as well not do the job at all; it'll be a waste of time. It's bound to turn out badly!