Courtyard House: A Carefree Life Begins with a Lottery of Wish Power

"Gained the skill [Disguise]".

Lin Zhuo was a little curious; there was actually such a skill?

I wonder if it's complicated to use, and if it requires many tools.

I quickly checked the skill description.

Lin Zhuo couldn't help but sigh, this skill really deserves to be a product of the system.

No props are needed when disguising oneself.

By simply altering the skin, muscles, and bones, a person can instantly transform into a completely different person.

Lin Zhuo looked in the mirror, a thought struck him, and his facial muscles twitched slightly, quickly transforming into a completely unfamiliar face.

After a few slight creaks, his body changed from being tall and slender to being somewhat short and stocky.

The sound you make when you open your mouth can also be adjusted according to your needs.

Let alone others, even Lin Zhuo himself couldn't recognize himself at all.

Lin Zhuo was amazed.

The next day, Lin Zhuo took some time to go to the Dongdan vegetable market where his brother-in-law often delivered goods, and asked someone to pass on a message to his brother-in-law, saying that he would be going home this weekend.

As soon as Lin Zhuo finished work on Saturday afternoon, he went straight onto the bus to his hometown in the countryside.

It took more than an hour by car to reach Haidian Commune, by which time it was already completely dark.

Before even getting off the bus, the sharp-eyed Lin Zhuo spotted his elder sister Lin Yufang and brother-in-law Zhou Defu standing at the bus stop, stamping their feet and peering at the bus.

Lin Zhuo felt a warmth in his heart.

As Lin Zhuo got off the bus with the other passengers, he quietly took out a large basket and 10 high-yield laying hens from his spatial storage.

It was dark, and many people were getting off the bus, so no one paid any attention to what Lin Zhuo was carrying.

Lin Yufang and Zhou Defu also saw Lin Zhuo at this moment and quickly came over.

Lin Yufang held Lin Zhuo's hand, carefully examining him, and said with some reproach:

"You little rascal, have you forgotten you even have a home here? It's been so long since you remembered to come back."

Zhou Defu did help Lin Zhuo out of the predicament.

"Xiao Zhuo has only been working for less than a month, how could she have time to keep running back?"

"Get in the car quickly, let's go home first."

As he spoke, Zhou Defu took the large basket from Lin Zhuo with some curiosity. He saw that there were several chickens inside, which seemed a bit strange, but he didn't say anything more.

The three boarded Zhou Defu's carriage. Zhou Defu gave a shout, flicked the whip, and the carriage set off.

Lin Zhuo's home was a few miles from the commune, but he arrived in a short time by horse-drawn carriage.

Before even entering the door, you can smell the rich aroma of food.

The door to the Lin family's house opened, and the second sister, Lin Yuxiang, her husband, Li Guizhong, and Lin Zhuo's grandmother all came out.

Lin Zhuo quickly jumped out of the car, greeted the others, and helped his grandmother into the house.

"Grandma, it's so cold and windy outside, why did you come out?"

Grandma said nonchalantly:

"What's so bad about that? I'm in great shape."

The second sister, standing nearby, joked:

"Grandma, this is a new society, why are you still so sexist?"

"My older sister and I have never seen you think of us like this before."

Grandma chuckled, neither denying it nor denying it.

The family entered the house chatting and laughing.

Lin Zhuo just smiled when he heard this. Not to mention now, even decades from now, the idea of ​​valuing sons over daughters will not disappear.

The heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) inside the house was very warm, and several steaming dishes were already laid out on the table.

The eldest sister called the children who were playing in the street home, and the family sat down. The second sister picked up the scalded wine pot and poured a cup for each adult. The group then sat around the table and began to eat.

Second sister Lin Yuxiang asked:

"Xiao Zhuo, how's your job at the factory? What kind of work are you doing?"

Lin Zhuo ate peanuts as he spoke:

"I was assigned to the forging workshop and became a forger."

Lin Yuxiang frowned slightly upon hearing this and said:

"A blacksmith? I remember blacksmithing is a physically demanding job, it must be quite tiring, right?"

Lin Zhuo nodded and said:

"The work in the factory, though not easy, is at most about the same as earning work points in the fields."

Lin Zhuo wasn't trying to reassure his family; he still had memories of earning work points.

During the busy farming season, plowing, wading, weeding, carrying manure, and harvesting wheat—any one of these tasks could make future white-collar workers work themselves to the bone.

Even during the winter off-season, the production brigade wouldn't let anyone be idle.

Building reservoirs, digging ponds, and excavating air-raid shelters are more tiring than farming.

Lin Zhuo continued:

"The steel rolling mill has good benefits. You can take a free shower at the public bathhouse every day, and there is hot water in the boiler room, so you can even use hot water to wash clothes."

Lin Yufang and Lin Yuxiang both looked envious upon hearing this.

In the countryside, it was alright in the summer, but in the winter, if you wanted to take a bath, you had to go to the public bathhouse in the commune. A bath ticket cost 7 cents, and most families could only afford to take a bath once a year, during the Spring Festival.

Washing clothes is a major headache for housewives at this time.

On a freezing cold day, I would carry my clothes to the riverbank, break a hole in the wall to wash them, and by the time I finished, my hands were already numb from the cold.

Second sister's husband, Li Guizhong, said:

"Yuxiang, you only know that blacksmithing is physically demanding, but you don't know that blacksmiths have a higher monthly food ration than other professions?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuxiang perked up and quickly asked Lin Zhuo:

"Xiao Zhuo, is that right?"

Lin Zhuo nodded and said:

"That's natural. For jobs like blacksmiths and foundry workers, the monthly food ration coupons amount to 45 jin."

Upon hearing this, everyone gasped in surprise.

Brother-in-law Zhou Defu said:

"A cadre and a teacher only weigh 26 pounds a month, and you're almost as much as two of them."

Lin Zhuo said:

"My family is short on food coupons. I'll send some back home once I get the coupons."

Grandma shook her head and said:

"There's plenty of food and drink at home, so we don't need your food coupons. Just save them up yourself."

The eldest sister also advised:

"Just listen to your grandma, don't worry about home. You work so hard, don't skimp on your meals."

The second sister also put a piece of pork belly in Lin Zhuo's bowl, saying:

"Xiao Zhuo, you're an apprentice now, your monthly salary is about 20 yuan, right?"

In this day and age, wages are no secret.

Based on the type of work, region, and level, one can roughly estimate a person's salary.

Newly hired apprentices typically earn eighteen or nineteen yuan.

Lin Zhuomei happily picked up a piece of pork belly, took a bite of the cornbread, and said:

"An apprentice's starting salary is 17 yuan in their first year, 19 yuan in their second year, and 22 yuan in their third year. However..."

My second sister's face lit up with joy.

"It's better to be a worker. My older sister and I work hard all day and only earn six or seven work points at most. Each work point is worth three cents, so we only earn six or seven yuan a month."

Lin Zhuo had only spoken half of what he was saying when his second sister interrupted him.

The second brother-in-law noticed it and quickly tugged at Lin Yuxiang's sleeve, saying:

"Yuxiang, don't rush to speak, let Xiaozhuo finish speaking first."

Upon hearing this, the second sister also felt somewhat embarrassed and said:

Lin Yuxiang smiled somewhat awkwardly upon hearing this and said:

"Look at my impatient nature."

The eyes of everyone else in the family were now focused on Lin Zhuo.

Lin Zhuo smiled and said:

"Don't be nervous. What I was going to say was that a few days ago, the factory had a performance evaluation exam, and I passed it and was promoted to a level four worker."