Courtyard House: From Deputy Division Commander to Civilian, Progressing All the Way

It was evening.

No. 95, Nanluoguxiang.

The autumn wind was bleak, swirling up the withered leaves on the ground. But the atmosphere in the courtyard was unusually tense because of the mobilization meeting held at the steel mill.

In the Jia family's house, they didn't even bother to light a kerosene lamp.

Jia Zhangshi sat cross-legged on the heated kang, listening to the news brought back by Jia Dongxu. On her fat face, her two triangular eyes gleamed with a greedy green light, like a hungry wolf eyeing fresh meat.

"Dongxu! Are you serious?! Five extra pounds of meat and thirty pounds of refined grain a month?! And double the salary?!"

Jia Zhangshi was so excited that her voice cracked, and she grabbed Jia Dongxu's arm, her nails digging deep into his flesh.

"It's absolutely true, Mom!" Jia Dongxu swallowed hard, his face full of fervor. "The factory director personally read the official document aloud at the meeting! It said we're going to the Northwest to build some secret weapon. If we get selected, our family will be able to eat white flour buns and braised pork every day from now on!"

Qin Huairu stood to the side, her belly bulging, her eyes gleaming with longing. She hadn't had a proper meal in ages, drinking only thin cornmeal porridge that was so watery you could see your reflection in it every day, and she didn't even have enough breast milk.

"But..." Jia Dongxu's enthusiasm instantly dimmed, and he scratched his head dejectedly. "The factory manager said they only need twenty people. And they have to be skilled workers at level six or above. I... I'm only a level three worker, I'm not even qualified to apply."

"Useless! You brainless piece of trash!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi slammed her hand on the kang table in anger.

"Rules are rules, but people are flexible! You may not be qualified, but can't you think of a way to get around this?!"

Jia Zhangshi's eyes darted around, her calculating mind racing.

"This task was assigned by the Ministry of Heavy Industry, and Lin Yang is the Vice Minister of Heavy Industry! Whether or not someone is chosen is entirely up to him, isn't it?"

Jia Zhangshi lowered her voice, a sinister and resolute look appearing on her face.

"Dongxu, this is our family's last chance to turn things around! We have to secure this spot no matter what!"

Qin Huairu said with some worry, "Mom, what kind of status does Minister Lin have? We can't even see him normally. Even if we did, would he agree to help us? We offended his family back then."

Times have changed!

Jia Zhangshi gritted her teeth, as if she had made up her mind.

She turned around and rummaged through the deepest part of the kang cabinet, pulling out a small wooden box wrapped in layers of tattered cloth. Inside the box were two small, gleaming yellow croakers and two exquisite old mine jadeite bracelets.

This was the money Jia Zhangshi had kept for her coffin her whole life. Even when the Jia family was so poor that they couldn't afford to eat, she gritted her teeth and couldn't bear to take it out.

"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub!"

Jia Zhangshi pushed the box in front of Jia Dongxu, her heart aching and gasping for breath.

"Dongxu, take these things and go ask Yi Zhonghai! Isn't he your master? He's an eighth-grade worker; he'll definitely be selected this time. Ask him to take you along, saying that he's taking his apprentice to help out!"

"If Yi Zhonghai doesn't agree, go directly to Lin Fan! Lin Fan is the factory director now, and his brother is the deputy minister. As long as the money is delivered, I don't believe there's a cat in this world that won't steal fish!"

Jia Dongxu stared wide-eyed at the two gleaming gold bars, nodding repeatedly, "Okay! Mom, I'll go right now!"

at the same time.

The Yi family in the middle courtyard and the Liu family in the back courtyard are also engaged in a conspiracy that concerns their fate.

Yi Zhonghai sat at the table and pulled out all his family's savings. There were a full five hundred yuan, and several precious national grain coupons.

"Old Yi, what are you doing?" an older woman asked in astonishment.

"Go and find connections!"

Yi Zhonghai's eyes revealed a kind of desperate madness.

"I'm determined to get a spot in the Northwest this time! But I haven't been as nimble as I used to be these past few years, and if it really comes down to a hard-fought practical assessment, I'm not sure I can secure first place. I can't take that risk!"

Yi Zhonghai wrapped the money in newspaper and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Lin Yang is the highest-ranking official in charge of this matter. Tomorrow is the weekend, and he'll definitely be coming back to the courtyard to see Lin Fan's son. I need to sound him out; if he's willing to give me a spot, I'm willing to pour all my retirement savings into it!"

Liu Haizhong, meanwhile, found a bottle of Moutai liquor he had treasured for ten years and a box of century-old ginseng at home. He figured that if he could use these valuable gifts to break into Lin Yang's house, his dream of becoming a workshop director in the Northwest would come true.

……

The next day was the weekend.

The sky over Beijing was overcast, and a biting northwest wind picked up.

Outside No. 95 Nanluoguxiang, a military jeep came to a steady stop.

Lin Yang, wearing a dark gray woolen overcoat, entered the courtyard alone without any attendants. He had made a special trip today to visit his elder brother and his three-year-old nephew, Lin Jianguo.

He had just stepped into the Intermediate People's Court.

Three figures, like sharks that have smelled blood, instantly surrounded them from three directions.

It was Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Jia Dongxu!

These three people had clearly planned this all along, hiding inside the house and watching the door, just waiting for Lin Yang to appear.

"Minister Lin! Chief Lin! You're finally back!"

Yi Zhonghai was the first to rush forward, his face plastered with an extremely obsequious smile, his back bent so low it seemed about to break. He clutched the bulging bundle of newspapers in his arms tightly with both hands.

Not to be outdone, Liu Haizhong, carrying Moutai and wild ginseng, squeezed in with his large belly, his face all scrunched up with a big smile.

"Minister Lin, it's so cold, yet you still personally came to visit Factory Director Lin. You really care about your family. I have a bottle of ten-year-old Moutai and some old ginseng from Changbai Mountain here, specially brought to help you recover."

Jia Dongxu, clutching the small wooden box containing the gold bars, hid behind Liu Haizhong, peeking out with greed and trepidation in his eyes.

Lin Yang stopped in his tracks.

He didn't look at the gifts; his deep, well-like eyes coldly swept over the three beasts, each with their own agenda.

Having spent so many years navigating the officialdom and the battlefield, how could Lin Yang not see through their despicable intentions hidden behind their facades?

"What is it?" Lin Yang's voice was as flat as water, devoid of any warmth, as if he were talking to thin air.

Yi Zhonghai swallowed hard, forcibly suppressing his inner fear. He stepped forward, lowered his voice, and spoke in what he thought was a very knowledgeable, official tone:

"Minister Lin, let's speak frankly. We all know about the factory's mobilization to go to the Northwest. It's a key national project, and as veteran workers, it's our duty to contribute to the country!"

Yi Zhonghai quietly handed the newspaper package in his arms towards Lin Yang's pocket.