I feel right at home in the world of the courtyard house.

The winter sun wasn't scorching, but it illuminated the alleyway brightly. A dry, chilly wind swept through the alleyway, swirling up the fine, withered leaves on the ground. Li Jing'an walked ahead, his sister Li Hongying clinging tightly to his arm. Their steps were so light they seemed to float, their faces beaming with smiles, their eyes narrowed to slits, even the fine lines at the corners of their eyes revealing a hint of pride.

"Jing'an, you'd better get me a good counter!" Li Hongying lowered her voice, but couldn't hide the excitement in her tone. "You wait, when I start work, I'll give anyone I don't like rotten vegetables and inferior goods to them! Especially that old geezer in charge of our compound, he always likes to meddle in my business. When he comes to buy things, I'll make sure he can't even buy a decent piece of tofu, unless he doesn't buy from here!"

Li Jing'an frowned almost imperceptibly, too lazy to respond to her questions, and simply changed the subject: "Sis, which counter do you actually want to work at?"

"I'm not going to sell daily necessities. It's all just needles and thread, no profit to be made and too much trouble!" Li Hongying immediately started calculating on her fingers. "Selling meat, vegetables, or food is fine, but at the very least, I'd sell fabrics. That way, I'd be handling good stuff, and I'd have the advantage of being close to the source!"

"Fine, fine, I'll talk to them and arrange something satisfactory for you," Li Jing'an reluctantly agreed.

As the two turned the corner, they spotted two figures standing in front of the grocery store. Both were dressed in sharp, dark gray Zhongshan suits, their trousers perfectly pressed and their hair neatly combed—they looked like government officials. They kept peeking into the intersection on tiptoe, their hands clasped behind their backs and then nervously clenched, clearly having waited for quite some time; their noses were slightly red from the cold.

Upon seeing Li Jing'an approach, the two men's eyes lit up immediately, and they quickly stepped forward to greet him. Manager Qian from the food company, who was walking in front, extended both hands first, his face beaming with a warm and respectful smile, his tone exceptionally friendly: "Comrade Jing'an, you've finally arrived!"

Li Jing'an calmly extended his hand and gently shook his, his tone indifferent: "Old Qian, have you been waiting for a while?"

"No, no, I just arrived too!" Manager Qian hurriedly waved his hand, as if afraid that being a step late would be disrespectful. He then stepped aside to let the person behind him pass and respectfully introduced, "Comrade Jing'an, this is Manager Zhao of this grocery store. He will take care of your sister when she works here."

"Hello, hello, my surname is Zhao!" Manager Zhao immediately stepped forward, grasped Li Jing'an's hands tightly, shook them vigorously, and said in a fawning tone, "Manager Qian explained your matter to me yesterday. Comrade Li Hongying, from now on, whether it's work or life, if you need anything here, just come to me. I will definitely handle it properly!"

"Little Zhao," Manager Qian chimed in, deliberately raising his voice, "Comrade Li Hongying is Comrade Jing'an's older sister. She's coming to work in our store, so you'd better take good care of her. Everything has been arranged perfectly."

Li Jing'an immediately waved his hand, his face turning serious: "Hey, Lao Qian, what are you talking about? What do you mean by preferential treatment? This is all revolutionary work, we can't do this kind of special treatment."

Manager Qian slapped his forehead and immediately followed up with admiration: "Yes, yes, look at my awareness! Comrade Jing'an's awareness is still higher, his ideological stance is different, I have to learn from you!" Manager Zhao, who was standing next to him, also nodded and bowed, echoing him repeatedly, not daring to have the slightest objection.

"Yes." Li Jing'an nodded slightly, his tone softening. "I came today to show my sister her future job, to familiarize her with the environment, and to give her some peace of mind."

Li Hongying curled her lip and muttered to herself, "Does she really need to be familiar with this? Even if she were blindfolded, she could know this store inside and out. She knows where the firewood, rice, oil, salt, fabric, and candy are arranged better than the shop assistants."

She's not here to familiarize herself with the environment; clearly, her younger brother is there to back her up and let everyone in the store know that Li Hongying has a powerful backer, so that no one will dare to bully her in the future.

The group chatted and laughed as they entered the grocery store. As soon as they stepped inside, a rich aroma of grains, oils, candies, and pickled vegetables wafted towards them. The store was spacious and bright, with smooth, spotless bluestone slabs on the floor. Rows of solid wood shelves stretched neatly from the entrance to the back of the store. On the left was the food counter, its glass windows gleaming, displaying fruit candies, shortbread, biscuits, peach crisps, as well as canned malted milk powder and canned fruit—rare items in those days. In the middle was the grain and oil section, with large flour jars and rice buckets neatly arranged, sacks overflowing with flour and rice, and oil drums bearing prominent labels. On the right was the vegetable and meat counter, its cutting boards spotless, fresh pork and ribs hanging on hooks, and bamboo baskets piled high with cabbages, radishes, and potatoes, all vibrant and fresh. At the far end was the fabric and daily necessities counter, with colorful fabrics rolled into tubes and arranged on the shelves, and needles, thread, soap, matches, and thermos flasks neatly categorized. A red banner reading "Serve the People" hung on the wall; the bright, clean windows and ample stock exuded the unique orderliness and grandeur of a state-run store.

Li Hongying stared intently, her smile never fading.

"By the way, Xiao Zhao," Li Jing'an stopped and asked casually, "which counter is my sister assigned to?"

Manager Zhao immediately beamed, bowing slightly, and said in an extremely ingratiating tone, "Boss, it all depends on your sister's preference. We'll arrange whichever counter she wants!"

"Ah! As long as it's not daily necessities, anything else is fine!" Li Hongying interrupted immediately, her tone urgent and smug, afraid of being a step too late.

Li Jing'an gently pulled her aside, feigning reproach: "Sister, don't make things difficult for others. Aren't all positions about serving the people? They're all the same."

"Boss, please don't say that!" Manager Zhao quickly waved his hand, patting his chest to assure everyone, "No problem, I can coordinate any position, it's no trouble at all!"

"It wouldn't be good if other employees had objections," Li Jing'an said, feigning concern.

"Don't worry, sir!" Manager Zhao said firmly, raising his voice. "It's the same for every position. If anyone has objections because of this, it shows a lack of awareness and that their mind isn't on their work. Such people shouldn't be kept in key positions! I will definitely educate them properly!"

Li Jing'an's eyes lit up slightly as he looked at Manager Qian and praised him with a smile: "Oh? Xiao Zhao is quite capable. He speaks and acts very well. Old Qian, he's a talent worth nurturing."

Manager Qian immediately burst into laughter, his face beaming with pride: "Of course! I personally selected Xiao Zhao to transfer to this store; he's capable, efficient, and absolutely top-notch!"

The group strolled leisurely around the store. Li Hongying touched the floral fabric here, looked at the fresh fruit there, and became more and more satisfied with what she saw. Manager Zhao led the way with a smile throughout, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

"Boss, please come to my office and rest for a while. I have some fine tea leaves; I'll brew you a cup." After making his rounds, Manager Zhao quickly invited him.

"Alright, since Xiao Zhao said so, let's go and have a seat." Li Jing'an nodded in agreement.