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

Jiang Yuebai was wearing a worn-out blue cotton-padded jacket, the collar tucked in tightly, and her trouser legs still covered in mud and snow. She clutched the hem of her jacket and walked slowly into the house, standing a few steps away from the table, looking particularly awkward.

Officer Liu looked up and saw her, his face showing obvious confusion: "Comrade Jiang, what brings you here? Weren't the positions at the steel rolling mill finalized? Didn't you report for work?"

Jiang Yuebai lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes concealing the unease in them. Her voice was soft yet firm: "Officer Liu, the steel mills haven't notified me to go to work. I don't want to go to the steel mill either. I'd like to trouble you to help me find another job. Thank you for your help."

"Don't want to go anymore?" Officer Liu paused, put down his pen, and reached out to flip through the files on the table. His fingertips stopped searching, and his brows furrowed. "That won't do. Your file was sent to the steel mill's labor and personnel department a few days ago. According to regulations, we have to wait for them to return the file and stamp it with their official seal before the street office can re-register you and arrange recruitment adjustments for other factories. Otherwise, other units can't accept you."

"Oh? What should we do?" Jiang Yuebai looked up abruptly, her eyes instantly filled with anxiety. Her fingers twisted tightly around the hem of her cotton-padded coat until her knuckles turned white. "My family really can't wait any longer. My husband's medicine is almost gone, and the food jar is empty..."

Seeing her anxious expression, Officer Liu couldn't help but sigh, his tone tinged with helplessness: "I understand your difficulties, but that's how the rules are. Logically speaking, it's been several days, the steel mill should have given us some news by now. Even if they don't hire you, your file should have been returned. Why haven't we heard anything?"

He paused, then softened his tone to comfort her: "Don't panic, go home and wait. I'll keep an eye on things here. As soon as I get news from the steel rolling mill, I'll have the messenger contact you immediately, and we'll also help you see if there are any suitable positions, okay?"

"Well... thank you so much, Officer Liu. I'm sorry to have troubled you." Jiang Yuebai managed to squeeze out a thank you, but her heart felt heavy, as if a stone was pressing down on it. She bowed slightly, turned and walked out of the street office. The cold wind outside hit her face, stinging her cheeks. She shrank her neck and walked home with heavy steps, feeling lost and filled with sorrow.

On the other hand, at Li Jing'an's parents' home, there was a completely different, warm and cozy scene.

Li Jing'an carried two cases of Moutai into the house with steady steps. He gently placed the cases in the corner of the wall, turned around and smiled at his father, who was sitting in a chair reading a newspaper, and said, "Dad, someone gave me a few cases of Moutai. It would be too conspicuous to leave them there, so I brought two cases over for you to enjoy."

Mr. Li put down his newspaper, his gaze falling on the Moutai box with gold lettering. He quickly waved his hand, saying, "No way! This liquor is extremely precious. How could I possibly drink such a rare thing? I've heard that only high-ranking leaders can afford it."

"Dad, what's wrong with that?" Li Jing'an stepped forward, patted the liquor box, and said with a hint of pride, "I'm a deputy section chief now, what's wrong with drinking some Moutai? If others can drink it, why can't we men? You can try it without worry."

Just then, Li's mother came out of the kitchen, carrying an exquisite glass jar containing the caviar Li Jing'an had brought back. She wiped her hands and asked with a smile, "Jing'an, are you craving noodles with soybean paste? Seeing this sauce you brought back, I'll ask your sister to make some noodles right away, and we'll have noodles with soybean paste for lunch!"

Upon seeing this, Li Jing'an was both amused and exasperated. He quickly stepped forward and took the glass jar from his mother's hands: "My goodness, this isn't the sauce for noodles with soybean paste. It contains caviar, imported caviar from abroad. It's incredibly precious."

"Hey, it's just fish roe, isn't it?" Li's mother scoffed, reaching out to take it back. "Why don't we just fry it with an egg? What else can we eat it?"

"Eat it raw!" Li Jing'an quickly put the caviar away, explaining helplessly, "This is a rare foreign product, so please don't mess with it, or it will all be a waste." Li's mother looked bewildered, muttering, "Foreign things are just pretentious," before turning back to the kitchen to continue her work.

Just then, Li Hongying's loud voice rang out from the courtyard: "Dad, Mom, Jing'an, dinner's ready! It'll be on the table soon!"

Li Hongying arrived early this morning, a stark contrast to her domineering demeanor outside; at home, she was back to her diligent and efficient self. Li Jing'an knew this was because he was now a cadre and had the backing to support her. But then he thought, she couldn't cause any major trouble, so he let her be.

"I'll go call the two kids back. These two little ones forget to eat once they start playing!" Li's mother said, putting on her cotton-padded coat and cheerfully walking out of the house to call Li Hongying's two children in the alley.

Seeing this, Li Jing'an picked up a bottle of Moutai, unscrewed the cap, and the rich aroma of the liquor instantly filled the room, mellow and lingering. He smiled and poured a glass for his father: "Dad, don't wait for the food, let's have a sip first and see what this Moutai tastes like."

Mr. Li picked up his wine glass, brought it to his nose, and smelled it with anticipation in his eyes. He took a small sip, smacked his lips, and then his eyes lit up. He exclaimed repeatedly, "Good! Good! Good! This wine is truly exceptional. It's smooth and mellow, not harsh at all, and incredibly fragrant! I'm really enjoying your good fortune today!"

Before long, the dishes were served one after another: steaming braised pork, stir-fried vegetables, and stewed tofu, filling the table to the brim. Li Hongying led her two children into the house, and her mother followed. The family sat around the table and began to eat together in a lively atmosphere.

After eating a few bites, Li Hongying put down her chopsticks, a smile plastered on her face, and looked at Li Jing'an: "Jing'an, I have something to tell you. Could you transfer your brother-in-law to a different position?"

Li Jing'an paused, his hand still holding the food, and looked up, asking casually, "What position does my brother-in-law want to transfer to? Doesn't he know what he's capable of?"

"Get him a purchasing job!" Li Hongying's eyes lit up, her tone urgent. "I heard that purchasing is a lucrative job; you don't have to do hard labor, and you can even make some money. It's much better than him working in the factory!"

"Sister, you're oversimplifying things." Li Jing'an put down his chopsticks, his tone tinged with helplessness. "The purchasing position involves dealing with people every day. You need to be eloquent and diplomatic. With your husband's personality, he even stammers when toasting people during the New Year. Can he handle it? If he were really that capable, with our connections, he would have already gotten in touch with the factory leaders himself. Why would I need to step in?"

Seeing that Li Hongying still wanted to argue, Li's father immediately put down his wine glass and said in a deep voice, "Your brother is right! Wenbin is honest and simple-minded; he's simply not cut out for purchasing. Let him work honestly in the workshop, study hard to get his job grade, and that's the right thing to do. Don't think about those crooked ways!"

Seeing that her father had spoken, Li Hongying, though unwilling, dared not say anything more. She could only lower her head dejectedly, picking at the rice in her bowl, muttering under her breath, "It's all for the good of the family." Li Jing'an glanced at her, said nothing more, picked up his wine glass, clinked it with his father's, and drank it all in one gulp.