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

The green train rattled and clattered along the tracks all night, the sound of wheels grinding against rails becoming an inescapable background noise throughout the journey. Although the soft sleeper carriage was much more spacious than the hard seat or hard sleeper, the cramped space still felt stuffy. The scenery outside the window gradually changed from the barren trees and fields of the north to the lush greenery and scattered white walls and black tiles of the south. The chill in the air had lessened considerably, replaced by a more humid and warm atmosphere.

Throughout the journey, Wei Jialing, who was in the lower bunk, and Li Huaide's lover chatted enthusiastically, almost without stopping.

Meanwhile, Li Jing'an, in the upper bunk, suffered terribly the entire time. He could only manage to chat with Li Huaide in fits and starts.

The long train journey had left him with a sore back and aching muscles, his bones feeling like they were about to fall apart. Listening to the two men's chatter and watching the unchanging scenery outside the window, he felt that time was passing incredibly slowly, every minute and every second was agonizing, and he couldn't wait to reach his destination.

Finally, in the afternoon of the second day, the train slowly pulled into Shanghai Station.

When the three bright red characters "Shanghai Station" came into view, a small commotion arose throughout the carriage. Everyone crowded to the window, curiously observing this legendary metropolis of the East.

Stepping out of the carriage, the platform was bustling with noise, and the white steam from the steam locomotive filled the air, creating a hazy atmosphere. Announcements in soft, melodious Shanghainese played on a loop over the loudspeaker, mingled with the sounds of passengers' footsteps and the rolling wheels of suitcases—it was incredibly lively.

A group of people from the steel rolling mill, dragging luggage of various sizes, slowly exited the station in a loose queue, led by Factory Director Yang. As soon as they stepped out of the station's spacious gate, they could see several dark green buses bearing the words "Shanghai No. 1 Steel Plant" neatly parked on the roadside. Their bodies were polished to a shine, and the drivers, dressed in uniform blue overalls, stood ramrod straight, clearly having been waiting there to greet them.

"Comrades, keep up, don't fall behind, we're getting on the bus!" The factory office director called out loudly, and a group of leaders and their families crowded together, carrying packages and holding children, and boarded the bus one after another.

Li Jing'an, carrying a heavy suitcase in one hand and supporting Wei Jialing with the other, carefully found a window seat. The bus smoothly pulled away from the station and drove through the streets of Shanghai. Everyone pressed their faces against the windows, praising the unique grandeur of the metropolis.

The car drove on and finally came to a smooth stop in front of the Chun Guang Hotel. This was a long-established state-owned hotel in Shanghai. Everyone got off the car one after another, and the factory office staff immediately took out a list, organized everyone to line up for registration, and prepared to assign rooms.

Standing at the end of the line, Li Jing'an idly surveyed the restaurant, mentally planning his itinerary for the next few days. Just then, Wei Jialing gently tugged at his wrist; the force was light, but it instantly brought him back to his senses.

He looked down at Wei Jialing beside him. She had a smile on her face and a hint of smugness on her lips. She whispered in his ear, "Jing'an, we don't need to wait in line for a room here anymore."

Li Jing'an frowned, his face full of doubt: "What do you mean? This is arranged by the factory. How can we get accommodation if we don't queue up?"

"I arranged everything before I came." Wei Jialing raised her chin, her tone full of pride. "I asked my dad to find his old comrades and friends in the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee to book rooms for us in advance at the Municipal Party Committee Guesthouse. That's a place in the city that's specially for receiving leaders. The environment and conditions are more than ten times better than this Chun Guang Hotel. It's quiet and comfortable."

Upon hearing this, Li Jing'an first frowned, feigning displeasure, and then lowered his voice to rebuke, "Aren't you just making things worse? We're here on an inspection tour with the factory; our meals and lodging are all arranged collectively. Is it appropriate for us to go out and stay separately?"

But in his heart, he was already overjoyed. The municipal party committee guesthouse was far better than this state-run hotel.

"I don't care about the group arrangements, I just want to stay in a comfortable place." Wei Jialing pouted and acted coquettishly, shaking his arm. "The rooms have already been booked, it would be a waste not to stay. You should go and tell Director Yang."

Li Jing'an sighed, feigning helplessness, and rubbed his temples. "Sigh, I really can't do anything with you. You're always causing me trouble. You wait here and don't wander off. I'll go ask the factory manager for instructions."

He straightened his Zhongshan suit, smoothed out the wrinkles at the hem, put on an apologetic smile, and quickly walked to Director Yang's side.

"Director Yang, excuse me, I have something I'd like to report to you."

Factory Director Yang was busy checking the headcount when he turned to look at him: "Jing'an, what's wrong? Tell me."

"I'm so sorry, I just found out about this myself." Li Jing'an looked troubled but spoke sincerely. "My father-in-law's old friend, who is a leader in the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee, insisted on arranging rooms for Jialing and me at the Municipal Party Committee's guesthouse when he learned we were in Shanghai for an inspection. We declined several times, but he wouldn't listen. This is a kind gesture from an elder, and we can't refuse him, otherwise it would seem too heartless. Do you think we could stay at the guesthouse arranged by the city instead of the Chunguang Hotel?"

Factory Director Yang, a shrewd man, followed Li Jing'an's gaze and glanced at Wei Jialing not far away, immediately understanding the implication. Wei Jialing was the daughter of a municipal leader; let alone changing her accommodations, even if she made more outrageous requests, the factory would comply. He waved his hand and laughed heartily, "It's alright, it's alright. Since it's an arrangement by the city leaders, that's a good thing. You can go ahead. But there's one thing: tonight, the leaders of a steel plant in Shanghai are going to host a welcome dinner for us. Can you still attend this dinner?"

Li Jing'an quickly replied, "Don't worry, Factory Director. As long as the dinner ends early, I'll definitely be there. If it ends too late, I'm afraid I won't be able to get back to the guesthouse in time."

"Okay, I'll communicate with them." Director Yang nodded, turned around and walked to the leader of Shanghai No. 1 Steel Plant who was in charge of receiving them. The two stood in the corner and talked in hushed tones. Director Yang would occasionally raise his hand to point at Li Jing'an, who would nod frequently, always with a polite smile on his face.

A moment later, Director Yang returned and patted Li Jing'an on the shoulder: "I told Deputy Director Zhao about your situation. He was very understanding and asked you to wait a moment. He will make special arrangements for you."

Before long, a middle-aged man in a dark Zhongshan suit, with a capable and composed demeanor, strode over. He first respectfully shook hands with Director Yang, then went straight to Li Jing'an, extending his broad palm with a hearty smile: "You must be Comrade Li Jing'an from the steel mill's guesthouse? It's an honor to meet you."

"It's me, Director Zhao. Thank you for your hard work." Li Jing'an quickly grasped the other person's hands with both of them, his attitude respectful.

"I'm Zhao, the deputy director of a steel plant in Shanghai, and I'm specifically in charge of your reception arrangements." Deputy Director Zhao spoke in a friendly and approachable tone, without a trace of airs. "Director Yang has already explained your situation to me. Here's the arrangement: you can relax and enjoy the welcome banquet tonight. After dinner, I'll send a factory car to personally take you and your family to the Municipal Party Committee Guesthouse. Tomorrow morning, another car will pick you up from the guesthouse for your factory visit and learning session. Does this arrangement seem acceptable?"

Li Jing'an was overjoyed, but his face was full of guilt and apology. He repeatedly clasped his hands and said, "Director Zhao, I'm really sorry to have troubled you so much and added so much work for you. It's all my dad's fault for insisting on bringing this up with our old friend at the Municipal Party Committee. He's just making things worse."

"Not at all, this is an elder's concern for the younger generation, it's a good thing." Deputy Factory Director Zhao laughed heartily, not minding at all. "When you're away from home, you can only work with peace of mind after settling your family in. It's only right."