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

Seeing her family's surprised expressions, Qin Huairu slowly spoke, explaining her recent situation: "Mom and Dad, I changed jobs. I'm no longer doing heavy work at the steel rolling mill. I've been transferred to the factory's No. 1 guesthouse as a waitress. This is my work uniform."

"Huh? Just being a waiter can bring back so many good things?" Mr. Qin asked in disbelief, his brows furrowed with confusion.

Qin Huairu smiled faintly, her tone filled with undisguised pride: "Dad, I'm not just an ordinary waitress, I'm a supervisor now."

Seeing that her parents and brother and sister-in-law were still confused and didn't understand what "supervisor" meant, Qin Huairu simply explained: "Hey, let me be frank with you. I don't have to do the hard work myself anymore. I manage a dozen or so waitresses, so I'm just responsible for arranging their work and keeping an eye on the daily tasks."

"Huh? So you've become an official now?" The older brother's eyes widened, and his voice rose several decibels.

Everyone else in the room stared at Qin Huairu, waiting for her to confirm it herself, their eyes filled with shock and pride.

"It's not like I'm some kind of official. I'm just a squad leader, similar to the team leader in our production team. I just direct everyone to work. It's nothing special." Qin Huairu waved her hand with a smile, her tone modest, but the smile on her face was undeniable.

"That's really something! You've only been in charge for a short time and you've already become the class monitor. Huairu is really capable and impressive!" Qin's mother smiled from ear to ear, holding her daughter's hand tightly and praising her endlessly, her face full of pride.

"It was also luck. A neighbor who moved into our compound became my current director. He saw that my family wasn't doing well and transferred me to a different job."

"Ah! Then you've met a benefactor!" the sister-in-law exclaimed.

"It's also because my Huairu is hardworking and has good character, otherwise why wouldn't he help others?" Qin's mother said with pride.

"Yes, yes, yes," everyone echoed.

Qin Huairu listened with a smile, feeling quite pleased—all that hardship hadn't been in vain.

Qin Huairu's sister-in-law and mother-in-law chatted warmly with her about her recent situation in the city, asking how her children and mother-in-law were doing. Qin's father and two brothers sat to the side, listening quietly, nodding occasionally, their expressions softening considerably.

Several nephews and nieces ran in to join the fun, squeezing in and out, chattering away. The small room was instantly filled with lively laughter, and a long-lost warmth filled the entire courtyard.

Mr. Qin looked up at the sky outside. The sun was already high in the sky, and he estimated that it was almost noon. He then called to Mrs. Qin and her two daughters-in-law, "Stop talking and go get some vegetables. Let's cook quickly."

He paused, then ordered in a deep voice, "Cut three catties of the meat Huairu brought today and cook it. Also, call your second uncle's family over. They haven't had any oil or fat all year round, so take advantage of Huairu's return and have the whole family have some to eat. Eldest son, go and call your uncle."

"Oh, old man, why make so much? We're going to have to call Uncle's whole family too, then there won't be much meat left." Qin's mother was reluctant, and a look of heartache appeared on her face. But she knew that Qin's father was the one who had the final say at home and was stubborn. She hesitated and didn't dare to openly object, only daring to mutter a few words in a low voice.

Qin Huairu watched this scene, feeling a mix of amusement and bitterness. She knew her family was struggling financially, so much so that they couldn't even afford a piece of meat, hence their fuss. She secretly planned to buy some fatty meat from the guesthouse kitchen next time and send it back to her family—that was exactly what people needed most in those days.

Just as she was thinking of the guesthouse, she suddenly remembered something important and quickly turned to Qin's father, asking, "Dad, has our family's private plot been restored?"

Qin's father tapped his pipe on the sole of his shoe. He had carefully put the large bottle of tobacco he had just bought into the drawer. He still held his pipe in his hand and nodded slowly: "Yes, it was restored in 1960. We were able to grow some things to supplement our family income."

"We have quite a bit of land under our own belt, don't we?" Qin Huairu asked again, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"Including your eldest and second eldest brothers' land, it totals less than three mu, which is considered average in the village," Qin's father replied truthfully.

Qin Huairu's eyes lit up, and she quickly leaned forward, lowering her voice to say to her father, "Dad, let's not plant common vegetables like cabbage and radishes this year. They're worthless and won't fetch a good price. Let's plant some rare, delicate vegetables, like celery, cilantro, chives, tomatoes, and cucumbers. These vegetables are precious."

Qin's father looked puzzled and frowned as he asked, "Why plant those delicate vegetables? They're hard to raise, take a lot of effort, and most importantly, the yield is low."

Qin Huairu continued, her tone confident: "I'll go back and ask the leaders if we can sell the vegetables directly to our guesthouse. Before, we sold the vegetables we grew to the vegetable station, but the price was low, and we didn't make much money. We grow high-quality vegetables; the guests at the guesthouse are all leaders and cadres who love fresh produce, so the price is higher and it's more cost-effective. I'm about 80% sure this will work out; if it does, our lives will be completely different. Don't tell anyone else yet, to avoid any complications. I'll let you know once it's finalized."

In her heart, she was already quite certain—given her relationship with Li Jing'an, she was sure it would work out. She just deliberately left herself an out, so as not to disappoint her family.

Upon hearing this, Qin's father's eyes lit up instantly. His hand gripping his pipe became slightly excited, and his voice trembled slightly: "Are you really 80% sure? If we can sell it directly to the guesthouse, without going through the government, our family's life will finally be over!" He quickly regained his composure, afraid of putting pressure on his daughter, and hurriedly comforted her, "It doesn't matter whether it works out or not. Don't worry about it, and don't make things difficult for yourself because of family matters."

After saying that, he sat down on the small stool and began to ponder: Tomatoes and cucumbers couldn't be planted; if they were planted in the ground, they would be picked clean by the naughty children in the village before they even ripened, a complete waste of effort. He would plant celery, chives, and lettuce instead—celery required a lot of water, but it was worth the hard work; he could always find a way to solve that problem.

Looking at his promising daughter, Mr. Qin was filled with pride: This daughter was truly worth raising; she has grown up to be capable.

Before long, my second uncle's family arrived, making the already small courtyard even more lively. The sounds of talking, laughter, and children crying mingled together, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Among the crowd, a teenage girl from my second uncle's family stood quietly to the side, not daring to approach. Her eyes were fixed on the poised, elegant, and glamorous Qin Huairu, her face and eyes filled with undisguised envy, her fists clenching quietly.

She secretly vowed in her heart: she would marry into the city, become a city dweller, and live a respectable and enviable life like Qin Huairu.