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

Li Jing'an, accompanied by Wei Jialing, arrived at the Ministry of Metallurgical's residential compound in a car provided by the guesthouse. The car slowly pulled up downstairs, and as soon as they got out, they saw three people standing at the entrance of the building. The middle-aged man leading the group, dressed in a crisp Zhongshan suit, immediately strode forward, smiling broadly, and said, "Are you Comrade Li? I'm Du, the factory manager of Longshuncheng Furniture Factory." He then extended his hand and shook hands firmly with Li Jing'an.

"Oh? Factory manager, why did you come all the way here in person? Didn't Secretary Han explain things to you clearly? It's just taking measurements; sending a craftsman would have been enough. I couldn't possibly trouble you to come in person." Li Jing'an was slightly surprised.

The factory manager smiled even more ingratiatingly: "Look at what you're saying. If it were anyone else, I certainly wouldn't need to come in person. But this is for making furniture for you, so it would be very impolite of me not to be there."

The two exchanged a smile. At that moment, Wei Jialing, who had gotten out of the car from the other side, walked to Li Jing'an's side. The factory director quickly turned to her, his tone even more respectful than when he was facing Li Jing'an: "Hello, Comrade Wei."

Wei Jialing merely glanced at him indifferently, nodded slightly, and said nothing more. The factory manager, however, didn't seem to care at all, and his smile deepened.

"Okay, let's go upstairs and take a look," Li Jing'an said.

"Please go first, Comrade Wei, please follow as well." The factory director respectfully stepped aside to let them pass. After the group entered the building, he turned back and beckoned the two people behind him to follow.

Upon reaching the second floor, Li Jing'an took out his key and opened the door. As he walked in, he said to the factory manager, "As you can see, this is a small three-bedroom apartment of seventy square meters. The space isn't very spacious, so you'll have to put in a lot of effort to design it properly for me."

"Don't worry," the factory manager quickly replied. "Today I've specially brought two of the factory's master craftsmen to make this custom-made for you. You can absolutely trust their skills. To be honest, many of the furniture pieces in the homes of central government leaders were made by these two craftsmen."

Li Jing'an listened with a satisfied expression. The factory manager then asked, "Comrade Li, what style or design do you prefer?"

Li Jing'an pondered for a moment: "Let's go for the Chinese style. I really like the Chinese furniture in my dad's house, but unfortunately my house is small, so I can only make a smaller version of that style."

"Thank you for liking our furniture," the factory manager immediately assured him. "Although your home is small, rest assured, our craftsmen will design it meticulously to ensure it looks grand and elegant, never cramped or small. By the way, Mr. Li, do you have any thoughts on the wood?"

Li Jing'an didn't know much about timber, so he asked directly, "What kind of timber does my dad use?"

"The living room and study of Leader Wei's house are made of old rosewood, while the bedroom is made of ordinary hardwood. When we suggested that the whole set be made of mahogany, Leader Wei firmly refused, insisting on being frugal and not wanting to be extravagant. He said that the bedroom is not for entertaining guests, so there is no need to use good wood, and he specifically instructed that this arrangement be made," the factory manager replied truthfully.

Li Jing'an chuckled softly upon hearing this, and said with a touch of emotion, "I just think my dad's mahogany furniture is excellent, and I've become a fan of mahogany. To be honest, I'm a former soldier, and I fought under the red flag all the way from the domestic battlefield to Korea. I have an inexplicable and deep-seated affection for the color red, and I'm already connected to the red bloodline. So, I hope that my bedroom will also be entirely made of mahogany. You probably can't understand this feeling."

The factory director smiled somewhat awkwardly and nodded repeatedly. When he saw Li Jing'an looking at him, he quickly chimed in, "I understand, I understand! Even after working in the local area, Comrade Li still hasn't forgotten his military spirit, which is truly admirable."

After saying this, the factory manager beckoned two craftsmen to come forward and plan the layout. One of the craftsmen took out a measuring tape, roughly measured the space, and gave professional advice: "Comrade Li, your 70-square-meter three-bedroom apartment combines Chinese style with practicality and grandeur. I will provide you with a complete plan: the living room, as the main area for entertaining guests, will be furnished with an eight-immortal table, four armchairs, a pair of small tea tables, and a flat-topped desk, which will be square and appropriate, neither taking up much space nor lacking in grandeur; the study will be furnished with a three-drawer desk, an official's hat chair, and a double-layered bookcase, which will be sufficient for both office work and reading; the master bedroom will be furnished with mahogany, as you requested, with a mahogany double bed and a pair of bedside tables; the other two secondary bedrooms will be furnished with ordinary hardwood single beds and small wardrobes, which will be practical and not wasteful; the kitchen and hallway will be furnished with cabinets and shelves, making the whole set neither cramped nor empty."

Another craftsman added, "The wood used is new rosewood, with a dignified color and a substantial texture, making it ideal for crafting Beijing-style Chinese furniture. The style is mainly plain with minimal carvings, which aligns with current trends, making it elegant, timeless, and easy to maintain."

Li Jing'an nodded repeatedly, fully approving of the craftsmen's arrangements. The group measured the dimensions and recorded the details of each room. When they reached the master bedroom, Wei Jialing, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, her tone firm: "We need to add a three-door wardrobe to the bedroom, and then put a dressing table there. Everything else, follow the craftsmen's suggestions."

The craftsman immediately replied, "Make the large wardrobe with three doors for ample storage; make the dressing table a small, Chinese-style piece to match the mahogany furniture in the master bedroom, saving space while maintaining a harmonious and beautiful aesthetic."

Li Jing'an immediately made the decision: "Okay, we'll do it your way."

The factory manager quickly smiled and assured him, "Don't worry, we will definitely guarantee the quality and quantity, and we will never let you down."

At this moment, Li Jing'an suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, I don't know much about wood. What's the difference between new rosewood and old rosewood?"

The factory manager quickly explained in detail: "Comrade Li, old rosewood has a deep color, dense texture, and heavy weight, and becomes more lustrous with use; new rosewood is lighter in color, slightly looser in texture, and has a stronger sour smell when cut. In terms of grade and quality, old rosewood is naturally better."

Li Jing'an suddenly realized: "Now that you mention it, I think old rosewood is more suitable for me."

The factory manager looked embarrassed and said awkwardly, "You don't know this, but old rosewood is not only expensive, it also requires quotas."

Li Jing'an was taken aback, gave the factory director a meaningful look, and thought to himself: Good heavens, does he want to ask me for money? I originally thought you were an ambitious comrade, but I'm really disappointed.

Seeing his silence, the factory manager hurriedly explained, "Comrade Li, old rosewood not only has quota requirements, but it's also very expensive. This set of furniture of yours will cost more than two thousand yuan, not including industrial vouchers. If we use new rosewood, we can save half the cost."

The factory manager had no idea what Li Jing'an was thinking. If he did, he would probably cry out in his heart, "I can't do it!"

Upon hearing this, Li Jing'an's dissatisfaction with the factory manager vanished instantly, and he thought to himself, "That's true, the price is indeed outrageous."

Suddenly, an idea struck him. Without a word, he pulled the bewildered factory director to the balcony. Li Jing'an took out a cigarette and offered it to him. The director quickly accepted it with both hands, inwardly blaming himself for being so inconsiderate as to let Comrade Li offer him a cigarette.

Li Jing'an took a drag, slowly exhaled a smoke ring, and said, "Factory Director, I need to discuss something with you. Our unit has two reception rooms formerly used by the Ministry of Metallurgy, and the furniture is old and worn out. I'm planning to apply for a new batch to be made, and I'll order it from your factory. I'll submit an application to use old rosewood, and each reception room will be furnished to the standard: one three-seater mahogany upholstered sofa, two pairs of single sofas, one long coffee table, four square coffee tables, a pair of tea cabinets, a flat-topped table against the wall, plus a few chairs as spares. Both rooms will be furnished to this standard. The report will specify old rosewood, but you can actually use new rosewood. Do the math, can this arrangement offset the cost of the furniture I have at home?"

Li Jing'an looked at the factory manager with a smile. He considered himself to have a good eye for people, and from the moment they met, he felt that the factory manager was a flexible person.

The factory manager quickly calculated in his mind and said, "Comrade Li, I understand what you mean. After calculating it this way, it's not only enough for your house, but there's even some left over. In my opinion, the extra material can make another table and two chairs."

The factory manager was overjoyed. Li Jing'an's words clearly showed that he considered him one of his own, and he felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He was extremely knowledgeable about timber and could make a quick estimate.

Li Jing'an patted his arm and laughed, "Alright, from now on, we're friends. I think you're a good match for me, so I'll treat you as a friend from now on. What do you say?"

"Oh, Comrade Li, look at what you're saying! You're giving me face! From now on, if you need anything, just let me know!" the factory director said excitedly.

Looking at his expression, Li Jing'an chuckled and said, "This table and chair won't be made of mahogany. You just said you also make furniture for the Great Hall of the People and for central leaders, right?"

The factory manager, puzzled, simply nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes."

"How about this, you make me a small table and two armchairs out of rosewood?" Li Jing'an looked at him with a smile.

The factory manager froze instantly, a look of awkward exasperation on his face. He inwardly groaned: "Looks like I'll have to think carefully about where to squeeze out some timber when I get back. Dealing with the family members of high-ranking officials will require extra caution from now on."

Li Jing'an seemed oblivious to his embarrassment, secretly pleased with himself: "My brain works so well, I can come up with any solution." Thinking this, he couldn't help but feel a little self-satisfied.