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

"Everyone, put down what you're doing and come over here for a moment." Li Jing'an cleared his throat, his voice echoing in the quiet corridor.

Hearing the commotion, several housekeepers who were cleaning the guest rooms put down their rags and sheets and gathered around in twos and threes. Their uniforms were light blue polyester shirts, the cuffs of which were a little worn, but they were spotless. Some whispered, "What kind of news are they going to announce again?" while others curiously sized up the strange woman next to the director.

Li Jing'an looked around and, seeing that most of the people had arrived, turned to the woman beside him and said, "This is Comrade Qin Huairu. She will be working at our guesthouse starting today."

All eyes turned to Qin Huairu. She was slightly slender yet shapely, wearing a faded floral shirt and dark blue trousers with neat patches at the hem. Her hair was styled in a neat bun at the back of her head, with a few wisps falling beside her ears, making her oval face appear even more delicate. However, the dark circles under her eyes betrayed her fatigue, yet she forced a friendly smile.

A young waiter recognized her and whispered to the person next to him, "Hey, isn't this the one who came to see the director yesterday at noon? She stayed for more than half an hour before leaving."

"Caixia, show Comrade Qin around and arrange her work," Li Jing'an said, then turned to Qin Huairu, "This is Squad Leader Wang. If you have any questions, just ask her."

Qin Huairu looked up and forced a smile at Wang Caixia: "Squad Leader Wang, thank you for your help."

Wang Caixia nodded, her face expressionless: "It's no trouble at all, it's my pleasure."

"Alright, everyone disperse. Go do what you were doing." Li Jing'an waved his hand and added, "Caixia, take Comrade Qin to my office."

The crowd dispersed, each going about their own business, but as they passed Qin Huairu, many people glanced at her a couple of times.

The three of them went up to the third floor.

Li Jing'an sat down in the chair behind his desk and gestured for Wang Caixia and Qin Huairu to sit on the sofa opposite him.

"Caixia, Qin Huairu is my neighbor. She just transferred here and isn't familiar with many things yet, so please take good care of her." Li Jing'an said as he took out a tea canister from the drawer and pinched a small amount of tea leaves into his enamel cup.

Wang Caixia nodded, her gaze lingering on Qin Huairu's face for a moment. Neighbor? She thought to herself, recalling Qin Huairu's demeanor as she left the guesthouse yesterday at noon. It wasn't just a simple matter of being neighbors; a strange, indescribable feeling welled up inside Wang Caixia, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

"By the way, starting from noon today, we'll provide meals to the guests as instructed by our superiors." Li Jing'an took a sip of tea and continued, "Around 10 o'clock, have someone count how many guests are eating, collect the food coupons and money, and record it clearly. Use the tricycle that the logistics department sent yesterday to pick up the food from the canteen. Make sure the two insulated containers are separate; one for meat and vegetables, and the other for vegetables. Wrap the steamed bun baskets tightly with cotton blankets so they don't get cold."

As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something and looked up at Qin Huairu: "Perfect, let Qin Huairu find someone else to go to the cafeteria with. She knows someone there, so it'll be easier for her to talk to you."

"Yes, Director, I understand." Wang Caixia stood up. "Then I'll take Comrade Qin downstairs first."

"Go on, do a good job." Li Jing'an waved his hand, his gaze lingering on Qin Huairu for a moment.

Wang Caixia led Qin Huairu out of the office and gently closed the door. The corridor was quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps.

"Which workshop in the steel rolling mill did Comrade Qin work in before?" Wang Caixia asked casually as they went down the stairs.

"Workshop Three, for fitters," Qin Huairu answered in a low voice.

"Oh, so how did you end up here? Guesthouses and the service industry are quite different from workshops."

Qin Huairu was silent for a few seconds before saying, "The work in the workshop is heavy, and I can't understand the blueprints. If I don't do a good job, everyone will criticize me. My mother-in-law is old, and my child is still young. I really can't take care of everything."

Wang Caixia didn't press further, but simply nodded: "Our work isn't easy either. You can help them clean the guest rooms and familiarize yourself with the process."

"Thank you, Squad Leader Wang," Qin Huairu said gratefully.

The female workers in her workshop ostracized her, saying she was "trying to take shortcuts because of her looks"; the male workers looked her up and down with suggestive glances and made inappropriate jokes. She was exhausted every day when she got home, and looking at her three children's longing eyes, she felt like a heavy stone was pressing on her heart.

The morning passed quickly and busily. Around 10 a.m., Wang Caixia, as expected, began organizing everyone to tally the guests' meals. The waiters knocked on each room door, inquired, registered, and collected a handful of loose bills. After carefully counting them, Wang Caixia sent Qin Huairu and another waiter to the cafeteria.

The tricycle delivered by the logistics department was parked in the yard. Inside the back were two military-green insulated containers and a bamboo basket covered with a white cloth. Qin Huairu and others pushed the tricycle out of the guesthouse and turned into the backyard of the adjacent steel mill's canteen.

Steam rose from the kitchen, water bubbling in a large pot, the steam blurring the windows. Several cooks were busy at work, the sounds of chopping vegetables, stir-frying, and shouting filling the air. Qin Huairu spotted He Yuzhu standing in front of the stove at a glance.

"Sister Qin? What are you doing here?" Sha Zhu wiped his hands and walked over.

Qin Huairu smiled and said, "I've been transferred to the guesthouse. I'm here today to serve meals to the guests."

"They transferred you to the guesthouse?" Sha Zhu's eyes lit up. "That's great! Much better than the workshop! Did they find Li Jing'an? Li Jing'an is a real shrew!"

Qin Huairu nodded but didn't reply. She felt the curious gaze of another waiter next to her, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

Silly Zhu, oblivious to her discomfort, said enthusiastically, "Ma Hua, Fatty! Come and lend a hand, help carry the buckets and baskets up the cart! Sister Qin, don't worry, I've saved all the food for you, and I even gave you two extra scoops of meat!"

Two young cooks responded and deftly loaded two insulated containers and a large basket of steamed buns onto the tricycle. Qin Huairu noticed that Sha Zhu had deliberately added a few extra spoonfuls of vegetables to the insulated containers, with noticeably more meat slices.

"Thank you, Zhuzi," Qin Huairu said softly.

"Don't mention it!" Sha Zhu grinned. "Come every day from now on, and just let me know if you need anything!"

Sha Zhu leaned closer and lowered his voice: "Sister Qin, if anyone bullies you at the guesthouse, tell me. I'm also familiar with Li Jing'an, so I can talk to him."

On the way back to the guesthouse, a colleague couldn't help but ask Qin Huairu, "You seem to know Master He quite well."

"Neighbors in the same courtyard," Qin Huairu replied briefly.

--

After the food was brought back from the cafeteria, Wang Caixia instructed everyone to pack their own lunchboxes first, and then go to inform the tenants.

"From now on, we won't have to pay extra for vegetables, except for buying steamed buns with grain coupons!" came an excited voice.

"Absolutely! Think of how much that would save!" someone immediately responded.

The crowd whispered amongst themselves, their faces beaming with joy. Qin Huairu, however, was a whirlwind of complex emotions. Being transferred to the guesthouse, with a salary increase to thirty-five yuan and free food—this was even better than she had expected. She even regretted not agreeing to Li Jing'an's offer a week earlier, having agonized over it for so long, only to ultimately take this path.

Wang Caixia carried two lunchboxes up to the third floor. Li Jing'an was reading a newspaper when he saw her come in and looked up.

"Brother Li, here's your lunch." Wang Caixia placed the lunchbox on the table, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "What's the best way to arrange things for Qin Huairu?"

Li Jing'an put down the newspaper.

"Caixia," he said slowly, "Qin Huairu is one of my people, just like you. You're the class monitor, so just give her the orders as you would any other waitress. Don't make things difficult for her."

This made things clear, confirming Wang Caixia's suspicions. She nodded and asked, "So, should I wash the lunchboxes later, or should Qin Huairu...?"

"You can decide for me. As for work-related matters, you handle them."

Wang Caixia withdrew and gently closed the door. Walking up the stairs, her feelings were complicated. Director Li's words, "Just like you," stuck in her heart like a thorn—were they really the same? Men are always fickle.

Downstairs, Qin Huairu was having lunch with several waiters. She ate carefully, trying not to make a sound, but the satisfaction in her eyes was undeniable. Watching her, Wang Caixia's initial jealousy gradually turned into a sigh of shared sorrow. They were both women with unfortunate fates; who was truly superior to whom?