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

In the personnel department office of the steel rolling mill, Zhang Mingde was organizing the documents on the table.

"Section Chief Zhang, busy?" Li Jing'an pushed open the door and came in with a smile on his face.

Zhang Mingde looked up and immediately stood up: "Oh, Director Li! What brings you here? Please, have a seat!"

"I told you last week I'd treat you to dinner, and I happen to be free today." Li Jing'an sat down in a chair. "I also invited Old Chen from the finance department and Old Gou from the security department. Let's get together."

Zhang Mingde's eyes lit up: "That's great! It's been a while since we drank together."

"Oh, right, have Lao Chen call Captain Shen from the convoy too," Li Jing'an added. "I haven't really met him yet."

Zhang Mingde nodded in understanding: "Understood, I'll go and inform them right away."

Half an hour later, the group of five arrived at a state-run restaurant not far from the steel rolling mill. The restaurant's facade was small, but the interior was fairly clean. A waiter led them to a private room on the second floor.

"This place is nice, quiet." Chief Gou of the security department was a burly man in his thirties, with a rather fierce appearance. He had been easily beaten up by Sha Zhu on TV.

Old Chen from the finance department pushed up his glasses and smiled, "Since Director Li is treating us, we definitely need to find a good place."

Team leader Shen looked to be around forty years old, with a angular face and bright, piercing eyes.

Li Jing'an took the initiative to shake hands with Captain Shen: "Captain Shen, I've heard so much about you. I'm Li Jing'an from the Second Guesthouse."

"Director Li, you're too kind. Just call me Lao Shen. I've noticed you for a while, but I didn't know how to start a conversation with you. It's really kind of you to invite me today." Captain Shen quickly stood up and shook hands with Li Jing'an.

After exchanging pleasantries, Li Jing'an called the waiter to order. He took the menu, glanced at it, and said to the waiter, "Braised sea cucumber, please."

The waitress, a young woman in her early twenties, said expressionlessly, "No."

"What about the deep-fried prawns?"

"no."

Li Jing'an frowned: "What do you have here?"

"We don't have those two items." The waiter remained expressionless.

Li Jing'an took a deep breath and continued ordering: "Stir-fried shrimp chips."

"I forgot about that, and I don't have it."

"You..." Li Jing'an almost stood up, but after looking at the others present, he suppressed his anger. He forced a smile and said, "Then let's have soft-fried pork, shredded pork with eggs, sliced ​​pork and tofu, spicy chicken, and chicken slices with egg white filling, plus two vegetarian dishes, stir-fried cabbage with vinegar and stir-fried bok choy with fresh mushrooms. We'll also have four bottles of Wuliangye liquor."

The waiter wrote down the order and turned to leave.

Section Chief Gou tried to smooth things over, saying, "We understand that supplies are tight right now."

“That’s right,” Zhang Mingde chimed in. “Last week I went to the Dongdan vegetable market and waited in line for half an hour to buy a pound of meat.”

The conversation thus began. Once all the dishes were served and the wine was poured, Li Jing'an raised his glass and stood up: "Everyone, it's a rare occasion for us to gather together today, so I'd like to propose a toast. Thank you for your support during our work, and I look forward to your continued patronage in the future!"

"Cheers!"

"Director Li, you're too kind!"

The five wine glasses clinked together, making a crisp sound.

After a few drinks, the atmosphere became lively. Zhang Mingde talked about the recent personnel changes in the factory, Old Chen talked about the financial difficulties, and Section Chief Gou told some interesting stories about the security department. Captain Shen didn't talk much, but he drank his glasses in one gulp every time he raised them, showing great generosity.

As Li Jing'an drank, he observed everyone present. Zhang Mingde was an old acquaintance, reliable and well-connected in the factory; Old Chen managed the finances, and he'd definitely need to get things done through him for things like guesthouse reimbursements; Section Chief Gou, although Li Huaide's man, was still quite useful in the factory; as for Captain Shen...

"Old Shen, how many vehicles does your convoy have right now?" Li Jing'an poured Captain Shen a glass of wine.

"More than twenty Jiefang trucks, four jeeps, and two sedans." Captain Shen took the wine glass. "But the vehicles aren't in very good condition; they often break down."

Do you drive long distances often?

"That's right, we often go to Tianjin and Hebei, and sometimes even Shanxi." Captain Shen sighed. "The roads are bad, the vehicles wear out quickly, and spare parts are hard to find."

Li Jing'an nodded: "If I ever need your team's help in the future, don't forget you're my friend."

"What are you saying, Director Li!" Captain Shen raised his glass. "From now on, we're friends. Just let me know if you need a car anytime."

After a few rounds of drinks and several dishes, everyone started chatting. Zhang Mingde mentioned that his son had recently started learning the erhu, and his playing sounded like sawing wood; Old Chen complained about how strict the management of invoices was becoming; and Section Chief Gou mentioned that last week they caught someone stealing steel, who was a family member of a factory worker.

"Speaking of which," Section Chief Gou lowered his voice, "Director Li, I've heard that quite a few people have been sending things to your guesthouse lately?"

Li Jing'an shook his head with a wry smile: "Don't even mention it, it's all vegetables and grains, they've turned my office into a vegetable market."

"That shows that Director Li is well-liked!" Old Chen said with a smile.

"What's so good about it? It's all trouble." Li Jing'an took a sip of wine. "My position as the manager of this guesthouse is just a service job. What power do I have? But these people don't believe me and insist on sending things to me."

Zhang Mingde pushed up his glasses: "That's how things are these days; you can't get by without connections. But Lao Li, you'd better be careful and not get into trouble."

"I know," Li Jing'an nodded, "That's why I hid here today."

Captain Shen suddenly spoke up: "Director Li, if anyone sends you anything that's difficult to handle in the future, you can let our convoy handle it. We have a warehouse there, and there aren't many people there usually."

Li Jing'an glanced at Captain Shen, and seeing the sincerity in his eyes, raised his glass and said, "Then thank you in advance, Lao Shen!"

"Of course, of course."

The meal lasted for more than two hours. By the time it ended, it was already past 2 p.m. All five of them were slightly tipsy and helped each other out of the restaurant.

The autumn sun shone warmly on him, and Li Jing'an took a deep breath, feeling much better. He said goodbye to Zhang Mingde and the others, watching them stroll leisurely towards the steel rolling mill.

"Director Li, I'll head back to the convoy now," Captain Shen said.

"Okay, drive carefully." Li Jing'an patted Captain Shen on the shoulder. "Let's keep in touch."

"Definitely! Definitely!"

Watching Captain Shen walk away, Li Jing'an didn't return to the guesthouse. Instead, he pushed his bicycle in another direction. He couldn't go back; he was sure he'd be blocked.

The idea suddenly popped into my head: Dong'an Market. Yes, I'll go there and see if I can find anything good.

Li Jing'an hopped on his bicycle, the bell jingling, and rode into the bustling street.

Outside the restaurant, waiters were tidying up a private room. The table was a mess of cups and plates, and four bottles of Wuliangye liquor were empty. A young girl muttered as she wiped the table, "These officials, they can really drink..."

A few sparrows chirped in the sycamore tree outside the window. The autumn wind blew, and fallen leaves fluttered down; it was another ordinary afternoon.