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

in the morning

Morning in a courtyard house

When Li Jing'an was woken up on time by the alarm clock beside his pillow, it was just getting light outside the window.

At seven o'clock sharp, a sliver of gray-white morning light had already seeped into the courtyard.

He reached out and turned off the alarm clock, then lay in bed for a few more minutes, lingering. He reluctantly got up.

Wearing shorts and a t-shirt, he went straight to the east room, picked up an enamel mug and a toothbrush from the shelf next to the faucet, and started brushing his teeth.

The early autumn morning was already chilly, and the tap water made him shiver. He brushed his teeth and wiped his face. That was it.

Looking at himself in the mirror, he was very satisfied. Although he wasn't a handsome man of later generations, he had thick eyebrows, big eyes, and well-defined features. He perfectly fit the current aesthetic standards—what people now call "spirited and upright," a person who looked like a positive figure.

Back inside, I took a clean Zhongshan suit from the closet and changed into it. I put on my leather shoes and wiped them with a rag.

I'm not hungry, so I'm not going to eat breakfast.

He pushed the bicycle out and wiped the dew off the seat with a rag. Then he pushed it out of the courtyard.

By this time, the entire courtyard had quieted down—the workers going to work and the children going to school had all left a while ago.

Just as they reached the middle of the courtyard, the door to the main building creaked open. Sha Zhu sauntered out, buttoning his blue overalls while yawning.

"Hey, Jing'an, leaving so early?" Sha Zhu rubbed his eyes. He was the head chef at the steel mill's canteen, so he didn't have to worry about breakfast and could always sleep in a little longer.

"Good morning, Zhu Zi." Li Jing'an nodded with a smile. "You're up early too, aren't you?"

Having been at the factory for so long, he eats in the canteen every day. Occasionally, they even have private meals cooked separately in a private room; they've become quite familiar with each other. He's also a very easygoing person and doesn't treat Li Jing'an like a boss.

"Hey, I can't sleep." Sha Zhu waved his hand. "A few leaders are coming to the factory today, and Director Yang specifically asked us to add two dishes for lunch. I have to go and prepare the ingredients early."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Li Jing'an pushed the cart out of the courtyard gate, saying, "You go ahead with your work, I'll be going now."

"Alright, drive carefully."

---

The alleyway was filled with the smells of coal smoke and the aroma of breakfast stalls in the early morning. Li Jing'an pedaled his bicycle, skillfully weaving past several middle-aged women carrying vegetable baskets and vendors carrying loads on shoulder poles. The leaves of the locust trees on both sides of the street were already turning yellow, and occasionally a few would drift down and land on his handlebars.

Twenty minutes later, the gates of the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill came into view. The morning rush hour had passed, and only a few late workers hurried inside. Old Zhang from the security department greeted them with a smile from afar.

"Good morning, Director Li!"

"Good morning, Master Zhang." Li Jing'an got out of the car and pushed it through the gate. "The weather is nice today."

Old Zhang lost an arm during the Liberation War and was assigned to work as a gatekeeper at a steel rolling mill after liberation. He was also part of the security department, and had two young men under him. He's only in his early thirties now, but since there are so many young men in the security department, he's considered one of the older ones.

"Indeed, the autumn air is crisp and clear." Old Zhang handed him a cigarette, which Li Jing'an took and lit. "By the way, I heard that quite a few people are coming to the branch factory these days?"

"Really? I didn't know that. I only heard that several branch factory managers were coming today." Li Jing'an nodded. "Your information network is quite extensive."

"That's because I have super hearing. Thousands of people pass right in front of me, and nothing in our factory can be hidden from me," he said smugly.

After chatting for a couple more minutes...

Li Jing'an got back on his bike and headed towards the office building along the main road of the factory area. The tall factory buildings on both sides of the road were already roaring with machinery, and white smoke was billowing from the chimneys. The air was filled with the smell of metal and machine oil.

---

Seventeen or eighteen people were already seated in the conference room on the third floor of the office building. It was Monday morning, and all department heads were required to attend the factory's routine meeting. Li Jing'an, as the director of the factory's guesthouse, wasn't considered a core leader, but his rank was high enough to warrant his attendance.

"Jing'an's here!" Old Chen, the head of the finance department, waved to him when he saw him.

Director Li, sitting in the front row, nodded to him across a row of people.

Everyone around him, whether they knew him or not, greeted him.

"Good morning, Section Chief Chen, and good morning, leaders." Li Jing'an greeted everyone with a smile and sat down in a seat towards the back.

The steel rolling mill is a department-level unit. For example, Director Li is currently a division-level leader, two levels higher than him. Not to mention, his promotion to deputy factory director is only a matter of the next two years.

He's only at the beginner level.

The meeting room was filled with smoke, and several heavy smokers had already lit up their cigarettes. The heads of various departments, including the production department, the technical department, the logistics department, and the labor union, chatted in twos and threes, their topics ranging from production targets to Sino-Soviet relations, and from the leaky roofs in the family compound to the recent supply of non-staple foods.

At nine o'clock sharp, Director Yang walked into the conference room. He was in his forties, wearing a dark gray Zhongshan suit, and carrying an enamel teacup. The conference room immediately fell silent.

Two deputy factory directors followed behind him.

"Is everyone here? Let's begin." Director Yang sat down in the main seat, opened his notebook, and said, "First, let me convey the spirit of last week's departmental meeting..."

The meeting content was mostly the same old stuff: safety in production must be firmly grasped, production targets must be met, and ideological work cannot be relaxed. Li Jing'an took notes diligently. Although most of the content was not directly related to the guesthouse, he knew that these principles would always affect his work at some point in some way.

"...Also, there's a specific arrangement." Director Yang adjusted his glasses. "This afternoon, each branch factory will send technicians to the main factory to learn the new steel rolling technology. The personnel department will issue a notification regarding the specific number later. As for accommodation—" He looked at Li Jing'an, "Jing'an, make sure the guesthouse is arranged properly."

"Understood, Factory Manager." Li Jing'an nodded. "I'll arrange rooms as soon as I get back and make sure the mission is accomplished."

The meeting lasted for another half hour. When it adjourned, everyone packed up their notebooks and got up.

As I went outside, the general affairs department staff were already waiting. I took a list from them and saw that there were 30 people on it.

After handing over his duties to the General Affairs Department, Li Jing'an was about to leave when Director Li from the Logistics Department caught up from behind and patted him on the shoulder:

"Jing'an, please wait a moment."

Director Li's cheerful demeanor contrasted sharply with Factory Director Yang's serious expression. He pulled Li Jing'an to the corridor window and lowered his voice, saying:

"Director Yang only mentioned part of it at the meeting. This afternoon, the heads of each branch factory will also be coming. I was thinking of arranging a table in the canteen tonight so everyone can get together and catch up. You have to come and join us tonight."

"Okay, Brother Li, I'll be right there." Li Jing'an replied immediately, then lowered his voice and asked, "Brother Li, is there anything you need? I have two bottles of good wine hidden in my office."

Director Li waved his hand, his smile deepening: "I organized this gathering, why would I let you bring anything? Just bring your mouth, there's plenty of alcohol tonight, and you can't leave until you've had your fill."

"Don't worry, Brother Li, I'll definitely drink as much as I want since this wine is free. Don't feel bad about it later," Li Jing'an said with a smile.

"You rascal!" Director Li smiled and pointed at him, nodding in satisfaction. Li Jing'an promptly handed him a cigarette, took out a match to light it for Director Li first, and then lit his own.

"Jing'an," Director Li exhaled a puff of smoke, gazing out the window, "I work in logistics and reception. It may seem insignificant, but it's actually the face of the factory. Whether these comrades from the branch factory stay comfortably and eat to their liking directly affects their impression of the head office."

"I understand, Brother Li. And thank you for introducing me to the colleagues at the branch factory," Li Jing'an said sincerely.

"Don't be so formal. Alright, you go ahead and get busy. Six o'clock tonight, in the small private room in the cafeteria." Director Li patted Li Jing'an on the shoulder, turned around and left.

There's a reason why Director Li is so enthusiastic towards Li Jing'an.

Firstly, Li Jing'an had connections with Director Gao of the Ministry of Metallurgical Industry.

Secondly, he was a demobilized soldier and had a military background.

Nowadays, there are countless people in various departments across the country who have been transferred from front-line military units. It may seem ordinary, but for people like Director Li and Factory Director Yang, who are not from military backgrounds, it has a different meaning. They have to be more careful in everything they do, after all, the head and party secretary of the steel rolling mill are also from the military.

In the factory, the power of personnel matters is in the hands of the Party Committee, and the factory director is mainly in charge of production and management.

Therefore, although Director Yang would make things convenient for Li Jing's trip, he would not treat him any differently—he followed the upper-level route, and the two were several levels apart in rank.

Director Li, on the other hand, was a man of great social skills. He knew how to flatter his superiors and win over his subordinates, which may have been the reason why he was able to surpass Director Yang later on.