Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"I don't know that new Deputy Factory Director Jiang very well. I heard he's a scholar from the south, and he's just here for a short visit and to get some experience..."

Li Huaide stroked his chin, slowly piecing together the clues: "He won't stay long. He's probably here for the technical department—after returning to the south, he'll likely lead the construction of a new factory. I estimate he'll only stay for a few more years at most."

The foundation of heavy industry has always been in the north: firstly, the Northeast, and secondly, North China.

He Yuzhu thought for a moment and then said, "But he's not in charge of the technical department; he's in charge of logistics now. He did meet with the propaganda department a few times before the New Year, but there was no handover at the leadership meeting."

Li Huaide slapped his thigh: "It must be because Yang Anmin is keeping too much control! The technical department has done a great job, but in the end, it's all thanks to you—in a while, they'll probably be developing a new machine tool again..."

Yang Anmin is Factory Director Yang. Back then, Li Huaide was able to wrest a lot of real power from him because of two things: first, He Yuzhu's repeated merits, which made his voice increasingly louder in the factory; and second, his father-in-law, who was in charge of the Ministry of Industry.

With solid achievements to back him up, no one dared to touch him easily; his father-in-law also had strong backing, and the big boss behind Yang Anmin was no match for him in terms of prestige.

This allowed Li Huaide, the deputy factory director, to become more and more effective in his work, eventually even getting involved in front-line production.

If it weren't for the new opportunity presented by the scrap steel recycling and smelting plant, Li Huaide estimated that he would have already been the director of the steel rolling mill.

Looking further ahead, the future of this new plant is even brighter—in the future, scrap steel from four provinces will all have to be transported here. Sooner or later, its scale will catch up with the steel rolling mill, and may even surpass it.

"This guy really doesn't know what's important. Why is he taking such a big deal out of me, a logistics director? If he learns to cook and start a fire, is he going to go back to managing the canteen? If he can really handle it, I'll hand it over to him and I'll have some peace and quiet."

He Yuzhu shook his head, complaining, but he knew in his heart that he was not one to take on responsibilities. Back then, he was forced to take on the main job in Hong Kong Island—there were only three people in his family: his parents and him. He couldn't trust anyone else, so he had to bite the bullet and step in.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have spent over a decade in a steel rolling mill in his past life, working silently and without uttering a sound.

"Give it to him? That would only create more chaos! Of all the people in the factory, you're the most reliable when it comes to logistics."

Li Huaide laughed loudly. He knew this better than anyone else: when he was the logistics director, he had a very easy time because He Yuzhu had kept the canteen and greenhouse in good order. He only needed to benefit from the situation and help him claim credit. He lived a comfortable life.

This newly arrived deputy factory director either failed to grasp the situation or was simply not cut out to be an official.

After chatting for a while, He Yuzhu politely declined the lunch invitation and got up to say goodbye.

As soon as he stepped out of Li Huaide's house, he thought for a moment, then turned around and took a 20-year-old ginseng root and two bottles of homemade medicinal wine, before heading towards Bai Danyu's house.

I don't know if she's home or not.

When I got to the door, I knocked, and the door opened quickly.

"Pillar?"

"Oh dear, Sister Bai, did I come just in time to see you leaving?"

He Yuzhu asked with a smile. Bai Danyu had already put on her coat and wrapped her scarf tightly around her neck. Even the little maid Bai Ying next to her was wrapped up tightly, with only her eyes and little nose showing.

"No, you've come at the perfect time. Come in and have a seat."

Bai Danyu felt a slight warmth in her heart, and quickly made up her mind, stepping aside to welcome the person inside.

She deftly untied her scarf, tossed aside her coat, and casually hung up the thick clothes she'd worn out. Then she knelt down and helped little Baiying remove her heavy cotton-padded coat and woolen hat. The child looked up, her eyelashes fluttering, and asked, "Mommy, aren't we going to Grandpa's house?"

"We've rescheduled today without telling you in advance. We'll go tomorrow."

Bai Danyu's ears warmed slightly, and her voice was soft, as if she were coaxing a kitten that had just woken up. She raised her hand to touch her daughter's forehead, then gently pushed her back: "Go back to your room and play."

"Can I read comic books?"

"Look, look, the top stack in the cabinet, pick the ones you like."

As soon as Xiao Baiying dashed into the inner room, Bai Danyu turned around, brewed a pot of hot tea, and brought it to He Yuzhu, asking with a smile, "Zhuzi, what brings you here today?"

"Oh, I just finished visiting Director Li's place for the New Year, and then I remembered that Uncle Bai's ginseng from last time is probably almost gone. I was thinking of bringing you one."

As He Yuzhu spoke, he took out a plump ginseng from his cloth bag, placed it steadily on the corner of the table, and then pointed to the two bottles of amber-colored medicinal wine next to him.

"Sister Bai, I noticed you had dark circles under your eyes and sounded tired the other day. You must have been working really hard. Warm a small cup of this wine before bed, and you'll sleep soundly and the fatigue in your bones will gradually ease."

Bai Danyu felt a warmth in her heart, her fingertips unconsciously tightening around the rim of the teacup, her voice softening: "Zhuzi, thank you so much..."

Her father's health was indeed improving day by day. Although she kept complaining that his special supply of tea had been finished, he coughed less at night, his legs were more agile in the morning, and he would brew a cup of ginseng water every few days. He was full of energy.

"The washing machine factory is currently expanding its facilities, and production is expected to double next year. We need to keep up with recruitment, logistics, and transportation. Once this busy period is over, things will calm down."

She added, as if afraid the other person would nag her about burning lamp oil again.

"By the way, Zhu Zi, the factory needs to hire a new batch of people after the New Year. Do you want to reserve a spot for someone you know?"

The deputy factory director had enough power to put a few apprentices in. But her relatives were either still in school or far away. If she really wanted to free up some jobs, she would have to ask the neighborhood committee to put unemployed youths in line.

"The quota is not needed, and no one around me is looking for a job."

He Yuzhu waved his hand, paused, then suddenly remembered something, looked up and asked, "Sister Bai, does your factory need a good cook?"

"We have a cook, a level nine cook, his skills are passable, but compared to the steel mill canteen, he's still a bit lacking... If you really have a reliable one, feel free to recommend him. We can even make a special exception after the recruitment season."

The workers' meals were no small matter—there was hardly any oil in the pot, the vegetables were wilted, and the meat slices were so thin they were translucent. Who wouldn't have some complaints? If it weren't for the generous distribution of food and oil coupons, which allowed them to have a treat twice a month, some people would have already given up eating.

"Okay, I'll contact you as soon as I hear anything. I'll leave this to you, Sister Bai."

He smiled frankly. If He Daqing really came back, it wouldn't be suitable to place him in the steel rolling mill: firstly, the kitchen staff would already be full, and secondly, it wouldn't be respectable to have his own father working right under his nose. It would be better to arrange for him to work in the washing machine factory, both located in Beijing. Although they are a bit far apart, it would only take forty minutes by bike, and he could see him once a week, which would be just right.

After chatting for a while about factory matters, He Yuzhu noticed that the dark circles under her eyes hadn't faded and there was still a hint of weariness between her brows. He couldn't help but advise, "Sister Bai, don't just focus on moving forward. Your health is the most important thing."

"Yes, I remember..."

She answered softly, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. Her gaze drifted towards the bed in the inner room, her throat bobbing slightly as she softly called out, "Zhu Zi..."

"What's wrong, Sister Bai?"

She didn't reply, only lowered her eyes, her fingers unconsciously twisting the cuffs of her sweater. After a long while, she finally looked up, her voice as soft as a feather: "...Do you remember what happened last time?"

During the last massage, his fingertips glided across her shoulder blades, his palms pressed against her lower back, and both of their breathing became erratic. Reason told her she couldn't continue like this—he was married, she was a mother of two, and taking another step would be crossing a line. Countless nights, she bit her lip, telling herself: break it off, and make it clean this time.

But every time he pushed open the door, travel-worn but smiling, her resolve would melt away like spring snow meeting the warm sun, leaving only the words "next time," and then the next time, and the next time after that.

Now, the word "next time" has long been worn away in her heart, losing all its sharp edges.

Once inside, she took off her coat, revealing a maroon sweater she had knitted herself. The full curves of her chest stretched the stitches slightly taut, like a ripe fruit.

"Sister Bai, please lie down first."

He Yuzhu's voice was a little hoarse. As soon as she leaned back on the pillow, he reached out his hand, his palm warm and his pressure just right—massaging her stiff shoulders and neck, pressing on the sore spots in her back, and slowly pushing down along her spine. Her blood flowed, her muscles relaxed, and she felt as if her bones had been removed, floating lightly in the warmth.

But as his fingertips repeatedly rubbed against her waist and his palms pressed firmly into her outer thighs, the heat in her body grew heavier and hotter. Her legs involuntarily closed, and her fingertips gripped the edge of the sheets tightly.

The room was quiet, the fire crackled in the stove, but her heartbeat was louder than the embers.

After a while, she sat on the edge of the bed, letting him press his hands on the outside of her thighs. Although it was supposed to be to relieve fatigue, her heart was beating faster and faster, like a little sparrow fluttering and hitting its cage.

Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed his wrist, tilted her head back, her eyes bright and watery, reflecting the lamplight and his stunned face.

Just then—

"Mom, can I eat the cookies Uncle He brought?"

Xiao Baiying called out crisply from the doorway, and before she finished speaking, she had already pushed the door open and entered. As soon as she entered, she saw that her mother's hair was slightly disheveled and her cheeks were flushed. Uncle He's expression also tightened, and he hurriedly lowered his eyes and took half a step back.

But she was too young to notice the sparks that had just been lit in the room; she was only waiting for Bai Danyu to nod.

"Eat up, eat up, but you can only eat half a box, not even a single bite more!"

"Yes, thank you, Mom..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Baiying skipped out excitedly, closing the door behind her—her quick and efficient manner showed that Bai Danyu had trained her well.

But once the door closed, most of the heat in the room dissipated.

In fact, the two had already crossed the line: two buttons were undone and hands were inside the clothes. Bai Danyu hurriedly pulled the front of her clothes together while her ears burned and her heart pounded so hard that her ribs ached.

Her heart pounded—Zhu Zi was so bold, daring to touch her inside; yet she didn't stop him, letting his burning fingertips press against her...

"Sister Bai..."

As soon as Xiao Baiying left, He Yuzhu immediately moved closer. Bai Danyu opened her mouth to push him away, but her lips were sealed by his. Only when her chest felt tight and her breath became labored did she manage to shove him away.