Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

In just half an hour of conversation, he was convinced that this person's expertise was on par with any research group leader; in terms of practical intuition, he was even superior. The opinions he had just received could be used to hold a special meeting, and even without simulation verification, his mind was already tipped in favor of He Yuzhu.

"Developing a transistor computer? Academician Lu, where have you decided on a location?"

"The Heilongjiang Provincial Military-Industrial Computer Research Institute is fully equipped and has a complete team. We will be heading there soon—with you in charge, a breakthrough within one or two years is definitely not just empty talk!"

"Ah... a year or two..." He Yuzhu tapped the table unconsciously with his fingers. "Academician Lu, will you be able to go back to Beijing regularly?"

He had already begun to have second thoughts. The journey from Heilongjiang Province to Beijing would take nearly twenty hours on a rickety green train. His son, He Xiaocai, had just opened his eyes and was already recognizing people. Two years had passed since then, and he feared that by the time his son could call him "Dad," he would only remember the man in work clothes in the photograph.

"According to current regulations, we are not allowed to leave during the closed-door research period. We are still in the blueprint stage, which is why everyone is staying in Beijing to work on the plan."

Academician Lu exchanged a glance with the other two academicians, his tone becoming more serious: "Director He, this machine isn't just about speed of calculation. It's related to the 'brain' of all our subsequent cutting-edge equipment... Besides, you've heard about the recent developments on Big Brother's side. The situation is pressing; we really can't afford to delay this machine."

"I understand, I really understand... But Academician Lu, the little one is only a month old, my wife works three shifts every day, and my sister is still in high school... This is a big deal. Please give me a couple of days. I really can't make a decision right now."

He Yuzhu chuckled twice and scratched the back of his head: "It's not that I'm making excuses, it's just that this matter is too heavy, and I can't make up my mind for the time being."

Before he got married, he had a light workload, with only a younger sister in school to take care of, so he could go anywhere without any trouble.

But what about now? His son and daughter are growing up, his wife Lou Xiao'e is as soft-hearted as cotton, and he also has Chen Xueru, Chen Zihui, He Yushui, and Bai Danyu—he worries about them all. He spent half a year in Hong Kong recently, and he couldn't sleep at night, tossing and turning, his heart aching with worry. If he really goes to Heilongjiang Province for a year or two and doesn't come home, the family will probably fall apart.

To be honest, the He family is now entirely dependent on him—without him, Lou Xiao'e's kind heart would probably be worn down by people.

"Director He, about this matter..."

Just as Academician Lu was about to speak, Academician Zhu gently nudged his elbow, stopping him in his tracks. The middle-aged Academician Zhu then smiled and continued, "Director He is just as sincere as anyone else, but he has many concerns and a heavy burden. Old Lu, don't rush him, let him think it over himself."

He Yuzhu felt a surge of warmth in his heart and quickly cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you for your understanding, Academician Zhu! My Xiao'e is too honest; she opens her heart to everyone. If I leave, she'll probably be taken advantage of."

"I understand, I understand perfectly!" Academician Zhu laughed heartily. "My old lady is the same way. If my husband weren't watching her, she'd stuff the bankbook into a beggar's hand, hahaha..."

After laughing, he said seriously, "This isn't urgent. You can discuss it slowly. There's still plenty of time before we leave. When you've figured it out, just come find the three of us at the Industrial College."

"Alright! I will definitely come to ask for your advice!" He Yuzhu readily agreed, and the matter between the three of them was thus settled.

They then chatted about their observations of universities on Hong Kong Island. He Yuzhu bluntly stated that the universities there were too chaotic, with professors juggling writing papers, networking, securing projects, and dealing with foreign visitors, thus diminishing the academic atmosphere. Upon hearing this, the three academicians nodded in agreement, exclaiming that he had hit the nail on the head.

Later, He Yuzhu invited them to stay for dinner, but the three of them politely declined—they had a meeting scheduled for the afternoon and simply couldn't get away. Just before leaving, Zhang Tianyang took a step closer and lowered his voice: "Director He, Leader Zhang asked me to pass on a message: he's the one who recommended you; if you encounter any difficulties, feel free to contact him anytime, he'll take care of you."

"Understood, please thank Director Zhang for me. I will definitely consider it carefully."

He Yuzhu nodded to Zhang Tianyang. He knew in his heart that Zhang probably didn't know that the three academicians had quietly changed their minds—and they changed their minds just in time.

There was absolutely no foreign involvement. He Yuzhu mastered the entire radar technology, from the blueprints to the debugging, all on his own. If Academician Lu had taken him abroad to "learn from others," it would have been a complete waste of time; it would have just been a matter of finding a different place to solve the problem.

But he was really in a dilemma right now: he was willing to lend a hand if he could—no one in the whole country knew more about transistors than him.

But the child was crying for milk, and Lou Xiao'e always treated others like family. She could manage to take only Lou Xiao'e and He Xiao with her; but what about Chen Xueru and the others? She couldn't just take their whole families with her, could she?

After seeing off the three academicians, He Yuzhu didn't even bother to flip through the newspaper; his heart felt like it was stuffed with a wad of wet cotton.

In the workshop, Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth and finished machining the last part. He took a breath, picked up the calipers, and measured a few lines.

Only when the dimensions were perfect did he relax, quickly pack up the parts, put them in the finished product box, and then grabbed a water bottle and took a big gulp.

"Sir, are you finished with your work?"

Qin Huairu stood to the side, her eyes sparkling, her tone revealing surprise—she remembered clearly that the workshop foreman had urged them that morning that this batch of urgent items had to be completed before the end of the workday. Yet Yi Zhonghai had finished work before noon.

This hand speed is much faster than other experienced masters.

"Yeah, I'm on a roll today, all the data is accurate, so it's naturally faster."

Yi Zhonghai wiped his mouth, tilted his head back to drink water, and his gaze inadvertently swept over Qin Huairu—her figure was plump and well-proportioned, with a soft waistline, which stirred his heart.

Fortunately, he was clear-headed and immediately lowered his eyes, fixing his gaze on his calloused hands, afraid that someone would notice something amiss.

"Huairu, you've been in the workshop for a while now. I finished my work ahead of schedule today, so this afternoon I'll teach you a few hard skills in fitter work—I've been wanting to teach you for a while, but I've been busy with a lot of precision work and haven't had a chance to."

Back in the fitter's workshop, Yi Zhonghai was filled with determination: he wasn't a useless person, nor was he one to idly do nothing. When given a task, he chose the most meticulous one; when rushing to meet deadlines, he pushed the hardest; as for the rough work like moving iron materials and carrying molds, he simply pushed it all onto Qin Huairu—both to train her and to test her.

And what happened? With the skills he'd accumulated over decades, he worked more steadily and faster than many level-seven fitters. Director Zhang had only hoped he'd be 30% slower to avoid mistakes, but instead he was faster than expected, which put his mind at ease: this old beam hadn't collapsed after all.

Qin Huairu's brows relaxed, and she nodded repeatedly: "Uncle, you're the backbone of our workshop. Teaching me a skill is an honor!"

Before long, it was lunch break time. Qin Huairu took his lunchbox and water bottle and asked with a smile, "Uncle, how many steamed buns would you like? I'll get you your lunch and make you a pot of fresh tea."

"Two are enough. Huairu, take this meal ticket—I know your family is having difficulties, don't think I'm being long-winded..."

As Yi Zhonghai spoke, he handed over two meal tickets, one for the meal and the other a "gift" he had secretly added.

"Thank you...sir!"

"It's no big deal, go quickly."

Seeing that she was about to thank him, Yi Zhonghai waved his hand, his smile warm. He liked Qin Huairu's keen eye—she handled all the factory's miscellaneous tasks perfectly without needing to be called upon or urged.

If in the future, someone will bring you soup and medicine, and care for you in your old age, then your life will truly be secure.

Yi Zhonghai didn't care about meal tickets at all. Qin Huairu had enough food tickets to last her two meals a day for a whole month, not to mention him, a level seven fitter—the food tickets issued by the factory, the subsidies, and the surplus could pile up into a small mountain.

The steel rolling mill has really generous benefits; they even built greenhouses so that there's a constant supply of fresh vegetables all year round. Even if the harvest is a little worse in a particular month, there's always greenery on the canteen stove.

Besides, he never went to the canteen at night; he would go back to the courtyard to eat with everyone. He would casually hand over a few extra meal tickets to Qin Huairu, not caring about the cost, and in return, he would receive a kind word and a warm greeting from her. As time went on, this affection naturally took root in her heart.

In the past few days, Yi Zhonghai had also quietly investigated the Jia family. Jia Dongxu was indeed a hot potato—after his leg was crippled, he was just panting and couldn't do anything else, but the Jia family wasn't entirely without hope. Qin Huairu was quick and efficient, and honest and kind-hearted. When she got home, she tidied up the place inside and out, and the factory treated her like their own father: fetching water, getting meals, handing her towels to wipe her sweat, and taking care of everything.

When I get old, having such a helpful and understanding daughter-in-law to look after me will be a good thing.

It's a pity the Jia family is such a burden—if Jia Dongxu hadn't gotten into that mess, things would have been truly perfect.

These days, he often hears Qin Huairu sighing softly, saying that the Jia family is struggling financially. Hearing this so often, a growing impatience rises in his heart: since their savings are almost gone, they should unite and make the most of their lives. But Jia Dongxu and Jia Zhangshi are doing the opposite; one lies motionless, and the other stays in the house pretending to be mute.

Jia Dongxu could still be persuaded—it's normal to be down for a while after suffering a great disaster; after being given two pointers by Yi Zhonghai, he can now sit there and make dozens of cardboard boxes, earning some pocket money.

But Jia Zhangshi was truly impervious to reason.

She stays indoors all day, at most bringing out a pot of rice at noon, and doesn't even touch a broom the rest of the time; Yi Zhonghai doesn't say much, and even if he does, she won't listen, instead slapping her thighs and crying and wailing, even bringing up Lao Jia to shut him up.

However, she wasn't entirely useless—she took care of the two children during the day, helped Jia Dongxu turn over and wash, and emptied his bedpan; these tasks were indispensable. Without her watching over him, Jia Dongxu would be bedridden, and the two little ones would probably be so hungry they'd be gnawing on their fingers.

Qin Huairu was picking at her rice when she suddenly felt a gaze on her. Looking up, she saw Yi Zhonghai staring at her. She immediately put down her chopsticks and asked with a smile, "Uncle, is there anything I can help you with?"

"No, no, Huairu, you eat yours, eat more. You still have to practice your fitter skills this afternoon. I'll feel more at ease when my hands are steady."