Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

When he rushed back to the town office, travel-worn, several educated youths were already waiting at the door. Leading the group was Guan Qiang, a tall, broad-shouldered man who strode up to He Yuzhu, his voice tinged with probing: "Secretary He, did you call us here because you have some work to assign us?"

He Yuzhu smiled and waved his hand: "Don't stand, sit in the conference room, let's have a real chat."

After everyone was seated, he picked up his enamel mug, took a sip of hot tea, and got straight to the point: "I want to know, why didn't you leave? How many other educated youth are left in the village like you, stuck there?"

Guan Qiang rubbed his hands together and said, "My family couldn't afford the travel expenses, and I didn't get into university, so I just gritted my teeth and stayed—there are about twenty of us like me."

He Yuzhu nodded, his tone steady yet warm: "I'm thinking of starting a factory in town, and what I need are people like you who are literate and willing to study. If you hire someone, you'll get paid as usual; no overtime at night, you can use your time to study—there are only three or four months left until the college entrance exam, and I've already asked someone to hire two tutors to teach math, physics, chemistry, and composition. Those who are willing can start tomorrow; those who aren't, I won't force them to stay."

The next morning, He Yuzhu had to set off for the provincial capital—to find factories, discuss technology, and order ducklings; he couldn't delay any of it.

Ji Wei's letter of introduction, stamped with a red seal, was a shining pass that allowed him to go anywhere.

The educated youth's faces flushed red, their eyes shining: working as laborers, and still getting systematic tutoring? A college diploma is definitely within reach! Their minds were in turmoil, but all they could manage to utter was "Thank you, Secretary He," forgetting even the proper way to bow.

He Yuzhu raised his hand to indicate, "Go back to your respective villages along the way and spread the word. Call everyone who can come. I have other matters to attend to, so I won't keep you any longer."

Turning around, he called Chen Yan over: "I'm going to the provincial capital in the next few days. You go to the county right away and make a trip there. Report the bricks and cement to the factory construction standards and put them on credit first, then settle the accounts at Mid-Autumn Festival. Also, notify each village to select two young and strong men, preferably in their early twenties and quick and efficient. The rest will be allocated when I get back."

He had a clear plan: first, set up a braised duck factory in the town. No duck source right now? Then he would get a batch of ducklings on credit from the province and pay back before the Mid-Autumn Festival; once the first batch of ducklings from Wangjia Village had grown up, the surrounding villages would be envious and eager to follow suit—there would be no need to worry about the supply of duck meat.

Wangjia Village is currently bustling with activity: men, women, and children are all working together, shovels are flying, carrying poles are bent under the weight, sand and gravel are piled up into small mountains, and the newly built dirt road is already taking shape.

The brigade leader shouted as he read out the detailed rules for work points—

A strong, able-bodied adult male laborer receives 12 points per day.

Ordinary male laborers, ranging from 9 to 11 points;

Among adult women, those who are nimble and have good stamina should be given a score of 7 to 9.

Middle-aged housewives who also take care of household chores are rated 6 to 7 points;

Students are graded according to their physical condition: High school students who are physically strong and do heavy fieldwork on weekends will receive 9 to 11 points; others will receive 6 to 9 points depending on their physical strength and attendance.

Girls are also categorized: those who are physically strong and don't complain about working hard will receive 6 to 8 points; others will receive 4 to 6 points at the discretion of the grader.

Even a ten-year-old child carrying a basket of soil gets 3 points.

As night fell, Wang Kaihua stood in the threshing ground, shouting through a megaphone until his voice was hoarse: "Secretary He said! From now on, our Wangjia Village will collectively raise ducks and lead the way to prosperity! First, we'll pave the roads, then build strong river embankments and proper duck sheds! This is a truly good thing, so everyone should work hard and not let Secretary He down!"

A thunderous applause erupted, startling the birds in the treetops into flight. People clapped until their hands were red and their palms were burning. They might not all know how to get rich by raising ducks, but seeing Secretary He diligently squatting in the mud, digging the soil alongside everyone, made everyone feel reassured: This man is reliable!

……

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, He Yuzhu hopped on his old motorcycle, twisted the throttle, and sped off into the county town, the morning wind whipping around him. The three men from Wangjia Village had gone into town in an oxcart the night before and were now standing guard at the entrance of the county committee guesthouse, stamping their feet and breathing out warm air from the cold. As soon as they saw the motorcycle, they rushed to greet it.

He Yuzhu parked his motorcycle, strode across the county committee compound, and headed straight for Secretary Yan Xudong's office.

I knocked on the door, and only after hearing a "Come in" did I push the door open and enter.

"Secretary Yan wants to borrow that jeep from the county for a few days—to go to the provincial capital to buy ducklings. We need to let some people earn their first pot of gold before we can get everyone on the right track."

Yan Xudong didn't ask any further questions, just smiled and said, "I don't know anything about raising ducks, but if you're willing to do it, I'll support you. The car keys are here, so go and come back soon."

The driver was already waiting downstairs. The jeep, billowing black smoke, drove out of the compound, carrying He Yuzhu, Wang Jiacun, and two others. After a bumpy ride of nearly a day, they finally made their way into the provincial capital. After asking around several times, they finally found the state-owned duck farm in the suburbs.

As soon as the car entered the area, no one stopped it or asked any questions—those who could drive in in a Jeep were either cadres or sent by their superiors, and no one dared to neglect them.

He Yuzhu went straight to the office building, raised his hand and knocked on the office door. After hearing a response, he pushed the door open and entered.

"Hello Director Shao, I am He Yuzhu from Wangjia Town, which is under the jurisdiction of Dongli County. This is my work ID and a letter of introduction from the Organization Department. I would like to purchase a batch of ducklings, but I don't know the price."

Shao Wuju took the document and examined it carefully, his brows furrowing slightly: a secretary at the town level? This was the first time he'd ever heard of such a thing. But the official seal on the document was clear, and the letter of introduction clearly stated "Organization Department" at the top, indicating it was definitely not a forgery.

He put down his documents, got up and poured himself a glass of water: "Please have a seat, comrade. I'll make a phone call to confirm something."

He Yuzhu nodded: "Thank you for your help."

Shao Wuju dialed the phone of a senior leader in the province and briefly explained the situation. After hearing the explanation, the leader's expression immediately changed, and he smiled warmly: "Oh, Secretary He! Welcome, welcome! Ducklings are four cents each. How many do you plan to order? How will you pay?"

He Yuzhu answered readily, "Cash payment is required, but it'll have to wait a bit—I'd like to order another three or four thousand adult ducks, and also add a vacuum sealing machine. Director Shao, do you know any factories with spare equipment?"

Upon hearing that it was a business transaction between government entities and that the organization had backed him up, Shao Wuju felt completely at ease: "The food factory is phasing out an old production line. Go and inquire; adult ducks are three yuan each. Do you want to pick them up now, or wait for your arrangement?"

"I brought three technicians from our village with me this time. They would like to learn from you for a month. Please deliver the ducklings and adult ducks to your door after the holiday."

"Of course! It's all about doing practical things for the grassroots."

"Then I'll treat you to a simple lunch, and we can chat over the meal?"

"Alright, I'll comply!"

The two walked out of the office side by side. Shao Wuju immediately arranged for someone to take the three from Wangjiacun to the duck farm for practical training; He Yuzhu called his driver to accompany him and Director Shao to the state-run restaurant.

He Yuzhu ordered two hot dishes and a bowl of white rice for the driver, telling him to make do with the food in the lobby, while he led Shao Wuju straight into the private room. He took out a heavy cardboard box from his cloth bag and handed it over with both hands—inside were two bottles of Fenjiu liquor, a pound of tea, and a thick wool scarf.

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "I'll have to trouble Director Shao to take care of the packaging machine. I'm new here and know nothing about this place, so please accept this small token of my appreciation. Don't think it's too stingy."

Shao Wu raised an eyebrow, cheerfully took the package, and casually tucked it into his coat, thumping his chest loudly: "Don't worry, Lao He! The factory director is my old brother, we've eaten together for years. This little thing? Just a word from him! Leave it to me!"

The next morning, Shao Wuju rode his bicycle with He Yuzhu straight to the food factory. After several rounds of negotiation, they managed to negotiate a price down to 15,000 yuan for a half-old, half-new production line—to be paid in installments. The factory had been wanting to phase it out anyway; leaving it to gather dust was worse than letting it sit there. They figured it would be better to let it go to Guyun Town, and save those competitors in the neighboring county from getting it at the cost of their own lives.

Then he went to the transport team, where Shao Wuju, familiar with the place, found the director and quickly finalized the deal: the machines would be loaded onto the trucks immediately and sent to Hongqi Commune in Dongli County. He added at the end, "There are some unfamiliar faces in Guyun Town; we need to let them know beforehand."

Before parting, He Yuzhu took out two packs of Daqianmen cigarettes from his canvas bag and stuffed them into Shao Wuju's hand.

"Director Shao, I really don't know how to thank you enough." His voice was sincere. "Next time we meet, I'll treat you to a nice meal."

Shao Wu waved his hand, laughing heartily, "Oh, we're brothers, no need for such formalities! I'll treat you to braised pork later!"

After chatting for a few more minutes, He Yuzhu jumped into the jeep and followed behind the roaring truck, kicking up clouds of dust as they sped towards Guyun Town.

The most important thing right now is to get the factory up and running, and then focus all our efforts on expanding sales channels. We can't miss any opportunities to connect with them right now—supply and marketing cooperatives, department stores, even the holiday welfare packages from factories in the provincial capital! Our braised duck will be the next batch of standard welfare items. Of course, the prerequisite is that we have to produce and sell the ducks first, and we also need to train key personnel who understand cooking techniques, seasoning, and can mentor apprentices.

As soon as the truck came to a stop, He Yuzhu jumped out and directed everyone to unload the goods. The machines were moved into the warehouse one by one, the shiny iron frames gleaming with a bluish-gray light in the sunlight.

Choosing a site became the top priority. He circled the open space next to the commune three times, squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil, rubbed it between his fingers, and then stood on tiptoe to check the wind direction and drainage slope. Finally, he returned to his office, wiped his sweat, and said to Chen Yan, "Go and call people for a meeting."

Chen Yan took off running, and within three to five minutes, everyone had gradually gathered. He Yuzhu stepped into the meeting room, glanced around, and got straight to the point:

"Today we'll focus on one thing—building the factory. This is my top priority in coming to Guyun Town. One person can't handle it all; we all need to work together. Chen Yan will oversee the construction schedule, Zhang Jie will manage safety, Chang Xiu'e will coordinate with the cement factory, Wu Hua will be in charge of recruitment, Wang Dajun will watch the machines, and An Ping will keep the accounts—every penny must be accounted for. The rest of you, stand by and be ready to help whenever needed. I'll draw up the blueprints right away. Meeting adjourned!"

He hunched over the table, quickly sketching out two single-story workshops, two brick-and-mortar warehouses, and two two-story dormitory buildings with corridors, based on his memory of the rural food factory. Once finished, he shoved the drawing into Chen Yan's hand: "Ask if you don't understand, don't overthink it."