Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Yu Bo: "Understood! I have to rush back to the factory to keep an eye on the progress—the main structure is already in place, and we can start production in another half month. When will those experienced workers from the provincial capital arrive? Our workers' dormitories are too poor; I'm afraid we won't be able to retain them."

He Yuzhu: "As soon as the machines were unloaded, the people were in place. Director Li had already arranged everything yesterday, including picking people up from the station, food and lodging, and group assignments."

Yu Bo: "Now I can finally sleep soundly! There's not a single technician in our county who's ever touched a lathe before; my feet have never even touched the ground!"

He Yuzhu personally escorted Yu Bo to the bottom of the office building steps.

To build the tractor factory, Yu Bo practically moved his bedding into the construction site. This was the first county-level vehicle manufacturing plant in the entire province, a tough nut to crack in medium-sized industry—once it went into mass production, it would be a significant achievement on his record.

……

Lou Xiao'e accompanied Yu Bo on a site survey around the tractor factory, making three trips back and forth, and finally identified a wide, flat area on the western outskirts of the county town. She immediately circled it on the map in red and headed straight to the county to submit the planning application for approval.

The finance bureau had just allocated the first installment, and she immediately hired a construction team to start work. Blueprints? They'd have to wait for the engineers to come with their level, measuring tape, and blueprints to measure and work out the plans on-site.

The next morning, Lou Xiao'e rushed to the brick factory.

Pushing open the office door, Gu Ting and Su Qiao were already sitting and waiting. The documents were spread out, the inkpad was ready, and the pen was pressed against the corner of the paper, just waiting for her to put pen to paper.

Lou Xiao'e sat down, her gaze sweeping over Gu Ting: "Gu Ting, there's something I need to entrust to you—this business is now in your hands. You've been here since the first day the factory was built, from the first blank, the first kiln fire, to today's production of tens of thousands of bricks a day, with demand exceeding supply, you've personally handled every step. The official document from the county will arrive this afternoon, formally appointing you as the director of the brick factory."

Gu Ting's fingertips trembled slightly, and her voice tightened: "Director Lou... I'm afraid I can't handle it, afraid of letting everyone down."

Lou Xiao'e smiled and said, "When I first came here, I didn't even know how to start a brick kiln, but I still managed to figure it out little by little. You've been in charge of the factory for over two months, and the orders are booked until next spring. Even the provincial research team said the 'Dongli Model' is worth promoting—what are you afraid of?"

Gu Ting lowered her head and rubbed the hem of her clothes: "It's just... I'm not sure."

Lou Xiao'e patted her on the shoulder: "Young people should be willing to take on tough challenges! With you here, I can rest easy. Su Qiao, pack your things and come back to the county with me—the docks, the furniture factory, the new hospital—everywhere is short-staffed. You need to quickly learn some skills."

Su Qiao straightened her back: "Don't worry, Factory Director, I'll learn everything from you, down to the last detail!"

Lou Xiao'e knew perfectly well: the docks needed bricks, the furniture factories needed bricks, the villagers needed bricks to rebuild their houses, and even the neighboring county sent people to pick up the goods. In just two months, the number of workers at the brick factory exceeded four thousand. That day, a congratulatory telegram from the province was sent directly to the workshop—"Dongli speed, a benchmark for the whole province."

Someone let slip the news that Director Lou was going to be transferred. The news spread like wildfire, and before noon, more than four thousand people had surrounded the office building, a dense crowd of workers clutching shovels and wearing gloves.

"Director Lou, don't go!"

"The factory can't do without you!"

Thousands of mouths roared in unison, the sound waves crashing against the mountain wall and bouncing back, making the window frames vibrate.

Lou Xiao'e walked straight into the broadcasting room, picked up the microphone, and said, "Comrades, fellow villagers! I'm not here to sit in an office, but to help you all live in brick houses, for your children to wear new clothes, and for the elderly to be able to go to the county hospital when they're sick. Life is better now, but the docks haven't been dug yet, the furniture factories haven't been lit, and the new school is still just on the drawing board—these places need people to light the fire and carry the flag! Everyone, hurry back to your posts! The county is waiting for you to lay the first brick and fire the first kiln! I promise I'll come back to see you often—don't think I'm bothering you then!"

The crowd fell silent instantly. Upon hearing "The county can't do without you," thunderous applause erupted. But in the end, no one could stop Director Lou—people backed away with red eyes, and the Su family silently wiped away their tears, yet still gripped their tools tightly, turning and rushing towards the kiln entrance.

After the workers left, Lou Xiao'e took Su Qiao's arm and walked out of the broadcasting room. A dozen or so office clerks stood at the door; they were all young men and women she had personally recruited. They had only worked together for sixty days, but they were already like family.

Lou Xiao'e waved with a smile: "Go back to your work! From now on, if anyone pretends not to know me when I wander around the county town, be careful, I'll come knocking on your door with my abacus to settle old scores!"

The female workers rushed forward and hugged her tightly, their eyes red and swollen; the male workers took off their safety helmets and waved them vigorously, only managing to utter one sentence: "Factory manager, we're waiting for you to come back!"

In the afternoon, He Yuzhu presided over a county-wide cadre meeting. The meeting room was already packed, with people even standing in the aisles. Everyone knew that wherever Secretary He went, that commune would flourish; even neighboring communes would benefit. Take the brick factory, for example—one factory alone had revitalized the workforce of three communes; and Guyun Town was even more remarkable, directly impacting the income channels of seven or eight communes.

As soon as He Yuzhu stepped into the venue, the entire room fell silent; not even a cough could be heard.

He Yuzhu stopped and raised his hand to signal: "Comrades, good afternoon! I've invited you all here today for a very important matter—one that concerns the very future of the entire county."

Before he finished speaking, thunderous applause had already lifted the roof off.

He Yuzhu raised his hand and gently pressed down, his voice steady and powerful: "Our county is going to set up a furniture factory, and this time we're recruiting from all the communes in the county—no connections, just skill! Whoever has solid skills and works efficiently will have the factory doors open for them. The source of timber has also been streamlined: we'll purchase locally, register how many trees each commune has and what kind of trees, and buy them as needed; transportation is no problem either—the county's tractor factory has just started production, and the newly produced dual-purpose tractors can be used for both plowing and hauling goods, with credit payment available until the furniture is sold! Most importantly, the forestry experts sent from Kyoto will arrive next week, bringing high-quality saplings to the villages and households to teach them how to plant trees and how to rotate felling—for every tree cut down, three must be replanted, and there will be dedicated personnel to provide on-site training in maintenance, fertilization, and pest control."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall erupted in applause, so loud that even the dust on the roof beams began to fall.

He Yuzhu added, "This matter of timber is urgent. Each commune should go back and start felling the timber immediately. The logs should be air-dried for ten to fifteen days, and as soon as the factory starts production, they should be loaded onto trucks and transported to the county town!"

He explained several important matters clearly, and then discussed in detail the practical terms such as timber pricing, skilled worker grading, and apprentice subsidies. Most of the commune clerks beamed with joy, clutching their notebooks as they escorted He Yuzhu out of the meeting room, eager to rush back to their villages to report the good news; only the two clerks from Dongfeng Commune and Jiefang Commune were pale, their lips dry, and they followed He Yuzhu to his office door with their heads drooping, their legs feeling like lead.

Qi Yunzhi, the clerk of Dongfeng Commune, rubbed his rough hands together, his voice tight: "Clerk He, the whole county has been allocated forest farms, but our Dongfeng—we don't have a single mountain, not an acre of forest, and we're still separated from Guyun Town by three slopes and two rivers... Please show me a way out, otherwise I really won't know where to put my face."

He Yuzhu had already planned this out. He picked up his enamel mug and took a sip of tea: "I was originally planning to discuss this in detail at tomorrow's meeting. I've personally visited your two communes twice, and it's true that you can't rely on forestry for a living. But raising livestock is fertile ground! I've inspected your pastures; the slopes are gentle, the water is clear, and the forage is lush—perfect for cattle and sheep. Pigs will also work—I've already made arrangements with the provincial breeding farm; piglets, calves, and lambs have all been ordered for you and will be delivered next month. Right now, the brick factory is rushing to meet its deadline, so you'll have to build the pigsties yourself, but the county will cover all the manpower, materials, and design!"

Qi Yunzhi's eyes lit up, and his voice suddenly rose: "Don't worry, clerk! We'll build it with stones, ram it with yellow mud, and borrow an oxcart to haul the feed—ten days! At most ten days, the pen will be tiled!" His heart was burning with excitement: everyone else had secured a stable job, and if he went back empty-handed, what would the villagers say behind his back?

He Yuzhu nodded: "Okay! Don't leave today—the three aquaculture experts sent from the provincial capital just arrived. This afternoon they will accompany you to survey the land, draw up maps, and finalize the plan. You can go back to the commune together and learn as you build."

Qi Yunzhi's eyes welled up with tears, and he bowed deeply: "Secretary He, you've reconnected our lifeline!"

"No need for thanks." He Yuzhu waved his hand. "Go back and pass on the message: there's a one-month countdown, not a single day can be wasted."

"I personally kept watch; I even picked up a nail that fell into the cracks in the brickwork!"

"Yes, I've got it—from now on, the entire county's cured pork, sausages, and New Year's pork fat will depend on your two communes!"

The two walked with light steps, as if treading on clouds, straight to the guesthouse to find the technician. The weight that had been pressing on their hearts for half a year finally lifted—they no longer had to fear running into other clerks and shrinking away; nor did they have to worry about people muttering behind their backs, "See? Dongfeng and Jiefang haven't even gotten a decent project yet."

……

Rural area

"Old Peng! Old Peng! Huge news!" Captain Ma Youcai shuffled into Peng Mu's courtyard, his trouser legs covered in mud, waving a piece of paper stamped with a red seal. "The county is hiring carpenters! They're looking for skilled craftsmen! Your family's 'Luban Ruler' technique will finally come in handy this time!"

Peng Mu was squatting by the stove chopping wood when he paused, the axe hanging in mid-air: "Captain Ma, please don't make fun of me... With my status, would any factory dare to hire me?"

Ma Youcai slapped the letter of introduction onto the back of his hand: "Open your eyes and look! The commune secretary said it himself—this time, the recruitment will only check the ink line, measure the ruler, and look at the wood shavings; no old grievances will be brought up! Your father used to build opera houses and carve ancestral halls in the provincial capital; you've mastered that mortise and tenon technique to the bone! You're thirty-two years old and don't even have a wife to warm your bed—if you get into the factory this time, wearing work clothes, receiving food stamps, and living in public housing, which girl wouldn't be eager to marry you? This is your only chance to turn your life around; if you don't seize it, you'll be stuck in this ditch for life!"

With that, he turned and left. Peng Mu stood there, stunned, his fingers repeatedly tracing the bright red official seal on the letter of introduction. He had endured so much for this piece of paper—his father had closed his shop in the provincial capital to avoid trouble, but upon returning home, he was still labeled as a member of the class; no one dared to visit his parents when they were ill, and when they passed away, they couldn't even afford a simple coffin… Before they died, the old man gripped his wrist and said, "Hold on, son, as long as you have work to do, you won't collapse." It was with those words that he, in those bleak years, repeatedly smoothed wood, adjusted angles, and polished edges, literally pulling his life out of the mud.