Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on the paper in He Yuzhu's hand. The ink was still wet, revealing his nascent ambition.

Li Huaide's question was not just a casual remark.

He Yuzhu has been running around the factory more than a rabbit lately, and all the rumors have reached his ears; in addition, the factory is about to expand, and everyone wants to show off their skills in this hot spot.

Old Li knew what he was doing—give them a chance. If they didn't do well, he'd offer some pointers. If they had any good ideas, he'd bring them up for discussion at the leadership meeting, which would be a way to contribute to the factory.

"Director Li, then I won't stand on ceremony. Please forgive me if I'm wrong and correct me."

He Yuzhu grinned, his eyes sparkling, and got straight to the point: "Director, let me ask you something first. Are there any plans to start construction on that vacant lot behind the cafeteria?"

"That place?" Li Huaide waved his hand. "It's not suitable for building dormitories or workshops. Let's just leave it for now."

He left it there for twenty or thirty years, until he retired, and the land remained barren.

He Yuzhu rolled his eyes inwardly, but remained calm on the surface, nodding and saying, "It's such a big piece of land, it's a pity to leave it barren."

"Director, how about we build a greenhouse? We can specialize in growing off-season vegetables, so we can have fresh leafy greens even in winter."

"A greenhouse?" Li Huaide raised an eyebrow, forgetting to even light his cigarette. "What's that? Explain it in detail."

Upon hearing "eat green vegetables in winter," he immediately perked up.

These days, who in Beijing can have green vegetables with every meal in winter? Even if you have connections, it's hard to get them.

He squinted at He Yuzhu, wanting to see if the kid was just spouting nonsense or if he actually had a plan.

"It's a greenhouse," He Yuzhu said confidently. "It allows vegetables to survive and grow in the cold winter."

I've heard that some rural cooperatives are already testing it.

That's the truth.

Back in 1955 or 1966, rudimentary greenhouses had already appeared in China—with bamboo frames supporting the roof and oil paper or plastic sheeting covering the surface. Although they were rather shabby, the technological path had already been laid out.

"Our factory has even better conditions! We took advantage of this expansion to build the greenhouses as well." He pointed vaguely, "The land behind the canteen is at least a hundred acres."

"One mu yields two to three thousand jin of green vegetables, so more than one hundred mu would yield more than two hundred thousand jin..."

hiss--!

Li Huaide gasped sharply, his hand trembled, and the ash from his cigarette almost fell onto his crotch.

Hundreds of acres? More than that! That's the land Lou Bancheng left behind, nearly 300 meters long and wide, a solid several hundred acres! At this rate, the yield would be even higher!

As the canteen manager, he knew very well that a worker would use a maximum of three ounces of meal tickets a day, and even if the number of workers were expanded to nine thousand, the daily consumption would only be two thousand seven hundred catties of vegetables.

No matter how you combine them, the maximum weight of leafy greens is 1,500 jin (750 kg).

More than 200,000 jin? Enough to feed the entire steel rolling mill from the twelfth lunar month to the beginning of spring!

After a quick thought, Li Huaide's eyes lit up.

This is no small matter; it's a real achievement!

Nowadays, factories aren't so restrictive. As long as you bring benefits to the collective, your name will be credited.

If we can really make this happen, the position of deputy factory director... might not be so far away.

"Zhu Zi," he stubbed out his cigarette, his voice low but warm, "go back and write a detailed plan, the more detailed the better."

This can be done, but the team needs to make a decision in a meeting.

You should come too, and explain it to me personally.

After saying that, he took out another cigarette, lit it, and slightly curled up the corners of his mouth—who wouldn't be excited when a pie falls from the sky and hits them on the head?

He Yuzhu chuckled inwardly, but kept a straight face: "Alright! Don't worry, Director, I've got it covered."

Just before leaving, Li Huaide suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, don't be careless with the lunch reception. The leaders are inspecting the factory, and I reckon they'll be having lunch soon."

"You can rest assured!" He Yuzhu patted his chest and turned to leave the office.

As soon as the person walked away, he continued walking straight to the kitchen.

He casually slipped a note to a junior apprentice: "Go to the warehouse and get the goods, according to the list, don't forget anything."

The leaders who came today were ridiculously frugal – they only approved half a chicken as a meat dish, and the rest was all simple vegetarian food like tofu and vegetables.

Even the simplest dishes can be transformed into something amazing in He Yuzhu's hands.

He had plenty of tricks up his sleeve, enough to make those "people from above" wolf down their food, even licking the soup clean.

With some time to spare, he decided to sneak into a small corner room, spread out paper and pen, and begin writing the greenhouse project plan.

There's a huge advantage to doing this in a steel rolling mill: there's no shortage of water and fertilizer!

Previously, the sewage from the toilets had to be transported out regularly, which was time-consuming and laborious; now it can be used to make compost on-site, turning waste into treasure.

Construction can also take advantage of the expansion, making it almost cost-free.

The seeds are cheap, irrigation is convenient, and the only expense is the materials for building the shed.

As for technical skills? He Yuzhu has a level four agronomic skills certificate, so growing vegetables and raising seedlings is a piece of cake for him.

He wrote it all out clearly in his plan: how to control the temperature, how to adjust the humidity, how to arrange crop rotation, and even drew a sketch of drainage and flood control.

To ensure everything went perfectly, he even planned to take the plan to an agricultural university and have several senior professors from the agricultural college review and endorse it—if the experts gave their approval, who would dare to question it during the meeting?

This tactic is called "taking advantage of the situation".

Just after noon, the leaders of the Ministry of Industry, led by Director Yang, strode into the steel rolling mill canteen.

As soon as you enter, the rich aroma of food wafts over you, filling your nostrils.

The aroma was a complex blend of the caramelized scent of stir-fried oil, the pungent spiciness of chili peppers, and the rich, simmering flavor of chicken broth, layer upon layer, making your mouth water.

"Xiao Yang, the food in your canteen is really good!" The leader from the Ministry of Industry took a deep breath, his eyes lighting up. "It's much better than the canteen in my office! Let's have a meal here today."

Director Yang had a smile on his face, but his heart sank – the canteen hadn't prepared a meal for the leaders at all today.

Just as he was hesitating about how to start the conversation, Li Huaide, quick-witted and agile, immediately chimed in:

"Boss, you've come at an inopportune time. The food in the small canteen is already cooked, and it's a shame to throw it away."

How about... we go try a couple of bites first? We can come back to experience the traditional stove later.

"Oh?" The leader raised an eyebrow. "Then let's go and see what good stuff you've been hiding."

The group turned and went into the small canteen. Pushing open the door, they saw four dishes and a soup neatly laid out on the table: the bok choy glistened with red oil, its aroma tangy and spicy; the potato slices were cooked until soft and flavorful, with slightly charred edges; the spicy crispy tofu was fried to a golden brown and crispy, sprinkled with chili powder and Sichuan peppercorn powder, its fragrance bursting; and there was also a bowl of chicken and tofu soup, clear yet flavorful, with a base of freshness.

The most eye-catching dish is a large plate of spicy diced chicken—dried chili peppers are fried until they are bright red and curled at the edges, and the chicken pieces are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, coated with a secret sauce. Just looking at it makes your mouth water.

He Yuzhu broke down half a chicken into two main dishes, using home-style cooking methods, but with a "ruthless" edge—a flavor that only someone who truly understands the art of cooking and knows how to taste can bring out.

"Come on, don't just stand there!" The leader from the Ministry of Industry couldn't sit still any longer, grabbing his chopsticks. "I'm starving! Let's eat!"

Before he finished speaking, he picked up a piece of spicy chicken and stuffed it into his mouth.

The moment you bite down, a tingling sensation explodes, followed by a spicy and sizzling hot flavor, and a sweet aftertaste from the sauce. The meat is chewy but not dry, and the more you chew, the more addictive it becomes.

His eyes widened suddenly, and without saying a word, he picked up a second chopstick.

This scene was so moving that even Director Yang and Li Huaide couldn't hold back their laughter.

The two exchanged a glance, then immediately began to eat, turning the dining table into a battlefield.

Chopsticks flew, plates were emptied, and soup bowls were turned upside down.

In less than twenty minutes, all four dishes were completely devoured, not even a scrap was left, and the last drop of soup was drunk clean.

The three of them ate until their foreheads were sweating and their lips were full of the delicious flavors, as if they had just eaten a meal, but rather enjoyed a thoroughly satisfying sensory assault.

Although Li Huaide had eaten He Yuzhu's cooking many times, today's meal was clearly the result of He Yuzhu's best efforts. Every dish seemed to be the culmination of a lifetime of skill, brought to its ultimate perfection.

The leader of the Ministry of Industry wiped his mouth and sighed with lingering satisfaction: "Oh my, this is no ordinary home-cooked meal! This is divine food! I really won't look favorably upon any other dish from now on... If I could eat a meal like this every day, that would be what life is all about."

These words sounded like a compliment, but to Li Huaide, they were like a warning bell.

He knew that the leader was interested—not in the food, but in the person who cooked it.

He Yuzhu was his trump card! Since he joined the factory, whenever foreign guests or superiors came to inspect, everyone who was served his food was full of praise.

Many difficult collaborations can vanish over a single meal.

We absolutely cannot release them!

Li Huaide immediately stepped forward: "Boss, please don't try to take advantage of me, the cook."

Today's dishes were indeed made by him—but our factory's deputy director is no ordinary chef.

The suggestion they made is crucial to the entire factory's winter supply!

The leader from the Ministry of Industry frowned: "Deputy Director? Someone who cooks can give suggestions? Tell me about it."

His tone held a hint of disbelief and a touch of mockery.

Li Huaide, however, said with certainty: "I just received a report this morning—that wasteland behind the warehouse has been idle for many years."

He proposed building greenhouses to grow off-season vegetables.

Once it's successful, it can supply the factory with over 200,000 jin (100 tons) of leafy greens every winter!

He threw out all of He Yuzhu's unfinished ideas in one go, filling in even the details, as if the plan had already been fully developed and implemented.

"Of course, this is just a preliminary idea." He changed the subject, leaving room for further discussion, "I asked him to compile it into a plan, and we'll discuss it collectively at the team meeting before making a final decision."

Credit can be shared, but people must never be lost.

As for the greenhouses eventually being built, who will remember who initially gave the approval? Anyway, he's the logistics director; how could anyone do without him for anything, from material allocation to site approval?

The leaders of the Ministry of Industry changed their expressions after hearing this.

"Greenhouse?" he repeated softly, his brows gradually relaxing.

The investment is small, but the returns are amazing.

Although it's a bit of a cross-sectoral move for a factory to get involved in agriculture, there are currently policies promoting the integration of industry and agriculture, and there are loopholes in those policies that can be exploited.