I Have a Lake as I Walk Through the Courtyard

As Lin Feng left the office, he felt as if a piece of iron was stuck in his heart. In this capital city, the only elder who had protected him had suddenly disappeared, leaving him with indescribable sorrow.

When Lin Feng returned to the courtyard, he found the front yard clean and deserted. Following the sound, he walked to the middle yard, where a general meeting of the entire courtyard was being held. The meeting was chaired by Director Wang from the street office.

"New resident, please come up and introduce yourself!"

Lin Feng hurriedly ran to the Intermediate People's Court and found a spot. He saw a middle-aged man in his forties walk into the middle of the crowd, clasp his hands in a fist and palm salute to those around him. "My surname is Yang! I'm the fifth child in my family, so everyone calls me Yang Laowu. I was transferred from the main steel rolling mill! I'm currently in Workshop 40. From now on, we'll all be colleagues, so please take care of each other!"

After Yang Laowu finished his introduction, Director Wang looked at all the neighbors with a smile. "Master Yang is an eighth-grade fitter, with excellent skills and a strong work ethic. It's an honor for us that he lives in our compound! Let's all give him a round of applause!"

As soon as Director Wang finished speaking, many people in the courtyard clapped their hands vigorously. Level 8 technician is the ceiling for skilled workers. Putting aside what kind of person he is, those three words alone are enough to make people clap their hands until they are red.

After a round of applause, Director Wang raised his palm and pressed it into the air, his voice gradually fading. "Your Factory Director Yang just informed me that Master Yang will be the production team leader for your Workshop One. I believe that with him joining the steel rolling mill, things will only get better under his leadership. I just discussed it with Master Yang; with so many people in the plant, there needs to be a leader. Therefore, I announce that Master Yang will replace Yi Zhonghai as the liaison officer. Besides preventing enemy agents and spies among the people, you can also seek Master Yang's help to mediate any conflicts you may have!"

Another round of enthusiastic applause erupted. Liu Haizhong clapped his hands, his face as black as the bottom of a pot. However, although there was only one level difference between a level 7 worker and a level 1 worker, it was like an insurmountable chasm!

Yang Laowu clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute. "I don't like to say those polite things. We're all workers. If anyone has any difficulties in life in the future, I'll definitely help if I can!"

Hearing this, Lin Feng, who had been secretly observing him, breathed a sigh of relief. He seemed to be a straightforward person, so things should be better for him in the future!

After Director Wang left, a group of neighbors from Workshop swarmed forward to flatter him. Jia Zhangshi's eyes darted around, and she quietly joined in. "Hello, sir!"

The widow's politeness was so striking that everyone's eyes practically popped out of their sockets. Yang Laowu turned around, frowned, and looked at the plump old woman. "Who are you?"

"I live right across from you. My daughter-in-law is also a fitter at a steel rolling mill. My son was injured on the job, and she took over his shift. Now she's raising three kids alone, and life is tough for her! It's a pity her skills haven't improved. I'm thinking of asking you for a favor—could you take her on as an apprentice?"

Hearing this, Xu Damao curled his lip in disdain, and sure enough, Qin Huairu's face turned pale. "Mother-in-law..."

After a moment's thought, Yang Laowu looked at Qin Huairu with some sympathy. "Could you tell me about your situation?"

Qin Huairu stepped past her mother-in-law and walked up to Yang Laowu. "My situation is like this..." Qin Huairu briefly explained her experience. "I'm currently in Workshop One, and Sister Hua is mentoring me! My mother-in-law doesn't know some of the rules in the workshop, so please don't be shy with her."

Yang Laowu was silent for a moment. "That's not a big deal. Teaching doesn't necessarily require a master-apprentice relationship. I'm the team leader now, and Factory Director Yang has mentioned this to me as well. Teaching you skills is part of my job. How about this, I'll go to the workshop tomorrow to see what's wrong with your technique, where you're stuck, and then I'll give you some pointers!"

"Thank you so much!" Qin Huairu nodded gratefully. If his job grade could be raised by one level, his income would be more than ten yuan more per month!

"Don't worry too much. Although being a fitter requires a bit of talent, you can do it as long as you're willing to work hard before level three! Once you reach level three, you can live comfortably even with five kids, let alone three!"

Hearing this, Liang Ladi glanced at Qin Huairu with disdain. "That woman Qin Huairu, she can reach level 3? She's a fool!" Liang Ladi thought. "Back then, because of the begging incident, Liang Ladi even went to the workshop to inquire about this person. If it weren't for Sister Hua already taking on a disciple and being concerned about face, she would have kicked this guy out of the sect long ago!"

As Yang Laowu paused, seemingly remembering something, and after a moment's thought, suddenly raised his voice. "I remember Factory Director Yang telling me that there's a Level 5 welder in your compound, and a woman at that! That's quite something..."

Hearing this, Liang Ladi blushed. A group of men stared at him, their eyes filled with envy and admiration. Without a solid foundation of knowledge, one really couldn't reach level five. The thing is, he was illiterate and had taught himself everything! That's amazing!

"Master Yang, it's me!"

Yang Laowu looked down at Liang Ladi. "You've really brought honor to the women comrades! Even in the main factory, there aren't many women who have reached your level. Although I'm a fitter, I'm familiar with some things. I have a notebook here; take a look, I hope it will be helpful!"

Liang Ladi respectfully accepted a thick notebook, and after flipping through a few pages, she was overjoyed. It contained a wealth of knowledge about metal materials, which she couldn't find even in the factory library. She never expected to get it so easily, as it would be extremely helpful in improving her welding skills.

"Master Yang, you're just giving me something this valuable like this?"

"Hehe! We are workers of the new era, not those old-fashioned ways. The factory pays me such a high salary, I have no worries about food and clothing. There's no benefit in hiding this stuff. I've already given my opinion to the factory manager. I believe that soon the factory library will be well-stocked, and then a large number of studious young people will spring up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain!"

"Great! Master Yang is so generous!" Many workers in the yard were so excited when they heard this that they danced with joy. The promotion was a real benefit, and no one could resist it!

Lin Feng took another look at Yang Laowu and found the straightforward northern man much more pleasing to the eye. He couldn't help but glance at Qin Huairu again, seeing that the woman also looked delighted. He rolled his eyes disdainfully. "You think you can learn a Heaven-Rank cultivation technique just because it's placed in front of you? You need spiritual roots, woman!"

Watching the group of neighbors gesticulating wildly, Lin Feng sneered and turned to leisurely return to his house. This yard will be even more fun in the future. The gap between people will be greater than the gap between people and dogs. Some people will rise like rockets while others can't rise at all. Lin Feng found the scene amusing!