Courtyard House: I'm an engineer, and a fairy godmother transferred me to a different position.

The noise in the backyard was the first to break the silence.

The curtains in the middle and front courtyards were lifted one after another, and several sleepy faces peeked out.

When I saw the mountain of luggage piled up in front of Liu Guangqi's door, my sleepiness vanished instantly.

"Guangqi, you mean... you're moving out?"

Sha Zhu had just stepped out the door with an enamel basin in his hand when he saw this, so he threw the basin on the ground and rushed over in a few quick steps.

Before he finished speaking, Xu Damao had already moved closer, his face filled with an overly earnest reluctance:

"Brother Guangqi, why don't you stay a few more days? I was looking forward to drinking with you a few more times. Now that you're gone, even the wine seems a bit weaker."

Looking at the familiar faces before him, Liu Guangqi felt a sense of absurdity.

Not only Sha Zhu and Xu Damao, but even the usually taciturn Jia Dongxu stood a few steps away with his wife Qin Huairu, their gazes fixed on this place.

This scene—

It was completely different from the stories about courtyard houses he had read.

The characters in the book who transmigrate here either face public criticism or engage in heated debates all day long.

It seemed as if they wouldn't stop until they held eight major meetings a day and expelled the protagonist from the courtyard.

Why did the winds completely shift when it was his turn?

One or two...

They even put on a show of reluctant farewell, their emotions so genuine and touching that it was almost unbelievable.

Is it their courtyard house that's the problem?

Or is it that my own courtyard house is not right?

Naturally, Liu Guangqi's mind was as clear as a mirror.

Ultimately, it's simply because his status has changed.

If he were still, as in the original story, just a vocational school graduate working as an intern technician in a light industrial factory earning a monthly salary of thirty yuan,

Those who gathered around at that moment—

It would probably not be those smiling, pleading faces, but rather a completely different expression.

Showing concern and care?

A lingering reluctance to part?

They probably can't wait for him to move out so they can free up the house.

By then,

It's hard to tell whether the people in this courtyard are human or ghosts.

"Kuangqi!"

Yan Bugui rubbed his hands together and stepped forward.

The eyes behind the glasses curved into slits, yet the words were spoken with perfect precision:

"You must come back to the courtyard often from now on! Aside from anything else, if you have any drinking parties, please remember your third uncle!"

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu and Xu Damao almost burst out laughing.

What a stingy old man Yan!

Did you get addicted to Moutai yesterday? Was one serving not enough, and are you already thinking about the next one?

"Third Uncle!" Sha Zhu shouted first, pointing at Yan Bugui and laughing:

"You've got a really big plan! Guangqi's moving house, and all you're thinking about is the next drink?"

Xu Damao, unusually aligned with Sha Zhu, glanced sideways and chimed in:

"Indeed, you drank the most Moutai yesterday, are you still thinking about it?"

A burst of laughter immediately filled the courtyard.

To everyone's surprise, Yan Bugui ignored their teasing.

Behind the glasses, his gaze lingered among the wooden crates, his mind silently calculating.

"By the way, Guangqi, in which area is the apartment your work unit allocated located?"

He suddenly raised his voice, as if afraid that others might not hear him clearly:

"How many rooms? What is their orientation? Are they bright and airy?"

"How about... we call a few men from the yard to help you carry it? More people means more strength."

These words are like a pebble dropped into water.

Everyone in the courtyard perked up their ears and their eyes suddenly focused on Liu Guangqi.

Jia Dongxu straightened his back, and Qin Huairu loosened the rope between her fingers; even Yi Zhonghai couldn't help but lean over to look, his eyes full of inquiry.

Everyone wanted to know what kind of house Liu Guangqi was allocated.

Liu Guangqi took in everyone's expressions, but his face remained calm, only offering a faint smile:

"The apartment I was allocated is close to my workplace, for convenience."

He paused slightly, his tone casual and conversational:

"Please don't bother with the moving, thank you for your kindness, Uncle San."

Yi Zhonghai opened his mouth to ask another question—

"Beep—!"

A loud truck horn suddenly burst through the courtyard wall without warning.

In an instant, it drowned out all the noise in the courtyard.

In this day and age,

Bicycle bells are already a rarity, so the sudden sound of a car horn is like a thunderclap in a clear sky.

Everyone in the courtyard froze, as if time had suddenly stood still.

In the courtyard, bowls and chopsticks hung in mid-air, food was picked up but forgotten, and open mouths froze in mid-air—all movements and sounds seemed to be cut off by an invisible knife. Dozens of gazes converged, fixed on the direction of the courtyard gate.

A dark green truck painted with the words "First Ministry of Machine Building" in white lettering blocked the alleyway entrance. The truck door slammed open, and three or four men in brand-new blue overalls jumped out. Their movements were swift and decisive, their footsteps firm and resonant, as they walked straight through the gate into the courtyard. The man in the lead glanced around and immediately recognized Liu Guangqi in the crowd. He strode quickly to him, a warm smile plastered on his face.

"Team Leader Liu!"

"The car the department arranged for you has arrived. Would you like to settle your luggage first, or…?"

These words were like a thunderclap, striking the silence that had just been broken by the loudspeaker.

Liu... team leader?

A vehicle from the general affairs department? Came specifically to help him move?

A deathly silence fell over the courtyard, so profound you could hear the dust settling. All eyes, numbly shifting from the energetic workers, slowly returned to Liu Guangqi's perpetually expressionless face. Shock, bewilderment, and many other indescribable emotions swirled in every pair of eyes.

At this moment, the gazes focused on Liu Guangqi had completely changed. The familiar neighborly scrutiny, mixed with a hint of sourness, was now completely overshadowed by a heavier, almost instinctive sense of apprehension.

……

Xu Damao's throat went dry as he slurred a few words.

These days, why are "eighth-level cadres" highly regarded and have easy access to connections among workers? It all comes down to the conveniences their positions offer. Xu Damao makes a living in this field—a projectionist at the steel mill. In the past two years, he's spent countless trips to the residences of various leaders, showing internal films to the VIPs and their families. He knows exactly where cars are allowed and where you have to walk.

The fact that his workplace, especially the General Affairs Department, a department in charge of logistics, would send a Jiefang truck specifically to help Liu Guangqi move, sent a very clear signal: the place he was going to was one that ordinary vehicles couldn't even get close to!

What places are inaccessible to ordinary vehicles?

The answer practically crawled out from between Xu Damao's bones—ministerial compounds! Tent buildings! The kind of places with armed guards at the gate, where you have to show your ID to get in and out! Without permission, the iron gate won't even open a crack for you.

If it were a regular dormitory or a public housing unit in a hutong, who would care how you moved? You could hire a cart and move around for days and no one would care. The work unit would never use such resources.

Thinking of this, Xu Damao felt a chill run down his spine, and the hairs on his body stood on end. Last night at the dinner table, he had been shouting that Liu Guangqi was destined for greatness; seven parts of that was flattery born of drunken enthusiasm, and three parts was a vague intuition from the bottom of his heart. But now, he believed it—completely and unconditionally. Liu Guangqi had actually been assigned to a ministry-affiliated apartment building… This kid was probably really going to rise to the top in one fell swoop!

On the other side, Uncle Yan Bugui, who had been maintaining his airs and sitting upright, was secretly calculating: he had brought his two sons to help, and this favor was no small matter; Liu Guangqi should at least remember it. If there was another opportunity to sip that Moutai in the future, Old Yan should definitely have a seat.

But now, looking at the large truck with the prominent "General Affairs Department of the First Ministry of Machine Building" logo, Yan Bugui felt as if his carefully laid plans had been kicked apart, the beads scattering everywhere. His meager strength was beneath anyone's notice. Forget helping; he'd have to shrink back as the truck drove in, afraid of even scratching a piece of paint. As for the lingering, rich aroma of Moutai from last night, recalling it now suddenly made his throat burn.

Meanwhile, the usually taciturn old man, Yi Zhonghai, was inwardly seething. He had long suspected that Liu Guangqi's young age and less than two years of service, yet he had managed to obtain a housing allocation from the Ministry of Machine Building, was unusual. Without seniority or experience, this meant either extraordinary achievements or the favor of a powerful figure. Otherwise, there was no way he could even reach the threshold of a ministry-allocated housing program. Just look at his own apprentice, Jia Dongxu; after so many years at the steel rolling mill, now a senior fitter, he was still waiting in line for housing. This showed how precious the housing allocation was within the organization, and how long the queue was.

How could Liu Guangqi, a neighbor of over ten years, not know his family background? Therefore, it could only be the former—that he made a contribution.

Making a contribution is one thing, but what kind of house you get is another matter entirely. Now that this big truck is parked across the doorway, everything seems to have a more concrete and astonishing explanation.

The dust has settled, and all speculation has subsided. This was not merely about being allocated a nice house; it was clearly stepping into a completely different world.

The dormitory-style apartment buildings in the ministry compound.

Liu Guangqi stood there, watching the clerk from the General Affairs Office approach, merely nodding slightly and offering a faint smile. He had only learned yesterday, when someone from the General Affairs Office came to inform him, that it was possible to request assistance from them for moving to the family quarters within the ministry compound. That place was not a place where ordinary handcarts could freely enter and exit. The relocation was complex and involved numerous small tasks; therefore, cadres who had already been allocated housing could apply to the General Affairs Office. The General Affairs Office would then take advantage of the convenience of transporting furniture from other buildings to assist with the moving, making full use of resources and demonstrating consideration and courtesy.

Liu Guangqi readily agreed and immediately asked them to make arrangements.

At this moment, he no longer paid attention to the various gazes around him, turned to the general affairs staff in uniform and said gently, "Thank you for your hard work, comrades. Please load these luggage onto the vehicle."

The clerks were clearly seasoned logistics personnel from the department; their movements were swift and efficient. Hearing the commotion, they silently and carefully moved the large boxes away. Liu Guangqi then looked at his father: "Dad, I'll go first. I don't want to keep the comrades from the general affairs department waiting."

"Hurry up, hurry up! It's important to get things done." Liu Haizhong's face was flushed with excitement. He had thought that being able to enter and exit the family quarters of the ministry compound was already quite prestigious, but he never expected that the General Affairs Department would even send a special car to assist with the relocation. This thoughtfulness was truly a source of pride.

Thinking of this, his ambitions for officialdom unconsciously resurfaced, and he instructed his son, "Guangqi, although you have moved out, don't forget that your roots are still in this courtyard. Come back and visit often when you have time." These words were less an instruction to his son and more a declaration to the entire courtyard, young and old, each word brimming with a sense of triumph.

Liu Guangqi smiled knowingly, understanding his father's temperament, and did not argue, only replying "I know."

"boom--"

The truck's engine roared suddenly, the sound vibrating against the courtyard walls, the buzzing echoing throughout the courtyard. A deathly silence enveloped the courtyard.

After a long while, Sha Zhu seemed to wake from a dream, a longing he himself didn't realize showing in his eyes. "Sigh, in the end..." he smacked his lips, "People still need to study more. Look at Guang Qi, he studied well and got into university, that makes all the difference. In just a short time, he went from our courtyard house to the gate of a ministry compound." He seemed to have made a great decision, and said heavily, "No matter how difficult things get in the future, I have to make sure Yu Shui gets a lot of education! He can't end up like me, stuck by the stove his whole life, working as a cook until he's old, only to end up just trying to get a hot meal."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a sarcastic voice drifted over from the side.

"Heh, did the sun rise in the west today? Even cooks have this kind of awareness now?" Xu Damao glanced at Shazhu, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "You, who didn't even finish junior high before packing your bags, do you even know which way to turn the pages of a book? What are you doing here pretending to be a wise old fool?"

"Xu Damao, are you looking for a beating?" Sha Zhu's temper flared up instantly.

Xu Damao stiffened his neck, showing no fear whatsoever: "What? Did I say something wrong? What can you, Shazhu, do besides wielding a spatula and preparing a couple of dishes? Brother Guangqi is now someone who can report to ministerial leaders, and what about you? Reporting to the stove? And you're even lamenting about life..."