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

His face was etched with a wide smile that reached the corners of his eyes. Looking at his fellow workers, drenched in sweat despite the freezing winter weather, even his voice shone with a bright, cheerful joy.

"Comrades, you've all been working yourselves to the bone these past few days. Thank you all for your hard work!"

"But all our hard work wasn't in vain!"

"The ministry just issued a notice—a celebratory banquet will be held this afternoon, specifically for our heating workshop! Everyone will receive a meal voucher!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted again, even louder than before.

"A celebration dinner voucher? Really?"

"Goodness, now we can finally eat to our hearts' content!"

Several young workers couldn't contain themselves and shouted, "Team Leader Wang, when can we get the coupons? What kinds of vegetables are included? Is there meat?"

"that is……"

"Team Leader Wang, don't try to fool us with cabbage and vermicelli again!"

An experienced craftsman made a joke that caused the whole room to burst into laughter.

Wang Jianguo's face lit up with excitement at the atmosphere, but he deliberately put on a serious expression.

"Cabbage and glass noodles? Who do you think you are?"

"Don't you all know how much we did to secure the Russian foreign exchange order ahead of schedule?"

"There will definitely be enough meat!"

He paused, looked at everyone craning their necks, and then announced loudly with a smile:

"To reward us, our superiors went to several directly affiliated factories and brought us three huge, fat pigs! They'll make sure you all eat until your mouths are greasy!"

"Whoosh—!"

This caused the entire venue to erupt in cheers.

"good!"

"Three pigs! My goodness, that's enough to make so many bowls of braised pork!"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

……

The workers' faces beamed with the simplest joy. It must be said that in those years of scarcity, the desire for meat was so direct and so concrete.

Wang Jianguo added with a smile:

"Don't rush! Just wait to collect your meal vouchers! Everyone here deserves credit for completing the orders ahead of schedule!"

"The ministry will cover all the New Year's gifts you're entitled to this year!"

There was no other way; most of the workers in the heating workshop were temporarily transferred from various factories. After working here for several months, they naturally didn't receive any of the year-end bonuses from their original factories—after all, they hadn't generated any revenue for the original factories. Therefore, the Ministry of Machine Building would definitely not treat them unfairly.

In a corner of the crowd, Liu Guangqi smiled too. But his smile held a deeper, unspoken understanding than the others.

Five catties of pork, plus some ration coupons and daily necessities—at the end of 1958, this was indeed a generous New Year's gift.

Liu Guangqi's gaze swept over the faces flushed with excitement, and a barely perceptible ripple stirred within his heart.

Wait until next year.

When that difficult time that affects the entire country arrives, everyone's food rations will be reduced. At that time, let alone a feast of three pigs, even a full meal every day will probably become an unattainable dream.

Let them revel a little longer!

The work report has just ended—

Suddenly, a series of static noises came from the loudspeakers hanging throughout the First Ministry of Machine Building.

immediately.

A clear and solemn broadcast echoed throughout the ministry compound.

[Distinguished leaders and comrades, this is an announcement!]

[The heating workshop under the General Machinery Division of our ministry, through the tireless efforts of all its workers day and night, has completed the emergency production task for export to the Soviet Union ahead of schedule. We hereby issue this commendation…]

The broadcast was repeated three times, its loud sound carrying far and wide.

In an instant—

From the main administrative building to the offices of various departments and bureaus, and then to the heating workshop, everyone could hear it clearly.

The entire First Ministry of Machine Building knew that the heating workshop had made a remarkable contribution this time.

"Another heating workshop? They've really risen to fame lately!"

"Otherwise what? They worked diligently for over four months, day and night in shifts, earning a large sum of foreign exchange for the country!"

"I see!"

"No wonder the department's year-end bonuses were so generous this year; it's all thanks to them!"

Many people felt a slight pang of sadness...

But more than anything, it was genuine admiration.

Even if these regular departments and bureaus perform exceptionally well, they are merely fulfilling their assigned tasks.

They deserve the reward.

The heated workshop is completely different; this is an unplanned foreign exchange-generating feat!

To create such amazing value in just over four months, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to not only receive a radio commendation but also be promoted to a higher rank!

Over at the other end of the heating workshop—

Inside the canteen of the General Machinery Division of the First Ministry of Machine Building.

Boom!Boom!

Three large, fat pigs, their hair completely removed, had their clean, white meat racks set up next to the makeshift stove.

The cafeteria chef brandished his cleaver.

Each stroke of the knife was accompanied by a steady tremor of the cutting board.

The chunks of meat, with their alternating layers of fat and lean meat, were neatly sliced ​​and then tossed into the scalding hot iron pot.

stab-

The lard splattered out instantly, and the splashes of oil landed on the stove fire, releasing an irresistible and rich aroma of meat.

"My God!"

"These slices of meat are cut even more delicately than my daughter's face!"

An experienced chef stood on tiptoe, craning his neck as far as he could, straining to see what was in front of the stove.

Seeing this, the chef in the kitchen could only smile and gently push him back: "Chef Zhang, what's the rush? The department leaders said that today's meat is all you can eat!"

Before the words were finished—

One after another, bowls piled high with hearty dishes were brought out like a flowing stream.

The rich, dark brown braised pork belly, the mountain of four-happiness meatballs, the golden, crispy fried pork ribs...

They were placed one by one on the long table.

Today's celebration banquet is different from our usual cafeteria meals; no meal tickets or meat tickets are needed!

All you need is that brand new celebration ticket—

The workers were clutching stiff paper tickets, which bore the four large characters "Celebration of Victory" and had an exquisite mechanical gear pattern pressed into the corner.

Just based on this ticket—

They could boast about it to their neighbors for half a year after they returned home.

……

As soon as Liu Guangqi stepped into the cafeteria, the once noisy hall suddenly fell silent, followed by an even more enthusiastic roar.

"Engineer Liu is here!"

"Quickly, make way for Engineer Liu!"

Someone shouted, and the crowd spontaneously parted to make way.

The workshop foreman, who had been temporarily reassigned, reacted swiftly, stepping forward and taking Liu Guangqi's arm without a word:

"Engineer Liu!"

"Please take a seat of honor; this seat of honor is reserved for you!"

The director pointed to the pot of braised pork that was trembling slightly and covered in a thick amber sauce, with steam rising from it.

"You must be the one to take this first bite!"

A quick-witted young worker nearby had already slipped a pair of new bamboo chopsticks into Liu Guangqi's hands.

Although within the ministry, he is usually referred to as Team Leader Liu.

But in the hearts of these workers—

Everyone prefers to call him "Engineer Liu" because his machine tool repair skills are truly superb.

The working class is ultimately closer to the title of engineer.

"Everyone, let's start eating!"

Liu Guangqi did not sit down. Looking at those simple yet expectant eyes, he smiled gently.

"For the past four months, who hasn't risked their life in the workshop?"

"You chefs have worked much harder than me, so please eat as much as you like today!"

Having said that—

He took an enamel bowl, filled it with a spoonful of four-happiness meatballs, and handed it directly to Old Zhang, the man who had been peeking out from on tiptoe.

Today, you are the biggest heroes! Eat as much as you want!

That shout ignited a fire in the room, instantly filling the space with a lively atmosphere. The workers, initially reserved, exchanged glances, bowls and chopsticks in hand. But the tension dissipated the moment they saw Liu Guangqi pick up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. The young men, unable to contain themselves any longer, grabbed large bowls in one hand and three plump steamed buns in the other, their chopsticks flashing between the plate and their mouths, their lipsticks gleaming with grease. One impatient young man tried to swallow a meatball whole, choking violently and gulping down several mouthfuls of water, causing the entire table to burst into laughter.

The veteran workers ate slowly and deliberately, savoring each bite as if they were relishing the precious sweetness of bygone years.

"Hehe, my wife always complains about how I smell like engine oil. When I get home today, I'm going to make sure she gets a good sniff of this braised pork!"

"Once the new factory is really built, will we be able to eat this kind of food every day?"

"I think this has potential! Haha!"

Amidst the lively chatter and chewing sounds, Wang Jianguo quietly shifted his chair closer to Liu Guangqi, nudging him gently with his elbow.

"Guangqi," he said in a very low voice, almost drowned out by the surrounding noise, "you've figured out something new again? Something related to heating?"

A familiar, inquisitive light gleamed in his eyes. It was the same scene when Liu Guangqi invented those heating components, and later those things called "hot water heaters" and "electric blankets." He couldn't help but think about it.

"Yes," Liu Guangqi answered readily. He had nothing to hide from his team leader. "We've got two new things: an induction cooker and a rice cooker. No need for coal; just plug it in and you can stir-fry vegetables and cook rice."

Since joining the R&D department, Wang Jianguo, his immediate supervisor, has taken good care of him, running errands for him, and speaking up for him in front of the leaders to secure credit for him, without any selfish motives. These past few months, working side-by-side in the heating workshop, their relationship has long since transcended a simple superior-subordinate dynamic, developing into a deeper, more tacit understanding.

Then, the two men began to chat quietly around the induction cooker and rice cooker. After roughly understanding what was going on, Wang Jianguo's face first showed surprise: "Guangqi... if this thing really works, who would want to tend to that smoky coal stove anymore? It would save so much trouble!" But his surprise didn't last long; his brows furrowed. "Wait... with such a commotion, how much electricity will it consume? Our factory is already very frugal with electricity; how can ordinary households afford it?"

"It does consume a lot of electricity," Liu Guangqi nodded with a smile, without hesitation.

Upon hearing those four crisp words, Wang Jianguo was not discouraged at all; instead, his eyes lit up and a thought suddenly clicked in his mind.

"Great, high power consumption!" He slapped his thigh excitedly, his voice rising involuntarily, then quickly lowered it, his cheeks flushed with excitement. "We might think it consumes a lot of power, but there are people who aren't afraid of it!"

Clearly, Liu Guangqi didn't need to offer any further hints.

Wang Jianguo had already figured it out: "It's freezing cold over there, and they're saving coal for heating. They'd definitely crave this stuff... And it's not just them. Those western countries have more electricity than they can use. If it were this convenient, wouldn't they be scrambling to place orders?"

The more he talked, the brighter the future seemed to this new gadget. After pondering it for a while, Wang Jianguo suddenly let out a long sigh, his tone a mixture of admiration and a touch of self-deprecation: "I really don't know how your brain works... While we're all focused on a machine tool, you're already thinking about someone else's stove."

There's really no way to compare people.

That's pretty much all that's been said. The meal was finished, and everyone was about to get up and return to their posts when Wang Jianguo, unusually, stopped Liu Guangqi, gesturing for him to stay. This usually cheerful man's face was unusually clouded with complex emotions.

The two walked to a quieter corner, and Wang Jianguo cut to the chase, his voice lowered even more: "Guangqi, there's something I want to tell you."

"What is it?" Liu Guangqi noticed that his expression was different from usual and couldn't help but become serious as well.

Wang Jianguo pulled a slightly crumpled cigarette case from his pocket, shook out one and handed it over, then lit one for himself, struck a match, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled the grayish-white smoke.

"I went to the ministry to report a few days ago," he said, looking at Liu Guangqi through the smoke, then changed the subject, "Director Lin mentioned it to me. He said, 'You... declined the position of deputy director at Hongxing Chuanghui Machinery Factory?'"

"It was postponed." Liu Guangqi nodded, his face still bearing that calm smile.

"You little rascal..." Wang Jianguo shook his head, seemingly talking to himself, yet also with a heavy heart. "That's the deputy factory director position, so many people are eyeing it, and you just give it up like that."

Wang Jianguo bluntly stated: "If you have no intention of fighting for that position, then allow me to give it a try."