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

I hadn't heard the name "Guangqi" in a long time. Since I started working here, people have called him "Engineer Liu," "Team Leader Liu," or "Chief Engineer Liu," each title marking his progress. But this "Guangqi" at this moment is like a key, instantly unlocking the floodgates of memory.

A figure flashed through his mind. Liu Guangqi's voice betrayed a hint of excitement: "You are...Professor Li?"

"Hahaha!" A hearty laugh came from the other end. "Good lad, now that you're an eighth-level engineer, you haven't forgotten this old schoolteacher!"

"Professor Li, it really is you!" Liu Guangqi gripped the receiver tighter, his tone becoming more intimate. "Look at you... In your presence, I will always be a student. How have you been lately?"

Along the way, Liu Guangqi has met many benefactors: Wang Jianguo, the team leader who was willing to play a supporting role to help him move forward; Director Zhang of the Personnel Department who had the foresight to assign him a position; Director Lin who sheltered him from the wind and rain in every way; and even Director Chen of the Ministry of Foreign Trade, who wanted to poach people as soon as he met him and made Director Lin nervous every time he met him.

These people are just icing on the cake.

But Professor Li on the other end of the phone was different—he was the one who offered timely help, and more importantly, the one who first opened the door to his future and helped him take flight. Liu Guangqi was indeed talented, but if it weren't for Professor Li's strong opposition during his university years, how could an ordinary student have gotten involved in steelmaking furnace temperature control schemes? It was this department head who provided the platform, allowing him to be promoted to assistant engineer before graduation.

On the eve of graduation, Professor Li again invited him to stay at the university to teach. After being politely declined, he still personally wrote a letter of recommendation and sent it to Director Zhang of the Ministry of Machine Building. Without this recommendation, even with his talent and the status of assistant engineer, he might not have been able to enter the heavy industry ministry, let alone receive such careful arrangements from the director on his first day of work.

It can be said that Professor Li was the first and most important benefactor in his life.

"He's in good shape, very good!" Professor Li laughed with satisfaction, then his tone became more serious, "Guangqi, have you been busy lately?"

"I'm never busy here," Liu Guangqi replied with a smile.

Professor Li paused, his voice serious: "Old Zhang told me everything about you. You did a great job." The "Old Zhang" he referred to was Zhang Qiming, the Director of the Personnel Department of the Ministry of Machine Building. "In just one year, you became an eighth-level engineer and helped the Ministry of Foreign Trade set many foreign exchange records, bringing great honor to our School of Mechanical Engineering."

Professor Li's voice came through the receiver, in a formal tone: "The reason I'm contacting you this time is to ask you for a favor."

Upon hearing that the other party had come with a mission, Liu Guangqi immediately adopted a more serious attitude and replied, "Director, please feel free to speak. I will do my best in anything I can do; even if there are difficulties, I will find a way to solve them."

The first part of the sentence warmed Professor Li's heart, but the second part made him burst out laughing. "You little rascal, you've got some nerve! You dare to say something like that so casually? If your boss heard you, he'd probably give you a good scolding."

Liu Guangqi simply smiled and replied, "That's because I understand you, Director. The tasks you assign are definitely within my capabilities, and they must be of great significance."

That compliment was perfectly timed. Professor Li on the other end of the phone gave a soft hum, his tone noticeably softening, revealing a hint of satisfaction. "You're quite the smooth talker."

After the joke, Professor Li finally got to the point. "Here's the thing... It's graduation season again, and this group of students are all your juniors, about to leave school and enter society."

As he spoke, his voice became tinged with an indescribable complex emotion, and even a faint sigh could be heard.

"Last year, your speech upon returning to campus as an outstanding graduate was incredibly encouraging and had a remarkable effect on the graduating class. This year, you've achieved just as much success in your career. Therefore... the department hopes to invite you back to your alma mater again to share your experiences with the graduating class and encourage them. Guangqi, are you available recently?"

……

Behind this invitation lies a sense of helplessness among the leadership of the School of Mechanical Engineering.

According to the college's tradition, student representatives at the graduation ceremony are usually selected from the graduating class. However, looking at this group of so-called outstanding graduates and comparing them with Liu Guangqi's class, the college couldn't help but feel a sense of regret among its members—the difference was truly vast.

The college held several meetings to discuss this matter, repeatedly reviewing the candidates' files, and eventually everyone fell silent. It wasn't that they weren't outstanding, but with such a prominent example as Liu Guangqi already standing there, these candidates seemed...too ordinary.

They lack sufficiently impressive resume highlights, and they also lack the drive to break through and take on important responsibilities.

In the end, it was the college's former dean who made the decision. "It seems there really isn't a more suitable candidate this year. Since this year's students are a bit inexperienced, let's invite Guangqi back from last year! He's already an eighth-level engineer and has made many inspiring achievements in the Ministry of Machinery Industry and the Ministry of Foreign Trade. Having him come back to give a speech to the younger students is perfect."

And so, Professor Li made this phone call today.

This was clearly no longer a routine invitation to speak. The college was practically inviting Liu Guangqi, the youngest Level 8 engineer in the ministry system, to set a clear benchmark for the new graduating class.

After listening to Professor Li's explanation, Liu Guangqi understood. Without hesitation, he immediately agreed. "No problem, Professor Li. I'm ready to respond to my alma mater's call. When exactly?"

"How about the morning of the 24th?"

"Okay, I'll be there on time."

After hanging up the phone, a smile appeared on Liu Guangqi's face. Time flies so fast; it's graduation season again...

He pulled himself together and turned his attention back to the design drawings of the electric oven in front of him.

As the sun's shadow shifts, the workday draws to a close. For most workers, nothing is more anticipated than the end of the workday—after a long day, they can finally go home and get some rest.

When the bell rang to signal the end of the workday, Liu Guangqi calmly organized the drawings and left the technical department a little later than usual.

He hadn't gone far when he saw Zhao Mengyun's figure.

"Guangqi, why are you carrying two boxes?" Zhao Mengyun walked closer, looked him over, and curiously tapped the boxes with her finger.

"It's a small token of our appreciation from the Ministry of Light Industry," Liu Guangqi said, handing her one of the boxes. "It's a new item for the house—a rice cooker. You can take it home."

Zhao Mengyun was slightly taken aback, then her eyes curved into a bright smile, and she readily accepted it.

The couple's wedding is approaching.

She naturally wouldn't stand on ceremony with him.

What caught her attention more was the thank-you letter from the Ministry of Light Industry. A smile appeared in her eyes, and her voice was light and cheerful:

"An official letter from the ministry? I'll have to take a closer look!"

In her view, such recognition is more precious than any reward; it is a sense of honor and dignity.

Liu Guangqi smiled slightly, took an envelope from the inside pocket of his uniform, and handed it over.

Zhao Mengzhen accepted it with care, his fingertips gently tracing the surface of the paper.

He hopped on the bicycle, gestured to the back seat, and she gracefully sat down sideways, clutching the wooden box.

As the wheels turned, she looked at the letter in her hand stamped with a vermilion seal and couldn't help but chuckle softly:

"Guangqi, you always surprise people; even ministries have to make special trips to express their gratitude."

His words revealed undisguised admiration.

Liu Guangqi smiled into the wind and continued, "If I weren't quite that good, how could my alma mater have invited me back to speak to the graduates?"

As the car drove out of the gate of Hongxing Chuanghui Machinery Factory, Zhao Meng suddenly looked up upon hearing this. Strands of hair brushed past his ears, carrying the fresh, slightly astringent scent of soapberry.

"My alma mater... is it Tsinghua University?"

"Um."

He didn't stop walking; the crisp sound of his bicycle bell startled a few sparrows from the locust tree branches.

"Professor Li, the department head, called and asked me to go back and share my experiences with this year's students to boost their morale."

Zhao Meng's eyes suddenly lit up, as if they were reflecting the morning light.

She gently tugged at his sleeve:

"I've never seen a graduation ceremony at SMTH before."

He paused, a hint of cautious anticipation hidden in his voice:

"Can I come along? Just like... a friend or family member attending?"

She graduated from the Foreign Affairs College, an institution directly under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was no less prestigious.

It even has an additional layer of profound background due to the first dean.

Even so, she still longed for that famous school—especially now that he was about to stand on the podium.

Liu Guangqi turned his head to the side, and the corners of his lips unconsciously turned up:

"Relatives or friends?"

He deliberately slowed down, drawing out the last syllable of his car:

"Who was it that said it didn't count because the parents hadn't met or obtained their marriage certificate?"

"Times have changed!"

A sly laugh flickered in her voice.

Yesterday is yesterday, today is today!

***

The machine shop at dawn was already bustling with the symphony of metal and sweat.

Liu Guangqi walked into the office as usual, closing the wooden door to shut out the noise.

He poured himself a glass of water, sat down behind the old desk, and his gaze fell on the old-fashioned desk calendar—

There are two dates circled in red.

The most recent one is this weekend, with the words "alma mater" noted beside it.

Further back, next weekend, the handwriting is even deeper: the two families will meet.

Returning to his alma mater to give a speech stirred up subtle ripples in his heart.

In just one year, his status has changed from a graduate to an invited guest, which really has a bit of a "dressing up in the daytime" feel to it.

The meeting next weekend filled him with warmth; his relationship with Zhao Meng was finally about to embark on a new chapter.

Before I knew it, my life had been filled with all sorts of fulfilling experiences.

Work is going smoothly, personal matters are gradually settling down, and everything seems to be flowing towards a brighter future.

He suddenly realized that so much had accumulated in the past two weeks.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but chuckle softly, then buried himself in the blueprints for the electric oven again.

Life at the machine factory was a constant cycle of repetitive busyness.

Besides drawing diagrams, he spends his days inspecting the progress of each workshop and coordinating production processes; when there are problems that technicians cannot solve, he personally provides guidance.

Fortunately, most of the technicians in the factory are now able to handle various situations in the machine tool workshop with ease, which is gratifying.

It is worth mentioning that after two months of adjustment, all six workshops in the factory have been put on the right track, and he no longer needs to do everything himself.

Time passed by day by day.

Liu Guangqi moved among countless parts drawings waiting to be completed, and the technical department and production workshop operated smoothly under his supervision.

Before you know it, the weekend is here.

As the morning light streamed over the compound of the ministry on a weekend morning, Liu Guangqi's door was knocked on 45 minutes before the appointed time.

As he opened the door, his gaze paused slightly.

Zhao Mengyun stood outside the door, her plain white dress making her look as fresh as newly cut snow, the pearl brooch at her neckline gleaming warmly in the morning light. She had clearly dressed up carefully, her eyes sparkling with a radiance unlike any she had shown before.

"Is it pleasing to the eye?" she asked with a smile, tilting her head.

Liu Guangqi smiled and casually tucked a stray hair behind her ear: "When have I ever seen you lose your luster? Come on, I'll make sure you don't embarrass yourself."

The two walked downstairs side by side.

The bicycle rolled over the bluestone path by the courtyard gate and headed towards Tsinghua University. Zhao Mengyun sat on the back seat, her fingertips lightly twirling the hem of Liu Guangqi's clothes, but her gaze wandered along the street scene—the poplars along the road were sprouting new buds, their tender green leaves as thin as cicada wings.

The Tsinghua campus is bursting with vitality. Students, carrying books, gather in twos and threes under the shade of locust trees and beside the stone steps, engrossed in their studies, with no one looking up.

"Were you this diligent back then?" Zhao Mengyun asked with a smile, leaning close to his ear.

"Even worse." Liu Guangqi's voice was tinged with laughter. "Back then, people would wait in front of the dormitory building before dawn to grab seats when the library opened."

"Were you one of them?"

"Me?" he chuckled, his tone laced with an air of self-righteous arrogance. "No need for that effort. What's unforgettable after seeing it, why repeat it?"

Zhao Mengyun burst out laughing at these words, attracting the attention of several passing students.

Before long, the blue brick gatehouse of the Mechanical Manufacturing Department came into view, its eaves bearing the marks of time. Liu Guangqi pushed his cart through the gate and keenly noticed several pairs of eyes fixed on him.