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

When Liu Guangqi returned to the Hongxing Chuanghui Machinery Factory, the afternoon work bell was ringing crisply. His colleagues in the technical department had just woken up from their lunch break, stretching and still sleepy-eyed. Liu Guangqi stepped in carrying a particularly full net bag, immediately becoming the center of attention.

"Chief Engineer Liu is back!" "Was he out having dinner with his wife?"

Before he could finish speaking, Deputy Factory Director Wang Jianguo appeared out of nowhere, strode up to Liu Guangqi, and squinted, scrutinizing him from head to toe: "You finally showed up! You just went to the ministry to submit your marriage application this morning, and disappeared by noon... Did you secretly go off to do something big?" A young technician next to him chimed in: "I think so! Look at the chief engineer's beaming face, something good must be going on!"

Liu Guangqi stopped hiding his intentions and a smile spread across his face. He placed the net bag on the table, and the colorful, festive candy wrappers inside immediately caught everyone's attention.

"You guessed it! We've got our marriage certificate, and the wedding candy is here too. My wife wants everyone to have a taste."

"Goodness!" Wang Jianguo's eyes lit up, and he reached out to grab the net. "You're something else! This efficiency is even faster than when we're working on new technologies! Comrades, don't just stand there, come on, come on, have some of Chief Engineer Liu's wedding candy, and share in his joy!"

"Alright!" Wang Jianguo's shout immediately ignited a lively atmosphere in the technical department.

The sugar cubes rained down like a gentle drizzle, eliciting cheers from the office.

"Congratulations, Mr. Liu!"

"A chief engineer is indeed a chief engineer; even his happy occasion was handled so discreetly!"

Wang Jianguo, chewing on a candy, leaned closer and patted Liu Guangqi on the shoulder:

"Just eating candy isn't enough, where's the marriage certificate? Quickly show everyone that 'grand prize' certificate and let everyone share in the joy!"

Liu Guangqi smiled and took out the document with the red seal from his pocket, laying it flat on the table.

The crowd immediately gathered around, heads close together, all eyes fixed on the small photograph.

"Mr. Liu, your wife is so beautiful!"

"The two of them look very well-matched standing together!"

"I heard she's a talented woman from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs!"

The sounds of congratulations and laughter mingled together, even rousing the veteran workers in the workshop. Several workers with greasy hands poked their heads in, clamoring to share in the good fortune. Liu Guangqi grabbed a handful of candy and offered it to them, the veteran workers accepting it with smiles, and the workshop erupted in lively chatter once more.

The crowd gradually dispersed, and the office returned to silence. Wang Jianguo straightened his collar, adopting the air of a deputy factory director.

"Guangqi, you've achieved both a successful career and a happy family, that's great! We won't keep you from your work any longer."

Liu Guangqi nodded and sat back down at the table. He gently put away the certificate that had been touched by countless gazes, and as his fingertips brushed over the photo, a warm feeling welled up in his eyes.

He took a deep breath and unfolded the unfinished electric oven blueprints on the table.

These are the last few assembly diagrams—the arrangement of the heating elements, the structure of the temperature controller—every detail requires meticulous consideration. He lowered his gaze, the smile on his lips gradually fading into focused tranquility.

This is probably the last piece he left for the Red Star Factory.

Both publicly and privately, he wanted to bring the matter to a satisfactory conclusion.

The pencil scratched across the paper, pausing occasionally to add a fine line of annotation. When the last line closed, he leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh. A lingering sense of accomplishment mingled with a subtle bittersweet feeling of farewell.

My gaze shifted to the corner of the table—a certificate with a dark red cover lay quietly under the lamp, like a gentle imprint. The blue lines on the drawings outlined the past, while this touch of red was quietly unfolding the prelude to the future.

Dusk was deepening outside the window.

It's time to go home.

Smoke curled from the chimneys of the courtyard house, the aroma of food mingling with the sounds of people. Liu Guangqi pushed his bicycle into the courtyard, followed by Zhao Mengyun, who carried a bulging bag of candy. The noise in the courtyard suddenly fell silent, and all eyes turned to him.

"Kuangqi is back!"

The third uncle, Yan Bugui, was the first to get up. He put down the half-repaired stool he was carrying and darted over in a few steps. His calculating eyes didn't look at anyone, but were fixed on the net bag—based on his years of experience "observing the situation" in the front yard, the weight and the packaging meant it was definitely wedding candy.

He wasn't surprised that the two got their marriage certificate. These days, getting married—matchmaking, exchanging gifts, and registering—is a straightforward process. The match that Liu Guangqi arranged was simply a natural progression.

In Yan Bugui's eyes, waiting for this long time was already considered late.

If it were an ordinary family where people were getting married, they would probably already be pregnant by now, let alone getting a marriage certificate. Even those who are not yet of legal marriage age would usually hold a banquet and announce it to their neighbors first, and if necessary, they could go to the neighborhood committee to get a marriage certificate when they are old enough—very few people actually wait until they are old enough to get married.

Thinking this, Yan Bugui's mind raced with calculations, but a smile bloomed on his face: "Guangqi, is this...something good happening?"

Liu Guangqi leaned the bicycle against the wall with one hand to steady it, then turned around and laughed loudly, "Third Uncle, you have a really sharp eye." As he spoke, he naturally took the net bag from Zhao Mengyun's hand, generously grabbed a handful of candies wrapped in red paper, and stuffed them heavily into Yan Bugui's hand: "Mengyun and I got our marriage certificate today! We'll go back to the courtyard and share some wedding candies with everyone."

Yan Bugui held the candy in both hands, weighed it in his hand, and smiled so much that his eyes narrowed into slits. He exclaimed repeatedly, "Good! Good! Excellent! I've been waiting to drink your wedding wine! Guangqi is capable, and Mengyun is a beautiful girl. You two are a match made in heaven!" As he spoke, he caught a glimpse of the words "White Rabbit" under the candy wrapper out of the corner of his eye. His heart skipped a beat—ordinary families would be lucky to give a few fruit candies at a wedding, but Liu Guangqi had given this much. He was really generous!

The others in the courtyard also came to their senses and gathered around.

"Hey, Guang Qixing, you got this done so quietly!"

Liu Guangqi readily handed the net bag to Zhao Mengyun, asking her to share some with the neighbors in the front yard. Zhao Mengyun smiled – now that they had their marriage certificate, she wasn't shy at all, and generously handed out candy to everyone.

At times like these, the happiest people are the children in the yard. Hearing the commotion, they swarm out from every corner, like little sparrows, surrounding Liu Guangqi and Zhao Mengyun, calling out in their childish voices:

"Brother Guangqi, congratulations! I want some candy!"

"My new sister-in-law is so pretty! She gave me candy!"

Zhao Mengyun was amused by the group of little ones and smiled even more. She grabbed several handfuls of candy, making sure that each child had three or four pieces, which caused a burst of joy.

The adults who received the candy smiled, but in their hearts they all thought: Look at this young couple, one tall and spirited, the other pretty and quiet, they are such a perfect match. And their generosity has transformed the slight sourness they felt at first into heartfelt blessings.

After scattering candy in the front yard, Liu Guangqi took Zhao Mengyun's hand and, amidst the smiling gazes of the crowd, walked through the yard into the inner courtyard. Behind them, a soft murmur of discussion drifted in:

"See that? It's White Rabbit milk candy! I can recognize it just by the smell!"

"Tsk tsk, Guangqi is really generous, his generosity is truly remarkable."

"Absolutely! This young couple looks like they're blessed!"

In just a few words, the old saying "He who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding" truly came to pass.

Before long, the commotion in the front yard reached the middle yard.

"Guangqi, congratulations!" Sha Zhu's loud voice rang out enthusiastically. He wanted to go over and greet him, but seeing Zhao Mengyun next to Liu Guangqi, he scratched his head, chuckled, and stopped. "You're getting your marriage certificate today. Wait, I'll cook you a couple of hearty dishes. Shall we have a couple of drinks tonight?" He then turned to Zhao Mengyun, grinning, "Comrade Zhao, welcome to our compound!"

Zhao Mengyun nodded with a smile: "Thank you, Brother Zhu!" Although she did not plan to live in the courtyard house for a long time, she still accepted the congratulations from others with a smile.

Before the words were even finished, Xu Damao had already led Lou Xiao'e over from the moon gate. Upon seeing Liu Guangqi and Zhao Mengyun handing out candy, Xu Damao's eyes lit up, and he rushed forward, his face beaming with smiles.

"Hey, Guangqi, congratulations! This is incredibly joyous!" He said, patting Liu Guangqi's shoulder familiarly. "Have you set a wedding date yet? If you have, be sure to let your brother know! If you want a bicycle procession, I'll make sure to arrange a whole convoy for you!"

Xu Damao became more and more excited as he spoke:

"I can't boast about anything else, but the people in our steel rolling mill's publicity department, if I say the word, they'll make sure the event is a resounding success!"

The implication was clear: when you host a banquet, don't forget about his share.

Liu Guangqi naturally understood.

Just as the courtyard was bustling with noise, an unexpected figure walked over with a smile.

It was Jia Zhangshi.

What was even more surprising was that she was carrying something in her hand, and her face was unusually friendly: "Guangqi, congratulations on getting your marriage certificate."

Sha Zhu and Xu Damao were both taken aback, exchanged a glance, and both understood each other's confusion.

Ignoring everyone else, Jia Zhangshi walked straight to Liu Guangqi and handed him the cloth bag. Inside were two brand-new cloth shoes with thick, flat insoles, clearly one pair for a man and one for a woman. The stitches on the soles were dense and neat, as if they had been inked, showing that a lot of work had been done.

"This is just a small token of my appreciation. It's nothing expensive. I just hope you two will live happily ever after and have a baby soon."

Her voice was so gentle that it made one momentarily forget the meticulous and calculating Aunt Jia from before.

At that moment, the courtyard seemed to fall silent.

Who in this courtyard doesn't know Jia Zhangshi? She used to be incredibly stingy, always trying to take advantage of others. More than one family has had weddings over the years, and who's ever seen her give a gift? Take Xu Damao's wedding a couple of years ago, for example; it's a miracle she didn't grumble behind his back.

Today, however, I made an exception and gave away shoes I made myself—the skill of crafting those thousand-layer soles could fetch a good price in the pigeon market.

A buzzing sound filled everyone's minds, and only one thought remained:

Has Aunt Jia changed her ways?

Of course, someone like Jia Zhangshi, who can invoke Old Jia's name at any time, wouldn't really change her soul. She's just scheming and has changed her face.

Looking at the old face in front of him, which was smiling like a chrysanthemum petal, Liu Guangqi felt that familiar feeling welling up in his heart again.

Everyone says there's no one kind in this courtyard; they're all troublemakers.

But that's not what he saw.

Look at the way he stepped into this courtyard, look at all the smiling faces surrounding him—each one more enthusiastic than the last. Even the most difficult Jia Zhangshi personally sewed shoe soles for him as a congratulatory gift.

When you reach a high enough position, you will indeed be surrounded by "good people".

Even this courtyard house is no exception.

Thinking of this, Liu Guangqi's smile deepened. He certainly wouldn't refuse anyone on such a day. He gave Zhao Mengyun, who was beside him, a meaningful look.

Zhao Mengyun understood and gracefully accepted the insoles, a gentle smile playing on her lips: "Thank you so much, Aunt Jia. You're so skillful; I'm so sorry to have troubled you."

After saying that, he grabbed another handful of candy and stuffed it into Jia Zhangshi's palm, as if to say he didn't owe her any favors.

The wrinkles on Jia Zhangshi's face deepened instantly, like dried chrysanthemums unfurling in hot water. She had already made a clear calculation in her mind: Liu Guangqi was now a person in a ministry, and his wife's family did not seem to be an ordinary one—such a family, if they were to slip in a little benefit in the future, would be enough for her son Jia Dongxu to have a smooth and successful career at the factory.

What's a pair of shoes? Ten pairs are worth it.

Everyone in the courtyard disliked her for being stingy and always calling for Old Jia, but who ever thought about it: how could a widow and her orphan survive if they weren't tough? Who in this courtyard didn't have their own agenda? She was just a little more shameless; in essence, who was more noble than whom?

At the Intermediate Court, other neighbors also gathered around to ask for wedding candies, offering one auspicious blessing after another.

Liu Guangqi and Zhao Mengyun responded with smiles, and the courtyard was filled with cheerful chatter, even more lively than during the New Year.

By the moon gate in the backyard, Liu Haizhong had already been clinging to the doorframe, craning his neck to peer into the central courtyard. Seeing his son and daughter-in-law surrounded in the middle, their pockets bulging with wedding candies, a thought suddenly struck him—what other happy occasion could it be at this time of year, besides getting their marriage certificate?

He suppressed his excitement and quietly gripped the doorframe.