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

These words were easy to say, but they effectively shut down any further questions.

Jia Dongxu was about to speak when Qin Huairu gently tugged at his sleeve.

Yan Bugui opened his mouth, but ultimately remained silent. His thin face drooped, as if he had lost some treasure—with Liu Guangqi gone, his child's job prospects were probably even more uncertain.

In the courtyard, the five members of the Liu family chatted and laughed as they left through the gate, leaving behind a trail of whispered discussions.

"Tsk tsk, how long has it been since Guang Qi joined the company? He's already managed to get a housing allocation from a ministry. He's really risen to prominence."

Someone sighed softly.

Yan Bugui squatted back by the door, picking vegetable leaves, muttering to himself:

"If you ask me, Guangqi miscalculated this step. If he had gotten married first and then applied, he might have been able to get an extra room... When it comes to living, you always have to be careful with your money."

But the chives in his hand were pinched into small pieces, revealing a hint of absent-mindedness.

Sha Zhu grinned: "That's not necessarily true. He's a proper engineer now, maybe he'll even get a small, private house!"

"It's not quite a detached house," Jia Dongxu shook his head, "but as an engineer, I should be able to get three rooms."

Although he wasn't eligible for housing, he knew the factory's housing policy inside and out—nowadays, all units in Beijing were allocated public housing, and the rules were clear: a maximum of three rooms, and no one could be an exception.

Qin Huairu, holding the clothes that had been hung out to dry, replied softly:

"No matter how many rooms there are, Guangqi is always really capable. Without him in the backyard, it would probably be quite deserted."

These words contained half praise and half melancholy.

It's rare to find someone in the courtyard who is decent-looking and willing to lend a hand. Now that he's gone, it will be difficult to find someone pleasing to the eye and someone we can rely on again.

Yi Zhonghai, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke in a low voice: "Perhaps Guangqi's assigned accommodation won't be a courtyard like ours?"

"What if it's an apartment building with a corridor..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire courtyard fell silent.

Located in the residential area of ​​the First Ministry of Machine Building.

The iron gate of the main gate guardhouse shone with a solemn, cold light in the sunlight.

Several uniformed security personnel stood ramrod straight beside their posts.

Liu Guangqi and his family were stopped as they were about to go inside.

Liu Guangqi calmly took out his work ID and the check-in certificate issued by the housing management department.

The security guard's eyes quickly swept across the paper—

Upon catching a glimpse of the words "General Mechanical Division," he immediately raised his hand in a crisp military salute and stepped aside to signal passage.

"Comrade Liu!"

"Building No. 5 is on the east side. Go straight past the third intersection and then turn right."

These security personnel all came from the security department within the Ministry of Machine Building.

after all.

The residents here are mostly government officials and their families.

The presence of dedicated guards at the gate reflects the unique security management order of the ministry compound.

According to Liu Haizhong.

The guard's crisp salute just now—

They were far more imposing than the security personnel at the steel mill, so much so that he instinctively held his breath as he followed behind.

How dignified!

But this sense of propriety was too heavy, which made his heart race and he became uneasy.

He quietly tugged at Liu Guangqi's sleeve:

"Guangqi, do you think the people living here... are all high-ranking leaders? Otherwise, why would even the guards be so impressive?"

Liu Guangqi smiled.

He tried to comfort him, saying, "Dad, do you think I qualify as a high-ranking leader?"

"Of course it counts!"

Liu Guangqi's original intention was to reassure his father, who was only a deputy section chief and had moved in anyway.

unexpectedly.

Without a second thought, Liu Haizhong nodded and said, "My son can work in a ministry compound, how could he not be a high-ranking leader?"

Liu Guangqi was speechless for a moment.

He realized that his father's way of thinking was completely different from his own.

Left with no other choice.

He could only patiently explain, "Dad, leaders are just ordinary people too."

"When you get home from get off work and close the door, you're no different from any other resident in this compound. Please relax."

Obviously.

These words did not actually reach Liu Haizhong's ears.

All I saw was—

He tucked his hands into his sleeves, his back ramrod straight, yet he took each step with extreme caution.

The second aunt was also nervously clutching the hem of her clothes!

His eyes darted around quickly, as if afraid of touching something he shouldn't.

However, the two boys, Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu, were already captivated by the scene inside the courtyard.

Tall poplar trees stand on both sides of the smooth cement road!

Bright red slogans were painted in front of each building, conveying a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

"elder brother!"

"Look at that tree! It's much taller than the old locust tree in our yard!"

Liu Guangfu grabbed Liu Guangqi's arm, his voice brimming with excitement.

"And those buildings..."

"Rows and rows, like a queue!" Liu Guangtian exclaimed, pointing to the neat rows of buildings ahead.

"Keep your voices down, don't disturb the leader!"

Liu Haizhong glared at his two sons as usual, about to reprimand them—

But he couldn't help but widen his eyes.

The road underfoot was paved with cement, the walls were painted snow-white, and there was no smell of coal smoke that was common in courtyard houses; only the fresh scent of plants filled the air.

He's lived for so many years!

This is the first time I've seen such a neat and impressive courtyard, with buildings arranged in an orderly fashion.

Compared to the various reactions from her family.

Liu Guangqi appeared much calmer. Having lived through two lifetimes, this kind of scene was not unfamiliar to him.

Naturally, there were fewer surprises.

After the family had carefully examined the landscaping layout of the courtyard, he smiled and led them toward Building No. 5.

The building numbers are clearly marked on the walls in bright red paint, making them easy to find.

Not long after.

Building No. 5 then came into view at the edge of the horizon.

The building is made of red bricks, and each floor has a transparent corridor with railings painted sky blue, which looks particularly bright in the sunlight.

Just then, a woman carrying a vegetable basket came out of the building.

I spotted Liu Guangqi and his group!

She smiled and nodded: "Young man, are you new here?"

"Yes, I live in Building 5," Liu Guangqi replied politely.

"Oh, that's great news! Building number five has the best sun exposure in this area..."

The woman finished speaking with a cheerful smile.

He left with light steps, neither asking any questions nor treating them as newcomers who needed special attention.

Liu Haizhong watched from the side, secretly marveling—

I couldn't help but admire the woman's composure and confidence, which far surpassed that of the old ladies in the alley.

Ultimately, they are people from the leadership's family compound.

A moment later, Liu Guangqi found his room 206, took out his key, and unlocked the door.

The door hinges turned with a slight sound, revealing the view behind the open door.

Liu Haizhong and his wife stood frozen at the doorway, their eyes lighting up as they looked inside.

Neat. Clean. Clear.

Completely different from the muddy ground in the courtyard house that could never be swept clean, with coal dust and soot floating everywhere.

Liu Guangqi was also examining the three-bedroom apartment in front of him.

The layout is indeed quite ingenious.

His gaze was immediately drawn to the south-facing balcony.

Beyond the railing, towering poplars can be seen in the courtyard, their branches rustling and whispering in the wind.

Liu Haizhong followed his son into the house, walked around twice, and greedily scanned every corner with his eyes—roughly estimating, the house was probably around ninety square meters.

Although it's currently empty and lacks even a decent piece of furniture, the whitewashed walls, the smooth cement floor, the sun-drenched south-facing balcony, and the readily available tap water... these are all things that Liu Haizhong never dared to dream of in the past.

"This...this must be close to a hundred square meters, right?" His voice trembled slightly as he gestured with his hand in the air. "The two rooms in our backyard stacked together aren't even half as spacious as this!"

At this point, Liu Haizhong suddenly realized something and turned to look at his son: "Guangqi, this house is unusual. Given the rank of deputy section chief at level seventeen, shouldn't he be entitled to such a residence? Could it be…?"

Liu Guangqi smiled and nodded, giving an answer that almost made Liu Haizhong lose his footing.

"Dad, you're right."

"This is indeed the housing standard for a division-level cadre."

***

"Department-level standards?" Liu Haizhong's throat tightened, and he stopped breathing.

He stared intently at Liu Guangqi, his gaze as if he were seeing this young man for the first time: "Guangqi! You...you've been promoted again? You've become a section chief?"

A wave of helplessness washed over Liu Guangqi. His father was genuinely enthusiastic about official positions, but he really didn't understand the intricacies of government offices; he was completely clueless.

"Dad, my rank hasn't changed; I'm still a deputy section chief." He reached out to steady his father's swaying body. "Didn't I leave early and come home late every day recently? I was busy with an important task for the department."

"I was in charge of leading the development of a heating element, along with the matching heating equipment. The ministry used it to make export orders and earned foreign exchange."

He tried to speak in a simple and straightforward manner, afraid that if he went into too much detail, his father would be confused.

Finally, Liu Guangqi smiled slightly and added, "So the ministry gave this as a special reward."

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Guangtian, who was standing next to him, was suddenly startled.

He was already fifteen years old, nearing the age of middle school entrance exams, and naturally began to understand many things. Looking at his older brother's calm profile, and then turning his head to look around the spacious and bright ministry building—over ninety square meters, three sunny rooms, bright and clean, it was as if it were a world apart from the two courtyard houses where he had grown up.

He used to think his older brother was naturally intelligent, and that his path to education, further studies, entry into ministries, and becoming an engineer was always smooth sailing. Only now did he realize that there is no such thing as an innate skill in this world. The reversed days and nights that he had overlooked, and the ease and glory that he had imagined, were all backed by such heavy sacrifices.

***

"Heating equipment...export for foreign exchange?" Liu Haizhong pondered these words repeatedly, when suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him.

He suddenly grabbed Liu Guangqi's arm: "Son! You mean, that 'hot water heater' and electric blanket that's been all over the place lately... you invented them?!"

No wonder he was so excited. These days, everyone in the steel rolling mill, from leaders to workers, was talking about it. Everyone said that the First Ministry of Machine Building had produced a capable person who, through sheer skill, had made even the most demanding northern neighbor bow down, earning the country a large sum of valuable foreign exchange. He was deeply moved when he heard this, and even slammed his fist on the table with several old colleagues, praising him, saying that this was what a top talent in the First Ministry of Machine Building should be like—truly making us proud!

But he never dreamed that the capable person from the Ministry of Machine Building that everyone was talking about, the top talent who brought glory to everyone—would actually be his own son!

"I was the one who spearheaded this," Liu Guangqi said with a smile and a nod.

With a sudden boom, Liu Haizhong felt a surge of scalding joy rush to his head, making him dizzy and his mind go blank for a moment.

In the end, he couldn't even utter a single word.

To be honest, from the day Liu Guangqi was admitted to university, he had thought that his son would be successful and have a bright future. But this future came so quickly and was so heavy, far exceeding his expectations.

After a long while, Liu Haizhong slowly recovered from the intense dizziness. He let go of his hands and paced back and forth on the smooth cement floor, muttering something repeatedly, while a moist light gradually rose in his eyes.

The morning light streamed through the window as Liu Haizhong sat at his desk, scrutinizing a brand-new ID card. The edges of the paper curled slightly under his fingertips, and his gaze lingered on the gilded characters, as if trying to etch them into his very being.

"The standard for a division-level official..." he murmured, each syllable like a piece of candy slowly melting on his tongue. His thoughts climbed like vines—Liu Guangqi, though a deputy section chief, enjoyed the treatment of a division-level official. This subtle difference magnified in his mind, gradually sketching a clear picture: in the eyes of his superiors, his son's importance had long since changed. His breathing quickened involuntarily, and the muscles in his cheeks twitched slightly with excitement.

A thought suddenly popped into his head. He turned around, his eyes fixed on his son who was adjusting his collar, his voice low but burning with intensity: "Guangqi, if the factory knew those inventions were yours... do you think I'd have a chance at the deputy workshop director position?"

Liu Guangqi paused, letting out a silent sigh. He should have known that the flame of longing in his father's heart had never been extinguished; on the contrary, it burned ever brighter.