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

He Yuzhu, wearing a brand-new blue cotton-padded jacket, was leisurely gathering the red paper scraps into the house with a long-handled bamboo broom. He was in a good mood today, humming off-key opera tunes, feeling quite pleased with himself. Not far away, several teenagers were crouching down, rummaging through the pile of scraps, looking for duds that hadn't exploded—they all had the 50 cents of New Year's money Zhao Mengyun had given them yesterday in their pockets, and their hearts were filled with sweet joy; even picking up duds felt like a treasure hunt.

The alley was quiet, with only the rustling of brooms wiping the floor and the hushed laughter of children.

suddenly--

"Beep! Beep!"

Two sharp car horns abruptly shattered the tranquility.

He Yuzhu paused, his broom hovering in mid-air. He looked up and saw a gleaming black sedan slowly driving into the alley. The car was so smooth it looked as if it had been oiled, and the silver emblem on the hood gleamed coldly in the morning light—it wasn't an ordinary Jeep, but a rare Volga.

"Huh!" He Yuzhu dropped the broom with a thud, his mouth agape. "This...whose car is this?"

He had seen this car only a handful of times at the steel rolling mill; it was reserved for the factory's top leaders. How could a car like this end up in their narrow alley?

The children in the yard also stopped what they were doing, and all stared wide-eyed at this direction.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the Volga came to a steady stop in front of the courtyard house, even the dust kicked up by its wheels was lighter than that of ordinary cars. The door opened, and a driver in a Zhongshan suit stepped out. The man first glanced at the plaque above the courtyard gate, his expression calm, and then walked towards He Yuzhu, who was still in a daze.

"Hello, comrade," the driver said, his voice low but clear.

He Yuzhu then snapped out of his daze, quickly wiped his hands on his clothes, and grinned, "Hello, hello! Which company are you looking for?"

The driver asked, "Excuse me, does Director Liu live in this compound?"

"Director Liu...?" He Yuzhu was taken aback, his mind racing through all the people with the surname Liu in the institute. "There are several families with the surname Liu in our institute, there's Engineer Liu, Deputy Director Liu... but I've never heard of Director Liu. Could you have come to the wrong place?"

The driver smiled slightly and added, "Director Liu's full name is Liu Guangqi. He used to be the chief engineer at Hongxing Factory, but he has now been transferred back to a ministry. If the Engineer Liu you mentioned is him, then he is the person I'm looking for."

The driver's voice was low, but it was like pebbles thrown into a calm pond, stirring up ripples in He Yuzhu's heart.

Liu Guangqi? Chief Engineer of Hongxing Factory? Director Liu?

"Guangqi?!" He Yuzhu's eyes widened as if he'd been hit by something. "You're saying Guangqi is... a section chief?!"

His voice was loud and clear, and his shout caused the curtains of several households in the courtyard to move.

Yan Bugui was huddled inside, counting the New Year's money he had "kept" from the children yesterday. Upon hearing the words "Director Liu," he stopped counting the money, leaned halfway out of the door frame, and exclaimed, "What? Guangqi became a director?"

Just as Jia Zhangshi led Banggeng and Xiaodang out the door, she nearly dropped Xiaodang upon hearing this. She clicked her tongue and said, "Guangqi? A section chief? That must be a very high-ranking official! No way, right? Didn't they attend a hospital-wide meeting together just a few days ago?"

Yi Zhonghai was also drawn out by the commotion outside the courtyard. He squinted at the shiny black sedan and his heart trembled—only one sentence kept running through his mind: Guang Qi has become a section chief?

Seeing the crowd's reaction, the driver simply stood there calmly, without saying a word.

The driver nodded with a gentle smile, confirming, "Yes, Comrade Liu Guangqi is currently the deputy director of the R&D department of our ministry. I've been assigned to deliver his car keys." He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over the gathered crowd, "Could you please give me directions? Which compound does Director Liu live in?"

These words, like a pebble thrown into calm water, instantly stirred up ripples throughout the courtyard.

"My God! Guangqi really got promoted to section chief in a ministry!"

"Didn't you hear they say it's a deputy position?"

"Are you confused? Who would specifically emphasize the word 'deputy' in everyday speech? Here, we all use the general term 'leader'!"

"No wonder! No wonder they specifically sent a Volga to deliver the keys!"

"Look at this impressive setup! It's truly grand!"

"Is Guangqi one of the few in this courtyard who isn't?"

"Of course! We've never had a proper cadre from here before!"

Amidst the buzzing murmurs, He Yuzhu finally snapped out of his initial shock. A surge of emotion welled up inside him, and without bothering to exchange pleasantries with the driver, he turned and strode towards the backyard, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Guangqi! Liu Guangqi! Good heavens, you've actually become a section chief… The ministry has sent a car to pick you up!"

In the backyard of the Liu family's house, Liu Guangqi and his wife Zhao Mengyun were packing gifts to take back to her parents' home. Although his father-in-law's family didn't lack anything, these were all gifts carefully prepared by his parents, and Liu Guangqi didn't complain; he prepared whatever his parents gave him. In addition, the couple also bought some high-quality cigarettes and alcohol for themselves. After careful inventory, the gifts had piled up quite a bit.

Just then, He Yuzhu's familiar, loud voice came from outside the courtyard wall, growing clearer and clearer as it approached.

"Guangqi!"

"Director Liu! A car from the ministry is here to pick you up!"

The shout startled Liu Haizhong, who was slowly sipping his tea inside. He walked to the door, enamel mug in hand, looked up in surprise, his face full of confusion: "Director? What director?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Guangqi chuckled softly and stopped what he was doing: "Dad, I participated in several research and development projects last year and made some achievements, so I was promoted to deputy director. I was planning to tell you the details after the New Year."

He hadn't intended to make a fuss about it, but he hadn't expected the driver in his department to be so direct, revealing his identity so easily. But since it was out in the open, it didn't matter. It was the Spring Festival, and it would be rather awkward for him to ride his old bicycle, laden with bags and packages, to the General Logistics Department compound to pay his respects to his father-in-law. Especially these days, if he had to carry all the gifts himself, he'd probably have to use a carrying pole and sacks.

Therefore, he had submitted a vehicle application to the ministry earlier. Given his current rank, he was entitled to official vehicle benefits, and considering the several merits he had made in the past year, the application was quickly approved, and everything was in accordance with procedure.

Upon hearing this, Liu Haizhong's enamel cup trembled slightly, and he didn't even notice the spilled tea scalding the back of his hand. His eyes widened, and he opened his mouth, but couldn't speak for a long time. Finally, he only let out a soft "hmm," and his weathered face could no longer hide his excitement and pride.

As they spoke, He Yuzhu led a young man in uniform quickly into the backyard. Behind them, a long line of neighbors, standing on tiptoe and peering in, had already followed, completely blocking the already cramped entrance to the backyard.

"Guangqi, you're something else!" He Yuzhu strode forward, instinctively reaching out to pat Liu Guangqi on the shoulder. But halfway up, he suddenly remembered the weight of the title "Director Liu"—plus the near-misunderstanding earlier—and his hand froze in mid-air. Although he was straightforward, his mind worked faster than anyone else's as long as it didn't involve sensitive matters. He could only awkwardly withdraw his hand, scratching the back of his head.

The driver from the ministry, Xiao Zhou, walked up to Liu Guangqi, stood ramrod straight, and saluted. He then took out his identification from his pocket and said, "Director Liu, I'm Xiao Zhou from the drivers' team. I'm here to deliver your car keys. The vehicle is already parked at the alley entrance; you can leave at any time."

Liu Guangqi took the documents, glanced at them, and handed them back after confirming they were correct: "Thank you for your trouble, Comrade Xiao Zhou. Could you please help me move these gifts into the car?"

"Director, you're too kind. It's my duty!" Xiao Zhou replied crisply and decisively, without the slightest hesitation. He immediately bent down, picked up the gift from the kang table, and turned to walk out of the courtyard. His respectful attitude and swift movements were without the slightest delay.

The neighbors crowded around the doorway, watching without daring to breathe.

They had never seen anything like it before. Yan Bugui rubbed his sweaty hands, took a step forward, and plastered an almost fawning smile on his face: "Guangqi—no, no, I should call him Director Liu!" He raised his voice to the top, "Our alley has finally produced a big shot!"

Although Liu Haizhong was also excited, he still maintained the air of a father, only patting his son on the shoulder and saying, "Remember to give my regards to your parents-in-law when you get there."

"Don't worry, Dad," Liu Guangqi replied with a smile, and got into the car with Zhao Mengyun.

The Volga sedan slowly drove away from the courtyard, leaving behind a chorus of smacking lips and whispered discussions.

"That's what you call dignified!"

"Driving a car to visit my in-laws for the New Year, you won't find another family like me in the entire Nanluoguxiang!"

"When did Guangqi learn to drive?"

"On his wedding day, he picked up his bride himself in his own car. Do you think this is a joke?"

"Wow, this is truly remarkable..."

Who wouldn't be envious? They couldn't even afford a bicycle; Old Liu's family's luck was truly enviable.

In the General Logistics Department compound, red lanterns hung from the branches of the plane trees, exuding a solemn and festive atmosphere that was completely different from that of the alleyways. Sentinels stood like pines on both sides of the compound gate.

Zhao's father was dressed in civilian clothes, but his tall and straight physique, a product of his military background, was still evident. He paced back and forth in front of the door with his hands behind his back, glancing out of the courtyard every few steps.

"Stop wandering around, your son-in-law will be here soon." The mother-in-law came out of the house with a cup of hot tea. She was always decisive and efficient in the army, but now her eyes were filled with a gentle smile—this was also a person who had the final say in the General Logistics Department, but she had put away all her sharpness when she returned home.

"Look how happy you are," she said, handing him the teacup. "You weren't like this when our daughter got married."

"How could I not be happy?" Zhao's father took the tea, his tone revealing barely suppressed satisfaction. "How much foreign exchange did our son-in-law earn for the country last year? How much debt from the north did he take on for us? The old comrades from the General Logistics Department all joked that I, Zhao Jianjun, have struck gold."

As they were talking, Zhao Mengsheng ran out of the house holding a thick photo album—it was the one his brother-in-law had taught him to take photos of last time.

"Dad! Mom! Is my brother-in-law almost here?" Over the past six months, he had heard his brother-in-law's name many times in the compound. Even those arrogant young men who usually looked down on others envied him for having such a brother-in-law. Now, he walked in the compound with his back straighter than before.

The mother-in-law smiled and ruffled her son's hair: "What's the rush? Your brother-in-law is always reliable and will never be late."

Before he could finish speaking, the soft sound of a car engine could be heard in the distance. Zhao Mengsheng's eyes lit up: "It's here! It's my brother-in-law's car!"

The Volga came to a smooth stop outside the gate. Liu Guangqi got out of the car first, followed by bags and packages of New Year's gifts that practically poured out of the car—for Zhao's father, there were cigarettes and alcohol from ** (a brand of liquor), even though he knew his father-in-law didn't lack these things, the new son-in-law's sentiments couldn't be lacking; for his mother-in-law, there was glistening, fragrant cured meat, as well as dried vegetables and New Year's goods that his parents had prepared themselves.

Liu Haizhong originally wanted to buy some expensive items, but Liu Guangqi stopped him. He knew very well that his parents-in-law had seen all sorts of fine things in the General Logistics Department, and gifts from state-run stores would seem too formal. These everyday items with a down-to-earth, everyday feel were much more to their liking.

Sure enough, the New Year's gifts that Liu Guangqi took out, though simple, warmed the eyes of Zhao's father and mother-in-law. They were people who had lived through the war years, and compared to the exquisite goods in the stores, these ordinary people's cured meats and dried vegetables reminded them of the years when they braved the wind and rain.

Finally, a heavy wooden box was presented. Inside were handcrafted models for Zhao Mengsheng: several motorcycles and a fighter jet—not the novel models of later generations, but the true iron eagles that roamed the battlefields of this era. As for the materials, they were nothing more than ordinary wood chips and sheet metal, skillfully assembled, yet exuding a powerful and imposing aura.

The object was made from scrap steel from the factory, but it became a treasure in his hands. While adjusting the precision of the machine tool, he paid special attention to it, polishing and piecing it together bit by bit, and eventually created this thing.

Despite being called a recycling project, the finished product is so exquisite that no one could find fault with it. The heavy, cool feel of the metal and the perfectly fitted joints exude a solid, hard quality—far superior to the flimsy plastic or wooden toys on the market.

"Dad! Mom!"