Courtyard House: Starting in a Ceramics Factory

After Liu Min left, Li Feng picked up his teacup, gently blew on the floating tea leaves, and took a sip.

He certainly had his own considerations regarding the issue of subsidized housing.

Prioritizing employees from the old factory serves three purposes: first, it can win over the workforce; second, it can alleviate the housing shortage at the old factory; and third, it can lay the groundwork for future plans.

Currently, the ceramics factory's financial resources are insufficient to solve the housing problem for all employees.

However, the branch factory has a large area, and it can continue to apply for land to build new staff housing. The employees of the branch factory will have plenty of opportunities in the future.

Once we resolve the toughest issues—the historical problems left over from the old factory—then the subsequent work will be much easier to carry out.

However, he didn't need to tell Liu Min about this longer-term plan for the time being.

You have to eat one bite at a time, and you have to go step by step.

Not long after, there was another knock on the office door.

This time, it was Jin Youfa, the director of the factory office, who came in.

Jin Youfa was in his forties, his hair was starting to recede, he wore large black-rimmed glasses, and always had a "Maitreya Buddha" smile on his face, which made him seem very slick.

He used to be Wu Qing's deputy. After Wu Qing was transferred to the branch factory as the factory director, he was naturally promoted to the position.

"Director Li, busy?" Jin Youfa walked in with a smile, holding a thermos in his hand. "Let me refill your water."

"Director Jin, there's no need to be so polite, I can do it myself," Li Feng said politely.

"Of course, of course." Jin Youfa quickly refilled Li Feng's teacup with water before sitting down on the chair next to him, rubbing his hands together and saying, "Director Li, Section Chief Liu came to see me just now and conveyed your instructions regarding the allocation of welfare housing."

"Oh my, Director Li, your generosity is truly remarkable! I feel so warm inside after hearing this, I really admire you!"

His words sounded so sincere that it was hard to tell how much was genuine and how much was an act.

Li Feng smiled, neither confirming nor denying: "I just did what I was supposed to do."

"Director Jin, please make sure the notification is implemented as soon as possible. Make sure it is written clearly and understandably so that every employee can understand it, especially highlighting the point about giving priority to employees of the old factory."

"Just you wait and see!" Jin Youfa patted his chest. "I'll personally oversee things when I get back, and I guarantee I'll handle this perfectly! I'll make sure all the factory workers feel your care and decisiveness as the new factory director!"

Jin Youfa is indeed very efficient.

In less than an hour, the "Notice on the First Batch of Welfare Housing Applications and Allocation Principles" stamped with the factory office's big red seal was freshly issued.

Several factory office staff members, carrying buckets of paste and notices, solemnly posted them on the most conspicuous bulletin boards in both the branch factory and the old factory.

This caused an uproar throughout the entire Five Star Ceramics Factory, as if a bomb had been dropped on them!
"Look, look! The housing allocation notice has been issued!"

"Let me see, seniority, rank, professional title... wow, I meet all the requirements!"

"After waiting for so many years, it's finally here! A two-bedroom apartment with a separate bathroom—I've been dreaming of this!"

The bulletin board was surrounded by people, and for a moment, the air was filled with discussions, exclamations, and joyful laughter.

Especially when people saw the supplementary explanation in bold at the end of the notice, the crowd fell silent for a moment, and then burst into even more heated discussions.

"Priority given to employees of the old factory?! Really?" A veteran worker who had worked at the old factory for more than 20 years rubbed his eyes hard and asked in disbelief.

"It's written in black and white! It's stamped with the official seal! How could it be fake?" The person next to him excitedly patted his shoulder. "Old Zhang, you're all set! You've been working for a long time and are a senior worker, you're sure to get a set this time!" "This...this is Director Li's idea?"

"The notice was approved by Director Li, so it must be his... no, it's his idea! Our new director really cares about us old guys!"

For a moment, the entire old factory area was filled with an atmosphere of immense joy and gratitude. Many elderly workers with gray hair crowded in front of the bulletin board, looking at the notice, their eyes welling up with tears.

They dedicated their lives to this factory, and their biggest wish was to live in a spacious and bright apartment building before they retired. They thought the hope was slim, but the new factory director, Mr. Li, gave them a huge surprise.

Inside the painting workshop.

Zhou Jianjun's father, Zhou Kai, the workshop director, was inspecting the workshop with his hands behind his back.

A young apprentice came running in, panting.

"Director! Director! This is great news!"

"What are you yelling about? So impulsive!" Zhou Kai frowned.

"The factory...the factory has posted a notice about allocating housing! They said...they'll give priority to employees of the old factory!"

Zhou Kai was taken aback upon hearing this, then his expression turned serious: "What nonsense are you spouting! Why should we get priority for the branch factory's housing?"

"Really! You should go check it out! The bulletin board is practically bursting at the seams!"

Zhou Kai was skeptical, but he took a step and walked outside.

When he saw the notice on the bulletin board with his own eyes and read every word clearly, this tough man who had worked in the factory for half his life couldn't help but tear up.

His house is an old house left over from before the founding of the People's Republic of China. The family of five squeezes into two small, dark, and damp rooms.

He dreams of moving to a bigger house.

Based on his qualifications, he was within the scope of the application, but compared with the young technical backbones in the branch factory, he didn't have much of an advantage, and he was always feeling uneasy.

Now, Li Feng's order gave him a sense of reassurance!

That evening, Zhou Jianjun returned home, and Zhou Kai, unusually, took out a bottle of Xifeng liquor that he had kept for a long time and personally cooked two dishes.

"Dad, what's the occasion today? Why are you so happy?" Zhou Jianjun asked, looking at the food and wine on the table with some surprise.

"Happy! Of course I'm happy!" Zhou Kai's face was flushed as he poured a glass of wine for both his son and himself. "Jianjun, you made the right choice in following Director Li!"

“That’s right, Factory Director Li has always taken good care of me,” Zhou Jianjun said with pride.

"This is no longer a matter of whether or not to take care of them." Zhou Kai raised his glass, filled with emotion: "Do you know how much of a stir the housing allocation caused at the old factory today? Everyone is praising Director Li! With this move, he directly won over the hearts of thousands of veteran employees! This kid... no, this Director Li, so young, yet he has a conscience, methods, and even more courage! You should follow him from now on, learn from him, work hard, and you'll have a bright future!"

Zhou Jianjun nodded heavily, downed the wine in his glass in one gulp, and felt even more admiration for Li Feng.

After all, this is a real thing. When we first heard about the welfare housing, we only knew that we could apply for it, but whether we could actually get it was another matter.

According to this logic, not only his father, but perhaps he himself could also get a house.

This is all thanks to Li Feng. Without Li Feng, I might not have had this opportunity.

Because this batch of houses was twice as many as originally planned, the ceramics factory might not have had the money to build so many houses without Li Feng's reforms. (End of Chapter)