The Courtyard House: Xu Damao's Aunt is the Queen of Women

"Wow! Well done, Xiao Liu, you've got a real silver tongue!"

Yu Lanfen gave a thumbs up, Jin Xianzhe's eyes were full of admiration, and everyone in the room looked at Liu Hao with new respect.

This young man is not only handsome, but also speaks so eloquently, praising Xiaomeng while also mentioning his own sweetheart.

Jin Xianzhe laughed and said, "Alright, Chunli, you tell Xiao Liu about the rules and regulations and job duties. Zhenghe, you'll mentor Xiao Liu for a few days. After that, Xiao Liu will be in charge of payroll calculation."

"Yes, Section Chief!"

Zhong Chunli took a booklet out of her desk drawer and handed it to Liu Hao.

"Xiao Liu, this is the finance department's rules and regulations manual. Take it and look at it yourself. The job duties..."

After listening to Zhong Chunli's detailed explanation, Liu Hao had a general idea.

Calculate wages by comparing them with the attendance sheet, write pay slips, and then pack the wages and pay slips into envelopes and hand them over to Yu Lanfen and Zhang Qin for distribution.

Currently, Xinhuaxia uses the second set of currency and the third set of currency issued last April. The largest denomination is 10 yuan. All employees in the factory, except for leaders at the level of section chief or above whose salaries exceed one hundred yuan, all earn tens of yuan. They can easily manage without using an abacus.

calculator?

No, the scientists who built the atomic bomb used abacuses to calculate!

Moreover, after taking the Dali Longhu Dan, not only did his physical fitness improve, but his brain capacity also seemed to expand, making his thinking exceptionally quick and giving him a photographic memory.

For him, doing the math was incredibly easy; his brain worked better than a calculator.

There are four desks in the department. The deputy section chief, Zhong Chunli, has her own desk, and the remaining three desks are just enough for two people to share one desk.

One of Yu Lanfen and Zhang Qin, who were just getting by; one of Yan Kailei and Zheng He, who were the two pillars of the company; and one of the former accountant Wang and He Xiaomeng.

Liu Hao sat down, turned to look at He Xiaomeng, and said with a smile, "Comrade Xiaomeng, we're both born in the Year of the Sheep. What month were you born in?"

"Comrade Liu Hao, it's the 22nd day of the twelfth lunar month!"

"I'm three months older than you, I was born on September 20th. From now on, I'll call you Xiaomeng, and you can call me Brother Hao, okay?"

He Xiaomeng nodded and obediently called him "brother".

"Sure, Brother Hao."

The girl's voice was soft and sweet, unlike that of someone from the north.

"You're from the South, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm from Jiaxing, Zhejiang. I came to the capital with my parents when I was fourteen."

Liu Hao was surprised; no wonder he didn't think He Xiaomeng was from the North at first glance.

He Xiaomeng is quite tall, around 1.68 meters, but her frame isn't as large as that of a northern woman. She has delicate, fair skin and speaks softly, typical of a southern girl.

"Is the capital city still comfortable?"

Hearing the familiar local accent, He Xiaomeng's eyes widened, which was very cute.

"Brother Hao, are you from the South?"

Liu Hao shook his head. He was from Ruijin, Jiangxi Province, his college roommate was from Jiaxing, and his ex-girlfriend was from Suzhou. They often chatted and argued in their dialects, and after hearing it so much, he naturally picked it up a little.

"No, I'm from Tongxian, and my classmate is from Jiaxing. He often chats with me in Jiaxing dialect. After chatting for a while, I can speak a bit of Jiaxing dialect now."

He Xiaomeng praised, "Brother Hao, you speak with such high standards. I reckon no one from Jiaxing could tell you're an outsider."

"Really? I must go and see the beautiful Jiangnan region described by Bai Juyi sometime in the future. I am already familiar with its scenery."

Liu Hao recalled the scenery of his hometown in the south, a hint of nostalgia flashing in his eyes.

"In my mind, Jiangnan should be at dawn, when the sun rises over the river, the flowers on the riverbank are like fire, and the river water in spring is clear and green, just like blue grass that has been dyed, so clear that it can reflect the shadows of clouds and the light of the sky."

"White walls and black tiles rest on the flowing water, black-awning boats shatter the green waves of the river, weeping willows gently brush the embankment, and the wind is filled with the sweet fragrance of apricot blossoms in the light rain."

"Such a picturesque Jiangnan region, even a fleeting glimpse would likely etch it into one's heart, leaving an unforgettable impression. How could one not yearn for Jiangnan?"

As soon as she finished speaking, He Xiaomeng was stunned, her eyes filled with amazement.

"Brother Hao, your writing is truly excellent! You speak with such understanding of the charm of Jiangnan that even I, a native of Jiaxing, seem to grasp its essence better!"

Her eyebrows curved, the corners of her mouth turned up, and her tone was full of pride.

"You can find all of these things in my hometown, Jiaxing!"

"The water of Nanhu Lake is so green and clear in spring. The black-awning boats on the lake sway slowly, and the boatman's oars make a creaking sound, startling the egrets in the reeds on the shore."

"The white walls and black tiles on the shore are covered with pink and white roses. When the wind blows, the petals fall down and drift into the water, swaying gently with the current."

"And then there's the Misty Rain Pavilion. It's best to go on a rainy day, when a thin mist shrouds the pavilion, and the distant green mountains appear and disappear in the mist—that's what you call a true 'apricot blossom drizzle'!"

He Xiaomeng became more and more excited as she spoke, and a faint blush rose on her cheeks.

"Besides these, our Jiaxing zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), Nanhu water chestnuts, and braised duck are all delicious. I'll bring some for you to try another day."

Liu Hao smiled and nodded: "Okay, I'll bring you some local specialties from Tongxian County too."

What are the specialties of Tongxian County?

"..."

Ah, I was just saying it offhand, I had no idea what specialties Tongxian County had.

Just as Liu Hao was racking his brains trying to figure out what Tongxian's specialty was, Yan Kai, who was sitting in front of him, turned around and said, "Little Liu, the fermented bean curd from Tongxian is quite delicious."

"Yes, fermented bean curd! It's a pity no one's home, so I'll have to go buy some if I want some."

"Nobody here? Brother Hao, do your parents work out of town?"

He Xiaomeng looked puzzled, and the others also looked over.

"Yes, my ancestral home is Shaanxi Province. I don't know if I was abandoned or lost. In late October 1943, my adoptive father found me when I was just a month old on the road to escape famine and took me to Tongxian County."

"My adoptive father was an honest and kind man. He used to serve under Wu Peifu. During the Second Zhili-Fengtian War, his right leg was blown off by a shell. After recovering, he returned to his hometown and made a living as a bricklayer. He never got married and was 45 years old when he found me."

"I fled famine and settled in Tongxian. I still did my old job to earn money to raise me and support my education. My adoptive father passed away two years ago, and there was no one left in the family. I don't even have any relatives."

After hearing Liu Hao's story, everyone felt great sympathy for him.

These are the real orphans!

Other orphans at least have three or five distant relatives who can lend a hand, and they can join in the fun during festivals.

But what about Liu Hao? He has no ties, is all alone, and doesn't even have anyone to confide in.

He Xiaomeng's eyes reddened, and she said apologetically, "Brother Hao, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have reopened your wounds..."

"No need to apologize!"

Liu Hao waved his hand, his eyes showing no resentment, but rather a sense of relief and composure.

This wasn't an act, because before he traveled through time, he, like the deceased Liu Hao, had no family.

"The difficulties of the past are like clouds blown away by the wind; they have long since faded."

"In this life, why dwell on the past? Look forward, take each step steadily, and you won't have let down your adoptive father's expectations or yourself."

Zhong Chunli gave a thumbs up and praised, "Well said, Xiao Liu, you're really insightful. Keep up the good work, and your future is definitely bright."

Lei Zhenghe exclaimed, "Without parents or relatives to help him, he relied entirely on his own hard work to get through those tough times. His resilience is truly remarkable."

Everyone nodded in agreement!

Despite such a difficult and challenging life, Liu Hao remained positive, studied diligently, and was admitted to a financial and trade cadre school, graduating first in his accounting major. This demonstrates Liu Hao's remarkable resilience.