Courtyard House: The Road to an Industrial Power

During this period, as soon as Lin Weidong got home from work, he would sit at his desk, his pen flying across the paper.

The complete technical data of MAN cards in his mind was like a clear map, which he disassembled one by one and transformed into construction drawings that were adapted to the current industrial foundation.

After several days, a detailed blueprint for heavy-duty truck technology was finally completed.

With a rated load capacity of 40 tons and a maximum traction force of 80kN, it is equipped with an improved eight-cylinder diesel engine with a maximum power of 380 horsepower, a peak torque of 1800N·m, and a range of over 800 kilometers.

The braking system features a triple protection system consisting of a disc brake, a hydraulic retarder, and a spray cooling system. The chassis is made of special steel welded from the factory.

The cab is equipped with a roll cage, and its core parameters have reached the mid-range level of heavy trucks in later generations, far exceeding the current mainstream domestic transport vehicles.

Lin Weidong put away the blueprints and carefully locked them in the wooden box. Just as he was about to stretch, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the courtyard, mixed with exclamations and discussions.

He pushed open the door and walked out of the west courtyard. His gaze swept over the crowd and he saw a familiar yet unfamiliar figure standing in the center of the courtyard.

That was Yi Zhonghai, once an old man, but now he was so thin that his cheekbones protruded high, his skin was dark and rough, and covered with wrinkles of varying depths.

His hair was gray and messy, with a little dust on it, and he was wearing an old work uniform that had been washed and patched in several places.

He had completely lost his former authority in the courtyard, leaving only a lingering weariness and dejection.

"Is...is it Lao Yi?" someone asked hesitantly.

"It really is Yi Zhonghai! He's back!"

The courtyard house instantly erupted in excitement, with neighbors crowding around, their eyes filled with astonishment.

An older woman pushed through the crowd and saw that face that was both familiar and unfamiliar. She was struck dumb, frozen in place, her lips trembling, and tears instantly welled up in her eyes.

"Old Yi...you...you're back?" She choked up, unable to control her emotions any longer, and rushed forward to hug Yi Zhonghai tightly, tears streaming down her face.

"I thought... I thought you'd never come back."

Ever since Yi Zhonghai was taken away from her home that day, the old lady felt like the sky was falling. Later, she had a falling out with the deaf old lady, and with Qin Huairu's mother moving out and the deaf old lady deliberately smearing her house, she has been unable to rent it out.

Yi Zhonghai stiffened, reached out his rough hand, and clumsily patted the old woman's back, his eyes also reddening.

"I'm back... I'm sorry you suffered." His voice was hoarse, filled with undisguised exhaustion.

Yan Bugui quickly squeezed forward, a shrewd smile plastered on his face, and offered him a cigarette: "Old Yi, welcome back! I didn't expect you to be released so quickly, that's great news!"

"You didn't suffer much on the farm, did you?" He quickly scanned Yi Zhonghai, secretly calculating the other's current situation.

Liu Haizhong also stepped forward, his face showing a complex expression, and patted Yi Zhonghai on the shoulder.

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back! Without you in this yard, it feels like something's missing."

He felt a mix of sadness and a secret resentment. His former rival had returned in disgrace, while the Lin family was becoming increasingly prosperous, which made him feel very uncomfortable.

Yi Zhonghai responded to the neighbors' greetings one by one, his smile forced.

With the help of an older woman, he slowly walked back to his house.

After he entered the house, an older woman quickly fetched hot water, took out clean clothes, and carefully helped him wash up.

"Old Yi, you have no idea how much has happened in the courtyard these past two years."

An older woman wiped his hands as she said, "The Lin family is doing better and better now. Wei Dong has become the chief engineer at the factory and developed an eight-cylinder engine."

"The factory director treats him like a precious gem. Jianjun has also become the workshop director, and Xiulan is receiving more and more attention in the street office."

She paused, her tone becoming heavy: "And the deaf old woman, you would never guess, she was actually a remnant of the Qing dynasty, and used to be a prince's concubine."

"Later, the neighborhood committee found out, and now things are really bad."

Yi Zhonghai listened quietly, his brows furrowing from time to time.

When he heard about the deaf old woman's identity and actions, his face showed obvious dissatisfaction, and a hint of disgust flashed in his eyes.

"I never expected her to be this kind of person. I really misjudged her before," he said in a low voice.

The older woman continued, "It's so good that you're back. I don't know how I would have survived without you."

Yi Zhonghai nodded: "I was able to come back thanks to being able to repair farm tools and tractors. Luckily, I still have some skills, otherwise life would have been even harder."

He sighed, "These past two years have been tough on you."

"It's not hard work, as long as you can come back." The middle-aged woman wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and a long-lost smile appeared on her face.

After resting for a while, Yi Zhonghai wondered whether he should go and see the deaf old lady.

I've just gotten back, so I should at least make an appearance and go visit them.

So he got up and said to the older woman, "I'll go see the deaf old lady; after all, we've known each other."

The older woman paused for a moment, then said, "What's so interesting about her looking like that? But if you want to go, go ahead, just be mindful of your behavior."

"Go home early, I'll go cook now."

Yi Zhonghai nodded, turned around and walked out of his house toward the deaf old woman's house.

Pushing open the half-closed door, the room was dimly lit and in disarray. The deaf old woman was huddled on the floor in the corner, her hair tangled and covered in dirt and debris. Her clothes were tattered and stained, and she reeked of a foul stench. Her eyes were cloudy, and she had completely lost her former gloom and arrogance.

The moment he saw Yi Zhonghai, he suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with disbelief and shock. He opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word for a long time.

"You...you're Yi Zhonghai? You...you're not dead?"

She always thought that Yi Zhonghai would die of exhaustion on the farm and never come back.

Looking at her like this, Yi Zhonghai felt a mix of emotions.

The once deaf old woman, who always maintained a certain level of dignity, has now fallen into such a state, which is truly heartbreaking.

He stood at the door without going in, and simply said, "I'm back. I heard you haven't been doing well lately, so I came to check on you."

Looking at Yi Zhonghai, who was so thin he was almost unrecognizable, the deaf old woman sighed, "You were lucky to come back; it was a near-death experience. I've been scheming my whole life, but I never expected to be defeated by a mere young boy."

Just then, Widow Li's voice came from outside: "Where the hell are you, you old hag? Come out and bring me some water!"

Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai knew that this must be the widow Li that the old lady had mentioned. He had heard that she was picked up by the deaf old woman.

Looking at Widow Li in the courtyard, Yi Zhonghai habitually said, "You were taken in by the old lady, how can you treat an elderly person like this?"

Widow Li snorted coldly, looking at the thin, withered old man in front of her. "You must be Yi Zhonghai. There are some things you'd better not interfere with. I'm in charge of the old lady's life now, and I'm also supervising the deaf old lady."

"If you have any problems, go to the neighborhood committee yourself. Also, as a former convict, it's best to keep your distance from these remnants of the previous regime, otherwise, something bad might happen."

After saying that, Widow Li went into the house, pushed Yi Zhonghai out, and slammed the door shut.

Outside, Yi Zhonghai's face turned black and white in turns, and he was trembling with anger.

Back in the day, no one in this courtyard dared to disobey him. Now, any Tom, Dick, or Harry dares to step on him.

"It's all Lin Weidong's fault! It's all his fault!"

Yi Zhonghai turned and left the deaf old woman's house.