Courtyard House: The Road to an Industrial Power

In the afternoon, the west courtyard of Lin Weidong's house was filled with the rich aroma of food, attracting the frequent glances of passersby.

In the newly renovated west courtyard, there is an eight-immortal table, and a sunshade has been set up around it. Zhao Xiulan and Lin Jianjun were busy at the vegetable market early in the morning, carrying back two large bags full of ingredients.

Lively carp, streaky pork with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, and a whole chicken.

Wearing an apron and holding a spatula, He Daqing was showing off his skills in front of the makeshift stove, while Sha Zhu assisted him, handing him vegetables and starting the fire, working up a sweat.

"Dad, your sweet and sour fish sauce is absolutely amazing!" Sha Zhu exclaimed, looking at the sizzling carp in the pot.

He couldn't help but swallow hard. "It's way more authentic than what I get in the factory canteen!"

He Daqing proudly raised his chin: "Of course! When your father was young, I was a genuine successor of the Tan family cuisine! There are few in Beijing who can match my skills!"

As they were talking, a bright red sweet and sour fish was served. Then, braised pork, chicken stew with mushrooms, and garlic greens were served one after another. The table was full of dishes, which was dazzling to the eye.

Soon the octagonal table was filled with people. He Nannan, with her sharp eyes, spotted the sweet and sour fish immediately, stretched her neck, and shouted, "Grandpa's fish! I want to eat fish!"

He Daqing smiled and placed a piece of fish on her plate, carefully removing the bones: "Eat slowly, don't choke."

Qin Huairu, holding He Xiao, also picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks. The taste was perfectly balanced between sweet and sour, and the fish was tender and flavorful. She couldn't help but praise, "Uncle, your cooking is amazing! It's even better than Zhu Zi's!"

Su Wanqing also picked up a piece of fish and put it in her mouth. After chewing it carefully for a few moments, her eyes lit up instantly.

He exclaimed sincerely, "This is the best fish I've ever eaten in my life! It's so delicious!"

These words made He Daqing grin from ear to ear. He rolled up his sleeves and pointed to the dishes on the table.

"My cooking skills are no joke. Back in the day, customers would line up to eat my dishes at the restaurant!"

He Yushui, sitting to the side, chimed in, "That's right! My dad's cooking skills are absolutely top-notch in Beijing! My brother's skills were all taught to him by my dad!"

He Nannan clapped along and said, "Grandpa is so amazing! His cooking is even better than Dad's."

He Daqing patted He Nannan's head. "That's right! Your dad's cooking skills were all taught by Grandpa! Grandpa will teach you too, so you can become a master chef, okay?"

He Nannan clapped her hands and cheered, making everyone at the table laugh.

The courtyard was filled with laughter and chatter; the clinking of glasses, the playful shouts of children, and the chatter of adults mingled together, creating a lively atmosphere like Chinese New Year.

But inside the courtyard house at this moment, the scene is quite different.

An older woman sat on a small stool in front of her house, slowly and deliberately eating a bowl of braised pork.

Since she broke off contact with the deaf old woman, she has felt much more refreshed. She no longer has to worry about what others think, and she can eat her meals with peace of mind.

The house of the deaf old woman not far away was deserted.

The deaf old woman sat in the dimly lit room, leaning on her cane. In front of her was a bowl of thin porridge so watery you could see your reflection in it, and next to her was a small dish of wilted leftovers.

She scooped up a spoonful of porridge, and the bland taste made her frown.

The cheerful laughter coming from the west courtyard drifted into her ears on the wind, like needles pricking her heart with pain.

The deaf old woman slammed down her porridge bowl. "Hmph! What's so smug about that! If it weren't for that brat Lin Weidong, would Yi Zhonghai have been arrested? If he hadn't led Sha Zhu astray, would Sha Zhu have stopped serving me? I wouldn't be in this state!"

She grew angrier the more she thought about it, pounding her fist on the table and cursing.

How wonderful those days were! Yi Zhonghai served her hand and foot, Sha Zhu brought her delicious food every few days, and everyone in the hospital doted on her.

But now? She's all alone, unable to even get a hot meal, only able to drink bland porridge.

It's all Lin Weidong's fault! He ruined his good life!

The deaf old woman gripped her cane tightly, her knuckles turning white. Her gaze fell out the window, and a thought suddenly popped into her mind.

During this period, many people who had fled famine came to the neighborhood office. They were all emaciated and starving, and they would do anything as long as they were given a meal.

"Hmph, nobody wants to serve me, huh? I'll find one myself! I'll find a refugee, someone obedient and useful, much better than that old hag!"

The meals in the west courtyard lasted from sunset until the moon was high in the sky.

The dishes on the octagonal table were empty, and a row of empty wine bottles were laid out.

Fearing the children wouldn't be able to endure it, Qin Huairu and her mother carried He Xiao and led He Nannan home first.

Su Wanqing, unable to hold her liquor, had a faint blush on her cheeks. After smiling and saying goodbye to everyone, she returned to her residence.

Only four grown men remained in the courtyard: Lin Weidong, Shazhu, He Daqing, and Lin Jianjun. They were drinking and chatting animatedly.

Sha Zhu has a low alcohol tolerance; after a few cups of baijiu, his tongue started to slurre.

He patted Lin Weidong on the shoulder, his eyes narrowed to slits, and said with a thick lisp, "Dongzi, let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart... that Technician Su, she's beautiful and educated, she's such a perfect match for you!"

"You'd better hurry up and win her over! You're eighteen already, almost a young man, it's time to think about settling down!"

Lin Weidong paused slightly in the hand holding the wine glass, and the noise around him seemed to quiet down instantly.

His mind involuntarily conjured up images of Su Wanqing: her focused expression as she furrowed her brows while studying the blueprints, the sparkle in her eyes as she ate the sweet and sour fish at the dinner table, and the blush on her cheeks as she smiled gently when they said goodbye.

My heart felt like it had been gently bumped by something, and it was beating a little fast with a "thump-thump".

Lin Weidong's ears burned, and he quickly lowered his head to take a sip of wine to hide the panic in his eyes, but said perfunctorily, "Brother Zhu, don't talk nonsense. We're just colleagues, busy working on machine tools, we don't have time for that."

He Daqing put down his wine glass and chimed in, "Making machine tools is one thing, but you can't neglect your life's most important thing!"

He stroked the stubble on his chin and said with a smile, "Weidong, when your Uncle He was your age, your Brother Zhu was already running around buying soy sauce!"

"A man should prioritize his career but also take care of his family. Comrade Su is a good girl; you shouldn't miss out on her."

Lin Jianjun nodded with a smile, "I think Technician Su is really good. He looks good standing next to Wei Dong."

Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, making Lin Weidong feel uneasy.

He wouldn't admit it, but a ripple of emotion stirred within him that he himself didn't even realize.

The drinking party didn't end until late at night. Lin Weidong, distracted by his brothers' words, tossed and turned in bed.

His mind was filled with images of the guide rail drawings for a four-axis CNC machine tool, and then with Su Wanqing's blushing smile. He tossed and turned for half the night before finally falling asleep.