Courtyard House: The Road to an Industrial Power

Just as dawn was breaking, Aunt Er hurried back to the hospital carrying a coarse cloth food box.

The food box contained two steamed buns, a small dish of pickled vegetables, and a boiled egg.

The ward was dimly lit. Liu Guangtian was not fully awake yet, and his head was still groggy. Hearing footsteps, he slowly opened his eyes.

I saw my mother put down the food box and carefully sit on the edge of the bed, holding a towel in her hand.

Liu Guangtian looked at his mother, feeling a mix of emotions.

To be fair, his mother wasn't bad to him and his younger brother; they were always fed and never went hungry.

But every time his father, Liu Haizhong, beat him and his younger brother, his mother always remained silent.

Either hide in the house and pretend you didn't hear it, or say that your dad is doing it for your own good.

She never stood up to protect them, nor did she ever think of stopping Liu Haizhong's actions.

Just like this time, when he was beaten until his head was bleeding and he was unconscious, his mother cried sadly, but she only kept saying "Your father was confused for a moment".

There wasn't a single word of blame directed at Liu Haizhong.

Liu Guangtian knew that in this family, his mother would always side with his father.

"Guangtian, are you awake? Are you hungry? Mom brought you steamed buns and eggs," Auntie Er said softly.

She peeled the boiled egg and held it to Liu Guangtian's mouth, saying, "Eat some to nourish your body so your wound can heal faster."

Liu Guangtian shook his head and said, "Mom, I'm not hungry."

He accidentally aggravated his wound while speaking, and a sharp pain made him furrow his brows and his face turn pale instantly.

The second aunt noticed that his complexion was off and quickly reached out to touch his forehead, but Liu Guangtian turned his head away.

Her hand froze in mid-air, and she whispered, "Does it hurt a lot? Should Mom go call the doctor again?"

"No need, just bear with it and it will pass."

He appeared calm on the surface, but his heart was in turmoil.

After waking up last night, that thought grew wildly like weeds.

He wanted to escape from this home, taking his younger brother with him.

He knew all too well that as long as he and his brother remained in this house, they would be beaten to death by Liu Haizhong sooner or later.

From childhood to adulthood, the benefits always went to the eldest brother, Liu Guangqi.

New clothes were given to Liu Guangqi first, and good food was saved for him first. His father was always kind to Liu Guangqi, and even if Liu Guangqi made a mistake, he would only say a few words to him.

But what about him and his brother? If they do something even slightly wrong, they get a beating and a scolding.

Moreover, Liu Haizhong beats and scolds his brother whenever he displeases them in the slightest.

Seeing that he was lost in thought again, his second aunt said, "Then eat by yourself if you're hungry. I'll go home and check on things first, and bring you some food tonight."

Liu Guangtian didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly.

It wasn't until the afternoon of the next day that Liu Guangtian's wound stabilized a bit. After the doctor examined him, he said he could be discharged and go home to recuperate, so his second aunt took him back to the courtyard house.

As soon as he entered the house, Liu Guangtian avoided his mother and quietly found his younger brother Liu Guangfu chopping firewood in the corner of the yard.

Seeing the bandage wrapped around his brother's forehead, Liu Guangfu asked worriedly, "Brother, are you alright? Dad was too cruel this time."

Liu Guangtian pulled his younger brother to a secluded spot and whispered, "Guangfu, do you want to leave this house with me?"

Liu Guangfu was stunned for a moment, thinking he had misheard: "Brother, what did you say? Leave home? Where are we going?"

"I don't know, but anywhere is better than staying here."

"You saw it yourself, Dad almost beat me to death this time. Next time, it might be your turn."

"If we stay here, he'll kill us sooner or later."

Liu Guangfu's eyes dimmed; he had long been fed up with his father's beatings, scoldings, and favoritism.

But after thinking about it, he sighed and said, "Brother, I want to leave too, but how will we live after we leave?"

"We have no jobs, nowhere to live, and even food is a problem."

He paused, then said, "If only I could get a job at the steel rolling mill. They provide housing and pay wages, so we wouldn't have to put up with Dad's attitude anymore."

"A steel rolling mill?" Liu Guangtian's heart skipped a beat; his brother's words had suddenly awakened him.

The steel rolling mill is currently expanding its machine tool workshop, so hiring is definitely on the agenda.

Lin Weidong is the chief engineer in the institute, and Lin Jianjun is the director of the machine tool workshop. If we can get their help, we might actually be able to get in.

"Yes! Find Lin Weidong!" Liu Guangtian's eyes lit up as he grabbed his younger brother's hand and said.

"Guangfu, let's go find Lin Weidong! He's the chief engineer, his words carry weight. If he's willing to help, we'll definitely get into the steel rolling mill!"

Liu Guangfu hesitated: "Brother, Lin Weidong isn't familiar with us, why would he help us?"

"Besides, Dad used to target him all the time, so he might still hold a grudge against our family."

Liu Guangtian insisted, "How will we know if we don't try?"

"We're desperate now, this is our only chance. If we can get into the steel rolling mill, we can leave this house and support ourselves."

Regardless of his brother's concerns, he pulled Liu Guangfu and headed towards the west courtyard.

Along the way, Liu Guangfu kept muttering to himself, "Brother, what if he doesn't help us? We'll be so embarrassed."

"Being humiliated is better than being beaten to death!" Liu Guangtian kept walking, already prepared for the worst.

The door to the west courtyard was ajar, and Lin Weidong was reading a book in the courtyard.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw the Liu brothers standing at the door, their expressions complicated. He couldn't help but wonder, "Do you need something from me?"

Before Lin Weidong could finish speaking, Liu Guangtian knelt down with a thud, and Liu Guangfu followed suit.

The brothers' actions startled Lin Weidong, who quickly stood up to help them, asking, "What are you doing?"

"Chief Engineer Lin, please help us!" Liu Guangtian's voice was choked with emotion.

"We want to work in the machine tool workshop of the steel rolling mill. If you're willing to help us, we'll pay you every month until we reach 700 yuan!"

700 yuan was a considerable sum in those days, equivalent to almost two years' wages for an average worker.

Lin Weidong was stunned for a moment. Looking at the earnestness and despair on the brothers' faces, he roughly guessed what was going on.

He knew that Liu Haizhong treated his two sons badly, often beating and scolding them. This time, Liu Guangtian was beaten like this, so he must have been completely heartbroken.

He pondered for a moment, and an idea popped into his mind.

Liu Haizhong is constantly working against me. If I could help Liu Guangtian and his brother get into the steel rolling mill...

If they were to completely break free from Liu Haizhong's control, Liu Haizhong would definitely be furious. The feeling of wanting to control them but being unable to, wanting to beat them but being unable to, would surely make him extremely uncomfortable.

Thinking of this, Lin Weidong's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, and he said:

"Get up, you don't need to kneel. The steel mill does have rules for hiring, but if you're really willing to work hard, I can help you ask around."

"However, I don't need the money. You just need to work hard and earn your wages."

The Liu brothers were surprised that Lin Weidong agreed so easily, and their faces showed unbelievable joy.

"Really? Chief Engineer Lin, you're really willing to help us?" Liu Guangfu asked excitedly.

"Mm." Lin Weidong nodded.

"The machine tool workshop is indeed short of a few apprentices. If you are willing to learn, I can talk to my dad and let you start as apprentices. If you work hard, you will eventually have the opportunity to become full-time employees."

"We're willing! We're willing!" Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu quickly replied.

"Thank you, Chief Engineer Lin! Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity. We will definitely work hard in the future and live up to your expectations!"

The two brothers kowtowed to Lin Weidong again before getting up.

Just as I stepped out of the west courtyard gate, I ran into Liu Haizhong, who was returning home from get off work.

When Liu Haizhong saw his two sons come out of Lin Weidong's house, he was furious.

Liu Haizhong rushed forward, pointing his finger at the two brothers and yelling, "Why aren't you at home all day? What are you doing running around to other people's places?"

"Do you think you can get that Lin Weidong guy to work for you? You spineless coward!"

Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu merely glanced at him coldly before heading straight home.

They now have only one thought in their minds: to get into the steel mill as soon as possible, to leave this home as soon as possible, and to never have anything to do with this man again.

Liu Haizhong was so angry at their attitude that he trembled and raised his hand to hit them.

But as soon as he raised his hand, he remembered the scene of beating Liu Guangtian unconscious yesterday.

In addition, there was a general meeting to be held in the courtyard that evening. He gritted his teeth and forcefully suppressed the urge to take action.

After returning home, Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu began packing their belongings.

They carefully wrapped up a few changes of clothes and the few dollars they had saved up.