Siheyuan (courtyard house): My father, Li Yunlong!

Xiuqin looked at the door that was still trembling slightly, sighed softly, and a trace of fatigue and helplessness flashed across her face, but she quickly regained her composure.

She walked over to Li Zhenhua and patted her son on the shoulder.

"Don't blame your dad, he's just stubborn and can't think straight."

She said softly.

"I support you in wanting to be a worker. But this is the path you chose yourself, so no matter how hard or tiring it is, you have to keep going and make something of yourself."

Li Zhenhua nodded heavily, looking at the wrinkles at the corners of his mother's eyes, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

A father slamming the door and leaving, the shadow of his future fate, and the system that urgently needs to be activated...

All the weight was on his shoulders.

He knew that from that evening of the argument onward, his life had embarked on a path completely different from what everyone had expected.

The first step was to find a way to move into that courtyard house in Nanluoguxiang.

The next morning, the sky in Beijing was a clear blue, the kind that comes after a night of settling.

Li Zhenhua changed into a slightly worn blue Zhongshan suit, which his mother, Xiuqin, had given him early that morning, saying, "Look your best when you go to your new workplace."

The clothes carried the clean scent of sunshine and soap, and also the mother's hopes.

The Ministry of Industry's office building exudes a solemnity and simplicity unique to this era.

Following Xiuqin's directions, he easily found the office of Wang Xiangqian, the director of the Steel Industry Department.

Knock on the door and enter. A middle-aged cadre with glasses and a slightly overweight build looks up from a pile of documents.

When Li Zhenhua gave his name, Director Wang immediately broke into a warm smile, quickly got up, walked around the desk, and firmly grasped Li Zhenhua's hand.

"Oh! It's Comrade Zhenhua! Please, have a seat!"

He gestured for Li Zhenhua to sit on the sofa and then personally went to pour him some water.

"Sister-in-law Xiuqin called me last night. How's the old commander doing lately? Speaking of which, back in Jizhong, I was a reconnaissance company commander under the regimental commander! If it weren't for him pulling me out of a pile of corpses, I, Wang Xiangqian, wouldn't be where I am today!"

Director Wang's tone was filled with nostalgia for the past and heartfelt respect for Li Yunlong.

He looked Li Zhenhua up and down and smiled.

"So alike! Absolutely! The eyebrows, the eyes, the expression—they're practically identical to the old commander in his youth!"

After exchanging pleasantries, Wang Xiangqian returned to his desk, took out several forms from his drawer, and pushed them towards him with a beaming smile.

"Comrade Zhenhua, your sister-in-law has told me about your situation. It's great that you're a young man with ambition, wanting to contribute to the country's industrial development! Don't worry, I'll take care of your job. Look, these positions are ones I specially picked out for you—easy jobs, close to home, and with good career prospects."

Li Zhenhua took the form and looked at it carefully.

One was a staff member of the publicity department of a ministry, another was a data clerk at a subordinate design institute, and the third was a clerk at the newly built and better-equipped First Steel Plant's trade union.

Indeed, as Director Wang said, these are all relatively leisurely positions with a high starting point and easy to accumulate seniority. For a "cadre's son" like him, it would be a smooth and easy path.

However, as Li Zhenhua's gaze swept quickly across the area, his heart sank.

The name he wanted wasn't there.

He raised his head, his tone respectful yet firm.

"Thank you for your thoughtful arrangements, Director Wang. However... while these positions are all excellent, I'd rather be on the production line, honing my skills in real-world conditions. Do you have any openings at the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill?"

"Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill?"

Wang Xiangqian's smile froze for a moment, then he frowned, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice.

"Comrade Zhenhua, your idea is good, but that factory... sigh, the conditions are quite harsh. Mainly the steel rolling workshop, the work is tiring and dirty, and mostly heavy physical labor. You are the old leader's only son, and a high school graduate, it's a waste of your talents to go there, and you'll suffer too much. Take my advice, you should choose an office or a design institute, that would be more suitable for you."

Li Zhenhua clearly sensed the genuine concern in the other party's words, as well as a kind of habitual arrangement based on the recognition of his identity as the "son of a military family".

But he couldn't accept it.

A leisurely job means being far from the core production area, which also means that he is unlikely to have the opportunity to live in No. 95 Nanluoguxiang Courtyard by virtue of the "unit housing allocation" benefit that is closely related to the production line.

He took a deep breath, his eyes showing no hesitation.

"Director Wang, I'm not afraid of hardship. My father always taught me that a revolutionary soldier is like a brick, ready to be moved wherever needed. Now that the country needs steel for construction, I want to go to the front line of the steel rolling mill, where steel is most needed and the work is most arduous. Please grant my wish."

Wang Xiangqian looked at the young man in front of him. His stubborn eyes and tightly pursed lips were exactly like Li Yunlong's.

He tried to persuade him again and again, even jokingly saying, "If you go to the steel mill and swing a sledgehammer, won't the old commander whip me if he finds out?" But Li Zhenhua's attitude was unusually firm.

Finally, Wang Xiangqian sighed helplessly, leaned back in his chair, and pointed at Li Zhenhua with his finger.

"You, with your stubbornness, truly befitting the old commander's son! Alright, since you've made up your mind, I won't stop you any longer. Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill it is!"

He picked up a pen and quickly filled out a new form, shaking his head as he wrote.

"I'll write you a letter of introduction right away."

After saying that, he seemed to have made up his mind and picked up the phone on the table.

"Hey, Zhang? Can you reschedule my morning schedule? I need to go out for a bit."

After hanging up the phone, Wang Xiangqian said to Li Zhenhua.

"Let's go, Zhenhua. I'll personally take you there. I know the factory director of Hongxing Factory well, so I can also say hello to him in person. We can't let them mistreat my old leader's precious darling."

Li Zhenhua felt a little guilty and quickly said...

"Director Wang, this is too much trouble for you. I can go and report for duty myself."

"No trouble at all!"

Wang Xiangqian had already picked up his hat and briefcase, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

"It's your first time going there, and you're unfamiliar with the area. Besides, your dad's temper... Sigh, I'd feel bad if I didn't make proper arrangements. Come on, the car is waiting downstairs."

Sitting in Wang Xiangqian's private Volga sedan, the street scene outside the window gradually opened up from the bustling and orderly urban area, revealing the outlines of factories and chimneys.

A faint smell, a mixture of metal and soot, began to fill the air.

Wang Xiangqian was still giving instructions on precautions along the way, and telling him who to contact if he encountered any difficulties at the factory.

Li Zhenhua responded gratefully.

He knew in his heart that Director Wang's personal escort was not only a great favor, but also an invisible boost to his starting point at the factory.

This can reduce a lot of trouble for newcomers.

The car slowed down in front of a factory area with its gates wide open, where a sign with white background and black lettering hung.

"Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill".

Wang Xiangqian patted Li Zhenhua on the shoulder.

"We've arrived, Zhenhua. Come on, I'll take you to see Director Yang."