Courtyard House: I Have Countless Bodyguards

His words carried a hint of nostalgia for campus life and regret at not being able to continue his studies.

"Well, he dropped out of junior high school, so he should have no problem reading and doing math."

Liu Jianguo pondered for a moment, then made up his mind. He looked at Qin Huairu and directly announced his arrangements for her:

"Since you've decided to stay, you'll be a city dweller from now on. The city doesn't support idlers, so I'll arrange a job for you tomorrow—a propaganda officer in the factory's propaganda department. The work isn't tiring; it mainly involves writing and drawing, creating bulletin boards, and distributing notices. You have some basic education, so you should be able to learn from the experienced workers and get the hang of it."

"A...propagandist? Give me...give me a job?"

Qin Huairu could hardly believe her ears! She originally thought that she had been "bought" to be someone's maid and servant, to take care of their every need. She never expected that this young "Director Liu" would not only not treat her as a servant, but would also arrange a formal and respectable job for her.

And she was a publicist working in an office. This huge surprise dispelled the last bit of grievance and unease in her heart. Her nose tingled, and tears rolled down her cheeks, but this time they were tears of gratitude.

She choked back tears, awkwardly trying to express her gratitude: "Thank you... thank you, Director! I... I will definitely do my job well! I will never let you down!"

Seeing her laughing and crying, so grateful, Liu Jianguo's unease about the "transaction" lessened somewhat. He leaned back slightly, beckoned to Qin Huairu, and said in an undeniable tone, "Come here."

Qin Huairu's heart skipped a beat, and two red clouds instantly rose to her face, all the way to her ears.

She understood, of course, what "come here" meant. She hesitated for a moment, her fingers nervously clutching the hem of her clothes, but thinking of her job, her family, and that she had no way out, she finally mustered her courage, moved her leaden legs, lowered her head, and slowly made her way to Liu Jianguo's desk.

You wouldn't want to read ten thousand words here anyway.

Silent all night.

The next morning, Liu Jianguo got up feeling refreshed. Looking at Qin Huairu, who was still fast asleep beside him, with tear stains on her eyes that only added to her charm, a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

Looking back on last night, the girl was initially shy and nervous, but under his guidance, she gradually got into the swing of things. Her body was plump and radiant, with a unique rustic charm that made him, a soul bombarded by modern information, feel very satisfied and refreshed.

He thought to himself: The value that came with this "deal" was more pleasant than he had expected.

Liu Jianguo dressed neatly and, before leaving, said to Qin Huairu, who had just woken up and was sitting on the bed wrapped in a blanket with a complicated expression, "You can rest in this room for the day and get familiar with the surroundings."

He took out another pre-prepared letter of introduction from the drawer and placed it on the bedside table. "This is the letter of introduction for reporting to the publicity department. Tomorrow, I'll have Li Bing accompany you to complete the onboarding procedures."

He paused, looking at her with a deep gaze:

"Our relationship might have started as a transaction. But now that you're with me, you should behave yourself, understand your place, and do what I ask of you. I certainly won't treat you unfairly. In this day and age, it's not easy for a woman to establish herself in the city. With me, at least you'll be able to live a comfortable and respectable life. Understand?"

These words were both a warning and a promise. Liu Jianguo could see that Qin Huairu was not a bad person at heart, and now she had given herself to him wholeheartedly. If guided properly, she could be cultivated into a reliable informant and assistant in the factory.

Time flies, and the days slip by quickly amidst busyness and calculation. The calendar pages turn, and before you know it, it's late October 1955, and winter has quietly arrived in the north. More than half a month has passed since the harrowing capture and relocation of Qin Huairu by enemy agents.

A lot has changed in the past two weeks:

With Li Bing's help, Qin Huairu successfully joined the publicity department. She was pretty, sweet-talking, hardworking, and had some education. She quickly won the favor of the senior colleagues in the department and gradually adapted to working and living in the city.

Her brother, Qin Dachuan, also got a kitchen job through Li Huaide, which Liu Jianguo had obtained, and became an apprentice in the steel rolling mill canteen, thus solving the Qin family's biggest worry.

Liu Jianguo spent at least half a day every day in the security department, either conducting surprise inspections or talking to key personnel from various sections, firmly grasping the actual control of the security department and growing in prestige.

Qin Huairu's accommodation was arranged in a side room in the courtyard of No. 95, next to Li Bing and others, so that she could take care of Liu Jianguo.

Every night, only Qin Huairu could truly understand Liu Jianguo's extraordinary energy, which often left her weak in the legs when she went to work the next day, secretly complaining, yet she dared not utter a single complaint.

As the twelfth lunar month approaches, the atmosphere of the year-end season is gradually intensifying.

The factory decided to distribute some New Year's goods to the employees in advance to reassure them.

On this day, Liu Jianguo personally ordered fifty strong members of the security department to escort the ten fat pigs and ten strong cattle that had been taken from the small world and sent by comrades to the logistics department warehouse, where they handed them over to Li Huaide, who was eagerly waiting.

The arrival of this batch of hard currency made Li Huaide stand taller in front of the factory leaders, and he was even more grateful to Liu Jianguo.

It was the factory's last working day before the holiday. Shortly after work started in the afternoon, a clear, pleasant female voice, with a hint of a news anchor's tone, blared from the loudspeakers throughout the factory—it was Qin Huairu, who had just received some training, reading out a notice:

"Attention all factory workers! We have some good news! To celebrate the Spring Festival, the factory leadership has decided that after get off work today, each employee can collect their monthly salary and, upon presentation of their work ID, go to the Logistics Department's Materials Section to receive two jin of wheat flour and half a jin of pork! In addition, the annual model workers selected from each workshop will receive an extra enamel mug printed with the words 'Labor is Glorious,' a towel, and one jin of refined wheat flour! Please line up in an orderly fashion to collect your gifts..."

This news was like a bombshell, instantly causing an uproar throughout the entire steel rolling mill.

In each workshop, the workers stopped what they were doing, excitedly whispering to each other, their faces beaming with the joy of a festival!

"Half a pound of meat! And two pounds of flour! We can finally have some meat for Chinese New Year this year!"

"The factory is really generous this year!"

"It's better to be a model worker! Look, you get more rewards!"

In this era of extreme scarcity, half a pound of pork might be a luxury that many impoverished families could only afford a few times a year! This tangible benefit is more effective in uniting people than any empty slogan.