Courtyard Check-in: Starting with a Small World of Cultivation

As dawn broke, Chen Yu opened his eyes.

After a night of cultivation, he felt not fatigued, but rather refreshed. The ordinary-quality Qingxin Powder had a remarkable effect; he had circulated it for six consecutive weeks last night, and the spiritual energy within his body had grown to more than five times its initial strength. He could clearly feel the warm circulation as it flowed through his meridians.

"I should be able to break through the first level today." Chen Yu felt the abundance of spiritual energy within his body and made a judgment in his mind.

After washing up, he checked in as usual.

[Ding! Japanese visa successfully obtained]

[Received: Half a pound of meat coupons, one soap coupon, 3 yuan in cash, and a small basic fitter's skill experience pack]

Fitter skills? Chen Yu raised an eyebrow. It seemed the system was preparing him for his upcoming job. He immediately used the skill pack, and his mind flooded with various basic fitter knowledge: blueprint reading, measurement, filing, drilling, tapping... Although it was only at the beginner level, it already surpassed the level of many apprentices.

I had just finished breakfast—two cornbread buns with pickled vegetables—when there was a knock on the door.

When the door opened, it was He Yuzhu, dressed in dark blue overalls, wearing a liberation cap, and carrying an aluminum lunchbox.

"Xiao Chen, hurry up! Director Wang asked me to take you to the steel rolling mill to report for duty. The temporary worker arrangement has been finalized!" He Yuzhu's voice was loud and clear, with a smile on his face. "Today's your first day, don't be late!"

Chen Yu was overjoyed: "So fast? Brother Zhu, wait a moment, I'll change my clothes."

He changed into his best blue overalls and tucked the small cloth bag he had prepared the night before into his pocket—it contained five ordinary-quality calming pills. Before leaving, he straightened his collar one last time in front of the broken mirror. The young man in the mirror had clear eyes and a calm demeanor.

The two left the courtyard house and walked through the alleyways in the early morning. Breakfast vendors were already open, the aroma of fried dough sticks filling the air. The sounds of bicycle bells rose and fell, as the flow of people heading to work gradually solidified into a river.

"Brother Zhu, thank you so much this time," Chen Yu said sincerely.

He Yuzhu waved his hand: "Hey, I'm just passing on a message. Director Wang said that you are the orphan of a martyr, and your family background is good, so the factory already has preferential policies. It just so happens that the third workshop is short of a porter, so you can work there for now, and you can become a permanent employee when there is an opportunity."

The steel rolling mill is located in the east of the city and covers a vast area. Even before entering the factory, the roar of machines could be heard. Towering chimneys billowed white smoke, and the air was filled with the mixed smell of steel and machine oil.

At the factory gate, workers lined up to show their work permits before entering. He Yuzhu, the canteen chef, was a familiar face. He greeted the gatekeeper and led Chen Yu inside.

"I'll take you to the personnel department to report first, and then we'll go to Workshop 3 to find Director Li," He Yuzhu explained as they walked. "Our factory is a large one with 10,000 employees, divided into several workshops. Workshop 3 mainly does profile processing; the work is a bit tiring, but the pay is decent. You can start working there first, and we'll talk more once you're familiar with it."

The personnel department was located in a three-story red brick building. The person handling the matter was a middle-aged woman wearing glasses. After reviewing Chen Yu's letter of introduction and the certificate from the street office, she quickly completed the formalities.

"Temporary worker, monthly salary is 18.5 yuan, 25 jin of grain coupons, and other ration coupons are issued at half the rate for regular workers," the female cadre said matter-of-factly. "The probationary period is three months, and it can be renewed if you perform well. You can pick up your work permit in a couple of days."

After leaving the personnel department, He Yuzhu patted Chen Yu on the shoulder: "Let's go to the workshop!"

The steel rolling mill was larger than I had imagined. Rows of tall factory buildings lined both sides of a wide cement road, with slogans such as "Learn from Daqing in Industry" and "Safety First" painted on the walls. Flatbed carts carrying materials rumbled along the tracks, and workers hurried by.

Workshop 3 is a steel-structured factory building. Upon entering, a wave of heat and noise hits you. Huge rolling mills are running, with red-hot steel billets shuttling between the rollers and being pressed into various profiles. The air is filled with the smells of rust, machine oil, and sweat.

The workshop office was a small room separated by glass in a corner of the factory. Director Li was a man around fifty years old, with a square face, dark skin, and thick fingers; he looked like a veteran worker.

"Director Li, this is Chen Yu, the new temporary worker," He Yuzhu introduced.

Director Li looked Chen Yu up and down, then frowned: "So young? Can he handle physical labor?"

"Don't worry, Director Li, I've been doing farm work since I was a child, so I'm strong," Chen Yu said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"Alright, go to the changing room to change into your work clothes and report to Master Wang." Director Li waved his hand. "Today, we'll start by moving scrap materials to familiarize ourselves with the environment."

The locker room was piled high with work clothes stained with oil. Chen Yu received a set of slightly worn dark blue work clothes and a pair of work shoes. After changing into them, he instantly looked like an ordinary steel rolling worker.

Master Wang, a worker in his forties, was a man of few words. He led Chen Yu to the scrap area at the back of the workshop. Various scraps and junk steel were piled up there, needing to be sorted and transported to designated areas.

"These are scrap angle iron; move them to the red area over there. Those are scrap sheet metal; move them to the blue area," Mr. Wang explained simply. "A truck will come to pick them up this afternoon. Be careful and wear gloves."

The work was indeed tiring. The scrap steel was heavy; a single sheet weighed dozens of kilograms, and the angle steel was even longer and heavier. An ordinary worker would have to take a break after carrying just a dozen or so pieces, but Chen Yu's body, after undergoing marrow cleansing, far surpassed that of ordinary people, allowing him to work with ease.

He worked quickly and efficiently, soon finishing clearing away the waste in one area. Master Wang, who had been supervising the other workers from a distance, turned around and was taken aback: "This young man has good stamina."

"It's alright, I'm used to working from home." Chen Yu smiled and continued working.

When the lunch bell rang, the workers surged into the canteen like a tide. The steel rolling mill canteen was very large, capable of accommodating thousands of people at the same time. He Yuzhu was getting his food at the window when he saw Chen Yu, so he deliberately scooped out an extra spoonful of food.

"How are you? Are you tired?" He Yuzhu asked.

"It's alright, I can adapt." Chen Yu was holding a lunchbox—two steamed buns made from two kinds of dough, a spoonful of cabbage stew with vermicelli, and surprisingly, there were two slices of pork belly inside.

The two found a corner to sit down. The canteen was bustling with activity as workers ate and chatted, their topics ranging from production tasks to everyday family matters.

As he was eating, Chen Yu suddenly felt someone staring at him. He looked up and saw several young female workers chatting and laughing quietly at a table not far away. One of them, a girl with braided pigtails, kept glancing in his direction.

The girl was about eighteen or nineteen years old, with a round face, big eyes, and two dimples when she smiled. When she noticed Chen Yu looking over, she blushed and quickly lowered her head.

He Yuzhu followed Chen Yu's gaze and smiled, "That's Zhou Xiaomei, the statistician from Workshop Three, one of the factory's beauties. What, you've got your eye on her?"

Chen Yu shook his head: "Brother Zhu is joking. I just feel like he looks familiar."

"It's normal to recognize her; everyone takes a second look at pretty girls," He Yuzhu said in a low voice. "But I have to warn you, this girl isn't easy to pursue. Her father is the head of the supply and marketing department at the factory; he has very high standards."

Chen Yu smiled but didn't reply. His mind wasn't on that.

After lunch, the workers had a half-hour break. Chen Yu didn't return to the workshop, but instead found a quiet corner—a small open space behind the factory with a few old locust trees.

He sat cross-legged under the shade of a tree, seemingly resting with his eyes closed, but in reality, he was circulating the *Tai Xuan Zhen Jing* (a Buddhist scripture). Although the spiritual energy in the steel mill was thin, cultivation required perseverance. After circulating the energy for three small cycles, he clearly felt that the spiritual energy within his body had reached a critical point.

"We should be able to break through today."

The afternoon's work was heavier—the newly arrived steel billets needed to be unloaded from the flatbed truck and transported to the heating furnace. Each billet weighed over 100 kilograms, requiring two people to work together using iron hooks to move it. Chen Yu's partner was a young man in his early twenties named Liu Jianjun, a permanent employee.

"Chen Yu, right? The new guy?" Liu Jianjun asked as he hung up the iron hook.

"Yes, today is the first day."

"Then you'd better be careful, this job is dangerous," Liu Jianjun warned. "The billets are hot, there are many machines, and there was an accident in the second workshop a few days ago. An apprentice lost a finger."

Chen Yu nodded, but his hands moved very steadily. He had keen senses and could detect changes in the temperature of the steel billet and the operating rhythm of the surrounding machines in advance, so he could work with ease.

Around 3 p.m., a commotion suddenly broke out in the workshop.

"Make way! Make way! Call the infirmary! Quickly, call the infirmary!" Several workers carried a person and hurriedly ran outside.

Chen Yu looked over and saw that the person being carried was a middle-aged worker, his face was pale, sweat was beading on his forehead, and he was clutching his chest.

"What's wrong with Lao Zhao?" someone asked.

"I don't know, he suddenly clutched his chest and collapsed!"

"It looks like he's having a heart attack!"

Chaos erupted in the workshop. Director Li rushed in, his face grim: "Get him to the infirmary immediately! Who will notify his family?"

Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. He took out the small cloth bag from his pocket and quickly stepped forward: "Director Li, I have some medicine here, it might help."

Everyone looked at him. Director Li frowned: "You? What medicine?"

"Qingxin San is for calming the mind and soothing the nerves. It might be helpful for sudden heart palpitations." Chen Yu took out a light green pill.

"Nonsense! Who's responsible if you get sick from taking medicine randomly?" shouted a man who looked like an official.

Old Zhao suddenly started convulsing and breathing rapidly. The infirmary was at the other end of the factory area, and it would take at least ten minutes to carry him there.

Chen Yu looked at Director Li: "Director Li, the situation is urgent. I've used this medicine myself, it's safe. Have Master Zhao hold it under his tongue. If it's ineffective, I'll take responsibility."

Seeing Old Zhao's increasingly worse complexion, Director Li gritted his teeth and said, "Give it a try!"

Chen Yu placed the Qingxin Powder under Old Zhao's tongue. The pill dissolved upon contact with saliva, releasing a cool sensation. A miracle occurred—in less than a minute, Old Zhao's breathing gradually stabilized, and his complexion regained some color.

"It works! It works!" exclaimed a worker nearby.

Old Zhao slowly opened his eyes and said weakly, "Much...much more comfortable..."

The doctor from the infirmary arrived just then and, after examining the patient, exclaimed in surprise, "Your heart rate is stable! What medication did you just take?"

Chen Yu handed the remaining Qingxin Powder to the doctor: "It's a calming medicine I made myself. The main ingredients are Qingxin grass, mint, and other common herbs."

The doctor took the pill, smelled it, and carefully scraped off a little to taste: "Cooling and calming...it's definitely the right medicine. Young man, you've prescribed a good prescription!"

A crisis was averted. Director Li's gaze towards Chen Yu changed: "Young Chen, you can even dispense medicine?"

"I've studied a little bit of traditional Chinese medicine, and I only know the basics," Chen Yu said modestly.

"Good! Good!" Director Li patted him on the shoulder. "You've done a great job today! Old Zhao is a level seven fitter, a treasure of the factory. If something really happened to him, it would be a real problem!"

The news quickly spread throughout the workshop. The workers looked at Chen Yu with more curiosity and admiration. After all, in this era, people who knew medicine were respected.

When it was time to leave work, He Yuzhu waited for Chen Yu to walk together.

"Well done, Xiao Chen! You've been keeping a low profile!" He Yuzhu laughed. "Now the whole workshop knows about the new temporary union member who's in charge of distributing medicine!"

"It was just a coincidence," Chen Yu said.

"A lucky break is a skill too!" He Yuzhu lowered his voice. "Let me tell you, Director Li values ​​talent the most. Your performance today might just get you a permanent position sooner!"

On the way back to the courtyard house, Chen Yu's mind wasn't on getting promoted. He was more concerned about the changes in the spiritual energy within his body—after the accumulation during the day and the replenishment he had just experienced, the opportunity for a breakthrough had arrived.

Sure enough, when I entered the small world to cultivate after dinner, after only one full cycle, the spiritual energy in my body burst open a key acupoint like a flood breaking through a dam.

[Successfully broke through the first level of the "Tai Xuan Zhen Jing"]

[Officially entering the first level of the Qi Refining stage]

[With the initial awakening of spiritual consciousness, the range of spiritual energy perception has expanded to ten zhang.]

Physical fitness further enhanced, with strength, speed, and endurance increasing by 20%.

[Unlock basic spells: Eye of the Spirit (Beginner), Cleanse]

A series of system notifications invigorated Chen Yu. He felt the surging spiritual energy within his body—although still weak, it was already circulating freely in his meridians, forming a stable cycle.

With a thought, he tried to use his spiritual eye technique. A barely perceptible white light flashed in his eyes, and when he looked at the small world again, the scene was completely different—he could see the faint spiritual energy specks floating in the air, the pale blue spiritual light emanating from the spiritual spring, and even the tiny spiritual energy veins flowing inside the purple-gold grass.

"Is this the perspective of a cultivator?" Chen Yu murmured.

The dust-removal spell is even more practical; with a simple hand gesture, the dust in the room automatically gathers into a clump and falls into the trash can. Although it's just a small spell, it's quite convenient in daily life.

The breakthrough brought not only an increase in strength, but also a boost in confidence. Although the first level of Qi Refining was nothing in this world, it already gave him the ability to protect himself.

When Chen Yu exited the small world, it was already late at night. Just as he was about to rest, his spiritual sense detected movement outside—not the mysterious dark figure from before, but two people talking in hushed tones.

He moved silently to the window and activated his spiritual eye technique. Through the paper-covered window, he could see two figures standing in the corner of the courtyard. One was Xu Damao, and the other... was actually his third uncle, Yan Bugui?

"...This is risky, we need to pay more." Xu Damao's voice was very low.

"Don't worry, as long as the items are genuine, money is not a problem." Yan Bugui's voice was urgent. "I have an old classmate who works at the Cultural Relics Bureau; he can authenticate them."

"Okay, I'll contact them again. But it's settled then, I want 30% if it works out."

"25%, that's the most we can do."

"make a deal!"

The two parted hastily after finishing their conversation. Chen Yu frowned. Xu Damao and Yan Bugui were secretly trading cultural relics? That's interesting. It seems everyone in the courtyard has their own secrets.

On his second day at work, Chen Yu clearly sensed a change in the attitudes of those around him.

"Little Chen is here!"

"Chen Yu, thanks to you yesterday!"

"You can dispense medicine? That's impressive!"

The workers greeted him warmly. Even Director Li nodded when he saw him: "Xiao Chen, don't move scrap materials today. Follow Liu Jianjun and learn how to operate the machines. Start with simple feeding."

This was to train him. Chen Yu understood, but remained calm: "Thank you, Director Li."

Learning to operate the feeder from Liu Jianjun wasn't difficult. Chen Yu had basic fitter knowledge, so he quickly grasped mechanical principles. His keen observation skills allowed him to subtly observe the machine's operation, and his speed at which he learned surprised even Liu Jianjun.

"Chen Yu, you've really never done this before?" Liu Jianjun asked skeptically.

"No, I just like tinkering with machines," Chen Yu replied while operating the machine.

Around 10 a.m., an unexpected person came to the workshop—Zhou Xiaomei, the statistician. She was checking production data with her notebook, and paused as she passed Chen Yu.

"Comrade Chen Yu, thank you for saving Master Zhao yesterday," she said softly, her face slightly flushed.

"Of course," Chen Yu replied politely.

"Um... you know how to dispense medicine, could you..." Zhou Xiaomei hesitated, "My grandma has been suffering from severe insomnia lately, and the medicine prescribed by the hospital isn't working well. Your Qingxin San..."

Chen Yu understood: "I have a few more left, I'll bring them to you tomorrow so you can try them. But I have to make it clear first, this is just to help calm your nerves, if it's serious you'll need to see a doctor."

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Zhou Xiaomei's eyes lit up, and she left happily.

Liu Jianjun leaned over, winking and saying, "Wow, Chen Yu, even the factory beauty is talking to you!"

Chen Yu smiled but didn't reply. His mind was more focused on how to utilize his newly acquired Spiritual Eye technique—how useful would it be in industrial production if he could see through the internal structure of materials?

At lunchtime in the cafeteria, He Yuzhu mysteriously pulled Chen Yu aside: "Little Chen, something good has happened!"

"What's wrong, Brother Zhu?"

"Director Li has spoken to the personnel department, and they're preparing to promote you to a permanent position early! The paperwork can be completed next month!" He Yuzhu said excitedly. "After becoming a permanent employee, your salary will be twenty-eight yuan, plus full payment vouchers! You're all set now!"

Chen Yu was also secretly pleased. Becoming a permanent employee meant a stable income and status, which was an important guarantee for his marriage to Qin Huairu.

"Thanks to Brother Zhu for his help."

"Hey, you're the one who's capable!" He Yuzhu waved his hand. "But I have to remind you, your permanent position isn't finalized yet, so don't mess things up during this time. Some people in the workshop are envious, so be careful."

Chen Yu nodded. He understood the saying that the workplace is like a battlefield.

While working in the afternoon, he clearly felt several unfriendly gazes. Those were from a few long-time temporary workers who had been working there for several years without being promoted, and naturally they couldn't stand to see the newcomer rise to the top so quickly.

Chen Yu remained calm and continued working diligently. Faced with absolute power, these petty schemes were insignificant.

On his way home from get off work, he made a special trip to the supply and marketing cooperative, where he used his meat coupons to buy half a pound of pork belly and some vegetables. He planned to treat himself to a better meal tonight—to celebrate breaking through the Qi-refining period and to celebrate his successful work.

As soon as I entered the courtyard, I saw Matchmaker Liu waiting at my door with a big smile on her face.

"Xiao Chen! You're back! Great news! The Qin family has given their approval!" Matchmaker Liu whispered, "Huai Ru's parents said that as long as your official marriage is settled, the wedding can be held anytime! They are extremely satisfied with you!"

Chen Yu felt a warmth in his heart: "Aunt Liu, you've gone to so much trouble. The matter of becoming a full-fledged employee is already in the works, and it should be finalized next month."

"That's wonderful!" Matchmaker Liu clapped her hands. "I'll go tell the Qin family right away! Little Chen, your life is getting better and better!"

After seeing off Matchmaker Liu, Chen Yu carried the meat and vegetables back to his house. As he passed the middle courtyard, Jia Zhangshi was sitting at the door sewing shoe soles. When she saw the meat in his hand, her eyes widened.

"Oh, you bought meat? You've struck it rich?" The tone was sarcastic.

Chen Yu ignored her and went straight back into the house. He was in a good mood today and didn't want to bother arguing with this old hag.

For dinner, he made a bowl of braised pork, the aroma wafting far and wide. From the Jia family home came Banggeng's crying and wailing: "Grandma, I want meat! I want meat!"

Chen Yu shook his head and continued eating. After breaking through to the Qi Refining stage, his appetite had increased again, and he finished off half a pound of meat completely.

After the meal, he entered the small world and found that the Purple Gold Grass had grown another inch taller, and the flower bud at the top was even larger. The Heart-Cleansing Grass had also sprouted new leaves and could be harvested again.

"I'll refine an even better Qingxin Powder tomorrow," Chen Yu decided. With his Spiritual Eye Technique, he could observe the changes in the medicinal properties more accurately, increasing his success rate in alchemy.

In the stillness of the night, he sat cross-legged and cultivated. His cultivation speed at the first level of Qi Refining was significantly faster than before; he could clearly feel the increase in spiritual energy within just one night.

His spiritual sense expanded to ten zhang, allowing him to perceive the entire courtyard—the Jia couple were arguing in hushed tones, Xu Damao was counting money inside, and He Yuzhu was already snoring loudly...

Suddenly, he sensed a figure silently scaling the wall and entering the courtyard, heading straight for the backyard.

It was that mysterious dark figure again.

Chen Yu silently got up, activated his spiritual eye technique, and observed through the crack in the door. The dark figure lingered for a moment outside Liu Haizhong's window in the backyard, seemingly listening to something, before quickly leaving.

"This time it's my second uncle's house..." Chen Yu said thoughtfully.

The waters of this courtyard house were deeper than he had imagined.

But it doesn't matter, he has plenty of time. Once he's strong enough, all his secrets will be exposed.

Now, what he needs to do is take it one step at a time, working, cultivating himself, preparing for his wedding... to forge his own path in this special era.

The moonlight outside the window was perfect, and the courtyard was quiet and still in the night.

But Chen Yu knew that beneath this tranquility, undercurrents were surging.

And he was ready.