Courtyard House: From Deputy Division Commander to Civilian, Progressing All the Way

On a weekend morning, the sunlight in Beijing shines through thin clouds onto the ancient city walls and the crisscrossing alleyways.

Although the chill of early winter has begun to spread in the air, for the people who have just welcomed the new China, life is more hopeful than ever before.

Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill enjoyed a rare day off.

Early in the morning, a military green jeep came to a steady stop at the gate of No. 95 Nanluoguxiang.

Lin Yang wasn't wearing his imposing military uniform today; instead, he wore a dark gray wool coat over a neat white shirt, making him look both dashing and refined. Tian Yu, on the other hand, wore a beige Soviet-style trench coat, her hair styled in two jet-black braids, and stood gently beside her husband.

"Brother, let's go, I'll take you somewhere today." Lin Yang called out to the side room of the main house.

The curtain was lifted, and Lin Fan walked out somewhat awkwardly. He was still wearing that faded, patched old cotton-padded jacket, and he nervously rubbed the hem of the jacket with his hands.

"Yangzi, where are we going on this weekend? I'm dressed like this... I'm dressed in rags, I don't want to embarrass you." Lin Fan lowered his head, his voice filled with deep self-consciousness.

For the past ten years, he has been exploited by the beasts in the courtyard house to the point of being unable to lift his head. The cowardice in his bones cannot be completely changed overnight.

Lin Yang stepped forward, put his arm around his older brother's shoulder, and said with unwavering determination, "Brother, you're my own brother! Even if you're dressed in a tattered sack and walk down the streets of Beijing, no one will dare look down on you! Come on, I'll show you the world today and get you some decent clothes!"

Without saying a word, Lin Yang pulled Lin Fan into the jeep.

Guard Li stepped on the gas, and the jeep roared as it headed towards the city center.

The street scene outside the car window rushed past. Lin Fan leaned against the window, looking at the new buildings that had sprung up and the pedestrians on the street who, although dressed simply, had smiles on their faces, and felt a strange sense of disorientation.

Half an hour later, the jeep drove into a quiet and heavily guarded street and finally stopped in front of a building with a strong Soviet architectural style.

There were no conspicuous signs at the entrance of the building, but two armed guards stood at the door, their eyes scanning the surroundings with the sharpness of hawks.

This is a newly established internal supply store in Beijing.

Only high-ranking cadres of a certain level or combat heroes who had received special merit awards were qualified to enter here to purchase supplies, with special supply certificates. The goods inside ranged from high-grade woolen fabrics imported from the Soviet Union and Swiss watches to various nutritional supplements and specially supplied tobacco and alcohol that could not be found on the market.

"Greetings, sir!"

Upon seeing Lin Yang get out of the car, the two guards immediately stood at attention and gave a perfectly standard military salute.

Lin Yang returned the salute, took out a red identification card from his jacket pocket, and handed it over. After carefully verifying that it was correct, the guard respectfully returned it with both hands and stepped aside to make way for him.

"Yangzi... this... is this place off-limits to ordinary people?" Lin Fan looked at the two armed guards, his legs trembling, and he dared not take a step inside.

Tian Yu walked over, gently took Lin Fan's arm, and said with a smile, "Big brother, you're now the family member of a war hero, why can't you come in? Come on, our mission today is to give you a complete makeover from head to toe."

Stepping into the building, it was warm and cozy, with a faint scent of camphor and the unique aroma of high-quality fabrics filling the air.

The lobby has gleaming terrazzo floors and a huge crystal chandelier overhead. Rows of spotless glass display cases are filled with a dazzling array of goods.

Lin Fan was completely dazzled.

The most upscale place he'd ever been was the supply and marketing cooperative at the entrance of the alley. Even buying soy sauce and matches required careful budgeting. He'd never seen anything like this before.

"Comrade, could you please bring out that dark blue Zhongshan suit for my brother to try on?" Lin Yang walked to the clothing counter and pointed to a suit hanging in the most conspicuous position.

The saleswoman behind the counter was a woman in her thirties. Although she was used to seeing high-ranking officials, she was exceptionally enthusiastic when she saw that Lin Yang was so young and had such an extraordinary demeanor.

"Sir, you have excellent taste! This is top-grade serge fabric that we just transferred from Shanghai. It's all hand-sewn, has a perfect cut, and looks incredibly elegant when worn!"

The sales clerk carefully took off the Zhongshan suit and handed it to Lin Fan.

Lin Fan touched the incredibly smooth fabric with trembling hands and subconsciously glanced at the price tag.

"Eighty...eighty dollars?!"

Lin Fan gasped and pulled his hand back as if he had been electrocuted.

Eighty yuan! When he was an apprentice at the steel rolling mill, he only earned a dozen yuan a month working himself to the bone! This set of clothes was worth more than half a year's worth of his food!

"Yangzi, no, no! This is too expensive! I'm perfectly fine in my old cotton-padded jacket; I can patch it up and wear it for years. Wearing this, I can't even walk properly!" Lin Fan waved his hands repeatedly, sweating profusely with anxiety.

Lin Yang frowned, grabbed the clothes, and forcibly stuffed them into Lin Fan's arms.

"Brother, listen up. In a few days, you'll be coming with me to Commander Li Yunlong's birthday banquet. All the founding generals there have crawled out of piles of corpses!"

Lin Yang's tone turned serious: "You are my elder brother, representing the face of our Lin family! Going there dressed in rags isn't just embarrassing me, it's embarrassing the entire Lin family! Go, change your clothes!"

Lin Fan was intimidated by his younger brother's irresistible aura and could only obediently take the clothes and walk into the fitting room.

Tian Yu covered her mouth and chuckled, "Can't you be a little gentler with your older brother? He's been suffering for the past ten years, he won't be able to adjust to this so quickly."

Lin Yang sighed, his eyes softening: "Wife, I'm forcing him to wash away the inferiority complex deep down. From now on, he needs to learn to stand tall and be a decent person in this city."

A moment later, the fitting room door opened.

The moment Lin Fan walked out, not only Lin Yang and Tian Yu, but even the sales clerk next to them had their eyes light up.

As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and gold makes the Buddha.

After changing into this well-tailored dark blue serge Zhongshan suit, Lin Fan's slightly hunched back, which had been a result of years of hard work, seemed to be straightened by the crisp clothes.

He already had regular features and bore a resemblance to Lin Yang. Now, having washed away the grime from his face and put on fine clothes, he instantly shed the sourness of a lowly laborer and exuded a steady and reliable aura.

"Brother, this outfit is practically tailor-made for you!" Tian Yu stepped forward, straightened his collar, and praised him highly.

Lin Fan stood in front of the dressing mirror, looking at his completely transformed self, and his eyes suddenly reddened.