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

Lin Fan patted his chest: "Besides, even if the sky falls, my brother will be there to hold it up! I, Lin Fan, may not be very capable, but as long as I have food to eat, I will never let you suffer the slightest grievance!"

These words contained no flowery language, only the most sincere promise.

Ding Qiunan looked at Lin Fan, her eyes welling up with tears.

She knew Lin Fan was telling the truth. With a powerful war hero and Party Secretary like Lin Yang as her backer, the slight concern about her family's political background was nothing to worry about.

But what truly touched her was Lin Fan's unreserved protection and sincerity.

"Lin Fan, thank you." Ding Qiunan smiled, her charm in that instant eclipsing even the warm winter sun.

At that moment, their hearts were completely drawn together.

They shared similar personalities, disliking vanity and scheming, and both yearning for a stable and genuine relationship. In the following days, Lin Fan would ride his bicycle to the machine repair shop to pick up Ding Qiunan after get off work every day. They would stroll together in the alleyways, eat wontons from street vendors, and their feelings for each other quickly blossomed.

Everyone in the machine repair shop was stunned. That aloof, icy beauty was actually taken, and the man was none other than the older brother of the Party Secretary of the neighboring steel rolling mill!

Those who had once coveted Ding Qiunan all silently swallowed their thoughts. Who would dare to compete with Secretary Lin's elder brother for a woman? They were asking for trouble!

……

When Lin Fan brought the good news back to the courtyard house and told Lin Yang and Tian Yu, the entire main room was filled with laughter and joy.

"That's wonderful! Big brother, I knew you and Qiu Nan would make it!" Tian Yu clapped his hands with joy, seemingly more excited than if it were his own wedding. "Qiu Nan is a good girl, you two will definitely have a prosperous and happy life together!"

Lin Yang sat in the armchair, holding a teacup in his hand, looking at his elder brother's radiant face, feeling extremely gratified.

Lin Fan has finally emerged from the shadows of the past decade. Now, he is confident, cheerful, and full of hope for the future.

"Brother, since you two are so in love, we can't delay this." Lin Yang put down his teacup and made the final decision. "This weekend, invite Qiu Nan over to our house for a formal introduction. Tian Yu and I will arrange the meal, and we can all have a good family gathering."

"Okay! I'll tell her tomorrow!" Lin Fan nodded excitedly.

After Lin Fan returned to the east wing to rest, Lin Yang's gaze fell on the furnishings in the room, and his brows furrowed slightly.

This main room, though spacious, had fallen into disrepair over the years. Some of the plaster was peeling off the walls, the windows were old-fashioned wooden lattice covered with paper, and the blue bricks on the floor were uneven and pitted. As for the furniture, it was all junk left over from the Jia family years ago, barely usable.

"Honey, this house won't do." Lin Yang shook his head.

Tian Yu followed Lin Yang's gaze and looked around, then understood what her husband meant.

"Yes, Qiu Nan comes from a scholarly family. This is her first time visiting our home formally. If she sees this dilapidated house, even if she doesn't say it, she will inevitably feel sorry for her brother."

"Since we're hosting a dinner, we have to make a good show of it. We absolutely can't let our future sister-in-law think that the Lin family is poor." Lin Yang stood up, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

"Xiao Li!" Lin Yang called out to the door.

The bodyguard, Xiao Li, immediately pushed open the door and came in: "Sir, what are your instructions?"

"Tomorrow morning, go to the factory's logistics department and find Deputy Factory Director Zhou. Tell him that I asked him to transfer some of the best bricklayers and carpenters from the factory's construction team."

Lin Yang began to assign tasks swiftly and decisively.

"Also, go to the department store and the lumber mill. Buy the best lime, large panes of clear glass, and top-quality red pine. This main house, and the east wing where my brother lives, must be completely renovated inside and out within three days!"

Xiao Li stood at attention and saluted: "Yes, sir! Mission accomplished!"

……

The next morning.

While the beasts in the courtyard were still asleep, the gate of No. 95 courtyard was broken down by a cacophony of footsteps and the roar of cars.

A truck loaded with building materials stopped at the entrance of the alley.

Seven or eight skilled workers, dressed in the uniforms of the steel rolling mill's construction team and moving nimbly, carried tools and scooped up lime, and poured into the Intermediate People's Court.

"Get to work! Hurry up! Secretary Lin ordered that the work must be completed within three days! If we delay the important event for the Secretary's family, none of us will be in good shape!" The foreman shouted.

The workers immediately got to work with great enthusiasm.

The huge commotion instantly woke everyone in the hospital.

The third uncle of the front yard, Yan Bugui, ran out wearing a cotton-padded coat. He was startled when he saw the scene.

"Hey guys, what are you doing demolishing this house so early in the morning?"

The foreman glared at him: "What house are you demolishing! We're from the steel mill's construction team, ordered to do the interior decoration for Secretary Lin's house! All irrelevant people, step aside and don't delay our work!"

furnish?!

Yan Bugui swallowed hard and craned his neck to look at the materials the workers were carrying.

The snow-white, fine, top-grade white lime, the premium red pine planks exuding the scent of pine, and the whole box of dazzlingly bright, transparent glass!

"My God..." Yan Bugui frantically fiddled with the abacus beads in his mind.

In those days, ordinary families used newspaper or Korean paper to cover their windows, which made them drafty and leaky in winter. If someone could install a pane of glass the size of a palm, it was a big deal to brag about in the yard for half a year!

But what about the Lin family? They actually brought in a whole box of large glass panes—they're going to replace the entire wall with glass! And that red pine wood, it costs several dollars per foot, how much money are they going to spend on that?!

Inside the courtyard, Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong stood in front of their own door, staring blankly at the bustling construction site inside the Lin family's main house.

Old, broken furniture was ruthlessly thrown out and smashed in the yard. The old plaster on the walls was quickly scraped off, and workers skillfully applied fresh, snow-white plaster. The old wooden lattice windows were completely removed and replaced with large, bright Western-style glass windows.

"Old Yi... has Lin Yang gone mad? It's just that he's transferred back to civilian life and is moving into a courtyard. Is it really necessary to make such a big fuss?" Liu Haizhong was so jealous that he was practically grinding his teeth.

His home, belonging to a level-seven worker, was still dark and damp, without even a decent wardrobe. Then look at the Lin family—they were practically bringing a palace into their courtyard house!

Yi Zhonghai's face was ashen, his hands were tightly clasped behind his back, and his nails dug into his flesh.

"He's establishing his authority!" Yi Zhonghai said through gritted teeth in a low voice. "He's telling everyone in the hospital that the Lin family is now powerful and influential, and can do whatever they want. He wants to make us envious and resentful!"