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

hiss--!

Upon hearing this, a collective gasp of astonishment filled the courtyard.

Tiger skin! Century-old wild ginseng!

These things can't be bought with money! They are symbols of power and status!

Not to be outdone, Ding Wei had a mahogany box brought in: "Brother Lin, I'm not as unsophisticated as Old Li. I've got a set of pure gold jewelry from the Qing Dynasty court as a dowry for your wife!"

Commander Liu then took out a beautifully framed calligraphy and painting: "This is the inscription 'May you have a long and happy marriage' personally written by the General. I managed to get it for you; consider it a token of our military region's appreciation to Brother Lin!"

The CEO personally wrote the inscription!

This gift instantly outweighed all the gold and silver treasures! It was practically a get-out-of-jail-free card!

Lin Fan was so excited that his whole body trembled. His hands shook as he accepted the calligraphy and painting, tears welling up in his eyes. "Thank you, Commander! Thank you, all the Commanders! I, Lin Fan, am unworthy to receive such a great gift!"

"Brother Lin, you are Yangzi's elder brother, which means you are the elder brother of our entire army! You deserve it!" Li Yunlong said loudly.

Just as the leaders were presenting their congratulatory gifts...

Outside the alley, another black sedan drove up.

The car door opened, and Lou Zhenhua, dressed in a smart suit, walked quickly over with Lou Xiao'e, who was dressed in a Western-style dress.

Lou Zhenhua is now a highly sought-after "red capitalist" in Beijing, and a member of the CPPCC. He knows that his success today is entirely due to Lin Yang's guidance. Today is Lin Fan's wedding, so naturally he has come to present a generous gift.

"Commander Lin! Section Chief Lin! Congratulations!" Lou Zhenhua greeted him with a beaming smile and utmost respect.

"Godfather! Godmother!" Ten-year-old Lou Xiao'e, like a cheerful little bird, rushed directly into Lin Yang and Tian Yu's arms.

"Xiao'e has grown taller." Lin Yang smiled and ruffled her hair.

Lou Zhenhua stepped forward, took out an exquisite sandalwood brocade box from his pocket, and handed it to Lin Fan with both hands.

"Section Chief Lin, this is just a small gift from me, nothing more. These are a pair of top-quality icy jadeite bracelets with floating green patterns that came from the palace years ago. They have excellent translucency. I wish you and your wife a long and happy life together!"

When the box was opened, the pair of emerald green, crystal-clear jade bracelets shone with a captivating luster in the sunlight, clearly priceless treasures!

"My God... this bracelet could probably buy our entire courtyard house!" Although Yan Bugui was poor, he still had a good eye. When he saw the pair of jadeite bracelets, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

Hiding at the back of the crowd, Jia Zhangshi drooled greedily at the tiger skins, gold masks, and jade bracelets, but the fear in her eyes deepened. She knew she would never have the right to even touch these things in her lifetime.

"Committee Member Lou, you're too kind. Please take a seat." Lin Yang smiled and nodded in greeting.

The three square tables in the courtyard were quickly filled.

At the main table sat Commander Liu, Li Yunlong, Zhao Gang, Ding Wei, Kong Jie, Lin Yang, and Tian Yu.

The other two tables were occupied by other military region generals and Lou Zhenhua and his daughter.

As for the neighbors in the courtyard, they weren't even qualified to sit at the table. They could only stand at the edge of the courtyard and watch longingly.

"The food is served!"

With a loud shout from He Daqing.

Sha Zhu carried the tray, flitting from one dish to another like a butterfly among flowers, bringing out the delicious and colorful dishes of the Tan family to the table.

"Braised sea cucumber with scallions! Braised fatty chicken! Steamed grouper! Crystal pork knuckle..."

Every dish was made with the finest ingredients, and He Daqing's culinary skills were so impressive that the generals were full of praise.

"Damn it! Yangzi, the cook in your yard is absolutely amazing! A hundred times better than the one at our military region's guesthouse!" Li Yunlong praised, giving a thumbs up as he ate sea cucumber with gusto.

Upon hearing this praise, He Daqing felt so excited that his bones seemed to lighten, and his face beamed into a wide smile: "I'm glad you enjoyed the meal, Commander! Just let me know if you want it again anytime!"

The atmosphere in the courtyard was extremely lively.

The generals clinked glasses, laughing and talking loudly about the interesting things that happened on the battlefield, their heroic spirit soaring.

Lin Fan and Ding Qiunan, holding wine glasses, went from table to table toasting, receiving abundant blessings.

Meanwhile, Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and others standing in the corner held the prepared money for their wedding gifts, but they couldn't bring themselves to give it away.

Because they weren't even allowed to approach those tables. The guards standing around them stared at them coldly, as if they would draw their guns the moment they dared to take a step closer.

"Old Yi... should we still give him the money?" Liu Haizhong asked, his voice trembling.

Yi Zhonghai gave a wry smile and silently put the twenty yuan back into his pocket.

"Give it away? They've even taken century-old wild ginseng and top-quality jade, why would they care about our twenty yuan? In their eyes, we're just a joke. Let's go back inside, don't embarrass ourselves here."

Yi Zhonghai, his back hunched, looked as if he had aged ten years in an instant, and walked back to the east wing with faltering steps.

Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui exchanged a glance, then slunk back into the house.

They knew that from this day forward, they and the Lin family were from completely different worlds. The Lin family was a divine dragon soaring above the heavens, while they were nothing more than ants struggling in the mud.

……

One o'clock in the afternoon.

The banquet in the courtyard was coming to an end.

But the climax of this grand wedding was only just beginning.

"Brother, sister-in-law! Let's go! Let's go to the steel mill's canteen! There are more than 10,000 workers there, and a hundred tables of banquet food are waiting for you!" Lin Yang stood up and said loudly.

"Let's go! Let's go join in the fun!" Generals Li Yunlong and others also stood up, full of enthusiasm.

The grand convoy started up again, carrying the Lin family and a group of military leaders, heading towards the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill.

The canteen at Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill was decorated as a sea of ​​red today.

One hundred large round tables were neatly arranged inside and outside the huge dining hall. Each table was laden with sumptuous stewed meat, steamed buns, and strong liquor.

Tens of thousands of workers, who had a day off, all gathered here. The air was filled with the sounds of gongs and drums and the crackling of firecrackers, making the atmosphere a hundred times more lively than during the Spring Festival.

When Lin Yang arrived with his convoy, the entire steel rolling mill erupted in cheers!

"Greetings, Commander Lin! Congratulations on your marriage, Section Chief Lin!"

The deafening cheers echoed through the sky.

Lin Yang walked up to the makeshift stage and took the microphone.

Looking at the simple and enthusiastic faces of the workers below the stage, he felt a surge of emotion.

"Fellow workers! Comrades!"

Lin Yang's voice was loud and full of passion.

"Today is the wedding day of my elder brother Lin Fan and my sister-in-law Ding Qiunan! I, Lin Yang, would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for taking care of my brother and for your contributions to the construction of the steel rolling mill over the past few months!"

"We, the working class, are the masters of this country! Today, there are no leaders, no superiors, only brothers! Let's eat and drink to our hearts' content! We won't leave until we're completely drunk!"

"good!!!"