Courtyard Houses: Starting with Li Yunlong's Comrades-in-Arms

At the other end of the workshop, Jia Dongxu sat alone on an iron stool next to his workstation, with no one else around. He placed his hands on his knees, his ten fingers slowly clenching into a fist.

He heard the announcement on the radio about the temporary skill level exam clearly. Level 3 worker. This time, he was determined to pass the Level 3 exam. He repeated this sentence to himself over and over again, like a nail being hammered repeatedly into a wooden board, each hammering deeper and deeper.

He's worked at the steel rolling mill for nine years. Nine years ago, when he first joined the factory, he was only eighteen years old, knew nothing, and apprenticed under Yi Zhonghai. At that time, he thought he was lucky to have a sixth-grade worker as his mentor, and his future should be bright. But nine years have passed, and ever since he passed the exam to become a second-grade worker, his grade has remained at the second-grade level and hasn't changed.

Every time he took a grading exam, Yi Zhonghai would say that he was still lacking in this area and that area, and that he needed to practice more and wait a little longer. He waited and waited, and eight years passed just like that.

Yi Zhonghai. His fists clenched even tighter when he thought of that name. Ever since Jia Zhangshi's outburst, Yi Zhonghai outwardly treated him the same as before in the courtyard, speaking and greeting him as usual. But Jia Dongxu knew in his heart that something had changed.

He later asked around for work twice more, but each time the negotiations went smoothly only to change their minds the next day. Jia Zhangshi's outburst was satisfying, but it didn't solve anything. Qin Huairu still hasn't found a job, the family is still struggling financially, and the two children still only have his allowance.

What frustrated Jia Dongxu even more was that in order to get Yi Zhonghai to continue lending money and grain to the Jia family to get through the spring famine, he had to make Banggeng recognize Yi Zhonghai as his godfather, kowtow, and call him grandfather. Yi Zhonghai gave him a red envelope and smiled so much that the wrinkles on his face smoothed out.

He knew what that meant. It meant that from then on, Jia Dongxu would have to bow even lower in front of Yi Zhonghai, as if someone had tied an invisible rope around his neck, one end of which was being held tightly in Yi Zhonghai's hand, and the rope was being pulled tighter and tighter. He couldn't break free, and he didn't dare to.

Qin Huairu and her two children were still relying on the meager grain borrowed by Yi Zhonghai to survive. If she fell out with Yi Zhonghai, the family would really run out of food.

He hated it. He hated Yi Zhonghai, and he hated himself. He hated himself for being useless, for after all these years he was still only a second-level worker. If he were a sixth-level worker like Liu Erhe, earning more than seventy yuan a month, even if he was the only one in his family with a ration, he could still manage. He wouldn't have needed to beg Yi Zhonghai for money or grain, nor would he have needed his son to recognize some kind of godfather.

But reality is reality. He wasn't a level six worker; he was a level two worker, earning just over thirty yuan a month to support a family of four, and still relying on others for help.

Laughter came from Zhao and Liang Cheng's direction in the workshop. Someone had said something funny, and the laughter carried clearly through the empty workshop. Jia Dongxu glanced over and saw Liang Cheng's smiling face, Liu Erhe sitting next to him holding a jar with a relaxed expression, and Zhao patting his apprentice on the shoulder and saying something.

Of all those people, none were as miserable as him. Liang Cheng and Master Zhao's apprentices, after learning from their masters for three or four years, could basically pass the exam to become level two workers, and after another two years, they could become level three workers. Liu Erhe had entered the factory a year earlier than him and was already a level six worker, while Jia Dongxu was still a level two worker.

He was unwilling to accept it. This unwillingness had grown wildly in his heart like weeds over the past few months, and he couldn't suppress it no matter what he did. Tomorrow and the day after, there were impromptu exams; this was his best chance.

If he could pass the Level 3 worker exam, he would earn an extra ten yuan a month, which would ease the family's burden and allow the children to eat more substantial meals. More importantly, he could stand taller in front of Yi Zhonghai and let him know that Jia Dongxu wasn't destined to be a Level 2 worker forever.

Jia Dongxu was staring intently at the workpiece when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure walking towards him from the other end of the workshop aisle. He knew who it was without even looking up. That gait, that slightly worn gray-blue overalls—in the steel rolling mill's fitter's workshop, only Yi Zhonghai walked like that.

The anger that Jia Dongxu had just suppressed surged up again. He clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly in his work pants pocket. But he didn't show it on his face. Instead, just before Yi Zhonghai approached, he straightened up, put on a perfectly timed, respectful smile, and took half a step to greet him.

"master."

Yi Zhonghai stopped in front of Jia Dongxu, glanced at him, and nodded: "Dongxu, you heard the factory's announcement, right? There's a quiz on the grading exam tomorrow and the day after."

Jia Dongxu nodded: "I heard you, Master."

"With your current skills, you should have no problem passing the Level 3 worker exam. I've been watching you for the past six months, and your work is much more stable than it was two years ago. You've got the precision under control, and the process flows smoothly on its own. Just do your best tomorrow, don't be nervous, just do your job normally."

Hearing these words, Jia Dongxu felt a surge of emotions he couldn't quite define—a mixture of mockery and bitterness. His face remained impassive; he simply bowed slightly, his tone sincere and respectful: "Thank you, Master. I understand. I will definitely do well on the exam tomorrow and not let you down."

Yi Zhonghai glanced at him again, nodded, and without saying anything more, turned and walked towards his workstation.

He glanced in Jia Dongxu's direction. Jia Dongxu had already returned to the lathe, head down, studying the blueprints, his back slightly hunched, like a bamboo stalk bent from being pressed down for too long. Yi Zhonghai looked away, tapping his fingers lightly twice on the chuck, calculating in his mind.

For the past six months, he has been intentionally or unintentionally putting Jia Dongxu under pressure. The Jia family's life has become increasingly difficult. Qin Huairu is unemployed, the two children have no income, and Jia Zhangshi's mouth is always full of food and drink. If it weren't for He Yuzhu occasionally bringing boxed lunches to help them out, the Jia family would probably have been starving long ago.

But He Yuzhu's boxed lunches alone weren't enough. Yi Zhonghai knew very well that for the past six months, he had to take out ten or twenty yuan from his salary every month to subsidize the Jia family. Sometimes he gave it directly to Jia Dongxu, and sometimes he had Qin Huairu come and collect it. It was nominally a loan, but everyone knew that the money couldn't be repaid in a short time.

He wasn't bothered by the small amount of money; his salary was enough, and after saving for so many years, a few dollars wouldn't make a difference. What bothered him was the feeling, as if he owed the Jia family something, having to pay them money every month, a feeling that made his heart ache.

It's time to pull back. After more than half a year of suppression, the Jia family has been humbled enough. After Jia Zhangshi's outburst, Jia Dongxu is much more respectful to him than before, and Banggeng has recognized him as his godfather. This connection is now firmly established.

If they continue to suppress it, and Jia Dongxu really goes all out and turns against them, or if something else happens to the Jia family, it will be harder to handle. It's time to offer a sweet treat.

Jia Dongxu passed the exam to become a Level 3 worker, and his monthly salary increased from over thirty yuan to over forty yuan. Although the extra ten yuan wasn't much, with the occasional financial assistance from He Yuzhu and the small change that Qin Huairu usually took from He Yuzhu's pocket, the Jia family could basically support themselves for the month.

Then he won't have to pay out those ten or twenty yuan every month anymore, the Jia family's life will be able to get by, and Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu won't feel that he's being too harsh or excessive.