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

The next morning, the machines roared in the steel rolling mill's fitter's workshop, and iron filings curled down from under the lathe's cutting edge, piling up in a small circle of grayish-black dust on the ground.

Liu Erhe stood in front of the metal cabinet next to his workstation, surrounded by three young men. They were all apprentices Liang Cheng had taken in over the years, and also junior brothers whom Liu Erhe had personally trained. The three men wore blue overalls with the sleeves rolled up to their forearms, each holding a piece of work that had just been processed, waiting for Liu Erhe's feedback.

Liu Erhe took the first workpiece handed to him by his round-faced junior apprentice, examined it from all angles, measured the outer diameter and chamfer with calipers, and nodded: "This work is well done, the tolerances are controlled, and the surface finish is good. It's just that you were a little too hasty when chamfering, look here—"

He lightly scraped the edge of the workpiece with his fingernail: "There's a very shallow burr, you can't see it unless you look closely, but if it's on a precision-fitted part, this tiny burr will be enough to make you rework it. Next time you're chamfering, be more steady with the feed, and don't rush to retract the tool."

The round-faced junior brother leaned over to look at the almost invisible burr, a slightly embarrassed smile on his face, nodded, and took the workpiece back.

Liu Erhe picked up the second workpiece handed to him by his junior apprentice, measured its dimensions, and patted him on the shoulder: "You did a good job, the dimensions are well controlled, and the surface is clean. But you need to practice your speed. You were a quarter of an hour slower than Lao Zhao at the same job. There are time limits during the factory's assessments. It's not enough to just do a good job; you also have to finish within the allotted time. Practice a few more times and increase your speed."

The tall, thin man nodded, put the workpiece away, and looked quite serious.

Liu Erhe picked up the third workpiece handed to him by his junior apprentice, glanced at it, and without saying a word, measured it with calipers, then held it up to the light to examine it. He then put down the calipers and beckoned to him: "Come and take a look yourself. Isn't the machining pattern on this inner hole different from the previous ones?"

The junior apprentice leaned over for a look and blushed. There was a distinct spiral mark inside the hole, a trace left by uneven feed speed.

The junior apprentice took the workpiece, nodded vigorously, and turned to return to his workstation. Liu Erhe picked up the enamel mug on the iron cabinet and took a sip of water. Before he could swallow, he caught a glimpse of two people walking towards him from the other end of the workshop aisle.

Yi Zhonghai was walking in front, and Jia Dongxu was following behind.

The two stopped next to Liu Er's workstation.

Yi Zhonghai spoke first, his tone carrying a feigned concern and a hint of probing: "Erhe, busy? I just saw you explaining the work to some of your junior brothers, and you were explaining it in quite detail."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Liu Er and the young apprentices behind him, before continuing, "With Master Liang gone, these lads have no one to teach them. Can you manage them all by yourself? If you're ever too busy, just let me know, and I can lend a hand."

Liu Erhe put down the enamel mug, glanced at Yi Zhonghai, and his lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

Liu Erhe placed the jar securely, a polite smile appearing on his face, but his tone remained firm: "No need for Master Yi to trouble himself, I can easily manage them all on my own. It's only natural for the senior apprentice to take care of the junior apprentice after the master's passing. When the assessment comes around the New Year, I'll take them for a run, and I'll also take the opportunity to test myself at the seventh-level craftsman level."

He spoke casually, but Yi Zhonghai didn't take it that way. Liu Erhe was already a level six worker; if he passed the level seven exam, his status in the workshop would be even more significant.

Yi Zhonghai's smile froze for a moment, but quickly returned, though a calculating glint flashed in his eyes.

Liu Erhe didn't give him a chance to reply. He turned around and raised his voice to the three junior apprentices standing beside their workstations, who were listening intently: "Listen up, you guys. Although you only passed the Level 3 worker exam this May, there are still a few months until the New Year. If you work hard, Level 4 might not be out of the question. Even if you don't pass this year, pass it next year. Don't embarrass your master, and don't embarrass me."

The three junior brothers immediately responded, each faster than the last. The round-faced one added, "Don't worry, senior brother, we'll definitely practice hard and try to pass the Level 4 exam this year."

Liu Erhe nodded in satisfaction. When he turned around, he caught a glimpse of Jia Dongxu's face out of the corner of his eye and saw his lips twitch slightly before he quickly pursed them.

Yi Zhonghai's expression also turned sour. Liu Erhe's words, ostensibly addressed to his fellow disciples, were in fact a veiled attack on one of them.

If failing the Level 4 exam is a disgrace to Liang Cheng, then who is the disgrace to Jia Dongxu if he fails the Level 4 worker exam? Isn't it Jia Dongxu, the Level 8 master craftsman, who is the disgrace? Yi Zhonghai felt a string in his heart being plucked, and a surge of anger rose within him.

But what bothered him even more wasn't this. If Jia Dongxu really passed the fourth-level technician exam, his monthly salary would increase from over forty yuan to over fifty yuan. With the occasional financial assistance from Qin Huairu and He Yuzhu, the Jia family's situation would completely improve. Once the Jia family was doing well, why would they still rely on him as their mentor? How could they expect Jia Dongxu to take care of them in their old age?

Yi Zhonghai stood next to Liu Erhe's workstation, opening his mouth as if to say something to reprimand Liu Erhe, to teach him the meaning of authority as a senior figure in a courtyard house, and the prestige of a veteran in a steel rolling mill. He only uttered half a sentence: "Erhe, what you're saying—"

"Erhe Brothers!"

A warm voice came from the other end of the corridor, abruptly cutting off Yi Zhonghai's sentence.

Yi Zhonghai and Liu Erhe turned around at the same time and saw a middle-aged man in a dark blue Zhongshan suit walking briskly towards them. It was Li Huaide, who had just been promoted to deputy director of the steel rolling mill this month.

Li Huaide walked up to Liu Erhe in a few steps. Before Liu Erhe could react, Li Huaide reached out and grabbed his hand, shaking it vigorously. His voice was half an octave higher than when he was in meetings at the factory office: "Brother Erhe! Busy, huh? Has your work been affected much since Master Liang Cheng left? If you have any difficulties, don't hesitate to ask Brother Li for help!"