Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

More importantly, Xu Damao's threat of "you'll starve if you don't give me money" completely failed.

Since their last argument, he hasn't even given her her monthly allowance, so Yu Li is currently spending all of her own secretly saved money.

He had intended to use this tactic to force her to back down, but to his utter surprise, she turned around and took back a work permit from Lou Xiao'e.

"It's a small matter. I originally thought I would have to ask around one by one, but the first one was settled."

Lou Xiao'e stuffed the note into Yu Li's hand and said with a smile, "I remember you graduated from junior high school. The factory is currently undergoing its second round of expansion, and there is a severe shortage of people in the logistics department—I've arranged an auditor position for you. You'll start as an intern and then become a full-time employee."

This job doesn't require much brainpower; it's all about seniority. But it's reliable because the washing machine factory is connected to the Hong Kong-based Zhenghe Group, and orders are pouring in like snowflakes. The factory is constantly expanding its production capacity.

The internship pays 22 yuan, and the salary after becoming a full-time employee is 32 yuan. Salary increases depend on years of service. Even so, it is considered a respectable job in Beijing and is not tiring.

"It's just a bit far from the courtyard house; it takes an hour to walk there one way."

"Far?" Yu Li waved her hand. "It's a full-time job, I'd be happy to walk two hours! Xiao'e, I really owe you a big favor this time, that four hundred yuan you mentioned last time..."

"Stop!" Lou Xiao'e shook her head with a smile. "Don't mention money—I didn't spend a single penny; if you said 'a single sentence from Lou Xiao'e is worth four hundred yuan,' I'd be terrified!"

"Then I'll treat you to dinner? Are you free tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow...no way." Lou Xiao'e sighed. "The new director of the subdistrict office, Director Wang, is very efficient. I'm afraid to even breathe properly these days for fear of getting my attendance recorded. Let's wait until things calm down."

She sighed, but she knew in her heart that with Director Wang gone, she was starting to appreciate the old director—at least she could occasionally slip away and have He Yuzhu cover the work later. Now, she had to grit her teeth and bear it, even if it meant working overtime.

Fortunately, before Director Wang was transferred, he entrusted the matter of Lou Xiao'e donating her salary to an older woman in the street office. That woman had been working there for eleven years, since the time of the military control commission, but she had never been promoted because of family burdens, yet she kept the accounts as straight as a ruler.

As soon as Lou Xiao'e mentioned the new director, Yi Zhonghai, carrying two boxes of tea and a bag of snacks, climbed the stairs to Director Qian's house.

The idea came from the deaf old lady. Yi Zhonghai originally wanted to ask Deputy Director Ma for help, as they had a close friendship in the past and would exchange cured meats during festivals.

But when he went to inquire, he learned that Deputy Director Ma had been transferred, and the new Director Qian had already been in office for three days. Without saying a word, he turned around, bought a gift, and went straight to the new director's house.

These two trips alone cost forty yuan.

In his heart, however, as long as he could regain control of the "manager" of the courtyard house, this little money was enough to buy him decades of dignity.

The door opened.

A middle-aged man stood in the doorway, slightly overweight, with a furrowed brow. His gaze swept over the gift box in Yi Zhonghai's hand, and he asked in a flat tone, "Who are you?"

"Director Qian, hello! I'm Yi Zhonghai, a level seven fitter from Hongxing Courtyard." Yi Zhonghai quickly pulled the gift closer to his chest, his smile both sincere and humble. "I heard you've just taken office, so I've come to pay my respects..."

As soon as Yi Zhonghai finished announcing his name, the newly appointed Director Qian looked up and asked, "Yi Zhonghai? Is that the seventh-level fitter who volunteered to go to the Northwest to support the construction?"

"That's right, it's me. But I had a bit of an accident while working over there—I slipped off the scaffolding and badly injured my right leg, and now I have this problem..."

Yi Zhonghai spoke lightly, even forcing a self-deprecating smile, but he knew very well that this limp had long become his most effective trademark. Whenever he mentioned something, the mere mention of this injury would immediately earn him three times more respect.

"Master Yi is wrong! The injuries you sustained while wielding sledgehammers and carrying steel beams for the country are medals, not burdens!"

Director Qian immediately stepped aside to clear the doorway, his tone sincere: "Please come in, let's talk inside."

Once inside, he personally brewed tea, and as the steam rose, he asked unhurriedly, "Master Yi, what troubles you today? Please tell us, and the neighborhood committee will lend a hand if they can."

"Actually, it's nothing important. I just heard that Director Qian has taken up a new post, so I came to pay him a visit and also to hear some of his advice..."

Yi Zhonghai smiled broadly. He had carefully considered these words last night; they were both dignified and left room for maneuver.

"I used to be the steward of a courtyard house, but I was dismissed by Director Wang because of a misunderstanding. After that, I reflected on myself every day, thinking about where I had fallen behind the times—that's why I gritted my teeth and applied for the Northwest aid project..."

The manager?

Director Qian raised an eyebrow slightly, momentarily taken aback. The subdistrict office had never actually used that title.

But then he thought about it again. The Military Control Commission had indeed implemented mediators in some alleys back then, and some long-time residents, for the sake of convenience, simply called them "the steward uncle," which was the common term in many parts of Beijing. He had worked his way up from a low-level street clerk, and hadn't quite grasped this connection yet, but now he was starting to appreciate it.

Before he could speak, Yi Zhonghai interrupted, "Director Qian, my thinking was truly transformed during my time in the Northwest. Looking back now, all those detours I took were due to a lack of awareness. So I would like to earnestly request that you give me a chance—to go back to the courtyard house and be the steward again."

"This time, I will not only talk the talk, but also take concrete actions to prove that I have really changed and completely cut ties with the past."

After listening, Director Qian understood immediately: So all that going through all that trouble was just to get the title of "big boss in charge".

His eyes glanced at the heavy paper package on the table—the outline of a Moutai bottle was clearly visible, and the pastry box was tied with red silk; it was worth at least twenty yuan. How could someone who wasn't even a formal employee of the neighborhood committee deserve such a generous gift? Director Qian shook his head inwardly, but only smiled: "Master Yi, who's the current manager of your compound?"

"Liu Haizhong in the backyard. He used to be the second eldest uncle. After Yan Bugui and I from the front yard were dismissed, he was the only one left—there were originally three eldest uncles in charge."

Yi Zhonghai's voice suddenly rose, his speech quickened by half a beat, and he unconsciously tapped his knee twice with his fingers, his eyes gleaming.

Director Qian said slowly, "If there's only one person in charge in a courtyard, can mediation still be called mediation? Doesn't it just become one person making all the decisions?"

Yi Zhonghai nodded hurriedly, "Director Qian is absolutely right! He truly deserves to be the backbone of the entire street!"

"Okay, I understand. Master Yi, go back and wait for news. Once things are settled, the neighborhood committee will send someone to notify you."

This job doesn't even require any official stamping or procedures; he can decide it just by saying so. However, to be on the safe side, we should still go to the office tomorrow to verify—if it's really as Yi Zhonghai said, arranging one shouldn't be too difficult.

"Yes! Thank you, Director Qian. I'll take my leave now!"

When Yi Zhonghai stood up, his back was ramrod straight, and even the sound of his cane tapping the ground was light and quick.

Director Qian saw him to the door, watching him walk away steadily with his cane. Back inside, he unpacked the gifts and examined them closely: the Maotai liquor was still sealed with its clay seal, and the Suzhou-style pastries were wrapped tightly in oil paper… It probably cost more than twenty yuan in total. Just to compete for a "manager's position" that wasn't even a temporary worker position, tsk, he really went all out.

The next morning, Director Qian had just stepped into the street office gate, intending to ask the clerk about the courtyard house.

He happened to run into Deputy Director Ma, so he took the opportunity to greet him: "Old Ma, there's something I'd like to verify with you."

"Director Qian? Please speak frankly. We are all comrades-in-arms, and I will speak my mind without reservation!" Deputy Director Ma laughed heartily, without the slightest hint of pretension in his words.

Director Qian nodded and got straight to the point: "You've heard of Yi Zhonghai, the senior fitter from the steel rolling mill, who volunteered to go to the Northwest for reconstruction, right? He's from that courtyard house."

"Oh, I know! Director Qian, what's wrong with him?"

Deputy Director Ma was secretly pleased—he had personally told Yi Zhonghai about Director Qian's background yesterday, but he hadn't expected the action to be so swift.

"He came to our door yesterday, saying that he had gained some enlightenment in the Northwest and wanted to contribute to the community, so he wanted to... become the neighborhood magistrate again."

Director Qian briefly explained his points, still puzzled: how could a cushy job that didn't even involve the street office accounting for wages make a seventh-grade fitter so concerned? But since the man had already brought it up and given the gift, he decided to ask around for him.

After listening, Deputy Director Ma frowned slightly, pretended to ponder for a moment, and then solemnly said, "Director Qian, I think this old comrade's attitude is sincere. I also heard a little about his dismissal back then—it was purely because he didn't fully understand the policies and did something wrong with good intentions, which is why Director Wang had no choice but to deal with him. Now that he has taken the initiative to come back to serve the people, we should support him!"

"Well, if that's the case, then let's give him that chance."

Director Qian nodded in agreement. It was a small matter, no need to worry about it.

Clutching the letter of introduction, Yu Li went straight to the personnel department of the washing machine factory to complete the formalities without even going home.

She also met Deputy Factory Director Bai—who was completely different from the gentle and kind person Lou Xiao'e had described: his face was taut, he didn't talk much, but every sentence he uttered was measured with a ruler, and every word commanded respect.

Even with Lou Xiao'e's connection, Yu Li didn't dare to utter a single word of gossip and simply listened to the arrangements.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly, the formalities were completed on the same day, and the employment relationship was finalized. Tomorrow, she will be able to put on her brand-new blue work clothes and officially start working.

During her internship, Yu Li only received 22 yuan, and she would never have to ask Xu Damao for a single penny again. Once she became a full-time employee, her monthly salary would only be three to five yuan less than Xu Damao's.

Although the factory was far from home, by sheer coincidence, there was a bus that went directly to the factory gate. Yu Li bought a monthly pass for two yuan, swiped her card when she got on the bus, and left – it was convenient and efficient.

at night.

Xu Damao had just returned from showing a movie and was slumped in a chair to catch his breath when Yu Li laid out the whole story.

When Xu Damao heard that she had actually gotten a job at the factory, he was stunned, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets. He then anxiously asked, "How did you get this job? No way! If you go to work, who will clean the house? Who will cook?"

"What are you cleaning up? You're never home, the ashes on the stove could grow scallions! Kids? We don't have any kids here!"