Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

As soon as Yang Wenhong finished speaking, the crowd erupted in excitement. Everyone rushed home, frantically rummaging through their belongings to scrape together money to register. This time, they were building small brick-and-mortar houses, just like the new-style residences in the provincial capital! The factory was even lending a hand, paying for the construction of housing for its employees—who wouldn't be shrewd? These houses would come with official certificates, and they would belong to the factory in the future; no matter how spacious the dormitories were, they ultimately belonged to the factory, and once you left your post, you had to move out, leaving you nowhere to stand. Everyone eagerly awaited moving into their new homes.

He Yuzhu strolled into the garment factory again. The factory was old, narrow, and small. If it were decades later, outsiders would probably laugh out loud: This is no factory, it's just a tailor shop hidden in an alley!

Factory Director Zhou Min was already waiting at the office door and personally welcomed the person inside.

He Yuzhu cut to the chase: "Director Zhou, how many garments can the factory produce in a day?"

Zhou Min shook her head with a wry smile: "We barely managed to keep up with around a hundred sets. The machines were rusty and trembling, the workshop was drafty and leaky, and we didn't even have a decent ironing machine."

He Yuzhu leaned forward slightly: "The county just approved a brick factory, and I plan to push your factory to 'break out of its cocoon' first—you contribute some funds to renovate the factory buildings, and I'll get some brand-new sewing machine sets from the provincial capital on credit, thus increasing production capacity. Do you understand?"

Zhou Min rubbed her hands and sighed, "It's not that I don't want to do it, it's that I'm really afraid... Once the machines start running and the workers are all there, the clothes pile up like mountains, but nobody will buy them!"

He Yuzhu laughed heartily: "Roads are made by people walking on them! With the new machines here and the processes stable, our horizons naturally broaden. Factories in the surrounding counties can't even catch up to half of yours. When we send orders over, they're fighting over them!"

Before the bricks from the brick factory even hit the kiln, He Yuzhu had already secured the advance payments from the garment factory and the brick factory. He quickly allocated the funds to the Hongxing Commune and rushed to the provincial capital bank to secure a special loan—the money was earmarked for a single purpose, with only one goal in mind: get the brick factory up and running as fast as possible!

……

Qin Feng clutched the heavy allocation slip and headed straight for Hongxing Commune. The news had already spread—the county was going to build a brick factory in the village and recruit workers locally! The commune secretary stood on the threshing ground with a loudspeaker and shouted, and the whole village, young and old, rushed out, clapping and stomping their feet, making it even more lively than the New Year.

Whoever contributes during the factory construction will be given priority for employment after completion. Connections are not considered; only the calluses on their hands and the strength of their shoulders are taken into account.

Su Dahe, with his two sons, his trousers patched and his clothes made from burlap sacks, squatted at the commune gate before dawn to line up and register. The brigade leader had long ago declared, "Being a worker is ten times better than tending three acres of barren land!" He had nothing but inexhaustible energy.

He Yuzhu was hunched over his desk, pondering how to transport the first batch of blue bricks into the provincial capital, when there was a gentle knock on the door. Chen Yan poked his head in, his face beaming with the warmth of a long-awaited reunion.

Chen Yan: "Secretary He, I've missed you so much!"

He Yuzhu looked up and smiled: "Life's better in Guyun Town now, isn't it?"

Chen Yan scratched his head: "It's much better now, but new problems are emerging—we're making more and more duck products, but we can't sell them. They're piling up in the warehouse, which is really worrying."

He Yuzhu: "Have you figured out any solutions yet?"

Chen Yan quickly pulled out his notebook: "I was just about to ask the county government for directions, what a coincidence to run into you today!"

He Yuzhu stared at him silently for a few seconds, then gently placed the teacup back on the table. He understood: if you get used to relying on others, you'll become unable to take the first step.

He picked up his cup and blew away the foam: "Waiting for orders is not as good as seizing the time. It's easier to walk on a road paved by others, but it's not your own road after all. This time I'll take you on a journey. We'll set off this afternoon and go to the provincial capital together."

We can't entirely blame them—everything is difficult at the beginning. They can teach you step by step once or twice, but you still have to grit your teeth and overcome the remaining hurdles on your own.

After the meeting ended in the afternoon, the two jumped into a jeep and headed straight for the provincial capital. When they arrived at the railway bureau gate, the guard blocked their way, asking in a respectful but firm tone, "Comrade, who are you looking for?"

He Yuzhu took out his work ID and handed it over: "I'm the Party Secretary of Dongli County. I've arranged to meet with Director Qiu Weimin to discuss cooperation. Please register this."

After verifying their identification, the other person immediately put on a smiling face: "Please follow me, both of you!"

On the third floor, at the corner, Qiu Weimin was leaning back in his leather chair, puffing on a cigarette. He was in his early forties, with a slightly protruding belly, which was quite rare in those days.

He Yuzhu extended his hand to shake Qiu's: "Director Qiu, let's do a win-win deal—put the braised duck, pickles, and fried pastries from Guyun Town on your green train!"

Qiu Weimin raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Selling snacks on the train?"

He Yuzhu nodded: "Two special carriages will be set up, equipped with four mobile catering cars. The railway bureau will provide the positions, and we will supply the food, provide training, and ensure quality. Passengers will enjoy their meals, you will benefit more, and the public will have convenience—isn't that a win-win situation?"

Qiu Weimin stubbed out his cigarette and sat up straight.

After a moment of silence, he nodded: "Let's try two runs first. If it works, we'll roll it out across the entire line; if it doesn't, it won't cause any major damage."

He Yuzhu stood up and shook hands: "Thanks, Director Qiu!"

Qiu Weimin readily wrote down the phone number for Guyun Town and escorted him all the way to the gate.

Just as they stepped out of the iron gate, He Yuzhu suddenly stopped, pointed at the bustling crowd, and said to Chen Yan, "See? Where there are crowds of people, there's a way to make a living! Why don't you rent a shop facing the street and set up a stall at the train station? The train stations in the nearby counties are doing this—selling fresh, retail in large quantities, it's a hundred times better than having stockpiled goods!"

Chen Yan quickly jotted it down, his pen scratching rapidly. The first thing he would do upon returning was to gather his team and meticulously implement everything he had been told that day.

He Yuzhu gazed at the approaching train in the distance, his voice low but each word firm: "There were originally no roads in the world. As more people walked on them, roads were formed. And those who took the first step must look down at their feet, but also look up to find their direction."

Chen Yan nodded slightly. After having dinner with him at the state-run restaurant, He Yuzhu took the train back alone; while He Yuzhu had to stay in the provincial capital for a few more days to wander around and look for a more stable and promising future.

His first stop was the steel plant in the provincial capital. Logistics Minister Xu Changshun personally led the way, showing him around the entire plant area—the blast furnace chimneys were billowing white smoke, the rolling mill workshop was shaking so badly it made his feet tremble, the walls of the employee dormitory building were old but neatly maintained, the office building was bright and clean, and even the corridors exuded a sense of efficiency.

Xu Changshun wasn't intimidated at all by He Yuzhu's decision to return to Dongli County to set up a steel plant. That wasn't a business that could be started with just a few words or a few drawings; it would take at least ten years to even get started.

He Yuzhu clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Minister Xu is so thoughtful! This trip has been truly enlightening. I finally have a clear understanding of our province's steel resources."

Xu Changshun waved his hand, laughing heartily, "We're brothers, why stand on ceremony? Comrade He, just keep observing and asking questions!"

Then he rushed to the largest garment factory in the provincial capital. Deputy factory director Li Hongbo accompanied him the whole time, pointing to the newly arrived sewing machine group and talking endlessly. He also led him into the cutting workshop and ironing assembly line, and even lifted the curtains of the canteen and bathhouse for him to take a look.

He Yuzhu lightly tapped an old-fashioned flatbed sewing machine with his finger and asked, "Director Li, you just said that this 'old ox' is about to be retired? Can't it be taken out for a breather?"

Li Hongbo was taken aback, then nodded: "It works, but it's a bit slow, like an old ox pulling a broken cart. We haven't raised enough money to replace it yet, and that's where we're stuck."

He Yuzhu's eyes lit up: "Then Dongli County is willing to take over—to buy it back, is that alright?"

Li Hongbo scratched the back of his head: "We need to get this sorted out by the team. It might come in handy sometime when we expand production."

He Yuzhu looked around and suddenly changed the subject: "Director Li, your factory's workers are really hardworking, but there's one thing that's been bothering me."

Li Hongbo's face darkened, and the corners of his mouth drooped: "Oh? Secretary He has sharp eyes, I must ask—what's wrong?" (He thought to himself: Not only does he not praise us, but he also finds fault with a major factory in the provincial capital?)

"The dorm is too crowded," He Yuzhu said bluntly. "Three people are crammed into one room, and clotheslines are hung haphazardly on the windowsill. You have to squeeze through to get in."

Li Hongbo's tense face finally relaxed, and he sighed deeply: "Sigh...who doesn't want to build houses for everyone? But every brick and tile we lay could buy half a small county town!"

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "What a coincidence, our county's cement plant and your plant are a perfect match."

Li Hongbo perked up: "Tell me quickly!"

He Yuzhu spoke calmly and deliberately, presenting the same methods he had shared with the cement factory in their original form—using local materials, replacing wood with bricks, combining construction with industrial work… every word hit the nail on the head.

Li Hongbo listened with increasing enthusiasm, slapping his thigh: "Wow! You grassroots cadres are really quick-witted and far-sighted! As long as this brick factory project is approved, all the bricks for our factory will be sourced from Dongli County—it's all procurement anyway, so why let the profits stay within our own ranks!"

He Yuzhu cupped his hands in thanks: "Then I thank Factory Director Li for his kind offer!"

The two chatted about technological upgrades and skilled worker training. Before leaving, they went back to the state-run restaurant for a hot meal and decided on the spot: they would only buy bricks from this restaurant in Dongli County.

……

Qiu Weimin, having just turned into the alleyway after get off work, was humming the tune of "Chaoyang Ditch," his shoes clicking on the blue bricks. His wife, Li Mei, was picking green beans at the yard gate. Looking up and seeing his raised eyebrows, she immediately put down her winnowing basket and asked:

"Old Qiu, what good news happened today? You're practically wagging your tail!"

"Your brother and sister-in-law's jobs are settled!" he said with a smile, wiping his sweat.

Li Mei paused, beans rolling all over the floor: "Which company is hiring these days? We can't risk our secure jobs for a relative! If he's unemployed, we can supplement his income with some food and cloth coupons, right? It's not worth gambling with the whole family's future!"

Qiu Weimin leaned the car against the wall and said seriously, "You've got it wrong! I've already discussed this with the bureau—for the pilot two trains to Beijing, we'll need four people just for crew, ticket checking, and freight sales! I've secured one spot, and the bureau leaders will each fight over the remaining three. If it really works out, we'll need to recruit dozens more! Go tell your brother tonight to report to the railway bureau's personnel department at eight o'clock tomorrow morning!"