Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"What if you don't know how to make bricks?"

"Then let's load it onto the truck! We'll pay you whatever amount is paid per truckload, and it'll be recorded in the books. Anyone trying to slack off or coast along? Sorry, they'll be fired immediately!"

After saying that, Su Dahe cupped his hands in greeting to them and turned to leave—there was still rice cooking on the stove at home, and his wife was waiting for him to buy salt, oil, and cloth.

Fang Huakun threw his head back and laughed heartily, his laughter both cheerful and sincere.

He patted Gu Hongtao on the shoulder: "Old Gu, look at this! Such a small factory, yet it's brimming with vitality! We're really getting old!"

The group got into the car and chatted all the way back.

Gu Hongtao remarked with emotion, "This brick factory expands twice a month. This time, the factory buildings alone can accommodate two thousand people. Behind those two thousand people are two thousand families whose lives are improving!"

Fang Huakun chimed in, "The garment factory has expanded, the assembly line is running, and we've hired four hundred new people. All in all, the lives of the two thousand four hundred households are much better now!"

Gu Hongtao laughed loudly: "We risked our lives back then, wasn't this the day we were hoping for?"

……

Su Dahe clutched the money and ran home, having specifically asked the factory for leave today. His mind was churning: in their more than ten years of marriage, the most presentable garment his wife, Liu Chunhua, wore was a repurposed old garment donated by Factory Director Lou. He felt both ashamed and deeply grateful—if Factory Director Lou hadn't built the factory at the entrance of their village, they would probably still be struggling in the mud for many more years.

Liu Chunhua was sitting on the doorstep mending socks when she looked up and saw her husband rushing in, his face flushed. She quickly stood up and asked, "Dahe? The factory's shut down?"

Su Dahe grabbed her hand: "Take the day off! I'll take you and the kids to the market to buy fabric, shoes, and pots and pans!"

Liu Chunhua hesitated, "How much did we get? Don't just pocket it and then throw it away. Our house is leaking like the stars in the sky; what will happen when our child gets married? Everything will cost money!"

Su Dahe blinked: "Guess! If you guess right, we'll add an egg tonight!"

Liu Chunhua feigned anger: "You 'guessed it right'? Do you think I'm stupid? If you keep talking nonsense, I'll twist your ear!"

Su Dahe quickly waved his hand: "Oh dear, I misspoke! It wasn't 'guessing correctly,' I meant for you to estimate how much I received this time."

Liu Chunhua smiled and said, "I guess... ten yuan?"

Su Dahe slapped his thigh with delight: "Ten ten-yuan notes!"

Liu Chunhua was stunned, her face changing drastically: "What? One hundred yuan? Dahe! Don't do anything immoral!"

After Su Dahe finished explaining, Liu Chunhua stood there dumbfounded, speechless—the money came so easily? Then why was the brigade leader's family still struggling to make ends meet? It must be that Director Lou, out of old friendship, deliberately gave them extra money to help them out.

It wasn't until several workers who had returned from their shifts gathered together and started talking excitedly about how they were scrambling for work, rushing to meet deadlines, and working non-stop to double their output at the brick kiln that Liu Chunhua finally believed it: Su Dahe had truly earned it brick by brick with his child! Her legs went weak and she sat down on the ground, covering her face and wailing, her face streaked with tears and snot.

After Su Dahe handed her water and wiped her face, coaxing her until she calmed down, the whole family hurriedly headed to the county supply and marketing cooperative. The village's old oxcart creaked and groaned as it was led out, with thick straw mats laid on the cart, and the family squeezed together onto the road.

Liu Chunhua rummaged through her belongings, pulling out all the cloth coupons, grain coupons, and industrial coupons that had been hidden at the bottom of the camphor wood chest. She quickly used up the ones she could before they expired—she'd heard they'd be invalid starting next month.

The adults and children each got two new sets of clothes, and also bought two thick cotton quilts. Pots, pans, needles, thread, soap, kerosene, candles... everything that needed to be bought was ready, and the total cost was only twenty-eight yuan and sixty cents.

Liu Chunhua suddenly grabbed Su Dahe's sleeve: "Dahe, let's buy some snacks and fruit and go see your parents, shall we?"

Su Dahe's face darkened, his voice low but firm: "No way. No matter how rich they are, we won't step foot in their door. They kicked us out back then, but now that we've stood tall, we won't bow our heads! Besides, what doesn't the old man favor the eldest son? This time, the brick factory's profit sharing, the eldest son pocketed more than we earned in three years! Do you remember when the child was so hungry he was staggering? You knelt in the main room begging your sister-in-law for half a scoop of cornmeal, and she didn't even lift an eyelid!"

Liu Chunhua was immediately speechless; her lips moved, but she didn't utter a sound.

Su Dahe softened his tone: "Let's go to Liujia Village and visit Danzi's maternal grandparents. That year when we ran out of food, they secretly gave us half a bag of dried sweet potatoes and three handfuls of soybeans, which helped us get through the winter. Now that we're doing better, we can't forget who truly helped us."

On the way back to the village, the children, dressed in brand-new blue cotton jackets, chirped and hopped like newly hatched sparrows. Su Dahe held one child in each hand, while Liu Chunhua carried a bamboo basket filled with brown sugar cakes, peach crisps, and two jars of oranges, with a new indigo towel draped over the edge of the basket.

The supply and marketing cooperative was in complete chaos today! People were packed together, half of the door frame was knocked askew, the sales clerks were shouting themselves hoarse, sparks were flying from the abacus beads, and even the glass counter was scratched by elbows.

As darkness fell, the director, wiping sweat from his brow, grabbed the phone and dialed the provincial capital: "Quick! Send two more truckloads! We sold out three warehouses today, sales that equaled the entire previous year! The shelves will be empty by tomorrow morning—we're really going to run out of stock!"

The department store wasn't empty yet, but half the shelves were empty, and the restocking orders were piled up higher than the ledgers.

Lou Xiao'e had a rare day off and went home in the evening. He Yuzhu was squatting in the yard repairing a radio. He looked up, saw her, tightened the last screw, and turned off the switch.

"Has the fiscal policy loosened up?"

"Today was all about checking accounts, but it's finally all sorted out, and it doesn't feel like a battle anymore."

"What about orders? Are they still stable?"

"It's incredibly busy! Workers in the factory are lining up to order bricks to build houses, but the problem is that they can't get them transported—there aren't enough trucks, they're not familiar with the roads, and the loading and unloading workers have all been temporarily reassigned."

"The cement bricks have been successfully tested?"

"It's a done deal, but no one's placing orders. Everyone says it's not as sturdy as red bricks, and they're afraid it'll just sit there unsold."

"Okay, I'll sign the contract in the name of the county committee. I'll order 500 cubic meters first, for the tractor factory. I need to go to the provincial capital in a couple of days, and I also need to go to Shanghai to discuss the engine business."

"Agricultural tractors...are people actually buying them now?"

"We specialize in low-horsepower machines, which are flexible for plowing. By attaching a trailer, they can be used to haul fertilizer and transport rice, making them a dual-purpose machine."

"When will the cement brick construction officially begin?"

"The document will be distributed immediately after the meeting tomorrow morning."

As dawn broke, He Yuzhu was already standing in front of the county government office building. He ran into Qin Feng, who was carrying a briefcase, as he entered the building; the two walked side-by-side into the office.

"Director Qin, the meeting will start promptly at nine o'clock. Everyone is present. There is an important announcement to make."

"Alright, clerk, I'll go inform them right away."

He Yuzhu turned to Liu Qiang and said, "Prepare the agenda, the list of names, and the site selection map. See you in the conference room at nine o'clock sharp."

At 8:55, He Yuzhu walked into the meeting room carrying a kraft paper folder. The heads of various departments were already seated, the ashtrays were piled with half-smoked cigarette butts, and there were teeth marks on the rims of the teacups.

"Comrades, the county has decided to build an agricultural tractor factory!" He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room. "I will negotiate with the province for the hardware. Right now, the most important thing is the selection of the factory director—I nominate Comrade Gu Yun. He has worked in the office for sixteen years, never vying for credit, never interrupting, and never shirking responsibility. He is as reliable as an old brick. Everyone, please raise your hands to vote."

Yu Bo raised his right hand with a "whoosh," the movement swift and decisive. Gu Yun had neither a powerful backer nor a faction, so no one could find fault with pushing him to the top; besides, this factory was built up by Secretary He, so supporting him was a way to secure his own future—if the factory really became successful, he could place two capable people in there, and their words would carry weight in the future.

Seeing that the top leader and the second-in-command had both nodded, who else dared to say anything more? A flurry of hands rang out in the meeting room, like a gust of wind blowing through a wheat field.

Yu Bo cleared his throat: "Having only a factory director isn't enough. I suggest that Comrade Wang Yan from the Finance Department be appointed as the Finance Director—she has been an accountant for fourteen years and knows the ledgers better than her own family recipes."

Someone below quietly scoffed: This is blatantly pushing his own wife! But then they thought, if the tractor factory really succeeds, the finance director will be a powerful position with real control over the purse strings. This move is a gamble, but also shows foresight.

He Yuzhu also raised his hand. Not nodding would seem petty; objecting would ruin the harmony—as long as you don't cross the line, why block other people's way?

"For the past two months, all the tax revenue from the brick factory and Guyun Town has been allocated to the tractor factory!" he said loudly. "The factory site was decided by Lao Yu, and I was responsible for going to Shanghai to sign the engine contract. I want to emphasize one point—the factory must be built on the banks of the Yangtze River, the closer to the dock the better. Once shipping starts, freight costs will be cut in half, and only then will we truly be alive!"

Yu Bo immediately chimed in, "I completely agree!"

The entire meeting proceeded smoothly and efficiently, like a stand-up comedy routine—He Yuzhu spoke, everyone listened, and then nodded. No one questioned, no one added anything, not even a single question was asked.

People were used to it: brick factories could be brought back to life, a dozen workshops could spring up in Guyun Town, and as soon as the blueprints for garment factories were finished, the machines would arrive at their doorsteps... As long as He Yuzhu made a decision, it would definitely be done.

On the day the garment factory building was topped out, the first batch of sewing machines rumbled into the workshop. Ten masters sent from the provincial capital got off the train with their toolboxes, checked into the guesthouse, and began to teach their apprentices one-on-one, with their wages settled daily.

Zhou Min was staring at the first blue work uniform that had just been ironed on the assembly line, still pondering sales channels, when a purchasing agent from the department store rushed in on a bicycle, shouting before the wheels had even come to a complete stop, "Three hundred sets! Urgent!"

Before he could finish speaking, the brick factory workers arrived again, carrying sample garments, and immediately asked to order fifty sets of factory uniforms.

Zhou Min had just seen off the department store staff, and the smile on her face hadn't faded yet when she heard that Director Lou was here. Her heart skipped a beat: Could it be that the order had fallen through?

Lou Xiao'e pushed open the door and came in, wearing a faded navy blue work uniform with some dust on the cuffs.

Zhou Min quickly went to greet him, her smile warm: "Director Lou, you've come in person, does that mean you have a new task for us?"

Lou Xiao'e: "I heard that the factory is going to send a sales team to the surrounding counties to promote the garments. I was thinking, why don't we brick factories hitch a ride? It's easier to take care of each other with more people, and the roads won't be deserted."