Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Silently, he dug out the ink line, carpenter's square, and copper file left by his father, wrapped them tightly in coarse cloth, and carried them away. He didn't want to stay in that house for even a second longer—every brick, every crack, was permeated with bitterness. Life is not just black and white, but before him, there was only endless gray.

The news spread like wildfire, and by evening, men carrying luggage and bedding gathered at the crossroads of various villages. Overnight, more than three hundred people flooded into the county town's job posting center, creating a bustling scene filled with the smell of sweat mixed with the scent of pine resin, all carried on the early spring breeze.

The furniture factory was beginning to take shape: steel frames supported the dome, the cement floor was smoothed, and the window frames were freshly painted. Camphor and beech wood allocated by the province were piled up like small mountains, and the assessment area was already packed with people. Everyone rolled up their sleeves and tucked in their trousers, their eyes shining, ready to show off their true skills.

Su Qiao picked up the megaphone, her voice clear and crisp:

"Attention all workers, please take your positions according to your assigned numbers! No noise, no subcontracting, no moving around! There's only one test—build this set of office furniture according to the blueprints and using the available tools. Whoever does it fastest, most accurately, and most securely will be appointed as the production team leader on the spot!"

As soon as the whistle blew, the sounds of sawing wood, chiseling tenons, and shavings flying everywhere erupted.

Lou Xiao'e stood on high ground, watching quietly. She saw Su Qiao standing in the center of the crowd, facing three hundred pairs of eyes, her expression as immovable as a mountain, her commands as clear as a knife. This demeanor, this sense of proportion, already showed the bearing of a leader.

Outside the factory gate, militiamen from the armed forces stood in formation, holding batons, firmly guarding the cordon—otherwise, the villagers who were peering out from afar would have already squeezed through the threshold to get inside.

An hour later, only one person remained to finish. He wiped his sweat and casually used the scraps of material to carve out a lifelike deer, its antlers standing upright and its four hooves poised to gallop.

Su Qiao walked over, her fingertips brushing against the mortise and tenon joints, lightly tapping the board surface, and squinting to compare the dimensions. She nodded: "Perfectly fitted, with an error of less than two millimeters. The craftsmanship is no less than that of a master craftsman from Jiangnan."

These test questions were all made from tables, chairs, cabinets, and shelves used by the factory itself—a way to test real skills while saving on purchasing expenses. This idea was decided upon by Su Qiao and Lou Xiao'e after careful consideration under the lamp.

Su Qiao picked up the small item Peng Mu had made and took a closer look. It turned out to be a delicate and exquisite drawer cabinet, with mortise and tenon joints fitting perfectly and the edges polished to a smooth, jade-like finish. She took out Peng Mu's evaluation form, picked up her pen, and stamped the "Appraisal Opinion" column with a bright red "Qualified" stamp. Then, she added two more words in a flamboyant style: "Excellent."

Then she turned and walked toward the other workers who were handing over their work, checking, marking, and signing off on each one. Her steps were unhurried, but her eyes were as precise as a ruler.

Several experienced technicians were brought in from elsewhere to help with the assessment. After making her rounds, Su Qiao went straight to the workshop's loudspeaker, pulled over a wooden stool, sat down, and gently dusted the sawdust off her trouser legs.

Su Qiao cleared her throat: "Listen up, everyone—the assessment results are out. Take your documents and go to the personnel department to complete the onboarding process. Those who write 'qualified' will be officially hired directly; those who write 'unqualified' can stay as apprentices if they wish, with room and board provided, and will be officially hired after they learn well; those who write 'excellent' should come to me to complete the procedures."

The faces of the few who were marked "unqualified" turned pale instantly, their hearts pounding in their throats, thinking they were really going to be packing their bags and going back to their villages. They never expected to be able to stay as apprentices! As long as they could get into the factory, have work to do, food to eat, and a mentor, who would care about enduring another six months?

The three people who wrote "Excellence" were Peng Mu, Wang Qingyun, and Chen Minghua. Peng Mu was the youngest, with clear features and the strength in his fingers still carried a youthful air; the other two had graying temples, and their Adam's apples bobbed slightly when they spoke, revealing the steadiness of decades of working with planes and hammers.

Su Qiao's gaze swept over them: "Can you read? Have you ever been to school?"

Peng Mu answered readily: "I know a few characters, which my parents taught me by hand. I've never been to a private school or sat on a classroom bench."

The two master craftsmen nodded in agreement: "In my early years, I learned some formulas and rulers from carpenters, and I could recognize patterns and calculate dimensions, but when it comes to writing and studying, I have never properly bowed to a teacher."

Su Qiao smiled: "That's perfect—the factory has night school in the evenings, with classes on literacy, drafting, and mechanical principles, all specially designed for skilled craftsmen like you who lack literacy. From now on, you'll have to be able to understand and modify the blueprints, instructions, and process cards yourself. Are you staying in the dormitory tonight? Or is there a place to stay in the county town?"

The three of them immediately volunteered, "Let's move into the dorms! We'll move right away!"—they all had the same thought in mind: only after entering the factory and sleeping in the dorms could they feel secure in their jobs, fearing that the policy might change again when they woke up in the middle of the night.

Su Qiao nodded: "We'll be issuing uniforms tomorrow, free of charge, deducted from your first month's salary. But there's one condition: you must wear them to work, they must be clean and neat, cuffs buttoned up, safety first. Can you do that?"

The group agreed in unison, their eyes gleaming – they had been eyeing those blue work clothes for a long time; they were crisp, smart, and made you stand up straight. What more could you ask for?

Su Qiao changed the subject: "In our factory, wages aren't based on headcount, but on actual performance. Do you understand?"

The three looked at each other, bewildered, and shook their heads in unison.

Su Qiao remained calm and composed: "There are three hundred people in the factory now, and three production lines will be set up soon. The more you produce, the more you earn—the more you do, the more you get, and the better you do, the more bonuses you receive. The three of you will each lead one production line. You are the backbone and the spark for mentoring and guiding others. How to read the blueprints, how to adjust the machines, and how to train apprentices all depend on whether you are willing to be completely open and honest."

They verbally agreed with "yes," but a hint of hesitation still flashed in their eyes.

Su Qiao knew perfectly well what was going on, but she just smiled lightly—with money in the purse, who would keep a straight face? Besides, the newly arrived batch of Hong Kong-made CNC milling machines had just been unloaded, and the factory still owed them tens of thousands of yuan in final payment; there was no room for ambiguity.

After giving her instructions, she picked up her canvas bag and headed out to the provincial capital to develop sales channels for the furniture factory. Secretary He only set the direction, and Factory Director Lou finalized the strategy, but she had to personally handle the actual legwork, knocking on doors, negotiating contracts, and finding distribution channels.

The recruitment process had just ended here, while the tractor factory was already busily testing the prototype: how many tons of cargo could it carry at once? How far could it travel one way without stalling? What was its maximum output horsepower? The drivers sent by the commune were gathered around the iron lump, learning how to shift gears, adjust the clutch, and read the instruments. Their sleeves were covered in oil stains, and their laughter made the workshop ceiling vibrate.

Yu Bo burst into He Yuzhu's office like a whirlwind, slamming the door shut with a loud bang. Without even a greeting, he gasped, "Secretary He! Fantastic news! This month, all twenty tractors have rolled off the production line! Engineer Wang said that the first time was a bit rough, so the pace was slow; but from now on, ten tractors a day will be a sure thing!"

He Yuzhu raised his eyes, his tone calm: "How's the apprentice recruitment going? From now on, we'll have to recruit people from our own county; we can't keep waiting for the province to provide aid."

Yu Bo patted his chest and said, "It's all set up! One person, one master, master and apprentice are bound together, and the roster is already on your desk."

He Yuzhu stood up and paced back and forth: "Quickly pick out a few of the best ones and transport them to the provincial agricultural machinery exhibition tonight—I heard there are only a few days left until the end of the exhibition. Our 'Iron Bulls' need to make an appearance and show off our county's toughness!"

Yu Bo stamped his foot: "Do it right away!" Before he finished speaking, he had already rushed out the door, his leather shoes thumping loudly on the cement ground.

……

He Yuzhu dialed the furniture factory's number, but Su Qiao answered the phone.

He Yuzhu: "Hello, this is He Yuzhu. Please have Comrade Lou Xiao'e answer the phone."

Upon hearing the clerk's voice, Su Qiao immediately lowered her voice and said, "Oh, Clerk He, wait a moment! I'll go find Director Lou right away!" With that, she took off running towards the workshop, her steps quick and steady.

At this moment, Lou Xiao'e and several group leaders, including Peng Mu, were squatting next to a sample table, gesturing to indicate the dimensions.

Lou Xiao'e tapped her fingers lightly on the table: "Comrade Peng Mu, the first batch of orders was placed by the cement factory workers. I went to the workers' quarters the day before yesterday to take a look. Their living rooms are narrow, so the dining table needs to be 'breathable'—small and space-saving when not in use, but able to be extended, have a shelf added, and make a good impression when guests come over. Is that alright?"

Peng Mu's eyes lit up, and he immediately approved: "Great! We'll come up with three plans this afternoon. The desktop will have hidden sliding rails, and the side panels will be added. It'll be transformed with a simple lift or push. Don't worry, Factory Manager, we won't let the factory down!"

Lou Xiao'e nodded: "Okay, hurry up and finish the work. The other party will be getting the keys to their new house soon, and they need new furniture for their new home. I've already called twice to urge them to deliver."

Peng Mu straightened his back: "Director Lou, I guarantee on-time delivery, not a penny less!"

Before she could finish speaking, Su Qiao had already slipped into the room, her voice quick and crisp: "Director Lou, Secretary He is calling, waiting for your reply!"

Lou Xiao'e replied, "Okay, right away!"

She hurried back to her office, grabbed the receiver, and dialed back.

Lou Xiao'e: "This is Lou Xiao'e, Zhu Zi, what's up?"

He Yuzhu's voice was urgent: "Get ready quickly! Regional Minister Huang Tao has already set off and will be there soon!"

Lou Xiao'e didn't ask any further questions: "Understood!"

The phone call ended, and He Yuzhu had just put down the receiver when Liu Qiang pushed open the door and entered: "Secretary, Minister Huang has arrived!"

He Yuzhu got up to greet them and saw Huang Tao and his group walking steadily towards him through the courtyard gate.

He Yuzhu stepped forward and shook hands with him, saying, "Minister Huang, welcome to offer your guidance!"

Huang Tao laughed heartily and waved his hand: "I wouldn't dare accept the title of 'instructor.' I'm here on a mission—let's not delay, let's go straight to the furniture factory!"

He Yuzhu smiled and stepped aside to make way: "Alright, I'll lead the way!"

He got into the Jeep and drove ahead, followed closely by Huang Tao's sedan. In just two or three minutes, the convoy entered the furniture factory gate. Lou Xiao'e and Su Qiao were already standing at the factory gate, dressed in neat and tidy work clothes, their smiles warm yet capable.

He Yuzhu got out of the car and waited. Huang Tao strode closer, his face beaming with a bright smile and his eyes piercing.

Huang Tao grasped Lou Xiao'e's hand, his voice booming: "This must be Comrade Lou Xiao'e, right? I've heard about your brick factory several times at regional meetings; it's truly impressive! You're a woman who doesn't yield to men, and you're more capable and hardworking than many men!"