Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

In just five months, Dongli County's fiscal revenue jumped to the top of the region, and the number of new jobs created was close to that of the provincial capital. The entire county worked around the clock, with everyone carrying heavy workloads and moving at breakneck speed.

Once the food factory is fully operational, the number of jobs created in the county will historically surpass that of the provincial capital.

In the entire region, only Dongli County has a complete closed-loop chain of "breeding-processing-cold chain-sales". Several large-scale farms operate day and night, completely solving the problem of raw material supply.

Qin Xiaoyue and Liu Qiang were excitedly chatting the whole way, as it was their first time traveling such a long distance. Lou Xiao'e shared a soft sleeper compartment with Qin Xiaoyue, while He Yuzhu and Liu Qiang had another room. They rested separately at night and spent the day playing chess and chatting together. As soon as the train entered the North China Plain, an endless golden sea unfolded outside the window—the wheat was ripe, the corn was green, and the fertile fields stretched as far as the eye could see, leaving the two of them stunned. Dongli County was full of green mountains; they had never seen such vast and open fields before.

The train stopped at Kyoto Station, and He Yuzhu led them straight to his home. Upon seeing the three-story house nestled among the plane trees, the two men held their breath—they had heard that Secretary He was from Kyoto, but they never imagined he lived in such a place! The carved iron gate, the blue brick walls, the glazed tile eaves, even the windowsills were spotless. They secretly sighed: it would be worth staying a night.

After settling them in to rest, Lou Xiao'e couldn't sit still. She grabbed two boxes of Dongli cured meat and a jar of walnuts and hurriedly took the tram to He Yushui's house—she hadn't seen Xiao Wu for almost half a year and her heart was burning with longing.

He Yuzhu led Qin Xiaoyue and Liu Qiang into the kitchen: "This is the kitchen. Rice, flour, oil, and salt are all here. Help yourselves to whatever you want to eat."

Then he led them to the market. Since the tastes of the north and south are quite different, he didn't insist on making arrangements, simply saying, "You'll feel more comfortable cooking for yourselves."

He pointed ahead: "There's a department store up ahead, and the Summer Palace is to the right. Since you're in Beijing, go see what you should see—listen to the vendors' cries in the hutongs, touch the old city walls, and try the douzhi (fermented mung bean juice) and jiaoquan (deep-fried dough rings). Director Lou and I don't need you to follow us around all the time; go have fun and explore as you please."

Young people shouldn't be tied down. When you're in a new place, who wouldn't want to run around and have some fun? They're already excited.

Qin Xiaoyue immediately suggested, "Let's go to the Summer Palace first, and then visit other places in the afternoon."

Lou Xiao'e arrived at the gate of He Yushui's old courtyard house with a gift box, raised her hand and knocked on the door, but no one answered after knocking for a long time.

An older woman from next door leaned out and asked with a smile, "Are you looking for the Liu family? They're not home—the old man and woman are selling sweet cakes at a stall in the south square of the train station, Liu Yuanhao is still working overtime at the factory, and He Yushui is busy at her own factory. The kids go there to eat after school. If you don't know the way, I can take you there."

The woman had never met Lou Xiao'e before, but her daughter-in-law worked as a quality inspector at He Yushui Factory. Upon hearing that she was looking for the Liu family, she readily offered to show her the way.

Lou Xiao'e quickly thanked her, "Thank you, Auntie, I know the way." She then turned and walked towards the back street of the old courtyard house.

The courtyard house remained the same, but the open space at the back had been completely transformed—the gray walls had been painted a clean white, and the newly built factory gate was grand and bright, with the words "Huaqian Garment Factory" prominently displayed in vermilion above it. The young man standing guard at the gate stood tall with his chest out and stomach in, his eyes clear and bright; occasionally, a van would slowly drive in, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Lou Xiao'e stepped forward and smiled gently at the sentry: "Hello, comrade, I would like to see Director He Yushui. I am her sister-in-law, Lou Xiao'e. Please inform her."

The sentry snapped to attention: "Looking for Factory Director He? Just a moment, I'll contact him right away." He turned and strode into the duty room.

Not long after, He Yushui rushed out of the factory like a gust of wind. When she saw Lou Xiao'e from afar, she immediately quickened her pace and ran over, grabbed her arm, and hugged her tightly while laughing and shouting.

He Yushui: "Oh my, I've been waiting for you! When did you arrive? Why didn't you let me know beforehand? I could have driven to the station to pick you up! Did my brother come back with you?"

Lou Xiao'e: "Just got off the train. This is a business trip; I won't be staying for more than a few days before heading back. Where are Xiao Wu and Xiao Qin? Why aren't they home after school?"

He Yushui: "They've all gone to tutoring classes! Xiao Wu has really blossomed this year; she asked me to enroll her in an intensive math class. Xiao Qin and Xiao Tong went along too—I'm actually quite free now. Come on, let's go into the office and chat!"

The two linked arms, chatting and laughing as they walked briskly toward the office building.

……

I had barely sat down in the office when tea was served—two steaming cups, the tea leaves unfurling, releasing a delightful aroma.

He Yushui waved to the colleague who brought the tea, "It's nothing, just my sister-in-law coming to visit and chat." The man smiled and nodded, then turned and left, gently closing the door behind him.

He Yushui tilted her head and asked, "Sister-in-law, didn't my brother come with you?"

Lou Xiao'e: "He arrived with two comrades, and we're busy settling them in. Let's meet up at a private restaurant tonight for a lively get-together."

He Yushui nodded, then asked with concern, "Are you busy over there? Are you tired?"

Lou Xiao'e: "Being a factory manager isn't as grueling as being a frontline worker. This place—tsk tsk—is much more spacious than our Dongli County garment factory! Has Yubing been here recently?"

He Yushui: "She rarely shows her face. She mainly stays in the design studio, overseeing sample garments and working on patterns. I manage all the big and small matters here. The business is stable, mainly selling to Hong Kong Island. Aunt Lou has opened seven or eight directly operated stores there, and we specialize in supplying ready-made garments. We also ship to Shanghai, and we have a retail department in Kyoto. We're active both online and offline—we've secured the livelihoods of over a thousand people." As she spoke, a reassuring smile radiated from her eyes and brows.

Upon hearing the word "clothes," Lou Xiao'e suddenly remembered someone and asked with a smile, "By the way, what's Yang Chengyi doing now? Back then, he used to bring a lot of candy and snacks to the courtyard, making Aijun and the others call him 'Brother Yi'."

He Yushui laughed: "He built a small factory behind the main factory, with all the licenses and permits, hired more than a hundred people, and started a garment production line. He supplies most of the goods to stalls in the three northeastern provinces and the outskirts of Beijing. Many middlemen come to him specifically to get their goods—nowadays, in the Siheyuan area, his name 'Chengyifang' is very well-known."

Those dealers used to sneakily source their goods from Bai Xiong, but Bai Xiong operated on a black market, which was risky and required strict documentation. Later, word got to the Northeast, and everyone found out: "Hey, Chengyifang not only has significantly lower prices, but it's also a legitimate channel with all the necessary paperwork!" Only a fool would risk going the long way around—earning the same amount of money, with peace of mind, is so much better!

Lou Xiao'e sincerely praised, "What a courageous and resilient person!" She paused, stood up and straightened her clothes, "I have to go back now. Don't forget to come to the private restaurant after get off work tonight, let's have a good drink! These are local products brought from Dongli County - some were picked out at the Kyoto Supply and Marketing Cooperative, but most of them are pickles, fried beans, and walnuts that my mother dried herself."

He Yushui didn't refuse at all, reached out and took it, and neatly placed it on the desk: "Okay! I'll be there on time, and I'll bring Xiao Wu and the others along too."

Before he finished speaking, he had already stood up and accompanied Lou Xiao'e all the way to the factory gate.

……

As soon as He Yuzhu stepped into the gate of the Prince's Mansion, Liu Lan spotted him immediately and rushed forward to greet him.

Liu Lan: "Oh my! When did you arrive? You didn't even let us know beforehand so we could pick you up at the station!"

Upon their long-awaited reunion, her face was beaming with smiles and her eyes shone brightly—after more than twenty years of living together, they were practically inseparable, closer than family.

He Yuzhu laughed and said, "I heard you guys are so busy you're practically running around like headless chickens, how could I dare to add to the chaos by making a phone call?"

Yu Bing mentioned this on the phone a couple of days ago—former leaders like Qiao Weimin often host banquets here, and the news spread like wildfire, attracting many colleagues from the unit to dine here as well. Now it's packed every day, with the kitchen always bustling with activity.

Liu Lan chided, "Even if you're busy, you can always find a moment to meet me, right? Where's Xiao'e? Didn't she come back with you?"

He Yuzhu: "She went to Yushui first, and I reckon she'll be there soon."

Before she could finish speaking, Lou Xiao'e pushed the door open and came in. Liu Lan's eyes lit up, and she rushed over with open arms, hugging her tightly, her voice trembling: "I've missed you so much! It's been so long!"

Lou Xiao'e patted her on the back with a smile: "Don't we chat on the phone every few days? Okay, okay, don't block the doorway and make a fool of yourself—come on, let's go inside and talk!"

As she spoke, she took Liu Lan's hand and led her toward the office.

He Yuzhu turned towards the kitchen. As soon as he lifted the curtain, he saw Xiao Dang wearing an apron and helping out at the stove. His heart skipped a beat: He was doing so well as a projectionist, why did he come here to be a waitress?

He stepped into the kitchen, and He Daqing was the first to see him, immediately wiping his hands as he greeted him: "When did you arrive? Have you eaten?"

He Yuzhu: Not yet, we'll eat later. Are you still in good health?

He Daqing turned to Ma Hua and said a few words before turning back to talk to He Yuzhu. The kitchen was an important place, and outsiders shouldn't linger. He Yuzhu didn't go inside, but just stood at the door, simply to check on the old man.

Without saying a word, He Daqing dragged him toward the next-door rest room—a place where the chefs rested, bright and clean, with teapots steaming.

He Daqing: "How many days will you stay this time?"

He Yuzhu: "I'll leave once I've finished my business."

He Daqing nodded: "Don't worry about your work, I'll keep an eye on things here. No matter how busy you are, you have to find time to come back and see the kids—they miss you terribly."

He Yuzhu replied, "Okay, sure. Have you had your medical check-up on time? If you've been standing by the stove for too long, take a break. MCA is capable, and I trust him."

He Daqing waved his hand: "I've checked, the indicators are all stable. I'm just here to observe and oversee things, leaving all the work to the younger generation. How could I be tired?"

Just then, two hot dishes were brought in. He Daqing pushed the bowls and plates towards them: "Eat them while they're hot!"