Courtyard Houses: The Great Masters of a Nation Hidden Within

Looking at this unusual "family" on the timeline, Gao Jianguo had a thought—he was an outsider and shouldn't be standing here.

Of course, these words only went in his mind; he couldn't utter a single word from his mouth.

The people who came were Qin Huairu and her two children, Banggeng and Xiaodang.

Qin Huairu had a bag slung over her shoulder, clearly indicating that she had just returned from her parents' home.

The hamster has a very keen nose; it smelled the aroma of meat and came over.

To be honest, the casting team of "Siheyuan" has a really sharp eye, and the actress Qin Huairu was chosen particularly well.

That face, placed in a story from the 60s, neither made people feel out of place like a V-shaped face, nor did it seem detached from reality like a leading lady. It perfectly captured the charm of a slightly plump, pretty widow.

However, Gao Jianguo only praised the crew and actors' skills in his heart, and he didn't have any thoughts about Qin Huairu herself—regardless of whether she was a widow or not.

Banggeng was craving meat, and Xiaodang also looked over expectantly: "Uncle Gao! I want to eat some."

Every child in the compound liked Gao Jianguo.

He happily took out a handful of shortbread candies and gave some to each of the three children.

He Yushui got a few more, and she was so happy that her mouth almost stretched to her ears.

In fact, Gao Jianguo paid for all the food and drinks at this meal.

Jia Dongxu was quite respectful of the rules; he didn't invite the mother and her two children who had just entered to sit down, but instead told Qin Huairu to take the children back to her own home to eat.

Gao Jianguo waved his hand: "No need, no need, sit down and eat together. Your wife and the children have come all this way, and there won't be time to prepare food if we go back now. Don't let the kids go hungry."

Jia Dongxu's nose tingled with emotion: "Jianguo, thanks. Shazhu, I'll make up for the food those three needed for this meal later."

He then invited his family to sit down, and the two children and He Yushui ran to get bowls and chopsticks.

Sha Zhu, ever the nonchalant one, said, "Forget it, I can't afford to fuss over a meal with a woman and a child."

After saying that, she turned to look at Gao Jianguo: "Jianguo, I can tell, you really dote on kids. Every kid in this compound has benefited from your kindness."

Gao Jianguo was pouring wine into his glass when he heard this and his hand froze in mid-air.

He looked up at the children and said, "Seeing them laughing so happily, I know it was all worth it."

With just that one sentence, Sha Zhu and Jia Dongxu's eyes turned completely red.

They had never been on the battlefield, but Gao Jianguo's demeanor and tone conveyed the weight of the word "sacrifice" to their hearts.

Qin Huairu called to the noisy children and her gaze fell on the three men.

Gao Jianguo snapped out of his daze: "Hey, this ruins the atmosphere, this ruins the atmosphere. Come on, fill your bowls, let's eat."

He Yuzhu and Jia Dongxu filled their glasses to the brim, raised them high towards Gao Jianguo, and said, "To you both!"

The three of them downed their drinks in one gulp and began to eat heartily amidst the children's noise.

-

Two more days passed uneventfully.

Gao Jianguo clearly defined the division of labor from the beginning and broke down the goals in detail, so the work on the project progressed smoothly.

They've even built a test sample of the return air furnace and are doing comparative tests. After all, it's just a copy, and there's not much actual work involved.

Around noon, Gao Jianguo was discussing machining with Liang Jianguo and Yi Zhonghai when someone at the office door asked, "Excuse me, which one of you is Senior Technician Gao Jianguo?"

Gao Jianguo gestured from his seat: "That's me. And who are you?"

The man stepped inside and approached: "Hello, Senior Technician. My surname is Wang, and I'm the head of the Training Section of the Factory's Security Department. Do you have a moment? I'd like to discuss something with you."

"There's no rush with the work at hand," Gao Jianguo stood up. "No rush, no rush. Engineer Liang, Master Yi, keep thinking about the points I just mentioned, and show me the results later before you make a decision."

He turned his head and said, "Section Chief Wang, just call me Jianguo. What urgent matter requires your personal intervention?"

Section Chief Wang glanced at his watch: "Jianguo, I've come to learn from you. It's almost lunchtime, let's go to the canteen and get a couple of dishes, then we can chat while we eat."

Gao Jianguo also glanced at the time; it was right before lunchtime. Without refusing, he followed Section Chief Wang to the small canteen.

Upon entering the small canteen, Section Chief Wang ordered two dishes and a soup.

It just so happens that the person in charge of cooking is Sha Zhu, and the portions of both dishes are piled high.

As the two began eating, Gao Jianguo cut to the chase: "Section Chief Wang, what's the matter? Just say it."

This isn't a negotiating table; there's no need to be so tense.

Section Chief Wang picked up an egg with his chopsticks and began to speak: "Here's the thing. National Day is just around the corner, the tenth anniversary of it. The People's Armed Forces Department has issued a new task: the factory has to train its core militia members, and they've raised the skill requirements for them. But there's been no further details. I was assigned this task, and I'm completely clueless."

Gao Jianguo's interest was piqued: "The factory's militia are going to participate in the military parade?"

"No, not really. But the tenth anniversary is a big day, so everything related will definitely be handled more closely."

A hint of disappointment appeared on Gao Jianguo's face: "Tsk, if only I could really participate in the military parade, I'd like to go and march in the procession again."

Section Chief Wang laughed: "I've long heard that senior technicians are all-rounders, and seeing it today, it's truly true."

Gao Jianguo didn't continue the conversation on that topic, but asked, "So, Section Chief Wang wants to talk about the training of the core militia?"

Section Chief Wang nodded: "That's right. I'm really at a loss about this. Before, training the militia was just the same old three things—guns, bayonets, and grenades. That's definitely not enough to get by now. Jianguo, you're a combat hero, you've earned so many merits, you know this stuff inside and out. I just wanted to ask you for some advice, to figure out how to do it. Also, could you please take a position in the factory's militia to keep those kids in check?"

Section Chief Wang was quite generous—"You help me out, and I'll give you a promotion." For an ordinary person, that would be a pretty good offer.

But Gao Jianguo was too busy to take up that position.

But the militia is a good thing, so we should still help them: "Section Chief Wang, I am indeed familiar with fighting, but I've been away for several years now, and I'm afraid my military skills are not up to par with the latest military practices."

Section Chief Wang chuckled, "Jianguo, don't be modest. I've looked through your merit report; it's a thick stack. Help your brother out, will you?"

Gao Jianguo thought for a moment, then pointed him in the right direction: "I didn't say I wouldn't help. I'll give you an idea."

Section Chief Wang immediately perked up: "Go on, I'm listening."

Gao Jianguo suddenly remembered a book he had read in his previous life: "I remember a comrade mentioning in a letter that the General Staff Mobilization Department published a book this March called 'Militia Military Training Manual,' printed by the Youth Publishing House. It covers NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) protection, shooting, weapon handling, combat maneuvers, and combat duties—all specifically for the militia. The content is spot-on. The People's Armed Forces Department and the factory's security department should have copies. Take a look, practice accordingly, and you're guaranteed to get it right."

Section Chief Wang was overjoyed: "There's such a good thing? Let me look through it."

Section Chief Wang wasn't very knowledgeable; he didn't know the use of many of the things he was given from above, and some he hadn't even bothered to look at.

Gao Jianguo smiled and said, "Take a good look. If you can't find it, just let me know, and I'll ask one of my comrades for a copy."

Section Chief Wang raised his teacup: "Thank you so much. Deputy Captain Gao, let me offer you this tea instead of wine."

"What? When did I become Deputy Captain Gao?"

"With your qualifications, what's wrong with being a deputy militia captain? Don't worry, I know what you're worried about. It's just a title; they won't bother you with trivial matters. It's an internal rank, no official grade, and no pay. The only benefit is that you can occasionally use it to impress someone. Besides, someone like you, even just in name only, would be very useful in the core militia."

Is this position really as useless as Section Chief Wang claims? It certainly is.

But that's not entirely true—there are many intricacies to playing this kind of thing, but that's a long story.

In general, Section Chief Wang did put in a lot of effort to get this position.

Besides Gao Jianguo genuinely helping him solve the problem, there might also be an element of placing a bet beforehand.

At this point, Section Chief Wang picked up his bowl and downed the last mouthful of soup: "That's settled then. Jianguo, you just wait patiently, hehe."