Courtyard House: In this life, I have a new home!

169

Old Hua took the notebook, grinning from ear to ear: "Okay, put it here."

If I review it and find no problems, I'll send it out for you directly.

He paused, then added with a mischievous grin, "When it's published, will you still use the pen name 'Square Root of Seventeen'?"

Zhou Jimin's mouth twitched.

It seems that Lao Duan sold him out and is even helping him count the money.

As he walked out of the office building, Zhou Jimin glanced back at the window and let out a long sigh of relief.

Tired.

I really don't want to come here a second time.

But it must be admitted that this investment was worthwhile.

The harvest was too plentiful.

In the spring of 1960, the weather turned against us.

The north is so dry that the ground is cracking, while the south is so flooded that houses are collapsing.

Nationwide, the situation is as tense as a string stretched to its limit.

The capital city was not spared either.

Due to continuous torrential rain, the production line of Hongxing Company was forced to stop.

The power outage was the first hurdle, and the workers' inability to leave their homes for work was the second.

It's a mess.

Fortunately, the heavens were kind; the rain came quickly and went quickly.

For Xu Mei, these past few days have been like a fantasy novel coming to life.

Zhou Jimin's combination of punches was precise and ruthless.

Less than seven days later, the newly appointed finance director voluntarily submitted his resignation.

The top leader, Zhu Wenjun, personally tried to persuade him to stay? It was no use.

They left so decisively, without even turning their heads back.

That was a resounding slap in the face.

At this moment, Zhu Wenjun finally realized what was happening.

Xu Mei is not someone to be trifled with.

She is a rose with thorns, very prickly.

That little fox was cunning by nature; it would eat people without spitting out the bones.

Zhu Wenjun dared not act rashly, so he could only suppress his anger and return dejectedly, forcing Xu Mei to return to the finance department.

This whole drama was part of Zhou Jimin's plan.

Xu Mei put on a little airs, and Zhu Wenjun immediately broke out in a cold sweat, regretting his actions to the core.

If he had known that his trusted confidant was a good-for-nothing, he would never have dared to use Xu Mei as a guinea pig to test the waters.

This kind of incompetent teammate is a disaster!

Ultimately, Xu Mei naturally took up the position of deputy, specifically in charge of finances.

Although he was the second-in-command and ranked last, as long as he held the official seal, things became much easier.

Those leaders who used to boss her around are now all very polite and welcoming.

Even her brother-in-law, Lao Liang, is having a much more comfortable time at the company, unlike the oppressive life he had when Lao Yang was in charge.

As for Ma Xinbao and his group of people without any background, they became the unlucky ones who were affected and could only grit their teeth and bear all the pressure alone.

However, Zhu Wenjun's second attempt completely extinguished the flames.

He was genuinely scared.

They were afraid of offending some deity and making themselves lose face.

If one completely loses face, this "top leader" will be in serious trouble.

How can I sit in that seat?

First, survive; stability is the key.

Zhou Jimin had only heard bits and pieces about the infighting within Red Star Company and had not investigated it in depth.

Natural disasters occurred frequently in March and April.

Together with Quan Zhimin and others, he contributed money and effort, becoming volunteers and rushing to the front lines.

Quan Zhimin was curious and asked him where he got so many small wooden boats.

It was a tool simply pieced together from wooden planks, barely enough to accommodate a few people.

With enough wood and nails, and a bit of skill, anyone can make it.

Upon learning that it was Zhou Jimin who personally crafted it, Quan Zhimin and the police officers beside him were stunned for a moment, then they all gave him a thumbs up, their faces full of admiration.

During the post-disaster reconstruction phase, Zhou Jimin reappeared at the subdistrict office.

This time he donated two hundred yuan, plus a batch of supplies.

What we lack most right now is not money, but food and medicine.

Instead of giving money, Zhou Jimin simply threw over grain and Chinese medicinal herbs.

In order to make tiger bone wine, he has been studying a lot of herbal knowledge during this period.

I planted quite a few in the space, and since I can't use them all, taking them out is a way to make use of waste.

This is undoubtedly a timely help for the overwhelmed neighborhood office.

After finishing all that, the calendar turned to the end of April.

That day, Zhou Jimin had just stepped out of Wenjin Street, intending to go home to rest.

On the way, I unexpectedly ran into an old friend.

To be precise, he recognized the other person, but the other person had no recollection of him.

Yuan Longping, the true backbone of the nation!

He blurted out, "Elder Yuan!"

This instantly darkened the other person's face, turning as black as the bottom of a pot.

After all, Yuan Lao came from an agricultural background and spent many years in rice paddies and muddy fields, so his complexion was already dark, and at this moment it was even more gloomy.

Zhou Jimin didn't notice anything amiss until he came to his senses and realized he had spoken carelessly.

He quickly apologized and gave a long explanation before the other party calmed down.

How do you know my name? We don't seem to know each other well.

Seeing the wariness in Yuan Lao's eyes, Zhou Jimin smiled calmly:

"I mistook you for someone else."

I know an elderly professor who bears a striking resemblance to you; he's roughly your older self.

He paused, then changed the subject:

"By the way, from what you just said, you're also engaged in agricultural research?"

"Comrade, is there something you need?"

Zhou Jimin didn't stand on ceremony and continued the conversation.

After only a few words, the two became as familiar as old friends who had known each other for many years.

Mr. Yuan said he came to Beijing to hold an agricultural seminar. The meeting just ended, and he was planning to visit a garden and take a look at the red walls and yellow tiles of the Forbidden City.

Zhou Jimin patted his chest and volunteered to be a guide.

But this tour guide job was really pathetic.

Explanation of the scenic spots? Zero points.

He talked at length about the intricacies of rice breeding.

Now, Mr. Yuan Longping has set his sights on an unusual rice stalk.

The artificial pollination procedure has already begun in secret.

Once this step is successful, the subsequent hybridization process will be much smoother.

Zhou Jimin seized the opportunity and took out a small handful of seeds from the bag he was carrying.

This is a top-quality rice variety cultivated in his space, with large and plump grains.

He didn't explain much, only instructing the other party to conduct a comparative experiment when planting in the next season.

Take faster steps, even faster.

This was his personal motive, but it was also the inevitable trend of the times.

Having witnessed too many scenes of starvation in my past life, my heart has hardened, but my bottom line cannot be crossed.

As long as it doesn't hinder my own quiet accumulation of wealth, I'll lend a hand whenever I can.

Speaking of the assessment of merits, we must mention the result that Xing Yicheng helped to secure.

The first-class merit award was not granted; instead, it was changed to a second-class merit award.

The reasons are quite valid: he is too young, only seventeen years old; moreover, his status as a non-active duty military member puts him at a disadvantage due to policy restrictions.

Regardless of any ulterior motives, Zhou Jimin accepted it all, secretly pleased with himself.

He removed the nameplate he had received in exchange for sacrificing his life in the line of duty and hung it back at the old house.

At the entrance of their new home in Nanjianzi Hutong, a brightly lit sign reads "Family of Second-Class Merit Citizen."

The bronze medal.

As Mr. Yuan held the heavy bag of seeds, his eyes welled up with tears.

This quality is absolutely top-notch, selected from the finest.

If it is successfully cultivated, the yield per acre will likely rewrite history.

Immediately afterwards, Zhou Jimin handed over a yellowed notebook.

"It contains some raw data, which might give you some ideas."

"You Beijingers are so polite, you're too kind. Thank you in advance!"

Mr. Yuan, carrying his things, smiled broadly: "I don't have much cash on me. Once I've really made a name for myself, I'll come and give you the good news."

"Hey, don't be so formal."

Zhou Jimin waved his hand, his tone sincere: "If you ever come to the capital, just give them a heads-up, and I'll make sure you're well-fed!"

He paused, his expression becoming more serious:

"I'm not in a hurry for short-term results, but the people are in a hurry to eat, and the country is also short of food."

"This is a heavy responsibility, and it is up to you young people to shoulder it."

As soon as he said it, Zhou Jimin himself felt that his words had slipped out.

Old Yuan raised an eyebrow, his eyes showing a strange look: "Young man, you don't look like an elder at all?"

"cough……"

Zhou Jimin coughed lightly and tried to smooth things over, saying, "Spending too much time with those old professors makes one's mindset age. They call each other 'master' every day, and they even start to believe it themselves."

Mr. Yuan did not delve into the matter further and nodded in understanding.

As the old man's figure disappeared around the street corner, Zhou Jimin took a deep breath.

Whether the seeds will yield a good harvest depends on the right time and place, but even more so on human effort.

In the blink of an eye, it got hot.

Zhou Shuqing's life became tight.

The high school entrance exam is just around the corner, and the arrow is on the bowstring.

Unlike that older brother, she didn't start carrying a schoolbag until she was six years old.

We didn't take shortcuts; we took it one step at a time.

This year marks the transition from primary to junior high school.

Talent is indeed nothing special.

But rules must be followed and the attitude must be correct.

Since our elder brother has spoken, we will go all out.

Passing the exam is a gain, failing it isn't a loss.

He has a very stable mindset.

Meanwhile, the goldfish's "midterm exam"

And it arrived as scheduled.

The exam questions were created by Zhou Jimin.

The aim is to get a sense of the situation and see if all the hard work done during this period has been in vain.

The funniest thing is that she even dragged her two maids, Pandi and Laidi, to accompany her during the exam.

Since the two sisters entered the Zhou family in February, they have often followed their older sister to attend classes.

Huang Xiaohua is an honest person and takes reading very seriously.

The two girls had the same drive, even more so than the little goldfish.

Influenced by this atmosphere, the little goldfish became much more self-disciplined.

I've been studying hard every day for half an hour longer than last year.

There are only two subjects: Chinese and Mathematics.

By the end of the morning, all the exam papers had been handed in.

Zhou Jimin finished reviewing the papers, and the grades were acceptable.

He smiled and praised them a few times, then waved them off to play.

As soon as the study door closed, Huang Xiaohua squeezed in, carrying a crying baby.

The once quiet space instantly erupted into chaos.

"Brother Zhou, something's really weird today."

Huang Xiaohua looked distressed. "I tried to comfort her for a long time, but her tears just kept flowing like a broken string of pearls."

"Let me handle it."

Zhou Jimin reached out and took the child, then casually picked up the baby bottle next to him.

The little guy struggled at first, his little mouth tightly shut.

Until the rubber nipple was put into his mouth and he took the first slurp.

The world is quiet.

They slurped and swallowed.

Huang Xiaohua breathed a sigh of relief: "She didn't even glance at the bowl of rice noodles I just made."

"I'll be truly helpless without you here."

"Do whatever you need to do."

Zhou Jimin said calmly, "Children shouldn't be spoiled."

When you're really hungry, you'll naturally know to eat.

For a five-month-old baby, you can increase the amount of complementary food.

In the long run, weaning should also be put on the agenda.

Huang Xiaohua heard this, but her heart was pounding.

Having stayed in this house for several months, she had long since figured it out.

Zhou Jimin doted on these younger children to an extreme degree.

Sometimes even she herself couldn't do anything about those two girls.

The reason is simple: Zhou Jimin loved the house because of the crows.

With the goldfish watching nearby, he became even more indulgent.

Huang Xiaohua could only stare helplessly.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, the sleepyhead spat out the pacifier.

His eyelids drooped slightly, and a contented smile appeared on his lips.

Then, she fell asleep instantly.

When it comes to sleep duration, Zhou Qingyi, one of the twins, takes the lead.