Courtyard House: I'm an engineer, and a fairy godmother transferred me to a different position.

She recalled the mixture of surprise and envy on the faces of her colleagues in the office that afternoon, and a smile crept onto her lips again: "You didn't see their eyes, they were really interesting."

These days, honor is never a one-person affair. The saying "One person's merit brings glory to the whole family" carries real benefits. A clean family background combined with personal achievements makes promotion much smoother; conversely, it's a completely different story.

Liu Guangqi reached out and took her hand, which was resting on her knee. Her fingertips were a little cool, so he pulled her hand into his own palm.

"That's because you've worked hard; otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to seize the opportunity even when it was right in front of you."

Zhao Mengyun glanced at him lightly, but her smile deepened: "You're so good with words." She paused, her voice softening, "But to be honest, seeing you receive awards and appear in the newspapers time and time again gives me extra motivation at work."

Outside the car window, the north wind swept through the bare branches, but inside, it was warm and cozy. He devoted himself to forging swords, becoming famous throughout the region; she benefited from her husband's success, receiving a promotion. This year-end was a time of double happiness.

Liu Guangqi took out his pay purse from the inside pocket of his coat and placed it, along with a thick stack of receipts, into Zhao Mengyun's hand.

She took it and skillfully counted the coupons, her fingertips lightly tracing the paper. "These cloth coupons and grain coupons are about to expire... I need to use them before the New Year."

She carefully folded the banknotes and put them in her pocket, then looked up and said, "We'll go to the savings bank to deposit the money when we have the two days off, and then we can use the rest to buy some New Year's goods at the supply and marketing cooperative."

"You can arrange it," Liu Guangqi replied with a smile. In the days since their marriage, he had long since gotten used to leaving the household chores to her. It was precisely because she managed everything so well from behind the scenes that he could focus wholeheartedly on his cutting-edge projects.

The car drove into the ministry compound and stopped in front of that familiar tenement building. The two walked up the stairs side by side, and as soon as they reached their door, they saw the young clerk from the logistics department placing several neatly bundled cardboard boxes by the door.

Hearing footsteps, the clerk immediately turned around, a warm smile spreading across his face: "Director Liu, you're back! Perfect timing, I've delivered all your welfare items for this month. Please check them, and if everything is in order, I'll head back and report."

Liu Guangqi nodded in acknowledgment: "Thank you for your trouble."

He naturally wouldn't actually count the numbers. Any logistics department with a modicum of sense wouldn't dare tamper with such a thing. "No need to count, you can go about your business."

"Alright!"

After the logistics officer left, the couple turned to look at the door and were both stunned.

The once spacious porch was now piled high with all sorts of New Year's goods, leaving almost no room to move. The most eye-catching items were the hanging strings of pork belly, with its white fat and red lean meat, clearly defined in texture, glistening with oil under the light. Next to it was a thick cloth bag, bulging and tightly sealed at the top, with the words "Special Refined Powder" printed on it. It was estimated to weigh forty or fifty pounds, with the bottom of the bag slightly dented.

In addition, four cans of milk powder, two cans of yellow peaches, several portions of meat wrapped in oil paper, and several net bags of eggs were neatly stacked on the ground.

It must be said that the year-end rewards and special allowances for Level 6 engineers this year are truly astonishingly generous.

Zhao Mengyun slowly walked around the pile of things twice, then gently pointed to the largest piece of hind leg meat with her finger, and lifted the heavy bag of refined powder, her eyes full of surprise.

"Guangqi," she said, her voice trembling with uncertainty, "isn't this... this portion a bit too much? This amount of meat alone is enough to last until after the Lantern Festival."

Liu Guangqi smiled slightly:

"After all, it's the year-end bonus, plus the salary of a level six engineer. I reckon that in the entire ministry compound, no one else can receive this much." He slightly raised his hand.

There's no other way; these days, the supply of skilled workers is the primary guarantee.

Zhao Mengyun understood the deeper meaning behind the words. This was not just an ordinary benefit, but a testament to the nation's appreciation for its top craftsmen, a profound reward for his dedication to creating national treasures. The slight embarrassment she had felt due to the abundance of resources was instantly replaced by a quiet sense of pride.

Liu Guangqi opened the door nimbly and started carrying his things inside, saying to his wife, half-jokingly and half-seriously:

"It seems we need to reach even greater heights next year, otherwise how can we live up to this generous treatment? Our machine tools must firmly stand at the forefront of the world; and the output value of the Red Star Factory must also be increased by another leap."

If these words came from someone else, they would inevitably seem exaggerated. But coming from Liu Guangqi, it sounded like he was simply stating a fact that the project was about to be completed.

It should be noted that Hongxing Factory, as a key foreign exchange earner, has already nearly 200 million in foreign exchange earnings from exports this year. Doubling that again? The thought alone would make anyone in the know nervous. But in Liu Guangqi's plan, this was not a pipe dream. If his export proposal could be approved by the higher-level committee, allowing Hongxing Factory to push its next-tier CNC machine tools into the overseas market, then the foreign exchange earned would be an astonishing figure.

Of course, the technological hurdles were the core issue. He had already planned it out. Just as others had used outdated machine tools to pressure us in the past, we would return the favor exactly as they had. With the approval of the ministries, Liu Guangqi could ensure that every exported CNC machine tool became an indivisible black box—forget reverse engineering, if even a single screw was tampered with, the entire machine would immediately lock up and become a pile of scrap metal.

If you need repairs then? Of course you can. But you'll have to pay a hefty price and respectfully invite a technician from his research department to handle it. By then, you'll earn not only the price of the machine tool itself, but also the repair fees, travel expenses, and technical consultation fees—not a penny less.

More importantly, Liu Guangqi's ambitions extended beyond the foreign exchange earnings of the Hongxing Factory. He aimed to make the machine tools produced in this region dominate the global market, leaving others forever in the dust. This ambition, coupled with his exceptional skills, was far from being a pipe dream.

……

Time flies.

In the blink of an eye, the ministry's last commendation meeting of the year arrived as scheduled.

It was still that familiar auditorium. Behind the podium, a huge red five-pointed star hung high, and red flags on both sides fluttered like flames. A solemn yet fervent atmosphere filled the air.

"Comrades!"

"Over the past year, our First Ministry of Machine Building has achieved truly remarkable success!"

At the annual general meeting of all staff, the leaders of the ministry stood on the stage, their voices carried through the microphone to every corner of the auditorium, passionately recounting the fruitful achievements of the past year.

The audience was packed.

The front row consisted of responsible comrades from various ministries and commissions, while the back row was filled with leading cadres and employee representatives from various directly affiliated factories and mines, all gathered together.

Everyone sat upright and looked focused.

When the speech touched on key enterprises, the atmosphere became noticeably solemn, and all attention was focused on the direction of the podium.

"Here..."

"The Hongxing Chuanghui Machinery Factory deserves special recognition!"

The minister's voice suddenly rose, his words resounding.

The audience immediately erupted in enthusiastic applause, mixed with knowing laughter.

"After the merger and reorganization, the number of employees at Hongxing Factory has reached nearly 5,000, which is quite a large scale."

"But they didn't let the ministry down!"

The leader paused briefly, as if gathering his strength.

He first raised one finger, then spread his entire palm, and finally fixed it in a clear gesture.

"One hundred and eighty million!"

"Comrades, this is the amount of foreign exchange earned from exports, 180 million US dollars!"

It was like a thunderclap falling on still water.

The entire auditorium fell silent for a moment, then a roar of sound erupted.

Incredulous gasps filled the air, followed by an uncontrollable chorus of exclamations and whispers.

"That's incredible!"

"It only broke the 100 million yuan mark last year, right? And this year it's already reached 180 million?"

"This isn't just a machine factory, it's a fountain of foreign exchange!"

In Liu Guangqi's view, the smiles on the faces of Director Li and Wang Jianguo were almost overflowing, as if they could already see the blueprint for further restructuring next year.

It has received high praise from ministries for two consecutive years.

The path to promotion to the provincial-level unit is already clearly visible under their feet.

Then.

When Director Lin announced that the Research Division had been awarded the title of Advanced Collective, the applause from the audience was thunderous and lasted for a long time.

Liu Guangqi, dressed in a neatly pressed cadre uniform, walked steadily toward the podium.

A year later.

He has already undergone a kind of inner transformation, and the last trace of his former immaturity has vanished. He walks steadily and has a calm and composed demeanor.

When I received the certificate symbolizing collective honor from the minister.

The familiar, calm smile on Liu Guangqi's face remained, without a trace of arrogance or agitation.

A quiet murmur of discussion drifted through the audience.

"If we're talking about a benchmark figure in our First Ministry of Machine Building, it has to be this Director Liu."

"With each meeting, my admiration grows."

"Who can argue with that! In just three years since joining the department, I've received every title imaginable, from Advanced Individual to Model Worker. Last year, I even swept both the Outstanding Individual Contribution Award and the Advanced Collective Award—the two highest honors..."

"His record remains unmatched to this day."

"And? I think it will be difficult in the future. What's even more valuable is their magnanimity this year!"

The people in the audience lowered their voices, their words filled with admiration.

"If it were someone else, they would probably be complacent and lose all sense of reason by now."

"Take a look at Director Liu. This year, he voluntarily gave all his personal honors to the younger colleagues in the department, saying that he wanted to pave the way for them."

"Look at that demeanor, that vision!"

"No wonder all the young people in the research department are so full of fighting spirit and willing to work hard alongside him!"

Director Lin on the stage.

Seemingly having caught up with similar discussions, he deliberately raised his voice to add to the discussion.

Comrade Liu Guangqi often emphasized that honor belongs to the collective, and the individual is only a part of the collective.

"This spirit of selflessness and dedication is something every comrade here should learn from!"

Liu Guangqi simply smiled and said nothing more.

Holding the certificate, he turned to the audience and bowed deeply.

As his gaze swept over the familiar faces of his colleagues, brimming with excitement, a warm feeling welled up inside him.

These awards and honors are merely markers of the past journey.

The real test comes after the year ends.

Mass production of five-axis linkage machine tools is being fully implemented, the challenges of developing seven-axis technology urgently need to be overcome, and there is also the vast and complex overseas market waiting to be explored.

One tough battle after another awaits him ahead.

The commendation ceremony has concluded.

Liu Guangqi's record of winning two awards last year remains unbroken.

It remains a popular story circulating within the Ministry of Machine Building to this day.

As the meeting ended, the Minister of the First Ministry of Machine Building gently patted Liu Guangqi on the shoulder, his tone resolute: "After the New Year, I will personally speak on your behalf to the higher-level authorities regarding the export strategy!"

Liu Guangqi smiled and nodded, then walked out of the auditorium with a composed gait.

I don't know when.

Fine snow began to fall again, drifting down and quietly settling on the brand-new Spring Festival couplets on the vermilion pillars of the porch.

The festive atmosphere of the New Year is growing stronger.

……

The twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month.

Liu Guangqi, together with Zhao Mengsheng, prepared to return to the courtyard house to spend the Spring Festival, carrying the holiday gifts distributed by the ministry.

It is worth mentioning that.

Both husband and wife had official duties to attend to.

Liu Guangqi had long ago entrusted his twin children, Xiao Ruixue and Xiao Fengnian, to be cared for in the courtyard house.

after all.

This is an era that advocates that women can hold up half the sky.

In the biting cold of December, a stable job was more precious than anything else. In those days, labor was honored, and any household with an extra idle member would be the subject of gossip from the neighbors. All the subsequent privileges and dignity afforded to women can be traced back to the fact that women of this era truly shouldered half the sky.

The back room of the Liu family compound was warm and cozy. Since the arrival of his twin grandsons, Liu Haizhong rarely flaunted his deputy director status in the yard. Managing over a hundred people in the workshop, his perspective was naturally different from before. Besides, it was freezing cold outside, and he couldn't bear to let his two precious darlings suffer even a little bit of cold.

Just then, Liu Haizhong, who had just finished feeding his grandson formula, turned around and saw his youngest son, Liu Guangfu, sitting cross-legged on a low stool, making a constant crunching sound, with sunflower seed shells scattered all around his feet. His round, chubby face immediately darkened.

"What else can you do besides stuffing things in your mouth? The high school entrance exam is coming up in the spring, don't you feel any sense of responsibility? What rank did you get this time?"