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

The success of the seven-axis machine tool is primarily due to the research department, and it is only reasonable to reward them accordingly.

The cafeteria was filled with a rare, joyful atmosphere.

Many people carefully packed most of the dishes into aluminum lunch boxes, preparing to take them home so that their wives and children could also taste this long-awaited meat dish.

In the morning, Liu Guangqi was focused on revising the teaching materials.

The red telephone suddenly rang.

He put down his pen and picked up the receiver: "Liu Guangqi, Research Department."

A cautious voice came from the guardhouse on the other end:

"Director Liu, there are several comrades looking for you outside the gate. One of them... claims to be your father, Comrade Liu Haizhong."

Father?

Liu Guangqi's eyebrows twitched slightly.

During those four years, Liu Haizhong never set foot in the ministry compound.

This sudden visit, accompanied by others, is probably not an ordinary visit.

"Comrade, please register them first, then take them to the reception room. I'll be there shortly."

"Understood, Director Liu."

After hanging up the phone, Liu Guangqi tidied up the documents on the table, got up and went downstairs.

Pushing open the thick wooden door of the reception room, three familiar faces appeared before me, one of whom was my father, Liu Pangpang.

The old man was wearing a dark blue Zhongshan suit, which he had clearly tidied up carefully.

The other two are Yan Bugui and Yi Zhonghai.

Yan Bugui was like a child entering a new and exciting world, his eyes constantly scanning his surroundings, full of curiosity about everything in the reception room, and he would occasionally lean close to Yi Zhonghai and whisper something to him.

Yi Zhonghai, however, seemed absent-minded, his brows furrowed, and he did not respond to Yan Bugui's words, as if he were immersed in his own thoughts.

……

Liu Guangqi observed the expressions of the three men, stepped forward, nodded to the security guard beside him, and said, "Thank you for your hard work, comrade."

"This is indeed my father."

Upon seeing his confirmation, the security guard immediately smiled and adopted a respectful attitude.

"Director Liu, you're too kind. I'll head back to my post now."

After saying that, he saluted and turned to leave.

As soon as the security guard left, Liu Haizhong immediately stood up from the sofa, a troubled and helpless expression on his face.

"Kuangqi..."

"I didn't mean to disturb your work."

"But something happened in the courtyard. Your eldest uncle and I discussed it for a long time and felt that there was really no other way, so we came to find you."

He said this, but his expression showed that it was none of his business.

If it weren't for Yi Zhonghai's repeated pleas, and the fact that the matter had become somewhat serious, he really wouldn't have wanted to affect his son's work.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but glance at his son, his pride and smugness almost impossible to hide.

He used to only know that his son was a section chief in a ministry, but today, seeing the impressive office building with his own eyes and hearing the security guards address him respectfully, he unconsciously straightened his back even more.

Yan Bugui was a quick-witted man, and he hurriedly stepped forward, his face beaming with smiles:

"Guangqi, your department is truly extraordinary!"

"This reception room alone is more impressive than our school principal's office!"

He smacked his lips, his eyes filled with envy.

"Right, let's get down to business." Yan Bugui changed the subject. "Today, it's mainly your uncle. His apprentice, Jia Dongxu, has gotten into some trouble, and he wants to hear your opinion."

As he spoke, he quietly nudged Yi Zhonghai, who was still unconscious, with his elbow.

Yi Zhonghai snapped back to reality, raised his bloodshot eyes to look at Liu Guangqi, his lips moved, and his voice was hoarse and dry:

"Guangqi, Dongxu... something happened to him."

"If it's convenient, could you... please put in a good word for me?"

**

Liu Guangqi was indeed surprised that his father, Liu Haizhong, along with Yan Bugui and Yi Zhonghai, had come together.

These three are all senior members in charge of things in the courtyard, and they rarely get together.

As soon as they met, Yi Zhonghai brought up Jia Dongxu's matter.

Judging from the tone of those words, it seemed that Jia Dongxu had an accident at the steel rolling mill, which startled Liu Guangqi.

He then remembered that it was now 1961, and according to the original trajectory, Jia Dongxu was supposed to pass away this year.

Counting the days, the baby locust flower in Qin Huairu's belly will be born soon.

If that child was a posthumous child, wouldn't Jia Dongxu's accident have occurred within this year?

……

Sure enough, Yi Zhonghai's heavy voice rang out again:

"Dongxu...he was in trouble yesterday afternoon."

"In the No. 3 rolling mill workshop of the steel rolling mill, he was on the middle shift. He was supposed to hand over the shift, but he insisted on staying for another half hour—"

"As a result, I lost my grip on the billet while operating it, and it slipped and hit the control table, causing the machine to go out of control..."

"By the time they got to the hospital, he was already gone."

His Adam's apple bobbed violently, as if he wanted to swallow back all the bitterness and resentment.

This is his apprentice, and also the person he hopes to rely on for his old age.

Among the young men in the courtyard, Liu Guangqi was undoubtedly the best. Although the others couldn't compare to him, they were all quite promising. Yi Zhonghai chose Jia Dongxu as his apprentice because he valued Jia's honesty and diligence, planning to rely on him in his old age. Who would have thought that this idea would only last two years before Jia was suddenly gone, leaving Yi Zhonghai heartbroken.

"The doctor said Dongxu has been starving for a long time, his body is completely drained, and he has no strength left." Yi Zhonghai's throat was tight, and his words were intermittent. "Guangqi, you know the situation of the Jia family... Your Aunt Jia and Qin Huairu don't have city residency, so they don't receive rations. Banggeng and Xiaodang, like their mother, are also from the countryside—five mouths depend on his salary as a second-level worker. These past few years, the economy has been bad, and grain prices have skyrocketed. They've scraped together money from all sides to buy expensive grain, but it's just enough to keep them alive..."

He choked up, raising his calloused hand to roughly wipe his eyes. In the past, he would have been a renowned seventh-grade fitter in the steel mill. If his apprentice had been in trouble, he would have stood tall and demanded justice from the factory, fighting for compensation for the orphaned mother and child. But now… his reputation in the factory was no longer what it used to be. He had failed the eighth-grade worker exam and been publicly reprimanded by an engineer from the ministry, receiving a disciplinary action—a stain branded onto his resume like a hot iron. Who in the factory would still give him face now?

Liu Guangqi listened silently, his face expressionless. He could naturally see that Yi Zhonghai's sorrow was genuine—after all, they were master and disciple. But to say he felt any empathy would be absurd. He wasn't one of those who entered this courtyard house aspiring to be saints. His attitude towards the Jia family, and indeed the entire courtyard, had always been clear: he wouldn't get close, wouldn't interfere, and wouldn't cultivate deep relationships.

It can only be said that fate is ultimately hard to change, and Jia Dongxu's "lunchbox" still arrived on time. It wasn't that Liu Guangqi was heartless and stingy with a reminder; it was simply that he had been working non-stop lately, his mind entirely focused on that seven-axis CNC machine tool that was crucial to the nation's fate. How could he have had the spare time to keep an eye on whether Jia Dongxu would be in trouble? He wasn't like some idle people who transmigrated from another world, spending their days only focusing on their own little corner of the world, scheming how to intercept Qin Huairu—that kind of vision was far too narrow. Besides, was he supposed to go up to Jia Dongxu and say in a mystical tone, "Brother, you're cursed this year, your life is in danger"? Whether the other person would believe him was still uncertain, and he himself would be seen as crazy. He certainly wouldn't do something so shameful and disgraceful.

Therefore, even if he knew better than Yi Zhonghai that Jia Dongxu's death was not simply a mistake, but rather the result of years of hunger and hardship, so what? He didn't reply, but continued to listen, but he knew perfectly well that Yi Zhonghai had brought his father Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui here today not just to complain.

Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Liu Haizhong quickly forced a smile to smooth things over: "Guangqi, in principle, these trivial matters in the ministry shouldn't bother you. You hold an important position in the ministry, how can you be distracted by these things... But your eldest uncle and the Jia family really had nowhere else to turn, so they dragged your third uncle and me along..." As he said this, his eyes couldn't help but glance at the impressive gate of the ministry's reception area—the guard's respectful "Director Liu" and the exquisite furnishings in the hall made him feel a surge of pride. He unconsciously tugged at the hem of the navy blue Zhongshan suit he was wearing. Guangqi and Meng Yun had brought it for him last year. He usually couldn't bear to wear it, but today he wore it specially, hoping to make a good impression on Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui.

Ultimately, he didn't want to get involved in the Jia family's mess. Jia Dongxu lived in the central courtyard and was Yi Zhonghai's apprentice; if the sky were to fall, it should be the head of the central courtyard and his master who would shoulder the burden first. Why should he, a mere steward of the back courtyard, get involved? But someone had indeed died in the courtyard. As the head steward, if he completely turned a blind eye, what would the neighbors say? The petty squabbles and scheming of the day were one thing, but this was a matter of life and death; to completely shirk responsibility was simply unacceptable.

When Yi Zhonghai visited, his words carried a hint of moral blackmail, but after careful consideration, Liu Haizhong couldn't find anything seriously wrong. Ultimately, with such a commotion in the courtyard, it wouldn't be right for his son to remain silent. So he went to the ministry, ostensibly to ask for his son's help, but in reality, he was just bringing someone to make a show of himself. As for whether or not to help, and how to help, he already knew perfectly well—with Guangqi's far more clear-headed mind, why would he need anyone else to worry about it?

Seeing Liu Guangqi remain silent for a while, Liu Haizhong continued, "Guangqi, if it's really difficult, then forget it. We'll think of another way. The ministry's work is important; don't let these trivial matters at home distract you." These words sounded considerate, but in reality, they were a soft offer. If his son simply said, "It's difficult," he could immediately back down gracefully, and explain to the authorities: it's not that I didn't try, but the ministry has rules, and my son is powerless to help. This way, he could save face for the head of the ministry without actually causing trouble for his son—a win-win situation.

Yan Bugui, however, was behaving quite differently. Taking advantage of the lull in the Liu father and son's conversation, he had already craned his neck, his eyes darting around, fixing his gaze on the gleaming mahogany tea table. His fingertips itched, and he finally couldn't resist, secretly reaching out to wipe the surface when no one was looking. The warm, solid touch made his heart skip a beat, and he quickly lowered his voice, almost whispering a gasp: "Good heavens, this wood…it's even more impressive than the black lacquered table in our principal's office!"

Hearing Liu Haizhong mention "thinking of other ways," he immediately leaned in, grinning, and chimed in, "Yes, Guangqi, work is important, work is important! We're just here to hear your opinion, a ministerial official, nothing more!" His words were frank, but in his mind, he was calculating—if Yan Bugui had come to the ministry today, he had already won. Whether the deal succeeded or not wasn't important; what mattered was that he would have another source of pride to boast about in the courtyard: "Back then, with the Jia family matter, I even went to the ministry with Second Uncle to try and find connections!" With that, everyone would look at him with more respect.

Just as Liu Haizhong was pondering his escape route and Yan Bugui was indulging in future gossip, Yi Zhonghai couldn't sit still any longer. He hurriedly spoke up: "Guangqi, besides seeking advice, we also wanted to ask you, if you have the time... could you try to negotiate more compensation for the Jia family? What do you think?"

After Liu Guangqi and the others finished speaking, they slowly raised their eyes. Their tone was steady, yet carried an unyielding air of authority: "Uncle, Uncle, I understand what you mean. Now, allow me to say a few words and see if this makes sense?"

Yan Bugui nodded repeatedly: "Go on, go on."

Liu Guangqi turned his gaze to Yi Zhonghai and went straight to the point: "Dongxu's incident should be classified as a work-related accident by the factory, right?"

"That's how it is," Yi Zhonghai replied.

"The steel rolling mill has clear regulations on work injury compensation, calculated based on years of service. Dongxu is a formal fitter with at least ten years of service. According to the regulations, he is entitled to a pension equivalent to twelve months' salary, plus funeral expenses. If there are underage children in the family, they can also receive a few yuan in subsidies each month—these are all national regulations, and the factory will not deduct a single penny." Liu Guangqi spoke clearly, each word resonating with conviction.

Liu Haizhong nodded slightly. As the deputy director of the workshop, he had long since memorized these work injury regulations.

"But then again, if I were to step in now, it might backfire." Liu Guangqi's tone shifted, a deeper meaning flashing in his eyes. "Uncle, you haven't forgotten your own troubles, have you? You were disciplined for concealing technical information during your eighth-grade worker exam, and the record is still in your file. The factory hasn't completely rescinded its decision on you yet. If you were to lead a protest for compensation at this critical juncture—even if it succeeded—would your life at the factory be smooth sailing from now on?"

Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai gasped.