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

The state-run store's purchases came to a temporary end. Liu Guangqi did not take his family directly back to the noisy courtyard house, but instead planned to go to the staff quarters of the ministry compound first.

"Dad, Mom, let's not go back to the alley yet. The sewing machine is being delivered soon, and someone needs to stay home. Why don't you come to my place for a while?"

Before the words were even finished, Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu, the two boys, were already jumping up and down on the back of the bicycle: "We can go to the ministry compound? That's great! Bro, take us to see it!"

Seeing this, Liu Haizhong didn't say much—after all, it was serious business, and besides, he had long wanted to visit his son's place, but hadn't had a reason. Now that Liu Guangqi had taken the initiative to invite him, he naturally went along with it: "Then let's go see your new home. We haven't visited you since you moved out..."

His second aunt laughed and exposed him: "Son, you don't know, your dad has been wanting to go inside the ministry compound for a long time. Now his wish has come true, he's so happy."

"You old hag..." Liu Haizhong couldn't hold back any longer, his face flushed, and he quickly patted the back seat of the new car: "Are you going or not? If you keep dawdling, I'm going first!"

"Let's go, of course we'll go!" Auntie Er replied with a smile, and the family headed towards the courtyard with its high walls.

Auntie Er smiled, deftly sat sideways on the back seat, and pinched the folds of his clothes with her fingers.

"How can a mother not go and take a look at her son's home?"

"Hold on tight!"

Liu Haizhong cleared his throat and straddled the car seat with an air of seasoned experience.

As soon as I stepped on the pedal, the chain rattled and the front of the bike almost tipped over, swaying several times before finally stabilizing.

Liu Guangqi couldn't help but laugh as he watched the old couple bickering.

He patted the back seat of his car and gestured with his chin towards his two younger brothers:

"You two, get in my car."

"Okay!"

Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu, like two nimble kittens, quickly climbed onto the car seats.

Although the cushions were narrow, the two people squeezed together but their faces were full of joy.

Before long, two gleaming silver Forever brand bicycles carrying the family headed towards the ministry's dormitory compound.

The jingling of bicycle bells during the New Year holidays, mixed with Auntie Erda's gentle call to "ride slowly" and Liu Haizhong's admonition to "sit tight," added a touch of liveliness and energy even more than the sound of firecrackers.

……

When Liu Haizhong saw the guards on duty at the entrance of the dormitory again, that familiar surge of emotion welled up in his chest once more.

This time, the guards clearly recognized Liu Guangqi and remembered the family, so they let them pass without asking any questions.

As Liu Haizhong stepped into the courtyard, he glanced back at the upright guards, a surge of emotion welling up inside him.

Now we're the ones being saluted by the guards!

That's really impressive!

When Liu Guangqi unlocked the door with the key and pushed it open, a warm current rushed towards him.

The heating inside was on full blast, creating a stark contrast with the biting cold wind outside, making it feel like two completely different worlds.

The Liu family members stood frozen at the doorway, unsure of what to do with their hands and feet.

"Kuangqi...is this really the house you live in?"

Aunt Er's voice trembled, and it was understandable—the last time she came, the walls were empty, but now everything had changed.

A warm-toned wooden sofa sits beside a gleaming square table, while a row of bookshelves and a large writing desk stand against the wall.

Each piece of furniture exuded an elegance they had never experienced before.

The whole family was stunned.

"Oh my god..." Liu Guangfu was the first to come to his senses. He exclaimed and rushed into the house, sinking into the sofa and sighing comfortably.

"Brother! This isn't a house, it's a palace! Compared to this, our house in the courtyard looks like a shack!"

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

The second aunt followed him in, tenderly brushing the dust off Liu Guangfu's trousers: "Our house is a thatched hut, and look what you've become!"

Although she was scolding, her eyes were busy taking everything in, finding everything new and precious.

Although Liu Haizhong was also filled with excitement, he put his hands behind his back and paced around the room as if he were on patrol.

Tap the wall panel here, touch the countertop there.

He went outside, opened the balcony door, looked down at the neat courtyard, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Yes, this is more like the layout of a scholar's home!"

"This is the kind of living quarters cadres should have! Excellent, truly excellent!"

His barely concealed pride practically overflowed from every smile line.

……

At this moment, everyone in the Liu family was immersed in the bright, tenement building.

Liu Guangtian was the first to become active.

His eyes darted around, and he quietly crept up to Liu Guangqi, rubbing his hands together and lowering his voice:

"Brother, this room is blindingly bright!"

"How about... we don't go back tonight?"

As he spoke, he nudged Liu Guangfu beside him with his elbow and winked, "Perfect for adding some life to your new house!"

Liu Guangfu was slow-witted, but he reacted extremely quickly to this matter, nodding vigorously in agreement.

"Yes, yes, yes! Warm the house! We'll warm the house for our eldest brother!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the face in the bangs suddenly darkened, and he put on his official airs again.

"Nonsense!"

He glared at her, his voice low but authoritative.

"Has no sense of propriety! What kind of place is this? It's a dormitory building for ministry officials!"

"Do you two think you can just do whatever you want in this compound? Our neighbors are all leaders; making a scene here is just making us a laughingstock! Don't you have any manners at all!"

He scolded her sternly, but his eyes kept glancing at the most impressive single sofa.

Liu Guangqi almost burst out laughing when he saw his father's insincere expression.

Liu Guangqi did not expose her father's thoughts, but simply took Liu Haizhong's arm and led him to the sofa.

"Father, please sit down. Let's talk while you're seated."

Liu Haizhong hesitated a few times, then unconsciously let out a sigh of relief as his body settled onto the thick wooden sofa, feeling completely relaxed. But he still wouldn't back down: "This... what kind of talk is this!"

"It's alright."

Liu Guangqi waved his hand casually, turned around and poured two glasses of warm water, handing one to his father and holding the other himself.

"There are still empty rooms in this house, so they're just sitting there. If Guangtian and the others want to stay, they can come and stay for a few days without any problem."

Upon hearing this, Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu, who were standing nearby, immediately brightened up.

"But—" Liu Guangqi suddenly changed the subject, "We still need to go back to the courtyard house today. Otherwise, that old man in the courtyard won't see our lights on in the middle of the night, and he'll definitely run to the neighborhood office tomorrow morning saying that our family of five has vanished without a trace..."

Upon hearing this, the Liu family members in the room were stunned for a moment, and then almost simultaneously burst out laughing.

Yes, given Yan Bugui's calculating nature, he really is capable of doing such a thing.

"So," Liu Guangqi concluded with a smile, "let's go back first and have a peaceful New Year. After the New Year, you can come and stay whenever you want; this place is just like your own home."

"Brother! You're really our big brother!" Liu Guangfu jumped up from the sofa excitedly, only to be lightly tapped on the forehead by Liu Haizhong: "You little rascal, how can you talk like that?"

What do you mean by "brother" or "older brother"? You are all my sons in my bangs, so your older brother is naturally my son too.

Liu Guangtian grinned from ear to ear, repeatedly saying, "Thank you, brother! You're the best!"

Looking at his sons' joyful faces, Liu Haizhong then surveyed the brightly lit, almost blindingly bright building—the heating pipes hung quietly against the walls, the electric lights shone gleamingly, and the tap water flowed freely… He had lived most of his life, competing with others in the steel mill and vying for power in the courtyard, all in the hopes of obtaining some official position and gaining respect. But after all that striving and fighting, he was now nothing more than a seventh-level forging worker.

but now……

He looked up at his eldest son, the most promising one. How long had he been working in the ministry? At such a young age, he was already a section chief at the sixteenth administrative level, and had even moved into the ministry's family housing, a place he had never dared to dream of before.

Worth it.

This life has truly been worthwhile.

Before long, after verification by the security guard at the gate of the ministry compound, the deliveryman from the state-owned store pulled a cart and delivered a brand-new sewing machine to my home.

No sooner had the deliveryman left than Aunt Er rushed forward and yanked off the red cloth covering it.

The jet-black, gleaming body of the phone immediately came into view. The paint shone with a lustrous sheen, and the two small, gold-stamped characters for "Butterfly" on the front of the phone shone brightly, dazzling the eye. The middle-aged woman reached out and gently stroked the phone, her eyes filled with joy.

Although the sewing machine couldn't be put back in that small room in the courtyard, what woman of her generation wouldn't long for a sewing machine of her own? If men in those days dreamed of owning a bicycle, then what women yearned for was a sewing machine that was easy and loud to pedal.

For Aunt Erda, as she gets older, whether she needs it or not may no longer matter. But having such a large item in the house will make any future daughter who marries into the family proud.

She examined the sewing machine closely, then couldn't help but excitedly turn to her son:

"Guangqi, these days there are so many people in our courtyard who want to play matchmaker for you! The aunties and grandmas from the neighborhood office are especially enthusiastic, they're all coming over here more often than the other."

Liu Guangqi was slightly taken aback, recalling the last blind date, and said helplessly, "Mom, you didn't just agree to someone's request without thinking, did you?"

"How could I!" the second aunt said, her voice tinged with resentment. "Even if I agreed, so what? You're my son, can't I even interfere in your marriage?"

Liu Haizhong, who had been listening nearby, smiled and recounted his encounter with the female sales clerk at the state-run store, then continued:

"See? Our son has no trouble finding a girl. Those girls your neighbors introduce him to, how can they compare to a saleswoman from a state-run store? If you ask me, the only ones who will be able to match Guangqi in the future are probably families in this government compound. Don't agree to any of those random offers."

Liu Guangqi was speechless for a moment.

He suddenly realized that his parents were both incredibly skilled at pressuring him to get married.

Keep in mind, he's only nineteen. He just started school early and graduated from university early because of the changes in the education system. Even though people generally get married early these days, to get a marriage certificate—men have to be at least twenty and women at least eighteen.

He's so young, I really don't understand what his parents are so anxious about. Has he never lacked the attention of girls?

If we were to follow those absurd stories from the alleyways—if you don't accept the feelings of your college sweetheart, you'll miss out on a good match; if you refuse a meeting arranged by your elders, you'll be considered a blockhead; even moving into this compound without pursuing those famous, beautiful wives would be a huge regret. That's utter nonsense! Those are just fantasies made up in books.

The days we live now are real, vibrant, and passionate, far removed from those fabricated urban tales. Especially these days, interactions between men and women are absolutely taboo; a slight misstep can lead to disaster. The word "moral conduct" is like a scorching iron fence; whoever crosses it will suffer. It's not something that can be resolved with a lighthearted criticism—if it really causes gossip, the people coming to reason with you could knock your doorframe askew.

Some things can't be dismissed with a simple "free love" or "normal relationship." Just look at He Daqing: how could such a shrewd person willingly shoulder the burden of a whole family for Widow Bai? Frankly, it's because they've already reached that point, and it's too late to turn back. These days, the Women's Federation isn't just for show. Either don't get close to someone lightly, or once you do, you have to commit. If you back out halfway and get a reputation for being a heartless womanizer, your life will be stained. Once the label of "moral issues" is attached, your future is ruined. The gossips of the neighbors can turn white into gray—you say it's just a casual relationship? If you like each other, why don't you marry? Are you hiding something? In the blink of an eye, you'll be pointed at and scorned as a scoundrel.

Liu Guangqi had no intention of jumping into this fire pit.

***

It was still early, and the Liu family wasn't in a hurry to go back. They planned to have dinner at the ministry's residential compound before leaving. Liu Guangqi had originally intended to take them to a restaurant outside, since the area had all the amenities one could need: a canteen, small shops, a bathhouse, and even a sports field—very convenient.

"Eating out is too expensive!" His suggestion was immediately rejected by his mother. She glanced at her son, her voice full of concern, "You've already spent so much at the department store during the day. Your salary doesn't fall from the sky; you should save where you can. We have vegetables and meat at home; Mom will cook for you."