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

The minister's booming voice pulled him back to reality. The person on stage was speaking with great enthusiasm, waving his arm in the air as if to lift up the heat wave of the entire auditorium. Looking at the dazzling red light, Liu Guangqi suddenly realized that the warmth of this year-end season came not only from the fireplace.

After the minister finished speaking, the auditorium was silent for a moment, then erupted in thunderous applause.

Director Lin sat in the front row, his back slightly taut. The words "personally called out by superiors" echoed repeatedly in his mind, making his eardrums buzz. Just how high a level was that? He dared not think too deeply, only feeling a heavy, burning weight on his shoulders.

As the applause subsided, the minister glanced in his direction. Director Lin immediately stood up, turned to the podium, then to the darkened meeting room, and bowed deeply.

"It's all thanks to the leadership of the ministry and the hard work of all the colleagues in the department!" His voice trembled slightly, but every word was clear. "I myself, our General Machinery Department, and Comrade Liu Guangqi from the Research Department, were just doing our duty."

As he spoke, he turned to the side and gestured with his arm toward the young man who had been sitting quietly beside him.

All eyes immediately turned to that direction.

Liu Guangqi sat there, dressed in a slightly worn dark blue Zhongshan suit, his face still showing a hint of youthful thinness. The applause erupted again, more enthusiastic than ever before, almost lifting the roof off. Many people whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with astonishment and admiration.

"That's Director Liu? He looks so young!"

"He's probably not even twenty yet, right? Did he really lead the way in developing CNC machine tools?"

"Incredible... This is truly a case of a carp leaping over the dragon gate."

Liu Guangqi's ears burned slightly. Under countless gazes, he stood up and bowed in imitation of Director Lin. His posture was slightly stiff, yet it possessed a certain composure.

The applause lasted for quite a while before gradually subsiding after the minister raised his hand to signal it to stop.

The meeting moved to the next segment. The minister began to read out the annual results of each ministry and factory. The figures were thrown out one after another, like pebbles thrown into a lake, stirring up murmurs. When the total annual output value of the directly managed factories under the First Ministry of Machine Building was read out, showing a full 30% increase compared to the previous year, a collective gasp rippled through the audience.

Then, the minister paused, and uttered a sentence as heavy as a thousand pounds:

"Foreign exchange revenue projects led by the Red Star Factory, totaling—"

He took a deep breath and almost shouted it out:

"Breaking through 100 million!"

Ten million.

The auditorium fell silent instantly. Everyone seemed frozen in their seats, as if nailed to their seats by those words, forgetting even to breathe.

In those years when meat required ration coupons and the entire nation gritted its teeth to pay off debts, what did 100 million foreign exchange reserves mean? It was hard currency that could be exchanged for machinery, technology, and grain; it was the solid backbone of the nation.

The deathly silence lasted only a few seconds.

Suddenly, cheers, whistles, and stomping erupted like a torrent, shaking the entire auditorium floor. Some people jumped up and applauded, while others shouted, "Red Star Factory is awesome!" Several older comrades in the front row took off their glasses and kept rubbing their eyes.

Liu Guangqi remained silent, a faint smile curving his lips. He was the chief technical officer of the Hongxing Factory, and these numbers had long been etched in his mind. Rice cookers, induction cookers, electric ovens—all those days spent on blueprints, immersed in the workshop, repeatedly debugging and modifying them, had now solidified into the scalding numbers on the stage.

After a long period of uproar, the host finally raised his voice to calm the situation down:

"Now—we will proceed with the awards ceremony!"

The personnel officers lined up and went up on stage, holding gold-embossed certificates and various prizes. The leader on the stage unfolded a red list and cleared his throat.

"Advanced Collective – General Machinery Division!"

Director Lin rose again, strode onto the stage, and accepted the heavy certificate with both hands. His eyes crinkled with laughter, and as he turned to face the audience, his chest ramrod straight. The General Machinery Division's contingent erupted in cheers; the young men clapped until their hands were red, and whistles blared incessantly.

Director Lin returned to his seat, carefully placing the certificate on his lap. His gaze swept across the crowd, landing on Liu Guangqi, his eyes filled with approval, satisfaction, and a hint of expectation.

"Outstanding Individuals—Wang Jianguo, Li Zhiqiang, Zhang Hongmei…"

One name after another was read out. The award recipients jogged onto the stage, receiving certificates and a white enamel mug with red lettering. The four characters "Labor is Glorious" on the mug shone brightly under the lights. The item wasn't expensive, but it represented a recognition that many people dream of receiving these days.

Liu Guangqi sat next to a young technician who had been clenching his fists and craning his neck since the list was being read. As soon as the last name was called, the technician's shoulders slumped, and he slumped into his chair, muttering in a very low voice, "Not me again..."

At this time last year, Liu Guangqi was just one of the applauding crowd in the audience. Watching others receive their certificates, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret—he was so close, he was determined to stand on that stage next year.

Now that it was his turn to sit in the audience, he didn't feel any disappointment. It was an awards ceremony, after all; it should give more people the opportunity to stand in the spotlight. He straightened his cuffs, preparing to watch the ceremony with a calm mind.

Halfway through the proceedings, the host's suddenly raised voice pierced the hall:

"Next, we announce the ministerial-level model worker—Liu Guangqi!"

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

The applause erupted like a torrential downpour, more intense and longer than ever before. Countless gazes wove a net upon him, a sea of ​​surprise, envy, and admiration.

Liu Guangqi then slowly stood up. He smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes and walked step by step toward the podium bathed in light.

The award was presented by the Minister of the Ministry of Machine Building himself. The old man solemnly handed him the bright red certificate and patted his shoulder heavily with his thick hand.

"Comrade Guangqi, well done." The minister's voice was not loud, but it was as heavy as a rock. "You are the pride of our Ministry of Machine Building."

Liu Guangqi accepted the gift with both hands, turned to the dense crowd below the stage, and bowed deeply.

The applause lasted for a long time.

As he turned to leave, the minister stepped forward again and gestured for him to stay.

"Don't rush off yet." A meaningful smile appeared on the old man's face as he turned to the entire room. "After deliberation by the ministries, a new award has been specially established this year—'Outstanding Individuals with Contributions'."

A buzz of excitement arose from the audience.

"A newly established award?"

"Just from the name, you can tell it's quite important..."

"Could it still be...?"

The minister's gaze swept across the room, and as everyone held their breath, he slowly began to speak:

"The award recipient is Comrade Liu Guangqi from the Research Department."

Silence returned.

Immediately afterwards, the meeting room erupted into chaos, like boiling water.

"Double prizes! Unprecedented!"

"Model worker and outstanding contributor... Director Liu is going to be remembered in history!"

"He spearheaded the development of CNC machine tools, and he also single-handedly established the foreign exchange-earning factory. Shouldn't these two awards belong to him?"

Amidst the clamor, not a single word of doubt could be heard. Everyone knew that Liu Guangqi's achievements over the past year were enough to silence all criticism.

The minister handed him another certificate and a brand-new leather briefcase. The briefcase was quite heavy, and through the light, one could vaguely see a hardcover copy of "Mechanical Engineering Handbook" inside.

When Liu Guangqi took it, his fingertips paused lightly on the cover.

Knowledge is the most precious reward.

His face still held a calm, gentle smile, without a trace of arrogance.

Below the stage, Director Lin gazed at the young figure bathed in a halo of glory, a smile unconsciously playing on his lips. This young man was not only the pride of their department, but also the most dazzling representative of the Ministry of Machine Building.

— He personally nurtured these promising talents, and now they have grown into pillars of society.

The thunderous applause in the auditorium finally subsided, but the lingering warmth of the moment still hung in the air. A leader from the Ministry of Machine Building stood on the stage and loudly announced the dates of the Spring Festival holiday—from the 27th of the twelfth lunar month to the 5th of the first lunar month, a full seven days. As soon as he finished speaking, a low, barely suppressed cheer erupted from the audience, as if the arrow of homecoming had already been nocked and was just waiting for this moment to be released.

Swept up in the crowd, Liu Guangqi held the certificate and an envelope containing an award, still warm from the auditorium. He glanced down, a smile unconsciously playing on his lips. He had thought this year would be another year of being a runner-up, but unexpectedly, he was the one who returned with a full haul. In this era, honor wasn't just about looking good; it was about gilding oneself with a real layer of gold, allowing him to take deeper and more firmly rooted himself in this red soil.

"Director Liu, you're really in for a treat this time!"

"Double happiness! I'm so envious!"

Colleagues passed by in twos and threes, their words tinged with genuine envy. Liu Guangqi responded to each of them and followed the flow of people out of the ministry's gate. The winter wind blew like a knife; he pulled his collar tighter and looked up to see that familiar figure at the bottom of the steps.

Zhao Mengyun, wrapped in a thick woolen coat and a scarf tied to her chin, her face flushed from the wind, was standing on tiptoe, peering towards the door. When she saw Liu Guangqi come out, her eyes lit up, and she quickly went to greet him.

"Have you figured it out yet?"

Her gaze immediately fell on the thing in his arms, and her joy was overflowing from her eyebrows.

"I knew it was going to be good!"

She smiled, her eyes crinkling, and reached out to take the leather briefcase, her movements as careful as if she were handling fragile porcelain. Her fingertips gently traced the gold-embossed words "First Ministry of Machine Building" on the briefcase, each touch radiating pride.

"Congratulations, Model Worker Liu!"

She looked up, her voice filled with the joy of sharing in his success: "I could hear the commotion inside from outside; the applause was continuous."

"I knew you could do it!"

Liu Guangqi was amused by her appearance and reached out to tuck her disheveled hair behind her ear.

"It's not that mysterious."

"Besides, this credit doesn't belong to me alone; my colleagues in the research lab all contributed a lot."

"That's different!"

Zhao Mengyun immediately retorted, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him: "Giving you the award certificate is a testament to your ability!"

As she spoke, her voice became lighter: "We need to frame these two certificates when we get back and hang them in the most prominent place in the house."

"When I have children in the future, I'll point to the wall and tell them—"

"Let them know how capable their father is."

Liu Guangqi listened and just smiled. Then he stuffed the certificate and the thick envelope into her arms.

"Okay, whatever you say, you can keep it."

Zhao Mengyun took the certificate, carefully folded it, and solemnly placed it inside her briefcase. Suddenly remembering something, she looked up:

"By the way, the nearby bank is still open today. Let's deposit the money first, then go to the New Year's market."

Liu Guangqi nodded: "I'll do as the leader says."

The word "leader" made Zhao Mengyun's ears burn slightly, and she gave him a light glare. The two looked at each other and smiled, as if a sweet feeling was passing through the air.

……

The bank lobby was filled with the mingled smells of old wood and ink. The tall wooden counters, worn smooth by time, reflected several striking red slogans on the wall:

"Actively participate in savings to support national development!"

"Real savings preserve and increase value, giving people peace of mind when depositing their money!"

There was no queuing system, no glass partitions, only the crisp, rhythmic clatter of abacus beads, dense as a downpour, striking out the unique rhythm of this era. It must be said, this bank was completely different from the cold, impersonal banks of later generations that Liu Guangqi remembered. Perhaps it was precisely because he lived in this era that he found it so appealing—it had a lively, human touch.

The business hall had a long row of counters, with only abacuses and ledgers behind the windows. Zhao Mengyun was clearly familiar with the place; she walked straight to a window and handed over a stack of brand-new black 10-yuan notes and two people's pay slips.

"Comrade, please make a deposit." Her tone was gentle, and a polite smile played on her lips.

"Choose a one-year fixed-term savings account with discounted interest."

The girl behind the counter was about twenty years old, with two braids hanging over her shoulders. Her movements were clean and efficient. She took the banknotes, counted them with her head down, and muttered the numbers under her breath, her eyes inadvertently glancing at the two accompanying pay slips.

Suddenly, her fingers, which were manipulating the abacus, froze in mid-air.

The soft, lingering sound of the abacus beads was exceptionally clear in the silence.

When the girl raised her eyes and looked at the young couple by the window again, her previous formulaic expression had faded, and a shimmering light filled her eyes, a mixture of surprise and respect.

"Both of you... are you from ministries?"