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

"And him? He dares to show up at our door with just a bottle of cheap liquor, and immediately asks to get his son a job at the factory—does he really think we're saints descended from heaven?"

Liu Guangqi just listened, a slight smile playing on his lips, but didn't reply.

My father's mocking tone, the smell of coal smoke in the room—everything was so familiar, as if it had never changed.

Although he has moved away, the courtyard seems to be frozen in the old days: scheming, whispering, and back-and-forth tug-of-war play out day after day.

Yan Bugui was still the same old man who was extremely frugal, making sure no one could take advantage of him, and he couldn't expect to get an extra penny from anyone else.

Thinking of this, the slight unease in Liu Guangqi's heart subsided.

Help? He shook his head inwardly.

Finding a job for Yan Jiecheng was as simple as asking him a question.

But what happens next? Once the news spreads, the doorstep of this courtyard will likely be worn down. Relatives from the Zhang and Li families will all come knocking, and then it will be difficult to refuse them, and even more difficult to accept them—why invite trouble upon yourself?

Liu Haizhong was still nagging on and on when Liu Guangqi reached out and patted him on the shoulder.

"Alright, Dad, everyone has their own plans. It's not worth getting angry over."

His tone shifted, and a smile appeared on his face: "New Year's Eve is just around the corner, so why don't we think about how to make this year's New Year more prosperous?"

Liu Haizhong's eyes lit up at the mention of the Chinese New Year.

"Absolutely! This year we have to have a real celebration!"

He raised his voice, "We need to prepare several strings of firecrackers. Our courtyard was the talk of the town last year, and this year the neighboring courtyards are all trying their best to outdo us—we can't let them steal our thunder!"

As night deepened, a chill seeped in through the cracks in the window.

A shout suddenly erupted in the courtyard:

"Guangqi! Meeting time—a hospital-wide meeting!"

Zhao Mengyun was talking to Liu Guangqi when she was startled by the sudden shout.

"A hospital-wide meeting?" She blinked. "Is there such a rule in the hospital?"

Liu Guangqi put down his teacup, and wisps of steam rose from it.

"It's an old tradition; we always have a meeting before the New Year to summarize the past year and talk about the new year."

A look of curiosity shone in Zhao Mengyun's eyes.

"Can I go and take a look? I've never seen the neighbors gather together like this for a meeting before."

She grew up in a military compound, where there was a hierarchy and sense of propriety between neighbors, and had never seen such bustling, ordinary life.

Seeing her enthusiasm, Liu Guangqi couldn't help but smile.

"Come on, let me show you the world."

Under the hanging flower gate in the front yard, several square tables were put together, and benches and chairs were placed around them.

The figures were packed together, almost everyone had arrived.

The dim yellow light of the kerosene lamp shone on people's faces, and the air was filled with the smell of smoke, the white breath of their breath, and the low murmur of conversation.

Liu Haizhong had already firmly taken up the main seat in the courtyard, looking every bit the part of the person in charge. He sat there with his shoulders relaxed, looking at his son and daughter-in-law who had just entered the courtyard with a smile in his eyes.

Xu Damao, always quick-witted, noticed Liu Guangqi approaching with Zhao Mengyun and immediately jumped up from his stool, his face beaming with a warm smile. He called out loudly, "Brother Guangqi! Come in, come in, seats have been prepared for you!"

The shout silenced the whispers in the courtyard for a moment, and all eyes turned to him. Quiet murmurs arose among the crowd.

"Is that Guangqi's newlywed wife?"

"Look at that wool coat she's wearing, it's so elegant."

"They're from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, proper cultural officials, how could they not be impressive?"

Despite the gazes coming from all directions, Zhao Mengyun maintained a calm smile and sat down with Liu Guangqi.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, the elderly man Yi Zhonghai, who was sitting at the head of the table, slowly picked up his enamel teacup, took a sip, and cleared his throat.

"Ahem, everyone, please be quiet." The courtyard fell silent. "There are two main reasons I called you all here for this year-end meeting."

"First of all, we have some good news for our compound. We need to introduce a new member to everyone," Yi Zhonghai said, turning his gaze to Zhao Mengyun. "This is Guangqi's wife, Comrade Zhao Mengyun. From now on, she's also one of our compound members. Everyone, please welcome her!"

Scattered applause broke out, then grew enthusiastic. All eyes were once again focused on the new bride.

Zhao Mengyun rose calmly, her demeanor composed, her voice clear and gentle: "Hello, neighbors. I am Zhao Mengyun, Guangqi's wife. I hope you will all take care of me and offer guidance as I live here. This is the first time I've spent the New Year in a courtyard house, so please forgive me if anything is inappropriate."

She spoke calmly and eloquently, with a natural air of refinement, instantly winning the favor of everyone in the courtyard. Applause rang out again, and someone whispered in admiration, "She really knows how to speak." "Cultivated people are truly different."

In the corner, Qin Huairu clutched a worn handkerchief, gazing at the radiant Zhao Mengyun under the lamplight—her well-fitting woolen overcoat seemed to bathe her in a soft glow. A strange tightness gripped Qin Huairu's heart. How long ago was it that she, too, had been looked at like this when she first married into the family? But now, the floral cotton-padded jacket she had painstakingly sewn appeared dull and unsophisticated in Zhao Mengyun's eyes. She glanced furtively at her husband, Jia Dongxu, beside her—a fitter, not bad among the young men in the courtyard, but compared to the promising Liu Guangqi… She lowered her eyes, the forced smile on her lips slowly fading.

It wasn't just her. Lou Xiao'e, on the other side, also felt a pang of bitterness. She was Lou Bancheng's only daughter, and her marriage to Xu Damao was quite a grand affair. But now, seeing Liu Guangqi standing beside Zhao Mengyun, and then looking at the jovial Xu Damao beside her, an inexplicable sense of regret welled up inside her. If only she had waited a few more years… She shook her head, stopping the thought. Of course, these thoughts were just wishful thinking. Not to mention Liu Guangqi himself, even Liu Haizhong wouldn't be able to get past that hurdle—his inherent pickiness was real: one came from the countryside, the other was a capitalist; even if he loved his eldest son dearly, he would never approve of either.

At this moment, the complex emotions hidden in the eyes of the young women in the courtyard were far deeper than the words they uttered.

Meanwhile, several middle-aged women started chatting. The third woman spoke first, her voice neither too loud nor too soft, just enough to carry throughout the courtyard: "Second Aunt, your daughter-in-law is absolutely perfect! Her demeanor, wow, standing next to Guangqi, they're a match made in heaven."

This was like a fuse, and immediately others chimed in: "Absolutely! They're such a perfect match." "Where can you find a wife like that?" "You can tell from her voice—generous and polite. She's definitely from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; she's extraordinary." "If you ask me, Guangqi is the most promising!"

One compliment after another filled the air in the courtyard with lively chatter.

During the conversation, everyone's gaze would always lightly sweep over Qin Huairu and Lou Xiao'e once.

Qin Huairu was radiating the fullest charm of her age.

But standing next to Zhao Mengyun's aura,

He then appeared somewhat reserved.

Her smile faltered, and she unconsciously slipped her hands into her pockets.

Lou Xiao'e's family was indeed well-off,

However, her pampered and spoiled demeanor paled in comparison to Zhao Mengyun's composed and elegant bearing.

Whether it's their clothing and makeup, or the sparkle in their eyes,

These once-praised new brides all seemed to lose their luster next to Zhao Mengyun.

As for their jobs and family background, there's no need to mention them.

So much so that in the eyes of the aunties gathered in the courtyard, Zhao Mengyun was the most suitable daughter-in-law in their hearts.

Naturally, the only regret is—

This standard is set too high, so high that it seems no one's son can reach it.

In the bangs,

Hearing the praises floating around him, he couldn't hide his smile, and his back straightened even more.

His son and daughter-in-law made him proud, which made him happier than when he himself became the deputy director of the workshop.

Afterwards, Yi Zhonghai talked about the year's events in the hospital and the various matters to be mindful of during the holidays.

The crowd discussed the matter amongst themselves.

Whenever someone mentions Liu Guangqi's success, it elicits a chorus of admiration.

Zhao Mengyun sat next to Liu Guangqi.

Looking at the lively scene before her, she said softly, "Your courtyard has a much stronger festive atmosphere than ours."

Liu Guangqi squeezed her hand.

With a smile, she replied, "I'll come back every year for the New Year, so you can fully experience the joy of it all."

While Liu Guangqi and Zhao Mengyun were whispering,

Yi Zhonghai then added with a smile:

"Every young person in our institute needs to work hard and learn from Guangqi..."

"I'll try my best to marry such a beautiful wife!"

With a smile in his voice, he casually nodded at Sha Zhu, Yan Jiecheng, and the others.

Then, Yi Zhonghai turned to Liu Haizhong and said, "Second Uncle, would you like to say a few words?"

Next, it was Liu Hai's turn to open his mouth.

He cleared his throat, adopting the demeanor of a deputy director:

"Our department has been generally safe and sound this year, without any major problems. This is the result of everyone's joint efforts."

"Let's keep up the good work next year, look after each other, and keep the courtyard clean and safe, striving to be recognized as a model courtyard house again!"

His words were spoken in a grand and righteous manner, and everyone applauded.

After all, Liu Haizhong is now the deputy director of the workshop, and his authority over people is evident, so his influence in the yard has naturally increased considerably.

After Liu Haizhong finished speaking,

He then looked towards Yan Bugui and asked, "Third Uncle, is there anything you'd like to add?"

Yan Bugui had been waiting impatiently for a long time.

Upon hearing this, he quickly adjusted his reading glasses and straightened his posture.

The manuscript in my belly,

He started thinking about it around noon.

Yan Bugui cleared his throat, his voice much louder than usual: "If you ask me, this year has been full of happy events in our compound, one after another!"

He counted them on his fingers, one by one:

"Look, Guangqi got married, adding a new member to the family; Second Uncle was promoted to deputy workshop director; and Guangtian also did well, getting into a vocational school..."

He was speaking with great enthusiasm

The expressions on the faces of the people in the courtyard gradually became subtle.

No matter how you listen to it,

Did his second uncle's family get all the joyous occasions in the courtyard?

So the rest of us are just there to make up the numbers?

Yan Bugui finally sensed the awkward atmosphere and quickly stopped talking: "Ahem! Well... anyway, it's all good news!"

His mind works incredibly fast.

He immediately found a way to save face and steered the conversation towards firecrackers:

"In my opinion!"

"This is all thanks to the good luck we got from pooling our money to set off firecrackers last year."

"So we can't break this tradition this year, we still have to buy! Buy louder, buy more, and welcome the New Year with great fanfare."

"Good things will come in their turn next year!"

The voice just fell,

Sha Zhu grinned and said, "Third Uncle, when you were arranging to buy firecrackers last year, don't you know how much profit you skimmed off the top?"

"How dare you bring this up!"

"you……"

Yan Bugui's face darkened.

That dimwitted idiot can't even speak properly; he deserves to be a bachelor for life.

"Idiot Zhu! Don't spout nonsense!"

Yan Bugui slammed his hand on the edge of the table in anger and scolded Sha Zhu:

"I was trying to save money for the hospital! I went to so many shops to find the best deal! You're slandering me! You're throwing mud at me!"

"The money you saved probably all went into your own pocket, didn't it?"

Sha Zhu grinned, completely ignoring the other person's expression.

Seeing that the two were about to start arguing, everyone in the courtyard wanted to laugh but could only hold it in, their faces turning red from holding it in.

Liu Haizhong quickly stepped in to mediate: "Alright, alright, let's all keep quiet."

"But what Uncle San said makes sense. Setting off firecrackers during the New Year is always a good way to bring good luck. Look at those neighboring courtyards, aren't they all trying their best to outdo us?"

"We can't afford to lose face this year!"

These words immediately lifted the spirits of everyone in the courtyard.