Chapter 38 Small Courtyard
In addition to the seven rooms, his small courtyard also has a private yard with trees, a pond, a kitchen and a bathroom.

If it weren't for the special times, he would have moved here anyway.

“Mom and Dad, Guangming, Guangyou, when you come here, just treat it as your own home, walk around and see whatever you want.

This is the front door key. I prepared two extra sets. Take them and go out for a walk if you want. Just don't get lost."

Li Zhiguo paused and continued, "We have food and drinks in the main hall and in the kitchen.

I have to go to the factory later. There is a big dinner today on New Year's Day. I will bring Huairu back after the meal.

Mom, I'll have to trouble you to make lunch yourself."

His cooking skills are hard to describe and I don't know where to start if I want to help.

"Okay, okay, son-in-law, you go ahead and do what you have to do, don't worry about us."

Qin's mother sat on the chair and touched the table top. How wonderful it was! Her daughter had really married the right person.

"Brother-in-law, can I go to the factory to play?"

Little Qin Jingru just wanted to look around and was curious about everything.

"No, you're still young. There are preserved fruits and candies over there, but don't eat too much, or you'll have toothaches.

Wait until later, and your brother-in-law will come back and take you out to play."

Li Zhiguo rubbed little Qin Jingru's hair. His presence here made his father-in-law and his family feel a little uncomfortable.

"Son-in-law, go slowly on the road."

The Qin family sent him out of the compound, and after the people left, they completely relaxed.

"Dad, my brother-in-law is really rich. This is just a small courtyard. It's much bigger than our house."

Qin Guangming likes this place so much. His brother-in-law said that he would find him a job in the city in the future, and it would be great if they could buy a small courtyard like this one.

"My sister is so lucky!"

Qin Guangyou also sighed that he had never been to this kind of courtyard house and it was a great experience.

"Uncle, you are busy!"

"Li Zhiguo, are you also attending the banquet today?"

The doorman came out of the security room and thought that this was not possible!
"I have a meal ticket! I was replaced by someone else, and my December salary has not been settled yet. I have to come to the factory to collect my salary the day after tomorrow when the factory closes."

Li Zhiguo handed out a cigarette as he spoke.

"Is that so? Then go in quickly and prepare the food in advance."

The doorman took the cigarette and became more talkative.

"Got it!"

He immediately passed the gate and rode his bicycle to the factory.

"Hey, Director, you're busy."

This stern-faced director is in his fifties and is a fairly upright person.

"Li Zhiguo, why are you here again?"

The stern-faced director got a headache just looking at this worker, who made their second workshop famous.

"It's the big dinner! There's still some time. I'll go help my wife with some work and make a contribution to the factory."

This sounds nice, but the stern-faced director doesn't believe it. If you have this awareness, why let your wife take over the job?

"Go! Don't mess with Jia Dongxu. He's been a little bit abnormal lately."

The stern-faced director pointed to his head and said that he had to worry about the workers' emotions every day.

"Don't worry, Jia Dongxu is my brother."

Li Zhiguo's heart skipped a beat. That can't be the case. He was fine when he saw her in the morning.

"Don't mention your brother anymore. Just don't provoke him. Today is New Year's Day!"

The stern-faced director quickly interrupted and said, it was you, my brother, who harmed the person.

"Got it!"

Li Zhiguo then walked into the workshop, and everyone couldn't help pointing and talking when they saw him.

When Jia Dongxu heard the noise, he turned around and saw Li Zhiguo, and he immediately felt unwell.

"Dongxu, don't be distracted!"

Yi Zhonghai reminded him that there was less work in the workshop today and he had time to teach his apprentice.

"Okay, Master!"

Jia Dongxu is tapping, which means drilling a screw hole for a part so that others can screw the screw in after getting it.

This job is not tiring, but it is very dirty.

"Huairu!"

"Brother, you are here."

Qin Huairu was checking small parts, a job that required no technical skills at all.

"Well, go ahead and do your thing. I'll take the lunch box and get the food and save a seat for you."

Li Zhiguo rolled up his sleeves. His clothes were pretty good, but he hoped they wouldn't get dirty, otherwise it would be tiring for Qin Huairu to wash them.

After seeing the tools and parts in the workshop, his inspiration was overflowing again. He always wanted to do something, and then he started to work involuntarily.

Qin Huairu's workstation was originally his, and his previous tools and other equipment are still there.

Besides, things like welding guns in the workshop are shared.

Nowadays, fitters take on all kinds of work.

"Hey, what is Li Zhiguo busy with? Doesn't he have stomach problems?"

"Didn't you see him squatting? I heard that his stomach problem just prevents him from standing for long periods of time."

"Is this disease really true? Then squatting is more tiring than standing."

The workers all have their own work to do, and even if they are slacking off, they have to pretend to do it.

After Li Zhiguo started working, he couldn't stop at all. The inspiration in his mind urged him to make it.

Fortunately it's just a small thing, otherwise I would have to work overtime on New Year's Day.

"Brother, what are you doing?"

Qin Huairu asked a few times, but no one answered, so she just stopped asking.

After a while, Li Zhiguo let out a long sigh, and the work was finally completed.

If it was really of any use, he wouldn't be called Handicraft Geng, but it also depends on the era.

"Huai Ru, this is for you!"

Li Zhiguo took his small work and placed it on his daughter-in-law's workbench.

"Brother, what is this?"

Qin Huairu was a little confused. It was no wonder that she was ignorant. If it were someone else, they wouldn't know what it was either.

There was a rectangular iron box on the table, only slightly smaller than an enamel cup, with a hole on one side and a crank handle on the other.

"Look, I'll show you."

Li Zhiguo picked up a pencil next to him, squeezed the valve open, then inserted it into the hole, then grabbed the handle and shook it a few times. When he took the pencil out, it had been sharpened.

"Oh! This is for sharpening pencils!"

Qin Huairu understood, "But this is no different from cutting with a knife."

She immediately picked up the knife next to her and scratched the pencil a few times. Isn't this simple?

"Ahem, this is called a pencil sharpener, and the lines it sharpens look better. Put it here, as a small gift for you."

Li Zhiguo was a little embarrassed. Damn, my own wife’s vision could not appreciate the power of his pencil sharpener.

The main reason is that children nowadays are not so pampered.

So Qin Huairu couldn't give any benefit of the pencil sharpener. It was just a useless gadget now.

"Yeah, I like it very much!"

Qin Huairu said something against her will, but after she sharpened a pencil herself once, she immediately fell in love with it, as if it were a toy.

"It's almost time. I have to go get some food."

Li Zhiguo thought that he almost missed the time, so he immediately picked up two lunch boxes and ran straight to the cafeteria. This can be considered as cutting in!
"Oh, this is unethical. If he doesn't have to go to work, he can run first. We can still wait a little longer."

"Forget it. There is a fixed amount for how much he can eat. It doesn't matter if you go early or late." "I just saw him busy over there. It seems he made something for Qin Huairu."

"Mind your own business. He was a workshop worker before, so wasting a little material is nothing."

The workers were chatting quietly when they suddenly saw the workshop director come in with a few people who looked like cadres.

"Director Bi, please come this way. Welcome to our workshop for inspection."

The stern-faced director was beside him to help Xiao Xin. Although he was called the director, the man who came was a big boss, the direct superior of the steel rolling mill, from the metallurgical department.

"I'll just take a look and not delay the factory's lunch."

Bi Jianhua nodded. Today was New Year's Day, and he came over to inspect it on a whim. He also had a big meal with the workers at noon.

When the workers saw the leader coming, they immediately pretended to work seriously.

Didn’t I see that not only the workshop director but also the factory director was there with him?

However, Qin Huairu didn't notice the visitor and was still sharpening pencils. She had a box of pencils that she usually used for taking notes, and she had sharpened them all so that it would be convenient for her to use them later.

"what!"

Bi Jianhua suddenly paused, not because of the beauty of the female worker, but because of the thing in her hand.

Put a pencil into a black box, turn it a few times with your other hand, and when you take the pencil out, it will be sharpened.

"Lesbian, what are you?"

When Qin Huairu heard the voice, she was stunned when she looked up. She had never seen such a scene before, and she didn't know the factory director or the senior leaders above her.

"Qin Huairu, this is Director Bi. Answer whatever he asks."

The dark-faced director was also curious about what kind of box this was. He had never seen it before.

"Ok!"

Qin Huairu replied, "This is a pencil sharpener. My husband made it himself. It's useless, but it makes the pencils it sharpens look good."

The stern-faced director suddenly realized that your man is Li Zhiguo. Just as he was about to say something, the big leader next to him spoke.

"Comrade, can you let me try it? How does it work?"

Bi Jianhua's vision is different from that of ordinary people. He instinctively feels that this pencil sharpener is not simple.

"Okay! There's a switch here. Press it to open the valve, then put the pencil in..."

Qin Huairu gave a brief explanation.

Bi Jianhua immediately took a new pencil and tried it. After putting it in place, he grabbed the handle and turned it a few times. He felt a little bit of resistance, but after a few turns he felt empty.

"Lesbian, why is this slipping?"

"It's not that the thread is slipping, it's that the pencil can't be sharpened after it's been sharpened, and it's not hard to turn it."

Qin Huairu just thinks this is fun.

"what!"

Bi Jianhua pressed the valve and took out the pencil. Sure enough, a pencil head sharpened into a cone was ready.

"This pencil sharpener is very special and contains a lot of technology."

As Bi Jianhua spoke, he picked up another unsharpened pencil and drew a stroke with it. The length was exactly the same, which meant that after sharpening the pencil, not a single bit of waste was caused.

"Comrade, which worker is your man? Call him over quickly. I want to talk to him!"

Bi Jianhua was very happy. He believed that the technical content of this pencil sharpener had great potential.

“He no longer works at the factory.”

Qin Huairu was a little at a loss. Is this pencil sharpener really that good that even the leader is excited?

"Not in the factory anymore?"

Bi Jianhua was stunned for a moment. Was he poached by another factory?

Director Yang quickly looked at the workshop director, which made the dark-faced director quickly explain: "Director Bi, the situation is like this, her husband is called Li Zhiguo, and he is a first-class fitter.

I was still working in the workshop last month, but I retired due to illness.

His wife, Comrade Qin Huairu, took over the position.

However, Li Zhiguo is at the factory today and he is here to attend the New Year's Day dinner."

Qin Huairu also said: "This pencil sharpener was just made by my husband. He is now in the cafeteria to get food."

"Is that so? As long as you're here, let's go to the cafeteria. Comrade, I'll take this pencil sharpener with me."

Bi Jianhua picked up the pencil sharpener. It was quite heavy and the more he looked at it, the more he liked it.

Immediately, the big boss took a few people to the cafeteria in a good mood.

"Director Yang, there are talented people in your factory. Don't underestimate the structure of this small box. It's not something that ordinary people can come up with."

When Yang Tiegang heard this, he quickly said, "I have also heard of that Li Zhiguo. He is a good comrade."

The sullen director's face turned even darker. "Director, are you sure you heard it right? Did you find the right person?"

"Director Chen, what is Li Zhiguo's illness?"

Bi Jianhua started to care about other people's health.

"He had a stomach problem. The doctor said he couldn't stand for long periods of time, so he went back to recuperate."

The dark-faced director has always felt that this disease is unreliable!

"Stomach problems. It seems that this comrade studies very hard and often misses mealtimes!"

Bi Jianhua already had a very good impression of Li Zhiguo.

……

"Silly Zhu, don't be polite to me when the spoon reaches the bottom!"

Li Zhiguo is already at the window.

"Got it!"

Sha Zhu was not vague. Although he looked down on Li Zhiguo's character, the tricycle matter did help his family.

This time, Sha Zhu's hands did not shake. He steadily scooped a spoonful of vegetables into the lunch box and quickly filled two servings.

"Li Zhiguo, you have to leave some for Sister Qin. Don't eat it all by yourself."

"What are you thinking? Two big boxes, can I finish them?"

Li Zhiguo had just taken the lunch box and was about to get the flour when he suddenly saw several leaders walking in.

"Li Zhiguo, come here quickly, the leader is looking for you."

The dark-faced director shouted quickly.

"Find me?"

Li Zhiguo was stunned for a moment, and had to put down the lunch box, "Shazhu, you help me watch it first, I'll be back soon."

"Go ahead! If you hadn't come, I would have given it to Sister Qin."

Sha Zhu was also a little confused. Why did the leaders look for Li Zhiguo? It must be something bad!
When Li Zhiguo went to meet them, several leaders also came closer. He saw Director Yang and some senior leaders who were much younger.

"Li Zhiguo, this is Director Bi. He wants to talk to you."

Bi Jianhua nodded and said, "Let's go to the private room and talk. It will only take a short while. It won't delay your meal."

"Leader, there's no need to delay. I've already prepared everything."

Li Zhiguo was wondering why he was looking for him when he suddenly saw the pencil sharpener in the leader's hand.

This model is much more advanced than ordinary pencil sharpeners. It is semi-automatic and has a lot of technological content nowadays.

Soon after arriving at the private room next door, Bi Jianhua put the pencil sharpener on the table and asked, "Li Zhiguo, how did you come up with the idea of ​​making such a pencil sharpener?"

"It just occurred to me suddenly. I usually like to guess things, but the things I come up with are useless."

Li Zhiguo had no intention of taking credit for doing this.

"Li Zhiguo, don't underestimate yourself. This pencil sharpener is very useful. If used well, our metallurgical department can even build a small branch factory for pencil sharpeners.

You are telling me about the design concept of the pencil sharpener, I will report it tomorrow.

Once you start using the pencil sharpener, the factory will give you rewards and certificates.

When you recover, there will be a job for you in the steel mill anytime."

Bi Jianhua’s promise is definitely a great joy for most people.

But Li Zhiguo finally got out of the factory...

(End of this chapter)