Chapter 3: The Three Spacious Rooms

Today was a workday, and the courtyard was unusually quiet except for a few women busy washing clothes and preparing meals.

“Hey, Director Wang, what’s going on here?” a woman greeted with a smile.

“Auntie San,” Director Wang replied politely with a smile. “There’s a newcomer at the steel rolling mill, so I brought him to take a look at the house.”

“Look at the house?” Auntie San’s smile faltered for a moment.

This courtyard still had houses—three large rooms side by side inside the moon gate, part of the west wing. If the moon gate could be closed with a door, it was nearly a private residence with its own small yard.

Everyone had long coveted this house, yet countless requests had been submitted, and the street office always refused approval.

“How’s the house?” Wei Guo Yang asked Guo Ping Zhang with a smile.

“You’ll have to ask Shao Wen,” Zhang said as he pulled out cigarettes and handed them around before adding, “Shao Wen, if it’s okay, say so; if not, just be straightforward. The ministry will find another way for you.”

Director Wang glanced at Wei Guo Yang upon hearing this.

Wei Guo Yang leaned in and whispered a few words.

“Trade the apartment for a single-story house?”

Director Wang looked at Shao Wen Lin in shock.

In this era, apartments symbolized prestige.

No matter how small or how high the floors were, everyone scrambled to get one.

“Work is work, no matter where you do it,” Lin Shao Wen said with a faint smile, though inside he was struggling.

If he had a choice, he certainly wouldn’t want to live next to these people.

But since he’d already said it, he couldn’t be picky. In this era, appearances were very important.

“Well said,” Director Wang gave a thumbs-up. “Dr. Lin, if you live here, I’ll make sure you get all three rooms.”

“Three rooms?” Lin Shao Wen was stunned.

Those three rooms together must be around two hundred square meters. In an age when a family of four or five squeezed into forty-square-meter apartments, getting approval for such a large house was rare.

“Dr. Lin, since you’re willing to give up an apartment for work, our street office and the steel mill can’t be stingy, right?” Director Wang smiled at Wei Guo Yang.

“Exactly,” Wei Guo Yang agreed. “All three rooms are yours. They are a bit old, but the space is generous.”

Looking at the three rooms lined up side by side, Lin Shao Wen’s mind began to race.

Honestly, it wasn’t easy to find such a big house these days. His apartment in the Ministry of Industry’s family building was only seventy square meters. This small courtyard would be much more comfortable.

Though somewhat dilapidated, a little money for repairs and a lounge chair in the yard would make life quite pleasant.

As for those unpleasant neighbors... best to avoid them.

“In that case... this house will be under the Ministry of Industry’s name,” Wei Guo Zhang proposed. “Your street office and the steel mill can hand over the property deed to me. I’ll take it to the ministry for approval and then transfer ownership to Shao Wen.”

His idea was cunning.

The house was in poor shape and would require expensive renovations.

If Lin Shao Wen ever got tired of working at the steel mill and wanted to transfer elsewhere, the mill could reclaim the house, leaving him helpless.

But if the house belonged to the Ministry of Industry, Lin Shao Wen would be the rightful owner. The steel mill wouldn’t dare take it back.

“No problem,” Director Wang and Wei Guo Yang readily agreed.

They hadn’t thought that far ahead—just as long as Lin Shao Wen agreed. Otherwise, where could they find him an apartment?

The paperwork was completed in an afternoon.

At Nanluoguxiang, the three large rooms in the west wing of the siheyuan were officially registered under Lin Shao Wen’s name.

“Uncle Zhang, thank you,” Lin Shao Wen said gratefully.

“You don’t have to be so formal with me,” Zhang Guo Ping chuckled. “Just live well and don’t neglect your skills. If one day... well, we’ll talk then.”

He didn’t finish the sentence, but he trusted Lin Shao Wen understood.

It simply meant that if Lin Shao Wen ever didn’t want to stay at the mill, Zhang could help get him into a hospital instead.

But having watched The Full Courtyard of Affection, Lin Shao Wen knew he had come to the steel mill for the right reasons. In a few years, a nationwide upheaval would sweep through, and the more prominent the position, the more dangerous it became.

Keeping a low profile as the mill’s small-town doctor would actually be much safer. Besides... he was still quite clueless about medical practice.

After Zhang Guo Ping treated him to dinner and left, Lin Shao Wen headed alone into the siheyuan.

As soon as he stepped inside, someone approached him.

“Young man, who are you looking for?” a bespectacled middle-aged man came over.

Lin Shao Wen immediately recognized him as the third elder of the siheyuan, Yan Bu Gui—known as the “Gatekeeper.”

“Sir, I’m a resident here,” Lin Shao Wen said with a smile, pulling out a cigarette he had gotten from Zhang Guo Ping and offering it to him.

“You live here?”

Yan Bu Gui lit the cigarette happily, then suddenly exclaimed, “Could it be the house inside the moon gate was assigned to you?”

“Yes, from now on, we’re neighbors. Please take care of me, sir,” Lin Shao Wen nodded.

“Gladly, gladly,” Yan Bu Gui said, suddenly finding the cigarette less enjoyable.

Those three rooms were like “Tang Monk’s flesh”—many eyes in the courtyard were on them, but no one got the prize. Instead, it was handed to an outsider.

Lin Shao Wen paid no mind and headed straight to his room.

He had his bedding and things, but the house was so old that he needed to see what repairs were necessary.

Watching Lin Shao Wen’s back, Yan Bu Gui’s expression darkened with malice.

No, this young man had taken one room; he had to get one of the remaining two.

His family of six squeezed into two rooms, barely able to move without stepping on each other.

With that thought, he rushed to the middle courtyard.

“Old Yi, this is serious.”

Hearing Yan Bu Gui’s shout, many people came out.

“What’s going on?”

Yi Zhong Hai frowned.

“The three rooms have been allocated,” Yan Bu Gui said, slapping his thigh.

“What?”

Not only Yi Zhong Hai but also Jia Zhang Shi and Liu Haizhong frowned.

“Third Elder, this isn’t right. My family has applied for ages,” Liu Haizhong complained.

“Exactly! Our son Dongxu just got married, and it’s so inconvenient for the whole family to squeeze into one room,” Jia Zhang Shi added indignantly.

“Whoa, what’s all this about?” a slick voice interrupted, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Zhuzi, just in time. Come with us,” Yi Zhong Hai said without hesitation, grabbing him.

“What’s going on?” Zhuzi asked in surprise.

“There’s someone living in the west wing of the backyard. Let’s go meet our new neighbor,” Yi Zhong Hai smiled.

“I’m cooking,” Zhuzi said, reluctant to go.

New neighbor or not, he didn’t want to get involved.

At that moment, a graceful figure stepped out, causing Zhuzi, who was about to go home, to stop in his tracks.

“Sister Qin.”

“Zhuzi,” Qin Huai Ru greeted with a smile.

“Huai Ru, you’re just in time. Let’s go together...” Yi Zhong Hai’s plan was spot on.

Newcomers needed to learn the rules.

They had to know who was in charge in this courtyard.