Courtyard House: A Great Musician! Red Songs Resound Worldwide

Some even offered Li Chaoyang advice on how to better persuade the factory manager...

This discussion lasted for another hour or so.

The final conclusion was that the first major task for the publicity department was to reopen the cultural center.

The meeting concluded... Deputy Section Chief Qian suggested following the practice of other departments...

Everyone gathered for dinner at the office canteen that evening to welcome the new section chief...

However, when Li Chaoyang heard that this matter could not be handled with office funds, but rather required everyone to raise money, he realized that it was necessary to do so.

They immediately refused, saying they would wait until the reopening of the cultural center was finalized.

We can have a get-together and welcome him over...

After the meeting ended, everyone except the two in the broadcasting room stayed behind.

Some people went back to their old offices to retrieve their office supplies and then settled down in the cultural center area.

Li Chaoyang strolled over to his office next door and took a look.

I could already hear clanging and banging coming from inside the building from the hallway.

It seems the logistics staff have already started working...

However, when he got to the door, he didn't see Director Cao.

Instead, it was three carpenters making a writing desk... and a chair...

I didn't expect it to actually be made to order... Judging by the workmanship... these carpenters are quite skilled...

Li Chaoyang thought for a moment, then went in and asked the older carpenter, "Hello, comrade."

Where is your Director Cao?

The old carpenter, with a cigarette tucked behind his ear, looked up and said, "You must be Section Chief Li?"

"Our Director Cao has already gone back. He asked me to let you know."

"Oh..." Li Chaoyang nodded, but his eyes were fixed on the writing desk the carpenter was making...

At this point, the old carpenter asked again, "Section Chief Li, did you come to him to ask when this can be finished?"

"Don't worry, if I work quickly, I can finish the desk and two chairs by noon tomorrow."

"However, the large items such as the sofa, coffee table, and filing cabinet that Section Chief Cao requested will have to wait for two days."

"And the sofa needs to be made in the logistics department before it's delivered to you..."

"A sofa? A coffee table?" Li Chaoyang was a little puzzled; this was just a section chief's office...

A desk and a few chairs, maybe a sofa and coffee table, would that be a bit...?

After thinking about it, he decided that he should just ask Lao Cao what happened when he saw him later.

Don't give him any special treatment for no reason; it won't sound good if word gets out...

However, that wasn't what he wanted to ask right now. Instead, he had an idea after seeing how meticulously the workers were doing their jobs.

Because his house is really short of furniture right now...

Leaving aside sofas and coffee tables... there was only one table and two chairs in that big room.

There's also a bookshelf that's almost falling apart that needs some serious repairs.

Moreover, the bedroom partition was loose and several pieces of glass were missing.

Needless to say, the bed, although made of solid wood, creaks and groans as soon as you lie down on it.

Now that I see these workers have good craftsmanship, I'm thinking of asking them to make some furniture for me.

While you're at it, fix up the bookshelf and the bed...

However, he wasn't sure if it was appropriate to ask them to do it, and for a moment Li Chaoyang hesitated.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Jiang Datong, an old carpenter who is very perceptive and cautious.

Perhaps this old carpenter often encountered such situations, seeing Li Chaoyang's hesitant expression.

He calmly sent the two young men downstairs to retrieve the materials.

Then he looked outside again before asking, "Section Chief Li...you're not from the capital, are you?"

"Hmm, that's not it at all." Li Chaoyang understood what the old carpenter meant after watching his actions.

However, to be on the safe side, he simply went along with what the old man said and did not rashly ask him any questions.

After all, hiring someone to do work privately is a matter that, while not a big deal, is not insignificant either.

As long as the people don't complain, the officials won't investigate... but what if someone does take it seriously?

This could cause considerable trouble for both sides...

The "stealing someone's partner" hat is really trendy these days...

He wouldn't have considered buying the furniture if it weren't so expensive, costing him a fortune, and so ugly.

The old man looked at Li Chaoyang, who was still pretending to be stupid, and smiled slightly.

"Our Director Cao told me that Section Chief Li, you are now living in the old study at No. 39 Qingyun Hutong?"

"That bookshelf must be about to collapse by now..."

"Yes, you know that place? And you seem quite familiar with my house?" Li Chaoyang asked, seemingly out of curiosity.

In fact, he could now basically tell what the old man wanted to say.

It's highly likely they're after the furniture in my room...

It's unclear whether the old man intended to make it for him on the spot, or if he already had it in stock...

After a slight hesitation, he leaned against the desk that was already mostly set up, took out the Daqianmen cigarettes he had bought earlier from his pocket, opened them, and offered one to the old man, adopting a casual chatting posture.

But when the old man took it and looked at it, his eyes lit up: "Wow! Daqianmen cigarettes, these are really good ones..."

Without saying a word, he pulled out a match, lit it, and took a satisfying puff...

Li Chaoyang smiled and said, "I bought an extra pack when I needed someone to do me a favor. I don't smoke myself, but I see you're a seasoned smoker, so I'll give it to you..."

As he spoke, he shoved the cigarette pack into the old man's hand, seemingly without a care in the world...

"Oh, how could I possibly accept this, Section Chief Li..." The old man now understood that Section Chief Li wanted him to speak first.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have just given a pack of good cigarettes to an ordinary worker... He glanced up at the door, stuffed the pack of cigarettes into his pocket... and lowered his voice to say, "Section Chief Li, you just asked me how I know your room so well."

"Actually, before you moved in, the people living in your room had a set of furniture made..."

"But after a long time, I've forgotten what that person's name was."

"However, I'm very familiar with Master Yi Zhonghai, who lives in courtyard number thirty-nine..."

"We both started working at the factory together back then..."

"If you don't believe me, you can ask him when you see him later."

"My skills, Jiang Datong's skills, were already fully developed before I even entered the factory!"

"That's a genuine, family-inherited craft..."

"Oh...I see...that explains why you know my room so well." Li Chaoyang feigned sudden realization.

He chuckled to himself, thinking that the old man was quite cautious, still keeping the previous buyer's identity confidential even now...

However, this also made him feel somewhat relieved about the old man.

But since we're in the factory now, it's not the place to talk, so Li Chaoyang said directly, "Here's what we'll do, Master Jiang, if you have time after get off work today, come and visit me."

"Just in time for me..."

Before Li Chaoyang could finish speaking, Jiang Datong had already figured out that this was a game. His face immediately wrinkled up, and without any hesitation, he said, "Section Chief Li, I happen to have some free time after work."

"I'll come over and check if anything in this house needs fixing."

"We're all colleagues from the same factory...it's only right that we help each other out..."

Li Chaoyang couldn't help but admire the old man's caution, and nodded with a smile, saying, "Alright, let's go home together after get off work..."

"Alright, it's settled then..." Jiang Datong smiled broadly and took another sip of Daqianmen tea.

Instantly, the not-so-large office was filled with smoke...

The two of them were fairly in sync; neither mentioned making furniture, but they both understood what they were talking about...

They tacitly agreed not to continue the previous topic...

Jiang Datong started working again, the clanging and banging continuing his previous tasks.

But Li Chaoyang began to examine the writing desk he was making...

To be honest, he genuinely disliked this old-fashioned desk...

Especially the narrow legroom in the middle, it always feels particularly restrictive when sitting.

Seeing that Jiang Datong isn't currently having his work done, I thought to myself, why not just get a better one...?

Without hesitation, Li Chaoyang called out to Jiang Datong again.

"Master Jiang, could you please stop for a moment..."