Siheyuan, my new life

He Daqing picked up his wine glass and took a sip of baijiu. Before he could continue speaking, He Yuzhu urged impatiently, "Dad, stop being so mysterious. Stop drinking and just tell me already."

He Daqing glared at his son, shook his head helplessly, and noticed that the deaf old lady was also watching him with great interest. He could only continue, "This Section Chief Dou did not get married due to health reasons. Last month, his old injuries relapsed and he died in Xiehe Hospital. Before his death, he left a will, leaving all his estate to his nephew in his hometown in Henan Province. He also prepared an administrative position for his nephew in advance, which is what ordinary people call a cadre position. Several key leaders of the steel rolling mill, union leaders, and leaders from the municipal civil affairs department and the people's armed forces department were all present to send Section Chief Dou off on his final journey."

He Yuzhu seemed to be deliberately arguing with his father, and he pursed his lips: "You talk as if you were there."

He Daqing chuckled softly: "Of course I, as a mere deputy section chief, wasn't qualified to be present. It was when Wang Shengli, the deputy director of the security department, was having lunch in the small canteen that day and was talking to Secretary Lin that I went over to deliver food and overheard a few words. Deputy Director Wang used to be a company commander in Section Chief Dou's army. He also made a special trip to Xiehe Hospital to see the old leader off on his final journey after receiving the news."

Hearing his father's words, He Yuzhu didn't argue with him anymore, but just ate his meal in silence.

The deaf old lady nodded gently: "Daqing, since this is Section Chief Dou's nephew, how come he's living in our courtyard house? Given Section Chief Dou's rank, he should have had a house allocated to him by his work unit, right?"

He Daqing smiled and said, "Madam, Section Chief Dou originally lived in the dormitory building where the leaders of the steel rolling mill lived. You know, the cadres who could live there had to be at least at the level of section chief. Now that Section Chief Dou's nephew has joined Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, he is just an ordinary clerk. It is obviously inappropriate for him to continue living in the dormitory building where the leaders live. According to the current housing allocation regulations of the steel rolling mill's housing management department, a newly hired clerk should theoretically only be allocated a room of no more than 30 square meters. However, his situation is special. You know, Section Chief Dou's original house was a two-bedroom apartment of more than 70 square meters. But Section Chief Dou's nephew inherited all of his uncle's property. Therefore, in order to make up for it, the steel rolling mill's housing management department arranged two rooms for him."

After listening, the deaf old lady nodded thoughtfully and said, "Daqing, I heard Zhuzi say that you will be promoted to the level of section chief after the New Year. Will you be assigned to a dormitory building then?"

He Daqing glared at his son: "You're talking nonsense about something that hasn't even happened yet. You should know that when it comes to promotions, no one can guarantee that something won't go wrong until it's officially announced."

He Yuzhu said dismissively, "Tch, do you think this is any secret? My mentor told me that with Secretary Lin's nomination, who would bother to stop your promotion? But my mentor also said that your chances of getting promoted in the future are slim, unless you leave the security department's training base canteen in a few years, become a deputy director in the logistics department of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, or transfer to another unit."

He Daqing waved his hand dismissively: "I know my own limitations. To be honest, I'm just a cook with decent skills. I didn't have much schooling growing up, and I can barely read a recipe now. I'm already quite satisfied with being appreciated by Secretary Lin and becoming the canteen director of the training base. Besides, even if you asked me to be the deputy director of logistics, I couldn't do it. You used to work in the steel mill kitchen for a while, so you should be able to spot some of the tricks in the logistics supply. To be honest, if you handle so much money every day, you'll get into trouble sooner or later if you can't control yourself. It's much easier to be the canteen director like this."

Upon careful consideration, He Yuzhu realized that this was indeed the case. Since becoming a disciple of Xiong Qingshan, his master had not only taught him Bajiquan but also frequently imparted wisdom on interpersonal relationships and matters requiring attention at work. Thanks to Xiong Qingshan's guidance, He Yuzhu had unknowingly changed a great deal, becoming completely different from the foul-mouthed and annoying character in the original drama. Apart from habitually arguing with his father, his speech and behavior had undergone a significant transformation. Recently, at his master's request, he enrolled in the night school organized by the steel mill's union, attending classes three nights a week. If he passed the exam after a year, he would be able to obtain a junior high school diploma.

Seeing that his son had shut his mouth, He Daqing smiled and said to the deaf old lady, "Grandma, Secretary Lin has spoken with me on behalf of the organization and asked me to write an application to join the organization. Once I become a probationary member, I will be able to be promoted to the rank of section chief. As for the dormitory building, according to the regulations of the steel rolling mill's housing management department, if a cadre has a private house under his own name, he will not be allocated additional housing. The three main rooms and the side room in the middle of our courtyard are currently under my name, which obviously does not meet the housing allocation regulations."

The deaf old lady took a sip of rice porridge, then said with a smile, "If there's a chance to be assigned to a tenement building, you definitely can't let it pass. As you just said, nowadays, those living in the tenement buildings at the steel rolling mill are all leaders at the section chief level or above. It's not just a symbol of status and position. I heard that there are toilets and running water in the tenement buildings, so you don't have to squeeze into public toilets outside. Besides, there's an old saying that goes, 'Living in the capital is not easy.' I wonder if you've noticed, since the peaceful liberation of Beijing, with the increasing number of migrants, housing in the capital has become increasingly tight. According to my analysis, housing will probably become even tighter in the future."

He Daqing was well aware that the deaf old lady in front of him was no ordinary person; her insight and knowledge were far beyond what ordinary people could match. He looked at her with some confusion: "Grandma, I understand what you mean. You want me to try to get an apartment in the apartment building. But as I just said, I have four private houses under my name. According to the regulations of the steel rolling mill's housing management department, it is impossible for me to get another house."

The deaf old woman smiled smugly and said, "Daqing, why can't you be more flexible? As long as you don't own any houses, it'll be fine, won't it?"

He Daqing's eyes widened: "You mean I should put the house in Zhuzi's name?"