Chapter 4: Elder Brother Is Like a Father

"Comrade, who are you looking for?" Li Qiang arrived at Yagangchang and was stopped by the on-duty comrade guarding the gate of the Security Section. Since Yagangchang began the public-private joint venture pilot, most of the original Security Section personnel have been replaced; now the Security Section basically consists of soldiers retired from the battlefield.

"Hello, comrade, I'm here to report for duty," Li Qiang said, handing his introduction letter to the on-duty staff member.

"Ah, you're Section Chief Li, welcome. Just go to the second floor of the office building to find Factory Director Yang; you belong to the cadre establishment, so you need to see him." The on-duty Security Section staff enthusiastically gave Li Qiang an introduction.

"Okay, thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Thump, thump, thump."

"Come in."

"You must be Factory Director Yang, I'm Li Qiang; Director Li of the Military Control Committee sent me here to report for duty." After saying that, Li Qiang handed over his documents to Factory Director Yang.

"Section Chief Li, welcome to Yagangchang; Director Li just called me." Factory Director Yang warmly shook hands with Li Qiang. Although Factory Director Yang is the head of Yagangchang and Li Qiang is merely the chief of the Security Section, the Security Section is a power department under dual supervision of public security and the factory, so Factory Director Yang had to value this young man.

"Factory Director Yang, you're too kind; it's all for the revolutionary cause," Li Qiang said in a high-spirited tone.

"Director Li told me over the phone about your situation: you're a combat hero and have earned a second-class merit; logically you belong to the cadre establishment, so our factory should arrange housing for you, but you don't know that Yagangchang is undergoing public-private joint venture and we have few cadre dormitories, so I can only wrong you to stay elsewhere for now; as soon as rooms become available I'll arrange it for you right away." Factory Director Yang said embarrassedly. Although Factory Director Lou no longer manages Yagangchang much, Factory Director Yang has just arrived and hasn't fully grasped the factory yet, so he is willing but unable.

"Factory Director Yang, I don't need to live in the cadre dormitory; my older brother also works at our factory, he lives in the Siheyuan at No. 95 South Gong and Drum Lane. I don't know if there are any vacant rooms; if there are, I can give up the cadre dorm and move into the Siheyuan. After all, my brother raised me, then joined the army and has now returned, so I want to live near him." Li Qiang was unwilling to live in the apartment block; there's nothing as comfortable as a Siheyuan, and nowadays houses are state-assigned; in a few decades they'll realize the value of Siheyuans.

"Alright, I'll take you now to the Housing Section to see if there's a suitable place." Factory Director Yang didn't expect Li Qiang to be so easygoing.

Factory Director Yang brought Li Qiang to the Housing Section, found the section chief, and explained Li Qiang's situation in full.

"Factory Director Yang, Section Chief Li, the Siheyuan at No. 95 South Gong and Drum Lane really has no decent rooms—only the rear wing and the back cover rooms, which are cold in winter and damp in summer, truly unsuitable." The Housing Section chief also felt embarrassed, since Li Qiang had voluntarily given up the cadre dorm; if he assigned the rear wing to Li Qiang, others would criticize him, and his own conscience wouldn't allow it.

"Courtyard No. 95, aren't there any other houses?" Factory Director Yang asked.

"In the rear courtyard there is still a west annex courtyard, but that little courtyard used to be a garden; due to years of disrepair it's no longer habitable," the Housing Section chief said helplessly.

"Factory Director Yang, I'll take that west annex courtyard, though I'll need the factory to send someone to help me repair it," Li Qiang said without hesitation, choosing the west annex courtyard.

"No problem, but Section Chief Li, wouldn't this be too much of a hardship for you?" Factory Director Yang also felt a bit embarrassed.

"Factory Director Yang, I wanted to ask whether the west annex courtyard could be transferred to private ownership? I could pay some money to buy it outright; I don't want to wait until repairs are done and then have others envy me and cause trouble over it," Li Qiang asked.

"That's not a big issue, Section Chief Liu, what do you say?" Factory Director Yang asked the Housing Section chief.

"It's a small matter; since Section Chief Li has this concern, I'll transfer it to private ownership for you, but you need to pay the factory 200 yuan," Section Chief Liu said with some difficulty.

"Alright, then please have Section Chief Liu handle the paperwork and also arrange for someone to help me with the repairs," Li Qiang said with a smile.

"Fine, no problem; the repair costs will be covered by the factory, which has the necessary materials on hand." Factory Director Yang stated this immediately without waiting for Section Chief Liu to speak. The Security Section is a power department; future work will still need its cooperation, and now that I've established a good relationship with Li Qiang, things will go much more smoothly.

With Factory Director Yang's involvement, the matter was settled quickly, and the factory also sent people to the Siheyuan to help Li Qiang repair the house.

"Uncle Er," Li Qiang thought of going to the canteen to find Li Bin. Before he even reached the canteen, sharp-eyed Li Huan spotted him.

"Huanhuan, you're here playing with the kids," Li Qiang strode up to Li Huan.

"Yeah, these are all my good friends," Li Huan said proudly.

"Oh, then you keep playing with the kids; I'm going to find your dad."

"Uncle Er, I'll take you there," Li Huan said, then, holding Li Le in one hand and Li Qiang's hand in the other, she walked toward the canteen, ignoring her own friends.

"Qiangzi, what's up?" Li Bin thought Li Qiang had run into some trouble when he saw him enter.

"Nothing, brother; I came to report for duty and also to check on you," Li Qiang said with a smile.

"Report for duty? Report what?" Li Bin was momentarily confused.

"I came to report for duty at Yagangchang."

"You mean you were assigned to Yagangchang, which workshop?" Li Bin asked.

"The Security Section."

"Isn't the Security Section a bit too dangerous?" Li Bin asked with some concern. In the early 1950s, enemy agents were still very active, and the Security Section is indeed somewhat more dangerous than other departments.

"What danger could be worse than the battlefield? It's fine, I'm the chief of the Security Section," Li Qiang said with a smile.

"What, you're the chief of the Security Section?" Li Bin hadn't expected his younger brother to be so promising; after a few years in the army he actually became a section chief.

"Yeah, I'm a transferred military officer. By the way, brother, the factory also allocated the west annex courtyard next to you to me," Li Qiang continued to spill the beans.

"The west annex courtyard has been unoccupied for years; why don't you want other housing? Besides, you're now on the cadre establishment—shouldn't you be living in the cadre dormitory?"

"Brother, I don't like living in the apartment block; the west annex courtyard is better, and it's also closer to you."

"Alright, I'll go ask the director for leave, then head back with you to tidy up the courtyard," Li Bin said, taking off his apron and heading out.

"No need, the factory has already sent people to help me with the repairs; I'm just stopping by to see you since I have nothing else to do," Li Qiang said, holding back Li Bin who was about to leave.

"Then I'll have to come along to take a look; you don't know anything about house repairs," Li Bin said, then ignored Li Qiang, took off his apron, and walked out.

Watching Li Bin's retreating back, Li Qiang finally understood the meaning of the saying "an elder brother is like a father."