Chapter 88: New plans put into effect, the Siheyuan renewed

Zhao Jianguo drank the last mouthful of noodle soup from the bottom of the bowl, then handed the empty bowl to Sha Zhu. He stood up, brushed off the crumbs on his pants, and picked up the record book from the stone bench, flipping to a blank page and drawing a few lines with a pencil.

The sky was fully bright, and people in the courtyard returned in twos and threes, some carrying shoulder poles, some holding water buckets. The two individuals tied to the pillars were taken away by public security, the red light on the main control box shone steadily, and the voltmeter needle stayed at the normal position.

He walked to the center of the Central Courtyard, cleared his throat, and said, "Everyone come over for a moment; I have something to say."

Sha Zhu had just entered the room and changed into dry clothes when he heard the voice and turned back, still holding a kettle of hot water. He Yushui came running with her notebook, and Dong Xu arrived after finishing a patrol of the back alley. Yanbugui shuffled over leaning on a bamboo pole, muttering, "Early in the morning, another meeting?"

"Not a meeting," Zhao Jianguo said, spreading out the notebook. "It's time to start work."

He tapped the drawing with his pen and said, "Our courtyard can't just go on surviving as is. The alarm system is stable, the people have been cleared out, and now we need to make this place more comfortable."

Yanbugui squinted at the crooked sketch and asked, "What is this supposed to be? A chicken's claw scratching?"

"Front yard lighting, Central Courtyard workshop, back yard vegetable garden." Zhao Jianguo listed them one by one, "Let's start with the front yard. At night it's pitch black, nobody dares to go out to relieve themselves; I plan to install a few lamps, saving electricity without needing to hook into the main grid."

"Lamps?" Sha Zhu blinked, "You really dare to think that? Our courtyard doesn't even have a circuit breaker!"

"No breaker needed," Zhao Jianguo said, pulling three palm‑sized lamps from his pocket, their casings gray‑white plastic. "Low‑voltage DC, with solar charging panels placed on the roof—they soak up sun by day and light up by themselves at night."

He set the lamps on the stone table and then produced a curved iron trough: "This is a rainwater diversion channel, installed under the eaves to store water when it rains; after filtration it can flush toilets and water plants, saving water and effort."

He Yushui's eyes lit up: "Isn't this easier than hauling well water?"

"We just need to dig a trench and lay the pipe," Zhao Jianguo said, looking at the crowd. "It's not a huge job, but we all need to pitch in. Who's willing to lend a hand?"

Sha Zhu was the first to raise his hand: "Count me in! I can't just watch you run around all day doing everything yourself."

Dong Xu nodded: "I'm strong; digging is fine for me."

Yanbugui pursed his lips: "All this fancy stuff—what's the point of the effort? The money saved on coal wouldn't even buy nails."

Zhao Jianguo wasn't annoyed; he smiled and said, "Old Yan, you talk about saving coal, but your kids write homework by an oil lamp that belches black smoke, blackening their nostrils. Wouldn't you like a lamp that doesn't smoke?"

Yanbugui choked for a moment, then stayed silent.

"Besides," Zhao Jianguo pointed to the main control box, "our system can keep outsiders out, but it can't stop us from tripping over ourselves. If the front yard is lit, elders and children won't fear stumbling on night walks—is it worth it?"

The crowd fell silent for a moment.

Su Qing came out of the room just then, set the hot‑water kettle on the stone table, and said softly, "Jianguo, the water's boiled; let me pour some for everyone."

"Thanks," Zhao Jianguo said, taking the kettle and refilling each person's teacup halfway. "Workers shouldn't go hungry or thirsty. Starting today, during the construction period, I'll treat Sha Zhu to an extra plate of stir‑fried cakes at noon, counting it as communal meals."

"Oh, you really said that!" Sha Zhu laughed. "You're really acting like a foreman now?"

"Even if I'm not the foreman, someone has to take the lead." Zhao Jianguo rolled up the drawing. "First order of business today—lay rainwater pipes in the front yard and make the bases for the streetlights. Short on materials? We've got scrap iron on hand."

He led the group to the west wall base, lifted a wooden board, and revealed several sections of rust‑streaked cast‑iron pipe—discarded heating conduits from years ago.

"Cut them, grind them, weld them into brackets." Zhao Jianguo patted the pipe. "Turning waste into use—sturdy, durable, and free."

Dong Xu crouched to examine it: "Will this stand upright?"

"Give it a try and you'll see." Zhao Jianguo turned back inside, then returned holding a palm‑sized electric welder hooked up to a storage battery, which sputtered a tiny spark. "It's from the system, meant for fixing small parts."

Sha Zhu stared, tongue‑tied: "Your pockets are deeper than a treasure chest."

Saying it, they did it. Dong Xu and Zhao Jianguo handled cutting the iron pipes; Sha Zhu smoothed the rough edges with sandpaper; He Yushui stood by noting dimensions; Yanbugui, who had been stationary, couldn't resist stepping forward to touch the first pipe section they'd set upright and secured with cement.

"It really is turning out that way…"

"Of course." Zhao Jianguo wiped his sweat. "Once the lights come on tonight, you'll see whether it's worth it."

At noon, Sha Zhu truly brought out a big basin of hot stir‑fried cakes, the scent of scallion oil drifting through the courtyard. Everyone gathered in a circle, eating and chatting.

"Jianguo, what about the workshop you mentioned?" He Yushui asked. "Are we really going to set it up?"

"We'll put up the sign this afternoon." Zhao Jianguo took a bite of cake. "That empty lot in the Central Courtyard will be cleaned up and a shed erected. I've got a set of tools—wrenches, pliers, a bench vise—all to go in there. Anyone who wants to fix a radio or weld a furnace can just come and use them."

"Won't people fight over it?" Sha Zhu laughed. "Yesterday I even wanted to repair the base of a kettle but couldn't find a hammer."

"So we need to set rules." Zhao Jianguo produced a small notebook. "From now on, whoever teaches a skill in the workshop logs their hours. One hour of teaching earns one point, redeemable for two hours of workshop use. Sha Zhu will handle the registration, and He Yushui will make the schedule."

He Yushui's eyes brightened: "I can make the tables!"

"Dong Xu will be the manager." Zhao Jianguo patted his shoulder. "You're in charge of the equipment; if anything breaks, you lead the repairs."

Dong Xu straightened his back: "Don't worry, I'll keep a close watch."

Yanbugui, chewing on his cake, suddenly said, "The corner of my East Room is empty; we could store large tools there too."

"Then thanks for that." Zhao Jianguo smiled and nodded.

In the late afternoon, with the sun slanting west, the three front‑yard lamps were finally installed. The solar panels were clipped to the roof eaves, the diversion channel hooked up, and when we poured water for a test, it rushed down the iron chute with a gurgling sound into the underground storage tank.

"It's flowing!" He Yushui shouted.

Zhao Jianguo flipped the switch; the three lamps lit up together, casting a bright white light that wasn't harsh, illuminating the front yard clearly.

"Wow, it's bright!" Sha Zhu stood under the lamp, looking up. "It's brighter than my electric baton!"

"It draws less than five watts." Zhao Jianguo turned off the switch. "Charge it for a day and it'll stay lit all night."

By then, work in the Central Courtyard was nearly finished. The shed was up, the tool wall nailed, and the bench vise sat solidly on the workbench. Zhao Jianguo produced a worn copper badge from his pocket, its back engraved with "Number One," found a nail, and fastened it dead center on the workshop lintel.

"This used to be the emblem of the self‑defense squad," he said. "Now it's our workshop's signboard."

"What's it called?" Sha Zhu asked.

"Just 'Siheyuan Workshop.'" Zhao Jianguo said. "No empty titles, only real work."

As dusk approached, most tasks were wrapped up. Zhao Jianguo stood in the Central Courtyard, notebook in hand, checking off tomorrow's plan page by page: cleaning the backyard drainage ditch, adding a rain‑proof cover to the workshop, and piloting the first batch of points redemption.

Su Qing came over to call him to eat, but he waved her off: "You go ahead; I'll take a look a bit longer."

Sha Zhu brought over a bowl of porridge: "Drink it while it's hot; don't end up staying up half the night again."

"It's fine," Zhao Jianguo said, taking the bowl and blowing on the steam. "Today the lights are on, the workshop is open—next we need to get even more people involved."

"Aren't you tired?" He Yushui asked, sitting on the steps.

"I am," Zhao Jianguo chuckled. "But seeing this courtyard change bit by bit puts my mind at ease."

Dong Xu stepped closer and said quietly, "Jianguo, I found that the old electric wire on the west wall is still usable; if we hook it up to the workshop's backup power, we can weld even during an outage."

"Good idea." Zhao Jianguo noted it in his notebook. "We'll check it out together tomorrow morning."

Yanbugui also shuffled over, holding an old wrench: "The rusty pipe wrench at my place—could we refurbish it? If fixed, it would count as contributing a tool."

"Of course I can." Zhao Jianguo looked up at him, "Welcome to join the workshop."

The old man grinned, turned and left.

Dusk deepened, the three lamps in the front courtyard lit up one after another, the light soft and steady. At the workshop entrance, the copper plaque glowed a dull yellow in the lamplight.

Zhao Jianguo stood by the door, his fingers lightly tapping the edge of the notebook, his gaze falling on the unfinished corner of the drawing—the back courtyard corner, where he had circled a spot with a pencil and written beside it: **Greenhouse Test Field, to be built**.

He had just lifted his pen, preparing to add a few lines, when Su Qing's voice came from afar: "Jianguo—"

He responded with a sound, the pen tip paused on the paper, the ink spot slowly spreading.