Siheyuan: I, an ordinary resident, the king of chefs

Zhang Liang walked out of his humble little room, yawned, stretched, and prepared to start a new day. He heard that Nanluoguxiang was going to hold a benchwork skills competition with a high prize. Zhang Liang secretly thought that this was a great opportunity.

Qin Huairu was busy in the yard. When she saw Zhang Liang coming out, she smiled and greeted him, "Zhang Liang, you got up early today!"

Zhang Liang smiled and said, "Yes, Sister Qin, I heard that there is a benchwork skills competition in Nanluoguxiang, and I was thinking of signing up."

Qin Huairu's eyes lit up, "You mean that competition? The prize money is quite a lot. Are you confident?"

"I do have the confidence, but I don't know if I can sign up." Zhang Liang scratched his head, a little worried.

At this time, Yan Bugui came over with a pipe in his hand. Hearing their conversation, he interrupted and said, "Little Zhang Liang, not everyone can participate in this competition. You have to have real skills. There are so many people in our courtyard. You have to work hard!"

Zhang Liang nodded and made up his mind. Although Yan Bugui was usually serious, what he said made sense.

Yi Zhonghai also came over and said with a smile: "Zhang Liang, I think you have a chance. I have seen your skills before. As long as you work hard, you will definitely get a good ranking."

Hearing everyone's encouragement, Zhang Liang felt warm inside. He knew that he could not let everyone down.

After several days of preparation, Zhang Liang finally arrived at the registration point in Nanluoguxiang. There was a long line in front of the registration point, and everyone had a nervous and expectant expression on their faces. Zhang Liang stood at the end of the line, silently reciting the registration information he had prepared, and his heartbeat accelerated.

"Next!" the staff at the registration desk shouted.

Zhang Liang took a deep breath and walked forward. The staff looked up at him and asked, "Name?"

"Zhang Liang."

"address?"

"The Siheyuan compound in the Forty-Nine City."

The staff member quickly wrote it down on a piece of paper and then asked, "Will you join the project?"

"Plumbing skills." Zhang Liang replied.

The staff nodded and handed him a registration form. "Fill out this form and hand it in to the window over there."

Zhang Liang took the form and filled it out carefully. After filling it out, he handed it to the staff at the window, who looked at it and nodded to indicate that he could leave.

After leaving the registration point, Zhang Liang felt relieved. He knew that the next step was to prepare for the competition with all his strength.

Back at the courtyard, everyone was waiting for his news. Qin Huairu saw him coming back and hurried to greet him, "Zhang Liang, how is it? Have you signed up?"

Zhang Liang nodded, "I've signed up, and now it's time to compete."

Everyone gathered around and gave him advice. Liu Haizhong patted Zhang Liang on the shoulder and said, "Little Zhang Liang, just relax. We all support you."

Zhang Liang nodded heavily, "Thank you everyone, I will definitely work hard!"

In the following days, Zhang Liang practiced in the courtyard every day. His room was filled with various bench tools, and Zhang Liang practiced every movement over and over again, striving for perfection.

The day of the competition finally arrived, and Nanluoguxiang was bustling with activity. Contestants from all over gathered together, and everyone was ready to show off their skills. Zhang Liang stood at the competition venue, took a deep breath, and told himself to stay calm.

The competition started, and Zhang Liang concentrated on every step. His technique was skillful, his movements were precise, and every detail was done meticulously. The judges watched from the sidelines and nodded in praise from time to time.

At the end of the competition, Zhang Liang finished all the operations, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and his heart was full of anticipation. The judges began to score, and a tense atmosphere filled the entire venue.

Finally, the host announced the results of the competition, "The winner of the first place in the benchwork skills competition is Zhang Liang!"

Zhang Liang couldn't believe his ears. He was stunned for a moment, and then burst into cheers. He walked up to the podium, took the trophy and prize money, and his heart was filled with excitement and pride.

When he returned to the courtyard, everyone was already waiting for him at the door. Seeing him come back with the trophy, everyone cheered. Qin Huairu smiled and said, "I knew that our little Zhang Liang would be able to do it!"

Yan Bugui nodded, "Not bad, not bad, little Zhang Liang, you made our Siheyuan proud!"

Yi Zhonghai smiled from ear to ear, "Zhang Liang, you are now famous. You really bring honor to our compound!"

Zhang Liang looked at everyone with gratitude, "Thank you for your support, I will continue to work hard and live up to your expectations!"

In the following days, Zhang Liang's life changed a lot. Because of the award, he became a celebrity in the city, and many factories offered him jobs. Zhang Liang finally chose a factory with good treatment and became a formal fitter.

After work, Zhang Liang still lives in the courtyard, and he has never forgotten his relatives and friends here. Whenever he has free time, he will return to the courtyard to chat with everyone and share some interesting things about work.

One evening, Zhang Liang was chatting with everyone in the yard when he suddenly heard a commotion outside. He got up and walked to the door, where he saw a young woman surrounded by several people, looking a little panicked.

Zhang Liang stepped forward and asked, "What's going on?"

The people who were surrounding him dispersed quickly when they saw Zhang Liang coming. The woman breathed a sigh of relief and gave Zhang Liang a grateful look. She was in her early twenties, with a pretty face, but looked a little tired.

"Thank you." The woman whispered.

Zhang Liang smiled and said, "You're welcome. Are you in trouble?"

The woman nodded and said, "I came from another place. I had trouble finding a job and was harassed by some thugs just now."

Zhang Liang frowned. "These days, the world is really bad. What's your name?"

"My name is Li Xiaomei." the woman replied.

Zhang Liang nodded, "Xiaomei, don't worry, the people in our courtyard are very kind, I will help you find a solution."

Zhang Liang brought Li Xiaomei back to the courtyard. When everyone heard about her situation, they all expressed their willingness to help. Qin Huairu even suggested that she temporarily live in her home until she found a job.

Li Xiaomei was so moved that she didn't know what to say. She didn't expect to meet so many kind people in this strange city. She decided to stay in the courtyard, try to find a job, and start her life again.

Zhang Liang and Li Xiaomei gradually became familiar with each other, and they often talked about work and life together. Li Xiaomei found that Zhang Liang was not only skilled in technology, but also honest and kind, and gradually developed a good impression of him.

Zhang Liang also had a crush on Li Xiaomei. He found that although this woman had a rough life, she had a strong will and an optimistic attitude. He decided to help her find a suitable job and let her settle down in the city.

One day, Zhang Liang heard that a factory in the east of the city was recruiting female workers, so he immediately told Li Xiaomei the news. After hearing this, Li Xiaomei applied for the job with high hopes, and she successfully got the job.

After Li Xiaomei found a job, her life gradually got back on track. She became more grateful to Zhang Liang, and their relationship became closer. The neighbors in the courtyard saw this and were happy for them.

One day Yan Bugui saw Zhang Liang and said with a smile: "Little Zhang Liang, you and Xiaomei are a perfect match! When will you invite us to your wedding?"

Zhang Liang worked hard on his work and was finally awarded an excellent title. The factory also gave him a special reward for this.

The morning sun still shines through the leaves in the courtyard, where Zhang Liang is repairing an old sewing machine. His fingers move flexibly between the mechanical parts, and every movement seems so skillful and confident.

Qin Huairu came over with a bowl of hot soy milk and said with a smile, "Zhang Liang, have some breakfast. You've been busy all morning."

Zhang Liang put down the tools in his hands, took the soy milk, and said with a smile: "Thank you, Sister Qin, you always care about me so much."

Qin Huairu waved her hand and said, "Look at what you said. We are all family. Eat more. You have been very busy these days."

Zhang Liang nodded, took a sip of soy milk, and immediately felt a warm current flowing into his heart. He knew that although he lived in this compound, everyone was like a family, supporting and caring for each other.

At this moment, Liu Haizhong came over with a newspaper in his hand and said excitedly: "Zhang Liang, look at this!"

Zhang Liang took the newspaper and saw that it was the city's daily newspaper. There was a piece of news on it that caught his attention. The Nanluoguxiang benchwork skills competition was about to begin, with generous prizes, and Zhang Liang was preparing to participate in this competition recently.

"I've heard of this competition," Zhang Liang pondered for a moment, "This is a good opportunity, I have to prepare well."

Liu Haizhong nodded and praised: "Yes, this is a great opportunity. Your skills are so good, you will definitely get a good ranking."

Zhang Liang looked at Liu Haizhong gratefully and said, "Thank you, Uncle Liu. I will definitely do my best."

A few days later, Zhang Liang came to the competition site with the prepared materials and tools. Before the competition began, he took a deep breath to calm himself down. The competition project was to make a complex mechanical device, and each link required precise operation and skilled techniques.

Zhang Liang started to work without distraction, and every move he made was so skillful and confident. He knew that only by concentrating on it could he stand out in this competition. Time passed by minute by minute, and Zhang Liang finally finished his work. He put down his tools, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and his heart was full of anticipation.

When the results of the competition were announced, Zhang Liang couldn't believe his ears - he won first place! On the podium, Zhang Liang received the trophy and prize money, his heart filled with excitement and pride.

Zhang Liang smiled sheepishly, "Uncle Yan, please stop joking. Things haven't come to that point yet."

Yan Bugui laughed, "Don't be modest, we can all see that Xiaomei is interested in you."

Zhang Liang blushed, he looked at Li Xiaomei next to him and found that she also lowered her head with a blush on her face. Zhang Liang felt sweet in his heart, he knew that the relationship between him and Li Xiaomei was gradually heating up.

As the days passed, Zhang Liang's performance in the factory became better and better. Not only did he have superb skills, but he also had a serious work attitude, and soon he was recognized by his leaders and colleagues.

One day, Director Zhang of the factory found Zhang Liang and said, "Zhang Liang, we have all seen your performance. The factory has decided to award you the title of 'Excellent Fitter' and give you a special reward."

After hearing this, Zhang Liang's heart was filled with excitement and gratitude. He knew that this was the greatest affirmation of his hard work.

After returning to the courtyard, Zhang Liang told everyone the good news, and everyone was happy for him.

In the evening, Zhang Liang and Li Xiaomei were walking in the yard, and Li Xiaomei whispered, "Zhang Liang, you are really amazing. I am proud of you."

Zhang Liang held Li Xiaomei's hand and said affectionately: "Xiaomei, it is because of your support that I can come this far."

Li Xiaomei looked at Zhang Liang with tenderness in her eyes, "Zhang Liang, I will always support you."

The two smiled at each other, their hearts filled with happiness and hope.

As time passed, Zhang Liang and Li Xiaomei's feelings grew stronger and stronger. They lived happily in the courtyard. Although their days were plain, they were full of warmth and sweetness.

One day, Zhang Liang was repairing an old machine in the yard when he heard a commotion outside. He got up and walked to the door, where he saw several young men surrounding a little boy, looking very ferocious.

Zhang Liang stepped forward and asked in a deep voice, "What are you doing?"

When the young men saw Zhang Liang coming, they panicked. One of them said, "This guy stole our things!"

When Zhang Liang arrived at the steel rolling mill, he was directly promoted to an eighth-level fitter, which put him on the same level as Yi Zhonghai, who had 30 years of work experience. This made Yi Zhonghai feel a little annoyed.

In the 1970s, life in the Beijing courtyards was dull but full of human touch. After Zhang Liang won the first place in the Nanluoguxiang fitter skills competition, he was sought after by several large factories and finally chose the steel rolling mill. Because of his outstanding performance in the competition, the steel rolling mill directly promoted him to the eighth-level fitter, which not only surprised Zhang Liang himself, but also caused quite a stir in the factory.

In the courtyard, everyone was happy for Zhang Liang's achievement, but someone felt a little unbalanced. This person was Yi Zhonghai, who had worked in the steel mill for 30 years and had always been an eighth-level fitter. Now, a young man suddenly came and was at the same level as him, which made him feel a little unhappy.

One evening, Zhang Liang was busy repairing an old radio in the yard. Yi Zhonghai came back from outside and saw Zhang Liang with a complicated smile on his face: "Zhang Liang, I heard that you are doing well in the steel rolling mill. You became an eighth-level fitter right after you arrived."

Zhang Liang put down the tools in his hands and responded with a smile: "Uncle Yi, please don't make fun of me. I am just lucky to have caught up with the competition and have this opportunity."