The courtyard held its breath.
The man from the City Construction Bureau waited with polite impatience, hands clasped behind his back. The neighbors stared at Lin Wei as if he were standing at the gates of destiny. Even the sparrows on the apricot tree seemed to fall silent.
Lin Wei's heart thudded in his chest.
A stable job…Real training…Good pay…
It was everything someone like him should want.
But he looked around the courtyard—the cracked stone paths he had swept through two winters, the patched roofs he had repaired, the worn gate he had reinforced. This place wasn't just a cluster of homes.
It was his home.
And yet… was he meant to stay here forever?
Liu Fang stepped closer, just enough that he felt her presence but not enough for the neighbors to start gossiping.
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"You don't have to decide now," she said gently. "Take your time."
The official coughed. "Well, we really do need an answer within the week."
Old Madam Chen elbowed him sharply."He said he needs time! Let the child breathe!"
The official backed off quickly.
Lin Wei finally spoke.
"I… need to think about it."
The man nodded. "Very well. The offer stands for seven days. I'll return then."
He mounted his bicycle and pedaled away.
Silence After the Storm
As soon as the gate closed, the courtyard exploded into noise.
"He's going to work for the city!""Our Lin Wei is going to be an engineer!""Aiya, I knew it! That child is destined for greatness!"
People crowded around him, praising, lecturing, advising.
Only Liu Fang stayed quiet.
When the noise finally died and the neighbors drifted back to their homes, she approached again.
"Walk with me?"
Lin Wei nodded.
They walked through the narrow alley behind the siheyuan, where old brick walls leaned tiredly against each other and the scent of steamed buns drifted from a distant shop.
After a while, Liu Fang spoke.
"What do you want, Lin Wei?"
He stopped walking.
It was a simple question.But nobody had ever asked it.
He thought of the system, of heaven's rewards, of the endless tasks he took on without rest. He thought of Old Madam Chen's trust, Uncle Luo's bluster, Auntie Zhang's gossip. He thought of the courtyard that watched him grow stronger in silence.
And he thought of this girl who had once mocked him and now looked at him like he mattered.
Finally he said,
"I… don't know yet."
Liu Fang smiled sadly."At least you're honest."
She kicked a pebble gently."You don't have to carry everyone on your shoulders. Even heaven doesn't ask for that."
Lin Wei looked at his hands—calloused, steady, strengthened by effort and divine favor.
But what path should they build next?
The System Speaks
That night, as he sat by the oil lamp again, the system chimed.
[New Heavenly Mission Available][Two paths lie before you.
Path of the Craftsman: Stay in the siheyuan.Grow slowly. Protect the courtyard.Heaven will reward intimacy, patience, and community bonds.
Path of the Builder: Accept the city job.Face greater challenges. Improve rapidly.Heaven will reward ambition, innovation, and societal growth.
The choice will define how heaven shapes your future.No option is wrong. But each leads to a different destiny.]
Lin Wei closed his eyes.
Two futures.Two versions of himself.
Which one should he choose?
As the lamp flickered, he clenched his fists.
He would decide.
But heaven did not intend to make the next seven days easy.
And neither did the courtyard.