Courtyard House: Starting in a Ceramics Factory

Chapter 208 Ajik, the Girl from Western Xinjiang

In the afternoon, Li Feng and Zou Bin left the workshop. Since there was still some time before their departure, Zou Bin took Li Feng to the warehouse to pick up the camera.

In this era, cameras were still a rarity, so their storage was quite strict.

So Zou Bin spent nearly half an hour just guiding Li Feng through the procedures.

Li Feng didn't care about this. After all, he still had some time, and he had already finished drawing the Eighteen Arhats in the morning. So all that was left was to collect materials and then draw.

So for the time being, I don't have anything particularly important to do.

When Zou Bin handed the camera to Li Feng, Li Feng found that the camera in his hand was heavy, not nearly as light as cameras from decades later.

However, Li Feng had seen miniature cameras in spy dramas, but he wasn't sure if they actually existed, since it seemed like no one around him used one.

Next

Zou Bin explained to Li Feng how to use the camera.

Overall, this camera wasn't much different from later film cameras, except that it was heavy.

However, Li Feng knew that the most important part of a camera was the lens.

As for the film camera, Li Feng guessed it should be the same.

The reason Zou Bin uses a camera is probably because, like a salesperson, he frequently interacts with the outside world.

So Li Feng didn't pay much attention to it.

Li Feng put away his camera, then took a few rolls of film and got into the car with Zou Bin heading to the Department of Ethnic Culture under the Ministry of Culture.

The Department of Ethnic and Cultural Affairs is under the Ministry of Culture, so this time the destination was the Ministry of Culture.

This time, Li Feng and Zou Bin were looking for the head of the Department of Ethnic Culture. Li Feng heard from Zou Bin that they were looking for a deputy director who was in charge of specific matters.

At this moment, Zou Bin leaned against the back seat of the factory car, a smile on his face, and said...

"This car is so comfortable, much more comfortable than when I take the bus or ride a bicycle."

"I wish I could ride in the car more often, Brother Li Feng."

"In the past, I was very envious when I saw leaders riding in cars."

As soon as Zou Bin finished speaking, the driver in front smiled at him.

"Zou Bin, you've had your fair share of rides too, what are you envious of?"

"Even most of the middle-level managers in our factory have never ridden in a car."

"Your sales staff have it good; you get to go out with clients for business dinners all the time."

After hearing what the driver said, Zou Bin simply waved his hand at the driver.

"Brother Sun, you don't understand. We sales people are so busy every day that we're always on the go."

"I also want to have a normal get off work schedule like you."

"That way, I won't be tired."

"And most importantly, the people in our sales department don't earn much more than you."

"You must be joking with me."

"The most promising people in our factory are definitely the assistants who work alongside the leaders."

"If we're talking about earning more, then even we salespeople don't earn as much as the skilled workers."

"Most of the workers in our factory are skilled workers."

"Brother Sun, you should know this brother Li Feng next to me, right? He's the youngest level three worker in our factory."

Driver Sun nodded as he drove.

"I know that. I heard from Brother Zhou, who drives for our Factory Director Wei, that Factory Director Wei has submitted the materials for Little Li's promotion to Level 4 worker."

"It is said that the ministry has already approved it, and the ministry is preparing to send someone to coordinate this matter with the labor bureau."

After hearing what the driver, Brother Sun, had to say, Li Feng couldn't help but think to himself, "Being a driver is definitely not something an ordinary person can do."

They were the first to know some of the inside information.

Regarding his own advancement to level four drawing skill, he wasn't even sure what stage the process had reached, while the drivers knew it all.

Zou Bin had a good relationship with the driver, which Li Feng believed was the result of Zou Bin deliberately getting close to him.

Although Zou Bin deliberately tried to get close to the drivers in the factory, it worked very well.

The information that many drivers inadvertently reveal will definitely benefit Zou Bin.

At this moment, Li Feng realized from Zou Bin's behavior that he indeed had his own way of doing things, and even Xu Damao was not as good as Zou Bin.

If Sha Zhu could be like Zou Bin, then his final fate would definitely not be to freeze to death.

When Li Feng thought of this, he couldn't help but sigh.

Zou Bin quickly caught Li Feng's sigh and asked him a question with some curiosity.

"Brother Li Feng, your promotion to level four painter is already in the process. Aren't you happy?"

At this moment, Zou Bin found Li Feng's reaction to the news that he was going to be promoted to the fourth level of painter somewhat strange.

After Zou Bin finished speaking, the driver, Brother Sun, also asked Li Feng a question.

"yes.".

"Master Li, don't you want to be promoted to a level four painter?"

After hearing what Zou Bin and the driver, Brother Sun, said, Li Feng couldn't help but start explaining to them.

"I am certainly happy to be promoted to a level four painter, but I was just thinking about something else."

After hearing Li Feng's words, Zou Bin didn't ask any further questions.

After all, Zou Bin didn't want to affect Li Feng, while the driver, Brother Sun, smiled and continued talking to Li Feng.

"Master Li, you'll be the youngest level four painter in the factory from now on. It's only a matter of time before you become a master painter."

"Now everyone in the factory knows you're Master Deng's successor."

"Little Li, you're sure to have a good future."

When Brother Sun got to this point, he couldn't help but laugh.

When Li Feng heard what Brother Sun said, he simply said modestly.

"That's too early."

"Too early."

At this moment, Li Feng didn't know where Brother Sun got the information from; perhaps the factory's driver team would spread these kinds of messages on a regular basis.

However, to be honest, the factory only has three vehicles in total.

The Party Secretary and the Factory Director each had a car with a dedicated driver. Besides the two dedicated drivers, there was only Brother Sun and another driver.

However, the driver team received quite a lot of information.

Next

Around 1:50 p.m., Li Feng arrived at the Ministry of Culture by car.

As for which department to contact, Zou Bin was perfectly clear on the matter.

So Zou Bin took Li Feng to the Department of Ethnic and Cultural Affairs. As for the deputy director they were supposed to meet, Zou Bin didn't see him. In the end, the people from the Department of Culture assigned a deputy section chief from one of their departments to connect with Li Feng and Zou Bin.

Li Feng had no objection to this.

After all, I'm here to work, and who I coordinate with is none of my business.

It doesn't matter if you're a deputy director, a deputy division chief, or even a deputy section chief.

Li Feng also knew that the deputy director-general was at the same level as the deputy director-general, and was similar to the deputy mayor. Such a high-ranking official was someone that ordinary people could not meet.
Sometimes, you can't just casually meet even the head of a local police station, let alone the deputy mayor.

Therefore, Li Feng also felt that this was normal.

When Li Feng met the high-ranking leader Feng last time, Li Feng himself was very surprised, after all, he had never met such a high-ranking leader before, so he was very nervous during the first two meetings.

Zou Bin will be in charge of handling the next steps.

Then Zou Bin started talking to the deputy section chief about these things.

Based on Zou Bin's conversation with the deputy section chief, Li Feng learned that the deputy section chief's surname was Jin.

This Deputy Section Chief Jin is a bit older, looking to be around forty years old. He is balding, has a lot of fat on his face, and is about 1.6 meters tall.

In terms of age alone, he couldn't compare to Wu Na in the department at all. After all, Wu Na was only in her twenties and was already a deputy section chief; Li Feng had no idea how high she could rise in the future.

Li Feng didn't know much about this either.

But he definitely has a brighter future than this Deputy Section Chief Jin in front of him.

However, it cannot be said that Deputy Section Chief Jin is incompetent, while Wu Na is definitely a resource-rich deputy section chief.

At this moment, Zou Bin expressed his gratitude to Deputy Section Chief Jin.

"Section Chief Jin, thank you so much for your help."

"If you have time, I'd like to treat you to a meal."

At this moment, Deputy Section Chief Jin waved his hand slightly at Zou Bin.

"No need for meals."

"Let me take you there first. I'm the only one left in Corey now. I have things to do after I take you there."

Next

Deputy Section Chief Jin led Zou Bin and Li Feng to an auditorium not far from the Ministry of Culture.

According to the information Li Feng received from Deputy Section Chief Jin, the Ministry of Culture attaches great importance to the work of promoting ethnic unity, so they invited a dancer from Xinjiang to come here to assist Li Feng in gathering materials.

After the research is completed, the dancer will return to western Xinjiang.

When Deputy Section Chief Jin led Li Feng and his companion into the auditorium, Li Feng noticed that a young girl dressed in traditional Xinjiang ethnic clothing was already sitting on the floor in the middle of the auditorium.

The moment Li Feng saw the girl, he felt that she resembled a girl named Anikezi from a later era.

When the girl sitting on the stage of the auditorium saw someone coming, she panicked and tried to stand up from the ground.

However, because she was nervous, she accidentally slipped and fell.

After the girl slipped, she quickly turned to the side and covered her buttocks.

The girl covered her buttocks as she cried out.

The sound of "ouch".

Li Feng found the girl's actions somewhat amusing.

In Li Feng's view, this scene was just like a child tripping and falling in panic.

When Deputy Section Chief Jin saw the girl fall, he looked helpless. He then led the two of them onto the stage and sighed as he looked at the fallen girl.

"Ajik, why aren't you getting up yet?"

"This is Master Li Feng. You will work with Master Li to collect materials from now on."

After hearing what Deputy Section Chief Jin said, Li Feng realized that the girl in front of him was named Ajik.

But it sounds like a boy's name.

Upon hearing what Deputy Section Chief Jin said, Ajik quickly got up from the ground.

Then, somewhat shyly, she introduced herself to Li Feng.

"Hello.".

"My name is Ajik, and I come from western Xinjiang."

"I am fifteen years old this year."

When Li Feng heard that Ajik was already fifteen years old, he was extremely surprised.

At fourteen years old, he's almost 1.7 meters tall.

Are all girls in western Xinjiang this tall?
This made Li Feng somewhat incredulous. At this moment, Li Feng looked at the height comparison between Ajik and Deputy Section Chief Jin, and Ajik was indeed much taller than Deputy Section Chief Jin.

When Zou Bin heard what Ajik said, he was also somewhat surprised and asked Ajik a question.

"Ajik, are all the girls in your western Xinjiang this tall?"

Upon hearing Zou Bin's words, Ajik frowned and replied to him.

"Shouldn't you introduce yourself before asking a question?"

After hearing what Ajik said, Deputy Section Chief Jin then explained to Zou Bin.

"This is the custom in their hometown."

After hearing Deputy Section Chief Jin's explanation, Zou Bin nodded to Deputy Section Chief Jin to indicate that he understood, and then looked at Ajik in front of him.

"Hello, little girl Ajik."

"My name is Zou Bin."

"You can call me Brother Zou or Brother Bin."

After hearing Zou Bin's words, Ajik shook her head at him.

"No, that won't work."

"This needs my mother's approval. Maybe I should ask her after I get back to Xinjiang."

Zou Bin felt somewhat embarrassed after hearing Ajik's answer.

At this moment, Li Feng couldn't help but speak to Ajik in front of him.

"Ajik, right?"

"Hello, my name is Li Feng."

"I'm nineteen this year and currently work in a ceramics factory. Today, I'm the one who collects the materials."

After Li Feng finished speaking, he waved his camera in front of Ajik.

When Ajik heard that Li Feng was only nineteen years old, she couldn't help but ask him in surprise.

"Li Feng, are you only nineteen years old?"

"They don't seem to be much older than me."

"My cousin is also nineteen years old."

Before Ajik could finish speaking, Deputy Section Chief Jin interrupted him and said something to him.

“Ajik, didn’t I already tell you?”

"Be mindful of your manners."

"This is Master Li Feng."

You should call him Master Li.

After Deputy Section Chief Jin finished speaking, Ajik asked him a question with some curiosity.

"The elders in our village say that masters are all very learned people. Is he really that learned?"

When Ajik said that, Zou Bin wanted to laugh, but he held it in.

Li Feng explained to Ajik with some helplessness.

"Here, 'master' is just a respectful term. It actually has many meanings, but most of the time it refers to a worker."

After Li Feng finished explaining, Ajik looked at him with a half-understanding expression.

Seeing that it was almost time, Li Feng immediately spoke to Ajik and Deputy Section Chief Jin.

"I think it's getting late, let's start gathering materials soon."

"This way it won't waste time, and if we finish sooner, Ajik can rest sooner."

After hearing Li Feng's words, Deputy Section Chief Jin nodded to Li Feng.

"Row".

Then Deputy Section Chief Jin gave instructions to Ajik.

"You'll be dancing along with this Mr. Li to gather material for your performance later."

Then Deputy Section Chief Jin spoke to Zou Bin.

"After you've collected the materials, come find me in my office."

After hearing what Deputy Section Chief Jin said, Zou Bin nodded to him in assurance.

"Absolutely no problem."

(End of this chapter)