Siheyuan: Rebirth of a comfortable life starts with Shazhu

“Master, please go outside and sit down. I can handle things here by myself. I promise it won’t cause any delays.” Ma Hua was still the same reliable person he always was, both in his words and actions.

He Yuzhu glanced at the living room, a slightly tired smile appearing on his face. He reached out, and Ma Hua handed him the spatula.

The master and apprentice worked side by side in the kitchen.

"MCA, are you blaming your master?"
"My master has ruined everything. I was living a good life." He Yuzhu said as he stir-fried the dishes in the pot, and casually started chatting with Ma Hua.

Ma Hua shook his head and said in a muffled voice, "Lili wrote a letter saying that she is especially grateful to her master and grandmaster. This trip has really broadened her horizons."

She said she learned a lot there.

When I come back in two years, I'll definitely be able to support a restaurant.

Master, I know you mean well.

The steel rolling mill has lost its former vigor.

In the past, when the branch factory leaders came to hold meetings, the people they asked for most were technicians and experienced workers.

Now, I've heard that the entertainment expenses for meals and drinks at those branch factories are higher than those at the main factory.

Old Yang doesn't have the energy to deal with it anymore.

If this factory continues like this, haha...
"What if we all go hungry in the future?"

He Yuzhu sneered upon hearing this, knowing all the situations Ma Hua had mentioned.

They even know significantly more than the MCA (Malaysian Chinese Association).

The last time Old Yang came to beg him, he just signed a note to temporarily settle the outstanding dividends and shares owed to the Lou family, and they would settle the matter later.

Logically speaking, now that such a major hidden danger has been eliminated, Old Yang should be able to implement his new plan.

That means working hard for two years, then updating and upgrading a batch of outdated production capacity in the factory to carry out industrial upgrading.

But Lao Yang didn't.

Instead, he took advantage of that incident to replace all the leaders in the branch factories with his own people.

Furthermore, in order to win over the hearts and minds of the employees, the branch factories were given more autonomy.

So, when it comes to people's hearts, no matter how eloquently you talk about it, it's all about how you act.

Despite his loud and resounding slogans, Lao Yang himself was indeed clean and honest in his personal conduct.

But in order to stay in that position, he allowed those cancerous tumors below him to grow.

This left the potential dangers to tens of thousands of steel rolling mill workers.

In terms of how things unfolded, he didn't do anything wrong.

The most direct reason is that he doesn't have time.

If Lao Yang were ten years younger, he could select outstanding young talents for training.

Select the most suitable manager for each of the following factories.

But he is getting on in years, and if the situation cannot be stabilized as soon as possible, the current situation at the steel mill may become even worse.

Old Yang's biggest mistake was overestimating his personal influence.

He thought that at this time, the people who would turn to him were still the same comrades who were wholeheartedly committed to making a difference.

If only Old Yang had taken on the mission in a time of crisis and stabilized the situation back then.

Then he took the initiative to apply to his superiors to step down from his position and ask them to send an energetic young man to manage the position.

He was responsible for staying behind and protecting them.

Old Yang was the biggest contributor to the steel rolling mill.

As long as the steel rolling mill exists, no one will forget him.

But many people can't make this choice.

He Yuzhu asked himself honestly, and he figured that most of the people he knew would make similar choices to Lao Yang.

At most, he's just a little better than Lao Yang in the details.

Of course, if it were He Yuzhu, he would definitely back down.

He could even resign from a school principal without hesitation, let alone anything else. The most important reason for this is that He Yuzhu approached most of his career matters with a somewhat playful attitude.

He was thinking that something could be accomplished.

It's not about necessarily succeeding under his leadership.

"At most, it will be next year, and Yu Li will be able to come back the year after next."

You also need to be prepared, opening a restaurant isn't something just your husband and wife can do alone.

"Some people in the kitchen aren't getting paid enough and want to try their luck elsewhere. You can contact them first." He Yuzhu whispered a few words and gave Ma Hua a deadline.

He remembered this very clearly: the first individual business license in Beijing was issued the year after next.

No one around the He family wanted to be the first to try something new.

When the time comes, just follow the trend.

But for MCA and the three senior brothers, all the necessary preparations have been made.

"Master, after the reform and opening up, is it possible that all of us will be laid off?" Ma Hua asked with a hint of worry.

He first heard the word "laid off" from He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu paused for a moment and tasted the food in his mouth.

Feeling that it was about right, he pointed towards the bowls and plates.

Ma Hua skillfully took out bowls and plates and placed them where He Yuzhu could easily reach them.

Plate it, wash the pot, and proceed to the next step...

Neither the master nor the apprentice uttered a sound.

After He Yuzhu finished his routine, he smiled wryly and asked, "How many people were in your small kitchen before? How many are there now?"

“In the past, Master, you took care of me and Lili and managed to keep the small kitchen busy.”

"There are seven or eight people helping me out inside right now," Ma Hua earnestly described the situation at his small canteen.

"Have you gotten more work?" He Yuzhu asked again.

"No, the number of meals served now is even less than when Director Li was in charge."

But there's nothing we can do. Some people have health problems, so they can't do anything else either. Ma Hua still doesn't know what the problem is.

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu remained calm and simply said, "What one person can do, three people are now doing."

Even if the output value created is the same as before.

However, the cost has increased threefold.

How can a factory like this compete with new factories?

If you were to open your own shop at this time, with three or four people working there, hiring one more person would cost you an extra hundred yuan.

Would you rather hire more people, or would you rather give the original three or four people an extra ten or twenty yuan each and have them do more work?

Ma Hua frowned; he still didn't understand.

This is normal; people like them who eat collective meals year after year rarely think about the financial aspects.

"What do you think Yu Li would do if she were in this situation?" He Yuzhu asked again.

"Give everyone more money?" MCA's answer was hesitant.

"Talk is talk, but don't let it interfere with your work." Seeing that Ma Hua was making terrible mistakes with his knife skills because he was thinking, He Yuzhu immediately tapped the cutting board twice with the spatula in dissatisfaction.

"Yu Li will give extra money to irreplaceable people, possibly fifty or a hundred yuan more."

For other positions that don't require much technical skill, they will simply be given more work tasks.

Those who can do it, do it; those who can't, get out.

"That's what makes a qualified manager." After reprimanding Ma Hua, He Yuzhu finally gave his answer.

Ma Hua stopped what he was doing, frowned in thought, and finally said hesitantly, "Master, are you saying that those unskilled people in the steel rolling mill will also be laid off in the future?" (End of this chapter)