Siheyuan: Starting from 1958

Looking at the scene of people surrounding Wang Dong and questioning the apprentice, Yi Zhonghai was very excited but did not show it.

As a senior fitter in the steel rolling mill, no one in the yard knew better than him how difficult it was to get an apprenticeship spot in the steel rolling mill.

you could put it that way.

Even though Wang Dong had a very good relationship with Director Zhou of Logistics and Deputy Director Li, he could only get one or two apprenticeship spots.

The limited quota was given to this resident, leaving no spots for other residents.

Those residents who did not get the apprenticeship quota will definitely have opinions about Wang Dong, and these people must account for the majority of the people in the yard.

As long as he entangled these people together, Wang Dong would slowly be isolated.

When the time comes, without the help of the third uncle Yan Fugui, I wonder how he can survive in the yard.

As long as Wang Dong, the troublemaker, was no longer there to go against him, Yi Zhonghai believed that with his ability he would be able to quickly establish his authority as the boss and continue to have the final say in the courtyard.

Seeing someone in the courtyard offering to pay Wang Dong back for helping him get an apprenticeship, Yi Zhonghai spoke again: "What do you think of Wang Dong..."

"He is the most helpful person in our yard..."

"Every time I bring back leftovers from the kitchen, I will distribute them to the poor families in the yard. How could I ask for your money?"

"If I really take your money, it would be like reselling apprenticeship quotas and speculating... Please don't harm Wang Dong."

"If Wang Dong could send Tang Dashan to the steel mill as an apprentice for free, he must have a way to send other young men in the yard to the steel mill as apprentices."

Seeing more and more residents surrounding Wang Dong in the yard, Uncle Chen and Chen Jun both showed worried expressions on their faces, and subconsciously wanted to stand up to help Wang Dong explain.

But Wang Dong did not give them this opportunity.

Facing Yi Zhonghai's repeated provocations, he could no longer bear it and snorted coldly, "What a great man..."

"Who told you that I used my connections to get Tang Dashan an apprenticeship at the steel mill?"

The residents surrounding Wang Dong were stunned.

If Tang Dashan spent his own money to get into the steel rolling mill, then what's the point of looking for Wang Dong himself?

If you really have money, you can just find someone to buy an apprenticeship spot for you.

The crowd, who were enthusiastic just now, calmed down all of a sudden.

Yi Zhonghai would definitely not allow this to happen, and asked with a smile: "Wang Dong..."

"Don't joke with us guys..."

"Given the conditions of the Tang family, don't tell me that Tang Dashan bought his apprenticeship position with his own money..."

"Now the quota for an apprenticeship in the steel rolling mill has risen to 400 yuan. Don't tell me that the Tang family can afford 400 yuan to buy an apprenticeship position."

"If they really have money, why didn't they buy it when the apprenticeship price was only 200 yuan, but waited until it was 400 yuan to buy it."

A resident immediately stepped forward to answer: "Tang's Dashan is the only one working as a temporary worker outside. He earns at most a dozen yuan a month. He can barely feed a family of four. He definitely can't save any money..."

"Dongzi..."

"Don't lie to us just because you don't want to do us a favor."

Wang Dong smiled and continued: "Uncle..."

"You guessed it right..."

"Tang Dashan bought the apprenticeship quota with his own money. The only thing I did was to help him make connections..." "Impossible..." Yi Zhonghai denied it firmly.

"It's impossible for the Tang family to come up with so much money."

“Wang Dong…”

"If you don't want to help us, you can find a more appropriate reason and say that the Tang family paid for an apprenticeship quota. Isn't this just playing us as fools?"

After Yi Zhonghai finished speaking, many people in the courtyard looked at Wang Dong with hostility and dissatisfaction. Only a few people looked at Wang Dong with worry on their faces, fearing that he would continue to suffer losses in the upcoming whole-court meeting.

Without exception, these people are poor families in the yard who have received help from Wang Dong.

Wang Dong gave Chen Jun and Uncle Chen a calming look, then continued speaking while facing Yi Zhonghai's suspicious gaze.

"If you don't believe me, you can ask Tang Dashan yourself..."

In the blink of an eye, everyone's attention shifted to Tang Dashan.

Tang Dashan is a grateful person. No matter what, he would not stand by and watch Wang Dong suffer because of him at the general meeting, and he stood up immediately.

"Uncle, and all the residents..."

"I did pay to be an apprentice in the steel mill. Wang Dong helped me get in touch with him after he found out that the canteen was short of staff in the kitchen."

"Originally they wanted 400 yuan, but for Wang Dong's sake they charged me 350 yuan..."

Yi Zhonghai had a hunch in his mind that Wang Dong must have taught Tang Dashan what he said, because he had already determined in his heart that the Tang family could not afford the money, and that the apprenticeship position in Tang Dashan's hands must have been obtained by Wang Dong through his connections.

He decided that he must expose this lie in front of everyone today and let Wang Dong experience the feeling of losing face in the yard.

He asked decisively, "Three hundred and fifty yuan for an apprenticeship position... Damn it, Shan... Isn't it because the old man looks down on you? Can the Tang family afford this money?"

"Don't even mention 350 yuan. I don't think your family can even come up with 200 yuan..."

"Without money, how can I buy an apprenticeship position for 350 yuan?"

Tang Dashan's face remained calm, and did not change at all because of Yi Zhonghai's questioning.

If this incident happened more than half a year ago, when Yi Zhonghai was the most influential person in the courtyard, Tang Dashan had no one to rely on and might have become panicked when facing the questioning of an old man.

It's different now.

Yi Zhonghai had lost face in the yard several times. Anyone with a little common sense could see that he was a paper tiger and posed no threat to anyone.

Moreover, he is now an apprentice in the kitchen of a steel rolling mill, and with Wang Dong standing behind him, he doesn't have to fear threats from Yi Zhonghai.

Facing Yi Zhonghai and the residents' gazes, he replied, "Uncle is right. My family really can't afford that much money."

"My parents' death almost wiped out all my family's savings, but that doesn't mean I can't get an apprenticeship at the steel mill..."

"I borrowed 250 yuan from Uncle Chen, and my family collected more than 60 yuan. I borrowed 40 yuan from Wang Dong, which made a total of more than 350 yuan..."

"After I joined the steel mill, I took out five yuan from my salary every month to pay back Uncle Chen..."

"When I get a permanent job at the steel mill, I will pay back Uncle Chen and Wang Dong with ten yuan of my salary every month until all the debts are paid off."

"If you also want to be an apprentice in the steel mill, you can ask Wang Dong to help the front line and buy apprenticeship quotas..."

"We are all neighbors in the courtyard. If others buy apprenticeship quotas for 400 yuan, Wang Dong can definitely help everyone get them for 350 yuan." (End of this chapter)