Siheyuan: Starting from 1958

At two o'clock in the afternoon, Yi Zhonghai had just returned to the workshop when he was called to the office by the director. Bang Geng also came here with him.

Seeing the director's serious expression and not saying a word to him, Yi Zhonghai immediately realized that the factory had decided to punish him and Bang Geng.

Sure enough, as soon as Yi Zhonghai closed the door of the director's office, the director's cold voice rang in his ears.

"Master Yi, great joke..."

"The factory's investigation into you has ended."

"After confirmation, the workshop workers' report against you is completely true and there is no falsehood."

"Plus, you and Bang Geng once again reported the chef Wang without any evidence. You have refused to change despite repeated warnings. The factory has decided to punish you and Bang Geng for multiple crimes. You will be fired."

"I wanted to hand you over to the police."

"But since Director Yang has just taken office, and doesn't want to make things worse, I'll let you go."

"I will inform you of the factory's decision first so that you can be mentally prepared."

"You can go and complete the resignation procedures in a while..."

"The steel mill's punishment for the two of you will be announced before the end of the shift."

Seeing Bang Geng's face express his feelings instantly and full of despair, the director did not show even a trace of sympathy.

Because he has always been very dissatisfied with Banggeng.

Relying on Yi Zhonghai's support, they often disobeyed his discipline and often cheated in the workshop. They were one of the rare troublemakers in the workshop. The director wished they could leave the workshop as soon as possible.

Facing Bang Geng's desperate gaze, he continued, "What I am going to say next is related to Bang Geng."

"Although Master Yi's house in the courtyard was also allocated by the steel mill, it was converted into a private property more than ten years ago. Even if Master Yi resigns from the steel mill, the house still belongs to Master Yi."

"But the Jia family's house did not pay to be converted into a private property."

"The Housing Management Department just called me to inform you."

"After Bang Geng was fired by the steel mill, no one from the Jia family worked there. The mill will take back the Jia family's current house in accordance with relevant regulations and distribute it to other workers in the mill who don't have a house."

"Once Banggeng has completed the resignation procedures, the Housing Management Department will give you two days to move out. After two days, they will go to Siheyuan to collect the house."

"If the Jia family does not move, the Housing Management Department will bring comrades from the Security Department to the courtyard to forcibly take the house."

"Master Yi, you are also a veteran employee of the factory. I hope that we can all part ways in peace. If a conflict arises at the last minute, it will be too embarrassing and bad for all of us."

Hearing this, Bang Geng’s face turned even paler.

The steel rolling mill took away the Jia family’s house in the courtyard, which was a problem he had never thought of.

Although she is living in Yi Zhonghai's house now, if the steel rolling mill takes away the Jia family's house, Jia Zhang will have no place to live.

When Kuihua and Xiaodang go back to the countryside, they will have nowhere to go. It is impossible for a family of six to all squeeze into Yi Zhonghai's house.

Even if he wanted to, Yi Zhonghai would not agree.

Faced with one problem after another, Banggeng's mind was a mess, his eyes were dull, his face was pale, and he couldn't think of any solution.

Yi Zhonghai did not expect that the steel mill would be so ruthless and take back the house that the Jia family had lived in for more than 20 years.

But what the director said is also correct.

Previously, the steel mill gave everyone the opportunity to convert public housing into private housing, and they only needed to pay two or three hundred yuan.

Jia Zhang would rather save the money for her retirement and not take it out, so there is nothing we can do.

Since the property right of the house belongs to the steel mill and no one in the Jia family works there, it is reasonable for the steel mill to take back the Jia family's house. Although it is reasonable, Yi Zhonghai is a little afraid to imagine the scene after the Jia family loses the quadrangle house.

Is it possible that all six members of the family will have to squeeze into my house by then?
I can still refuse Jia Zhang, who is unwilling to die, after all, it has nothing to do with me.

If I really want to move in, I'd rather live with Bang Geng, so it won't affect me.

But if Xiaodang and Kuihua wanted to live in his house, Yi Zhonghai would have no reason to refuse, after all, they were Qin Huairu's biological daughters and his goddaughters.

At that time, four people lived in the house, which was not very big to begin with, and all of them had no jobs in the steel mill and had to earn money on their own.

Yi Zhonghai felt scared when he thought about it.

He had originally planned to use the favor left by the deaf old lady for himself. He had to keep his job at the steel mill at all costs and work until retirement so that he could get pension money.

Although it’s not much, it’s enough to ensure my basic living needs.

Now it seems that using this favor on oneself may not be the best solution.

After hesitating for a moment, he asked back: "Director..."

"As long as we haven't completed the resignation procedures, we are still employees of the steel mill. Can we still transfer the public housing to private housing now?"

Hearing this, Banggeng's face, which had just been full of despair, once again lit up with hope, and he quickly looked at the director.

Although he had no money, Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi still had a lot of money saved.

If there is really a chance to convert public housing into private housing, then buy that house from the steel mill.

Even if he resigned from the steel mill, the house would still belong to the Jia family and would not be taken away by the steel mill.

The workshop director answered without thinking, "It is possible to transfer, but it will definitely be much more expensive than before."

"A house like the Jia family's would cost at least five hundred dollars."

"If we had encouraged people to pay fees when they were transferring from public to private enterprises, two hundred yuan would probably have been enough."

"It's cheaper than buying a house of the same size outside anyway."

"how?"

"You want the Jia family to switch from office to private business before Bang Geng leaves, so that they can keep the Jia family's house in the courtyard."

Seeing Yi Zhonghai and Bang Geng turning around, the desperate expressions on their faces faded a lot. The director suddenly slapped his head and changed the subject.

"I almost forgot."

“Although it is possible to transfer from public to private employment now, it is limited to regular workers in the steel mill.”

"Bang Geng seems to be an apprentice now. If nothing happens, he can be a regular employee in half a month."

"But it seems there is no chance now. The factory asked you to complete the resignation procedures today."

“So Bang Geng probably has no chance of becoming a regular employee, and there’s no way to convert a public house into a private one.”

"But it's all right."

"I can afford five hundred yuan. At most, I can spend an extra one or two hundred yuan to buy a room of the same size in a nearby courtyard."

Yi Zhonghai felt that the workshop director did it on purpose.

Let yourself and Banggeng see the hope of keeping the house, and then pour a bucket of cold water on them both, turning hope into despair.

But he had no evidence. Even if he had evidence that he did it on purpose, he would not be able to do anything to the director. After all, he was the one who made a mistake and was about to be fired by the steel mill. (End of this chapter)