Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 155 Little He's company wants to give you more responsibilities, but the "old man" is actually...?

The next day, He Yuzhu went to his workplace to report for duty. He chatted with Lao Wei and Xiao Zheng for a few minutes in the office, but before he could even have a sip of tea, Zhang Weimin came looking for him.

"Xiao He, come with me."

"Yes, Director."

The two arrived at Zhang Weimin's office, where Zhang Weimin asked him to sit down and poured him a cup of tea.

"Thank you, Director."

"Xiao He, you did a great job on this mission. We got a call from Anton. The steel is the best available. I heard about your performance at the Azov Steel Plant from Lao Wei and Xiao Zheng. It was simply amazing."

"You flatter me, Director."

"You're quite modest, young comrade!"

"I just did what I was supposed to do, within my capabilities."

"Okay, okay, it's what I should do, within my capabilities. You have a wide range of capabilities, huh? Drinking, hunting, cooking, what else don't I know?"

"Gone."

"I don't believe it. Alright, I'll be blunt then. The company will give you more responsibilities. You've demonstrated your abilities to the fullest extent this time, so the company has decided to remove your supervisor title. Now you're the head of the fourth section."

"Thank you, Director!"

"Don't thank me yet. The agency is gone, but the salary hasn't increased. In addition, I still need to add more people and more tasks."

"what!"

"What, are you scared?"

"No, it's just that our department is just starting out. Are we taking a bit too big a step?"

"It's not a big deal anymore. The country is making great strides forward, so how can we just follow the old ways?"

"So what's our department's next task?"

"We are procuring more specialty steel, not just for bridges, but also for military and industrial use. Of course, we welcome any specialty steel available!"

"Isn't this the work of the first and second departments?"

"From now on, you will be in full charge of the Azov steel plant channel; they will go to other Russian factories."

"I understand. Can I choose the person?"

"Sure, what kind of person do you want?"

"Mechanical engineering, materials science, chemical engineering."

"Good heavens, you're really asking for the moon! Every company is vying for talent like that, why would they come to us?"

"Just tell me if you have it or not. If you do, I have a way to get them to stay."

"Yes, but let me make this clear from the start: if we can't retain our staff, then you'll have to use whatever people are assigned to you."

"it is good."

"So confident, huh? I'd like to see how you're going to retain them."

"it is good."

"By the way, you don't have any business trips scheduled for the time being. We'll let you know when we get orders. You can start preparing to interview people in the meantime."

"understood."

"Alright, go ahead. Your appointment has already been posted on the bulletin board. You don't need to go to HR. Just go to finance and get your travel expenses reimbursed yourself."

"clear."

He Yuzhu didn't rest when he returned to his office. He found a few simple recipes and discussed them with Xiao Zheng.

Xiao Zheng, who had been idle, suddenly perked up.

"Section Chief, where did you get this?"

"It came from an engineer at Duo Mao Xiong. I don't know if it will work. You know more about this than I do, take a look."

Xiao Zheng started looking at it with some skepticism, and then exclaimed, "Section Chief, this seems to be real. I've seen some of the formulas and parameters before. You're amazing, you can even get good stuff over a drink."

"Then you should study it carefully, and it would be best to find a place to verify it."

"Okay, okay, I'll take it and work it out first, and then I'll go to school and ask my teacher."

"Go."

"Section Chief, what am I doing, an old man like me?"

"If you don't mind the trouble, could you please compile a list of the current state of bridges in our country, especially those large bridges that require steel?"

"You're a young man with plenty of energy. Okay, I'll take this job. But I might have to go out to do research and ask around. I won't be able to stay at the office."

"Sure, we're supposed to be out and about anyway, but the situation is a bit special."

"it is good."

For the next period of time, Xiao Zheng kept studying the formula. He went out to find classmates and teachers, and also tried to find places to verify it.

This is the solution He Yuzhu came up with. Directly handing it over is too dangerous, as everyone who goes to that place is recorded.

It's too tiring for him to do it himself, and he doesn't have the space or resources to do it. Wouldn't it be better to hand it over to someone with connections? Once the simple things are done, we can gradually give him more complex ones.

Of course, you need a suitable reason. Ideally, you should be able to produce something here before your next trip so you can apply for some funding. Whether it's true or false, once you bring it back, you can't go back to their place to verify it, and they probably won't acknowledge it anyway.

In a few years, the situation will change, and decades will pass in the blink of an eye. Then there will be even less chance to investigate. By the time you can investigate, the other country will be in a different country, and this kind of thing will probably just be forgotten.

Old Wei is also out and about every day, but the documents on his desk are getting thicker and thicker, and the drawings are getting more and more numerous.

During that week when He Yuzhu was home, Xu Damao basically avoided He Yuzhu, afraid of being caught by him.

But what's the use of hiding? He Yuzhu has ears and ears. Xu Xiaoman, a little doll, surrendered on her own, and he reported Xu Damao's whereabouts clearly.

What time do I get home each day? Do I read any books when I get home? What time do I leave home?

After listening, He Yuzhu realized that the kid had actually been watching, but he fell asleep while watching. As for whether he had actually absorbed anything, only he knew.

Xu Damao was still blocked at the door by He Yuzhu. Then the kid told him that he couldn't read any of the professional books, but he was interested in literature and novels.

He Yuzhu was quite helpless about this. He didn't believe that the kid was so skilled at tinkering with projectors and didn't have any talent for mechanical and electronic fields.

Then he asked about the kid's grades, and after hearing them, he was speechless. With those grades, he'd be lucky to even graduate high school.

He Yuzhu had a thought in his mind: "This child is beyond saving."

He Yuzhu patted Xu Damao on the shoulder and told him to study the Russian language well. Then He Yuzhu took his professional books and left.

Xu Damao saw the disappointment in He Yuzhu's eyes, which made him feel bad because he knew that He Yuzhu was doing this for his own good.

After He Yuzhu left, Xu Damao fell into deep thought. He began to doubt himself, wondering if he was too useless and if Brother Zhu was looking down on him. The problem was that he really couldn't concentrate on those technical books.

From then on, Xu Damao really started to study Russian seriously. This kid has a talent for languages, which puzzled the Xu family. Has this kid changed his ways?

He Yuzhu got busy. He interviewed several people initially, but he wasn't satisfied with any of them, which made Zhang Weimin complain to him and ask him what kind of person he really wanted.

He Yuzhu didn't dare say that he wanted someone who was focused on technology, not someone who wanted a political career or used him as a stepping stone. He had no interest in such people because there were many things that needed to be accomplished by them.

Zhang Weimin continued to help him look for more people, and after interviewing someone in the steelmaking field, He Yuzhu's department had four people.

This person was originally going to the steel factory in Beijing, but was intercepted and tricked into coming here. The question is, the person who was purchasing the goods wanted to leave on the spot.

He Yuzhu threw out his trump card: "Do you want to see a machine that can produce 250 tons of steel at a time? Do you want to see a steel mill with an annual output of 500 million tons? Do you want our country to have such a steel mill?"

Is there even a question? Of course I wanted to. The person only asked one question: "Can you let me see it, and let us have it?"

“I can take you to see it. I can’t let the country have it, but you professionals can.”

The man gritted his teeth and stayed. He was from Northeast China, in his thirties, and had become an engineer through self-study. He used to work at a steel plant in Shenyang. His name was Ou Guanghui.

After getting familiar with the department, he started working with Xiao Zheng to study the formula. Of course, he was in charge of the equipment and only had a basic understanding of the materials. However, as expected of someone from the factory, he could tell at a glance whether it was feasible. This was because it wasn't just about the formula; He Yuzhu also provided what kind of equipment to use and under what conditions to refine it.

After seeing it, he started following Xiao Zheng around and even helped contact steel mills he knew so that they could conduct small-scale trials.

Once there was a first, there was a second. This time, He Yuzhu was describing industrial machine tools, as well as the steel rolling mill under the Azov Steel Plant that he had seen.

He Yuzhu, a chemistry major, finally got his chance before the end of the year. After arriving, he went to join Xiao Zheng and the others.

They successfully tested all the formulas, which greatly excited the team at Corey. The only downside was the production volume; the output of domestic steel mills was still too small.

Then He Yuzhu secretly gave Xiao Zheng a few more recipes, saying that he had just remembered them because he had drunk too much at the time and only slowly recalled them.

Xiao Zheng naturally didn't believe it. How could someone who's drunk speak so clearly?

Others did ask Xiao Zheng, but the kid kept his mouth shut and didn't say how the recipe came about.

As for Lao Wei, He Yuzhu had saved their lives, but he wouldn't say it, and if others asked, he would say he didn't know because of the language barrier.

Later, Xiao Zheng privately asked He Yuzhu, who said that people were already asking where the recipe came from.

He Yuzhu said, "The reason I gave won't work?"

Do you believe it yourself?

"Okay, then I'll tell you the truth. One of the people we went hunting with is from an engineer family, that's what they do."

"and then?"

"Didn't I go out and cook many meals later?"

"Yeah, what does that have to do with it?"

“Once I went to an engineer’s house and saw these things. He said that although they were a bit outdated, they were still classified. I could look at them, but I couldn’t take them away.”

"Section Chief, are you really telling me you wrote all of this down from memory?"

"Otherwise what?" "Okay, I'll reluctantly believe you. Do you have any other formulas? I mean other ones." Actually, Xiao Zheng knew that He Yuzhu had an excellent memory, but he didn't know how good it was. The reason He Yuzhu gave was very credible.

"Yes, do you have time to do it, or can you find a suitable person to hand it over?"

"I... let me think about it." Xiao Zheng left.

Ou Guanghui approached He Yuzhu once to ask when he was going to Russia, and He Yuzhu only said one word: "Wait."

He Yuzhu and his colleagues didn't receive any new assignments until the Chinese New Year. Other departments also had their own quotas, and it was impossible for them to have their quotas given away for no reason.

For small purchases, they didn't need to make special trips; a telegram was usually enough to handle it. They waited until almost the New Year.

He Yuzhu's assistance to the escort troops in killing the enemy was reported to their unit by Andong. The unit held a meeting to commend He Yuzhu. However, since they were a private company, they couldn't report his merits, so they gave him the title of Advanced Individual. He was too young to be promoted, so they gave him a raise.

Other departments could only be envious. If someone else encountered this situation, they would be lucky not to wet themselves in fear, let alone fight the enemy.

The report from Andong was also given to the Military Control Commission of Beijing. The Military Control Commission no longer cares about these matters and transferred the information to the Public Security Bureau. Then He Yuzhu received a banner and a second-class merit medal, which were issued by the Public Security Bureau.

Wang Cuiping secretly took this back to He Yuzhu. He's already off the battlefield and he's still doing this kind of thing. How can his family stand it? Wang Cuiping first praised He Yuzhu for protecting state property, and then gave him a stern lecture. State property is important, but is his personal safety not important? For this family, he is the most important. She told him to think about it carefully.

He Yuzhu sincerely admitted his mistake and said he would not do anything reckless in the future.

Just after New Year's Day, Wang Hongxia brought people from the neighborhood committee to the courtyard. They came in the evening, and He Yuzhu happened to be there. They said they wanted to elect a mediator.

Since leaving in 1950, He Yuzhu hadn't asked much about the courtyard. After returning, he always felt that something was missing from the courtyard.

When Wang Hongxia arrived, he suddenly realized, "Where is the 'Grandpa'? It seems the 'Grandpa' in the courtyard has disappeared. He hasn't seen him at any of the courtyard's general meetings."

This time, everyone from the entire courtyard came to the central courtyard. There was no long table, no melon seeds, peanuts, or tea.

Wang Hongxia was also very straightforward. Only after she said that did He Yuzhu realize that their hospital had never had one. There was only an assistant administrator, Yan Bugui, because of Wang Cuiping's relationship with him.

The head of the Public Security Bureau's investigation department lived in this compound, so the enemy agents were basically no longer a concern for the people in the compound.

Now that there are fewer enemy agents, the duties of this "old man" have changed, and he has been given more responsibilities, including civil mediation and policy promotion. The street office has also streamlined its work and taken over everything from the military control committee.

Other courtyards would just send someone to notify them and that would be it, but because this courtyard hadn't done it before, they were taking it more seriously.

Only a few families lived in the middle and back courtyards. Apart from the Xu family, they were like one big family, which Wang Hongxia knew.

So, instead of the three mediators who should have been there in this large courtyard, it was reduced to two: one in the middle courtyard and one in the front courtyard.

The Intermediate Court didn't even let them choose; they appointed her directly. He Yuzhu was overjoyed when he heard that it was his mother, Chen Lanxiang.

He Daqing and Xu Fugui were completely bewildered. Weren't the other courtyards all for men? Why was it different in their courtyard?

Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong were originally rivals in the front yard. After receiving the news, they both secretly exerted their efforts and are now arguing fiercely.

Why? Because those women also want to improve themselves, especially Jia Zhangshi and Yang Ruihua. Liu Haizhong's wife is the typical type of woman who only knows how to take care of the home and children; she has never thought about these things at all.

“Jia Zhangshi, you are no good, you are a backward thinker.”

How am I falling behind?

"Are you summoning your husband, Lao Jia, for no reason to promote feudal superstition?"

“I didn’t, you don’t need to talk nonsense, Yang Ruihua.”

"How could I be talking nonsense? Everyone in the front yard knows."

"correct."

"That's right, Director Wang, you should do something about it. This Jia Zhangshi is throwing a tantrum and summoning her dead husband back. It's terrifying."

Wang Hongxia clapped her hands a few times.

"Alright, what kind of behavior is this? Neither Jia Zhangshi nor Yang Ruihua are qualified. With your big mouths, you dare to mediate between neighbors? Humph!"

"We've changed!" the two women exclaimed in unison.

"Whether it's been changed or not, you know the truth yourselves."

"Then why is Chen Lanxiang eligible?" Jia Zhangshi asked.

“The neighbors in the middle courtyard and the back courtyard have a harmonious relationship, and Comrade Chen Lanxiang is able to handle it well.”

“We get along very well,” Jia Zhangshi said stubbornly.

Do I need to list all the things you've done?

The entire front yard fell silent. It wasn't uncommon for Jia Zhangshi to take things that people had left outside and then start arguments and fights.

Old Yan's family was criticized for charging money for writing couplets during the Spring Festival, then Yang Ruihua got into a fight with someone, and Liu Haizhong was scolded by the person who tried to stop him from hitting his child. There were so many of these kinds of messy things.

The trend of demanding money as compensation when children fight has been started by someone, and all the neighboring houses have followed suit.

Wang Hongxia separated the middle courtyard from the front courtyard because the front courtyard was too difficult to manage, and getting involved would only cause trouble.

“Yan Bugui used to be an assistant administrator, so let him be your mediator first.”

"I object!" Liu Haizhong immediately stood up.

"What's the reason?"

"He doesn't have the prestige to mediate."

"Then who do you think has it?"

"Me, everyone, don't you think so?" This old fellow had given eggs to every household, except for Old Yan's family, of course.

"You say there's no such thing as no such thing? I'm a teacher, how can I not mediate?"

"Let everyone speak," Liu Haizhong said.

"Our family will choose Liu Haizhong."

"My family is the same."

"."

Now, there are more than four families living in the front yard, including the back house and the through house. People have also moved into the east wing of the front yard.

And Li Guihua actually found a man, although her belly wasn't showing yet, it's said she's pregnant.

Seven households, nearly thirty people in total—not a lot, but not a small number either.

Yan Bugui was dumbfounded. He had also given a bribe, which was just a handful of melon seeds and peanuts, and he thought that was enough.

"How could you do this?"

What he didn't know was that although the money and things required for New Year's couplets weren't much, they were a bit disgusting. Other families would write them for free, of course, they would have to bring their own red paper.

When he received some kind of writing fee, some people naturally disapproved, even believing it to be a custom of the old society.

In addition, their family is indeed quite stingy. If they become the mediators, the whole courtyard will follow suit.

Liu Haizhong does like to beat children, but that's at home. We haven't really seen anything else wrong with him yet. His desire to become an official is just the beginning, and everyone thinks it's normal for him to want to advance his career.

The main reason is that the men from other families don't want to get involved in these messy affairs. Isn't it good that someone takes the lead? Of course, it would be even better if the person taking the lead is generous.

He Yuzhu walked over to Wang Hongxia, tugged at her sleeve, and whispered, "Aunt Xia, I think the two mediators in front are also fine."

"What mischief are you up to now, you little rascal?"

"No way, Liu Haizhong didn't have much schooling. How could he possibly understand your policies?"

"I overlooked that, but Yan Bugui is unpopular."

“There must be something else going on here. Yan Bugui has been an assistant supervisor for so many years and he’s doing just fine. Let him continue in that role. It’ll make up for Liu Haizhong’s shortcomings.”

"You're such a cunning little devil."

"Hehe." He Yuzhu turned around and walked back to his own camp.

"Zhu Zi, what did you say when you ran over?" He Daqing asked.

"Nothing, nothing."

"Do you think I believe it?"

"Anyway, it has nothing to do with what's coming up. I just want the conference to end quickly, it's so cold."

While the father and son were discussing it, Wang Hongxia also made a decision.

"Alright, stop arguing, let's go with Liu Haizhong then."

Liu Haizhong's face lit up with a smile, but Wang Hongxia hadn't finished speaking when her next sentence made his face turn dark.

"Yan Bugui will continue to assist in the management. You two can discuss anything that comes up."

Yan Bugui's face lit up with a smile again. The assistant manager was just like the manager. He then began to clasp his hands in a respectful gesture towards the people in the front yard.

"I hope my neighbors will continue to support and be understanding in the future!"

"What if something happens that the whole hospital needs to know?" Seeing that the situation in the front yard couldn't be changed, Liu Haizhong started to think about the middle and back yards.

"The plenary meeting was chaired by Chen Lanxiang."

"Why should we?!" Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui exclaimed in unison.

"Why? Because her son is a war hero, because her family is a family of honor. Why do you think that is the case?"

"Oh!"

"Any other questions?"

The crowd shook their heads.

"The meeting is dismissed!"

　Thank you to readers cyndi1982, 三更, and 书10096 for the generous donations!

　　
　　
　
(End of this chapter)