Courtyard Houses: Starting with the principle of hard work paying off

Chapter 188 Belated Retribution, Yi Zhonghai Cracks Open (1 words, requesting monthly votes)
"Master Yi, what are you doing?"

Director Hao's home.

Looking at the twenty-year-old wild ginseng and tiger bones that Yi Zhonghai had delivered late at night, Director Hao's expression turned serious, and he couldn't help but question him.

"Director Hao, I don't mean anything by it, I just want to thank you for taking care of me over the past two years."

Yi Zhonghai forced a smile and thanked Director Hao with a slightly ingratiating expression.

"You're too kind, Master Yi. Actually, it has nothing to do with me. It's all thanks to the factory for taking care of you. I can't accept gifts without doing anything in return. Please take these generous gifts back!"

Despite being extremely tempted by the wild ginseng and tiger bone, Director Hao reluctantly chose to refuse after weighing the pros and cons.

If it were just a regular thank-you gift, Director Hao would politely accept it.

But Yi Zhonghai must have something to ask of me, and something substantial, for something as valuable as wild ginseng and tiger bone.

Risk and reward are directly proportional.

Most of the time, however, the risks outweigh the rewards.

After thinking it over, Director Hao realized that the only thing Yi Zhonghai could ask of him right now was the upcoming performance evaluation.

But this matter is too significant; he can neither help Yi Zhonghai nor bear the risk.

"Director Hao..."

Before he could even ask for anything, he was immediately rejected, leaving Yi Zhonghai completely dumbfounded.

Without any choice.

Yi Zhonghai had no choice but to speak frankly: "Director Hao, actually I have a favor to ask of you. The factory is about to conduct performance evaluations and grading, and I hope you can be lenient with me."

"Master Yi, has your hand still not recovered?"

Even though he already knew the answer, Director Hao couldn't help but ask.

"Almost..."

Yi Zhonghai was somewhat embarrassed and could only bite the bullet and say, "Director Hao, if you give me a little more time, it should be almost done. But the assessment is just around the corner... Director Hao, please help me out."

"How can I help? Yi Zhonghai, you think too highly of me. I'm just a workshop foreman."

Director Hao shook his head helplessly as his gaze fell on Yi Zhonghai, and said, "Moreover, this assessment and rating is conducted by a special assessment team sent down from above, unlike before when the factory conducted its own internal assessments. There's nothing I can do about it."

Even if it weren't for the fact that this assessment and evaluation was handled by the higher-ups, Director Hao wouldn't dare to tamper with things or help Yi Zhonghai cheat, even if it were someone from within the factory.

the reason is simple.

Even if you can cheat on assessments, you can't fake your daily work and production.

Although Yi Zhonghai just said that his hand was almost healed, Director Hao had heard Yi Zhonghai say this more than once, so he didn't really believe it.

Once you agree to help Yi Zhonghai cheat and pass the exam, this is just the beginning. You'll have to keep cleaning up Yi Zhonghai's messes from time to time.

Even with his help to cover for them, as long as Yi Zhonghai's strength doesn't recover to the corresponding level, he will be exposed sooner or later.

And he really doesn't have that much ability.

"Director Hao, please don't be modest. Don't you still have Director Ding's connections? You don't need to do anything extra. Just help me get the blueprints for the assessment. After that, whether I pass the assessment or not, it has nothing to do with you. I will bear all the consequences."

When he needed to ask for favors, Yi Zhonghai even started using honorifics.

Yi Zhonghai's idea was simple: as long as he could get his hands on the blueprints for the day of the assessment in advance, he could practice secretly and have a better chance of passing the assessment.

After all, the assessment requires hands-on practice, and if the parts produced during the assessment are not up to standard, then there is definitely no hope of passing.

Originally, Yi Zhonghai wanted to bribe the examiner in charge of the assessment that day through Director Hao, but Director Hao said that it was an assessment team specially sent down from above, so he had to settle for a safer method.

"Yi Zhonghai, you're forcing me to break my principles; that's a violation of discipline!"

Upon hearing that Yi Zhonghai had told him to find Factory Director Ding, and that he had blatantly stolen the blueprints, Director Hao's expression immediately changed.

He was related to Director Ding of the factory, and he was indeed able to become the workshop director with the help of Director Ding.

However, if you were to approach Yi Zhonghai about this matter in exchange for these benefits, you would definitely not get anything in return.

Cheating on an assessment, especially right under the nose of an assessment team sent down from above, carries enormous risks.

If things go wrong, not only him, but even Director Ding might have to step down.

Moreover.

The assessment drawings are in the hands of the assessment team. Even Director Ding wouldn't easily get his hands on them in advance. Yi Zhonghai's idea is simply wishful thinking.

Faced with Director Hao's somewhat intense reaction, Yi Zhonghai felt utterly helpless and had no choice but to continue, "Director Hao, you can't say that. This is a special case for me. Besides, you've helped me so much before. Would you mind helping me again?"

"threaten me?"

As soon as Yi Zhonghai finished speaking, Director Hao's face immediately turned cold. He said to Yi Zhonghai, "Yi Zhonghai, the reason we took care of you before was only because of your hand injury. After all, every senior technician is a treasure in the factory."

You have contributed to the factory before. Even if you didn't achieve great things, you still worked hard. As the workshop director, I can't just discard you because you injured your hand. Besides, didn't you say your hand could recover?

Even the factory leaders know something about your situation. Don't think I'm showing you favoritism; it's the factory leaders and national policies that are taking care of you.

But what you did today went too far. It was clearly a violation of discipline, and you still dared to come knocking on my door. Are you trying to harm me, or are you just looking for trouble?"

He had accepted gifts from Yi Zhonghai before, but that was just something he did casually. Even if the factory leaders knew, he had an excuse.

Both publicly and privately, retaining Yi Zhonghai's status as a senior fitter and assigning him some production tasks with relatively low difficulty were humane actions that did not violate the factory's rules and regulations.

If Yi Zhonghai intended to use this to threaten him and drag him down, then Yi Zhonghai's wishful thinking was miscalculated.

"Director Hao, please don't misunderstand. I have no other intentions and would never threaten you. I just want you to help me out again."

Since he needed someone's help and didn't have any leverage over Director Hao, Yi Zhonghai naturally couldn't threaten him. He had clearly been misunderstood earlier.

"I can't help you with this, and I advise you not to get any funny ideas."

Director Hao looked at Yi Zhonghai and couldn't help but advise, "Master Yi, I sympathize with the condition of your hand, but crooked methods won't work."

"Anyway, you have the skills and experience. No matter what the result of this assessment is, you can always retake it once your hands have recovered."

"Director Hao..."

Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai was clearly unwilling, but before he could finish speaking, Director Hao interrupted him with a stern face: "Master Yi, take your things and leave now. I can pretend that this never happened. But if you keep bothering me, I will have no choice but to report this situation to the factory."

Having said that, even if Yi Zhonghai was unwilling, he could only leave with his wild ginseng and tiger bones, looking rather dejected.

After realizing that Director Hao's back door was blocked and that the assessment team was being sent directly from above, Yi Zhonghai knew that cheating wouldn't be so easy this time, so he didn't dare to try again.

However, after the new technical grade system and assessment details were released, Yi Zhonghai still applied for the Level 7 fitter assessment.

After all, he was a senior fitter before. This time, he can't be ranked lower than this level in the re-evaluation. It's not just about his salary, but also his status and face.

If his hand hadn't been injured, Yi Zhonghai might have tried to reach the highest technical level of eighth-grade fitter. However, fate is beyond his control, and he is already very fortunate to have maintained his seventh-grade fitter level.

If he hadn't passed the Level 7 fitter exam, Yi Zhonghai had no idea how the people in the workshop and the courtyard would have looked down on and ridiculed him.

"Master, why did you only register for the Level 7 fitter exam?"

When Jia Dongxu learned that Yi Zhonghai had signed up to participate in the Level 7 fitter assessment, he expressed considerable incomprehension.

Yi Zhonghai has been a senior fitter for more than a year or two. He is not only quite experienced, but also one of the younger senior fitters. Clearly, he has considerable potential and talent in the field of fitter work.

In the eyes of his apprentice Jia Dongxu, Yi Zhonghai, as his master, clearly already possessed the skills of an eighth-level fitter.

The details of the new grading system for fitters and the corresponding wage levels have been officially announced. The wage for an eighth-grade fitter is ninety-nine yuan per month, which is higher than Li Hongbing's current wage.

If Yi Zhonghai can pass the level eight worker assessment, he will directly surpass Li Hongbing and become the highest-paid person in the entire courtyard.

As an apprentice, Jia Dongxu also gained prestige and benefited from the situation.

The key is.

Yi Zhonghai is wealthy and genuinely helps and subsidizes their family.

"The new technical levels have just been implemented, and I'm not quite sure about the specific difficulties and standards. I'm not very confident about being an eighth-level worker. I'll try the seventh-level worker assessment first, and if I can pass that, I'll try the eighth-level worker assessment."

When facing his apprentice Jia Dongxu, Yi Zhonghai couldn't help but become "modest".

"Master, you're being way too steady."

Hearing Yi Zhonghai's words, Jia Dongxu couldn't help but admire him and then said, "Then after I pass the Level 3 worker assessment today, I'll apply to try for the Level 4 worker assessment. Although the chances are slim, what if I get lucky?"

This assessment and rating system completely breaks away from the previous technical grade system and re-grades workers. In order to improve efficiency and facilitate assessment arrangements, workers can directly register and choose the corresponding technical grade assessment based on their own situation and original grade.

If you pass the assessment, you will have another chance to be assessed again.

If you fail, you will have to be downgraded and continue to be assessed until you pass the assessment.

The final result is the final technical level assessment.

Looking at Jia Dongxu's confident and composed demeanor, Yi Zhonghai outwardly offered encouragement and a smile, but inwardly he was experiencing a mix of emotions.

In the past, Yi Zhonghai might have lectured him, telling him to be humble and not to be overly ambitious.

According to Yi Zhonghai, with Jia Dongxu's current skill level, it would be difficult for him to even pass the Level 3 worker assessment, let alone attempt to reach Level 4.

However, Yi Zhonghai himself is in dire straits, like a clay Bodhisattva crossing the river, and clearly has no mood to teach his disciples.

……

"Old Yi, are you also taking the Level 7 worker assessment?"

On the day of the assessment.

When Yi Zhonghai arrived at the workshop area for the Level 7 worker assessment, he happened to run into Liu Haizhong, who had also registered for the Level 7 worker assessment. Liu Haizhong was quite surprised.

Liu Haizhong was a fitter, not a blacksmith.

only.

Liu Haizhong was one level below Yi Zhonghai. Yi Zhonghai was a senior fitter, while Liu Haizhong was only an intermediate fitter. Therefore, during their time as the same manager of the courtyard house, Liu Haizhong was always overshadowed by Yi Zhonghai.

Taking advantage of this opportunity to upgrade wages and technical grades, Liu Haizhong plans to try his best to reach the seventh-grade worker level.

Yi Zhonghai had been a senior fitter for several years, and in Liu Haizhong's mind, Yi Zhonghai's strength and skill level far surpassed his own.

The seventh and eighth grade workers are not easy to pass the exams; the difficulty is not low, and Liu Haizhong knows this.

Even Yi Zhonghai could only participate in the assessment for the seventh-level worker, and dared not try for the eighth-level worker. This put more pressure on Liu Haizhong, who was originally eager to try and had a lot of confidence.

It turns out.

Liu Haizhong's concerns were not unfounded.

The next assessment will involve randomly selecting a part drawing corresponding to the assessment level from several drawings specially prepared by the assessment team, and then completing it within a specified time. As long as the part produced meets the standards, it means that the assessment is passed.

It sounds easy, but it's actually not simple at all.

The parts drawings prepared by the assessment team were all of the same level and of roughly the same difficulty, but there were some differences in emphasis, and luck also played a part to some extent.

Just drawing the blueprints and glancing at them made Liu Haizhong feel the pressure.

The blueprints for these seventh-level workers' parts are far more complex and require higher precision than those for his previous intermediate-level fitter work, so Liu Haizhong wasn't very confident.

Liu Haizhong glanced at Yi Zhonghai not far away, took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down.

Liu Haizhong, who finally finished making the parts before the end of the assessment, breathed a sigh of relief and quickly raised his hand to signal to the examiners and invigilators next to him.

Noticing this, an examiner immediately came over, took out tools, and measured the part made in the bangs.

finally.

Under Liu Haizhong's tense gaze, the other party shook his head helplessly and said to Liu Haizhong, "The accuracy is a bit lacking, you fail the assessment. Go and prepare for the Level 6 fitter exam!"

As he spoke, the examiner immediately wrote a note for Liu Haizhong, which he would need to take the Level 6 worker assessment.

Liu Haizhong was somewhat disappointed, but this result was also within his expectations.

however.

Just as Liu Haizhong was about to leave for the Level 6 fitter assessment area, he noticed that Yi Zhonghai was still there not far away, having just finished completing the part.

Yi Zhonghai is a senior fitter, and not just a newly promoted one, yet he participated in the Level 7 fitter assessment and was just as slow as me.

Liu Haizhong thought Yi Zhonghai was unlucky, as the test drawing he drew was one of the more complex and difficult ones for a Level 7 worker. However, Liu Haizhong heard the examiner say "failed to pass the test" to Yi Zhonghai.

Liu Haizhong was immediately shocked.

Yi Zhonghai failed the Level 7 fitter exam.

It's one thing if I didn't pass, but Yi Zhonghai is a senior fitter!
soon.

After leaving the assessment area for Level 7 workers, on the way to the assessment area for Level 6 workers, Liu Haizhong hurriedly caught up with Yi Zhonghai and asked, "Old Yi, what's going on? Did you fail the Level 7 worker assessment?"

"I wasn't feeling well today, so I didn't perform well..."

Having failed the Level 7 worker assessment and being caught by Liu Haizhong, Yi Zhonghai looked rather grim, but could only offer himself an excuse.

If there are no problems with his hands, given his past experience, he should be absolutely certain of passing today's Level 7 worker assessment.

"That's... such a pity."

Upon learning the reason, Liu Haizhong was at a loss for words and could only express his regret for him.

He wasn't exactly gloating, but seeing that even Yi Zhonghai, a senior fitter, hadn't passed the level seven worker assessment, Liu Haizhong felt a sense of balance, regardless of the reason.

It's so perfectly balanced.

In a short moment, Liu Haizhong completely let go of the fact that he had failed the Level 7 worker assessment.

Not long after.

The two of them then took the Level 6 worker assessment together.

There were no surprises in this Level 6 worker assessment; Liu Haizhong passed it smoothly.

Although he failed the assessment for Level 7 worker, Liu Haizhong was still in a great mood after receiving the monthly salary of 72.3 yuan for Level 6 worker. His face was beaming with joy.

Compared to his previous intermediate fitter's salary, it increased by almost twenty.

The salary and technical grade changes this time are absolutely fantastic.

Under the previous system, Liu Haizhong would have little hope of passing the senior fitter assessment and would have continued to earn his original monthly salary of around fifty-something yuan.

The failure of the Level 7 fitter assessment just now is enough to prove this point.

While still basking in the joy of the pay rise, Liu Haizhong suddenly realized that Yi Zhonghai, who had just started the Level 6 worker assessment in the same batch as him, had not yet finished making the parts.

While lamenting that Yi Zhonghai's illness was untimely, Liu Haizhong couldn't help but feel a sense of superiority for having "submitted his paper" earlier than Yi Zhonghai.

at the same time.

Seemingly sensing Liu Haizhong's gaze, Yi Zhonghai instinctively looked over and discovered that Liu Haizhong had already completed the assessment, and judging from his appearance, he had most likely passed it smoothly.

Seeing that he was actually lagging behind Liu Haizhong, Yi Zhonghai felt a little upset.

Exactly at this time.

Suddenly momentarily dazed, Yi Zhonghai looked at the part he was about to finish in his hand again, and his expression changed drastically.

Done!

If you're not careful, the parts will be ruined.

With more than half of the assessment time already gone, a part that was almost finished suddenly malfunctioned, leaving Yi Zhonghai completely stunned.

Unable to give up, Yi Zhonghai had no choice but to get the materials again and start processing them once more, this time at a faster pace.

Unfortunately.

Although Yi Zhonghai managed to finish the second part before the end of the assessment, the part was still substandard due to his frantic rush to meet the deadline and his anxiety.

Yi Zhonghai's hands were not as steady as before, and although the parts for a level six worker were not as precise as those for a level seven worker, the requirements were still quite high.

Upon learning of this result, Yi Zhonghai was devastated.

The Level 7 worker assessment was one thing, but the Level 6 worker assessment, which I was absolutely certain of passing, was ruined because I glanced at Liu Haizhong in the crowd and ended up failing.

……

the other side.

Jia Dongxu, who had already finished his assessment, searched around but couldn't find Yi Zhonghai. He happened to see Liu Haizhong and went up to him, asking, "Uncle Liu, have you seen my master? I've been looking for him for ages and haven't found him."

"Jia Dongxu, where have you been looking for your master?"

Hearing Jia Dongxu say this, Liu Haizhong was a little puzzled. He had been with Yi Zhonghai the whole time, so how could he not find such a big, living person?

"Of course it's the area where the seventh and eighth grade workers are assessed. My master applied for the seventh grade fitter assessment. If he passes the assessment, he will go to take the eighth grade worker assessment. I hope he has already passed the eighth grade worker assessment and is out by now?"

Jia Dongxu, Yi Zhonghai's apprentice, had an almost blind confidence in him.

After all, Yi Zhonghai's fitter skills were the best in the courtyard, and no one dared to claim second place. He was previously the only senior fitter in the entire courtyard. "Um... Jia Dongxu, I suggest you go to the area where the Level 6 worker assessment is held. Maybe your master is there."

Jia Dongxu's inexplicable confidence almost made Liu Haizhong unable to hold back, and he could only offer a reminder.

Judging by the time, the Level 6 fitter assessment should have already ended by now.

Even if Yi Zhonghai was the last to finish, he should be out by now.

If Jia Dongxu finds out that Yi Zhonghai failed the Level 7 fitter exam, I wonder what his reaction will be.

Faced with Liu Haizhong's reminder, Jia Dongxu was puzzled and asked, "What is my master doing at the Level 6 fitter assessment site?"

"Just take the assessment, what else can I do?"

Judging from Jia Dongxu's tone, it seemed he looked down on Level 6 workers. Liu Hai was a little annoyed, glanced at him, and his tone became nonchalant.

"Uncle Liu, you must be joking, right?"

Jia Dongxu clearly didn't believe Liu Haizhong's words and thought that Liu Haizhong was deliberately belittling his master and making fun of him. He immediately frowned and complained irritably, "My master is a senior fitter. How could he possibly participate in the sixth-level worker assessment? Even if he were to participate now, he would definitely participate in the second round of the eighth-level worker assessment."

"Uncle Liu, do you think you're my master?"

"Hey! Jia Dongxu, you probably don't know this yet, do you? Your master failed the Level 7 worker exam. I took it with your master, and then we took the Level 6 fitter exam together. When I came out, your master was still inside!"

Jia Dongxu's complaints made Liu Haizhong uncomfortable, and he immediately responded.

It's true that Yi Zhonghai used to be a level above me in terms of skill, but now we're in the same boat, and neither of us passed the level seven fitter exam. At best, we'll be on equal footing in the future.

Thinking of this, Liu Haizhong felt relieved.

I may not be as good as Yi Zhonghai, but when he falls to the same level as me, isn't that a kind of progress for me?

Even if Yi Zhonghai failed the Level 7 fitter exam today because he wasn't feeling well.

If you can't compete on the best, competing on the worst isn't out of the question.

"Uncle Liu, what kind of joke are you making? This is not funny at all."

Upon hearing this, Jia Dongxu not only did not believe it, but his expression changed immediately.

In Jia Dongxu's mind, it was absolutely impossible for Yi Zhonghai to fail the level 7 fitter exam.

"Who's kidding you?"

Knowing that Jia Dongxu couldn't accept this fact right away, Liu Haizhong was too lazy to argue with a junior like Jia Dongxu and immediately said, "Believe it or not, you'll know when you find your master and ask him yourself."

Liu Haizhong left right after the assessment and was unaware that Yi Zhonghai had made a mistake and failed the Level 6 worker assessment. Otherwise, given Jia Dongxu's attitude, he would have definitely put on a show and given him a good talking-to.

Having failed the Level 6 worker assessment, Yi Zhonghai's highest possible qualification would be Level 5 fitter, while I have already surpassed him by one level, giving me more confidence in my words.

Soon.

When Liu Haizhong learned that Yi Zhonghai had indeed been classified as a Level 5 fitter, he was completely stunned.

In his view, this was almost impossible, even a dream.

This matter quickly aroused the curiosity of many people in the factory and became the biggest news of this assessment and grading, attracting more attention than the veteran workers who passed the eighth-level worker assessment.

the reason is simple.

The technical skill level of workers in a steel rolling mill naturally decreases as the skill level increases.

Previously, Yi Zhonghai was a senior fitter in the factory, and he was considered one of the highest-ranking workers. Many people knew him or were familiar with him.

This wage and technical grade reform has sparked much gossip, with many wondering how many of the factory's senior technical workers will ultimately achieve the highest rating of Grade 8.

Compared to those who were rated as level eight workers, Yi Zhonghai, who was clearly a senior fitter, failed the assessments one after another and only received a level five fitter rating, which made it hard not to criticize him.

Some workers even publicly questioned the legitimacy of Yi Zhonghai's senior fitter title and how he was promoted to senior fitter in the first place, suspecting that there was something fishy going on. Even the factory leaders were alarmed.

Without any choice.

Director Hao, who was in charge of Yi Zhonghai's workshop, had no choice but to step forward and explain that Yi Zhonghai's decline in skill level was due to a previous hand injury. With the intervention of a knowledgeable factory leader, the dispute was finally quelled.

However, this meant that Yi Zhonghai's decline in strength due to his hand injury could no longer be concealed.

Many of the factory workers were residents of the traditional courtyard houses, and this news was brought back as everyone left work.

night.

When Li Hongbing came home from get off work, he also heard about this.

I never expected that something that happened more than two years ago would still have a follow-up.

Li Hongbing roughly knew who had injured Yi Zhonghai's hand, but Yi Zhonghai had acted as if nothing had happened. If it weren't for the recent salary grade system reform, which re-evaluated all industries, probably no one would have known about this.

Yi Zhonghai is really good at enduring things.

"Sigh, I don't know who has such a deep grudge against Yi Zhonghai to commit such a heinous act. The police station investigated back then but couldn't catch the person. This time, Yi Zhonghai is really in big trouble."

Seeing Yi Zhonghai suddenly go from a prestigious senior fitter to a fifth-level worker, Yan Bugui couldn't help but sigh.

Most people in the institute benefited from this salary grade system reform, except for Yi Zhonghai.

"Hey! A level 5 fitter earns over sixty a month. Yi Zhonghai and his wife could never spend all that money. Uncle Yan, you should really think about yourself!"

Seeing that Yan Bugui was still feeling sorry for Yi Zhonghai, Li Hongbing couldn't help but laugh.

Li Hongbing had no sympathy for Yi Zhonghai; all the consequences were his own fault.

However, without the advantage of being a senior fitter, judging from the current situation, it is estimated that he will also lose the possibility of being promoted to the eighth-grade worker. Yi Zhonghai's status in the institute will probably decline further.

"Oh, Hongbing, I was actually quite happy about this pay raise, but now that you've said that, I'm starting to feel sad."

Yan Bugui was immediately depressed after Li Hongbing's blunt remark.

Seeing this, Li Hongbing smiled and comforted Yan Bugui, saying, "Uncle Yan, everyone has their own way of living. There's no need to compare yourself to others. Just live your own life well."

The salaries and skill levels of primary school teachers range from level one to level eleven, just like their cooks, with level one being the highest.

This time, Yan Bugui was rated as an eighth-level primary school teacher at the school, with a monthly salary of thirty-seven yuan, plus a monthly homeroom teacher subsidy of one yuan and fifty cents, for a total of thirty-eight yuan and fifty cents.

The amount seems high, but with four children in their family, a total of six mouths to feed, the average is almost close to the poverty line.

This is after the salary has increased somewhat compared to before.

From this perspective, Yan Bugui's stinginess and scheming are not without reason.

The whole family depends on his income. If he doesn't manage his finances carefully, he can get enough to eat and wear, but saving money will be a difficult task.

In the original drama, Yan Bugui's salary wasn't too low, but it wasn't much higher either. The reason he was able to save so much money was not only due to long-term accumulation, but also because of his stinginess.

Some people earn a lot of money but spend it lavishly, so they can't save much in a month.

However, this is not a reason for Yan Bugui to scheme without any bottom line and take advantage of others.

Fortunately, at this time, Yan Bugui had not yet reached the point of acting as a gatekeeper in the front yard, stealing other people's cabbage leaves and scallions. After all, the authority and status of the courtyard manager had changed after several blows from Li Hongbing.

The deaf old woman's previous tyrannical behavior and extortion, as well as her ultimate fate, served as a warning to Yan Bugui.

"Hongbing, your restaurant has completed its assessment and rating, right? How much is your monthly salary now?"

Looking at Li Hongbing, Yan Bugui couldn't help but inquire about him.

"A first-class cook earns 89.5 yuan a month, plus subsidies, which is only a few yuan more than before, not much more."

Li Hongbing did not hide his salary, which was not exactly a secret.

The national wage grading system has now been uniformly implemented. Although wages may fluctuate and differ in different regions, within the same category of region, the wages for each occupation and each grade are basically fixed, unless there are additional subsidies.

For example, Yan Bugui's homeroom teacher subsidy.

"Goodness, it's gone up again?"

Upon learning about Li Hongbing's current salary, Yan Bugui couldn't help but exclaim, "He Daqing from the Central Court is also a first-class cook, but he doesn't receive any subsidies. Hongbing, you are still the highest-paid person in the entire court."

"Uncle Yan, Uncle He and his son Sha Zhu earn much more than me combined."

It's a fact that he has the highest salary in the entire hospital, but Li Hongbing didn't intend to show off or have any need to do so. Instead, he humbly remarked that he had the highest salary in the entire hospital.

"That's different."

Yan Bugui shook his head and said, "Shazhu's salary isn't high, but if you add your wife's, it's even more impressive. Now, a month's salary plus dividends should be quite a lot, right?"

Yan Bugui had also paid attention to and studied the policy of public-private partnership before the Lunar New Year. He knew that Chen Xueru's silk shop had also participated in the public-private partnership and that she was now the private manager of the original silk shop, receiving not only a salary but also monthly dividends.

If you really calculate it, it's higher than Li Hongbing's salary.

Not to mention the wealth the Chen family had accumulated before.

"Uncle Yan, there's no point in studying these things. I think you should pay less attention to useless things in the future."

Upon hearing Yan Bugui mention these things, Li Hongbing's expression turned serious, and he issued a warning.

Chen Xueru's wealth and income are nothing to hide, but if Yan Bugui were to publicize them everywhere, it would arouse envy among the people in the compound and even attract the attention of outsiders, which is not what Li Hongbing wants to see.

"Hongbing, don't worry!"

Seeing Li Hongbing suddenly become serious, Yan Bugui realized that he had said something he shouldn't have, and immediately declared, "Your Uncle Yan isn't one to speak without thinking. I'll say what I should say, and I absolutely won't utter a single word that I shouldn't."

Wealth is not revealed in vain.

Yan Bugui thought that Li Hongbing was warning him because he was afraid that Chen Xueru's wealth would be coveted, so he quickly made a guarantee.

Publicizing this matter everywhere will not do him any good; on the contrary, it will offend Li Hongbing.

If this causes trouble for Li Hongbing, Yan Bugui will regret it too late. He only said those words in front of Li Hongbing in private.

After giving Yan Bugui a warning, and seeing that he knew what was good for him, Li Hongbing said no more.

……

Middle courtyard, Jia's house.

At that moment, the family was secretly celebrating behind closed doors.

This morning, Jia Zhangshi, who was certain that Jia Dongxu would pass the Level 3 fitter exam, went out early to buy vegetables and meat, preparing to arrange a celebration banquet for him when he returned in the evening.

Unfortunately, Jia Dongxu failed the factory's assessment, not only failing to become a Level 4 fitter, but also failing to achieve the Level 3 fitter qualification that he had been so confident about. He only passed the Level 2 fitter assessment.

Even so, Jia Dongxu's salary has increased significantly compared to before, which is still worth celebrating.

This salary reform has increased wages in many industries, and many people have seen their salaries rise even though their technical skill ratings haven't improved much.

Take Jia Dongxu's work as a fitter as an example. A first-level fitter earns 33 yuan, while a second-level fitter earns 38.6 yuan.

Compared to before, Jia Dongxu's monthly salary has increased by more than ten yuan.

They had originally planned to invite Yi Zhonghai and Wang Guihua, since Yi Zhonghai was Jia Dongxu's mentor and had helped them a lot in the past, and they would need Yi Zhonghai's support in the future as well.

not to mention.

Yi Zhonghai was originally a senior fitter. Even if he doesn't get promoted to level eight this time, he can at least be guaranteed to get level seven.

When Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu learned that Yi Zhonghai had only returned with a fifth-level fitter's certificate, the same level as Du Jianguo, the dean of the central court, and even a level lower than Liu Haizhong in the back courtyard, they were all dumbfounded.

Thus.

Even if they were happy about Jia Dongxu's raise, they couldn't celebrate openly, let alone invite Yi Zhonghai and his wife, lest they provoke them.

"Dongxu, you mentioned your master's condition... His hand clearly hasn't recovered yet, so why did you keep it from us before?"

The celebration banquet was drawing to a close. In a good mood, Madam Jia Zhang also had a small drink, but couldn't help asking a question.

"This one……"

Upon hearing this, Jia Dongxu hesitated for a moment before saying, "Why would you publicize something like this everywhere?"

“But you’re not just anyone, you’re his own disciple.”

Dissatisfied, Jia Zhangshi continued.

Obvious.

They had been kept in the dark about this matter by Yi Zhonghai, which made Jia Zhangshi somewhat resentful.

"Mom, what's the use of thinking about this now? My master's hand was injured back then, leaving him with aftereffects. It's not a good thing. Even if he told us, what help could we possibly offer?"

Jia Dongxu, however, took it in stride and didn't dwell on it.

"That's true."

Jia Zhangshi nodded, but said, "Then your master went from a senior fitter to a level 5 fitter. Did his salary decrease a lot?"

"It's a bit less than before, but it's okay. Now I get 61.7 yuan a month, which is much more than what I used to get."

When Yi Zhonghai was a senior fitter, his monthly salary was over eighty yuan, which was about the same as that of a level seven fitter now. However, after the overall adjustment, the salary of a level five fitter is not bad now.

"More than sixty, that's not a small number at all."

When Jia Zhangshi heard this, she was somewhat surprised, but not entirely unable to accept it.

This is higher than the salary Liu Haizhong earned when he was still a mid-level fitter.

However, after Yi Zhonghai's incident, Liu Haizhong became the highest-level sixth-grade fitter in the institute, earning 72.3 yuan a month, which made her extremely envious.

"Mom, don't think about those things and don't listen to the gossip in the yard. My master has made a mistake, but his hand is not beyond repair. His previous strength is still there, and it's only a matter of time before he gets back to his fitter level."

Jia Dongxu is quite clear-headed about this.

This is a good opportunity for him to try and make a name for himself.

Over the past few years, Yi Zhonghai has helped their family quite a bit.

Without Yi Zhonghai as their mentor, it's questionable whether they could have survived.

Even if Yi Zhonghai were to become disabled now, his monthly salary would still be far higher than Yi Zhonghai's.

"Yes Yes Yes."

Jia Zhangshi nodded repeatedly.

He's at least a level 5 fitter.

Moreover, Yi Zhonghai's rating and salary are lower than before, but his experience remains. In the future, Jia Dongxu will still need Yi Zhonghai to guide his fitter skills.

……

at the same time.

Although the Jia family kept their celebration a secret, Wang Guihua was not fooled.

Today, Jia Zhangshi bought vegetables and meat, and she kept mentioning that Jia Dongxu was going to take the Level 3 fitter exam today. Almost everyone in the courtyard knew about it.

Wang Guihua was also shocked when she learned that Yi Zhonghai had been demoted in today's assessment.

However, the actions of Jia Zhangshi, especially her apprentice Jia Dongxu, made Wang Guihua feel somewhat disheartened.

They were usually quite kind to Jia Dongxu and the Jia family.

Seeing Yi Zhonghai drinking alone in silence, Wang Guihua couldn't help but say, "This morning, Jia Zhangshi..."

"You're just a woman, why do you have to learn to gossip? Are you just bored and have nothing better to do?"

Hearing Wang Guihua's complaints about Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu, Yi Zhonghai, who was already in a bad mood, immediately reprimanded her with a dark face, and then sighed: "Even if Dongxu comes to invite me, should I go or not?"

They didn't come to invite me because they knew I was in a bad mood and didn't want to upset me at this time. How can you not even understand such a simple thing?

Yi Zhonghai said that, but it's impossible for him to say that he doesn't care at all.

The thoughts in people's hearts are always very complex.

On the one hand, Yi Zhonghai felt that Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu's actions were not problematic.

But at the same time.

Yi Zhonghai felt that as a master craftsman, he had lost his status as a senior fitter, his salary had decreased, his value had also declined, and he was no longer valued by his apprentice Jia Dongxu.

Today's events were already a major blow to Yi Zhonghai.

Under multiple pressures, people are more likely to overthink and become more sensitive.

The night is getting darker.

Yi Zhonghai, who had let Wang Guihua go to sleep first, sat quietly in the room until late at night. Finally, he picked up the paper and pen on the table and wrote a letter of denunciation with hatred in his heart.

The next day.

Yi Zhonghai secretly mailed out the letter of complaint he had written.

(End of this chapter)