Siheyuan (courtyard house): My name is Shazhu!

"You didn't see it today, but the new workshop of the steel rolling mill is recruiting 620 people, and the number of people who signed up is lining up at the steel rolling mill."

My dad said that there are no fewer than five thousand of them. There are so many men in Yanjing. There are still two days left. I estimate that even ten thousand men won't be able to hold them off.

Winter is here, and you're getting off work a bit later now. You don't work at the steel rolling mill anymore, so you don't see this many people.

"All the unemployed people in our courtyard are applying for jobs at the steel rolling mill, hoping to get a stable job there," Xu Damao ran over and told him what he had heard.

"Qin Huairu and her colleagues are recruiting for the cafeteria. The ratio of applicants to hires is about 45:1. This time, out of more than 600 people, 5,000 did not come. It's not even ten times the number. It would be more like 100,000."

"100,000 people is too many. Are there so many unemployed men in Yanjing? There are also women working as laborers."

"Count how many unemployed people live in the courtyard houses, expand to Nanluoguxiang, and all over the city. There are also people who move to the city and can get urban residency. There are just too many people who need jobs."

"According to your calculations, there are quite a few people in our Yanjing city. We might have 100,000 people looking for work. But so many people? It would be better if they joined the army."

"What a load of rubbish! The number of soldiers is also related to the country's economic capacity and population size. If too many people go to the army, are you prepared to support them?"

Our country's economy is still not doing well; supporting five million soldiers is already a struggle, let alone more. Maintaining an army requires far too many different kinds of resources.

He Yuzhu knew that after the war, the next step would be to reduce the number of soldiers through various means of downsizing. The number of soldiers decreased from 5.5 million to around 4 million by 1958.

"Another one we can't afford to support. Today, Qin Huairu also went to register to work. My dad and the people in the propaganda department all think Qin Huairu is good-looking."

Working in a factory will enrich her cultural knowledge, and having her take the lead in handling matters will be much more pleasant to be around than dealing with burly men.

"People still need to be educated. The steel rolling mill should have established literacy classes. They've been advocating for literacy since 50, and this year they've started large-scale literacy campaigns."

"Those uneducated people in the front yard don't even go to literacy classes. They can't even write their own names. What kind of jobs will they find? Qin Huairu's education won't be much better either." He Yuzhu curled his lip.

In 1952, my country launched its first large-scale literacy campaign; in 1956, the Director called on the people of the whole country to march toward modern science and culture, and thus, the second literacy campaign reached a climax.

Two years later, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said at a relevant meeting: "Immunization is the work of opening the eyes of 6 million people, and it must be done well." The third literacy campaign was launched.

From 1949 to 1960, approximately 1.5 million people participated in literacy programs and extracurricular classes at various levels.

As for Qin Huairu, she has always lived in the countryside. There are few teachers, and she has to make way for her brothers at home, so she can't attend school for very long.

"Most people in the front yard are uneducated, and you don't seem to be either. I think you didn't finish the second year of junior high school? You started learning to cook. But you're a little better than the people in the front yard."

"For more than a year, you seemed to have nothing to do, so you spent your time reading. Isn't that a good way to improve literacy?" Xu Damao thought of He Yuzhu's current love for reading and learning.

"The wooden people here have the same level of education as college students; how can they compare to me?"

"Stop bragging. You only have a junior high school education, yet you dare to claim you have a university degree. I feel ashamed of myself."

"Does your feeling of embarrassment concern me? I will continue to state my university education level."

"You're shameless. You're a bit fair-skinned, which makes you look better, but your skin is too thick. I can't compare to your shamelessness."

I heard that the military control committee here will be disbanded after the Chinese New Year, replaced by government staff.

"It should be true. I heard the news a few days ago. By the end of next year, it will have been four years, which is a long time. Importantly, the city's public security is improving."

"Looks like they're leaving. Four years have passed; I've gotten used to their presence..."

Xu Damao left, and He Yuzhu continued reading. It was still a treasure appraisal book, just like a cookbook. The deeper one's understanding, the more experience points one would gain.

He Yushui went back to her hut to sleep, while He Yuzhu entered the system space, reading books and comparing them with old objects for appraisal.

With just two hours a day, in five or six days, one can reach an advanced level in treasure appraisal, and even master three different types.

Of the more than 800 old items obtained from Fei Tianbiao at the Military Control Commission, 130 have already been appraised, and He Yuzhu has identified as many as 33 as fakes.

A counterfeit rate as high as 27.5% is a bit high. It's not that I bought it randomly because I didn't know anything about it. The source is normal. Counterfeit and shoddy products have existed since ancient times.

I didn't throw away the fakes; I kept them all, intending to examine them later once my expertise in identifying antiques improved.

........

A few days later, Xiao Li from the Military Control Commission came to He Yuzhu's house to see him after he got off work.

"Comrade Li, when the men in our compound are looking for jobs, you're asking for my opinion? Didn't the people from the steel mill ask you? And what about the opinions of everyone else in the compound?"

He Yuzhu was still completely bewildered by Xiao Li's suggestion that he should decide who should go to work.

"Comrade He Yuzhu, you may not have understood. The steel rolling mill is recruiting 620 workers for its new workshop, but the number of people who want to work there has reached 20,000. That's too many."

The steel mill decided to hire 500 people from the surrounding area, and allocate the remaining worker positions to those with practical needs, as the number of workers needed was too small.

We have 110 job openings in Nanluoguxiang. I'm in charge of this alley, so I need to find out which courtyard houses are the most suitable. It would be best if you could explain why.

Also, I should mention that our Deputy Company Commander Yue has become a full company commander, and I've also become a platoon-level officer—I've been promoted to officer. We all want to thank you; you did us a huge favor this time.

He Yuzhu finally understood. This wasn't just an ordinary statement; it was a question about who had a job opening at the steel rolling mill.

Whether it's Wu Laogen or Qin Huairu, their relationship with her in the courtyard is fairly good. As for the others, apart from Chu San, they should just get lost.

"Wu Laogen, if you think he's too old, Qin Huairu is also an option, and the last person is Qianyuan Xiaolu."

My opinion is that the first two are normal people, people who live ordinary, everyday lives. The last one, Xiaolu, has some limits and can still be salvaged.

In the entire front yard, besides Wu Laogen, Chu San, and Xiao Lu, there were no other normal people. They were just annoying.

"I've taken note of that, and I've also asked the other people in your courtyard. You were the last one to give your opinion; ultimately, our military control committee will make the decision. Goodbye."

"See you later." He Yuzhu escorted Xiao Li out of the Intermediate People's Court.

When Xiao Li came out of He Yuzhu's house, no one in the front yard except Yan Bugui paid any attention.

The military control commission also asked them about their personal lives, their family situations, and their character. It wasn't a big deal.

Only Yan Bugui had some understanding of the Military Control Commission, and regarding He Yuzhu's attitude, He Yuzhu alone represented the opinions of all of them.

A bunch of idiots, they don't even know who the key person is. I have a job, I'm too lazy to bother with your nonsense, and you don't even pay me. However, I can do some work.

It should be Wu Laogen or Qin Huairu; Yan Bugui didn't expect Xiao Lu.

Xiao Lu only mentioned it briefly out of respect for Xu Damao.