In the 1970s, it started with contracting out communal dining.

Lin Jun looked down at the enamel basin that Chen Wei handed him, which was filled with a large amount of meat.

Although the basin wasn't big, it was enough for the whole family to have a good time.

Lin Jun looked at Chen Wei with some disbelief, seemingly unable to believe his actions.

"Give...to me?" His throat was dry, and Lin Jun didn't dare to take the basin. He just asked the question dryly.

"Why would I take it out if I didn't give it to you? Just so you'd report me?" Chen Wei smiled and forcefully shoved the enamel basin into Lin Jun's hands.

"I won't report you..." Lin Jun said half a sentence, only realizing the reality when he held the heavy meat basin in his hand.

Chen Weizhen gave him a bowl of meat.

The enamel basin was covered with oil paper, the edges of which still shone with an oily sheen. A small gap was visible at the edge of the oil paper, from which the aroma of meat wafted out.

When Lin Junniang went to see a doctor a few days ago, the doctor told her to improve her nutrition and specifically said to eat more meat.

But Lin Junniang shook her head, saying that she was not in good health and did not want to eat greasy food.

In truth, Lin Jun knew perfectly well that he didn't want to eat meat! It was just that his mother felt sorry for him because he worked so hard to earn money!

Lin Jun was holding the bowl of meat, his lips trembling uncontrollably.

He was a little confused. He had been targeting Chen Wei before, so why was Chen Wei being so nice to him now?

Lin Jun's fingers tightened slightly, and he felt his eyes redden.

"Thank you!" Lin Jun said, his voice hoarse.

Chen Wei, on the other hand, simply gave a faint "hmm".

"If you want to learn, come to the kitchen at five o'clock tomorrow and start with chopping!"

"Okay!" Something wet landed on the enamel basin in my hand, making it suddenly feel incredibly heavy.

Lin Jun turned around, holding the enamel basin in his hand, and strode out.

But in his heart, he secretly made up his mind that from now on, half of Lin Jun's life would belong to Chen Wei!

Watching the kid grab his meat and run away, leaving only his backside behind, Chen Wei couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.

This kid, all he said was a thank you?

Seeing that the other person was about to walk out of his sight, Chen Wei couldn't help but speak up and give instructions.

"It's hot, don't skimp on the meat, finish it all in one meal. There'll be more in the cafeteria for the next meal!"

It's unclear whether the other party heard him or not; all that was seen was Lin Jun's hunched back as he ran away in a flash.

That silhouette looked rather poignant, reminiscent of the bitterness of Xi'er in the movie.

"Tsk—"

Chen Wei clicked his tongue and ignored him.

Turning around, I found a shady corner, dragged over an outlet, connected the cord, rinsed my face and head under the tap, plugged in the electric fan, and began to enjoy the rare coolness of summer.

-

On his way back to the dormitory, Lin Jun felt as light as if he were walking on cotton.

He kept weighing the bowl of meat in his hands, and his steps were lighter than usual.

I wonder how happy Mom and my two younger sisters will be when I get off work today, because they'll be able to eat pork belly with garlic sauce!

Starting tomorrow, he will definitely learn cooking from Chen Wei properly. No matter whether he becomes a master chef in the future, he will be grateful to Chen Wei!

Just as he was thinking this, as he passed the row of sycamore trees in front of the dormitory, Lin Jun suddenly heard two deliberately lowered voices coming from under the shade of the trees.

"Hmph! If you ask me, isn't that just favoritism, back-door deals, and nepotism? If he weren't the head of the administration department's nephew, how could this head chef position have fallen to an apprentice who's only been here for two weeks!"

"Exactly! Look, he hasn't even been promoted yet, and the news is already out! He's gotten too cocky!"

"Dayong, when it comes to connections, you're not bad either, so why are you..."

The two people talking seemed to know a lot about Chen Wei's upcoming succession as head chef. Not all the kitchen assistants knew about this news. Somehow, in just the time it takes to eat a meal, the news spread like wildfire throughout the entire factory.

Lin Jun frowned, stopped in his tracks, and leaned closer to listen.

All they could hear was that the blame was being placed on Chen Wei.

"I wouldn't dare compare myself to him! I got into the factory through my own abilities, not by pulling strings! I may have connections, but I've never stooped to using them! Unlike that Chen Wei, look at him, he's only been here a few days, a head chef for over ten years, and he's just been squeezed out like that! I wonder if there's any law left in this factory!"

The young man who spoke had a buzz cut and a clean-cut complexion. He was quite tall and strong. Although he was wearing the work clothes of the steel rolling workshop, his hands and body did not look like those of the workers who usually worked in the steel rolling workshop, who were greasy and covered in black.

He was perfectly clean from head to toe.

Who is this kid?

Then I heard the person who had spoken to me earlier say something else.

"Of course! Your uncle, Section Chief Ma, isn't like that skinflint in the administrative department, who wants to bring his whole family to the factory. Look at his nephew, he's practically walking around the canteen like a hog! He's only been here three or four days and he's already cooking! Nobody does that with anyone else! You know Lin Jun, the other apprentice in the canteen? He's been learning from Wang Defa for half a year and he still hasn't even touched the stove!"

Lin Jun frowned slightly.

These two are so talkative! The more they talk, the more unpleasant their words become!

What do you mean Chen Wei got the position through connections and back channels? Didn't the factory manager personally say that Chen Wei had to win a prize in the city's chef competition before he would be promoted to head chef?

Besides, who in the factory hasn't been eating stale food lately?

When we were eating meat, these women weren't being so cheeky and gossipy! Why are they suddenly cursing again after putting down their chopsticks?

And the person who just spoke, judging from the tone of his voice, should be Section Chief Ma's nephew. He just joined the factory last week and was supposedly assigned to the steel rolling workshop as a general worker.

I just don't know where this kid gets his confidence from. He's only been in the factory for less than a week, and he's already getting his hands on the canteen food!

What does it matter to Ma Dayong who the head chef is in the cafeteria?

Thinking this, Lin Jun emerged from behind the tree with a gloomy expression.

The two people who were cricketing under the shade of the tree were startled at the same time.

Ma Dayong was a burly man in his mid-twenties. Upon closer inspection, he had a face full of fleshy muscles. His complexion was indeed fair, but his eyes, with the whites of his eyes showing above the iris, made him seem unapproachable.

The other guy was an ordinary worker in the steel rolling workshop, surnamed Sun. He was skinny like a monkey. This guy was a fence-sitter, and his favorite thing was to change sides with the wind and flatter the boss.

Many people in the workshop looked down on this kid's behavior.

I don't know why, but now I'm hanging out with Ma Dayong.

Seeing Lin Jun emerge from behind the tree, Ma Dayong sneered, but after his initial surprise, he didn't feel ashamed at all.

"Hey, isn't this Lin Jun? What's wrong? Getting addicted to being Chen Wei's dog? You're trying to bite us just because we're telling the truth?"