I was married off to a disabled hero in lieu of marriage; my in-laws doted on me and I aspired to gr

On his first day at work, Yang Zheng arrived at the workshop early.

The magnificent steel plant has three giant steel furnaces and a complex network of pipes.

The temperature in the workshop was very high, and within minutes, Yang Zheng's forehead was covered in sweat.

Yang Zheng didn't know what to do and awkwardly watched the workers bustling around.

"Are you new here? What are you doing standing here? Who is your master?" a worker with a face covered in grease asked.

"My master is Chen Yan," Yang Zheng stammered.

"There's a rest area up ahead. Go there and wait for your master. This is a production area. Who's responsible if you get hurt?" the worker shouted.

"Oh, okay, okay..." Yang Zheng quickly left the production area and went to the rest room.

There were more than ten workers in the break room, some finishing their night shift and others starting their morning shift.

Yang Zheng glanced around and realized his master wasn't there.

"Oh, a new college graduate?" a young worker who was about to leave work asked.

"No, no... Where is Master Chen Yan?"

Yang Zheng didn't know anyone; his only acquaintance was Chen Yan.

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to be Yang Zheng, Master Chen's new apprentice, would you?"

"Yes, my name is Yang Zheng. Please take care of me." Yang Zheng said with a slight bow.

"Master Chen hasn't arrived yet. He can be late whenever he wants and leave early whenever he wants. Yang Zheng, you're really something. Master Chen hasn't taken on any more apprentices since he took one five years ago."

A thin young worker scoffed disdainfully.

"Master Chen is extremely strict when it comes to taking on apprentices. He doesn't even respect us young workers. You're lucky, young man."

"I heard it was a direct order from Director Tang; they had no choice but to accept it. Even if you're capable, you can't argue with someone who has the power."

"That's right. If Director Tang were my relative, I would also take Master Chen as my master."

An older worker coughed and angrily rebuked, "You bunch of blabbermouths, you'll ruin yourselves with your mouths sooner or later."

"Aren't we telling the truth? Yang Zheng, let me ask you, do you even know the steelmaking process? What do you mean by blast furnace ironmaking, converter steelmaking, ladle refining, continuous casting, and rolling?"

Yang Zheng stood ashamed at the door of the break room, not understanding anything the young worker was saying.

"Hey, Fang Guangming, Squad Leader Fang, you're extremely dissatisfied with me, aren't you? Say what you have to say, why make things difficult for my apprentice?"

Chen Yan walked slowly into the lounge.

Yang Zheng, his face flushed, called out, "Master."

When the young worker Fang Guangming saw Chen Yan, he said defiantly, "I'm dissatisfied. My dad came to your door with cigarettes and alcohol, wanting you to take me as your apprentice, but you refused. Instead, you took this guy who came in through the back door. Master Chen, am I worse than him?"

"You little brat, I was the one who suggested you be the class monitor?" Chen Yan slapped Fang Guangming on the head.

"Master Chen, I don't want any squad leader position, I just want to learn real skills from you." Fang Guangming wasn't angry at all, and looked at Chen Yan pitifully.

"We work together. You've already learned my skills just by watching. What's there to learn? Besides, your dad is a level seven fitter. If you were really eager to learn, you would have surpassed me long ago. If your mind is on your career path, then just be a good official."

"Master Chen, you're being biased. You're just trying to curry favor with Factory Director Tang..." Fang Guangming muttered.

"What? I can get promoted and make a fortune by currying favor with Factory Director Tang?"

"you……"

"Alright, hurry up and take over your shift, Squad Leader Fang."

Chen Yan stopped arguing with Fang Guangming and said to Yang Zheng, "From today onwards, you will follow Squad Leader Fang. Do whatever he tells you to do."

"Hey, Master Chen, he's your apprentice, not mine," Fang Guangming objected.

"Didn't you just say that he doesn't know how to blast furnace ironmaking, converter steelmaking, or ladle refining? You do know them, and as the foreman, it's your job to teach him."

"Master Chen, this is too much to bully."

"So what if I bullied you? Go ahead and tell your dad if you dare."

After saying that, he turned and left the break room, leaving the other young workers laughing and joking: "We've only ever heard of cheap dads, never cheap master. Foreman Fang, congratulations, you've picked up a cheap apprentice."

"You...get out, get out, get back to your posts and take over your shifts."

Squad Leader Fang took his notebook, put on his bamboo safety helmet, and said resentfully to Yang Zheng, "Come with me."

Every word his squad leader and mentor had said reached Yang Zheng's ears, and he was extremely saddened, finally understanding his place in the steelmaking workshop.

Everyone, including his master, looked down on him, the worker who got in through connections.

This is an organization where you earn your living through your own abilities. If you don't have the skills, you'll always be trampled underfoot.

Yang Zheng suppressed his feelings of inferiority and followed Fang Guangming humbly.

Soon, Yang Zheng was taken to the heating furnace workshop. He said to a young worker who was checking the temperature, "Liu Dabao, this is Yang Zheng. He is Master Chen's apprentice. He is not familiar with the workshop process yet. Let him start working here with you. You will train him for a month."

Liu Dabao looked at Yang Zheng, nodded, and said, "Okay."

Fang Guangming glanced at Yang Zheng and said, "Once you've gotten used to operating the heating furnace under Squad Leader Liu's guidance, I'll transfer you to another workshop."

Yang Zheng bowed slightly: "Thank you, Squad Leader Fang."

On his first day at work, Yang Zheng was passed around several times. Fortunately, Liu Dabao didn't mock him but instead earnestly taught Yang Zheng how to control the temperature of the heating furnace.

"The first step in steelmaking is heating the furnace. Good temperature control ensures that the steel billet reaches the appropriate temperature for rolling, avoiding problems such as overheating and underheating."

Just as a house needs a solid foundation, we are the foundation for producing high-quality steel, so we cannot be careless. Your master can judge the furnace temperature and billet condition with a single glance. I can't; I have to rely on data from each time period.”

Yang Zheng listened attentively, watching Liu Dabao record the temperature at each time point.

"Hey, weren't you supposed to receive group training for all the workers who joined the factory this time? Didn't you get to participate?" Liu Dabao suddenly asked.

"I...I just came in."

Yang Zheng stammered, explaining that he had gotten in through connections, and the workers looked down on those who did.

"Oh, to be able to take Chen Yan as your master, you must have extraordinary abilities." Liu Dabao didn't ask any further questions and continued to explain to Yang Zheng how to control the temperature.

Before you knew it, it was lunchtime. Liu Dabao said, "Go eat first."

Yang Zheng nodded: "Okay, Squad Leader Liu, do you need me to get you some food?"

"No need, I brought my own lunch from home, I can just heat it up in the steam room. You should go eat quickly, you only have one hour to eat."

Yang Zheng took his lunchbox to the canteen, where most of the people getting food were young workers.

Yang Zheng, holding the meal ticket in his hand, went to the first window.

Rice costs 10 cents for 4 ounces, steamed buns cost 10 cents for two, and cornbread costs 10 cents for four.

Yang Zheng bought four steamed buns.

Behind is the vegetable section, where side dishes cost two cents a serving and meat dishes cost five cents a serving.

The side dishes consist of cabbage, radish, eggplant, and green beans, which have very little oil content.

The meat dishes are stir-fried pork with chili peppers, braised pork belly with glass noodles, pan-fried fish pieces, and braised pork with potatoes.

After a busy morning, Yang Zheng was starving. He swallowed hard as he smelled the aroma of braised pork, and finally ordered a serving of cabbage.

When Yang Zhengcai entered the factory, he had no seniority, no technical skills, and no professional title, so he could only receive the minimum wage of 35 yuan.

Breakfast costs one cent, lunch and dinner each cost three cents, totaling seven cents.

It costs 21 yuan a month to eat.

In Dashui Village, 21 yuan can last a family for two months.

Yang Zheng wants to save money, but he's already eating the lowest-priced food. How can he save money?

Sigh, at home, we grow our own cabbages, but in the city, they cost two cents, only with a little more oil than at home.