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

In the afternoon, Yang Zheng continued to check the temperature with Liu Dabao.

The heating furnace workshop is the hottest. Work clothes are soaked with sweat, then dried by the high temperature, then soaked again, then dried again. After a shift, you smell terrible.

Fortunately, there was a shower room in the workshop, and the soap and laundry detergent were shared by the company. After taking a shower, we could wash our clothes and save money on soap.

When I got back to the dorm, my roommate wasn't there; I heard he had gone on a business trip.

Yang Zheng hung the clothes out to dry on the terrace, lay down on the bed exhausted, and quickly fell asleep.

"Lu Han, are you back?"

In his sleep, a loud knocking sound woke Yang Zheng up.

It was already dark outside, and I slept so soundly.

Yang Zheng hurriedly got up, turned on the light, and opened the door.

At the entrance stood a woman in a white long-sleeved dress, with a pretty face and two dark braids.

"Who...who are you looking for?"

When Yang Zheng first met a strange girl, he couldn't even speak clearly.

The girl's large, dark eyes clearly showed some disappointment: "I saw clothes hanging on the balcony and thought Lu Han had come back."

"He...he didn't come back."

"I know, he went to Shanghai on a business trip. Who are you?" the girl asked.

"My name is Yang Zheng. I just reported to the machinery factory yesterday."

"Oh, my name is Kong Xiange, I'm from the factory's publicity department. When Lu Han comes back, tell him that I came to see him." The girl smiled generously.

"good!"

"Sorry to bother you, you should rest." Kong Xiange blinked and flew away like a beautiful butterfly.

Yang Zheng came to his senses. This girl must be his roommate Lu Han's girlfriend. She's so pretty, and more outgoing and confident than the girls from Dashui Village.

She just said that Lu Han went to Shanghai on a business trip. Shanghai, what a familiar place, there are electric prosthetics there.

Yang Zheng remembered something, grabbed his lunchbox and meal tickets, and hurried to the cafeteria.

It was dark, and the cafeteria had long since closed.

There was a state-run restaurant outside the factory, where a bowl of shredded chicken noodles cost one yuan. Yang Zheng couldn't bear to spend the money, so he decided to endure it and have an extra steamed bun for breakfast tomorrow.

Dejected, I returned to my dorm when a familiar voice called out, "Yang Zheng, is there no food left?"

Yang Zheng turned around and saw Liu Dabao.

"Hehe, I fell asleep and missed the meal time. It's okay, I have cookies in my dorm." Yang Zheng smiled sheepishly.

"My house is just ahead. Come over and I'll cook you a bowl of noodles," Liu Dabao said generously.

"No, no, I'll go back and eat some cookies," Yang Zheng declined. Supplies were scarce, and everyone was struggling.

"Look at you, we work in the same factory, we're all colleagues, a bowl of noodles isn't much. Come on, my mom will make you some noodles with shredded pork."

Liu Dabao hooked his arm around Yang Zheng's neck and pulled him home.

The factory's dormitory and family quarters are not far apart, only about ten minutes away.

Liu Dabao's family lived in a tenement building. The family consisted of five people, with three main rooms and one kitchen.

The toilet is a public toilet on the floor.

"Dad, Mom, my friend Yang Zheng missed the cafeteria food. Let's make him a bowl of noodles."

Liu Dabao entered the house shouting, and the two elderly people inside stood up: "Oh, come in and sit down, come in and sit down."

Yang Zheng greeted her shyly, "Hello, Uncle. Hello, Aunt."

Aunt Liu got up and went to the kitchen, and Uncle Liu poured her some water.

"You work at the machine factory too?"

"Yes, I just started working at the factory."

"Good, the workers in the machine factory are good, the wages are high, and the benefits are good. It's not easy to get into the factory these days," Uncle Liu said admiringly.

"Dad, Yang Zheng is Master Chen's apprentice," Liu Dabao said proudly.

"You mean Chen Yan? That's incredible! That old man agreed to take on a disciple?"

"Yes, Fang Guangming wanted to be his apprentice, but Master Chen absolutely refused."

Uncle Liu patted Yang Zheng on the shoulder and said, "Good lad, a young worker who can be favored by Chen Yan must be extraordinary."

Yang Zheng's face turned bright red. His master didn't like him; he only reluctantly agreed to it out of respect for Commander Zhou.

"Yang Zheng, relax. My dad is a retired worker from a machinery factory. He knows your master," Liu Dabao comforted Yang Zheng when he saw that Yang Zheng was very uncomfortable.

"Yes, when Chen Yan joined the factory, he still called me 'Master.' In the blink of an eye, we've retired, and you guys are the pillars of the machinery factory."

Uncle Liu has a lot to say about things at the factory.

Their generation has a deep emotional connection to factories.

"Back in 1952, when the factory was first built, we worked day and night without feeling tired at all. The bustling scene seems like it was just yesterday, but in the blink of an eye, more than 20 years have passed." Uncle Liu's face was beaming as he talked about the past.

Aunt Liu brought in a bowl of shredded pork noodles and scolded, "Look how smug you are!"

"Xiao Yang, we don't have much shredded pork left. Please make do with this. Next time you come, I'll go buy some spare ribs."

Aunt Liu placed the noodles in front of Yang Zheng: "Eat, eat it while it's hot."

Yang Zheng smiled憨厚ly: "Thank you, Auntie. Then I won't be polite."

"Don't mention it. You and Da Bao are colleagues, so you'll be friends for life. If you miss the cafeteria food, come to my house for a meal," Aunt Liu said with a smile.

Yang Zheng was starving, so he picked up his chopsticks and began to eat heartily.

The meat smells so good, and even the noodle soup is delicious.

Yang Zheng restrained himself, afraid that eating too quickly would frighten the Liu family.

Even with restraint, I ate more than half of a large bowl of noodles in just a few minutes.

Liu Dabao poured Yang Zheng a glass of water: "If that's not enough, make another bowl. It's your first time at my house, you can't not have enough to eat."

"That's enough, that's enough, it's so delicious! My stomach is full, but my mouth is still watering." Yang Zheng finished his noodles in a few bites, then drank all the soup, chuckling to himself.

"Are you really full?" Aunt Liu asked, still concerned.

Yang Zheng let out a burp and said, "I'm really full, Auntie. Your noodles are delicious."

Only after Yang Zheng had finished eating did Aunt Liu clear away the dishes.

"We're full, let's go for a walk on the playground to digest our food," Liu Dabao suggested.

Yang Zheng stood up with his lunchbox and said, "Uncle Liu, Aunt Liu, thank you for the noodles."

Uncle Liu stood up and said, "Don't mention it, come again anytime."

Liu Dabao pulled Yang Zheng towards the door, but a pretty girl blocked their way. "Brother, are you going to the playground to digest your food, or are you going on a date?"

Liu Dabao blushed: "Liu Xiaocao, don't talk nonsense! I don't have a girlfriend!"

"Come on, you're like a toad trying to eat swan meat, dream on."

"You, get out of the way, Yang Zheng, come on, let's go to the playground..."

Liu Dabao grabbed Yang Zheng, pushed Liu Xiaocao aside, and ran away in a flash.

When they arrived at the dormitory building, some young workers were playing basketball. Liu Dabao and Yang Zheng found a spot to sit down.

"Liu Xiaocao is my younger sister. She works in a textile factory. She's the most clever and shrewd person; she knows everything."

"So you really have a girl you like?" Yang Zheng asked.

"Don't listen to her. If I had a girl I liked, wouldn't I bring her home? Hey, Yang Zheng, I heard people talking in the break room today, saying you're one of Director Tang's people?" Liu Dabao changed the subject.

"I……"

"If it's difficult, then don't say it. Actually, even if you're one of Director Tang's people, there's nothing shameful about it. You're still young. Stay in the factory for a few years, and once you've acquired real skills, who cares who you are? The machinery factory is different from other organizations; it's all about ability," Liu Dabao encouraged.

"Actually, I was introduced here by Division Commander Zhou from the military region. He is my sister's father-in-law."

Yang Zheng had no intention of hiding it; Liu Dabao was sincere to him, and he wanted to reciprocate that sincerity.

"Commander Zhou? He's much more capable than Factory Director Tang." Liu Dabao exclaimed, his mouth agape in surprise.

A division commander in the army wields power comparable to that of a mayor.

If someone has military merit, even a provincial governor would have to show them deference.

"To be honest, I'm just a farmer who tills the land, not a sister... Sergeant Liu, even though I got in through connections, I will work harder than others and not let Commander Zhou down."

There are many things Yang Zheng cannot say, but he will cherish this hard-won opportunity and strive to do his best so as not to bring shame to his family and Commander Zhou.

"Hey, stop calling me 'class monitor,' it's annoying. Just call me 'brother.' Brother Liu, or Brother Da Bao, either is fine," Liu Da Bao said gently.

"Then I'll call you Brother Liu. If I don't do well at work, please give me your guidance." Yang Zheng already considered Liu Dabao as his first friend after joining the factory.

"Okay, let's improve together. Although I'm just a worker, I've been in the factory for three or four years, so I have a little more experience than you in terms of technical skills."

Liu Dabao put his hand on Yang Zheng's shoulder and said in a hearty manner.