I Have a Lake as I Walk Through the Courtyard

The onboarding process went smoothly. Qin Huairu was also very sweet-talking, and soon I received two sets of work clothes and all the welfare items! When I walked out carrying a lot of things, the sky seemed so blue when I stood at the factory gate.

I earn 27.5 yuan a month from the start of the job, plus a 5 yuan subsidy, totaling 32.5 yuan a month. The factory also provides one meal a month. This is more than enough to support a family of five, not to mention that my mother-in-law has a lot of savings, which, although she can't contribute them, still gives us confidence.

Just as Qin Huairu was standing at the door, still dreaming about the future, Xu Damao returned to the factory, panting, pushing his bicycle and carrying heavy projection equipment. He immediately went to greet Qin Huairu when he saw her at the door.

"Sister Qin is at work!"

"I'm going to the workshop tomorrow!" Qin Huai smiled at everyone she met!

"That's great!" Xu Damao's eyes darted around. "The atmosphere in the workshop isn't good; some people like to bully newbies. Wait a minute, I'll take you for a walk around the workshop after I finish setting up the equipment. With me there, it'll definitely work!"

Qin Huai pondered for a moment. Xu Damao was, after all, one of the eight key officials. Office staff had a natural advantage over the workers. Just when he was worried about Yi Zhonghai's absence, it was like a godsend.

"Okay, I'll wait for you!"

Xu Damao looked at Qin Huairu carrying a bunch of things. "Leave the stuff at the gate, we'll get it when we come out. Come on, I'll go into the factory with you!"

Xu Damao pushed his bicycle, with Qin Huairu walking beside him. The two chatted and laughed. After Xu Damao spent some time putting the expensive projection equipment into the projection room and closing the door, he accompanied Qin Huairu to the workshop.

There were female workers in the workshop, but there were still more men. A delicate young woman stood at the workshop door and instantly attracted the attention of many men. One of the workers near the door broke a part.

"Where are you looking? Look at you! You've ruined a whole piece of work. You're going to get your pay docked!"

After berating the worker in an annoyed tone, Guo Da Piezi swaggered over to the two men. "Xu Yingying, and who is this?"

"Hehe! Director Guo, this is Jia Dongxu's wife, she's here to cover your shift!" After saying that, he looked at Qin Huairu.

"Sister Qin! This is the workshop foreman of Workshop One! His surname is Guo!"

"Hello, Director Guo!"

"Alright, alright!" Taking advantage of the handshake, Guo Da Piezi squeezed Qin Huairu's hand. "Have you found a good mentor yet? Don't you know anyone? Do you want me to introduce you?"

Qin Huai frowned almost imperceptibly and quickly withdrew his hand. "I'm new to the workshop, I don't know anyone here yet!"

"Then let me introduce you!"

"Don't worry about me! I've got someone in mind." Xu Damao had witnessed everything that had just happened. He cursed the guy in his heart with contempt as he pulled Qin Huairu into the workshop.

"Sister Hua, Sister Hua! I've found you an apprentice!"

In a corner of the workshop, several women were chattering around a machine tool. A few male workers kept glancing at them, but they were quickly glared at by Sister Hua, making the men blush. Hearing the noise, Sister Hua couldn't help but look towards the source of the sound. When she saw the horse-faced man, she frowned in disgust.

"Xu Damao, what are you doing in the running car area instead of in the office?"

"Let me introduce you to an apprentice! This is Jia Dongxu's wife. As you know, Jia Dongxu left behind three children. Sister Qin used to do housework at home and had never done this kind of work before, which is why I immediately thought of you!"

Jia Dongxu was disliked in the workshop, but Qin Huairu's face made the women instantly like him, and coupled with his background, the women's sympathy for him instantly surged.

Sister Hua took her hand and led her to a place where the machine noise was less. "You're going to have a tough time from now on! You'll have to work and raise the child all by yourself!"

"It's not tough! The factory pays much better than what we get in the countryside. I'm just worried I won't be able to handle the work here!"

"No problem, leave it to me! As long as you're willing to learn, I'll definitely teach you!"

Qin Huairu looked at Sister Hua gratefully. "Then I'll have to trouble you from now on!"

Guo Da Piezi, who had arrived with them, felt uneasy seeing this scene. "Sister Hua, isn't this a bit against the rules? You're only a level three worker; taking on more apprentices is exceeding the limit!"

"Guo the Great, don't think I don't know what you're thinking. Your eyes are practically glued to him; I can't even pry them off. If you can't make the decision, I'll go find the factory manager!"

After confronting the workshop foreman, Sister Hua looked at Qin Huairu. "Don't worry, with me here, these stinky men won't dare to bully you anymore."

Xu Damao seized the opportunity to flatter her. "That's right! Our Sister Hua is a heroine of the steel rolling mill, the women's director!"

Hearing this title, Qin Huairu's face lit up with a smile, blooming like a hundred flowers. "Then I'll have to trouble you from now on, Sister Hua. Should I come directly to you when I get to work tomorrow?"

"Of course! You must remember that we women comrades must unite. With me protecting you, who would dare to make things difficult for you?"

Qin Huairu left the workshop in a cheerful mood. Guo Da Piezi's eyes almost followed her every move. Qin Huairu gave a confident smile and accompanied Xu Damao to the factory gate.

"Da Mao, thank you so much for today. I don't know how much longer I would have had to endure this without you."

Xu Damao hung Qin Huairu's things on the handlebars of his bicycle. "So, how are you going to thank me?"

Qin Huairu's eyes darted around. He'd been a neighbor for years and knew this guy inside and out. "How do you expect me to thank you? Aren't you afraid I'll tell Lin Xiujuan?"

"You won't!" Xu Damao, a seasoned player in the dating scene, wasn't intimidated at all, patting the back seat of the car. "I'll take you back!"

Qin Huairu didn't stand on ceremony and got on Xu Damao's bicycle. The two chatted and laughed until they reached the entrance of the courtyard house, at which point Xu Damao lowered his voice.

"With me at the steel rolling mill, you definitely won't suffer any losses, but you can't always expect me to help you for free, can you?"

Qin Huairu bit her lip. "I understand!" After taking back her things, she looked at Xu Damao's back and sighed inwardly. Xu Damao wasn't a fool; he always had a price tag for helping others! It was a pity that there was only one fool in the courtyard. Thinking of this, Qin Huairu's eyes involuntarily glanced at the door that had been closed all along.

It wasn't until 8 p.m. that Sha Zhu finally returned to the courtyard house, carrying a lunchbox and dragging his tired body. Fengzeyuan was not close to here; it took him about an hour to walk there every day. Since returning home, Sha Zhu had been thinking about how to get a bicycle!

Yu Shui went to school, leaving him alone in the house again. Although his father gave all the compensation to Yu Shui, Sha Zhu didn't have any objections. According to his father, the money originally belonged to Yu Shui. Before leaving, He Daqing sent him back to Fengzeyuan, so Sha Zhu had even less objection. He believed that craftsmanship was the most important thing!

These past few days at Fengzeyuan have made him realize the gap between them. He takes cooking seriously, but once he calmed down, he didn't have as many thoughts, except for bicycles! That's practically standard equipment for all of them.

After hesitating for several days and hitting many walls, Sha Zhu finally went out and knocked on Yi Zhonghai's door.