The fat man and Cao Zhengyang struggled to carry a large box and slowly entered the courtyard.

The old man and his family curiously gathered around, and after seeing the words on the box clearly, they exclaimed in shock, "A sewing machine?"

Inside the room, Yu Li was so happy she was almost fainting.

It turns out that he remembered every single promise he made back then!

Chen Yan was incredibly envious: "I also want a sewing machine."

The fat man was both amused and exasperated: "You live here, does it matter whose house it is?"

Chen Yan retorted, "Yes, there is! What if that wicked woman won't let me use it?"

Yu Li was furious: "Chen Yan, I'm still here!"

Watching her younger brothers bickering, Chen Rong smiled. Her belly was growing bigger and bigger, and she radiated maternal glow.

The fat man leaned closer to the older woman and carefully touched her belly with his finger: "Big sister, do you want a boy or a girl?"

Chen Rong said to him affectionately, "It doesn't matter if it's a man or a woman. Your brother-in-law isn't a sexist."

Cao Zhengyang was gradually accepted by the fat man.

He was just like a good man from another time and space: he didn't smoke, he could only drink a little, he wasn't chauvinistic, he didn't gamble, and all he cared about was making money.

He and his older sister earn nearly 80 yuan a month combined, but even so, he doesn't rest on Sundays. He goes out early in the morning to catch bees and fish...

The fat man was really worried that if this continued, he would wear himself out.

Cao Zhengyang's hands-on skills are truly remarkable; he assembled the sewing machine in no time.

Yu Li couldn't wait to sit down, load the needle, thread it, find some fabric, and start sewing.

Before long, Chen Yan also started to learn, with Yu Li quietly guiding her from the side.

Fatty and Chen Rong looked at them with smiles of relief in their eyes.

Of all the people in this family, Chen Fang is the most troublesome.

She has the best job, but she's the least ambitious.

The fat man advised her to read more books, offering to tutor her, but she retorted, "What's the point of reading? The more knowledgeable you are, the more reactionary you become!"

The fat man, unable to contain himself any longer, said: "Yes, in the short term, maybe you won't need the knowledge for five or ten years, but what about after that?"

Chen Fang didn't understand, so the fat man said, "Think about what kind of organization you work for. Do you think someone with only an elementary school education can grow with the company?"

There were some things the fat man couldn't say to Chen Fang. What kind of company is COFCO? Once Lima breaks free from the shackles of the planned economy, it can soar to the heavens.

When the time comes, people like Chen Fang, who only have a primary school education and can't keep up with the times and the pace of development, will only face the path of being laid off!

Fortunately, Chen Fang was still receptive to advice. Seeing that the fat man had lashed out at her so fiercely for the first time, she finally took it seriously. She said with a pitiful tone, "My older sisters are also uneducated. Why don't you say anything to them? You just yell at me..."

After getting a sewing machine, Yu Li stayed indoors all day and made a light gray short-sleeved shirt for the fat man in just two days.

Sha Zhu had a shirt like that, and he would show it off all the time.

Not only did he give all his salary to Qin Huairu, but a large portion of it actually went towards clothing. He just loved wearing bright, eye-catching clothes.

Yu Li's skillful hands drew envy from her neighbors.

The fat man advised her not to go too far, lest she damage her eyes in the end.

Yu Li listened to the advice, but she also had her own plan: "I plan to do it with Chen Yan. Once we get the hang of it, we can make a set of clothes in a week. It's much easier than doing odd jobs!"

The fat man shook his head, thinking, "Fine, if she likes it, let her do it. Anyway, the family isn't short of a few cents for processing fees on this outfit."

The next day, Fatty went to Director Li's office and told Li Huaide about Xu Damao's invitation to dinner.

"You mean the projectionist Xu Damao? I remember him. Since he's come to you for help, let him arrange a time. I still have to give you face, Fatty."

After leaving Director Li's office, Fatty went to the Publicity Department on the second floor to look for Xu Damao, but the guy wasn't there.

I went down to the factory's broadcasting room on the first floor and finally found the guy—he was rambling on to Yu Haitang.

The two went outside, and the fat man said to Xu Damao with a displeased look, "I've already done what you asked me to do. Go find Director Li yourself and arrange a place for you that's a bit further away from our factory, understand?"

When Xu Damao heard that the fat man had really helped him get an appointment with Director Li, he was so excited that his eyebrows, beard, eyes, nose, and mouth all swelled up into a ridiculous, cheeky expression.

Xu Damao quickly agreed: "Understood, understood, brother, don't worry, it'll be my treat at Donglaishun next time."

Just thinking about that fat guy makes me angry. Last time, he clearly said he was treating. But this guy got himself drunk right away, and not only did he make the fat guy pay the bill, but he also had to carry him home. The fat guy was so angry that he wanted to throw him on the curb several times.

Xu Damao acted quickly and was willing to invest heavily.

He successfully bribed Li Huaide with two "small yellow fish" (a euphemism for bribes). Then the two of them set a trap and easily brought Liu Haizhong down.

A few days later, Fatty was making lunch when Xu Damao swaggered into the kitchen. He said smugly, "Brother, that old bastard Liu Haizhong is out of a job. I've taken over his position!"

That's it? Xu Damao has transformed into the leader of the workers' picket team?

These two guys are birds of a feather, but the difference is that Xu Damao is more sensible than Liu Haizhong and won't be so stupid as to cause him trouble.

Speaking of Liu Haizhong, the fat man asked Xu Damao, "Where is Liu Haizhong?"

Xu Damao gestured with his chin: "He's gone back to the workshop. He's offended their workshop director quite a bit. I heard that now they won't even let him work as a worker anymore, they've made him sweep the main road instead."

"..."

When the fat man saw Liu Haizhong, he became that "Second Uncle" again, wearing dirty work clothes and safety shoes, timid and afraid to look people in the eye.

The fat man walked over with a mocking expression: "Hey, Team Leader Liu!"

Liu Haizhong looked at him with a fearful expression: "Fatty, what do you want to do?"

"Nothing much, I just came to visit you."

Liu Haizhong threw down the broom: "Fatty, let me tell you, don't think that just because you and Xu Damao ousted me, you can become the leader!"

The fat man glanced at him disdainfully: "Have you heard of the saying 'unworthy of one's position'? Liu Haizhong, you should just stick to sweeping the streets! Some positions aren't meant for you to sit in, and that doesn't mean you can sit there comfortably."