Chapter 42 Commendation Ceremony

After all, cooking, laundry, and washing dishes used to be her responsibilities. Now, she only does the laundry at most. Cooking is her mother-in-law's job, and washing dishes is her husband's and younger brother's job. Lin Yuanshu is responsible for instructing them on how to do the work.

Why did cooking become the mother-in-law's job? Because when she cooked, Lin Yuanshu would come over and add extra lard, making the mother-in-law so distressed that she couldn't speak.

To prevent Lin Yuanshu from wasting lard, her mother-in-law took over the cooking and scolded her for being useless and not knowing how to resist Lin Yuanshu, watching him dig out the lard.

She actually quite likes her current life because with her grandmother as a threat, her mother-in-law won't scold her as she pleases, and after she gets off work, there aren't so many housework waiting for her.

Everything is fine except for not being pregnant.

The older brother said, feeling very aggrieved, "Do you know what people outside are saying about us? They say my younger brother and I are henpecked, unable to control our own wives, and that listening to a woman means we're destined to be failures in this life."

Sister-in-law Xue was stunned for a moment. She had never heard of this before. No wonder those aunties said she was good at managing her husband. So that's what they were talking about! She thought those aunties were mocking her.

On the other hand, she felt that even if her lover didn't listen to Lin Yuanshu, he still wouldn't amount to anything. However, she definitely couldn't say that out loud.

She said seriously, "You don't have to listen to the second wife. At most, she'll say some unpleasant things, but she can't hit you."

The older brother sneered, "She can't hit me, but my dad can! She's famous in the chemical plant now. Who doesn't envy my dad for having such a good wife? If she asks Dad to hit me, he definitely won't hesitate for a second."

Sister-in-law Xue was secretly delighted. She knew she shouldn't be happy because her husband was sad, but she just couldn't help it. When she was scolded by her mother-in-law, her husband chose to stand by and do nothing. Now he understands her predicament!

She kindly advised, "Harmony in the family brings prosperity in everything. Just bear with it for now. After all, the second daughter-in-law is so smug right now!"

Big Brother: "..."

Unexpectedly, even after speaking out, he still felt frustrated. Why was he the one who felt wronged, and not Lin Yuanshu? There is no such thing as true empathy in this world.

It all stems from my younger brother. If he could control his wife or object to men washing dishes, he wouldn't be so frustrated.

A short while later, Zhou Dafu returned from the restroom and called everyone to go to Bianyifang.

Aunt Wei asked with obvious jealousy, "Where is your whole family going?"

Chow Tai Fook said with a smile, "Let's go for a walk in the park."

Aunt Wei knew immediately that Zhou Dafu wasn't telling the truth, but since people can say whatever they want, she couldn't force them to. "Winning the labor production competition really makes a difference. You guys are so idle."

Zhou's mother shouted, "How can I compare to you? You dump all the housework on your daughter-in-law and live like a carefree boss, enjoying yourself every day."

Aunt Wei retorted without hesitation, "You're lying through your teeth! When did I ever dump all the housework on my daughter-in-law? I did it all myself..."

As Zhou Ma passed by Wei Da Ma, she let out a sarcastic chuckle and then strolled leisurely forward.

Lin Yuanshu always felt that her mother-in-law's behavior was a bit annoying, and she was really worried that one day her mother-in-law would be beaten up with a sack over her head.

Half an hour later, the six of them arrived at Bianyifang. The antique building made Lin Yuanshu take a second look. She had been in Beijing for so long but had never visited the Forbidden City, even though it was not far away.

Admittedly, she is quite lucky to still have the opportunity to visit the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City only reopened last year, and now you can buy a ticket to visit it for just 5 cents. If only she had a camera, she could have captured the unique beauty of this era.

Zhou Ma nervously held Lin Yuanshu's arm. It was her first time visiting such a high-class place. She rarely even went to department stores; she usually bought things at grocery stores.

Chow Tai Fook ordered a roast duck, thinking that since he was already there, there was no need to be stingy, so he chose a larger roast duck.

Not long after, the staff brought out the roast duck. Lin Yuanshu deliberately glanced at the next table, then skillfully wrapped a roast duck into a roll and handed it to Zhou Dafu, saying righteously, "The first one is for Dad. Dad has worked hard these past few days. Without Dad's selfless contributions, we wouldn't be where we are today."

Zhou Ma looked at Lin Yuanshu expectantly. She felt that she deserved to eat the second roast duck roll. After all, she worked hard at home doing housework. Without her, Lin Yuanshu's life would not be so good.

After Lin Yuan packed the second roast duck roll in his bag, he fed it directly to Zhou Xiangyang and said with a smile, "Thank you for washing the dishes these past few days, Xiangyang."

After finishing his roast duck roll, Zhou Xiangyang said earnestly, "This is what I should do."

The older brother, who was busy wrapping roast ducks, changed his expression upon hearing this. How could his younger brother be so easily fooled? Give him a little something sweet, and he'd become someone else's go-to guy for it. Having such a younger brother was truly a misfortune for the family.

Zhou's mother said unhappily, "I should be the second person to eat roast duck. Don't I work hard doing housework at home?"

Lin Yuanshu looked puzzled and said, "Women are supposed to prioritize their families, isn't that what you should be doing? Since it's what you should be doing, then stop complaining. If you don't do the housework, are you expecting Dad to do it?"

You must use magic to fight magic.

“It’s your turn to do it,” Zhou Ma said confidently.

Lin Yuanshu said nonchalantly, "That's not my home, why should I do it?"

“How can it not be your home? Since you married Xiao Er, that’s your home,” Zhou Ma said without hesitation.

Lin Yuanshu nodded thoughtfully, "Since it's my home, what's the difference between you doing it and me doing it? We're all family, so there's no need to be so particular about these things. Instead of wasting time talking about these things, you might as well eat a few more bites of roast duck."

Zhou Ma: "..."

She felt she no longer needed to eat roast duck; she had already swallowed a bellyful of anger.

The roast duck was divided among six people, and each person only had a few bites. Although no one was full, everyone was in a good mood, having experienced something they had never experienced before. Besides, the roast duck was really delicious.

Chow Tai Fook remarked, "It's alright to bring you guys here for a roast duck once in a while."

Lin Yuanshu gave a thumbs up and praised, "Dad, you really know how to manage money."

Fortunately, her mother-in-law went to get the duck carcass from the staff at that moment; otherwise, knowing Chow Tai Fook's intentions, she would definitely have made a scene.

The older brother wanted to object, but the roast duck was so delicious that he wanted to eat it again, so he acquiesced and didn't plan to tell Mom about Dad's thoughts.

The staff handed Zhou Ma a package of duck carcasses wrapped in oil paper.

Aunt Zhou frowned and asked, "Was the duck carcass inside already cut up?"

The staff member nodded with a smile.

Zhou Ma argued, "Then I don't want it. I want the ones that aren't cut. Who knows if you'll cut corners and take away a few pieces of duck carcass?"

The staff explained, "Our Bianyifang has been open for many years, longer than you. Our motto is 'Convenience for the people, a comfortable home,' and we would never do such a thing."

Zhou's mother waved her hand impatiently, "Don't give me any of this nonsense. I just want the duck carcass that hasn't been cut up. Let me tell you, I'm already being quite reasonable. My daughter-in-law is even more difficult to talk to. Once she gets here, you're all doomed."

Hearing the commotion outside, the manager quickly went out. After learning the whole story, he smiled and said, "Auntie, don't be angry. We'll pack up the whole duck carcass for you right away."

Then he turned to the staff and said, "Next time you have customers who want their food to be packed up, remember to ask them if they want it cut or whole."

Aunt Zhou said with great satisfaction, "Your leaders really know how to talk."

Although the staff were angry, they had no choice but to comply.

Lin Yuanshu and the others waited at the door for a while, but Zhou Ma didn't come out. Sister-in-law Xue said worriedly, "Mom, she hasn't come out yet. Could something have happened?"

The older brother said unhappily, "Stop jinxing me."

As Lin Yuanshu walked, he said, "I'll go in and take a look."

Before Lin Yuanshu could even enter, Aunt Zhou came out with a big smile on her face. She kept nagging, "Such a big shop, and they still want to rip me off? Don't think I don't understand what these chefs are thinking. They just like to shortchange you. If I knew they had already sliced ​​the duck before serving, I would have been watching them slice the roast duck..."

Zhou Xiangyang had a hard time explaining it, because when he first started working in the cafeteria, his mother made him do this, and even told him to wipe the meat with a rag when he cut it, and then bring the rag back to cook soup so that the soup would have a meaty flavor. Luckily, he didn't do it.

Lin Yuanshu, as a beneficiary of the existing system, remained silent.

The six of them walked down to the bottom of the tenement building and happened to meet their neighbor, an older woman, who was struggling to carry her things downstairs.

Lin Yuanshu quickly went over to lend a hand, and Zhou Xiangyang, seeing this, also came over to help Lin Yuanshu.

The neighbor lady wiped her sweat and expressed her gratitude.

Confused, Zhou Ma asked, "Where are you going? Why are you carrying so many bags?"

The neighbor lady said sadly, "You all know about the child's father. He left too suddenly. I can't work and take care of the child at the same time, so I can only ask the factory to arrange a house for me that is closer to my parents' house so that they can help me look after the child."

Mother Zhou comforted her, saying, "It's tough now, but you'll enjoy life when the children grow up. Luckily, you have three sons, so no one can bully you. Having many sons is definitely an advantage."

When her son was mentioned, the neighbor lady smiled faintly. "Yes! With them, I can keep going."

After saying goodbye to her neighbor, Zhou's mother kept muttering about the advantages of having a son.

Lin Yuanshu let it go in one ear and out the other, completely ignoring Zhou Ma's words. She was already tired of hearing them. Her biological parents said them in her past life, and her mother-in-law said them in this life. Sigh, why do women have to make things difficult for each other?

Time slipped away unnoticed. In previous labor production competitions, some workshop teams failed to complete their production tasks. But this time, in the midst of everyone's competitive spirit, not only did all workshop teams complete their production tasks, but they also submitted their tasks a day ahead of schedule.

After all the workshop teams submitted their production reports, the review panel worked through the night to score them according to the standards and finally ranked each team in the competition.

This ranking was expected by everyone. After all, even without scoring, they knew which workshop group was in first place.

That day, Lin Yuanshu noticed something different about the veteran employees as soon as he arrived at work. After signing in, they didn't go to the workshop immediately, but instead gathered in the break room to chat. At this critical moment, the reason for their unusual behavior was probably that the rankings of the labor production competition had been released!

Sure enough, the first thing they said to her was to congratulate her on winning the title of best performer and that she would also receive a bicycle ticket.

Lin Yuanshu was not surprised at all. She would have been surprised if she wasn't the best performer, since she had accomplished something that the technical department couldn't do in a year.

Since everyone was already aware of the rankings, they were more looking forward to the awards ceremony than to congratulating each other. Just two years ago, they attended the awards ceremony as a formality, but this year they became the main characters. Life is truly unpredictable.

"I really wish I could attend the awards ceremony today! Ah, why is the awards ceremony being held tomorrow!"

"That's right! It's been such a long wait, it feels like an eternity. I can't concentrate on my work at all."

"It won't do to hold the meeting today, my clothes are a bit worn out. Tomorrow I'll wear my best clothes so that I can take better photos."

“You’re right. I need to go home and borrow some clothes from my cousin. I heard there will be a publicity officer interviewing us, and I can’t let them down and embarrass our fourth workshop.”

Looking at the bustling break room, Lin Yuanshu couldn't help but smile. She noticed that the team leader was about to reprimand them, so she spoke up, "Everyone has worked hard for two months, let them relax a bit!"

The team leader thought for a moment, then gave up scolding them and muttered, "Let them have some fun now, but they can't be this lazy after the commendation ceremony."

Upon hearing the team leader's words, the veteran employees looked at Lin Yuanshu one by one, silently expressing their gratitude with their mouths agape, and then left the break room chatting and laughing.

The workshop won first place, and the whole workshop was filled with joy. Everyone truly went to work happily and left work happily.

Lin Yuanshu and Zhou Xiangyang walked home amidst congratulatory greetings, stopping every few steps. Since everyone's congratulations were genuine, Lin Yuanshu couldn't ignore them, so he could only walk and stop along the way.

After finally getting home, she collapsed onto the sofa, unwilling to get up.

Seeing this, Zhou Xiangyang quickly poured Lin Yuanshu a glass of warm water and said softly, "Soak your throat."

Lin Yuanshu didn't stand on ceremony. He got up from the sofa, leaned against it, and drank the warm water that Zhou Xiangyang had poured in one gulp.

Seeing Zhou Xiangyang's useless appearance, Zhou's mother couldn't help but scold him, "Other wives serve their husbands, but you're useless; it's the husband who serves the wife..."

Lin Yuanshu interrupted Zhou Ma directly, "Mom, if you can also get a bicycle ticket for the family in a legitimate way, I guarantee Dad will be happy to serve you."

Zhou Ma: "..."

While the two were chatting, Zhou Dafu returned home. He handed Lin Yuanshu a stack of money and bills and said with a smile, "Tomorrow is the awards ceremony. You should go and buy a suitable outfit before the department store closes. You are now representing the Zhou family, so you can't go on stage in shabby clothes. Otherwise, people will laugh at the Zhou family for not being able to afford to buy you a decent outfit."

He paused for a moment, then said excitedly, "I've already chosen my bicycle, and I'm just waiting for your bicycle ticket. As a leader, how can I get around without a bicycle!"

Lin Yuanshu accepted the money and tickets without hesitation, and chimed in, "Dad's quick on the uptake. Is the money for the bicycle ready?"

She never intended for the bicycle to be hers alone, since she couldn't even afford to buy one and wasn't planning on selling the bicycle ticket. As long as it didn't interfere with her plans, she didn't mind sharing it with the Zhou family.

Chow Tai Fook nodded. "I prepared for it several years ago, but unfortunately I couldn't get a bicycle ticket. Otherwise, I would have bought a bicycle long ago."

In this era of scarcity, buying a bicycle was just like buying a car. Riding it out would definitely attract envious glances from many people. Moreover, bicycles weren't something you could just buy whenever you wanted, so riding one out made you feel very prestigious.

Lin Yuanshu didn't quite understand why Zhou Dafu was so obsessed with bicycles. To her, bicycles were just a means of transportation. She had long been fed up with having to walk to get around. She could barely accept short distances, but if the distance was long, it was a huge waste of time.

"Dad, for the sake of these clothes, I'll definitely be the first to thank you at the awards ceremony," Lin Yuanshu said, patting his chest.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ma quickly replied, "What about me?"

Lin Yuanshu looked troubled and said, "If you haven't given me anything but want me to thank you, then that's a bit difficult."

Zhou's mother argued, "How is that difficult? It's just a matter of course! Although I didn't give you money, I helped you with the housework so you would have time to read and study."

Lin Yuanshu retorted without hesitation, "You don't have a job, so it's only right that you do housework. You can't say you're helping me. Besides, I've already spoken well of you in front of the neighbors, so the two cancel each other out."

After thinking it over and over, Zhou Ma still couldn't bear to give up this opportunity to make a big splash. What if Lin Yuanshu only had one chance in his life to speak at the awards ceremony? Wouldn't she have missed it?

Zhou Ma hesitated before saying, "I can buy you a pair of shoes."

"Okay, I'll thank you second."

Lin Yuanshu immediately agreed, not giving Zhou Ma a chance to back out.

With mixed feelings, Zhou Ma went back to her room to get the money and tickets.

Lin Yuanshu focused his gaze on Sister-in-law Xue.

Sister-in-law Xue hesitated and said, "I don't have much savings."

Lin Yuanshu nodded nonchalantly, "It's alright, give me whatever you have, I don't mind. Sister-in-law, I only gave you the third spot because I consider you family. You don't want to be last, do you?"

After thinking for a moment, Sister-in-law Xue also went back to her room to get the money.

The older brother sneered and said expressionlessly, "Your tricks won't work on me. I'm not going to give you money. I'm not as stupid as them."

Lin Yuanshu withdrew his gaze without hesitation, saying indifferently, "Whatever. It's not like I wasn't thanked. The whole family was thanked, but you weren't. I wonder what others will think. Of course, I'm not the kind of person who cares about what others think, so I don't care about this kind of thing."

"Damn it," the older brother couldn't help but curse.

His face darkened as he said, "Wait here for me, I'll go back to my room to get the money."

Lin Yuanshu shook his head and refused, saying, "I'm really not that kind of person. I have no desire for money whatsoever."

The older brother took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Please, please give me a chance."

"Since you've said so, I can't refuse you, so I'll reluctantly agree," Lin Yuanshu said with a smile.

Finally, Lin Yuanshu left the living room with a full stack of money and bills.

Inside the room, Zhou Xiangyang took out his small wooden box containing his savings and handed it to Lin Yuanshu. He said excitedly, "I also want to be thanked, but unfortunately I can't be the first one."

“Who says you can’t?” Lin Yuanshu returned the small wooden box to Zhou Xiangyang and said confidently, “You are the first person to be thanked without paying, while Dad is the first person to be thanked after paying. You are different.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiangyang's eyes lit up instantly. Although he was happy, he was still worried that Lin Yuanshu would be scolded by his father. "No need. It's fine to be the last person to be thanked."

Lin Yuanshu kissed Zhou Xiangyang's forehead and said firmly, "I wanted you to be the first person to be thanked. Dad won't be angry. He's about to get a bicycle and won't care about these little details. No one can have so many good things at the same time."

Zhou Xiangyang nodded thoughtfully.

Afterwards, Lin Yuanshu took Zhou Xiangyang to go shopping at a department store.

She bought two white shirts, one for herself and one for Zhou Xiangyang, and said excitedly, "This can be considered a couple's outfit."

Zhou Xiangyang lowered his voice and said, "Dad asked you to buy me a set of clothes, but not me. Dad will be angry."

Lin Yuanshu blinked and asked seriously, "Are you going to listen to me or Dad?"

Zhou Xiangyang whispered, "I'll listen to you."

Lin Yuanshu gave a sweet smile and said confidently, "Then you can happily put on your clothes and don't need to worry about anything else. I can handle things with Dad."

“Okay,” Zhou Xiangyang readily agreed.

The next day, Lin Yuanshu casually took out a piece of clothing without patches from the box; it was just a little faded from washing.

Upon seeing Lin Yuanshu's attire, Zhou Dafu couldn't help but say, "Why are you dressed like that? Didn't I give you money to buy new clothes?"

Lin Yuanshu glanced at Chow Tai Fook and said in a serious tone, “The more worn out my clothes are, the more patriotic I am. The current policy advocates hard work, simplicity, and thrift. How can I show my hard work, simplicity, and thrift if I don’t wear old clothes? Besides, I’ll be in the newspapers, so the simpler the better, so as not to be accused of having ‘capitalist style.’ I don’t want to give people any reason to criticize me!”

Zhou Dafu glanced at his nearly new Zhongshan suit, thought it over and over, and then changed into his usual work clothes. He wasn't poor; he was just frugal.

Inside the factory auditorium, red banners and slogans were hung everywhere, instantly creating a lively atmosphere.

Zhou Dafu didn't know if Lin Yuanshu's clothes reflected a frugal lifestyle, but they were certainly eye-catching. Among a group of brightly dressed women, she was the only one dressed in drab gray, standing out from the others.

Zhou Moli walked up to Lin Yuanshu and said solemnly, "I lost to you this time, but I won't next time."

Lin Yuanshu said with a helpless expression, "I have never regarded you as an opponent."

Zhou Moli's eyes widened, and she said in disbelief, "You think I'm not even worthy of being your opponent?"

Lin Yuanshu was stunned for a moment, then said helplessly, "Is it possible that I consider you a friend? Why do you have to be someone else's pawn? You can be your own commander. There's no need for you to wade into that mess. If the two of us cooperate, we will definitely be invincible."

Zhou Moli's lips curled up slightly. "Comrade Wang Gang said you are particularly good at bewitching people. I didn't believe it at first, but now I do. As for cooperation, forget it. We don't have that kind of opportunity."

Lin Yuanshu blinked, turned his gaze to the awards stage, and said softly, "Who says there's no chance? The opportunity will come soon."

Zhou Moli looked at Lin Yuanshu with a puzzled expression.

Lin Yuanshu didn't explain much, he just smiled.

Once everyone had gathered, the host stood on the platform, microphone in hand, and announced loudly: "Comrades, today we are filled with excitement... I now declare the commendation ceremony officially open..."

Upon hearing the music of "The East Is Red," Lin Yuanshu immediately stood up, and only sat down after the music ended.

Next came the leaders' speeches, emphasizing the significance of the labor production competition and commendation meeting, and praising outstanding individuals and groups.

Lin Yuanshu watched the publicity staff taking pictures everywhere in the distance with their cameras, and was glad that he had gone to bed early last night. He wasn't sleepy at all now, otherwise he would have a embarrassing history.

After the leaders finished their speeches, the awards ceremony began. First, certificates were presented to the winning teams, with the competition name and award information printed on them. Workshop 4 was awarded the title of "Advanced Workshop".

The top three teams were awarded daily necessities, school supplies, and food, but the other teams did not receive the title of "Advanced Workshop".

As the representative of the fourth workshop, the team leader stood on the platform and said excitedly, "I never thought I would be standing here sharing my experience with everyone. I just want to say that life will not let down anyone who works hard..."

After the work group presented the certificates, it was time to recognize outstanding individuals. Lin Yuanshu, as one of the recipients, was called to the podium ahead of time.

The staff pinned a bright red flower on her and gently draped a red sash with the words "Model Worker" printed in gold over her shoulders.

Lin Yuanshu hadn't really felt the reality yet, but this sudden action made him instantly nervous.

She took a deep breath and listened to the host introduce her achievements. The workers below the stage cheered and applauded.

After hearing the host call her name, she walked up to the stage with a smile and accepted the award certificate from Director Qian.

Factory Director Qian encouraged him, "Keep up the good work, and congratulations on your early promotion."

"Thank you for the organization's trust. I will continue to contribute to the organization," Lin Yuanshu said with a smile.

Although the process was arduous, the result was also gratifying. I was promoted from an apprentice to a full-time employee ahead of schedule, earning about 25 yuan a month, and I also received a bicycle voucher.

Most importantly, she used this opportunity to demonstrate her work ability, which made a good impression on the leaders. Now she has some influence and will no longer be treated as a dispensable person by the workshop directors. She also no longer has to worry about others taking credit for her achievements.

Lin Yuanshu stood on the award stage with the certificate in her hand, looking at the workers below with their different expressions. This was not her end, but her beginning.

After the publicity officer finished taking photos, she stood on the stage, flashed a bright smile, and solemnly said, "I stand here with immense excitement and trepidation. This honor belongs not only to me personally, but also to everyone... Finally, I want to thank Comrade Zhou Xiangyang for his unconditional support, and also thank my father-in-law, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and brother-in-law for their full support. I also want to thank the Technical Department, the Maintenance Department, and all the workers in the Fourth Workshop..."

Previously, when Lin Yuanshu was mentioned, the workers only knew that she had developed a filtration device and thought she was a very capable person.

After her speech, everyone's impression of her became that of a woman who thanked many people on stage.

As a result, the workers felt that she wasn't so high and mighty, and that she was no different from them in the end—just a hardworking and ordinary worker.

Zhou Xiangyang looked at Lin Yuanshu with admiration. He really felt that Lin Yuanshu was shining brightly when she spoke up. She was full of confidence and it seemed that nothing could stump her.

Just moments ago, Zhou's mother was excitedly introducing Lin Yuanshu as her daughter-in-law, but now her expression changed. She felt a little embarrassed. She had initially been quite excited to be on Lin Yuanshu's list of thank-yous, but as more and more people appeared, she suddenly felt like she had lost out.

Knowing there were so many more people behind her, she would have preferred not to be thanked. Given Lin Yuanshu's stingy nature, he definitely wouldn't want to return the money to her. What an unscrupulous businessman.

She said to the person next to her with a blank expression, "I disregard what I just said. I don't know Comrade Lin Yuanshu."

Upon hearing Lin Yuanshu's speech, the leaders couldn't help but laugh and exclaimed, "He's still just a child!"

Lin Yuanshu was also helpless! She didn't want to thank so many people, but it was all to be fair and avoid everyone coming to her with arguments about the thank-you list.

As the commendation meeting was about to end, Director Qian gave a concluding speech and then announced to the workers that the Fourth Workshop would represent the chemical plant in the labor production competition organized by the Chemical Industry Bureau.

These words sparked a great deal of discussion among the workers.

"There are so many benefits to participating in the factory's labor production competition, but I wonder what the benefits are of participating in the labor production competition organized by the Chemical Industry Bureau?"

"No matter how great the benefits are, they have nothing to do with us, since we didn't even get first place."

"I don't know if the fourth workshop is up to the task. I'm really worried that they'll embarrass our factory."

"With Comrade Lin Yuanshu here, there shouldn't be any problems. After all, she's so capable!"

"If I had known that the Chemical Industry Bureau would be holding a labor production competition, I should have worked harder."

"Don't say that you didn't try in this competition. You clearly tried, but it was no use."

Zhou Moli immediately looked at Lin Yuanshu. Could this be the cooperation opportunity Lin Yuanshu had mentioned? Even her uncle didn't know about this news, so where did Lin Yuanshu get it from?

Her uncle investigated Lin Yuanshu and found that she was just an ordinary woman who had lived in the countryside since childhood and had no background whatsoever.

She was wavering, wondering whether she should choose to cooperate with Lin Yuanshu!

Wu Jianhua couldn't help but feel heartbroken. He had thought he had only lost the factory's labor production competition. Although the competition was important, it wasn't that important, since it was held every two years.

However, the labor production competition organized by the Chemical Industry Bureau is different; it may not be held even once every five years. He has now missed the opportunity to participate in the labor production competition organized by the Chemical Industry Bureau because his workshop is not in first place.

If he had known about the labor production competition organized by the Chemical Industry Bureau, he would have definitely taken action against Lin Yuanshu without hesitation, preferring to kill ten thousand innocent people rather than let one guilty person go free, instead of letting it go lightly and not caring about it as before.

Unfortunately, it's too late to regret it now.

The team leader's hands trembled with excitement. She grabbed the worker next to her and said in a trembling voice, "Did I hear that right? Director Qian said that the fourth workshop would represent the chemical plant in the labor production competition organized by the Chemical Industry Bureau? Could I be hallucinating?"

The worker beside him said firmly, "You heard me right, that's what Director Qian said."

The team leader took a deep breath, quickly looked around, and muttered to himself, "Where is Comrade Lin Yuanshu...?"

Lin Yuanshu remained calm upon hearing the news. She had already guessed it and had prepared a plan in advance for the preparation of naphthalene intermediates using solvent sulfonation, which was the better method for preparing naphthalene intermediates that she had mentioned before.

With this method, the amount of sulfuric acid used can be reduced by 30%, the reaction time can be shortened, and the waste acid can be recycled instead of being wasted.

But all of this is contingent on Director Qian agreeing to implement her plan, because this plan is different from the previous ones. It's not a small-scale project, but rather a plan to rebuild a workshop and modify and adjust the existing equipment. This is also the reason why she reached an agreement with the technical department.

She can't do it alone; she needs the cooperation of other departments in the chemical plant and the leaders.

Most importantly, most chemical plants in China do not currently use solvent sulfonation to produce naphthalene intermediates, so there is only a small chance that her idea will be approved by the leadership.

It's like someone suddenly walking up to you and saying, "I'll give you 50, and I'll prove to you that one plus one equals three." You'd think they're crazy.

She had originally planned to proceed gradually, but the labor production competition organized by the Chemical Industry Bureau turned out to be the perfect opportunity to submit her proposal. In order to win the labor production competition organized by the Chemical Industry Bureau, the chemical plant should make some changes, and the leaders should be able to accept such adjustments.

After all, if the chemical plant wins this labor production competition organized by the Chemical Industry Bureau, the leaders will benefit more, such as obtaining additional production quotas, securing foreign trade cooperation opportunities, and having the opportunity to showcase their achievements in front of the top leaders.

For these benefits, leaders are more willing to take a little more risk.

However, now is not the time to submit the plan. It would be more appropriate to submit it tomorrow, so that Director Qian would not find out that she knew about the news in advance.

Leaders are like that; they hope you have strong work abilities, but not too much intelligence, because people who are too smart are hard to control.

The team leader walked excitedly to Lin Yuanshu's side and said in a low voice, "It seems we'll be working together again! The labor production competition organized by the Chemical Bureau isn't as complicated as the ones our factory has held before. This competition is based on groups, and the group that completes its production task first within the specified time and has the highest product qualification rate wins. However, since each chemical plant produces different products, the requirements for the group's production task are also different. I'll go find the competition data from previous years later, and we'll study it carefully then."

Lin Yuanshu agreed without hesitation, "Okay."

She wouldn't tell anyone or let anyone notice anything amiss until the plan was approved.

Zhou Dafu was still unhappy that Lin Yuanshu hadn't thanked him first. A maintenance worker who was on good terms with him walked up to Zhou Dafu and said admiringly, "Team leader, your daughter-in-law is really amazing. The fourth workshop is going to represent the chemical plant in a competition. If we could join them, wouldn't we be able to really show our skills?"

"This isn't a good place to join!" Zhou Dafu said hesitantly.

The maintenance worker confidently stated, "Why wouldn't we be able to join? Your daughter-in-law has a say in the fourth workshop. She asked the maintenance department manager for maintenance personnel from our group. Could the manager refuse? For the manager and your daughter-in-law, who the maintenance personnel are doesn't matter. For us, it's a golden opportunity."

Zhou Dafu glanced at Lin Yuanshu, nodded thoughtfully, and said softly, "I'll discuss it with her tonight."

"With Team Leader Zhou in charge, there's definitely no problem. No matter how capable Comrade Lin Yuanshu is, she's still your daughter-in-law! Would a daughter-in-law dare to contradict her father-in-law's decision?" the repairman said firmly.

He wasn't just flattering Chow Tai Fook; he genuinely thought so.

Zhou Dafu's expression was subtle. He didn't know about other people's daughters-in-law, but it was hard to say about his own. Although she had never directly refuted his words, she had refuted her mother-in-law quite a bit.