Chapter 47 Acceptance

As the sun set, Zhou Ma and Li Xiaohua walked home together, chatting and laughing.

"Sister Hua, you're amazing! I've lived in Beijing for so long and I've never been to that mountain to pick wild vegetables," said Aunt Zhou, her face full of admiration.

Li Xiaohua said confidently, "It's a pity it's not spring now, otherwise there would be wild vegetables all over the mountains and fields, and we wouldn't be able to eat them all."

“It’s alright, we can go together next spring,” Zhou Ma said enthusiastically.

“Okay,” Li Xiaohua readily agreed.

Just as the two were chatting, Aunt Wen passed by them and exclaimed, "Oh my! You're finally back! Your eldest daughter-in-law has been taken to the hospital."

Upon hearing this, Zhou's mother anxiously asked, "What happened? Is it so serious that we need to go to the hospital?"

Aunt Wen explained, "I'm not quite sure what happened either. It seems that Comrade Sun Yiyi's mother pushed your eldest daughter-in-law, causing her to almost miscarry. Fortunately, Comrade Zhu Huilan saved her in time. Then Comrade Lin Yuanshu called for help and carried your eldest daughter-in-law to the hospital. Zhou Dafu and the others went. Now you're the only one missing."

Although it's unclear, it can be explained very clearly.

"I knew the neighbors next door were up to no good. The old folks are all dead, and the kids are little rascals," Zhou Ma cursed.

Li Xiaohua advised, "Now is not the time to assign blame. You should go to the hospital to take care of your eldest daughter-in-law!"

Without hesitation, Zhou's mother refused, saying, "No, I can't just leave like this. I'm going to settle accounts with the neighbors next door, so they won't deny it. Anyway, with Xiao Er's wife at the hospital, nothing will happen."

Li Xiaohua glanced at Zhou Ma and hesitated, "You're all alone. I'm afraid you'll get taken advantage of. They have more people and might bully you."

Holding Li Xiaohua's hand, Zhou Ma said with a look of trust, "I'm not alone. I still have you, Sister Xiaohua. Let's join forces to fight the bad guys, just like when we were kids."

Li Xiaohua paused for a moment, then squeezed Zhou Ma's hand back and said firmly, "Okay."

Aunt Wen: "..."

Should she say it's about deep sisterly affection? Or should she say it's about deep sisterly affection?

The two men charged toward the Wei family with great bravado.

Sun Yiyi was restless. On one hand, she was worried that something might happen to Sister-in-law Xue, and on the other hand, she was worried that her parents-in-law would find out about this and talk to her. Moreover, given the nature of the Zhou family, this matter was unlikely to end there, and they would definitely make a scene.

She wanted to be honest with her in-laws, but didn't know how to bring it up.

"You look like you want to say something but can't. What exactly do you want to say? Let me make this clear from the start: I don't agree to pay you money to buy you a job. That's not going to happen," Aunt Wei said seriously.

Sun Yiyi lowered her head and whispered, "My parents came to Beijing today..."

Before she could finish speaking, Zhou's mother shouted from the doorway, "You whole family are vipers, with hearts of snakes and scorpions! If anything happens to my eldest daughter-in-law, I'll make you regret it! You're just jealous, jealous that the Zhou family's life is getting better and better. You're like rats in the sewers, stinking and ugly..."

Aunt Wei, puzzled, said, "What's wrong with Old Zhou's wife now? Coming to our door and making a scene like this, do you really think we're easy targets?"

As she spoke, she prepared to open the door. She wasn't afraid of arguing and shouting at Zhou Ma.

Seeing this, Sun Yiyi quickly grabbed Aunt Wei and loudly and rapidly explained the whole story.

After hearing Sun Yiyi's words, Aunt Wei couldn't help but clutch her chest. She felt her head buzzing and she almost couldn't stand up.

Wei Yong quickly stepped forward to help Aunt Wei up.

Grandpa Wei was furious and said, "How could my in-laws do such a foolish thing? Where are they now? Hurry up and apologize to Old Zhou's wife. If she makes a scene, it will never end."

Sun Yiyi said helplessly, "They're gone."

Aunt Wei shrieked, "What do you mean by 'left'? Are your parents just going to abandon this whole thing? They can run away, but we can't!"

Sun Yiyi couldn't hold back her tears. She whispered, "I never thought things would turn out like this. My mom just gave me a gentle push..."

"Crying, crying, crying, all she does is cry all day long. She's caused such a big mess, and all she does is cry. Compared to the daughter-in-law next door, ah! No, compared to the daughter-in-law next door, she's an insult to the daughter-in-law next door," Aunt Wei couldn't help but complain.

Sun Yiyi bit her lower lip tightly. These words again, saying she was no match for Lin Yuanshu. If she had known this would happen, she shouldn't have gone to save Lin Yuanshu in the first place.

Wei Yong sighed, "What's done is done, there's no use complaining. Let's invite Old Zhou's wife in first and discuss with her how to resolve this matter. Her constant commotion outside isn't a solution either."

"She'll definitely ask for an exorbitant amount," Aunt Wei said confidently.

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent, because they understood Zhou Ma's personality and knew that Wei Da Ma was right.

Aunt Wei opened the door, looking apologetic, and said, "I'm so sorry, my in-law did such a thing. I hope you can calm down. What's done is done and can't be undone, but we can still discuss what to do next!"

Zhou's mother replied ruthlessly, "What can I do? Unless your daughter-in-law experiences what it feels like to almost miscarry in front of me."

“Old Zhou’s wife, we are sincerely discussing this with you,” said Grandpa Wei, bending over.

Although Zhou Ma had a conflict with Wei Da Ma, she had no grudge against Wei Da Ye. She said angrily, "It's no use talking to me. It's only useful to talk to my youngest daughter-in-law. Let's talk when my eldest daughter-in-law comes back from the hospital. Don't try to deny it. All the neighbors are my witnesses. Be careful, or I'll call the police and have you all arrested. I'll make sure your whole family suffers."

Zhou Ma threatened him fiercely.

Aunt Wei forced a smile. "Okay, we'll explain and resolve it as needed."

Zhou Ma snorted and took Li Xiaohua to the black market to buy a large hen. Getting her eldest daughter-in-law healthy was more important than anything else.

Aunt Wei sighed, "I hope Comrade Lin Yuanshu won't be as unreasonable as Old Zhou's wife and can be a little more normal."

Wei Yong looked at his mother with a pained expression. Otherwise, his mother wouldn't have spoken to the neighbor so humbly because of his wife. His mother had always been tough in front of the neighbor, but now she had bowed down because of his wife.

He looked at Sun Yiyi and said coldly, "We can pay the compensation first, but your parents must pay us back. Furthermore, you must call your parents over to apologize to the neighbors. It was indeed your parents who were in the wrong."

Sun Yiyi said with great difficulty, "My parents won't listen to me."

"Are we just supposed to swallow this bitter pill?" Aunt Wei questioned.

Sun Yiyi silently shed tears. She couldn't think of any other solution besides crying. She had never encountered anything so serious in her previous life. At most, she was ridiculed by her mother-in-law and made to do housework.

The Wei family members were speechless as they watched Sun Yiyi crying incessantly. They could only accept their bad luck and try to calm the neighbors down first to prevent the matter from escalating.

They don't want to get involved! But the result is that the neighbors are making trouble for them every day, and then the police are calling to arrest them. Sun Yiyi's background is problematic, which will not only have a negative impact on their grandson's future development, but also affect their work performance evaluation and company evaluation.

Everyone was in a heavy mood. The only good news was that the neighbor's child was still alive. Otherwise, the neighbor would have fought them to the death, since it took five years to conceive a child.

Their first thought of regret was that if they had known this would happen, they shouldn't have married Sun Yiyi just because she was filial.

In the hospital ward of the chemical plant, Sister-in-law Xue lay on the hospital bed, touching her lower abdomen with great joy. She excitedly told Lin Yuanshu, "I'm pregnant! I'm going to have a child! As long as I give birth to a boy, I will be a great contributor to the Zhou family."

She really didn't expect that she was more than a month pregnant. She had been bleeding a little bit recently, and she thought it was her period, just that the amount was less than usual, since her periods were never very heavy.

Lin Yuanshu raised an eyebrow and bluntly poured cold water on the idea, "What if it's a girl?"

She didn't want Sister-in-law Xue to have too high expectations, then be disappointed and vent her emotions on the innocent child.

Sister-in-law Xue was not angry at Lin Yuanshu's words. She said with a smile, "Girls are fine too. They can bloom first and bear fruit later. As long as I can have one, I can have a whole litter. They will all be my children."

Lin Yuanshu chuckled and said, "Having a litter is fine too. That way, Mom won't have time to cause trouble. But then again, you mustn't forget your promise. I've already kept it, so it's your turn to do the rest."

Sister-in-law Xue said confidently, "Don't worry, I will help you spread the word and let everyone know that my pregnancy is thanks to you."

Lin Yuanshu said with a complicated expression, "It's a good thing I'm a woman. If I were a man, my brother would have gone crazy if he heard that."

Sister-in-law Xue smiled shyly, touched her belly and said, "If it weren't for you, this child wouldn't be here healthy in my belly."

"Don't think too much about it, taking good care of your health is more important," Lin Yuanshu comforted him.

Not long after, the older brother rushed into the ward and anxiously asked, "Is the child alright?"

Sister-in-law Xue shook her head, tears streaming down her face, and said, "The child is still here."

The older brother breathed a sigh of relief; at least the child was still alive.

Seeing this, Lin Yuanshu decisively slipped out of the ward. Since Sister-in-law Xue was being taken care of, she didn't want to stay there any longer. She didn't like the smell of the hospital and always felt that entering the hospital meant being close to death.

She had just left the hospital when she ran into Zhou Xiangyang.

Zhou Xiangyang asked, "How is your sister-in-law? Is she alright?"

Lin Yuanshu shook his head. "She and the child are both fine. My older brother is with her right now."

Zhou Xiangyang nodded, picked up the lunchbox and said, "I'm going to deliver the food to my sister-in-law. You need to eat well so you can recover quickly."

Lin Yuanshu waved his hand, signaling Zhou Xiangyang to leave.

When Lin Yuanshu returned home, she smelled the aroma of chicken soup, which was so enticing that it made her want to drink some.

She had originally wanted to see whose family was drinking chicken soup, but she didn't expect it to be her own family.

Aunt Zhou ladled the chicken soup into a thermos and said to Lin Yuanshu, "Why are you back?"

Lin Yuanshu took a deep breath and explained, "My older brother is taking care of my sister-in-law in the hospital. She's in good health, and the baby is doing well. Xiangyang has already brought her food. When I got home from get off work today, I saw her lying on the floor..."

Lin Yuanshu told everything she knew in one breath to avoid Zhou Ma asking questions.

After listening, Aunt Zhou nodded solemnly and instructed, "Just eat whatever you like tonight. I'll go take some chicken soup to your sister-in-law first. She needs to nourish her body so she can give birth to a healthy grandson. If the neighbors come over to apologize and say they forgive you, don't pay any attention to it. We'll talk about it after your sister-in-law is discharged from the hospital..."

Seeing that Zhou Ma was only scooping soup and not meat, Lin Yuanshu reminded her, "Mom, the meat is the essence. If your sister-in-law only drinks soup, she'll have to go to the toilet easily. She'd better not move around too much right now."

After thinking about it, Zhou Ma felt that Lin Yuanshu made a lot of sense. She poured half of the soup out of the thermos and then frantically added meat to it, reminding Lin Yuanshu, "You are not allowed to drink the chicken soup. This is all your sister-in-law's."

Lin Yuanshu feigned extreme distress and sighed, "Sigh! You worked so hard all night, and you didn't even get a sip of soup. If it weren't for me, you would have said goodbye to your sister-in-law's child long ago. People's hearts are no longer what they used to be, the world is cold and indifferent, good people don't get rewarded..."

Zhou Ma was getting a headache from Lin Yuanshu's nagging, "There's only one bowl, you can only drink one bowl."

Lin Yuanshu immediately replied happily, "No problem."

Seeing Lin Yuanshu's happy expression, Zhou Ma had a feeling that Lin Yuanshu wouldn't listen to her obediently. She put the lid on the thermos and took out a serving bowl from the living room, ladling a bowl of soup into it.

She pointed to the chicken soup in the bowl and said, "You can only drink this bowl of chicken soup, not the chicken soup in the pot."

Lin Yuanshu's expression was complicated. What had she done to make her mother-in-law treat her like a thief?

"Mom, I'm not that kind of person."

These words made Zhou's mother distrust Lin Yuanshu even more. When she left home, she made sure to put the pot in her room and then lock the room.

Lin Yuanshu decided not to argue with Zhou Ma because of the soup. Luckily, there were enough pots and pans at home, so she didn't have to worry about not being able to cook.

Hearing the commotion next door, Sun Yiyi knew that Lin Yuanshu had returned home. After Zhou Ma left, she quickly ran to see Lin Yuanshu.

"I'm sorry, my mom really didn't mean it. She already knows she was wrong," Sun Yiyi said, bowing down in apology.

Lin Yuanshu said helplessly, "It's no use telling me. I'm not involved, so I have no right to forgive on behalf of the person involved."

Sun Yiyi lowered her head and whispered, "Could you please put in a good word for me since I saved you? If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have the chance to stand here and talk to me. As long as you don't hold it against me, everything is negotiable. Your sister-in-law listens to you the most."

When she had free time, she liked to observe how Lin Yuanshu interacted with the Zhou family. She was very curious about how Lin Yuanshu, who was in the same situation as her in her previous life, could walk a different path!

Therefore, she naturally realized that when Lin Yuanshu was with Sister-in-law Xue, Lin Yuanshu was the one who was assertive, and Sister-in-law Xue could only do what Lin Yuanshu told her to do.

Lin Yuanshu was taken aback for a moment, then said with a fake smile, "It's impossible for me to speak up for you. At most, I'll just stand by and watch, and not interfere in your affairs."

She didn't want to get involved in this matter in the first place. She was already too busy at work to be a judge after get off work!

Moreover, Sun Yiyi didn't show up earlier or later, but appeared right after Zhou Ma left. Wasn't she just trying to gamble on Zhou Ma's soft heart?

Sun Yiyi pursed her lips, then knelt down with a thud, her face covered in tears, and said, "Please, help me."

Seeing this, Lin Yuanshu stepped aside and stood to Sun Yiyi's left. She looked at Sun Yiyi with a cold expression and said softly, "Don't try to morally blackmail me. I'm sorry, I have no morals. Others care about their reputation, but I don't. If you want to kneel, then kneel. I don't mind."

Sun Yiyi hesitated, her face pale, kneeling before Lin Yuanshu, unwilling to get up.

When Zhou Dafu returned from the hospital, he saw Sun Yiyi kneeling on the ground. He knew immediately what had happened and that her attempt to play the victim would not be so easy.

He shouted, "What are you doing? Do you know how important my daughter-in-law's time is right now? Her brain is for working, not for arguing with you."

As Zhou Dafu spoke, he walked up to Lin Yuanshu and forcefully pulled Sun Yiyi up.

"Little Second Wife, you go back to your room and rest. Leave this to me," Zhou Dafu said with a serious expression.

Lin Yuanshu thought about it and felt that Zhou Dafu was the head of the family and that he was better suited to handle such matters, so she left without hesitation.

Sun Yiyi could be a little more unrestrained in front of Lin Yuanshu, but she couldn't speak in front of Zhou Dafu because she was quite afraid of her father-in-law, Zhou Dafu, in her previous life.

"Let me tell you, don't even think about doing anything shady. Just pay the compensation properly and don't bother my daughter-in-law," Zhou Dafu warned menacingly.

Seeing this, Sun Yiyi had no choice but to return home.

"So? Has Comrade Lin Yuanshu softened his heart?" Aunt Wei asked anxiously.

Sun Yiyi shook her head and said in a low voice, "No, she is more troublesome than the Wei family. However, she promised me that she would not interfere in this matter. Although it is of little use, at least she will not add fuel to the fire."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Wei showed no joy whatsoever. Instead, she grumbled and said, "You're useless. All you know how to do is cause trouble."

Although Wei Yong did not criticize Sun Yiyi, his disgusted look said it all.

Sun Yiyi could only lower her head and behave herself. After all, it was her parents who had made a mistake, and she should bear the consequences. She knew that her parents' visit to Beijing was never a good thing.

After seeing Sun Yiyi leave, Zhou Dafu revealed a smug smile. He thought Sun Yiyi was too green to compete with him. He turned his head and saw the chicken soup on the table. In a flash of inspiration, he made three bowls of chicken noodle soup.

Lin Yuanshu wasn't the type to fuss over every penny, so she didn't say anything and happily started eating her noodles.

Zhou Xiangyang had no idea what had happened; his father made noodles, and he ate them.

Over the next few days, Lin Yuanshu focused all his attention on the modification of the distillation tower, spending most of his time in the technical department discussing with Zhao Hong and others how to better modify the distillation tower.

Sister-in-law Xue was taken care of by her elder brother and Zhou's mother. Zhou Xiangyang and Zhou Dafu did not take care of her to avoid suspicion. They were responsible for cooking and delivering groceries at home.

Zhou Dafu was afraid that Xue Dasao's matter would interfere with Lin Yuanshu's work, so he offered to let Lin Yuanshu not worry about anything, not even cooking.

Lin Yuanshu certainly wouldn't create trouble for herself; since her father-in-law had said so, she naturally did as he said.

The reason Zhou Ma didn't object was that she didn't believe Lin Yuanshu could take good care of the patient, so she acquiesced.

Sister-in-law Xue didn't want to cause herself any trouble, so she insisted on asking Lin Yuanshu to take care of her, because she didn't want to be disciplined by Lin Yuanshu.

The older brother chose to remain silent because he knew that if Lin Yuanshu were to help him take care of the patient, he would be doing most of the work, so it would be better for him to help his mother.

Sun Yiyi kept apologizing to Lin Yuanshu and the others, and her attitude seemed quite sincere. It has to be said that showing weakness is quite effective. The neighbor aunties all started to advise Zhou Dafu to show mercy and not to stoop to Sun Yiyi's level.

Unfortunately, Chow Tai Fook is not the kind of company that can be easily fooled.

As agreed, Zhao Hong finally manufactured the distillation tower filled with stainless steel corrugated packing on the evening of the third day. The technicians were overjoyed, and they could finally get a good night's sleep.

Upon learning this news, Lin Yuanshu immediately arranged for porters to transport the distillation tower into the workshop and then started running the distillation tower to test whether it could operate normally.

After confirming there were no problems, Lin Yuanshu asked the team leader, "How's the training going? Are they ready to get started?"

The team leader replied seriously, "Getting started isn't a problem, but to become proficient in using the equipment to produce naphthalene intermediates, you still need time to practice."

Lin Yuanshu nodded thoughtfully and instructed, "Go and tell the head of the production department to arrange for workers to come over tomorrow. After a couple of days of practice, we should be able to invite Director Qian and the others to come and watch."

"Great!" the team leader said excitedly.

Finally, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

After the team leader left, Zhou Moli said softly, "It seems your persistence was right."

Lin Yuanshu blinked and replied, "It was just luck. You need to stay alert for the next two days and supervise the workers to prevent any accidents. Once Director Qian and the others have inspected the work, things will be a bit easier for us."

It wasn't that she wanted to slack off, but she was busy writing task completion reports, quality inspection reports, cost accounting reports, acceptance applications, and so on, so she simply didn't have the extra time to keep an eye on the workshop.

Zhou Moli lowered her voice and said, "Are you afraid that Wu Jianhua will resort to desperate measures?"

Lin Yuanshu licked his lips and said seriously, "We can't rule out that possibility. Better safe than sorry. It's better to be cautious."

During this period, Wu Jianhua looked at her strangely, and the emotions in his eyes were too complicated for her to understand.

"I understand." Zhou Moli nodded thoughtfully.

After Director Qian learned of this news, although he didn't say much, the number of security guards near Lin Yuanshu's workshop doubled.

When Lin Yuanshu finished his work and left the workshop, the sun had already set, countless stars were twinkling in the sky, and the streetlights of the chemical plant were emitting a yellow glow.

This was the first time she had ever gotten off work so late.

The security team leader walked up to Lin Yuanshu and asked, "Team Leader Lin, it's safe for you to go home alone now. Do you need me to arrange for a security guard to escort you home?"

Lin Yuanshu originally wanted to refuse, but then she thought that it was the 1970s and the public security was not as good as it is now. As a lesbian, it was indeed not safe for her to walk alone on the street.

"Then I'll have to trouble you."

The head of the security force waved his hand casually and said with a smile, "You're a key protected individual in the chemical plant now, so these are things I should do."

Lin Yuanshu walked with the security guard to the entrance of the chemical plant, where she saw Zhou Xiangyang leaning against his bicycle, holding a book in his hand. The dim light of the street lamp shone on his face, making his features appear exceptionally gentle.

At this moment, Lin Yuanshu could only think of one sentence: "A beauty looks more beautiful under the lamplight."

"Zhou Xiangyang!" Lin Yuanshu couldn't help but call out. She hadn't expected Zhou Xiangyang to come and pick her up; it was a pleasant surprise.

Upon hearing the sound, Zhou Xiangyang put away his books, gave Lin Yuanshu a bright smile, and waved in response.

Lin Yuanshu said to the security guard beside him, "My wife is here to pick me up, so you don't need to bother her."

The security guard nodded and returned to his previous post.

Lin Yuanshu jogged over to Zhou Xiangyang and asked, "Why are you here?"

Zhou Xiangyang answered truthfully, "I saw that it was dark and you hadn't gone home yet, so I knew you would definitely have to work overtime tonight. I was worried that it would be dangerous for you to walk alone at night, so I came to pick you up."

He had to plead with his father before he finally agreed to let him ride his bicycle to pick up his wife. It wasn't that his father was worried about him having an accident at night, but rather that he might accidentally damage the bicycle in the dark.

His father was more attentive to the bicycle than to anything else. After getting off work in the evening, he would wipe the bicycle with a wet towel to make it look brand new.

Lin Yuanshu smiled and said, "You're so kind."

Zhou Xiangyang smiled sheepishly, handed the flashlight to Lin Yuanshu, then unlocked the bicycle, preparing to ride it home with Lin Yuanshu.

Lin Yuanshu sat in the back, using a flashlight to illuminate the road ahead, and asked, "Has your sister-in-law been discharged from the hospital?"

"No," Zhou Xiangyang replied, riding his bicycle.

Lin Yuanshu asked in confusion, "Why hasn't she been discharged yet? I heard from the doctor that my sister-in-law's illness wasn't that serious. It shouldn't be that she can't be discharged after three or four days?"

Zhou Xiangyang explained, "The doctor said I could be discharged, but my sister-in-law felt it wasn't possible. She said her lower abdomen was still hurting from time to time and asked to stay a few more days."

Lin Yuanshu wore a complicated expression, somewhat surprised yet somewhat expected.

She believes that Sister-in-law Xue is unwilling to be discharged from the hospital for two reasons: first, to be on the safe side and to make sure that there is nothing wrong with her body before being discharged; and second, to get more compensation, so she wants to stay a few more days.

Based on the time they've spent together, she felt the latter was more likely. Sun Yiyi was just unlucky; of all people to mess with, she had to pick on Sister-in-law Xue and Aunt Zhou, who had no sense of morality. Those two could cause quite a bit of trouble.

The next day, the production manager said to the workers undergoing training with a serious expression, "You don't need training today. I'll take you to the workshop for hands-on practice. Work hard these next two days. If you don't perform well, you will lose this hard-won opportunity."

"Okay," everyone said in unison.

On the way to the workshop, Ai Shuye whispered to Qian Xiang, "Does the fact that we can go to the workshop for hands-on practice mean that Comrade Lin Yuanshu's plan has succeeded? Has she really found another way to produce naphthalene intermediates?"

Qian Xiang lowered his voice and said, "It was rumored before that Comrade Lin Yuanshu's plan was successful, but she was not satisfied with the result and wanted to make it even more outstanding, so she has been adjusting it repeatedly until now."

Ai Shuye said with admiration, "Comrade Lin Yuanshu is really amazing. I wonder if I'll see her in the workshop today. She's been disappearing like a ghost lately, not even at lunchtime."

Qian Xiang guessed, "She's a team leader now, so someone must be getting her meals. Besides, her presence in the workshop is none of our business."

Ai Shuye said somewhat embarrassedly, "Do you know why no senior employees targeted me after I spoke up for Comrade Lin Yuanshu? It was Comrade Lin Yuanshu who specifically asked the team leader to protect me and prevent me from being bullied by others. I want to say thank you to Comrade Lin Yuanshu."

Qian Xiang frowned and said, "If you go up to him now, people will only think you're trying to curry favor. You should wait until Comrade Lin Yuanshu's scandal has died down before you thank him!"

Ai Shuye immediately became dejected. She calculated that it might be several months before she could speak to Comrade Lin Yuanshu again after the storm had passed.

Qian Xiang was about to comfort Ai Shuye when he heard the head of the production department say loudly, "Stop whispering."

He immediately shut his mouth and walked quietly.

Ai Shuye was overjoyed when she saw Lin Yuanshu in the workshop, but unfortunately Lin Yuanshu didn't notice her.

At this moment, Lin Yuanshu was discussing equipment debugging with technicians and maintenance personnel. Only when the workshop is actually running can we see if there are any problems with the equipment.

The day passed just like that. Fortunately, the equipment only had some minor issues and no major malfunctions.

Before she knew it, it was time for Director Qian and the others to inspect the task. Lin Yuanshu thought of the report she had written overtime and hoped that Director Qian could understand it!

The acceptance process went smoothly. After all, the leaders had been paying close attention to Lin Yuanshu's workshop and naturally knew whether Lin Yuanshu had falsified data. The so-called acceptance was just a formality.

Even so, Lin Yuanshu still took the leaders to inspect the naphthalene intermediate produced by solvent sulfonation, and the leaders were very satisfied with the finished product.

The Minister of Safety exclaimed, "Fortunately, we did not give up on this plan. It not only improved production efficiency but also significantly increased the product qualification rate. We can produce more products with less raw materials. This solvent sulfonation method for producing naphthalene intermediates is excellent and should be promoted nationwide."

Factory Director Qian nodded in satisfaction and said with a smile, "After the labor production competition organized by the Chemical Industry Bureau ends, I will have a good discussion with the director of the Chemical Industry Bureau. It's too early to talk about promotion now."

The head of the security department said excitedly, "Now, the labor production competition organized by the Chemical Industry Bureau is definitely ours."

Factory Director Qian said with a serious expression, "Keep a low profile, everyone. Head of Security, you'd better be careful from now on and make sure nothing happens in the workshop."

After saying this, he turned to the head of the production department and said seriously, "You shouldn't be idle either. Help Comrade Lin Yuanshu manage the workshop. Although Comrade Lin Yuanshu is very good at improving equipment, he still lacks experience in managing the workshop."

“Okay,” the production manager readily agreed.

Lin Yuanshu said softly, "I will learn from the Minister of Production."

Director Xia followed suit, saying, "As Comrade Lin Yuanshu's leader, I will also do my best to help Comrade Lin Yuanshu so that the workshop group led by Comrade Lin Yuanshu can successfully participate in the labor production competition organized by the Chemical Industry Bureau."

Director Zhou and Director Tang couldn't help but curse Director Xia in their hearts. He talked too much! All he did was flatter people all day long.

Although she secretly wished she could bite Director Xia to death, she still wore a smile on her face and said, "We will help too."

After the acceptance inspection was completed, Director Qian posted the news that Lin Yuanshu's plan had passed the inspection on the notice board, along with a notice that Lin Yuanshu had been appointed as the official team leader.

Not everyone understood Lin Yuanshu's project plan. One worker asked, "Why is Comrade Lin Yuanshu chosen as the team leader? She's so young! What if something goes wrong?"

Another worker argued, "Why can't she be a team leader? Otherwise, with Comrade Lin Yuanshu, would the air in your workshop be so fresh now? Do you know what it means for Comrade Lin Yuanshu to complete the project plan?"

The workers watching all shook their heads.

The worker cleared his throat and said loudly, "It means that our chemical plant can achieve good results in the labor production competition held by the Chemical Industry Bureau and make a name for itself."

The workers watching were shocked, but they were also incredibly excited, as everyone hoped that their chemical plant would continue to thrive.

"It's truly a case of the younger generation surpassing the older, each wave stronger than the last. Comrade Lin Yuanshu accomplished something we could never have done in our entire lives," a thin worker exclaimed.

The worker who had just spoken said with a smile, "That's why top students are top students. They can become leaders, while we can only be ordinary workers. They are responsible for doing these big things, and we just need to do our job well. Everyone does their own job."

“You’re right,” the thin worker agreed.

When the news reached the backup workshop group, Wu Jianhua was in the workshop encouraging the workers.

After hearing the news, he was silent for a while, then smiled wryly and said, "Although we don't need to strive to participate in the labor production competition organized by the Chemical Industry Bureau now, we still need to strive to complete the production task as soon as possible. Our efforts will not stop because of this."

The workers had mixed feelings, feeling that the factory leaders were just playing with them. Their mood during this period was like the pendulum of an old-fashioned clock, going from one thing to another.

They were feeling down after failing to win first place in the labor production competition, and then inexplicably became the backup workshop group. Before they could even celebrate, they were now the backup workshop group that couldn't participate in the competition.

Zhou Dafu took a deep breath, trying hard not to laugh. He was different from others. His daughter-in-law could not only participate in the labor production competition organized by the Chemical Industry Bureau, but also became a group leader. His family had two group leaders. He didn't know if others lost money or not, but he made a killing.

He became happier and happier as he thought about it, and to avoid laughing out loud, he pinched his thigh hard.

Because of the force, tears streamed down my face.

Just as Zhou Dafu's team member was about to speak to him, he saw Zhou Dafu crying. He quickly asked loudly, "Team leader, what's wrong?"

At this moment, everyone's eyes were on Chow Tai Fook.

"I'm just very sad that we can't participate in the labor production competition organized by the Chemical Industry Bureau. It would have been better if we hadn't been given any hope in the first place." Zhou Dafu thought for a long time and finally managed to come up with a reason.

Wu Jianhua walked over and patted Chow Tai Fook on the shoulder. He hadn't expected this repairman to be such a kind person.

Zhou Dafu's team member lowered his head in shame. "Team leader, I'm sorry. I thought you would be very happy! After all, Comrade Lin Yuanshu is your daughter-in-law."

Wu Jianhua's smile froze instantly as he scrutinized Chow Tai Fook.

Zhou Dafu remained calm and retorted, "My daughter-in-law can participate in the labor production competition organized by the Chemical Industry Bureau, not me. What's there to be happy about? Do you want your daughter-in-law to be on equal footing with you?"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Zhou Dafu with sympathy, after all, Lin Yuanshu did not look like a delicate little girl who would be easily manipulated.

Zhou Dafu could tell from their expressions that they had misunderstood. He personally felt that Lin Yuanshu was quite filial to him, at least she had never lost her temper in front of him and always spoke to him in a kind and gentle manner.

He wanted to explain, but he didn't know how, since neither of them had spoken aloud, but rather conveyed their feelings through their eyes.

"Comrade Lin Yuanshu is still very filial to me," Zhou Dafu said after holding back for a while.

“We all understand.” A member of Chow Tai Fook’s team gave a meaningful smile.

Soon, the news that Zhou Dafu was unhappy that his daughter-in-law could participate in the labor production competition organized by the Chemical Industry Bureau spread throughout the chemical plant like ink dripping into clear water, even faster than the news that Lin Yuanshu had become the team leader.

Everyone felt a little better; Comrade Lin Yuanshu had only gained the opportunity for promotion, but she had lost the opportunity for family harmony.