Chapter 130

Xia Qingtang said nothing and just rode his bike forward as hard as he could.

The new factory is quite far away, so instead of wasting energy talking, I'd rather save some and use it on riding a bicycle.

The biggest advantage of Yang Dachuan is that he is thick-skinned. Even if Xia Qingtang ignores him, he will not feel embarrassed. Instead, he will follow her with a grin on his face and say a few words about the situation on the road from time to time.

"Secretary Xiao Xia, there seems to be a candy seller up ahead, do you want to go take a look?"

"There's a big intersection ahead. Xiao Xia, please slow down and be careful at the intersection."

"I remember there will be a traffic police officer directing traffic at the next intersection. We can't just rush through it."

…

He was the only one who could be heard chattering along the entire way, and Xia Qingtang felt a headache from listening to him.

When they were halfway through the ride, other colleagues also went in other directions one after another. Only Yang Dachuan stayed with Xia Qingtang because they were going the same way.

When they were about to separate, Yang Dachuan said, "Alas, I didn't expect to separate so soon. I really don't want to leave you. I was embarrassed to say it just now because there were other people around, but now I can say it. It's been so long since we met, and you seem to be getting prettier. People say that a girl of eighteen is a beauty, but I say that you will always be a beauty, Xia."

Xia Qingtang couldn't help but said coldly: "Secretary Yang, although we are colleagues, I don't intend to be friends with you. If you can be polite, don't say some messy words, and don't do some messy actions, then we can live in peace and spend these months in peace. If you can't be polite, don't blame me for being impolite."

Yang Dachuan said with great interest: "If I am really rude, what are you going to do?"

"I will find your immediate superior, the chairman of the city trade union, and report you by real name. I will also tell Director Chai and Director Pete the truth about your harassment of me." Xia Qingtang said coldly.

Yang Dachuan was a little surprised. He asked, "You want to do this?"

"You think I don't dare?"

"No, but do you know how this kind of thing would normally be handled? You're just an officer. Normally, even if you sue me, you'll be the one who gets punished in the end."

"I know, but do you know how this kind of thing would be handled in a factory run by foreigners?" Xia Qingtang deliberately raised his voice.

Yang Dachuan was stunned. He really didn't know.

Xia Qingtang knew about it. She had heard from her neighbor's teacher before that foreigners seemed to have some relevant policies on this kind of thing, and companies would collectively study some systems related to harassment between colleagues. Of course, although they only dealt with this kind of thing on the surface, generally speaking, they would still take into account the rights and interests of the victims.

And what was Xia Qingtang afraid of? At worst, she could just go back to the cotton mill and continue working. It wouldn't cause any loss to her.

Moreover, if this matter was really reported to the Municipal Federation of Trade Unions and the factory, how would Yang Dachuan live his life in the future?

Even if he has a good father, Xia Qingtang still has a good grandfather. Although Grandpa Xie will retire in a few years, he is at least in power now. Does Yang Dachuan's father really dare to offend the Xie family? Of course he doesn't dare.

No one would care if Yang Dachuan did this in private, but if the matter got out of hand, he would suffer the consequences, as the Yang family would definitely punish him.

After a long silence, Yang Dachuan said, "If you really tell others, people may not think I'm bad. You are too beautiful. Generally speaking, people have some prejudice against beautiful people. When the time comes, everyone will scold you for being immoral, not me."

"Then go ahead and scold me. What harm will it do to me if you scold me for being immoral? If you have the guts to do it in front of me, I can scold you back. If you don't scold me in front of me and I can't hear you, then it didn't happen." Xia Qingtang sneered, "If you don't believe it, you can try and see if others will scold you. You said I'm so beautiful, and my lover is prettier, taller, and better than you. Am I blind to seduce you?"

Yang Dachuan said coldly, "Your family doesn't care about it either? A daughter-in-law who looks like you will usually be suspicious of her family. Even if your parents-in-law don't care about these things, won't your wife say anything? I know Xie Xuedi well. He looks very gentle, but he is actually very stubborn. What if you get divorced because of such a small matter? Have you ever considered the future?"

"You don't need to worry about my future. If my lover doesn't believe in my personality and character, then I don't need this lover!" Xia Qingtang's words were powerful: "Don't use this kind of thing to scare me and threaten me. I tell you, I don't care about these things at all. My family and friends know what kind of person I am. Any rumors can only work on strangers. And I don't care what strangers think of me. But don't you, Secretary Yang, care? Don't you have any face in your Yang family? Even if people say that I am a fickle woman, your son of the Yang family has fallen in love with Xie Qiming's granddaughter-in-law. Is this a glorious thing? People will say that you don't know what is good for you and have a mean temperament. Instead of worrying about whether I will divorce you, you might as well worry about how your father will teach you a lesson!"

This sentence obviously hit the point home. Yang Dachuan's face turned dark and he barely pedaled the bike.

Xia Qingtang said loudly: "Think about it carefully, I am not kidding you. Starting tomorrow, if you don't respect me again, I will definitely go to the leader to make things clear!"

After saying this, Xia Qingtang accelerated his pedaling and left Yang Dachuan behind in one breath.

Now that things have come to this, I guess he won't dare to do anything weird anymore.

When he returned to the familiar central road, Xia Qingtang finally breathed a sigh of relief, slowed down his pedaling, and began to move forward slowly along with the crowd of people leaving get off work.

When she arrived at the gate of the compound, before she went in, she saw Hu Yanni standing next to the guard room. When she saw her riding her bike over, she waved to her happily.

"Qingtang!"

Xia Qingtang was surprised: "Yanni? Why are you here? Did something happen?"

Hu Yanni smiled and said, "No, nothing happened. I just came to see you."

Xia Qingtang stopped his bicycle at the gate and asked, "Why don't you go in?"

"You haven't got off work yet, so it's not convenient for me to go in. Comrade Xie is home alone and he wants to study, so I don't want to disturb him." Hu Yanni said with a smile.

Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "Then get in the car and we'll go home and talk."

"Okay." Hu Yanni sat on the back of the bicycle and held Xia Qingtang's waist. She said, "Oh, how come your waist has become thinner again?"

"No, I should have gained weight. How can my waist be thin?" Xia Qingtang said.

Hu Yanni laughed: "Hey, I don't remember what your waist circumference was before. Anyway, I was just talking nonsense, don't take it to heart."

When they passed by the basketball court, they met Luo Xiangqian and Leng Feng, both of whom were playing basketball in the crowd.

Seeing Xia Qingtang coming over, Luo Xiangqian ran to the side of the road with a smile: "Xiao Xia is back? Eh? Isn't this Comrade Xiao Hu? Are you here to visit?"

Xia Qingtang said: "Yes, Yanni came to visit."

"Then will you cook for dinner tonight?" Luo Xiangqian rubbed his hands, looking expectant.

Xia Qingtang said: "It's getting late today, I will probably just make something simple to eat, if you don't mind, you can come over and eat later."

Inviting one person to dinner is just a matter of eating, and inviting two people is just a matter of adding an extra pair of chopsticks.

Hu Yanni said, "Qingtang, I will go back after I finish talking to you. I won't eat at your house."

"How can that be? It's already this late. If you go back later it will be too late. Just eat here." Xia Qingtang said, "Lao Luo, come over and eat later."

"Okay, thank you." Luo Xiangqian laughed and ran back to play basketball.

No one cared whether Leng Feng wanted to go to dinner or not, and Leng Feng didn't seem interested.

Xia Qingtang brought Hu Yanni back home. Xie Jinxuan came out to greet them when she heard the noise: "You're back? Huh? Little Hu is here?"

"Yes, I came to ask Qingtang something." Hu Yanni smiled and said, "I am sorry to bother you again."

"Why would I bother you? You haven't been here for a long time, and Qingtang is missing you." Xie Jinxuan said, "It just so happens that I have already washed and cut the vegetables, so you can start cooking right away."

Xia Qingtang walked into the room and looked at the clock. She said, "Oh, I came back so quickly. It took me ten minutes less than it did this morning. Look at my speed!"

"You ride so fast on the way back, aren't you tired?" Xie Jinxuan asked with concern.

"Hey, I was forced to do this. I'll tell you more about this later. There's a reason for this." Xia Qingtang said, "I'll wash my hands first, and then I'll cook with Yanni. Lao Luo just said that he'll come over for dinner tonight."

Xie Jinxuan said: "Then we need to add some more staple food."

"Okay, I understand."

Xia Qingtang tidied herself up, put on an apron, and went into the kitchen with Hu Yanni. The two talked while cooking.

"What are you going to say?"

Hu Yanni whispered, "I'm here to ask for my brother. You're working there now. Do you have any inside information about the recruitment? I know I'm a little anxious. This is only your first day at work, but I really can't stay any longer..."

"There is inside information, but our office is not the department that directly recruits people, so we can't see the written test questions. They are all in the office on the first floor. On the day of recruitment, we just do some assisting work."

"Ah? Why is it like this… He is so tight-lipped, can't I get anything out of him?" Hu Yanni was a little anxious.

Xia Qingtang said: "Don't worry, although I can't see the questions for the written test, I have seen some of the things we can access, and I think your brother will have no problem and will definitely pass the recruitment."

"Why do you say that?" Hu Yanni became excited again.

"Because, there is a line written on it that in the first round of recruitment, only those who have graduated from high school will be hired. It doesn't matter if they haven't graduated, but they must have graduated from high school, and high school graduates will be hired first." Xia Qingtang said: "You see, this shows that this new electrical appliance factory requires people with a certain level of education to enter the factory. Although the next few batches are still uncertain, the first batch will obviously only recruit those sent-down youth. Basically, they have all studied a little bit of high school. Your brother went to the countryside after graduating from high school. He has a high school diploma, so he will definitely be admitted. So, don't worry. Apart from other things, just with a high school diploma, he has won."

Hu Yanni finally breathed a sigh of relief: "If that's the case, I can rest assured. My brother should be able to be hired. You don't know, my brother has been back for so long, and he always feels that he is a burden to us. He was better before, and didn't seem so anxious, but as the recruitment time approaches, I can see that his pressure is getting greater and greater. He often can't sleep all night, worrying that he will be rejected. In this way, he will never have a job, and he can't rely on his parents for his whole life... So I am also very anxious, and I hurried over to ask you. Even if I can't get any news today, just talking to you will make me feel better."

"Then you can go back tonight and tell him that they give priority to high school graduates when hiring, and he can rest assured." Xia Qingtang said, "But this matter should only be known to your family members, and don't tell anyone else."

Although the first round of official recruitment will begin soon, it’s better not to tell anyone about this.

Hu Yanni smiled and nodded: "Don't worry, I know what's going on, and I won't tell anyone. It's something that bothers you, and if I tell anyone, what will happen? Besides, for such a good thing, you just need to know it in your heart, and I won't tell so many people. Those people are my brother's competitors, and I don't want to help them."

Xia Qingtang was happy: "Yanni, I found that you have become smarter! You would never say such things before. You have changed a lot."

"After all, I'm in my twenties, I've been through a breakup, and now I'm a college student. If I haven't changed at all, I'd be a failure." Hu Yanni said, "You're getting better and better, and you're always moving forward. Although I can't catch up with you, I won't fall too far behind."

"What are you talking about? You are a female college student, who is the best?"

"Even if you are excellent, what does it matter if I am a female college student? I will probably still be inferior to you in the future."

"Don't say that. Let's work hard together. You will definitely be great in the future!" Xia Qingtang smiled and touched her shoulder with his shoulder.

Hu Yanni laughed and said, "It would be great if Xiaoshuang could cheer up and move forward. I'm not worried about my brother anymore, I'm worried about her now."

Xia Qingtang said, "By the way, I wonder what class Xiaoshuang is in today. I'll ask Jinxuan to go over and take a look."

After she finished speaking, she shouted outside the kitchen: "Jinxuan, go check on Xiaoshuang. If she is home, ask her to come over for dinner."

"Okay, I'll go over now." Xie Jinxuan said, "I made some tea for Xiao Hu and put it on the coffee table."

"I see. Thank you."

After Xie Jinxuan left, Xia Qingtang whispered, "Xiao Shuang's situation is rather special and serious. We can't help her with this matter. We can only leave it to time. You have to believe in time. As long as time is long enough, there is no hurdle that cannot be overcome. So don't be impatient. You can only wait slowly. Only when she gets over it by herself, can she really figure it out."

"I understand. I will wait patiently. I just don't want Xiaoshuang to go somewhere else so soon. I really don't want her to leave. But every time I talk about this, her attitude is very firm. She says she must leave here."

"It's definitely too early to go to other places. It will take at least two or three years, right? Now that we are in the provincial capital, let's get together more often when we are free."

According to the progress, the first special economic zone will be established this year, and after that, local people will go there one after another to work hard. According to Xie Xiaoshuang's personality and current situation, she should not be the first group of people to go there, so she will have to wait and see.

"You're right. I'll come to see you on Sunday," said Hu Yanni.

Xia Qingtang said: "You can come over on Sunday afternoon. I have something to do in the morning."

"What is it?"

“Learn English.”

Hu Yanni burst out laughing: "You are amazing. You work so hard, but you still study English on Sundays. You are more diligent than me, a college student. No, no, I want to learn from you. I also want to use all the available time to study hard."

After a while, Xie Jinxuan came back and said, "Xiao Hu's room is dark and the door is locked, so he shouldn't be on the early shift."

"I understand. That's okay. We can just cook more rice for Lao Luo." Xia Qingtang said as he put a pot on the coal stove in the living room and started to simmer the rice.

When Luo Xiangqian finished playing basketball and ran over, the food was already ready.

Although nothing was prepared in advance, fortunately there was a rich supply of dried vegetables at home, and there was also some small dried fish bought before the New Year. There was only one plate left, and Xia Qingtang added chili sauce and steamed it together. It also became a very delicious dish.

The rice was cooked with dried sweet potatoes, and the dishes were stir-fried vegetables and green peppers with dried tofu, as well as a plate of cold black fungus prepared by Xia Qingtang. This was Luo Xiangqian's favorite dish.

"It's delicious. Every family can make this cold dish, but Xiaoxia's is even better." Luo Xiangqian praised, "And this fried dried tofu, the taste is slightly different today, but it seems to be more delicious than before! Especially fragrant!"

Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "Of course it smells good. This is cooked by Yanni, not me. How is it? Is Yanni's cooking skill better than mine?"

Luo Xiangqian was surprised: "Oh, Comrade Xiao Hu, I really can't believe that you, a college student, have such good cooking skills. I am really surprised!"

Hu Yanni felt a little embarrassed. She said, "It's nothing. I've learned cooking since I was a child. I'm just average at it, not as good as Qingtang."

"Yanni, don't be so modest. Many of your dishes are better than mine. Even your mother agrees with that." Xia Qingtang said with a smile.

Hu Yanni blushed slightly and said, "But you can cook a lot of dishes that I can't."

"If you don't know how to cook, you can learn. I'll tell you how to cook. You'll get it done after a few times. It's not that difficult." Xia Qingtang said, "The most important thing is the cooking skill. Taste varies from person to person. If you cook well, everything you cook will taste good."

Luo Xiangqian agreed: "That's right, my mother and Jinxuan's mother are terrible at cooking. No matter what they cook, the taste is not right."

Xie Jinxuan smiled and said, "You only dare to say it here. If my mother and your mother hear it, you will definitely be beaten."

Everyone started laughing. Hu Yanni said, "The main reason is that you don't need your mother to cook at home. Someone else does it. We can't do that. We have to cook by ourselves."

"That's not true. Actually, our cousin's cooking is not that good either, but there's nothing we can do about it. She's good at other housework and is very skillful, so we've been using her until now. The best one is Jinxuan. This kid is very lucky. Sixth Aunt is recognized as a good cook here, and he has been eating her since he was a child. As a result, when he got married and moved out, he met a daughter-in-law who is also a great cook. Tell me, how come he is so lucky?"

Hu Yanni smiled and said, "Then why don't you find a wife who can cook? Then you will have a good time in the future."

Luo Xiangqian said, "Let's talk about this later. I'm not in the mood for it yet."

Xia Qingtang said: "You haven't gotten over it yet? Are you still feeling heartbroken?"

"Who hasn't gotten over it? I got over it a long time ago. I've been focusing on my work. I've said before that I'll work hard. My company has entrusted me with important tasks this year. How can I have the free time to date?" Luo Xiangqian said.

"Then you should work hard." Xia Qingtang said, "Try to be an advanced person."

"I can't count on you to be promoted, but will Jinxuan get a big award certificate?"

Hu Yanni smiled and asked, "What big award?"

Xia Qingtang explained, and then said: "It is said that the certificate will be sent to their university this month, and there will probably be some kind of commendation ceremony at that time."

Xie Jinxuan said: "It was a small ceremony, just the principal and a few leaders together, it's not a big deal."

"This is a big deal. You have made a contribution. However, next time something like this happens, you should also call me along. I want to get some credit, too." Luo Xiangqian said, "You and Leng Feng both have contributions. It's useless for me alone."

Xia Qingtang said: "Forget it. This kind of thing is very dangerous. I have advised Jinxuan not to do it again. The same goes for you. Just work hard. It is better than anything else. It is not only about making great achievements that you can be considered a contribution. I think the greatest contribution for ordinary people like us is to work hard."

"So how's your work going? How was your experience at the new electrical appliance factory today?"

Xia Qingtang said: "It's a very new and beautiful factory. It looks really different from a cotton mill. The toilets inside are very clean. In addition, I found that they are more efficient. From our office director to those foreign factory managers, they all have a concise and clear style. They talk about things when they have something to say, and then get to work. They don't delay time or hold long meetings. This is good, I like it. But I can also see that if I continue to do this, I will definitely be very tired."

"Then you must take good care of your health and don't overwork yourself. Although you are young, young people nowadays can easily get sick from fatigue." Luo Xiangqian said seriously.

Xia Qingtang smiled: "Don't worry, I'm in good health. I ride my bike for a long time every day. This is the best way to exercise."

Hu Yanni asked, "You ride your bike for such a long time now, aren't you tired?"

"I rode too fast tonight and was a little tired. It was okay in the morning. So I am looking forward to the recruitment starting soon. As long as the first batch of workers are recruited, there will be shuttle buses to pick them up. It will definitely be easy without having to ride a bike by myself." Xia Qingtang said.

"How do we run the bus?"

"It should be divided into several routes, and like the bus, it will stop at different locations. Everyone can choose a stop close to home to wait for the bus. I have inquired before, and the shuttle bus will definitely pass through Central Road. As long as there is a shuttle bus, it will be convenient to go to and from get off work." Xia Qingtang said: "You can even sleep for a while on the way, how comfortable."

Xie Jinxuan said: "Looking at your state today, I know you are quite satisfied with this new factory."

"I am indeed quite satisfied, but I can't tell anything good or bad on the first day. It's just very fresh. Oh, did you know? Before the first batch of workers entered the factory, the factory provided us with free lunch. We even had fried shredded pork at noon. The food was especially good, there was really nothing to complain about." Xia Qingtang said.

Even Luo Xiangqian was surprised when he heard this. He said, "This foreigner is really rich. He provides such good food for free. This is really a good deal. It can save a lot of food coupons."

"Yes, so in a while, I will invite you to eat that spicy mixed dish. You just need to bring the wine, and there will be enough staple food and vegetables." Xia Qingtang said with a smile.

Hu Yanni asked curiously, "What is spicy hotpot?"

"It's just a mixture of various vegetarian dishes cooked and served cold. It's spicy and delicious. It's perfect with rice or as a side dish for drinking." Xia Qingtang said, "It's very simple to make. I'll tell you how to make it later."

"Okay." Hu Yanni smiled and said, "Qingtang, you know a lot of things that others don't know."

"Yes, yes, Xiao Xia really knows everything. She seems to know everything we talk about." Luo Xiangqian said.

Xia Qingtang said: "You two, stop flattering me. What am I? I only know a little bit about everything. If you want to say who really knows everything, it's our Xie Jinxuan."

In fact, she didn't know much, she just knew a lot more advanced information than them, so she seemed very smart, but she always understood that this was not a real skill, so she had to study writing, learn foreign languages, and work hard, because only these things truly belonged to her.

Even if twenty years pass and others make up for the information gap, these real skills will not be taken away.

Soon, the young men finished all the food.

Hu Yanni said, "I'll wash the dishes."

Luo Xiangqian stood up immediately: "No, no, no, don't you know? In this family, the person who cooks doesn't wash the dishes. You two cooked dinner, so of course Jinxuan and I will wash the dishes."

Xia Qingtang said: "Yes, let them wash the dishes, this is the division of labor and cooperation."

After the two of them went to the kitchen to wash the dishes, Xia Qingtang refilled Hu Yanni's cup of hot tea, then took out a can of luncheon meat from under the coffee table and asked her to take it back for her father and mother to try.

"This is very expensive. I don't want it. My parents don't dare to accept it."

"Are you still sharing these with me? Last time I went to your house, your aunt gave me a lot of peanut cakes to bring back." Xia Qingtang said, "Take them back with you. If you feel like eating meat, cut them into pieces and stir-fry them with vegetables. They are very delicious. I can eat three bowls of rice at a time."

"Your appetite has indeed increased a lot, it seems that you have gained weight." Hu Yanni smiled and pinched Xia Qingtang's cheek, saying: "Then I will accept it. Thank you, my parents will definitely be very happy."

After chatting for a few more words, Xia Qingtang said, "It's getting late, let me take you home."

Hu Yanni said, "You don't have to send me off. You rode so far today, it's very tiring, you should take a good rest. I know the way home so well, why do I need you to send me off?"

Luo Xiangqian happened to come out of the kitchen after washing the dishes. Hearing this, he said, "Xiao Hu, you want to go home? I also want to go home. I'll take you out on the way. But, are there any buses at this time?"

Hu Yanni looked at the time and said, "I may miss the last bus, but it doesn't matter. I don't have classes in the first two periods tomorrow morning, so I can go later. I can just walk home slowly tonight."

"Okay, I'll go out with you." Luo Xiangqian turned and looked at Xia Qingtang, "Xiao Xia, thank you again today. I'll bring you some fruit some other day."

"Okay, I'll wait." Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinxuan sent them out together, "Yanni, be careful on the road."

"Don't worry." Hu Yanni smiled and waved her hand, then went out with Luo Xiangqian.

Xie Jinxuan bolted the gate and walked back home with Xia Qingtang. After they closed the gate, he asked, "Why did you ride so fast today? You haven't told me the reason yet."

"Yes, I almost forgot about this." Xia Qingtang pulled him to sit on the sofa, and then said a little unhappy: "Did you know? Yang Dachuan was sent by the city to the new factory to assist in the work, and what a coincidence, he was in our factory office. Yes, I was assigned to the factory office, and I found that this new factory has no trade union. I don’t know if there will be one in the future, but at least there is none for now."

"Since the municipal labor union has sent people to assist, the factory union will definitely be set up. However, since it is a factory run by foreigners, some other issues may need to be considered." Xie Jinxuan said, "After get off work, does he pester you? It just so happens that the two of you have similar routes home, so you can only ride faster and faster."

"Yes, our office now has a director and four colleagues who were transferred here, and the remaining one is Yang Dachuan. Everyone has a bicycle, and we ride out together after work. I started riding with a female colleague, but she turned a corner after a while. Yang Dachuan followed me, and I pedaled hard, but I couldn't get rid of him. Later, when the other colleagues also separated, he started to lie. I warned him severely, and seeing that he was like that, he probably wouldn't dare to do anything else." Xia Qingtang said: "Going to the new factory is obviously a very happy thing, but it was ruined because of Yang Dachuan."

"Don't be angry. Tell me, how did you warn him?" Xie Jinxuan gently rubbed Xia Qingtang's little hand.

Xia Qingtang repeated the conversation between the two on the road. After Xie Jinxuan finished listening, she said, "You have already said this much. Even Yang Dachuan will not dare to say nonsense tomorrow. If he says anything to you again, tell me and I will go talk to him."

"I don't think he dares to do that. Anyway, I'm really not afraid. If he has the guts, he can continue to do bad things. I'll go to the city to complain to his father after work tomorrow afternoon! He's clearly a hooligan, but he acts like he's some romantic figure. It's disgusting to think about it." Xia Qingtang said, "Has no one told him to learn how to respect women?"

Xie Jinxuan said, "When he was a teenager, his parents were busy, and probably no one took care of him, let alone taught him these things. He himself is not a pure and kind person. Now that his father has become powerful, he is being praised more and more, and naturally he has lost himself. It's better for you to sound a warning bell for him, so that he won't get carried away and really do something unmanageable in the future."

Xia Qingtang said: "I hope he makes a big mistake and learns a lesson, as long as he doesn't bother me!"

Xie Jinxuan smiled and hugged her: "Let's not talk about him anymore, let's talk about something serious. Do you like working in the new factory?"

"I like it very much. The new factory is beautiful everywhere, and the environment is great. There's even a toilet in the bathroom on the second floor. And the current Director Chai also gives me a good impression, and my colleagues also..." Xia Qingtang talked incessantly, and pulled Xie Jinxuan to talk about what happened at work today.

As they chatted, her mood improved and she slept very well that night. She woke up early the next day feeling refreshed, had breakfast and rode her bike to work early.

When they arrived at the factory, the gatekeepers had changed again. Xia Qingtang had to show his work ID and then report his name and department before he was allowed in.

When I arrived at the office, I saw Director Chai was already there, concentrating on writing something.

Xia Qingtang said softly: "Director Chai, good morning."

Director Chai looked up and saw Xia Qingtang had arrived, so he said, "Xiao Xia is here? Do you go to work so early every day?"

Xia Qingtang said: "Not every day, sometimes I oversleep."

"They are young people after all." Director Chai said, "By the way, I forgot to tell them something yesterday. You can tell them later that there are people in charge of cleaning and turning on the water in the office building here, so you don't have to come so early in the morning."

"Oh, that's it. I see. Thank you, Director Chai. I'll tell you later." Xia Qingtang thought for a moment and said, "By the way, Director Chai, can I ask if we can apply for a lock on this desk?"

Director Chai said, "Locks? Yes, you have a large office with many people, plus the cleaning staff will come in and out, so you should equip each desk with a lock and a small lock. OK, I understand, I will apply for this and try to install locks for everyone as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Director Chai." Xia Qingtang was very happy.

The work efficiency here is indeed very high. Someone came in the afternoon and installed two locks on everyone's desk, one for the large drawer and one for the cabinet. Only the small drawer had no lock.

However, the small drawer can be used to store some unimportant things, so it doesn’t matter if there is no lock.

After the lock was installed, Director Chai came out and said, "There are six of you in total. You need twelve small locks. Choose one person to buy one. Get the invoice and bring it back. You can go to the finance office to get reimbursed tomorrow."

Yang Dachuan immediately said, "Director Chai, it costs a lot of money to buy twelve small locks at a time. I'm worried that everyone doesn't have that much money. Otherwise, I'll go buy them."

"Okay, then I'll trouble Secretary Yang. Thank you for your hard work." After Director Chai said this, he walked back in.

Several people thanked Yang Dachuan, and Xia Qingtang also said thank you, and then didn't say anything else.

Yesterday's warning was obviously very useful. Yang Dachuan became very well-behaved when he came in the morning. He would not talk to Xia Qingtang unless it was necessary. Even if he did talk, he was very polite. He was completely different from yesterday.

Xia Qingtang is very satisfied with this change because it allows her to devote herself to her work.

In the afternoon, Yang Dachuan went out to buy a small lock, while others continued to work in the office.

Shi Xiaoyu still didn't dare to go to the toilet alone, so she always asked Xia Qingtang to accompany her.

Xia Qingtang didn't care about it. Since he happened to need something too, he would go with her.

Seeing that there was no one in the women's restroom, Shi Xiaoyu whispered, "Xiao Xia, why do I feel that Secretary Yang is not as enthusiastic when talking to you today?"

"Really? No, I didn't notice it at all." Xia Qingtang said calmly.

"Is it my illusion? I felt that Secretary Yang was very enthusiastic towards you yesterday, but today he didn't even talk to you."

Xia Qingtang said: "Yesterday was my first day at the new factory. I saw Secretary Yang was very enthusiastic towards everyone. But today, the novelty has worn off, so naturally she is not as enthusiastic."

"That's right. I heard that Secretary Yang is not married yet. When I saw him being so enthusiastic yesterday, I thought he wanted to pursue you." Shi Xiaoyu laughed.

Xia Qingtang immediately said, "How is that possible? My wife and Secretary Yang are also acquaintances. They played basketball together in high school. How could Secretary Yang pursue the wife of an acquaintance? Don't say that. If you tell others about it, you will offend others."

"Ah, you're married?" Shi Xiaoyu said, "I never asked you before. I saw that you were so young and were assigned to work here, so I thought you were not married."

"I've been married for a year and a half, and my husband is Secretary Yang's junior." Xia Qingtang said, "It seems that when we introduced ourselves yesterday, we should have added a married person to the list."

Shi Xiaoyu laughed: "That's true, I don't know if the others are married or not."

"Are you married then?"

"I'm getting married in May, and the date has been set. My husband is an accountant. We both work at Xinhua Bookstore, and the company has promised me that even if I come to work here, they will still allocate two houses for us. That's why I agreed to come here." Shi Xiaoyu said, "Otherwise, wouldn't I be at a disadvantage?"

"Yes, so you are getting married. Congratulations."

"Thank you." Shi Xiaoyu said, "I really hope that next month won't be too busy. I still have a lot of things to buy, and they all take time."

Xia Qingtang wasn't sure whether they would be busy next month, but they soon became busy as the new electrical appliance factory officially began recruiting workers.

Because the recruitment was open to the entire city, there were thousands of people who signed up on the first day alone.

But at the registration site, there was a hurdle that was clearly written on a huge white paper: you must have attended high school and have a high school diploma or a certificate from your original school.