Chapter 25 After breakfast, Yu Jiajia returned...
After breakfast, Yu Jiajia went back to her room, put on her backpack, and secretly stuffed the book "The Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion" containing the gold into her spatial backpack, planning to study it carefully when no one was around.
She straightened her two braids that were hanging down her chest, smiled at herself in the mirror, and looked very pretty!
Her clothes were ugly, covered in patches! Of her only two outfits, one had patches, and the other was patched upon patched.
This is the only way I can dress simply on my first day at work.
Cheng Xiuying walked in from outside, holding a long blue dress with white polka dots in her hand. "Try it on and see if you can wear it. You're an employee, so you should dress smartly and appropriately."
Yu Jiajia immediately threw herself into Cheng Xiuying's arms: "Mom, you're so good to me. When I get my salary, I'll buy you pretty clothes too!"
Cheng Xiuying originally wanted to say that she could borrow Yu Jiajia's clothes for a few days, but she changed her mind as soon as she said it, "Don't be so affectionate."
She reached out and pushed her. "Why is this child so clingy now? She's such a grown-up."
Yu Jiajia hugged her tightly: "Thank you, Mom!"
With such little strength, how could she possibly withstand Cheng Xiuying's push? Her mother didn't even push her hard.
Yu Jiajia immediately changed into a blue dress with white flowers. This was a new dress that Yu Hongding bought for Cheng Xiuying last year. Cheng Xiuying felt that the color was too light and was always reluctant to wear it. It was well preserved and still looked new this year.
Yu Jiajia has fair skin, which looked even fairer in this light blue dress. She looked particularly youthful and beautiful. She twirled around and asked, "Does it look good?"
Cheng Xiuying couldn't find the right words to praise her, nor could she find the right words to say. Fourth Sister was truly beautiful, especially with her current smug look, which made it impossible to look away. "It's a bit loose. I'll adjust it with two stitches when I get back tonight."
Yu Jiajia finally put on a pretty dress and was so vain. She tied the light pink silk scarf that her third sister had given her that morning around her waist to make it look less loose. She ran over and hugged Cheng Xiuying: "Mom, I love you the most."
Cheng Xiuying couldn't suppress the smile on her lips. "Come on, I'll take you to work."
Yu Jiajia linked arms with Cheng Xiuying: "Okay."
When Yu Songchuan, who was still at home, saw his fourth sister, he was shocked: "Fourth sister, you look so good in this outfit!"
Yu Jiajia twirled around, showing off her new clothes, and said happily, "Mom gave them to me! I love them so much. I want to buy Mom dresses, shoes, and watches in the future."
Whether to buy or not is another matter; let's just make empty promises first.
Especially watches; most families couldn't even save up a watch ticket in their entire lives, so how could they afford to buy one?
Just take that with a grain of salt.
Cheng Xiuying truly believed this. Jiajia was a kind-hearted person who would give all the good things to the couple. She wasn't buying them now because Jiajia didn't have them yet, but once Jiajia had them, she would definitely give them to her as a token of her filial piety.
Jiajia is the most filial to her.
Yu Songchuan blurted out, "Mom, I'll buy you a sewing machine and a radio in the future. Can you get me a new dress too?"
Cheng Xiuying reached out and pinched Yu Songchuan's ear: "I'll fix it for you when you go to work."
Yu Jiajia handed the old book on Chinese medicinal herbs to Yu Songchuan, saying, "Study more when you have time. Let's continue our discussion tonight and catch up with my pace. Don't damage the book; we still need to return it to Aunt Cao."
Yu Songchuan: "You can rest assured that I can handle things."
Cheng Xiuying pushed her bicycle and walked out with Yu Hongding. Yu Jiajia jogged alongside Cheng Xiuying and asked, "Mom, is there anything I should be careful about when I go to work?"
Cheng Xiuying: "Just do your job well. If anyone bullies you, come to the security department and find me."
Yu Jiajia was particularly well-behaved: "I'll listen to Mom."
The three walked out, greeting the neighbors in the courtyard. Everyone praised Yu Jiajia for becoming more and more beautiful, saying she was worthy of being a member of the publicity department.
Zhao Hui clicked her tongue and said, "Siya is a grown woman now. After all this styling, she's almost unrecognizable."
Yu Jiajia smiled sweetly: "Thank you to my parents for making me so beautiful."
Zhao Hui: ...You're not modest at all.
Before they even left the courtyard, they saw a woman in a gray dress and black leather shoes leading a young man in a Zhongshan suit inside. The young man was pushing a bicycle with large and small bags hanging on the handlebars, as well as a piece of pork belly about five fingers wide.
That piece of pork belly alone weighs three pounds.
This is truly a very generous gift.
The woman smiled as soon as she saw Cheng Xiuying: "My dear in-laws, I've brought Duobao to visit you."
Cheng Xiuying's first reaction was, "Who are they in-laws? Who is Duobao?"
Liu Duobao smiled shyly, "Hello, Auntie, I'm Duobao." He looked at Yu Jiajia with deep affection and reached out to take her hand, "Jiajia, I've come to propose marriage."
A loud slap landed on Liu Duobao's face, the force so great that he stumbled and fell against a tree behind him.
Tears welled up in Liu Duobao's eyes as he covered his face in disbelief: "You dare hit me!"
"You dare to act like a hooligan right in front of me! Who knows you? You're calling me in-laws and proposing marriage right away." Cheng Xiuying clenched her fists, furious. The man was dressed smartly, his wristwatch gleaming, but he was really ugly, short, and not very bright.
Liu's mother was heartbroken and raised her hand to slap Cheng Xiuying across the face. Cheng Xiuying didn't dodge and took the slap, leaving a handprint on her face. When Liu's mother tried to slap her again, Cheng Xiuying grabbed her hand and twisted it hard. With a 'crack', Liu's mother broke out in a cold sweat from the pain: "How dare you hit me!"
Cheng Xiuying: "Are we just supposed to stand there and take a beating?"
Yu Jiajia cried and said, "Don't hit my mom anymore. How can you bully people like this? I don't know you. What relationship are you trying to claim?"
Cheng Xiuying grabbed Liu's mother by the collar and pinched her chest: "I haven't even gone to confront you yet after you threatened my daughter last time, and you're already showing up in front of me again? Do you really think my family is easy to bully?"
Liu's mother felt pain in her chest and wrists, and screamed in agony, "You dare hit me? I won't let you get away with this!"
She never expected that she would be beaten like this after bringing so many gifts to the door.
These things are enough as a betrothal gift.
Cheng Xiuying was speechless: "Is this the only thing you two, mother and son, can say? You hit others, and you're not allowed to fight back? It shows how arrogant you are."
Yu Jiajia looked scared, but she was actually overjoyed.
Beat this damn mother and son hard! Beat them hard!!!
Cheng Xiuying abandoned Liu's mother, who was powerless to fight, and looked at Liu Duobao: "You little bastard, why are you so cheeky?"
Liu Duobao was already scared when he saw his mother being beaten like this, and now that Cheng Xiuying was watching him, he was even more afraid, so he got up and ran away.
Cheng Xiuying: ...
"Pah, you good-for-nothing."
That little bitch Lu Xiaoqing actually introduced such a coward to Jiajia.
Cheng Xiuying turned to Yu Hongding and said, "Take Jiajia to work first. She can't be late on her first day. I'll take her to find Lu Xiaoqing and see which of them is really not understanding human language. They've said no eight hundred times, but they still insist on coming to our doorstep."
Yu Jiajia looked worried: "Mom, you have to be careful."
Cheng Xiuying pulled Liu Duobao's mother into the car. Liu's mother was really scared at this moment and shouted, "Help! Someone help me! She broke my wrist! Whoever saves me, I will definitely thank them later."
Cheng Xiuying: "Let's handle this business strictly. You think you can win people over with capitalist tactics?"
Grandpa Wang frowned: "Xiao Cheng, if there's any misunderstanding, talk it out. How could you resort to violence? If the police are called, you'll lose your job."
Hearing the commotion, Granny Xu rushed over to help: "Oh dear, Cheng Xiuying, what are you doing, you shrew? Look how you've bullied people! Why is the Yu family all like this? Call the police right now and have them arrest you all!"
Yu Jiajia cried, "Mom, how's your face? Does it hurt? Your family acted like thugs, and you even hit my mom first! You're all helping the bad guys, you're all bad guys!"
Cheng Xiuying pushed Xu Pozi away and pinched Liu's mother's wrist. Liu's mother screamed again. Cheng Xiuying said, "Your hand is perfectly fine, stop pretending, okay? On the contrary, it's my face that got slapped by you. Do you think you can just let it go like this?"
Liu's mother shook her wrist and found that it didn't hurt anymore. She shook it again, but it still didn't hurt.
Why doesn't her wrist hurt anymore?
Grandpa Wang asked with concern, "Comrade, how are you? Do you need to go to the health center?" He then criticized Cheng Xiuying, "Little Cheng, your family just received an honor, you can't be arrogant and make mistakes."
Fang Dayong shook his head with his hands behind his back: "How can this be worthy of the organization! Cheng Xiuying, your family is so disappointing."
Yu Hongding firmly stated, "Xiuying will not harm any innocent comrades, and even if she is harmed, she will not lay a hand on them. No matter what social standing the Liu family is, we will not agree to their marriage proposal. The most important thing for my Yu family children when choosing a partner is character, and the Liu family is of low character and not worth associating with."
Yu Jiajia's eyes sparkled. Comrade Cheng Xiuying was truly amazing! With just that one squeeze, she healed Liu's mother's hand again, leaving absolutely no room for doubt. Yu Hongding's words were also excellent; now it was her turn to perform.
Yu Jiajia sobbed, "Uncle Wang, Grandma Xu, Uncle Fang, how could you aid and abet such a wicked person? I don't even know Liu Duobao, yet he came to our door to propose marriage. My mother disagreed, and his mother slapped my mother. My mother knew she was the deputy captain of the security department, but she endured the pain and never fought back, gently persuading the Liu family to leave. The Liu family's arrogance and domineering behavior only got worse. Now they're just pretending to cry a few times, and you're all rushing to help them? What kind of neighbors are you?"
Grandpa Wang didn't know the specifics of what happened, but that wasn't important. What mattered was why the woman wasn't crying out in pain anymore. The way she was shaking her wrist didn't seem like she was in pain at all. He looked embarrassed and felt very awkward.
Grandma Zhou also came out: "I've never seen such an unruly family before! Your son came to our door to block people, and I beat him out. And now this? So, if anyone takes a fancy to someone else's daughter, they can just show up at their door with gifts, regardless of whether the other person agrees or not? Do you think that just because your family is high-class, rich, and has money, you can force others to agree to your terms?" She sneered: "Now that we're destroying the Four Olds, there's no more of that kind of power-based oppression."
Yu Jiajia nodded, sobbing. She was so beautiful, and when she cried, her face was like a pear blossom in the rain, making her look pitiful and only making the Liu family seem even more aggrieved.
Yu Songchuan stood in front of his sister: "She came by herself last time and blocked my fourth sister and me at the door, saying that as long as we agreed to marry into the family, she would find a job for my fourth sister. I don't know what kind of cadre she is, but she just finds jobs for people like that."
Su Man, standing in the crowd, looked at the disheveled yet well-dressed woman and gently bit her lip.
Pan Hongying saw Liu Duobao's disheveled escape and spat, "Your family certainly has a sharp eye, but you should also take a good look in the mirror. Isn't this like a toad trying to eat swan meat?"
Liu's mother looked embarrassed and was eager to escape, but Cheng Xiuying held her back, so she couldn't run away.
Cheng Xiuying: "Alright, everyone go to work." She dragged Liu's mother into the car, and with a forceful pull, dislocated Liu's mother's left arm.
Liu's mother screamed in agony.
Cheng Xiuying: "Stop pretending, okay? I'll take you back."
This time, no one spoke up for Liu's mother.
Cheng Xiuying rode the Liu family's bicycle, carrying Liu's mother, and left the courtyard.
Yu Jiajia watched as Comrade Cheng Xiuying carried Liu's mother, who was screaming in agony, and she couldn't help but giggle. Unfortunately, she had to go to work and couldn't witness Lu Xiaoqing being punished.
It's going to be amazing.
Yu Hongding smiled and said to everyone, "I won't take up any more of your time." He also thanked Grandma Zhou for her help.
Yu Jiajia raised her hand to wipe away her tears and smiled sweetly: "Grandma Zhou, you are so kind. Thank you. Luckily you spoke up for my family, otherwise we would have been wronged to death."
Look at Grandma Zhou, then look at Grandpa Wang, that's the difference.
Yu Hongding pushed his bicycle, called Yu Jiajia and Yu Songchuan and left, intending to drop Yu Songchuan off at school on his way to work.
Yu Jiajia was wearing a skirt and couldn't sit with her legs apart, so she could only sit sideways at the back, while Yu Songchuan sat on the crossbar in front.
Yu Songchuan: "This old man Wang isn't even pretending anymore; he's probably just hoping our family will suffer bad luck soon."
Yu Jiajia: "That ugly face of someone who's got something on Mom! Bah!"
The two of them craned their necks one after the other, separated by Yu Hongding, and started discussing how Cheng Xiuying should deal with Lu Xiaoqing.
Yu Jiajia: "I don't know if this will scare her away. There are so many men in the world, it's better to find someone else and not come to our house. Go find another family to cause trouble!"
Yu Songchuan: "I think it's unlikely. There aren't many college students as foolish as our eldest brother."
Yu Hongding couldn't listen any longer and coughed lightly. Yu Songchuan and Yu Jiajia shut their mouths and stopped discussing.
When they arrived at the steel rolling mill, Yu Songchuan jumped out of the car and continued walking. He still had to cross another street to reach the steel rolling mill middle school.
After parking his bicycle in the parking lot and locking it, Yu Hongding introduced the steel rolling mill to her along the way. Yu Jiajia was quite familiar with it, having often come here when she was a child. However, she listened very attentively and responded to every sentence, making sure that Yu Hongding could feel the enthusiasm of his youngest daughter.
Yu Hongding escorted Yu Jiajia to the office building and told her to work hard.
Yu Jiajia took two White Rabbit milk candies out of her pocket and stuffed them into Yu Hongding's hand: "Dad, I'm going to work."
Looking at the milk candy in his palm and then at Yu Jiajia skipping upstairs, Yu Hongding couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile.
Yu Jiajia happily went upstairs and arrived at the publicity department on the third floor.
She came here yesterday after her exam; she knows the way.
Liu Weidong was already in the office. When he saw Yu Jiajia come in, he smiled and patted the outermost table. "I just moved this in and I've already wiped it down. Why don't you sit here? If you prefer to sit inside, I can switch places with you."
A pretty young girl like her can have any requests she makes.
Yu Jiajia smiled sweetly: "Thank you, Brother Dong, I'll be fine sitting here."
Liu Weidong then pointed to the girl sitting by the window and said, "This is Comrade Lin Meilin."
The girl was tall and slender, and particularly delicate and elegant.
Yu Jiajia greeted sweetly, "Hello, Sister Lin, I'm Yu Jiajia."
Lin Mei smiled and said, "Just call me Lin Mei. Calling me 'sister' makes me sound old."
Yu Jiajia changed her address: "Lin Mei".
Then I met Zhou Wenbin, a young man in his early twenties with a buzz cut, thick eyebrows and big eyes. He spoke very kindly and was mainly in charge of photography and videography at the factory.
Lu Lingyi, whom we had already met, was not in the office. Liu Weidong introduced her, saying, "Sister Lu is mainly in charge of the radio station and is basically not in the office. Right now, she is playing 'The East Is Red' on the radio station."
When Section Chief Chen entered the office, he first encouraged Yu Jiajia to work hard, and then asked Lin Mei to take her to transfer the grain and oil rations.
This requires a household registration booklet, which Cheng Xiuying had already given her in advance, and the process went very smoothly.
When she returned, Vice President Zhang of the labor union handed Yu Jiajia a piece of paper and asked, "There's a meeting later, mainly to commend you and your brother. Familiarize yourself with your speech, preferably without notes. Any problems?"
Section Chief Chen glanced at it; it was such a long document. He said, "Time is short, just make sure you can read it thoroughly."
Vice President Zhang: "Our factory's model worker can do everything perfectly, but he can only do it without a script. Xiao Yu will definitely be fine."
Yu Jiajia looked down and saw a whole page full of text. Luckily, she had a good memory and could read it a few more times. She nodded and said, "Okay."
She read the thank-you speech carefully and felt that the steel mill was shameless. Her excellence was due to the steel mill's training, her achievements were due to the steel mill's guidance, and her strength was given by the steel mill.
However, in this era, a sense of collective honor is indeed paramount.
Being used as a role model has its advantages and disadvantages. Once someone is put on a pedestal, all their actions will be under the scrutiny and supervision of everyone.
But this is not a problem for Yu Jiajia.
Her greatest hobby is doing good deeds.
For now, she has secured a stable job and changed her status within the family! A typical example like her will undoubtedly have a bright and smooth future in the steel mill.
Vice President Zhang gave a few more instructions and then left.
Section Chief Chen instructed Yu Jiajia: "Just read it fluently, you can read less, but you must not read it wrong." He also asked Zhou Wenbin to fetch the camera, which would be needed for the meeting, and asked Liu Weidong and Lin Min to help set up the meeting venue.
Yu Jiajia can just memorize the speech, but of course, she can't just recite it verbatim; she needs to make some changes.
Yu Songchuan also came to the steel rolling mill from the school and went upstairs to find Yu Jiajia.
He also had a speech draft in his hand. The two drafts were similar, except that Yu Songchuan added a few sentences about school training.
Yu Songchuan: "Sis, can you recite it yet?"
Yu Jiajia: "Easy peasy! You also need to revise your speech. We should thank our parents. It is their example that taught us to be unafraid of hardship and death. You can decide how to revise it yourself."
Yu Songchuan wholeheartedly agreed.
At 8:40, Section Chief Chen led the two to the Great Hall of the People, where there were already many people. As soon as they entered, they saw Cheng Xiuying and Yu Hongding.
Yu Jiajia: "Mom and Dad."
When the siblings arrived in front of Cheng Xiuying, Yu Songchuan asked, "Mom, have you dealt with Lu Xiaoqing?"
Cheng Xiuying had no time to talk about this, and it wasn't the right place to discuss it. She excitedly helped Yu Jiajia straighten her dress and tidied her hair, saying, "Don't be nervous later."
Yu Jiajia: "Mom, I'm just like you in this respect. I'm not afraid of people, so I definitely won't be nervous!"
Cheng Xiuying: "Yes, you're not afraid of people, you're just afraid of being hit."
Yu Jiajia: "Mom, if I had your endless power, I wouldn't be afraid of being beaten up."
Why is she afraid of being hit? It's because she has no power to fight back.
Look at the third sister, look at the fifth brother, they both possess absolute power and are not afraid to fight anyone.
My older brother is the same; he's very confident when he gets into fights.
Cheng Xiuying was very happy to be photographed. She also straightened Yu Songchuan's clothes and wiped the sweat from his face with a handkerchief. "You should also do your best."
Six thousand eight hundred workers arrived at the playground one after another and stood in order according to their workshops.
The hosts were Lu Lingyi and Yu Linong from the labor union. Both were dressed in green military uniforms and stood on the podium with microphones in their hands, beginning today's meeting.
Getting straight to the point, the presentation introduced the selfless acts of Yu Jiajia and Sister Yu Songchuan in saving lives, especially Yu Jiajia's selfless sharing of first aid methods. The factory director then gave a speech: "The entire factory must quickly launch a campaign to 'learn from Yu Jiajia, catch up with Yu Jiajia, and surpass Yu Jiajia'!"
Next came the awards ceremony. Yu Jiajia and Yu Songchuan went on stage together, where the factory manager presented them with certificates, prizes, and bonuses.
The prizes were an enamel mug, Lighthouse brand medicated soap, a military green schoolbag, a red softcover notebook, and a cash prize of 50 yuan.
Each person received a bright red certificate, stamped by the factory.
In addition, Yu Jiajia will receive 'priority points for housing allocation', a formal employment quota, and a quota to purchase a Shanghai brand all-steel watch.
Yu Jiajia held the watch and fell into deep thought. That morning, she had drawn a big, round pie in the sky for Cheng Xiuying, and at that time, she had drawn it with sincere feelings.
Who would have thought that she would actually have a big pie just a few hours later?
Now, should she eat this big pancake herself, or give it to Comrade Cheng Xiuying?
If she could go back to the morning, she would never have mentioned buying Cheng Xiuying a watch.
The factory director pinned big red flowers on the siblings and took a group photo with the factory leaders. Cheng Xiuying and Yu Hongding, the children's parents, and Yu Songqing, the children's older brother, were also invited to take a group photo.
Next, Yu Jiajia and her brother gave their thank-you speeches.
The siblings delivered their impromptu speeches, their passionate words moving everyone to tears. The meeting, titled "Children of Steel Mills Sacrifice Themselves to Save Others, Demonstrating the True Colors of the Proletariat," concluded successfully.
The moment Yu Jiajia and her brother stepped off the stage, Comrade Cheng Xiuying hugged them tightly, saying, "Jiajia, Songchuan, I am so proud of you."
Yu Songqing's eyes gleamed with pride; these were his younger brother and sister.
Yu Hongding's eyes were red as he looked at his children with loving eyes.
Photographer Zhou Wenbin keenly captured this touching moment. He quickly adjusted the focus of his Seagull camera and gently pressed the shutter. With a click, the tender moment of the young hero was forever frozen on the film.
Yu Jiajia thought about the two-year waiting list for the watch, and if she was unlucky, she might not be able to wear it for another two years. With tears in her eyes, she handed the watch ticket to Cheng Xiuying, "Mom, thank you for your education over the years. Without your teachings, I wouldn't be as brave as I am now."
What's so special about a stainless steel watch? She owns a whole drawer full of watches in modern times!
She needs a good family environment right now!
Cheng Xiuying stroked the slip of paper that indicated her eligibility to buy the watch, holding Yu Jiajia with tears welling in her eyes: "My fourth child, how can you be so filial to your mother?"
In her heart, Yu Jiajia went from Siya to Jiajia, and then to Sibao.
But Yu Jiajia still cried; she cried because she felt sorry for her.
The Shanghai brand all-steel watch held a status in that era equivalent to a top luxury item in later generations. Looking at her bare wrist, it's clear she actually needed one.
Factory Director Li happened to see Yu Jiajia giving the watch to her mother and thought that Yu Jiajia was a person of noble character and very filial. How many people would be willing to give a watch to their parents after they have it?
He praised him, saying, "He is truly a filial and good comrade."
Other leaders also praised Yu Jiajia for her pure and filial piety, and praised Cheng Xiuying for raising such a good daughter.
Yu Songqing felt a pang of jealousy. He had already foreseen Yu Jiajia's position in the Yu family, which would be supreme and unmatched by anyone.
If someone gives him a watch, he will treat her with all his heart for the rest of his life.
His younger sister is truly outstanding! She's also very filial!
Yu Songchuan stared at the watch ticket, his eyes wide with disbelief. If only he had a watch ticket too… Although he didn’t have a watch ticket, he and his fourth sister had a total of fifty yuan.
Can this fifty yuan be divided?
The conference ended, and Cheng Xiuying and Yu Hongding left with their children. It was time for lunch.
Cheng Xiuying hugged her daughter and said, "Jiajia, let's go to the cafeteria for lunch. After we eat, I'll take you to get your bicycle."
Yu Songchuan said, "Mom, although I don't have any meat coupons, I have money! I want to treat Mom and Dad to braised pork and big meat buns! Big brother, can I exchange my money for meat coupons with you?"
This fifty yuan belonged to him and his fourth sister, but he felt that the money was unlikely to last! He figured it would be better to use it to buy meat!
He can enjoy the food and also make his parents remember his kindness!
He would wholeheartedly think of his parents whenever he had something good, just like his fourth sister.
Yu Songqing touched the half-pound meat coupon in his pocket, gritted his teeth and smiled, "You pay the money and I'll pay the coupon, let's treat Mom and Dad to braised pork."
Cheng Xiuying beamed with joy; she couldn't be more content than she was. She hadn't worn a watch in all the years she'd been married.
Normally, she would never have been willing to buy the braised pork from the cafeteria, but at this moment, with her watch ticket in hand, she agreed!
This is cause for celebration!
A family of five was eating at the canteen. They were about to buy braised pork when the lady serving the food saw Yu Jiajia and Yu Songchuan next to them. She scooped up a full spoonful of braised pork, then bought braised cabbage, shredded potatoes, and ten steamed buns made from mixed flour. The five of them sat down to eat together.
Let's eat the meat first!
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