“Zhengdong, do you know how much your aunt helped you this time, especially in getting you the title of outstanding individual? There’s a lot going on behind the scenes.”
“Master, I know that the old lady helped me a lot, but I really don’t know anything about this matter of getting in first. What’s the significance of it?” Sun Zhengdong asked, puzzled.
"What's the significance?" Liang Quanfa laughed and pointed at Sun Zhengdong.
"You don't think that once you're recognized as an outstanding individual, the factory will just give you a big red flower, praise you, and then give you an enamel mug, and that's it, do you?"
Normally, Sun Zhengdong would definitely think, "Isn't that all there is to it?"
But what my master said today means it's definitely not that simple.
"Master, please tell me! I really don't know!"
"It's alright to tell you. This 'advanced individual' award will be recorded in your personnel file. You might not need it normally, but if it involves promotion or welfare distribution, then it becomes extremely valuable. Do you understand now?"
Sun Zhengdong knew nothing, but he nodded in order to cooperate with his master.
Liang Quanfa didn't know if his apprentice understood or not, but now that things were done, he could let him do as he pleased!
"Okay, I've approved your leave. Also, don't forget to wash my lunchbox."
"Alright, Master!"
Watching his apprentice scurrying out with his lunchbox, Liang Quanfa smiled and shook his head.
In the afternoon, as soon as it was time to start work, Sun Zhengdong couldn't wait to go to the Housing Management Section and find a person in charge in the office—Officer Zhang.
"Hello comrade! I've come to inquire about housing allocation." As soon as he entered the room, Sun Zhengdong said politely, while also offering him a cigarette.
Officer Zhang took the cigarette, casually placed it on the table, and then asked perfunctorily.
Have you submitted a housing allocation application report?
"The report was sent over a few days ago. I just wanted to ask when I could get the house?" Sun Zhengdong said truthfully.
"What?" Officer Zhang frowned. "Are you kidding me? Report approval takes time and doesn't happen so quickly. Go back and wait!"
"That's impossible, comrade! My aunt told me that I could get the house this afternoon. I even took a day off specifically for it. Why don't you check again?"
At this point, Officer Zhang was extremely impatient. Where did this greenhorn come from? Doesn't he know the rules?
"No, who is your aunt? You believe everything she says?!"
Hearing this, Sun Zhengdong had already lost hope, but the boy was honest and still took the initiative to introduce himself.
"Comrade, my aunt is Director Lin Wencui of the Women's Federation. I am her nephew. She wouldn't lie to me."
Just as Zhang was about to lose his temper, he became enthusiastic and put on a smiling face as soon as he heard Director Lin from the Women's Federation.
"Wait a minute, you said Director Lin is your aunt, then you are Sun Zhengdong from the electrical engineering section."
Although Sun Zhengdong didn't understand how this person knew him, he still nodded honestly.
"Hey! Brother, you could have just given your name earlier. Your housing allocation has already been processed. Here, this is a letter of introduction. Take it to the subdistrict office and register it."
Seeing the stark contrast in Zhang's attitude before and after, Sun Zhengdong accepted the letter of introduction with some skepticism.
Before he could even glance at it, Officer Zhang pulled out another register.
"Brother, sign your name here, and these two rooms are yours."
"Thank you, comrade."
After thanking him, Sun Zhengdong wrote his name in the register without thinking.
After signing his name, he picked up the letter of introduction and took a look. To his astonishment, he was truly dumbfounded.
Sun Zhengdong couldn't have imagined that he would be assigned two rooms.
The address of these two houses is actually in the front yard of the courtyard house at No. 95.
If he remembered correctly, the previous occupant of these two rooms was none other than Yan Bugui, who had been dismissed!
However, Sun Zhengdong wasn't foolish enough to ask. Judging from the attitude of the staff member just now, it seemed that his aunt had been a great help.
Having obtained the letter of introduction, Sun Zhengdong immediately went to Jiaodaokou Subdistrict Office, and then to the Housing Management Section, where he found Officer Wu, the person in charge.
Upon receiving the letter of introduction, Officer Wu immediately understood what was going on.
The steel mill had already made arrangements for these two rooms, which is why they were able to stay until now.
Otherwise, the two rooms would have been divided up the day after Yan Bugui vacated the house.
Now that the person in charge had arrived, Officer Wu didn't waste any time and started registering the residents, eventually issuing a certificate of resident status.
With this certificate, after the reform and opening up, it can be exchanged for a real property ownership certificate. Of course, nobody knows that now.
"Comrade Sun Zhengdong, please keep this certificate safe. Also, please keep these keys safe. We just replaced the lock, so they're ready to use now," Officer Wu instructed one by one.
"Thank you! Comrade, does that mean that from now on, these two rooms are for my use?" Sun Zhengdong asked, still a little uneasy, as if he were dreaming.
"Yes, you can use it from now on, but you will have to pay a fee of two yuan every month."
"Thanks!"
Sun Zhengdong didn't care about the small amount of money. He thanked him again, put away the certificate, and prepared to leave.
"etc."
Hearing the staff member call out to him, Sun Zhengdong couldn't help but ask curiously, "Is there anything else, comrade?"
"Oh! That's how it is. According to regulations, we need to send someone to take you there and introduce you to the manager inside, so as to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings."
These are all the responsibilities of the subdistrict office, so Officer Wu must make them clear.
“Hehe! Comrades, you don’t need to go to so much trouble. I know that courtyard well. The auntie in charge, Director Lin, is my aunt.” Sun Zhengdong introduced with a smile.
After hearing Sun Zhengdong's words, Officer Wu immediately understood and stopped insisting. They were all family, so there was no need for introductions.
After leaving the neighborhood office, Sun Zhengdong didn't plan to go back to the courtyard house to look at the house. After all, a house doesn't have legs, it can't run away.
So he returned to the courtyard, where his grandparents were taking care of the children. They were very curious to see their grandson come back so early.
"Zhengdong, why are you back so early today? Don't you have to go to work?"
Sun Zhengdong took his daughter from his grandmother's arms, then took out the certificate from his pocket and handed it to his grandfather.
"Grandpa, I've been allocated a house. It's in the same courtyard as my uncle's family, and we even live right across from each other."
"What?" Grandpa quickly took the certificate and looked at it. Only after confirming it did he show a satisfied smile.
"How is it, old man? Is the house allocation alright?" Grandma, who was illiterate, could only ask anxiously from the side.
“How could it not work? Do you remember Yan Bugui’s house in that courtyard? Those two rooms.”
"Ah! It's truly a blessing from our ancestors; those two houses are really nice," Grandma said happily.
"Grandma, I don't know if the ancestors will bless us, but these two rooms are thanks to Auntie. Otherwise, it would be hard to say whether we would even get a house."
"Sigh!" The grandfather sighed deeply upon hearing his grandson's words.
"Your families all owe the Jiang family a debt of gratitude that you'll probably never be able to repay in this lifetime. From now on, you must be more filial to your grandparents and more respectful to your elder brother. Do you understand?"
"Grandpa and Grandma, don't worry, I will."
Sun Zhengdong said with utmost solemnity.
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