After resolving matters at the ministry, I returned home.
When Qin Jingru saw him return, she took a small running start and pounced on him.
"You're back!"
"How's it going? I heard from Uncle San that you got a promotion?"
"Good heavens, Uncle San is so well-informed?" This surprised Wang Shouren.
"You wouldn't believe it, today everyone in the courtyard was saying that Uncle Hat took you away. Luckily, it was Third Uncle who came out to tell everyone that you got promoted. They all say you're amazing, and quite a few people even came to my door with gifts today. They're all asking me where you're working now."
"You didn't tell them, did you?"
"No, Huai Ru told me that if you have money and status, you should do it quietly, otherwise others will spy on you." Qin Jingru raised her head, looking for praise.
Wang Shouren tapped her little head and said with a smile, "You've gotten bolder now, daring to call her Huairu."
"What's wrong with calling me that? I'm the Empress."
"Who is the Empress?" Qin Huairu pushed open the door and came in. Qin Jingru immediately shrank back, and her previous majesty vanished in an instant.
Seeing her like this, Qin Huairu couldn't help but laugh and asked, "I heard from Third Uncle that you got a promotion today?"
"Yes, a section chief." Wang Shouren nodded.
"Wh...what?" Qin Huairu froze for a moment, then asked again, "A section chief?"
The Qin Huairu of today is not the same person as the Qin Huairu of the past.
Before, Qin Huairu was almost ignored at the factory. But now, she has a group of girlfriends around her, and she gets a lot of news from them.
As far as she knew, the rank of section chief was already a very high-ranking official.
Most importantly, this wasn't just a section chief at the steel rolling mill, but a section chief at the ministry level.
"Sister, sister, is she really that amazing?" Qin Jingru asked curiously.
Normally, Qin Huairu would have teased her by saying, "Not as powerful as the Empress."
But now, she was also a little dizzy, no, subconsciously she still seized on the money-grubber's weakness: "Well, the salary is one hundred and ten yuan and fifty cents."
"Hiss..." Comrade Qin Jingru has made outstanding contributions to global warming.
"Duo? Duo Shao?" The girl's voice changed, and then she muttered to herself, "One hundred and ten yuan and fifty cents, I might never be able to earn that in my lifetime."
"Alright, alright, stop being so greedy. It's just a small amount of money."
“This is nothing! My two older brothers don’t earn this much in a year.” Qin Jingru held out her two palms, flipping them left and right to indicate that it was “ten yuan.”
"There will be even more in the future, so you need to study hard. What if you don't study well and can't manage the accounts?"
"Yes, yes, we must study hard."
"Don't go outside and make a scene," Qin Huairu reminded Qin Jingru again.
“No need,” Wang Shouren said. “Just stick to a few bottom lines. If someone tries to get close to you, don’t accept any benefits from them. Just chat as you normally would. For example, you can mention that you’re studying recently. There’s nothing wrong with studying hard. If someone asks you to do something or gives you anything, just don’t take it.”
"The outside world probably knows by now. There's no point in keeping it a secret." Wang Shouren knew this himself.
Becoming a leader is something that can't be kept secret for long. The steel mill is neither too big nor too small; once the news spreads, everyone knows. Besides, these days, entertainment options are scarce, and people love to gossip. Therefore, there's no need to hide it.
Once a bottom line is drawn with Qin Jingru, the rest will be something she needs to learn gradually.
It's okay if you cause trouble. Just follow his guidance, gradually get to know the world, and slowly figure out your own set of rules of conduct.
Qin Jingru is still very young, but she is willing to learn, which is a good thing.
————
I went back to the steel rolling mill on Monday.
There weren't as many congratulations as I'd imagined. His two apprentices brought a gift, congratulating their master on his promotion after being kicked out by Wang Shouren, and telling them to focus on their work. Looking at the things he'd left behind before leaving, there wasn't much left. On a whim, he went to Engineer Zhao's office, intending to see if he could sneak in some more books.
As soon as I opened the door, wow, I choked on my own breath.
The whole room was filled with smoke, and the strong, unbearable smell of smoke was almost unbearable for even a heavy smoker like him.
"I say, are you two creating a paradise on earth here?" Wang Shouren complained, walked to the window, opened it, and a layer of smoke spread out at a visible speed.
Only then could one barely see people clearly.
Zhao Wuliang's office remained the same, with things neatly arranged, but most of the books on the bookshelf were missing.
Looking at Shen Yuanliang, he also looked listless.
"What's going on? Master? Engineer Zhao? What's wrong with you two?" Wang Shouren also noticed that something was amiss.
"Shouren, you've come back just in time," Zhao Wuliang said. "Originally, I planned to invite you all to a meal sometime, but the current situation isn't suitable."
"Engineer Zhao is leaving," Shen Yuanliang said sullenly.
"Where to?" Wang Shouren paused for a moment, then asked.
"My child is outside, so I have to go out and check on him," Zhao Wuliang explained.
It turned out that Engineer Zhao came from a well-off family. He even had a past relationship with Director Lou of the steel rolling mill. During that turbulent period, his family, though lacking official status in Beijing, lived a comfortable life. He worked for Director Lou and was also a member of the chamber of commerce. He had loved learning since childhood and later successfully entered the Wudaokou Technical College.
He will graduate in 1949.
At that time, his father's health wasn't good, and later, his social class wasn't good either. After thinking it over, he settled the family's affairs and took the whole family away.
It was around that time that Zhao was studying in the United States.
In the United States, I met my current partner, and we got married and had children there.
However, both Zhao and his father deeply missed their homeland. They made contact through various means, but the situation remained unclear. After discussing it with his wife and father, they decided to leave their son in the United States, since he held American citizenship. He and his wife returned to visit, and that's when they were spotted by Chairman Lou.
Of course, what they were after was his knowledge, not anything else.
From Lou Dong's era to the later public-private partnership, and then to direct donations, he witnessed the rise of one era and the decline of another.
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