He looked up at the old man and said firmly, "Uncle, I don't want to go to the factory."
"What?!" The old man's voice rose a few decibels without him realizing it. Seeing that people around were looking over, he pulled Wang Shouren aside and said seriously, "What are you thinking?"
Seemingly realizing his tone was a bit too serious, he softened his tone: "Logically speaking, I shouldn't concern myself with so much, but child, I still have to give you some advice. Your grades are only below average in school, so you won't be able to get into high school or vocational school. There's no future in studying. Do you think being an apprentice has no future? Don't worry, as long as you study hard, I will teach you well."
Wang Shouren's heart was warmed by the earnest advice.
"Uncle, I want to take the entrance exam for a vocational school."
These words stunned the old man. Looking at Wang Shouren's determined eyes, he didn't know what to say for a moment.
"You...you..." The old man stammered "you" for a long time without being able to get the words out.
“Grandpa, I can do it, really,” Wang Shouren said earnestly.
After a moment of silence, the old man finally spoke slowly, asking, "Have you thought it through?"
"Yes, I've thought it through." Wang Shouren breathed a sigh of relief. He thought the old man would continue to persuade him, but he didn't expect him to agree so readily.
"Are you really sure?"
"I've really thought it through."
"Oh well."
"Excuse me, sir, could you please ask around and see if anyone needs this position? If so, could you help me make the arrangements?"
The old man never expected Wang Shouren to make such a request.
In fact, there are many people vying for a position where an apprentice can become a full-time employee after a certain period of time.
He suddenly realized that the sixteen-year-old boy in front of him seemed to have changed. Was he repaying a favor to him?
His expression shifted between light and dark, and his voice lost its previous enthusiasm: "In that case, just wait for my news. It's a job, and many people want it."
After saying that, he left angrily without waiting for Wang Shouren to say anything.
Wang Shouren was stunned. He never expected that the old man who had been so amiable before would suddenly change his attitude.
Actually, this is his fault. He doesn't understand that relationships between people in this era aren't as clearly defined as they were in his time. His current behavior is undoubtedly an attempt to repay a favor and then sever ties. At least, that's how the old man sees it. Otherwise, he simply can't understand where a poor student gets the courage to say something like, "I want to go to a vocational school."
In his view, this was just an excuse, an excuse to sever ties.
He naturally wouldn't give Wang Shouren a friendly look.
Unable to figure it out, Wang Shouren decided to take care of his stomach first. He left the alley and walked along the main street for more than ten minutes until he arrived at the crossroads in front of the Nanluo Supply and Marketing Cooperative. There was a restaurant right next to the crossroads.
Pushing open the door and lifting the heavy curtain, a wave of heat rushed out.
I glanced around and saw that there weren't many people, just two tables in total. These days, unless something really important happens, nobody wants to go out to eat.
As soon as I sat down, a short but burly waiter with a toothpick in his mouth asked condescendingly, "What would you like to eat?"
His tone was extremely impatient.
Just as Wang Shouren was about to get angry, he glanced at the menu written in calligraphy on the wall, and the slogan next to it that was very much in the style of that era—"Strictly prohibit scolding or beating customers."
After comparing the strengths of both sides, I quickly ordered a plate of stir-fried pork slices and a bowl of rice.
"Eight cents, two ounces of grain coupons, one ounce of meat coupons." The waiter scribbled a few words on his notebook, tore off a bill, and placed it on the table.
After paying, I waited for my food to be served while reflecting on my current situation.
He didn't want to go to the factory because there was no future in it.
In his past life, he was a mechanical engineer who wanted to achieve something significant, so he needed a solid stepping stone. It was already 1962, and in a few years, university admissions would be much more difficult. Therefore, he couldn't go to university, but he could attend a vocational high school. In that era, high-achieving students would go directly to vocational high schools, and the government would guarantee job placement after graduation.
They'll start directly with a cadre position; that's when they'll truly be able to showcase their abilities.
If you get into a factory, that's when you'll really have a tough time.
Having happily planned out his future path, the food arrived in about fifteen minutes.
The freshly steamed white rice was still steaming. The bowls from this era were rather large; if this were in my previous life, a restaurant would have served three bowls of this rice. The braised pork slices next to it were also plentiful and very tender.
The seasoning is slightly salty, making it quite appetizing.
He was enjoying his meal immensely.
When Yi Zhonghai returned home, he threw a huge tantrum.
"What's wrong? Why do you look so angry when you come back?" An older woman was worried when she saw the older man's angry face. She handed him a glass of water at a suitable temperature and asked with concern.
"What else could it be! It's all because of that brat Wang Shouren!"
"Shouren? What's wrong with Shouren? He's a good kid, just a little quiet."
"Heh, a bit dull. If only it were just dull! Do you know what he just said to me?"
"What did you say? Why are you so angry?" An older woman gently patted an older man's back, which calmed him down as he was panting.
"He told me he wanted to take the vocational school entrance exam and asked me to sell his job!" At this point, the old man slammed the water vat down on the table, stood up, and paced around the room: "Tell me, tell me, what is he trying to do?! What is he trying to do?! Isn't this just cutting ties with us?"
The older woman paused for a moment, then patted the older man on the back and said irritably, "What are you talking about? What do you mean by breaking off relations? He's only a few years old, a sixteen-year-old kid. How would he understand all this complicated stuff?"
Upon hearing what the older woman said, the older man came to his senses and said, "Yes, how come I didn't think of that?"
"I think that kid is probably trying to repay a favor to you. He's not like you, who thinks so much."
The old man frowned again: "But repaying a favor doesn't mean risking your future, does it? With his grades, he definitely won't get into a vocational school. What is he thinking?"
"The child is grown up and has his own ideas. Don't worry about it. Talk to him properly later."
"Do you think it can work?"
"Whether it works out or not won't have much of an impact on us. If it works out, that's great. If it doesn't, and the child can't get into a vocational school, with your connections, surely you can find him a job in the factory?"
"Yes! That's a good thing." The old man figured out the key point and couldn't help but smile, standing up.
"Hey, where are you going?"
"Go and finalize the work details, lest he back out!"
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