"Good morning, Grandpa." Wang Shouren was brushing his teeth in the yard, carrying his cup, when he saw Grandpa swaying out, followed by a little boy.
They have a tiger-like head and are very cute.
This is a child that an old man adopted two years ago. It is said that he brought him back from his hometown. His name is Yi Xiaochuan.
Wang Shouren looked Yi Xiaochuan up and down, and the little guy also stared at Wang Shouren with his round eyes.
"Call me brother, quick!" An old man chuckled as he urged the child to greet him.
"elder brother."
"Yes," Wang Shouren responded, took a hard candy from his pocket, and handed it to the child.
The old man didn't stop him and said to Wang Shouren, "Why don't you come with me today? It's on our way."
"Okay, even if you hadn't told me, I would have had to bother you."
"Okay, wait for me while I take the kids to get breakfast."
"Let's go, leave the candy here, we'll eat it later."
"Okay, Dad."
The two of them, one big and one small, came out, washed up, and then went back inside.
The old man was very satisfied with Wang Shouren's behavior. In the three years that followed, although he hadn't returned often, he hadn't become distant and remained the same as before. That was good.
At this moment, Qin Huairu also went out to pack her things. When she saw Wang Shouren, she was stunned for a moment, and then gave him a slightly awkward smile: "Wang Shouren, are you going to report for duty today? Do you need me to take you?"
"No need, I'll go with the old man in a bit." Wang Shouren waved his hand awkwardly as well.
At this time, the steel rolling mill employees gradually got up, and most of them greeted Wang Shouren warmly and wanted to take him into the factory. He declined them all.
To be honest, neither the book nor the TV series mentions how long it takes to walk from the courtyard to the factory.
Only after setting out did Wang Shouren realize that the journey was not short at all; it took him nearly forty minutes.
"This road is quite long," Wang Shouren remarked.
"It's not too far. Actually, the straight-line distance is only two or three kilometers, it's just that it's winding and troublesome. You kid, if you're capable, go and get a bicycle. I, an old man, like to walk more to exercise. When you get old, your body isn't as good as it used to be."
"Ha, don't say that, old man. With your health, you can work for another twenty or thirty years without any major problems."
"Hey, now that you mention it, it's true. You know what, your Tai Chi really works. Since I started practicing it, my health has definitely improved a lot."
"That's right, but look who did the research."
"Stop joking around. When we get to the factory, you need to be serious, you know?"
"Okay, okay, I know what I'm doing."
Chatting and joking around is the best way to shorten the distance between two people and reduce the distance of travel.
With each person speaking, they quickly arrived at the steel rolling mill.
Two guards stood on either side of the factory gate.
They were armed with real guns and live ammunition; most of the security guards here were former soldiers. Ordinary people couldn't get into the security of such a large state-owned factory.
An old man led Wang Shouren to the guard.
"Uncle Yi, what's wrong?"
"Oh, Xiao Li, this is Wang Shouren from our institute. He's here to start working at the steel rolling mill today. Shouren, bring your things out."
Wang Shouren took out the letter of introduction and the assignment notice and handed them to the gatekeeper.
The gatekeeper glanced at them a few times, then looked at Wang Shouren and nodded: "Okay, no problem, you can go in. Uncle Yi, you know the personnel department, right? Just go there to report."
"Okay, I understand."
"Thanks for your help, buddy." Wang Shouren chuckled and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, offering one to him.
"Oh, Daqianmen, then I won't stand on ceremony." The gatekeeper named Xiao Li happily accepted the offer.
Back then, Daqianmen cigarettes were quite prestigious, costing 36 cents a pack. They were even known as "cadre cigarettes," and ordinary people wouldn't dare to buy them.
The journey was smooth. As we walked, an old man asked, "Do you still have a whole pack of cigarettes left?"
"Yes, sir, everything is ready."
The old man nodded in satisfaction: "Looks like you've learned a lot over the years, that's right, don't be so stingy. Like Liu Haizhong, you want to be an official but don't want to spend money. Later, give Section Chief Wang a box. I know that guy, he likes to take advantage of small things, giving him a box is just right. Alright, we're here, I won't go up with you."
"Okay, sir, thank you for your trouble. I'll treat you to a meal later."
"good."
Seeing that Wang Shouren understood these things, the old man realized he didn't need any further guidance. He walked away happily with his hands behind his back. After a few steps, he turned back and put a pack of cigarettes from his pocket into Wang Shouren's pocket: "Just in case. If you don't need it, remember to return it to me. I can only smoke one pack of these cigarettes a month."
The old man walked away unsteadily.
Wang Shouren smiled and went upstairs to the second floor.
Pushing open the door, there were only three people in the office, and there was also a separate small room inside.
"Comrade, who are you looking for?" a woman in her forties asked as she stood up.
"Hello comrade, I am a newly assigned vocational school graduate. My name is Wang Shouren."
"Oh, I know you. I heard that the factory poached several top students from higher-ups this year. You're here quite early."
As he spoke, he led Wang Shouren into a small room to the side.
Inside sat a middle-aged man, around forty years old, most likely the Section Chief Wang the old man had mentioned. Upon seeing someone enter, he quickly stood up to greet them. The older woman introduced him to the section chief;
"Section Chief Wang, this is the new vocational school student. I've brought him to you. I'll head out now if there's nothing else."
Wang Shouren quickly straightened his back and introduced himself: "Hello, Section Chief Wang. I am a graduate of Beijing Bayi Agricultural Machinery College this year. My name is Wang Shouren, I am twenty years old, and I majored in mechanical engineering."
Section Chief Wang was slightly round-faced, with a face full of smiles: "Mechanical engineering is great! Our factory is exactly lacking talent like him. This young man has a lot of energy!"
In this day and age, people like to stand tall and speak loudly, and Wang Shouren even practiced this skill.
Finding the right balance between loud and not noisy is actually not easy.
First impressions are important.
"Hehe." Wang Shouren gave a silly grin, like someone who had just graduated, and somewhat foolishly pulled out a pack of cigarettes, handing it to Section Chief Wang.
Section Chief Wang: ...
Good heavens, I've seen bribery before, but never bribery like this. How am I supposed to accept this?
He took the cigarette from Wang Shouren's hand, then stuffed it back into his hand: "Comrade, you can't give me gifts like this!"
Wang Shouren immediately became anxious: "I...I...I found it on the road...I don't smoke. Maybe someone left it here. You can give it to the owner later."
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