Chapter 98 The Housing Allocation Dispute
Shu Ran's heart raced. A house! She almost immediately thought of that earthen dugout.
If only I could have my own private space, even if it's just a few square meters...
She composed herself and nodded to Xiao Zhao: "Okay, I'll go right away."
On her way to the company headquarters, Shu Ran's mind raced. In terms of contributions, she founded Qiming Primary School, carried out literacy campaigns, and was recently recognized as an advanced worker by the corps and division; she had earned both merit and hard work. In terms of practical needs, she was the company's only full-time teacher; preparing lessons, organizing teaching materials, and grading assignments written on scrap newspaper all required a quiet environment. Living in a dugout was not a long-term solution.
But she also had concerns. It was obvious that her family background was problematic. Although people were now being much more polite to her on the surface because of her efforts and the leaders' favor, when it came to things like allocating housing, which involved real interests, it was hard to guarantee that no one would bring up the past.
Moreover, there are many families in the company who have housing difficulties, including veteran employees and those with families. Which of them doesn't have a better reason than her, a single educated youth?
She took a deep breath and told herself: Stay calm, seize the opportunity when it comes, but don't be too greedy.
Inside the company headquarters, Secretary Liu and Company Commander Ma were both present, surrounded by swirling smoke. Seeing her enter, Secretary Liu tapped his pipe, a smile on his face: "Comrade Shu Ran is here, please sit down."
Company Commander Ma was unusually amiable: "I called you here to discuss the allocation of new housing. The company only built five houses this time, all small single rooms with simple conditions. But considering the special nature of your work and your contributions to the company, especially the honor you brought to the company this time, the branch has initially discussed and decided to allocate one room to you."
Shu Ran felt a surge of warmth in her heart. "Thank you for the organization, thank you for the leaders' concern. I... I will definitely work better and live up to the organization's trust."
Secretary Liu nodded: "Yes, the organization has seen your achievements and difficulties. Allocating housing to you is mainly based on the needs of your work. Your teaching job does require a quiet place. This is also what Director Sun mentioned before, that we should create basic working conditions for us grassroots educators."
Company Commander Ma chimed in, "Yes, and it's not convenient for a woman like you to be crammed into the dormitory all the time. That's settled in principle, but..." He paused, glancing at Secretary Liu.
Secretary Liu picked up the conversation, his tone becoming more serious: "However, Shuran, you need to be prepared. The house has been allocated to you, but some comrades in the company may have reservations. After all, in terms of seniority, you can't compare to some of the older employees; in terms of family burdens, you're also a single person. Although we've made the decision, we still need to do a good job of working with the masses, and we can't let the housing allocation affect unity."
Shu Ran immediately understood what her leader meant. This was to give her a heads-up, to make her feel indebted, and at the same time to remind her that the matter was not yet settled and that there might be some trouble, so she needed to be able to stand her ground.
“Secretary, Company Commander, I understand.” Shu Ran raised her head, her eyes firm. “I am already very grateful that the organization is considering me. I know that many comrades in the company are facing difficulties. If… if the organization has new considerations because of other comrades facing even greater difficulties, I will have no complaints and will obey the organization’s arrangements.” She implied that she understood the organization’s difficulties and would never put the leaders in a difficult position.
Secretary Liu and Company Commander Ma exchanged a glance, both showing satisfaction. They were worried that Shu Ran, being young, might become arrogant upon receiving the news or be unable to handle any grievances.
"Good, it's good that you think that way." Secretary Liu's tone softened. "The official list will be posted at the entrance of the company tomorrow morning. Get a general idea first, and go back and prepare accordingly. If we really have to move, it'll only be a matter of a few days."
"Yes, thank you, Secretary, thank you, Company Commander." Shu Ran thanked them again before turning to leave the company headquarters.
Stepping out of the company headquarters, the wind, carrying the chill of the Gobi Desert, blew against her face, but Shu Ran felt a burning warmth in her heart.
The leader made it very clear: this matter is on track, but there are also variables. The variable lies in "public opinion."
She walked slowly towards the dormitory, mentally calculating who might object. Zhao Weidong? He might think allocating housing to a teacher who "doesn't directly produce food" was wasteful, but as a leader, since Secretary Liu and Company Commander Ma had both agreed, he probably wouldn't object openly; at most, he'd grumble privately. Zhou Qiaozhen, who had already been transferred, didn't count. Who else would be envious…?
Just then, she bumped into Li Xiulan, who had just returned from the tofu shop. Li Xiulan's face was flushed, and upon seeing Shu Ran, she immediately came closer, lowering her voice with barely concealed excitement: "Teacher Shu! I heard! The company is going to allocate you a new room? Is it true?"
The news spread really fast! Shu Ran's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't show it on her face. She just smiled and said, "The leader just talked to me. He said that they have this as a preliminary consideration, but it hasn't been finalized yet."
"Oh! It's definitely settled!" Li Xiulan was even happier than her, tugging at her arm. "That's wonderful! You should have your own place a long time ago! It will be so much easier for you to prepare your lessons!"
Seeing how genuinely happy she was for her, Shu Ran felt a warmth in her heart, but she didn't forget to remind her, "Xiulan, this hasn't been officially announced yet, so don't spread the word. There are many impoverished families in the company, so it might cause trouble..."
“I understand, I understand!” Li Xiulan nodded repeatedly, then lowered her voice, “But let me tell you, you’d better be prepared. When I came back just now, I heard people whispering in the mess hall, saying something like, ‘The capitalist’s daughter is already living in a single room,’ ‘We poor peasants have been struggling our whole lives and haven’t even gotten that much!’”
Shu Ran's eyes sharpened; they had indeed come. She asked, "Do you know who's saying this?"
"It seems like Li Dazui's wife is there, and so is Wang Laowu's wife from the mechanized farming team," Li Xiulan said, pursing her lips. "They're just jealous! Don't pay them any mind!"
Shu Ran nodded and said nothing more.
Early the next morning, a list of names with red paper and black characters was posted on the earthen wall at the entrance of the department.
The five houses were allocated to five people: Fan Datong, an elderly worker with many children and housing difficulties; Sun Fugui, a veteran who was disabled due to a work-related injury; and the other two houses were given to two couples of educated youth who had just gotten married this year, which can be considered as the company's care for the educated youth.
The last name is Shu Ran, a teacher at Qiming Elementary School, who was absent due to teaching work requirements.
The crowd was packed in layers, all discussing the matter.
"It's time for the Fan family to split up. Seven people are crammed into one dugout; they can barely turn around!"
"Sun Fugui is a meritorious official, no doubt about it!"
"Why is Teacher Shu still here? She's all alone..."
"Tsk, they're teachers, they're advanced workers, didn't the leaders say anything about teaching needs?"
"Need it? Who doesn't need it?"
"Exactly, it's not right for a young woman to live alone in a room..."
The voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough to reach Shu Ran's ears. She stood on the periphery of the crowd, calmly looking at the public notice. Her name was on the list, and the reason given was quite convincing—"required for teaching work." This was even better than she had expected; the organization had shouldered the pressure it was supposed to.
She didn't leave immediately, but listened quietly to the discussions. Most people were understanding or indifferent, but there were always a few voices that were sour and clearly resentful.
She saw Li Dazui's wife smirking at someone next to her: "Just because you know a few words doesn't mean you're so great! You think you can ride roughshod over us? Who knows what they use that room for at night..."
Shu Ran glanced over, and when the woman met her gaze, her voice lowered instinctively, but the resentment in her eyes was not hidden.
At that moment, a voice rang out: "I refuse to accept this!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Wang Laowu from the mechanized farming team. He was a burly, but lazy, and opportunistic bachelor. His face flushed red as he pointed at the notice board: "Why should it be given to her? Shu Ran has only been here a few days. What great contributions has she made to the team? All she's done is teach a few kids to read! I, Old Wang, have driven tractors for the mechanized farming team for so many years. Even if I haven't made any great contributions, I've certainly worked hard! I'm still a bachelor! I don't even have a matchmaker! This house should be given to someone as poor as me!"
As soon as he made his outburst, people who knew him or felt the same way immediately joined in the commotion.
"That's right! Old Wang is absolutely right!"
"What's wrong with teachers? Don't teachers have to work hard? Teachers are the ones who should be making sacrifices!"
"Secretary Liu! Company Commander Ma! This distribution is unfair! We demand a reassessment!"
The scene became somewhat turbulent.
Shu Ran looked at Wang Laowu's excited face and sneered inwardly. Everyone in the company knew about Wang Laowu's difficulties. It wasn't housing; it was his personal problems. He had a reputation for being lazy, gluttonous, and slovenly, and no girl from the nearby companies wanted to be with him. Now he was using that as an excuse to claim he didn't have a house.
She didn't rush to stand up and refute. At this moment, anything she said would be a target. She simply stepped back silently a few paces and stood in an inconspicuous position.
Secretary Liu and Company Commander Ma came out from the company headquarters upon hearing the commotion. Company Commander Ma, with a stern face, shouted, "What's all this noise about! What are you all doing here? Aren't we supposed to be working?"
Secretary Liu remained relatively calm. He glanced at Wang Laowu and said, "Comrade Wang Laowu, you can raise your opinions, but you must be mindful of your approach. The housing allocation plan was decided by the company's Party branch through collective discussion, taking into account the actual situation, contributions, degree of difficulty, and work needs. It's not up to any one person to decide."
"Contribution? What contribution has she made?" Wang Laowu retorted, his neck stiff. "Isn't driving a tractor a contribution? Does teaching those kids increase grain production or cotton yield?"
Company Commander Ma frowned, wanting to reprimand him, but Secretary Liu stopped him with a look.
Secretary Liu's gaze swept over the crowd, finally landing on Shu Ran. Seeing her standing there quietly, neither arguing nor disputing, with clear eyes, he nodded inwardly.
He raised his voice: "The reasons for allocating housing to Comrade Shu Ran are clearly stated in the public notice. Qiming Primary School is a key demonstration site for our company, and even our regiment and our division! Comrade Shu Ran's work is not just about teaching a few children to read; she is also involved in literacy campaigns and compiling teaching materials. The importance of these tasks has been repeatedly affirmed by higher-level leaders! Allocating her a separate room is to ensure the quality of teaching and the continuation of subsequent work. This is a necessity for the work and a decision made by the organization!"
He paused, then raised his voice: "Anyone who thinks their contribution is greater than Comrade Shu Ran's, anyone who thinks their work is more important than the cause of education, can stand up now and let's go to the division leaders to settle this!"
These words immediately quieted the room considerably. Go to the division headquarters to seek redress? Who would dare? Moreover, Secretary Liu had elevated the issue to the level of "educational undertakings" and "organizational decisions"; anyone who continued to cause trouble would be seen as questioning the organization and their superiors.
Wang Laowu opened his mouth, but dared not shout any louder. Li Dazui's wife also shrank back and retreated a bit.
"Secretary Liu, Company Commander Ma, may I say a few words?"
Everyone looked and saw it was Shu Ran. She took a few steps forward and stood in front of the crowd, facing Wang Laowu and those who still had doubts.
"Teacher Shu, please speak." Secretary Liu nodded.
Shu Ran turned to the crowd, her face displaying a calm and honest expression.
“Brother Wang, uncles and aunts, elder brothers and sisters.” Her voice was not loud but clear. “I know that many people are not satisfied with allocating the house to me, a young woman who came late, and feel that I am not qualified.”
Her gaze swept over everyone, lingering for a moment on Wang Laowu's face: "Brother Wang is right to say that driving a tractor is a contribution! Without the hard work of the comrades in the mechanized farming team, how could our company have such a bumper harvest? Everyone here, whether you are farming, raising livestock, driving horse-drawn carts, or working in logistics, is an indispensable force in the construction of our corps, and you are all great contributors."
She first affirmed everyone, which softened the expressions of some who were originally neutral.
“I, Shu Ran, am nothing special. Being able to stand here teaching is a testament to the organization’s trust and everyone’s support.” She changed the subject, “But the reason the organization assigned this room to me is clearly stated in the public notice: it’s for the needs of teaching work. This isn’t for my personal enjoyment.”
She looked at Wang Laowu, her tone still calm: "Brother Wang, it's only natural that you hope the matchmaking will be successful, that you can start a family and build a career. But have you ever thought about it? If your future child didn't have to live like we do now, squeezing onto the edge of the kang at night, struggling to see even with just a kerosene lamp, wouldn't he be more successful? Wouldn't he be able to make a greater contribution to our corps and our country?"
Wang Laowu was stunned and didn't know how to answer for a moment.
Shu Ran then looked at the others: "And to all of you uncles and aunts who have children or will have children in the future, what are we working so hard to build up the frontier for? Isn't it so that the next generation can live better and have more hope? Qiming Primary School is still in poor condition, but this house is just the beginning. It's not just my dormitory; it will also be the school's library corner, a place where children can read and study after class. I assure you all, every inch of this house will be used to cultivate the next generation for the company!"
After hearing her words, everyone found them much more agreeable. She didn't seem to be preoccupied with personal gains and losses, but rather elevated the significance of housing allocation to the future of the entire company and the cultivation of the next generation, turning "personal housing" into "teaching facilities for Qiming Primary School."
A hush fell over the scene. Those who had been grumbling earlier fell silent. Oppose? That meant opposing creating a better learning environment for the children, opposing the future hope of the company. No one could bear that label.
Wang Laowu muttered, "I...I didn't mean that..." and then sheepishly squeezed out of the crowd.
Secretary Liu and Company Commander Ma exchanged a glance, both seeing the admiration in each other's eyes. This girl was not only capable, but also wise; she knew how to adapt to circumstances and turn an unfavorable situation into a favorable one.
"Alright, alright, everyone disperse! Go do what you were doing!" Company Commander Ma waved his hand. "This notice will be posted for three days. If you have any objections, please follow the procedures. Don't gather here and cause trouble!"
The crowd gradually dispersed. Shu Ran stood there, letting out a sigh of relief, but a layer of sweat broke out on her back. She knew that this hurdle was temporarily over. But the real trouble was probably yet to come.
She glanced at the few brand-new mud-brick houses, her eyes hardening with determination. She had to move into these houses; it wasn't just about her living space, but also about the foundation she would have here and the future of her work.
During the three days of public announcement, everything appeared calm on the surface, but the undercurrents never ceased.
Shu Ran clearly sensed that some people in the company were looking at her differently. Before, it was polite or distant, but now it carried a more complex meaning—envy, jealousy, and scrutiny. When she went to the canteen to get food, she could feel the pointing and whispering behind her back. One night, when she returned to her dormitory, she found her clothes, which had been hanging outside, on the ground, covered in mud and dust, clearly knocked down on purpose.
She said nothing, picked up the clothes, and washed them again. She knew this was a manifestation of impotent rage by some people.
Sister Wang and Li Xiulan felt indignant on her behalf.
"It must have been that woman from Li Dazui's family who did it! What a despicable wretch!" Sister Wang was furious.
“Exactly, it’s just jealousy! Teacher Shu, don’t be afraid, we’re upright and have nothing to fear!” Li Xiulan said indignantly.
Shu Ran comforted them instead, saying, "It's nothing, just a little tactic. It won't hurt you. The more they act like this, the more it proves we did the right thing. Compared to what I gained, a piece of clothing that fell on the ground is nothing."
She knew that getting bogged down in these trivial matters would only make things worse. What she needed to do now was to stay calm and let the facts speak for themselves.
On the afternoon of the third day, the public notice period ended, and no one formally raised any objections. The housing allocation plan was therefore approved.
Secretary Liu called Shu Ran to the company headquarters and handed her a key: "Comrade Shu Ran, here, this is the key to your room. It's in the last row, the first one on the east side, it's relatively quiet. The room is unfinished, there's nothing inside, you'll have to tidy it up yourself."
Shu Ran took the keys. "Thank you, Secretary! I can take care of it myself."
After leaving the company headquarters, she went straight to her house.
The earthen-yellow walls still smelled damp, the door was made of simple wooden planks, and the windows were small and covered with rough hemp paper.
Pushing open the creaking wooden door, the room was empty, with a hard, compacted earthen floor and a few sprouting blades of grass peeking out from the corners. The space was only about seventeen or eighteen square meters.
But in Shu Ran's eyes, this was the most beautiful place she had ever been since she transmigrated to this world. She took a deep breath of the earthy air, her chest filled with joy.
Finally, I have a space that's completely my own!
Without delay, she immediately got to work. She swept the floor, pasted the walls with old newspapers she had saved up, put away the camphor wood chest she had brought from the dormitory, and built a simple bed and desk with bricks and a few old planks.
Sister Wang and Li Xiulan both came to help, and Xu Junjun also took some time to come over, giving her an old enamel basin, a thermos, and a small aluminum pot.
"Finally, I have a place to call home!" Xu Junjun looked around the neat and tidy little house and was genuinely happy for her.
Shu Ran smiled and nodded, thinking to herself that she would need to install a curtain to separate the sleeping area from the "work area".
Just as I was busy, the light at the doorway dimmed, and a tall figure blocked the door.
It is Chen Yuanjiang.
He stood at the door, not coming in immediately, his gaze sweeping around the room before finally settling on Shu Ran's face.
"Special Envoy Chen." Shu Ran straightened up, somewhat surprised.
Sister Wang, Xu Junjun, and Li Xiulan exchanged glances and tacitly made an excuse to slip away, leaving the others alone.
Chen Yuanjiang then stepped inside. He was tall, and had to stoop slightly to enter the low mud-brick house. He carried a burlap sack in his hand, which he placed on the ground with a dull thud.
"What is this?" Shu Ran asked curiously.
Chen Yuanjiang didn't answer directly. Instead, he looked at the bed and desk she had set up and frowned. "This wood isn't sturdy. It will collapse after a while."
As he spoke, he squatted down and took out a few things from the sack—an axe, a saw, and several pieces of wood that were of uniform thickness and looked quite sturdy.
"I'll reinforce it for you." He said succinctly, and without waiting for Shu Ran's response, he picked up his tools and started working.
Shu Ran watched as he skillfully measured dimensions, sawed wood, and reinforced her simple bed frame and desk with nails he seemed to have found out from nowhere.
She didn't disturb him, but quietly poured him a bowl of water and placed it beside him.
The only sounds in the room were the clanging of axes and saws, and the slightly awkward yet somewhat ambiguous atmosphere between the two.
After a while, Chen Yuanjiang straightened up and said, "Okay, it should be usable now."
Shu Ran looked at the bed and table, which had been reinforced and were now stable, and thanked them softly. She handed them the bowl of water.
Chen Yuanjiang took the bowl and gulped down most of it. After putting the bowl down, his gaze swept across the room again, finally settling on the only window.
“It’s windy at night, so make sure the windows are closed tightly.” He paused, as if remembering something, and then took out a small piece wrapped in old military uniform cloth from the sack and handed it to Shu Ran. “Put this inside the window; it will block the wind and also slightly block out…light.”
Shu Ran took it and opened it; it was a thick, dark blue homespun cloth, just the right size to cover the window.
She held the piece of cloth and looked up at him.
Chen Yuanjiang avoided her gaze, bent down and picked up the sack and tools: "I'm leaving. You can come to my office if you need anything."
After saying that, he turned and left almost hastily.
Shu Ran knew that he was avoiding suspicion.
Shu Ran held the thick cloth and walked to the window, gesturing with it. Besides curtains, she also needed to get a kerosene lamp, and perhaps... she could even clear a small plot of land by the door to grow some easy-to-grow vegetables.
Just as she was immersed in her anticipation of her new life, a voice rang out from outside the door: "Teacher Shu, you've moved in already? You're really quick!"
Shu Ran's smile faded. She turned around and saw Li Dazui's wife and two other unfamiliar women standing at the door, their faces bearing ambiguous smiles, their eyes full of hostility.
Shu Ran knew that this housewarming celebration wouldn't be so easy to get through. She took a deep breath, put on a composed and polite smile again, and went to greet them.
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