Zhou Hao received a notice on the 23rd day of the lunar calendar before the Lunar New Year that the factory had promoted him to the deputy captain of the maintenance team. Qian Qing even prepared a table of dishes for Zhou Hao that day and also prepared some new clothes for him to celebrate.

But Wang Hua's mood was not so good. Although he knew that Zhou Hao's position was fixed, he never thought that Zheng Xian would be so proactive and send out the notice before the New Year.

He had originally planned to think about going into the adult entertainment industry during the Chinese New Year, but now all his plans have been disrupted.

The day after Zhou Hao became the deputy team leader, Zheng Xian gave him the task of writing the plan for the next year. Zhou Hao looked indifferent, but he was not pedantic. He asked several old workers in the maintenance team to work together, saying that they were young and might not consider some things, so the old workers who helped could sign the plan.

Among these people, there is no Wang Hua.

Wang Hua didn't know what was wrong with him. It was normal for Zhou Hao not to choose him. After all, he was not a senior official. But he felt that Zhou Hao was just trying to save his face. Who knows, he might make things more difficult for him in the future.

Wang Hua had been on a smooth sailing all along, except for the time he got upset after marrying Wan Zhenzhen. After thinking about it again and again, he still couldn't swallow it, so he simply went to Zheng Xian and said that he wanted to start a business and quit his job.

Zheng Xian tried to persuade him at first. There were many workers who went into the sea, but not everyone could make a name for themselves like Qian Qing. Some people went into the sea and were never heard of again after leaving the oil field.

Zheng had good intentions, but Wang Hua felt he was hypocritical. He spoke in a harsh tone and refused to change his words, insisting that he wanted to resign.

Zheng Xian could only persuade him from another perspective: "If you leave now, the factory may keep the room in the tube building for you because of your father. But you will not be eligible for the room allocation or room purchase in the future."

Strictly speaking, Wang Hua's qualifications were not enough for the factory to leave the tube-shaped building to him. However, his father had made contributions to the factory, so it was not easy to take back Wang Hua's house.

"And if the tube-shaped building is demolished in the future, you won't get any subsidies."

Zheng first made the seriousness of the matter very clear. According to his idea, if you really want to do business, you can refer to Zhou Hao and his wife. One works as a worker in the factory, and the other manages the business. Why do you have to resign and leave yourself a way out when the couple works together?

Wang Hua still insisted, and Zheng Xian finally had no choice but to submit his appeal. Unexpectedly, the factory made a decision so quickly, and gave the result in less than three days, notifying Wang Hua to go through the formalities.

Zhou Hao hugged Qian Qing and told her about Wang Hua's resignation and his decision to join the industry.

Qian Qing frowned. It wasn't that she was prejudiced against Wang Hua, but how could Wang Hua be a businessman?

He has a stubborn and complicated personality, and he is not a cheerful person. Last time, he smashed a tricycle in a fit of anger. Coupled with Wan Zhenzhen, Qian Qing has no idea how this couple's business will turn out.

"They have no business except for a storefront, so they are resigning now?"

Qian Qing asked with a frown on her face, while Zhou Hao was rubbing his wife's hand.

"So I have already applied to the factory to see if I can move to another building after the new year."

Wang Hua's stubborn personality was fine under Zhou Hao's watch, but now that he has resigned and started a business, Zhou Hao can't keep an eye on him all the time. What if this person's business is not going well, and he is unhappy to see Qian Qing getting rich?

"It shouldn't be a big problem. I also told you that we can add some money. It would be best if we could move to a two-bedroom, one-living room apartment. The current room is still too small."

The most important thing is that the sound insulation is really poor. Changing to a two-bedroom, one-living room apartment will at least have better sound insulation than a one-bedroom, one-living room apartment.

On the twenty-ninth day of the lunar month, Qian's mother sent a bunch of fried food to the oil field, and mentioned her old neighbor, the Wan family, to Qian Qing.

"Wan Zhenzhen's father lost a finger on his hand in a rolling machine. The factory gave him money and he retired at home. You have no idea how upset he is these days. Wan Zhenzhen's mother has been crying from house to house. She keeps wailing next door, and their Wan Baojin is justified in eating other people's food."

Upon hearing this, Qian Qing immediately asked, "Will he still come to our house?"

"How could that be possible? Ever since Zhou Hao beat up Wang Hua, the Wan family has never come to visit again. Especially since I wasn't home and your dad ate out every day, and because of Wan Zhenzhen's pregnancy before marriage, the Wan family withdrew for a long time. Now it's just that Wan Zhenzhen's mother is thick-skinned. Obviously, the money given by the factory is enough for their expenses, and they also pay pensions every month as usual, so it can't be that difficult. But Wan Zhenzhen's mother insists on taking advantage, but now the unlucky ones are those families who are close to his family."

Qian's mother sighed in her heart, fortunately there was Zhou Hao's beating of Wang Hua before, now everyone in their building is much more polite to her. Even if Wan's mother is shameless, she can't be fooled. Those who used to have a good relationship with Wan's mother and liked to take advantage of her are in big trouble. When it's dinner time, Wan Baojin will come to sit at the door and won't leave.

Qian Mu sent many kinds of fried food, especially fried sweet potato balls and vegetable balls, which can be eaten as snacks after being heated and cooked. The fish and chicken nuggets are cooked half-cooked. If you don't want to cook during the Chinese New Year, you can just use a clay pot, put the fish and chicken nuggets in, and add some other dishes to make a hot meal.

After Qian's mother left, Qian Qing was troubled by the pile of fried food. There were only two of them, she and Zhou Hao, and how long would it take to finish all of it? She might as well share some of it and give it to the neighbors.

As a result, more and more gifts were given. As the Chinese New Year approached, everyone's home was filled with all kinds of food. Qian Qing gave out a bowl of vegetarian meatballs, and people gave back some homemade dried tofu. She gave out a bowl of fried fish nuggets, and they gave back two freshly stuffed sausages...

Qian Qing: …

Well, at least there are more types.

By the 29th day of the 11th lunar month, most of the things needed for the festival are ready. After cooking in the frying pan, many people have some free time. Children run around playing with fried food made by different families. Adults chat in groups of three or five. You grab a handful of melon seeds and I grab some walnuts.

After her children had a small holiday, Qian Qing moved the TV from the grocery store back to her home. Now she turned on the TV in the living room for others to watch.

Several women who were on good terms with her came to the house, carrying knitting needles and enamel pots and pony poles. They sat down in Qian Qing's house and started chatting to the sound of the TV.

"Qian Qing, did the technician next door to your house move away? Why haven't I seen him recently?"

"You are so uninformed. She is married."

"You got married, and married me to the oil field?"

"Yes, I heard that he is the son of leader XXX."

"Wow, this girl is going to marry well."

…

Qian Qing also watched TV with them, occasionally refilled their tea, and occasionally joined in the conversation.

These women also felt relieved. They didn't know how much money Qian Qing made, but it was not less. Anyone who had been to her stall knew how expensive her clothes were, and yet there were still so many people vying for them. But then again, after becoming rich, she still treated her neighbors the same as before, and didn't speak in a superior manner. That was what a respectable person should be.

They all lived close to each other, so any disturbance in the building would spread quickly, and the topic eventually turned to Wang Hua's family.

"I just gave up my good job. I don't know what's going on. It's hard to get into our factory right now."

"That's right. It's very difficult for my nephew to get in. Wang Hua has enough seniority, and there's also his father's business. As long as he doesn't resign, the factory will probably let him stay until retirement. Why is he so pessimistic?"

"It must have been his wife's idea, the one who sold popsicles before. She must have persuaded him to quit his job and become a self-employed person."

"Would his mother agree to him doing this? It's not that easy to be a self-employed person. Someone in the factory quit his job in his 30s and went into business. He lost all his family business in just a few days. Now he doesn't even want to go back to the oil fields."

"You only see the thief eating meat but not the thief being beaten. Do you really think it's so easy to be a self-employed person? In our building, only Qian Qing can be a self-employed person smoothly."

Qian Qing listened to them talking, not caring about the inappropriateness of their words, but became humble: "That was only possible because of the momentum of our factory, and everyone's support. Let's not talk about other things, just selling popsicles before, there were many people in our building who supported me."

Everyone is having a great time here, but the Wang family, separated by a wall, is not so relaxed.

Old Mrs. Wang was rarely angry. This rebellious son had decided everything before telling her. By the time she knew about it, it was too late. Wang Hua's resignation application had been approved, and he was now a person without a job.

Old Mrs. Wang cried and slapped Wang Hua. How dare he!

Wang Hua was beaten, but he didn't give in at all. He would rather be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix in his life. It was simply a humiliation for him to live under Zhou Hao!

"Mom, don't worry, I will definitely let you live a good life. Didn't Zhenzhen say that? From now on, everyone will only look at money. We still have a storefront. When the house is completed next year, I will also go to the south to buy goods. No matter what we sell, we will not lose anything."

Old Mrs. Wang burst into tears, but she could do nothing about her son. Her son was now obsessed with making money, and he trusted Wan Zhenzhen more than she trusted him. What could she do?

Wan Zhenzhen ate and drank well during her confinement. As Mrs. Wang watched Wan Zhenzhen's reaction, she became more and more certain that she was pregnant with her grandson, so she cooked different kinds of food for her every day.

At this moment, Wan Zhenzhen had finished her meal and was lying on the bed, holding her stomach.

The person who was most happy to hear about Wang Hua's resignation was Wan Zhenzhen.

That's how it should be. A salary of a few dozen yuan a month is useless, and Wan Zhenzhen still needs to pay back the two thousand yuan to the system within a year. If Wang Hua doesn't resign, Wan Zhenzhen will be worried.

****

On New Year's Eve, Zhou Hao had a day off. The young couple cleaned the house together, put up couplets, and started making dumplings.

Before it gets dark, people are already setting off firecrackers outside. The children wait until the firecrackers stop going off and then gather around, looking for the small firecrackers that have fallen from the hanging firecrackers but have not exploded yet. They light them with matches, and then throw one after another, running around in the yard having a great time.

The New Year's Eve dinner consisted of a sweet and sour fish, half a pork elbow, and a few side dishes. Zhou Hao tied an apron on and went to the kitchen, while Qian Qing watched from the side.

Zhou Hao was born thin, and was the same when he was in school, as thin as a bamboo pole.

Qian Qing recalled the first time she met Zhou Hao. At that time, Zhou Hao was not as comfortable as he is now. He spent all day studying and reading books. He always got the first place in the exams and won prizes every year, but he didn't have any friends in the class.

Thinking back, the first time the two of them met was in the third year of junior high school. Qian's mother was a good cook, so Qian Qing often brought some food to school. For some reason that year, the head teacher moved Zhou Hao to sit next to her. Qian Qing was embarrassed to eat alone, so she shared some with Zhou Hao.

It didn't take long for Qian Qing to discover the problem. Zhou Hao actually lived on two black-faced steamed buns every day.

There were also students who lived on campus and ate in the cafeteria, but those who ate in the cafeteria could get the worst dishes no matter how cheap they were. Only Zhou Hao would go to get a pot of hot water after reading every day, and then eat black-faced steamed bread with hot water. He didn't dare to finish it all at once, so he would eat one at noon and one at night.

From then on, Qian Qing also started to bring her own meals. Every time she brought a meal, she would bring some side dishes with it, and then share them with Zhou Hao under the pretext that she couldn't finish it.

Zhou Hao was still cold and even said with a stiff face after a monthly exam that he planned to give Qian Qing extra lessons to express his gratitude.

Qian Qing: …

She was so angry that she cut off Zhou Hao's food for two or three days, but Zhou Hao was a stubborn person. He said he would give her extra lessons, and he would teach her every day and watch her recite the text. Qian Qing pretended to sleep and ignored him, so he recited by himself, which made Qian Qing have to open her eyes and stare at Zhou Hao angrily.

But Qian Qing was not an ungrateful person. Zhou Hao's grades were so good, and she could not fail to appreciate the fact that he sacrificed his time to give her tutoring. So she awkwardly restored the treatment she gave Zhou Hao.

After half a year of tutoring, Qian Qing became a dark horse and was admitted to high school, while Zhou Hao went to a technical secondary school with the highest score in the school...

"How is it? Is salty ok?"

Qian Qing was awakened from her memories. She didn't know when Zhou Hao had stuffed a piece of pork elbow into her mouth. The rich aroma was tinged with the fragrance of sauce.

"tasty!"

But the question should still be asked.

"Zhou Hao, are you going to Beishan Town during the Chinese New Year?"

Zhou Hao was cooking in the wok, and his mood was not affected at all.

"Go ahead. I can go by myself. I just need to burn some paper for my family. I can be back the same day."

Qian Qing knew without her asking that the family members Zhou Hao was talking about were not his biological mother and brothers.

"Okay, then I'll prepare what you need in advance."

It's good like this now. Zhou Hao has her, and she will be Zhou Hao's home for life.

The New Year's Eve dinner was not lonely for the two of them. They ate while watching TV. The lively atmosphere of the Spring Festival Gala filled the whole house, causing bursts of laughter from time to time.

At twelve o'clock, Qian Qing cooked dumplings while Zhou Hao went downstairs to set off firecrackers. The sound of firecrackers came one after another, and Qian Qing couldn't tell which one was her own.

I got up early on the first day of the new year and put melon seeds, candies and cakes on the solid wood fruit plate I bought. Soon people came to pay New Year's greetings. I put a handful of melon seeds in my pocket and went out to visit friends with the people I knew, laughing and joking.

On the second day of the Chinese New Year, it is customary to return to one's parents' home.

Qian Qing changed into new clothes and dressed up Zhou Hao as well. The bright and beautiful young couple returned to her parents' home with a pig thigh, a bag of milk candy, and a bottle of royal jelly.

Zhou Hao asked someone to buy the royal jelly for Qianmu, saying it was for health. Qianmu usually stayed in the oil field and had no shortage of daily necessities, so she had to give her something rare for the New Year.

Qian Qing was sitting on the back of the bicycle holding a basket. Zhou Hao thought her clothes were too thin, so he put a big cotton jacket over her, saying that she would look just as good after taking it off at her mother-in-law's house.

When they arrived at the match factory, Qian Qing felt a different kind of enthusiasm when she met them. The women who had looked at her coldly when she came last time, now greeted her with a smile when they saw her.

"Qingqing is back, and she's beautiful again."

"As pretty as her sister. Mr. Qian is so lucky to have two daughters who are so talented."

…

Qian Qing understood in her heart that the fact that she was praised for bringing her sister with her must mean that Qian Yu had fully demonstrated her demeanor as a female factory manager during the time she had been back.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Qian Qing and Zhou Hao went upstairs, still greeting each other all the way.

By the time Qian Qing arrived at her mother's house, sweat was dripping from her face.

"Isn't my sister using too much force?"

Or maybe the people in this area are too realistic.