Chapter 30, Chapter 30: Comrade Xiao Guan!
When Chang Zhengyi encounters something unclean, even if people believe it, they won't be afraid to go to the toilet in the dark. But if Officer Song says that an armed criminal has escaped to the vicinity, everyone will chicken out.
Each household prepared chamber pots at home. Jiang Guiying came to courtyard number two and asked Guan Yuehe to bring out a bucket to use first.
Guan Yuehe looked resistant, "I can hold it in."
That evening, the stewards of each courtyard in Ginkgo Hutong held a temporary meeting to report the news brought back by Police Officer Song and repeatedly emphasized that no one should go out alone after dark. They said they would ask the street office the next day and then arrange for patrols.
The elderly folks in Ginkgo Hutong who weren't working were unusually united, forming four small teams that night to take turns patrolling.
As soon as it was light, Guan Yuehe heard noises from her neighbor's house, so she quickly got out of bed, put on her coat, and ran to the toilet.
With many people around, everyone was confident that the fugitive would not dare to appear in a crowded place, and they all agreed that the "white cloth" that Chang Zhengyi saw was the fugitive.
"Oh dear!" Suddenly, an older woman slapped her thigh. "Didn't the Qi family lose a piece of cloth a few days ago? It was white cloth, and they were planning to dye it themselves."
"Now that you mention it, I remember! The cloth has been missing for almost half a month, and the criminal came here half a month ago?"
"My goodness! Could it be that he's hiding in our alley?"
The elderly residents thought it was very likely, so they went to the neighborhood office to explain the situation. The neighborhood office and the police were discussing countermeasures when they heard this, and they felt they had to take action quickly.
Changhu Police Station immediately reported to the Municipal Public Security Bureau. That noon, more than a dozen police officers and dozens of People's Liberation Army soldiers arrived at Yinxing Hutong and were about to conduct a thorough search of the alley.
Each household needed someone to stay home and watch over things. Guan Yuehe had to go to work, so she went home at noon and gave Jiang Guiying the key to her bedroom to facilitate the police search.
At noon, she was questioned and had her ID checked by the People's Liberation Army soldiers guarding the alley. She was only allowed to pass after they confirmed there were no problems.
Moreover, the People's Liberation Army acted swiftly, immediately sealing off all the entrances and exits of the street.
While busy with her work, Guan Yuehe was also concerned about whether the criminal had been caught.
Soon, her attention was diverted to another important matter.
In the afternoon, the broadcast announced that the factory would recommend outstanding young employees for university studies over the past two years, and the specific requirements were also announced.
The announcement repeated the registration deadline twice: "Registration forms must be submitted before this Saturday!"
After emphasizing this, the broadcast continued: "Following the principle of 'public recommendation, leadership approval, and school review,' the list of eligible candidates will be posted on the bulletin board. Then, all factory employees will participate in a collective anonymous vote, and the results will be made public in the presence of all factory employees. Finally, factory leaders will speak with the two comrades who received the most votes..."
This is somewhat different from the recommendation method of Five Star Auto Factory, at least Five Star Auto Factory did not conduct any public anonymous voting.
According to her older sister, the heads of each workshop and department would first submit a list of recommendations, then the factory leadership would vote to select the candidates to go to school.
Is it because there are too many workers at the Five Star Motors factory, making it difficult to conduct a public vote?
Everyone in the factory office listened intently, and after they finished, they all turned to Guan Yuehe's seat with delight and said, "Little Guan, you're the only one in our office who meets the criteria!"
"A junior high school diploma or above is required, but Xiao Guan only has a high school diploma, so he's even more suitable!"
"Have the registration forms been printed yet? Give one to Xiao Guan."
Although the chances were slim, Guan Yuehe still had to give it a try. "I'll go ask for the registration form later. Comrades, you all have to vote for me!"
Sister Zhu laughed and said, "Then they'll definitely only vote for our little Guan."
"Yes, yes, not only do we have to vote for you, we also have to campaign for you!"
"This is terrible, Xiao Guan. After you finish university and come back, our factory office may not be able to keep you."
Those who graduated from university a few years ago, as long as they have good personal conduct or aren't entangled with family issues, are highly valued talents no matter which company they work for. It's easy to imagine that if Xiao Guan really gets his university degree and comes back, his future will be bright!
Xiao Guan was flattered by the compliments, but she remained clear-headed and quickly regained her senses. "It's too early to say now. You can praise me after I actually get into university."
"Haha, okay! Then I'll save the nice things for a few more days."
Before leaving work, Guan Yuehe received her registration form. She also ran into He Shuangshuang, who was heavily pregnant and had also come to pick up a registration form.
The last time the two met and spoke was when they were drawing lots for room allocation. Now that they've bumped into each other, they don't know what to say for a moment, so they both smiled at each other.
When I got home, the People's Liberation Army soldiers who had come to search had already left, but there were still police officers nearby investigating the situation.
They searched the entire Ginkgo Alley, especially the area around the toilets, but found absolutely no trace of the fugitive. After such a thorough search, the fugitive probably wouldn't dare venture into Ginkgo Alley again.
Moreover, a patrol team has been arranged for the night in Ginkgo Hutong, and they will start their shifts tonight. As for the daytime, there are elderly men and women with nothing to do guarding the entrance of the hutong, and any strangers who come even half a step closer will be arrested and interrogated about their ancestors.
The next day, upon hearing that the fugitive had fled to another area, the elderly residents of Ginkgo Hutong were relieved, but also somewhat regretful, as they had hoped to use their abilities to capture the fugitive and earn merit.
Even if it's not for personal merit, catching them in Ginkgo Alley might allow them to be reported together, which would be a glorious thing!
"I caught a spy ten years ago! Let me take a look at that fugitive, I'm sure I can tell!"
"Alright, stop bragging about your stupid things. Did you catch that spy? He got his leg broken, you just got lucky!"
"What do you mean by 'picking up a bargain'? Just tell me, did I catch it or not?"
Guan Yuehe couldn't understand their thinking. Wasn't it a good thing that the fugitive got away? Holding in your urine all night wasn't good either.
Chang Zhengyi no longer went to the toilet with trepidation. Once he returned to normal, he put his marriage and family life on the agenda.
Chang Zhengyi's secret marriage registration with Cao Lili, which he had kept hidden from his family, could no longer be concealed. If they tried to deny it was recent, they couldn't explain why Cao Lili hadn't gone to the countryside.
Aunt Zhao's anger had subsided considerably. Thinking that continuing the stalemate would only make her a laughingstock in front of outsiders, she relented and allowed Cao Lili to move in.
So, Chang Zhengyi took his marriage certificate, asked his workplace for a day off, and went to the department store with Cao Lili to buy new clothes and wedding candy.
After everyone had eaten dinner, Aunt Zhao, along with Chang Zhengyi and Cao Lili, distributed wedding candies to the neighbors.
The first place we came to was Guan Yuehe's.
"Congratulations, Aunt Zhao! Congratulations, Comrade Chang Zhengyi and Comrade Cao Lili!"
Guan Yuehe's voice was loud and clear, and the news spread to the front yard and the neighboring yard in no time.
Cao Lili looked quite quiet, smiling shyly, while Chang Zhengyi was grinning like a fool. Aunt Zhao, with her impeccable composure, introduced the neighbors to Cao Lili with a beaming smile, a picture of a truly good mother-in-law.
After that day, Chang Zhengyi became a "negative example" for the elderly men and women in Ginkgo Hutong to educate their children, just like Xu Xiaomei back then.
Even Xu Chengcai, who rarely gets to go home, was told by his parents: "Don't be like Chang Zhengyi. If you have a girlfriend, bring her back for us to check her out. Only get a marriage certificate if she's suitable."
Xu Cheng ignored it completely. His situation was different from Chang Zhengyi's, but he still decided to learn from Chang Zhengyi and get the marriage certificate first before notifying his family.
There was an extra person in the second courtyard. He wasn't very noticeable during the day, but everyone still noticed that the extra person had a "bad" impact.
After Aunt Zhao calmed down from her anger towards Chang Zhengyi, she took out the radio and played the broadcast again. But after Cao Lili came in, Chang Zhengyi lost interest in fiddling with the radio, and everyone's evening entertainment was gone again.
There's no radio to listen to, but we can still get together and chat.
As they were chatting, Auntie Er suddenly realized something was wrong.
"What has Yuehe been busy with these past few days? She hides in her room as soon as she gets back, and I haven't seen her come out."
In the past, Guan Yuehe would sit among her neighbors, not saying much, but they would occasionally ask her about the garment factory. They had just been talking about how the factory would be delivering vegetables tomorrow, and everyone would be starting to make sauerkraut. Guan Yuehe had bought quite a few sauerkraut jars to dry in front of her house… Just as I was about to ask Guan Yuehe how much sauerkraut she was making, I turned around and realized she wasn't there.
The others also shook their heads, saying they hadn't noticed.
Southwest, who was lying on Cai Ying's lap, raised her head, held up her hand, and said in a childish voice, "Sister Yuehe is studying."
She and her brother went to play with Sister Yuehe. Sister Yuehe gave them peanuts and told them to go to Courtyard No. 3 to find Weiwei and Jingjing.
study?
Do we need to study even if we work in the factory office?
Soon, everyone remembered the previous rumor that Guan Yuehe was going to be trained to be a cadre, and they all realized, "Being a cadre is different; you can't succeed without learning."
Otherwise, where do those officials get their ability to spout grand principles? They all learn them through study.
Knowing the inside story, Bai Xianghong blinked. Hearing her mother and second aunt speak with such certainty, she decided it was best to keep her mouth shut. Otherwise, before the factory even started organizing the vote, the news that Sister Yuehe had become a college student would have spread throughout the entire alley.
She was able to get into the factory thanks to Sister Yuehe's help in finding a reliable mentor. She wanted to give a gift to express her gratitude, but she couldn't. The gift was returned the same way it was given.
She could hear the chatter of the older women all around her, but she couldn't hear a word they said. She was thinking about whether the factory would still have any spots for recommending students to university after she had worked there for three years...
Meanwhile, Guan Yuehe was scratching her head in frustration over her high school textbook, her eyes practically blazing with anger. She got up to get a glass of water, took a few deep breaths, and then sat back down.
I've forgotten a lot of what I learned before, and now I have to slowly pick it up again.
The application forms were submitted, and by then the application period had passed. More than fifty people from the entire factory had applied.
As far as she knew, besides He Shuangshuang, Xie Dongxue, Gu Mannian, and Xu Chengcai had also signed up.
The application requirements stated that applicants should be around twenty years old, with a year or two younger and a year or four older, all around twenty. No one wanted to miss this opportunity to improve themselves.
After the application form is submitted, the factory will set up a relevant team to review it.
To verify the accuracy of the information on the application form, it is necessary to understand the applicant's family background, whether the applicant has made any mistakes or outstanding contributions at work, and finally, to consider the opinion of the applicant's immediate supervisor...
Although the results were still far off, Guan Yuehe felt she needed to pick up her textbooks again. What if she had passed everything up to the previous stage but failed at the school's review stage?
The two admission slots allocated to the Zhuoyue Garment Factory were both for students at Peking University. One was in the Department of Literature, and the other was in the Department of Foreign Languages.
She learned some basic Russian when she was a child, but it was negligible.
It's true what they say: if you don't work hard when you're young, you'll regret it when you're old
Guan Yuehe sighed and then continued to bury herself in her book.
—
Two large trucks were parked at the entrance of the alley, piled high with cabbages, and the queue stretched from the alley entrance all the way to the street office.
"Yuehe, come quickly!" Lin Yufeng, who was at the front of the group, waved her hand.
Guan Yuehe hurried over to help, and the two of them first moved the cabbages they had bought to the side. After a while, Jiang Guiying borrowed a cart, and together they transported the vegetables to Guan Yuehe's house.
"Leave it here for now, your sister-in-law and I will come over and take care of it tomorrow."
After Jiang Guiying finished her work, she told Lin Yufeng to go back and prepare dinner.
Lin Yufeng was curious about what her mother-in-law wanted to say to her sister-in-law by deliberately sending her away, but her mother-in-law made it clear that she didn't want to talk about it, so she could only go back first.
Once only the mother and daughter were left in the room, Jiang Guiying took her daughter's hand and asked in a low voice, "Your factory's investigation team went to the car factory to find out about your father's and your older brother and sister's work situation, and they also went to the neighborhood office to see Director Ma. Was your university admission...?"
"No. Everyone who signs up needs to know, so they must have checked Xu Cheng's family background as well."
"Doesn't that mean that cadres are more likely to be recommended? You're in a cadre position."
"Half of the people who signed up at our factory were for management positions." So, she wasn't particularly outstanding.
Jiang Guiying was preoccupied with her daughter's university studies, and she couldn't sleep at night without feeling restless. Guan Canghai advised her to relax and even joked, "Is it your daughter going to university or you? I think your daughter is more composed than you."
Jiang Guiying kicked him irritably and sneered, "You're so carefree. Who's happy to have bumped their head like that?"
"I already said, it was because Lao Ming wasn't watching where he was going that I pulled him up and he crashed into the wall!"
"He wasn't looking where he was going, and neither were you? You're all talk and no action, all you can do is open your eyes but not see!"
"......"
—
One evening in early November, an autumn rain fell and the temperature dropped sharply. Guan Yuehe, who was always by the fire, finally put her old sweater into the closet and put on her new sweater.
While others wore sweaters, light cotton-padded jackets, or scarves, she wore only a shirt and sweater, striding forward with an upright posture, appearing exceptionally energetic.
Both of her sweaters received praise from the women in the factory, who said she was very skilled at knitting.
Guan Yuehe quickly clarified that the sweater was knitted by her eldest sister.
The woman who had just praised him was a little disappointed; she was still thinking of asking Xiao Guan to teach her how to knit a sweater.
Gu Mannian's praise was so sincere that if Guan Yuehe hadn't known his little scheme, she probably would have thought her sweater was the most amazing thing in the world.
"It's no use praising me. I can't make decisions for my older sister, and she won't let me help introduce people." This wasn't the first time Guan Yuehe had frankly advised Gu Mannian, hoping that he would spend his time thinking about how to formally get to know her sister first.
"I know." Gu Mannian was in a particularly good mood and didn't even ask her sister if she had any plans for Sunday.
Guan Yuehe sensed something was wrong.
But she couldn't stop him in the cafeteria to ask him what she didn't know.
After get off work today, all staff members will stay an extra half hour to vote in the cafeteria for those who meet the criteria for university admission.
After the factory's investigation team visited the site, half of the more than fifty people who had signed up were eliminated, so only twenty-seven people were selected to vote in the afternoon.
Guan Yuehe and Xie Dongxue are both on the list.
The two were sitting facing each other eating, putting a piece of potato on each other's plate, and agreeing that whoever was chosen would treat the other to a meal at the state-run restaurant.
There's nothing we can do; the purchasing department hasn't been able to get any meat lately, so the cafeteria is serving potatoes or cabbage for every meal.
"What if they all get selected?" Xie Dongxue asked.
"Then let's celebrate at a state-run restaurant."
"What if none of them are..."
"This is too heartbreaking! Then we should definitely eat at state-run restaurants!" Guan Yuehe popped another potato into her mouth. She had just received last month's salary and this month's ration coupons, and hadn't had time to buy meat yet. Her mouth was almost forgetting what meat tasted like.
Xie Dongxue agreed, "That makes sense. Then I'll keep this month's meat ration coupons. No matter what the outcome, I have to have a good meal!"
At five o'clock sharp, the loudspeaker announced: "All workers, please assemble in the canteen..."
A blackboard has been set up in the cafeteria, displaying the theme of the conference and the names of the twenty-seven people who were voted on, each with a number after it.
There was a cardboard box in front of the blackboard. The workers who wanted to vote came forward one by one, took a pen and paper from the table next to the box, wrote their numbers on the paper, and then threw the paper into the box. The votes were counted on the spot after the workers finished voting.
It can be said that this vote was quite fair, just, and transparent.
Even if someone solicits votes in advance and is forced to agree out of politeness, no one is watching what you write, and you're not allowed to sign your name. Everyone can vote according to their own ideas.
Each worker can submit a maximum of two votes, which means writing two serial numbers.
Guan Yuehe and the others could also participate in the voting, so she wrote down Xie Dongxue and Xu Chengcai's names.
If she was only one vote short of being elected, she would accept it.
After submitting his application, Xu Chengcai whispered slyly, "I didn't write anything for anyone else, only for you. If it gets approved, you have to treat me to meat!"
Guan Yuehe was both touched and angry. "You can write two names on one ticket? Are you stupid? Why didn't you write your own name on it too?!"
Xu Chengcai was struck dumb, "I thought I couldn't vote for myself!"
Guan Yuehe: "..." Her fist hardened.
Including temporary workers, there are fewer than 400 people in the factory. Everyone had decided in advance who to vote for, and the voting was completed in just ten minutes.
The union director, who presided over the vote, randomly selected people from different workshops and departments to supervise the vote counting, which made it impossible to fake anything.
As tickets were taken out of the box one by one, Guan Yuehe watched as the number of tally marks after her name increased, giving her the impression of being far ahead of the competition. Her tense mood gradually calmed down.
She quietly turned her head and breathed a sigh of relief, meeting the eyes of Wang Zheng from the sales department. Wang Zheng smiled and raised an eyebrow at her, and Guan Yuehe knew that Wang Zheng must have voted for her as well.
After her previous scavenging of rat tails, Guan Yuehe once again felt how popular she was with people in the factory!
But the reasons for her popularity are varied.
After the voting rules were announced, many people quietly discussed, "Who are you voting for?"
“One vote is definitely going to Xu Cheng from our workshop. And the other vote… how about we give it to Xiao Guan? After all, Xiao Guan used to be from our workshop too.” This was said by a senior woman from workshop one.
"I don't know who to vote for, and I don't know the people in charge. I only know Comrade Guan, who runs to the canteen every day." This is an older worker who transferred from the shoe factory to the garment factory this year.
"Comrade Xiao Guan? I think it's a good idea. Last time she borrowed rat tail from me, she even brought me some roasted melon seeds."
"Comrade Xiao Guan has helped our department quite a bit, let's vote for her!"
"Comrade Xiao Guan helped us unload the goods last time; she's incredibly strong." This inexplicable praise made onlookers frown: Did she get votes just because she's strong?
"Comrade Xiao Guan..."
The voting results were already very clear; Sister Zhu and Brother Wang from the factory office gave Guan Yuehe a thumbs-up from a distance.
Comrade Xiao Guan from their factory office received far more votes than the second-place candidate, so there's definitely a spot that belongs to Comrade Xiao Guan!
Comrade Xiao Guan was so happy he was trying his best to hold back his laughter.
She was so happy she almost cried; she was incredibly lucky!
But if Xie Dongxue's votes were a little higher, that would be great! Guan Yuehe thought with some regret.
"The voting of all 387 workers in the factory has concluded, with zero abstentions. Guan Yuehe received 277 votes, ranking first; He Shuangshuang received 218 votes, ranking second; and Xie Dongxue received 211 votes..."
After the voting ended, the workers began to leave.
People who know him pass by and never forget to greet him, "Congratulations, Comrade Xiao Guan!"
The factory's investigation team has already learned about the personal and family circumstances of the applicants. The subsequent approval from the leadership is basically just a formality. As long as they pass the school's review, they will be university students for sure!
When Xie Dongxue came to see her, her eyes were red, but it was something to be happy about that her friend had gotten a spot.
You have to treat me to two meals!
One meal to celebrate Guan Yuehe getting the spot, and another to soothe her resentment at almost being selected.
Guan Yuehe patted the pocket containing the money and said generously, "Please!"
—
Guan Yuehe's securing a place in university became another big news story in Ginkgo Hutong.
"Universities have stopped enrolling students, so how can you still go to university?"
"You don't know this, do you? Now it's all about recommendations for school admission! Speaking of which, our car factory has quotas too, right? What are the requirements? I'm having my third son apply too."
"Why is it her again? All the good things seem to happen to her..."
The residents of No. 2 suddenly realized: they hadn't been able to find her lately because she was secretly studying to secure a place in university!
Guan Yuehe was stuck in her own home, answering one neighbor's question about how to get a spot, and then thanking the other neighbor for their congratulations. Lin Sitian finally managed to squeeze in, but seeing so many people, she greeted her and ran away.
Jiang Guiying and the others only found out after their neighbors congratulated them. Jiang Guiying was so happy that she slapped her thigh, while Guan Canghai almost bumped into the wall again.
The commotion at her place lasted until after nine o'clock, and her face was practically frozen from smiling.
If it weren't so late, Guan Canghai would have prepared some snacks to go with his drinks and had a couple of drinks with his daughter.
"Wait until you get the acceptance letter before you drink," Guan Yuehe said, then realized she had actually encouraged her father to drink, and quickly glanced at her mother.
Oh, her mother was too happy to say anything about them not being allowed to drink.
Guan Yuehua was filled with mixed feelings and ultimately said nothing, only reminding him, "You have to go to work tomorrow, so get some rest."
She was finally all alone at home.
I secretly chuckled for a long time before remembering to add hot water to wash up. I hummed a cheerful tune, stopping every now and then to giggle.
—
The alley was quiet, except for the sound of Guan Yuehe's footsteps as she ran towards the toilet.
"I shouldn't have drunk so much water! Oh well, I can't sleep anyway, hehehe..."
Guan Yuehe muttered to herself, and was about to unzip her pants when she suddenly heard rustling sounds from behind the toilet, which instantly ignited her anger.
I tiptoed around to the back of the toilet and picked up a stone outside while I was there.
She'd like to see which bastard dared to peek into the women's restroom; she'd break his legs or she'd change her name!
"Squeak..." She wanted to slap her forehead twice; she had been careless.
The noise was accidentally made, alerting the person behind the toilet, who immediately ran out.
A dark, murky thing was running quickly forward, seemingly about to turn into a side alley and wander into another alley.
If she hadn't had a flashlight, she almost wouldn't have been able to see anyone.
For a fleeting moment, she understood the fear Chang Zhengyi felt when he saw a white cloth "float" away; the dark shadow in front of him seemed to be floating away as well.
But who could have imagined that he'd run into her! She was the number one cafeteria worker at the Zhuoyue Garment Factory!
After chasing for a while, she hurled the stone in her hand forward with all her might. Even if she got hurt, she wasn't afraid! That scoundrel who lurks in the women's restroom—he'd be either executed or forced to work on a farm for life!
"Ouch!" The dark figure in front was slammed to the ground, a sharp pain shooting through his back. Before he could recover, he tried to take out what was in his arms, but his hand was grabbed and pinned down by a foot.
"Help! Catch this pervert!"
Late at night, someone who had just fallen asleep was instantly awakened by a loud voice outside the alley. They sprang to their feet, not even bothering to put on their coat, grabbed a wooden stick, and rushed out shouting, "Catch the pervert!"
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