Chapter 23 023 Recruitment
Upon learning that no one had started fighting, Officer Song breathed a sigh of relief.
But the news of the job opening was like a windfall. Who doesn't have one or two relatives who are short of work? Especially the families of those young people who were about to be sent to the countryside, they just wanted to find Guan Yuehe in person as soon as possible to confirm the authenticity of the news and the job requirements.
Courtyard No. 2 was packed with people, and some were even trying to squeeze in. Fearing that there would be an accident due to the large crowd, Officer Song went forward to disperse the crowd and asked everyone to move to the open space in front of the alley entrance so that everyone could find out about the recruitment situation of Zhuoyue Garment Factory.
No one inside wanted to move out, and in the end, it took the intervention of several courtyard managers to lead the crowd to the alley entrance.
Guan Yuehe let out a long sigh of relief; her doorway had almost been destroyed.
When she was surrounded and escorted by a group of people to the entrance of the alley, the huge crowd stared intently at her.
Unlike the usual noisy meetings in the courtyard, this time, without the head steward asking everyone to be quiet, some people consciously shut their mouths and reminded those next to them not to speak, to listen to what Yuehe had to say first.
One person reminded another, and the nearly two hundred people quieted down within two or three minutes.
Knowing that everyone was eager to know the specifics, Guan Yuehe didn't beat around the bush and directly stated the factory's recruitment requirements.
She felt she had explained herself very clearly, but the listeners still had all sorts of questions.
"Is a junior high school diploma mandatory? Is an elementary school diploma acceptable?"
Guan Yuehe: "No! Junior high school graduation is a strict requirement! You need to bring your graduation certificate to complete the onboarding process!"
"My son doesn't have one, can I use my nephew's graduation certificate first?"
Guan Yuehe: "...No! No! It has to be him in person!"
Can people with rural household registration apply?
Guan Yuehe looked at the person who asked the question. Oh, it's Aunt Xie. She hasn't given up on getting her youngest son into the city yet.
If rural residents could register, her first action upon hearing the news was to call her second brother's commune and then send a telegram to Ding Xuewen.
"No! You must have an urban household registration! And you must be at least sixteen years old and no more than thirty!"
Upon hearing this condition, many people frowned and then looked at Song Gong'an in unison.
Song Gong'an felt like he had a thorn in his side.
At this point, changing one's age at the police station isn't a big problem; you can get a certificate from the neighborhood office and then go to the police station to change it. If you have connections, you can bring your household registration book and have it changed discreetly.
Guan Yuehe specifically highlighted this requirement because she was worried that someone under the age of fifteen might register and then not even be able to enter the examination room.
"What kind of tests will be on? Will we have to use a sewing machine on the spot?"
Guan Yuehe: "The specific content of the exam is unknown, but it's mainly to assess the workers' educational level. If there's a shortage of staff in the factory's departments, we'll prioritize selecting from the workshops... The exam is on the 8th, and the list of successful candidates will be released within a week. Those who pass will be notified for an interview. The specific content of the interview is unknown, but it might involve using a sewing machine on-site..."
He had to be interrupted after saying just a little bit, and then repeat himself twice before he could continue to say the next bit.
Guan Yuehe's throat is practically burning from talking so much.
"Alright, that's all I know. The exam is on the 8th. The factory will post recruitment notices tomorrow. Everyone should go to the factory to register and get an application form. Registration is only open for the next two days; latecomers will not be accepted!"
Some people also want to know when this temporary worker, who passed the exam, will be able to become a permanent employee.
Guan Yuehua, standing in the crowd, grew impatient. "Stop asking useless questions! Let's talk about it after you pass the exam! You're already dreaming about getting a permanent position? It's barely dark and you're already having a dream!"
"And you, how many times have I told you? No taking exams for others, no taking someone else's diploma! Are your ears just for decoration? This is the last time, no, no, no!"
"Any other questions?"
Guan Yuehua's fiery eyes swept over the crowd, her face clearly saying: Let's see who dares to speak up?
No one spoke.
Guan Yuehe: "......"
It has to be her hot-tempered older sister.
—
That evening, Guan Yuehe's door was wide open, and thirty or forty people were sitting outside.
Normally, everyone would want to go inside and see the layout first thing, but now no one is in that mood.
In the entire Ginkgo Hutong, the number of people working at the Zhuoyue Garment Factory could be counted on one hand. And Guan Yuehe, the first one to join the factory, was the very tip of that small group.
Many people wanted to come and find her to learn more about the Zhuoyue Garment Factory.
People usually only hear that Zhuoyue Garment Factory is developing rapidly and has good benefits, but they are not workers or family members of the garment factory, so they just listen and move on.
They even looked down on it a bit. After all, the garment factory was a small factory, unlike a car factory with tens of thousands of employees. The clinic was almost half the size of a hospital, with several small factories under it, as well as its own primary and junior high schools, a movie theater, and so on.
However, no matter how good the car factory is, it doesn't have any openings right now!
After hearing Guan Yuehe's explanation, they realized that Zhuoyue Garment Factory was indeed quite good. The leading leader was capable and didn't forget to fight for benefits for the workers. Most importantly, they could get housing! Other benefits could be put aside for the time being.
Some people thought to themselves: "It's not necessarily a good thing if it's too good. The competition will have to stretch all the way to Tianjin."
The neighbors stayed at Guan Yuehe's house until 10 o'clock before taking their stools home after being reminded by Jiang Guiying.
Guan Yuehe yawned twice in a row, watched her mother leave the No. 2 courtyard, and then planned to wash up and go to bed.
When summer comes, she says every day: "It's so nice to have a place to take a shower at home!"
I can boil water at home to take a bath every day, saving the money I would have spent on bath tickets. If it gets even hotter, I can even save on coal; I can just leave the water in the sun for an afternoon and then take it to bathe.
Just as the hot water was being prepared, Aunt Bai from the front yard quietly came over. After looking around, she pulled Guan Yuehe into the house.
Guan Yuehe felt uneasy. Several neighbors had already pulled her aside to ask her private questions that evening, all asking if she had any connections to directly buy a spot.
She repeatedly emphasized to the person asking the question that their factory manager had given the order that no one in the factory dared to sell a spot.
But some people just smiled indifferently, as if they thought she was a bit dim-witted.
Guan Yuehe has no right to interfere with others; whatever problems arise is their business.
"Aunt Bai, just say what you need to say." Guan Yuehe said before she could speak, "I only found out about the news a day earlier than everyone else in the factory. That's all I know. I don't have much say in the factory either. But if there's anything else I can do to help, I definitely will."
"Oh, I understand, Auntie. I certainly don't want to put you in a difficult position." Seeing that she had misunderstood, Aunt Bai quickly explained, "You know, we usually sew our own clothes with needle and thread. We don't have a sewing machine at home, and nobody in our neighborhood has one either. I wanted to ask you to help me ask the female workers in your factory if anyone has a sewing machine and is available to teach in the evenings. I'd like Yuejin and Xianghong to learn. We won't learn for free; we'll definitely pay. Could you also ask the instructors how much the tuition is, okay?"
Some neighbors in the alley had sewing machines, but Aunt Bai thought more deeply. She felt that since she was going to learn anyway, she might as well learn from the workers in the garment factory. Maybe they could teach her some "secrets"?
If either Yuejin or Xianghong could pass the exam, she wouldn't have to worry about which of the siblings would go to the countryside.
Of course, it would be even better if I could pass both exams!
Guan Yuehe was relieved. She had experience in finding a master to teach her how to use a sewing machine. Xu Cheng had learned to use a sewing machine from the master she found before he was recruited into the factory.
Guan Yuehe agreed with Aunt Bai's approach. The key was to learn how to use the sewing machine as soon as possible, given the limited time available. If connections were useful, outsiders wouldn't have a chance; wouldn't the relatives of the garment factory's leaders have even better connections?
She immediately agreed, saying that she would ask which worker would be willing when she went to work the next day.
After finishing this, Aunt Bai didn't linger. She put the canned fruit she had hidden in her pocket on the table and headed out.
But Guan Yuehe was quicker, shoving the can back into her hand and saying sternly, "I can't accept it. Our factory director just said today that we can't accept bribes."
Aunt Bai wanted to say that they weren't buying or selling job quotas, so how could this be considered bribery? But seeing Guan Yuehe's insistence, she had no choice but to take it back, thinking that she would find another opportunity to thank her after the recruitment was over.
—
There are quite a few well-informed people in the factory. After get off work yesterday, those who knew the news all informed their relatives and friends.
Early this morning, the gatehouse of Zhuoyue Garment Factory was surrounded by people.
Guan Yuehe rushed into the office before eight o'clock. As soon as she caught her breath, the head of the personnel department greeted her with a smile and asked her to go to a meeting.
Sister Zhu secretly gave her a wink: Xiao Guan! Seize the opportunity and do a good job!
At 8:30, notices were posted on the factory bulletin board and at the factory gate, with the requirements for this recruitment of workers for Zhuoyue Garment Factory written in black and red ink.
A table has been added outside the guardhouse, and the personnel department has arranged for someone to sit there specifically to collect application forms.
Guan Yuehe almost thought the task would fall to her, but it didn't!
But she also realized that she was called in to help more like a mascot.
Perhaps the personnel department originally intended for her to be the supervisor?
Unable to figure it out, she stopped thinking about it.
During lunch, I found Xu Chengcai and told him about Aunt Bai's situation, asking him to ask his master if anyone was willing to teach her.
"You wait here, I'll go ask for you right now." Xu Cheng didn't hesitate at all, and walked towards the workshop with his lunchbox.
He returned in less than ten minutes, telling Bai Yuejin and Bai Xianghong to go to Building No. 2 of the garment factory's residential compound for a study session that evening.
"Should we remind the others?" Xu Cheng asked.
The four of them grew up together. When Ding Xuewen was around, the other three listened to him. Later, when Ding Xuewen went to the countryside, Xu Chengcai mainly listened to Guan Yuehe.
Xu Chengcai felt that Ding Xuewen, the oldest, and Guan Yuehe, the youngest, were both very opinionated and wouldn't betray him, so listening to them was definitely the right thing to do.
Guan Yuehe looked up at him. "Aunt Ding's house? No way. If they remember, they can find someone to learn on their own. I'm already being very kind by going back to deliver the message. You want me to find them a teacher? I won't do it."
Although Aunt Bai was a bit fierce, she was still reasonable. Besides, Aunt Bai herself asked her to help find a master, and she helped her. The rest was none of her business.
It's hard to say what would happen if it were someone else. If she gets a spot, that's fine, but if she doesn't, some people might blame her for not finding a good mentor.
Some people even felt that she should help find a teacher to instruct them, but as for paying tuition, they thought, "Guan Yuehe, you're just asking a colleague for a favor, why would you need tuition..."
"You'd better stay in the dorm until the recruitment ends. If you go back, you'll be a free mentor, and if you can't teach me, you'll just get blamed."
Xu Cheng nodded and said okay, then asked, "What if they want you to teach them?"
Guan Yuehe said confidently, "If I were good at using a sewing machine, would I have been transferred to the factory office? Besides, I haven't touched a sewing machine in half a year. If you want me to teach you, I'm not afraid of you going astray. So come on."
Xu Cheng: "...That's true."
—
Guan Yuehe underestimated the allure of temporary work at Zhuoyue Garment Factory; in just two days, she received at least two baskets of application forms.
The junior and senior high school students in Ginkgo Hutong, regardless of whether they are about to graduate, have all taken leave to go home and prepare for this job recruitment exam.
Some people were reviewing their textbooks, while others were borrowing sewing machines to start learning.
Aunt Ding enrolled both of her grandsons in a sewing machine and asked Aunt Fang to lend her the machine, requesting that Aunt Fang teach her grandsons how to use it, since they lived in the same courtyard.
Aunt Ding's initial idea was to borrow Aunt Fang's sewing machine and find Xu Cheng to teach her two grandsons.
But she couldn't find Xu Chengcai, so she asked Guan Yuehe and learned that Xu Chengcai was currently working the night shift and didn't have time to return to Ginkgo Hutong. So she could only ask Aunt Fang to teach him.
Her idea was good, but Aunt Fang said she wouldn't teach her, but she could borrow a sewing machine, which could only be used at home.
Aunt Ding had no choice but to look for other people, and in the end, she actually found Matchmaker Liu.
One wanted their two grandsons to learn how to use a sewing machine, while the other wanted to earn some tuition fees; they had seemingly forgotten the unpleasantness of their mutual insults from a few days ago.
Aunt Bai has been keeping a low profile these past few days. Everyone else is busy preparing for recruitment and hasn't paid attention to her family. They thought that Bai Yuejin and Bai Xianghong were hiding at home studying.
With the recruitment exam date drawing ever closer, some people couldn't sit still and started using their old experience to try and find connections at the garment factory.
I heard that the head of the personnel department was besieged at home and only got rid of the people after the security department was called. Fearing that others might come looking for him, the head of the personnel department simply slept on the floor of his office and decided not to go home for the time being.
The news that Guan Yuehe had been transferred to the personnel department to assist with recruitment work did not spread, so no one thought of blocking her way, and she continued to go to get off work and leave work on time every day.
On Sunday, she didn't cook at home; instead, she went out to buy breakfast.
She happened to run into her mother who was out buying groceries early in the morning, so she also took a basket and went out.
After living alone for nearly two months, she finally managed to sort out how to live her life.
Rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea—everything needs to be planned.
There's a lot to know about even going to the vegetable market.
You can't pick and choose the vegetables at the market; it's all a matter of luck. But her mother was familiar with the market vendors, and they greeted her warmly as soon as she came over, and the vendors even helped her pick out the good ones.
Guan Yuehe followed her mother around, trying to take advantage of her.
Summer vegetables don't keep well, so she buys less.
When she went to the state-run restaurant to buy breakfast, she bought two extra portions as a gift for her parents.
During the day, when she went to work, her mother would often fetch water for her and put it in the yard to dry, and sometimes she would even buy groceries for her.
Jiang Guiying didn't refuse her daughter's offer of help because she was filial. She just habitually reminded her not to spend money recklessly.
Guan Yuehe guessed what "big item" her eldest sister had bought again.
"Your sister's boyfriend is coming over next Sunday. Don't go out with your friends next Sunday, come home for dinner."
Guan Yuehe asked curiously, "Who is my sister's boyfriend?"
“She said he was her high school classmate’s older brother, who works at the railway bureau, and his family are also railway bureau employees,” Jiang Guiying said. “It sounds like his family is doing quite well, a little better than ours, but not by much.”
It's much better. They were worried that their eldest daughter would be looked down upon by her in-laws after marriage. Their eldest daughter also has a short temper and would argue with her in-laws every day.
Of course, someone with terrible conditions won't do either. If life after marriage is worse than before marriage, then what's the point of getting married?
The current conditions are perfect.
Guan Yuehe wanted to ask more questions, but Jiang Guiying didn't know much either, so she could only wait until she met her next Sunday to find out more.
After breakfast, Guan Yuehe went to find Lin Sitian in Courtyard No. 3, and the two of them went to the department store in the city to look at watches.
After buying a new house, furniture, and treating guests, Guan Yuehe now has a total of 140 yuan in savings, along with the wages she earned in June and July.
With the money, she immediately thought of buying the watch.
Once the money was handed out, Guan Yuehe's small tin box for saving money was empty again, and in return she received a Shanghai brand watch on her wrist.
Guan Yuehe raised her hand, looked at it from left to right, and was very satisfied. "It looks even better when I wear it."
Lin Sitian agreed, her desire to get a new watch was stirring within her.
Her watch was her mother's old watch, which had been used for seven years and needed to be adjusted every now and then, otherwise it wouldn't be accurate.
She went to and from work with her father every day, and there was a wall clock in the clinic, so a watch was actually optional. But when she saw Guan Yuehe wearing a new watch, she wanted to buy a new one for herself.
She eats and lives at home every day, and hands over most of her monthly salary to her parents. But her parents said they would keep the money for her and give it to her when she gets married.
We can get married soon, but we can buy a watch first.
Guan Yuehe strongly recommended the watch she was wearing and urged Lin Sitian to buy the same one.
But Lin Sitian had a different idea. She thought the other one was better looking, and no matter how much Guan Yuehe tried to persuade her, she didn't waver in the slightest.
"What about the tickets?" This is not a good thing.
Lin Sitian replied without hesitation, "You said you wanted to buy a watch last time, so I wrote to my brother and asked him to help me find one. We'll probably have news when he replies next time."
Anyway, she wasn't in a hurry; she could take her time and eventually find a watch ticket.
After leaving the department store, the two strolled around a nearby park. It wasn't until lunchtime that they went to the state-run restaurant where they had arranged to meet Xu Cheng.
The three of them pooled their money and tickets, ordered two meat dishes, three bowls of noodles, and nine steamed buns, and were eager to have a big meal.
After the three of them got jobs, they would always get together to have a nice meal outside in the middle and at the end of the year.
At first, only Guan Yuehe and Lin Sitian had jobs, and Ding Xuewen and Xu Chengcai were too embarrassed to take advantage of them, so the gathering could not be organized.
"I know you love your new watch, you look at it ten times a second," Lin Sitian laughed at her smugness.
Xu Cheng kept checking whether the dishes they ordered were ready, and then he kept looking at Guan Yuehe's new watch. His stomach and eyes were craving the food.
After asking Guan Yuehe how much her new watch cost, he had a better idea of the price. All that was missing from his connection with the watch was a ticket!
As soon as the dishes were served, none of the three made a sound, focusing only on eating their noodles and picking up vegetables.
They devoured the noodles and vegetables in a flash, then picked up a soft steamed bun, dipped it in the vegetable sauce, ate one, slurped down the remaining noodle soup, and ate another steamed bun...
After finishing her meal, Lin Sitian let out a satisfied burp, but Guan Yuehe still felt unsatisfied. She went to buy two more steamed buns, ate one, and planned to eat the other for dinner.
Lin Sitian advised her to simply buy another one.
It's not like we eat like this every day, only once or twice a year, so we should at least make sure we eat to our heart's content.
Guan Yuehe confidently declared that one more bun would be enough for her. Since she ate well at lunch, she could eat a simpler dinner; an extra bun would make dinner taste better.
After an hour-long bus ride, Guan Yuehe got off near Ginkgo Hutong, and still reached for her lunchbox.
Lin Sitian and Xu Cheng were used to it; they had long guessed that she couldn't control her appetite, and it would be strange if she could save the best food for the next meal.
"My stomach has its own ideas, what can I do?" Guan Yuehe said, trying to console herself while taking a big bite of her steamed bun.
Lin Sitian agreed perfunctorily, "Yes, yes, it's all my stomach's fault."
After the three of them had eaten and drunk their fill, they each went home.
Overall, it was a particularly happy Sunday.
Guan Yuehe recorded this day in her notebook: July 7, 1970, bought a Shanghai brand watch, the noodles were very chewy today! Ate two extra steamed buns.
The previous entry was dated May 16, 1970, when I moved into my new home and slept alone on a three-meter-long kang (heated brick bed)!
—
These days, everyone covets the "three turns and one sound" (a set of three-turn radios, a turntable, a revolving door, and a radio). She has already bought one of the turns, and in her joy, she is thinking about getting a radio for her home so that she can listen to the radio when she gets home from get off work!
Guan Yuehe got up early in the morning to go to the toilet, and there was a long line in front of her, mostly workers from the car factory.
Guan Jianguo quickened his pace, catching up with the others and lining up behind his younger sister. He yawned and asked her, "Getting up so early today, are you going to the factory to set up the exam venue?"
At the same time, Guan Yuehe asked him, "Brother, do you think my watch is pretty?"
Guan Jianguo finally snapped out of his daze. "You got up early to queue just to show off your new watch?"
Guan Yuehe said no, but Guan Jianguo didn't believe her. His mouth was practically stretched to the sky as he still said no.
Before going to work, Guan Yuehe made a special trip to the neighboring courtyard to show her family her new watch before going to work with a satisfied heart.
"Xiao Guan, what are you laughing at?"
"It's nothing. Section Chief Xiao asked me to proctor the exam. Sister Zhu, could you check if my watch keeps accurate time?"
"Let me see... It's accurate, don't worry." Sister Zhu only realized what she meant after saying that, then smiled and played along, deliberately raising her voice, "Oh, Xiao Guan, you bought a watch?"
The other people in the office looked over when they heard the noise. "What brand of watch did Xiao Guan buy? Watch vouchers are hard to come by. I wanted to buy one for my girlfriend but couldn't."
"Me too, I'm just waiting to see which model worker will get a watch voucher at the end of the year so I can exchange it for one."
Although the conversation in the office veered off to "how to get the watch ticket," Guan Yuehe's vanity was greatly satisfied, and she went downstairs to the personnel department to prepare for her invigilation work, feeling refreshed.
The factory canteen was temporarily requisitioned as an examination venue. Due to the large number of applicants, stools were used as tables, and the candidates had to sit on the floor.
The people taking the exam were arranged in six rows, stretching from the factory gate all the way to the canteen entrance.
Guan Yuehe saw many familiar faces, but she didn't have time to greet them.
The exam lasted two hours and ended at 11:00 AM.
Guan Yuehe had reviewed the exam content. There were quite a few questions, and the difficulty level was moderate. Those who didn't study hard in school might find it a bit difficult to cope.
However, given the current situation in schools, even if students want to learn, there may not be teachers available to give lessons.
None of the students from Ginkgo Hutong who took the exam were entirely confident of doing well. Bai Yuejin and Bai Xianghong were especially worried; they had done everything they knew how to do, but still had a lot of questions left unanswered.
When adults in the alley meet, they always ask each other how their children did on the exams.
Knowing that everyone was facing the same difficulties, many people breathed a sigh of relief.
On the afternoon of the 11th, the list of those who passed the exam was suddenly posted, and a total of 83 people were able to enter the interview stage.
The factory gate was once again completely surrounded by people.
Those who came to see the results were all taken aback; some were excited, some turned pale, and some even questioned the exam scores.
Guan Yuehe wanted to go see them but couldn't squeeze in. The personnel department was in complete chaos. She didn't want to cause trouble, and only found out about her neighbors' situation after she got home from get off work.
"It seems that only Xiang Hong passed the test; I haven't heard of any others."
No wonder Aunt Bai and Aunt Ding started arguing again, shouting at each other across the courtyard wall.
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