Chapter 78 Going to the Company
As soon as the New Year was over, spring in the northern part of the city seemed to be accelerated immediately, and after a few spring rains, the banyan tree at the entrance of the alley sprouted many green buds.
Around noon, the drizzle finally stopped.
The gray sedan slowly pulled up to the side of the road, and as soon as the door opened, a figure dressed in festive attire jumped out.
Pingwa Street.
Gao Nian'an stood smugly with his hands on his hips, turned around and read out the words on the sign word by word: "Anping-Yun-Company".
The little girl hadn't even learned the character for "input" yet, so she cleverly skipped it.
Anping Transportation Company.
Chen Yun got out of the passenger seat, and after correcting her daughter, she quickly carried Gao Nianping, who was struggling to squeeze out of the back seat.
Before the Lunar New Year, my youngest son caught a cold and had a fever. The elders were afraid that the child would catch a cold again, so even though the weather had warmed up, they didn't dare to take off his thick cotton-padded coat.
"Mom, why are my and Nianping's names on Dad's workplace?"
"You'll have to ask your dad."
"dad!"
Speaking of their father, Gao Ming's figure actually appeared not far away, walking briskly towards them.
"Were you delayed on the way?"
Gao Ming lifted his daughter up and tossed her high into the air, and the father and daughter laughed and played around.
Gao Nianping nestled obediently in Chen Yun's arms, only his two bright, darting eyes peeking out from under his thick woolen hat.
“The driver took the wrong road and ended up on Shangwa Street,” Chen Yun laughed.
Chen Yun's family bought a car before the new year, but due to her busy work schedule, she never had the chance to learn to drive, even though she was a seasoned driver for ten years in her previous life.
"How about I teach you myself tomorrow after get off work? You only need to take half a day to take the exam afterwards," Gao Ming asked tentatively.
Chen Yun nodded helplessly: "That's the only way!"
"Everyone is waiting for you, let's go to the staff dormitory first."
A rough-looking white sign with red lettering hangs on a rusty iron gate, and a gravel road leads out of the city.
Looking around, the road is lined with various transportation companies displaying different signs.
The company is located on the edge of the Second Ring Road. Although the location is not very good, it was formerly a bankrupt car factory, so the site is large enough.
When the car factory faced bankruptcy, Gao Ming had leased this site for ten years.
Last year, the factory went bankrupt due to insolvency. The factory had to sell its buildings and warehouses to compensate laid-off workers for their wages. After discussing it, Gao Ming and Chen Yun used almost all of their savings to buy these buildings.
The gate creaked at the slightest touch, and the compacted loess in the courtyard was uneven from being repeatedly rolled over by wheels.
There were more than a dozen trucks parked in the yard. Chen Yun didn't recognize what brands they were; he could only tell that some were new and some were old.
Several young men were scattered around the car, banging and clanging away.
"Gao Yi!"
Among them was a young man, barely taller than the front of the car, with black engine oil splattered on his chin, talking animatedly to the person next to him. Who else could it be but Gao Yi?
"This kid isn't good at studying, but he's really talented at repairing cars."
Despite his sister-in-law Qiu Zhifang's objections, Gao Yi was determined to learn auto repair at Gaoming Company.
As soon as the winter break exams ended, he came straight to the company with his schoolbag on his back.
"Don't blame me for meddling, sister-in-law," Chen Yun said.
Last year, Qiu Zhifang started selling soft drinks outside the movie theater. I haven't heard how her business is doing, but she seems to be busier than Chen Yun, leaving early and returning late every day.
To the west of the courtyard is a red brick factory building with some peeling paint. Because the factory building is more than eight meters high, Gao Ming had someone add a second floor.
The first floor houses the car repair shop, while the second floor contains the kitchen and canteen.
On the east side are two four-story buildings. One was originally a dormitory and is still a staff dormitory. The third and fourth floors of the other building have been converted into offices, and the ground floor is the office of each vehicle team.
The remaining carport and two warehouses were behind the dormitory, which Chen Yun didn't see at first glance.
"Sister Yang and Old Lady Ma are both in the dormitory. Shall we go straight there?" Gao Ming asked.
"Okay!" Chen Yun took off Gao Nianping's scarf, finally freeing his face, and then whispered to Gao Ming, "Brother Hu, are you willing to leave the factory?"
"Even if I'm reluctant, there's nothing I can do..." Gao Ming sighed.
Hongri Machinery Factory is now like the setting sun; if the factory workers don't find another way out, they will perish along with the factory sooner or later.
Hu Gangtie is a highly skilled technician, and no one knows more about auto parts than him.
Auto repair actually involves a lot of car parts, and Hu Gangtie has an advantage over anyone else when it comes to learning auto repair.
Ma Zhigang may lack quick wit, but he is reliable and capable.
These individuals are key personnel that Gao Ming has cultivated for the transportation company. As the company expands in the future, many internal matters will depend on them.
"Did you tell Old Ma about Ma Cuifen opening an arcade?"
“I didn’t say anything, but I reminded Ma Zhigang privately.” Gao Ming shook his head.
Whether Ma Zhigang told his mother or not is unknown...
The dormitory building was right in front of them. Gao Ming put his daughter down and said, "I'm going to work now. I'll come and get you for lunch."
Goodbye, Dad.
The children's voices attracted the attention of the people talking inside the house. Old Ma and Yang Juhua came out of the house one after the other.
"Little Chen girl."
It had only been a little over a year since I last saw her, but Ma's once jet-black hair had turned quite a bit white, her back was slightly hunched, and she was starting to look quite old.
"Chen Yun".
Yang Juhua hasn't changed much, but Hu Xiangyang, who's standing next to her, has grown quite a bit taller and looks more and more like Hu Gangtie.
"Aunt Ma, Sister Yang."
Chen Yun happily went to greet them, and the three of them inevitably had a long chat about the past.
Grandma Ma waved to Gao Nian'an: "My little darling, do you still remember Grandma? Grandma has some candy, come and have some!"
“Grandma Ma, Ma Lan’s grandma.” Gao Nian’an remembered her, and immediately searched her memory for Ma Lan, whom she played with every day: “Why don’t I see Ma Lan and Ma Yong?”
"They stayed in their hometown with your Aunt Guixiang and didn't come."
"Come inside and talk, it's dusty outside," Yang Juhua laughed.
Cars frequently passed by in the yard, kicking up clouds of dust. Standing there for too long left my face covered in yellow dust.
The room wasn't large, but it was very tidy.
“I heard from Director Gao… Look at my mouth.” Yang Juhua patted her quick tongue and corrected herself with a smile: “Now you should call me Manager Gao. Manager Gao said that the courtyard will be paved with cement next month, and then it won’t be so dusty.”
“You’re brilliant, but I’m still me. From now on, sister-in-law, please call me Little Chen, it’ll be more affectionate.”
"Of course." Yang Juhua poured water for Chen Yun and then handed out candy and peanuts to the children. "I wouldn't dare call you 'boss lady'!"
After all, Chen Yun and she were both factory workers when they first met, and it would be difficult for her to adjust to a different way of addressing her.
"Sister Yang, stop busying yourself." Old Ma pulled Yang Juhua to sit down next to her, her tone anxious: "Quickly listen to what Little Chen has to say about how things are going in Beicheng."
"Besides going to work, I just stay home and take care of the kids, there's really nothing to say." Chen Yun recalled what Grandma Ma had just said and quickly turned around to ask, "Didn't Sister Guixiang and the children come?"
If Chen Yun's life in Beicheng was filled with busyness, then Ma Laoniang and the others had been suffering as if they were soaking in bitter water for more than a year.
Not long after Chen Yun left, her youngest daughter, Ma Cuixia, secretly went to Guangzhou to work with her boyfriend, leaving a letter for her family.
Next, Zhang Guixiang fell seriously ill, and all of the family's savings from the past few years went to her medical treatment.
Not long after, Ma Zhigang heard rumors that the factory was going to abolish the bonus system, and how could the employees possibly support their families on their meager fixed wages?
"Your Uncle Ma fell down half a year ago and couldn't get up. He just passed away like that..." Old Ma's face was full of bitterness, and her spirits were clearly still not recovered from the blow.
Fortunately, during his most difficult time, Ma Zhigang received a call from Gao Ming, which finally made him decide to venture out and try his luck.
“The two children still need to go to school. What if there are no schools in Beicheng that would accept them? So I told them to stay at home and wait and see.”
When talking about her current life, Grandma Ma finally smiled a little.
“Zhigang has already written to Guixiang, and she will bring the children to Beicheng by train next month.”
Chen Yun sighed and gently patted Old Ma's hand, saying, "The worst days are over, things will definitely get better from now on."
"Don't worry, little sister. Your aunt has been through a lot in her life. She won't be defeated by something like this."
Old Lady Ma is still the same imposing Old Lady Ma, but in an instant, her eyes are filled with fighting spirit again.
Yang Juhua wasn't as easygoing as Old Ma. She burst into tears whenever she mentioned the house she had painstakingly bought with all her savings.
"At first, I thought it would be right to go with the factory, but who would have thought that I wouldn't be able to take a single penny from the factory?"
Yang Juhua's distress is a reflection of the predicament faced by many workers in third-line factories.
Staying means starving to death, but going out... the uncertainty brought by the outside world is equally unsettling.
“If it weren’t for Manager Gao, Lao Hu and I…” Yang Juhua shook her head.
At the same time, they were incredibly lucky. Hu Gangtie adapted quickly after joining the transportation company, and his salary was several times higher than before. Yang Juhua stayed at home to do laundry, cook, and take care of the father and son.
"Old Hu and I have no other plans right now. We just want to work hard for a few more years and then buy a house in the north of the city."
Where is Yue'e?
Yang Juhua kept mentioning Hu Xiangyang in her words, as if she didn't have a daughter named Hu Yue'e.
To be honest, Chen Yun had never seen a girl with such a strong romantic mind. She said that Tang Junjie would actually move into the Tang family home for five years.
Before leaving, Chen Yun heard that Tang Junjie would be released from prison soon, and then she never heard anything about them again.
"Now that you're part of the Tang family, whether you live or die is none of our business," Yang Juhua sneered.
Old Ma pinched Chen Yun's hand with her other hand and winked at him.
Later, she learned from Granny Ma that Yang Juhua and her husband had almost completely severed ties with Hu Yue'e.
As soon as Tang Junjie was released from prison, the Tang family held a wedding for their son. The two dared not live in the factory, so they rented a house in Huangniba Town.
As long as you're alive, you need to eat, wear clothes, and have shelter; none of these things require money.
Given Tang Junjie's status as a former convict, finding work was nearly impossible, and the couple initially relied on support from Tang's parents.
Over time, the other party would definitely complain, so he instructed Hu Yue'e to go home and ask Yang Juhua for money.
Unable to get the money, Hu Yue'e took advantage of Yang Juhua's trip to the toilet to steal the money her parents had saved and a pair of gold earrings.
Tang Junjie and Hu Yue'e then took the stolen money and went to work far away.
Where did they go? When did they leave? Yang Juhua and her husband had no idea.
All they left Yang Juhua and her husband with were painful memories of borrowing money everywhere to get through the difficult times.
It would be strange if I wanted to bring it up...
"Then let's not talk about other people." Chen Yun quickly smiled and steered the conversation back on track: "Let's have lunch at my sister's restaurant. You should all try the authentic Beicheng cuisine."
"Then we'll really benefit!" Old Ma laughed.
“I don’t like hearing you say that, Auntie. It’s not about taking advantage of someone else’s fame. My Nian’an used to eat at your house all the time…”
The group chatted and laughed inside, unaware of when Gao Nian'an and her brother had sneaked out.
It wasn't until a loud cry drifted over that Chen Yun jumped up and ran outside.
"Let me go! You bad guy, let me go!"
A burly man grabbed Gao Nian'an by the collar, raised his hand high, and said with a menacing look, "If you cry again, I'll spank you."
The slender woman next to him crossed her arms, looking down at him with an air of superiority.
Seeing that kicking his legs was useless, Gao Nian started howling at the top of his lungs.
What are you doing?!
Chen Yun rushed over and rescued her daughter from the man's arms.
As soon as Gao Nian'an saw his mother arrive, his dry wailing instantly turned into real crying, with large tears streaming down his nose.
She called out "Mom" and buried her head in Chen Yun's neck, not daring to look up.
"I don't know what my daughter did? Why are you scaring her like that, comrade!"
"Mom, it's her!" Gao Nianping hugged Chen Yun's leg tightly, and his chubby little hand immediately pointed at the arrogant woman: "She's the one who made this person teach my sister a lesson."
"Where did this wild child come from, playing in the mud and getting my new leather shoes dirty? Can you afford to pay for them?!" The woman's voice was as clear as a nightingale's, each syllable seemingly deliberately drawn out, as if every word was coated with honey.
The woman was in her early twenties, slender with fair skin, and clearly had put effort into her appearance, from her curly hair to her willow-leaf eyebrows.
"Who are you?" Chen Yun asked the woman with a half-smile, then pointed to the ground: "The road here is so wide, didn't you insist on coming this way?"
The woman looked down at Chen Yun with disdain, scanning her from head to toe: "Whose family member are you? Company rules prohibit employees' children from playing in the parking lot. Old Hu will make a note of this and criticize you at tomorrow's meeting."
"Okay, Director Qin."
“Then call Gao Ming out, and I’ll ask him myself whether this is a garden or a parking lot.”
"You?" Qin Yuehua laughed exaggeratedly, as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world. She pointed at Chen Yun with her finger as if it were boneless: "Er Ming is in a meeting with a client. Who do you think you are to say you can see him?"
"Who do you think you are? Everyone calls you Manager Gao, but you're just calling yourself Erming."
"This is our company's Director Qin." The man introduced the woman's identity in a formal manner: "With Manager Gao not here, Director Qin is in charge."
“The company was built by my dear Erming and me through hard work. Let alone managing an employee’s family, I could even fire your husband.”
Old Ma and Yang Juhua were stunned and stood there dumbfounded.
"You and Erming?" Chen Yun retorted coldly, "So, you and Erming are you."
"I'll say it again, this is a workplace, not a place for this wild child to run rampant!"
Chen Yun looked behind Qin Yuehua with some anger: "Then ask the Erming you mentioned whose wild child this is."
Qin Yuehua clearly saw herself as the mistress of the company. If Gao Ming dared to show even the slightest hesitation, Chen Yun thought he might as well skip lunch!
"Erming!" Qin Yuehua looked utterly wronged. "Look at me, I can't even manage the employees' families anymore, I..."
"Who told you to call me Erming!" Gao Ming pursed his lips, his eyes gradually filling with anger: "Which company rule says you can directly call the manager by his nickname?"
If he hadn't overheard Chen Yun and Qin Yuehua arguing, he wouldn't have been able to go home today!
The two had been married for over a decade, and this was the first time Gao Ming had ever seen Chen Yun's eyes so devoid of any warmth; her chilling gaze alone was enough to send a shiver down his spine.
"What does the company have to do with you? What do you mean by saying we worked hard together to build it up?" Gao Ming sneered, taking a few steps to Chen Yun's side: "What nonsense are you spouting in front of my lover!"
"..."
Chen Yun felt that at least dozens of eyes were watching this place at this moment.
"Dad, she called me a wild child!" Gao Nian'an raised his head and pointed angrily at Qin Yuehua: "She won't even let me play here."
"Let me introduce you all. This is my wife and our two children."
Gao Ming coughed twice and began to introduce himself to those around him. After finishing, he tugged at Chen Yun's sleeve in a flattering manner.
Chen Yun coldly turned her face away.
"No...that's impossible, aren't you single!"
"Who told you I'm single? Do I need to report to you when I get married? Who do you think you are?" Gao Ming's voice was icy as he directly returned Qin Yuehua's words: "I usually let it go because you have some work ability, but we're going to settle this matter properly today."
"Li Huguo!" Gao Ming suddenly shouted into the office, startling Li Huguo, who was watching the commotion.
Gao Ming... got angry.
"Immediately have Zhang Qin from the finance department take over Qin Yuehua's work. Once the handover is complete, you can process her dismissal!"
"Er Ming... it's not Manager Gao... Manager Gao, please let me explain."
"Qin Yuehua, I'm in charge of the company, but my husband is in charge at home!" Gao Ming pursed his lips, his tone becoming even more impatient: "As long as my husband doesn't say anything, I can fire whoever I want."
He was already furious because of Chen Yun's lukewarm attitude. If Qin Yuehua dared to nag any further, he might just make sure she didn't get a single penny.
"Manager Gao, I've worked for you for so long..."
"Qin Yuehua." Li Huguo stepped in front of Gao Ming, "I advise you not to say a single unnecessary word right now, lest you upset your sister-in-law again..."
Chen Yun ignored Gao Ming and turned to greet Old Ma and Yang Juhua.
"It's almost time to eat. Let's go to the restaurant and order some food."
The two looked embarrassed. Facing Gao Ming's pleading eyes, they were too ashamed to be a third wheel and quickly made up various excuses to decline.
"Then I'll order the food first, and you'll be here in a bit."
Chen Yun could still smile at the two of them, but when she turned around and glanced at Gao Ming's face, there was no warmth in her eyes.
"Nian'an, let Mom take your hand."
He put Gao Nian'an down, picked up Gao Nianping in one smooth motion, and then quickly turned and walked towards the company gate.
They didn't care at all whether he was brilliant or Qin Yuehua.
"Chen Yun, let me explain..." Gao Ming sighed and quickly took long strides to catch up.
The crowd erupted in uproar.
"Manager Gao already has such a big child?"
“Captain Gao mentioned before that he had two children at home, but you all ignored it.”
"Didn't Qin... Qin Yuehua say that Manager Gao is single?"
"She wants to be the boss's wife, so of course she hopes the manager is a bachelor!"
"No wonder Manager Gao goes straight home after get off work every day; turns out his wife and kids are waiting for him at home!"
Li Huguo gestured towards the crowd, glanced at Qin Yuehua with a half-smile, and raised his voice: "Everyone, listen to me..."
"..."
"Your sister-in-law and Gao Ming have been married for almost ten years. You have no idea how much effort Gao Ming put into trying to date her back then. He practically wore down her dorm room... And do you even know what your sister-in-law does for a living?"
Dozens of rough-looking men stared at each other.
"A chief physician from a major hospital!"
Another uproar ensued.
“Our sister-in-law is young, beautiful, and capable. If it were you…” Li Huguo looked Qin Yuehua up and down with disdain: “Could you have any ulterior motives?”
Li Huguo had clearly seen that look in Qin Yuehua's eyes just now; that's exactly how Qin Yuehua looked at Chen Yun.
After speaking with everyone, he pointed to the office and said to Qin Yuehua, "Let's go to the office and calculate our salaries."
Why bother thinking about that stubborn guy Gao Ming?
"Deputy Manager Li, are you married?" someone in the crowd suddenly asked curiously.
Li Huguo shrugged and didn't answer.
At the company entrance, Gao Ming finally caught up with Chen Yun.
"Listen to me, there's really nothing between me and her!"
"She was one of the first accountants hired by the company. I thought her work ability was okay, so I promoted her to head of the finance department, but I really didn't know her well..."
Chen Yunhe suddenly stopped: "Don't you know people well? They call you Erming?"
"How would I know where I heard that? It must have been Li Huguo joking around and she overheard it!" Gao Ming hurriedly explained.
Speaking of contact... Li Huguo had more contact with Qin Yuehua than he did.
"I rush home as soon as I get off work every day. Don't you know there's anyone outside?"
As he spoke, Gao Ming even sounded a little aggrieved. He gently tugged at Chen Yun's sleeve and said softly, "When we got married, I promised that you would be the only one for me for the rest of my life. I, Gao Ming, have always been a man of my word."
“If I didn’t believe you…” Chen Yun looked back at the hand on her arm: “would you still be spouting this nonsense to explain?”
clever:"……"
How many people are there in your company now?
"More than two hundred!"
"You can see the company's internal management is chaotic just by looking at Qin Yuehua. Haven't you realized the real problem yet?"
The men who followed Qin Yuehua around like "little brothers" suggested how many other employees within the company might be forming cliques.
"If a company only focuses on expanding its scale without paying attention to internal management, even the tallest tree can't withstand the erosion of termites. Brilliant... think about it!"
Chen Yun never even considered the possibility of Gao Ming cheating on her, not even for a second.
His anger towards Qin Yuehua stemmed more from his frustration with the company's management issues... and a little bit of sourness, of course.
She could confidently claim that she and Gao Ming had built the company together, but Chen Yun could only suppress her anger and try to reason with them.
I regret not being able to use my position as the boss's wife to "bully" others on the spot.
Gao Ming suddenly fell into deep thought.
He started from scratch, doing everything himself. His internal management is so sophisticated that it's unimaginable and still requires learning.
But Chen Yun is right. If he wants the company to go further... he must learn how to manage.
"I will definitely learn how to manage things properly."
"That's more like it." Chen Yun glanced sideways, finally slowing his pace, his gaze falling on Gao Ming's hands: "Why aren't you wearing the ring?"
Gao Ming's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly explained, "I've been learning car repair lately! It's inconvenient to wear it."
"Wear it tomorrow."
"I will never pick them again!" Gao Ming promised repeatedly.
After today's ordeal: I must wear the ring! I must declare I'm married! And I must sever all ties with all my female friends!
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