Chapter 29 Special Care
Zhou Dafu didn't know how to answer, so he could only smile helplessly. He returned to the workshop, thought about it over and over, and still felt uneasy. So he went to see Director Tang in his office.
Director Tang knew it wasn't easy being someone else's daughter-in-law, so she said with a serious face, "Don't overthink it. This is between Comrade Lin Yuanshu and me, it has nothing to do with you. Just focus on your work and wait to become the group leader. Don't pay attention to these rumors. You also need to watch your mouth and not let me hear any bad things, otherwise your time as group leader will be over."
"I understand. I won't interfere with my second wife's work, and I won't gossip," Zhou Dafu quickly promised.
He left Director Tang's office with a big smile. It was wonderful to have received such accurate information from Director Tang; it was like a reassurance that he no longer needed to worry about the matter and could simply wait until next month.
He no longer paid attention to his daughter-in-law's affairs. After all, nothing was more important than being the team leader. No matter how capable his daughter-in-law was, it was irrelevant to him. His daughter-in-law's excellence did not mean that he was excellent.
On the other side, after waiting for Zhou Xiangyang, Lin Yuanshu left the chemical plant with Zhou Xiangyang and returned home.
Sister-in-law Xue originally wanted to ask Lin Yuanshu to cook together, but thinking that she needed to ask Lin Yuanshu for something that evening, she desperately held back.
She saw that Sun Yiyi next door was also cooking, so she started chatting with her enthusiastically.
Sun Yiyi answered Sister-in-law Xue's question with a cold face. She had no good feelings towards Sister-in-law Xue. If it weren't for Sister-in-law Xue's meddling, her relationship with her mother-in-law in her previous life wouldn't have been so bad. She hated everyone in the Zhou family, including Zhou Xiangyang.
Seeing that Sun Yiyi was in a bad mood, Sister-in-law Xue was unwilling to put up with her enthusiasm, so they each went about their own business.
After finishing his meal, Lin Yuanshu went back to his room to read. After washing the dishes, Sister-in-law Xue boiled a pot of water for Lin Yuanshu to use.
She walked to Lin Yuanshu's door, about to lift the curtain and go in, when she remembered that Lin Yuanshu had said before that she didn't like people entering her room without permission. She knocked on the bookshelf, making a thumping sound, and called out loudly, "Second wife, may I come in?"
Lin Yuanshu was taken aback when she heard the commotion outside. It was the first time she had ever seen Sister-in-law Xue so polite. Something was definitely amiss, but she couldn't refuse, since they were all under the same roof and would run into each other sooner or later.
"Please come in," Lin Yuanshu said helplessly.
Sister-in-law Xue walked into the room with a smile, glanced at Zhou Xiangyang, and said softly, "Little brother, I have something to say to your wife. Please go out for a moment."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiangyang turned his gaze to Lin Yuanshu.
Sister-in-law Xue couldn't help but roll her eyes and said nonchalantly, "Your wife is so powerful, do you think I would eat her? She'd be the one to eat me. Instead of worrying about her, you should worry about yourself more."
Everyone is apprehensive when they become a new daughter-in-law for the first time, but Lin Yuanshu is different. On the first day, she dared to confront her sister-in-law, and on the second day, she directly angered her mother-in-law. Most people wouldn't do such a thing.
Lin Yuanshu gave a fake smile and said to Zhou Xiangyang, "You can go out now!"
Sister-in-law Xue really does like her sarcastic and quirky ways as always.
After Zhou Xiangyang left the room, Lin Yuanshu got straight to the point: "If you want to consult me about relationship problems, I can only say that divorce can solve most of the problems."
Sister-in-law Xue stared wide-eyed in disbelief and retorted, "How could you have such audacious thoughts? How could you possibly get a divorce? We women should be faithful to one man until the end, and my husband treats me very well. I can't bear to leave him."
Lin Yuanshu looked at Sister-in-law Xue with a complicated expression. Sister-in-law Xue had redefined what it meant to be good. All she could say was that one was willing to give and the other was willing to receive.
"Then what do you want from me? We have nothing to talk about." Lin Yuanshu said bluntly. After all, Sister-in-law Xue had never shown her any kindness, but had always wanted to use her mother-in-law to suppress her.
Sister-in-law Xue glanced at Lin Yuanshu shyly and said hesitantly, "You are a top student and so smart. I want to ask you if you have any way to help me get pregnant? I've tried many folk remedies, but none of them worked. I've also been to the hospital for a checkup, and the doctor said there was nothing wrong with my body."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yuanshu subconsciously asked, "Has your older brother gone to the hospital for a check-up?"
Sister-in-law Xue blushed and retorted loudly, "How could my husband have a problem? He's so capable."
Seeing how Xue's sister-in-law was protecting her brother, Lin Yuanshu was too lazy to tell her that male sperm could also have problems, since she wouldn't believe him anyway. However, he could try having intercourse during ovulation.
In this day and age, most women don't understand ovulation, unless they are medical professionals who might have access to this knowledge.
"I do have a way to help you get pregnant, but why should I tell you? Aren't you good to me?"
Sister-in-law Xue was surprised by Lin Yuanshu's words. She said confidently, "We are all family. If I am well, you are well too! You shouldn't keep things to yourself."
Lin Yuanshu smiled knowingly and said softly, "Your attitude towards me isn't that friendly. You even teamed up with my mother-in-law to bully me and speak ill of me in front of the neighbors. Why should I help you? I'm not the kind of person who repays evil with kindness!"
Sister-in-law Xue blushed with embarrassment. She hadn't expected Lin Yuanshu to be so blunt about this. She wanted to turn around and leave without hesitation, but that would mean losing the chance to get pregnant. She dreamed of getting pregnant, and if she didn't, she might really be kicked out of the house by her mother-in-law.
"What do you want me to do for you to tell me how to get pregnant?" Sister-in-law Xue looked at Lin Yuanshu with a pleading expression.
She hadn't expected Lin Yuanshu to have any good methods, but after Lin Yuanshu said he had a method, she placed all her hopes on him.
Although she disliked Lin Yuanshu intensely, she still trusted his abilities. After all, Lin Yuanshu had not only helped her father-in-law become a team leader, but had also successfully gotten him a job as a female worker in the chemical plant, something she never dared to dream of.
Lin Yuanshu looked at Sister-in-law Xue and pondered for a while.
Sister-in-law Xue looked at Lin Yuanshu nervously, feeling uneasy. On the one hand, she hoped that Lin Yuanshu would make a request, but on the other hand, she was worried that Lin Yuanshu would make too many requests.
"I can tell you the method, but you have to promise me that from now on, you'll take care of all my housework. Of course, I'll wash my own clothes and clean my own room. The housework I'm talking about is the kind of housework Mom asks me to do. Also, after you successfully get pregnant, you have to help me spread the word that you got pregnant using my method, and that you were able to get pregnant entirely thanks to my help. Of course, this method might not be able to get you pregnant, since pregnancy requires that neither of you have any reproductive diseases," Lin Yuanshu said calmly.
Sister-in-law Xue agreed without hesitation. Any hesitation would have been a sign of her lack of desire for her future child. She asked curiously, "What do you want me to do by promoting this?"
Lin Yuanshu smiled slightly and said seriously, "Of course, it's to help more women get pregnant smoothly, so they won't be bullied by their in-laws like you. Giving roses leaves a lingering fragrance; you wouldn't understand this noble quality."
Sister-in-law Xue: "..."
Although she didn't understand these things, she understood Lin Yuanshu. She was the kind of person who wouldn't act without seeing the benefits first, so how could she be so kind?
Lin Yuanshu asked Sister-in-law Xue about her menstrual cycle with a serious expression, calculated her ovulation period, wrote it down on a piece of paper, and said confidently, "As long as you try to conceive within these few days, your chances of getting pregnant will greatly increase. Getting pregnant is a long process, and it's impossible to see results in the first month. You don't need to rush, take it slow, and you'll eventually get what you want."
Sister-in-law Xue happily took the paper from Lin Yuanshu's hand, saying, "Okay, I will definitely do as you say. Thank you so much."
Lin Yuanshu also told Sister-in-law Xue some tips on how to increase fertility, tips she had learned from videos in her previous life.
Sister-in-law Xue heard that some of the methods were ones that her mother and mother-in-law had told her, which made her even more convinced of the effectiveness of Lin Yuanshu's methods for getting pregnant.
"Sister-in-law, I hope you can keep your word. Otherwise, I'll have to think of other ways to make you do it," Lin Yuanshu said with a smile.
Sister-in-law Xue swallowed hard, clutching the paper tightly in her hand, and stammered, "I...I will do it..."
She felt wronged from the bottom of her heart because she really had no intention of going back on her word. It was really upsetting that Lin Yuanshu didn't believe her character.
"That's good," Lin Yuanshu said softly.
It seemed like she was helping Sister-in-law Xue, but in reality, she was using Sister-in-law Xue as an important pawn. Only if Sister-in-law Xue got pregnant would the news that she had a way to get pregnant spread, which would definitely attract the attention of the Women's Director and make her come to her door.
What bad intentions could she possibly have? She just wanted to get closer to the Party organization and find ways to join it.
Whether or not you join the Party is not important if you are a group leader, but if you want to be a manager or a leader, you must join the Party. If you can't join the Party, you can't even get in the door and can only be a worker for life. Being a group leader is the highest you can do.
She hadn't originally planned this, but it just so happened that Sister-in-law Xue came to her door, and she had a sudden inspiration and came up with this idea.
Specific plans can only be formulated gradually after Sister-in-law Xue becomes pregnant. Her immediate priority is to familiarize herself with the workshop operations and become a full-time employee as soon as possible.
Sister-in-law Xue was unaware of Lin Yuanshu's thoughts; all she knew was that she had a way to get pregnant, and she left Lin Yuanshu's room in high spirits.
Not long after, Zhou Xiangyang returned to the room and asked curiously, "What did you say to your sister-in-law? She seemed quite happy; it's been a long time since she's smiled so happily."
Lin Yuanshu thought for a moment and answered truthfully, "I told her some tips to make it easier to get pregnant."
Zhou Xiangyang was stunned for a moment, then asked in surprise, "You know about these things?"
"Having more skills is never a bad thing!" Lin Yuanshu replied seriously.
She has to thank the country in her previous life for giving her the opportunity to be educated and learn a lot of knowledge, so that even if she travels back to the 1970s, she can still live a good life.
Zhou Xiangyang looked at Lin Yuanshu with admiration. Compared to Lin Yuanshu, he felt like a country bumpkin.
As night fell, Lin Yuanshu and Zhou Xiangyang were already fast asleep.
The older brother took off his glasses, put the book on the desk, and quietly climbed onto Sister-in-law Xue's bed. He then slowly moved to her side and turned to kiss her.
Without hesitation, Sister-in-law Xue covered her elder brother's mouth and firmly refused, saying, "We can't do that kind of thing now. We must do it according to the time that the second sister-in-law has set for us, so that we can get pregnant as soon as possible."
The eldest brother looked bewildered and asked incredulously, "Are you alright? Why should we listen to the second sister-in-law about this? I've never heard of a sister-in-law being allowed to interfere in her sister-in-law's bedroom affairs. If other women who have given birth told you this, we would just do as they say. But my sister-in-law hasn't even had a child yet, what does she know about pregnancy?"
Sister-in-law Xue sat up abruptly and retorted confidently, "What do you know about Xiao Er's wife? She's never been a group leader, but she still got her father-in-law to be one! She's never been a factory worker, but she still passed the exam and became one. What she says is never wrong. She's the smartest woman I've ever met."
The older brother sighed helplessly and asked, "I consider myself a little more educated than her, and I've never heard of getting pregnant by doing 'that' on a specific day. Do you believe me or her?"
Sister-in-law Xue remained steadfast in her statement: "The second daughter-in-law's words are never wrong."
Although her lover was more educated, he wasn't a lesbian! What did he know about pregnancy? If he really knew, she would have been pregnant long ago, why wait until now? In comparison, Lin Yuanshu's words were much more reliable. Anyway, trying it wouldn't cause any problems, it wasn't like he was asking her to drink Chinese medicine of unknown origin.
Seeing that he couldn't persuade Sister-in-law Xue, the eldest brother had no choice but to go along with his wife's wishes. Apart from not being able to get pregnant, his wife was otherwise quite good; she was filial to her parents, capable, and hardworking...
The next morning, Lin Yuanshu put on her work clothes and went to work full of energy. Fortunately, it was summer and the weather was hot, so she washed her work clothes last night and they were dry this morning.
Seeing this, Aunt Wen greeted Lin Yuanshu with a smile and said, "You look really smart in your clothes."
Lin Yuanshu straightened his clothes and replied, "New clothes, new look."
As Aunt Wen watched Lin Yuanshu's departing figure, she sighed to Aunt Hua, "Going to work really makes a difference; he even walks with a swagger now."
Aunt Hua said thoughtfully, "If I have the chance, I'll also let my daughter-in-law go out to work, so that she can at least supplement the family income."
Aunt Wen raised her eyebrows and sighed, "Alas! It's not that my family doesn't want our daughter-in-law to go out and work, but we just can't find any opportunities! Buying a job is not only expensive, but we also can't find any way to do it. It's infuriating to compare yourself to others. How come Lin Yuanshu is so amazing? He's just a country bumpkin, yet he found a job before our daughter-in-law."
"You're asking me? Who should I ask!" Aunt Hua looked equally bewildered. Generally, rural women who marry into the city live lives like Sun Yiyi, rather than easily getting jobs as factory workers. If jobs were so easy to find, their children wouldn't have gone to the countryside as educated youth.
Lin Yuanshu arrived at the production workshop's rest area around 7:30. He put on his safety helmet, protective gloves, and other protective gear in the changing room, and then went to the workshop office to sign in.
Unexpectedly, we still had to clock in at work in the 1970s. However, it wasn't a big problem because a few years later, the higher-ups thought that this method would dampen the workers' enthusiasm, so they asked the factory to cancel the clocking in and out system.
It wasn't until after the reform and opening up that workers started clocking in for work again.
At this moment, there were only three new employees in the workshop office. Including Lin Yuanshu, there were a total of four new employees. After the old employees signed in, they had already received their work orders, checked the equipment, and started their daily work routine.
New employees are often unsure of what to do and can only wait in the office for their team leaders to assign them tasks.
Ling Ke saw Lin Yuanshu and wanted to go over to say hello, but her friend stopped her, whispering, "Don't you want to continue working at the factory? Haven't you heard about that?"
Ling Ke asked疑惑地问：“What is it?”
My friend whispered, "For some reason, Comrade Lin Yuanshu and Director Tang have fallen out. Director Tang won't protect Comrade Lin Yuanshu, and Director Xia dislikes Comrade Lin Yuanshu. Since you're on good terms with her, you might get targeted by Director Xia. This is Director Xia's territory. If you're not afraid of dying, then go ahead!"
Ling Ke hesitated for a long time but still didn't go over to greet Lin Yuanshu. It wasn't her fault; she just wanted to keep to herself. If anyone was to blame, it was Lin Yuanshu. If she didn't have the connection with Director Tang, she wouldn't have had so much trouble.
Lin Yuanshu was very puzzled. What kind of pathogen was she? Why did everyone keep their distance from her and pretend not to see her? She was isolated by everyone by her own strength, which was also a kind of unique and powerful ability.
She didn't force herself to join in; there was no need. Everyone had made it clear they didn't want to talk to her, so why should she shamelessly try to get close?
A dozen minutes later, the team leader walked into the office and shouted, "Quiet down, everyone!"
In an instant, the whispered chatter disappeared.
The team leader said with a serious expression, "Your task today is not heavy. You only need to handle solid raw materials. An experienced employee will come and guide you later. Just follow the experienced employee's instructions. Understand?"
Everyone said in unison, "We understand."
The team leader scanned the crowd and asked, "Who is Comrade Lin Yuanshu?"
Upon hearing his name called, Lin Yuanshu stepped out from the crowd and solemnly declared, "That's me."
The team leader looked Lin Yuanshu up and down and said with a serious face, "I heard that you did very well on the written test and have a solid knowledge base. You don't need to go with them to process solid raw materials. You can stay behind me and familiarize yourself with the operation of the equipment."
"Okay." Lin Yuanshu agreed immediately, and of course, she had no right to refuse.
Everyone else looked at Lin Yuanshu with envy. The sooner they could get familiar with the equipment, the sooner they could become full-fledged employees. They were more interested in learning how to operate the equipment than in processing solid raw materials.
Soon, they changed their minds. The team leader had only explained how to operate the equipment once, yet he demanded that Lin Yuanshu repeat it completely. This was not a sign of respect; it was clearly a ploy to target Lin Yuanshu and find fault with him.
Seeing this, Ling breathed a sigh of relief. She whispered to the person next to her, "It's a good thing you reminded me, otherwise I would definitely have been bullied by the team leader today, just like Comrade Lin Yuanshu."
The person next to him looked at him with an air of self-righteousness, saying confidently, "I would never harm you."
Lin Yuanshu repeated what the team leader had said in one breath. She had come in advance to familiarize herself with the operation of these machines, so it wasn't difficult for her to remember the team leader's words.
The team leader gave a half-smile, "Come with me, I'll take you to check if there are any abnormalities in the reactor, distillation column, pumps, and pipelines..."
Lin Yuan followed behind the team leader with a smile on her face. She felt that the team leader's behavior was more like an assessment than a targeted one, an assessment of her abilities!
The others watched Lin Yuanshu walk away with admiration. They really hadn't expected him to be able to pronounce it so perfectly, which gave him an indescribable air of coolness.
If Lin Yuanshu knew what they were thinking, he would definitely say, "How could someone who studies pharmacy not go crazy!"
All morning, Lin Yuanshu was learning how to read various instrument data to ensure that the temperature, pressure and other parameters inside the reactor were within the initial set range, and he had to record them every 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, others were still using hammers to break down solid raw materials such as naphthalene and anthracene, sifting out impurities and packing them into wooden barrels.
During the lunch break, Lin Yuanshu went to the cafeteria alone, since everyone kept their distance from her.
Ling Ke kept her head down and followed the familiar person, not daring to look up at Lin Yuanshu, for fear that Lin Yuanshu would blame her.
At the same time, the team leader went into Director Xia's office and told him about Lin Yuanshu's performance that morning.
Director Xia asked with a serious expression, "Do you think we need to win over Comrade Lin Yuanshu?"
The team leader thought for a moment and said in a firm tone, "I personally think it is necessary. Judging from Comrade Lin Yuanshu's behavior this morning, she is a capable person who can learn by analogy, is quick to get started, and is serious and not impatient at all. She can also handle me with ease and is a calm person."
Of all the apprentices she trained, Lin Yuanshu was the first to keep up with her pace, and he was doing so without her holding back.
Director Xia revealed a confident smile and said smugly, "It seems that Director Tang has indeed given me a great gift. You should know what to do next!"
The team leader nodded. "I'll make the arrangements."
Director Xia nodded in satisfaction.
In the afternoon, Lin Yuanshu continued to stay by the team leader's side, recording the data inside the reactor.
After the reaction is complete, the team leader starts the transfer device and slowly sends the reaction products to the distillation column to separate them by distillation.
Normally, distillation towers are not needed to prepare naphthalene intermediates. However, today's naphthalene intermediates are special because some special organic solvents are added during the preparation process, and now distillation towers are needed for their recovery.
She turned to Lin Yuanshu and said with a smile, "You can go to the break room to rest now. We usually have a half-hour break in the afternoon. Staring at the equipment all the time is too much for our eyes. Once the distillation is finished, we'll have almost completed our work for the day. All we need to do next is some simple maintenance on the equipment. The other employees will be responsible for refining the naphthalene intermediates obtained from the distillation. You don't need to worry about these things."
"Okay," Lin Yuanshu replied.
Working at the chemical plant was a bit simpler than she had imagined, probably because she didn't have to use a small hammer to bang things around!
When Lin Yuanshu entered the break room, it was already full of people, including new employees and some veteran employees.
One of the well-dressed men walked up to Lin Yuanshu and said sarcastically, "Who's back? Oh, it's our sycophant! Why are you patting him like that? You've managed to drive your master away!"
Lin Yuanshu glanced at the man in front of him and said with a smile, "So what? At least I have someone to flatter, unlike you, who can only say sarcastic things. You'd better not mess with me. After all, I'm a sycophant. Who knows when I'll flatter my master back, and then you'll be finished."
Qian Xiang was stunned for a moment, then broke down and said, "You're shameless."
“A person with a sense of shame can’t be a sycophant. You can learn from me and be shameless,” Lin Yuanshu said softly.
Qian Xiang took a deep breath and continued sarcastically, "A shameless sycophant like you should get out of the chemical plant. What ability do you have to stay in the chemical plant? You rely on your mouth! If I were you, I wouldn't even dare to go out in public."
Lin Yuanshu looked Qian Xiang up and down, then sighed and shook his head.
Qian Xiang was quite flustered by Lin Yuanshu's actions, and she couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by this?"
Lin Yuanshu blinked and said innocently, "You're so ugly, how dare you go out? I'm just shameless, what's there to be ashamed of about going out?"
Qian Xiang hated it when people called him ugly, because he really wasn't very likable—small eyes, a bulbous nose. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, saying, "You think you can keep laughing forever? Director Xia hates people like you the most. You probably won't even pass your apprenticeship. What's the use of being good with your mouth!"
"It won't be of much use, but at least it will make you so angry that your eyes turn red, and you'll be helpless against it," Lin Yuanshu said arrogantly.
Qian Xiang could no longer hold back and raised his fist, ready to attack Lin Yuanshu.
The men around Qian Xiang naturally couldn't just stand by and watch him hit the woman, so they quickly stopped him and blocked his way, preventing him from getting close to Lin Yuanshu.
Qian shouted angrily, "Let her go! I'll make her regret saying those words!"
Looking at the chaotic scene, Ling Ke thought about her good relationship with Lin Yuanshu, so she stood up and advised, "Comrade Lin Yuanshu, why don't you apologize to Comrade Qian Xiang and let this matter go? You will still be working in this workshop in the future, and you will see Comrade Qian Xiang all the time. We can stop you for a while, but we can't stop you forever. It's not good if the team leader sees you making such a fuss."
Lin Yuanshu sneered, "The one who starts it is shameless. Why isn't Comrade Qian Xiang apologizing to me?"
Ling Ke's friend retorted loudly, "Although Comrade Qian Xiang's words are unpleasant, yours are even more unpleasant! This is a personal attack."
Lin Yuanshu gave a sweet smile and said seriously, "Even if this is not nice, I have already given him face and did not mention his ancestors for eighteen generations."
After she finished speaking, she stared at Qian Xiang and said, word by word, "Just because I'm a woman, you think I'm easy to bully? Let me tell you, I grew up doing farm work in the production team since I was a child, and I can earn ten work points when I grow up. Let him go, I want him to understand why the flowers are so red."
To be honest, she wasn't afraid of losing to Qian Xiang. In her previous life, she had learned some self-defense techniques for women and knew a little martial arts. The original owner had trained her strength since childhood. While she couldn't be said to be incredibly strong, she was no weaker than an average man. After all, she had recently carried so many vegetables back to Beijing by herself. Under these circumstances, she couldn't possibly lose to Qian Xiang.
The men who were blocking Qian Xiang looked at each other, thought for a moment, and were about to let go of his arms when they found that Qian Xiang was holding them tightly, which confused them.
Lin Yuanshu approached Qian Xiang step by step. Qian Xiang subconsciously took a few steps back, wondering whether to run away quickly or fight Lin Yuanshu to the death. Sure enough, country bumpkins are crude; they're ready to fight at the slightest provocation.
Ling Ke and the others quickly stopped Lin Yuanshu, advising him to be magnanimous and not to hold a grudge against Qian Xiang.
As soon as Director Xia reached the door of the break room, he heard the commotion inside. He revealed a triumphant smile, turned his head and gave the team leader a look of praise. "Well done," he said. "It's time for me to step forward and save Lin Yuanshu from danger."
He pushed open the door and saw that it wasn't a scene of Lin Yuanshu being blamed by everyone, but rather that the women were preventing Lin Yuanshu from seeing Qian Xiang, while Qian Xiang was being protected by a group of men.
"What are you doing! This is break time, not a time for you to fight!" Director Xia shouted.
Qian Xiang felt reassured the moment he saw Director Xia, since he was bullying Lin Yuanshu on the orders of his team leader; otherwise, he wouldn't have been targeting Lin Yuanshu for no reason.
Lin Yuanshu could tell from Qian Xiang's expression that he wanted to complain, so she spoke first: "Director Xia, Comrade Qian Xiang is really going too far. He called me a sycophant, which is not an insult, but an insult that he thinks you lack judgment! I argued with him for a few words, and I believe you will handle this fairly."
Qian Xiang stared wide-eyed at Lin Yuanshu. He hadn't expected Lin Yuanshu to be so shameless, blatantly lying through his teeth. He retorted, "Director Xia, that's not what I meant. She's talking nonsense..."
Lin Yuanshu feigned a wronged expression and hurriedly said, "Director Xia, I've thought it through. Everyone looks out for themselves. I'm all for you now, so please don't believe what Comrade Qian Xiang said."
Director Xia smiled with satisfaction. Although Lin Yuanshu was capable, she was still too young and lacked work experience. This little thing made her panic, and she fell right into his trap.
"Alright, alright, all of you, shut up! I have high hopes for Comrade Lin Yuanshu's abilities. You should learn from her and stop arguing all the time."
Director Xia walked up to Lin Yuanshu, patted him on the shoulder, and encouraged him, "You did a great job today, keep up the good work."
Qian Xiang was furious. He wanted to tell the truth, "Director Xia, this is unfair, it's clearly..."
Before Qian Xiang could finish speaking, Director Xia interrupted him, "Don't you want to continue working at the chemical plant? Do you need me to send you out?"
“I think so,” Qian replied instinctively.
Director Xia said irritably, "Then shut up obediently, and remember to write a self-criticism and hand it in to the team leader. No matter what the reason is, you can't be violent towards female comrades."
Qian Xiangxin reluctantly shut his mouth, feeling extremely wronged. It was clearly Lin Yuanshu who had been violent towards him, yet Lin Yuanshu hadn't punished him at all, and he still had to write a self-criticism.
He only wanted to scare Lin Yuanshu and never intended to actually fight, but Lin Yuanshu's appearance didn't seem like he was faking it.
Everyone thought that Director Xia was preventing Qian Xiang from speaking ill of Lin Yuanshu, and they felt a mix of emotions.
Ling Ke, in particular, was relieved that she had stayed away from Lin Yuanshu this morning, but now she regrets her decision. If she had shared joys and sorrows with Lin Yuanshu, their relationship would definitely be better now.
After Director Xia left the break room, the veteran employees all came over.
They surrounded Lin Yuanshu and chatted with her enthusiastically. Their previous impression of Lin Yuanshu was that she had a good relationship with Director Tang, but now she had become a person who was not to be trifled with, like a tough nut to crack, and should not be provoked unless necessary.
Half of it was because of Director Xia, and the other half was because of Lin Yuanshu's assertiveness.
"Comrade Lin Yuanshu, we didn't expect you to have such a good relationship with Director Xia. We thought Director Xia didn't like you!"
"I really envy you for being chosen by Director Xia. I wish I were as capable as you."
"If you become successful in the future, don't forget your colleagues! It's fate that we were able to work together in a chemical plant."
"It's good that I stopped Comrade Qian Xiang for you. It's good that you weren't hurt, and it won't delay your work."
Lin Yuanshu watched as the veteran employees bombarded her with questions, offering only token answers to some unimportant ones. These people were even more fickle than she was; they had just been siding with Qian Xiang, but now they were all talking to her enthusiastically, completely ignoring Qian Xiang. That's just reality!
Qian Xiang felt extremely wronged. He had clearly been following the team leader's orders, but now he was caught in the middle. He didn't dare to question the team leader, because he didn't want to be targeted by him.
He looked at Lin Yuanshu, who had a smile on his face, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
Ling Ke's friend whispered, "Being close to the water tower makes it easier to get the moon. You used to be friends with Comrade Lin Yuanshu. Find some time to introduce me to Comrade Lin Yuanshu. Having more friends means having more opportunities."
Upon hearing this, Ling Ke remained silent for a moment before slowly saying, "After what just happened, Comrade Lin Yuanshu may not still consider me a friend."
My friend said confidently, "What happened just now? You only stood up for Comrade Lin Yuanshu's sake! She won't blame you; you meant well."
Ling Ke pursed her lips and said softly, "I'll try it later."
Because these people were so enthusiastic, Lin Yuanshu left the rest room before the break was over. She went to the distillation tower and watched the team leader operate the distillation tower.
The team leader glanced at Lin Yuanshu and began to explain to him how to adjust the relevant parameters of the distillation column to ensure that the distillation process could proceed smoothly, so as to collect naphthalene intermediate fractions with different boiling points.
Lin Yuanshu listened very attentively, thinking to himself, "As expected, joining Director Xia's camp makes all the difference. The team leader's explanation was noticeably gentler and more detailed, and he even reminded us of common mistakes. It was a completely different attitude from this morning."
As long as she hides enough identities, no one can tell which side she's on!
Time quickly came to the end of the workday, and Lin Yuanshu returned to the changing room to take off his safety helmet and protective gloves.
The moment Ling Ke saw Lin Yuanshu approach, her eyes lit up, and she said with a smile, "Comrade Lin Yuanshu, we can go home together later."
Lin Yuanshu hesitated for a moment, then politely declined, saying, "I need to go to the cafeteria to wait for my partner; we probably can't go together."
Ling Ke lowered her head in disappointment, glanced at Lin Yuanshu cautiously, and asked, "Are you still angry with me? I didn't mean to distance myself from you, but I had no choice. I can't lose this job."
Lin Yuanshu smiled slightly, "I'm not angry. You have the right to distance yourself, and I have the right to refuse."
They're both seasoned foxes, why pretend to be a ghost story in front of her? She can accept Ling Ke distancing herself from her, but she can't accept Ling Ke using her to gain fame. If she had really apologized back then, Ling Ke would have become famous.
They may seem like friends, but they are actually more terrifying than enemies. At least enemies don't do disgusting things; they say things for your own good but do things to harm you.
Ling Ke wanted to continue apologizing to Lin Yuanshu, but Lin Yuanshu didn't take the bait. He quickly packed his things and left the locker room.
Ling Ke's friend patted her on the shoulder and comforted her, "Lin Yuanshu is nothing special! He just knows Director Xia! We won't stoop to her level. The higher you stand, the faster you die. We'll take things one step at a time and don't care about shortcuts."
Hearing this, Ling Ke felt a little better. She smiled and said, "That's right. As long as we work hard, we will be able to become permanent employees one day. Comrade Lin Yuanshu looks very successful now, but who knows what the future holds? She looks down on me now, but one day, I will look down on her."
Both of them looked full of energy.
The veteran employee who overheard their conversation gave them a mocking look. These two were still young and didn't understand the importance of relationships. If they just buried themselves in their work, opportunities would slip through their fingers.
After leaving the workshop, Lin Yuanshu did not go to the canteen because Zhou Xiangyang was working the night shift and could not leave work with her.
As she walked out of the chemical plant, she saw Qian Xiang leaning against the wall next to the entrance. Was he defiant and wanted to challenge her to a one-on-one duel?
Lin Yuanshu watched Qian Xiang walk towards her and stretched her arms and legs.
Qian instinctively covered his head and spoke first, "I'm not here to fight. I have something important to tell you."
Lin Yuanshu raised an eyebrow and asked as he walked forward, "What is it?"
Qian Xiang walked to Lin Yuanshu's left and said in a low voice, "I'm targeting you today entirely on the orders of the team leader. The team leader seems to be nice to you, but he actually has ulterior motives."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yuanshu replied expressionlessly, "Oh! So what?"
"No, with this attitude, aren't you angry? They're just messing with you?" Qian Xiang said incredulously.
Lin Yuanshu shook his head and said seriously, "They're not teasing me, they're teasing you. Besides, I already guessed this."
Qian Xiang said, feeling very wronged, "You guessed it, yet you still treated me like that."
Lin Yuanshu smiled slightly and said bluntly, "So what? You're allowed to target me, but I'm not allowed to retaliate? You're still too young. In the adult world, there's no black and white. You should go home and cook a few more bowls of rice! At least you won't be swallowed whole."
She's not stupid. How could she not see through such an obvious act? Director Xia didn't show up earlier or later, but only when she was in trouble. It was obvious that Director Xia was the one who brought this trouble, and she was just going with the flow.
Even without today's events, she would have created opportunities for Director Xia to become his subordinate and climb onto his big ship.
Qian Xiang stood silently, watching Lin Yuanshu walk away. He was questioning his life. He used to think he was quite smart, managing to get on the team leader's good side on his first day of work. Now he felt like a complete fool, completely used by others.
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