Chapter 97 Grouping
The dog tugged at Zhou Xiangling's sleeve fearfully and whispered, "Mom, I'm hungry. I want to eat."
Zhou Xiangling wiped away her tears, took out two wild vegetable buns from the cupboard, and said with a smile, "Eat up, you won't be hungry anymore."
The dog looked at the wild vegetable buns with disgust and refused, saying, "I don't want to eat this. I want to eat white steamed buns."
Zhou Xiangling paused for a moment, then said helplessly, "Your dad is gone, and your aunt and uncle are not good people. They want to force us to our deaths. They won't give us any food. Just eat some cornbread to fill your stomach. When we go to your maternal grandmother's house tomorrow, you can eat whatever you want, including meat."
The dog excitedly asked, "Where is Grandma's house? Is it in the next production team?"
Zhou Xiangling couldn't help but recall the old days. She said softly, "Not in the next production team, but in Beijing, your maternal grandfather was very capable. He was a worker in the city, and your eldest uncle was an educated man, a college graduate..."
The dog exclaimed excitedly, "Mom, let's hurry to the city! I don't want to stay here anymore. My aunt keeps yelling at me."
Looking at her son's innocent face, Zhou Xiangling smiled and said, "Good boy, just bear with it a little longer, we'll be leaving here soon."
With Zhou Xiangling's reassurance, the dog stopped making a fuss and reluctantly ate a cornbread.
Zhou Xiangling couldn't bear to eat the other cornbread either, fearing that if she ate it, there wouldn't be any left to eat the next day, as she currently had neither money nor food.
If her mother-in-law doesn't help her, she won't even be able to go back to her parents' home.
She could only drink a large glass of cold water to fill her stomach. She couldn't help but think of her lover. If Brother Cao were here, he certainly wouldn't have put her in such a difficult situation. It's just that fate is cruel. It's all that damned God's fault!
The next morning, Lin Yuanshu finished washing up and went to the living room to have breakfast.
As soon as Zhou Ma saw Lin Yuanshu, she asked, "How long did you get back last night? Did you eat out again? The most important thing in life is to be thrifty. You have to stretch every penny. You can't save money if you eat out every few days. You're enjoying your life now, but when you need money, you'll know what it means to have nowhere to turn..."
Lin Yuanshu couldn't help but sigh inwardly. She had managed to avoid the nagging last night, but she couldn't avoid it this morning. She smiled and explained, "Mom, we only eat out occasionally. Most of our money is in the bank. Don't be too hard on yourself. Enjoy yourself when you should. If you save all your money, you'll end up spending it all at the hospital when you get sick."
She wanted to eat out every now and then, but she didn't have a ticket, so she couldn't.
Aunt Zhou rolled her eyes. "Pah, pah, pah, don't talk. You can't be a jinx."
Lin Yuanshu muttered to himself, "Mom, as the saying goes, there's always a woman who's willing to spend the money you're unwilling to spend."
"How come I've never heard of this saying before?" Aunt Zhou said with a complicated expression.
Lin Yuanshu pointed to himself and said with a smile, "Because I'm the one who said this saying."
Zhou Ma: "..."
She knew that Lin Yuanshu didn't have many kind words to say.
After breakfast, Zhou Xiangyang rode his bicycle with Lin Yuanshu to work.
Ever since she and Zhou Xiangyang started working at the research institute, they have been using bicycles, while Zhou Dafu and his older brother walk to work at the pharmaceutical factory.
After entering the research institute, Lin Yuanshu first went to the gate to sign in, and then went to his workstation to continue writing the proposal that he hadn't finished the night before.
She wrote out the general flow of the plan yesterday afternoon, and today she only needs to make some revisions before submitting it to Team Leader Zhuang.
With dark circles under his eyes and looking dejected, Feng Aiguo glanced at Lin Yuanshu and said confidently, "I've almost finished writing the plan. Now all that's left is to hand it over to Team Leader Zhuang."
Lin Yuanshu casually praised, "You're really amazing, unlike me, I can't stay up all night at all."
Feng Aiguo stubbornly insisted, "I didn't stay up all night."
Hong Shuang'er said with a subtle expression, "You don't look like you haven't stayed up all night."
Feng Aiguo retorted angrily, "Whose side are you on? Don't forget which side you're on!"
Hong Shuang'er declared confidently, "Of course I stand on the side of justice."
"Traitor!" Feng Aiguo said through gritted teeth.
Just then, Team Leader Zhuang strode into the office area and asked with a smile, "What are you talking about? You're so energetic so early in the morning."
Feng Aiguo quickly said, "We are discussing the plan. Team Leader Zhuang, I have already written the plan. Could you please take a look and see if there is anything missing or incorrect? I will revise it immediately."
As Feng Aiguo spoke, he handed over his proposal.
Although he said that, he believed his proposal was well-written and there was nothing that needed to be changed.
Team Leader Zhuang took the plan and turned to go back to his office. Feng Aiguo immediately followed him, and before leaving, he gave Lin Yuanshu a provocative look.
Hong Shuang'er said angrily, "Comrade Feng Aiguo is really too arrogant."
Lin Yuanshu calmly continued revising her proposal, saying softly, "Like a grasshopper in autumn, it won't last long."
To be honest, she hadn't encountered a colleague who openly provoked her like this in a long time. Most of her colleagues would smile on the outside but secretly...
To do bad things.
Hong Shuang'er nodded in agreement. She lowered her voice and said, "Your proposal is definitely better than Comrade Feng Aiguo's. I've heard that Comrade Feng Aiguo plans to have all the members of the research group join his proposal group. In that case, no one will join your proposal group, and you'll lose face in front of Team Leader Zhuang. What should we do now? Before Team Leader Zhuang mentions the grouping, should we try to win over the members of the research group?"
Lin Yuanshu was taken aback. She hadn't expected the research team members to be so united, all willing to listen to Feng Aiguo. It seemed that Feng Aiguo wasn't without merits; at least he was well-liked.
“There’s no need to win anyone over. We can’t wake up those who are pretending to be asleep. If all else fails, it’s just the two of us doing the experiments. I’d rather the experiments be slower than beg them to do them with us.” Lin Yuanshu’s tone was resolute.
Before she came to the research institute, Director Huang had promised her that she could be in charge of small projects, so she was able to form her own team.
The research institute has no shortage of interns. Just because the members of Group Leader Zhuang's research group are unwilling to work with her doesn't mean that members of other research groups are also unwilling to work with her.
When Hong Shuang'er heard Lin Yuanshu say this, she nodded thoughtfully. It seemed that Lin Yuanshu was also quite straightforward and not the kind of person who was willing to compromise.
In the office, Team Leader Zhuang reviewed Feng Aiguo's proposal report. It was quite well-written, but some details were not comprehensive enough.
He offered his opinion and asked Feng Aiguo to go back and revise it.
Feng Aiguo smiled awkwardly, then left the office with a flushed face and returned to his workstation to revise the plan.
Seeing this, neither Hong Shuang'er nor Lin Yuanshu went to mock Feng Aiguo. After all, their personalities weren't that extreme, and they wouldn't deliberately provoke others.
If Feng Aiguo got into a fight or argument with them in a fit of anger, they would be the ones in the wrong.
Not long after, Lin Yuanshu finished revising the plan and took it into Team Leader Zhuang's office.
After reviewing Lin Yuanshu's proposal, Team Leader Zhuang smiled and praised him, "As expected of the person in charge of improving the sulfadiazine production process, this proposal is practical and feasible. I can't find any oversights. When you explained it to me before, you were vague, which made me a little doubtful about your ideas. But after reading this proposal, I feel that this proposal has great potential."
Lin Yuanshu awkwardly touched her nose, because she was unsure what she could and couldn't say. Some things might exist in modern times but not in this era, so before checking the information, she dared not chat freely with Team Leader Zhuang to avoid saying anything beyond this era.
"It's mainly because my thoughts were too jumbled at the time, and I hadn't sorted them out yet, so what I said was a bit incoherent," Lin Yuanshu explained with a smile.
Team Leader Zhuang encouraged them, saying, "I hope your plan will be successful in the experiment, and it will definitely change the situation where there is a shortage of acetaminophen in China."
"I will try my best," Lin Yuanshu said confidently.
When the research team members saw Lin Yuanshu walk out of Team Leader Zhuang's office empty-handed, they knew that Lin Yuanshu's proposal report had passed. They exchanged glances, each with their own thoughts.
Feng Aiguo felt immense pressure. He had stayed up until midnight to write the proposal and finally managed to submit it to Team Leader Zhuang ahead of schedule, only to have it rejected. Lin Yuanshu, on the other hand, did not have his proposal rejected after he submitted it.
Is it because he's incompetent?
No, it must be Team Leader Zhuang favoring Lin Yuanshu because they are both women.
The truth is that Team Leader Zhuang has been biased towards Lin Yuanshu from the very beginning, so no matter how hard he tries, Team Leader Zhuang will never be satisfied.
After lunch break, Team Leader Zhuang held a group meeting in his office. Feng Aiguo looked at Lin Yuanshu with a smug expression. So what if Team Leader Zhuang was biased towards Lin Yuanshu?
The members of the research group would favor him, and no one was willing to join Lin Yuanshu's research group, leaving Lin Yuanshu as a pitiful and pathetic lone commander.
Team Leader Zhuang said thoughtfully, "I originally thought of dividing you into groups, but I was worried that if you already had a preferred group in mind, forcing you into groups might make you less attentive. You should have a certain understanding of Comrade Lin Yuanshu and Comrade Feng Aiguo's plans. Now, you can form your own groups and choose the plan you want to experiment with."
Everyone looked at each other, but no one took any action.
Hong Shuang'er took a deep breath and walked to Lin Yuanshu's side without hesitation, becoming the first member of the selection group.
With Hong Shuang'er taking the lead, the other members of the research team also sprang into action.
The research group members who were on good terms with Feng Aiguo naturally chose Feng Aiguo without hesitation, while the research group members who were not on good terms with Feng Aiguo resolutely stood by Lin Yuanshu's side.
As a result, Lin Yuanshu's research team actually had more members than Feng Aiguo's research team.
One of the group members looked at his comrade next to him and couldn't help but say, "What are you doing here? Didn't you say last night that you would support Comrade Feng Aiguo's group proposal? You're standing in the wrong place."
The group member scratched the back of his head sheepishly and said earnestly, "I changed my mind again this morning. But you, you swore yesterday you wouldn't betray us, so why are you standing here too?"
The group member who spoke earlier stammered and couldn't give a coherent answer.
Seeing this, everyone understood what was going on. Last night, everyone deliberately said those things to mislead others, but they didn't expect that their thoughts were all similar, which led to today's situation.
They didn't mean to embarrass Feng Aiguo. They thought most people would support Feng Aiguo, and not many would support Lin Yuanshu. Even without them, Feng Aiguo's plan to humiliate Lin Yuanshu would still succeed, and by offering help in his time of need, they could gain Lin Yuanshu's favor.
I just didn't expect things to get out of control.
Lin Yuanshu looked at the research team members standing beside him with surprise. This was completely different from the information Hong Shuang'er had inquired about. It seemed that she had overthought things. The members of the research team were not so united and each had their own selfish motives.
Feng Aiguo's face flushed red and then paled. He could hardly believe his eyes. He was the one who was humiliated. There were fewer people who chose Lin Yuanshu than he did.
Are they out of their minds?! How could they choose Lin Yuanshu and betray him?!
They had no connection with Lin Yuanshu. It must have been Hong Shuang'er who told Lin Yuanshu about his plan, so Lin Yuanshu took advantage of his writing to win them over.
He smiled and said, "Old Li, didn't you say yesterday afternoon that you were very optimistic about my plan? We've known each other for over two years, don't you know my work ability? Trust me, my plan will definitely be successful in the experiment."
Intern Li was extremely embarrassed and inwardly resented Feng Aiguo. Why did he have to call him? He was now in a dilemma. He couldn't refuse, but he was also unwilling to go. After all, so many people had chosen Lin Yuanshu, which meant that Lin Yuanshu's plan was very promising.
He took a deep breath and slowly walked towards Feng Aiguo.
At this moment, when Feng Aiguo’s group members saw that Lin Yuanshu had more people on his side, they knew that they had fallen into a trap and made a wrong decision. So, he shamelessly walked quickly to Lin Yuanshu’s side.
Feng Aiguo's friends wanted to persuade this group member to stay, but the man acted too quickly, without the slightest hesitation.
Seeing this, intern Li stopped halfway and decisively turned back to Lin Yuanshu's side. He had almost missed a good opportunity.
He said apologetically, "Comrade Feng Aiguo, I think your plan is very good and will definitely succeed, but I just like to challenge myself with difficult things, so I have decided to work with Comrade Lin Yuanshu to complete this difficult plan."
A sense of regret arose in the hearts of the team members around Feng Aiguo. They hadn't expected to fall into these people's trap, but unfortunately, they no longer had a choice.
Even if they shamelessly stood by Lin Yuanshu's side, it would be useless. Lin Yuanshu would definitely choose to come to her side first, so they could only continue to stay by Feng Aiguo's side.
Feng Aiguo was almost speechless. He gritted his teeth and said, "You will regret this one day. I will prove that I am better than Comrade Lin Yuanshu."
If Team Leader Zhuang hadn't been there, he certainly wouldn't have so casually uttered those two sentences: "A bunch of idiots! They really think they can succeed by following Lin Yuanshu? How naively laughable."
Team Leader Zhuang's expression was quite subtle. She had thought that more members of the research team would choose Feng Aiguo, since most of the team members had a pretty good relationship with him.
They had little to say to Lin Yuanshu; she had only ever seen Lin Yuanshu talk to Hong Shuang'er, and rarely to anyone else.
Team Leader Zhuang earnestly advised, "Comrade Lin Yuanshu and Comrade Feng Aiguo represent two different attempts, neither of which is superior or inferior. Comrade Feng Aiguo's plan is also very good. You should give Comrade Feng Aiguo more confidence. Even if Comrade Feng Aiguo fails, I will still be there to help him."
Upon hearing this, Feng Aiguo felt no joy, only embarrassment. Team Leader Zhuang wasn't helping him; instead, he was looking down on him, implying that he couldn't succeed without the help of others.
Lin Yuanshu chimed in, "I also think highly of Comrade Feng Aiguo's proposal. You really don't need to choose me. Don't let me affect your relationship with Comrade Feng Aiguo."
After thinking for a while, everyone decided to stay by Lin Yuanshu's side. They had already betrayed Feng Aiguo, and going to Feng Aiguo's side now would only earn them his ridicule and leave Lin Yuanshu with the impression of being opportunists. It was better to maintain the status quo than to get nothing at all.
Feng Aiguo took a deep breath and said with a smile, "Since they all want to stay by Comrade Lin Yuanshu's side, why don't we let Comrade Lin Yuanshu choose his own team members? The remaining comrades can come and work with me to optimize the iron powder."
Team Leader Zhuang thought for a moment and agreed, "Comrade Lin Yuanshu, you should choose your team members first!"
Everyone looked at Lin Yuanshu expectantly, hoping that he would choose them. Some even felt a little regretful that they shouldn't have listened to Feng Aiguo and chosen to isolate Lin Yuanshu, which led to their current mediocre relationship with him.
Feng Aiguo's lips curled up slightly, revealing a triumphant smile.
Lin Yuanshu pursed his lips, revealing a troubled expression. "I've only been in the research group for a short time, and I don't even know everyone yet. Suddenly asking me to choose group members is really a bit of a challenge. Perhaps it would be better to let Comrade Feng Aiguo choose the group members he wants first. There is no distinction between plans and members of the research group. I think that all the members who can join this research group are very capable comrades, so I would welcome whoever is assigned to my group."
She wouldn't be foolish enough to do something as foolish as choosing team members, which would offend people.
When Feng Aiguo saw that Lin Yuanshu hadn't taken the bait, his smile froze instantly. He refused without hesitation, saying, "I share the same thought as Comrade Lin Yuanshu. We both believe that everyone is very capable, and I welcome anyone, no matter who it is."
“Alright, since you have no other ideas, I’ll make the arrangements,” Team Leader Zhuang said earnestly.
Her arrangement was simple: she randomly pulled a few people from Lin Yuanshu's team to Feng Aiguo's team. Since both of them thought it didn't matter who it was, there was no need to be picky or overthink it.
Intern Li glanced awkwardly at Feng Aiguo, not expecting that he would be assigned to Feng Aiguo's subordinate again by Team Leader Zhuang.
In Feng Aiguo's eyes, the group members who were assigned to him were all traitors, so he naturally couldn't give them a friendly look.
Hong Shuang'er breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she wasn't assigned to Feng Aiguo's group. She felt sorry for her colleagues who were assigned there; their days ahead wouldn't be so easy.
However, they are all adults and should be responsible for their own choices.
After the personnel of the two project teams were assigned, Team Leader Zhuang instructed everyone not to be impatient for quick success and to proceed step by step. Then he let everyone go about their own business.
She deliberately didn't assign them specific tasks, hoping to teach them to handle things independently instead of relying on her every time.
After everyone left the office and returned to the work area, Lin Yuanshu said to his team members with a serious expression, "Our team's core task is to improve the production process of acetaminophen using the 'sodium phenolate mixing method.' The first step is to conduct research on raw materials and proportions..."
Lin Yuanshu assigned tasks to each group member.
The team members, full of enthusiasm, said, "We'll get right to it."
They weren't afraid of heavy assignments, but they were afraid that Lin Yuanshu wouldn't be able to assign any tasks. They had to admit that Director Huang's judgment was correct.
Lin Yuanshu's work ability is clearly much higher than theirs. No wonder Director Huang was able to personally transfer Lin Yuanshu to work at the research institute. It's because their abilities are too weak.
Seeing that Lin Yuanshu's group was already assigning tasks, the members of Feng Aiguo's group turned their attention to Feng Aiguo. Intern Li was the first to ask, "What should we do now?"
Feng Aiguo paused for a moment, then said blankly, "Let me think..."
He didn't expect Lin Yuanshu to assign tasks so quickly. He had spent a lot of energy just writing this plan, so he didn't have the energy to think about anything else.
Intern Li muttered to himself, "I knew this would happen."
Hearing this, Feng Aiguo was also furious. He shouted, "What right do you have to complain here? Even if you don't want to join my project team, what good is it? You can't join other teams. You only deserve to stay in my team."
Another team member quickly said, "Everyone, please don't get so worked up. We're all part of the same project team. What we should be doing now isn't arguing, but finding a way to work together to complete this project. Otherwise, it won't look good for anyone."
He winked at intern Li, signaling her to apologize to Feng Aiguo.
Looking at the smug-looking Feng Aiguo, intern Li said with an ugly expression, "We are all interns. Why should I listen to him? Why should I apologize? I'm not his dog. Can't I even speak the truth? Others are just more capable than him. If they have the ability, they should let their abilities speak for themselves and convince me, instead of throwing a tantrum at me."
After saying that, he left the laboratory without hesitation.
The members of Feng Aiguo's group looked at each other in surprise. They hadn't expected that the first problem their group would face would be unity. Intern Li and Feng Aiguo usually had a good relationship.
Although Feng Aiguo was furious, he knew that now was not the time to lose his temper, as it would only push the group members further away.
He took a deep breath and said with a smile, "I was too hot-tempered just now, so I said some unpleasant things without thinking. Please don't take it to heart. I've already thought it through. Our first step can be to test the effect of iron powder of different particle sizes and purities on the reduction reaction... Or if you have different ideas, you can speak up. I can't arrange everything as clearly as Comrade Lin Yuanshu, so I can only rely on everyone's efforts to complete this plan together..."
Hearing Feng Aiguo's words, everyone felt a little better. One of the group members said seriously, "Since we've been put together, we should do our best for this plan and contribute our abilities. So let's not argue. The most important thing now is to work together with Comrade Feng Aiguo to complete this plan. We can talk about any grudges after we finish this plan."
This statement was met with approval, and they began discussing the details of testing iron powder.
Team Leader Zhuang was very pleased to see the members of both project teams busy at work; they were the future of the research institute.
Comparisons provide greater motivation.
On the other side, Zhou Xiangling packed her luggage and came to Grandma Cao. She braced herself and asked Grandma Cao for money. She said awkwardly, "Mom, can you lend me twenty yuan? I will definitely pay you back when I have money in the future."
Grandma Cao was stunned for a moment. She looked at Zhou Xiangling with a puzzled expression and said incredulously, "Why would you ask me for money? Don't you have a single penny? You separated from us five years ago. My youngest son's earnings are all in your hands. You can't possibly be penniless!"
Not long after Zhou Xiangling married into the family, she started making a fuss about separating the household and refused to let her youngest son hand over his salary, saying that the whole family was sucking his blood and taking advantage of him.
Left with no other choice, she had to give away her youngest son.
I never expected that a few years later, my youngest son would lose his job in the city and return to the production team to make a living by earning work points.
However, they did not hold a grudge against their youngest son's family and continued to let their youngest son live at home and eat with them.
Zhou Xiangling said confidently, "Mom, after we go back to the production team, the money and grain will be in your hands. Don't you know whether we have money or not?"
Upon hearing this, Granny Cao was furious. She cursed and said, "I didn't embezzle your money. Your family relies entirely on my youngest son's work points. How much can one person earn with work points? It's barely enough for you to have enough to eat. There's no way you'll have any extra money left. You spendthrift daughter-in-law, you've squandered all the money my youngest son earned in the city, and you still want to raise Gouzi by yourself? How can you be so delusional!"
Zhou Xiangling lowered her head guiltily. She didn't know where the money had gone; it was just gone. She glanced at Granny Cao, not wanting to continue the discussion. After all, she had come to borrow money, not to explain why she didn't have any.
She said with great frustration, "Mom, I really don't understand why you are so cruel to Gouzi. Gouzi is also your grandson, and he has the blood of your youngest son, yet you want to drive him out."
She didn't expect to raise the dog by herself; she was counting on her mother-in-law.
Grandma Cao's expression was complicated. It was true that Gouzi was her grandson, but she had several other grandsons! She didn't need Gouzi as a grandson, and she couldn't let her eldest daughter-in-law kick her out because of Gouzi!
Between her eldest daughter-in-law and Zhou Xiangling, she would definitely choose the eldest daughter-in-law. Zhou Xiangling seemed unreliable at first glance. If she followed Zhou Xiangling, she would definitely go hungry nine times out of three days and have to work hard to earn work points to support these two lazybones. She was not that stupid.
Seeing that her soft approach wasn't working, Zhou Xiangling had no choice but to resort to force, saying firmly, "If you don't lend me the money, I'll go around telling everyone that your Cao family is heartless, forcing me to remarry and kicking us, a widow and her child, out of the Cao family..."
Grandma Cao was also afraid that Zhou Xiangling would fight to the death, so she thought it was better to avoid trouble and quickly said, "I only have ten yuan, take it or leave it."
Zhou Xiangling agreed without hesitation: "Ten yuan is fine too."
Granny Cao: "..."
I instantly felt like I'd given too much; I should have just said five yuan.
Well, the dog is still her grandson. Hopefully, this ten yuan will allow Zhou Xiangling to take the dog back to her parents' home smoothly.
After receiving ten yuan from Grandma Cao, Zhou Xiangling went out to call Gouzi home.
At this moment, Gouzi was showing off his grandparents to his friends in the production team. He said with a proud face, "I won't be able to see you for a long time. I'm going to go to the city to eat and drink well. My grandparents are very rich."
One of the friends retorted loudly, "My mom says you're a little burden, and your mom is a big burden. If your dad dies, your whole family will be kicked out of the house."
The dog's eyes widened as it retorted, "No, that's not true. My mom said I'm going to the city to live a better life."
The other kids didn't believe the dog's story, thinking he was exaggerating. They reasoned that if the dog had wealthy grandparents, why hadn't they seen them buying him nice things?
The brigade leader's wealthy relatives would visit him during holidays, bringing nice gifts and sweet candies. That's what a wealthy relative is like.
The dog tried hard to refute, but couldn't answer his friends' questions because he had never met his wealthy grandparents, and his mother had never mentioned them before his father passed away.
Zhou Xiangling came to the dog and took its hand, preparing to go home.
The dog refused to leave, shouting, "Mom, they said we're not going to the city to live a better life, we've been kicked out!"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiangling said with a serious expression, "They are talking nonsense. There's no need to pay attention to them. We can go back to your grandparents' house now. Don't you want to see your grandparents?"
Gouzi looked at Zhou Xiangling with excitement. Knowing that he could leave his aunt's house, he became incredibly excited, muttering, "Great! I can see my grandparents..."
The friends looked at each other in bewilderment, and it seemed that the dog wasn't lying; the dog was going to the city to live a better life.
They went from feeling sorry for the dog to envying it in an instant.
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