Chapter 37 The Truth No One Believes
"Have ambition! Look at others, then look at you!" The team leader looked at the veteran employees with a disappointed expression.
The veteran employees also felt wronged, as they had begun to take the labor productivity competition seriously in the past few days and were no longer thinking about doing things perfunctorily.
It must be admitted that the hard work of the new employees made them feel that they could give it another shot, otherwise they would be letting down these new employees who worked so hard.
In the technical department office, a staff member said apologetically, "I'm sorry, our laboratory really cannot be lent out; there's no such rule."
Lin Yuanshu said in a polite tone, "We are all workers in the chemical plant. Lending it to us is not considered lending it out. Director Xia should have already informed you that you should fully cooperate with our work. I won't hold it against you for not assigning technical personnel to me. But now you won't even lend us the laboratory. Are you looking down on the fourth production workshop of naphthalene intermediates? Or have you taken people from other workshop directors and want to deliberately make things difficult for the fourth workshop?"
The staff member quickly explained, "Don't talk nonsense. I have no connection with the other workshop directors. I'm just following the rules and regulations."
"You're getting impatient, you're getting impatient, there's definitely something fishy going on," Lin Yuanshu said confidently.
The staff member had no choice but to give up and forced a smile, saying, "This way, please. I'll take you to the lab."
Lin Yuanshu nodded in satisfaction and said with a smile, "If you had said so earlier, there wouldn't have been any problems."
The staff member led Lin Yuanshu to the fifth laboratory with a blank expression. The laboratory was fully equipped. Lin Yuanshu carefully checked the equipment in the laboratory, such as manual cutting saws, small stamping machines, and AC arc welding machines. After confirming that they were usable, she let the staff member leave.
The staff member returned to the technical department office and couldn't help but sigh.
Another staff member said with a smile, "You've made things difficult for the female colleague, haven't you? You've bitten off more than you can chew!"
The staff member sighed, "These days, women are all so talkative. I'm not trying to make things difficult for them, but the rules really don't allow it."
There are only special exceptions.
Lin Yuanshu stayed in the laboratory for a while before returning to the workshop. He then asked Zhao Hong and the others to take him to the fifth laboratory of ductile iron, where they could begin to manufacture the parts for the reactor agitator themselves.
Zhao Hong and the others admired Lin Yuanshu greatly. They never expected that Lin Yuanshu could actually borrow the laboratory. After all, those technicians were arrogant and looked down on all the other workers except for them.
At the same time, Wang Gang went into Director Zhou's office and expressed his desire to sever all ties with Director Xia, stating that Director Xia was unwilling to help him.
Director Zhou stroked his chin, somewhat incredulous at Wang Gang's words. He hadn't even had a chance to win him over, and Wang Gang had already turned against him. He had never imagined that his personal charisma would be so great. Lin Yuanshu was one, and Wang Gang was another, both wanting to help him solve his troubles.
"Since you want to lead your team to participate in the labor production competition, have you prepared a technological innovation plan?" Director Zhou asked with a serious expression.
Wang Gang quickly took out the technical innovation plan he had written while staying up all night and handed it to Director Zhou.
Director Zhou carefully read through the technical innovation plan, then casually placed it on the table. It was only mediocre and average; getting first place would depend on luck.
That makes sense. How could all newcomers be as abnormal as Lin Yuanshu and Zhou Moli, whose abilities didn't seem like those of someone who had just started working? People like Wang Gang are more like newcomers; they have the ability, but they still need work experience to hone their skills.
"How can you guarantee you won't betray me?" Director Zhou questioned. Accepting Lin Yuanshu and accepting Wang Gang were two different things. Since Lin Yuanshu had always been by Director Xia's side, accepting Lin Yuanshu would have no impact on him at all. At worst, he would just get false information. He wasn't stupid; he wouldn't not verify the authenticity of the information.
Wang Gang is different. He is actually working by his side in the workshop he manages. If he were to betray him, he would suffer heavy losses. Wang Gang still has some potential, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to take him in.
Wang Gang took a deep breath, hardened his heart, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Comrade Lin Yuanshu is willing to listen to Director Xia because Director Xia used underhanded tactics. He had the people in the fourth workshop isolate and bully Comrade Lin Yuanshu, and then helped him, all to make Comrade Lin Yuanshu devoted to him. I can find a way to destroy their relationship, so that Director Xia will no longer trust Comrade Lin Yuanshu, and Comrade Lin Yuanshu will be unwilling to do anything for Director Xia."
He truly had no choice; he didn't want to face Lin Yuanshu, but he had no choice but to.
Director Zhou fell into deep thought. He wasn't surprised by Director Xia's disgusting methods. What he was thinking about was whether to let Wang Gang ruin their relationship. After all, Lin Yuanshu was his undercover agent. If their relationship deteriorated, Lin Yuanshu wouldn't be able to help him gather information.
"What do you think of Comrade Lin Yuanshu's abilities?" Director Zhou asked earnestly.
Although Wang Gang had a bad feeling, he still said truthfully, "She is very capable. After all, she was favored by both Director Tang and Director Xia. Director Tang even used such methods to win over Comrade Lin Yuanshu, which shows that her ability is extraordinary."
Director Zhou nodded thoughtfully, then said with determination, "Then you should find a way to disrupt their relationship, but on the premise that you don't harm Comrade Lin Yuanshu. After this labor production competition ends, Comrade Lin Yuanshu might become your colleague."
Wang Gang: "..."
He was speechless. Why did he switch sides? It was because Director Xia abandoned him for Lin Yuanshu, and now his new side wanted to win Lin Yuanshu over.
I vaguely remember that not long after Director Xia said those words to him, he was abandoned, and now history is repeating itself.
He earnestly advised, "Director Zhou, I don't think Comrade Lin Yuanshu is a simple person. She can abandon Director Xia and join your camp, and she can also abandon you and join someone else's camp. She has no loyalty at all; she's just a fence-sitter."
Director Zhou said confidently and resolutely, "I'm different from others. I won't have any doubts about her. Besides, now that she's in my camp, there's no way she can go back to her previous camp. The relationship has already broken down, and it's hard to mend a broken mirror. By the way, be careful in your actions and don't let Comrade Lin Yuanshu find out."
Others may not know, but he does! Lin Yuanshu was his man from the very beginning.
Wang Gang looked at Director Zhou with a troubled expression and said with difficulty, "Okay, I know what to do."
In order to successfully lead his group in the labor production competition, he was giving it his all. He just hoped that Director Zhou would be normal and not abandon him like Director Xia did, thinking he was useless.
On the other side, Zhou Laoda and Zhou Laoer took turns carrying burlap sacks home. When the villagers of the production team saw the two returning from the city, they asked with smiles, "Where's your mother? Did she stay in the city to enjoy her life?"
Zhou Laoda smiled憨厚ly and explained, "Dafu said that since Mom has come to the city so often, he wants her to stay and have some fun. He wants to take good care of Mom."
One villager said enviously, "Your mother must be living a very comfortable life. What good things did you bring back? Dafu has become a leader now, and his wife has become so generous. She actually gave you things."
Zhou Lao Er chimed in, "Don't even mention it. Da Fu's wife only takes in food and never gives it away. She'd be heartbroken if we ate even a few extra bites. How could she possibly give us anything? This is a bone of meat that Xiang Yang's wife gave us so we can nourish ourselves."
"I never imagined Xiangyang would get married! What a wonderful wife! She's filial and generous," another villager exclaimed. "She's willing to give Uncle Xiangyang meat bones; how could she not be good?"
Both Zhou Lao Da and Zhou Lao Er nodded in agreement.
The group didn't chat for long before going home.
The Zhou family members were very excited to see the meat bones. It was the first time they had seen Zhou the eldest and second eldest return from the city with something instead of going home empty-handed. Everyone couldn't help but feel a sense of goodwill towards Lin Yuanshu.
Most importantly, since the mother-in-law hasn't come back, they can enjoy some good days.
The children were also happy to have meat to eat.
Lin Yuanshu led Zhao Hong and others to work in the laboratory for a day. She spent most of her time reading books related to activated carbon and occasionally checking on how Zhao Hong and the others were doing with their parts.
She's fine with drawing a design, but when it comes to actually doing it, she doesn't know where to start. So after entering the lab, Zhao Hong was in charge of directing her, as she had a thorough understanding of the data in the design drawings.
As soon as the get off work bell rang, Lin Yuanshu prepared to leave work. Zhao Hong hesitated, not wanting to leave at all, and wanted to continue working overtime to make parts.
Lin Yuanshu saw through Zhao Hong's thoughts and said solemnly, "Health is the foundation of everything. Leaving get off work on time is not because we want to be lazy, but because we want to be in the best condition to face tomorrow's work. Don't be in such a hurry. You've waited all these years, what's a little more time?"
Only when you roll it up during working hours is it truly a roll.
Lin Yuanshu's words were like a wake-up call, making Zhao Hong realize that she was wrong. She was too eager for quick success and wanted to make the inclined blade reactor stirrer as soon as possible to prove her ability.
Zhao Hong took a deep breath and calmed down. She smiled and said, "You're right. Things have reached the most crucial step. There's no need to rush."
When Lin Yuanshu returned home from get off work, Zhou Ma poured her a cup of hot water with a smile. She dared not drink it, afraid that Zhou Ma would spit into the cup.
In the following days, with Grandma Zhou watching over her, Zhou's mother didn't dare to cause any trouble. She even spoke much softer. The house was kept spotless by Zhou's mother, including her room. She took care of all the housework without any complaints.
Apart from Sister-in-law Xue occasionally helping Zhou Ma, everyone else was indifferent.
Lin Yuanshu was so engrossed in her work that she didn't notice these small details. Her requirements weren't high; she just wanted to have dinner when she got home from get off work and for no one to disturb her reading.
Thanks to the efforts of Zhao Hong and others, the prototype of the agitator for the inclined blade reactor gradually took shape.
Lin Yuanshu breathed a sigh of relief. She was really worried that Zhao Hong and the others wouldn't be able to make the parts, and she would have to ask the technicians for help.
The competition between the various groups in the chemical plant workshop has become increasingly fierce. Every morning, they shout the slogan of striving to be the first, which has led to a stiff relationship between the groups and a loss of the harmony that existed before.
The workshop foremen also engaged in petty squabbles. While they couldn't use underhanded competitive tactics, they could still sabotage each other in a little way, such as undermining the confidence of the rival's workers, spreading baseless rumors about the rival, or delaying the assignment of workers to move raw materials.
Of course, things are peaceful for the time being in Lin Yuanshu's workshop. Director Xia will only want to protect Lin Yuanshu's workshop and will not take action against him. Director Zhou and Director Tang both consider Lin Yuanshu to be one of their own, and since he is one of their own, they will naturally not cause trouble for him.
Another reason is that Lin Yuanshu's workshop has always been last in the labor production competition. Everyone assumed that the fourth workshop would be last again in this labor production competition, so no one took them seriously.
Lin Yuanshu quite liked the feeling of quietly developing his strength, playing dumb to outmaneuver others.
In the technical department's laboratory, Lin Yuanshu organized the design drawings and handed them to Zhao Hong for safekeeping. She earnestly instructed him, "I'm off tomorrow, so I'll trouble you to lead them to continue polishing the parts of the reactor agitator."
She planned to go back to the production team; if she delayed any longer, she would have even less time to help Director Tang. The sooner it was resolved, the easier it would be.
Zhao Hong readily agreed, "Okay, no problem."
Lin Yuanshu turned to look at Grandpa Wei and the others, and said with a serious expression, "Don't take advantage of me while I'm not here to bully Comrade Zhao Hong."
Grandpa Wei and the others quickly assured him, "We wouldn't do such a thing."
They're not stupid. If Lin Yuanshu kicks them out of the group now, they'll get nothing. Even if they're unhappy, they can endure it until the labor production competition ends. There's no need to ruin things at this crucial moment.
After seeing that everyone had agreed, Lin Yuanshu stopped talking about it. She had done all she could. If Zhao Hong didn't want to be bullied, she had to become stronger herself.
Before it was time to leave work, she went to the workshop to find the team leader, reported on the work progress, and mentioned that she would be taking the day off the next day. She asked the team leader to keep an eye on Zhao Hong and the others' work.
The team leader readily agreed.
As the two passed by the rest area, they heard Ling Ke chatting with her friend. Lin Yuanshu didn't have the habit of eavesdropping, and she wanted to leave quickly, but seeing that the team leader had stopped, she had no choice but to accompany him.
"Have you heard? It turns out that Comrade Qian Xiang bullied Comrade Lin Yuanshu on the orders of the team leader, just to get Director Xia to step forward and help Comrade Lin Yuanshu, so that Comrade Lin Yuanshu would be completely devoted to Director Xia. I never thought that all of Comrade Lin Yuanshu's misfortunes were caused by Director Xia. Director Xia is simply making a fool of Comrade Lin Yuanshu. She's so pitiful, kept in the dark all this time, and even grateful to the enemy." Ling Ke's voice grew louder and louder, her eyes involuntarily glancing towards the door. She was very nervous, and her palms were sweating.
Lin Yuanshu is really too capable. If she wants to get ahead, the only way is to get Lin Yuanshu to leave this workshop. She doesn't want to harm Lin Yuanshu, she just wants to move Lin Yuanshu to a different position. Maybe Director Zhou is more suitable for Lin Yuanshu.
Ling Ke's friend exclaimed in shock, "I've never heard of such things before. I never imagined that the team leader would be this kind of person."
Fearing that if the two continued talking, Lin Yuanshu would fly into a rage and run to confront Director Xia, the team leader quickly walked in and interrupted their conversation. With a cold face, she said, "The chemical plant didn't hire you to gossip. You heard? Where did you hear that? Do you have any evidence? You dare to spout nonsense without any proof."
Ling Ke looked at the team leader with a guilty look on her face. She didn't expect Lin Yuanshu to go back to the rest room with the team leader, but the die was cast and she had no choice but to go. She could only bite the bullet and say, "I'm not lying. Just ask Comrade Qian Xiang and the truth will come out."
The team leader glanced at Lin Yuanshu subconsciously. Lin Yuanshu had a smile on her face the whole time, so it was impossible to tell what she was really thinking.
"The truth isn't important. What's important is to prepare well for the labor production competition. Don't think about these trivial things. Ability is important, but learning to keep quiet is equally important," Lin Yuanshu said casually.
She shouldn't have stayed to eavesdrop. This whole thing was aimed at her, trying to sow discord between her and Director Xia. She wondered who did it, how insidious. She needed to think about how to get Director Xia to trust her again and remove the thorn in his side.
The team leader frowned as she looked at Lin Yuanshu, unsure whether to tell him the truth or continue to deceive him. She could only make an excuse to separate from Lin Yuanshu and run to report the matter to Director Xia.
After Director Xia learned about this, he slammed his fist on the table in anger. "I was wondering why they didn't target Workshop 4? Was it because they didn't care? I didn't expect to find me here. Go and invite Lin Yuanshu to my office. It would be more sincere of me to explain to her in person."
The team leader nodded quickly. She didn't want to get involved in this matter at all. If she handled it well, everyone would be happy; if she didn't, Lin Yuanshu and Director Xia would become enemies, and she would be the one who suffered.
Not long after, Lin Yuanshu walked into Director Xia's office.
"Please sit down," Director Xia said with a smile. He was still thinking about how to explain his scheme to Lin Yuanshu.
Lin Yuanshu sat down in the chair opposite Director Xia and took the initiative, saying, "Did you come to me to talk about Comrade Qian Xiang's matter? To be honest, I already knew everything. I'm not stupid. I can't see through such an obvious trap. I chose to stand behind you not because you were willing to step forward, but because you were willing to set up this trap for me. You set this trap because you value my talent. If it were anyone else, you wouldn't even want to look at them. No one has ever put so much effort into treating me. From that moment on, I knew that my leader could only be you."
These words left Director Xia speechless, disrupting all his thoughts. Although Lin Yuanshu was capable, his thought process was rather unpredictable.
"I'm glad you understand," Director Xia said dryly.
Lin Yuanshu covered her mouth, trying to suppress her laughter. Fortunately, Director Xia believed her story, which successfully diverted Director Xia's attention and made him ignore the fact that she had known about this all along.
In Director Xia's eyes, Lin Yuanshu's eyes were red and he was trying hard to hold back his tears. He said angrily, "Those people are shameless. When they can't compete, they resort to such petty tricks."
Lin Yuanshu took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, and began to guide Director Xia to reveal the name of the person behind the scenes. She felt that Wu Jianhua was the most suspicious, after all, he had always disapproved of her relationship with Director Xia.
"As long as we don't suspect each other, everything will be fine. The key question is, who leaked this information? It seems that only your close friends and family know about this. There's a venomous snake watching you all along; it's too dangerous."
Director Xia pondered for a moment. Not many people knew about this plan. Even his capable assistant Wu Jianhua was unaware of it. Although the team leader knew about it, she wouldn't choose to reveal it at this time. She was still counting on Lin Yuanshu to help her get first place, so Wang Gang was the most likely candidate.
"I think I know who the culprit is. Wang Gang wanted me to help him participate in the labor production competition, but I refused. He must be holding a grudge, so he's trying to sow discord. No wonder he keeps saying you're not simple and that you have ulterior motives. I think he's the one with ulterior motives. I trusted him so much. I'm so glad I didn't believe his nonsense and doubt you, or I would have really regretted it." Director Xia said through gritted teeth.
Lin Yuanshu was stunned for a moment. She hadn't expected that this was Wang Gang's doing. After all, she had no conflict with Wang Gang, and she hadn't even talked to him much during this period.
She comforted him, saying, "Director Xia, don't be too sad. I'm not like Comrade Wang Gang. I would never betray you."
Director Xia forced a smile and reassured her, "You don't need to worry about this anymore. Just focus on participating in the labor production competition! I know how to deal with traitors."
Lin Yuanshu nodded and put the matter out of her mind; Director Xia was much more ruthless than her.
After leaving Director Xia's office, she thought for a moment, then knocked on Director Tang's office. There was no need to be so careful in the factory; she could make up any reason to see Director Tang. Meeting at Director Tang's home would be more dangerous, since she had gone there specifically to meet him.
"Come in," Director Tang said without looking up.
Lin Yuanshu pushed open the door and entered Director Tang's office.
Director Tang looked up and saw Lin Yuanshu. He put down his pen and said with a smile, "I've been wanting to meet you for a while now. It's like we're on the same wavelength."
Lin Yuanshu smiled and got down to business, "I'm going back to the production team tomorrow and will send the selected people directly to the mosquito coil factory. Do you need to meet them?"
“No need. I trust your judgment. Just send it directly to the mosquito coil factory. I’ve already made arrangements with them,” Director Tang said without hesitation.
Lin Yuanshu nodded thoughtfully.
Director Tang took out two ten-yuan bills from the drawer and handed them to Lin Yuanshu. She explained in a serious tone, "Director Zhou spent a lot of money to get me to cooperate with his niece. I originally wanted to refuse, since you are the only outstanding newcomer in the labor production competition. But then I thought, you want to benefit from this more than me suppressing Zhou Moli. This is your share."
She wasn't exactly lying, but she embellished her story a little. After all, Director Zhou was offering a really generous amount, and she simply couldn't refuse.
Lin Yuanshu accepted the money with a smile. Only a fool wouldn't take money. She said seriously, "Director Tang understands me best. Don't make things difficult for Zhou Moli because of me. If I really lose to Zhou Moli in the labor production competition, it's because I'm not as good as her. I'll just try harder next time. I'd rather lose like this than win like this. If I want to win, I want to win fair and square, with a clear conscience."
These were her heartfelt thoughts, not something she was trying to show off in front of Director Tang.
"I knew I hadn't misjudged you. You're not the kind of person who likes to play dirty tricks." Director Tang looked at Lin Yuanshu with admiration. It seemed that after the labor production competition ended, he would have to find a way to transfer Lin Yuanshu over. It would be a waste to use such a talented person as an undercover agent.
Lin Yuanshu chatted with Director Tang for a while about the production team and the mosquito coil factory, then left Director Tang's office.
Just as I was closing the door, I ran into Wang Gang.
Wang Gang pointed at Lin Yuanshu with a look of ecstatic joy, so excited that he could hardly speak, "You... Director Tang... you... have a relationship."
Lin Yuanshu deliberately feigned a guilty look and said vaguely, "If that's what you think, there's nothing I can do. I'll tell you it's all a coincidence, do you believe me?"
Wang Gang took a deep breath and said confidently, "I'm not stupid. I'm going to expose your true colors."
Lin Yuanshu frowned and stammered, "I... what could my true identity be? You really... misunderstood..."
Wang Gang was unlucky to run into her coming out of Director Tang's office. If it were anyone else, she would have made up an excuse to get away with it, but it didn't matter to her. She would have loved for Wang Gang to go and badmouth her to Director Xia.
The more Wang Gang targets her, the more it proves her innocence. What could she have done wrong? She's just a pitiful person who has been slandered by Wang Gang.
Wang Gang sneered, unwilling to say another word to Lin Yuanshu, and confidently walked into Director Xia's office.
Lin Yuanshu shook his head. People, if they could learn to turn a blind eye to some things, that would be quite good.
After seeing Director Xia, Wang Gang recounted what he had just witnessed.
Director Xia sneered and cursed, "Wang Gang, you're something else! You're such a good actor, even trying to play me! Do you think I don't know what you've been up to? You betrayed me long ago, you're in cahoots with Director Zhou, and now you're trying to sow discord between me and Comrade Lin Yuanshu. Your intentions are despicable."
Wang Gang paused for a moment, then said with a very serious expression, "Director Xia, I admit that I'm working for Director Zhou now, but I still hope you're doing well and don't want you to be deceived by Lin Yuanshu, which is why I'm saying all this to you."
"Get out! Even at a time like this, you still dare to sow discord in front of me. Do you really think I'm made of clay, someone you can manipulate at will? And you still expect good things from me? If you really wanted good things for me, you wouldn't have chosen to betray me. I won't believe a single word you say now." Director Xia rudely kicked Wang Gang out of the office.
That's incredibly arrogant! He's blatantly lying through his teeth, and even after being exposed, he still tries to sow discord. He's not a fool like Director Tang who would easily doubt his subordinates.
Wang Gang: "..."
Why is it that these days no one believes the truth?
He could only tell Director Zhou about it once.
Director Zhou asked with a puzzled look, "So? What are you trying to tell me?"
Wang Gang said, somewhat devastated, "We can use this to deal with Comrade Lin Yuanshu, expose her true colors, and you shouldn't even think about trying to win her over. She's always been Director Tang's man."
Upon hearing this, Director Zhou said in a serious tone, "Could it be that you've misunderstood? Didn't Comrade Lin Yuanshu say it was a coincidence? I said that Comrade Lin Yuanshu is my future subordinate. Don't think about dealing with her. Instead, think about how to participate in the labor production competition! Don't spend all your time watching others. This is a one-time thing. Don't do it again next time."
Wang Gang: "..."
So he was the only one going on and on, while the others were like they'd been drugged and weren't even thinking straight.
He wouldn't just give up on exposing Lin Yuanshu's true colors. The workshop directors were unwilling to take action, but surely Lin Yuanshu's rival, Wu Jianhua, would be willing to do so!
After Lin Yuanshu got home from get off work, Zhou Ma said excitedly, "My second daughter-in-law is off tomorrow, so she can help me with the housework."
Lin Yuanshu resolutely refused, saying, "I have something to do tomorrow and need to go back to the production team."
Zhou Ma glanced at Zhou Grandma and said loudly, "Why do you always go back to your parents' home? You've only been married for a short time, and you've already gone back twice."
Grandma Zhou stepped forward to speak up for Lin Yuanshu, saying, "Didn't the second daughter-in-law say she had things to do? Do you think everyone is like you, without a job and only able to do housework?"
Zhou Ma fell silent. It seemed she didn't need to test her anymore; her mother-in-law would unconditionally side with Lin Yuanshu.
That old hag! She was controlling when she was a daughter-in-law, and now that she's a mother-in-law, she still wants to control her? No way! She has to find a way to send her mother-in-law back to the production team.
Early the next morning, Lin Yuanshu and Zhou Xiangyang left home together. They first went to a nearby state-run fruit store to buy some fruit, then went to the slaughterhouse to pick up meat, and delivered the fruit to the team leader's wife before taking a bus back to the production team.
Lin Yuanshu hadn't originally planned to bring Zhou Xiangyang along, but Zhou Xiangyang had taken the initiative to ask to meet his mother-in-law and father-in-law, so she had no reason to refuse.
The person most excited to see Lin Yuanshu return to the production team was not her parents, but the brigade leader. When the two arrived at the village entrance, the brigade leader prepared to take Lin Yuanshu to the newly built mosquito coil factory.
Fearing that Zhou Xiangyang would get lost, Lin Yuanshu asked the village children to take Zhou Xiangyang to the Lin family's house.
The child looked at Zhou Xiangyang and exclaimed in surprise, "Brother, you are so handsome!"
Zhou Xiangyang said somewhat embarrassedly, "Thank you."
Then he took a few candies out of his pocket and gave them to the children.
The little girl's eyes lit up as she walked ahead, humming a song. Luckily, she was playing at the village entrance today, otherwise she would have definitely missed this wonderful opportunity.
When Zhou Xiangyang arrived at the Zhou family home, only Lin's father was home; everyone else had gone to earn work points.
Zhou Xiangyang handed over the meat and cloth that Lin Yuanshu had prepared, and said with his head down, "Dad, these are our gifts for you."
After thinking for a moment, Lin's father accepted the gifts. How could he refuse a gift from his son-in-law?
Since the two weren't very familiar with each other and neither of them liked to talk, they chatted in the living room for a while but couldn't find anything to say. To avoid an awkward atmosphere, Lin's father took Zhou Xiangyang to the private plot to weed.
At the same time, the brigade leader frowned and asked, "Has Tang Rong's mother told you what we should do next? Our house is all repaired, but she hasn't said anything yet. I'm very anxious. It cost money to build the house. I haven't slept for several days. If Comrade Tang Rong were still in the production team, I would have been restless long ago."
Lin Yuanshu rubbed his nose. It was really troublesome that communication was inconvenient. If the production team had a telephone, the brigade leader wouldn't be looking at the simple, empty house without any equipment with unease.
Lin Yuanshu said in a low voice, "Director Tang plans to arrange for ten comrades to go to the mosquito coil factory to learn for a period of time. Once they are proficient, she will have someone deliver the equipment. They can pay for the equipment after they start making money. It's impossible for it to be free. Although the mosquito coil factory is not yet built, she has already secured the orders."
Upon hearing this, the brigade leader was immediately relieved. As long as Tang Rong's mother hadn't abandoned the production team, that was fine. He said with a smile, "I'm not the kind of person who only wants to take advantage without contributing anything. We should pay for the equipment. Tang Rong's mother has already helped us so much. If we make her pay for the equipment too, what kind of people would we be!"
Lin Yuanshu nodded in agreement. She was afraid that the team leader would make trouble and refuse to pay for the equipment. If they wanted to revive the mosquito coil factory, they would still have to rely on Director Tang's connections.
"By the way, what are the requirements for people going to the mosquito coil factory for training? I'd like to arrange for people to go there," the captain asked.
Lin Yuanshu thought for a moment and said seriously, "We need to be smart, quick-witted, and no older than 50. We only need two male comrades, and the rest must be female comrades. You can sign up voluntarily."
The team leader paused for a moment, then said with difficulty, "Well... why do we only want female comrades? Male comrades are stronger and smarter than female comrades, so they are more suitable for working in the mosquito coil factory."
Lin Yuanshu was too lazy to argue with the team leader about such trivial matters, and simply said, "This is the rule of the mosquito coil factory, and there's nothing I can do about it."
If it weren't for the fear of the men in the village causing trouble, she wouldn't even want two male comrades. It wasn't that she looked down on them, but she was worried that they would cause trouble at the mosquito coil factory.
Another reason was to give the female comrades in the production team more options.
Upon hearing this, the team leader had no choice but to accept it. If it were Lin Yuanshu or Director Tang's idea, he could try to persuade them, but since it was the mosquito coil factory's regulation, there was nothing he could do.
Around noon, the brigade leader talked to the villagers about the mosquito coil factory and encouraged everyone to sign up.
Everyone was very excited, and it was as lively as Chinese New Year. The only complaint was that there were only two male participants, which was too few. There were clearly ten spots available, so how could they only give two spots to male participants?
They told the team leader with dissatisfaction, but after learning that it was a rule of the mosquito coil factory, they obediently shut their mouths.
When everyone learned that Lin Yuanshu was the final choice, they all brought vegetables, fruits, cured meat, and other gifts to give to him.
Lin Yuanshu refused them all.
After Lin Yuanshu refused, they turned their attention to Lin's parents and started trying to build a relationship with them, holding their hands and insisting on chatting with them instead of letting them leave.
Lin Yuanshu decisively chose to slip into the kitchen to cook lunch with Zhou Xiangyang. She was in charge of starting the fire, while Zhou Xiangyang was in charge of cooking.
"How did you get along with Dad this morning?" Lin Yuanshu asked.
Zhou Xiangyang gave a bright smile and said excitedly, "Great! Dad told me a lot about growing vegetables and about your childhood. I even pulled weeds myself. It was a lot of fun."
Lin Yuanshu raised an eyebrow. Of course it would be fun. It would only be fun for one day. If it were every day, it wouldn't be fun. However, she didn't want to dampen Zhou Xiangyang's enthusiasm, so she said with a smile, "You can ask Dad to make you a simple wooden box, dig some soil and put it inside, and we can take it back to plant vegetables."
"Okay." Zhou Xiangyang couldn't help but smile.
After preparing the meal, Zhou Xiangyang served each dish to the table.
Seeing this, even the most shameless person felt embarrassed to stay any longer and suggested leaving. They couldn't just stand by and watch them eat!
One of the older women smiled and praised, "It's really different now that you've come to the city; your cooking skills are much better than before."
Lin Yuanshu replied with a smile, "Then you're overestimating me. This was made by Xiangyang; I don't have such good cooking skills."
The woman paused for a moment, then continued to praise, "Old Lin, you really have a good son-in-law. You're going to be very lucky in the future."
Lin's father smiled but did not reply.
After everyone left, Mr. and Mrs. Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief. Mrs. Lin couldn't help but complain, "Every time you come back, I have to go through all this trouble."
Lin Yuanshu said helplessly, "Who told you to be my mother!"
Zhou Xiangyang went to the kitchen and brought out the meat dishes he had prepared. There were too many people earlier, so to avoid others being envious, he only brought out the vegetarian dishes.
Lin's mother patted Lin Yuanshu's arm and whispered, "Why aren't you going to help Xiangyang? What are you doing sitting here? I'm going to call Xiaorong home for dinner."
Zhou Xiangyang quickly said, "I don't need any help. I've already brought out the food. Comrade Lin Yuanshu can just sit down. It's rare for her to get a rest."
Hearing this, Lin's mother didn't say much. It was a willing exchange, but the only thing she couldn't understand was why they still called each other "comrade" when they were husband and wife. It felt so unfamiliar!
But judging from their actions, they seem quite intimate. I really can't understand what these young people are thinking!
Lin Ma had just reached the door when she ran into Tang Rong.
Tang Rong excitedly greeted Lin Ma and ran home. She had heard that Lin Yuanshu had returned while she was working, and she would have rushed back long ago if she hadn't hadn't been working in the fields.
"Has my mom mentioned me to you?" Tang Rong looked at Lin Yuanshu expectantly.
Lin Yuanshu nodded and casually said, "She said she's really looking forward to your performance."
A bright smile appeared on Tang Rong's face.
After everyone had arrived, they began to eat. The Lin family only ate steamed buns made from two kinds of flour when Lin Yuanshu came home; at other times, they ate cornbread.
Tang Rong ate at the brigade leader's house most of the time, and she gave the brigade leader's wife a food allowance.
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