Chapter 55 Each with their own ulterior motives
Wen Yun took the note from Director Li and left the office with a smile on her face.
The moment she stepped out of the office, her smile vanished. Looking at the note in her hand, she felt something was amiss. What if this matter were discovered? Wouldn't she be implicated? But she had no choice. Director Li could crush her as easily as crushing an insect.
As the sun set, Zhou Ma smiled and said goodbye to the women's director by the street. She solemnly promised, "My second daughter-in-law is the most kind-hearted. I will definitely let her participate in the publicity and education activities you organized, and let her go up and give a good talk about the knowledge of conception."
The women's director was overjoyed and said, "Then we'll have to rely on you. Luckily, we're good friends. What's that saying again? Oh, being close to someone makes you feel better. With you here, what could I possibly worry about?"
She hoped Lin Yuanshu would help her publicize the effects of frequent childbirth on women's bodies. After all, even if she said it a thousand times, those women wouldn't take it to heart. But if Lin Yuanshu said it once, those women would remember it and come to ask her if it was true.
Zhou Ma was flattered by the praise and couldn't stop smiling. "This little thing is a piece of cake for me. My second daughter-in-law is very filial to me and would never argue with me."
The women's director believed Zhou Ma's words without a doubt. After all, the rumors were that Comrade Lin Yuanshu was extremely filial to his mother-in-law, while his mother-in-law would often find fault with him and deliberately make things difficult for him. Of course, there were also rumors that Comrade Lin Yuanshu was acting and was actually not filial to his mother-in-law at all.
However, who cares about that? As long as they can help her, they don't care what the real situation is like.
She said a few more kind words to Zhou Ma, and then left. Although she didn't see Comrade Lin Yuanshu today, she did see her mother-in-law, so she could say that half of her mission was accomplished.
As Zhou Ma turned to go home, she saw Comrade Wen Yun looking troubled under the big tree. She remembered this woman somewhat, since not many people were willing to listen to her troubles. Most importantly, she did not speak up for Lin Yuanshu.
She walked over and asked warmly, "Comrade Wen Yun, what are you doing here?"
Wen Yun was about to leave when she realized that her impulsive decision to come see Lin Yuanshu was a bit foolish. After all, Lin Yuanshu didn't know her; it was just her admiration for him. He might even think her sudden visit was presumptuous.
Even if the two met, they wouldn't know what to say. Her factory and Lin Yuanshu's factory were competitors, and she couldn't possibly reveal Director Li's plan to Lin Yuanshu. It seemed there was no need for her to meet with Lin Yuanshu.
“I…” Wen Yun stammered.
Seeing Wen Yun's blushing face, Zhou Ma suddenly realized and said, "Did you come to see my second wife? To calculate her ovulation period?"
Wen Yun paused for a moment, then nodded subconsciously. Though she thought she didn't want to see him, her body betrayed her.
"Then you come home with me first. My daughter-in-law won't be home for another half hour," Zhou's mother said warmly.
Now, not only married women are calculating their ovulation periods, but unmarried women are doing it too, since they'll need it someday. However, since the knowledge lectures started, far fewer women have come to her, her second wife, to calculate their ovulation periods; one a day is already considered good.
Most of the women in the nearby tenement buildings had attended the knowledge lectures and were able to support themselves, so they naturally wouldn't bother Lin Yuanshu. Those who lived further away didn't want to travel all the way to calculate their ovulation period, since there were so many people who could calculate ovulation, it was more cost-effective to find someone nearby to do it.
Moreover, calculating ovulation period is not particularly difficult. Once young women learn it, they are happy to teach other women instead of keeping it a secret.
“Okay,” Wen Yun replied as she followed behind Zhou Ma.
After arriving home, Zhou's mother poured Wen Yun a cup of hot water.
When Sister-in-law Xue saw that Zhou Ma had brought such a beautiful woman home, her heart sank. She hadn't even told her mother-in-law beforehand, and her mother-in-law had already brought back such a beautiful woman. If she had acted first and told her later, wouldn't she have been kicked out of the Zhou family immediately?
This was a warning from her mother-in-law: if she continued to be stubborn, her mother-in-law would be very harsh on her.
Sister-in-law Xue rushed to Zhou Ma's side without hesitation, her eyes brimming with tears, and said, "Mom, I know I was wrong. I won't go against you anymore. Please don't kick me out."
Aunt Zhou looked at Sister-in-law Xue with a puzzled expression and said, "It's good that you've thought it through, and I never said anything about kicking you out."
At least she hasn't mentioned it since her eldest daughter-in-law got pregnant, though she used to talk about it often.
Sister-in-law Xue asked cautiously, "Then can you let this woman leave?"
Upon hearing this, Aunt Zhou knew that Sister-in-law Xue had misunderstood. However, she did not explain, but instead said lightly, "Comrade Wen Yun will also be meeting the second wife later."
Sister-in-law Xue immediately became dejected. She sat on the sofa, staring intently at Wen Yun, trying to prevent Wen Yun from having any contact with her husband.
After the older brother returned home, he went into the room first, put down his handbag, and prepared to go to the living room to get a drink of water. Just as he stepped into the living room, he saw his wife rush over and pull him back into the room.
He looked puzzled and said, "Why did you pull me back? I want some water."
Sister-in-law Xue said firmly, "You can't go to the living room. I'll go get you some water."
The older brother asked, "Why can't I go to the living room?"
Sister-in-law Xue took a deep breath and said unreasonably, "I just won't allow you to go to the living room. There are guests in the living room, and you can't disturb them."
The older brother waved his hand dismissively and said, "Then hurry up and get me some water! I'm dying of thirst."
He sat down to rest. He was finally free from helping Lin Yuanshu copy notes, and it was truly a relief to have nothing to do.
No wonder Lin Yuanshu got promoted so quickly. She was being a little too cautious, insisting on checking every word he and Xiang Yang copied to prevent any discrepancies. Luckily, he didn't have any bad intentions and didn't deliberately write the data wrong, otherwise he would definitely have been discovered.
Out of consideration for treating everyone equally, he didn't feel any ill will towards Lin Yuanshu for checking what he had written, after all, Lin Yuanshu didn't even trust his own lover.
Wen Yun was used to Sister-in-law Xue's behavior, but she didn't know why she was always disliked by the women.
Half an hour later, Lin Yuanshu returned home. Sister-in-law Xue immediately came over and told him about Wen Yun's situation. She said confidently, "You must not give a good face to a woman who destroys other people's families. Give her a hard time and let her know that only I can be your sister-in-law."
Lin Yuanshu frowned and said, "You must have misunderstood. Mom would never have such a bold idea. You two are not divorced yet, how could she do such a thing? This is promiscuity."
If it were the 1980s, that would be quite possible. But now it's the 1970s, and the social atmosphere is extremely conservative. Having casual relationships would be considered a serious violation of social morality and could lead to being dragged out and criticized.
What kind of despair must Zhou's mother have had to do something like this, and so openly and brazenly, without any fear of getting into trouble?
Sister-in-law Xue shook her head, gritting her teeth, and said, "No, you don't understand Mom. That's just her personality. She's warning me because my recent behavior has displeased her..."
Lin Yuanshu patted Sister-in-law Xue on the shoulder and said perfunctorily, "I'll go and find out what Mom thinks for you. Don't overthink it."
Sister-in-law Xue smiled broadly and said, "Okay."
Lin Yuanshu is more reliable.
Lin Yuanshu walked into the living room and saw the woman that Sister-in-law Xue had mentioned. How to put it! It wasn't that she looked down on her brother, but she genuinely felt that her brother and this woman were a mismatch in terms of appearance. This woman was arguably the most beautiful woman she had ever seen in her life.
Her skin was fair, rosy, and radiant; her eyes were large and round; her lips were naturally red; and she exuded a bright and beautiful aura.
How could such a beautiful woman want to marry the eldest brother? The eldest brother isn't some kind of cadre or leader. Sister-in-law Xue must have misunderstood.
Aunt Zhou introduced them warmly, "Comrade Wen Yun came here especially to see you. You two should have a good chat."
Lin Yuanshu smiled politely and greeted him, "Hello."
Wen Yun blinked and asked with a smile, "Can we go somewhere where it's just the two of us to chat? I don't want anyone else to hear what we're saying."
She didn't expect that Comrade Lin Yuanshu seemed so approachable in private, not serious at all, and actually quite fond of laughing.
"Of course," Lin Yuanshu readily agreed.
If this were a gay man, she would definitely refuse, but since this is a beautiful lesbian, there's no reason to hesitate. This gay man looks frail and weak; he certainly can't beat her.
Lin Yuanshu led her into the room, and Wen Yun sat down properly in a chair.
Lin Yuanshu asked casually, "I haven't seen you around here. You shouldn't be a female worker at the chemical plant."
The sudden question startled Wen Yun, who subconsciously replied, "I'm a female worker at the Guangyuan Chemical Plant."
As soon as she finished speaking, she regretted it. She shouldn't have revealed her background. After all, the chemical plant she worked for was in competition with the chemical plant where Comrade Lin Yuanshu worked, and Comrade Lin Yuanshu would definitely not give her a friendly look.
Upon hearing this, Lin Yuanshu nodded thoughtfully and said with a smile, "Guangyuan Chemical Plant is quite impressive. It used to be the number one in labor production competitions. I'm not bragging about how much I've surpassed Guangyuan Chemical Plant, but I genuinely think Guangyuan Chemical Plant is very impressive. It carries out technological innovations every year, which is something other factories can't do."
Wen Yun said somewhat embarrassedly, "The fact that Guangyuan Chemical Plant is so powerful has little to do with me. It's Comrade Lin Yuanshu who is more capable. I heard that the workshops participating in the labor production competition were all built by you."
Lin Yuanshu raised an eyebrow. It seemed that Wen Yun was no ordinary female worker! Other female workers in the chemical plant would only care about whether she could accurately calculate her ovulation period, but would not care about her work.
"Are you here to calculate your ovulation period?" Lin Yuanshu asked tentatively.
Wen Yun looked embarrassed and said, "No, I've had a problem with my uterus since I was a child. I've never had my period, so I've never had the chance to be a mother, and naturally I don't need to calculate my ovulation period."
Lin Yuanshu did not continue to ask Wen Yun why she came, but instead asked softly, "Besides that, is there anything wrong with your body?"
Wen Yun shook her head.
Lin Yuanshu breathed a sigh of relief and said with a look of relief, "That's really great. Good health is more important."
Wen Yun lowered her head and said in a low voice, "But if I can't get pregnant, I'm not a complete woman."
Lin Yuanshu grasped Wen Yun's hands and said in a firm and resolute tone, "So what? You are not a complete woman, but you are still a person. You are still Wen Yun. You still have the right to live well and live happier than any other woman."
Wen Yun stared blankly at Lin Yuanshu. She had never imagined that anyone would say such a thing to her. She saw respect in Lin Yuanshu's eyes, without a trace of discrimination, but genuine concern for her.
She was deeply shocked and couldn't help but say, "Director Li bribed the female worker in your workshop, wanting to deliberately cause a safety accident for her the day after tomorrow, so that your factory would lose its eligibility for the labor production competition."
As soon as she finished speaking, Wen Yun regretted it. How could she have revealed such an important matter just because Lin Yuanshu was concerned?
Now it was Lin Yuanshu's turn to be dumbfounded. She hadn't expected the topic to change so quickly. One second it was about female comrades helping each other, and the next it was about exposing Director Li's conspiracy.
How should she retaliate? She was so far away from the Guangyuan Chemical Plant that it would be difficult to cause trouble. She didn't expect the workshop director of the Guangyuan Chemical Plant to be so bold. He knew that the deputy director valued her workshop very much, yet he still dared to attack her workshop.
"Ah...you've told me about this, you won't be in any trouble, will you?" Lin Yuanshu looked at Wen Yun with concern.
Looking at Lin Yuanshu's concerned expression, Wen Yun suddenly stopped regretting her actions. Lin Yuanshu's first reaction upon learning of this was not to worry about his workshop, but to worry about her.
"Nothing will happen," Wen Yun said confidently.
Then she told him about the task that Director Li had assigned her. After all, she had already told him about Director Li's plan, and she had already said the things she shouldn't have said, so there was no need to hide such a small matter.
Of course, she didn't reveal her personal relationship with Director Li. Even if she trusted Lin Yuanshu, it was safer for her to know such a crucial matter herself.
Upon hearing Wen Yun's words, Lin Yuanshu immediately realized that this was an excellent opportunity. With such a good chance to sow discord, she would be letting Wen Yun down if she didn't take action.
She deliberately frowned and said with a worried look, "You are in more danger than me. As a workshop director, how could Director Li only have one subordinate? Even if one of his subordinates is being targeted, he must have other subordinates! How could such an important matter be entrusted to a female comrade who knows nothing?"
Wen Yun subconsciously spoke up for Director Li, saying, "He trusts me more!"
Lin Yuanshu sighed heavily, gave him a sympathetic look, and said softly, "You're so naive. He's obviously using you as a scapegoat. If this is discovered, you'll be the one to take the blame. With witnesses and evidence, you'll have no way to defend yourself. He doesn't trust you; he just chose you. In his heart, you're probably not as important as his other subordinates. You're someone who can be discarded."
Wen Yun found it hard to believe. As the saying goes, even a day as husband and wife is worth a hundred days of kindness. She had been with Director Li for so long, how could Director Li possibly scheme against her and treat her as someone who could be abandoned?
On the other hand, Director Li has leverage over her. If she becomes the scapegoat, she will definitely not tell the truth because of this leverage. In other words, she is indeed the best scapegoat.
She never suspected that Lin Yuanshu was trying to sow discord. After all, Lin Yuanshu didn't know about her relationship with Director Li, so what use would sowing discord be? At most, it would only cause Director Li to lose her as an assistant who wasn't really an assistant.
Lin Yuanshu could tell from Wen Yun's expression that Wen Yun and Director Li were not just ordinary superiors and subordinates. The way Wen Yun looked when she heard her words was like someone who had been betrayed by their boyfriend. Lin Yuanshu could boldly guess that their relationship was not innocent.
The person next to you in bed knows best where to stab to make it the most fatal; when a woman gets ruthless, she can be truly insane.
"You can also go back and test the waters. Tell him you didn't see that female worker today and ask him to find someone else to do the job. If he agrees, it means your idea was right. If he doesn't agree, then come back to me." Lin Yuanshu once again tried to sow discord.
Even if Director Li didn't have this idea, she would still find a way to interfere. Today, she has already planted the seed of suspicion in Wen Yun's heart. Unless the two of them have an open and honest conversation, this thorn will always be stuck in Wen Yun's heart, making her feel like she has a fishbone stuck in her throat from time to time. Of course, she will not give Director Li this opportunity.
Wen Yun left Lin Yuanshu's house in a daze. Her mind was in turmoil. Although she felt something was wrong, she dared not think about it. Lin Yuanshu's blunt words tore off the mask of this matter and revealed the bloody truth.
As soon as Wen Yun left, Sister-in-law Xue came up to Lin Yuanshu and asked, "What did you talk about? Is she the next daughter-in-law that your mother-in-law approves of?"
Lin Yuanshu shook his head and explained, "She came here specifically to see me. She has nothing to do with my mother-in-law. You can't be disrespectful to Comrade Wen Yun. She is my friend."
Sister-in-law Xue said indignantly, "You've only known her for a short time, yet she's already more important than me. That's not fair. We've known each other for so long; we should be closer."
Lin Yuanshu pursed his lips and said confidently, "There is no such thing as absolute fairness in this world. She is very important to me, so she is useful. You can't offend her. And what benefits can you bring me?"
Sister-in-law Xue replied softly, "I can help you deal with your mother-in-law."
“I don’t need it,” Lin Yuanshu refused without hesitation.
Sister-in-law Xue stormed off, muttering to herself, "What's so great about her? I'm not useless. One day I'll make you regret it. Humph, some people only care about profit and don't know how important family is. Money can't buy family..."
Sister-in-law Xue seemed to be muttering to herself, but she was actually speaking to Lin Yuanshu.
Lin Yuanshu ignored Sister-in-law Xue's words. Sister-in-law Xue and Aunt Zhou were the same; they wouldn't listen to reason, and you had to threaten them before they would obediently listen.
Unlike her, who tried so hard to show goodwill to Wen Yun, Xue Da Sao secretly sabotaged her.
On the other hand, Wen Yun did not go home immediately, but went to the office to see Director Li. She knew that at this critical moment of the competition, Director Li would not leave work on time. He would only deliberately work overtime in order to show his efforts to the leaders.
As soon as Director Li saw Wen Yun, he anxiously asked, "How did things go?"
Wen Yun shook her head, a look of frustration on her face. "I went to that place today, but I didn't see the female worker you mentioned. Maybe I was too late and she had already left. I really can't handle this matter well. I'm so afraid I'll mess it up for you."
Director Li reassured him, "No, you're so capable, you definitely won't mess it up."
Wen Yun asked pitifully, "Could someone else go instead? I really can't do it."
A hint of impatience flashed across Director Li's face, but he continued to coax, "Of all the people around me, I trust you the most. If someone else had handled this, I would have been restless and worried that this matter would be leaked. This is how much I value you; you'll definitely be fine."
Upon hearing this, Wen Yun lowered her head. She had originally wanted to stir things up and ask Director Li why he did this and why this person insisted on having her. However, she felt that it was rather pointless, since while she was using Director Li, Director Li was also using her.
In Director Li's eyes, she was just a piece of trash. What reason do you need to scheme against someone like that?
"Okay, I'll help you," Wen Yun said softly, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes.
Meanwhile, in Director Guan's office, Director Guan asked his secretary with a serious expression, "How long does it take for Director Li to make a move after he arrives? If he doesn't make a move soon, the Hongguang Dye Chemical Plant workshop will have to complete its production tasks. What exactly is that good-for-nothing doing?"
He's been having a tough time lately, constantly being mocked by factory managers from other factories who say he's not up to the task and his abilities aren't what they used to be. Their words are full of disdain, something they wouldn't have dared to say to him like that before.
The deputy director also clearly paid more attention to the Hongguang Dye Chemical Plant workshop, completely ignoring his chemical plant and not even asking about the data of his chemical plant workshop.
The secretary was equally confused and said, "He has already discussed the plan to take action with the female industrialist in the workshop of Hongguang Dye Chemical Plant, but for some reason, they have been delaying the discussion."
"Then what is he doing?" Director Guan asked the crucial question.
The secretary frowned and said, "He's working diligently, he works overtime every night..."
Factory Director Guan couldn't help but rub his temples. "He doesn't do anything worthwhile, all he does is engage in these formalities. You should try to urge him to get things done quickly."
“Okay,” the secretary said seriously.
The next day, after holding the pre-shift meeting, Lin Yuanshu kept the team leader and Zhou Moli behind.
The team leader and Zhou Moli both knew that unless something major happened, Lin Yuanshu would not keep them behind after the meeting.
Zhou Moli couldn't contain herself and asked, "What happened?"
Lin Yuanshu got straight to the point: "There's a traitor in our workshop. She took money from Guangyuan Chemical Plant and wants to deliberately cause a safety accident to disqualify us from participating in the safety production competition. The person who told me this didn't say who the female worker is, so you need to investigate her privately and keep her under surveillance. I'm afraid she might suddenly make a move."
She didn't ask Wen Yun who the female worker was, because judging from Wen Yun's retelling of her conversation with Director Li, the two of them kept referring to her as "female worker," and it was estimated that even Wen Yun herself didn't know the female worker's name. Director Li was still wary of Wen Yun.
Besides, asking for her name makes her seem a bit too eager for quick success, whereas her public persona is that of a kind person who cares about Wen Yun's safety.
We can't put all our hopes on Wen Yun. Who knows if she'll go crazy in love and protect Director Li recklessly? So the most urgent thing is to find out who this female worker is.
After hearing Lin Yuanshu's words, the team leader angrily cursed, "I never expected our workshop to have such a traitorous fool. If it weren't for you, they wouldn't have had the chance to participate in the labor production competition at all. Now they've actually betrayed you and the factory, completely unaware of how important winning first place in the competition is to the factory..."
She had always managed the workers in the workshop, which was why she was so angry. It was a blatant slap in the face, and she was even smug about it, thinking that she had managed things well and that no accidents had occurred.
So, it turns out that the other side hasn't used their trump card yet, and they're going to use it on the eve of their mission, so that they'll experience despair and not be given any chance to make amends.
Zhou Moli gritted her teeth and said, "Guangyuan Chemical Plant is too shameless. We can't just passively defend; we have to take the initiative to deal with Guangyuan Chemical Plant. We can't just let them go so easily. People who are kind are bullied, and good horses are ridden. If we don't fight back, others will really take advantage of us."
Lin Yuanshu first comforted the team leader, "People's hearts are unpredictable. You can't guarantee that everyone thinks the same way you do. The most important thing now is to find this female worker. Start by investigating who has a difficult family situation and who has been acting strangely lately. That should make it easier to find her."
Then he said to Zhou Moli, "I have my own plan for the counterattack. If this plan doesn't work, we'll discuss how to counterattack. You don't need to worry about this now."
"Okay," they both said in unison.
They recognized Lin Yuanshu's abilities, and since he said he had a plan, it must be a good one, so they didn't do anything unnecessary.
The team leader had some connections after working in the chemical plant for so many years, and Zhou Moli could get help from Director Zhou, so the two of them investigated the matter faster than she could, and she didn't take on too much responsibility.
Within a morning, the team leader had identified the traitor and arranged for the other female workers to keep a close eye on him. If the traitor made any unusual moves, they were to arrest him.
Lin Yuanshu was surprised by how quickly the team leader had acted. As expected of a veteran employee who had worked in the factory for many years and knew the situation of every worker in the fourth workshop, she was able to find the traitor so quickly.
After finding the traitor, they were no longer so tense. Now they only needed to monitor the female worker and prevent her from doing anything wrong.
As evening fell, Lin Yuanshu ran into Wen Yun downstairs in her apartment building. The moment she saw the dejected Wen Yun, she knew that the opportunity to plant a "time bomb" had arrived.
"I am very sorry to have met you today, but at the same time I am very fortunate to have met you today." Lin Yuanshu walked quickly to Wen Yun's side, his expression full of complex emotions.
Okay, she lied. She wasn't disappointed at all. She was actually hoping Wen Yun would come to her. If Wen Yun didn't come, she could implement Plan B.
Wen Yun forced a smile and said indifferently, "I've gotten used to being betrayed by those close to me."
Lin Yuanshu hugged Wen Yun and said softly, "Getting used to it doesn't mean your heart won't ache."
"If you're just trying to comfort me, then forget it. I can manage my own emotions," Wen Yun said stubbornly.
Lin Yuanshu shook his head and said softly, "Comfort is the most useless thing. There is no true empathy in this world. If you want his heart to hurt as much as yours, you can only retaliate fiercely. It is foolish to lick your wounds. You should stand up and bite a piece of his flesh."
Wen Yun chuckled softly, then said helplessly, "He's the workshop director, what can I do? He could easily crush me, how could I possibly bite off a piece of his flesh?"
Lin Yuanshu said nonchalantly, "So what? Everyone has flaws. You're not alone, you have me. Since my factory workshop is better than Director Li's, it means I'm more capable than Director Li. Dealing with him is a piece of cake."
Since Director Li wanted her to be betrayed by the workshop workers, then she would also let Director Li taste the bitterness of being betrayed by those around him. An eye for an eye is an eye for an eye.
As if bewitched, Wen Yun followed Lin Yuanshu into his room. Only when she sat in the same chair as yesterday did she realize what she had done. However, she did not regret it now, because she wanted Director Li to taste the bitterness of regret.
"You can tell me what you have on Director Li, and I'll help you figure out how to get a piece of his flesh. Don't worry, I won't report you for having an affair with Director Li. I'm not that shameless. Of course, you can choose to say nothing and directly break ties with Director Li, or try to avoid this mission. But if you avoid it this time, what about next time? In Director Li's eyes, you'll always be the first one to be abandoned." Lin Yuanshu's voice was seductive as she stared intently at Wen Yun, waiting for her answer.
Wen Yun took a deep breath and said without hesitation, "You better not lie to me, or I don't mind a fight to the death."
Lin Yuanshu raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "I have no reason to betray you. As the saying goes, the ruthless fear the stubborn, and the stubborn fear the reckless. You can afford to gamble, but I can't. After all, I have a happy family and a thriving career."
Wen Yun pursed her lips and began to recount what she knew about Director Li's incriminating acts. She embellished her own story a little, extricating herself from those bad deeds.
After listening, Lin Yuanshu paced back and forth in the room, her mind racing. She had already thought of the specific plan last night; she was just preparing her words, figuring out how to tell the story in a way that would prevent Wen Yun from realizing she was being used, and also let Wen Yun see how much effort she had put into it.
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