Chapter 27 (This last part is a fragment and doesn't translate directly. It likely refers to a specific chapter or event, but
Director Tang nodded with satisfaction and said in a serious tone, "You're too kind to say such things. I hope you'll be promoted to a permanent position soon."
Lin Yuanshu pursed his lips and quickly expressed his loyalty, saying, "Okay, I will definitely work hard and solve your problems as soon as possible."
If flattering her boss could lead to a promotion, she would be more than willing to do so. In her past life, she was able to slack off steadily because of her attentive behavior towards her boss, which is essentially flattery.
Having received the answer he wanted, Director Tang sent Lin Yuanshu home to rest.
Lin Yuanshu turned and left without hesitation. She hadn't expected Wang Gang and Zhou Moli to be so loyal and not reveal her name. As a result, the workshop directors all assumed that the two of them were responsible for the incident and completely ignored her.
Although she is not afraid of making enemies, it is better to make as few enemies as possible. However, this does not mean that after being slapped, she should put her other face up to be slapped by someone else.
When she arrived at the main gate of the chemical plant, Zhou Xiangyang and Sister-in-law Xue were already waiting there.
Sister-in-law Xue was even more excited than Zhou Xiangyang. As soon as she saw Lin Yuanshu, she ran up quickly and asked anxiously, "How did it go? Did you get hired by the chemical plant?"
"I have successfully completed my mission and have been hired," Lin Yuanshu replied truthfully.
Sister-in-law Xue's expression became very strange, a mixture of envy and jealousy, yet she still had to offer some words of congratulations, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
Zhou Xiangyang didn't notice Xue's sister-in-law's strange behavior. He smiled and congratulated Lin Yuanshu, wishing her that her wish had come true.
Lin Yuanshu gave a forced smile. After the ordeal of the past two days, she felt physically and mentally exhausted and just wanted to go home and rest. Since transmigrating, she had been on edge, but now that she had a job, she could finally relax.
The three returned home with their own thoughts. Seeing that Lin Yuanshu did not show a happy smile, Zhou Ma asked Xue Da Sao with great interest, "Didn't Xiao Er's wife get hired by the chemical plant? Jobs are not easy to find these days, especially for a girl from the countryside. Some people are born to be servants but have the life of a lady. They insist on pursuing what they don't have and become a laughing stock."
Zhou Ma's voice grew louder and louder, and not only Lin Yuanshu heard it, but even the neighbors who were cooking in the corridor heard it.
Zhou Xiangyang mustered his courage and retorted loudly, "Mom, what nonsense are you talking about? My wife has been hired by the chemical plant, and she'll start work tomorrow."
Zhou Ma's face turned pale and red in turns, like a palette of colors. She was clearly very angry, but the neighbors around her still gathered around to congratulate Lin Yuanshu.
When Zhou Xiangyang saw so many people enter the living room, he quickly slipped out of the living room and returned to his room while no one was paying attention to him.
"Congratulations! From now on you'll be able to eat rations too." Aunt Wen said with a smile as she stood in front of Lin Yuanshu.
Aunt Hua nodded in agreement. "I could tell from the first glance that Xiao Er's wife was no ordinary person. Could an ordinary person be hired by a chemical plant? That's why girls still need to study. Being educated opens up more career paths, and it also helps them to think more quickly so they won't be taken advantage of and end up counting the money for the other party."
Upon hearing the latter part of Aunt Hua's words, Lin Yuanshu wholeheartedly agreed, saying, "Aunt Hua has such a high level of vision. Cultured women always want to marry well. Look at those cadre families; they all marry educated women. Why would they marry a girl who can't read a single word? The idea that a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent is outdated. Nowadays, women hold up half the sky. If I hadn't graduated from high school, my mother wouldn't have chosen me to marry into the city..."
Taking the opportunity, Lin Yuanshu expressed his thoughts: if he talked to them about work, they certainly wouldn't take it to heart; but if he talked to them about marriage, they might listen. He wanted the girls in the tenement building to read more books.
The crowd largely agreed with Lin Yuanshu's words. If Lin Yuanshu hadn't graduated from high school, how could he have had the opportunity to take the recruitment exam for the chemical plant!
However, while it's acceptable to accept the idea, whether or not one should go to school is still uncertain, since education costs money.
Zhou Ma was so angry that her face turned red when she was ignored. She thought she would be ridiculed for saying the wrong thing, but she didn't expect that everyone would just ignore her and ridicule her instead!
She interjected sarcastically, "Aunt Qian, I heard your granddaughter got into high school. You should let your third granddaughter study more; who knows, she might become the second Lin Yuanshu in this tenement building."
Aunt Qian, who was suddenly called out, was a little confused. She subconsciously looked at Lin Yuanshu and asked, "Really? Is my third granddaughter really that capable?"
Although Lin Yuanshu didn't know this woman, she nodded firmly and said with a smile, "Of course, most people can't get into high school. Studying doesn't guarantee hope, but not studying guarantees no hope. Besides, anyone can cut off your granddaughter's path to hope, but not you, her grandmother!"
Grandma Qian was torn. Her granddaughter was indeed crying and begging to go to school, but considering the practicalities, she felt that even after graduating from high school, she would still be destined to go to the countryside as an educated youth. Therefore, she did not want her granddaughter to go to high school.
But now, seeing Lin Yuanshu, a country woman who was hired by a chemical plant through her own abilities after passing the recruitment exam, she felt that perhaps studying wasn't entirely useless.
Seeing this, Aunt Hua added fuel to the fire without hesitation, "There's just a difference between educated and uneducated people. The daughter of the women's director of the factory next door is a great writer! Her articles have even been published in the newspaper. I think your granddaughter will definitely have a bright future."
The others also started showering her with praise; they couldn't possibly belittle their granddaughter in front of her grandmother! So all they could do was shower her with compliments.
Zhou Ma's face was very ugly because she was ignored once again. A bunch of fools who couldn't even tell the difference between good and bad words.
Grandma Qian was overjoyed at the future described by everyone, and patted her chest, saying, "I will definitely let my third granddaughter continue her studies. It doesn't matter whether she becomes successful or not, as long as she can broaden her horizons."
Lin Yuanshu followed up on Aunt Qian's words, saying, "You really dote on your granddaughter. You have such high standards. I admire reasonable people like you the most."
Aunt Qian was beaming with joy at the praise.
Amidst the laughter and chatter, Lin Yuanshu couldn't help but laugh too. He hadn't expected that his casual remark could change a woman's future, and he felt quite accomplished.
Seeing this, Zhou Ma felt very uncomfortable. She walked into the corridor and looked at Xue Da Sao. She lowered her voice and said, "You good-for-nothing, more trouble than you're worth. You didn't even tell me that your second wife was hired. Did you just want to see me make a fool of myself?"
Sister-in-law Xue explained, feeling very wronged, "Mom, how could I dare to have such thoughts? I would like to say that you didn't even give me the chance!"
Okay! She did have this idea, but she didn't dare to do it. It was all a coincidence. It had nothing to do with her, but she had to take the blame.
Zhou Ma glanced at the lively scene in the living room, her expression complex, and said, "It must be that the second daughter-in-law deliberately acted sullen, and then, knowing I would gloat, she deliberately made me look bad. She's really scheming; all her tricks are used on me. She only knows how to bully me. If she's so capable, she should bully outsiders too..."
Sister-in-law Xue nodded in complete agreement. She felt that she had also been bullied by Lin Yuanshu, and the more she thought about it, the more powerless she felt. She glared angrily at Lin Yuanshu, and then continued washing the vegetables.
Looking at Sister-in-law Xue, who was focused on washing vegetables, Zhou Ma asked, "What are you cooking? Let the second wife cook. You're just trying to be a hands-off manager. You're supposed to be the second wife's sister-in-law, but you're acting like her maid."
Sister-in-law Xue looked at the radishes in the washing basin, hesitated for a long time, and finally put down her work and went into the living room, intending to chat with the aunties like Lin Yuanshu.
Lin Yuanshu glanced at Sister-in-law Xue and kindly reminded her, "Sister-in-law, Dad isn't working overtime today. If you don't cook now, he might be unhappy if he doesn't have anything to eat when he gets home."
Sister-in-law Xue took a deep breath, sneered, and retorted, "I'm not the only daughter-in-law in this family. If I don't do it, someone else should."
Lin Yuanshu was taken aback, knowing that Sister-in-law Xue was up to something again. She smiled and said, "I really hope Dad thinks the same way."
Hearing Lin Yuanshu's words, Sister-in-law Xue's anger immediately deflated. Thinking of Zhou Dafu's satisfaction with Lin Yuanshu and the relationship between Lin Yuanshu and Director Tang, she said weakly, "You're right. For Dad's sake, I won't say any more to you. After all, I'm busy cooking!"
Without hesitation, Sister-in-law Xue turned around and went back to the corridor to wash vegetables. She had the lowest status in the family.
Seeing Sister-in-law Xue's pathetic state, Aunt Zhou was speechless. It made sense; how could someone who was so timid in front of her stand tall in front of Lin Yuanshu?
Forget it, I'll let Lin Yuanshu off the hook for now. I'll settle accounts with Lin Yuanshu slowly after Lao Zhou gets promoted. I don't believe I can't train Lin Yuanshu to be a suitable daughter-in-law, just like my current eldest daughter-in-law.
There are never any secrets in a tenement building. The news that Lin Yuanshu had been hired by the chemical plant quickly spread to everyone's ears. Everyone was quite surprised. They didn't expect that Lin Yuanshu could actually be hired by the chemical plant. After all, Lin Yuanshu was not the child of a dual-income family. She was just a country girl.
When they saw Zhou Dafu, they kept congratulating him. Zhou Dafu was a little unhappy at first, but then he thought that Xiao Er's wife had a good relationship with Director Tang. If she were assigned to Director Tang's team and helped him with his work, it would be a piece of cake for her to speak well of him, given her abilities!
The responsibility of taking care of the family can be left to the eldest daughter-in-law. After all, she has been working as a canteen worker for so many years and can be fired at any time.
Grandpa Wei said with some envy, "Xiangyang's wife is quite capable! She actually passed the deputy factory director's interview. My daughter-in-law is a bit less capable."
Zhou Dafu feigned modesty and said, "It was just luck. Your daughter-in-law is also very good; she's so filial and obedient."
Although he said Sun Yiyi was good, if he had to choose, he would still prefer Lin Yuanshu to be his daughter-in-law. After all, being filial could not bring him the same happiness as being a group leader, and he had never lacked filial children.
Grandpa Wei looked troubled and kept complaining, "I'm not bragging, my daughter-in-law is really good, it's just that her family is a bit of a nuisance. Not only was the dowry high, but now they're expecting her to send money back to her family..."
Zhou Dafu said casually, "You could let your daughter-in-law go to work too, let her experience the hardships of work, maybe then she won't be so extravagant and think about her parents' home anymore."
Grandpa Wei: "..."
It's easy for her to say, but finding a job isn't as easy as buying radishes. It's not that easy to find one. Besides, her husband and son both hope that their daughter-in-law can carry on the family line as soon as possible, rather than go out to earn money. After all, their family has only one son per generation, and they can't let the line end with their son.
Zhou Dafu didn't stop chatting with Grandpa Wei until they reached his doorstep. Although their wives didn't get along, he and Grandpa Wei got along alright, so there was no chance of a big fight.
During the meal, Zhou Dafu encouraged Lin Yuanshu to work hard and strive to become Director Tang's confidant as soon as possible so that she could speak well of him.
Lin Yuanshu smiled. Her goal was not to become someone's confidant or a tool in someone else's hands. She could not say that she was very capable, but she had more knowledge than most of the intellectuals in the factory.
This knowledge was enough to help her climb the ranks step by step, provided that she didn't let others take credit for her achievements, and choosing sides made it very easy for her superiors to take credit for her achievements.
As night fell, Lin Yuanshu lay half-reclined on the bed reading the "Dictionary of Chemical Industry".
Zhou Xiangyang sat at his desk reading, glancing at Lin Yuanshu every now and then.
Lin Yuanshu noticed Zhou Xiangyang's unusual behavior and said bluntly, "Comrade Zhou Xiangyang, just say what you have to say, don't be shy."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiangyang thought for a moment and cautiously asked, "Did something happen to you today? You don't seem very happy about getting the job?"
Lin Yuanshu blinked and said with a smile, "I'm not unhappy, I'm just too tired and don't want to talk. I just want to rest. But I'm fine now."
Zhou Xiangyang thought for a moment, then took out the meat ticket from his pocket, placed it in front of Lin Yuanshu, and whispered, "Here you go."
Lin Yuanshu was taken aback, looked at the five-tael meat ticket beside the bed, and asked, "Why are you giving it to me?"
Zhou Xiangyang explained in a low voice, "I feel like doing this will make you happier."
Lin Yuanshu blinked and said with a smile, "Your intuition is quite sharp. No one dislikes eating meat. However, I would prefer you to come with me. After you rest, we'll go to a state-run restaurant for dinner."
We should remember those who dug the well when we drink the water. Sharing is the only way to have a next time. She would never do something like draining the pond to catch all the fish. There's a big difference between being full at one meal and being full at every other meal.
“Okay.” Zhou Xiangyang smiled happily. He liked being with Lin Yuanshu because Lin Yuanshu would never criticize him or advise him to be more generous. It was as if his quietness was a normal thing.
Meanwhile, Sun Yiyi felt a mix of emotions after hearing that Lin Yuanshu had gotten a job.
Aunt Wei muttered to herself in the living room with a gloomy face, "What's so great about it? It's just a job, why act like everyone else doesn't have one!"
Sun Yiyi tentatively said, "Mom, should I go out and find a job too? That way you won't be inferior to Zhou Xiangyang's mother."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Wei refused without hesitation, saying, "What job are you looking for! Do you think jobs are easy to find these days? You're not a high school graduate. If you think you can find one just because Lin Yuanshu found it so easily, you're overthinking it. So many women in this tenement building want to find work, but very few can actually get one. Instead of thinking about finding a job, you should be thinking about how to give birth to a big, healthy grandson as soon as possible."
Sun Yiyi lowered her head and whispered her thoughts, "Dad clearly said before that he would support me going out to work."
Aunt Wei was taken aback for a moment, then said bluntly, "The premise of supporting your work is that you can find a job."
Remembering Lin Yuanshu's earlier words, Sun Yiyi retorted, "How do you know I can't find it if you don't let me look for it!"
Aunt Wei's expression turned ugly.
Wei Yong looked at Sun Yiyi with disapproval and questioned, "How can you talk to your mother like that? What have we done wrong to you that makes you want to go out to work? We've done everything we can to please you. We even paid for your brother's dowry. What more do you want? Our demands aren't excessive! We just want you to give birth to a big, healthy grandson. No matter where you marry, the first thing you should do after marriage is to have a child, not to go out to work."
Sun Yiyi was speechless; she didn't know how to refute Wei Yong's words, because they were indeed correct.
Seeing that Sun Yiyi's attitude had softened, Wei Yong's tone also became gentler. "I know what you're thinking. You saw that Xiangyang's wife next door found a job, and you also want to go out to work. I promise that after you have a baby, I will let you go out to work. We are doing this for your own good, because we are afraid that you will waste your time on unnecessary things and neglect what you should be doing right now."
Sun Yiyi thought about it and agreed with Wei Yong's words. Lin Yuanshu was really toxic. He had unknowingly changed her thinking. Instead of thinking about having children and gaining a foothold in the Wei family, she was thinking about going out to work and earn money.
"You should have less contact with Xiangyang's wife in the future," Wei Yong emphasized again.
Aunt Wei nodded in agreement, patting her chest and assuring him, "Yongzi, don't worry, I'll keep an eye on your wife."
Sun Yiyi replied softly, "I will keep my distance from Comrade Lin Yuanshu."
Meanwhile, Mao Afen returned home dejectedly. Her father said with a serious face, "It doesn't matter if you weren't hired by the chemical plant. I've already signed you up to be an educated youth in the countryside."
Upon hearing this, Mao Afen retorted loudly, "I don't want to go to the countryside as an educated youth. I still have time to find a job. Why are you signing me up?"
"Because I'm your father, and besides, the place you're going to is the same place Tang Rong is going to. Isn't that great? The two of you can help each other, and it won't be like you're going to a strange place alone." Mao's father also felt sorry for his daughter, but if she signed up earlier, she could choose a closer place to go to. The later she delayed, the more she would have to go to a farm that was being reclaimed, which would really be a hard life.
Mao Afen looked at her mother and said tearfully, "Mom, I don't want to go to the countryside as an educated youth. Please help me and pass on the job to me so I can take your place."
She had no intention of helping Tang Rong. She felt it was incredibly ironic that she went to Tang Rong's production team to become an educated youth. She had gone to great lengths to coax Tang Rong into becoming an educated youth, but she ended up with the same fate.
Mao's mother said apologetically, "I still have to support your younger siblings, so I can't give up my job. If you're willing to hand over your salary until your younger siblings grow up, I can consider it."
Mao Afen was furious. She had been handing over her wages all along, which was like being a workhorse! She had no intention of using her hard-earned wages to support her younger siblings. She turned around and ran back to her room, refusing to even eat.
Mr. Mao waved his hand dismissively and said sternly, "She just can't accept this sudden news. She'll be able to accept it after a while."
Going to the countryside as an educated youth was something you had to accept whether you wanted to or not.
The next morning, Zhou Ma prepared breakfast and called everyone to get up and eat. She was feeling very uncomfortable. She was the only one in the family who didn't work, and all the housework had fallen on her shoulders. She didn't just marry two wives; she married two tyrants.
No one noticed anything unusual about Zhou Ma, and they continued eating their breakfast without a care in the world. After all, Zhou Ma always looked unhappy and would start cursing at the slightest provocation.
Lin Yuanshu's arrival brought her many troubles, and her mood was like thunder every day; she never had a happy day.
After breakfast, Sister-in-law Xue busied herself washing the dishes, while Lin Yuanshu went to queue for the toilet.
Sister-in-law Xue was washing the dishes with a lot of resentment when Aunt Hua's eldest daughter-in-law walked up to her and whispered to comfort her, "Your sister-in-law is something else! My mother-in-law always speaks highly of her, saying she's good at dealing with people. Sigh, being a sister-in-law these days isn't easy."
"You've really spoken my mind. Do you have any ideas on how to deal with my sister-in-law?" Sister-in-law Xue asked in a low voice.
After thinking for a moment, Hua's eldest daughter-in-law whispered, "You can team up with your mother-in-law to isolate her."
Sister-in-law Xue shook her head, disagreeing, "She prefers reading to talking to us. Isolating her won't work. She's very shameless. When my mother-in-law was setting the table, she took everyone's bowls and chopsticks but not hers. She just acted like nothing happened, took her own bowls and chopsticks, and washed them herself, isolating us all by herself."
"That would be difficult. You'd better hurry up and get pregnant, otherwise you'll have even less status once your sister-in-law gets pregnant," Hua's eldest daughter-in-law reminded her.
Sister-in-law Xue thought about it carefully, but she really couldn't imagine what it would be like to have no status at all. She already had no status at home. Apart from her younger brother, everyone in the family bossed her around. The reason her younger brother wasn't bossed around was because he didn't like to chat with people, not because he couldn't.
Regarding the issue of pregnancy, she desperately wants to be pregnant! She wants a child all the time. She's tried folk remedies, seen doctors, and her husband has also tried for a while, but her belly just won't cooperate. Her mother-in-law and her own mother have exhausted all means, and there's really nothing they can do.
She set her sights on Lin Yuanshu. Since Lin Yuanshu had a way to make her father-in-law a team leader, he should also have a way to get her pregnant!
Lin Yuanshu felt a strong gaze on her. When she turned her head, she saw that Sister-in-law Xue was staring at her while washing the dishes, with an indescribably strange expression.
She suddenly thought of a saying: "A bad person racks his brains, but a fool can't outwit someone." Could it be that Sister-in-law Xue has come up with another clever idea?
After using the restroom, Lin Yuanshu shook her hands. In her past life, she didn't treat toilet paper like paper, and in this life, she couldn't buy any because she didn't have tickets.
Aunt Qian's granddaughter, Ah Chun, came to Lin Yuanshu carrying a woven bag.
Lin Yuanshu naturally didn't recognize the girl in front of him. Thinking he was blocking the way, he quickly stepped aside to let her pass.
Ah Chun said nervously, "Comrade Lin Yuanshu, thank you for speaking up for me. I don't have anything good to give you. This is some dried mugwort that I collected from my grandmother's house. You can use it to repel mosquitoes."
Just as Lin Yuanshu was about to refuse A Chun's mugwort, A Chun seemed to know what she was thinking, put the woven bag in her hand and ran away.
Lin Yuanshu looked at Ai Cao with a troubled expression, wondering if his old arms and legs could keep up with the girl in front of him.
Aunt Wen said with a smile, "Just accept it. It's a token of the child's goodwill. After all, mugwort isn't anything valuable."
"But I don't know her!" Lin Yuanshu said, looking confused.
Aunt Wen then remembered that Lin Yuanshu was still a new bride! Not recognizing all the people in the tenement building, she explained, "That's Aunt Qian's third granddaughter. Thanks to you, Aunt Qian is willing to let her continue her studies, so she came here specifically to thank you."
Lin Yuanshu suddenly realized why the girl had given her mugwort! She had thought the girl had mistaken her for someone else, but she hadn't expected that people in this era were so grateful. It was such a small thing, yet the girl still came to thank her.
Sun Yiyi watched Lin Yuanshu with a cold eye. If she remembered correctly, in her previous life, a woman named Achun jumped into the river and died because her family wouldn't let her study.
Was Lin Yuanshu's defense of Ah Chun truly unintentional? Or was he, like her, also experiencing a second chance at life?
No, even if he were to be reborn, Lin Yuanshu shouldn't know anything about Ah Chun, since he died young in his previous life.
Although Lin Yuanshu seemed perfectly fine, she felt a vague unease. Just as Wei Yong had said, Lin Yuanshu was a bit strange, and it was best to avoid him.
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