"No trouble at all, no trouble at all."
Completely captivated by the food, Zhang Min quickly said, "That car has been sitting in the backyard for years without being used. It's better to take it out and use it occasionally. But it really hasn't been used for many years. I'll have Mu Lin take it out and try it out in a bit. If it's in good condition, we can put some oil on it and it will be ready to use."
Su Mulin also said, "Yes, that car is just sitting there anyway. You only need it for a little over a month, so there's no need to buy it again. Why waste the money? You're new here, so you don't know. Your Aunt Zhang and your aunt have known each other since they entered the factory. Back then, they lived in the same dormitory, and after they got married, they became next-door neighbors. If you add it all up, it's probably been..."
Zhang Min continued, "18 years, a full 18 years. Your aunt and I entered the factory in the same year. We were in the same workshop at the time. However, your aunt was later transferred to the office, but that didn't affect our friendship. It's just an abandoned car. Don't worry about it. Just take it and use it, child."
Having said that, Lin Wei could only nod in thanks.
"Thank you, Aunt Zhang. Thank you, Uncle Su."
Lin Yuan wanted to learn from Lin Wei, but when he called out "Uncle Su," he couldn't pronounce it clearly no matter what he tried.
“Su, Uncle…, Su…”
Su Mulin laughed at himself, "Calling me Uncle Mulin is the same. Actually, it's been a tongue twister for a while now. The younger kids all call me Uncle Mulin, so you can call me that too."
-
When the Su family returned the plate, they also gave her two medium-sized bottles of canned peaches as a token of their gratitude. Lin Xiaomeng accepted them without hesitation.
As soon as the four members of the Su family left, the Gao family on the right also brought over a large bottle of canned oranges, but Lin Xiaomeng had her family take it with them when she left.
Seeing Lin Wei's confusion, Lin Xiaomeng explained, "The Su family is closer to me. Although they have two children, both of them are working. Your Uncle Mulin is a key employee at the furniture factory next door, and his parents also have retirement pensions. Not only do they not have to subsidize the elderly, but they can also occasionally give them some money. They are living quite well."
"The Gao family next door..." Lin Xiaomeng paused for a moment before explaining, "Her husband died when he was on a business trip with your uncle. We live next door, so we feel sorry for each other. Her mother, Grandma Gao, is bedridden. Her in-laws abandoned them and don't care about them anymore. She has two children, one in junior high school and the other in elementary school. They rely entirely on her salary, so they live a very frugal life."
"I understand now. No wonder Aunt Gao has so many gray hairs. This big family must be quite a burden."
"That's right. In recent years, the factory has been laying off batches of employees every now and then. Your Aunt Gao's family is in a hurry, isn't she? Recently, the factory's performance has not been good, and the higher-ups have said that some employees will be laid off again..."
Lin Xiaomeng hadn't chatted with anyone like this in a long time, and before she knew it, she had been talking a lot with Lin Wei.
Realizing this, she quickly stopped talking. "Look at me, why am I telling you all this? You're too young to understand."
"I understand, but my aunt works in an office, so the news of her being laid off shouldn't have spread yet. Don't worry, I won't say anything."
Lin Yuan quickly assured her, "Don't worry, Auntie, I won't say anything nonsense. But what does 'being laid off' mean?"
The aunt and niece looked at each other and burst out laughing.
“That’s right. No one in our family works at a company, so it’s normal that Yuanyuan doesn’t know. Being laid off means the end of your job, and you can never work here again.”
Lin Yuan thought for a moment, "Just like Dad, once he finishes his work here, he rests at home, and then goes to work in another place after a while?"
"Yes, that's roughly the idea. But Dad's job isn't a work unit; we call it 'finished work.' Going to work elsewhere means finding a new job. Aunt's job is with a work unit, so it's called being laid off. After a certain period of time, she can receive a retirement pension, but Dad doesn't."
"Is there a difference?" Lin Yuan still didn't understand the significance of the two.
"Of course there is a difference, but it's not a big one."
Lin Xiaomeng was a little surprised to hear this. She asked curiously, "How come there's not much difference? Do you think there's no difference between working in an office and working outside?"
"Yes, but not very big."
The current national policies are not yet perfect, and the pros and cons are right in front of us. No matter how much money you earn now, what will you do without a pension in the future? After all, inflation is severe. Money is valuable now, but no one can say for sure whether it will be enough in the future.
Once flexible employment is introduced, I will be able to pay social security myself. Although I will receive less than those employed by a company, it is better than nothing, and it will be enough to meet the minimum standard.
On the contrary, this golden age is full of business opportunities. If you miss this wave of dividends, you will really have to put in a lot of effort to make money again.
But it's too early to talk about these things with Lin Xiaomeng now.
After thinking for a moment, Lin Wei simply said, "There used to be so many secure jobs, but the government could lay them off at any time. This shows that secure jobs aren't as secure as they used to be. The most important thing is to make money. However, this also depends on the position. The more specialized you are, the more irreplaceable you become."
Although Lin Xiaomeng didn't quite agree with Lin Wei's words, she still asked cautiously, "Is this the reason you chose architecture as your major?"
"I guess so, but part of the reason is because of my dad. He also does this kind of work. At that time, I thought that if I graduated and was in charge of a project in my company, could I use my position to get my dad into the project? That way, our family wouldn't have to worry about not having work."
But it's too late to say all this now.
"Go to bed early, you'll be busy tomorrow."
"Okay, Auntie."
Goodnight, Auntie.
-
The summer sun was strong, and after a day and a night of sun exposure, the smell on the bedding was completely gone, so the siblings moved out separately.
Lin Yuan stayed in the outer room, and Lin Wei stayed in the inner room. Both rooms had their own locks, and there was a narrow passageway between them for easy access to the bathroom and kitchen, so they could both get around without any problems.
Before parting, Lin Wei asked worriedly, "Are you sure you'll be alright living alone? How about this, I won't lock the door, and if you're scared in the middle of the night, you can come to my room."
"I'm not afraid, I can sleep alone."
Despite Lin Yuan's words, Lin Wei still didn't lock the door. Sure enough, Lin Yuan sneaked over in the middle of the night.
Lin Wei found it amusing. "What's wrong? Missing your sister?"
Lin Yuan stubbornly replied, "Yeah, I was worried that you'd be scared sleeping alone, so I came to keep you company. But you need to get used to it quickly, because you'll be going to school soon and I won't be there to keep you company anymore."
"Okay, you can sleep with your sister for a few days, and then you can sleep alone after you get used to her."
The siblings fell asleep peacefully, and when they woke up again, the sun was still high in the sky. After having breakfast with her brother, Lin Wei went to Jiangcheng University to enroll.
It's currently mid-July, and the start of the school year is in early September, meaning there are still two months until the start of the new semester.
She thought she had arrived early enough, but she didn't expect that a long queue had already formed.
"No way, they're all here to enroll in school."
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