Thanks to Yan Fugui's unwavering promotion, the news of Yan Jiecheng's successful advancement in the city's auto repair skills competition spread throughout the compound. Regardless of what people really thought, they all outwardly congratulated Yan Fugui and gave him a thumbs up.
"Uncle, your son Jiecheng has finally made it out of retirement and is now a master chef. It must have been really tough for you to support the whole family with just one person working before. You've really made it through."
"Now you're at work, Jie Cheng is at work, and your daughter-in-law Yu Li is at work too. All you have to do is have three working people in the family. That's even more impressive than a dual-income family!" The neighbors flattered Yan Fugui.
Yan Fugui basked in everyone's praise with a clear conscience, but his inner feelings were not as calm as they appeared.
He was indeed stingy, but nobody wants to live like that. If they weren't stingy, how would their whole family eat and drink? Would they be dependent on others like the Jia family?
Yan Fugui felt a sense of superiority over the Jia family, while the Jia family was also gossiping about the Yan family. As the saying goes, seeing others make money is more painful than losing money yourself; that's exactly how they felt.
"Old Yan is such a stingy man, always sucking up to Xu Damao. Otherwise, he wouldn't be where he is today. And that Yu Li, so young, is doing bad things and running off to Xu Damao's factory too. Yan's daughter-in-law will run off with someone sooner or later." Jia Zhangshi cursed incessantly.
All she heard outside that night was people praising Yan Jiecheng, which made her furious.
Thinking back to when Jia Dongxu was around, everyone praised him for being young and promising. At such a young age, he was already a level three worker and a team leader, while his mentor was a level eight worker in the factory. In the foreseeable future, their Dongxu would become a leader.
But fate was unfair; Dongxu left to join Lao Jia at a young age, leaving behind two widows and three children.
And that Xu Damao is no good either. The Yan family only flattered him a few times, and they helped them so much. They not only helped Yan Jiecheng get a job and transfer him to the auto repair shop, but they also helped Yu Li get a job.
Of course, Jia Zhangshi knew that bullies prey on the weak and fear the strong, so she didn't dare to say it directly to Xu Damao; she could only complain to herself.
Many people in this compound didn't know that Yan Fugui had once acted as a spy, helping Xu Damao solve the problem of the auto repair shop's location. They thought it was just the Yan family's skill in currying favor. But they didn't consider that in this world of self-interest, there's no such thing as easy help.
"Mom, don't say anymore. It's not good if the neighbors hear. They're just participating in a competition. If they win, it will be an honor for our compound," Qin Huairu comforted her.
Qin Huairu tried to comfort her, but she was also upset and scolded her even more harshly than Jia Zhangshi. However, she had to maintain her image as a virtuous and gentle woman in the courtyard, so she could only try to persuade her mother-in-law.
Qin Huairu's looks were among the best in the compound. Whether in the village, the compound, or now in the factory, she was always surrounded by men.
But somehow, my life has become such a mess, and I even have to sell my body to earn a living. In my family, the old ones aren't very old, but they're incredibly lazy; the young ones are really too small, and there are three of them, one of whom is no pushover.
The more Qin Huairu thought about her own life and compared it with the lives of other families in the compound, the more distorted her usually composed expression became.
"Qin Huairu, don't look at me like that. Let me tell you, behave yourself and don't follow Yu Li's example, flirting with other men at the factory."
Seeing Qin Huairu's strange expression, Madam Jia assumed she had some ulterior motive and warned her. The Jia family now practically depends on Qin Huairu; they can't let her run away.
“Mom, don’t talk nonsense. It wouldn’t be good if Uncle San’s family heard. They’re better off now, so they can speak more loudly in the compound,” Qin Huairu said.
"Hmph, I'm not afraid of him. If he comes, I'll scratch him to death."
Although Jia Zhangshi was still uttering harsh words, her cursing grew softer and softer. It seemed she also knew that the Yan family had risen to power.
Meanwhile, at Yi Zhonghai's house, an older woman was also talking about the Yan family's affairs.
"Old Yan's family is so close to Xu Damao, they've made the right choice. Look at Liu Haizhong, he's only a level 7 worker, one level below you, but he's always flattering Xu Damao, and now he's a workshop director."
"Hey Lao Yi, why don't you want some?" an older woman said.
“What do you, a woman, know? Liu Haizhong is just a deputy director, and his position doesn’t even have an administrative rank; it’s just like being a team leader in our workshop.”
Our workshop foreman asked me to do this several times before, but I refused.
Yi Zhonghai was very unhappy with his wife's behavior of boosting the morale of others and diminishing his own, so he began to analyze the actual power structure in the situation for her.
"Don't worry about whether they're directors or deputy directors; it's a real promotion. If you could get promoted, why wouldn't you?"
"Old Yi, how about we ask Xu Damao to transfer you to the auto repair shop?" The old lady didn't give Yi Zhonghai any face and still voiced her thoughts.
“How could I, a dignified eighth-grade worker, beg Xu Damao, let alone go to a lower-level factory? Besides, if I really wanted to be an official, I would go to our factory leaders, not Xu Damao.” Yi Zhonghai was very unhappy with his wife’s attitude.
The two argued for a long time without reaching a conclusion.
The three-day competition went by quickly, and on the last day, the first, second, and third place winners for all events had been determined. Yan Jiecheng did not make it to the final, but he still achieved a fourth-place finish, which was a respectable result.
To Xu Damao's delight, Hongxing Auto Repair Shop achieved success in all categories, even winning first place in several, making it the best performing team among all participants.
At the final awards ceremony, only leaders from the city, district, and steel mill, as well as heads of various auto repair shops, were present; no high-ranking officials came.
"Xiao Xu, this event was well organized. With your exploration, our future work will be much easier." The city leader patted Xu Damao's hand.
"Director Xu, your event has brought honor to our district. We will continue to support you in any future events or competitions," the district leader said encouragingly, shaking Xu Damao's hand.
Although the Red Star Factory was not under their management, its location within the district meant they could still benefit from it to some extent.
"Director Xu, your factory's workers are really good; there are quite a few promising talents. We should communicate and exchange ideas more in the future." The person in charge of the sister factory put his arm around Xu Damao's shoulder, discussing future exchanges.
"Da Mao, you've been doing very well lately, and the higher-ups have taken notice of you," Li Xuewu said to Xu Da Mao.
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