Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Human Relations

Shi Xiangming just waved his hand casually: "I'll just call the professor." Then he quickly asked Wang Nian to pour tea for the few people.

I guess those people were scared enough. It was so cold and everyone's face was sweating.

Luo Yongde's heart suddenly tightened again, and he asked nervously: "Professor Wu should not have the right to re-submit the application form. This is a project of the National Academy of Engineering."

"Drink some hot water first, don't be anxious." Shi Xiangming handed the cup over and then explained in detail: "Tomorrow I will personally call the senior brother to explain the situation and ask him to fill in my name directly on the registration form. I can fill in the application form later."

Luo Yongde still couldn't believe it: "Such a big thing doesn't require any formalities?"

"The process was actually completed three years ago. Applications from various counties had already passed the first round of screening. Because the situation was not ideal, the second round was reopened this year..."

Through field investigation, it was found that there are very few engineers who can conduct this research, and the pass rate is less than 0.1%.

As a result, the project was about to start but no suitable candidate had been found. In addition to the public application, the second round also added internal recommendations.

Shi Xiangming was one of the first candidates recommended.

Vice President Wu Bin...now he should be called President Wu Bin, actually came to Factory 431 to discuss this matter with Shi Xiangming in person.

As for the application form, it is just a formality.

Since he agreed, the news was immediately passed back to the Municipal Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Engineering.

Coincidentally, the person in charge of the domestic engine project happened to be Wu Bin’s eldest disciple, Qiu Ming.

The two had been in close contact via telegrams for many years, and one of the names Wang Nian heard most often from Shi Xiangming was Qiu Ming.

So...it was really just a phone call.

Wang Nian handed the sugar paste to the pale-faced Fu Fang and said with a gentle smile, "Auntie, drink some water. If Xiang Ming says it's a small matter, it must be a small matter."

"You scared me..." Fu Fang shook her head and smiled bitterly, patting the sofa next to her: "Sister, sit down and talk to Auntie."

Luo Yongde just winked, obviously he had something to say to Shi Xiangming alone.

As soon as Fu Fang pulled Wang Nian to sit down, he immediately let out a sigh of relief, but his expression was still a little worried: "Why don't we make a call now, otherwise I'll be worried..."

Shi Xiangming looked up at the clock on the wall and nodded: "The switchboard operator at the Institute of Engineering should not be off work yet. Let's go to the office now."

The only telephone that can be used to contact other provinces is in the factory director's office, and the only way to make a call is there.

"Just chat here with Comrade Wang. I'll come back to pick you up when I'm done with my work." Luo Yongde stood up, and Luo Jianshe also stood up.

"Wear more clothes. It will be cold on the way back."

Wang Nian used a flashlight to escort Shi Xiangming out of the bamboo forest before returning to the house.

Perhaps the atmosphere was too tense, the children just sat on the stools in a daze without saying a word. The room was so quiet that even the sound of breathing could be heard.

Now that it feels like nothing serious, the children's nature is quickly released.

Shi Shuwen called Zhang Liye over at some point, and the two older children led several younger ones to tell stories in the hut.

Only Fu Fang's one-year-old granddaughter, who could not walk steadily yet, was held in her arms, babbling and trying to follow her into the house.

"I have many children at home, and they make noise every day, which is a headache." Fu Fang smiled.

Wang Nian now had time to take out peanuts and candies from the chest of drawers to entertain the guests. He peeled off the candy wrapper and put them in the little girl's hand, then called the children in the house to come out and eat.

The children rushed out in a swarm and quickly formed a circle around the tea table.

"Auntie, please sit down for a while. I'll make some grapefruit syrup for the children."

There is a pomelo tree at the door of every household in the Hongqi Brigade. The fruits are sour if they are not well taken care of.

Normally, people would only pick them as snacks when they were really hungry. Even though Wang Nian knew many ways to eat grapefruit, he gave up because he couldn't afford sugar.

Now she could take sugar from the spice rack with impunity.

Shi Xiangming never asked Wang Nian what he bought, and he wouldn't even blink an eye even if he brought home a bag of sugar one day.

With this "strong backing", Wang Nian asked his cousin Wang Yong to carry a basket of grapefruits home when he arrived.

I took some time to make a bottle of grapefruit tea a few days ago, and there are still a few left in the corner.

"Yuzu syrup." Upon hearing this, Shi Shuwen immediately gave up the candy and followed Wang Nian in a flash.

He and his sister can drink one cup every two days, but Aunt Wang Nian said that drinking too much will cause worms in the teeth, so they can't drink too much.

I just drank it yesterday. If there were no guests today, I would definitely not have the chance to drink it again.

The two followers followed her around, and their cute little cat-like appearance made Fu Fang smile knowingly.

As mothers, Fu Fang could tell whether Wang Nian was good to her children or not. The appearance of the children could not deceive people.

In this era when children's trousers were patched up again and again, the brother and sister were dressed neatly. Shi Wan even wore a pink apron over her cotton jacket, which was very cute.

"I'll just take a sip."

Wang Nian poured the water, and Shi Shuwen hurriedly raised a finger and promised loudly, his chubby face trembling as he spoke.

"If you drink today, you can't drink tomorrow. Decide whether to drink today or tomorrow and tell me." Wang Nian replied.

"Brother, drink today, drink today." Shi Wan anxiously pulled Shi Shuwen's sleeve, fearing that it would be gone if she said it too late.

Shi Shuwen pondered for a moment and made a decision: "Drink my cup first today, and drink my sister's cup tomorrow."

Wang Nian lowered his head in surprise.

Shi Shuwen explained to Shi Wan very seriously: "Let's share it. This way we can drink it today, tomorrow, and every day in the future..."

The little brain is really smart.

Wang Nian smiled and brought the brewed grapefruit tea to the tea table. She gave a cup to each child, and finally to the brother and sister.

It was also one cup, but he also took an extra empty cup.

She wanted to see how Shi Shuwen planned to divide the cup of grapefruit tea.

She looked at the brother and sister, Fu Fang was looking at her, after looking at Wang Nian she looked at the house, and after looking at the house she looked at Shi Shuwen and his sister.

Anyway... the more I watch it, the more I like it.

The house is tidy and tidy, the children are healthy and lively, and the family seems to be in harmony.

"Auntie, drink some sugar water."

Fu Fang took the cup of slightly yellow grapefruit syrup and fed it to her granddaughter: "There are many grapefruit trees behind our factory auditorium. The grapefruits are sour and bitter that they are inedible. I wonder if they have been cut down?"

"If I don't cut it down...can I dig one up and plant it in my own yard?"

Since evolved water can be used to grow vegetables and trees, it must be possible to do the same. Wang Nian had already planned to go into the mountains and dig up the kiwi tree and plant it in his own yard when the weather got warmer.

"Yes! Why not?" Fu Fang looked down at her granddaughter's moving mouth and smiled more deeply: "The trees were planted by the people in the previous villages. They are not considered factory property."

Seeing that the kids like it so much, Fu Fang also plans to dig some and plant them in her backyard, and make some snacks the same way when the fruits are ripe next year.

Grapefruit tea tastes sour and sweet at first, and leaves a sweet aftertaste in the mouth after swallowing it. It is much better than soda.

Wang Nian smiled and said "OK" and agreed with Fu Fang to go digging together in the spring. In fact, his eyes never left Shi Shuwen and his sister.

One cup was more, the other was less. Shi Shuwen gave the extra cup to his sister without thinking.

"Sister, teach aunt how to make grapefruit syrup in the future, so that the family can save a lot of snack money..." Fu Fang was still thinking about the grapefruit tea. She had just said a few words when she heard Luo Shunli's voice outside the door, almost yelling and cursing.

"Why are you pretending to be such a nice guy!"

When they arrived, Room 3 was dark and they had no idea where the family of three had gone.

Hearing the swearing, Fu Fang put the child on the sofa and hurried out the door.

"Shunli, who are you arguing with?"

In the corridor outside the door.

Luo Shunli was still wearing the same army green cotton jacket he had worn during the day, except that he was not wearing a hat, revealing his sparse hair.

Even though his voice sounded loud just now, he didn't look angry at all. Instead, he had a half-smile on his face.

The dim light is quite eye-catching.

Zhong Manli, who was sitting opposite him, was trembling all over. She pointed at Luo Shunli for a long time but couldn't utter a word.

"Is that wrong? How dare you interfere in my family affairs? Who do you think you are?"

"I will report this to the Women's Office and accuse you of bullying women comrades."

Zhong Manli chopped her feet hard, and her momentum was obviously inferior to that of the other.

"Go and sue! If you don't go, you'll be my grandson."

"Zhong Manli!"

"Luo Shunli."

Two voices came from the other side of the corridor at the same time, but one was full of anger and the other was helpless.

Jiang Fang turned around and saw Fu Fang, her face couldn't help but become a little embarrassed.

Fu Fang, however, seemed not to have seen her and waved to Luo Shunli again: "Come to Comrade Xiao Wang's house. Mom will introduce two people to you."

"Xiu Mei, Mom asked us to go over and identify the person."

Luo Shunli was quite arrogant just now, but after seeing Fu Fang, he quickly wilted like an eggplant hit by frost, and even his voice when calling Sun Xiumei became weak.

"Fu..." Jiang Fang opened her mouth to call for help, and the next second, Fu Fang turned around and waved to Wang Nian: "I was in a hurry and didn't have time to tell you, my Shunli and his wife will be your neighbors from now on."

Wang Nian was standing in the house and didn't come out. He just smiled when he heard it and said, "That's really a coincidence."

There are many people living in the family building, and it takes a lot of thought just to manage interpersonal relationships.

She is not the type of person who can chat with anyone. She has lived here for nearly half a year and she still hasn't gotten to know all the families on the third floor.

"Mom." The tears on Sun Xiumei's face had not yet dried. She called Fu Fang in a muffled voice and smiled at Wang Nian: "Hello, Comrade Wang."

Smiling is uglier than crying...

"Come inside and talk." Fu Fang glanced at Jiang Fang, who was about to speak but hesitated, and glared at Luo Shunli unhappily: "You can't even protect your wife, you are just a bully."

Luo Shunli pursed his face but didn't dare to refute.

As several people sat down on the sofa, Wang Nian played the role of the host again, serving Sun Xiumei sweet soup and peanuts.

"Stop working on it." Fu Fang pulled Wang Nian to sit beside her and poked Luo Shunli on the forehead with her hand: "What on earth is going on?"

"She's my mother-in-law." Luo Shunli really didn't have the idea of ​​keeping his family's shame from public view. When Fu Fang asked, he spilled all the beans.

It was too late for Fu Fang to stop it until she realized something was wrong.

Wang Nian coughed lightly and sent the children surrounding the TV into the house.

"You little bastard, how dare you say anything with that broken mouth of yours!" Fu Fang was so angry that she slapped Luo Shunli hard.

No one would be so straightforward in accusing the mother-in-law of cheating. I wonder how others would laugh at what they hear.

Luo Shunli felt very aggrieved: "Didn't you ask me to say it? I am telling the truth."

Qi Xiu'e had only moved into the 43rd family building for half a day when she started to become restless. She was seen arguing with someone in the bamboo forest and was caught by Zhong Manli.

And this man...luckily enough he is Zhong Manli's husband Xiao Jianmin.

"I told you to speak, not to talk nonsense! Xiao Jianmin is so young, how could he be involved with Qi Xiu'e?" Fu Fang said angrily.

"I know." Luo Shunli rolled his eyes unhappily: "If that woman hadn't come home to scold Xiumei, I wouldn't bother with her!"

Xiao Jianmin said that he saw Qi Xiu'e almost fall and then he pulled her, but the two did not know each other at all.

Zhong Manli didn't listen and made a big fuss at home. She ran next door and pointed at Sun Xiumei's nose and cursed her a lot of nasty things. Then she was caught by Luo Shunli who had just returned home.

"She doesn't even dare to talk back when someone points fingers at her and slanders her. I don't know where her energy for scolding people has gone!" Luo Shunli even felt that his wife was a prankster: "If I were you, I would jump up and scratch her face."

Seeing that Luo Shunli was getting more and more outrageous, Fu Fang raised her foot and kicked him, "Get lost."

Luo Shunli really shrank to one side, picked up a candy, put it in his mouth and chewed it.

"Don't mind me, sister. My second son actually has a good heart. He just has a loose mouth and dares to say anything."

Wang Nian had already witnessed this in the afternoon. Since moving into the entire building, everyone must have heard that Qi Xiu'e was not a serious person.

"I did it on purpose." Luo Shunli muttered incoherently.

Sun Xiumei sighed fiercely and looked at Wang Nian with red eyes: "I am not afraid of Comrade Wang's ridicule. In fact, what Zhong Manli said is absolutely right. My mother is indeed shameless, but... I don't know who the target is."

Not only in the afternoon, he hasn't come back even now... I guess he is having a tryst with his lover.

Now that the words have been spoken, Fu Fang feels that there is no point in hiding it any longer, so she simply snorts directly: "Shame on you."

"I'm just afraid that person has a family and a partner. Don't you think this will destroy other people's families..."

Two lines of tears flowed from the corners of her eyes, and even someone as strong as Sun Xiumei couldn't help but feel despair at this moment.

"I think your mother is possessed by a ghost. If she was still in pain, she would have been dragged out and paraded through the streets long ago, and she would have been forced to run outside all day long!" said Fu Fang.

Luo Shunli and Sun Xiumei were in a free love relationship. In the early days of their relationship, no one noticed that Qi Xiu'e was cheating on them.

It was not until before the marriage was discussed that Fu Fang learned from her son that he had seen a man coming out of his single mother-in-law's room a few days ago. It was dark at the time and he saw a silhouette from behind.

At that time, Fu Fang thought that the widow was just tired of being lonely after being widowed for so long, but she didn't expect that her daughter's marriage seemed to stimulate Qi Xiu'e, and her promiscuous behavior became more and more obvious.

He used to be able to act serious on the surface, but later on his behavior and the way he spoke started to become inappropriate.

"I just want to see who harmed my mother like this!" Sun Xiumei was furious.

"It would be nice to know who it is! If he's single, then we can pair him up with her. If he's married, then we should cut off all contact..." Fu Fang sighed.

As a woman and a relative, Fu Fang actually didn't want Qi Xiu'e to embarrass herself.

As Sun Xiumei was becoming more and more uncomfortable, Wang Nian suddenly cleared his throat.

Fu Fang's mention of having a family immediately touched Wang Nian. Wu Taohua and her two children were actually the biggest victims in this.

Fu Fang paused, then realized that they were actually still at Ren Wang Nian's house!

"I was just talking about the second brother. I have no control over my mouth! I came to my sister's house to talk about these ugly things."

Wang Nian waved his hands, frowned, and tapped his knees with his fingers, looking very conflicted.

After a long while, he picked up the teacup and handed it to Sun Xiumei: "Maybe I know who your mother's lover is."

“…”

Then, Wang Nian described the scene he saw when he went to deliver shrimp oil that day, and finally stated: "I am not sure whether it was Hu Manjun, but I just want you to have more options."

"It must be him!" Sun Xiumei had two tear marks on her face, and her expression slowly changed from gritting her teeth to sudden realization: "I was wondering why my mother had to go next door to help Wu Taohua take care of the children!"

The claim that she was babysitting was a lie; she was just taking this opportunity to flirt with Hu Manjun.

"It turned out to be that bastard Hu Manjun." Luo Shunli bit the candy with a crunching sound, with a look of contempt: "I'm afraid... he has hooked up with more than just your mother."

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone in the room was shocked.

Wang Nian didn't expect that there were more than one or two people involved in the scandal in Factory 431. If he continued talking, he might end up involving a large number of people.

“…”

And in this strange silence, Shi Xiangming and Luo Yongde happily pushed the door open and walked into the room.

Luo Yongde's happiness was instantly wiped out by Fu Fang's words.

Trouble at home is far more frustrating than trouble at work.

Wang Nian noticed that Luo Shunli's eyes were always following Shi Xiangming, as if he was looking at... an idol.

When Shi Xiangming sat down next to Wang Nian, Luo Shunli immediately extended his hand excitedly: "Chief Engineer Shi, please take care of me in the future."

The two shook hands, and as soon as Luo Shunli withdrew his hands, he immediately rubbed his hands and said excitedly: "The precision table you improved is really amazing..."

Wang Nian completely believed that the word "you" could make the always lazy Luo Shunli use it, and he really admired Shi Xiangming.

"Thanks to the detailed data you provided, I was able to make successful improvements. Otherwise, I would be like a cook without rice but unable to make a meal." Shi Xiangming smiled humbly.

"Can I ask you any questions in the future?"

"Anytime, as long as I'm free."

"I just happened to have some problems recently. I will come to your house tomorrow after work with my notebook..."

To be honest, Luo Shunli's words made Wang Nian look at him with completely new eyes.

He is polite and knows when to stop. What he just said was not just a compliment. It is obvious that he has some basic knowledge in mechanical engineering and is not an unlearned idiot at all.

Shi Xiangming nodded gently.

"Then let's go back to what we just said about Comrade Hu Manjun."

“…”

No one, including Wang Nian, expected Shi Xiangming to continue the conversation.

"Hu Manjun has a moral problem, and it's a big problem... It's a good thing that you let Aunt Qi turn back as soon as possible, otherwise she will definitely be implicated in the future..."

"What's the big problem?" Luo Yongde asked.

"He is suspected of molesting the widow of a martyr. She is currently teaming up with several other female comrades who have been insulted to file a complaint with the Political Department. Hu Manjun won't have many good days left..."

When the factory was first built, many soldiers were sent by the army to help with the construction, and several of them died in Changshenggou.

Afterwards, the factory arranged jobs for the martyrs' families, who became a relatively special group of employees in the factory.

Hu Manjun dared to insult the family of a martyr. If he is found guilty after investigation, he will inevitably be sent to labor reform.

"How... do you know such a secret?" Wang Nian couldn't help but be curious.

"I wrote the materials they exposed myself," Shi Xiangming said, his face darkening for once. "And there is also the possibility of intimidation, which is not a serious problem that can be dealt with simply by moral condemnation."

"Damn it! This bastard is not a human being." Luo Shunli cursed angrily.

"My suggestion is to stop Aunt Qi from interacting with Hu Manjun as soon as possible to avoid implicating you," Shi Xiangming added.

Luo Yongde snorted coldly: "Second brother, go see if your mother-in-law has come back. If she has, we will go to meet her."

"I'll be right there."

I thought I had caused a big disaster and was here to pay for it, but who could have imagined that it would lead to such an even bigger trouble.

Soon, Luo Shunli came back and said, "My mother-in-law is back."

"Today, I, Old Luo, owe you two a big favor." Luo Yongde stood up and patted Shi Xiangming's shoulder heavily: "I will thank you very much in the future."

The adults in the Luo family went to Sun Xiumei's house with great concern, leaving the child behind to be taken care of by Wang Nian for a while.

As soon as the others left, Wang Nian immediately came up to Shi Xiangming, narrowed his eyes, pretended to be fierce, and questioned in a deep voice.

"Why did they ask you to write a report?"

"None of them can read."

"There are so many literate people in the factory, why don't they look for someone else? They look for you instead."

Shi Xiangming knew that Wang Nian was just joking, so he slowed down his speech and said with a smile: "Maybe I am the most reliable."

"You are so good." Wang Nian smiled, and gently patted the little girl in his arms who had fallen asleep at some point. "I know why they would look for you."

"Why?" Shi Xiangming asked in return.

"It must be because you were in the newspaper. People think that intellectuals like you must be good people." Wang Nian smiled.

Don’t mention it, Wang Nian actually guessed it right.

The reason why several people asked Shi Xiangming for help was because the news of his winning the competition was published in the newspaper.

In addition, Shi Xiangming had a certain influence in the factory, so people turned to his office for help.

"How come Director Luo didn't know anything about such a big thing?" Wang Nian asked again.

Shi Xiangming sighed and lowered his voice: "The political department and the factory leadership team are independent of each other, and the relationship between the two sides has never been harmonious since the factory was established."

This involved power struggles between different camps. Shi Xiangming never got involved and only knew the general idea.

"And..." Wang Nian was curious about more than one or two things. Shi Xiangming had just finished speaking when he asked another question: "Do you think Luo Shunli and his wife can get along?"

Her opinion of Luo Shunli changed again and again, and she was not sure whether there was something wrong with her judgment of people.

"Who do you think is a better person, Luo Shunli or Principal Cui?" Shi Xiangming asked with a smile.

"Principal Cui... Principal Cui."

After the incident in the school cafeteria, Wang Nian didn’t have a very favorable impression of Cui Shulin, so he responded with an uncertain tone.

"If it were in the past, you would have chosen Cui Shulin without hesitation." Shi Xiangming stood up and continued while picking up the peanut shells on the coffee table: "So whether we can get along or not depends on how we get along with each other. Aren't Comrade Liu and Comrade Xie the best examples?"

Wang Nian suddenly realized.

They have known each other for almost the same time. Now Liu Chaoxian can talk to her about anything, while Xie Yulan has returned to a relationship where they just nod to each other when they meet.

Who says that men who do research don’t understand the ways of the world…