Chapter 18
The result of the Ye family getting up early and queuing up to buy meat was that, except for the third sister-in-law Huang Li, everyone else went home empty-handed.
Looking at the four pounds of pork on the chopping board, Chang Yue'e decided to make some dumplings before officially using the meat purchase certificate so that the whole family could have a big meal.
So, when Ye Manzhi went to work the next day, she brought a lunch box of dumplings for lunch.
Several people took out their lunch boxes, containing steamed buns, dumplings, meat patties, and braised pork, anyway, all of them contained meat.
Chen Caixia gave Ye Manzhi a spoonful of braised pork and suggested, "Xiao Ye, after dinner, why don't we go to the Fifth Neighborhood Committee and visit the remaining households?"
"Okay!"
The work of the street office often requires overtime.
Ye Manzhi is not married and has no partner. She regards home visits after get off work as a hobby and enjoys it.
But Chen Caixia had just gotten married, and her family members were dissatisfied with her always working overtime at night.
So, Ye Manzhi took care of her by moving the home visit from the evening to lunch break.
Today they are going to visit two households, one of which is Zheng Dong's family.
Hearing Zheng Dong's name, Liu Jinbao put down his chopsticks and asked, "How do you plan to deal with Zheng Dong's family? Qian Shengli's situation is similar to Zheng Dong's. Let's discuss it together."
"Sister Caixia and I have tentatively decided to let Zheng Dongmei leave home and work, so that the Zheng family will have two wage earners and won't have to rely on welfare."
This was the result of Ye Manzhi's repeated consideration. No matter what role Xue Qiaoer played in the arson case, Zheng Dongmei's problem must be solved.
Letting her continue to stay at home would be a huge safety risk, and Ye Manzhi felt that she needed proper social interaction.
Liu Jinbao asked, "Zheng Dongmei seems illiterate, right? What kind of job can you recommend for her?"
"Well, she can't read. Let's ask her what her special skills are. There are also jobs that don't require literacy."
When it comes to naming, Zheng Dongmei and her fourth sister-in-law Shen Liangmei are of the same type.
One is Zheng Dong’s sister, and the other is Shen Liang’s sister.
If the parents are careless in even naming their daughter, it is even less likely that they would worry about her future.
Both of these "sisters" are illiterate.
…
After lunch, Ye Manzhi and Chen Caixia went to Zheng's house first.
The person who opened the door was Zheng Dongmei, who was very arrogant. She asked as soon as she saw me, "Why are you here again? What's the matter this time?"
Ye Manzhi continued to play the good guy, saying solemnly, "Didn't your family submit an application for assistance? We're here to verify your situation."
Even though the incident didn't happen and her fifth brother was fine, she couldn't help but feel a little angry at Zheng Dongmei.
This pretty boy sang with at least 50% sincerity.
"Come in," Zheng Dongmei said, as she was cutting her nephew's hair. She led him into the yard and pointed casually, "This is it. Feel free to look around. My parents are sleeping, so just don't make too much noise."
Ye Manzhi: “…”
The couple's life is really comfortable.
However, this is really good news for them. They don’t have to worry about anyone obstructing, disrupting, or pouring cold water on them.
Chen Caixia's role was different from Xiaoye's. She was kind and gentle, and asked softly, "Dongmei, our neighborhood has opened a tailoring class. Why don't you go and learn? The classes are free."
"Why would you learn that? Look at the situation at my house, can I even make clothes?"
Ye Manzhi continued seriously, "If you can't use it now, will you be able to use it in the future? If you can't use it, then neither can your nephews and nieces. If you learn it, it will be a skill after all, and you can teach it to these children in the future!"
"They are so young, what can they learn?"
Ye Manzhi's youthful appearance was a disadvantage in her work, so she imagined herself as Deputy Director Zhang. She put on a deliberately serious face and lectured, "Comrade Zheng Dongmei, I'm not saying anything bad about you, but you're a completely incompetent aunt!"
Zheng Dongmei frowned and asked, "How am I incompetent? I serve you food and drinks all day long, isn't that enough?"
"It's not that I can't! It's that it's not enough! When you were little, your brother took care of you a lot, didn't he? When he was in good health, he was the one who took care of the whole family, right?"
Zheng Dongmei said "hmm" with a sour face.
Ye Manzhi and Chen Caixia looked at each other and felt a little relieved.
They discussed this during the discussion yesterday and concluded that the Zheng brothers and sisters should have a good relationship. Perhaps they could start from this aspect and convince Zheng Dongmei.
Ye Manzhi continued, "Your brother took care of you before, but now it's your turn to take care of him! Who is he most worried about now that he's in this state? Besides his parents and wife, it must be these children! You're their aunt, you should think more about them!"
Zheng Dongmei took a pair of scissors and started cutting at her eldest nephew's head. After cutting a hairstyle that was not much better than one that had been bitten by a dog, she patted his head and called her younger nephew over.
After a long pause, he said, "My mom said that taking tailoring classes is useless and will easily make people look down on us, so she won't let us go."
Ye Manzhi snorted and continued her words, "You and your brother have never been to school, right?"
This sounded like sarcasm. Zheng Dongmei, sensitive as she was, threw the scissors down and glared at him, "What's wrong with us not having an education? Does not having an education make us inferior?"
Ye Manzhi was startled by her sudden outburst, but after recovering, she retorted unyieldingly, "What are you yelling about? Don't you know that not studying makes you inferior? Your parents never went to school, so you and your brother have been held back! You two are both smart and hardworking. If you had gone to school, even just elementary school, would your brother still be riding a tricycle? Would he still be bedridden because of it?"
Chen Caixia stood in front of Ye Manzhi at the right time and advised: "Xiao Ye, stop talking. Look how angry you made Dongmei!"
"It's okay, Sister Caixia. Although Zheng Dongmei has a stubborn temper, she's not a heartless person. I believe she can understand our good intentions."
Zheng Dongmei didn't look at the two of them. She picked up the scissors and silently cut her younger nephew's hair, giving him a hairstyle that was even uglier than that of her older nephew.
Although he didn't respond, he didn't refute it either, so the conversation was able to continue.
Chen Caixia said earnestly, "Although Xiaoye's words may be harsh, their truth is there. Dongmei, your parents are definitely protecting you and thinking about you and your siblings. However, they are people who came from the old society and their thinking is rather old-fashioned. Although they have a heart for the best for their children and grandchildren, their thinking has not kept up with the new realities of the new society!"
This was the second point they had discussed in advance.
Distant relatives cannot separate close relatives.
You must not sow discord between siblings, mothers and daughters, or fathers and daughters, and do not make Zheng Dongmei feel resentful.
"You're young and absorb new ideas much faster than older people. You should take responsibility for your nephews and nieces' education. Your brother and sister-in-law should be responsible for this, but your brother is powerless, and your sister-in-law is busy riding her tricycle every day. How can she worry about the future of these children?"
Ye Manzhi chimed in, "Your parents have already taken a wrong step in your brother's and your education. So, when it comes to issues concerning study and education, you need to use your brain more and make your own decisions. Don't be swayed by old ideas!"
Zheng Dongmei still looked angry, as if someone owed her eight hundred yuan.
After cutting the hair of his two nephews, he called his eldest niece over, combed the little girl's messy hair, and combed her hair again.
Looking at her expression, Ye Manzhi knew that she had listened, so he continued.
"Your four children are almost of school age. Especially these two little girls, they look like spitting the same spit of your aunt. You can't let your children go through the same hardship you've suffered, right? They still have to go to school!"
Zheng Dongmei scoffed, "That's easy for you to say. Doesn't it cost money to go to school? Where does the money come from?"
If you can afford it, who doesn’t want to send their children to school?
"That's why I said you're an incompetent auntie and have no real job! There's no point in glaring at me! If you had a job now, even if it was just a part-time job, and earned five or six dollars a month, it would be enough for these kids to go to school!"
"Your parents are old and in poor health. Can you still expect them to go out and earn money for your children's tuition? You're young, hardworking, and smart, but instead of going out to earn money, you're just sitting around the stove all day. How many opportunities to make money are you wasting? There's no heavy work at home, and your children are quite sensible. You can still do housework after get off work, and if things don't work out, your parents can always help!"
Chen Caixia and Zheng Dongmei stood together and retorted, "This matter cannot be entirely blamed on Dongmei. After all, factories now have a certain threshold for recruiting workers. At least they must be able to read and write. Dongmei and her brother have been delayed since childhood. Sigh..."
"Illiteracy is indeed a problem," Ye Manzhi looked at the depressed Zheng Dongmei, "Dongmei, do you have any special talents? For example, if you can cook delicious food, you can work hard in the cafeteria kitchen. If you are handy, you can try your hand at the clothing cooperative."
Zheng Dongmei said nothing.
“…”
It seems that her cooking is not good and her hands are not very skillful.
If you can't rely on your skills, you can only do hard labor like Xue Qiaoer.
This is actually not what Ye Manzhi wants to see.
It is inevitable to suffer from bullying when doing hard labor. Even someone with a temper like Fifth Brother will have arguments with others, let alone Zheng Dongmei.
She felt that Zheng Dongmei had a strong sense of self-esteem and needed a job that would allow her to be recognized or respected.
When the three adults were silent, the little girl sitting in front of Zheng Dongmei suddenly said timidly: "My aunt combs her hair beautifully!"
Ye Manzhi and Chen Caixia looked over when they heard the sound and noticed the fishtail braid Zheng Dongmei had braided for her niece.
To be fair, it is indeed very well combed. The fishtail braid is more complicated than the three-strand braid, but Zheng Dongmei's technique is very neat, and she can finish it with a few staggered strokes. The braid is neat and smooth, and there are almost no extra burrs.
Compared with her hairdressing skills, there is a world of difference.
Ye Manzhi asked with a smile: "Dongmei, do you know how to style your hair in other ways?"
"meeting."
"Can I comb adults' hair too?"
Zheng Dongmei looked at him like a fool and asked, "Aren't heads of adults and children all heads?"
"I mean, children's hairstyles are cute, but for adults, they need to be more mature."
"I don't understand that. It's just combing your hair."
Zheng Dongmei had short hair, and it didn't look very good. Ye Manyi thought for a moment and asked, "Can you help me get a nice hairstyle?"
After glancing at her white shirt, Zheng Dongmei crossed her arms and asked, "Don't you mind it being dirty?"
Ye Manzhi was still wearing the same clothes she wore when she came to Zheng's house the last few times. She looked at herself and pretended not to notice the awkwardness in the other person's words.
"Are there any lice on that comb of yours?"
"You have lice!"
"If there are no lice, then why are you so dirty? Don't you know how to comb your hair?"
Zheng Dongmei glanced at her sideways, pressed her shoulders and sat on the bench.
Although his expression was fierce, Ye Manzhi felt that the force of the comb hitting his hair was still relatively gentle.
Zheng Dongmei divided her hair into two layers. The upper layer was braided into a fishbone braid at the back of her head like a flower basket, and the long hair on the lower layer was left loose.
Her hair was permed, and her long curly hair draped over her shoulders made her look gentle and fashionable.
Chen Caixia praised, "Dongmei's craftsmanship is good, and she looks pretty. However, if you go back to work like this, Deputy Director Zhang will definitely criticize you. It's better to change to someone more dignified. Old Zhang requires everything to be simple and dignified."
Zheng Dongmei nodded, without touching the fishbone braid on top, and casually pulled up the lower layer of hair into a bun. She twisted it left and right, and in a few seconds she had made a bun at the back of her head, and fixed it with a hairpin.
"It looks so good!" Ye Manzhi picked up the small mirror and looked around. Then she turned and asked, "Dongmei, did you develop this hair-combing skill on your own, or did you learn it from someone else?"
"There used to be an old lady in the alley who combed hair for the wealthy families. I learned a little from her."
Ye Manzhi gave a thumbs up and said, "Awesome! Combing hair is a specialty. If you practice hard, you can even make a living with this skill!"
"Can combing hair really make money?"
Zheng Dongmei didn't quite believe it, but secretly hoped for a positive answer.
Some time ago, the female postman in charge of their area introduced her to a job delivering milk to the city.
But her parents thought it was too tiring to deliver milk from dawn to dusk, and she didn't know how to ride a bike, so if she broke the bike she would have to pay for it.
The matter was left unresolved.
Ye Manzhi felt that combing hair was a skill and they should be able to make money with it, but they needed to contact the barber shop first to confirm.
If you give people hope and then disappoint them, it will only dampen their enthusiasm.
*
There used to be a private barber shop on Guangming Street. During the public-private partnership, it merged with the barber shop of Factory 656.
As the number of workers in the factory increased, the barber shop expanded, with more than 40 barber chairs alone.
Today it has become one of the best state-owned barbershops in Zhengyang District.
Both Ye and Chen thought that Zheng Dongmei could work in a barber shop.
This kind of large barber shop has dedicated cashiers, and the barber is only responsible for shaving and perming people's heads. There are no high educational requirements, and being illiterate will not prevent them from cutting people's hair.
If her craftsmanship is good and she gets recognition and praise from customers, it will also satisfy Zheng Dongmei's self-esteem and boost her self-confidence.
The more Chen Caixia thought about it, the more she felt that this idea was reliable. The next day, as soon as she got to work, she went to the 656 Barber Shop, wanting to recommend Zheng Dongmei to them.
However, she was full of confidence when she left in the morning, but came back dejected in the afternoon.
Ye Manzhi was stamping the oil purchase certificate when she saw this and asked, "The barber shop doesn't want to accept it?"
"Well, the main job in a barbershop is cutting hair, and occasionally perming women's hair. But Zheng Dongmei only knows how to comb hair, not even the most basic haircut. And they're very busy, so they don't take apprentices, only experienced people."
In addition to the 656 barber shop, Chen Caixia also went to the barber shops in the next few streets to inquire, and even went to a bathhouse that provided haircut services.
Unfortunately, they are either full or don't accept such half-baked people.
"Forget it if it doesn't work. We haven't made any final decisions yet. Let's think of other solutions."
Just when things were starting to get clearer, they returned to the starting point again, and both of them were silent.
When Mulan came back from outside, she knocked on their desks and said, "Young people, don't be so lifeless all the time! You should show some vigor and enthusiasm for your career!"
She stood in front, clapped her hands, and said excitedly, "Come on, everyone, stop what you are doing. I have good news to announce!"
Ye Manzhi perked up and asked with a smile, "Director, what's the good news? Tell me quickly!"
Is it time to pay salaries?
Mulan said loudly, "Let me announce this: Following a resolution passed at a district meeting, the Sino-Soviet Friendship Association will soon establish a branch on Guangming Street! This is a milestone and an important honor for Guangming Street! Everyone, applaud!"
The office was silent for two seconds, and finally sparse applause broke out.
Liu Jinbao raised his hand and asked, "Director, aren't foreigners allowed on this street? How did they get approval to establish a branch?"
The situation on Guangming Street is rather special. Since there is a military factory in the area, a signboard stating "Foreigners are not allowed to enter without permission" has been erected at the intersection leading to Guangming Street.
Because of this sign, residents of Guangming Street are generally more vigilant.
"Establishing a branch doesn't conflict with 'no foreigners allowed in,'" Mulan said. "Our members are all locals."
Everyone: “…”
Mulan clapped her hands again to boost morale. "Alright, the purpose of the Sino-Soviet Friendship Association is to develop friendly relations between the two countries and enhance cultural and economic ties. The higher authorities' approval of the Guangming Street branch is a testament to their respect and recognition of our work."
"Before the branch is established, we need to organize a preparatory group. Our subdistrict office, police station, and each neighborhood committee must provide personnel for the preparations. Chief Liu and I will be the group leader and deputy group leader, respectively. Our unit will also need to provide two people. Are there any comrades willing to join the preparatory group?"
Veterans like Aunt Feng and Wei Zhen are no longer very interested in various associations and organizations, so naturally they will not rush to work in the preparatory group.
The main force of work still has to rely on newcomers.
Therefore, after Director Mu finished speaking, only four new comrades raised their hands.
Mulan smiled and said, "Young comrades must be proactive! The preparatory group won't have much work to do, so we can just pick two comrades. It would be best if they know some Russian so they can translate some materials."
Upon hearing this, Chen Caixia and Liu Jinbao put down their hands.
Chen Caixia went to school in a township, but there were no Russian classes in the township.
Liu Jinbao had taken Russian classes, but his grades were average. If he were asked to translate materials, he would probably be embarrassed.
"Okay, then Xiaoye and Zhuang Ting will join the preparatory team. By the way, how good are your Russian? Chief Liu and I don't know Russian, so if there's any translation work, we'll be relying on you!"
Zhuang Ting is not modest: "My Russian score has never been lower than 90 points."
Ye Manzhi boasted: "If my medical examination results hadn't been switched, I would have gone to study in the Soviet Union."
The Sino-Soviet Friendship Association is the most popular mass organization nowadays. The eldest sister, the third brother, and Lin Qingmei are all members of the Sino-Soviet Friendship Association.
When you go out, wear a badge on your chest and you will look very impressive.
She first joined the preparatory group, and the day of becoming a formal member is not far away!
*
There was a slight improvement in work, which made Ye Manzhi very happy.
Before leaving get off work, I called my eldest sister to contact the drama troupe. When I passed by the grocery store, I went in and bought a rice noodle sausage for Lao Ye to eat with his wine.
When I ran into the house happily with the bag in my hand, I keenly noticed that the atmosphere at home was not right.
Fourth sister-in-law sat on the bench with her head down, as if she had been crying.
"Sister-in-law, what's wrong with you?" Ye Manzhi showed a piece of rice noodle sausage. "I bought some rice noodle sausage specially for you. Would you like to have some together?"
The fourth sister-in-law ignored her and turned away angrily.
"Did you have a fight with my fourth brother?"
"I didn't provoke her. This is not my fault."
Ye Manzhi thought that her fourth brother and his wife were having a quarrel, so she gave him a few words of advice and wanted to go back to her room to rest, waiting for Old Ye to come home from get off work for dinner.
Having seen this so often at work, she no longer likes to get involved in the couple's quarrels.
Unexpectedly, just as she was about to leave, her fourth sister-in-law suddenly turned around, grabbed her arm and asked, "Laiya, let me ask you, do you recognize your fourth brother?"
"What do you mean? How can you not recognize your brother?"
"When you were building that big yard for Old Five, why didn't you think of your fourth brother?" Shen Liangmei said, wiping her tears. "Fourth and fifth brothers are both real brothers, right? When you went to patrol the cemetery, was your fourth brother with you? But why don't you ever think of your fourth brother when good things happen?"
Ye Manzhi thought that the matter of the house could not be kept secret after all, and the news leaked out.
She asked in surprise: "Sister-in-law, you and my fourth brother want to move out? Why haven't I heard you say that before?"
"Maido is getting older. Your fourth brother and I can't always leave him to our mother, right?"
"That's true." Ye Manyi nodded.
When the fifth brother lived in Yueya Hutong, the fourth sister-in-law didn't have any objections. But now that he is moving to Dachedian, she has some ideas.
I should still choose the house in Dachedian.
"Sister-in-law, why do you want to move out? You don't have to pay rent to live at home, and your food and drink are all provided by our father. Once you move out, you will have to rely on yourself like Fifth Brother. However, if you really want to move out, I can go to the Housing Authority to help ask."
Without waiting for Shen Liangmei to answer, Chang Yue'e lifted the curtain and walked out of the room.
"Why are you asking? I want to move in with your fifth brother and live with him!"
Shen Liangmei was unconvinced and said, "It's not like we don't pay. Two dollars a month is not enough? Besides, I can still wash clothes and cook. When Lao Wu comes home, he can eat a ready-made hot meal. What's wrong with that?"
Ye Manzhi thought to himself that two dollars was just the rent.
How to calculate food and drink?
There are three people in the fourth brother's family, and only one person in the fifth brother's family.
She turned around and asked her fourth brother, "Brother, do you want to move in with fifth brother too?"
"Yes!" The fourth brother nodded decisively. "Living in a big house is better than staying in this small living room, right? I'll go out and earn some money, and your fourth sister-in-law will take care of the housework. Wouldn't that make life easier for us?"
Chang Yue'e's eyes were filled with anger. You guys may be able to live a good life, but what about my fifth child?
She was just about to talk to the fourth brother and his wife, but Ye Manzhi stepped forward and blocked her way.
"Sister-in-law, I have no objection to you moving out, as long as Fifth Brother agrees. You can cook and do housework, which can be considered as helping Fifth Brother. However," Ye Manzhi frowned and said, "Do you really plan to do housework and take care of the children at home in the future?"
Tears still stained Shen Liangmei's eyelashes. "If I don't do housework and take care of the children, what else can I do?"
"Oh, forget it then." Ye Manzhi said regretfully, "I just contacted our eldest sister. The makeup artists in their drama troupe can take apprentices. Although there is no salary, you can learn a skill. I was thinking of recommending you to be an apprentice in the drama troupe! After you finish your apprenticeship, maybe you can get a job as a master hairdresser in a barber shop or photo studio..."
Shen Liangmei stopped crying and blinked her eyes and asked, "Little sister, are you serious? I can become an apprentice even though I have never been to school?"
"Makeup, hairdressing, as long as you can read, understand, and have good hands, it's all you need. Who cares if you can read or not?"
“…”
Looking at the three people's identical surprised faces, Ye Manzhi thought with some pride, maintaining family harmony still depends on me, this family can't do without me!
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