Chapter 6
The performance ended at eight o'clock, and it was already past nine o'clock when Ye Manzhi got home.
As soon as the door opened a crack, the fourth brother, who was making the bed in the living room, shouted, "The youngest is back!"
The others hurried out of the house. Chang Yue'e looked at her daughter's expression and asked, "Did you come back by yourself just now, or with Captain Wu?"
"Captain Wu sent me back."
Chang Yue'e had just let go of her worries when she heard the fourth son's wife ask expectantly, "What's Captain Wu like? Is he easy to get along with?"
The military representative stationed in the factory is no worse than the deputy factory director. If she can get along with the military representative, Shen Liangmei is willing to support her sister-in-law to stay in her parents' home for the rest of her life!
Ye Manzhi said listlessly, "Not bad. When Captain Wu heard that I was looking for a job, he said he could introduce me to a job at the Subdistrict Office and even wrote me a letter of recommendation."
The whole family: "..."
Weren't we there to find a date? How did it become a job introduction?
After reading the letter of recommendation brought back by his daughter, Ye Shouxin was the first to come to his senses.
"I told you, I never make a mistake when judging people! Even though Xiao Wu doesn't talk much, he's very sincere and kind-hearted!"
After a blind date, Captain Wu automatically became Xiao Wu in his eyes.
This time it was Ye Manzhi's turn to be silent.
Is the Captain Wu she met the same person as the Little Wu her father mentioned?
Someone just recommended a job to her, so it seemed inappropriate for her to say this. However, if someone like Wu Zhengrong could be considered warm-hearted, then her heart must be extremely warm!
When dealing with the incident with the man in the top hat tonight, he stood by and watched with an indifferent attitude almost the entire time.
When facing his blind date with a nosebleed, he had a weird expression and a teasing look in his eyes.
Although he didn't say anything at the time, he even offered her a handkerchief to wipe her nosebleed out of concern.
But!
Silence is better than words here!
It's really awakening!
Being stared at by such a gaze that seemed to see through everything, she wanted to perform a flying and escaping trick on the spot!
Hey, she said she's been feeling a bit irritated lately, but I don't know if she believed it...
Ye Manzhi's mind was in turmoil, he secretly sighed that beauty can mislead people, and the favor of a beautiful woman is indeed the hardest to accept.
However, the family members thought this blind date was promising and started asking about the details of the two people's meeting.
She picked out the things she could say, then casually asked, "Dad, Captain Wu said his position at the factory is only temporary, and he might be transferred back to Beijing soon. Do you know about this?"
She embarrassed herself at her grandma's house tonight and lost all her dignity and face. She wished she never had to meet Wu Zhengrong again.
Based on her understanding of her parents, they would never let her marry far away.
Sure enough, Ye Shouxin stopped and frowned, asking, "Did he tell you this in person?"
"Yes." Ye Manzhi repeated the conversation between the two.
Ye Shouxin exchanged a glance with his wife, his brows furrowed in a frown. "Military orders are as heavy as a mountain. Being transferred back to the capital is good enough. If I end up in some remote corner, even communication wouldn't be convenient."
Taking over the position temporarily may just be Captain Wu's excuse. The real situation is probably that the other party doesn't like his daughter.
He thought for a long time with his hands behind his back, then shook his head regretfully, "Our daughter won't marry far away! I'll give the matchmaker a reply tomorrow. Let's forget about this."
Chang Yue'e was worried that her daughter, who was going on her first blind date, would be upset, so she consoled her, "Luckily, Director Wu recognized your talent and found you a good job. The money we spent on those two tickets to the show wasn't wasted."
Looking at it from another perspective, Captain Wu is still doing his job very decently.
The fourth brother played with his katydid jar and tactlessly criticized the situation: "What good job is the Street Office? There are only aunties, grandmas and old ladies over there. What is the point of going to the Street Office when you are so young?"
"The old ladies you mentioned are all from the neighborhood committee. How can the street office be the same as the neighborhood committee? The street office has a cadre establishment!"
Ye Shouxin couldn't quite explain the specific differences.
But it’s hard to find a job now.
The second son of Mr. Liu from the workshop also graduated this year. Since he couldn't find a suitable job, he joined the city's youth volunteer reclamation advance team the day before yesterday and went to Songbei to build a collective farm.
Ye Lai Ya is not cut out for farm work. Instead of reclaiming wasteland, she would rather go to the street office and stay with the old ladies.
Compared to his ignorant parents and younger brother, the third brother Ye Mantang is much more understanding.
"Those who work are under the jurisdiction of their employers, those who go to school are under the jurisdiction of the school, and those who neither work nor go to school are under the jurisdiction of the street office. Most of the families of our factory workers have to obey the street office's orders. From big things like conscription and recruitment to small things like issuing marriage certificates and letters of introduction, the street office is responsible for everything. My little sister's tailoring business was shut down by the street office..."
The county magistrate is not as good as the current manager, and the street office is not as big as a factory, but its power is indeed considerable, and it has a say in all matters big and small concerning the residents in the jurisdiction.
The fourth brother fed some bean sprouts to the katydid and took a moment to look up and say, "Liu Zhuo's mother is the director of the neighborhood committee, and she only gets a three-yuan subsidy every month! Youngest brother, how much can you get if you go to work at the street office?"
Three dollars is too little, not even as much as he earns from taking care of katydids!
He always thought that his younger sister, who had a high school diploma, could work in an office in a large company, but he didn't expect that she would be sent to a street office with only a few employees.
Ye Manzhi was still thinking about the blood-stained handkerchief in his pocket. He just wanted to wash it as soon as possible, destroy the evidence, and then keep this embarrassing incident to himself.
She said unhappily, "I don't know how much I can expect to earn. I'll go to the street office tomorrow and ask for details."
*
The Ye family had mixed opinions about this job, but Ye Manzhi himself still cherished the opportunity.
The next morning, I went out with the letter of recommendation.
The street office is not far from my home, located in a small courtyard facing the street, hidden in a shantytown that stretches as far as the eye can see.
The ginkgo trees lining the sidewalk provide shade, and sunlight filters through the branches and leaves, falling dappled onto the sign beside the door.
"Guangming Sub-district Office, Zhengyang District, Binjiang City".
This was not the first time Ye Manzhi came to the street office. She had been coming here quite often since her second brother-in-law Xu Dajun reported her for running a private tailor shop.
At this time, he walked straight into the red brick bungalow opposite the gate.
There were residents queuing up at the office door to get letters of introduction.
The street director's desk was at the innermost part. As soon as Ye Manzhi pushed the door open, he was discovered by the sharp-eyed Director Mu.
"Xiao Ye is here to discuss your brother and sister-in-law's divorce, right? It would be best if he comes in person. It's no use always avoiding mediation!"
Ye Manzhi was embarrassed. He casually explained a few words on behalf of his third brother, then stated his purpose and handed over the letter of recommendation from Captain Wu.
Mulan unfolded the letter and read the few short lines over and over again two or three times, occasionally glancing at Ye Manyi from behind her glasses.
After waiting for an unknown amount of time, she smiled and said, "We're certainly more than happy to have Captain Wu recommend such a talented person. Xiaoye, I know a little bit about your situation. Our Subdistrict Office will definitely warmly welcome a woman like you with a relatively high level of education!"
She spoke in a sonorous voice, with a friendly and crisp tone.
Ye Manzhi thanked him quickly, then remembered the intensive training that Old Ye and her third brother had given her last night on "20 Clichés for Dealing with Leaders." She then said modestly, "Director Mu, this is my first time working and I lack experience. I'd really appreciate your guidance."
Director Mu seemed quite satisfied with her statement. After looking at her graduation certificate and relevant documents, he smiled and said, "Xiao Ye, we have accepted the letter of recommendation. The subdistrict office needs to verify the situation first and try to give you a reply as soon as possible."
Verifying academic qualifications and family background is necessary, and Ye Manzhi was mentally prepared.
The attitude of the street leaders is much more friendly than that of other units. I guess it is because of Captain Wu's face that played a role.
Although Captain Wu declined her offer with the lame excuse of taking over a temporary position, and even though he laughed at her nosebleed, which was a bit disgusting, she still knew what was right and wrong since the other party had recommended her for the job.
After crossing out Wu Zhengrong's name from her grudge book, Ye Manzhi said goodbye to Director Mu and went home happily to wait for news.
Mulan, who was in the office, was holding the letter of recommendation and exclaiming to the deputy director next door: "What kind of a deal is this?"
Zhang Qinjian held a teacup in one hand and a newspaper in the other, and responded halfheartedly, "If someone is helping to recommend someone, that must be a good thing."
"If only Xiao Ye comes, we can just keep her here. She's a high school student, and she's pretty. At least she'll be a feast for the eyes in the office!" Mulan opened the drawer and took out four similar notes. "Isn't this a gathering of people with connections?"
Zhang Qinjian finally put down the newspaper and took out two envelopes. "I have two people here too. Let's find some time to discuss how to allocate the quota."
The staffing of each sub-district office has a standard, with 5-7 cadres arranged based on the total number of residents in the jurisdiction.
The director and deputy director are official cadres appointed by the district.
The other personnel are all supplementary cadres and can be recruited by the streets themselves.
Guangming Street has a staff of 6 people. During the public-private partnership a while ago, one of the clerks went to work as a public manager at a joint-venture hotel, and another was transferred to the labor union of Factory 656 through connections.
This created two staff vacancies.
Unexpectedly, before their recruitment notice was even posted, notes recommending talents came in one after another.
Zhang Qinjian suggested, "We can't delay this any longer. The longer we delay, the more people will come to us asking for your help. There are currently seven candidates, and only four meet the requirements for a junior high school education or above. We weren't strict about academic qualifications before, so this time, let's just use academic qualifications as the red line. No one can find fault with it."
So, choose two out of four, who will be eliminated?
Mulan picked out the recommendation letters of these four people and spread them out on the table one by one.
The names of the leaders who signed the letter include those from the district and nearby units.
The work of the sub-district office is a link between the upper and lower levels and needs support from all sides. Mulan has always adhered to the principle of uniting all forces that can be united.
There is really no need to offend people just to recruit more staff.
After a long moment of silent contemplation, she spoke, "When it comes to neighborhood work, character and ability are more important than academic qualifications. If we hire another Feng Chaoyang, we'll still be the ones with the headache. New comrades have a probation period anyway, so I think we could have them all try out for two months. Explain the pros and cons clearly in advance, and then only choose the two with the best performance to keep, and those who can accept it can come in for a trial period."
Zhang Qinjian wanted to say that this was inappropriate and might offend everyone, but when he thought of Feng Chaoyang's character, he shut his mouth again.
The idea was a bit bad, but at least it would allow him to give an explanation to the old friend he had greeted.
If someone is unwilling to come for a trial job, it will save him the trouble.
"Then let's do as the Director wishes!"
He gathered several letters of recommendation together and when he came to Ye Manzhi's letter, he wondered, "Why did Wu Zhengrong also send me a note?"
Most of the residents of Guangming Street are employees and their families of Factory No. 656, and the two units have very close ties.
Wu Zhengrong, a young leader, is sensible and not a nosy person. It is quite surprising that he would interfere in the recruitment work of the street office.
"Last time I went to a district meeting, I joked that the 656 Factory Union had poached Xiao Liu from our neighborhood office. Then, Team Leader Wu said he'd find a good replacement to compensate me. I thought it was a joke, but he actually recommended a high school graduate!"
Mulan had some guesses about their relationship, but when she thought of their age difference, she quickly dismissed the idea.
656 is a super large factory with an acquaintance society inside, and every household has intricate connections.
Maybe these two families are related.
*
Director Mu was only speculating in his mind, but on the other side of Guangming Street, in the cafeteria of Factory 656, someone had already asked Wu Zhengrong himself.
"How was that girl you went to the show with yesterday?"
"It's fine. However, you've seen the situation here. We're currently on a delivery deadline and preparing for the National Day gift. Time is tight and the task is heavy. I don't have time to think about personal matters for now. Aunt, please go back to work after lunch."
"Who isn't busy with work? Revolutionary work won't prevent you from getting married!"
Aunt Wu took a two-hour leave from school just to check on her nephew's blind date.
This nephew has always been determined and opinionated. If she hadn't been tough, yesterday's blind date would have ended in failure.
Wu Xiaogu looked across. The scorching summer sun brushed against Wu Zhengrong's profile, obscuring his expression. She paused for two seconds and asked delicately, "Are you having another one of those old problems?"
"No."
Wu Zhengrong answered frankly, but Wu Xiaogu didn't believe it.
Her nephew was extremely intelligent. At the age of fifteen, he ranked first in the provincial examination and was admitted to Southwest Associated University, which was formed by the merger of Peking University, Tsinghua University and Nankai University.
Everyone would praise this young talent.
But everyone knows their own business. Although this kid appears to be humble, polite and gentle to the outside world, he is actually extremely arrogant and looks down on everyone equally.
Although he has learned to restrain his edge and become more introverted after becoming an adult, it is difficult to change one's nature. Aunt Wu reasonably suspects that her nephew's old habit of thinking everyone is a fool may have come back.
Otherwise, how can we introduce one yellow person to another?
“Uncle Wu!”
Her thoughts were interrupted. Wu Xiaogu looked up and saw two young men who looked like students passing by their table carrying lunch boxes.
Wu Zhengrong responded with a smile: "Don't you have to go to class today?"
"The preparatory class has classes this afternoon. We'll have lunch at the factory before heading over." Zhou Mu replied familiarly, then asked with a smile, "Uncle Wu, I heard you're teaching a class to the interns at the Stalin Automobile Factory. Can we sit in on it?"
After Zhou Mu and Liu Guoqing arrived in the Soviet Union, they decided to study engineering. To prevent him from struggling to keep up with the foreign teaching pace, his father used his connections to get them special permission to attend cram school with the factory's young workers who had studied in the Soviet Union, giving them a bit of early training.
Wu Zhengrong is occasionally invited to cram schools to teach theoretical courses. His lectures are easy to understand and well-cited, and are very popular among students.
However, Wu Zhengrong was the military representative stationed at the factory, and the topic might involve confidential information, so the class was only open to the young workers from the factory who were about to study in the Soviet Union.
Even though his father was the deputy factory director, he could not force him to attend the military representative's class.
Theoretical classes and practical classes are conducted simultaneously. In the recent practical classes, Zhou Mu felt like he was listening to a foreign language while listening in the workshop.
He had no other choice but to try to test Uncle Wu's attitude.
Wu Zhengrong was easy to talk to and quite tolerant of his almost reckless behavior. He smiled and said, "I'm teaching this class on behalf of the factory's Overseas Study Committee. As long as you have a class attendance pass when you enter, anyone can come and sit in."
"Then we can go to the Overseas Study Committee to get a class attendance certificate so we can attend your class, right?"
"Um."
"That's great!"
Zhou Mu and Liu Guoqing were both surprised and thanked Wu Zhengrong repeatedly.
The two were so happy that they had not yet realized that the Overseas Study Committee would not easily issue the certificate without the personal confirmation of the military representative.
Zhou Mu had a few more questions for Wu Zhengrong. Just as he was about to ask if they could sit down at a shared table, Wu Zhengrong pointed to the other side and said with concern, "There's an empty table over there. Hurry up and don't miss your preparatory class this afternoon."
"Ah," Zhou Mu's hand stopped mid-air, and he coughed lightly to hide his embarrassment, trying to act nonchalantly, "Okay, Uncle Wu, enjoy your meal. I'll be over first..."
Wu Zhengrong nodded and said no more.
He looked normal and his words were impeccable, but Aunt Wu, who had raised him for more than ten years, could see that he was impatient to deal with it.
That young man was able to study in the preparatory class for studying in the Soviet Union. He doesn't look like a fool at all. Why does Zhengrong have such an attitude?
Wu Zhengrong picked up the chopsticks again, pretending not to notice the question in his aunt's eyes.
He asked someone to find out about the situation of the Ye and Zhou families this morning.
My impression of Zhou Mu has changed from a smart son of a colleague to a smart fool.
Zhou Zhenye is a scheming person, so it is understandable that he is not satisfied with his son's child marriage.
If he had been despicable in public and had broken off the engagement with the other party openly, Wu Zhengrong might have looked up to him.
But this family wants both benefits and reputation. They are treacherous and deceitful, and their words are false and eloquent. No matter how you look at it, they are like despicable people.
Aunt Wu had no time to care about other children. She whispered to him to get along well with his colleagues and not to be so arrogant like a peacock. Then she sighed and said, "It's no wonder that Xiaoye's father thinks you two are not suitable. He rejected your relationship early this morning..."
Wu Zhengrong listened to his aunt's chatter while he devoured the food with his chopsticks.
He expected the Ye family to refuse.
He had already taken precautions in advance, and the Ye family's parents might not be happy to let their daughter marry far away.
Even if his parents were willing, Ye Manyi himself might not agree.
The girl seemed a little afraid of him and lost face in front of him.
When we parted last night, he felt as if he had been pardoned, and his tense shoulders relaxed.
Aunt Wu said with a hint of regret, "Not many ordinary families are willing to let their daughters go to high school. This at least shows that the Ye family's parents are very open-minded. Xiaoye is well-educated, comes from a good family, and is quiet and well-behaved. Your grandfather should be satisfied with her."
She secretly regretted in her heart that if she had known this would happen, she should not have allowed the old man to interfere in her nephew's marriage.
Her father had only one criterion for selecting a woman: virtuous and obedient.
All the daughters-in-law who married into the Wu family, from her mother to her sisters-in-law, were of this type.
Given Wu Zhengrong's temper, there is a 99% chance that he would not want to live with such a daughter-in-law.
Seeing her nephew's expression fade, Aunt Wu hurriedly added, "Although it was your grandfather who suggested asking the Party organization to introduce a girl, the candidate was chosen by your factory leaders. Grandpa had no say. Don't let past grudges make you miss out on a good girl."
Wu Zhengrong recalled how Ye Manzhi looked when she stood up for someone injustice. She was bright and energetic, which indeed did not meet his grandfather's selection criteria.
However, the other person's nosebleed and his expression of shame and anger were also particularly vivid.
Seeing that he didn't seem like he would listen to her advice, Wu Xiaogu hesitated for a while, then took out two new photos from her backpack and pushed them to him with a smile.
"Since you don't have that intention, let's put aside the past and look forward. These are the other two candidates recommended by Chairman Yao of your Women's Federation. I've done some thorough research, and they're both excellent women. You can meet Miss Liu tonight!"
Wu Zhengrong: “…”
He lowered his eyes and looked at the two new photos in front of him. He really didn't expect that the blind date would be so busy.
I couldn't help but frown.
"Miss Liu is a 23-year-old nurse at your factory hospital. She's been recognized as an advanced individual for two consecutive years. She loves revolutionary work just as much as you do, so you two should have something to talk about. After get off work today, you two can meet at the nearby Workers' Club. If you get along..."
After listening in silence for a while, Wu Zhengrong finally couldn't help but interrupt his chattering aunt.
"Auntie, I've thought about it carefully, and what you said actually makes sense. Comrade Xiao Ye from yesterday was very outstanding. Although the Ye family's conditions are not the best, they are suitable."
He pushed the photo back and calmly calmed the man down. "I'm going to leave Comrade Xiao Liu for now. Please give me some time. I'll try to get Comrade Xiao Ye."
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