Chapter 114

He Daqing is the most righteous person in this courtyard, and it is not in vain that we are friends with this brother.

"Okay, I'm glad you're okay. I'll come over after I finish washing the dishes and make sure I clean up nicely."

He Daqing was washing dishes as he spoke. Li Jiandong could rest assured that He Daqing would take care of the wild boar.

the next morning.

Li Jiandong went to the dormitory building of the tavern, cut off a piece of pig's trotter and elbow, and then rode his scooter to Director Zheng's house.

If Li Jiandong came to give Director Zheng a gift before, it was because he had something to ask for.

Now he is the deputy director of the steel mill. Even if he needs help, he doesn't have to go to the factory to give gifts. He can usually just invite him to dinner.

That's why I come to visit during the holidays.

First, Director Zheng helped him when he was a worker, and Li Jiandong is a grateful person.

Otherwise, Director Zheng is definitely not a person who is greedy for power. If he had someone to help him, he would have retired and rested long ago.

I believe it won’t be long before they start considering the issue of children.

There is more than one deputy chief in the police station, and their achievements are similar. In terms of qualifications, Sha Zhu is even slightly inferior to the other deputy chiefs.

"You're right, I'm just an ordinary person."

Li Jiandong smiled and said, "Yes, meat is in short supply this year and no one can buy it. My two apprentices are getting married soon, so I have no choice but to make it myself."

If Li Jiandong was in their street office, he could step down and take a back seat now.

It's a pity that the street office doesn't have talents like Li Jiandong.

"Thank you, Lao Li, for your good words."

Yan Bugui's son is getting married today, and he certainly can't preside over the ceremony himself, so he lets Xu Fugui take his place.

"Jiandong, you are really great. It would have been great if I had snatched you from the steel mill at the beginning."

Director Zheng was very happy to see Li Jiandong coming.

Li Jiandong's words just now reminded Director Zheng that since everyone's abilities are similar, why not promote someone who has a close relationship?
Relationships are sometimes also part of ability.

"Oh, this is wild boar meat, are you going to the countryside again?"

Although when the TV series started, Yan Jiecheng and Yu Li did not have children yet.

"Director Zheng, the street has its responsibilities, and the steel mill has its mission. We are all bricks in the construction of the motherland. We can move wherever we are needed. It's the same wherever we work. As long as we can play our role, that's enough. Don't you agree?"

Although it was just a change of identity, it was very useful to people like Director Zheng.

Li Jiandong didn't expect that sending a pig's trotter would give him such an unexpected surprise.

Li Jiandong's words made Director Zheng feel ashamed.

Director Zheng is also an expert at identifying goods and could tell at a glance that it was a wild boar's trotter.

The Chinese New Year is coming soon. The workers are all on holiday at home, and those who work far away have also returned. Almost all the people in the courtyard are present.

"Old Li, let me give you a flower. Later, Old Xu will be the host and you can still be the witness."

Director Zheng laughed.

Yan Bugui said with a smile.

Second, Director Zheng is old and alone, so Li Jiandong would come to see him when he has time, since he has nothing to do anyway.

"Yes, Jiandong, you are more aware. I am selfish."

Yan Bugui found Li Jiandong with two red flowers.

But Li Jiandong guessed that it was because the life of the Yan family in the play was too hard, and Yu Li grew up alone with her younger sister. She knew how difficult it was to live in poverty, so she deliberately did not have children early.

"Director Zheng, you are being too polite. You are the head of our neighborhood and you have been very concerned about all of us. In particular, our No. 40 Courtyard has received a lot of care from you. It is only natural for me to come and see you on behalf of the people in the courtyard."

Li Jiandong said with a bow.

"Haha, you are great, Jiandong. You are really kind. You are kind to the people in the courtyard, to your disciples, and you are also very loyal to an old man like me. It is a great honor for me to know you as a friend."

In the past, whenever someone in the courtyard got married, Yan Bugui would be the host and Li Jiandong would be the witness.

The twenty-sixth day of the twelfth lunar month.

Li Jiandong smiled and said, "Director Zheng, please don't say that. No one is a saint, and who is not selfish? Take me for example. If someone else's ability is similar to my apprentice's, and I am given a hundred choices, I will still promote my own apprentice."

Yan Jiecheng now earns more than 100 yuan a month. Although Yu Li earns less, at least she has a stable income.

"Congratulations, Old Yan. It won't be long before you have a grandson."

Director Zheng sighed from the bottom of his heart. He is now 57 years old and is about to retire.

This day was the wedding day of two young couples, Yan Jiecheng and Yu Li, and Liu Guangqi and Zhou Rong.

The two chatted for a while, and then Li Jiandong said goodbye and left.

This is a happy event, nothing to worry about.

Director Zheng suddenly felt relieved, laughed and said, "By the way, Jiandong, He Yuzhu is also your apprentice, right? He has worked in the police station for such a long time and has made many achievements. Director Zhang should make some moves in the spring of next year, and he should mention it then."

Li Jiandong did not say that he came to give gifts, but said that he was visiting on behalf of someone in the hospital.

At this time, Liu Haizhong was also ready. Xu Fugui had already walked out of the backyard with Liu Guangqi. The two apprentices were wearing the same gray Zhongshan suit and big red flowers on their chests. They went to pick up the bride happily.

The entrance of the alley was bustling with the sound of gongs and drums.

He Daqing was busy preparing for the wedding banquet, and Sha Zhu was helping him.

Seeing Yan Jiecheng and Liu Guangqi coming out of the alley, He Daqing said with some regret,

"Zhu Zi, look at him. Liu Guangqi is one year younger than you, and he has already married, but you still don't even have a partner."

"If you don't have time to find one, I'll ask your master to introduce you to one. He has a good eye and will definitely help you find a good one."

Sha Zhu was speechless when he heard this. To be honest, he also wanted to have a partner, but this was not something he could get just by wanting it.

Although many people usually introduce him to potential partners, after all, he is the deputy director of the police station and is considered a promising young man.

But I don’t know why, every time I introduce someone to me, I don’t like them.

Maybe it’s because there are too many beauties in the yard?
After several consecutive times, Sha Zhu became disappointed with blind dates. It’s not right for people to keep introducing you to other people and then it won’t work out for you.

But Shazhu didn't want to let himself down, so he kept dragging it on until now.

"Dad, there's no rush for my matter. I've been very busy with work lately. Let's talk about it later when we have time."

He Daqing became angry when he heard this.

"What are you busy with? You're just busy doing nothing all day. Marriage is a big deal. How can you not get married if you're busy?"

Sha Zhu said helplessly:
"I also want to get married, but the opportunity hasn't come yet. You can't ask me to get married just for the sake of getting married.

Besides, Xie Cheng and Guang Qi were not introduced to each other by others, and my senior brother Jia Dongxu also found their own partners, which is the only way to be happy."

I don’t know who I learned this from, but this statement does have some basis.

When you find a partner, you already have a certain understanding of each other before you have feelings for each other. Those who can get married are relatively attracted to each other.

But blind dates are different. You are talking about marriage after only meeting the two people a few times. You don’t know much about each other, so problems can easily arise.

"Bullshit, your stepmother and I met through a blind date. Don't you think we are unhappy? And your master and Qin Huairu also met through a blind date. Who of our generation found their partner on their own? How many of them are unhappy?"

He Daqing directly used himself and Li Jiandong as examples, and his words made Sha Zhu unable to refute.

However, Sha Zhu was still not convinced. He had been on several blind dates and hadn't found the right one.

He would rather wait than just find someone to settle for.

The wedding was still going on. The bride had been taken back to the courtyard and was kowtowing to each of her father-in-law.

Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong were both smiling.

Although both of them were not very satisfied with their daughter-in-law, since they had married her, they became a family.

What's more, both couples' marriages have the support of Li Jiandong, and they still believe in Li Jiandong's vision.

After kneeling before the parents, the wedding was almost over.

Xu Fugui loudly announced the start of the meal, and the residents all found their seats and sat down.

Yan Jiecheng brought Yu Li, Liu Guangqi brought Zhou Rong, and the two teams of newcomers came in front of Li Jiandong and Qin Huairu, knelt down and kowtowed three times to each of them.

Although the groom's family members are all present, it is not necessary to pay respects to the master and the master's wife at the wedding. However, it is okay to pay respects to them outside of the wedding. It is a sign of respect.

Li Jiandong was also very happy and took out the big red envelope he had prepared long ago. "Jie Cheng, Guang Qi, Yu Li and Zhou Rong are all good girls, you must cherish them and live a good life, then Master and Master's wife will be relieved."

Yan Jiecheng and Liu Guangqi knelt on the ground and said:
"Thank you, Master. We will definitely not let you worry."

Yu Li and Zhou Rong also took the red envelopes and said:

"Thank you, Master, and thank you, Master's Wife."

"Well, get up."

Li Jiandong and Qin Huairu accepted the gifts generously, and then Li Jiandong came to the main table, while Qin Huairu went to the table of the second and third aunts.

The food and drinks came to the table like water, and soon everyone started eating and drinking.

After the wedding, it’s the Chinese New Year.

There were several more people paying New Year’s greetings this year, including a new daughter-in-law and some extra children in the yard.

The people in Yard 40 are relatively young, except for He Daqing, Liu Haizhong and others who are older.

No elderly people have passed away in the past few years, but many children have been born.

From a few people in the 50s, the number has increased to 99 now, and only one person is left to reach three digits.

"Jie Cheng, Guang Qi, the people in our hospital are counting on you two to succeed. Let's see who is more capable."

While playing mahjong, He Daqing did not forget to tease the two juniors next to him.

Yan Bugui was also at the table. Since Li Jiandong stopped playing, he won more and lost less, so he was very active every time he played mahjong.

He smiled and responded to He Daqing: "Old He, don't just look at me and the Liu family. Your Zhuzi is not young anymore. Let him find a partner to bring back. Then the 100th person will be complete."

Xu Fugui also laughed beside him:
"Yes, Daqing, the 100th child doesn't necessarily have to be born. He can also be married. Hurry up and let your Zhuzi marry one, otherwise my Damao will get him first."

Liu Haizhong fanned the flames:

"Lao He, you have been fighting with Lao Xu for half your life, you can't lose to him in this regard. Damao is two years younger than your Zhuzi. If you get married earlier than Zhuzi, you will lose miserably."

He Daqing was a little depressed.

Of course, he also wanted Sha Zhu to get married earlier, and he had talked to him about this before, but the child was grown up and disobedient, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Beifeng, play by yourself. I've let you guys talk so much. Take the money."

He Daqing slammed the mahjong tiles on the table with a bang. This means his son is disappointed in love and his father is successful in poker.

On that day, He Daqing killed many people. Liu Haizhong, Yan Bugui and Xu Fugui were all defeated, but he won all the games by himself.

Li Jiandong was packing up at home, preparing to go to his mother-in-law's house on the second day of the Chinese New Year.

Now he has four children, and it would be a bit crowded when he goes to his mother-in-law's house. Fortunately, the third and fourth children are still young, and Qin Huairu can hold them while sitting in the baby's arms.

The eldest and second oldest can still squeeze in by sitting behind Li Jiandong.

If we wait another two years until the third child is a little older, we will be able to squeeze in a few movies by then.

"It's a pity that I'm not high enough. If I were a little better, I'd have a car. It's a pain to ride a bicycle in this cold weather. It would be much more convenient to drive back."

Li Jiandong muttered to himself as he packed his things.

Qin Huairu said, "Brother Jiandong, you have made great progress. Some people even ride bicycles back home."

Those who ride bicycles tend to marry close to home, usually both the man and the woman are from the city. Those who live a little further away will wait until the buses start running on the third day of the Lunar New Year before returning to visit their parents' home.

"I know, I'm just saying."

Li Jiandong said with a smile, but he was thinking about the car in his heart.

You have to know that during this period, private car purchases were not allowed, and even Loubancheng was not allowed to have private cars.

In the past few years, you could still use the name of the company to equip yourself with cars, but since the full cooperation, even this option has been cut off.

If you want to get a car, there are only a few ways to go: either become a senior official or go the scientific research route.

Li Jiandong was just promoted to deputy factory director this year, so it would be difficult for him to make further progress in a short period of time.

However, he was still confident of passing the exam to become a third-level engineer, after all, his knowledge of water conservancy engineering and mechanical engineering was already at a high level.

However, it is too late to consider these things now, and we can only wait until after the New Year.

The sixth day of the first lunar month.

The steel rolling mill started operation.

Although the workers did not have a good time this year due to the reduction in ticket amounts, the mobilization meeting for the start of work still had to be held. However, judging from the workers' reactions, everyone's spirits were not as high as in previous years.

After Director Yang held a mobilization meeting, there was a workshop meeting.

When Li Jiandong returned to the office building, Director Yang stopped him and said, "Jiandong, come to my office first."

"it is good."

Li Jiandong followed, and so did Deputy Director Dai.

The three of them came to Director Yang's office. After they sat down, Director Yang said:
"Dongsheng, Jiandong, I have some bad news. Salaries may continue to decrease this year. Our factory is relatively good, but it has been reduced by about one-tenth compared to the end of last year. This is because our factory is full of heavy manual laborers. Food factories and textile factories have reduced their salaries by a quarter at most."

Deputy Director Dai frowned and said:
"Why did it suddenly shrink so much?"

Director Yang sighed:

“That’s right. We just reduced the ticket price by 20% at the end of last year, and the workers are already complaining.

Just after the Chinese New Year, the rate was reduced by another 1%, so it has been reduced by nearly 1/3. However, the superiors must have their considerations, so we can only do our best to cooperate."

Li Jiandong remained silent.

In fact, he had heard about this from leader Ye a long time ago. Before the New Year, he had originally planned to cut the steel mill by 30% directly, but he was afraid that cutting too much at one time would cause dissatisfaction among the workers, so he divided the cuts into two groups.

But even so, it cannot solve the fundamental problem.

Although no crops grow in winter, the amount of snow can affect the harvest of the next year. This is what they mean by the saying that auspicious snow means a good harvest. However, from the end of last year to now, there have been only two light snowfalls.

People who regularly grow crops have begun to worry about this year's harvest.

"Ugh."

Deputy Director Dai let out a long sigh. He was in charge of logistics. With so many quotas suddenly reduced, logistics procurement work would become very difficult.

Especially the cafeteria.

Normally, each person has a daily quota of 20 cents, which can be used to buy white flour buns and stir-fried dishes. Now it has been reduced to 13 cents, and either the buns are replaced with mixed flour, or the stir-fried dishes are replaced with steamed dishes.

As for fish and meat, they also have to be reduced.

I used to have meat and fish twice a week, but now I’m lucky if I can have it once a week.

On the contrary, the reception meals cannot be cut, as they are related to the factory's performance. If production is affected by the decline in the quality of the reception meals, it will create a vicious circle. The more failed tasks are, the lower the remuneration will be, and the lower the remuneration, the greater the impact on production will be.

If this continues, I am afraid that the three factory managers will be criticized and even held accountable and dismissed.

In short, this is not a trivial matter, especially for Deputy Director Dai, it is a very painful thing.

"Jiandong, the issue of salary is of great importance. Go back and prepare for it. Hold a meeting with the directors of each production department. This is a big test not only for our steel rolling mill, but for everyone. We must take it seriously and work together to overcome the difficulties."

Director Yang had a serious expression on his face.

Li Jiandong also knew that no egg would be left unbroken when the nest is overturned, so he nodded and said, "I understand."

"Okay, that's all for today. Go back and prepare well."

Director Yang waved his hand and said, looking a little tired.
Li Jiandong and Deputy Director Dai stood up and walked out. After leaving Director Yang's office, Deputy Director Dai called Li Jiandong and said, "Jiandong, come sit over there."

Li Jiandong knew that he had something to say, so he followed him.

The two people's offices were not far apart, and they soon came to Deputy Director Dai's office and sat down.

Deputy Director Dai got straight to the point and said, "Jiandong, you heard what Director Yang said just now.

Let us give the workers work, but that is easier said than done."

Li Jiandong nodded: "Yes, the workers have been very hardworking and willing to work hard for a small salary as long as they can have enough food to eat.

It is not right to cut down even their last bite of food, but there is nothing we can do about it.”

When Deputy Director Dai heard this, he also sighed deeply.

Yeah, there's really no other way.

If there really weren't any, why would they think of cutting quotas from the workers?
You have to know that during this period, the status of workers was very high, and even if cadres were to be cut, workers would not be given priority.

(End of this chapter)