Courtyard House: Purchasing Agents' Comeback from the Great Famine

Chapter 153 Yan Jiecheng's Fame at the Steel Rolling Mill, the Miserable Yan Jiecheng

The steel rolling mill, the third canteen.

After Liu Lan finished washing the vegetables in the kitchen, she went to find Sister Hua.

Both of them were big talkers and got along well with each other. Over time, they became good friends.

Through Liu Lan's deliberate narration, Yan Jiecheng successfully caught Hua Jie's eye.

Soon, news spread throughout the steel mill that Yan Jiecheng's family had to ration the pickled vegetables by the stalk, and that his father would even taste the salty vegetables whenever a manure cart passed by their house. It also spread that Yan Jiecheng had strangled Wang Feng's old hen in the middle of the night to get revenge on Wang Feng for not helping him find a job.

At first, only a few people were spreading the word, but eventually it spread to ten, then to a hundred, and soon it was known throughout the steel rolling mill.

After all, in this era of limited entertainment, people are still very curious about interesting topics.

The pickled vegetables were divided into individual portions, and everyone who passed by the manure cart would taste them to see if they were salty or bland. The most important thing was that Yan Jiecheng was not given a job, so the coworkers killed a chicken in the middle of the night as revenge. This really broadened everyone's horizons. The group of workers listened with great interest to such explosive news.

in the afternoon.

Yan Jiecheng was working hard in the foundry workshop. His forehead and clothes were soaked with sweat, and his hands and feet were trembling slightly. He never expected that he would become a celebrity in the steel rolling mill.

Just as Yan Jiecheng was engrossed in his work, many of his colleagues in the foundry workshop looked at him with strange eyes as they passed by his workstation, which puzzled Yan Jiecheng.

However, Director Zhang assigned him a task, and it was a rather demanding one, involving hard work and little technical skill, so he didn't have time to think about anything else.

In the afternoon, the steel rolling mill closed for the day.

When Yi Zhonghai didn't see Yan Jiecheng at the factory gate, he went back with Jia Dongxu first.

Not long after Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu left the steel rolling mill, Yan Jiecheng, dragging his tired body, staggered out of the steel rolling mill.

On his first day working in the foundry workshop, Yan Jiecheng was assigned a task. He worked hard without even taking a sip of water, and managed to finish the task before the end of the workday.

There was no other way. Director Zhang said that if he failed to complete his task for several consecutive days, he would be reassigned to cleaning toilets, so he had no choice but to work hard.

He's a bright young man in his early twenties, and he's getting married to Yu Li this Sunday. If he gets reassigned to cleaning toilets, he'll be laughed at to death.

After walking for an hour, Yan Jiecheng returned to courtyard number 95. He felt like his whole body was about to fall apart, his whole body ached, and his hands and feet were trembling.

What should have been a 20-minute walk took him a full hour to get back to courtyard number 95.

Seeing Yan Jiecheng looking weak and disheveled, Yan Fugui asked in confusion:

"Jiecheng, why are you so late? I thought something had happened to you. If you hadn't come back soon, your mother and I were going to come looking for you."

Yan Jiecheng said weakly, "Dad, let's go back inside and talk first."

Back in the house, the third aunt asked suspiciously, "Jiecheng, what's wrong with you? You look so listless. How was your day at the steel rolling mill? I heard from the old man that you were transferred. Which workshop were you transferred to?"

Yan Fugui waved his hand: "Alright, let's eat first. I think Jiecheng is too tired, let him rest for a while."

Yan Jiecheng sat down, picked up a cornbread and started eating. The way he wolfed it down made Yan Fugui and the third aunt twitch in the corner of their eyes.

After eating two cornbread buns, Yan Jiecheng gulped down a large mouthful of water before he could recover a little.

"Mom and Dad, I had such a bad day. I was doing so well learning to be a fitter when the foreman suddenly transferred me to the foundry workshop. I'm so tired that I can't even straighten my back."

"A foundry?"

Although Yan Fugui had never been to a steel rolling mill, he knew that the foundry workshop was the dirtiest and most tiring place in the mill, even more tiring than forging workers swinging sledgehammers.

Yan Fugui said with a somewhat unpleasant expression, "Jiecheng, today is your first day at work. Did you offend any leaders? Why were you transferred to the foundry workshop out of the blue? You bought a workstation for fitter. Normally, you should always be a fitter."

Yan Jiecheng sighed: "Dad, this is only my first day at work. I haven't even spoken more than a few words to the boss. How could I have offended him? Our workshop foreman said that it's because the foundry workshop urgently needs manpower, and he said I'm not suitable to be a fitter, so he transferred me to the foundry workshop."

Yan Fugui frowned: "That's strange. Is it really such a coincidence? The foundry workshop is in dire need of manpower, and you just happened to run into it? How about this, after we finish eating, I'll go ask Lao Yi and see if he can think of a way to transfer you back to the fitter's workshop. After all, Lao Yi is an eighth-grade worker, and he still has some influence in the factory."

"Yes, thank you, Dad."

......

The Intermediate People's Court, the Wang family.

Tonight, Qin Jingru is making braised chicken with shiitake mushrooms, using the old hen that was strangled to death.

Qin Jingru placed a chicken leg on Wang Feng's plate and said, "Brother Wang Feng, have some chicken leg. I asked my master for leave today, and I'll be going back to Qin Family Village tomorrow. Brother Wang Feng, do you want to come back with me?"

Wang Feng thought about it and was still a little worried about Qin Jingru's safety as she returned to Qin Family Village alone, after all, Qin Jingru was too beautiful now.

Although Qin Jingru can easily take on ten ordinary people now, what if the robbers she encounters have guns?

"I'll go with you, anyway I don't have anything to do tomorrow."

"Hehe, that's great, Brother Wang Feng, should we bring some things over tomorrow?" Qin Jingru said happily.

"Of course I have to bring something. What kind of son-in-law goes to his father-in-law's house without bringing anything? Do you think I'm Jia Dongxu?"

After thinking for a moment, Wang Feng said, "Tomorrow, bring a few pounds of rice, ten pounds of cornmeal, and a few pounds of wild boar meat. Anyway, we don't eat this ordinary rice now, so we might as well give it all to your parents."

"Yeah, Brother Wang Feng, you're so kind."

Qin Jingru smiled sweetly. The more things they brought back to her parents' home, the more face she would have, and she could show them off to the villagers when she returned to Qin Family Village.

After finishing his chicken leg, Wang Feng thought about Qin Jingru's trip to the steel mill and asked:

"Jingru, how much longer until you graduate? I spoke with Deputy Factory Director Li about you today, and he warmly welcomes you to the steel rolling mill. He also told me to make arrangements as soon as possible."

Qin Jingru proudly raised her snow-white neck and said arrogantly:

"Brother Wang Feng, I can actually graduate from my apprenticeship now. I already have 90% of my master's culinary skills. I can cook the basic Sichuan, Shandong, Cantonese and Huaiyang cuisines."

"My master wants me to hone my skills more and strive to surpass his before I graduate. However, I feel that my cooking skills haven't improved much lately. To reach my master's level, I need to practice for a considerable amount of time."

Upon hearing this, Wang Feng gave a thumbs up: "Jingru, you're amazing."

For some time now, he has been eating Qin Jingru's cooking almost every day, so he knows how much Qin Jingru's cooking skills have improved. However, without a comparison, he doesn't know how many degrees of Master Wu's skill Qin Jingru has reached now.

Lou Xiao'e's cooking skills have also improved significantly recently; some of her home-style dishes have reached the level of Fengzeyuan Second Stove.

"Hehe, Brother Wang Feng, how about we talk to Master after we get back from Qin Family Village and go straight to the steel mill? Anyway, I can practice my cooking skills at the steel mill. Besides, with my great cooking skills, it would be a waste if I didn't get paid at Fengzeyuan."

Wang Feng looked at Qin Jingru with confusion and asked, "Jingru, with such good cooking skills, why doesn't Fengzeyuan pay you? Doesn't Fengzeyuan want to keep you?"

Qin Jingru rolled her eyes: "Brother Wang Feng, isn't this what you said before, that I would leave once I learned it? The manager of Fengzeyuan offered me 30 yuan a month before, wanting to keep me at Fengzeyuan. A few days ago, he offered me 80 yuan a month, but I know I won't stay at Fengzeyuan for long, so I didn't agree."

Wang Feng nodded: "Jingru, you did the right thing. It's not easy to get a city household registration now. Fengzeyuan can't give you a city household registration. Since you haven't made much progress, just tell your master and go directly to the steel mill."

"Okay, Brother Wang Feng, I'll do whatever you say."