A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

Chapter 516 Oh yeah, the much-anticipated courtyard house! (Be honest! I've already written abo

"Thumbs up..."

A row of bright red tricycles, puffing out white smoke, filed through the alley.

The roar of the engine startled the middle-aged women wearing red armbands, who all craned their necks to look. But when they saw the veterans in their crisp uniforms and gleaming medals on the vehicle, they muttered something and shrank back inside.

Some of the more curious ones followed them to the alley entrance, watching the veterans help each other get off the car and walk into the Jiang family courtyard amidst the joyful smiles of a young man, before turning around and going home.

Among them are our three aunties who haven't appeared in a long time.

After handing the red armband back to the team leader and signing the attendance sheet, the three women picked up a large stack of matchboxes and prepared to go home.

The people waiting to collect their matchboxes, seeing the three older women taking all the matchboxes, were somewhat dissatisfied and immediately spoke up:

"Hey, Yan family, you're carrying so many matchboxes, are you sure you can glue them all together? Leave some for Sister Kang, she's a widow with three kids, her life isn't as easy as yours!"

The three women immediately widened their eyes and retorted: "Whose life is better off? There are five of us in my family, and we all live off my husband's meager salary of 27.5 yuan! I earned this job of gluing matchboxes by doing community security work! I didn't steal or rob anyone; I got it through my own skills. Who did it bother?"

"Hey, your son has already graduated from high school!"

"So what if I graduate? I'm just waiting to be assigned a job! Do you think I'd kick my own son out of the house?"

"Pah! Director Wang clearly found him a temporary job at the textile factory, but he just didn't want to go!..."

Listen to what kind of talk this is!

My son graduated from high school, so he's definitely a successful candidate in the imperial examinations!

You want to send a scholar who has passed the imperial examination to work as a temporary worker in a textile factory, carrying heavy loads?

Pshaw! Then I've wasted my time sending him to school?

The old woman was furious at what the man said, but remembering her own plans, she didn't want to get entangled any further, so she returned part of the matchbox she was carrying.

He snorted coldly at the person who spoke, then turned and left.

"Oh, this third auntie still knows what's good for her!"

"Being a teacher's family member, they certainly have some awareness..."

"Hey, Auntie, Mr. Yan the Stingy, no, Mr. Yan, are you still helping me write couplets tomorrow?"

Hearing the change in tone from the crowd behind her, the three women didn't turn back and just kept walking.

Step into the courtyard and take a deep breath.

Ah, it smells so good... the whole yard smells of meat.

It's not surprising; these past two days, the steel mill workers have been carrying large bags and small packages home.

The foolish Zhu from the Intermediate People's Court went even further, displaying all the fish and meat distributed by the factory in his yard.

There was fish and meat, but what made people most envious was that six-foot-long piece of cotton cloth!

Good heavens! With just a little bit of money, we could buy a new set of clothes for the child!

The three aunties were envious and wanted to go to Sha Zhu to exchange some clothes. Even if they couldn't make new clothes, they thought it would be great to get some fabric to repair the old clothes.

But since the other woman already had someone else in her heart, the young widow of the Jia family shed a few tears, and that silly Zhu, feeling guilty, offered up all the gifts he had received.

That wasn't all. That idiot even patted his chest and said he would help her family prepare a banquet to comfort their wounded hearts.

The older woman didn't want to comment; everyone in the courtyard had seen it clearly. It was just that little thing, wasn't it?

Too lazy to get involved...

Didn't you see that even Yi Zhonghai, the mentor, got implicated? And yet, Jia Dongxu's mother is still making a fuss.

Bah! Stealing important factory property, we're lucky we didn't send you back to the countryside, and you actually want to inherit the job?

You're so beautiful!

Smelling the enticing aroma of meat, the third aunt sighed helplessly. She'd better hurry home and cook. The smell of this meat would at least make her want to eat a few more bites of steamed bun, which was much better than just glancing at the salted fish and taking a bite of rice. At least it would have some flavor to make her rice more appetizing.

Just as she was thinking this, Liu Haizhong, who was strolling leisurely under the corridor, made her stop in her tracks.

The leaders of the steel rolling mill must have been influenced by that old man's magic potion, because they actually rewarded him with a radio!

This radio is amazing! It's only about the size of an adult's palm, but the sound is incredibly loud. It's bright red, and holding it while walking and listening to it is truly the envy of everyone around!

Even more outrageous, around noon, groups of workers came to his house to deliver gifts, piling them up all over the house. The second and third sons of the Liu family were even discussing setting up a shed in the yard to sleep – the beds in the house were already full of gifts. Although none of the gifts were particularly valuable, the sheer quantity was astounding!

Well, it's just that Liu Haizhong can't read minds anymore, otherwise he would definitely have explained it to the Third Aunt.

This radio was a special reward from the factory to recognize his excellent teaching of his apprentices; it was the only one of its kind in the entire steel rolling mill.

The workers who came to give gifts were all his apprentices whom he had personally trained. Although the gifts were small, the unique skills they learned from Liu Haizhong had brought them great success in the factory, and several of them were recognized as outstanding workers in the workshop.

If teaching disciples is treated as a business transaction, then everyone involved will make a fortune.

"Uncle! Taking a stroll?"

Liu Haizhong, who was used to being called "Master," was stunned for a while before he realized that the other person was calling him.

However, as the lesson on the radio was reaching a crucial point, Liu Haizhong simply nodded to the three aunties and continued drawing patterns in his notebook that only he could understand.

Ah, I still suffer from a lack of cultural background; how do you write this character again...?

Liu Haizhong scratched his head, thinking of asking his son how to write those characters, but then he thought, what's the point of asking!

What kind of situation is it for a father to ask his son for advice?

Hey, who just greeted me?

Looking up, oh, it's Old Man Yan's stingy wife...

Ok?

Isn't Yan Laokou a teacher?

Go ask for advice, no, I mean...

Liu Haizhong started to struggle again. How could he get the other person to teach him to write while maintaining his pride as a master teacher?

Forget it, forget it. With Old Man Yan's sly and shady appearance, who knows if I go to ask him for advice today, he might blab about it to the whole hospital tomorrow.

Where would that leave my master chef's face?

Like that idiot Yi Zhonghai, he was so badly screwed over by his apprentice that he can't even hold his head up high. If it weren't for Xiao Jiang's generosity in not pursuing any further liability, hmph...

Ah, if everyone were as kind and righteous as Xiao Jiang Gong... If you have any questions and ask him for help, he will genuinely teach you!

The key is to ask Xiao Jiang for advice; there's no feeling of being inferior!

Hey, I haven't seen Xiao Jiang for days, I miss him!

……

Hey, did you see that?

Liu Haizhong, who was determined to become a leader, has recently changed his stubborn mindset a bit!

Didn't you see that what he was listening to on the radio wasn't even a storytelling performance?

He's a legitimate student at the Open University now!

"This Open University is great in every way, except it doesn't care about literacy. Hey, you can understand what I hear, but you can't write it down. How are you supposed to take the exams?"

The class had ended by then, and Liu Haizhong sighed sadly and began to pace slowly again.

As we approached Yan Fugui's house, we heard a voice.

“Dad! It’s not good for Jie Cheng to stay at home all day. Could you go and talk to Uncle Er and ask him to take care of Jie Cheng?”

"Bring him my ass! That guy with the bangs who beats his son all the time, do you want Jie Cheng to get beaten to death?!"

"Then, do you still remember Jiang Xia?"

"How could I not remember? Those people at the steel rolling mill were always saying it!"

"It was that blockhead from the Jia family in the Intermediate People's Court who smashed someone's house. Otherwise, we could have married into a wealthy family too..."

"Jiang Xia is back! He's right behind the alley, next to the department store warehouse. Shall we go for a walk?"

"How did you know?"

"I saw him greeting people with my own eyes!"

Ok?

Is Xiao Jiang back? Is he at home?

Liu Haizhong turned around and ran, shouting, "Guangqi! Guangtian! Guangfu! Where are the things the factory gave me!"

"Dad, they're all in my bed!"

"Quick! Bring them all! Father is taking you to see a very important person!"