Siheyuan: Starting from 1958

Grandma Wang’s house in the front yard.

Tang Dashan returned home carrying a large lunch box full of leftovers. As soon as he entered the door, he told Grandma Wang and his younger brothers and sisters what he had seen and heard in the kitchen of the steel mill that day.

"Grandma... I officially started working at the steel mill this morning as an apprentice in the kitchen, with a monthly salary of 16.5 yuan."

"If there are vacancies for regularization in the kitchen, you can get regularization after three months, and your salary will increase directly to 20 yuan at that time."

"If I can learn cooking from Dongzi and pass the tenth-level chef certificate next year, I will become the chef of the steel rolling mill and my salary will increase by 50 cents."

"From now on, your salary will increase by five dollars for every level you advance..."

"This is the leftovers I brought back from helping Dongzi cook tonight..."

“Although these are all leftovers from the factory leaders, there is almost no meat, but there is a lot of oil…”

After saying that, he turned to his younger brother and sister who were looking at him eagerly and said, "Xiaoshan, Juanzi...you must be starving..."

"Come over quickly and have dinner. Eat the leftovers I brought back tonight..."

"Eat it all. From now on, as long as there is a special kitchen in the factory, I, as Dongzi's apprentice, will be entitled to bring back some leftovers."

"Dongzi also said... that he would let me go out with him to prepare banquets on the day after tomorrow, and I would earn one dollar for every dollar I worked. If we meet some generous hosts, they would give us some leftovers, or even some whole pieces of pork or chicken that were not used up at the banquet..."

"I'll give you a good meal then."

Grandma Wang saw that her eldest grandson was like a different person. He was more energetic than before, with a smile on his face. She said with satisfaction: "Work hard and try to get a permanent position in three months..."

"As long as we become regular workers in the steel mill, we will have a stable job."

"It will be much easier to find you a wife in the future."

"But you must remember: everything you have now is given by Dongzi. Dongzi is the monitor of the cafeteria. You must not cause trouble for Dongzi."

"You must do well what Dongzi asks you to do, and never bring shame to Dongzi."

"Dongzi is still your master. You must learn from him and try to get out of trouble as soon as possible..."

"If your uncle Chen's family needs any help, you must help..."

Tang Dashan immediately responded: "Don't worry, grandma..."

"I understand all this..."

"I will definitely learn well from Dongzi..."

"In the kitchen of the steel mill, I always call Dongzi the team leader, so I will never cause any trouble for him."

After hearing Tang Dashan's answer, Grandma Wang was very satisfied and said, "Some things you just need to remember in your heart."

After saying that, he called out to Tang Xiaoshan and Tang Xiaojuan who were already impatient, "Xiaoshan, Xiaojuan, come over and eat quickly..."

"Let's listen to your brother and eat up all the leftovers in this lunch box tonight..."

"But you two should also remember that if it weren't for Brother Dongzi, your brother wouldn't have been an apprentice in the steel mill, and he wouldn't have been able to bring back so many leftovers."

"When I grow up, I will definitely repay Brother Dongzi."

"Bang bang bang..."

The two children wolfed down their meal, and just as they finished it, there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it..." Tang Dashan asked after putting away his lunch box.

"Dashan... I'm your uncle. I have something to ask you. Please open the door..."

Grandma Wang was a smart person. As soon as she heard Yan Fugui's voice, she knew what he was planning and immediately reminded him: "Dashan..."

"Old Yan is probably here to work for you..."

"Remember what to say and what not to say, and don't cause Dongzi any unnecessary trouble." Tang Dashan nodded: "Grandma, don't worry... I know what to say..."

Then he opened the door and said with a smile, "Third Uncle...if you have anything to say, just let me know. Why are you coming here so late?"

Yan Fugui smiled awkwardly and said, "I came to see you today for a private matter, so of course I came to see you..."

"I heard that you joined the steel mill today and became an apprentice in the kitchen?"

"Tell me how you got the apprenticeship quota..."

"You know my eldest son has graduated for two years, but he's still hanging around out there and hasn't found a decent job. As a father, I'm going crazy."

"If there is really any channel to enter the factory, you must not forget your uncle..."

Tang Dashan answered readily: "The Third Master is really well-informed..."

"I have indeed joined the steel mill today. It was Dongzi who helped me. Now I am an apprentice in the kitchen of the steel mill. I am learning to be a chef from Dongzi and I get 16 yuan a month..."

"As for the number of apprentice positions..."

"Don't be ridiculous, Uncle San. I bought it with my own money. I spent a total of three hundred and fifty dollars."

"Dongzi is the team leader of a canteen in the steel mill. He is also in charge of the factory's small kitchen and often comes into contact with some factory leaders. When he heard that the factory had a vacancy for apprentices, he immediately found the factory leader and bought one for me..."

"You also know that Dongzi has a good relationship with my family..."

"It just so happens that the steel mill is short of staff in the kitchen. Dongzi, please go find the factory leader. I want to be an apprentice in the kitchen of a canteen."

Yan Fugui took a deep breath and asked back, "Three hundred and fifty yuan for an apprenticeship position... Dashan, you didn't fool Uncle San..."

Tang Dashan answered confidently: "Third Uncle... I can fool anyone but I won't fool you..."

"I did spend three hundred and fifty yuan to buy this apprenticeship quota..."

"It was Dongzi who helped pull the strings..."

"Third Uncle, if you don't believe it, you can go ask Dongzi..."

“I don’t know which factory leader sold me the job.”

Yan Fugui was a little confused.

He originally thought that Tang Dashan was able to enter the steel rolling mill because of Wang Dong's help.

If Tang Dashan really was hired into the steel mill by Wang Dong using his connections, Yan Fugui would find ways to find Wang Dong and ask him to help send his boss to the steel mill as an apprentice, even if he had to spend money to buy some things as gifts.

I didn't expect that Tang Dashan had bought his apprenticeship position with money.

And it cost a whopping three hundred and fifty dollars.

If that were the case, Yan Fugui would not have gone to find Wang Dong.

In his opinion, an apprenticeship position was definitely not worth three hundred and fifty yuan.

After all, apprentices are not formal employees. One day they may be kicked out of the steel mill because they have nothing to do, and the money spent on hiring them will be wasted.

Moreover, Yan Fugui was reluctant to spend 350 yuan to buy an apprenticeship position.

Seeing that Tang Dashan was sincere and didn't seem to be lying to him, Yan Fugui's face was full of disappointment. He frowned and replied, "I thought you got into the steel mill because of Wang Dong's connections, but it turns out you bought it with money..."

Tang Dashan immediately responded: "How is this possible..."

"Dongzi is just a canteen supervisor in a steel mill. He is not even a cadre. How could he have the connections to send people to work as apprentices in a steel mill..."

"Uncle, you are so bold." (End of this chapter)