Siheyuan: Starting from 1958

Several factory leaders who had joined Deputy Director Li immediately stood up to support them.

"We have all seen how busy the canteen's kitchen has been during this period. We have to work overtime until 6 or 7 p.m. every night before we go home."

"Workers in the workshop receive subsidies for overtime work, but workers in the kitchen receive no subsidies at all. They should be given more New Year benefits, which is fair."

"I agree to give each canteen one more lunch box of pig offal. We can't let more than 50 workers in a canteen work for several days in vain." Another cadre immediately stood up and agreed.

Everyone knew that the canteen should receive these subsidies and benefits. After several cadres spoke up one after another, several cadres who remained neutral at the steel mill also expressed their support.

Faced with such a situation, several cadres who supported Director Yang also hesitated.

I really want to nod and agree to Deputy Director Li's proposal.

Because if I don't nod, it would be equivalent to offending the entire cafeteria.

The No. 1 Canteen made great contributions in raising funds for the New Year benefits for the steel rolling mill. All the workers in the steel rolling mill will remember the kindness of the No. 1 Canteen.

If I offend a canteen worker and the news gets out, it will definitely affect my prestige in the steel mill.

But Director Yang didn't say anything. As subordinates, they certainly couldn't speak before Director Yang. They could only look at Director Yang with hesitant expressions.

At this time, the workers nearby also spoke up.

"There is a kitchen helper in a canteen who is my neighbor. He doesn't get home until after 7pm these days. I heard that he washes pig offal in the kitchen every day and his hands are swollen from the cold. I support them to get an extra box of pig offal."

"I support it too..." another worker echoed.

"Without the hard work of dozens of workers in the canteen, we wouldn't be able to eat such delicious pig offal. We should give them an extra box of pig offal as compensation..."

Faced with more and more supporters around him, even more than half of the factory leaders expressed support for Deputy Director Li's proposal.

Although Director Yang was unwilling to accept the result, he had no choice but to answer the question in order not to further intensify the conflict between himself and the grassroots workers of the steel rolling mill and to leave here as soon as possible.

"I support Deputy Director Li's proposal to give each person in the canteen an extra box of pork offal as a New Year's benefit."

"Comrade Wang Dong has made great contributions in this matter. Our steel rolling mill has always rewarded those who have made contributions. The factory leaders must not ignore such a great contribution."

"Just as Deputy Director Li said, reward Wang Dong with a bicycle ticket."

After saying that, he hurriedly left the cafeteria.

Looking at Director Yang's quickly leaving back, Deputy Director Li was very excited.

Today, thanks to Wang Dong, not only was he not suppressed by Director Yang, but he did the opposite and made Director Yang embarrassed again in front of the steel mill workers.

His prestige in the steel mill was further enhanced because of this incident.

It was like killing two birds with one stone. The look he gave Wang Dong was filled with nothing but gratitude.

Without hesitation, he took out the bicycle ticket he had prepared long ago and said, "Comrade Wang Dong..."

"Since the factory leaders have made the decision, from now on, this self-promissory note in my hand is yours."

"Considering that you have a large family and some of your family members are injured and sick, you will not have enough food for the New Year. I will personally reward you with five food coupons and five stamps."

"I remember you said that pig bones would be good for your father-in-law's injury. Today I went to the meat processing factory to get pig offal, and I specifically asked for 20 kilograms of pig bones."

"I'll give you a reward together..."

After the Chinese New Year, Wang Dong will start selling the flour and bacon he has stored at home so that he can exchange them for gold, antiques, and banknotes.

If you want to sell the inventory at home at a high price, it is definitely not enough to rely on a pigeon market around the courtyard. After all, there are not many old people around this pigeon market.

Deputy Director Li rewarded himself with a bicycle ticket, which was like a pillow given to him when he dozed off, or a pie in the sky.

With a bicycle, I can travel further to sell the stock in the cellar.

He quickly took the stack of bills handed over by Deputy Factory Director Li and said excitedly: "Thank you, leader..."

"With these bills, my family will surely have a prosperous year this year."

There was something else in his mind that he hadn't said out loud, which was: "Deputy Director Li is very good. As long as you help him with things and help him out of trouble, he will never be stingy with various benefits. Unlike Director Yang, he always makes empty promises when he opens his mouth."

…………

Wang Dong worked all day until after six in the evening when he finally returned to the courtyard, carrying two large lunch boxes of pork offal, two pounds of pork belly, and twenty pounds of pork bones.

When he reached the gate, Yan Fugui, as usual, stood guard at the entrance corridor, taking care of the flowers and plants he had planted, and staring at the residents who kept coming in and out to see if there was any advantage he could take.

Ever since she lost her position as the third uncle, many residents in the yard started to disrespect her.

In the past, he would guard the gate of the courtyard and would always get some benefits.

The benefits he got now were less than one-third of what he had before, and he was looked down upon. There were even some bad-tempered residents who cursed Yan Fugui for being shameless in front of everyone.

But in order to feed my family, I have to be shameless...

Seeing Wang Dong returning to the courtyard with a big bag of things and a net bag with two lunch boxes in his other hand, a hint of envy immediately flashed across his face.

Although the relationship between the two families was no longer the same as before because of his sentence, and Wang Dong didn't pay much attention to him, in order to take advantage, Yan Fugui still went to him with a flattering face.

"Dongzi... I knew you were the most promising young man in our courtyard."

"Everyone else goes home with a lunch box of pork offal as a New Year's gift."

"Not only did you have two lunch boxes of pig offal, but you also brought back so many pig bones..."

"My family hasn't had any meat for a long time..."

"You definitely can't finish all these bones. Can you give me some?"

"I know I have plotted against you before, but Jie Cheng and the others are innocent. Can you please give me a pig bone for their sake..."

Looking at the pitiful Yan Fugui in front of him, Wang Dong wanted to just leave.

But at the last minute, he took out a pig bone weighing nearly two kilograms from the bag and handed it over: "It's New Year's Day, we can't let the children suffer together..."

"Take this pig bone home and stew it with radishes so that Jie Cheng and the others can also have some meat..."

"besides……"

"Control your mouth and eyes from now on..."

"I stand guard at the gate of the courtyard every day, thinking clearly about what I should see and what I shouldn't see, what I should say and what I shouldn't say..."

Yan Fugui had no hope that he could get anything from Wang Dong, but he didn't expect that Wang Dong would hit him with a huge bone marrow, which shocked him so much that he couldn't react for a long time.

Seeing Yan Fugui standing there in a daze, Wang Dong frowned and asked, "Don't you want it?" (End of this chapter)