Siheyuan: Starting from 1958

The main gate of the courtyard.

Yan Fugui was craning his neck to stare at the box in front of him, his brows furrowed, and he was in a very bad mood.

It's already 8:30 in the evening, and the eldest brother, who is an apprentice at a steel mill, has not returned home yet.

Although he was very dissatisfied with the eldest son's performance during this period, he was his son after all, and the only person in the Yan family who had a job besides himself.

Although I am just an apprentice, unless there are no unexpected events, it is certain that I will be promoted to a regular employee in the future.

By that time, the Yan family will have two formal employees, and the family conditions will definitely be greatly improved.

Therefore, no accidents must happen to Yan Jiefang at this time.

"Old man, the eldest brother hasn't come back yet..." Perhaps because it was too late, Yan Fugui's wife also walked to the gate of the courtyard and asked with a worried look on her face.

Seeing Yan Fugui shaking his head, he spoke again: "I just asked the neighbor who works in the same workshop as Jiefang..."

"They said that there were still some tasks that had not been completed when we got off work, and we had to complete them before we could leave."

"This boss is really something."

"Other workers had completed the same work, but he was the only one left in the workshop to work overtime."

"Do you think he will slack off in the workshop?"

"If I get caught by my boss, it would be a shame to lose the apprenticeship job that my family has worked so hard to get."

"You must have a good talk with him when he comes back."

Yan Fugui agreed: "I also heard from a neighbor in the same workshop."

"A batch of rough blanks arrived at the workshop today. Jiefang and several other workers were carrying them together. Each of them carried 20 boxes. The other apprentices finished carrying them before the end of the shift. Only this guy didn't complete his task. He was probably lazy."

"If I continue to be lazy in the future, I will definitely leave a bad impression on the workshop director, and it will eventually affect my chances of becoming a regular employee."

While the two were talking, Yan Jiefang's tired figure finally appeared at the end of the alley.

From a distance, he looked as if all the strength in his body was drained away. He was completely spiritless and walked forward mechanically. When he saw Yan Fugui, he even forgot to say hello.

Yan Fugui was so angry that he started to curse on the spot: "Boss..."

"What the hell are you doing at the steel mill? Why are you getting off work just now? Your whole family is waiting for you to get off work and have dinner."

"If this happens again in the future, we won't wait for you to eat, and you have to find a way to fill your stomach outside."

"Isn't it just moving twenty boxes of rough embryos?"

"Other apprentices have completed their tasks before leaving get off work, but why are you only completing your tasks now?"

"You're not going to be lazy at work, are you?"

"Your family spent 200 yuan to buy your apprenticeship job. If you can't get a permanent job because you're lazy at the steel mill, or if you lose this job, you have to pay me back the 200 yuan even if you do odd jobs outside."

Yan Jiefang himself was almost driven crazy.

After finally completing the task, I returned home exhausted and was about to eat something to restore my strength, but my father came up and scolded me.

Doesn't he know that he is too tired to even talk?

My stomach was growling with hunger from long hours of work.

I also teach myself a lesson and remind myself not to be lazy when working.

There were twenty boxes of rough embryos, each box containing three pieces of rough embryos weighing forty to fifty kilograms. I had to move them non-stop from morning to night to complete the task now. There was no time to be lazy.

The grievance and anger in his heart suddenly surged up, and for the first time he loudly retorted in front of Yan Fugui: "Those are sixty rough pieces weighing forty or fifty kilograms, not twenty or thirty. How can I be lazy alone?" "Hurry up and make me something to eat, I'm starving..."

"I have to eat at least five steamed breads, otherwise I won't have the energy to go to work tomorrow."

Yan Fugui didn't expect that his boss would dare to speak to him in this tone, and he got furious at the time.

Now that he still has to rely on me, he dares to treat me like this. If I get old, he will definitely kick me out.

Then he scolded, "Don't make excuses."

"Your task is to complete 20 boxes of rough blanks, and others' task is also 20 boxes of rough blanks. Why can others complete the task on time, but you can't? If not being lazy, what else can you do?"

Yan Jiefang became furious when he mentioned this matter.

When he couldn't move the things in the morning, he asked other apprentices for help, but no one agreed and they all refused.

Looking at Yan Fugui who was trying to compete with him, he continued to curse: "It's all because of you."

"They found helpers in the workshop, and they can help move the rough pieces together, so the speed will definitely be faster."

"I couldn't find any help, so I had to move it slowly by myself, so the speed was naturally slow."

Yan Fugui felt that his boss was being unreasonable, and immediately responded: "What does this have to do with me?"

"It's obviously you who are incompetent."

"I've been an apprentice in a workshop of a steel mill for such a long time, but I can't even find a co-worker willing to help me. You have completely disgraced me."

Perhaps because Yan Jiefang had been suppressed by his father for too long, he felt like the more he scolded his father, the more relieved he felt, so he continued.

"It's because of you."

"I was an apprentice at a steel mill, earning 18 yuan a month. Not only did they ask me for 5 yuan for living expenses, but they also charged me 5 yuan for rent even when I lived at home."

"Eighteen yuan of salary went to my head all at once."

"After deducting the money for lunch, there is basically no salary left."

"I have no money, I can't even afford a pack of cigarettes, how can I make friends in the workshop?"

"If you don't have any friends, why would they leave their own work to help you move the rough pieces? What do they have to do when they have nothing to do?"

"He has money in his hands and is willing to give gifts to the master in the workshop. He even found the master."

"I've been in the workshop for three months. Because I don't have money to buy gifts, no master is willing to take me in as his master. If it's not your fault, then whose fault is it?"

Yan Fugui was speechless after being rebuked by his own son. Despite this, it was still impossible to get money from this stingy old man.

Seeing that he could not win the argument against his son, many neighbors gathered around to watch the fun and pointed fingers at the father and son.

Yan Fugui's face turned red in an instant.

He waved his hand and walked towards home: "You shameful thing, come home with me..."

"There are only two steamed buns per person in the family, and you want to eat five? It's just a dream."

"Don't think I don't know anything."

"Even if you give 10 out of your 18 yuan salary to your family, you will still have 8 yuan left."

"At noon, a meal at the steel mill costs only 10 cents, and three dollars a month is enough. You still have five dollars left. How can it not be enough for you to buy cigarettes and treat your coworkers to food? It's obvious that you are reluctant to spend money. You only know how to calculate the little money at home every day. I feel ashamed for you." (End of this chapter)