Siheyuan: Starting from 1958

The central courtyard of the quadrangle.

While eating, Banggeng complained to Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu about the unfairness of the steel mill leadership.

"Mom... Grandma... I think the leaders of the steel mill must be blind."

"My ears are also deaf."

"Rumors are everywhere in the steel mill about Wang Dong taking care of Director Yang and Deputy Director Zhang..."

"It's clear that Wang Dong is not firm in his stance and sympathizes with Director Yang and the others..."

"As a result, the factory leader said that going east was not wrong..."

"The reason why Director Yang and Deputy Director Zhang didn't do the heavy work in the kitchen was because of the steel mill's system, not because Wang Dong was taking care of them..."

"Isn't this just fooling fools? The factory leaders actually believed it."

"This is too foolish. It's totally indiscriminate."

"Why should I be punished if the news of me suppressing Director Yang and Deputy Director Zhang gets out? Wang Dong takes care of Director Yang and has a weak stance, but nothing will happen to him after such a big thing gets out..."

"That's not fair."

Jia Zhang was the one who most wanted to fall to the east and be demoted to an ordinary worker in the steel mill.

After hearing Bang Geng's complaints, he widened his eyes, frowned, and asked back: "Bang Geng..."

"You mean Wang Dong was not punished at the steel mill, and he is still the head chef, a cadre?"

Seeing Banggeng nod helplessly, Jia Zhang became anxious when she heard it: "How could the leader of the steel mill do this?"

"Why should my grandson Banggeng be punished for doing something wrong, but Wang Dong gets away with nothing when he does something wrong?"

"The leaders of the steel mill must have accepted bribes from Wang Dong, so they didn't punish him..."

"This is how to do?"

"I was ready to go to the front yard to watch Wang Dong make a fool of himself, but you told me that Wang Dong is the kitchen manager of the steel mill."

"Then we will have to be humble in front of him like before, and we can't even speak loudly."

"In order to avoid being targeted by Wang Dong, I haven't cursed anyone in the yard for a long time. I'm almost suffocating..."

After complaining, he turned his gaze to Yi Zhonghai and asked with a hint of dissatisfaction: "Old Yi..."

"Didn't you say that Wang Dong, that little bastard, would have no chance of escaping this time, and being demoted to an ordinary worker would be considered a light punishment?"

"What's going on now? Wang Dong didn't get any punishment at all?"

Yi Zhonghai explained with an embarrassed look on his face: "It's not like I didn't get punished."

"The factory is planning to promote Wang Dong to deputy director of logistics, which is one level higher than the director of the kitchen."

"Because of this incident, Wang Dong's promotion to deputy director of logistics was canceled."

"And after this incident, Wang Dong won't be able to continue to move up in his career for at least the next two to three years."

When Jia Zhang heard this, she got angry: "What kind of punishment is this?"

"As long as he is still the head of the kitchen and a cadre, the street office will give him face and can send me back home with just one sentence..."

"When will my hard life end?"

"In order to prevent that little bastard Wang Dong from having a grudge against me, I usually don't dare to say anything big, let alone curse."

"If this continues, everyone will soon forget that there is a person like me, Jia Zhang, in the Siheyuan..."

Qin Huairu seems to be very satisfied with her current life.

Because Jia Zhang was afraid that Wang Dong would ask the street office to send her back to her rural hometown, she no longer dared to make a loud noise or swear in the yard or cause trouble everywhere. Qin Huairu felt that she had become noticeably calmer.

Plus she could save at least 15 yuan of private money every month, Qin Huairu felt that her life had never been so good since she married to the city. Although she hated Wang Dong to the core, if she had to disrupt her current life and return to her previous hard life in order to reduce Wang Dong to an ordinary worker, Qin Huairu would never do it.

Looking at Jia Zhang, she said unhappily, "Mom, what are you talking about?"

"Isn't it good to live a quiet life like this?"

"As long as we don't provoke them, Wang Dong will definitely not come here to deliberately target us..."

"Although we failed to remove Wang Dong from his position as a kitchen resident this time, at least we didn't let him get promoted. Otherwise, it would be extremely difficult to remove him and demote him to an ordinary worker."

"I believe in Lao Yi..."

"As long as we give him some time, we will definitely be able to remove Wang Dong from the position of kitchen director when we find an opportunity in the future."

Yi Zhonghai was very satisfied with Qin Huairu's rescue, otherwise he would have lost face in front of Jia Zhangshi.

I decided to give Qin Huairu an extra five dollars in pocket money after I get her salary next month as a reward.

Little did he know that the real purpose of Qin Huairu's doing this was not to help him out, but because she was reluctant to give up the good days of saving 15 yuan of pocket money every month.

…………

The front yard of the quadrangle.

As soon as sister-in-law Chen Li came home, she asked Wang Dong anxiously, "Brother-in-law..."

"What happened to the factory leaders disciplining you this afternoon? Why didn't I hear you mention it before?"

On the way home, Wang Dong explained the matter to his wife. In addition, the punishment was not downgraded this time. In order to prevent his father-in-law and mother-in-law from worrying, he agreed with Chen Jun not to mention the matter at home.

The result was actually revealed by the big mouth Chen Li.

Father-in-law Chen Dehui thought that Wang Dong had made some serious mistake at the steel rolling mill and was being punished. A worried expression immediately flashed across his face and he asked quickly.

"Dongzi..."

"Why did you get punished for no reason..."

"Did you make a mistake at the steel mill?"

Wang Dong explained with a wry smile: "Dad..."

"Nothing serious. I was just tricked by Yi Zhonghai and Bang Geng."

"Didn't our former factory director Yang and deputy factory director Zhang make mistakes and be demoted?"

"I transferred them to the kitchen. Seeing that they were old, I took care of them a little bit..."

"But all of this was instructed by Director Li, but Director Li cannot say it out loud, otherwise it would appear that his position is problematic."

"Yi Zhonghai and Bang Geng spread rumors about me in the factory, saying that I sympathized with Director Yang and that my stance was problematic..."

"The factory gave me a punishment..."

"But this punishment has no impact on me at all. I am still the head chef, but I won't be in urgent need of promotion in the next few years."

After hearing this, Chen Li couldn't help but complain: "How could there be no impact?"

"The announcement about your punishment said that the factory leaders were planning to promote you to deputy director of logistics, but because of this incident, you lost the promotion, and it will also affect your promotions in the next few years."

"Yi Zhonghai and Bang Geng are going too far."

"We haven't dealt with them for a long time. We didn't bother them last time we wronged my brother-in-law. But Yi Zhonghai and Bang Geng not only didn't show gratitude, but also tried every possible way to plot against you, my brother-in-law."

"I have never seen such a shameless person in my life..."

"I feel so angry every time I think about it. I really want to go to the middle courtyard and scold them severely." (End of this chapter)