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Chapter 194: Bringing Han Hongzhen to the Show

"I'm telling you, Daxi and Ma San'er haven't been to work for two days. Also, what do you want to talk to me about?" Han Hongzhen walked into the Yaowang Temple Third Team headquarters with a stack of documents. She first put the documents down and blew on her cold hands, then poured herself a cup of hot water from the thermos. Before she could warm her hands with the hot water, Xie Hushan, who was sitting in the captain's seat, had already pushed the teacup towards her:

"Pour some for me."

Seeing him busy writing and drawing on paper, Han Hongzhen thought Xie Hushan was doing something serious, so she patiently helped him fill up the hot water and carefully put it back to his hand. As a result, she stood beside him and took a look, and found that the paper was full of ingredients such as mutton, beef, frozen tofu, mushrooms, and day lily. She was stunned for a moment:
"What are you writing?"

"It's getting cold, so the Taoist priest brought Master Luo over to live with him until the beginning of spring." Xie Hushan scribbled on the paper with a pen, and said to Han Hongzhen:
"It's hard for him to feed himself with that little ration, and Master Luo will definitely not be full, so I asked Er Mianfei to send them some wheat and corn. Master Luo felt embarrassed, so he went back to his own cave temple in the mountains yesterday and brought back a bunch of wild mushrooms and day lilies that he picked and dried in the mountains, as well as 20 kilograms of mountain millet to the team headquarters. This is good stuff and can't be wasted. I'm thinking about how to eat it."

Han Hongzhen walked back speechlessly, holding a bowl of hot water in both hands, and sat next to the stove, keeping warm while criticizing Xie Hushan in her heart.

This man was so idle that he had nothing to do. He was thinking about what to eat, but he was unwilling to get up to pour himself a bowl of water. He insisted on waiting for someone else to come in and ask them to help. He was so lazy.

On the day of the election, why didn't I vote for Er Xiazi like Han Hongbing did?

It turned out that my younger brother had foresight. During the election, he kept shouting from the audience that if Xie Hushan was elected, Team 3 would have someone to support everyone.

Now that I think about it, that's right. He took the food from the team and gave it to the young Taoist and Master Luo, and then he planned to eat the mountain products given by Master Luo himself.

"What did you say just now?" Xie Hushan blew away the tea leaves, took a sip, and asked Han Hongzhen.

Han Hongzhen emphasized: "Captain Xie, Factory Director Xie, Director Xie, I heard that Daxi and Ma Saner haven't been to work for two days. It's their father who's taking their place at the steel mill."

"I know about this. Both the Chen and Ma families told me to ask them to take a few days off." Xie Hushan put down the teacup, took the documents brought by Han Hongzhen, and looked through them, saying.

Han Hongzhen asked in confusion: "What happened? Why did they both take leave for a blind date?"

During the slack season, young people have nothing else to do, and there is not much work to do at home. They usually go on blind dates or visit distant relatives. They take advantage of their free time before the New Year to go out and visit relatives so as to avoid the inconvenience of visiting relatives after the New Year.

"What the hell, those two families don't even have the mood to arrange blind dates for their children and grandchildren. They're almost jealous to death. Suddenly, ten people in your Han family have found jobs, and the balance of power in the brigade is about to be broken. How can the Chen family and the Ma family still sit still?" Xie Hushan said to Han Hongzhen with a smile:

"So let Ma San'er and Da Xi wander around the city to see where they can buy pornographic books and where there are people willing to report them, so that we can find some opportunities to extort money from them."

When Han Hongzhen heard Xie Hushan say that the Chen family and the Ma family were envious of the Han family for extorting money from them, and sent Daxi and Ma Saner to buy pornographic books, she didn't recognize them and was amused.

Didn’t Han Laogou represent the Zhongping Brigade and the Han family to extort money from the Qici Factory a few days ago, and finally got six formal workers?

As Han Hongbing was a victim, it was natural that these six compensatory jobs would not be given to outsiders, as they were all surnamed Han.

The brigade first asked Han Hongbing if he was willing to take one. Han Hongbing himself didn't want to go, so he was willing to hang out with Xie Hushan in the team, which made his parents very angry. In the end, it was decided that Han Hongbing's father, his uncle, and four brothers would take up the six work quotas that the Seven Porcelain Factory helped to solve.

Although it was Qici Factory that helped solve the problem, the work location was not Qici. Perhaps Qici also understood that it would be uncomfortable to arrange these six Zhongping workers in its own factory, so two of them were arranged to go to Erci, and four were sent to its subordinate porcelain clay processing factory.

There are also four temporary workers doing odd jobs in the Qici Tunnel Kiln. Although they do not receive the same treatment as regular workers, they can take away a portion of the defective products fired by the porcelain factory. Now, the four of them set up stalls at the market to sell some defective bowls, plates, jars and other porcelain items they brought back.

The Han family made such a big fuss that the Chen family and the Ma family, who are also big families, couldn't even enjoy their meals anymore.

Especially Chen Daxi, who was said to have been beaten by his father. His father questioned Chen Daxi, why did they only arrest Han Hongbing and not Chen Daxi when he and Han Hongbing went out together! If you were arrested together, at least half of the ten jobs this time would be the Chen family's.

Then Ma Saner and Chen Daxixi were asked for two days off by their family members, who sent them to go to the Xinhua Bookstore in Bingyang County or Yaoshan to see where they could buy the same pornographic book. What if there were other workers who wanted to report them? If they were so blind as to report them, wouldn't their family be able to celebrate a prosperous new year as happily as the Han family?

So these two guys were freezing like grandchildren these days, riding bicycles or sidecar motorcycles to go fishing everywhere, and they cursed their elders countless times in their hearts.

As for the document sent by Han Hongzhen, it was written by Deputy Factory Director Jiang Jingwen. According to Xie Hushan's arrangement, the steel rolling mill and the pipe making factory had given all the workers in Xishan a holiday yesterday, and arranged tractors to take everyone back home, and they would return to work after the New Year.

The reason why all the workers have a holiday is not because of the production stoppage, but because the workers have been working hard for so long, and now that it is getting colder day by day, it is time for them to take the money and go home to see their families whom they have not seen for a long time.

Second, after the weather gets cold, this group of unruly people in Zhongping Brigade stay in the steel rolling mill or pipe factory every day, from morning until dark.

The reason why the members of the brigade love the factory as their home is that the factory workshops are open all year round, the temperature is high and warm, and staying in the factory can save firewood for the family.

Originally, it was the members of Team 3 who did this at the beginning, and some even used the factory cafeteria's steamers to heat up their own meals. Later, members of other teams followed suit, but fortunately, everyone still had some dignity and knew not to be annoying, so when there was any work to be done in the factory, everyone was willing to lend a hand.

They want to have dignity, but Xie Hushan can be shameless.

So they simply said that during the slack season, members who were willing to earn work points could help the factory work. They would be given work points for each day worked and meals would be provided, but no wages would be paid.

Many laborers who had nothing to do during the slack season signed up when they heard that they would be given work points and provided with meals. Xie Hushan asked Deputy Factory Director Jiang Jingwen to organize some basic training and screened a group of people. After confirming that they were qualified to take up the posts, he decisively gave the Xishan workers a holiday.

The members wanted to get some of Xie Hushan's coal, and Xie Hushan wanted the members to grind the coal for the factory.

All in all, Xie Hushan, the steel rolling mill, and the pipe factory had gotten a great deal, saving at least three months' wages. "What on earth did you call me for? There's a lot of work going on in the factory..." Han Hongzhen blew on the slightly cooled hot water, took a sip, and asked Xie Hushan.

Now that this guy is the captain of Team 3, he goes to the steel mill less often. I am like a secretary and have to run to the Team 3 headquarters to report to him on everything.

"It's nine o'clock in the morning. Load the basket of mountain products that Master Luo sent into the car. Then go to the workshop to get two bundles of vermicelli and some frozen tofu. After everything is loaded, go home to wash and pack up. I'll drive you out for a trip," Xie Hushan came over, sat by the stove, stretched out his hands and warmed himself by the fire with Han Hongzhen, and said.

"Where are you taking me?" Han Hongzhen asked Xie Hushan suspiciously.

Xie Hushan looked back at her unhappily: "What can I do? I'm going to elope with you with two bundles of vermicelli. Believe me, I don't want to even if you want to. It's so cold, and the inn is not willing to use vermicelli to exchange for a night's stay for us."

"Then I have to ask where we are going. I can't just go out with you for no reason. You have to say hello to your family." Han Hongzhen looked heartbroken.

She no longer had much reaction to Xie Hushan's rude words. No matter how she scolded or advised him, Xie Hushan just wouldn't change.

Xie Hushan explained: "I am now the production team leader of the third team. I have to sit here every day and be neighbors with the Taoist priest. Ma Laowu is always looking for trouble for me. I can't go back to the steel mill every day to bully men and women, so I can only let you bully me. Then I have to teach you how to work. From now on, it will be just like the brick factory. Apart from giving me money or sleeping with me, don't bother me with other things. Learn to handle things on your own."

"You just can't say anything nice." Han Hongzhen glared at Xie Hushan subconsciously.

Xie Hushan shamelessly stared at her from the side: "I just like to see your phoenix eyes glaring at me angrily, it's really tempting."

"Let's talk business!" Han Hongzhen turned her head, grabbed the stove hook and breathed hard, wishing she could use the stove hook to tear off Xie Hushan's broken mouth.

Xie Hushan said: "For production, go to Jiang Jingwen. Our brigade pays the romantic Jiang a high salary. Don't be shy. If there is a problem with production, go to him no matter how late it is. Even if he sleeps in the same bed with his wife, he will get up to solve the problem before going to sleep for the rest of the day."

"Let Cao Ma help you with worker management. Cao Ma is smart and thoughtful. If a worker doesn't listen to you, don't ask for help yourself. Go talk to Cao Ma and let him handle the matter, whether he wants to fire them or have his salary deducted. This way, even if they are dissatisfied, they can't blame you. The workers won't dare to blame Cao Ma."

"Finally, there are two parts: supply and marketing and daily work. You can't rely on others for this job. Daxi can't do this job. I gave Ma Saner a job at the pipe factory a few years ago. It can only be you. But whether it's collecting scrap steel or selling rolled steel, you have to deal with those steel bosses. You have to go to the county town, so today I will take you to show off to everyone."

Xie Hushan roasted a fire and talked to Han Hongzhen. Han Hongzhen's first reaction was: "Let Taozi..."

Before Han Hongzhen could finish her words, Xie Hushan interrupted her:

"Don't always count on Taozi. Taozi is my wife. If I still rely on her to earn money to support the family, that would be a slap in my face. My wife doesn't have to do anything. She reads books, writes letters, listens to the radio, watches TV, plays with Daxiu, plays with my grandma, and does whatever she wants."

Han Hongzhen was speechless, and finally she obediently followed Xie Hushan's instructions and went to the workshop to get vermicelli and frozen tofu. She also loaded the dried mushrooms and day lily sent by Master Luo into the car. Xie Hushan urged her to change her clothes with disdain, and then she drove the jeep with Xie Hushan to Bingyang County.

On the road, Han Hongzhen turned her pretty face to the side and stared at Xie Hushan who was concentrating on driving. Sometimes she couldn't help but wonder, if her mother-in-law had agreed to Sixth Grandma, what would be the situation between her and him now?

The young man who used to be shirtless and silently pulled the cart for Taozi, whose family didn't even have a bicycle, now wears clothes mailed by someone from Hong Kong Island and rides a jeep to get around. When the parents of all the unmarried female comrades of marriageable age in the brigade saw him, they regretted not recognizing his talent and promised their daughters to him early, allowing Taozi to pick up the most promising young man of Zhongping's generation as a great bargain.

Han Hongzhen even doubted whether Xie Hushan was less than 20 years old. Dozens of people in the steel rolling mill and dozens of people in the pipe manufacturing factory were all completely obedient to him. It was obvious that he was cooking a feast for the workers, who were sweating profusely and were grateful to him.

"Is my face not clean? Why are you always looking at me?" Xie Hushan noticed that Han Hongzhen kept turning her head to look at him, and asked curiously.

Han Hongzhen retracted her gaze and looked out the window: "No, I just wanted to ask, you didn't ask Taozi if she was willing to be idle all day, maybe Taozi is willing to do this kind of thing? Being idle all day may not be a good thing."

"Do you think that since my grandma doesn't let Taozi and I sleep in the same room, we have nothing to say to each other?" Xie Hushan laughed when he heard Han Hongzhen's advice:
"Apart from sleeping, Taozi and I can do many other things, such as I wash her hair and she washes my feet. And I asked Taozi to read more books not to let her idle away, but to let her slowly realize what she wants to do, instead of being like you and I when we were making stewed pork, where we had no choice but to do whatever we could."

"Have you decided what to do, Taozi?"

"I've made up my mind. I've been reading Chinese Architecture and Chinese Architects, written by Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin, two great masters of architecture. I can't even finish reading this book, but she can. Do you know why?"

Han Hongzhen shook her head.

"Because Taozi is trying to use this book to study what kind of building the homestead the brigade has granted us should look like. So she flips through the book when she has nothing to do, and then draws the pictures herself. She doesn't bother me when she encounters problems. She writes to Lao Yang's wife, and Lao Yang's wife borrows books for her from the library. Does it sound like Taozi is bored? How can you be bored if you do what you like to do?"

"That's great." Han Hongzhen listened to Xie Hushan's words with envy in her tone.

Xie Hushan said: "This is what I mean by reading more books. By reading more books, she will know that houses don't have to be built according to the instructions of the village carpenters and bricklayers. Who knows, our Taozi may become an architect in the future, and then she can design houses for the whole brigade."

"Taozi can be so free because you are responsible and can support her without your partner having to bear the burden."

"I'm so jealous. I'll support you too?"

"Get lost! You've revealed your true colors in just three sentences!"

(End of this chapter)