Rebirth in 1960, My Industrial Age

Chapter 89: The Frightened Couple, How to Get Rich (Subscribe)
After listening to Zhou Fengnian's words, he explained the reasons and facts.

Most of the anger in Zhou Xiangde's heart quickly dissipated, but when he turned around and saw Lu Honghui, the anger rose up again.

He had thought that a housekeeper was troublesome before, and after working as a fitter in the factory for a whole day, he just wanted to have a good rest after coming back, so he let his wife be the housekeeper.

Who knew this woman would run the household like this.

Neither the older children nor the younger ones were very ambitious. The family tried their best to send their three children to school, but the daughter ended up being the most successful. After graduating from high school, she was assigned to a machinery factory by the neighborhood office.

Their lives should have gradually become better, but their family slowly became the gossip of the neighborhood and even a negative example.

The eldest son was not ambitious and found a temporary porter job, but he felt it was too tiring and went back to hanging around on the streets after working for a few days.

The younger son was also out of tune every day. He was often late and left early, and was called home by the teacher twice.

The wife also planned to marry off her daughter in exchange for a dowry for her eldest son. They had argued about this countless times, and probably everyone in the yard and even the alley knew about it.

As a result, my daughter is now eager to leave this home and run away to her boyfriend's home without getting married.

Zhou Xiangde was not very clear about what the young man just said about the Women's Federation and the law, but he seemed to have mentioned it when the propaganda staff of the street office came to the meeting before.

Moreover, the Women's Federation in their factory is really powerful. They can teach anyone a lesson and put tags on their clothes if they disagree with them. If the male workers resist, the security department may even intervene.

Ten years ago, the Women's Federation carried out a large-scale rectification of family and marriage. Zhou Xiangde still remembers that a man who bought two wives was directly paraded through the streets with a sign hanging over his head.

The people you should never mess with in the factory are those women.

"That's all for today. I won't stay. Uncle, please take some time to manage the household. Do you really want your family to break up?"

After Zhou Fengnian said this, he stood up and left. If Zhou Xiangde and Lu Honghui still did not repent, he would use his connections to persuade them.

As soon as the others left, Zhou Xiangde couldn't help but slap Lv Honghui in the face, then shouted in a low voice: "It's all your fault, bitch!"

"You, you, Zhou Xiangde, you dare to hit me!?"

Lv Honghui covered her face and pointed at Zhou Xiangde in disbelief. The next second she wanted to reach out and scratch Zhou Xiangde.

But before he could do anything, he was shocked by Zhou Xiangde's words: "If I don't beat you, you can just wait to go to jail. The fate of Mr. De Sanye at the entrance of the alley ten years ago is the same as your fate."

Lu Honghui was shocked when she heard this. She had also gone to see when De Sanye was arrested ten years ago. The onlookers were throwing stones and mud everywhere, and that night she was hit on the head and covered in blood.

No one knew where he was taken later, but he was never seen again in the city.

"How dare he do this to me? Impossible, Lao Zhou, don't scare me"

Lv Honghui's voice was trembling as she encouraged herself by saying, "I am Zhou Yan's mother, how dare he try this to me?"

Zhou Xiangde glared at Lv Honghui and said, "You are going to arrange a blind date for your daughter, how can they spoil you? If that young man is really angry, I will suffer in the steel mill.

Listen to the leaders he just mentioned. How can a fourth-level fitter like me afford to offend them? Do you still want to break up this family?"

Zhou Xiangde knew that Section Chief Song of the Technical Department was responsible for assigning production tasks to them, and Deputy Director Li was in charge of logistics.

If these two leaders cause trouble for him, there is nothing he can do even if he shouts that the workers are the masters. It's not like they will fire you, but just transferring you to another position will make him feel uncomfortable for a long time.

Lv Honghui was a little frightened now, and asked quickly: "So he doesn't want to marry our daughter?"

"If you hadn't caused this, would the matter have turned out like this? He is an advanced individual and a model worker. He can find any girl. With such good conditions, the matchmaker must have trampled down the door of his house."

Zhou Xiangde lit a cigarette irritably. His daughter was not bad either. She graduated from high school, was an announcer at a machinery factory, and had outstanding looks.

But compared with Zhou Fengnian, he was completely at a disadvantage.

There are five siblings in his family, four of whom are workers. Zhou Fengnian himself is still a level 13 technician. He plans to take the engineer exam next year. He doesn’t know if he can pass it, but with these conditions, his family is already far better than before.

Lv Honghui was so scared that she dared not say a word. After Zhou Xiangde finished smoking a cigarette, he said unhappily, "I'll go ask around. When Yanyan comes back, don't cause trouble for me again. Otherwise, when the Women's Federation comes, let's see who can protect you."

"Did Zhou Fengnian say before he left that he was going to the Women's Federation? If he did, then...

Zhou Xiangde sighed, then got up and left. He went to ask a few workers from the machinery factory about Zhou Fengnian's matter, and also went to the Women's Federation to inquire.

After leaving the yard, Zhou Xiangde first went to buy a pack of cigarettes, and then went to the home of a worker from the machinery factory in the same alley.

After calling the man out in a gentle voice and handing him half a pack of cigarettes, Zhou Xiangde began to inquire about Zhou Fengnian's affairs.

This was a big deal, as Zhou Fengnian was very famous in the machinery factory.

He has been on the radio loudspeaker several times a year, passed the exam, performed heroic deeds, and even served as deputy director of a new workshop.

Now he is the head of the confidentiality workshop and eats with the head of the technical department all day long. Many workers have also seen Zhou Fengnian pick up and drop off senior leaders, with the factory director and secretary also beside them.

At the end of the year, he became an advanced individual and a model worker. It is no exaggeration to say that he has a bright future.

Moreover, Zhou Fengnian's sister was still working in the factory before, and they often went to and from get off work together. However, she later went to Electrical Appliance Factory No. 1. This was a common knowledge in the factory.

After hearing the news, Zhou Xiangde swallowed unconsciously, thanked and left.

Then he went to the street office, found someone he knew, handed him a cigarette, and asked about arranged marriages.

As a result, the acquaintance glanced at Zhou Xiangde, laughed and whispered: "Old Zhou, you finally woke up. If you let your wife continue to make trouble, the street office will definitely come to your house to look for you."

Zhou Xiangde's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked, "Old Qiu, it can't be that serious, right? Because of arranging a blind date for my daughter? But other families do the same."

"Other families? Other families coax their daughters to be happy and go on blind dates without making any noise. How about yours?"

Old Qiu said bluntly: "Your wife has made a lot of noise in the yard more than once, but no one reported it. If someone had reported it, the street office would definitely come to your house.

The Women's Federation is very good at handling this kind of thing. Old Zhou, let me tell you something. You can't go against a woman's will. Your daughter is also a woman, you know that."

"Can a blind date cause such a big problem?"

"You can let your daughter go on a blind date without any complaints, that's fine, the neighborhood office can't do anything to you;

But what your wife did is nothing. Forcing your daughter to do so is like selling her. Anyway, I have brought this up. How you deal with it is your family's business. The Street Office and the Women's Federation will not show you mercy when the time comes."

Old Qiu packed his cigarettes, shook his head and turned away.

Families that favor sons over daughters are very common in their area, but that is only when the girls have no future and cannot make money for the family, so the insult of "money-losing item" was derived.

But Zhou Xiangde's daughter is an excellent student, and his wife still favors boys over girls. She is simply mentally ill.

It's a pity that Zhou Yan didn't come to the street office, otherwise she would ask the Women's Federation for help and would definitely go to deal with Zhou Xiangde's noisy wife.

Criticize and correct, if you don’t change, I will bring trouble to the entertainment industry.

The leaders said that marriage and love are free, but if you dare to arrange marriages in the city and report it to the Women's Federation, you will definitely be dealt with seriously. After Zhou Xiangde returned, he immediately slapped Lv Honghui, and then said solemnly: "I warn you, don't force Yanyan to go on blind dates and get married in the future. Do you know what this is called? This is selling your daughter."

"Ah? Why? My daughter."

"Don't even mention your daughter. If it wasn't for your daughter, you would have been arrested long ago. Old Qiu told me that you were already listed as a nominal employee of the street office. Do you really want to be arrested?"

Zhou Xiangde was furious and warned her angrily, "Don't worry about Yanyan's affairs in the future. Otherwise, if you are arrested, I will definitely not care about you, and then this family will be broken up by you.

Also, keep those two bastards in check, they are always doing bad things, start starving them for a few meals tonight!"

If you don't ask, you won't know that their family is registered with the street office. The reason they are fine is that no one reported it.

If someone reports it, this family will be ruined.

After Zhou Xiangde lit a cigarette, he glared at the woman Lu Honghui again. It was she who caused the trouble.

------

"Zhou Yan, here."

Zhou Fengnian saw Zhou Yan coming back on a bicycle, and greeted her at the street corner and called her over.

"Fengnian, why are you out?"

After Zhou Yan came over, she said embarrassedly, "There are so many people in the supply and marketing cooperative today. I waited in line for a long time before I could buy it. Have you been waiting for me for a long time?"

"I just came out too. I've finished talking to my uncle and aunt."

Zhou Fengnian smiled and said, "Time is running out. We have to rush back to the village tonight. Yanyan, I'm going back first."

"Aren't you staying for dinner?"

After Zhou Yan finished speaking, she felt that her words were a bit redundant. It was impossible for her mother to cook for other people.

After handing the bicycle to Zhou Fengnian, Zhou Yan hesitated for a moment, and finally asked: "Fengnian, what did you talk about with my parents just now?"

"We chatted casually, about things at the factory and on the street, but I don't have much time today, so we can only talk about marriage next time."

Zhou Fengnian paused and said, "Yanyan, your mother shouldn't bother you anymore after you go back, but if she still doesn't change, I'll help you after the New Year."

Lv Honghui is a person who looks strong but is actually weak. She would feel guilty if frightened. When he left, he felt that the problem was not serious. Lv Honghui must have seen the scene of being disciplined by the Women's Federation, so she was very scared.

After chatting for a few minutes, Zhou Fengnian rode his bike home and left the soda to Zhou Yan, who might break a few of them when he took them back.

If you ride faster, it will take about two hours, so if you go back now, you can just make it in time for dinner.

This time I have solved the problem at my partner's home, or you can say it's more than half solved.

The problem can be solved by paying a high bride price, but that is too cowardly and Zhou Fengnian would never do that; he would rather not get married than pay a bride price of one or two hundred yuan.

He can pay ten or twenty dollars. People around him pay that much, so he won’t be the only one to do so. But he can’t be taken advantage of.

It was quite comfortable to get along with Zhou Yan, and it was not difficult to solve her family problems. If there were really many difficulties, Zhou Fengnian would not be so stupid as to persist in doing so.

Zhou Fengnian returned home just before dark.

It was dinner time at home, so Zhou Fengnian washed his hands, sat down at the table and started eating.

I only had two buns at noon, and I’ve been riding my bike for a long time, so I’m hungry now.

After eating a few steamed buns and drinking a bowl of vegetable soup, I felt full.

Father Zhou then asked, "Old Third, why did you come back so late?"

"I went to the library to find some things that can make our village rich, and then I went to Zhou Yan's house."

"You went to her house? What did Zhou Yan's parents say about you?"

Zhou's mother immediately asked curiously, and not only her, but other members of the Zhou family also pricked up their ears.

"What else can I say? Just meet normally and talk normally. I'll be back after chatting for a while."

Zhou Fengnian would definitely not tell the truth, so he changed the subject and asked, "Dad, let me use the kerosene lamp at home at night. I may go to bed very late."

Father Zhou said, "Just take it. Your mother and I won't need it."

The kerosene lamp in old Zhou's house is as good as new. It is kept lit for probably only three hours a year. This was after Zhou Fengnian stopped using it after he went to school.

Zhou Fengnian had to improve his skills as soon as possible, and there were only so many entertainment options in the countryside, and he couldn't fall asleep too early at night.

After dinner, Zhou Fengnian washed his face and feet and went straight to bed to read.

He hadn't read the book he borrowed today carefully yet, but when he saw the brick-making craftsmanship in it, he borrowed it out.

But after reading it carefully with the help of kerosene lamp at night, Zhou Fengnian discovered that this collection of craftsmanship also included other jobs, a total of six or seven types.

Although the technology recorded above is relatively backward, Zhou Fengnian can use the proficiency system to improve his skills.

So in the middle of the night, Zhou Fengnian began his journey of flipping through books.

You will gain some proficiency every time you read it, and even if you memorize it and read it repeatedly, your proficiency will still increase.

He now has dozens of skills, most of which are useless and Zhou Fengnian can't use them at all. It's just that his proficiency increases when he does them repeatedly.

Zhou Fengnian also has two simulation opportunities, in which he can try brick firing and other crafts in the simulation space.

He and Zhou Yan have visited all the interesting places in the countryside, and the next opportunity might be to show a movie before the New Year.

This is also the most anticipated thing during the Chinese New Year in the countryside. Fortunately, Sanshui Commune is not far from Sijiu City, so you can watch a movie five or six times a year.

In communes further away, this only happens once or twice a year, and they are just waiting for this time before the New Year.

On a quiet night, the only sounds in the house besides Zhou Fengnian flipping through books was his father's snoring.

Zhou Fengnian read the book over and over again without knowing how many times. After seeing several newly acquired skills developed to level two, he looked at his watch.

He watched it for seven hours straight and it was already two o'clock in the morning.

"In addition to making bricks, growing mushrooms is also a good idea. Mushrooms are easy to sell, and both supply and marketing cooperatives and individuals buy them."

He borrowed two books, one of which happened to contain the method of cultivating mushrooms.

(End of this chapter)