Back to the 80s Machinery Factory

Chapter 548 (4k6 long chapter!!!) *Sob* The handsome young man hidden away in his boudoir
without any exaggeration,

The New Year celebration at Chen Jinyue's house was a whole size bigger than the simple New Year's greetings at his own house.

Chen Luyang watched the spectacle from the sidelines as if it were a TV drama, but Chen Jinyue was already used to it.

In her eyes, these important figures were all uncles and elders, the great-uncles and great-uncles who had watched her grow up.

Dad sat calmly in the center of the room, chatting with the guests.

She helped her mother entertain guests outside, greeting and seeing them off with a beaming smile.

She would occasionally hand over a fruit platter or refill a cup of tea, then turn around and go to the kitchen to help with the preparations, her demeanor graceful and poised.

Chen Luyang was so engrossed in watching.

She has such a great presence!

Not only does she speak pleasantly, but her eyes are also calm and composed, and her smile combines the gentleness of a young woman with the familiar warmth of an elder, taking good care of all the guests.

Chen Jinyue was poised and confident, but he was embarrassed!

How can it not be awkward...?

Their position is illegitimate!
Normally, if he had the chance to see so many leaders, he would have rolled up his sleeves and rushed up to chat with them one by one to get acquainted with them.

But in this situation, he really can't charge forward!

In terms of closeness, he was practically Chen's future son-in-law, so he should have gone up to help greet the guests.

But the two of them haven't registered their marriage yet, so their status isn't legitimate.

If he were to actually go up and serve tea and water, it would seem like he was rushing things.

Besides, he himself is a guest here to pay New Year's visits today, so it wouldn't be appropriate for him to just get involved.

Standing to the side would make me look like a wooden stake;
I sat down, but then I felt like I was being too comfortable, like someone who was just eating and drinking for free.

What's more troublesome is that Chen Tuo is enjoying a high reputation outside, and the people who came today are all "big shots" I've seen in the newspapers.

He didn't want to jump out at this time and force his way into the position of "future son-in-law".

Just as Chen Luyang was pondering whether she should make an excuse to go out and buy soy sauce to hide for a while,
Chen Jinyue, familiar with the process, held the teapot and leaned down to whisper in his ear:
"Go wait for me in the study. It's quiet there, and you don't need to stand here and smile obsequiously."

After saying that, she secretly slipped him a bag of sunflower seeds and a few picture books, winking at him.
"Just to pass the time. I'll come find you after they leave."

Yeah~
Chen Luyang felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders and followed Chen Jinyue into the study, closing the door behind them.

In an instant, the world fell silent...

The silence was almost enough to make you want to cry.

For some reason, at this moment, Chen Luyang felt like a gigolo who couldn't be seen in public, secretly placed in the back room by a girl, afraid that showing his face would cause gossip.

But then I thought about it again and couldn't help but chuckle to myself.
"A pretty boy it is!"

Chen Luyang touched his newly shaved face.

What's wrong with pretty boys?
Most people can't even become gigolos, pshaw!

……

Finally, the noise outside gradually faded away.

After the last group of guests left, the room finally returned to quiet.

The steaming hot food was set out on the table again, and the family was finally able to sit down and enjoy a proper reunion dinner.

Chen's mother placed a piece of pork rib into Chen Luyang's bowl and asked, "Little Chen, when are you going back to school?"

Chen Luyang put down her chopsticks and answered honestly, "I have to leave right after the New Year."

"Before the Lunar New Year, I applied to the city government for a batch of steel and materials. I don't know if it has been approved yet. I need to go back and check the situation."

Looking at Chen Luyang, Chen's mother said with concern, "You are so young, yet you have such a heavy burden. Running between school and work, don't wear yourself out."

With that, she got up and went into the inner room.

A moment later, he came out holding a bulging red envelope.

She pushed the envelope in front of Chen Luyang and said with a smile, "Here, this is your New Year's money."

“According to our family rules, all the younger generation must have something for the New Year, and you are no exception.”

Chen Luyang laughed, but on the surface she still frantically declined: "Aunt Chen, this is inappropriate. I'm so old, why should I take New Year's money..."

"Suitable."

Mrs. Chen glared at him, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"Since we're celebrating the New Year at my house, we'll follow our rules. Here you go!"

Chen Luyang glanced at Chen Tuo subconsciously.

Chen Tuo was holding his rice bowl, his expression calm. He neither refused nor showed any difficulty, but simply gave a soft "hmm" as a tacit agreement.

The sound, neither too loud nor too soft, put Chen Luyang at ease, as if a reassuring pill had been taken.

Immediately, Chen Luyang happily accepted the envelope.

"Then I'll accept it, thank you Aunt Chen!"

With a gentle pinch,
Goodness, this envelope is quite thick!

Under the table, Chen Luyang felt a light kick.

She looked up and met Chen Jinyue's gaze.

The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, and her eyes held a hint of coquettishness, clearly saying, "Look at how smug you are!"

Chen Luyang felt a sweet warmth in her heart and almost laughed out loud, but she had to lower her head and eat her rice to cover it up.

According to the original plan, Chen Luyang intended to take this opportunity to stay a little longer, spend more time with Chen Jinyue, and also try to gain favor with the Chen family.

Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do...

There are so many people coming to pay New Year's visits!

Just as we finished our meal, there was another knock at the door, and a new wave of guests came to offer their New Year's greetings.

Having no other choice, Chen Luyang wisely helped wash the dishes, then pocketed the large red envelope and left decisively.

Chen Jinyue reluctantly put on her cotton-padded coat and followed him out of her house to see him off.

It was windy in the yard, and the ground was covered with red firecrackers that had been set off.

Chen Jinyue pulled her scarf up to cover half of her face, leaving only her eyes visible, her gaze filled with reluctance.

"Then tell me after you buy the ticket, and I'll go to the station to see you off," Chen Jinyue said earnestly, her eyes filled with certainty.

Chen Luyang shook her head: "No need. Everyone who sees someone off feels bad. If you really go, I'll be more unsteady on my feet."

Chen Jinyue whispered, "But I'll feel even worse if I don't see you off."

Chen Luyang laughed: "If you miss me, just look at the gold bracelet. I'll take the train back to see you when I have time at school!"

"Alright, let's go home. If I take you any further, I'll have to take you to the machine factory."

Chen Jinyue reluctantly let go of Chen Luyang's hand.

"Take good care of yourself at school."

Chen Luyang smiled at her.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't let myself starve. Let's go back."

Seeing Chen Luyang's figure disappear through the gate and out of sight, Chen Jinyue lowered his eyes and turned back to the courtyard.

……

With the office having bought train tickets for Chen Luyang and others to return to Pian'er City, the short winter vacation was coming to an end.

Chen Luyang's original plan was to go back to school first.

We'll let Zhang Guoqiang and the others go back after February.

However, everyone's enthusiasm for getting things done was extremely high.

Everyone was packing their bags at home, preparing to go back with Chen Luyang.

Chen Luyang was also busy.

Before leaving, he made a special trip to the supply and marketing cooperative and asked Song Liaosha to buy a lot of red sausages, candies, pastries, mushrooms, and ginseng slices from the meat processing plant.

If it weren't for the baggage weight limit on train tickets, he would have liked to take the jar of pickled vegetables from home with him.

He also gave instructions at the other end of the workshop.

The four group leaders are still responsible for daily management. When something happens in the workshop, everyone discusses and handles it together, so no one has to take on the burden alone.

As for Xiang Guowu, he was singled out.

He doesn't need to participate in the factory's administrative affairs, nor does he need to keep an eye on the processes and attendance. Instead, he is specifically responsible for the research and development of oil hoses and rubber gloves.

As soon as this arrangement was announced, the four group leaders secretly breathed a sigh of relief. They had all been worried that Xiang Guowu's return was to seize power.

Now that Chen Luyang has made his point clear, putting personnel and administrative power in their hands, they feel much more at ease.

On the other side, Xiang Guowu felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders when he heard that he didn't need to worry about people and could just focus on mastering the technology.

He never intended to work in this workshop long-term; he was still thinking about whether he could work in a rubber factory in the future.

Chen Luyang's arrangement suited his mind perfectly, saving him from getting bogged down in a bunch of trivial matters.

Even so, he immediately expressed his stance, patting his chest and guaranteeing:

Make sure to properly install the oil hoses and rubber gloves.

Seeing that the five people in front of him had relaxed considerably, Chen Luyang's face was not completely at ease.

He withdrew a slight smile, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the group, his tone becoming even more stern:

"You can discuss everything else, but you must keep a close eye on the quality of the parts!!!"

He placed his hand on the edge of the desk, his voice deepening.
"Everyone remembers the incident from the last test drive very clearly, and we absolutely cannot let it happen a second time."

"If the quality doesn't meet the standards, not only will I lose face, but the entire workshop will lose face!"

"Our workshop has worked so hard to earn some face and trust in the factory. If anyone dares to cheat on production, I'll be the first to punish them when I get back."

Huang Pingtao immediately nodded and said, "Don't worry, Director, we'll keep a close eye on the quality control."

The other group leaders echoed in response, and Chen Luyang felt a little more relaxed, her tone softening as well.

After discussing the specific division of labor for a few more minutes, the group dispersed.

After everyone had mostly left, Chen Luyang called out, "Old Dong, stay for a moment."

Dong Mangui's eyes lit up!
He knew perfectly well that he was absolutely special in the director's eyes!

In modern times, that would be a staff officer or assistant.

In the past, that would have been a Grand Councilor!

On a grander and deeper level, it carries the weight of entrusting one's children to another!

After everyone had left, Dong Mangui asked excitedly:
"Director, is there anything else you need?"

Chen Luyang said thoughtfully, "Old Dong, if there's anything important in the workshop that the factory needs to know or that needs to be announced to the outside world, then go to the publicity department. Don't run there at the slightest sign of trouble. The people in the publicity department have it tough too; it's not good if they keep getting bothered by our workshop."

Tang Xi was all alone!
They were driven to the brink of murder by Dong Mangui.

If I don't control Dong Mangui's rampant urge to publish articles, the two of us will inevitably end up fighting sooner or later.

After speaking, Chen Luyang kept observing Dong Mangui's expression.

After all, appearing in briefings has always been Dong Mangui's top priority as a "political achievement".

If he were to forcefully stop him, he feared that Old Dong would be unhappy.

Unexpectedly, Dong Mangui readily agreed this time.

"Director, I was just worried that the workshop's achievements would be overlooked... Okay, I'll be more careful in the future and won't bother you unless it's a big deal."

Chen Luyang was stunned for a moment.

its not right!
Old Dong has always been competitive and would never miss an opportunity to get a spot in a briefing. Why is he suddenly withdrawing now?

Could it be that he has some other powerful move up his sleeve?

Seeing Chen Luyang's suspicious gaze, Dong Mangui felt a faint sense of proud disdain.

briefing???
Pooh!
Who still stares at that thing now!
He has now successfully transformed from chasing page views to chasing wrenches, moving beyond the low-level state of "being satisfied with just showing his face" and ascending to the level of "getting real results through hard work".

Yes,

In the few days after Xiang Guowu returned, he finally understood.

While the scenery on paper is important.

However, if you don't have high-quality parts and solid production results, then in the end it's all for nothing!
Instead of spending all day trying to write articles and gain exposure, it's better to work hard in front of blueprints and machine tools, and convince people with real skills!

Seeing Dong Mangui's meaningful yet smug gaze, Chen Luyang's brows furrowed slightly again.

What's going on in Old Dong's head all day?

To be honest, I don't usually spend much time in the workshop, and I can't keep an eye on these people's thoughts and feelings all the time, so I inevitably feel a little uneasy.

But then again~
Although no one knows what Dong Mangui is up to, as long as he doesn't bother Tang Xi every few days and cause chaos in the propaganda department, it's a good thing.

As for the workshop, Huang Pingtao and the other two team leaders are keeping an eye on things, so if anything goes wrong, they can stop it immediately.

No matter how much trouble Man Gui causes, he can't really make a big splash.

After explaining the details of the workshop,

Finally, on a cold morning.

Carrying large bags and small packages, Chen Luyang, escorted by her whole family, made a grand entrance towards the train station.

The platform was bustling with activity as family members carrying large and small bags gathered together, busy giving instructions, saying goodbye, and handing things over.

"Mom and Dad, I have to leave again..."

Chen Luyang was just about to get sentimental, to cry and whine to her parents, and to bid them a reluctant farewell.

Before he could finish speaking, a loud voice next to him stole his thunder.

"You'd better drink less! Do you hear me?"

"Let me tell you, if you get sick from drinking outside and can't get out of bed anymore, I'll immediately rip off your bedding and send you back to your hometown to recuperate!"

"Let whoever wants to serve you then, I'm not going to!"

The platform was noisy with people.
But this barrage of words managed to drown out the sound of the steam whistle.

at once!

The gossip spirit deeply buried in the blood of the masses was ignited at this moment!

People carrying luggage, selling melon seeds, boiling tea eggs, ticket collectors at the platform, people seeing others off, people rushing to catch trains...

Every single one of them had their eyes fixed on the crowd with the precision of a machine gun scope.

The Chen family members were no exception; their eyes snapped back as if propelled by a spring, all turning in that direction.

Chen Luyang couldn't help but glance to the side and burst out laughing!

Isn't that Director Lu?
Director Lu stood obediently in front of a woman, like a dutiful grandson, constantly responding as if he were quietly advising her.

Although Director Lu is thick-skinned, he couldn't stand being surrounded by so many people in public.

He quickly bent down, frantically gesturing "shh" in his wife's ear while whispering in her ear, trying to get her to stop her supernatural powers.

To everyone's surprise, the more Director Lu tried to coax her in a low voice, the more enthusiastic his wife became, raising her voice instead of lowering it, and pointing her finger at him as she retorted:
"Keep it down?"

"Now you're speaking softly? When you were drunk and confused, and couldn't find your way home, why weren't you speaking softly when you called me to come out and get you?"

Director Lu's face turned red with embarrassment, and he hurriedly said, "I only drink a little at home. I don't drink much when I'm out. I just occasionally have a couple of drinks with Director Chen and the others..."

Before she could finish speaking, Aunt Lu launched into a tirade of insults:
"Stop bringing up Chen Luyang all the time!"

"I refuse to believe that Chen Luyang can force you to drink if you don't want to!"

"If he really does that, I'll curse him too!"

“I don’t care if his father is Chen Dazhi or Chen Erzhi. If he dares to force you to drink, I’ll curse him first and then you.”

"After I'm done scolding him, I'll go scold his father, Chen Dazhi, and see what kind of good thing he raised!"

The scene on the platform left the Chen family of three dumbfounded.

Good guy...

Before they could even get a good look at the spectacle, they were suddenly dragged into the mess by name.

Chen Luyang's eyes have been opened!
He had long heard that Sister Lu was formidable and didn't hold back when she cursed, but he never knew she could curse like this!

When they start cursing, they don't distinguish between friend and foe; they curse anyone they can get their hands on.

Fortunately, Chen Luyang stayed far away, otherwise Aunt Lu's spittle would have landed on his face!

Chen Luyang secretly glanced at Chen Dazhi's expression as she turned her head slightly.

Instead of being dissatisfied, Chen Dazhi looked excited, even raising his eyebrows smugly.

"...No offense, but what are you so smug about?" Chen's mother asked, puzzled.

"You've turned into Chen Erzhi, what are you so proud of?"

"I'm just thinking about my youth..."

Chen Dazhi sighed softly.
(End of this chapter)