Courtyard House: Drunk and tipsy, the whole courtyard exposed at the start.

Liu Haizhong stood proudly in the yard, hands behind his back, accepting the congratulations and flattery from his neighbors—"A senior technician! A real old man!"

Liu Haizhong climbed step by step, step by step, to become the tallest person in the entire hospital! (Except for Zhang Dabiao)

But Jia Zhangshi wasn't about to tolerate Liu Haizhong: "What are you so smug about? You're just a senior technician, aren't you?"

"Old Yi was a senior technician two years ago. If Zhang Dabiao hadn't messed things up last year, he wouldn't have been demoted. He might have even passed the exam to become an 8th-grade technician this year."

"So you're the second senior technician in our compound, not the first. What's there to brag about?"

Liu Haizhong was trembling with anger in the middle of the yard. Can you guys please stop hurting my feelings?

My wonderful day, my shining moment!

Qin Huairu helplessly advised Jia Zhangshi, "Mom, just say less. Uncle has passed the Level 7 worker exam; that's good news!"

"Oh, by the way, sir, why did you call me 'Mom'?"

"Did our Dongxu also pass the exam, and we asked you to come back and share the good news?"

Qin Huairu steered the conversation back to the main topic, and Jia Zhangshi finally realized what was going on: "Old Liu, tell me quickly, isn't that right?"

"He said this morning that if he passed the exam, he'd send someone back to report the good news!"

"It must be! My Dongxu passed the exam too!"

In an instant, Jia Zhangshi's face lit up with joy. She threw down the shoe sole in her hand, danced around excitedly, and rushed straight to Liu Haizhong, chasing after him and asking him questions.

Liu Haizhong was stunned. Only then did he remember that he had come back to report a death.

How the hell should I say this?

Liu Haizhong didn't dare to speak directly, but his hesitant and submissive demeanor caught Yang Ruihua's attention.

"Wait a minute, even if Jia Dongxu passed the exam, couldn't he just ask one of his coworkers to come back and tell him?"

"Old Liu's relationship with their family is just so-so. He only passed the Level 2 worker exam; how could they possibly get Old Liu to come back and deliver a message? That doesn't make sense, does it?"

Hearing Yang Ruihua say this, everyone felt something was wrong. How could Jia Dongxu, who had just passed the Level 2 worker exam, have the foreman, who had also passed the Level 7 worker exam, come back to report the news? He didn't have that much influence, did he?

Qin Huairu frowned slightly upon hearing this. Could it be that something had happened to Dongxu at the factory?

Caught cheating on an exam?

She shook her head. Impossible. Yi Zhonghai himself had said that after his strict instruction, Dongxu had firmly mastered the skills of a Level 3 worker. There was no need for him to cheat.

When Jia Zhangshi heard Yang Ruihua and the others say this, her face changed: "What do you mean, a second-level worker? Our Jia Dongxu passed the exam for a third-level worker!"

"Took the test twice!"

"Old Liu, do you think our Dongxu family passed the Level 3 skilled worker exam? Did they?"

Liu Haizhong looked up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, his brow furrowing—[Does this mean I passed the exam?]

He himself said it was done, and Lao Yi was quite happy at the time. It must mean the workpiece met the standard for a level three worker, right?

But the judges didn't say whether it passed or not.

Did it pass or fail?

So Liu Haizhong scratched his head and said, "I don't know if he passed or not. Anyway, he finished his work, but the judges didn't announce the results."

This puzzled everyone. What did Lao Liu mean by saying that?

Jia Zhangshi grabbed Liu Haizhong by the collar and shouted, "That's impossible! Old Yi said that our Dongxu has already reached the level of a third-grade craftsman, why didn't the judges let him pass?!"

Qin Huairu sensed something was wrong and stepped forward to stop Jia Zhangshi: "Mom, let go and let Uncle finish explaining."

"Sir, did Dongxu pass the Level 2 technician exam?"

Liu Haizhong immediately nodded: "He passed, he passed on the first try. He met the standard in one go. All three judges voted in favor. I was there, as everyone knows."

Liu Haizhong wasn't lying. He was taking the Level 7 forging exam next door when he heard the news as soon as he finished the exam and went to the workshop to join the fun.

Upon hearing this, it turned out that Jia Dongxu had passed Level 2 and was immediately going to take Level 3?

Taking exams back-to-back?

This is something that hasn't happened in the last few years. Usually, people take the Level 1 exam once a year, and those who aren't confident take it once every two or three years.

I've never seen anyone take two exams in a year before; this is an incredible feat! (Back then, workers were afraid of wasting national resources.)

So the factory director, deputy director, and party secretary all came to see. Everyone knows Liu Haizhong's personality; he wasn't interested in Jia Dongxu's exam and planned to just take a quick look and leave. But when the leaders came, he became interested and went over to them.

And then, unlucky enough to be sent to run errands.

In the courtyard, Qin Huairu continued to ask, still puzzled, "So you didn't pass Level 3?"

Madam Jia Zhang also became nervous: "No way, Lao Yi said that Jia Dongxu can easily pass the Level 3 technician exam."

"Old Liu, explain yourself clearly, did it pass or not?!"

After organizing his thoughts, Liu Haizhong explained, "I don't know if I passed or not."

"Jia Dongxu was holding the workpiece and said he had succeeded. I saw him smiling, so it must have been done."

"Old Yi was laughing on the side too. I reckon he thought Jia Dongxu had passed."

"But the judges ultimately did not say whether it passed or failed."

Liu Haizhong wasn't lying, he was just being a little vague.

Madam Jia was so anxious that she grabbed Liu Haizhong by the collar: "Then why won't you let our Dongxu pass by!"

"Tell me, did you all conspire together? You just can't stand to see our Dongxu doing well, can you?"

"Did those judges lose their conscience and take bribes?!"

"Liu Haizhong, explain yourself clearly!"

Qin Huairu quickly pulled Jia Zhangshi back: "Mom, Uncle Yi is a blacksmith, not a judge. He has no reason to harm our Dongxu."

"Sir, could you please explain yourself more clearly? What exactly is the reason for this?"

Liu Haizhong became anxious at this point: "To be honest, I really didn't collude with the judges. I was taking the exam myself this morning."

"After Jia Dongxu finished the workpiece, he collapsed onto the machine with a thud. Half of his head was chopped off, and he was gone. The workpiece also fell to the ground."

"The exam room was in complete chaos. The judges didn't get the workpieces or do any evaluation, so naturally they couldn't pass. It's like they didn't submit their assignments."

"Am I wrong? He didn't even hand in his homework, how can you say Jia Dongxu passed the exam? There's no way he'd get a grade! He should get a zero!"

After he finished speaking, he smiled at Qin Huairu and said, "I didn't use the wrong analogy, did I?"

Liu Haizhong was quite pleased with himself, thinking that he wouldn't make a mistake since he hadn't used a four-character idiom this time.

But Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu were dumbfounded, and everyone else was stunned.

Madam Jia asked tremblingly, "Wait, what did you say in your last sentence?"

Liu Haizhong: "Jia Dongxu didn't hand in his homework?"

Jia Zhangshi: "One more sentence..."

"...He collapsed on the machine, half his head was sliced ​​off, he's dead..."

Qin Huairu: "...Uncle, what brings you back?"

"Announcement of death? What's wrong?"

"..."

"Oh, my Dongxu!"