Courtyard House: In this life, I have a new home!

168

Zhou Jimin leaned forward and lowered his voice, "The problem is in your hands. If you can't solve it, then throw it away."

"Pass it on to the new finance director."

"Let him clean up this mess."

Xu Mei blinked, not quite understanding.

Zhou Jimin continued, "As a newcomer, you're unfamiliar with the business, so this is your opportunity."

"Wang Erni and her team are quite capable."

"If you secretly contact them and get them to cooperate with your schemes, you can definitely turn the tide."

"That's all?"

Xu Mei waited for a long time but didn't hear any specific operating procedures.

Panic began to creep in. "Can't things be done in one go? There's no use in rushing."

"I'm not going to the secretariat, I can't do that job!"

Zhou Jimin rubbed his temples helplessly.

"You're a college student, right? I've already put myself in this position, and you still can't be flexible?"

"I'm right here beside you, and you still want to figure it out yourself?"

This rebuttal was presented with righteous indignation, but it was completely illogical.

Zhou Jimin was so angry he almost stood there speechless.

This luck with women is unstoppable.

If it were decades later, he would have dealt with this troublesome person long ago.

Unfortunately, it is now the late 1960s, and the decade of turmoil is just around the corner.

At a time like this, who would dare to invite trouble?

"Quickly send a message to the affiliated units of Hongxing Factory, urging them to settle the remaining payment."

Zhou Jimin lowered his voice, his tone revealing a shrewdness.

"In addition, let Wang Erni and her gang continue to play Tai Chi there."

No matter what the other person asks, just make an excuse to delay.

Anyway, if they use the stalling tactic, nobody can do anything about it.

He paused, a calculating smile curving his lips:

"Wait until the new finance director is driven to the brink of mental collapse, then you can hit a wall a few more times."

That person definitely couldn't withstand the pressure and voluntarily applied for a transfer.

"When that time comes, Zhu Wenjun will definitely give you a deputy title in order to appease you or to get you to go back and take over the mess."

"If the person in charge of finances takes this position, won't this move completely solve the problem?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Mei's eyes instantly lit up.

That was a brilliant move – a strategic retreat!

Overwhelmed with emotion, she couldn't help but pounce on him and kiss Zhou Jimin's face several times.

Zhou Jimin pushed her away in disgust and hastily wiped the wetness off his face:

"What's wrong with you? This is my house!"

"If you keep acting like this, I'll throw you out."

How can you be so cold-blooded?

Xu Mei blinked, feigning a wronged expression.

"Don't look at me like that, I'm still a child."

Zhou Jimin was talking nonsense with a straight face.

Xu Mei laughed in exasperation: "You've been a father for three years, and you're still pretending to be young? Your skin is so thick it could be bulletproof."

"Alright, stop being so cheeky."

Zhou Jimin waved his hand: "Hurry up and get down to business, don't waste the opportunity."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a rustling sound came from outside the door.

As soon as they met, Ren exclaimed, "Junior! Your paper has been published! The journal just replied, confirming its publication!"

"You mean... all the manuscripts I sent out were accepted?"

Although Zhou Jimin had a general idea in mind, he still couldn't help but be somewhat surprised to hear this definite news.

The recognition by international mathematics journals means that his research is logically rigorous and can withstand scrutiny.

The scene shifts to the office of the head of the Mathematics Department at Peking University.

Sunlight streamed through the window and fell onto the table.

Zhou Jimin was flipping through several brand-new periodicals and magazines, with a few hundred-dollar bills scattered around him.

That's royalties.

In this day and age, "there is a wealth of knowledge in books."

This is no exaggeration.

Looking across Beijing, while ordinary people were still worrying about food coupons, university teachers had a truly secure job.

Most professors earn between $160 and $200 a month.

For titans like Bing Xin and Zhu Guangqian, in addition to their fixed salaries, they could accumulate a large sum of money from royalties and manuscript fees alone.

For example, the master of traditional Chinese painting, Qi Baishi.

Back then, a painting by Qi Baishi could be bought for ten yuan by an acquaintance, while a layman would dare to ask for seventy yuan.

Even Old Yin, the gatekeeper of the Qi family mansion, could receive paintings personally painted by Qi Baishi as payment every month.

Of course, not all traditional Chinese painters receive this kind of treatment.

Most painters were included in the cadre system and received a fixed salary.

But regardless of whether one is within or outside the system, the principle of monetizing knowledge is universal throughout history.

After reviewing the materials, Duan Xuefu smiled and said:

"The quality of these articles is comparable to that of a doctoral dissertation."

"I'm going to apply for early graduation defense for you."

"You can officially start teaching students this semester."

"No!"

Zhou Jimin shook his head and refused without even thinking.

Duan Xuefu's old face instantly fell, and his brows furrowed into a tight knot.

"Why is it not working again?"

The tone carried a hint of exasperation and disappointment.

Just last year, Zhou Jimin confidently boasted that his mathematical foundation was weak, and he simply lacked a systematic approach to studying it, needing time to solidify it.

At that time, Duan Xuefu, who was completely fooled by Zhou Jimin's silver tongue, wanted to help this genius student "further his studies".

Despite the pressure, they agreed to Zhou Jimin's request for an extension.

But now more than half a year has passed.

Duan Xuefu knew perfectly well: he had been in the industry for decades, and he could see through Zhou Jimin's limited abilities.

The claim that the foundation is weak is just an excuse.

"Oh, right."

Duan Xuefu suddenly remembered something, and his tone softened slightly, but still carried a hint of probing, "Mr. Hua was just mentioning a couple of days ago, asking when you're going to report to Wenjin Street and hand in that 'homework'?"

Upon hearing these words, Zhou Jimin felt a sharp pain in his head, as if it were about to explode.

"Teacher, please have mercy on me!"

He clasped his hands together, his face pleading, "Can't I just lie down and rest at home for a while?"

His dream was simple: to survive.

If he can just endure another ten years and wait for the storm to pass, that will be the time for him to truly take off.

Why bother handing in homework now? That's just asking for trouble!

"you……"

Duan Xuefu was so angry his fingers were trembling, his knuckles turning white as he pointed at the door. "Zhou Jimin, you're a piece of useless rotten mud! Stinky and stubborn!"

"You must go back to school next week to pick up your graduation certificate! That's an order!"

Zhou Jimin's eyes darted around, attempting one last struggle: "Um... could we postpone it for two years?"

"Then you should get to work!"

Duan Xuefu roared, "You're just occupying a position without doing anything, and you still think you're right?"

"I really didn't reserve a spot!"

"Shut up! It's settled! If you don't get out, I'll cancel your meal card!"

Zhou Jimin sighed, resigned himself to his fate, and turned to leave.

Just as I stepped out of the office, I bumped into Renren, who was all smiles and said, "No comment."

Zhou Jimin waved his hand, his steps unsteady as he drifted away. "Senior brother, I'm leaving now. I'll treat you to dinner another day."

Watching Zhou Jimin's retreating figure, Ren walked into the office and saw Duan Xuefu sitting in a chair, sulking, his face ashen.

"Teacher, what happened?"

This question was like throwing a match into a bucket.

Duan Xuefu slammed his fist on the table, spitting as he spoke: "Nothing to brat about! That bastard is just too stubborn! Like a lazy donkey that won't move forward even after being whipped!"

"Everyone else is scrambling to get a tenured lecturer position at Peking University, but he keeps putting it off!"

"Xiao Ren, you be the judge. In all my years of teaching, have I ever seen such a bizarre student?"

What can he say?

He admired Zhou Jimin, but he didn't understand why Zhou Jimin was so resistant to working within the system.

However, seeing the teacher's barely concealed smugness despite his anger, he felt somewhat relieved.

Meanwhile, Zhou Jimin returned to his residence.

He walked around the room, pretending nothing was wrong.

Outside the window, my younger sister, Zhou Qingxian, was chasing a goldfish all over the yard, her laughter ringing out.

Inside the room, Sleepyhead and Little One, the siblings, were fast asleep, their breathing even.

With Huang Xiaohua, a loyal dog, at home, and Pandi and Laidi, two teenagers, helping to take care of her, there's really nothing to worry about.

The little goldfish is a bit mischievous; it can practically lift the roof off the house when its older brother isn't home.

Fortunately, none of Zhou Jimin's dogs were huskies, known for their destructive tendencies; otherwise, the Zhou family's daily life would likely have turned into a disaster.

He straddled the old, worn-out bicycle and started pedaling.

The wheels rolled over the stone pavement, making a slight creaking sound.

The target is clear: No. 3 Wenjin Street.

This street is famous because the Beijing Library is located here.

The Siku Quanshu (Complete Library of the Four Treasuries) was once housed in the Wenjin Pavilion in Chengde, hence the name of the entire street, which exudes a profound scholarly atmosphere.

Zhou Jimin sensed something was off about the street the moment he stepped onto it.

The air itself was filled with a scholarly atmosphere.

The passersby had bright eyes, light steps, and smiles on their faces that only those who have hope in their hearts have.

Compared to those drab and dreary places outside, this place is like a completely different world.

"stop."

The guard at the checkpoint raised his hand to block the way, speaking in a businesslike tone: "Comrade, who are you looking for? Show me your identification."

Zhou Jimin calmly took out his work ID and handed it over.

"Find Director Hua."

These days, there aren't many security guards who bully others by abusing their power, after all, they have a secure job, not a guaranteed one.

The guard glanced at the ID, then looked up and sized up Zhou Jimin for two seconds.

In that instant, it was as if he were looking through the skin to see the bones.

The aloofness and detachment that scholars possess cannot be faked.

The scrutinizing look in the guard's eyes faded, and he waved for them to pass.

Following the directions, Zhou Jimin circled around several corners and finally found his way to Lao Hua's office door.

The door wasn't closed properly.

"Oh, what a rare guest!"

A gasp came from inside, followed by Old Hua's booming voice, "Come in, come in, have a seat!"

As soon as Zhou Jimin sat down, before he could even warm the chair, a cup of warm water was pushed in front of him.

Old Hua was even more anxious than him.

"I heard what your master said. Your paper has been approved."

Old Hua rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming: "But I haven't looked at the manuscript in detail yet. Give this old man a heads-up, what's the core idea?"

You should know that this is a big name in the mathematics world.

As long as Zhou Jimin throws out a few key data points, the formula in Lao Hua's mind can immediately be executed.

Once they started talking, they couldn't stop.

What was originally just a routine report turned into an academic seminar.

We started by discussing geometric structures, then moved on to algebraic derivations, and finally to practical applications.

Zhou Jimin realized that he hadn't even taken out his workbook yet, but Lao Hua was already completely engrossed in the theoretical part.

As the sun set, the afterglow painted the windows orange-red.

Old Hua suddenly slapped his thigh, as if he had just remembered something important.

"By the way, what exactly did you come here for?"

Zhou Jimin gave a wry smile before slowly handing over the workbook.

"You can keep an eye on it for now. I'll leave now if there's nothing else."