Traveling back to 1952, starting a comeback from a relief station

A brief respite from the hustle and bustle.

Someone leaned closer and asked in a low voice:

"Shazhu, Jia Dongxu from Workshop Two, isn't he from the same courtyard house as you?"

"I heard from others that the pretty female worker in Workshop Two, who hasn't been here long, named Qin Huairu, was originally supposed to be introduced to Jia Dongxu by the matchmaker, but someone else from your compound snatched her up?"

"Is this true or false?"

Mentioning this, Sha Zhu curled his lip, his tone disdainful yet somewhat complicated:

"That's right, it really happened."

"But you've all seen how sickly and useless Jia Dongxu is. How could he possibly be worthy of Sister Qin?"

"Of course, Sister Qin's boyfriend isn't any better."

"He's cunning and full of bad intentions!"

Such juicy neighborhood gossip was naturally known not only to those in the kitchen.

At this moment, in the production workshop of the steel rolling mill, He Hua and several other female workers also heard the rumor and were surrounding Qin Huairu, asking her for information all at once.

After all, Qin Huairu is the person involved and has the most right to speak.

Qin Huairu's cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her head shyly, saying softly:

"Yes...that's true."

"It wouldn't sound good if this got out, so I didn't tell you before."

"I come from the countryside. When the matchmaker told me about the Jia family, I was unsure of their situation, so I secretly inquired about Jia Dongxu's character and family circumstances. As a result, the matchmaking didn't work out."

"And then I met Brother Anping, who didn't look down on me because I'm from the countryside..."

The female workers in the group exchanged glances, all showing expressions of understanding.

He Hua smiled and patted her shoulder, comforting her:

"What's there to be embarrassed about?"

"In this new society, marriage is a major life event, so it's only right to be cautious and understand things thoroughly."

"You don't know, Ma Gu in our workshop is also from the countryside. She believed the sweet talk of the matchmaker and married into the factory without finding out the truth."

"It turned out her husband was paralyzed and had suffered a severe injury to his lower body, making it impossible for him to work."

"In her life, she not only had to live as a widow, but also had to work hard to take care of her entire family. How bitter that was."

"Besides, that kid Wang Anping is indeed quite good."

"They're paid two salaries: one for the cook and one for the accountant."

"Both of you are employed."

"Good."

Qin Huairu became increasingly embarrassed and added in a low voice:

"Um... Sister Hua, Brother Anping quit his job cooking for the shelter. He's planning to take the college entrance exam."

"What? He quit his cooking job?"

Sister Liu looked astonished and said:

"Huai Ru, your man... is he trying to slack off? He's not doing a proper job, but instead he's going to take that stupid college entrance exam."

"Besides, didn't you say before that he didn't have much formal education? Getting into university isn't that easy!"

"This is no joke!"

Well……

Not only Sister Liu, but all the other female workers in the group had similar thoughts.

Qin Huairu, however, disagreed.

Seeing this, He Hua quickly smiled and tried to smooth things over, offering words of comfort:

"You can't say that. Everyone has their own thoughts and plans."

"Although it's not making money right now."

"But if I can really get into university, things will be different from now on."

"Graduating from university means becoming a government cadre, which is equivalent to more than ten years of work experience for others, and there are more opportunities for promotion later on."

Qin Huairu quickly nodded in agreement:

"No, Anping only quit his cooking job; he still has other jobs..."

She couldn't stand hearing her husband belittled by others, and she mentioned that he was still a member of the street work group, responsible for accounting and statistics, and that the street work group had retained his position at the relief station.

Upon hearing this, He Hua and the others were all stunned, their faces filled with astonishment.

After a long pause, He Huacai couldn't help but sigh:

"Tsk tsk..."

"Capable people are different. Holding two jobs and still daring to take the university entrance exam—that's impressive!"

"By the way, Huairu, I heard something from someone."

"Is that Chef He in the kitchen, the one who's Sha Zhu's dad? I heard he was going to run away with a widow the other day..."

No matter when, "I heard it from someone" is always the best opening line for gossip.

Several female workers, while busy with their work, huddled together, chattering excitedly about the new things happening in the courtyard house.

evening.

Qin Huairu went home to cook.

Just as the food was almost ready, the sound of a bicycle bell came from the courtyard gate—Wang Anping had returned.

He parked his bicycle in front of his house and went inside, carrying a canvas bag in one hand and an oil paper package in the other, which looked bulging.

Qin Huairu quickly stepped forward, took the things from Wang Anping's hands, and said happily:

"Brother Anping, you're back?"

"I'll go get you a basin of hot water right now so you can wash your hands and get ready for dinner."

Although she had been in the city for some time and had gone from a young woman to a young wife, Qin Huairu couldn't help but feel happy when she thought about her life.

Moreover, she couldn't contain her joy when she saw Wang Anping.

As soon as she took the items, her gaze fell on Wang Anping's feet, and her eyes lit up:

"well?"

"Anping, did you buy new shoes?"

"Actually, you don't need to spend money to buy them. My mom and sister-in-law are the best at making cloth shoes. I'll talk to my mom and ask her to make you a few pairs so you can wear them in rotation."

"The shoes I made myself fit perfectly, are comfortable to wear, and are also sturdy and durable."

Wang Anping said with a smile:

"I didn't buy it; it was a gift from Jia Dongxu's mother."

"The craftsmanship is indeed excellent."

"Oh, and she also said she'd send you a pair later!"

Qin Huairu was stunned.

He looked at Wang Anping with some surprise.

Last night, Jia Zhangshi publicly berated her and Anping in the Intermediate People's Court, making the incident known to everyone.

Qin Huairu originally thought that even if Jia Zhangshi didn't hate the two of them, she would never give them a good look. She never expected that she would take the initiative to send Anping-ge shoes and even make a pair for herself.

How is that possible?

Seeing her like this, Wang Anping couldn't help but laugh and added:

"However, she has one condition—next time Jia Dongxu goes on a blind date, I can't go and join in the fun, nor can I help him make a decision."

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu immediately beamed, a sweet smile curving her lips, and proudly tilted her head back:

"Hehe, Anping-ge, it's all because you're too outstanding!"

"That girl you went on a blind date with last time, her eyes were glued to you. Jia Dongxu's mother is scared, afraid that you'll raise girls' standards again and Dongxu won't be able to find a wife!"

the other side.

Since He Daqing quit his job as a cook at the steel rolling mill in order to run away with Widow Bai, although he didn't end up leaving, the news had already spread throughout the steel rolling mill, and he was naturally too ashamed to go back to work.

However, He Daqing was always confident in his culinary skills, so he didn't take it too seriously.

As long as you have the skills.

You can make a living anywhere.

Moreover, his culinary skills are among the best in Beijing, so he has no shortage of work.

Although he was unemployed, He Daqing wasn't worried at all, but he couldn't just drift around forever; he eventually had to find a way to make a living. After idling at home for two days, he finally made up his mind to go out and find a new job as a cook.