Siheyuan, don't mess with me

After waking up the next day, Liu Haizhong finally came to a clearer understanding and wondered if he had been hysterical again last night!

However, being an official was his lifelong dream, so when he got to work early in the morning, he took out twenty yuan and gave it to the second aunt, asking her to go buy some groceries and prepare to invite Chen Zhiguo to their home for dinner in the evening!

However, when he went to invite Chen Zhiguo, "Second Uncle, I won't drink, but I want to have some time to chat with you, maybe this Sunday, but now I have a few questions for you!"

Seeing that Liu Haizhong was eager to express his opinion, he said, "Second Uncle, you don't need to answer these questions now. Go home and think about it carefully. Then tell me on Sunday, and I will tell you how to become an official!"

"What's the question? Tell me! I promise I can answer them all!" Liu Haizhong said, patting his chest.

Chen Zhiguo smiled and wrote a few lines on the paper. In order to make Liu Haizhong understand, Chen Zhiguo wrote the words neatly! Otherwise, Liu Haizhong graduated from high school, and he might not be able to understand the running or cursive script!

Liu Haizhong left the office and couldn't wait to open the white paper.

1. Why do you want to be an official?

Second, what kind of people can become officials?

3. What kind of official do you think you can be?

Fourth, how can you better create value for the steel mill and society as an official?

There were four questions in total. Liu Haizhong thought about them all the way, all day, and all night. He felt that they were all easy to answer, but he didn’t know how to answer them!

These days, Liu Haizhong stopped drinking and just stared at a blank paper when he got home. Because of Liu Haizhong's behavior, no one in the family dared to make any noise, for fear of affecting him! The power of the Seven Wolves is no joke. When Liu Haizhong got furious, he even beat up Second Aunt!

Yan Bugui lay in the hospital for three days before he could barely get up and get out of bed. He ignored the doctor's advice and was discharged! This time he was really embarrassed!

Li Ruihua and his three sons sent him to the hospital. The doctors and nurses saw that Yan Bugui was drunk. They gave him an IV drip while Yan Bugui was spraying. Later, they had no choice but to cover Yan Bugui’s stomach and said, “Go ahead and spray. When you stop, we will change your bed sheets and quilts!” The hospital couldn’t do anything because they didn’t have so many bed sheets and quilts to change. Moreover, Yan Bugui alone filled the entire floor of the hospital with a strange smell! The doctors and nurses couldn’t block the smell with their double-layer masks. The doctors had no choice but to arrange Yan Bugui in a well-ventilated place in the hall outside, otherwise all the patients on the entire floor would not be able to bear it and would want to vomit!

But think about it, a hospital is a place where people come and go, and there is a human body fountain exposed outside, everyone would want to take a look. Although you will want to vomit after seeing it, curiosity is still at the forefront, so you will take a look first!

Yan Bugui could pretend to be unconscious and ignorant, but it would be embarrassing for Li Ruihua and Yan Jiecheng who were accompanying him. They had to point fingers at the patients and make them feel hopeless. It was so humiliating!

Li Ruihua's psychological endurance was OK. After all, he had swept the streets before and was criticized by others. He was used to it! But Yan Jiecheng couldn't do that. The second and third sons had already gone home. As the eldest son, he had to stay in the hospital to take care of them!

The sarcastic looks and mocking words made him feel that his life would be ruined. These two weird parents would either make trouble for the mother or make a fool of themselves for the father! How would he find a wife in the future? Yan Jiecheng felt that his future life was dark and he couldn't help but think of leaving home. If he stayed in this family, he didn't know what would happen to him!

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Soon, Sunday arrived, and at around eight o'clock, Liu Haizhong couldn't wait to knock on the door of Chen Zhiguo's courtyard!

This was the first time Liu Haizhong entered Chen Zhiguo's room. The bookshelf was full of books, which shocked the almost illiterate Liu Haizhong! Do officials need to read so many books?

Chen Zhiguo asked Liu Haizhong to sit down and made him a cup of tea. "Since you are here today, let's not talk about things in the yard. I won't call you Uncle. Comrade Liu Haizhong, have you thought about how to answer the questions I asked you?" Chen Zhiguo's tone changed. He showed his authority without being angry, which was revealed from an eighteen-year-old young man. Liu Haizhong felt like he was meeting a factory leader. He had never met a leader of a higher level!

"I! I, I still don't know!"

"I can't answer anything, or I can't answer some questions!"

"There are some questions I don't know how to answer!" Liu Haizhong felt like when he was a child and was asked questions by the teacher in school. He was nervous and a little scared!

"Then let's start with the first question! Just say whatever comes to your mind, and don't worry about saying it wrong, it's okay! Now tell me, why do you want to be an official?"

Chapter 207 You don’t even know how to read, what kind of cadre do you want to be?

"Being an official means you can manage people!" Liu Haizhong's answer was indeed what was in his heart, and his answer was consistent with his psychology!

Chen Zhiguo nodded, but did not rush to comment. Instead, he asked the second question, "What kind of person can be an official?"

"Those who are educated, have skills, can manage people, and have connections" This answer was beyond Chen Zhiguo's expectations. He thought Liu Haizhong would just answer that he had connections!

Chen Zhiguo still did not comment and continued to ask the next question, "What kind of official do you think you can be?"

"I can be a workshop director or deputy director! I can also be a team leader!" Liu Haizhong's standards are getting lowered again and again!

Chen Zhiguo nodded, "The last question is, how can you create better value for the steel mill and society when you become this official? Have you thought about how to answer it?

Liu Haizhong hesitated for a while before speaking, "I've thought about it. I will lead my men to work hard!"

Chen Zhiguo nodded and motioned Liu Haizhong to drink tea. He waited for Liu Haizhong to calm down and said to him, "It's a good thing to ask for improvement, but it doesn't mean you will be promoted just because you ask for it or you make progress!" Chen Zhiguo stopped Liu Haizhong and said, "Listen to me, think about whether what I said is right, and then you can say it!"

"There are more than 10,000 workers in our steel rolling mill, and there are many veterans with the same rank as you. Can you say they are not excellent and not motivated? Why are they workers like you, instead of cadres? And why can some people with even lower ranks than you become team leaders?"

"That's because they know how to flatter and coax their leaders?" Liu Haizhong said angrily.

"Are all the team leaders in our steel mill like this?"

Liu Haizhong thought about it and replied, "No."

"If you meet such a leader, will you be convinced? Will you listen to his work arrangements?"

"No! I will report it!"

"So, the first thing you need to do as a cadre is to make your workers respect you. You need to win the support of the people, right?"

Liu Haizhong nodded, and Chen Zhiguo continued, "Then how can we convince everyone?"

"Better than them!" Liu Haizhong said without hesitation.

"In addition to skills, what other aspects do you think are strong? Then I want to ask you, why are there so many people who are not as good as you able to become team leaders? Apart from the connections you mentioned and the ability to flatter others, what other common characteristics do the vast majority of team leaders have?"

Chen Zhiguo's question stumped Liu Haizhong. He thought for a long time but couldn't come up with an answer. He could only look at Chen Zhiguo and said, "When selecting a team leader, we not only consider his skills. Of course, if his skills are too poor, he can't be selected! There are other conditions, such as organizational skills and coordination skills. They have gained the support and recognition of the workers. Do you have this ability?"

Liu Haizhong still shook his head. In the workshop, except for his apprentice, he had a bad relationship with other people. No one liked his pretentiousness!

"If I were the team leader, why wouldn't they listen to me?"

"Yes, they will listen to you temporarily, but are you satisfied with being a team leader? Would you like to be the deputy director or director of the workshop?"

"Definitely!"

"If there are people in a group who are dissatisfied with you, then what about a workshop? If there are even more people who disobey your management, then wouldn't the workshop be in chaos? Can you be stable as the director or deputy director? If you are dissatisfied, you will report it to the leader, so won't others do the same? If there are too many people reporting it, can you continue to be in this position? The leader will definitely think that since so many people have opinions about you, is it because you are doing something wrong or not doing it well? More importantly, will it affect the production of the workshop?"

Liu Haizhong's forehead started to sweat!

"This is only one aspect, the character issue. You have to make everyone trust you. If they don't trust you, they won't support your work. Now I'm going to talk about another aspect, the academic qualifications. Can you understand the documents issued by the factory? Can you explain them clearly to the workers? Can you do statistics? Can you do calculations? To put it bluntly, you can't even read. What kind of cadre do you want to be?"

Academic qualifications have always been a pain in Liu Haixin's heart. Many times, he has not been promoted because of his academic qualifications!

Liu Haizhong said dejectedly, "Then I can't be promoted?"

"can!"

"Really?" Liu Haizhong was excited, as if he had been given a shot of cardiac stimulant!

“This requires your effort!”

"Whatever needs to be done, I will definitely work hard!"

"First of all, we should unite with our comrades and not put on airs. Look at the way you walk, and then look at the way other comrades walk. Don't you obviously look out of place? Look at how many leaders in the factory walk like you!"

Liu Haizhong's walking posture is very distinctive. He once saw someone walking like this and thought that walking like this was very impressive, so he imitated her and started to learn how to walk like a duck! With his hands behind his back and his big belly sticking out, he swayed slowly with each step, just like a duck walk!

"Also, have you studied the documents issued by the factory?"

Liu Haizhong shook his head. He didn’t recognize many of the words on the page, so how could he learn? Besides, this was not his main concern!

"Learning the spirit of the document is what a cadre must do. Only through learning can you understand what the factory should do and how to do it,"

"But I don't know many words?" Liu Haizhong's face turned red.

"Comrade Liu Haizhong, I want to ask you, how did you learn the steel forging technique?"

When talking about his strengths, Liu Haizhong became excited. "At first, my master taught me, but later I just figured it out on my own. If I made a mistake, I would correct it. If I did it right, I would practice more!"

"Isn't that right? Isn't it the same with studying? I remember you are in primary school, so although your education level is low, if you study like you study technology and persist every day, won't you be able to recognize all the characters?"

"But I don't know how? I need someone to teach me!"

"Forged Steel, when you encountered a problem, did you figure it out and research it yourself?"

"Yes, in the later stage, I figured it out by myself. No one taught me!" At that time, Liu Haizhong was indeed improving himself through self-exploration!

"It's the same with studying. Go to Xinhua Bookstore and buy a Xinhua Dictionary. Look up the words you don't know in the dictionary and write them down in a small notebook. Then you will know them, right? Besides, there are people in the workshop who are more educated than you. Don't be ashamed to ask them. Don't be afraid of losing face. What you learn is yours. Over time, the number of words you don't know will decrease, and the number of words you will be able to write will increase!"

"Do I have to learn it?" Liu Haizhong asked unwillingly.

"If you want to be a team leader, you must learn. Otherwise, you won't be able to understand the factory documents. Aren't you afraid that your subordinates will laugh at you?"

Hearing that he could be the team leader, Liu Haizhong immediately became excited, "Zhiguo, I will buy a dictionary when I get back and study hard!"

"Comrade Liu Haizhong, I heard that you are very good at teaching apprentices. Many of your apprentices are already fifth or sixth level workers, right?"

"Yes, the earliest batch are almost catching up with me now!" Liu Haizhong said proudly. He is not like Yi Zhonghai who always holds back when teaching his apprentices. He teaches his apprentices very seriously and without reservation. Although he has a bad temper and beating and scolding are common, his apprentices all agree with him!

"This is your advantage. If you help your colleagues in the workshop to improve when you have nothing to do, will they also respect you? Think about it, if the whole workshop was taught by you, then will they listen to you?"

Liu Haizhong thought about it and realized that was true. If a workshop was full of his apprentices, then why would he need a workshop director? He could be the workshop director himself, and his words would definitely be effective. No one would be dissatisfied!

"So, to be a cadre, you must be educated, be able to read and write, understand the factory's documents, and be able to write work reports and production plans."

"Aren't these all the clerks' jobs?" Liu Haizhong asked in confusion.

"If you don't even understand these things and you rely on the clerk for everything, then what are you for? Wouldn't your position be more suitable for the clerk? It's all written by the clerk anyway, so what are you for? Just to be a decoration? To be a signboard? Besides, don't you read what the clerk writes? Don't you review it? What if the clerk makes a mistake? What if you take the report written by the clerk to the factory meeting and you can't read it yourself, then what will the factory leaders think? Which leader will promote a fool? The clerk is just to assist you, but it is not what the clerk writes. You are the one who makes the decision!"

Liu Haizhong lowered his head. He didn't expect that he needed to learn so many things to be an official. He always thought that being an official meant managing people. All he had to do was do what he said. How could he have imagined it would be so complicated?

"So, if you want to be an official, the most basic thing is, first, to unite with your comrades and get along well with your colleagues! Second, you have to be strong yourself, have culture and skills! Now you understand your own shortcomings!"

"I understand. I will work hard when I go back!" Liu Haizhong seemed to understand something, but it was still very vague. He only knew two things. One was to buy a dictionary and learn the words he didn't understand, and the other was to get along well with everyone in the workshop, not put on airs, and teach more students!

"Since you can understand it, then you just need to work hard. I will see how you perform! After a while, if you can really improve yourself, I will make arrangements for you!"

Liu Haizhong left excitedly. He didn't go home. After leaving Chen Zhiguo's house, he went directly to Xinhua Bookstore and bought two copies of the Xinhua Dictionary, one for the factory and one for home. He also arranged for a small notebook for taking notes. He bought several large and small notebooks! When he returned home with some things, Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu were scared, "Is this old man trying to force us to study?" However, Liu Haizhong didn't even look at him, turned around and went into the room, and never came out again!

The reason why Chen Zhiguo had the patience to talk to Liu Haizhong was that he saw in his strengths and the fact that he could teach students. The current model in the steel rolling mill is that masters teach students. Some masters can teach, and their apprentices are excellent, such as Liu Haizhong who is one of the best. Some masters can do it but cannot teach, and the apprentices they teach are also half-knowledgeable. Some masters simply keep some skills to themselves, such as Yi Zhonghai. Although he is an eighth-level worker, none of his apprentices can become fourth-level workers or above. This is very telling!

Chen Zhiguo wants to change this traditional teaching model. He wants to set an example through Liu Haizhong, select excellent masters from various types of work, and train apprentices to avoid delaying the progress of one or more people because of a bad master! In this way, the technology of the entire workshop and the entire steel rolling mill can be improved!

Chapter 208: Night talk at Yan’s house, Liu Haizhong studies hard by lamplight!

Of course, Chen Zhiguo's use of Liu Haizhong was also a risky move. Liu Haizhong's lifelong dream was to become an official, but his own cultural level was too low, and there was no hope of improving it through normal channels. He would only join the red armbands in the later stage. Now, if Liu Haizhong could be promoted through his own efforts, Chen Zhiguo would not mind helping him. Now that he has an official position, would he still do anything to become an official?

On Sunday, the front yard of the courtyard was full of sheets, quilts, cotton jackets, and cotton pants drying in the sun! Yan Bugui was discharged from the hospital, so Li Ruihua was able to wash out the dirty ones! Fortunately, it was winter, otherwise the smell of these piled in the yard could have turned into biological weapons!

Poor Yan Bugui, he only had one set of cotton clothes and pants. He came here naked, so he couldn’t wrap himself in a quilt when he left! But at home, everyone only had one set of clothes, especially winter cotton clothes and pants, which were worn over the outside. There were no extra ones to change. The eldest son Yan Jiecheng and the second son Yan Jiefang had the same figure as Yan Bugui, but neither of the two sons was willing to take off their cotton clothes and pants to give to their sick father! All of them turned a blind eye and looked at Li Ruihua, who had no choice but to take a few more pieces of clothes for Yan Bugui to wear. Poor Yan Bugui wore four tops and three pairs of pants. In this way, he walked all the way back to the courtyard from the hospital. When he got home, he was already freezing!

But there was a big trouble waiting for them. There were no extra quilts at home. Yan Jiecheng had to sleep alone on the upper bunk of a bunk bed, Yan Jiefang and Yan Jiekang had to sleep on the lower bunk. There was a curtain in the middle of the room, and the youngest Yan Jiedi had to sleep on a small single bed!

Li Ruihua can sleep with his daughter Yan Jiedi under the same quilt, but what about Yan Bugui? How to sleep? The old couple washed all their quilts. In the winter, if they want to dry them naturally, it will take four or five days, and it must be sunny! Or they can hang them at home at night, which requires heating the coal stove and drying them with the heat of the coal stove, which will cost more coal money. The old Yan family does not have the tradition of burning coal stoves at night. They go to bed after dinner!

The quilts for Yan Jiecheng and Yan Jiedi were both designed, small single quilts, which could save fabric and cotton. The quilts for the second and third children were double quilts, but they were given to Yan Bugui, so how would they sleep at night? I wanted to let the eldest child, Yan Jiecheng, stay up all night, so that he could help to warm the quilt!

However, after the family finished dinner, the children all ran to bed, leaving the old couple staring at them with eyes wide open. "Go, get some more coal, we'll dry the quilts tonight!" Yan Bugui was half lying weakly on a chair. Walking back from the hospital had exhausted all his strength. He could see that these children were raised in a distorted way. But if he was not frugal, how could the living expenses of this large family be enough?