Chapter 114: Binding the Childbearing System and Becoming a Winner in Life Chapter 115: 1970s Hutong Daily Life (13)

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Protagonist:

Shen Yao

To express her gratitude to Comrade Xie Ci'an, who was exceptionally intelligent, Shen Yao rewarded him in person.

Although doing so would easily affect her getting up for work the next morning.

But who was Shen Yao? Not afraid of bitterness or fatigue, these could all be overcome.

"Host, wine and lust harm the body; you should calm down."

The system jumped out to tease its own host—who lived like that every day without being exhausted?

"You're just a system; it's normal you don't understand the pleasure of such things."

"Rest assured, I know what I'm doing; I won't let myself be worn out."

Pedaling her bicycle like lightning, when Shen Yao arrived at the canning factory, she felt refreshed after riding in the spring wind all the way.

So comfortable~

The work at the canning factory was just a few tasks; Shen Yao wanted to become group leader, and besides outstanding professional ability, she also had to get along well with the group members.

The group Shen Yao was in consisted of young people who hadn't been at the factory long.

If one said they had deep backgrounds at the canning factory, that wasn't the case.

Most were just ordinary common folk, working every day to earn money—the kind who neither caused trouble nor feared it.

Shen Yao found some time to talk seriously with each of them individually.

In the end she concluded it could be resolved; even if two were displeased, they weren't the unreasonable type (who couldn't be bought).

That was fine; she was aiming for higher positions above when she became group leader.

Harmonious relations with group members were conducive to the smooth progress and development of future work.

"Shen Yao, come here for a moment."

During a work break, Zhou Shujuan waved her hand to call Shen Yao over.

"Sister Zhou."

Seeing the unfamiliar face standing beside Zhou Shujuan, Shen Yao knew this was someone from above at the canning factory.

"Little Shen, this is Comrade Xu from the Organization Department; he wants to ask you some questions—just answer normally, don't be afraid."

Zhou Shujuan's big-sisterly chicken soup for the soul felt very familiar to Shen Yao.

She understood—it was just about letting herself perform~

Shen Yao nodded with a smile. "Comrade Xu, shall we go to the side to talk?"

They definitely couldn't talk in the workshop; the surroundings were full of working employees.

A few words getting out would cause a huge stir.

Facing Shen Yao's suggestion, Xu Fengnian naturally had no objection.

He let Zhou Shujuan go busy with her own work, then he took Shen Yao and left directly, reversing the guest-host roles.

Zhou Shujuan stood in place watching the two leave, muttering in her heart that Shen Yao had better give it her all—whether she herself could become senior group leader depended on this time.

"Sister Zhou, Sister Zhou is a warm-hearted person, whether in treating work or managing us."

"Sister Zhou..."

Shen Yao fully unleashed her talent for flattery, without exaggerating the facts, giving Zhou Shujuan all-around, no-dead-angle praise.

But Shen Yao wasn't just saying nice things; she had her own unique technique.

At least landing in Xu Fengnian's ears, the overall impression of Zhou Shujuan was that she wasn't bad, although she had some small flaws, but they could all be corrected and improved.

That was enough~

If they truly chose a perfect person without flaws, Xu Fengnian would suspect the other party had bought off the canning factory employees.

After the topic of Zhou Shujuan was concluded, Xu Fengnian turned his head to ask Shen Yao what she thought of the vacant group leader position.

What did she think?

Shen Yao scratched her head embarrassedly. "I don't have any thoughts; I just want to volunteer myself since the factory is selecting people."

In this era, people were simple and enthusiastic, but also confident and full of hope.

Shen Yao wanted to be group leader; she couldn't hesitate and hide behind the scenes.

She had to make her debut and show off her strengths.

Xu Fengnian flipped open the notebook in his hand, gesturing for Shen Yao not to stand on ceremony and to continue.

Shen Yao tensed her body and began recounting her good deeds from school and her excellent performance at work.

Of course, after the topic was concluded, when Xu Fengnian asked if she had any recommendations for group leader candidates, she still mentioned the name of someone from their group.

The reason was that he worked hard and actively did overtime, serving as a role model for them to observe and learn from.

Xu Fengnian:... Are you sure actively doing overtime isn't for the overtime pay?

"Little Shen, did Comrade Xu give you a hard time?"

At noon in the cafeteria, Zhou Shujuan pulled Shen Yao and couldn't help asking this and that.

Since it concerned her own promotion and raise, even though Zhou Shujuan was usually calm and steady, at the critical moment she would still be nervous—after all, that was only human.

Shen Yao soothed Zhou Shujuan. "Sister Zhou, rest assured; Comrade Xu is easy to get along with, and I told the truth."

So don't worry; as long as there are no problems with the procedures from above, Zhou Shujuan's promotion is a done deal.

Zhou Shujuan exaggeratedly patted her chest. "Just for this matter, I haven't slept well lately."

Good grief, whether at the factory or at home, it was all too nerve-wracking.

Shen Yao could understand Zhou Shujuan's mindset, but she slept quite well after returning home.

Even if she sometimes couldn't sleep, wasn't Xie Ci'an still there?

The two of them cuddling and hugging were guaranteed to sleep soundly until dawn before waking.

Half a month after the discussion, Zhou Shujuan's appointment officially came down.

From a group leader managing only their group, she was promoted to senior group leader responsible for four groups.

Zhou Shujuan not only had her salary raised, but the power in her hands also increased somewhat.

After Zhou Shujuan's promotion, the vacant group leader position became even more obvious.

Some people in the group could no longer sit still and began trying various schemes.

In the meantime, Shen Yao appeared the most composed, going to and from work every day with a particularly regular schedule.

In the end, this group leader position naturally fell on Shen Yao's head.

"Anyone responsible for employee appointments who isn't stupid would want to choose me."

Is being honest and diligent better or worse than scheming and jockeying? Anyone can tell.

Compared to others using every trick in the book and making the whole group chaotic.

Shen Yao was openly and honestly working diligently at her own job.

Choosing a group leader was just so the team would have someone managing it, not too scattered to affect daily efficiency.

The contrast between others and Shen Yao was too obvious; Shen Yao could be said to have effortlessly taken this group leader position into her pocket.

Riding her bicycle and hurrying home, Shen Yao boasted to the system in her mind while keeping an eye on her surroundings.

As it turned out, she really did see something good—someone selling eggs on the street.

Shen Yao's eyes lit up, thinking that the eggs at home were usually saved for the children to eat first.

As an adult, she could only sneak back to her room for an extra meal if she occasionally craved something.

The eggs bought earlier were already finished; now adding some more, she and Xie Ci'an could snack a bit in the evening.

Jumping off the bicycle, Shen Yao walked over to greet the person opposite.

The person looked like an experienced egg seller; Shen Yao quickly made contact with them, and within five minutes, all thirty eggs at three Portion five each were bought.

"Little Sister, I still have a small rooster to sell; do you want it?"

The middle-aged woman looked capable, and her speech was quick and sharp.

Shen Yao's eyes shifted, testing the price of the small rooster while keeping an eye on her surroundings.

"At this time, old hens at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative sell for one yuan five per jin, and roosters have risen to one yuan eight."

"Little Sister, Sister won't take advantage of you; this small rooster unfortunately broke its leg and can't walk, otherwise it couldn't be brought here to sell."

"It weighs about four and a half jin; I'll count it as yours."

Shen Yao nodded upon hearing this and had her bring the chicken over; it was indeed cheap.

Calculating the price at less than one yuan four per jin, the portion of over four jin, chopped up, was enough for the family to eat one meal.

The two exchanged money and goods; Shen Yao held the chicken in her left hand and eggs in her right, quite a bountiful harvest.

"The chicken is indeed good; I'll stew it today to nourish you all."

Tian Na waved her hand, ordering Xie Aidang, who got off work early, to kill the chicken, and Wu Zhaodi to boil water to pluck the feathers.

As for Shen Yao, who bought the chicken home and was the great meritorious official providing food rations for the family, of course she went back to her room to lie down and wait for dinner.

Shen Yao:...

Shen Yao just liked her mother-in-law's clear-cut likes and dislikes; as long as she spent some money, she didn't have to work.

Ai yo

This was too suitable for her; after all, she still had quite a bit of money in her space.

Xie Ci'an hadn't gotten off work yet, so Shen Yao changed her clothes herself and took a short nap; when she opened her eyes again, Xie Ci'an was sitting by the bedside, holding a book and reading with great relish.

Shen Yao tilted her head, shifting her body to lean into Xie Ci'an's arms. "When did you get back?"

Xie Ci'an patted Shen Yao's back. "I've been home for almost half an hour."

"Take it slow; once the chicken stew is done, we should go to Mother's side for dinner."

Shen Yao made an affirmative sound, burying her head in Xie Ci'an's arms and swaying left and right.

Xie Ci'an let Shen Yao make a fuss, just smiling and watching her play around.

Shen Yao:... an arrow to the heart, even less wanting to get up, wah wah wah

In the end, the great army of wah wah wah was still defeated; Shen Yao was carried out of bed by Xie Ci'an and finally left the room unwillingly.

In the main hall of the main courtyard, the fragrant aroma of chicken constantly assaulted everyone's sense of smell.

Xie Aimin and Wang Yanyan, who had already returned from work, stared eagerly at the iron pot, their expressions equally greedy.

Tian Na told them in an annoyed tone to go wait to one side. "Why are you coming back later and later lately?"

Xie Aimin made a dismissive sound. "Overtime at the factory, and they won't let us eat dinner at the canteen. Everyone feels uncomfortable, making a fuss all day."

Wang Yanyan added, "The canteen also listens to the factory; no surplus grain means no surplus grain."

"I think your fussing is useless; in the end, you'll still be caught as typical examples for criticism and education."

Xie Aimin didn't care. "The law doesn't punish the many; with so many big shots around, how could he catch a few?"

"Besides, do you think this is what we want? Someone is stirring up trouble behind the scenes."

Wang Yanyan frowned. "There's such a person?"

"Nothing much; everyone wants a share of a good place like the canteen," Xie Ci'an said after finishing, then turned around to greet Xie Ci'an and Shen Yao who had come in.

Shen Yao had previously heard Xie Ci'an say that Second Young Master Xie Aimin worked at the Rolling Mill.

The work there was mostly manual labor, and the canteen provided sufficient food; otherwise, the workers couldn't bear it.

"Second Young Master, is the Rolling Mill going to expand recruitment?" She seemed to have heard someone mention it.

The Rolling Mill's factory isn't big enough; they want to expand by adding two more production lines.

Xie Aimin scratched his head. "Don't know. Our workshop hasn't heard anything about that."

Wang Yanyan did hesitate a bit. "I've heard people mention this batch of news, but it has nothing to do with our family." Their family members all have jobs; it's impossible they'd quit to go to the Rolling Mill.

Shen Yao waved her hand. "That's not what I mean, Second Brother and Sister-in-law. Recruiting people definitely requires finding a place to house them.

By then, relying on the Rolling Mill's revenue, building houses will be right before our eyes."

Xie Ci'an added, "We can think about getting ourselves an apartment. The ones being built recently are all Tongzilou.

The Machinery Factory has this movement, but construction would take at least a few years.

The Rolling Mill has never built housing before; the probability it can build this time is very high."

The Machinery Factory and the Rolling Mill are too far apart. Xie Aimin and Wang Yanyan have always worked at the Rolling Mill. Spring and summer are fine — getting up and commuting they can still see daylight. But come autumn and winter when days are short, the two of them have to rise early and return late.

That's not all. Duoduo was born a Rolling Mill dependent, so she can only attend school on that side.

These past two years Duoduo has grown older; the running around is unbearable not just for a child, but even for adults.

Now that they've heard Shen Yao and Xie Ci'an's words, they instantly feel that getting an apartment is good.

Then it would not only solve the work and school commute for their family of three, but they'd also get an apartment for free. Who knows, Wang Yanyan might even be able to have another child nearby.

"Alright, let's set the table and eat. The rest you can mull over when you go back to your room."

Tian Na lifted the pot lid, and an even richer, more fragrant chicken aroma wafted out than before.

Instantly, not only was the Xie family lively, but the other households in the big courtyard were lively too.

Like a few bratty little kids, they were already rolling around on the floor at home.

Too bad Tian Na's reputation in the courtyard rings loud and clear. Everyone's mouths water, but not a single one dares come knocking to ask for chicken.

It was still Tian Na who exercised neighborly affection, sending a bowl of oil-floating chicken soup to each household.

"Tsk. This chicken soup looks clear and bright but has no meat — who can it feed? Old Tian just loves doing this, deliberately disgusting people."

In the Zhou family's Da Tang, Zhou Dama cursed and grumbled as she divided the chicken soup into three portions: one for the two grandsons, one each for herself and the old man.

As for the son, daughter-in-law, and several granddaughters — sorry, go gnaw on your corn buns.

Zhou Erni looked at her own biased grandmother with cold eyes, only able to bury her head and gnaw the hard corn bun in her hand.

She's still too young; she can't change the Zhou family's status in the Zhou household, so she can only be implicated and suffer hardship.

Novels really are all fake. She followed the schemes from the novels, didn't gain the slightest advantage, and was secretly beaten several times to boot.

Hiss—

Even now her back still aches — red welts left by a wooden stick, just because she mentioned splitting the family.

At the Zhao family, separated from the Zhou family by only a wall, a bowl of chicken soup was divided clean among the five mothers and sons.

The youngest, Zhao Laibao, hadn't drunk enough; he kicked up a fuss demanding Zhao Meizhi get him more.

Zhao Meizhi had no choice; she promised to buy a chicken tomorrow and stew it, only then barely putting the matter to rest.

As for the slightly better-off Qian family and Cheng family, each had their own dissatisfaction.

Anyway, Tian Na's delivery of this bowl of chicken soup didn't win a shred of goodwill; on the contrary, it earned her a body full of complaints.

"Complaints? This old lady wishes they'd fight over the chicken soup.

Back in the early years they didn't give me a moment's peace disgusting me; just watch me disgust them right back."

Tian Na herself harbors no good intentions either. Everyone in the courtyard is half a catty versus eight taels — no one can point fingers at anyone else.

Shen Yao ate and drank her fill, returned to her room, and pulled Xie Ci'an along to happily recount her promotion.

"But the time is about right; we need to have a child as soon as possible.

Otherwise, later when things get busier and busier, there won't be any time."

Shen Yao feels she'll definitely get promoted again later; by then she can't just squeeze in having a child.

Better to take advantage of the current light workload and capability, and get the children that should be born out first.