Chapter 38

The morning sunshine was warm and comfortable; He Yuzhu washed up carefully, then hurried to the grocery shop. Warm Xiu Xiu had just returned, and she certainly had a lot of things to handle.

He definitely had to help.

As for the job at the steel rolling mill, taking a few days off is not out of the question.

Warm Xiu Xiu had already opened the grocery shop's door and was carefully sweeping the floor; seeing He Yuzhu come over, she hurried to greet him and asked if he had eaten breakfast.

"Let's go out and eat wonton; at noon I'll properly make a few dishes, to welcome you." He Yuzhu rubbed his hands, "What flavor do you like?"

"I'm not picky about food."

It was still early; He Yuzhu pulled her to chat in the grocery shop, asking what that thing he showed Director Zhang yesterday was, and why it made him back down all of a sudden.

Warm Xiu Xiu took out a paper and showed it to him; it was a certificate stating that this grocery shop had already been merged by the Municipal Supply and Marketing Cooperative into a qualified branch.

He Yuzhu also knew a bit about this, but he didn't expect it to happen so quickly; it seemed the higher-ups had also done a lot of work.

"By the way, now that you've returned from retirement, have they arranged any work for you?"

He Yuzhu thought that if it wasn't ideal, he could figure something out; the steel rolling mill had many positions, and using his connections, he could surely pick a good job.

After all, enterprises are still in demand.

"Originally I was assigned to a school to be a teacher, but my own education isn't high enough to teach others, so I declined." Warm Xiu Xiu glanced at the grocery shop, "In the end I decided to let me be the deputy director and salesclerk of this Supply and Marketing Cooperative."

They discussed their future plans here, while the Courtyard House was also talking about them.

The faces of the three elders were ruthlessly stepped on the ground yesterday; the second elder's blow was especially harsh, leaving him lying in bed all night with his waist hurting terribly.

"What use are you two? You don't even dare go out and say a few harsh words." The second elder lay in bed scolding his two sons, "You've eaten my food for so many years for nothing."

The two sons completely ignored him.

The first and third elders came over to persuade him to calm down, wanting to discuss properly how to deal with Warm Xiu Xiu, for she was too fierce, saying she'd throw you out if she said so.

"From now on you can't just spout nonsense." The first elder sighed, "People's hearts aren't what they used to be; these youngsters have not a shred of thought to help others."

The third elder's eyes blinked for a while, then he said, "All the world's hustle is for profit; as long as we give them a little benefit, we can still get along."

The first elder asked him to explain in detail.

"Warm Xiu Xiu is about the right age to retire; I reckon there isn't much good work for her, the most likely thing is just coming back to watch that grocery shop—why don't we give her a job?"

The first elder thought it over carefully and felt it was a good idea.

A job nowadays is a top-notch blessing, especially being able to enter a big factory—that's practically like seeing green smoke rise from the ancestral grave.

"Yuzhu is the canteen director; he can casually arrange for people to enter the kitchen—can you still get a better position?"

The first elder indicated that he could.

Canteen work is quite popular, but there are many jobs even better than that.

For example, the materials section, the factory hospital, the factory school.

"Can you find such a job?" The second elder jumped up from the bed in shock.

"Going to the school to be a substitute teacher, I still have that face." The third elder said proudly.

In the eyes of the three elders, this was simply a tremendous blessing; although teachers' status isn't high nowadays, educated people are still worth being proud of.

"A substitute teacher." The second elder shook his head, "It's just a temporary job; people can accept this favor of yours."

The third elder's small eyes blinked twice, saying that wanting to become a regular teacher wasn't a problem either; he'd heard their school just happened to have an opening, but that would require them to work hard themselves later.

Actually he also wondered whether he could squeeze something out of He Yuzhu's hands.

"Well, I can't get out of bed; you go on your own."

Normally for such matters the second elder would definitely participate, but this time his waist really wasn't up to it, plus he was a bit afraid of Warm Xiu Xiu's strength.

The first and third elders went to the grocery shop and happened to see He Yuzhu and Warm Xiu Xiu huddled together whispering something; although there wasn't any overly intimate gesture, they still felt it was a bit improper.

An old-fashioned, stubborn idea.

"Yuzhu, Xiu Xiu." The first elder forced a smile, "We came this time to welcome the Courtyard House's new member, hoping you'll unite with the neighbors and love your kin in the future."

What the first elder said made him feel uneasy, as if a hungry dog were staring at him from inside the grocery shop.

"What the first elder said are just old clichés; we came this time mainly to have found you a job." The third elder shook his head and swayed, "Without working to earn money, how can we support the family? Relying on Yuzhu alone won't do."

"I have a job."

"The job I found for you is definitely better than yours—being a substitute teacher at our school..." The third elder beamed with pride.

"My job is as a salesclerk in the Supply and Marketing Cooperative."

Hearing that, the third elder felt his face must have turned green; if there were a crack in the ground he'd surely have sunk into it, for how could a substitute teacher compare to a salesclerk?

In later times, guides and salesclerks basically became worthless jobs, but back then they were hot, sought-after positions; if your family lacked the right connections, you couldn't even dream of them.

It could be said outright that it meant good pay, little work, and close to home.

"Which Supply and Marketing Cooperative is it? Then we can go take a look later." The first elder's speech was a bit clumsy, "From now on work well and repay the sports team's cultivation."

"In a few days this place will be renovated and become a branch of a Supply and Marketing Cooperative, and the number of salesclerks will increase as well."

Hearing that, the first elder suddenly thought of Bang Geng; setting fire to a private grocery shop and setting fire to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative would certainly have different outcomes. Bang Geng won't be coming back, and the Jia Family might also be implicated.

"Ah, truly a troublesome autumn."

The third elder didn't think about those things; he was completely absorbed by the matter of still having to recruit salesclerks—if he could become one, his family's life would surely be much easier.

"Yuzhu, I think this recruitment of salesclerks should be settled internally among us." The third elder stared with wide eyes, "I'll keep the accounts absolutely accurately, not a single bit off."

He Yuzhu did believe the third elder's words, but the salesclerk position still wouldn't use him.

After the two elders left, He Yuzhu and Warm Xiu Xiu also began tidying the grocery shop; tomorrow a construction crew will come to expand the shop and add counters and such.

Warm Xiu Xiu kept looking around and touching things in the grocery shop; this was the place she played as a child, and she could see it was about to change.