Chapter 253: Seventies Treasure Appraisal System (27)

When a certain leader of the Industrial Bureau spoke harshly to the face of the Transportation Team Director, it wasn't just He Ximing who was present; how could Qin Zheng not be aware of it? Lao Jiang, who had come to visit him, had already mentioned it yesterday.

However, anyone with a brain didn't think the factory would rescind the reward given to Qin Zheng.

After all, the reward document had been approved by superiors; if it were rescinded, wouldn't that be a slap in the face to the leaders who approved it?

That leader from the Industrial Bureau might be called a leader, but in reality, he was just a small head of a certain department, not at the level of a Bureau Chief. It wasn't his turn to review the issuance of reward documents, so naturally, he was unaware.

The reason Lao Jiang made this special trip to tell Qin Zheng was to remind him to be cautious after work resumed in the new year.

The Transportation Team didn't want to offend that leader, so in the end, they let that person's brother-in-law join the Transportation Team.

Since there were no positions for the time being, he started as an apprentice to a certain driver.

When the time came, they would see each other constantly; if Qin Zheng offended the person without knowing the situation, it would truly become a feud.

As for who would take on that brother-in-law as an apprentice, every driver in the Transportation Team with any seniority avoided it as if it were a plague.

This wasn't taking on an apprentice; it was clearly taking on an ancestor!

Taking such a troublemaker of an apprentice out on a drive meant one couldn't even earn a little extra money on the side in peace.

Only He Ximing was eager to try, probably thinking this was an excellent opportunity to build a relationship with an Industrial Bureau leader! Opportunities like this don't come twice! So he scrambled to take on the brother-in-law.

None of the others had any objections and handed this chore over to He Ximing.

With that, Bai Xiuyuan's mood became even better:

Thinking that after the New Year, Qin Zheng would be transferred away from the Transportation Team, while her old He was valued by the leadership and was mentoring the brother-in-law of an Industrial Bureau leader, she couldn't help but be overjoyed, enthusiastically greeting everyone she saw to chat for a few sentences.

When Xie Yang heard about it, she only raised an eyebrow, noncommittal.

She wasn't worried at all about whether Qin Zheng would be transferred away from the Transportation Team.

Even if he were truly transferred, the factory would arrange a new work position for him.

In this day and age, as long as one didn't make mistakes, being laid off was impossible.

Otherwise, why would so many people rack their brains trying to get into a factory to hold an "iron rice bowl"?

What's more, Qin Zheng had performed a great service not long ago.

Rather than worrying about these groundless things, it was better to finish buying the New Year goods and set off for the countryside to spend the New Year early.

Qin Zheng's injuries were mostly healed, otherwise, Xie Yang wouldn't have let him do housework, so they were definitely going back for the New Year.

The Lao Qin family had tidied up the young couple's room several days ago, the bedding was sun-dried until it was very fluffy, and estimating the date, they had heated the Fire Kang in advance so they could get on the kang and rest as soon as they arrived.

The Family Building didn't have a kang; it was only warm when wrapped in a quilt at night or huddled around a stove during the day.

Entering a room with a kang, Xie Yang felt so warm that her whole body relaxed.

That night, their marital life was naturally very harmonious.

Counting carefully, since Qin Zheng went out on a drive at the beginning of December, the young couple hadn't had marital relations for two full months, longer than any previous interval between his trips.

Like dry wood meeting a raging fire, it crackled and popped for half the night.

The next day, it went without saying that they definitely woke up late.

In the past, even if the eldest sister-in-law, Chen Meijuan, didn't say anything, she would have had some opinions in her heart, but yesterday, as soon as Xie Yang arrived, she gave her a reassurance—

The eldest son Qin Yue's job was settled! Just waiting to get his diploma in the spring, he could immediately report for duty at the Mechanical Factory's Transportation Team!

Oh my! Thinking that in three or four months at most, her son would become a glorious worker holding an iron rice bowl, let alone her sister-in-law waking up late, even if she didn't get off the kang all day and had three meals served to her on the kang, Chen Meijuan would be willing.

Not to mention, the second couple had also brought back quite a lot of New Year goods: Preserved Chicken, soy sauce duck, ham, Fish... plus the New Year pig they were allotted and the rooster they slaughtered, the meat dishes were more abundant than any previous year; they could have an especially nourishing New Year this year!

Chen Meijuan felt wonderful, and she had energy for everything she did.

When Xie Yang wanted to pour a glass of water to drink, she snatched the cup away:

"I'll do it, I'll do it! Sister-in-law, you rest! What taste is there in just drinking plain water? I'll add a spoonful of Brown Sugar for you."

"..."

Xie Yang knew the customs in the village: in every family, it was the daughter-in-law who managed the New Year's Eve dinner; she had prepared herself mentally before coming.

Who would have expected the sister-in-law to be so full of energy, handling everything inside and outside the kitchen, leaving absolutely nothing for her to do.

At most, she could sit in front of the stove to add firewood or pull out charcoal, and in the gaps, she could hold a roasted sweet potato and eat it while it was hot.

Such a leisurely New Year was truly something she hadn't expected.

After staying at her in-laws' for nearly ten days, on the second day of the first lunar month, Qin Zheng accompanied her back to her maiden home, where they stayed for another three days. The Mechanical Factory resumed work on the fifth, and on the evening of the fourth, the young couple returned to their small home in the city, still wanting more.

It was just that the Fire Kang in the countryside was too comfortable; she didn't miss the cold wooden bed in the winter at all.

"When we have the conditions in the future, we'll also get a small courtyard and build a Fire Kang."

"Can small courtyards in the city be bought and sold?"

Hearing her man say this, Xie Yang's eyes lit up.

If they could, buying one now and waiting for it to appreciate in the future, wouldn't she be rich?

"Transfer of ownership probably won't work, but they can be rented. Those families with many children who don't have enough room to live will go out and look for rentals."

Xie Yang understood.

In the original world, Bai Xiuyuan's in-laws were just like this—

Several sons were at the age to marry, and they had all found partners, but the family couldn't spare an independent wedding room, and unit housing required waiting in line, and it was hard to say when their turn would come, so they had to go to the old city district to rent a few back rooms that used to be for servants of high-ranking families.

After the original body remarried to He Jianming, she had also lived there for a period of time; the cramped room layout was stuffy and damp, how could it be as comfortable as living in a proper, orderly Main Room?

Thinking of this, she smiled and said to Qin Zheng: "Forget about renting. When it can be bought and sold in the future, let's buy a Main Courtyard that used to belong to a wealthy family, plant pomegranate, persimmon, and jujube trees in front of and behind the house, with a proper three-bay or five-bay layout, and build a Fire Kang in every room."

Qin Zheng didn't say she was being whimsical, thinking that even if houses in the city could never be bought or sold, wasn't there still the countryside? When they had money, they would tear down the old house at home and rebuild it, which would surely satisfy her wish.

After work resumed following the New Year, Qin Zheng was still in the Transportation Team, and the couple next door, He Ximing and his wife, were extremely puzzled.

Wasn't it said that Qin Zheng was to be transferred away from the Transportation Team? Why was there still no movement?

Could it be that the leaders were still in meetings discussing it?

The couple waited day after day, but they didn't wait for the notice of Qin Zheng's transfer; instead, they waited for news that made all the drivers feel excited:

The Yongcheng Combat-Ready Motorcade is going to expand its recruitment!!!

The Yongcheng Combat-Ready Motorcade is a new unit established just two years ago, under the direct jurisdiction of the Provincial Military District; setting aside the benefits for a moment, just being able to get in is a supreme honor.

This expansion is open to all of Yongcheng; any driver who meets the two conditions of being under forty years old and having over two years of Driving experience can apply, and once hired, the benefits will be on par with a Special Grade Driver, while those not hired can still return to their original units.

Whoa! You can still return to your original unit if you don't succeed? Who the hell wouldn't be tempted by that!