Chapter 528: The Gossip Survival System (27)

Zhao Wenhui hasn't had to work overtime lately, so she walked to the bike shed with Xie Yang to retrieve their bicycles, chatting about personnel transfers at the factory as they walked:

"I heard Old He is transferring to the Yongxing Machinery Factory in Jin City. I really don't know what he's thinking. His wife and children are all here; even if there's a factory shuttle that can bring him back every few days, it's not as convenient as a factory right at his doorstep. It's not like a business trip where he'll be back in a few days—this is long-term."

"I actually know some of the inside story."

Xie Yang had heard it when the Factory Director was complaining: the person Yongxing Machinery Factory originally wanted to poach was actually her, but she refused to budge. With Yongxing having no other options, He Wenli took the initiative to jump forward, claiming he had been the deputy to Xie Yang's mother and possessed several of her work notebooks. Thus, Yongxing Machinery Factory poached him instead.

For this reason, the Factory Director had been sulking for several days, feeling that He Wenli was truly heartless. The factory had cultivated him for so many years, from Apprentice Worker to Formal Worker, and from Workshop Worker to director. Even if he wasn't going to make a major contribution to the factory, he shouldn't have used the factory as a stepping stone to jump to another one.

Xie Yang didn't need to guess to know the reason for He Wenli's actions—he had originally thought she was a soft persimmon he could squeeze, but he hadn't expected her to jump out of the workshop and into the Technical Department. Now, he was both worried about her retaliation and felt that with her there, he, He Wenli, likely had no future for promotion at the Mechanical Factory. It was better to switch units and use the name of her mother's deputy to gamble on a future.

"That makes sense!" Zhao Wenhui suddenly realized after hearing this, then frowned, "Then does he really have the work notebooks your mother left behind?"

Xie Yang smiled: "Perhaps he does."

They did exist, but she had the Main System copy them and discovered they only recorded ordinary work schedules.

The so-called lathe improvement technology was purely something he had fabricated out of thin air, with the goal of successfully transferring to the Technical Department of the Yongxing Machinery Factory.

Once he finished the transfer procedures, she would mail a photocopy of her mother's work notebooks, page for page, to the Yongxing Machinery Factory, anonymously reporting He Wenli for using the name of a deceased colleague to deceive the factory leadership and seek improper benefits.

Let's see how He Wenli handles it. If he produces the original work notebooks, the factory leadership will discover there is no such thing as the lathe improvement technology; if he can't produce them, it will only further prove he was lying.

He was just a piece of human trash, and it wouldn't affect her mood for the New Year.

The twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month could also be considered a small New Year's Eve.

Grandma Xie made a hearty dish: pig trotters stewed with soybeans. In addition, she sliced some cured meat to stir-fry with cabbage and soaked a handful of mushrooms to stew in a tofu pot.

Xiao Shitou, who had already started eating supplementary food, also had meat tonight: a little minced meat was added to his rice porridge. The little guy ate the delicious minced meat rice porridge and made happy gurgling sounds.

The grandmother and grandchild also ate until their bellies were round. In the middle of winter, there was no entertainment at night, so after coaxing the little guy to sleep, the two of them crawled into the warm quilt, prioritizing early to bed and early to rise.

In the middle of the night, the Main System woke Xie Yang: 【Host, someone is prying open your door.】

"???"

Woken from her sleep, Xie Yang squinted her groggy eyes, pricked up her ears to listen to the faint movements for a moment, then felt her way in the dark to put on her clothes and throw on her cotton-padded jacket, creeping toward the Main Room.

The old lady and the little cousin were sleeping on the warm kang in the Main Room, breathing steadily and sleeping soundly.

She stood guard at the door with her arms crossed. As the other party successfully pried the lock and carefully pushed the door open a crack, one, two, three—three dark shadows squeezed through the crack.

"Why is there someone sleeping in the Main Room too?"

"Shh—don't make a sound!"

After the three figures entered, they stood still for a moment. Once they adjusted to the darkness, they hunched over, intending to sneak into the bedroom to steal things, when a dark mass appeared in front of them. Before they could see what it was, everything went black before their eyes... oh, it was already dark, and now they were completely "blind," unable to see anything at all.

Immediately following—

"Ow!"

"Ah!"

"Ouch!"

"What's going on?"

Grandma Xie was startled awake from her dream and turned on the light in the Main Room.

Xie Yang, who was wielding a rolling pin and beating the three moving sacks, paused: "It's nothing, I caught three petty thieves."

"..."

The three thieves were howling in pain from the beating.

Hearing the commotion, the neighbors on all sides turned on their lights one by one.

Upon learning that a thief had entered the Xie Family home, Zheng Guangrong, who lived right next door, looked stern: "Xiao Xie, do you want to report this to the Public Security Bureau?"

"Yes."

Xie Yang dropped the rolling pin and tied the three bruised and swollen thieves into rice dumplings.

"Sorry to trouble you, Zheng Shu, to help keep an eye on my place. I'm going to report the crime now."

"I'll go report it," Zheng Guangrong said.

How could he let a young woman ride her bike out in the middle of the night?

He took the military coat, scarf, and gloves handed to him by Miao Lan, and while putting them on, he gave instructions to Lu Ziwen and Chen Youcai:

"Xiao Lu, Brother Chen, I'll leave them in your care. Don't let them run away."

"Don't worry, Zheng Shu, I'll keep a good watch on them."

"Xiao Zheng, take a flashlight, watch your safety on the road, and don't slip."

After some instructions, Zheng Guangrong wrapped his military coat tight, turned on his flashlight, pushed his bicycle, and left.

Xifu Hutong was several streets away from the local Police Station, but the Public Security Bureau was actually closer.

Adhering to the principle of proximity for a quick trip, Zheng Guangrong pedaled his bicycle straight toward the Public Security Bureau across from the alley entrance.

Over here, Xie Yang tossed the three goods, now tied like rice dumplings, into the pile of snow in the Courtyard.

As for the freezing cold?

They dared to come out to steal in the middle of the night, so clearly, they weren't afraid of the cold.

The three rice dumplings... no, the three thieves: "..."

Being frozen and shivering was one thing, but since they were going to report to the Public Security Bureau in the end, why not report it at the beginning? Did they have to be beaten until their own parents wouldn't recognize them before reporting it?

They had thought that enduring a beating would allow them to escape unscathed!

Sob... this was a huge loss!

When the public security officers received the report and arrived, the entire Number 8 Dazayuan was already brightly lit.

Except for Feng Deye, who still couldn't get out of bed, and Feng Daniang, who had come out to take a look and then shrunk back into her room because of the cold, the other families had all come out, except for the children.

Kang Dabo, as the Second Uncle in charge of the Number 8 Dazayuan, was even wearing a military coat, standing on the steps in front of the Main Room, helping to watch the three thieves.

Chen Youcai and Lu Ziwen stood on either side of the three thieves, guarding them to prevent them from running away.

Actually, the three were tied up very securely, so it wouldn't have mattered if they weren't watched.

But everyone was uneasy, preferring to keep a close watch nearby, and from time to time, they would even kick them: "Behave yourselves!"

If they could steal from the Xie Family today, they could steal from their own homes tomorrow.

During the New Year, which family didn't stock up on New Year goods?

In order to have a good New Year, which family didn't start preparing once the twelfth lunar month arrived?

Things they couldn't bear to eat usually, they would prepare a little of for the New Year; things they couldn't bear to wear usually, they would also save up enough Cloth Coupon to add a new piece of clothing on this day of the New Year.

If it were stolen by thieves, there would truly be nowhere to cry even if one wanted to.

Thinking of this, everyone felt another wave of anger.

"Bah! You heartless bastards! You're young, and instead of learning something good, you actually run into people's houses to steal things! With bodies like yours, as long as you were willing to put in a little effort, you wouldn't be going hungry. I really don't know which family spoiled such lazy bums; you've truly brought total shame to your elders!"