Chapter 150: Yan Bugui: The Man Who Weeps

"Zhuzi, what is it? Is this another case of me using your money to handle your affairs? Haha," Li Huaide laughed.

Li Huaide was very satisfied with He Yuzhu's tact.

"Two things. The first is that I'd like to trouble you, Factory Director Li, to send the Yan Bugui family to the Great Third Front," He Yuzhu said.

He Yuzhu believed that after having successively sent away the three Great Masters—Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Bugui—as well as the Deaf Old Lady, anyone new entering the Siheyuan, no matter how blind, would not dare to provoke him again.

At the same time, this was also a harsh warning to Qin Huairu. Given Qin Huairu's intelligence, he believed that once Qin Jingru made it clear to her that they would have no further contact, Qin Huairu would not dare provoke him again; otherwise...

Uh, no "otherwise" needed. If he was in a bad mood one day, he could just as easily strike from the shadows to deal with Qin Huairu and her entire family. He Yuzhu felt absolutely no psychological pressure or guilt about dealing with the Qin family.

"Who? Yan Bugui?" Li Huaide asked, his brows knitting together. At the same time, he touched the file bag, immediately gaining a rough estimate of the money inside.

*He Yuzhu definitely doesn't have any more small yellow fish, or at most one or two, not enough to be presentable, which is why he's using cash to get things done, * Li Huaide thought to himself.

"Yan Bugui is a teacher at Red Star Primary School. Well, he isn't a teacher anymore. Because his professional ethics were poor, the principal stripped him of his position entirely and sent him to clean toilets."

"No matter what, Yan Bugui is still a veteran teacher. Having him clean toilets is a bit of a waste of talent. Better to let him go to the Great Third Front to shine and contribute," He Yuzhu said.

He Yuzhu said this specifically to prevent Li Huaide from saying: "But this is my dearest friend and brother; you'll have to pay more."

"Oh, is that so? Wait a moment." After saying this, Li Huaide made a phone call to the principal.

Red Star Primary School was the children's school for the Rolling Mill. Although Li Huaide was not their direct superior, he still had the ability to transfer one or two teachers.

Li Huaide made the call because he didn't know Yan Bugui; he had to find out the details before he could take the money. It wasn't like dealing with Xu Damao—Xu Damao was a film projectionist at the factory, and his father had been one too.

Li Huaide knew the character of Xu Damao and his father, so he could naturally evaluate the price directly.

After the phone call, Li Huaide's expression was clearly much more relaxed. Yan Bugui was just a teacher with no roots, a teacher who had been demoted to cleaning toilets, and he had absolutely no background. Dealing with such a person was naturally a sure thing, with no pressure at all.

For Li Huaide, sending Yan Bugui to the Great Third Front was just a matter of saying a word, filling out a form, and making another phone call.

"Zhuzi, is there anything else?" Li Huaide asked.

"Well, I've been going on blind dates these past few days. I wanted to see if you had any bicycle tickets, sewing machine tickets, or the like. Also, could you give me some more of that tobacco you gave me last time? And if you have any good liquor, give me some of that too, hehe," He Yuzhu laughed.

"You're really aiming for marriage, aren't you? Trying to gather the 'three turns and one sound.' I don't have any bicycle, watch, or electric fan tickets for the moment, but I do have one sewing machine ticket." Li Huaide rummaged through his drawer, pulled out a sewing machine ticket, and gave it to He Yuzhu.

Afterward, Li Huaide took out some meat, grain, and cloth coupons and handed them to He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu thought about it and understood. Bicycles, watches, and electric fans were all in high demand, especially electric fans. It was currently summer, and everyone needed one; as soon as an electric fan went on sale, it would definitely be bought up by the leaders.

Relatively speaking, sewing machines were more niche, so Li Huaide naturally had extras.

"Many thanks, Factory Director Li. I'll have to trouble you for the tobacco and liquor. Oh, and please, Factory Director Li, could you provide an introduction letter?" He Yuzhu said.

"Yo~ looks like good news is near. No wonder you're buying the 'three turns and one sound.' Come see me again tomorrow. I can't guarantee an electric fan ticket, but I can guarantee I'll get you a bicycle ticket," Li Huaide said.

"Then many thanks, Factory Director Li. You go ahead and get busy; I'll come back tomorrow." After saying this, He Yuzhu left.

Once He Yuzhu was gone, Li Huaide opened the file bag and counted the money inside—a full eight hundred yuan.

"He Yuzhu really understands the market rate." Li Huaide laughed again.

Both were being sent to the Great Third Front, so why did the Xu Damao family cost so much, while Yan Bugui cost so little?

The reason lay in the different strengths of the two families.

The Xu Damao family were standard local snakes, especially Xu Fugui. Having been in Sijiucheng for so many years, his network of relationships was vast—calling it "intertwined" would not be an exaggeration. Furthermore, Xu Damao's mother was a servant for the Lou Bancheng family.

The pressure came mostly from Lou Bancheng. Don't think Li Huaide didn't do anything; making a few phone calls was worth this much.

Sitting in that position, making a few phone calls was worth that much money. It could be said that without Li Huaide offsetting the pressure from Lou Bancheng, it would have been very difficult to drive the Xu Damao family away.

"To beat a dog, you must look at its master"—that was the principle. The Xu Damao family could barely be considered dogs of the Lou Bancheng family; Lou Bancheng could discipline them at will, but others could not.

If others wanted to discipline them, they had to pay a price. That price, translated to He Yuzhu, was twenty small yellow fish.

Of course, Li Huaide earned quite a bit from it, but that was what he deserved, and besides, Li Huaide also gained some small benefits.

By sending the Xu Damao family to the Great Third Front, Li Huaide not only gained a reputation and left a good impression on his superiors, but he also gained some small practical benefits.

With Xu Damao and Xu Fugui gone, their job positions would be carved up. Xu Fugui's position naturally went to the cinema, and Xu Damao's position went to Li Huaide.

Li Huaide immediately gave the position to a distant nephew, letting him go to the cinema to learn how to project films, and once he learned, he would come to the Rolling Mill to inherit the position.

Because the cinema received benefits and didn't have to fight for work quotas with the veteran masters, the people at the cinema naturally cultivated him with all their might.

If that position were put on the market, it would cost at least eight hundred to a thousand yuan.

Yan Bugui, on the other hand, was nothing. He had no connections, no background, and no skills. Crucially, Yan Bugui's status wasn't very good either—he was a small proprietor. Although he wasn't in the ranks of those being targeted, he was at the bottom, far less "hard" than He Yuzhu's three generations of hired farm laborers.

Therefore, Yan Bugui wasn't worth much. Furthermore, sending Yan Bugui to the Great Third Front was a win-win situation.

The Great Third Front would get a teacher;

The school would have a job position open up;

Li Huaide would receive money;

He Yuzhu would not only intimidate the beasts of the Siheyuan but also let He Yushui escape the shadow of being extorted;

The Street Office would gain honor;

Yan Bugui would be promoted back to a teacher and wouldn't have to clean toilets every day, getting covered in stench...

In short, it was a win-win situation. He Yuzhu could already imagine Yan Bugui's excitement.

*Yan Bugui will definitely be excited to the point of tears, right? * He Yuzhu thought to himself.

Yan Bugui was more than just excited to the point of tears. After receiving the notification, Yan Bugui was so moved that he wept, his voice choked with sobs, and in the end, he was unable to speak, his heart breaking.

Yan Bugui was so excited that he nearly fainted.

"Teacher Yan, don't be too excited. You are going to the Great Third Front in the capacity of a teacher, and your seniority will be transferred over as well. Once you get there, you will still be a teacher. Plus, with your seniority and salary, it's quite a bit of money a month, enough for your family to be well-fed there, and you'll even be able to eat some meat every month to treat yourselves," the principal advised.

"Principal, how did I end up being sent... no, how did I end up supporting the Great Third Front when I was doing just fine? I didn't apply for this!" Yan Bugui asked, his voice full of sorrow.

"Oh, your transfer order was issued by the Rolling Mill. You know, our school is the Rolling Mill's children's school, so it's also managed by the Rolling Mill..." the principal babbled on.

"Shazhu! It must be that bastard Shazhu who sent me to the Great Third Front!" Yan Bugui said viciously.

This tactic was too familiar. Liu Haizhong and the Xu Damao family had all been sent to the Great Third Front by He Yuzhu. How could Yan Bugui not know? Naturally, he thought of He Yuzhu immediately.

"Shazhu, how did I offend you that you would treat me like this? No! No! No!" Yan Bugui roared at the sky.

"Sigh, Teacher Yan, don't just sit here complaining about heaven and men. You should look at the bright side. What future do you have cleaning toilets here? It's better to go to the Great Third Front to shine and contribute," the principal said.

Seeing that he couldn't persuade Yan Bugui, the principal had people send him home. Yan Bugui could be said to have been carried home. As soon as Yan Bugui arrived home, San Dama was shocked to see him in such a dispirited state.

"Old Yan, what happened?" San Dama asked after hurriedly helping Yan Bugui to the bed.

The people who sent Yan Bugui back were afraid he would try to extort them, so they slipped away immediately. After all, Yan Bugui's reputation at school wasn't good; if it were, how could he be cleaning toilets?

"Old woman, our family is being sent to the Great Third Front to keep Liu Haizhong and Xu Damao company." After saying this, Yan Bugui wailed loudly.

"Ah!" San Dama was shocked, stumbling and nearly sitting on the floor.

"What on earth is going on?" San Dama asked urgently.

"How would I know what's going on? I was cleaning the toilets just fine at school, and then the transfer order came down. Even if I was slacking off, the school shouldn't treat me like this."

"It's Shazhu, it must be Shazhu's doing. My transfer order came from the Rolling Mill. That bastard Shazhu, I curse his ancestors for eight generations!" Yan Bugui couldn't help but curse loudly.

"Old Yan, did you offend Shazhu? That's why he's doing this. Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, Xu Damao, and the Deaf Old Lady all offended Shazhu, which is why they ended up in that state," San Dama asked, forcing herself to calm down.

"When did I offend Shazhu? You know what kind of person I am, don't you? Even if I wanted to offend Shazhu, I wouldn't have the guts. I usually just take some small advantages..." As Yan Bugui spoke, he suddenly froze.

Yan Bugui remembered a sentence He Yuzhu had once said: "I can give, but you cannot grab."

Yan Bugui's face changed instantly.

"Old Yan, did you think of something?" San Dama asked urgently.

"Is it because we grabbed the duck frame Shazhu gave to Qin Huairu yesterday that he's retaliating against us?" Yan Bugui said urgently.

"That shouldn't be it, right? Didn't you say last night that Shazhu was intentionally stirring up a fight between our family and Qin Huairu? Besides, Shazhu has already awakened and has already fallen out with Qin Huairu. No, wait, could it be because Qin Huairu introduced her sister to Shazhu?" San Dama said, suddenly panicking.

"That wouldn't be the reason. Since Shazhu has already awakened, he definitely wouldn't be manipulated by Qin Huairu again. What I mean is, Shazhu once told me: 'I can give, but you cannot grab.'"

"Is it because of this reason that Shazhu is retaliating?" Yan Bugui asked in a low voice.

"That shouldn't be it, right? Shazhu wouldn't be that petty," San Dama said, also feeling uncertain.

"Dad, Mom, what's the point of saying all this now? The Xu Damao family is so capable, and once the transfer order came down, didn't they still go to the Great Third Front obediently? Let's discuss the matters of going to the Great Third Front first."

"Dad, before you go to the Great Third Front, you must set conditions for the school. At the very least, once we get to the Great Third Front, guarantee me a job position. Otherwise, what can I do when I get there? I won't even have the chance to do odd jobs," Yan Jiecheng said.

"Get lost!" Yan Bugui was in no mood to listen to Yan Jiecheng's nagging and shouted directly.

"If you don't arrange a job for me in advance, I'm not going. Anyway, the transfer order only says you have to go, not me," Yan Jiecheng said angrily.

"Hey, you're rebelling, aren't you? If I can't deal with Shazhu, can't I deal with you? Don't think that just because I'm leaving, you can occupy this house. This is a private house; if I leave, I will definitely sell it. I won't be like Xu Damao, stupidly renting it to the Street Office."

"You want this house? No way! If you want me to arrange a job for you in advance, it's not impossible. But if I do arrange it, you have to pay fifteen yuan to the family every month, and twenty after you become a regular employee, until you've paid eight hundred yuan."

"Even after you've paid enough, you still have to pay fifteen yuan in living expenses to the family every month," Yan Bugui said bluntly.

Yan Jiecheng was stunned, then ran out with an angry snort.

"Hmph, trying to pull that on me? You're too green." Yan Bugui sneered. After this distraction, Yan Bugui's mood inexplicably improved a little.

Yan Jiecheng didn't just run out blindly; he headed straight for the Street Office.

Yan Jiecheng didn't do odd jobs for nothing; he came into contact with quite a few people. Although most were at the bottom of the social ladder, people at the bottom also had their own information channels.

Admittedly, most of this news was very exaggerated, but it was a channel nonetheless.

When the Xu Damao family was sent to the Great Third Front, Yan Jiecheng had asked about relevant information. Although he didn't know much, he knew a little.

Since he didn't know much, he would just ask a professional. Anyway, he was going to the Great Third Front, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

Yan Jiecheng went to the Street Office and looked directly for Director Wang. Director Wang welcomed Yan Jiecheng's arrival. After all, the Yan family going to the Great Third Front was a feather in the Street Office's cap; it was a performance achievement.

"Director Wang, I just wanted to ask about the job placement and settlement for the children of personnel going to the Great Third Front. Take me, for example. I'm at the age to find work; surely I won't still be doing odd jobs when I get to the Great Third Front, right?" Yan Jiecheng asked very bluntly.

"Jiecheng, don't worry. You definitely won't be doing odd jobs when you get to the Great Third Front. Once you get there, there won't even be any place to do odd jobs."

"In your situation, once you go to the Great Third Front, the units there will arrange work for you directly. Your younger brother and sister will also be transferred directly to the factory-run school, and they will be assigned work after graduation," Director Wang said.

"Really? That means as long as I go with my parents, work will be arranged there?" Yan Jiecheng asked, feeling it was unbelievable.

"That's right. That's not our Sijiucheng, where job opportunities are scarce. That is a vast world where much can be accomplished!" Director Wang said.

"That means this doesn't have much to do with my parents, right?" Yan Jiecheng continued to ask.

Director Wang frowned. She knew the family style of the Yan family. There was no helping it; the people in the Ninety-five Courtyard were too good at causing trouble, and they had already become a typical case in the district. It was impossible for Director Wang not to know the situation of the Yan family.

"Jiecheng, if you have something to say, just say it directly," Director Wang said.

"Director Wang, it's like this..." Yan Jiecheng repeated what Yan Bugui had just said.

"Director Wang, you tell me, is this my father? I even suspect I'm not his biological son. Otherwise, he wouldn't treat me like this. Even Zhou Bapi wasn't this ruthless," Yan Jiecheng complained.

"Jiecheng, don't say things you shouldn't," Director Wang said in a low voice.

"Director Wang, I'm not just complaining. I'm thinking, if I have a job once I get to the Great Third Front, then I'd like to ask you to arrange a job for me in advance, and then let me separate from the family. Otherwise, my father will use this to manipulate me and make me pay money every month."

"If Director Wang can't help me achieve these two things, then I'm not going to the Great Third Front. Anyway, if I go there, I'll still have to be a beast of burden for him and be exploited. I might as well stay in Sijiucheng and do odd jobs."

"I can earn more than ten yuan a month doing odd jobs. After deducting rent, it's enough for food and drink. Besides, the environment in Sijiucheng is better; I don't have to eat sand every day," Yan Jiecheng said.

Director Wang was suddenly at a loss. She couldn't do either of these two things.

Times were different now. Anyway, Yan Bugui was leaving and wouldn't listen to Director Wang at all. Even if he did listen and separated the family under Director Wang's auspices, once they arrived at the Great Third Front, Yan Bugui could completely deny it.

Once at the Great Third Front, the issue of Yan Jiecheng's job placement wasn't as simple as Director Wang said. They would first have to settle Yan Bugui's job, and only after that was settled would they settle the jobs for his family members.

That is to say, if Yan Jiecheng wanted a job, he had to go through Yan Bugui. Yan Bugui could indeed easily settle a job for Yan Jiecheng, but Yan Bugui would want benefits. Just as Yan Jiecheng said, he would have to pay money.

Based on Director Wang's understanding of Yan Bugui, if Yan Jiecheng dared not pay, Yan Bugui had plenty of ways to sabotage it.

Director Wang was also very helpless, so she explained the ins and outs of the situation to Yan Jiecheng in detail.

Yan Jiecheng had a premonition when Director Wang frowned, and he made up his mind instantly.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 151 =====