Chapter 153: Rewards from the Rolling Mill

Upon returning home, Zhang Ping'an's shoulder began to itch; it looked like it would be mostly healed before long.

This Golden Sore Medicine was a prescription recorded in the Yongle Encyclopedia, and since the medicinal herbs were all grown in the space, the effect was naturally not as simple as one plus one equals two.

For ordinary scratches, this Golden Sore Medicine would likely heal them in a day; Zhang Ping'an's wound this time was not light, estimated at over ten centimeters, so it would take about two or three days to recover.

Zhang Ping'an brewed some medicine to replenish Qi and blood for himself in the space; he had lost no small amount of blood along the way, and after drinking the medicine, Zhang Ping'an fell asleep in the space.

The next morning, Zhang Ping'an was woken up by his biological clock; after a simple stretch, his arm felt no discomfort at all, so he found scissors to remove the stitches himself, applied the Golden Sore Medicine again, and only then went to the factory.

At nine o'clock, while Zhang Ping'an was lying flat, he was called to the Factory Director's office by the Factory Director's Secretary.

"Comrade Zhang Ping'an, thank you for your selfless dedication in protecting the factory's supplies."

Look at that; this is the stature of a leader, elevating Zhang Ping'an's actions to a new height in a single sentence.

"Factory Director, this is all what I should do."

"Good, good, good. This is the commendation sent by the Public Security comrades; you should accept it. You were injured for the sake of our factory, so take these vouchers, buy some things to nourish yourself well, and I'll give you two more days of leave to have a good rest."

"Wait until I bring this matter up for discussion at the Factory Committee meeting to see what reward is appropriate for you."

"Many thanks, Factory Director."

"Mm, you have made contributions to the factory, and the factory will naturally not treat you poorly. I intend to make you a model for the factory to learn from."

"Factory Director, let's skip that. I'm not a person who likes to be in the spotlight, and my family doesn't know I was injured; I don't want to make them worry."

"Good child," Nie Haiquan said, patting Zhang Ping'an's shoulder with concern.

"Factory Director, I have a suggestion, though I don't know if I should say it."

"Go ahead."

"I want to equip the Purchasing Agents of our section with guns. If we procure supplies, it can also prevent people from coveting them. This time, it was only because I have good skills; otherwise, I definitely would have been done for yesterday."

"Mm, I will consider your proposal."

"Very well, Factory Director. If there's nothing else, I'll head back first."

"Mm, go back and have a good rest."

"Very well, Factory Director."

Nie Haiquan could be said to have picked up a credit for nothing this time; as Zhang Ping'an was a Worker of the factory and Nie Haiquan was the Factory Director, he had leadership responsibility, and where there was credit, he naturally had a share.

Now, there was less than half a month left until the New Year, and Zhang Ping'an took his leave slip and went home to recuperate openly and honestly.

Just after sunning himself on the lounge chair for a while, Li Aiguo came looking for him in plain clothes.

"Hey, you kid are quite carefree. Here, this is your cash reward."

"The factory gave me leave, so I have to rest well and nurse my injury."

Zhang Ping'an did not stand on ceremony and took it; it was a total of 150 yuan in cash and several vouchers.

"This time our Sub-bureau also picked up a bargain. If it weren't for the fact that Director Wang was afraid your wife would find out, he would have come over himself."

"I'm fine now; I'll be back to normal after resting for two days."

"Alright, you kid are indeed sturdy and ruthless enough; you didn't make a sound last night when getting stitches without anesthesia."

"I was numb from the cold, so it didn't hurt."

"Ping'an, don't scare me. Let me see your wound."

"It's already fine. Last night, I already had Xiao Ling's grandfather reapply medicine for me, and I drank medicine to replenish Qi and blood this morning. Look at my rosy face; do I look like a patient?"

"Damn, you scared me. As long as you're fine."

The two of them drank tea for a long time under the bare grape trellis, and Li Aiguo showed no signs of leaving.

"Brother Li, is there anything else?"

"Ahem, it's the end of the year, isn't it?"

"Alright, I'll send them over to you once I bag a Wild Boar."

"Hehe, good. But nursing your body is the priority; there's no rush for this, and it doesn't matter if you don't catch any."

"Mm, good."

"Alright, then I'm heading back. Let's get together when you're free at the end of the year."

"Good."

In the afternoon, Zhang Laohan returned with his wife and son.

"Your grandparents are old, so your second uncle took them to his house for the New Year," Zhang Laohan said, as if seeing Zhang Ping'an's confusion.

"Mm, that's good too."

"Is Xiao Ling still at her parents' house?"

"Mm, keeping her mother company to relax. I'll go pick her up tonight."

"Aren't you quite busy these two days? How do you have the leisure to sun yourself today?"

"It's fine, I'm resting for two days. Anyway, the procurement tasks before the New Year are finished."

"You are quite carefree," Zhang Laohan said, then went to look at the wheat seedlings again.

"Your father has been practically living in the fields these days, but our family's wheat seedlings are indeed growing impressively this year; we're expecting a bumper harvest this year."

"Ping'an, why do I feel that with the same wheat seeds, the ones in your field are growing even better than the ones at home? I even applied farm manure."

"Ahem, maybe it's because the soil here is fertile. That place used to be a pond, and there was quite a bit of silt accumulated inside."

"Mm, that's possible," Zhang Laohan nodded thoughtfully.

At this time, at the Rolling Mill's Factory Committee meeting, Nie Haiquan was talking about Zhang Ping'an's selfless deeds in protecting the factory's assets.

"Everyone, let's discuss how to reward Comrade Ping'an."

Everyone was a beneficiary, so naturally, they wouldn't treat Zhang Ping'an poorly, but he had just been promoted to Deputy Section Chief this year, and other rewards were inappropriate, so for a moment, everyone was stumped.

"Ahem, Factory Director, I think we can give a certain cash reward, and the credit can be recorded first. Isn't our Rolling Mill going to expand after the New Year? When the number of employees surges, the pressure on the Procurement Section will also be great. Why not just establish a Procurement Section Three and have Comrade Ping'an serve as Section Chief?"

Hearing Li Huaide's suggestion, everyone's eyes lit up; this was indeed a good solution.

"Hmm, this proposal is not bad. Does anyone else have any other suggestions?" Seeing that no one made a sound, Nie Haiquan made the final decision.

"Good, then we shall proceed according to Comrade Huaide's proposal. First, award one hundred yuan, and after the New Year, also subtly mention the matter of promoting him to Section Chief to Comrade Ping'an. Huaide, Zhang Ping'an is in your logistics department, so I will leave this matter to you to handle."

"Very well, Factory Director."

In the evening, Zhang Ping'an went to the Pharmacy to tell Wang Xiaoling, then went to his father-in-law's house, wrapped the two children in small blankets, and placed them into the baby carriage before heading out.

Upon returning home, Zhang Laohan came up to greet them, wearing the same expression as when he saw his grandson.

"My dear grandson, quickly let me see my dear grandson."

Zhang Laohan lifted the blanket covering the baby carriage, and the twins were wide-eyed with dark, black pupils, smiling.

"Ya ya ya."

Zhang Laohan hurriedly untied the swaddling blankets; the two little ones, having their hands and feet freed, immediately began to flail about, babbling in baby talk, "Ya ya ya."

"Ping'an, did you see that? Even though we haven't seen each other for a long time, Weijun and Weidong still recognize me."

After sowing the wheat in late September, Zhang Laohan wanted to record the growth of the wheat and also wanted to see his grandsons, so he ran back and forth every few days; one could only wonder where this sixty-year-old man got so much energy.

"Yes, yes, yes," Zhang Ping'an could only agree with this old child; without his grandfather and grandmother there to keep him in check, Zhang Ping'an did not dare to act out in front of his father.

"Father, Mother, Brother Ping'an, I'm back."

"Xiao Ling is back? Go wash your hands quickly, we are getting ready to eat."

"Mm, okay."

In the evening, the family finished their meal. The twins were already weaned and drank Milk Powder every day, occasionally having some rice soup. They were now chubby, and weaning had not affected them in the slightest; they could eat, sleep, and poop well.