Chapter 22: Yagangchang Recruitment

As the second elder, Liu Haizhong should definitely come out to mediate, but what Yi Zhonghai said makes sense, and what Jia Zhangshi said also makes sense; the only thing lacking is Yan Butgui.

"Old Yan, why don't you just compensate for this money?" Liu Haizhong, this blockhead, had no other way.

"What right do you have?" Yan Butgui refused outright when he heard he was supposed to pay.

"It's just because you messed up at work." Liu Haizhong couldn't afford to offend Yi Zhonghai, nor could he offend Jia Zhangshi, but he thought he could easily handle Yan Butgui; he forgot Yan Butgui treats money like his life.

"Comrade, go to the street office and ask Director Wang to come, Liu Haizhong, what can you mediate?" Yan Butgui immediately had his son go to the street office to find Director Wang.

After Director Wang arrived at the Siheyuan, he understood what had happened, then summoned Yi Zhonghai, Yan Butgui, and Jia Zhangshi together.

"Yi Zhonghai, when you originally took the money out to buy vegetables, were you willing?" Director Wang asked.

"Dongxu is my disciple, I..."

"Never mind you, you, your—I'm just asking you: were you willing when you took the money?" Director Wang had no good impression of Yi Zhonghai.

"Yes."

"Since you were willing back then, now you should return the gift money to Jia Zhangshi." Director Wang said this bluntly.

"But Jia Zhangshi went too far," Yi Zhonghai said unwillingly.

"If you're not willing, that's fine too—one thing at a time: you return the gift money to the Jia family, and as for the money you spent buying vegetables, let the Jia family repay you."

"Director Wang, our family doesn't have that much money," Jia Zhangshi cried poor as soon as she heard she had to pay.

"No money, no problem—just give Yi Zhonghai an IOU and pay him back slowly." Director Wang also had no fondness for Jia Zhangshi.

"Fine," Jia Zhangshi agreed immediately upon hearing she only needed to write an IOU, not pay money.

Just like that, the previously intractable matter was resolved by Director Wang in a few words. Yi Zhonghai helplessly slipped the IOU into his pocket, knowing that even with the IOU, the Jia family might not repay him. He had no recourse. He could hardly demand payment by force, since he still hoped Jia Dongxu would support him in his old age; he couldn't afford to fall out with the Jia family. He did this merely to give Jia Zhangshi a lesson.

What he didn't know was that this incident caused a rift in Jia Dongxu's heart toward him. No matter how one says Jia Zhangshi is his own mother, expecting others to support you in old age while unwilling to contribute anything—how could there be such a good deal?

As time passed, it soon became 1953, and the state began implementing the Level 8 Worker system. Yagangchang's publicity board also posted the assessment standards.

The first three days were for worker assessments, and the fourth day was for cafeteria chef assessments.

Although Yi Zhonghai didn't make it to Level 8 Worker, he did become a Level 7 Worker. Liu Haizhong, limited in education, only scored a Level 6 forge worker—knowing that Level 6 and above counts as senior technician, and senior technician exams test not just skill but also the ability to read drawings. Liu Haizhong had the skill, but fell short on reading drawings, so he only got Level 6 Worker; Jia Dongxu merely got a Level 1 Worker.

He Yuzhu did well, scoring a Level 7 Chef. Yagangchang's internal assessment for chef ranks only allows up to Level 5; above Level 5 one must go to a designated restaurant for assessment. Li Bin also only scored a Level 9 Chef.

The chef ranks are opposite to worker ranks: for workers, Level 1 is the lowest, Level 8 the highest, Level 9 is a technician, and above that an engineer; but for chefs, Level 9 is the lowest, and Level 1 the highest.

After the assessments ended, Yagangchang also welcomed its first recruitment drive, with many workers gathering around the publicity board to read the recruitment notice.

"Brother Li, you're looking for me?" Li Qiang had just arrived at the office when Li Huaide called him over.

"Qiangzi, sit down—don't be formal now that you're here." Li Huaide rose to pour Li Qiang a cup of tea.

"Thanks, Brother Li." Li Qiang also quickly rose to thank him.

"Qiangzi, although our factory's recruitment is officially for five thousand people, the higher authorities have specially reserved three thousand slots for soldiers returning from the Korean battlefield."

"Brother Li, I know that." As the Section Chief of Security, how could Li Qiang not know such news?

"These two thousand slots, the factory has also studied them; relevant leaders were allocated two to five slots each—these are your five indicators." Li Huaide handed Li Qiang five recruitment forms. Li Qiang truly didn't know about this; he had taken leave for a couple days due to some matters, so he missed the meeting.

"Alright, thanks then, Brother Li." Li Qiang knew that in officialdom, leaders have long granted different invisible benefits according to rank, so he didn't stand on ceremony.

Li Qiang sat in Li Huaide's office for a while, chatting about everything under the sun, before returning to the Security Section.

"Sister-in-law, does anyone from your natal family want to work at our factory?" Li Qiang asked Yang Fen during a meal; although Li Qiang had moved to his own small courtyard, he still ate with Li Bin's family, and knowing he basically had no relatives left in his hometown, he directly asked Yang Fen.

"Qiangzi, you mustn't make a mistake," Li Bin thought when he heard Li Qiang say that, assuming Li Qiang wanted to use his authority to give Yang Fen a backdoor.

"Brother, you've got the wrong idea—this time, although the factory says it's recruiting five thousand, we actually only have authority for two thousand slots; the other three thousand were reserved above for soldiers returning from the Korean War. The factory gives us leaders a few indicators each, and since our hometown basically has no relatives left, I'm just asking if your natal family has any need; keeping these indicators unused would be pointless." Li Qiang explained. In 1953, the Korean War victory saw troops gradually withdrawing back to the country; Li Bin had also heard of this, so he believed Li Qiang's words.

"Your sister-in-law's natal family still has a nephew and a sister; since you have indicators, give them two—since your sister-in-law married into our family, we haven't really helped her natal family."

"Qiangzi, really no need—they're doing fine back home," Yang Fen hurriedly refused. Although Li Qiang said the indicators were useless to him, Yagangchang offers good benefits as a state-owned enterprise; now a single work indicator on the black market fetches five to six hundred, though the key is that there's price but no market. Two indicators would be over a thousand dollars. Yang Fen really felt a bit embarrassed to take those two indicators.

"Sister-in-law, don't be polite—we're family, don't stand on ceremony." Li Qiang handed over two recruitment forms.

"Qiangzi, sister-in-law thanks you." Yang Fen, while saying she didn't need them, actually wanted her nephew and sister to come to the city.

"Xiao Fen, tomorrow take a day off to go back to your natal family and bring those two here; handle the hiring formalities early so you can rest easy."

"Okay," Yang Fen said with a smile.

"Qiangzi, tomorrow at work you bring me, and let your sister-in-law ride her bike back."

"Alright."