Chapter 629

Ten o'clock in the morning, Light Automobile Company, Supply Section.

Ding Zhiwen looked at his watch, drank the tea in his cup in a leisurely manner, and poured the tea leaves from the bottom of the cup into the trash can.

The female colleague sitting behind him, Xiao Yue, immediately giggled and said: "Old Uncle Ding, didn't you say 'first brew is water, second is tea, third is the essence'? Why are you stopping at the second brew today? What's wrong, is this tea not to your taste?"

Old Ding chuckled and said: "I'm going to a big banquet at noon today. If I drink a belly full of tea now, will I be able to eat when I see the delicacies later?"

"A big banquet? Where are you going to eat a big banquet?"

Yue Lingshan was stunned exaggeratedly, then suddenly realized: "Old Uncle Ding, you are going to attend Little Li's wedding, right?"

"Heh, you saw that?"

Old Ding turned his head to look at Yue Lingshan, his smile a bit playful.

【You three have been staring at me all morning, aren't you just waiting to see if I'm going to Li Ye's house to eat? And you're still pretending with me?】

Old Ding has eaten more salt than Yue Lingshan has eaten rice. On weekdays, Yue Lingshan can go to other sections eight times in one morning, but today, after coming to work, her butt hasn't moved an inch, and she keeps looking at Old Ding. Isn't she just waiting for an opportunity to "assist"?

Sure enough, after Yue Lingshan finished speaking, Wu Kezhang, who was concentrating on studying international affairs, spoke.

"Old Ding! You said you were going to Li Ye's house for a big banquet, did they invite you?"

Old Ding glanced at Wu Kezhang and said decisively: "No! I'm going because I'm thick-skinned and insist on going."

"."

Old Ding killed the conversation in one sentence, and also choked the few colleagues in the section.

Originally, everyone had their follow-up words ready—"He invited you to a big banquet, why didn't he invite us? Who does he look down on?"

That's how trivial matters come about. Clearly, they aren't familiar with Li Ye, but they still want to find an excuse to label Li Ye as unreasonable and low-EQ.

As it turns out, Old Ding doesn't play by the rules. A man of fifty-seven or fifty-eight years old, he directly gives you a half-joking "I'm thick-skinned." Who can you go to for justice?

Do you dare to spread gossip about Old Ding? Really go around shouting that Old Ding is thick-skinned?

Damn, do you believe he can slap you in the face tomorrow?

He's an old slicker about to retire. If he catches three points of reason, he can slap the table and curse the factory manager without fear. You pua him?

Go to hell!

But watching Old Ding slowly about to go out, Wu Kezhang always felt that he couldn't save face, so he said coldly: "Old Ding, it's not time to get off work yet! Does this count as sick leave? Or personal leave?"

"Heh heh~"

Old Ding smiled a smile that didn't reach his eyes, reached into his pocket, took out a leave request form, slapped it on Wu Qingyi's desk, and then walked away.

Wu Qingyi felt as uncomfortable as if he had eaten a fly.

Old Ding had long been prepared with the leave form, as if he had anticipated that Wu Qingyi would "not be reasonable." This feeling that everything was in someone else's control made Wu Qingyi, the head of the section, very uncomfortable.

And Wu Kezhang was now savoring that smile of Old Ding's just now, and had already determined that this matter wasn't over.

It is estimated that in the future, if he wants to leave early, Old Ding will ask him, "Are you leaving early or taking leave?"

【Is Old Ding stupid? Does he dare to go against me for a Little Li?】

Wu Qingyi was very angry, but besides being angry, he also felt that Old Ding didn't seem afraid to go against him.

Old Ding is also a deputy section chief, on the same level as Wu Qingyi. If he were to tear into him regardless of anything, wouldn't everyone else come to watch the joke?

Old Ding has half a leg in the coffin, but he, Wu Qingyi, still has a bright future!

Wu Kezhang got angrier the more he thought about it, and then he heard Yue Lingshan say: "Wu Kezhang, that Little Li is also too unreasonable. Either he shouldn't invite anyone, or he should invite everyone. What's going on with only inviting Old Ding?"

Colleague Zheng Jiemin said faintly: "Can't you see this? He looks down on us!"

"Hmph, if he looks down on us, then he looks down on us. He has eyes but no pupils."

"."

If Li Ye heard these words on the scene, he would definitely shout that he was wronged: "Clearly you were the ones who looked down on me first, okay? Who exactly is the dog?"

Old Ding left the Supply Section, and just as he was about to reach the main gate, he heard someone calling him from behind.

"Old Ding, what are you going to do?"

Old Ding turned his head to look and discovered it was Lu Zhizhang from the Factory Office.

So he said with a smile: "I'm going to drink my apprentice's wedding wine! Director Lu, where are you going?"

Lu Zhizhang smiled: "We are going to the same place, but why are you the only one from your section going?"

Old Ding smiled and said: "Little Li feels he just arrived and is embarrassed to collect everyone's gift money, so he didn't intend to invite his colleagues over. But I am his master, so he had to ask me. So I took leave to make a trip!"

The human relationships of the Zhonghua family are a branch of learning. For example, this gift money emphasizes reciprocity.

You didn't give them gift money before, so later they don't have to go.

Those who don't give gift money to others before, but then ask others to come and eat at the banquet without changing their expression, are the most annoying.

Li Ye just arrived, and he didn't give gift money to others before, so it's understandable that he was embarrassed to ask people for gift money.

Just like Yue Lingshan, Zheng Jiemin, or even Wu Qingyi's level, Li Ye felt they were just so-so. You can't show your ulterior motives on your face. Being a "sixth child" (a slang for a backstabber) also requires very high technical literacy.

Old Ding said: "Exactly, I even handed my leave form to our section chief."

"."

Lu Zhizhang was stunned for a moment and almost couldn't hold back his laughter.

After the joint venture, the Light Automobile Company was very strict about work hours. Everyone wouldn't go downstairs early for lunch or getting off work.

But taking leave affects the monthly bonus, especially with evidence like a leave form. Usually, it's no problem for everyone to overcome it for lunch, but if it affects the bonus...

There are policies above and countermeasures below; everyone usually accommodates each other.

But now, Old Ding was forced to hand in a leave form just to eat a wedding banquet, so one can imagine that the situation in the Supply Section must be very interesting.

The two left the factory gate and saw a red Santana waiting with the air conditioning on.

Old Ding said unexpectedly: "Little Li said he would send a car to pick us up at ten o'clock. It wouldn't be this car, would it?"

"I don't know either!"

Lu Zhizhang looked at the license plate; it wasn't the one Li Ye usually drove, so he wasn't sure either.

But the person in the car saw the two of them leave the factory gate and immediately got out of the car to greet them.

"Are you two Director Lu and Wu Kezhang Ding? Li Ye asked me to pick you up. If there's nothing else, shall we go?"

"Yes, let's go, let's go, it's really troubling you."

"It's no trouble. I was only assigned this one job today. After you finish drinking later, I'll send the two of you home..."

"Alright! So he even takes care of picking up and dropping off!"

Old Ding felt the comfort of the air-conditioned car and felt that his little apprentice really knew how to handle things and really had some ability.

But Lu Zhizhang looked at this man of about forty years old and always felt that he didn't look like a driver.

So he asked: "Comrade, how should I address you? Are you also from that Fenghua clothing company?"

And the biggest key to this was one word—money.

"Going solo is good! Then we have to call you Boss Tian," Old Ding laughed: "Judging by your accent, Boss Tian is a Beijinger, right? What business are you doing now?"

Tian Hongshan said while driving: "I opened a trading company, specializing in distributing various sewing and textile equipment. But I might expand the scope of business in the future and do some business in auto parts. Maybe I'll have to trouble you two in the future!"

"Heh heh heh heh, that's no trouble. Just come find us when the time comes."

Old Ding agreed readily. Anyway, they don't know how many parts suppliers they receive in the Supply Section every year. It's very normal for everyone to eat and drink. As for purchasing your parts, don't take it too seriously.

But when Old Ding arrived at the restaurant where Li Ye was hosting the banquet, he immediately changed his mind.

Today's wedding banquet is hosted by both the groom's and bride's sides, so both the Li family and the Wen family were greeting guests at the door. Old Ding recognized Wen Qingsheng's face.

After all, the Light Automobile Company only has three shareholders, and how many vice presidents are there in Zhongliang?

He bumped Lu Zhizhang with his shoulder: "Director Lu, look at that person, is that Vice President Wen?"

Director Lu whispered: "What do you mean 'is that'? That is him. And you better not call him Vice President; he might be promoted in the next few years."

"Hiss~"

Old Ding gasped, lowered his voice and said: "How much gift money are you prepared to give?"

Director Lu smacked his lips: "I was prepared to give five yuan. Do you think that's too little?"

Too little? You're asking if it's too little?

If it were according to the normal market rate, it would certainly not be little.

Although the wages of mainland enterprises began to rise from 1982, the wages of ordinary workers in 1986 were only about a hundred.

It wasn't until the nineties that the average wage reached over two hundred, so five yuan in gift money is not little at this time.

But look at this kind of occasion; can five yuan be taken out?

Just at this moment, Wen Qingsheng suddenly took two steps forward and started joking with someone who had just arrived at the door.

"Old Xue, you busy man have finally come. I've been waiting and looking forward to it, I've been waiting anxiously!"

"Don't be so flowery, I feel panicked when I hear it," Old Xue said amusedly: "Isn't my father here early today? I'm just a little late, and I'm already being scolded by you. Today I must drink a few more cups with you to apologize, is that okay?"

"My drinking capacity isn't as good as yours, but today I'll find you someone with a high drinking capacity. Li Ye, come over..."

Wen Qingsheng called Li Ye over and introduced him: "This is your Uncle Xue, his skills are rare in the world. You should learn more from him in the future..."

"."

Li Ye chatted with that Uncle Xue for a while, and the man took out five yuan and recorded it with the accountant.

"Go, five yuan is just right."

Director Lu hurriedly pulled Old Ding up, greeted Li Ye with a smile, and then each of them recorded five yuan.

After the two took their seats, Old Ding asked Director Lu: "You knew that Old Xue just now, right?"

Director Lu asked back: "You don't know him?"

Old Ding shook his head.

He indeed didn't know him, but he could observe the changes in Director Lu's emotions, so he was sure that Director Lu knew the man.

Director Lu whispered: "One of the heads of the First Ministry of Machine-Building. I saw him from afar at a meeting last year."

"Oh~"

Old Ding suddenly realized.

Although the First Ministry of Machine-Building was changed to the Ministry of Machine-Building Industry two years ago, these old workers are still used to the old name.

If Zhongliang was only a shareholder of Old Ding's unit, then the First Ministry of Machine-Building was its mother-in-law. If they want you to suffer, you have to suffer.

Old Ding suddenly remembered the few words he had argued with his colleagues in the section an hour ago.

【They really do look down on you, but I didn't come here thick-skinned. Li Ye invited me, and he even gave me two boxes of good cigarettes!】