“If you haven’t walked in someone’s shoes, don’t tell them how to live their lives. If you were in my situation, you wouldn’t do any better.” Qin Huai Ru changed her approach.
Yang Xuan said, “The female workers at the steel mill are not just you, Qin Huai Ru. There are many people whose families are poorer than yours. They don’t have a fool like Sha Zhu constantly helping them. They don’t need to act pitiful. Hua Jie is also a widow, but she became a Level 4 钳工. She earns over fifty yuan a month. Her family has even more people than yours. If you put your mind to work, how come you still haven’t been assigned a work level after almost three years?” Yang Xuan said.
Every word Yang Xuan said was on point, leaving Qin Huai Ru speechless.
“Yang Xuan, don’t push me too hard!” Qin Huai Ru angrily said.
“Qin Huai Ru, I don’t want to get involved in your dirty deeds. You better not provoke me, otherwise I will expose all of you. Sha Zhu saved my life, and I will take care of him!” Yang Xuan was not afraid of Qin Huai Ru.
“We’ll see about that! Don’t think that just because you’re good at your job, you’re invincible. You will still need to be assigned a work level. Don’t regret it then.” Qin Huai Ru said.
“Yi Zhong Hai may be a Level 8 钳工, but he can’t cover the sky.” Yang Xuan was not afraid of Yi Zhong Hai hindering him.
With Yang Xuan’s current skills, he was no weaker than Yi Zhong Hai. In a few more months, his 钳工 skill would reach maximum level. With the help of the Hanging-Up System, Yang Xuan’s 钳工 skill was progressing very quickly. His skill proficiency increased at a much faster rate during his normal processing. It was estimated that he could reach maximum level in two months. Now it would take about a month. In terms of 钳工 skills, he would truly be invincible.
He Yu Zhu walked over and said, “What did Qin Huai Ru say to you just now?”
Yang Xuan smiled, “It’s all because of you. She came to threaten me not to get involved in your affairs.”
“Sorry for the trouble.” He Yu Zhu now finally understood Qin Huai Ru.
“Don’t mention it. You better stay strong. Don’t let Qin Huai Ru play the victim and make you soft-hearted again.” Yang Xuan said.
He Yu Zhu said, “I won’t. By the way, I forgot to tell you something. I was invited to cater a banquet. The host is related to Ran Lao Shi’s family. Let’s go together.”
“They dare to have a grand banquet at this time?” Yang Xuan asked.
“This family, although related to Ran Lao Shi’s family, doesn’t have direct connections overseas. They are also very politically correct and don’t fear gossip. The elderly host is celebrating his 80th birthday. Apparently, many leaders will be attending.” He Yu Zhu said.
Yang Xuan was puzzled. Logically speaking, if Ran Qiu Ye’s family had this kind of relative, why would they have been affected by the Great Wind? Perhaps this relative was also affected by the Great Wind. That’s why, at the beginning of the story, Ran Lao Shi was able to teach at school normally, but later things went downhill and she even took the initiative to find He Yu Zhu. If not for Qin Huai Ru’s sabotage back then, He Yu Zhu would have very likely married Ran Qiu Ye.
“Alright. Let me know when.” Yang Xuan agreed. His low-level culinary skills would be overkill for this kind of banquet. It would be like using a cannon to shoot a mosquito.
Speaking of which, Qin Huai Ru didn’t eat a single bite of lunch today. She took all five steamed buns and two dishes home.
Qin Huai Ru cared deeply for her three children. Otherwise, in the original story, she wouldn’t have secretly gotten an IUD, refusing to give birth to He Yu Zhu’s child. She was afraid that He Yu Zhu would have a bias towards her three children if he had his own. If it weren’t for Lou Lao Tai’s plot involving Lou Xiao Er, Qin Huai Ru would have truly turned He Yu Zhu into a childless man. This woman was truly ruthless.
Jia Zhang Shi’s face was not looking good.
Five white steamed buns did not come for free. Grain was so precious, and white steamed buns were not something every family could easily afford. Qin Huai Ru brought back four at once. Who could be so generous?
“Did you get these buns for free? I’d believe one or two, but five large white steamed buns? Did you forget about the Great Leap Forward in 1958 when you were eating for free?” Jia Zhang Shi thought that Qin Huai Ru must have done something shady.
Qin Huai Ru said with tears in her eyes, “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Jia Zhang Shi still wouldn’t give up, “You know in your heart whether you’ve done anything wrong. In any case, these buns were not acquired honestly.”
Bang Geng stepped forward to defend his mother, “Grandma, my mom worked hard to get these buns. If you don’t want to eat them, fine. Why are you saying things about my mom?”
Qin Huai Ru cried and ran out.
Jia Zhang Shi was silenced by her grandson’s words. She didn’t say anything more, but grabbed a bun and took a big bite. She was stubborn, but she couldn’t really refuse to eat.
Xu Da Mao was stripped naked in the warehouse by Hua Jie and a few other female workers. Even his underwear was a casualty. He couldn’t go home looking like that. He had to ask a few of his buddies from the steel mill to find some clothes for him to change into.
But he still couldn’t explain himself at home.
“Xu Da Mao, whose clothes are you wearing?” Lou Xiao Er immediately saw through him.
“Don’t mention it. I was so unlucky today. I tripped and fell while going to the bathroom, and my clothes were all dirty. I had to ask Lao Wu and the others to find some clothes for me. I couldn’t take them back, so I threw them away.” Xu Da Mao had already come up with a reason at the factory.
“Your underwear was dirty too?” Lou Xiao Er didn’t believe him. She sniffed Xu Da Mao, but there was no bad smell.
“They were dirty. I was wearing someone else’s underwear. You can wash it for me later, and I’ll return it to them.” Xu Da Mao said.
“You wash it yourself. I’m not washing another man’s underwear.” Lou Xiao Er flatly refused. It meant something different for a woman to wash another man’s underwear. That’s why Qin Huai Ru used this trick to scare away He Yu Zhu’s dates whenever he went on blind dates.
“I’ll wash it, I’ll wash it.” Xu Da Mao didn’t dare cause trouble at this moment.
“Xu Da Mao, Bang Geng fell into the latrine that day, and he stunk for days. Why don’t you have any stinky smell on you?” Lou Xiao Er asked.
Xu Da Mao’s heart skipped a beat. He forgot about that. This kind of smell, once it gets on you, you can’t wash it all off.
“Oh! It wasn’t really that much, it didn’t go through the clothes. That’s why I threw the clothes away. I was afraid of getting the stinky smell on me. I often show movies for leaders, so if I had a stinky smell, who would dare to use me?” Xu Da Mao forced a smile.
“Do you think I’m stupid?” Lou Xiao Er grabbed Xu Da Mao’s ear, “Do you believe me if I go to your steel mill and find out everything about today?”
Xu Da Mao pleaded for mercy, “It’s all because of that dog, Sha Zhu. I was taking a nap in the warehouse at noon, and he told others that I was fooling around with someone in the warehouse. He even found a few women to come and harass me. Look at me, I don’t have a single piece of good flesh on me.”
“That good-for-nothing Sha Zhu! He’s so bullying! I’ll go find him!” Lou Xiao Er was very angry. He Yu Zhu had bullied Xu Da Mao many times before, but this time was really too much.