It is said that after Li Wu Wei left the steel mill, he felt a sense of relief, feeling completely free for 24 hours a day.
Since the end of working life is retirement and old age, he now has Qin Huai Ru to take care of him. When he's had his fun, he can have a few more kids and his old age will be worry-free.
So, why bother working? It's better to retire early and let justice prevail.
He took his bicycle and rode back to the courtyard. He saw Yan Bu Gui fiddling with flowers, holding Yan Jie Di in his arms.
"Third Uncle, good morning!"
"No, Li Wu Wei, why are you back so early?"
Yan Bu Gui's eyes widened. He was wearing glasses, so he wasn't mistaken.
"I came back to get some things."
Li Wu Wei parked his bicycle in the front yard and went to the back yard to get his fishing rod. This made the housewives who weren't working in the courtyard stare in astonishment.
Jia Zhang Shi mumbled sarcastically, "He's young and doesn't know how to work properly. How is he better than my East Xu? I think Qin Huai Ru is blind. She'll regret this later."
Yan Bu Gui was studying the bicycle, envious. He was stunned when he saw Li Wu Wei come back with a fishing rod.
"Are you going to work today? Why are you taking a fishing rod?"
"Of course I'm going fishing. Third Uncle, you take good care of the child. I'm leaving now."
Li Wu Wei slipped away quickly, not wanting to explain. Anyway, when the steel mill workers get off work, they'll know what's going on.
"No, why aren't you going to work?"
Yan Bu Gui wanted to ask a few more questions, but Li Wu Wei had already cycled away, and he couldn't chase after him with his daughter in his arms.
Besides, Yan Bu Gui had to go to school later.
Li Wu Wei rode his bicycle out of Dongzhimen, towards the moat. He searched along the riverbank for a while and finally found a suitable spot.
He took out his tools from the vegetable market, broke through the ice hole, and started fishing.
...
At the steel mill, the seven workshops, as well as the canteen, office building, warehouse, fleet, and security department, were all buzzing with gossip, all related to the courtyard.
First, there was the news of He Da Qing, the chef, resigning abruptly and running away with a widow, but failing, losing his job, and almost being arrested as a counter-revolutionary.
Secondly, there was Li Wu Wei, the fitter from the second workshop, who had just snatched Jia Dong Xu's girlfriend, from the same workshop and courtyard, and then immediately sent his new wife to the factory to replace his position.
The rumors said that Li Wu Wei, who was very young, not only didn't go to work, but also received his wife's salary, only giving her three yuan a month for food.
This made all the men who heard the gossip look at Qin Huai Ru. It wasn't love at first sight, but it definitely made every male worker feel blocked up.
"Jia Dong Xu, you've ruined Qin Huai Ru!"
"Exactly. How did you fall for Li Wu Wei? Tell us, how did he steal your girlfriend?"
"Jia Dong Xu, when are you going on another blind date?"
"Get lost! You're nowhere near as shameless as Li Wu Wei."
All the male workers were interrogating Jia Dong Xu, which made him miserable.
Because Jia Dong Xu was squatting in the toilet at the moment. He couldn't stand up, and he was being surrounded, almost causing him to have a mental breakdown.
When Jia Dong Xu finally returned to the workshop, he felt miserable every time he saw Qin Huai Ru.
The hatred of having one's wife stolen, an unforgivable offense!
"Master, thank you so much today."
After work, Qin Huai Ru packed up her workstation and hurried to leave.
Chen Yun nodded and reminded her, "Qin Huai Ru, remember what we told you before. Talk to your husband about it. Three yuan a month is too little."
"Okay. I'll ask him for one more yuan, that should be enough."
"Master, I won't bother you anymore. I have to go home and cook."
Qin Huai Ru hurried away.
"It's a sin! She earns money at work, and then she has to go home and do chores!"
Chen Yun shook her head. This apprentice was stupid, that Li Wu Wei was not human.
Qin Huai Ru left the factory with the other workers. As soon as she arrived at the alleyway, she met Jia Dong Xu, Xu Da Mao, and Sha Zhu.
"Sister Qin, didn't Li Wu Wei say he'd leave the bicycle to you?"
Sha Zhu resented Li Wu Wei deeply. He thought that since he had married Sister Qin, he should have cherished her properly.
"I don't know how to ride, and it's only a few steps to the courtyard, it's not tiring."
Qin Huai Ru had come from the countryside. Whenever she worked in the fields, she would always walk.
"Sister Qin, you can't say that. Li Wu Wei isn't working, what does he need a bicycle for? I say, he should let you use it."
Xu Da Mao seized the opportunity to instigate trouble. Why should Li Wu Wei be living a good life?
Even Jia Dong Xu spoke up, "Qin Huai Ru, you can't spoil Li Wu Wei. He's a bad guy. You need to see his true colours."
"Brother Li is a good person, he's not a bad guy at all."
Qin Huai Ru couldn't listen to them and hurried to leave.
"Sister Qin, slow down, where are you going in such a hurry?"
Xu Da Mao quickly followed, but he didn't dare to do anything. He could only think about it. If he really did anything, he would get shot.
"I have to go home and cook. I left in a hurry this morning, and I haven't washed my clothes yet."
As soon as Qin Huai Ru said this, the three single men were struck by a blow.
"The world is not fair! This is a new society. Bad people should be defeated."
Sha Zhu sighed to the heavens. He washed his own clothes, and also washed his father's, but he didn't change them very often.
Xu Da Mao was so regretful he could vomit blood. If he had known that a country girl was so easy to fool and so capable, why would he have wanted an urban girl as his partner?
Jia Dong Xu didn't say anything. As soon as he got into the courtyard, he ran into the house, threw himself onto the bed, pulled the covers up, and started crying.
"Dong Xu, what's wrong? Did someone bully you?"
Jia Zhang Shi had only one son, and she loved him dearly. She hurried over to comfort him.
After persuading him for a while, Jia Dong Xu finally pulled back the covers. His eyes were swollen from crying, and he cried, "Mom, why don't I just marry Qin Huai Ru? If she's willing to divorce, I still want her."
"You're being foolish. What's so good about Qin Huai Ru that you're so attached to her?
Yes, she's beautiful, has a big behind and is good at bearing children, but she's not very smart. She's married to that bad seed Li Wu Wei. She'll only suffer in the future.
You don't know, this morning, Li Wu Wei went back to the courtyard with a fishing rod and went out. He definitely didn't go to work properly. How can he earn money to support her?"
Jia Zhang Shi scolded him, thinking her son was possessed. Could he even want a second-hand woman?
"Mom, Qin Huai Ru went to work at the steel mill, she replaced Li Wu Wei's position."
Jia Dong Xu's one sentence made his mother stand there, stunned.
"Dong Xu, what are you saying? Qin Huai Ru took Li Wu Wei's job at the steel mill?"
Jia Zhang Shi was dumbfounded. What was going on? She couldn't understand it.