r18novel Chapter 1017 He Yuzhu Finds Deputy Factory Director Li
Chapter 1017 He Yuzhu Finds Deputy Factory Director Li
As night quietly faded amidst everyone's own calculations, and the sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, He Yuzhu had already finished washing up and was dressed neatly in his military green work clothes. He looked at Lu Jia, who was busy at the stove, the iron pot on the stove steaming and the aroma wafting over, and said, "I think I'll be back a little late tonight. There's a lot going on at the factory, and Deputy Factory Director Li might need me to stay and help out. You stay home alone and keep an eye on the doors, make sure they're locked before you go to sleep."
Lu Jia was stirring the rice porridge in the pot with a long-handled ladle, the steam rising and dampening the stray hairs at her temples. Without turning her head, she replied, "I know, I can handle cooking porridge, don't worry about things at home. But you, when you go to see Deputy Factory Director Li, speak properly, don't throw your tantrum, you hear me? We need to stabilize things now and try to get him to transfer you back to your original position."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," He Yuzhu replied, walking to the table to pick up the warm aluminum lunchbox—containing cornbread and pickled vegetables that Lu Jia had prepared for him beforehand. He tucked it into his coat and turned to walk out the door. He was thinking to himself: no matter what, he should first try to improve his relationship with Deputy Factory Director Li. With his culinary skills in braised pork knuckle and braised pork intestines, he could surely get some real benefits. It would be better than being stuck as an apprentice worker, earning a meager salary.
As he passed Gu Nan's house, he paused, glancing at the tightly closed gate. The two doors were gleaming, and a red ribbon hung from the door knocker—clearly, they were living a comfortable life. He scoffed inwardly—it was pointless to approach him now; Gu Nan had never liked him. Back in the day, they'd glare at each other for ages over a piece of pork belly in the cafeteria. He'd be better off focusing on finding Deputy Factory Director Li; maybe his culinary skills could get him ahead someday. He no longer cared about antagonizing Gu Nan; he just wanted to get back to his chef's salary, a few extra dollars a month to supplement his income. Anything more ambitious was out of the question.
When I arrived at the steel rolling mill, I bumped into Xu Damao as soon as I entered the gate. Xu Damao was standing with his hands behind his back, humming a popular tune, with an undisguised smug look on his face. Now, Deputy Director Li and Deputy Director Gu were openly and secretly competing with each other, and they both had to rely on him as their "informed source." No matter who came out on top in the end, he would be a hero who benefited from both sides. He walked with a light and airy air, as if he were walking on cotton.
Upon seeing He Yuzhu, Xu Damao immediately stopped and deliberately raised his voice eight octaves, as if afraid the patrolling security guards wouldn't hear him: "Hey, isn't this He Yuzhu? What a rare guest! Still an apprentice? Hey Zhuzi, when are you going to make it big? Should I talk to Deputy Factory Director Li and get you a job washing dishes?"
In the past, He Yuzhu would have given him a good beating after hearing this, but now he was determined to find Deputy Factory Director Li and didn't want to get angry with Xu Damao. However, the other party's arrogant attitude was really irritating, like a thorn in his eyelid. His eyes darted around, an idea came to him, and he put on a smile, took two steps forward: "Damao, I have something I want to tell you."
Xu Damao glanced at him sideways, his lips curling into a disdainful sneer: "What is it? Don't even think about begging me. I can't help an apprentice like you. I'm busy right now. Deputy Factory Director Li is waiting for me to report on my work."
He Yuzhu said slowly, "I'm not asking you for a favor, I just want to ask—Lu Jia is pregnant and has a lot of morning sickness. What kind of nutrition do you think a pregnant woman should supplement? Is it better to eat more eggs, or is drinking some pork rib soup more effective?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he pretended to realize something and slapped his forehead, looking at Xu Damao with a smile, "Oh dear, look at my memory, Damao, I forgot, even though you're married, you still don't have any children. Why am I asking you about this? You wouldn't know anything about these things. Well, how could you understand something you haven't experienced?"
These words were like a needle chilled to the bone, precisely piercing Xu Damao's sore spot. He'd been married for so many years, and his wife, Qin Huairu, hadn't conceived. The neighbors in the courtyard had gossiped about it behind his back, and this was his deepest resentment, something he dared not mention to anyone. He Yuzhu's words were like a fatal blow, tearing his most hidden embarrassment to the surface.
Xu Damao's face flushed a deep purplish-red, from his cheeks to his ears. He pointed at He Yuzhu, too angry to speak for a long time, his lips trembling. Finally, he managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth: "You...you just wait!"
Seeing He Yuzhu's ambiguous smile, Xu Damao's anger surged, like a burning tinderbox, wanting nothing more than to pounce and tear him apart. But he couldn't lash out—he couldn't very well get into a fight with He Yuzhu at the factory gate over this; it would be even more embarrassing if word got out, and people would just say that Xu Damao couldn't tolerate a single truth. He gave a heavy "humph," turned around angrily, and stumbled away, almost tripping on the steps at the gate. He cursed He Yuzhu's ancestors a thousand times over in his heart, but the resentment of having his sore spot touched was like a stone stuck in his throat, impossible to suppress.
He Yuzhu watched his angry back, a cold smile playing on his lips—to deal with someone like Xu Damao, you have to strike at his weak points, otherwise he'll always think he can bully anyone. He straightened his clothes, turned and walked towards Deputy Factory Director Li's office, his steps more steady than before.
He Yuzhu watched Xu Damao's dejected departure, a slight smirk playing on his lips, but he didn't say a word. He saw through Xu Damao's little scheme immediately; he simply wanted to use Gu Nan's influence to gain a foothold in the factory. But given the current situation, it wasn't that easy. He had more pressing matters on his mind, and turned to walk towards the office building—he needed to find Deputy Factory Director Li.
Just as He Yuzhu reached the door of Deputy Factory Director Li's office, before he could even raise his hand to knock, he saw Deputy Factory Director Li walking towards him from the other end of the corridor, his hands behind his back, looking somewhat tired, perhaps having just returned from a meeting at the main factory. Seeing He Yuzhu standing at the door, Deputy Factory Director Li paused for a moment, then said, "Silly Zhu? What are you doing here? What do you need me for?"
He Yuzhu quickly stood up straight, a smile plastered on his face: "Deputy Factory Director Li, I want to talk to you about something."
Deputy Factory Director Li nodded, took out his key, opened the office door, and stepped aside to let him in: "Alright, come in and talk about what's going on. It's not good for people to see you all arguing outside."
"Okay, sure!" He Yuzhu replied, quickly following him inside and gently closing the door behind him. The office was quite tidy, the desk by the window was polished to a shine, and several thick volumes of documents were stacked on it. He quickly went to the thermos in the corner, picked up Vice Director Li's enamel mug, poured a cup of hot tea, and handed it to him with both hands: "Vice Director Li, please have a cup of tea to warm yourself up."