Siheyuan: Xu Damao's New Life

Time passed unknowingly, and it was time to get off work. Xu Damao pushed the cart out of the factory gate with his two apprentices and headed straight for the state-owned restaurant at the factory gate. Xu Damao had been coming here quite frequently recently, and even the waiters in the restaurant knew him. After all, there weren't many people who were as generous as him and often invited guests to the restaurant for dinner.

At this time, you can't eat whatever you want, but you have to see what the restaurant has. The three of them ordered four dishes and one soup, two meat dishes and two vegetarian dishes, and asked for a bottle of white wine, and then they started drinking. It was really that Xu Damao had been drinking a little recently, and he didn't want to drink too much.

The two apprentices first offered Xu Damao two cups of tea using the hotel's tea. Xu Damao took them and drank two sips, which meant he officially accepted the two apprentices. In that era, the relationship between master and apprentice was very close. It is no exaggeration to say that they prosper together and suffer together.

During the meal, Xu Damao's two apprentices kept complimenting him, and Xu Damao also said that he would teach them with all his heart. The meal lasted for an hour, and the two apprentices rushed to pay the bill. Xu Damao didn't say anything polite to them. Isn't it the master who pays for the apprenticeship banquet?

Unexpectedly, before leaving, the two apprentices each took out a watch ticket, saying that it was a gift prepared by their family elders. Xu Damao declined, but seeing that he really couldn't refuse, he accepted it. He thought to himself that the two apprentices were not bad, and they understood the ways of the world. He would make up for it when he had the chance in the future, and he couldn't let the two apprentices suffer all the time. Didn't you see that the second uncle Liu Haizhong has been teaching his apprentices wholeheartedly, and even paid for his apprentices to go to college (he was the director Lan of the steel rolling mill branch mentioned later). During the holidays, people would bring gifts to see him; while the first uncle Yi Zhonghai was not serious about teaching his apprentices, and no one ever came to visit him.

Xu Damao came to the backyard and saw a lot of wood and cement in front of his house. After a closer look, they were all high-quality redwood and huanghuali, which should have been sent by the decoration master. It seems that I have to clear out everything in the house on Sunday so that I can start decorating on Monday. I originally planned to ask Xiao'e to go out and play on Sunday, so I'll see when the time comes.

Time flies and it's Saturday. Xu Damao pushed his bike out of the compound to go to work. He saw Sha Zhu and an old man named Jia Dongxu going to work together with his legs tucked together. It seems that Sha Zhu is almost well. The matter has been delayed for quite some time and it's time to have a result.

Xu Damao ignored them and rode past them in a flash. The two sides were not on good terms, so why bother trying to please someone else? It was only right to take revenge when there was a grudge and to settle a grievance when there was a grudge.

Soon, Xu Damao arrived at his office, which had been cleaned and filled with hot water. Xu Damao hung his coat on a nail on the wall and made himself a pot of tea. While drinking tea, he thought about Sha Zhu's matter. Since he was back, he should solve the problem. It seemed that he had to talk to Deputy Director Li and get Sha Zhu to the workshop as soon as possible.

Looking at the wall clock, it was already nine o'clock. Xu Damao went out and called his two apprentices to start teaching again. Today he was teaching the assembly of equipment.

Seeing that the two apprentices were learning very seriously, Xu Damao said, "I plan to show a movie in the factory tonight. You two can help me assemble the equipment. You can't learn without practice. We will go to the countryside starting next week."

The two were very happy to hear that they could watch the master show a movie tonight. They also felt the master's seriousness and responsibility in the past few days. In the past few days, the two copied all the notes given by Xu Damao, and often recited the contents of the notes when they were at home.

When it was almost time to get off work, Xu Damao planned to go find Deputy Director Li, so he asked his two apprentices to go to eat directly without waiting for him, and he went to Deputy Director Li's office.

Xu Damao knocked on the door first, and only after getting permission did he push the door open and walk in. Li Huaide looked up and saw that it was Xu Damao, so he said, "It's Damao, what do you want to talk to me about?"

"Hey, Director, how did you feel after using my medicine? I met Comrade Liu Lan a few days ago." Xu Damao showed an expression that said we are all in the same boat and no one should fool anyone.

"Ahem," Li Huaide said with a little embarrassment: "The medicine is really effective. If there is any left tomorrow, you must save it for me." These two days, Li Huaide has been in high spirits. Not only has he fed his several lovers, but he has also served the tigress at home very well.

"Okay, don't worry. When I came to work today, I saw that Sha Zhu, the factory manager, had also returned to work. Do you think that's right..."

Li Huaide took out a cigarette and lit it for himself and handed one to Xu Damao. The two of them puffed smoke for a while. "Okay, I got it. I'll call several leaders from the Security Department and the Logistics Department to deal with this matter this afternoon."

At this time, the music of the end of get off work sounded, and the two of them walked to the cafeteria together. Xu Damao also took advantage of Li Huaide's favor and had a meal of small stir-fried dishes in the cafeteria. The current steel rolling mill has not been expanded yet, and it is still a department-level unit. But with Xu Damao's level, he could not enjoy small stir-fried dishes, unless he was a powerful section chief or department-level cadre in an important department. However, when he was a projectionist, he had hosted a banquet for film distributors in the cafeteria.

After lunch, Xu Damao returned to his office to take a short nap. He was half asleep when he heard the loud speaker of the radio station sounding, notifying the people who had fought last time to go to the small meeting room on the third floor of the office. Xu Damao smoked a cigarette to wake himself up, and then went directly to the small meeting room.

By this time, many workers had arrived, and Sha Zhu also walked in slowly with his legs crossed. Soon, the leaders were also in place, but Director Yang didn't come this time. Come to think of it, Director Yang had saved Sha Zhu from being fired last time, and this time it was just a follow-up compensation issue. You have to know that the time of a large factory with thousands of people is very precious, so there is no time to care about such trivial matters.

Seeing that everyone was present, Deputy Director Li spoke first, "Last time, Comrade He Yuzhu was injured and hospitalized, so the factory only imposed some punishment. Although Comrade He Yuzhu did many things wrong, his injuries were serious after all. Out of humanitarian considerations, we still have to give him some compensation. Let's discuss this matter today."

As soon as Li Huaide finished speaking, a middle-aged man with a square face took over the conversation. He was Zheng Gang, the head of the security department, and he was attending the meeting today. He was a retired soldier who was very serious and could not tolerate any sand in his eyes.

"Director Li, I don't quite agree with what you said. Chief Cui has already told me what happened. In my opinion, right is right and wrong is wrong. We can't sympathize with someone just because they are pitiful," said Zheng Gang.

"Chief Zheng is right. I am too one-sided." Li Huaide nodded. He deliberately asked Chief Zheng to come today. He calculated that with Chief Zheng's personality, Sha Zhu would definitely not get away with it.

"Comrade He Yuzhu is here too. I have a few words to ask you." Section Chief Zheng said.

Sha Zhu stood up and said, "I am He Yuzhu."

"Okay, then let me ask you, do you often stir the wok for the workers you don't have a good relationship with? Do you often fight with others in the factory over a disagreement? Do you often steal food and take it home?" Section Chief Zheng slapped the table excitedly and stood up. "What kind of behavior is this? You are withholding the food rations of the workers! You are destroying the great unity of workers, peasants and soldiers! You are stealing public property!"

"I, I, I..." Sha Zhu stuttered for a long time without uttering a complete sentence. He sat down dejectedly with a blushing face.

"That's because I was on a business trip at that time, otherwise I would have fired you. But since the factory leaders have already made the decision, I can't say much. But you were the one who flipped the spoon first, and you were the one who beat Xu Damao first, which caused everyone's anger and got you beaten. How dare you ask for compensation now!" Section Chief Zheng scolded loudly.

"I, I don't want it anymore. I don't want anything. I am willing to accept any punishment from the factory." Sha Zhu was almost crying. It was the first time he was scolded like this since he was a child, and every word he said was reasonable. At this moment, Sha Zhu felt that what he had done before was not human.

"Okay, since you are able to admit your mistakes and correct them, it means that you, as a comrade, still need to be saved. After your injury is healed, go to work in the foundry. When the punishment period is over, if you perform well, you will go back to work in the canteen. If you do not perform well, you will continue to work in the foundry." Section Chief Zheng announced the final punishment decision.

"It was all my fault before. I accept the punishment. I will definitely perform well and live up to the expectations of my leaders." After saying this, Sha Zhu lowered his head and walked out of the meeting room in a daze.