Siheyuan: I am different He Yuzhu

After He Yuzhu gave Wei Zixing a few more instructions, he got up and went to Director Liu's office. When he arrived at the door of Director Liu's office, he found that the door was open, so He Yuzhu knocked on the door gently with his hand. When Director Liu looked up at him, He Yuzhu said, "Director Liu, I'm here to report to you my ideas on greening and tidying up the factory area."

Director Liu put down the pen in his hand and said, "Okay, Xiao He, you just took office this morning, and you have an idea in the afternoon. Come and tell me your idea quickly."

He Yuzhu organized his words in his mind and said, "Director Liu, this is what I think about greening the factory area. Plant chestnut trees on both sides of the main roads in the factory area, and plant grape trees on the side of the supporting roads. This way, the factory area can be greened. Secondly, the chestnut trees can be used as food for the canteen when they bear fruit, and the grape trees can be distributed as welfare to all factory employees when they bear fruit. But there are also disadvantages. The chestnut tree does not look as tall and dense as the sycamore tree, and the overall effect may not be as beautiful as the sycamore tree."

"The biggest problem with keeping the factory clean is the problem of our workers using the toilet. My idea is to renovate the toilets in the entire factory and change the current dry toilets into water-flushed ones. This will greatly improve the problem of toilets smelling bad and flies flying everywhere in the summer. Because the renovation may cost money, I don't know if the factory has the corresponding budget. If not, I can only arrange for workers to increase the cleaning efforts, but this cannot fundamentally solve the problem of toilets smelling bad and flies flying everywhere in the summer."

After listening to He Yuzhu's idea, Director Liu smiled and said, "Xiao He, your idea is very good. Although our country has been established for several years, it can still be said that there is a lot of work to be done. Let's not do those fancy things. Let's do it according to your method. Let's plant chestnut trees and grape trees. Our factory is so large that we can plant chestnut trees and grape trees in all corners. I think it will be enough for all the workers in the factory. As for the toilet, Xiao He, what do you mean by the toilet reconstruction method? Do you have any specific ideas?"

He Yuzhu quickly said, "Director Liu, my idea is this. We should build a new toilet next to the current dry toilet in our factory. Dig a ditch with one side high and the other low in the new toilet, then pave the ditch with bricks and put cement on it. If conditions permit, I suggest purchasing a batch of sanitary bricks to lay on it. After the new toilet is built, the workers will go to the toilet in the ditch. An automatic flushing water tank will be set up at the high end of the ditch. It will automatically flush water every once in a while, so that the excrement produced by the workers when going to the toilet can be promptly returned to the septic tank next to it. In this way, the toilet will not be smelly and full of flies in the summer." After speaking, He Yuzhu looked at Director Liu with hope.

After listening to He Yuzhu's words, Director Liu thought for a while and said, "Xiao He, are you sure there will be no flies in the toilet by summer if you do it this way?"

He Yuzhu said seriously: "Director Liu, if you renovate the toilet according to my idea, I can't guarantee that there won't be a single fly, but as long as the workers don't urinate or defecate anywhere, then I can guarantee that by summer, there won't be as many flies in the toilet as there are now, and there won't be maggots crawling on the ground. It's just that building a new toilet will require some funds."

After hearing He Yuzhu's concerns, Director Liu laughed and said, "Xiao He, take a look at the report in Masses Daily first." After that, Director Liu handed He Yuzhu a copy of Masses Daily.

He Yuzhu picked up the Masses Daily and saw an editorial titled "Eradication of the Four Pests". He Yuzhu quickly read the entire editorial, which called on the people of the country to take action to eliminate rats, sparrows, flies, and mosquitoes. After reading it, He Yuzhu asked in an uncertain tone: "Director Liu, do you mean that our factory will also participate in the campaign to eliminate the four pests, and then the factory will arrange special funds for toilet renovation?"

After listening to He Yuzhu's words, Director Liu smiled and said, "Xiao He, you are so lucky. Your idea coincides with the call of 186. As long as the new toilet has the same effect as you said, our factory will definitely be regarded as a model of eliminating the four pests. Xiao He, you go back first. I will report to Secretary Wang and Director Zhang later. Once Secretary Wang and Director Zhang agree, we will start construction immediately."

He Yuzhu turned around and returned to the Personnel Department's office. When Wei Zixing saw He Yuzhu coming back, he quickly asked, "Deputy Director He, what did Director Liu say?"

He Yuzhu looked at Wei Zixing who looked anxious and said with a smile: "Little Wei, don't worry, I have already reported to Director Liu, Director Liu agrees with our idea, but he needs to ask Secretary Wang and Director Zhang for instructions. After Secretary Wang and Director Zhang agree, you can start preparing to go to Miyun County and Yanqing County for inspection. But I think Secretary Wang and Director Zhang should agree with our idea. If you have time, you can plan which areas in the factory can be planted with trees and which areas are suitable for planting grape vines. By the way, be sure not to affect the traffic of vehicles."

He Yuzhu sat in his seat and recalled the major events that happened in 1956 that he had read in the history textbook. According to his memory, the biggest event this year was the completion of the public-private partnership in all industries across the country, and the policy of sharing the spoils among the four horses was changed to a fixed annual interest rate. He would have to find his cousin Cai Quan to have a chat when he saw it. In fact, there was another more important event, but it was not described in the textbook. That was the introduction of the worker grade system after the public-private partnership in 1956. It was at this time that the eighth-level fitter who could rub an aircraft carrier with his hands was born.

He Yuzhu waited until the end of the get off work day but did not receive a reply from Director Liu. He Yuzhu guessed that Secretary Wang and Director Zhang might be discussing it. However, there was no rush for these things. Anyway, even if Secretary Wang and Director Zhang agreed now, they could not plant trees in this season. After He Yuzhu packed up the things on his desk, he rode his bicycle home to Nanluoguxiang after get off work.

Lou Xiao'e has been pregnant for more than 4 months now. Her pregnancy has begun to show, and it is bigger than that of normal pregnant women. Unfortunately, there was no B-ultrasound in China at that time, so there was no way to check the fetus, and it was all up to luck.

After He Yuzhu returned to the courtyard, he found that many people looked at him with less naturalness and more awe than before. It seemed that the news of his promotion to deputy director of logistics had spread to the courtyard. He Yuzhu looked at the neighbors around him and couldn't help but think of Li Bai's two lines of poetry, "How can I bow my head and serve the rich and powerful, so that I can't be happy?" Not everyone can live as freely as Li Bai. Most people have a natural awe of those who control power. After all, more than two thousand years of feudal society have deeply imprinted many things in the genes of the people.

He Yuzhu could only pretend that nothing had happened, and he pushed his bicycle and greeted people he met as usual. After returning home, Lou Xiao'e saw He Yuzhu coming back and was about to get up from the recliner. He Yuzhu saw Lou Xiao'e's somewhat clumsy body and hurriedly said, "Xiao'e, wait for me to come and help you." After that, He Yuzhu hurried to Lou Xiao'e's side, held Lou Xiao'e's arm and helped her sit up from the recliner.

Lou Xiao'e touched her belly and said, "Brother He, I'm only four months pregnant and my belly is so big. It's hard for me to even sit up from a chair. If I get pregnant later, I won't be able to do anything."

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "Xiao'e, I don't know either. Logically, your belly shouldn't be so big at this month. I guess you are pregnant with twins. You are pregnant with more than one baby, so your belly is so big."

After hearing this, Lou Xiao'e asked in surprise, "Brother He, is what you said true?"

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "I'm just guessing, and it may not be correct. Maybe the baby is growing well in your belly, so it's so big. By the way, Xiao'e, what are you going to eat tonight? I'll go cook for you now."

Lou Xiao'e thought for a moment and said, "Brother He, I want to eat the soup noodles you make."

He Yuzhu said lovingly, "Okay, wait a moment, I'll go knead the dough and roll out the noodles." After that, He Yuzhu turned and left the room, came to his sister He Yushui's room, and said to He Yushui who was doing homework, "Yushui, your sister-in-law wants to eat soup noodles tonight, what do you want to eat? Do you want to eat noodles with your sister-in-law, or drink porridge and eat stir-fried dishes with me?"

He Yushui raised his head and said, "Brother, I'd better drink porridge and eat vegetables with you. You can just make some noodles for sister-in-law alone."

"Okay, then we'll have porridge and vegetables."

When He Yuzhu finished cooking and the family sat around the dining table to eat, He Yuzhu said, "Xiao'e, your belly is getting bigger and bigger. It's too inconvenient for you to eat at home alone at noon. Why don't you go back to your mother's house for a few days. Today I was promoted to deputy director of the logistics department, but there is no suitable candidate for the canteen director for the time being, so I can only do it for now. When a suitable canteen director is found in a while, I guess I can come back from get off work every day at noon to cook for you."

Lou Xiao'e, who was slurping noodles, said unhappily after hearing what He Yuzhu said, "Brother He, I don't want to go back to my mother's house. I won't be able to see you every day after I go back."

Seeing Lou Xiao'e looking a little aggrieved, He Yuzhu said quickly, "Okay, okay, if you don't want to go back, then don't go back. But it's not a good idea for you to go home alone with such a big belly at noon."

He Yushui, who was sitting next to him, said, "Brother, how about I go home for lunch every day from now on? I won't eat in the school cafeteria anymore. Although I'm not as good at cooking as you are, as long as you prepare lunch for me and my sister-in-law in advance every morning, I can just heat it up when I get home from school."

After hearing what He Yushui said, He Yuzhu said happily: "Yushui, then you will have to take care of your sister-in-law for a while. After this period of time is over and your brother is busy, you can leave the lunch work to me, your brother."

"Yushui, thank you sister-in-law." After saying that, Lou Xiao'e happily started eating noodles again.

Two days later, Director Liu called He Yuzhu to his office. After He Yuzhu entered Director Liu's office, he asked, "Director Liu, you're looking for me?"

Director Liu smiled and said, "Xiao He, the two things you reported to me two days ago finally have results today. Secretary Wang and Director Zhang have agreed to the two things you proposed after research. You can start preparing when you go back. It's just that it's winter now and you can't start construction immediately. But I hope to start construction in the shortest time possible when the weather is good."

After hearing this, He Yuzhu quickly expressed his position: "Please rest assured, Director Liu, I will complete the task assigned to me by the leadership." After saying this, He Yuzhu looked embarrassed and hesitated to speak.

Director Liu looked at He Yuzhu's expression and asked, "Xiao He, are you having any trouble?"

Seeing this, He Yuzhu simply said, "Director Liu, this is what happened. Didn't I get married last year? Recently, my wife is pregnant. My mother died of complications during childbirth when she gave birth to my sister. My father later went to Baoding with a widow. My wife is alone at home at noon. She is pregnant now, so it is inconvenient to cook at noon. I would like to ask if the factory can arrange a canteen director so that I can go home at noon to cook for my wife."

After listening to this, Director Liu pondered for a moment and asked, "Xiao He, you have always been in charge of the canteen. I am worried that if a cadre who knows nothing suddenly comes, it will affect the operation of the canteen. For example, the taste of the food in the canteen will deteriorate. If the workers complain at that time, we will be passive."

He Yuzhu hurriedly said, "No, Director Liu, the dishes cooked in the canteen every day are made according to the standard procedures I set before. Even if a cadre who doesn't know how to cook comes, as long as he doesn't give blind orders and continues to follow the current situation, there will be no problems in the canteen."

"That's good. I will report your problem to Secretary Wang and Director Zhang when I have time. Before your superiors arrange a new canteen director, you should temporarily overcome the difficulties and manage the canteen well."

"Okay, Director Liu, if you don't have anything else to tell me, I'll go back first."