Siheyuan: Breaking up with Shazhu at the beginning

At this time, Yang Qun noticed the situation and handed over the Chinese textbook:

"Fourth Aunt, this is for you."

The corners of Yang Si's mouth twitched, and silent tears quietly slid down. Facing Yang Jun's beast-like gaze, although he was unwilling, he reluctantly took the textbook.

Yang Jun supervised from the side and first assigned her a simple homework - asking her to recite a text and not be allowed to eat if she failed to do so.

After brewing his emotions for a long time, the fourth brother finally concentrated on reading.

“I don’t know this word.”

She pointed out the new words in the textbook and asked doubtfully.

When Yang Jun saw her academic performance, he could only shake his head and smile bitterly. She couldn't even recognize the Chinese characters of a first-grade primary school student.

"Go ask your nephew." He felt this was a family disgrace.

With her ability, getting a perfect score on a math test would be a blessing to his family's ancestral grave.

The fourth child looked at Yang Qun, who was five years younger than her, and struggled internally, but finally decided to ask him for advice.

……

It was not until dinner time that she finally finished reciting the chapter of less than 200 words, stumbling over it.

Yang Jun didn't make it too difficult for her and still let her enjoy dinner. But he stipulated that she must stay in the yard and not move an inch. His purpose was to let her slowly restrain her temper and calm down to study hard.

During this period, apart from going out to deal with matters outside the village every day, Yang Jun spent almost all his time in the mourning hall accompanying the fourth child to study. Surprisingly, after a period of training, this genetic gene of the Yang family played its power. She could recite the article that she could not remember for half a day before, but now she can recite it fluently in half an hour.

Yang Jun continued to increase the intensity of her training, and Lao Si's performance was astonishing time and time again, even Yuying was amazed.

Since she was a child, Yang Si has always been Yuying's biggest problem at the annual parent-teacher conference. Her grades have always been at the bottom of the class and the lowest in the whole grade at school, which makes her unable to hold her head up in front of other parents.

Now, Yang Si's transformation is like the shadow of Yang Liu who worked hard in her youth. It's not that Yang Liu has a low IQ, but no one could motivate her to study in the past. Now, under Yang Jun's strict management and guidance, she is finally willing to study and shows a genius-like effort.

February 13th of the lunar calendar is the day my grandmother was buried.

Before daybreak, all the family members had already gotten up. The first thing Yang Jun did every day was to meet his daily needs in the barren land at the entrance of the village.

When he returned to the yard, a large crowd had already gathered. Ma Sanpao and several of his sons set up a large pot in the open space outside the gate to prepare for cooking. The way of cooking in the countryside is different from that in the city. People usually use a large pot of stewed vegetables instead of stir-frying, or enjoy simple corn cakes. Families with better conditions eat black bean buns. Grandma's farewell ceremony was a meal of noodles. In the morning, more than a dozen women in the village helped to roll the noodles. When the noodles are ready, they are put into the big pot and cooked, and they need to be supervised by a special person; when the noodles are cooked, they will be cooled in cold water first, and then poured with the prepared sauce. This is a so-called flowing water banquet, only eating noodles without drinking soup, but the villagers never waste it, and the soup and noodles are all clean.

The meal had started in the morning and nearly two hours had passed. There was an endless stream of people lining up to eat, one bowl after another, and everyone had at least three bowls. All of this was due to the Yang family's generous invitation of no restrictions on food intake.

According to local customs, burial must be completed before noon, as the afternoon is considered the underworld. Due to Yang Gui's death, Yang Jun had to take over his father's position as the leader. He was very busy these days. He followed Wang Dayan to respect his ancestors and guard the tomb day and night.

It was not until near noon that the coffin was lowered into the grave. The graveyard was located on the high ground behind the mountain, and it was the resting place of the ancestors of the Yang family. Yang Jun even saw his father's grave. His father Yang Gui's burial place was located on the outskirts of the city. It was a clothes graveyard, which his grandparents had specially built for him because they missed him, so that they could still offer incense and worship him during festivals.

Wang Dayan's timing was very accurate, and the coffin was buried at exactly 12 noon. On the way back home, Yang Jun felt weak and exhausted, and lay slumped on the kang without moving.

After his aunt Wang Yuying came to check on him, the two discussed the specific date to go home. Faced with such a predicament, Yang Jun knew that the sooner he could go back, the better. He had endured many days of inconvenience - not only had he not showered or changed clothes, his living conditions were also extremely poor, and he had to go back to the factory to handle many matters.

Night falls, after dinner.

The entrance to Yang's house gradually became lively, with many people coming here carrying gifts.

Most of the visitors held gifts in their hands. Some brought pheasants hunted in the mountains, some brought two packs of cigarettes, and some brought local specialties from the countryside.

These people gathered here with only one purpose, hoping that Yang Jun could help them find jobs.

The yard was crowded with people, and even outside the gate were filled with people eagerly waiting for news.

The elder Yang Wenhou was leaning against the wall smoking, looking depressed and silent.

My second uncle, my second aunt and others were busy running around, pouring tea and serving water.

"Everyone, I am clear-minded and I apologize to you all." Yang Jun, standing in front of the crowd, said apologetically: "Please forgive me, the educated youth in the city have responded to the call to go to the countryside to work. The factory's employees are already saturated, and the reduction of quotas has not kept up. It is really impossible to increase the establishment."

Then a middle-aged man stood up, slightly bent over, and looked at Yang Jun expectantly. "Brother Junzi, although we are from the same clan, please consider my youngest son and give him a job?" This is my cousin, and they are directly related to each other.

Yang Jun knew this cousin. Because of their grandfather's order, they were of the same generation. Although they were not officially out of the fifth mourning period, they were still considered members of the royal family. "Cousin, the truth is that I can't do it. The quota is controlled by the higher-ups. I don't have the power to decide on my own." Yang Jun refused frankly. If he agreed, everyone in the yard would definitely stay with him.

"Brother Junzi, my family has a large population and food is scarce. Please consider our difficulties and accept my second son. You don't need to ask for wages. Just provide food and accommodation." The cousin still insisted on his request.

Seeing this, second uncle Yang Dong stepped in to mediate: "Hanmin, don't add burden to Yang Jun. The factory is not something he can just open and recruit people at will. This is not an easy thing to do."

Aunt Qin said, "Don't make things difficult for Ah Jun. He will help you and he certainly won't bear to see you suffer from hunger and cold."

After apologizing, Yang Jun turned around and was about to go back to the shack.

The others looked at each other. Yang Jun's closing of the door had already made his position clear, so everyone could only leave in disappointment. Not long after, when they heard no more movement in the courtyard, Yang Jun walked out.

He lit a cigarette and sat next to his grandfather Yang Wenhou: "Grandpa, is it because I caused some trouble for you?"

Yang Jun knew that he had angered the villagers this time, which might lead to his uncle's family being criticized and even isolated. Hearing his words, his grandfather knocked his pipe on the ground to shake out the remaining ashes and sighed heavily: "Life has forced us all into a dead end. The most difficult thing in this life is to live with suffering."

Uncle Yang Dong took a deep puff of cigarette and said slowly: "We are not afraid because of our age. It is the greatest comfort for us that you younger generations can live a comfortable life." These words made Yang Jun feel mixed emotions.

He suggested: "Grandpa, uncle, do you want to go to the city together?" When he said this, the old people looked comforted, but none of them agreed.

"I'm old and can't stand the hard work, and I don't want to change my environment." Grandpa put the pipe back and pulled it a few more times, then pressed his thumb down to keep it steady, and Yang Jun immediately lit it for him.

"We all appreciate Ajun's kindness. Second uncle would like to thank you for your help. If it weren't for you, An Ning might still be making a living in the fields." There was a complex light flashing in the uncle's eyes, as if he had insight into the cause and effect cycle of life.

In silence, Yang Jun understood that his grandfather and the others would not follow him to the city. Their roots were deeply rooted in this yellow land, and their blood was filled with passion and attachment to this land.

At dawn the next day, Yang Jun's family got up early. They decided to set out early in the morning to avoid the villagers' embarrassing sight.

Yang Anbang's transfer letter had already been sent out urgently, and the relevant relocation procedures were also handled smoothly at the township office. The Yang family was going to take a car to the city today. Yang Jun scattered the luggage on the roofs of two cars, and put the rest in the car and tied it tightly.

The jeep borrowed from the steel rolling mill had only five seats. Fortunately, Yang Anbang's children were still young and could barely sit down.

Before leaving, Yang Jun left two hundred yuan in cash and two hundred kilograms of food coupons to his uncle, and promised to give his grandfather ten yuan in pension every month as an agreement.

The parting was filled with reluctance. Second Uncle and Second Aunt accompanied them all the way to the village entrance. Yang Jun drove away at a moderate speed, and only started to drive at full speed when they could no longer see him. The return journey was not as urgent as the journey there, so it took the three of them nearly four days to return to Beijing.

After sending Wang Yuying and the others to the compound, he returned home. He wanted to invite his uncle to live in his house, but Yang Anbang insisted on living in the same compound with Ma Juzi and the others. Yang Jun didn't want to cause trouble, and he understood.

Fortunately, the yard was spacious enough, with nine rooms. Yang Anguo vacated the three main rooms for his uncle's family, and he and his sister-in-law moved into the east wing. The rest of Ma Juzi's family lived in the west wing, and there was room for three more rooms in the back wing.

After returning home, Yang Jun immediately lit a fire to cook, and the first thing he did was to take a shower. These days, he had been infected with bedbugs and spent every night on the straw mat in the mourning hall. The itching all over his body made him unbearable, so he must take a good bath today.

After the hot water was ready, Yang Jun locked the door and pulled Yi Qiu Shui into the bathroom.

…When I came out of the bathroom, it was already past four in the afternoon.

After much deliberation, Yang Jun decided not to go to work at the factory today. As the host, he arranged a dinner for Yang Anbang's family.

When he went out, he found that Ma Xiangxiu had prepared meals in advance: all white flour buns, and the only dish was cabbage and minced meat stewed with vermicelli. Although the dishes seemed simple, the two large casseroles were rich enough. Yang Jun immediately brought Yi Qiushui with him, and they sat together to taste the home-cooked food.

After the meal, the two went back to their rooms to rest. The next morning, Yang Jun went to the factory on time to start work. He first went into Jiang Haitao's office and asked about the recent affairs. After listening to the report that everything was relatively stable, the tension in his heart relaxed a little, and then he began to sort out the accumulated schedule documents. He was the deputy director in charge of logistics, and he needed to grasp the recent high prices and food shortages. In particular, the supply and marketing cooperatives have frequently requested to review the contract issues because the existing agreement can no longer ensure the timely and quantitative supply of raw materials.

Faced with the severe situation of rising material prices, Yang Jun, as the deputy factory director in charge of logistics, faces a test. He needs to ensure the smooth operation of the factory and at the same time ensure that employee benefits do not decline, so as to avoid any possible employee disputes. Therefore, in the past two days, Yang Jun has devoted all his energy to management work.

He tried to purchase food and raw materials through normal channels, and if necessary, he also reserved some space auxiliary means. However, he knew that space resources were precious, and he would not use space reserves to solve the current problems unless it was absolutely necessary, so as to avoid being exposed.

As soon as he got to work today, he called the head of the purchasing department, Lao Wei, to his office. "Director, would you like to play a game of chess?"

Lao Wei pushed open Yang Jun's door, leaned forward and asked with a smile on his face. This kind of tacit communication is a private way for Yang Jun and Lao Wei to discuss business while playing chess. Yang Jun likes this way of chatting, and in the process of learning chess skills, he can also inspire solutions to problems.

"Stop dragging your feet and start the game quickly." Yang Jun looked at the chessboard in his hand and said dissatisfiedly.

As usual, Yang Jun always went first. He sat barefoot on a chair and lit a cigarette: "One step forward."

Lao Wei responded to his suggestion with a smile, and gently lifted the left elephant. "Jumping horse!"

He was already familiar with Yang Jun's habits and routines, and every opening was predicted in advance, so their dialogue was like a fixed pattern that had been rehearsed many times: one steadily executed the pre-designed plan, and the other seized the opportunity to advance when the opponent was confused. Even if he fought with all his strength, Lao Wei estimated that he would not be able to last more than 50 moves.

In fact, playing chess is just a communication strategy. Yang Jun then pointed out the problem: "The performance of the purchasing department has been unsatisfactory recently, and even the negotiations with the cooperative have not been resolved well."

This sentence touched Lao Wei's mind, and he felt that the formal topic was coming. Although he admitted his mistakes not for praise, but as a basic quality of a qualified subordinate, he also understood that subordinates should listen humbly to any criticism or instructions.

"Director, please tell me how to deal with this." Without any complaints or resistance, Lao Wei answered calmly and respectfully.

On this occasion, the person who knows Yang Jun's inner thoughts best is undoubtedly Old Wei. He knows that the factory director has a well-thought-out strategy. At this moment, humility and obedience are more important. He will remain silent for the time being and just follow orders.

"Yang Jun was naturally very clear about Lao Wei's character. As a veteran in the workplace, he knew that Lao Wei could understand his intentions. He did not seek Lao Wei's advice or discuss the solution of the matter with him, but wanted to put his ideas into action.