Siheyuan: How the Little People Live

The next morning, the sun shone through the window into the room. Ye Wenwu had not slept all night and was very excited. However, at this moment, he could only wait quietly for an opportunity.

In the Propaganda Department's office, Xu Ying would have opened the door at this time, but today it was tightly closed, as if hiding some secret. Ye Wenwu had an ominous premonition in his heart, and he stood quietly at the door, his thoughts churning.

"Wenwu!" Suddenly, Xu Ying's voice came from behind. Ye Wenwu turned around and saw Xu Ying riding a bicycle hurriedly with tears on her face. Her hair was soaked with sweat and she looked very embarrassed.

"Ying'er, what happened? Why are you crying like this?" Ye Wenwu hurried forward, asked with concern, and gently wiped the sweat from Xu Ying's forehead.

Xu Ying's expression was complicated, and her lips trembled slightly: "Wenwu, I may not be able to work here anymore."

Ye Wenwu's heart sank. Was it really as he worried? He held Xu Ying's hand tightly and tried to comfort her: "Don't worry, tell me slowly, what happened?"

"My parents don't allow me to contact you anymore. Unless you can prove yourself to them, then I can work with you." Xu Ying looked at Ye Wenwu seriously and said in a firm tone.

When Ye Wenwu heard this, he felt like a thousand horses galloping through his heart. He secretly regretted why he didn't mention this issue last night, but waited until today to talk about it? But at this moment, he couldn't change the status quo and could only accept reality helplessly.

However, what can he do in the face of such a situation? After all, this is the decision made by the parents, and he cannot easily change it.

"Ying'er, it's okay, don't worry. Although we can't work together, we can go out and play together on Sundays. It doesn't mean that we will never see each other again." Ye Wenwu held Xu Ying's hand tightly and comforted her gently.

There was a hint of disappointment in Xu Ying's eyes, but she still nodded to show her understanding.

"But...but, I really want to be with you! I don't want to listen to my parents' arrangements, but my grandfather also agrees with this matter, so I..." Xu Ying tried to explain. She didn't want Ye Wenwu to misunderstand and think that she wanted to leave here.

Ye Wenwu gently stroked Xu Ying's hair and said with a smile: "It's okay, Ying'er, I know what you mean. No matter what, I will always support you. As long as you are happy, I will be satisfied."

After hearing this, Xu Ying couldn't help but burst into tears. She looked at Ye Wenwu gratefully, her heart filled with warmth. Despite the pressure from her parents, she knew that the relationship between them was still deep.

"Okay, stop crying, stop crying. If you keep crying you'll turn into a little cat."

Ye Wenwu said gently, while stretching out his thumb to gently wipe the tears from the corners of Xu Ying's eyes. His movements were gentle and delicate, as if he was afraid of hurting her.

Xu Ying's slightly trembling body gradually calmed down. She raised her head and looked at Ye Wenwu with tearful eyes.

"You came here so early today, probably to give me the key, right?"

Ye Wenwu smiled and said, "Ying'er, I know the worries and confusion in your heart. I came here to tell you that I understand your decision and believe in the relationship between us. So, you don't have to worry that I will have wild thoughts."

Hearing Ye Wenwu's words, Xu Ying felt a little more relaxed. She nodded gently to show that she understood. Then, she slowly took out the key from her pocket and handed it to Ye Wenwu carefully.

Ye Wenwu took the key and felt the weight in his hand, and a feeling of emotion welled up in his heart. He knew that this bunch of keys represented the beginning of their life together and was also a symbol of their future happiness.

"I have already told my uncle Li about this matter. I will give you my position as deputy section chief when the time comes." Ye Wenwu smiled bitterly helplessly. What did this mean to him? He just picked up an official position for nothing.

He kneaded Xu Ying's hair vigorously, as if he wanted to convey all his emotions to her. Then, he used all his strength to hold her tightly in his arms, feeling her warm body temperature and soft body. Time seemed to stand still at this moment, and the two of them were immersed in each other's arms, enjoying this rare tranquility and warmth.

After half a minute, Ye Wenwu gently loosened his hand. He looked at Xu Ying's red and swollen eyes and tear-stained cheeks, and said distressedly: "Okay, don't cry. It's not like we won't see each other in the future. We just can't work together anymore."

"Then I'm leaving. You must think of me in the future. If you don't miss me, I will ignore you."

Ye Wenwu was still thinking about Xu Ying's last words. When he saw Xu Ying's leaving back, he secretly made up his mind that he would never let her down in this life.

Ye Wenwu was sitting in the office. There were originally four or five people in the office. The other three were sitting on the other side, while he and Xu Ying were sitting on one side.

Now Xu Ying has left, and Ye Wenwu is sitting here alone, feeling lonely.

Before he could feel sad, he heard the words of Secretary Wang Xiaotian coming from the door.

"Wenwu, the factory director wants to talk to you about something."

Ye Wenwu was a little confused, and then he thought of what Xu Ying had just said, that when she left, the position of deputy section chief would be given to him.

"Brother Wang, give it to me."

Ye Wenwu handed Secretary Wang a cigarette, and Secretary Wang looked at Ye Wenwu meaningfully.

"You are really good, you managed to win our factory beauty without making any noise?"

"Brother Wang, you're joking. Xu Ying and I are just ordinary friends."

"Ordinary friend? Haha, who would believe that! But you are lucky, Xu Ying is a good girl, you have to cherish her."

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Wang. I will."

"By the way, what does the factory manager want to see you about?"

"I don't know, maybe it's something at work."

"Well, go quickly and don't keep the director waiting for too long."

Ye Wenwu stood up and followed Secretary Wang to the factory director's office. After knocking on the door and entering, he found the factory director sitting at his desk waiting for him.

"Director, you're looking for me?"

"Xiao Ye, come and sit down."

The factory manager pointed to the chair next to him and asked Ye Wenwu to sit down. Then he looked at him and said, "Xiao Ye, I called you here this time because I have something important to discuss with you."

"Director, please speak."

"You know, Xu Ying has already resigned."

"I know. She told me that before."

"Well, her departure is a loss to the factory. After all, she is the technical backbone of our factory. But she recommended you to take over her position, and I would like to hear your thoughts."

Ye Wenwu was delighted, but on the surface he remained calm and replied, "Director, I am very grateful for Xu Ying's trust, but I am worried that I am not capable enough for this position."

"Xiao Ye, don't be modest. Everyone can see your ability. And Xu Ying thinks highly of you and believes that you are qualified for this position."

"In that case, I'm willing to give it a try."

"Okay, it's settled then. Starting tomorrow, you will be the deputy section chief of our factory. I hope you can live up to everyone's expectations and do a good job."

"Thank you for your trust, Director. I will work hard."

Ye Wenwu walked out of the factory director's office, feeling extremely excited. He didn't expect that he would be promoted so soon, all thanks to Xu Ying. He secretly made up his mind to make some achievements and live up to Xu Ying's expectations.

At the door, Ye Wenwu met Secretary Wang.

"Wenwu, it's a good thing that the factory director came to see you. He's going to give you a promotion. Don't forget me, Brother Wang, when you become successful in the future."

Ye Wenwu smiled modestly: "No, no, I can achieve what I have today thanks to the cultivation of my leaders and the support of my colleagues. However, I will continue to work hard and live up to everyone's expectations of me."

Secretary Wang smiled and nodded, expressing his approval: "Well, not bad, work hard, you will have a bright future." Then, he asked curiously: "By the way, Wenwu, what exactly did the factory director want to see you about? Is he going to give you a promotion?"

Ye Wenwu smiled and replied, "It is indeed about job adjustment, but I don't know the details."

Secretary Wang's eyes lit up and he said excitedly, "That's great! Congratulations! I hope you can achieve greater success in your new position."

Ye Wenwu quickly expressed his gratitude: "Thank you Brother Wang for your concern and support, I will definitely work hard."

Secretary Wang patted Ye Wenwu on the shoulder and said earnestly: "Wenwu, I have always been optimistic about you and believe that you will be able to take on this position. If you have any questions or need help at work, you can always come to me."

Ye Wenwu nodded gratefully: "Okay, Brother Wang, I understand. Thank you for your concern and guidance."

After the two talked for a while, Ye Wenwu said goodbye to Secretary Wang and left the office building.

Ye Wenwu was a little worried at first. After all, he was just an ordinary clerk. If he suddenly promoted the project to a department and took on the position of director, the higher-ups might have concerns. However, the situation was different now. At least he had successfully crossed half the threshold.

"The next step is to see the progress of Director Yang. It is expected that the results will be available within this week." Ye Wenwu murmured in a low voice. He has been paying close attention to the progress of the project and learned that even the land issue has not been properly resolved so far, and the villagers have been wrangling with each other.

You know, in this era, everyone eats from the same pot. If the village sells the land to you, how can they pay the grain tax? Moreover, how can you give money but not tickets? Land is the lifeblood of the people! What's more, this project was originally an independent act of the steel mill. Ye Wenwu initially valued the wasteland and thought it would not cause controversy.

But if someone else is doing this project, it will be different. The first step, the land issue, can stop them.