Chapter 26
In the evening, she had to attend a class. After getting off
work, Su Yu intentionally went to the warehouse area to buy some defective
materials.
The saying goes "When there's a policy from above,
there's a countermeasure from below." These defective materials, because
of their flaws, usually only enter the supply and marketing cooperative in the
end. There are many manipulations that can be done before that.
Any internal employee with some connections can tamper with
these materials, and then the warehouse can claim compensation for damaged
goods. This way, they save on allocation tickets.
However, these kinds of things require courage from the bold
and fear from the timid. Families like Old Su's, who are honest and sincere,
usually end up starving.
When Su Yu learned about these matters, she was close to
exploding. It's like guarding a treasure mountain without knowing it. If these
matters were handled well, the potential profits could be huge.
Su Dazhi was in charge of the warehouse. Knowing that his
sister was buying these materials, he asked, "Sis, are you making
clothes?"
"Does Sis have that kind of fortune?" Su Yu rolled
her eyes at him, and whispered, "Do you think it's easy to spend money on
a coal stove? Sis also needs to maintain relationships in various aspects. If
others don't ask me for things, should I just give them nothing. That's called
taking without giving, and it's not a sustainable approach."
Su Dazhi suddenly understood, realizing that there were many
intricacies involved in their own coal stove. commented that the item wasn't
easy to buy.
" Look for any better quality materials and get them
quickly. I still need to attend my class. Do you know how much I've dedicated
to this family day by day? I must have owed you guys from my past life!"
Su Dazhi promptly helped pick the materials. After all, he
was an internal staff member of the warehouse. Though he used to be timid and
didn't have other thoughts, now that he heard Su Yu's instructions, he could
only summon the courage to get the materials.
"With your capabilities, after all these years, you
still haven't learned to be smarter like others. In the future, keep the good
materials for me."
"Sis, isn’t it not good?"
"What's not good about it? What's wrong with us
spending money to buy things? Even the salespeople outside at the supply and
marketing cooperative know to set aside good things for their relatives. You're
just sitting in your comfort zone and not making any contributions."
Su Dazhi: "..."
After packing the materials, Su Yu put them in her backpack.
Then she said, "I didn't bring money today, so you sign and keep a record.
Deduct it from your salary later. It's all the same anyway, and it's more
convenient than carrying money."
"..."
She patted her backpack, "Ah, I've never worn such good
materials in my entire life. I'm doing all this for you guys! After all, I'm an
official in the Trade Union. I can't even wear a nice outfit. Do you think
others will make fun of me?"
"Sis, how about I get some for you?"
"What would I take? Save a bit, I'm just venting. All
of this needs to be used strategically. These social relationships are the
precious wealth of our Old Su family! If your brain could work a bit better, I
wouldn't want to deal with all this." If she's going to wear clothes, she has
to wear good materials. Why should she settle for subpar ones?!
Su Dazhi couldn't lift his head after being scolded. He
really wasn't very useful. Unlike his sister, who excelled at everything and
had so many friends.
She could handle anything.
Su Yu still had something to discuss with Su Xiaozhi, so she
asked him to give her a ride to school.
Watching Su Dazhi leave, Su Xiaozhi grinned from ear to ear,
"Sis, what are we going to eat today?"
"Always thinking about eating! I'm here to talk about
serious matters, your lifelong decision."
Su Xiaozhi blushed immediately upon hearing this, "Sis,
isn't it too early for that matter?"
"Early? I'd say it's late."
"I, I'm not in a hurry. I'm still young." Ah ah
ah, did sis find him a spouse? But who knows what kind of person she found,
whether they're beautiful or not. Hopefully not like his sister-in-law.
"Young? You're already an adult. When your older
brother became a formal worker, he was just fourteen. You're in your teens now,
not that young anymore. If you continue to show good behavior, I might be able
to pull some strings for you. Let's see if I can secure a position for you when
the time comes."
"... Work-related stuff?" Su Xiaozhi looked
embarrassed.
"Otherwise, what do you think it is? Whether your job
is good or not affects your whole life. I'm really putting a lot of effort into
this for you."
Su Xiaozhi's face grew even redder. He had thought too
much...
"Sis, you've already helped me make connections?"
Can sis really make this happen?
"If I don't help you, what else can you do? I don't
know if in the future you'll forget about me after getting a job, becoming an
ungrateful person."
Su Xiaozhi quickly shook his head, almost swearing to the
sky. "Sis, I'll listen to you my whole life!"
Su Yu smiled contentedly.
Saying such things means you have to follow through with
them, otherwise she would give this little brat a hard time. But on the
surface, she said, "I don't really care about these things. You should
just work diligently these few days. I can only help you this much. Let's first
secure the position. In the future, when the opportunity arises, I'll help you
switch to an easier job. Let's take it slow, no rush. After all, didn't I work
as a textile worker for ten years back in the day?"
"Sis, I'll do as you say." Su Xiaozhi grinned. As
long as he has a job, he'll have food to eat in the future. He's not a fan of
studying and doesn't have a trade, so he hasn't thought that far ahead. Even
though manual labor can be tiring, it's not bad at all.
"Alright, once you become a regular employee, I'll have
Xiaolin cook some delicious food for you. Give you a good replenishment. Let's
go, we're heading to Guoying Restaurant now for some steamed rice and braised
pork.”
Su Xiaozhi suddenly felt his mouth water.
He felt so fortunate. Following his sister really meant
getting to eat meat!
After arriving at school, Su Yu went to Teacher Xu's office
and talked about her job transfer.
When Teacher Xu heard this, she was taken aback, "Why
did you go to the Trade Union? With your major, you should be in the finance
department."
"... Teacher, I'm already satisfied. The finance
department deals with money, which comes with a lot of responsibility. Even if
I'm willing, the factory might not trust me. After all, I learned this halfway
through, and my education isn't high..."
"This shows a lack of discernment on the factory's
part. I believe you're completely capable of handling accounting work. Ah...
but it's a pity that I'm just a teacher and can't manage your factory's
affairs."
Su Yu sighed, "I know, no matter how hard I try, I
started with a lower foundation than others, and my competitiveness is not as
strong. If only I were a college graduate..."
"College graduate... You can still take the college
entrance exam!"
Teacher Xu said seriously.
Su Yu looked at Teacher Xu in surprise.
"Every year, vocational schools have a few spots for
students to take the college entrance exam. Although our school has few spots,
we do have three."
Nervously, Su Yu swallowed hard, "Teacher, can I do it?
Can I go to college?"
"Whether you can or not depends on your performance in
the exam. But not this year, it's already passed. You'll have to wait until
next year. Su Yu, I've seen your efforts in your studies. You're a good
student. As long as you persist, going to college is possible. Right now, the
most important thing for you is the final exam this week. This is the key to
your early graduation. It would be best if you pass it in one go."
Su Yu nodded vigorously, happiness in her eyes.
She's going to take the college entrance exam, the college
entrance exam!
During class, Su Yu had a look on her face like she was
filled with energy, making Teacher Xu quite pleased.
For students of this age to still aspire to continue their
education and improve themselves, it shows how much this classmate desires
knowledge.
Teacher Xu felt fortunate to have encountered such a student
at this stage in her life.
The only regret was not meeting this student earlier, so she
could have helped her during her prime years.
After school, Su Yu exchanged a glance with Chen Qiuxiang,
who nodded in response.
When Su Yu left school with her backpack, she slipped into
the women's restroom.
When she emerged, her backpack was noticeably emptier. After
a while, Chen Qiuxiang also came out, wearing a delighted expression on her
face, excited about the prospect of wearing beautiful clothes soon.
"Class monitor, next time you need something, just let
me know."
"Qiuxiang, if you need anything, tell me too. By the
way, let's not let anyone else know about this, too many people will
gossip."
This was their important network of connections. In these
times, whoever controls the resources holds the power.
Chen Qiuxiang nodded. The class monitor's reliability was
indeed dependable.
When they returned home that evening, the whole family
stared at Su Yu with eager eyes.
"Sis, you're going to the Trade Union tomorrow,"
Su Lin said excitedly.
"Yeah," Su Yu nodded, then reached into her bag,
took out a piece of blue fabric about five feet long, and handed it to Su Lin.
"This is for you. You've been working hard lately.
Consider it a reward."
Su Lin's eyes instantly lit up.
Su Yu said, "Xiaolin, sis is a reasonable person. As
long as you perform well, even if you don't ask me, I'll buy you nice things.
Keep up the good work."
"Yeah, yeah, sis, I know," Su Lin exclaimed
excitedly.
She was so happy.
Could this be the feeling of being self-reliant that sis
mentioned? She thought sis wouldn't buy her new clothes anymore, but she ended up
getting fabric after making dinner.
Listening to sis was definitely the right choice.
Su Yu took off her shoes, "My feet are tired. Running
around all day on errands was exhausting."
Su Lin immediately rushed over, "Sis, you sit down. I'll
fetch water to wash your feet. You must be tired after a day like this."
Saying that, she went to fetch a basin of water.
Su Dazhi, Su Xiaozhi, Liu Mei: "..."
Su Yu sat on the bed, looking at the others, "All of
you are the same. I can see clearly who performs well and who doesn't. I know
who's aligned with the family's interests and who isn't. I don't even need to
look to know."
"We know, sis," the others replied.
Su Yu then looked at Liu Mei, "Liu Mei, you've been
performing well too. However, unlike Su Lin, you still have money and ration
coupons in your hands every month. If you need something, just go buy it
yourself."
Liu Mei: "..."
Su Lin quickly brought a basin of water over to soak Su Yu's
feet.
Beside them, Su Xiaozhi saw and couldn't help but envy,
"Youngest sister, pour me a basin too."
"Dream on," Su Lin retorted. "I'm not a
servant girl!"
That night, Liu Mei lay in bed and nudged Su Dazhi, who was
sleeping beside her. "You know, why didn't sis buy me anything? Didn't I
also do laundry for the family?"
Recently, Liu Mei and Su Dazhi had finally started to
rebuild their relationship. At this point, they could discuss anything.
Su Dazhi pushed her gently upon hearing this, "Don't
let sis hear you."
The walls were so thin, you could even hear someone
sneezing.
"I have thoughts too. I've been working hard too. Don't
I perform well?"
"Sis probably thinks you're not on the same page with
the family." Su Dazhi felt this was the only explanation.
Liu Mei was not convinced, "Why? How am I not on the
same page?"
"Who knows? Stop arguing. Go to sleep." Su Dazhi
said impatiently. He had no way of knowing what his sister was thinking.
The next morning, the whole family enjoyed a good meal to
celebrate Su Yu's first day at the Trade Union.
According to Su Yu, it felt a bit like a common family
celebration. When sis is doing well, everyone is doing well.
However, after Liu Mei finished eating, she left for work
without saying a word, without even greeting anyone.
Su Dazhi's face didn't look good. Even a person with clear
eyes could tell that Liu Mei was throwing a tantrum. The rest of the family was
getting along just fine, so why was she causing trouble?
Su Yu led Su Dazhi and Su Xiaozhi to work early in the
morning.
On the way, she said, "Dazhi, do you know why I didn't
give fabric to Liu Mei? It's because she's not on the same page with us."
Su Dazhi thought to himself, and it seemed that he had
guessed correctly.
"You, Xiaozhi, and even Xiaolin are willing to entrust
me with your money because we're all working together for the sake of this
family. But Liu Mei is different; she saves money and ration coupons to spend
on her own. I've allowed this, so I won't say anything. However, she can't
expect to be treated the same as you. In my heart, we're the true family."
So, don't let sharing a room for a long time cause any discord between you and
sis.
"Sis, I'll talk to her..."
Su Yu shook her head, "No need to talk. She's not on
the same page as us. We shouldn't expect too much from her. We know it in our
hearts. Sis treats you, her siblings, without expecting anything in return. But
only for you guys."
Su Dazhi and Su Xiaozhi nodded in gratitude.
Sis was their true family.
It was Su Yu's first day at the Trade Union. Her hair was
neatly combed, and she looked spirited. In order to appear different, she even
plucked a few eyebrow hairs, which turned out to be quite painful.
She had thought she would be the first to arrive, but it
turned out that all the Trade Union members were already there.
Two committee members and two staff members.
Upon seeing Su Yu, the others stood up from their seats.
Zhang, a committee member, smiled and said, "Welcome, Comrade Su Yu, to
our Trade Union Committee."
They all applauded together.
Su Yu was thrilled, "Thank you, thank you,
everyone." She then bowed to them.
Hu, another committee member, walked over enthusiastically,
"Su Yu, don't be polite in the future. We're in the same department
now."
Su Yu nodded with joy, "Yes, I understand. From now on,
we are a family entering through the same door. There's no need to be formal
among family members. The Trade Union is my family, and its development relies
on all of us. I will definitely work hard to build our common home."
Publicity Committee Member Hu smiled and said, "Su Yu, that
was well said. I think it can be used in many promotional activities."
Su Yu shyly smiled.
Committee member Hu pointed to a table beside them, "In
the future, you will sit with Xiao Yan." Then, addressing Yan Xiaofang,
"Xiao Yan, you've known Xiao Su for a while now. During this period, guide
her and help her become familiar with the work processes of our Trade Union."
"Sure. I'll definitely teach her well," Yan
Xiaofang exclaimed with excitement.
Yan Xiaofang was thrilled that Su Yu had joined the Trade Union.
She felt a great sense of accomplishment from being able to help a worker
through her own abilities.
After arranging herself at her seat, Su Yu felt a bit
embarrassed and said to Yan Xiaofang, "What time do we usually come to the
department? I intentionally came half an hour early today, but I'm still late.
Being late on the first day makes me feel embarrassed."
Yan Xiaofang waved her hand, "It's okay, we don't
usually come this early. Today was mainly because we knew a new colleague was
coming, so we deliberately came a bit earlier to welcome you."
"Our department has a really good atmosphere. It's
different from the Party Committee over there. When I went there before, people
hardly spoke. By the way, they are in the office next door. Do I need to greet
them? How is the usual interaction between us?"
"Why bother? We don't pay attention to them. No need to
go." Yan Xiaofang firmly said.
Su Yu nodded. It seemed that the relationship between the
Party Committee and the Trade Union was indeed not good. There was a reason
behind the incident when the head of the department approached her before.
Good, it's not directed specifically at her.
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