Chapter 28
"It should be within these two days, once Master Liu leaves at the
end of the month, I will officially become a regular employee. I'll have to take
care the procedures first."
"That's good then. Dazhi, don't talk about this
outside. You know our family needs to stay low-key, right? Low profile leads to
wealth." Su Yu advised.
Both Su Dazhi and Su Xiaozhi nodded quickly.
On the way home, Su Xiaozhi was still excited. "Sis,
sis, how did you manage this?"
Su Dazhi also looked at their sister curiously, but he didn't
dare to ask. He couldn't even ask about the things his big sister didn't talk
about now.
Su Yu said, "You're just kids, why ask so many
questions? My network of relationships is complicated; you wouldn't understand
even if I explained. If you two could achieve something on your own, I wouldn't
have to worry so much."
"Sis, I'm sorry. I've caused you trouble." Su Xiaozhi
now completely trusted his sister's words. Whatever she said was true, and her
words were always right.
"We're family. Why say that? I just hope everyone in
the family is doing well."
Su Yu sighed.
Both Su Dazhi and Su Xiaozhi looked at her, their eyes
filled with admiration and gratitude.
After returning home, the two brothers didn't mention these
matters to their family. In their hearts, their big sister was the closest
person, and they could share anything with her. Su Lin was still young and not
reliable with secrets. As for Liu Mei, she still had one foot outside the
family threshold and couldn't be considered fully one of them.
Su Yu specifically instructed Su Lin to come home in the
evening to make some dumplings, improving the family's meals.
This deeply moved Su Xiaozhi; his sister was celebrating for
him.
The others started looking forward to the dumplings in the
evening.
Why did it feel like the more time passed, the more hopeful
things became?
But Su Yu had no interest in these small matters. She was
thinking about how to continue her work.
Her current job might be prestigious, but doing it alone was
incredibly exhausting!
This couldn't go on. As an excellent employee, she shouldn't
devote her entire self to her work like she was lost in the ocean. She needed
some time to do other things. Who would spend all their time tending to just
one small plot of land?
Of course, giving it up was impossible. If this were in her
previous company, it would have been considered a major project. She had never
handed over any projects from the managers she supervised.
In the afternoon, after the leaders had left the office, Su Yu
looked around at her colleagues.
The two committee members were definitely not suitable. They
couldn't handle the responsibility for now. Yan Xiaofang... it would be a bit
harsh to involve her. Officer Lin... seemed quite idle.
So, after the leaders had all left in the afternoon, Su Yu
picked up her tea cup and moved her chair next to Officer Lin.
Officer Lin frowned. "What's the matter?"
Su Yu sighed. " Officer Lin, there's something I'm not
sure if I should tell you."
"Go ahead."
Officer Lin continued working with her head down. In
reality, she didn't have much work. Chairman Sun rarely had her around. She
mostly organized documents and occasionally learned about them. But recently,
she had also been learning how to draft documents like Su Yu.
Su Yu said seriously, " Officer Lin, do you know that
when I interact with the workers every day now, they aren't familiar with you
at all? When it comes to Xiaofang, Committee Members Hu, Committee Members
Zhang, they all have their place. But those new comrades, quite a few of them
don't really know you. Tell me, is this a serious issue?"
Upon hearing this, Officer Lin felt somewhat uncomfortable.
After all, she was the secretary of the Trade Union's chairman. How come nobody
recognized her?
Though she didn't show it on her face, "If they don't
recognize me, so be it. I don't have much interaction with them."
"Why not interact? You're Chairman Sun's assistant...
his secretary. You represent Chairman Sun. He's the chairman of the Trade Union,
a representative of the workers. If the workers don't even recognize their
representative, what should we do?"
"..."
Officer Lin bit her lip and felt even more uncomfortable.
What Chairman Sun's reputation? Chairman Sun didn't even need her. "I
can't just go to the workshop every day when I have nothing to do." They
can't expect her to put on a false smile.
Su Yu nodded, thinking it made sense. After a moment, she
suggested, "How about this? Next time I go to the workshop to gather
material, you can come with me. We can say we're collecting material. Show your
face a few times, and everyone will get to know you."
Officer Lin was taken aback. Clearly, she hadn't expected Su
Yu to come up with a solution for her.
"Su Yu, why do you care about my matters?"
Su Yu looked earnest. "We're family, right? I said it
when I first came here. Once you enter a family's door, you're family. I'm
bound to care about you. Just like I worry about my younger siblings. Officer
Lin, what do you think? If you agree, we can visit the workshop later."
Officer Lin suddenly felt mixed emotions.
Honestly, she looked down on Su Yu a bit. She had a lower
education and came from the workshop, which Officer Lin didn't consider very
impressive. In her mind, Su Yu was just an unskilled textile worker; she didn't
think she could handle the Trade Union's work. She even felt that Su Yu 's
presence had lowered the office's overall level. That's why she usually ignored
her.
But now, Su Yu was not only achieving results in her work
but also caring about a comrade like her who wasn't that close.
She suddenly felt embarrassed to face Su Yu.
She said, "Forget it, it might disrupt your work."
"It's okay, it won't disrupt anything. When the time
comes, you can help me gather materials. Why make a big deal out of our relationship?"
Su Yu grinned, seemingly unaware of the previous coldness
from Officer Lin.
Officer Lin was moved and nodded. "Alright, then...
let's go together later."
After finishing a cup of tea, Su Yu led Officer Lin to the
workshop.
Su Yu was now the most sensitive figure in the textile
factory. Wherever she went, she attracted attention, mostly because of the
notebook she carried. The names in that notebook represented those who had a
chance to get published in newspapers.
For the older generation of workers, this was their chance
to shine. They had lived their whole lives in obscurity, and finally having an
opportunity to step into the spotlight made them eager to show off.
Taking advantage of the situation, Su Yu pushed Officer Lin
forward, saying, "This is Officer Lin from our trade union. She
usually works with the chairman of our Trade Union. Today, she's here to
help gather information. If you have any questions, you can talk to her."
Everyone's gaze turned toward Officer Lin, but they
hesitated to approach her.
Officer Lin felt a bit awkward and said, "Today, I'm
here to record."
This single statement acted like a switch, and several older
workers hurried over and surrounded her.
Su Yu smiled at Officer Lin and then returned to the Trade Union
office.
Seeing Su Yu 's return, Lin felt
even more grateful. This was supposed to be Su Yu 's domain, but she handed it
over to Lin completely. In fact, she stepped back.
Only Yan Xiaofang was in the office, sipping tea and reading
the newspaper stories from this time. When she heard footsteps and saw that Su Yu
had returned, she immediately put down her teacup and the newspaper, rushed
over to grab Su Yu, and then glanced behind her. Not seeing Officer Lin, she
asked, "Where's Officer Lin?"
"She's gathering material," Su Yu replied.
Yan Xiaofang immediately frowned, pulling Su Yu to sit on a
chair. "Why are you bothering with her? This is your job. If you keep
doing this, no one will assign you different tasks for your whole life, and
you'll have achievements. How great is that?"
This was impossible, no job could last a lifetime. Su Yu
knew this well. Times were changing, and people's minds needed to change too.
Doing the same thing for too long could easily make someone fed up. Even tofu
can turn into bean curd dregs. The key was, if she only worked on one project,
she would just be a project member. But if she managed a few projects, she
would be a manager. She couldn't become the boss right away, so she should aim
to become a manager.
"We're all in the same department, and I genuinely want
to help her. Besides, I'm not completely hands-off; writing articles is
definitely my responsibility, as everyone has become accustomed to my
style." The key is who to choose for submissions, and that's something she
still needs to handle.
Yan Xiaofang said, "The matter about going to the
workshop shouldn't be leaked either. Believe it or not, she might take that
task from you later."
Su Yu chuckled, "Xiaofang, it's okay. We're all in the
same department, and I wish the best for everyone. If you face any difficulties
in the future, I hope I can also help you."
Hearing Su Yu 's words, Yan Xiaofang suddenly felt that her
mindset might be a bit narrow. In truth, she was willing to help others, just
like she did with Su Yu initially. But precisely because of that, she hoped
that Su Yu 's hard-won project idea wouldn't be taken away by someone else. Su Yu
had finally found a foothold in the Trade Union, and she couldn't afford any
missteps.
Forget it, if anything really happens, she would certainly stand
on Su Yu 's side. She couldn't let an honest person be wronged.
Su Yu said, "Xiaofang, don't worry about me. I will
definitely come up with another good project, and we can work on it
together."
Upon hearing this, Yan Xiaofang couldn't help but smile.
Good projects weren't that easy to come up with.
Officer Lin only returned close to the end of the workday.
When she came back, she seemed to be in high spirits.
Someone who usually had more free time suddenly received so
much attention from the workers, which made her feel fulfilled to some extent.
She even felt like she had made a public appearance.
Therefore, she had some thoughts about this job.
However, she felt hesitant to bring it up. So, after handing
over her work notes to Su Yu, she returned to her seat.
Yan Xiaofang glanced at her, a look of caution on her face.
Beside her, Su Yu, holding her notepad, smiled and said,
" Officer Lin has strong work abilities. She's doing a great job with the
records. She seems well-suited for this job."
Yan Xiaofang: "..."
Su Yu wasn't in a rush to write her articles either. She
still had to attend her graduation exam in the evening. She needed to relax her
mind now, so she pretended to look at the materials while daydreaming.
After work, both Su Dazhi and Su Xiaozhi came to the office
to pick her up.
Su Yu asked, "What are you guys up to?"
"Sis, aren't you taking your exam today? Big brother
and I decided to go with you. We're full of energy, so we'll lend you some of
it. You'll definitely pass."
Su Xiaozhi said earnestly.
Su Dazhi added, "Sis, we're here to cheer you on."
Su Yu raised an eyebrow and looked at the two of them. Were
these brothers really not trying to get a good meal out of her?
"Alright then, let's go eat first."
Going to a restaurant was definitely out of the question;
they didn't have enough time.
The three of them went to the cafeteria with their food
coupons to grab a meal.
The lunch boxes were kept in Su Yu 's drawer; one for Su Yu
herself and the two brothers shared one.
While getting their meals, Master Niu looked at Su Yu and
ladled a big spoonful of pork and noodles for her, smiling. Then he whispered,
"Little Su, I've actually been at our factory for many years."
Su Yu caught his meaning and smiled, "Master Niu, I'll
come to the cafeteria tomorrow during work hours. We can have a good
chat."
Master Niu was extremely delighted, grinning from ear to
ear. When it was Su Xiaozhi 's turn to get his food, he too got a heaping
spoonful, "Young man, treat your sister well."
Excitedly, Su Xiaozhi nodded, bouncing along behind Su Yu.
Good, he had said it himself – sticking with his sister
meant getting good food.
Su Dazhi looked at the generous portions of pork and
noodles, his mouth watering. "So much," he said in a low voice.
Su Xiaozhi proudly declared, "It's all because of big
sister's reputation."
Su Xiaozhi glanced at his big sister. "Big sister, your
reputation is quite significant."
"Ahem..." Su Yu almost choked on her food. She
glanced at Su Dazhi. Did he know how to speak at all? He couldn't even flatter
properly!
If he annoyed her, she would make him do the heavy lifting!
The three of them enjoyed their meal with relish, especially
the two brothers, who patted their stomachs contentedly. Su Yu had been eating
well lately, so she didn't enjoy it as much. Therefore, she couldn't finish her
portion and ended up giving the leftovers to her brothers.
Seeing her two brothers looking so satisfied, Su Yu felt
that her siblings were quite easy to take care of.
At the factory gate, Wu Guozhi had been waiting for a while
and impatiently asked Mr. Liu from the security office next to him, "Old
man, are you sure they haven't come out yet?"
"No, those two siblings usually wait for their big
sister. With such a distinctive figure, my eyes aren't blind. How could I not
see them?" Mr. Liu replied confidently.
"Then maybe I should go in and look for them."
Wu Guozhi suggested.
"That won't do. It's after work hours now, and coming
in and out causes problems. Supervisor Su instructed us not to let anyone in,
no matter who's looking for her. We can't disrupt the rules of the
factory."
"That Su Yu, did she really become a Trade Union staff
member?"
If he hadn't heard this news just now, he would have left
already. He couldn't be bothered to wait.
Mr. Liu said, "Absolutely, I'm not lying to you. She
was transferred to the Union by the factory. She's even published in the
newspaper."
Wu Guozhi really hadn't expected it. Someone like Su Yu, who
had been a textile worker for over a decade and never even won any awards, was
actually noticed by the factory and transferred to the Trade Union.
What did that woman have to be noticed for? She had been a
textile worker for over a decade and hadn't even received any recognition. How
come she was chosen? Why hadn't he been noticed by his own factory?
"Oh, Su Yu is coming out." Mr. Liu called out.
Wu Guozhi looked up and indeed saw Su Yu walking towards the
gate, followed by her two brothers, Su Dazhi and Su Xiaozhi.
At a glance, it looked like the young lady was leading two
followers...
"Hey, Comrade Wu Guozhi, why are you here?"
Su Yu spotted Wu Guozhi at the gate and felt a bit annoyed.
Why did he come looking for her today? She had an exam to take and didn't have
time to deal with him. If it were a usual day, she would be able to put him in
his place.
"Su Yu, why are you only coming out now?" Wu
Guozhi's expression showed irritation.
Before, when they used to meet, Su Yu never kept him
waiting. But now that she was a staff member, she seemed to be acting high and
mighty!
"It's all for work. Comrade Wu Guozhi, you should
understand my job. As workers, we all contribute to building a new society. Our
consciousness should be high. You can't always think about yourself and have a
narrow perspective. You need to consider the entire society. Besides, our
factory aims to be advanced. Working overtime is a common thing. I'm proud of
my overtime work!"
Mr. Liu chimed in, "Exactly, our textile factory is
very busy!"
Wu Guozhi: "..."
Seeing Wu Guozhi at a loss for words, Su Yu pretended not to
notice and continued, "Why did you come today? Did you find out I became a
staff member and want to treat me to a meal?"
Wu Guozhi said, "I planned to have a meal
together."
"Oh, how coincidental. How about this: you take my
little brother to eat, and I'll leave. I need to go take my exam."
"What exam?" Wu Guozhi asked in bewilderment. He
realized Su Yu had changed quite a bit in the time he hadn't seen her. There
were so many things he didn't know about her now.
Before, even if he hadn't come for a month or two, Su Yu
never acted like this.
"I'm telling you, you're clueless about everything. I'm
attending a vocational school in the province now. I have an exam for
graduation today. Alright, I won't say anymore. I'm about to be late."
Annoyed, Su Yu pushed Wu Guozhi aside and strode forward.
Mr. Liu said, "It seems like it's been quite a while
since Officer Su saw you, and you don't seem to know anything. It doesn't look
like you're her potential partner. I wonder why Officer Su has taken an
interest in you."
Su Xiaozhi grinned mischievously at Wu Guozhi, "Brother
Guozhi, are you planning to treat us to a meal?" Although they had just
eaten, he wouldn't mind experiencing the feeling of having an overly full
stomach if they were to eat again.
Wu Guozhi looked at the two brothers and felt that they
couldn't be easily fooled. So, he said, "Forget it, your sister is taking
an exam. Let's wait until she's done with her exam before we eat."
Saying this, he followed Su Yu upstairs. He had many things
to ask her.
Su Dazhi asked Su Xiaozhi, "Why didn't you tell him
that we've already eaten?"
Su Xiaozhi replied, "What's there to say? Sister said
that letting Brother Guozhi treat us to a meal is giving him face. How could we
not give him face?"
"But what if Sister finishes her exam late? Will there still
be any food left?"
Su Xiaozhi coughed, "Ahem, well, he doesn't often come
to see Sister. Let him wait a bit for her."
Su Dazhi nodded, "You've got a point."
The two brothers hurriedly followed along.
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