CHAPTER 77: CHAPTER 77: BECOMING A FULL EMPLOYEE

After Zeng Qingwen left, the investigation about Vice Factory Director Zeng quickly concluded.

No notice was posted in the factory, but somehow the news got out and everyone was talking about it privately.

Vice Factory Director Zeng resigned from his position at the Mechanical Factory. He went to be an accountant at the soy sauce factory in the neighboring district, and his salary level dropped to level two.

For ordinary people, going from a factory director to a regular worker is quite a blow.

But compared to the previous life, this result is already quite good.

It seems Zeng Qingwen achieved her purpose, and the arranged marriage helped the family.

After Vice Factory Director Zeng’s punishment was implemented, the factory conducted a self-check and rectified its discipline.

This self-check did not implicate Tao Huilan; the recommendation letter originally written for her by Vice Factory Director Zeng did not violate any regulations. Yet, she still withdrew early from her probation period.

No choice, she couldn’t compete. Rather than being voted out later, it was better to leave early and save some face.

Once Tao Huilan left, the office formalized the employment of Tian Xiang and Chen Yong, making them official employees of the factory from then on.

Receiving the official work permit with a photo, Tian Xiang was particularly happy. At noon, she ordered two meat dishes for both herself and Chen Yong to celebrate together.

Sitting at the dining table, Chen Yong looked around and asked Tian Xiang, "Why haven’t I seen Meng Cheng’an recently?"

Chen Yong didn’t eat at the factory every day; sometimes he returned to the residential compound.

However, whenever he ate at the factory, he almost always saw Meng Cheng’an holding a lunch box and pretending to wait for Tian Xiang around the cafeteria.

But recently, these two seemed to have had a falling out.

Mentioning the unmentionable.

Tian Xiang glanced at him, "Talk less, eat more meat."

Seeing Tian Xiang’s attitude, Chen Yong felt happy inside, "Did you guys break up?"

Tian Xiang muttered quietly, "We weren’t even dating, so what breakup? Don’t talk nonsense."

I don’t care if you two were dating or not, at the end of the day, it just fizzled out.

Chen Yong instinctively smoothed his hair, which he thought was handsome, and smiled at Tian Xiang, "When the old doesn’t go, the new won’t come. What do you think of me?"

After so long waiting, finally...

Tian Xiang: "No way."

Chen Yong: "Why not? What’s wrong?"

If Meng Cheng’an is alright, why am I not?

Besides having a darker complexion than him, what am I inferior in!

Tian Xiang: "We can be friends, but if you think too much, we won’t even be friends."

Isn’t that a bit too heartless!

Chen Yong was annoyed, chewing meat and muttering, "Fine, I’ll find someone pretty and cute, and you’ll regret it when the time comes."

Tian Xiang rolled her eyes, "I’ll be waiting for that day."

At the cafeteria entrance, Meng Cheng’an, holding a lunch box, watched the two laughing in the distance, his fingers gripping the lunch box so tightly they turned white.

Tian Xiang had a small celebration at the factory first.

Back home, Hu Honglian knew her daughter had been formalized and laughed happily, immediately asking her husband to buy a couple of extra dishes for dinner.

By that time, there was no meat left at the market, so Hu Honglian gave her husband tickets and money, telling him to bring a lunch box to the restaurant.

No matter what, tonight they had to add to their meal. They hadn’t been this happy in years.

Tian Weibing went and soon returned with a serving of braised meat and a serving of fried fish chunks.

On the way, many asked him what good occasion was happening at home to deserve two big dishes.

Tian Weibing naturally said that his daughter became a formal employee and would now be a regular at the Mechanical Factory.

Oh, Tian Xiang became official! What great news!

The Tian family’s second branch was overjoyed again tonight, and when Hu Honglian was eating, she still held her bowl and sat on the doorstep, telling everyone that their Xiangxiang became official.

Such good news! It was truly enviable.

Speaking of which, Tian Xiang got this job without spending a penny, purely relying on luck and ability.

At the Tian family’s main branch, a family of three was also having dinner.

Tonight, He Cuifen rarely made noodles, and everyone got a fried egg.

But it definitely couldn’t compare to braised meat and fish.

A few days ago, because her daughter got into the textile factory, He Cuifen also had a moment of glory.

At first quite pleased, but seeing Tian Xiang become official made her uncomfortable again. She looked at her daughter across the table with a hint of disdain in her eyes.

After all, her daughter’s job wasn’t free. Whatever she did behind the scenes, He Cuifen and her husband didn’t know, but none of the money for selling the job came back, and she even asked the family for fifty.

Why could Tian Xiang get a job for free, but she couldn’t...

He Cuifen didn’t know what she was thinking and just wanted to compare with the neighbors.

Tian Chuying looked at her, speechless, "Mom, if you’re so envious, why don’t you go be their mom? Staring at me won’t help."

He Cuifen tapped her daughter’s head with chopsticks, "What nonsense are you talking about? Eat!"

...

Hu Honglian relished in the joy of Tian Xiang’s official employment for several days, walking with her back straight.

But soon, a troubling matter arose at home. Tian Xiang’s second brother, Tian Chenhui, got into a fight where he was assigned and ended up in trouble, getting detained.

The telegram came home, and Hu Honglian panicked. She went to her parents’ place, asking her second brother and eldest nephew to go take a look and bring him back.

When Tian Xiang came home from work, she heard Hu Honglian cursing softly in the room, saying she’d break his legs once the second son came back.

Tian Xiang only found out about it after asking.

She tried to console her, saying that since he wasn’t there right now, getting angry wouldn’t help, and they should talk about it when he came back.

Hu Honglian sighed and found it hard to even eat the noodles on the table, finally suggesting to her husband, "When Chenhui comes back this time, let’s have him take over my job."

She used to think about getting her son a job, but now it wasn’t as easy. For now, the only way seemed to be taking over the position.

When parents retire, children take their place, which could be a way to get back to the city.

Tian Weibing hesitated, "If he takes over your position, he’d have to be a cleaner for life."

In this era, once someone had a job, it was hard to have opportunities for relocation. The jobs of both Hu Honglian and Tian Weibing weren’t good.

One was a cleaner, and the other was a laborer handling firewood.

Thinking about their son having to repeat their paths, the couple couldn’t be happy.

Tian Xiang: "Mom, it’s okay, who knows what the next few years will bring. Let’s just get him back for now."

She’d heard from Tian Chuying that society would change dramatically in a few years, and college entrance exams would even be reinstated next year, with businesses gradually opening up too.

Get the second brother back first, let him work while also preparing for the college entrance exam. If fortunate enough to get into college, he could change his fate. If not, he could start a small business, which wouldn’t be too bad.

Tian Chenhui came back five days later, with bruises from the fight not yet faded. He climbed down from the loft in the hall with a tousled head, looking somewhat scruffy.

Staring at his brother’s forehead, Tian Xiang raised an eyebrow.

This person turned out to be a small villain and a street punk.

The street punk part Tian Xiang had suspected for a long time. Before being sent to the countryside, this guy hung out with classmates and friends, running around aimlessly, not knowing what they were up to.

The small villain persona was unexpected, since she herself had become the female lead, yet her brother was the antagonist.

Tian Chenhui stretched, twisting his shoulders while looking at his sister, "Xiangxiang, what’s up, don’t recognize your second brother?"