Chapter 11#
Qiming Manufacturing Factory#
A worker in the third workshop fell ill, seemingly from fright.
During his lunch break, Chen Ziqing hurriedly ran to the hospital to inquire, only to find out it wasn’t related to the power outage, but something about a thermos bottle. Uninterested, he offered a few words of concern and left the ward.
Ma Qiangqiang, who came to the hospital with him, didn’t leave immediately. He leaned close to the saline bottle hanging upside down from the IV stand, checking how much was left inside: “Comrade Qian, if you don’t do anything wrong, you won’t be afraid of ghosts knocking on your door at midnight. It’s fine…”
Little Qian sat up in shock from his deathbed: “There… there… there are ghosts?”
“Hey, don’t get up, the needle is going to fall out!” Ma Qiangqiang quickly held Little Qian down, only to be grabbed tightly by the hand in return, questioned about how he knew it was done by a ghost.
“I don’t know, how would I know.” Ma Qiangqiang was grabbed until it hurt, tears coming out, “There are no ghosts, right? When people die, isn’t there nothing left? My dad told me that.”
Little Qian’s eyes bulged out: “Then why did you say ghosts knocking on the door at midnight?”
Ma Qiangqiang wiped his tears aggrievedly: “I was comforting you.”
Little Qian gritted his teeth: “Thank you, really thank you!”
Ma Qiangqiang sniffled, looking silly, with a slow brain and immature mind. It was hard to make people willing to discuss complex and profound topics with him; it was like casting pearls before swine.
Little Qian lay back dejectedly. At that time, he told his roommate that it wasn’t his thermos bottle.
His roommate was very confused, saying that when he returned to the dormitory, the thermos bottle was on his table. He also said he hadn’t seen him use it before, so he thought he got it from somewhere after work.
Unable to figure it out, Little Qian asked his roommate to carry the thermos bottle to the toilet. After a while, he pulled his roommate to check, only to find the thermos bottle was no longer there.
It didn’t matter who took it, as long as he didn’t see it again.
But he still had nightmares, felt dizzy and jumpy during work, and had to be brought to the hospital by his co-workers for an IV drip.
Little Qian trembled: “Comrade Ma, my mouth tastes bitter. Could it be that my gall bladder has burst?”
Ma Qiangqiang: “…”
“As the saying goes, scared out of one’s wits, scared until the gall bladder bursts.” Little Qian was pale, “The gall bladder can be burst by fright.”
Ma Qiangqiang scratched his head, thinking and saying: “You probably just caught a cold?”
“Oh right, right, I have a fever.” Little Qian rambled, “A cold makes the mouth bitter, it’s all like this, it’s normal.”
“I’m leaving, Comrade Qian. My brother is still waiting for me outside.” Ma Qiangqiang closed the ward door and shouted to the empty doorway, “Brother?”
He looked around blankly in the corridor: “Where’s my brother? Have any of you seen my brother?”
The workers’ families in the corridor looked at each other. How would we know who you are or who your brother is?
Ma Qiangqiang ran out of the building swinging his arms: “Brother!”
By the roadside, Chen Ziqing answered him. He immediately broke into a smile and ran over happily: “Brother, you didn’t leave. You waited for me.”
Chen Ziqing played with a slender blade of grass: “What were you talking about for so long?”
Ma Qiangqiang panted: “Didn’t say much.” He grinned, “Comrade Qian is even more timid than me.”
Chen Ziqing thought to himself, what’s so strange about that? Your brother’s courage isn’t much greater either.
“Brother, what are you going to do now? Are you going to write poetry?” Ma Qiangqiang asked eagerly.
Chen Ziqing said: “Write.”
“Then I can’t go with you. I promised Zhong Gu to help her paste the slogans for the sports meeting.” Ma Qiangqiang pulled up his slightly loose pants.
“Okay, you go ahead.”
Chen Ziqing was so annoyed. The individual events of the sports meeting included sprinting, rope skipping, high jump, table tennis, shuttlecock kicking, hula hoop, and basketball. The team events were tug-of-war and relay race.
He wasn’t good at any of the individual events. If he had to choose one, it would be the high jump. For team events, he liked tug-of-war because he could slack off.
After the intention forms for each group were submitted, the results would be decided late this month.
Before the results came out, he had to be on tenterhooks.
After the results came out…
He dared not think about it.
He was really worried that if he didn’t get first place in an event, he would get a warning, and then it would be game over, goodbye.
Chen Ziqing stepped on a clod of earth, hurting the sole of his foot. He walked with an inward toe gait, stumbling along.
Ma Qiangqiang came to his side and said: “Brother, are you thinking about the sports meeting? No matter which events are decided, don’t participate. The factory won’t agree.”
Chen Ziqing was high-spirited: “As long as I show good form, the factory has no reason to stop me. Opportunities must be won by oneself.”
“Oh…” Ma Qiangqiang walked him for a while before turning towards the labor union.
Zhong Gu was moving things with a few colleagues: “Little Ma, can you move the ladder by the wall?”
Ma Qiangqiang raised his hand excitedly: “I can! I can!”
“Then the ladder is up to you.” Zhong Gu made a cheering gesture to him with a clenched fist as if entrusting a heavy responsibility, then turned around to instruct others. She had a nature of loving to arrange things and was organized, often achieving twice the result with half the effort. Colleagues were happy to let her make decisions.
They were going to the entertainment field to set up the stage for the sports meeting and paste the written slogan banners.
Zhong Gu put several bottles of paste into a cloth bag. Someone came in from outside, and she raised her voice: “Sun Er, why are you here?”
“Senior brother asked me to come see you, to see if there’s anything I can lend a hand with.” Sun Chengzhi sniffed around with his nose as soon as he came in. He found a bag of fried dough twists in a drawer of a table, opened it without asking, grabbed a handful, and crunched on them, chewing on his own.
The labor union people were used to his style problems and didn’t bother to say anything.
Zhong Gu secretly cursed Sun Er for having a dog’s nose, liking to smell everything and being able to smell everything out, no matter how strange the smell was.
Seeing that Sun Er seemed to be looking for trouble with Little Ma, she immediately went to block him: “Where’s my brother?”
Sun Chengzhi’s mouth was full of the greasy taste of fried dough twists: “Went to talk to the factory director.”
Zhong Gu signaled Little Ma to go out with her eyes: “What is it?”
Sun Chengzhi stared at the cowering Ma Qiangqiang: “The matter of the workshop machines always getting stuck.”
Zhong Gu said: “Then he has to be with Xiang Ning.”
Sun Chengzhi was disdainful: “Bullshit, don’t need him. Your brother can handle it alone.”
Zhong Ming could handle it. He had done his homework, brought suggestions from his master, and judgments from other old masters in the factory.
As well as materials printed by the workshop technology section.
In the garden of the office area, Zong Linyu flipped through the pages one by one. His finger bones were slender, and his nails were trimmed short and neat. The slight sound of paper rubbing was full of heavy ink scent.
“We collectively hope to apply to replace those two machines.” Zhong Ming sat upright with his hands on his legs. He had been here for a while, waiting for other leaders to finish their meeting with the factory director before it was his turn.
Zong Linyu said lightly: “Replace them in the second quarter?”
“We can hold out until then, but it will delay productivity somewhat.”
As Zhong Ming spoke, he caught a glimpse of a blue corner of clothes out of the corner of his eye. The factory uniforms were all that color, so he couldn’t be sure who it was. Just as he was about to withdraw his gaze, he saw a small part of a face.
“Factory Director, Master Xiang is over there. Call him over to give his opinion?”
Zong Linyu said: “Okay.”
Zhong Ming shouted: “Master Xiang! The factory director is calling you!”
Chen Ziqing, who was eavesdropping in the bamboo forest, was caught. He reluctantly shuffled up and walked slowly over there. As soon as he got close, the handsome, upright, and refreshing factory director widened the corners of his mouth into a smile: “Good afternoon, Factory Director.”
Zong Linyu raised his head: “Sit.”
“I won’t sit. I’ll just stand.” Chen Ziqing hung his hands拘谨ly.
Zong Linyu tapped the materials with his bent finger, his clothes and posture meticulous: “Little Xiang, tell me your point of view.”
Chen Ziqing muttered in his heart, how did the things he made up to Zong Huaitang get exposed? He stole a glance at Zhong Ming: “I’m on Master Zhong’s side. It’s best to replace them all.”
Zong Linyu raised his eyes slightly: “Replace all?”
Chen Ziqing lowered his head to look at his toes: “They are all old. Not to mention affecting work efficiency and workers’ enthusiasm, they are also unsafe. They have to be replaced sooner or later. Solving it once saves a second and third time.”
“But,” he changed the subject, “but we are far from seeing as far as you, Factory Director. We listen to you.”
Zong Linyu picked up the cup at hand, unscrewed the lid, and drank two mouthfuls of water. His voice was deep and slow: “If the first workshop wants to replace machines, we can’t favor one over the other. Other workshops also need a comprehensive inspection to replace the old machines that have contributed to the factory for many years.”
Chen Ziqing hurriedly agreed: “Yes, yes, what the Factory Director says is right.”
Zhong Ming just sat there without letting out a fart.
Chen Ziqing smiled at Zong Linyu: “Factory Director, please continue.”
Zong Linyu screwed on the cup lid. His pale lips were covered with a layer of water sheen, making his expression less dull and boring: “This is not a small move. We have to go to the supplier to explore the way, ask for prices, and negotiate.”
“It takes time.”
He rubbed the rim of the cup casually and pondered: “The earliest will be the second quarter. We can only try our best to repair, strengthen maintenance, and inspect more. Thanks for everyone’s hard work.”
Chen Ziqing offered another round of effortless flattery.
In the end, the matter was settled. Zhong Ming wanted to wait for Chen Ziqing to say goodbye to the factory director first before leaving. Who knew what was wrong with him, he just stood there.
Seeing that he really wasn’t leaving, Zhong Ming left by himself.
Chen Ziqing’s gaze was fixed on a goji berry in the factory director’s cup, lingering for a long time, almost becoming cross-eyed.
Zong Linyu opened the newspaper stacked next to the materials, finished reading one side, and turned to the other: “Little Xiang, do you have anything else?”
Chen Ziqing took two steps closer to him, sniffing to confirm something: “Why are you pretending to be your brother again?”
The rigor and orderliness around “Zong Linyu” suddenly dissipated. He put away the newspaper and leaned back on the chair lazily and bonelessly.
From the ascetic eldest son of a large family bearing heavy responsibilities to the romantic second son seeking pleasure.
It seemed as if both lips became rosy.
Seeing it for the second time, Chen Ziqing still felt shocked. Even a Grand Slam movie king in the entertainment circle would be just like this.
Flowing like moving clouds and flowing water, seamless connection right under people’s noses.
Chen Ziqing couldn’t understand Zong Huaitang: “Technician Zong, did your brother ask you to pretend, or are you addicted to it and insist on pretending to be him regardless of his thoughts?”
Zong Huaitang unbuttoned the tightly buttoned collar at his neck. He didn’t answer, only saying: “You’re sensitive again this time. I was sitting and didn’t stand up. You figured it out without me taking a step.”
Chen Ziqing glanced at his Adam’s apple rolling up and down as he swallowed and that small mole: “Everyone has a scent on them.”
Zong Huaitang was interested: “Which kind am I?” He touched his chin and asked and answered himself lazily: “That hormonal manly scent, right?”
Chen Ziqing ignored his narcissism: “Soap scent.”
“…” Zong Huaitang teased, “I use the soap issued by the factory. Everyone uses it, everyone has it. How did it become my characteristic?”
“No one uses as much as you.” Chen Ziqing extended his right hand to look at the scald scar on his finger, “Anyway, I can tell the difference if I get a little closer.”
Zong Huaitang was stunned for a second or two: “Sun Er couldn’t tell the difference. Your sense of smell is even sharper than his.”
Chen Ziqing couldn’t explain clearly: “It’s not the same thing.”
Zong Huaitang put his legs on the table: “Still not the same thing. Just say it if you can’t make it up.”
Chen Ziqing was about to leave when Zong Huaitang spoke: “Did I say I was finished? You’re leaving.”
He unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled them up, saying in a tone as if the wind was a bit strong today: “Your apology letter is unqualified. Rewrite it.”
“Why?!” Chen Ziqing felt that Zong Huaitang was nitpicking and being very fussy, “I met the page count and sincerity requirements. You want me to rewrite it?”
Zong Huaitang calmly dealt with his jumping and bristling: “Did you check the dictionary?”
Chen Ziqing blinked: “Huh? Didn’t check.” The original owner didn’t have a dictionary.
“No wonder.” Zong Huaitang took out two apology letters from the briefcase exclusive to the factory director and shook them open casually, “Look for yourself how many typos you have. If you are not sure or don’t know how to write, can’t you check the dictionary?”
“How many can there be? It’s not like I didn’t check.” Chen Ziqing bent over and leaned close to the table, his eyes full of red circles and crosses.
Zong Huaitang mocked mercilessly: “You checked with your feet, right?”
Chen Ziqing got angry. He sat in the seat Zhong Ming had sat in: “Don’t be so hurtful with your words.”
“Then at least be serious. Writing an apology letter to someone, eight typos in one paragraph.” Zong Huaitang’s mouth was heinously poisonous, “What, did you give me the ‘Complete Collection of Common Typos’?”
Zong Huaitang glanced at Chen Ziqing: “You dare to roll your eyes.”
Without thinking, he pinched his face and pulled him close. When he spoke, his hot breath hit his face: “Try rolling them again.”