Chapter 14#
Qiming Manufacturing Factory#
Chen Ziqing trotted excitedly up to Zong Huaitang.
Zong Huaitang turned around and entered the workshop. Chen Ziqing followed him, not paying any attention to anyone else during the process.
He completely left Zhong Ming behind.
Chen Ziqing followed Zong Huaitang all the way into the office and said cheerfully: “Technician Zong, where is your application report? Did you write the beginning or are you halfway through? Let me give you some advice.”
Zong Huaitang stopped: “Can’t you tell I was lying to you?”
Chen Ziqing’s lips moved slightly: “Can’t tell.”
Zong Huaitang narrowed his eyes. He had never mentioned any report or advice. Zhong Ming didn’t know, but this guy knew perfectly well. He knew he was teasing him, but he played dumb.
Deliberately pretending not to know, trying to muddle through here to achieve his goal.
Zong Huaitang didn’t indulge him: “Can you tell now?”
Chen Ziqing’s eyes, eyebrows, and the corners of his mouth all drooped down, looking exactly like a puppy that was happily wagging its tail one moment and abandoned the next.
Zong Huaitang frowned. He lied to me, and I lied to him; it was just reciprocity. Why did a little guilt pop up in my heart?
“Move aside.” Zong Huaitang didn’t intend to deal with the strange feeling.
Chen Ziqing took a small step aside, and then moved back under Zong Huaitang’s incredulous gaze.
Zong Huaitang bent down: “Sticking to me?”
Chen Ziqing pursed his lips, glanced at him, and lowered his head.
“Go stay somewhere cool.” Zong Huaitang grabbed his arm and pulled him aside.
“Technician Zong, have you finished talking with Master Xiang? I have some data here that I don’t understand. Please help me take a look.” A technician waved the materials in his hand.
Zong Huaitang ignored Chen Ziqing. He walked leisurely to his colleague’s desk, holding the grass turtle in one hand and scanning the materials with the other: “Pen.”
The technician rummaged through the things on the desk, found a fountain pen, and handed it to him.
Zong Huaitang turned the material over and scribbled a few numbers on the back, but the ink ran out: “Out of ink. You type it up first.”
He dropped the fountain pen and glanced at the door out of the corner of his eye. The person was still standing there, looking the same.
What the hell, really sticking to him?
Zong Huaitang went over there impatiently. Just as the words to drive him away were on the tip of his tongue, the other party spoke first.
“Technician Zong, you lied to me this time. Consider it as my apology for fooling you last night saying you were the first choice. We’re even.” Chen Ziqing seemed to have cheered up and was ready to go again. He was no longer discouraged. A smile appeared on his face, and the canine tooth at the left corner of his mouth was faintly visible. “I’ll go talk to Master Zhong again. I haven’t finished what I wanted to say to him.”
Before his voice could fall, something was thrown at Chen Ziqing. He caught it with both hands.
The grass turtle retracted its head and four small legs in his hands.
He heard Zong Huaitang say: “The benefits of me moving into your dormitory.”
Zong Huaitang’s attitude change was stiff and unpredictable, suspected of teasing again. However, Chen Ziqing remained enthusiastic and positive: “I’ll do the cleaning in the dormitory, fetch water for your thermos, and I can also buy breakfast for you. I can even tell you stories about the changes in the era ten or twenty years later.”
Finally, he added: “Those were all dreams I had when I was in a coma after hitting the back of my head.”
Zong Huaitang was dissatisfied: “That’s it?”
Chen Ziqing frowned. What else did he want?
When Zhong Ming was there, he did the cleaning. The original owner’s three-chapter agreement made him very unhappy, but he didn’t make a big fuss about it so that everyone knew. Although he just didn’t want to fight, he didn’t have the face to let other comrades see the joke.
Unlike Zong Huaitang, who started negotiating conditions before moving in. Fussy and sharp-tongued.
Zong Huaitang didn’t miss the subtle changes in the expression of the person in front of him. His temples throbbed twice. Comparing again, right? Damn it, he became the second choice again.
Time after time, it was becoming a knot in his heart.
Chen Ziqing sighed involuntarily. He regretted it a bit. It’s easy to invite a god but hard to send him away. Maybe he should just forget it.
A hand grabbed the strap on the front of his overalls and lifted him up a bit. He had to stand on his tiptoes and look up at the gloomy eyebrows and eyes.
The tip of Chen Ziqing’s tongue swept across the dry and red corners of his mouth. But this big Buddha was better looking than Zhong Ming and didn’t smell of sweat.
Unlike Zhong Ming, who had heavy body hair and chest hair, smelling of heat all day long.
After a comparison…
Sincerity appeared in Chen Ziqing’s eyes: “Of course, it’s more than those points. As long as it’s something you want me to do and I can do it, I will do it.”
Zong Huaitang remained indifferent on the surface: “Spoken better than a singing oriole.”
Chen Ziqing was calm and confident: “Time will prove everything.”
Zong Huaitang let go of the strap between his fingers and straightened up, wondering what he was thinking.
Just when Chen Ziqing wanted to go to Zhong Ming’s side again, Zong Huaitang took away the grass turtle he had just thrown to him. The force was not small, almost digging it out of his palm.
He rubbed his hand unhappily, and Zong Huaitang’s light voice fell in his ear: “My sailboat is missing a sail. If you can give it to me, I’ll go live with you.”
Sail?
Chen Ziqing was afraid Zong Huaitang would regret it, so he immediately said: “No problem, I can get the sail for you today!”
Zong Huaitang pinched the grass turtle, raised his free hand, and waved his fingers from inside out at Chen Ziqing, telling him to leave.
Chen Ziqing stammered: “Technician Zong, the report review, um, the review takes time. Can you move in tonight first and wait for the review result while living there?”
Zong Huaitang looked at him strangely: “So anxious to let me move in, are you trying to make me a scapegoat?”
The blood drained from Chen Ziqing’s face, and he said fearfully: “No, there are no ghosts.”
Zong Huaitang was disgusted. Such small guts.
Chen Ziqing touched the scalded part of his fingertip and said softly: “I just want you to move to my place sooner.”
“Move after the application is approved.” Zong Huaitang was cold and left no room for negotiation, “I can’t break the factory rules for you and get punished and have my wages deducted.”
Chen Ziqing was listless.
“Can’t even wait for fifteen days?” Zong Huaitang said disdainfully, “Even a husband on his wedding night isn’t as anxious as you to get into bed.”
Chen Ziqing was speechless. Big brother, if you can’t use metaphors, don’t use them.
“Can wait, can wait. I’ll go think about how to make the sail.” Chen Ziqing squeezed out a smile. He stopped when opening the office door and pointed at the grass turtle pinched by Zong Huaitang, “Technician Zong, your hemp flower shell is dry.”
“Took a bath, air-dried naturally, don’t understand?” Zong Huaitang didn’t admit that he had neglected the grass turtle.
“Oh oh oh, understood.” Chen Ziqing walked out.
Zong Huaitang waited for him to go out before slowly taking a step and calling him affectionately with a volume that the workers nearby could hear: “Master Xiang, the boat is on my desk. If you don’t take it away, how can you install the sail?”
“…” Chen Ziqing smiled and explained a few words to the comrades, then returned to carry away Zong Huaitang’s sailboat.
.
Chen Ziqing didn’t know how to make sails, and Zhong Gu couldn’t give any reference on this. Ma Qiangqiang squatted aside with his chin in his hands watching them communicate, and suddenly said: “Cotton cloth and paper are both okay.”
“Right, right, right!” Zhong Gu slapped her forehead, “My family has a boat. My brother made it with cloth and painted it with blue paint.”
Chen Ziqing worried: “I don’t have that skill.”
Zhong Gu just wanted to take it to her brother to make, but Ma Qiangqiang said: “Let me do it.”
“Little Ma, can you really do it?” Zhong Gu asked uncertainly.
Ma Qiangqiang hesitated, lacking confidence.
Chen Ziqing encouraged: “Little Ma can do it, right Little Ma?”
“I’ll try.” Ma Qiangqiang scratched his head and happily went to find materials, working alone.
Chen Ziqing only needed to use his mouth throughout the process.
“So it’s cut like this. I couldn’t even think of it.”
“The shape of the sail is out. Do we tie it up and pull it now?”
“It can also be raised and lowered?!”
“Little Ma, your hands are so skillful.”
Zhong Gu also winked and said: “Little Ma, your hands are so skillful.”
Ma Qiangqiang was shy, his face flushed, very embarrassed: “Not that skillful.”
“Not yet.” Chen Ziqing’s praise sounded very sincere, “How great, the details are all there, it matches the boat very well. If there was one like this in the store, I would definitely be willing to buy it with a ticket.”
Ma Qiangqiang was elated: “I’ll make another set of paper sails.”
“Will it be troublesome? One set is enough. It’s not clothes that need to be changed and washed.” Chen Ziqing said so, but thought in his heart that two sets were of course good. Zong Huaitang was so picky and hard to serve.
“No, it’s very simple. Anyway, I’ve found the materials for the paper sails.” Ma Qiangqiang wiped the paste on his hands onto the knee patch of his pants, “Brother, I heard you are going to be roommates with Technician Zong.”
Chen Ziqing was stunned: “Who said that?”
Ma Qiangqiang said carefully: “I heard Technician Zong talking to Master Zhong when I went to the toilet.”
Chen Ziqing played with cutting cotton thread. Zong Huaitang hadn’t even drafted the application report, and he already said it???
“Why did Technician Zong tell my brother?” Zhong Gu was puzzled.
Chen Ziqing smiled: “Maybe it’s a sense of ritual from the new roommate to the old roommate.”
“Passing the baton in a relay race?” Zhong Gu laughed loudly, “My brother stepped down, and Technician Zong went up.”
Chen Ziqing coughed. Alright, stop talking. These words would make him, a gay man, think of dirty things.
“After Master Zhong heard it, he said Technician Zong would definitely regret moving there.” Ma Qiangqiang was indignant, “Zhong Gu, how could your brother say that?”
Chen Ziqing didn’t feel much, but Zhong Gu’s face changed, and she rolled up her sleeves angrily to settle accounts with her brother.
“Little Ma, how did Technician Zong reply?” Chen Ziqing was curious about Zong Huaitang’s reaction.
Ma Qiangqiang was surprised by his question: “Brother, aren’t you angry with Master Zhong?”
Chen Ziqing rubbed two pieces of cotton thread together: “Nothing to be angry about. I indeed have places that make him dislike me.”
Ma Qiangqiang stayed dazed for several seconds before answering Chen Ziqing’s previous question.
“Technician Zong said he is not like some people who are impulsive and reckless. He thinks twice before making decisions and won’t give himself a chance to regret.”
.
Chen Ziqing ended up making the sail himself, spending more than a day under Ma Qiangqiang’s guidance. He took the sailboat to the office, found Zong Huaitang not there, put the sailboat on the desk, and was about to leave.
Thinking about it, he found a piece of white paper, tore off a piece, and left a message on it with Zong Huaitang’s fountain pen.
[Technician Zong, the sail has been installed, ready to set sail.]
[Hope you like it.]
There was also a strange pattern at the back, like a smiling face.
When Zong Huaitang came back, he looked at the note first, then picked up the wooden boat with the sail: “The sail is really ugly, made with feet. Only a fool would like it.”
It was indeed ugly, and he indeed looked down on it, but he didn’t tear it off and throw it away, just making do with it.
Zong Huaitang looked at the pattern again, traced it, confirmed it was a smiling face, and sneered: “Tricks to coax female comrades. Where did you learn it?”
Pushing the note aside casually, Zong Huaitang used the paper with a missing piece to write the application and asked a colleague who happened to be going to the office area to pass it to Section Chief Li for him.
Chen Ziqing was also on his way to find Section Chief Li to complete the marking task. He was eating an apple and turned into the office building. Zhong Ming just came out of his master’s office, holding an aluminum lunch box.
Zhong Ming quickened his pace as soon as he saw him, hiding as if from some terrible plague.
Slow down and he would be infected.
Chen Ziqing turned the apple and took a bite. Zhong Ming saw the shape of his mouth at that time and understood what he was trying to say.
It’s fine.
Zhong Ming was not the kind of person who gossiped behind people’s backs. He wouldn’t leak such a deadly secret of his.
Let him hide.
Not long after Chen Ziqing went to Section Chief Li’s office, the technician from the first workshop came and handed over Zong Huaitang’s application report.
Section Chief Li looked at it: “Little Xiang, Technician Zong wants to move to your dormitory.”
“Yes.” Chen Ziqing said seriously, “We communicated and reached a consensus on our ideas. I believe we will get along very happily after he moves in.”
Section Chief Li put the report under the cup lid, looking unwell: “I suggested last time that you talk to Little Zhong and let him move back. I didn’t expect you to find a new roommate for yourself.”
Chen Ziqing said: “Everything depends on fate.”
“Roommates are not partners. What kind of fate is that? But it’s better if personalities are compatible.” Section Chief Li reached his hand over his shoulder to his back and scratched vigorously.
Chen Ziqing asked: “Section Chief Li, what’s wrong with you?”
Section Chief Li switched sides to scratch, his thin yellow face sweating from discomfort: “I have sores on my back.”
Chen Ziqing’s eyelid twitched. If Section Chief Li took sick leave and didn’t come to the factory, how could he do this marking task? He couldn’t sit still, stood up and approached: “What sores? Did you go to the hospital?”
“I did. It’s because the mattress was damp. The hospital prescribed medicine. I take medicated baths three times a day.” Section Chief Li stopped scratching and gasped for breath as he reached for the tea cup. His hands were trembling so much that the tea spilled near his mouth, wetting his collar. He suddenly aged a lot. “It will be fine in a day or two. Let’s talk about Sun Er.”
“Same old, no big mistakes, just often absent from work, making improper jokes to female comrades, snatching other comrades’ things… You also know how sharp his nose is, no smell can escape his sniff.”
Chen Ziqing finished speaking, but the middle-aged man collapsed in the chair motionless, giving no feedback. His thick nails were yellow. Chen Ziqing’s heart jumped to his throat: “Section Chief Li?”
“Eh, I know. You go back.” Section Chief Li looked haggard.
Chen Ziqing looked back as he walked. Section Chief Li started scratching his back again. His nails dug into the fabric vigorously, making a tooth-aching sound.
The air was filled with a foul smell.
.
Chen Ziqing was worried about Section Chief Li’s sores and was restless all afternoon. When it was time to get off work, the workshop workers shouted to go to the cinema in the auditorium to watch a movie.
Zong Huaitang went in first with the factory flower.
Chen Ziqing was blocked by a female comrade. His brain worked fast.
The female comrade’s companion waved to Chen Ziqing: “Hello, Master Xiang.”
Saying that, she pulled her: “Go in quickly, or we won’t get the front seats if we’re late.”
“You go in first.” The female comrade sent her companion away. She got closer to Chen Ziqing, hooked her long braid with her hand and bit her lip: “Xiang Ning, the gauze on your head has been changed to a small piece. Is it almost healed?”
“I’m not nervous about you. I already like someone else. I just care about you as an ordinary comrade.”
At this moment, Chen Ziqing added a new memory block.
The female comrade and the original owner were from the same town. They were not in the same village, but could travel together when going home for the New Year.
The original owner was very thorough to the outside world, such as carrying a bag for the female comrade, opening a biscuit box for her, standing up for her when she was harassed by hooligans, etc. The female comrade was moved. She wrote letters to him, two a day. This level was relatively unrestrained.
How did the original owner respond?
To make her give up, the original owner said that his partner must be someone who could cook and wash for him in life, help him solve problems at work, and resonate with his soul.
This spouse selection condition was marked.
Chen Ziqing felt cold in his heart. He didn’t know what the female comrade said later or how she left. He squatted down, grabbed a clod of earth and threw it out.
The female comrade told the original owner that fairies are in the sky, not on the ground. According to his standards, he wouldn’t find a partner in this life.
Chen Ziqing agreed one hundred percent, ten thousand percent.
He was so annoyed. The fourth mark required a poem a day. At this speed, the poetry collection would be full before long.
The fifth mark was to give the poetry collection to the person he liked. It didn’t specify whether to give it as soon as it was full or find a time to give it after it was full. He didn’t dare to try. After all, he had suffered a loss and received a warning during the time he reported on Section Chief Li.
Chen Ziqing prayed that he would find the person who pulled the bad wires quickly.
“Are you squatting here to shit?”
A low and lazy voice came from above.
Chen Ziqing tilted his head back. He looked in this posture for a while. Zong Huaitang felt uncomfortable all over being looked at by him, like a caterpillar drilling into his clothes, wriggling on his chest and back.
“What movie is showing today?” Chen Ziqing slowly propped up his legs and got up, his leg joints cracking.
“How would I know.” Zong Huaitang strode through the path lush with flowers and grass into the auditorium.
Chen Ziqing entered inside for the first time. He didn’t walk fast, looking around. The ceiling was covered with dense tiles, each with a pattern. Lotus lamps hung down, and a ceiling fan hung not far away.
One side of the auditorium had many glass windows installed. Going up the stairs along the side led to the hall for evening party programs.
The screening hall was on the first floor, no need to go up.
Chen Ziqing was still looking here and there when Zong Huaitang behind him poked his back: “Hurry up.”
They walked towards the screening hall.
At this moment, the curtains in the screening hall were drawn tightly, and the light dimmed.
A female comrade tucked her hair behind her ear and accidentally touched the hand of the person next to her, exclaiming: “So cold.”
“What’s so cold?”
The male comrade rushed over, sweating profusely, his whole body hot.
The female comrade sat sluggishly, the coldness still on the back of her hand. Her face turned pale, and she stumbled out, not watching anymore.
Chen Ziqing was almost knocked down by her. He rubbed his numb and painful shoulder and walked into the screening hall.
“Where are you going? Sit in this row.” Zong Huaitang called him from the last row.
There were two empty seats there, with Zong Huaitang’s jacket thrown on one chair. Chen Ziqing didn’t walk forward anymore and sat down on one of the chairs.
“It’s starting, it’s starting!”
Unknown who was shouting, excited and expectant.
The screen showed the Hong Kong film “Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow”, about the plague.
Chen Ziqing took out two orange soft candies from his pocket during the opening credits, peeled one and ate it, and gave the remaining one to Zong Huaitang without asking if he wanted it.
The soft candy was moved from the left to the right by Chen Ziqing’s tongue. He rolled his eyes in the dimness searching for Zhong Gu’s figure, but couldn’t find her.
The screening hall was full. So many people.
His movement of pinching the candy wrapper stopped.
Were there so many people when he came in just now?