What Lin Wan had vaguely worried about seemed about to happen. But this was a large state-owned factory, and Lin Wan was always full of hope—of course, the thousands of employees were the same!
The quarrel soon subsided, leaving only scattered discussions among employees of various departments. Near the end of work, Lin Wan was called out again.
In everyone’s eyes, Lin Wan’s second uncle Lin Guofu was at the factory office entrance, looking rather unhappy.
“Lin Wan!” Lin Guofu was furious. Because of the special family relationship, he could only lower his voice to accuse her. “You found Lin Hong a job? At the steel plant? Then last time when I asked you to find a job for Old Zhao’s son, why did you say it could not be done?”
Lin Guofu’s workshop coworker Old Zhao’s wife, Yan Shuqin, worked in the garment factory office. She did not interact much with Lin Wan. She was in charge of factory employee housing allocation and held great power in her hands, so naturally many people curried favor with her.
Yan Shuqin’s son had failed to get into university this year. The family was worried about what work he would find. Even though both husband and wife were garment factory workers, it was now very difficult to arrange for descendants to enter the factory unless someone gave up their job for replacement.
Lin Guofu hoped his family would be allocated a bigger apartment, so he set his sights on Lin Wan, wanting the big boss Fu Xiuhuai to arrange it. As long as Yan Shuqin’s son’s job was solved, they could definitely exchange for a bigger apartment!
Lin Guofu’s abacus had been clicking loudly. Two months ago he had been refused by Lin Wan. Only today at noon when he went home to eat, he ran into a fellow villager from Lincun Village on the road who mentioned it. It turned out the village people had known for a while: Lin Hong, relying on Lin Wan’s influence, was also going to the city to become a worker!
Lin Hong resigning from the sugar factory was no secret. Anyone could find out. Besides, the Lin family had not planned to hide it, so of course it had spread.
Lin Wan roughly guessed Lin Guofu must have heard something. She could also imagine that her past self definitely would not have agreed to arrange a job. “Second Uncle, what you say is strange. Other people I don’t know and my second sister—of course I am closer to the second sister I grew up with. If I can arrange a job, naturally I should arrange it for my own sister.”
Lin Hong’s job had not actually been arranged by herself. She did not know whether, months ago, that version of herself had asked Fu Xiuhuai, or whether Fu Xiuhuai had thoughtfully taken the initiative. But at this moment, borrowing the tiger’s might was also necessary.
Anyway, Fu Xiuhuai was not here.
Lin Guofu had not expected Lin Wan to be so direct. He was immediately furious. “If you arrange a job for Old Zhao’s son, our family can get a three-room apartment. Then when Xiaohao marries and has children, there will be a place to live. As a daughter and a sister, how can you turn your elbow outward! No, I have to go find my son-in-law and make it clear!”
Perhaps because she had inexplicably lost a year of memories, Lin Wan could not explain it clearly, and even less wanted to wrong herself. At this moment she rarely grew angry. “You have no daughter. Where does a son-in-law come from? Besides, if Fu Xiuhuai listens to anyone, he only listens to me. Even if you go to him a hundred times, it is useless!”
At this moment Lin Wan could not care about much else. Anyway, Fu Xiuhuai was not here. She could say some harsh words too.
Lin Guofu felt his daughter had changed. What an obedient and sensible child she had been when little, especially easy to coax, not crying or making a fuss, obediently staying in the countryside waiting for her parents to visit. Even later, when he and his wife proposed that she had to be transferred by adoption for the birth quota, the child had not thrown a tantrum or rolled on the ground.
How had she become like this now!
Not only that, Lin Guofu heard Lin Wan’s next sentence and nearly fainted from anger.
“If you want to come again and scrape something from me or the people around me, I will go to the factory leaders and report the situation, report how garment factory employees falsified and evaded family planning penalties, committing the crime against the wind by having a second child. By then, whether your jobs can be kept, I cannot guarantee.”
The October autumn wind was slightly cool. Her curled hair flew. On the way home from work, Lin Wan gathered her khaki trench coat and actually felt somewhat exhilarated.
These words of Lin Wan finally won her some quiet. Lin Guofu and his wife attached great importance to respectable and high-paying jobs, so naturally they did not dare act rashly.
In the following days, Lin Hong formally started work at the steel plant and earnestly became a smelting female worker unafraid of hardship or fatigue. Her face was red and hot from the heat in the high-temperature workshop, but when she saw Lin Wan, she was especially happy.
“I only worked a few days and caught the wage payout. They paid me by the day, more than thirty yuan! That is equal to half a month at the town sugar factory. Come, your sister treats you to candy.” Lin Hong had previously tested into the small, low-benefit sugar factory in town as a temporary worker, with a monthly wage of sixty or seventy.
“Tired?” Lin Wan smiled and took the corn soft candy. Seeing her second sister’s face still red and hot, she could not help caring.
“Anywhere is tiring, but this place is so big and the wages are high! The big city really is different!” Lin Hong planned thoughtfully. Once she formally received a month’s wages, as a temporary worker she would have about two hundred yuan. Then she had to treat her younger sister and her man to a meal and give something.
After all, this job was thanks to their influence.
Lin Wan could not refuse. After all, if second sister did not treat them, she would feel uncomfortable all over. When she returned to the Fu home, she arranged a time with Fu Xiuhuai in advance.
Now she owed Fu Xiuhuai more and more favors. Lin Wan always felt strange in her heart, yet could not say why.
Back at the Fu home, her parents-in-law were just asking about the eldest daughter-in-law and Fu Mingjun’s whereabouts: “Where has Mingjun run off to again? Not staying home day after day.”
Zhang Meiying felt bitter. She could not really let her son live at home every day, with Lin Wan’s shadow swaying before his eyes. She could only send him to her own maternal home. “His maternal grandparents have not seen him for quite a while and miss him badly. I told him to pack up and go stay with them.”
Jiang Yueying nodded: “I remember my in-law just recovered from illness a while ago. Mingjun going to keep her company more is filial respect.”
Lin Wan had eaten dinner outside with second sister before returning. At this moment she exchanged a few pleasantries with everyone and then went to the yard to tend the flowers and plants.
The Fu family villa had yards front and back. The front yard grew some roses. Now that the weather had turned cool, they were blooming just right. The back yard grew some vegetables, all favorites of Jiang Yueying. She had formed the habit back when she was sent down to the farm and kept it to this day.
The pink-purple roses were delicate and charming, blooming layer upon layer. Lin Wan poured some water into the soil. When she raised her eyes, she saw a pair of black leather shoes appear before her.
Today she had just spoken nonsense about Fu Xiuhuai, so at this moment Lin Wan only glanced at him once and then looked away.
For several consecutive days he had left early and returned late, and the time the two had to talk had also decreased. Fu Xiuhuai had finally come back somewhat earlier today: “These past few days I have been meeting with the Hong Kong businessman representative Yang Minghui and the municipal construction department for meetings. A bit busy.”
Lin Wan knew the tallest building about to be built in Jiangcheng was a matter of great importance, not simply a commercial building.
“Once Xitian Commercial Building is completed, it will be a landmark building of Jiangcheng, the tallest building. Its positive guiding role for social development is very strong. In the future it will also be easier to use this to connect with the Hong Kong businessmen behind the investment, and perhaps attract more investment. It is right for all parties to attach importance to it.” Lin Wan’s voice was clear but not sharp, like a babbling brook gliding past, very pleasant to the ear.
Fu Xiuhuai’s brows and eyes held a shallow smile: “Social development class must have been full marks.”
Lin Wan’s face warmed: “…”
Without teasing Lin Wan further, Fu Xiuhuai brought up the matter he had asked Yang Minghui to inquire about a few days ago: “Yang Minghui really did call Hong Kong City to inquire about the Hong Kong businessman Wang Yuanzhong who contacted your factory.”
“How was it?” Hearing there was news about Wang Yuanzhong, Lin Wan immediately became interested.
“The last time they heard of Wang Yuanzhong was six or seven years ago. He owed a mountain of debts and was being hunted by the triads in Hong Kong City. After that there was no news.”
Lin Wan was, after all, a law-abiding citizen. Hearing the word “hunted” truly startled her: “The more I think about it, the more he does not seem like a good person. Is he really a swindler?”
But what exactly had happened in these six or seven years, whether the man had made his fortune again, who could say for certain.
Fu Xiuhuai comforted her: “Yang Minghui said he will help inquire further. If there is more news later, he will notify us.”
“Mr. Yang is quite good. He seems professional and capable, and importantly, warm-hearted.”
“He is a shrewd man. He has rules in how he speaks and handles matters, yet is not rigid.” Fu Xiuhuai’s evaluation of the man was good. “Otherwise he could not have become a Hong Kong businessman’s confidant and specially come to the mainland as a representative to advance investment projects.”
Lin Wan deeply agreed: “By the way, my second sister says that when she gets paid next month she wants to treat you to a meal. To thank you for helping arrange the job. She is somewhat embarrassed to invite your elder brother, worried people will say she is trying to curry favor with the factory director, and also worried the factory director will be gossiped about. She wants to prepare a gift and have me pass it on.”
Fu Xiuhuai naturally agreed: “Your second sister coming over, it should be us treating her.”
“I already treated second sister to a meal. For this meal of yours, if you do not let her treat, she will feel uncomfortable for a long time.” As if possessed, Lin Wan was forceful for once. “It is settled then?”
Fu Xiuhuai did not decline again. He only leaned close to Lin Wan, his eyes spread with bits of laughter. His gentle, bewitching voice fell by Lin Wan’s ear: “Good. Anyway, Fu Xiuhuai listens to you. The wife sings and the husband follows.”
Lin Wan: “…”
That Lin Guofu, running off to gossip again!
How had her words of borrowing the tiger’s might fallen into Fu Xiuhuai’s ears again!