The next day, Miao Yunwei went to work as usual. No one from the office came looking for her, so she could only wait patiently.
Zhang Xiuqing, however, had been in the office for most of the day without coming out. She only appeared when it was time to depart, her face as dark as the bottom of a pot.
Seeing her preparing to board the bus, Miao Yunwei eagerly ran over to help the passengers on their bus with their luggage and took the opportunity to greet Zhang Xiuqing. “Aunt Zhang, what’s wrong? You don’t look too happy.”
Seeing how young Miao Yunwei was, Zhang Xiuqing didn’t seem guarded at all. While venting her frustrations, she also couldn’t help but show off a little.
“Of course I’m not happy! Those people in the office are ridiculous. They insisted on sending me to the ticket window to sell tickets. I’ve been a conductor for over ten years—who wants to sit on a cold bench over there?
Besides, the ticket window is so busy. Do they want to work me to death?”
As a conductor, she had freedom on the bus, with no one watching over her. One ticket per passenger, and the tickets were limited, so mistakes were rare. Even if an error occurred, as long as it was caught on the bus, it could be corrected or recovered.
The ticket window was different. Someone was always watching over your work, and if the accounts didn’t balance, it was hard to trace the source of the error. Being scolded or penalized was a common occurrence, and she couldn’t stand such humiliation.
Miao Yunwei’s eyes lit up, and she kindly reminded her, “Aunt Zhang, this is actually simple. You could ask the other conductors or ticket sellers if they’d be willing to work at the window. If someone is willing, you wouldn’t have to go, right?
I often hear people praise Sister Fengjuan for being ambitious. Maybe she’d be interested!”
Ticket window sellers were different from conductors like them. The window position was an administrative role, with opportunities to transfer to the office.
Zhang Xiuqing looked surprised. “Xu Fengjuan? She wants to work at the window?”
Miao Yunwei quickly shook her head. “I’m not sure. I just thought since everyone praises her for being ambitious, maybe she’d be willing.”
Zhang Xiuqing turned away thoughtfully.
Not two days later, the bus station’s announcement board posted the transfer notices for Miao Yunwei, Xu Fengjuan, and Zhang Xiuqing.
The entire fleet was in an uproar.
Ke Youzhi, his face dark, went to find Zhao Qiming. “Brother Zhao, what’s going on? How did Miao Yunwei get transferred out of the blue? Didn’t Officer Xue even give you a heads-up?”
Since when did a girl he didn’t even take seriously have such influence? Could it be that Miao Jianguo pulled some strings?
But that didn’t seem right either. That man was as stubborn as a block of wood. Even if he had that kind of influence, he wouldn’t know how to use it.
Zhao Qiming was already in a bad mood, and hearing this, he immediately shot Ke Youzhi a glare, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Exactly! I’m just a fleet captain, and they’re the leaders. Why would they notify me?
But you, on the other hand, are quite something! I heard you went to Director Gao and told him Comrade Miao Yunwei was in poor health, asking him to help transfer her.
Ke Youzhi, I never knew you were so sneaky! On one hand, you asked me to make things difficult for Comrade Miao Yunwei, and on the other, you begged Director Gao for help. What’s your game? Trying to trip me up on purpose?”
Recently, the office had indeed been dissatisfied with his work attitude, something he had noticed. But as a veteran at the station who hadn’t made any major mistakes, even if the office leaders had issues with him, they wouldn’t say much—at most, they’d offer a few pointed remarks that didn’t really sting.
What infuriated him was Ke Youzhi, this two-faced hypocrite, saying one thing to his face and doing another behind his back.
Ke Youzhi’s face turned pale as he shook his head vigorously. “Brother Zhao, I didn’t! That wasn’t my intention at all. I just wanted Director Gao to fire that wretched girl. I never expected Director Gao to actually take it seriously and handle it!”
“You mean Director Gao transferred that wretched girl because of what I said?”
If that were really the case, he might as well go bang his head against a wall!
Zhao Qiming laughed in exasperation. “Who do you think you are? You think Director Gao would listen to you? Take a good look at yourself in the mirror! Comrade Miao Yunwei transferred positions through a proper written exam. A group of office supervisors invigilated, and the exam papers were posted publicly. Let me tell you, this time she’s also a formal employee, a part of the vehicle team.
If you keep targeting her and cause trouble, you’ll have to deal with the consequences yourself!
Oh, by the way, Xu Fengjuan has been transferred to the ticket window. From now on, you’ll be working shifts with Zhang Xiuqing. Let me give you a heads-up—this woman has some serious connections. You’d better ask Comrade Miao Jianguo about her. Don’t go offending people again.”
Ke Youzhi slapped his forehead in frustration. He had been so focused on Miao Yunwei’s matter that he forgot his shift partner had changed. Still, he never paid much attention to such trivial matters—changing a conductor or ticket seller wouldn’t affect his driving.
But Zhao Qiming didn’t waste words. It seemed he still needed to sound out Miao Jianguo.
With that thought, he cornered Miao Jianguo, who was about to board his vehicle, at the entrance of the logistics break room. “Brother Jianguo, congratulations! Both your son and daughter have stable jobs now.”
When Miao Jianguo saw him, the smile vanished from his face. “A good dog doesn’t block the way!”
Ke Youzhi’s expression darkened as he protested indignantly, “Miao Jianguo, what do you mean? If it weren’t for my efforts, your daughter wouldn’t have become a ticket seller. What’s this? Turning your back on me now?”
The eyes of nearby colleagues instantly turned toward them, filled with curiosity.
Miao Jianguo sneered and retorted loudly, “Your efforts? What efforts? Tricking our whole family with a temporary freight loader job at the passenger transport station, claiming you found Miao Xuewei a ticket seller position, and fooling us into giving up the temporary job at the sugar factory—that’s your effort?
Ke Youzhi, I never knew you were so shameless! My daughter became a ticket seller through her own hard work, the leaders’ recognition, and passing layer after layer of selection and assessment—without a single drop of favoritism. What the hell does it have to do with you? I haven’t settled accounts with you yet, and here you are trying to take credit! Pah! Shameless dog!”
“Try saying that again!” Ke Youzhi, flushed with anger and shame, pointed at Miao Jianguo and threatened him.
Miao Jianguo, looking as if he had nothing left to lose, only grew more heated in his cursing.
Enraged, Ke Youzhi rushed over and threw a punch at Miao Jianguo.
Miao Jianguo had been waiting for this opportunity to vent all the anger he had bottled up over this period, fighting back with reckless, deadly force.
The nearby colleagues cried out in alarm, quickly calling for help.
In the end, both men were taken away by the labor union.
The union secretary, Director Gao, and a group of staff members all frowned deeply, their eyes shifting back and forth between the two.
Miao Jianguo looked worse for wear, with a bruised and swollen face and disheveled hair.
Ke Youzhi appeared less injured on the outside but kept lying on the ground, moaning and groaning.
Peng Yonghuai angrily demanded, “What’s going on with you two? This is a workplace. Fighting like this at work—is this appropriate? Who threw the first punch?”
Miao Jianguo immediately pointed at Ke Youzhi, aggrieved and furious. “It was him! I was about to start my shift, and he blocked the door, refusing to let me leave. He was also the one who threw the first punch!”
“Why did he hit you?” Peng Yonghuai’s gaze towards Ke Youzhi grew increasingly hostile.
Ke Youzhi wanted to defend himself, but Miao Jianguo suddenly burst into tears. “Sir, you must stand up for our family! Originally, my daughter was supposed to become a temporary worker at the sugar factory. That scoundrel Ke Youzhi, in order to secure a job for his niece, deceived our family by saying your unit was hiring ticket sellers. He even claimed the job was already arranged, asking us to give the temporary position at the sugar factory to his niece so my daughter could work as a ticket seller here.
But when my daughter came for the interview, she found out your unit was actually hiring temporary loaders. She’s just a young girl—I was afraid she wouldn’t be able to handle it.
Now that my daughter has managed to transfer to a different position through her own efforts, Ke Youzhi claims it was his doing. Everyone, tell me, is that fair?”