The Happy Life of Qing Gong Lin Zhenhua

  Lin Zhenhua's conversation with Lan Wufeng, and the act of putting the two hard-earned dollars into Lan Wufeng's hand, were all seen by Yang Chunshan, but he didn't know what to say.

  Lin Zhenhua is kind-hearted and can sympathize with even a thief, which is a good thing. Yang Chunshan himself is also a loyal and kind worker, and he approves of Lin Zhenhua's approach from the bottom of his heart. However, this incident also reflects that Lin Zhenhua is too simple-minded, treating everyone he meets on the road with sincerity, especially this thief with an unknown background. If he were to encounter someone with ulterior motives, Lin Zhenhua would be the one to suffer a loss, which is what worries Yang Chunshan.

  "Xiao Hua, you told this thief your name and work unit, aren't you afraid of getting into trouble?" Yang Chunshan asked casually on the way back to the factory from Lan Wufeng.

  "Yang Shu, I think Lan Wufeng is not bad at heart. If someone helps him out, he should be able to get back on the right track," Lin Zhenhua replied.

  "Do you plan on helping him?"

  "If he needs it."

  "But how do you plan to help him? He ran back from the countryside, now he has no household registration or file, if the police want to catch him, even if he's a vagrant, they'll send him back. He can only make money by being a thief." Yang Chunshan said.

  Lin Zhenhua said: "I think that policies should be changeable. When we were in Yunnan border defense, we learned that the local educated youth had all returned to the city. In fact, Lan Wufeng sneaking back home was not considered a crime, and he should have been able to get a household registration."

  "Even if he could get his household registration in order, finding a job would be tough. There are so many young people out of work on the streets these days, and without some connections, it's hard to even get hired as a temporary worker."

  "He can be a sole proprietor." Lin Zhenhua said matter-of-factly. Having watched too many movies and TV shows from later generations, idle young people could easily become rich by reselling clothes, electronics and the like within a few months.

  "What's a sole proprietor?" Yang Chunshan didn't understand the new term in Lin Zhenhua's mouth.

  "It's just doing private business, buying cheaper goods from Guangzhou and selling them here."

  "Are you talking about profiteering?"

  "I'm dizzy..." Lin Zhenhua indeed had a bit of a dizzy meaning, "Uncle Yang, the times are different now, and the country encourages the circulation field to be more active. The word 'speculation' is already outdated."

  Yang Chunshan was a bit confused by Lin Zhenhua's words, he was a worker, every day he cared about what work there was in the factory, how much bonus he could get, and whether he could get some private work outside. He was not very sensitive to changes in policies like this. Listening to Lin Zhenhua speaking with conviction, he couldn't help but believe him a bit more, at the same time, he felt that he couldn't understand Lin Zhenhua even more.

  "Xiao Hua, you've been a soldier for two years and have seen a lot of things. Yang Shu has been stuck in this small county town and doesn't know much. However, when you do things, you really need to think thrice before acting, don't get yourself into trouble, understand? Yang Chunshan brought out his all-purpose phrase, this 'think thrice before acting' is a golden saying left by the ancients, it's always applicable and sounds so profound."

  "Uncle Yang, I will," Lin Zhenhua replied honestly.

  Yang Chunshan didn't tell anyone about what happened that night, not even Wei Suping and Yang Xin. He was afraid that if the news of Lin Zhenhua's connection with the thief got out, it would be bad for Lin Zhenhua. As for the electric welding technique Lin Zhenhua showed off in front of Director Mao, Yang Chunshan also didn't spread the word. Since Lin Zhenhua himself didn't want to make a big deal about it, Yang Chunshan naturally wouldn't either.

  However, after that, whenever Yang Chunshan had private work outside, he would take Lin Zhenhua with him. Every time they went to the client's place, he would declare that they were two big workers, so Lin Zhenhua could also get a salary of four yuan each time. Lin Zhenhua did not disappoint Yang Chunshan. Not only was his electric welding technique acceptable, but when encountering temporary situations where he had to play the role of a fitter or a car worker, he could handle it with ease. The work in the township enterprises did not have high technical requirements, and Lin Zhenhua was a versatile person in mechanical processing. Sometimes, he could even provide some reasonable suggestions to the client, and in the end, his status at the client's place was even higher than Yang Chunshan's.

  With the extra income from taking on private jobs, Lin Zhenhua felt a lot more relaxed financially. He didn't have the desire to save money, and whatever he earned, he would spend it all on food. Every time he finished a private job and came back, he could afford to cook a fish dish for Xiaofang. Of course, the siblings wouldn't eat alone; most of the time, they would invite Yang Xin and her brother Yang Tao to share the meal with them. Occasionally, they would also invite Chu Hongyang and others to join in, so that people wouldn't gossip about how they prioritized romance over friendship.

  After eating steamed fish for a while, Xiaofang finally felt tired of it. Under her strong request, Lin Zhenhua developed new dishes such as pickled mustard green fish, tofu fish, and boiled beef. Although his cooking skills were not great, these authentic big dishes made Xiaofang and others eat with joy. Xiaofang was gradually spoiled by her brother, and if she didn't have meat for a few days, her eyes would emit a wolf-like hungry glow. Due to eating well, the little girl quickly grew plump, hinting at becoming a chubby girl. Lin Zhenhua had no choice but to force her to strengthen her exercise and control her weight.

  As for Lin Zhenhua's skills, Yang Chunshan had always been somewhat puzzled. He asked Lin Zhenhua more than once: "Little Hua, you were a soldier for two years, how did you learn so many skills? Our entire Hanhua factory can't even find a few workers as technically comprehensive as you."

  This is not Yang Chunshan's future father-in-law's excessive praise, in the Hanhua Machinery Factory, there are many workers who have better skills than Lin Zhenhua in a single area of technology, but those who are as comprehensive as him, there is only one person, Lin Zhenhua. What's even more shocking is that this worker, who is proficient in lathe milling grinding, electric welding and other skills, is only 18 years old. If he practices for another decade or so, what a great senior technician he will become!

  "Our troops also have mechanical processing, we have a repair department, to repair various equipment, so I learned some technology. As for why the technology is mastered so well, it's mainly because the requirements in the troops are relatively strict. I learned these technologies, and also suffered a lot." Lin Zhenhua said vaguely.

  Yang Chunshan nodded: "Even if that's the case, you still have to be willing to learn. There are also many retired soldiers in our factory, and no one has your skills. These skills of yours are at least at the level of someone who has studied for over a decade, and it also depends on whether those masters who taught you had solid skills themselves."

  "This is indeed the case, our masters there are all top-notch craftsmen." Lin Zhenhua sighed, referring to the masters at the Huaqing internship base, who were indeed technical experts.

  "Xiao Hua, with such good skills, why don't you want the factory leaders to know? Any one of your skills is enough to meet the standards of a fourth or fifth-level worker. With such skills just sitting there, even if you don't give gifts to Liang Guangping, he won't be able to keep you as an ordinary worker." Yang Chunshan really couldn't understand this question.

  Lin Zhenhua said, "Uncle Yang, I just returned from the army and haven't thought about what to do next. Now I'm a general worker, and no matter which direction I turn in the future, it will be relatively easy. On the other hand, if I become a skilled worker now, everyone will think I belong to a certain type of work, and it will be harder to change later."

  Lin Zhenhua's words were actually also to cater to Yang Chunsan's needs. In his own mind, he was still adapting to the life after crossing over and thinking about whether to make a fortune by playing with high technology or by doing business. Lin Zhenhua firmly believed that he would not be a worker in Hanhua Machinery Factory forever, whether it was three to five years or one to two years, he must leave this factory with the golden finger of the traverser to make a name for himself. Since he had such thoughts, what's the point of going all out to get a good job now?

  Yang Chunshan's brain didn't have as many twists and turns as Lin Zhenhua's, so when he heard Lin Zhenhua's words, they seemed to make some sense, but also felt a bit off. Yang Chunshan could only say: "Little Hua, you're an educated person, I'm not, and I don't know what to do, just take care of yourself. But remember one thing, I've always treated you like my own son, so don't disappoint me and your Aunt Wei's good intentions."

  When mentioning "half a son", Yang Chunshan deliberately emphasized some tone, hoping that Lin Zhenhua could hear the underlying meaning.

  "This, hehe, Uncle Yang, don't worry, I've been working hard all along." Lin Zhenhua replied with a forced smile.