Siheyuan: Starting from the driver

Chapter 789 Returning Home!

Time flies, and half a month has passed.

Press the "Buzz" button and the motor will start smoothly.

The heavy chuck slowly began to rotate, and the annoying clanging noise from the spindle box disappeared, replaced by a steady, powerful sound of operation.

"Hey! It's really fixed!"

"Technician Jin, your skills are absolutely amazing!"

The workers watching started talking all at once.

"Technician Jin, your experience is truly amazing!"

"Yes, just like an old-fashioned technician!"

"Our factory has gained another capable person!"

Jin Jianxian just smiled sheepishly and waved his hand: "It's nothing. I just happen to know this. I used to do this kind of work a lot when I worked in the parts factory."

He tidied up his tools, habitually wiping them clean and arranging them neatly.

"Let's go."

Jin Jianxian looked at Li Kailang, who was standing to the side.

"Wow, that's impressive. You adapted in less than two weeks."

"Oh, not at all. I have to thank you for helping me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to adapt so quickly."

For the past two weeks, following Director Wang's instructions, Li Kailang took Jin Jianxian around the workshop whenever he had free time.

It's less about "leading" and more about "traveling together".

Jin Jianxian was like a dry sponge, quickly absorbing everything from the steel rolling mill.

He had looked through all the piles of blueprints, and whenever he encountered unfamiliar terms, he would grab Li Kailang and ask him for clarification.

In about half a month, just like Li Kailang, he went through all the blueprints.

With years of experience working in a parts factory, Jin Jianxian's progress in the past two weeks has been remarkable.

The technical staff went from initial observation and curiosity to genuine acceptance and admiration, a process that was surprisingly fast.

Everyone in the technical department thought he was another Li Kailang.

However, upon closer reflection, Kim Geon-hyun has many years of work experience and is quite capable, so it's acceptable.

However, this only highlights Li Kailang's uniqueness.

The repaired lathes were put back into production, and the familiar roaring rhythm returned to the workshop.

Jin Jianxian and Li Kailang walked side by side toward the technical department office.

"Tomorrow is National Day, a three-day holiday. What are your plans?"

Jin Jianxian paused, a mixture of anticipation and trepidation on his face.

"Yes," he responded, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of cheerfulness, "I'm planning to go back to my hometown in the countryside."

"go back home?"

“Yes.” Jin Jianxian rubbed his hands together and looked out the window. “When I first started working at the factory, I was unsure of myself and didn’t dare to go back and tell them. Now that I’ve settled in, I’m planning to go back and tell them.”

Jin Jianxian came from the countryside, and he didn't dare tell his family about such a big thing as changing jobs.

Now that I've finally settled down, my treatment and everything are much better than before. Most importantly, I have a bicycle, and only now do I feel confident enough to go back and talk to my family.

“It’s good to go back.” Li Kailang nodded.

Jin Jianxian turned his head. "And what about you? How are you planning to spend these three days?"

He knew that Li Kailang had always lived alone.

Li Kailang shrugged: "I'll probably just stay home? Or go out for a walk and get some fresh air."

"Why don't you go out and have some fun? Or watch a movie?" Jin Jianxian tried to suggest.

Li Kailang gave a slightly helpless smile: "Play? What's there to play? There are only a few places in the city. You've lived in the city for several years now. What's so fun about it?"

"As for movies? It's the same few films over and over again, I can almost recite them by heart. There are too many people and too much noise in crowded places."

"The year 59 was the best, so lively!"

Jin Jianxian nodded silently. The past two years were indeed lively, and he even missed them. It was all because of the bad environment!

The neighborhood committee didn't hold any events this year.
The two returned to the technical department.

Li Kailang had barely sat down when Xiao Zhao called him, "Brother Li, there's a job in the workshop."

"I'll go right now." He immediately got up and followed Xiao Zhao straight to the workshop.

Jin Jianxian tidied up his desk, preparing to leave work.

At this moment, Engineer Liu walked over, smiling, and said, "Xiao Jin, how are you? Getting used to it?"

"Engineer Liu, it's alright, I'm adapting quite well," Jin Jianxian replied, a simple and honest smile on his face, but a hint of caution in his eyes.

When he first started working, Li Kailang had warned him about Engineer Liu.

"That's good, that's good." Engineer Liu nodded. "You've made amazing progress in the past two weeks. You can even compare your blueprints with that kid Li Kailang's."

"Tsk tsk, he's a true master craftsman, with a solid foundation. He's sure to become an engineer someday!"

Jin Jianxian has no expectations of becoming an engineer.

"You flatter me, Engineer Liu. I still have a long way to go before I can become an engineer," Jin Jianxian said modestly.

"Oh, you're too modest! Too modest!" Engineer Liu waved his hand, leaned forward again, lowered his voice, and glanced seemingly unintentionally at the direction of Li Kailang's empty seat.

"However, Xiao Jin, there's something I feel I have to tell you, so you don't suffer any losses."

Jin Jianxian's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm: "Engineer Liu, what do you say?"

“Look,” Engineer Liu rubbed his fingers together, “Li Kailang is indeed quite capable, no doubt about that. Director Wang put him in charge of you because he values ​​him. But…”

He deliberately drew out his words, observing Kim Geon-hyun's reaction.

"Young people, sometimes, well, they're a bit arrogant, or rather, afraid of being outdone by others."

“You learn so quickly, you might even surpass him. People can’t handle a drop in performance.”

Upon hearing this, Kim Geon-hyun frowned almost imperceptibly.

Sure enough, this Engineer Liu had no good intentions and was simply lying through his teeth.

"Old Li has been very good to me, and he's been very patient with me in teaching me." Jin Jianxian's tone became a bit more serious, no longer the polite one he had been earlier.

Engineer Liu clearly didn't achieve the desired effect; his smile froze for a moment, then quickly brightened again.
"Patience? Of course, it's a task assigned by Director Wang! Xiao Jin, you're an honest person, so you might not have thought about it deeply. I was just afraid you were too honest."

"The technical department is a deep and complex place. You're new here and don't know anything yet, so you need to observe more."

"You're learning so fast, be careful he doesn't say anything to the director later. After all, you just came from the parts factory, your background is still shallow."

That's a bit of a sarcastic remark.

Kim Geon-hyun's heart sank completely.

"Mr. Liu, you're overthinking it. Old Li is an upright man with excellent skills. I've learned a lot from him."

"Whether it's credit or not, it's all factory work. The important thing is to fix the machines and draw the diagrams correctly. The director will make the final decision."

Upon hearing this, Liu's smile finally faltered, and his eyes flickered, revealing a hint of embarrassment and displeasure.

He knew that his plan to sow discord had probably failed with Kim Geon-hyun.

"Fine, you go ahead with your work." With that, he slunk away.

He had originally planned to sow discord between the two, but he never expected their relationship to be so strong.

But it's alright, 'good things come to those who wait,' and perseverance will eventually pay off; just drive in a nail.

After a while, Li Kailang returned.

Jin Jianxian didn't tell him immediately; Engineer Liu was still watching over things in the department.

After he closed the door, Jin Jianxian immediately pulled Li Kailang out to explain.

"That bastard, he stirred up trouble here, he deserves to die!"

"They're not that technically skilled, yet they waste their energy on sowing discord and backstabbing!"

With so many people present, Li Kailang naturally made sure to find out about Engineer Liu's situation.

An unlicensed engineer who doesn't focus on his work but instead tries to sow discord is no wonder that Director Wang and Engineer Ling look down on him.

"Alright, just leave this to your own devices. If he weren't still holding the title of engineer, Director Wang would have dealt with him long ago."

"Once we become engineers, this bastard will naturally slink away with his tail between his legs. Just ignore him."

No matter what, Engineer Liu is at least a senior technician with some ability, and he can at least help with tasks and share the burden.

People looked down on his behavior and didn't really want to lose a valuable member of the workforce.

"Okay." Jin Jianxian nodded, understanding what was going on.

"Okay, it's getting late, you should pack up and figure out how to leave work," Li Kailang said.

The two returned to the technical department, where many people were packing up to leave work, creating a cheerful atmosphere.

Jingle Bell--

The workday bell finally rang!

In an instant, a large number of workers poured out of the workshop and rushed straight to the gate.

“Get off work and get off work!”

"We're on holiday! Three days off!"

Everyone left the steel rolling mill in high spirits.

"Hey, Lao Zhang, how are you going to get through these three days?"

"What else can we do but stay home! It's a real shame the neighborhood committee didn't organize any activities this year!"

Upon hearing this, many workers echoed and agreed.

"Yes, those cultural performances a couple of years ago were really good. We even got to watch the girls from the performing arts troupe perform for a while! Thinking about it now, I really miss those days."

"Absolutely! The performance was great, and the girls were beautiful too, it's a pity we couldn't see it."

The workers, in twos and threes, couldn't help but feel sorry.

Everyone shared their own ideas on how to celebrate the holiday.

Upon hearing the bell, Jin Jianxian hurriedly greeted everyone and then rushed to the supply and marketing cooperative on his bicycle.

The supply and marketing cooperative was bustling with people, mostly workers and their families rushing to make purchases before the holiday.

Jin Jianxian squeezed into the crowd, his goal clear: two bottles of sweet potato wine, some snacks, and a small bag of sugar.

He planned to give the white sugar to his mother, the pastries to his nephews and nieces to sweeten their mouths, and the liquor to his father and eldest brother.

These things are rare in the countryside, especially the white sugar and snack coupons, which he had deliberately saved using the food coupons issued by the factory.

Watching the salesperson wrap the pastries into square shapes with rough straw paper and tie them with paper string, Kim Geon-hyun's face broke into a simple, honest smile, as if he could already see the surprised expressions on his family's faces.

"Technician Jin, you've bought so many nice things, are you going back to your hometown?" a familiar worker called out.

"Yes, I'll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning," Jin Jianxian replied with a smile, his tone revealing undisguised cheerfulness.

"Having a bicycle is so convenient! Be careful on the road!"

"Okay, thank you!"

Carrying the heavy net bag out, Jin Jianxian carefully hung the items on the handlebars and reinforced them with a rope.

Back home, after tidying up his belongings, Jin Jianxian took out all of his salary for the month.

He only worked half the month, so he can only receive half of his salary, 24.25 yuan.

Director Yang wanted to give more, but he also had to abide by the factory rules and regulations.

"That's quite a lot." Jin Jianxian was overjoyed as he received the salary.

He works at a parts factory, and since becoming a full-time employee, he has never been promoted and has remained at 42.5 yuan.

Those who opposed him, such as Wang Lixing and Mu Guangfu, received promotions and raises, but he never did.

When he first came to the steel rolling mill, he earned 48.5 yuan. After working there for a year and becoming a regular employee, his salary would be 55 yuan.

对他来说，他的工资直接是从42块5直升到55块，足足多了12块5。

With an extra 10 yuan, he could make a living in the city. With such good treatment, why would he stay at the parts factory?

He also recently heard that the parts factory ran into some problems without him repairing the machines, and it was almost not resolved properly.

I heard that those two people were given a severe scolding by Bao Daxing, and they were so humiliated that they ran away in terror.

Besides work, he also learned from Xiao Zhao and the other two that they were not doing well at night school either.

Three consecutive pieces of good news made Jin Jianxian feel even more attached to the steel rolling mill.

He carefully put the money close to his body, and then carefully checked the sweet potato wine, pastries, and sugar packets he had bought for his family, wrapping them tightly with old newspapers and strips of cloth.

"I have to get up early tomorrow morning to go back. It will take at least three or four hours to ride back, and I also need to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances."

Kim Geon-hyun had prepared things in case his bicycle got into an accident on the road.

After everything was prepared, Jin Jianxian washed up and went to bed early.

The sky outside the window was just beginning to lighten.

Jin Jianxian took a deep breath of the crisp, cool air, pushed his beloved bicycle, and went out the door.

A chilly wind brushed past his ears, dispelling the last bit of his drowsiness, and an indescribable excitement and anticipation surged in his chest.

He has been working in the city for many years since he left his rural hometown. Every time he goes back, he is preoccupied with worries, afraid that he will not make a name for himself and cause his family concern.

This time, however, he stood up straight. The heavy bicycle frame carried not only the gift but also proof that he had settled down in the city and had a future to look forward to.

He wanted to show his parents, his elder brother and sister-in-law, and all the villagers who had watched him come out of the mud that he, Jin Jianxian, had gained a foothold in a big factory in the city and that there was hope for the future!

The wheels keep turning.

The scenery along the road changed from neat brick houses to low adobe farmhouses, and then to vast fields of golden rice paddies that looked somewhat desolate after the harvest.

The rice straw stacks piled high on the ridges of the fields looked like silent little hills.

The air was filled with a mixture of smells of soil, dry grass, and burning straw.

Occasionally, farmers who get up early to go to the fields, wrapped in thick old cotton-padded coats and carrying hoes or loads, would cast surprised and envious glances at Jin Jianxian, who was riding a brand-new bicycle and wearing clean work clothes.

Looking at the familiar fields and villages on both sides of the road, Jin Jianxian's heart began to beat faster involuntarily.

The closer you get to the village, the stronger that feeling of "being apprehensive about returning home" becomes.

Leaving the parts factory for the steel rolling mill, although the pay was better and I even got a bicycle, it was still a big deal to leave my hometown and change jobs.

What will his parents think? Will they think he's restless? Will his older brother and sister-in-law think he's a burden on the family?
(End of this chapter)