Siheyuan: I just came across and wanted to chase me away

A faint smile appeared on Lu Jia's lips—she didn't really care about He Yuzhu's meager salary at all. Her family's savings were more than enough for an ordinary family to live on for eight or ten years; she had never cared about such petty gains. But when she heard He Yuzhu talk about the power struggles in the factory, especially the open and covert battles between Deputy Factory Director Li and Gu Nan, her eyes lit up, as if she had found a new and interesting toy. Her tone became more intrigued: "Brother Zhu, I have a different idea. Would you like to hear it?"

He Yuzhu was so anxious that he was scratching his head. Hearing this, he quickly moved forward, his elbow almost touching the edge of the table: "What's your idea? Just say it directly, don't beat around the bush. I'm as anxious as if I have a rabbit in my heart."

Lu Jia slowly picked up a rag and carefully wiped the white porcelain bowl in her hands. The glaze shone brightly, reflecting the light in her eyes. Her voice was calm, as if she were talking about something perfectly ordinary: "I know you're a good cook. That's your asset and your confidence. You can't break off relations with Deputy Factory Director Li—think about it, he's in charge of logistics, and the canteen is on his turf. If you could get some help from him to get you promoted to canteen manager or something, it would be better than being a kitchen apprentice, right? At least you'd have more dignity, and your words would carry weight in the factory, and you wouldn't have to be beholden to anyone anymore."

He Yuzhu's eyes widened as he listened, nodding repeatedly like a pestle pounding garlic, spitting almost as he spoke: "Lu Jia, what you said hit the nail on the head! I've been wanting to move up a rank for a long time, but I'm stuck in the kitchen all day, when will it ever end! Are you suggesting that I just side with Deputy Director Li and be on his side?"

Lu Jia shook her head, her fingertips tracing a faint arc along the smooth rim of the bowl. "That's too absolute. We need to rely on Deputy Factory Director Li, but we can't abandon Gu Nan either." She paused, a shrewd glint in her eyes, like a fox that had spotted its prey. "We shouldn't offend either side. We should maintain the necessary connections and make necessary arrangements, steadily observing which side gains the upper hand. Once one side has a clear advantage, we can then focus our efforts on that side. That's the safest approach, allowing us to attack or defend as needed."

He Yuzhu's excitement immediately faded, and he frowned, looking troubled: "You know my relationship with Gu Nan—we almost got into a fight in the yard a while ago because of Xu Damao's little problem. Now, even if I talk to him, he might not pay any attention to me. How can I rely on him?"

Lu Jia put down her bowl, looked at his worried face, and couldn't help but laugh: "Brother Zhu, you can't do this, but I can." She raised her chin, her tone confident, "Have you forgotten? Ran Qiuye and I are getting along very well now. We even went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some cloth yesterday. She's easygoing, so I'll find an excuse to talk to her properly, subtly mentioning your difficulties. I don't believe Gu Nan won't give us any leeway."

He Yuzhu hesitated, opening his mouth to speak: "But..." He always felt that this matter was not fair, wavering between the two sides, like a reed in the wind. If either side found out, he was afraid he would not get any good results from either side.

Lu Jia interrupted him, her smile fading and her tone becoming more serious: "Alright, I know what you mean, you just think it's dishonorable to do this. But you also need to know that Gu Nan is completely ignoring you right now. Even if you go out of your way to get close to him, he might not appreciate it. On the other hand, Deputy Factory Director Li is clearly trying to give you a hand. If you miss this opportunity, it will be difficult to climb up the ranks again."

She picked up the teapot on the table and poured He Yuzhu a cup of cold tea: "You should weigh it yourself. Is it more important to save face or to be able to live with your head held high in the future?"

He Yuzhu frowned even more as he looked at the tea leaves swirling in his cup. Lu Jia's words were like a needle, piercing the unrealistic thoughts in his heart, but if he actually did as she said, he would feel uneasy all over.

He Yuzhu was speechless for a moment after being shut up by Lu Jia's words. He opened his mouth, but couldn't think of a reply for a long time. Lu Jia, however, seemed to have made up her mind. She looked at him seriously and said, "Zhuzi, go to Deputy Factory Director Li first thing tomorrow morning and have a good talk with him. I think Deputy Factory Director Li has a good chance of winning the factory director position this time. If you put in a good word for him now, he'll definitely remember it in the future."

He Yuzhu paused for a moment, then thought that what he said made sense, and nodded: "Okay, I'll go see Deputy Factory Director Li tomorrow and have a good talk with him then."

Lu Jia didn't say anything more, turning to look out the window. The courtyard was quiet in the night, but a calculating glint flashed in her eyes—the most important thing right now was to get close to Ran Qiuye. As long as she could get along with Ran Qiuye like sisters, she would have another handle to deal with Gu Nan in the future. Gu Nan, you wait, this score will be settled sooner or later.

After finishing his sentence, He Yuzhu prepared to rest, pondering how to approach Deputy Factory Director Li—after all, when he was the head chef, he had looked down on Deputy Factory Director Li's slick personality and often gave him the cold shoulder. Now, it would be too embarrassing for him to take the initiative to approach him. But then he thought about it again and realized that Lu Jia was right; having more friends meant having more options. So he stopped worrying about it, took off his coat, and lay down on the bed.

The moment his head hit the pillow, he started snoring and slept like a log. Looking at his carefree attitude, Lu Jia felt a surge of anger, but quickly suppressed it—it wasn't worth getting angry at someone like him. She had only one goal now: to deal with Gu Nan. As for everything else, including the child in her womb, they were merely her protective shield; they would be used when needed.

The lights were still on at Liu Haizhong's house next door. Liu Haizhong took a sip of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), his cheeks flushed, and excitedly said to an older woman, "You have no idea, Gu Nan and Deputy Factory Director Li are vying for the factory director position. This is a great opportunity for me!"

An older woman, sewing shoe soles, nodded: "Who are you planning to ask to do the stitching?"

“There’s no hope with Gu Nan,” Liu Haizhong said, pursing his lips. “You know that kid doesn’t care about us old neighbors at all. Trying to get close to him is just asking for trouble. But it’s different with Deputy Factory Director Li. He’s short-staffed right now. If I help him out, I might get a small position, even just a logistics clerk. That’s better than being a nobody in the factory!”

The old woman paused her needlework, her eyes gleaming: "If it works out, that would be wonderful. Jianjun won't have to worry about going to the countryside anymore, and you'll be a minor official. In the future, in the courtyard, even if you don't surpass Gu Nan, at least the neighbors won't dare to bully our family anymore."

Liu Haizhong was getting happier and happier as he thought about it. He took another swig of wine, and the glass clinked against the table. "Of course! Once I've established myself in the factory, let's see who dares to look down on us!" he said, filling his glass again and grinning from ear to ear.