Courtyard House: They all say I'm a good person

Chapter 31 A man who does not plan for the future will have trouble in the present.

Shen Zhishou felt that his first day at the steel rolling mill was pretty good.

That's right, the food in this canteen is nowhere near as good as what you get at the grain depot.

It's good enough that the food cooked in a large pot is edible.

Fortunately, Shen Zhishou was not someone who couldn't endure hardship.

It wasn't until the end of the workday, when Shen Zhishou walked out of the steel rolling mill almost together with Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu, that the two learned that Shen Zhishou had been transferred to work at the steel rolling mill.

"Xiao Shen, aren't you doing quite well at the grain station?"

Thinking about how Shen Zhishou worked at the grain station and could bring back meat and vegetables every night, Jia Dongxu was puzzled. Why would Shen Zhishou give up such a good job?

"It's really good!"

Shen Zhishou smiled and said, "If it were just Yu Li and me living together, the job at the grain station would be fine. But if we have a child, the salary at the grain station will be a bit lacking."

"Xiao Shen, what kind of work do you do at the steel rolling mill?"

Yi Zhonghai didn't care why Shen Zhishou left the grain station; he just wanted to know what Shen Zhishou was doing at the steel rolling mill.

Of course, if possible, he would also like to ask Shen Zhishou what connections he had made, since this job transfer is not much different from finding a new job.

Without strong connections, this kind of transfer wouldn't be possible.

"In the fitter's workshop, I learned fitter work from Master Song!"

Shen Zhishou gave his answer with a smile.

Upon hearing Shen Zhishou's reply, Yi Zhonghai's expression froze instantly.

There are quite a few fitters in the steel rolling mill, and although there are only a handful of eighth-grade fitters, Song Peiman is the absolute leader among them.

Both being level eight fitters, Yi Zhonghai could only admit defeat in the face of Song Peiman's skills.

If Shen Zhishou had apprenticed under someone else, Yi Zhonghai might have been able to fool him, but since Shen Zhishou was learning technology from Song Peiman, if Yi Zhonghai dared to spout nonsense, even if he had the favor of Director Yang, he wouldn't have a good time at the steel rolling mill.

"Master Song is very skilled. If you learn from him well, you're sure to achieve great things!"

"Of course, if you have any questions, you can ask me. My skills may not be as good as Master Song's, but they're still passable!"

Yi Zhonghai reluctantly expressed his goodwill.

Shen Zhishou smiled and nodded.

On the way back to the courtyard, Shen Zhishou turned into a studious child, discussing fitter techniques with Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu.

Yi Zhonghai could only patiently teach him.

Jia Dongxu seemed oblivious to Yi Zhonghai's impatience, and would occasionally offer his own insights, leaving Yi Zhonghai with no choice but to continue explaining.

"Master Yi, Master Jia, thank you so much for your guidance. I've learned a lot. I'll treat you to drinks another day!"

The profoundness of the Chinese language is brought to the fore here.

Another day, yeah, another day indeed!

As for when to reschedule, that depends on my mood.

Yu Li was inside the house when she heard voices coming from the alley, so she went to open the door.

Shen Zhishou returned shortly afterward.

For once, the Shen family's dinner was without meat, which puzzled the unsuspecting residents of the courtyard for a long time.

It wasn't until the next day that the residents of the courtyard learned that Shen Zhishou had transferred from the grain station to work at the steel rolling mill, and would become a fitter.

As a result, many people were discussing whether Shen Zhishou had lost his mind. How could he be willing to give up such a good job at the grain station?

Working in a steel rolling mill is so hard!

Moreover, this fitter skill is not easy to learn.

Haven't you seen Jia Dongxu? He's been a level 3 fitter for ten years.

Qin Huairu also found Yu Li and talked to her about the fitter.

"Yu Li, why did Shen Zhishou change jobs?"

"Working at the grain depot is so great!"

"Sister-in-law, working at the grain station is good, but the pay is low!"

Yu Li spoke earnestly, "Right now it's just the two of us, and life is certainly good and comfortable, but when we have children in the future, we'll have to spend money!"

"..."

Qin Huairu fell silent instantly.

When she first married into the Jia family, she lived a comfortable life.

At that time, she, who had a rural household registration, still owned land in the village and received a share of grain every year. Her mother-in-law also owned land and received a share of grain.

But then, everything changed!

They no longer have rationed food supplies; they can only buy grain at negotiated prices if they want to eat.

Alternatively, they could return to their village to farm and earn work points, only to receive some grain at the end of the year.

But she married Jia Dongxu precisely because she didn't want to suffer the hardships of farming.

As for her mother-in-law, there's no need to even think about it.

"Yu Li, being a fitter isn't an easy job."

"Look at my husband, after all these years, he's still just a level three fitter, and we're barely making ends meet!"

"However, at this point, it's too late to say anything!"

"You need to be mentally prepared for this in the future!"

Qin Huairu looked at Yu Li with some pity, thinking that she would end up like her and have to live a hard life.

Yu Li chuckled and said, "Sister-in-law, I trust my husband. He must have a plan in mind to choose to go to the steel mill."

"Besides, no matter how hard life is, we won't go hungry!"

"You're quite optimistic!"

Qin Huairu sighed softly.

Seeing her like this, Yu Li smiled, lowered her voice, and whispered, "Sister-in-law, let me tell you a secret. Actually, my husband goes out to find work to do every week when he has time off."

"If you're lucky, you can earn a few dollars a day!"

"Last time, he helped out at the train station and earned five yuan a day!"

Worried about scaring Qin Huairu, Yu Li didn't tell her about Shen Zhishou earning ten yuan and ten jin of cotton in one day last time. After all, she wanted Qin Huairu to be her sister, but before that was settled, she had to keep some secrets to herself.

However, even an income of five yuan a day is frightening enough.

Although Qin Huairu had never looked for work, she had heard some rumors about it.

Like Yan Jiecheng, many times he only earns a few cents a day.

Is the difference between people really that big?

Thinking back, Yu Li was originally going to marry Yan Jiecheng, but because of the house issue, she turned out to be a blessing in disguise and married such a capable man as Shen Zhishou.

The fate of a person in this life is truly unpredictable.

"Sister-in-law, if you ask me, you can't go on like this!"

"Your mother-in-law does nothing and relies on you for everything. Did you marry into the Jia family to be a servant?"

"In this world, men and women are equal!"

"It's true that Jia Dongxu works outside and earns a salary, but you stay home to do the laundry, cook, take care of his mother, and look after his child. You don't owe him anything!"

"Look at me, I do housework, laundry, and cooking. My husband's salary is all managed by me!"

"And you, are you the housekeeper?"

Yu Li knows how to touch people's hearts.

When Qin Huairu was in the Jia family, she would always ask Jia Dongxu or Jia Zhangshi for money whenever she wanted to buy something. Every time she asked for money, even though it was all spent by the family, they would still scold her, complaining that she was extravagant and telling her to be more frugal.

Thinking about these things, Qin Huairu felt utterly disheartened.