Xu Siman changed into clothes with fewer patches, and his hair had been cut. It was clearly Zhao Yunxiang's doing. A fine, scholarly middle-aged handsome man was turned into something resembling a traitor, his hair slicked back with water, shining, which was even more comical.
Xie Sui endured with the patience of two lifetimes to keep from laughing. He couldn't help it; this was the aesthetic of the era, and one had to respect it.
"Get in the car, let's go. Doudou, Dingding, be good at home. Dad will buy you tasty things when he gets back."
Doudou and Dingding were a little unhappy. "Can't we go with you?"
"Of course!"
Before the two could feel happy, Xie Sui added, "When Dad gets a house ready, you'll have to go to kindergarten. You won't have a choice even if you don't want to.
Lads, cherish this time of carefree play. Say goodbye to Dad!"
"Goodbye, Dad."
The two immediately drooped. Kindergarten? How terrifying!
Seeing their looks, Xie Sui burst into laughter. Lin Wanwan shot him a glare. "You're enjoying scaring them now. When it's time to send them to school, you'll do it. I won't."
Xie Sui's laughter abruptly stopped. He had forgotten about that. But he didn't care. "I'll definitely go. Leave it to me. It's no big deal."
Countless times later, Xie Sui deeply regretted his words that day. The most difficult thing, even more so than tutoring homework, was sending children to kindergarten. He almost had to bring out an airplane to get his sons to go in and attend classes. As long as they went to school, he would agree to anything. Sudan Novel Network.
Zhang Wenfeng came to work today with a grim expression. Xie Sui didn't ask much. Everyone had their own petty troubles. His wife wasn't a good person either.
As expected, Zhang Wenfeng said to him on the way, "Brother Xie, can I have an advance on my salary?"
Xie Sui asked, "Are you having difficulties at home? How much do you need?"
"One, one hundred yuan."
Zhang Wenfeng found it hard to say. For their family, a hundred yuan was half a year's income. Brother Xie had never owed him money and paid him such a high salary. Where else could he find such a good job?
But his wife was making such a fuss that she was threatening to go back to her parents' home, so he had no choice but to shamelessly ask.
"Alright, Wanwan, give it to him later. Uncle Xu, the factory's payroll and attendance system need to be set up properly. You'll be responsible for these things from now on."
"Sure thing, don't worry."
Zhang Wenfeng didn't say what it was for, and Xie Sui didn't ask. Asking too much would only embarrass him.
They traveled in silence. Upon arriving at the factory, Xu Siman quickly got into his stride and started managing the factory's accounts. His handwriting was beautiful, like print, with its own character.
"Uncle Xu, that's impressive. Just based on this handwriting, being an accountant here is beneath you."
Xu Siman said happily, "Uncle Xu graduated from Jingda back in the day. How could my handwriting be bad?"
"What? Graduated from Jingda? Uncle Xu, you are truly great for being willing to stay in our small village. You're so much better than those who abandoned their wives."
Xie Sui was truly impressed. For men, career and power came first. A wife could be remarried, and any child was a child. With money, wouldn't he have a wife and children?
But to abandon everything and stay with his wife through thick and thin, Xie Sui had only met him.
Xu Siman said, "I'm tired. I don't want to run around anymore. Only by staying home do I have a home. Don't pester me, you kid, go about your business."
Xie Sui prepared an accounting office for him. Now there was only him, holding multiple positions but busy and happy. Being able to realize his value in his own field was what made him happiest.
Lin Wanwan was in the room making cream. Xie Sui had specifically bought a oscillating fan so his wife wouldn't get too hot. Lin Wanwan watched him happily busy installing the fan, and her lips couldn't help but curl up. This guy was so thoughtful, making it impossible for her to be hard-hearted.
"Alright, Wanwan, you don't need to overexert yourself. We can do it together when I get back. I'm going out for a bit."
"Go ahead. It's not hard, much easier than working in the fields."
"Later, I'll find two reliable people to do this. You can rest every day and just take care of the children. I'm leaving now."
Lin Wanwan smiled. Was this considered reaching the end of hardship? The hardest times were over, so what was this little bit of hardship?
Shaking her head, she didn't think too much about it. She was also a restless person. Once the children started school, she would still come to the factory to help. How could she entrust things to outsiders if she didn't oversee them herself?
Xie Sui went to find Ye Feng's father, Ye Yong. He worked in machinery and Xie Sui wanted to see if the trailer's rear compartment could be modified into a refrigerated unit so they could transport ice cream to the town and double their sales.
However, when he arrived at the factory, the guard said, "Ye Yong? He was reported for doing private work and has been ordered to suspend his duties."
"What? Suspended? Who is so heartless to report him?"
Handing him a pack of cigarettes, the guard whispered, "I heard it was the workshop director. But who knows about these things? Ye Yong is being wronged. He didn't steal anything from the factory, he just did some private work after work. The workshop director is targeting him."
"Why? Uncle, are all the people in your factory this bad? Do you have to scheme just to work?"
"Young man, you don't understand. There's only so much room. To arrange your own person, you have to have a spot occupied."
Xie Sui understood. Ye Yong's position was in the way, and they wanted to push him out and put their own man in.
Xie Sui inquired about Ye Yong's address and rode his bicycle over.
It was an old-fashioned apartment building where multiple families shared a faucet and toilet on each floor. Some homes, up to forty to fifty square meters, housed over ten people. This was Xie Sui's first time in such a place.
The neighbors were very friendly and curious. Seeing him as a well-behaved young man dressed fashionably, they led him to the Ye family's home. On the way, they gossiped, "Old Ye was caught reselling factory goods and suspended. Are you here to comfort him?"
Xie Sui was silent. This matter was more serious than he thought. It wasn't just about a job; it concerned the Ye family's reputation. With so many people living in one building, those strange glances and gossip were immensely damaging to the Ye family.
"No, Uncle Ye is innocent. He didn't resell factory goods. This matter is still under investigation. Grandma, please don't spread rumors."
"You've been neighbors with Uncle Ye for so many years, how can you believe such gossip?"
The old woman chuckled dryly, "Is that so? Then I must have misheard."
"But the suspension is true, isn't it? Would the factory wrongly accuse him?"
Xie Sui said, "That's not necessarily true. Factories aren't absolutely fair. Even people in prison can be wrongly accused, let alone a factory with so many leaders and so much infighting. Uncle Ye is being framed and will soon have his name cleared."
The old woman had nothing more to say. If she continued, she would have completely offended the Ye family. The Ye family's matriarch was known for her sharp tongue, and if she found out, she'd likely stand at her door and curse her out.