Qi Tongwei: Sign-in relationship started during student days

Chapter 538 Yang Yuanbao and Lao Huo

Yang Yuanbao is one of the four million laid-off workers in Hanjiang. Unfortunately, he is just a worker in an ordinary state-owned enterprise in Beishan City.

The gap between a central enterprise and a municipal state-owned enterprise is vividly reflected at this time.

Unlike the Hangang workers who still had some basic protection, his years of service were bought out for a few hundred yuan, and his subsequent protection was basically zero.

After being laid off, he, like most people, did nothing every day.

If his wife didn't still have a job and receive some salary every month, their family probably wouldn't be able to afford food.

He also thought about going out to find a job, but there were so many laid-off people that it was no exaggeration to say that in such an environment, if he wanted to find a job sweeping toilets, he needed an introduction from someone he knew.

For an ordinary person like him, there is no relationship at all. He can only lie at home and take on the housework that women should do.

In addition to doing housework, his task is to do everything he can to get some food and daily necessities, and the rotten vegetable leaves that no one wants in the vegetable market are his main target.

Even though they are rotten vegetable leaves, people still want to grab them.

At first he was a little embarrassed because most of the people who grabbed the rotten leaves were women.

Fortunately, his co-worker Lao Huo, who introduced him to the industry, led him in a charge. The bountiful harvest he returned with was enough to feed his family for three days, and his reputation became worthless.

After all, the world is big, and eating is the most important thing. The feeling of filling your stomach is really comfortable.

That day, as usual, he walked out of the house on time and came to an intersection, ready to meet up with his co-worker Lao Huo.

Lao Huo is not old, he is only in his thirties. It's just that he used to do hard work, and he doesn't care about his appearance, which makes people feel that his age is inconsistent.

Lao Huo doesn't like playing cards. His biggest hobby is reading and collecting newspapers. In his words, newspapers are the most intuitive way to understand national policies and world trends.

He scoffed at the idea. What financial crisis, what war rumors? How could they possibly have anything to do with a commoner like him? Could they even fill his stomach?

Lao Huo stopped talking and just said that he was a typical fool.

Today was really strange. After waiting on the street for a long time, Lao Huo, who was usually the most active, did not come to the vegetable market to meet him.

Seeing that time was running out and the vegetables would be sold out if he didn't go, Yang Yuanbao simply didn't wait and went into the vegetable market.

An hour later... Yang Yuanbao grabbed half a basket of rotten vegetable leaves and walked out of the vegetable market in a dishevel.

Sure enough, without a team, it was difficult to grab even a rotten vegetable leaf.

It’s all Lao Huo’s fault. If there were two of them, how could they not be able to beat those old ladies?

Lao Huo didn't show up at the agreed time, and Yang Yuanbao was both angry and a little worried.

Worried that something unexpected might have happened to Lao Huo.

In the past few years, he has seen countless people who were suddenly laid off because they could not accept the fact that they had been doing a job that had been passed down for decades. It was hard to understand.

That was a life where the factory was one's home. When the home was gone, people felt like they were useless. Many people lost their way and eventually went down a path of no return.

After thinking about it, Yang Yuanbao did not go back directly, but went to Lao Huo's house with the basket.

Lao Huo lived two streets away from him, and they used to be a co-worker in the same process.

Before reaching Lao Huo's house, Yang Yuanbao heard a sound of crying and laughing, and his heart was startled. Could it be?

Yang Yuanbao didn't dare to think about it, so he quickened his pace and saw a group of people gathered at Lao Huo's house.

The basket fell and rotten vegetable leaves fell all over the ground.

"Old Huo!" Yang Yuanbao was overwhelmed with grief, his legs went limp, and he started howling.

The crowd was quiet for a while, then started chattering again. Everyone had a complex expression of crying and laughing on their faces. Yang Yuanbao howled even louder.

At this moment, the crowd suddenly parted and a familiar face walked out, "Yuanbao, what are you howling for?"

"Lao Huo!? You are not dead?" Yang Yuanbao was stunned.

Lao Huo spat, "Ah, your uncle, you are the one who died. Good days are coming soon, so I don't want to die."

Seeing that Lao Huo was fine, Yang Yuanbao calmed down and picked up the rotten leaves on the ground while saying unhappily, "It's a good day, but I think you're confused. You didn't even go to the market to buy food today. I'm afraid you'll starve to death before the good days come. When you starve to death, I won't shed another tear for you."

Lao Huo ignored Yang Yuanbao's ramblings and instead joined him in picking up vegetable leaves with a smile. He then gestured to the cheering crowd, "Do you know what everyone's so happy about? The government is about to start giving us living allowances! I heard it's over 200 yuan a month per person, plus medical assistance. Plus, the municipal government is planning to organize everyone to work outside the province, with the government taking the lead. Don't you think good times are coming?"

Yang Yuanbao stood there in a daze, unable to believe his ears. "Where did you see that?"

"The newspaper! It was published this afternoon. I just saw it too." He pulled out a newspaper from his pocket and pointed to a photo on it. "Look, this is our new mayor, Qi Tongwei. He's the one who decided to give us money."

Yang Yuanbao took a look at the black and white image, which showed a dignified young man leaning over and shaking hands with a ragged middle-aged man in a friendly manner, with a group of laid-off workers in the background.

"I think I saw this person the day before yesterday."

Lao Huo sneered, "He's a big mayor, you've seen him before, I think you've seen him in a dream."

Yang Yuanbao examined it carefully and said with absolute certainty, "I've actually seen him. The day before yesterday, a large group of people came to inspect our place, and he was standing right in the front. Look, isn't the person in the newspaper from our street?"

Now it was Lao Huo's turn to be surprised. He beat his chest and stamped his feet, saying, "Oh, you are so lucky, kid. Why didn't I get such a good opportunity? It would be great if I could say a few words to the mayor. Then I would definitely be in the newspaper." He immediately searched through the newspaper again and saw Yang Yuanbao's head huddled in the corner. "So, did the mayor say anything to you?"

"I was sleeping that day and just took a glimpse from a distance. Later, people from the street came over to take a picture and called me out. I was afraid that it was something bad, so I hid in a corner." Yang Yuanbao spoke in a lower voice.

"You." The old man was very angry.

People who collect newspapers all have a wish, which is to collect a newspaper with themselves on it. As a result, the good thing that they didn’t encounter may be encountered by people around them.

It’s like you buy lottery tickets every day but never win, but your friend follows suit and buys one and wins the jackpot.

Yang Yuanbao didn't have time to study the things in the newspaper. He was concerned about the actual situation. "No, Lao Huo, are they really going to give out money? Didn't leaders come to inspect before, and they didn't do anything. Could it be fake?"

"That's true! It's already in the newspaper, so how can it be false? And let me analyze it for you. Think about it, being able to become mayor at such a young age, what does that mean?"

"What does that mean?" Yang Yuanbao looked confused.

"You're stupid! I told you to read the newspaper more, but you didn't. In our country, the younger the cadres, the higher their rank, and the greater their room for advancement. If you can be sent to be the mayor of our city, you'll probably end up there in the future." Lao Huo pointed to the sky, "So just wait to get your pay."

……