PFC Chapter 301 Triggering the Alarm
Chapter 301 Triggering the Alarm
Chapter 301 Triggering the Alarm
The dark clouds gradually dispersed, and the light drizzle eventually stopped. (Guess the idiom)
Wu Shanshan stared blankly for a moment before finally coming to her senses. "I've heard my parents say things like this before, and they always finish in a few minutes. Even then, Mom would say it takes too long. But why does it take you fifty minutes?"
Lin Dongzhe: "I exercise regularly."
"I really regret getting on your pirate ship!" Wu Shanshan said sarcastically, "Next month, I plan to go back to Suzhou to tell my family about my decision to stay in Shanghai."
Lin Dongzhe liked grapes, so he picked one up and put it in his mouth. "Why didn't you come back with us a few days earlier?"
Wu Shanshan didn't care. "I just want to avoid Zhuang Tunan's wedding. My mom will definitely say something bad if I give a gift, and she'll definitely give me a hard time when I go back. It'll be fine in a couple of days; she'll forget about it."
Not long after Zhuang Tunan's marriage, the cotton mill joined the ranks of those "breaking the three irons" (referring to breaking the three irons).
The cotton mill's performance has declined sharply, and the workers are just going through the motions, with little difference between going and not going. Even when they are at work, everyone does their own thing—some knit, some play chess—and they all seem quite content.
After careful consideration, the city government ultimately decided to take action and cut the cotton mill's losses.
Song Ying and Huang Ling also became "laid-off workers." Not completely laid off, but rather on unpaid leave. Paying fees keeps them on the social security list, and they can receive a pension when they reach retirement age.
When Wu Shanshan returned, she ran into Wu Jianguo at the alley entrance and was somewhat surprised, "Dad?"
Wu Jianguo is a relatively adaptable person. After all, he is the pillar of the family, and without a source of income, they would not be able to make ends meet.
After being laid off, he immediately regrouped and started looking for odd jobs on the roadside. With his relatively good carpentry skills, he was still able to get some work.
After Wu Jianguo and Wu Shanshan returned home, Wu Jianguo told Wu Shanshan about the situation at the factory, including the reactions of the workers. However, Wu Jianguo was not good with words and his explanation was unclear and he couldn't grasp the key points. Nevertheless, Wu Shanshan could still sense the workers' unease, dissatisfaction, and confusion.
Wu Shanshan was filled with emotion, realizing that with Lin Dongzhe's help, she had made a wise decision to gradually leave Suzhou!
"Dad, Mom, I'm graduating with my master's degree this year, and a foreign language school in Shanghai is willing to accept me. I've already signed a contract with them." This was Wu Shanshan's main reason for returning home.
The Wu family didn't have much of a problem with Wu Shanshan staying in Mohe. Zhang Amei had already made up her mind; it was fine for Xiaojun to stay in another city, as long as Xiaomin stayed in Suzhou. They could find a son-in-law to live with them in their old age.
Zhang Amei said in a fawning tone, "Shanshan, you're settling down in Shanghai now, and you're a graduate student. When you become successful, don't forget your younger siblings!"
Wu Shanshan smiled sincerely: "Don't worry, Mom, I will!"
It's true, she really would. She only cares about her younger brother, and as for Xiaomin, she wouldn't hesitate to lend a hand if she were in trouble. At least Xiaomin didn't kick her when she was down, and Wu Shanshan doesn't particularly dislike Xiaomin.
After staying at home for most of the day, Wu Shanshan went to No. 37 Courtyard in the evening to visit Song Ying and Huang Ling.
"Aunt Song, Aunt Huang!"
Song Ying and Huang Ling took the fruit from Wu Shanshan's hands. "Shanshan, you're all here, why bring all this stuff? We're all family!"
'They're definitely not outsiders,' Wu Shanshan thought to herself.
Wu Shanshan sat on the sofa with her legs together, looking very ladylike. "Aunt Song, Aunt Huang, I heard that the cotton mill has a new policy, so I came to see you."
"Shanshan, you're so kind! We're fine, everyone goes through this, we'll be alright in a couple of days!" Huang Ling forced a smile, but Wu Shanshan could tell at a glance that Huang Ling was uncomfortable.
Song Ying was a little better than Huang Ling, but her dissatisfaction was written all over her face, and she appeared more uncomfortable than Huang Ling.
"The news in Shanghai is relatively more up-to-date. Nationwide, not just in Suzhou, but many, many companies are undergoing restructuring. It's just that it's tough on people like us." Wu Shanshan held one in each hand, trying to offer a little warmth with her own hands.
Huang Ling's smile gradually faded. "I think when you were your age, you had already been working in the factory for several years. At that time, the factory was undergoing a technological upgrade. Your father was also in the factory then, working with the technicians in the technical department to modify the machines. We operators also worked overtime to learn new textile technologies. Whoever came up with a better idea would receive a higher honor."
As they spoke, both Huang Ling and Song Ying shed tears.
Song Ying continued, "Yes, back then, the whole factory was united, everyone was working like crazy, no matter how hard or tiring it was! The factory got better and better, more and more workshops, and more and more workers. Later, a kindergarten and a school were opened in the factory, everything was developing in a good direction. But..."
“The past is the past. The policies are what they are, and we can’t change them. We can only adapt to them.” Wu Shanshan was also quite downcast. Although the cotton mill was not her livelihood, she had grown up there and was still somewhat sentimental.
Back in Shanghai, Wu Shanshan found Lin Dongzhe and Zhuang Xiaoting. "You don't know yet, do you? The cotton mill has been restructured, and Aunt Huang and Aunt Song have both been laid off."
Zhuang Xiaoting hadn't realized the seriousness of the problem. "Laid off? That's not much different from before, is it? Before, the working hours were shorter than the holidays."
Lin Dongzhe pointed out Zhuang Xiaoting's misconception: "Before, the factory was still there and the workers' status was still there. We may not have a sense of identification with this worker's status, but it's different for the two of them. If they lose their worker status, they will definitely feel very bad."
Especially Huang Ling!
With summer vacation just around the corner, Lin Dongzhe and Zhuang Xiaoting took a few days off and returned to Suzhou ahead of schedule.
When the two returned, Huang Ling was about to go out to buy groceries. "Why are you back already? Didn't you say there were still a few days until the holiday?"
"Sister Shan said you were laid off, and we were worried about you, so we came back to check on you."
The first thing Zhuang Xiaoting said triggered a prohibited word: "laid off".
Huang Ling's face darkened quickly. "It's not a big deal, is it worth making such a fuss about?"
Some people are afraid of being idle. When they're working, there's nothing to do, but once they retire, all sorts of problems appear. Just like Huang Ling, she experienced strong emotional fluctuations and found fault with everyone.
In the end, Lin Dongzhe found new jobs for the two of them. It was somewhat similar to the foreign trade order that Li Yiming had done in Shanghai, where Huang Ling and Song Ying made some handmade jewelry at home, strung them together to create patterns, and then took them to Shanghai to sell.
During his time trading stocks, Lin Dongzhe met several decent businessmen, including one who made handmade jewelry. Lin Dongzhe could source his goods from this man. Making money was secondary; neither of them were short of cash. According to the man, this wasn't even worth the trouble; he was simply doing Lin Dongzhe a favor.