mchenry-crisis.org Chapter 18 Work
Chapter 18 Work
"I'm finally going to take the electrician's certificate exam. I even spent a whole day at the library, wasting a whole day of fishing time."
Fishing was a simple, repetitive task, and time quickly passed to the end of June. Jia Dongjin had been eagerly anticipating this day and night. To be on the safe side, he even spent a day at the library, finally getting his electrician's certificate exam.
The assessment was organized by the Labor Bureau and consisted of a written test and a practical test. During the written test, Jia Dongjin ran into an acquaintance, Yan Jiecheng.
For veteran electrician Jia Dongjin, the written test was incredibly easy; he finished answering the questions in just a few swipes.
Jia Dongjin dared not hand in his paper too early. He gritted his teeth and checked it five times, then rested for a while before finally finishing the first round of written tests.
Seeing that the candidate was behaving strangely, the chief invigilator assigned someone to keep a close eye on Jia Dongjin, and even went up to check Jia Dongjin's answer sheet himself. In the end, he was persuaded to leave by Jia Dongjin's beautiful calligraphy.
For Jia Dongjin, the practical exercises were even simpler, making him unable to stand them at any moment.
After finally finishing the practical exam, Jia Dongjin handed in his photo. After the photo was checked and found to be correct, he finally received a small blue booklet with the words "Electrician Certificate" printed on it.
"The first step in a long march is just the beginning."
Looking at the electrician's certificate in his hand, Jia Dongjin was extremely excited, and his eyes even became a little moist. For more than a month since he transmigrated, he had been numbing himself with hard work and not thinking about his life in his previous life.
Now, in this lifetime, in this era that countless people will never forget, he finally has something to rely on for a living.
As long as he has a job, he's fine with it; he's not picky about food.
Jia Dongjin knew very well that as long as he didn't do anything reckless, with his foresight, it shouldn't be difficult for him to have a stable little life.
"Director Wang, Aunt Wang, I studied hard for a month and finally got my electrician's license. I kept my word and didn't let you down." Worried that things might go wrong if he delayed, Jia Dongjin didn't dare to linger. He didn't even go home and went straight to the street office to see the long-lost Director Wang.
Director Wang was about to leave work when she saw Jia Dongjin scratching his head in frustration. She couldn't help but smile and say, "Look how anxious you are. I keep my word. If you have an electrician's license, you can get a job, and you can choose whichever you like."
"Aunt Wang, can you pick and choose your job?"
Jia Dongjin breathed a sigh of relief, feeling instantly at ease, but outwardly he still stood properly. The situation was excellent; he had always worried that his workplace was too far away, so far that he would have to live at the workplace every day, or waste a lot of time on the road, which would be tantamount to wasting his life.
In his past life, he had a colleague who commuted from Yanjiao to Northwest Wang every day to work. He was living a life of luxury because he was burdened with a mortgage in Yanjiao. Jia Dongjin, however, did not want to live such a life. He had the lazyness that was typical of locals.
Previously, the four city walls of Sijiu were inhabited by Manchus, and Han Chinese were not allowed to live there. Only because service workers were needed, such as selling vegetables and making clothes, did some Han Chinese move in to work in the tertiary industry to serve the Manchus.
As time passed and history changed, the number of Han people in Beijing increased, and eventually the status of the Manchus plummeted. They no longer had the heroic spirit of harvesting crops with swords and spears, and even adopted Han surnames on a large scale. The Han people began to rise again.
During Puyi's reign, the total number of Manchu nobles on record exceeded 3200 million. However, after his abdication, within just a few years, the total number of Manchu nobles, according to statistics at the time, had dwindled to less than 8. In just a few years, the Manchu nobility essentially disappeared.
In fact, these people did not disappear; rather, most of them chose Han surnames, such as "Na" and "Tong," and thus became "Han people."
However, the remnants of the old regime in Beijing have left a strong mark on this ancient yet young city.
Carrying birdcages, emphasizing food and clothing, and respecting rules are ingrained traits in the genes of some locals, regardless of whether they are Manchu or Han, and Jia Dongjin is no exception.
Because of his beautiful handwriting, Director Wang of the neighborhood office had a deep impression of Jia Dongjin. With a smile on her face, she pointed at Jia Dongjin with her finger and said, "You, Jia Dongjin, I haven't seen you for a month. How come you've gotten so tanned that you look like an African? The only white thing on your body is your teeth. If you lie down at night, you probably won't be able to see anyone. But if you open your mouth, you'll scare someone to death."
As the director of the subdistrict office, Director Wang held a high rank, a proper division-level leader. At this moment, however, she didn't act arrogantly. She checked the electrician's certificate, then took out a notebook, flipped through it for a while, and finally looked up and said, "There are currently three units short of electricians: the Public Security Bureau, the Power Supply Bureau, and the steel rolling mill. Electricians are skilled workers, and their wages are higher than ordinary workers. Starting as a first-level worker, the salary is 30 yuan and 5 cents. Which one do you choose?"
"Aunt Wang, you're very knowledgeable, could you give me some advice?"
Finding a job is a major life decision, and Jia Dongjin dared not make a decision lightly. In his opinion, all the companies were good, especially the first two.
"Work at the Public Security Bureau is easy, but promotions are difficult; promotions at the Power Supply Bureau are fast, but you often need to work in the field, which is tough, but the compensation is good; the Steel Rolling Mill is a good company, with compensation somewhere in between."
After thinking for two minutes, Jia Dongjin made a decision, "Aunt Wang, I choose the steel rolling mill. Many of my neighbors in the courtyard work at the steel rolling mill, so we can look out for each other."
He was always working, and he suddenly thought of the future storms. In comparison, the steel rolling mill would be the least affected in the future. Moreover, the work was not like that of the power supply bureau, where he had to work in the field and was exhausted. As long as his electrician level could be improved, the salary at the steel rolling mill would be just as good.
The crucial point is that, after spending more than a month together, even Jia Dongjin himself didn't realize that he no longer felt any resistance towards the Jia family. His outburst on the banks of the Chaobai River had already revealed his true feelings.
Both Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu behaved normally, without the unreasonable demands and attempts to seduce Sha Zhu seen in TV dramas, and the neighbors in the courtyard did not act too out of line.
Jia Dongjin was neither a man of great talent nor a technological elite; he was just an ordinary electrician, and in his previous life, he was even synonymous with a good-for-nothing. Even after transmigrating, he had no grand ambitions and only wanted happiness and peace.
"A wife, children, and a warm bed"—these seven words represent Jia Dongjin's ideal life. As long as he has enough money, he can find a beautiful wife and live a peaceful and comfortable life. Isn't that wonderful?
Right now, Jia Dongjin is only working hard to catch fish in the river so he won't go hungry. Once he gets a job and survives the three years of hardship, with his simple skills, just like in some TV dramas from his previous life, he'll be living a life of perfect happiness.
Because it's a lower-level show, it certainly can't compare to shows like "Parents' Love" or "Passion Burning," but it already surpasses the lives of over 90% of Chinese people, and he's quite content with his modest wealth.
Jia Dongjin doesn't ask for much. Love and passion are luxuries for him. He just wants to have family affection. With his personality, he can treat his wife with respect without any problem. As long as she's pretty, she'll be pleasing to the eye in the living room and bedroom. He just wants to enjoy a peaceful and comfortable life.
The only person who made Jia Dongjin unhappy was none other than Uncle Yan Fugui, who had the best online reputation. Being neighbors with Yan Fugui was almost like a misfortune for Jia Dongjin; he had to worry about Yan Fugui spying on him even when he was eating fish, which was both annoying and impossible to guard against.
"I bet you'll choose the steel rolling mill. It's a big, reputable company with good benefits. Your sister-in-law also works there, so you can look out for each other."
After Jia Dongjin chose his workplace, Director Wang took out a letter of introduction, filled it out quickly, and then said to Jia Dongjin seriously, "Comrade Jia Dongjin, craftsmen like you are in high demand. You can easily get into a steel rolling mill and become a permanent employee right away. Yan Jiecheng from your institute only graduated from junior high school, but he has always had trouble finding a job. Electricians earn high wages. Your mother became a widow at a young age and raised your brother with great difficulty. You must be sensible, work hard in the future, strive to become a cadre, and take good care of her."
"Director Wang, don't worry, I will definitely do my job well and make sure I take good care of my mother."
He couldn't pretend not to hear kind words, so Jia Dongjin quickly bowed and made a promise. The two chatted casually for a few more minutes, and Jia Dongjin finally completed his important task.
"Oh, you call me Director Wang now that you've found a job, but you used to call me Aunt Wang."
After a month apart, Jia Dongjin, though still tanned, had become much stronger, his increasingly muscular physique barely concealed by his short sleeves, making him look like a completely different person.
Because he wasn't in the courtyard house, Jia Dongjin stood tall and proud. After a month of fishing in the wild, during which he had also gotten into fights with others, he had developed an indescribable fierceness in his demeanor, no longer the sleazy street urchin he used to be. Combined with his innate cultural air, he caught Director Wang's eye and couldn't help but make a joke.
"Aunt Wang, we were just talking about work. I truly consider you Aunt Wang from the bottom of my heart."
In an instant, Jia Dongjin thought of the joke about Little Sweetie and Mrs. Cow, and he couldn't help but shudder. Fortunately, Director Wang's eyes were clear and he was just joking, so he didn't run away in panic.
"That's more like it. Go back now and hurry home to share the good news. Don't waste your time here with Aunt Wang." Director Wang waved her hand. She really wanted all young people to have jobs and was happy to serve people as long as she could.
Whenever someone in her jurisdiction comes to her for help, her eyelids twitch, but resources are limited, so she can only offer some perfunctory words of comfort and encouragement.
Director Wang was well aware of the Jia family's situation. Jia Zhangshi was not on a fixed quota, but after Qin Huairu took over the job, she and her children changed their household registration to urban and no longer had to eat expensive grain, which greatly improved the Jia family's situation.
However, Qin Huairu's salary is low, making it difficult to support her large family. Jia Dongjin will need to get married and have children in the future, and if he doesn't have a job, he will inevitably have to ask the neighborhood office for help, which will put Director Wang in a difficult position again.
Now that Jia Dongjin has obtained an electrician's license and a job, he has been removed from Director Wang's list of impoverished households, and she no longer needs to trouble herself to help him.
Therefore, Director Wang, like Jia Dongjin, was in a good mood and even started thinking about introducing Jia Dongjin to potential partners. Unfortunately, Jia Dongjin was not of a high enough level, and the younger colleagues she knew were all government officials; otherwise, she would have liked to introduce them on the spot.
Just like in Jia Dongjin's previous life, young people with good conditions are already being targeted by all sorts of people as soon as they graduate or start working. They don't even have to be traded in the marriage market; they are directly picked by those who have their eye on them.
Nobody's stupid. Good men and good women don't belong in the realm of circulation; their fates are decided long ago. They're not listed on the dating market, just like civil servants who had just started working in my previous life.
The south wind, carrying a sweltering heat, swept across the Yanshan Mountains. The cicadas' chirping suddenly intensified on the old locust tree in the courtyard. July in Beijing, with its passionate and unrestrained spirit, crashed into people's lives.
This ancient yet youthful city, in the blazing heat of July, sheds the gentleness of spring and the tranquility of autumn, revealing its most vibrant and authentic side without reservation.
Jia Dongjin was similar; he began to show his true colors as an electrician, transforming from an old electrician in his previous life into a junior electrician.
"Sir, give me two pounds of pork belly and a tenderloin. We have a happy occasion at home today, so we have to have a good meal."
Jia Dongjin was overjoyed. He was not short of money and planned to make braised pork and boiled sliced pork for his family that evening.
After more than 20 days of fishing, Jia Dongjin had some money left over besides cash. He now had 78 yuan in cash, and on this joyous occasion, he planned to buy some meat and vegetables to celebrate at home.
"Get out of here, you idiot. What are you going to do with meat if you don't have meat coupons? You're just wasting your time."
The butcher slammed the cut meat back onto his stall, speechless. If he weren't afraid of losing, he would have loved to beat Jia Dongjin to a pulp. The young man, who seemed so energetic, wanted to buy three jin of meat, but didn't even have a single meat coupon in his pocket. He was a complete idiot.
"Please forgive me, I really didn't mean to, I just forgot to bring the hostage."
"You only get three ounces of meat coupons a month, how could you possibly have three pounds of meat coupons?"
The butcher chuckled. If the young man hadn't been so thin, he would have suspected that his craving for meat had driven him to the brink of insanity.
"Sir, can I have a piece of pig liver? I'll take them all, okay?"
In my past life, I could buy meat casually, and the sales clerk would treat me like family, hoping I would buy more. But times have changed, and the sales clerks are different now.
Jia Dongjin scratched his head. In his excitement, he forgot about the need for receipts, forgot that receipts were more important than money at this time, and forgot that he was living in a strange era.
"Give me the money. If you're weighed but don't have any cash, don't blame me for reporting you and getting you arrested. You're disrupting the market, you know?"
The butcher picked up his butcher knife and gave the young man a subtle warning.
"Sir, my dear sir, how can you buy things without money? It was really an accident just now, I forgot to take the meat coupons for the wedding banquet."
Jia Dongjin bowed and scraped, then pulled out a large coin before the butcher reluctantly began weighing the pig liver.
As expected, another unexpected event occurred. Without meat coupons, Jia Dongjin could only sigh at the sight of meat and continued to buy pork offal that did not require coupons. Because the oily pork intestines were sold out, and even the pork stomach was sold out, he could only choose pork liver again.
"Why are you buying so much meat when it's neither a holiday nor a festival?"
Seeing that Jia Dongjin had bought another half a pig liver, Jia Zhangshi beamed with joy, and Banggeng happily circled around the stove.
Two weeks ago, Qin Huairu started working at the factory and took over her shift. Now, there's still some time before she gets off work, leaving only the grandmother and granddaughter at home.
"Mom, I passed my electrician's license exam. I'm going to report to the steel mill tomorrow. I'll cook a nice meal tonight to celebrate, and everyone can get some nourishment."
"What?! I'm starting work at the steel rolling mill tomorrow?"
Jia Zhangshi didn't know anything about electrician's certificates; she only cared about getting a job.
"I was lucky and passed the exam on my first try. Director Wang from the neighborhood office introduced me to the job. He said I would be a full-time employee from the start, earning 30.5 yuan a month. My salary would increase depending on my electrician level."
After returning home, Jia Dongjin felt completely relaxed. He proudly took out his electrician's certificate and letter of introduction, feeling a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. He also enjoyed his moment of glory.
These days, a good job means a family will have enough to eat and drink; it's a major event, much more important than getting married.
In a sense, it not only determines whether to eat cabbage or a seafood feast, but also the appearance of the daughter-in-law, and can even determine and influence the fate of future generations.
One link leads to another; to some extent, fate is neither mysterious nor magical, but rather governed by its own laws.
As long as you understand the rules of society and keep pace with the times at crucial moments, everything will go smoothly, and good days will seem endless. You won't even have the chance to endure hardship without suffering, and you'll be as happy as a flower.
For example, in his previous life, Jia Dongjin disliked the low salary and the lack of freedom when he graduated. He gave up the opportunity to become a civil servant, but his life was full of hardships and he didn't even get a wife.
For example, before the fall of the Qing Dynasty, he followed the example of Eunuch Wei to enter the palace, and in 49 he joined the National Revolutionary Army. Both of these were misjudging the situation, and their fates were predictable.
Individual strength is limited and ultimately cannot compete with the trends of the times, so Jia Dongjin will naturally not make the same mistake again.
For example, there is a place in Beijing called "Zhongguan Village".
"Zhongguan Village" evolved from "Zhongguan Tomb". Legend has it that during the Qing Dynasty, a chief eunuch purchased several dozen acres of land here, intending it to be his retirement and final resting place. A few years later, he left the palace and moved here. Subsequently, many older eunuchs came, and the place became known as "Eunuch Barracks." A temple dedicated to the eunuch ancestor, Gang Bing, was also built there. Later, when eunuchs died, they were buried nearby, gradually giving the place the name "Zhongguan Tomb".
The term "Zhongguan" originally meant eunuch. Later, when eunuchs died, they were also buried here. Over time, this area became known as "Eunuch Cemetery," and after a village was formed, it was called "Zhongguan Tomb."
After liberation, due to the negative connotation of "Zhongguan", the name was gradually changed to the more elegant homonym "Zhongguancun" at the suggestion of Chen Yuan, the president of Beijing Normal University, or through word of mouth.
At that time, Chen Yuan could never have imagined that after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the Zhongguanfen, where eunuchs sat and waited for their deaths, would evolve into the renowned Zhongguancun, become the breeding ground of Silicon Valley, and become a synonym for high technology.
This is the power of our times; our times are vast and mighty, sweeping away everything in their path, unstoppable.
"Old Jia, Dongxu, come up and see! Our Dongjin has made something of himself! He'll be starting work at the steel rolling mill tomorrow, earning a full 30.5 yuan a month!"
After reviewing the electrician's certificate and letter of introduction, Jia Zhangshi, though illiterate, was still able to confirm the authenticity of the information.
Overjoyed, Jia Zhangshi decided to sell her youngest son to Yi Zhonghai again, hoping for a job to support her family. Unexpectedly, the spirit of Old Jia appeared, and Jia Dongjin actually found a job on his own.
She excitedly plopped down on the ground, activating the necromancy summoning mode. The summoning sound was so loud that it not only echoed throughout the No. 95 courtyard, but also seemed to pierce the sky.
The little stick was still young, and the child was so scared that tears welled up in his eyes, but he didn't dare to let them fall.
"Mom, what are you doing? Look how scared Bang Geng is! Isn't this a good thing?"
Jia Dongjin quickly picked up Xiaobangeng to comfort him. It seems that a mother can summon spirits not only when she's being noisy, but also when she's happy.
Tears streamed down the old woman's face. Looking at Jia Zhangshi, who was wailing loudly, Jia Dongjin's eyes also reddened.
His biological mother is not a scoundrel. At least so far, she is no different from the aunties in the courtyard. Without the support of Uncle Yi Zhonghai, she is not even as good at arguing as Aunt Wang in the backyard. It is only because her fighting ability far exceeds that of her opponent that she is ranked first on the list of women in the courtyard, alongside Aunt Wang.
In the TV series, Jia Zhangshi's relentless pursuit was like a wolf or a tiger, but it was only out of necessity to avoid starvation.
In the past month, ever since Jia Dongjin started earning money, Jia Zhangshi used the fish from her home to pay back all the favors she owed to people in the courtyard.
Under Jia Dongjin's earnest urging, Qin Huairu dictated the story, which Jia Dongjin then wrote down by hand, filling two full pages with a total amount of 50 yuan. Jia Dongjin took the account book to each household, saying that he would pay it back slowly once he had a job.
As a result, the Jia family gained fame in the courtyard and won unanimous praise from all the birds.
Of course, the Yan family, the third uncle, is an exception.
The only family that hasn't repaid their debts is Yi Zhonghai's family. Because they owe Yi Zhonghai so many favors, it's difficult to clear their debts in a short time. They haven't even kept a record of it. For example, the funeral expenses for Jia Dongxu, which were handled by Yi Zhonghai, amounted to 60 yuan and have not been repaid to this day.
Everyone in the courtyard knew about this, but they didn't mention it. Jia Dong had only been in the courtyard for a short time, and he didn't want to do things too high-profilely. He wanted to keep this favor and financial debt in place so that the Jia family could retain the reputation of being a poor household during the difficult three years to come.
With a roar from Madam Jia, the entire courtyard trembled.
"What's wrong? What happened?"
Gao Cuilan, an older woman from the Intermediate People's Court, took the lead and was the first to rush into the Jia family's house.
Jia Dongjin is currently under observation, and as the second-in-command of the Yi family, she is extremely concerned about every move the Jia family makes.
Two weeks ago, without consulting Yi Zhonghai, Qin Huairu secretly transferred to work in the steel rolling mill canteen, changing her promising fitter position to a kitchen helper position. This left the elderly couple puzzled and uncertain, and they had several late-night talks. Now was the time for her to obtain firsthand information.
Soon, a large group of women gathered inside and outside the Jia family's gate to watch the excitement. Watching excitement is the greatest hobby of the people in the courtyard house, without exception.
"Sister-in-law, what happened!" The third aunt was agile and easily squeezed into the Jia family's house.
"Great news! It's fantastic news! Dongjin found a job, a permanent position at a steel rolling mill, earning 30.5 yuan a month."
"That's what the older woman said happily."
For some reason, Jia Dongjin felt that she wasn't very happy.
"Really?! A steel rolling mill, full-time employee, 30.5 yuan!"
People who aren't family don't enter the same door!
The three aunties were also quite shrewd, astutely grasping the key points.
Upon seeing the electrician's license in Jia Zhangshi's hand, the third aunt suddenly exclaimed, "Dongjin, you, you passed the electrician's license exam? Did you see my Jiecheng? Did he pass the exam?"