Chapter 17: Who dares to criticize?

For his son's sworn brothers, Cheng Hongjun treated them as his own children. Now that the children had not yet been assigned jobs, he was naturally anxious. However, anxiety was one thing; although he was a battalion-level cadre, the Third Armament Repair Factory was now in a half-dead state, and he really had no say in local affairs.

Without a say, he naturally couldn't arrange a good job for the children. This was a common human sentiment.

Precisely because he understood this, Chen Geng remained silent.

In his younger days, he had been immature and had a falling out with his father, not contacting his family for several years. By the time he reconnected with his family in the mid-1990s, his sworn brothers, though not wealthy, were living comfortable middle-class lives. They would laugh off the past with a light smile, but they would severely criticize Chen Geng for not staying in touch all these years. Chen Geng had never realized that his sworn brothers had also gone through such difficult times.

After a moment of silence, Chen Geng couldn't help but ask, "What about the factory's third industry? Their conditions should be suitable for entering the third industry, right?"

"Since last year, the factory's third industry office has stopped recruiting. They don't get much work, and now the people in the third industry office only get 20 yuan a month," Cheng Hongjun's voice became low and heavy as he talked about the factory's situation. "These days, everything is getting more expensive. What can you do with 20 yuan..."

20 yuan... This salary left Chen Geng speechless.

Last year, the average monthly wage for workers in the country was 32.8 yuan, and this year it had risen to 39 yuan. In units with good performance, in addition to wages and bonuses, they could also receive some physical benefits like rice, flour, meat, and eggs, which indirectly increased their wages. But in units with poor performance, they only got the 39 yuan fixed wage. As a cadre, even if he had come down from the National Defense Department, his salary was still covered by the state. He never imagined that his brothers were living such a hard life. He really couldn't imagine what 20 yuan could do. It was barely enough to keep them from starving, let alone dating or getting married. Even buying a pack of cigarettes might be a luxury.

As they chatted, they walked toward the dormitory area. Along the way, they met several acquaintances. While Chen Geng greeted them with "Uncle" and "Aunt," his expression became increasingly strange...

"Dad, it seems you've had a tough time recently."

The people in the courtyard looked at Chen Geng with pity, but their gazes toward Cheng Hongjun were complex—anger, confusion, and even schadenfreude. The meaning in their eyes was clear: Your son finally got into a prestigious university in the capital, and he could have stayed there to enjoy a good life. But you, Cheng Hongjun, actually forced your son to come back?

What a bastard!

Is that how you should be a father?!

"You little brat, you know that too? You've really put me through a lot, do you know that?" Talking about this, Cheng Hongjun felt an urge to beat the brat. The past few months had been hell. Countless people, directly or indirectly, had tried to persuade Cheng Hongjun: "How good it would be for your son to stay in the capital. Why force him to come back? Are you out of your mind?"

Faced with everyone's persuasion, what could Cheng Hongjun say? If he said his son insisted on coming back, that would be impossible. If he really said that, people would think all sorts of things: Did his son make a mistake in the capital and get kicked out of his unit? Did his son offend someone and couldn't stay in the capital? Was his son not as capable as he claimed?

As a father, Cheng Hongjun had no choice but to take the blame for his son.

"Dad, I'm sorry for the trouble. Rest assured, you'll soon see that taking the blame is worth it."

"Ah, I hope so." Cheng Hongjun sighed, clearly not believing it.

Chen Geng smiled but didn't say anything. Since words were useless now, let time prove it.

Cheng Hongjun was worried, but Yuan Jia was much more excited. As a mother, who wouldn't miss her son? No matter why he came back, he was finally back with her, unlike before when she might not see him for half a year.

Thinking about the future, where the family could be together every day, her slight unhappiness was washed away. Yuan Jia looked at least ten years younger, and soon the kitchen was filled with the pleasant sounds of cooking.

Chen Geng, who had originally planned to help, was unceremoniously chased out of the kitchen by Yuan Jia. He leaned against the kitchen door frame and chatted with his mother. As they talked, the conversation turned to his sworn brothers: "Mom, I ran into Xiangyang at the gate. He doesn't look too good."

Mentioning this, Yuan Jia also sighed.

Those children had grown up under her watchful eye. They had been close since childhood, and after they became sworn brothers, she treated them like her own children. The older brother, Song Yuhang, and the fourth brother, Gong Jianjun, were already working, but the second brother, Zhang Xiangyang, and the fifth brother, Yang Lei, were a headache. "It's hard to find jobs these days. The streets are full of young people waiting for job placements. Your Uncle Zhang has been so worried about Xiangyang's job that his hair has turned white. He used to be so cheerful, but now he's always hunched over, sighing like an old man."

"Have you tried anything, like giving gifts to people who can help?" Chen Geng asked casually. "If he can't get a good job, he could start with a less desirable one. At least he'd have a job, and if he's not satisfied, he can try to transfer later."

"Do you think we don't know these things after living for so long?" Yuan Jia shot him an exasperated look, as if to say, "You really don't understand anything, do you?" "Going to the sanitation bureau is an option, but would you be willing to sweep the streets? Xiangyang is a veteran, and even if he can't work in the police department, he should at least get a good government job. But the good positions are highly competitive. With so many people vying for them, why would it be your turn without connections or money?"

In the end, it all came down to money.

"Uh..."

Chen Geng was speechless. The sanitation bureau? In the future, getting a formal position in the sanitation bureau would be cause for a three-day celebration. Now, no one wanted to join? But it was true that the sanitation bureau was struggling these days. Not wanting to continue on this topic, Chen Geng changed the subject: "By the way, Mom, I came back this time to ask them for help. What do you think?"

"Brothers fight together, and fathers and sons fight together. They are your sworn brothers. If they are willing, why not?" Yuan Jia had no objections to her son's idea, but as a mother, she was a bit worried. "But are you sure? They are your sworn brothers. Don't let them down. If it comes to that, even if your uncles and aunts don't say anything, we won't be able to hold our heads up, right?"

"Mom, I understand all of that. With our friendship, would I let them down? I can't promise much, but within two years, at least the problems of getting married and housing will be solved. I'm more worried about whether there will be gossip in the factory." Chen Geng was concerned about this. As for making money, it was a joke! In the 1980s, with so many business opportunities, if he couldn't make money, he might as well kill himself.

"Gossip? Who dares? If anyone gossips, I'll tear their mouths apart!"

Yuan Jia couldn't stand this. Her eyebrows shot up. "My son gave up a job in the central ministry. Why? Wasn't it for the factory? Asking a few trusted brothers for help is only natural. Who dares to say anything? If they do, I'll slap them to death!... Son, how confident are you? Don't let them down."

By the end, Yuan Jia was a bit uncertain.

Chen Geng was drenched in sweat.

His mother was a typical intellectual lady, and he had never seen her in such a street-fighting stance. But her words reassured him: It was true. Giving up a job in the National Defense Department and asking for help was nothing to criticize.

"Right, son, what exactly do you plan to do?" Cheng Hongjun had been listening in and now joined the conversation.

"It's like this. I know a few leaders and foreign experts in the Volkswagen project department. Before I resigned from the National Security Department, I helped them a bit, and they promised to give us some business."

"Give us some business? If we can get some business from Volkswagen, the factory will come back to life. But do we have the capability? I've heard that the Germans have very high standards. Besides, our factory is just a vehicle repair factory. What can we produce?" Cheng Hongjun's face showed little joy. Instead, he looked worried. He knew that Volkswagen was striving for localization, but without the right skills, they couldn't take on the job. Did the Third Armament Repair Factory have the capability to handle Volkswagen's business?

PS: Sorry, I went out to do some errands this morning, so this chapter was uploaded a bit late. Please bear with me.

Second, brothers, do you have any extra recommendation tickets? If you do, please give one to Qian Nian. If you're willing, please also add it to your favorites. I would be very grateful...

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