Chapter 51: A Man as Gentle as Jade

"Oh, Sister Tang, you rode a bicycle to work today? Did you find this second-hand bike somewhere?"

Just as she arrived at the factory gate, she ran into Yang Ying from the Women's Federation.

Even if the frame scavenged from the scrap yard was repaired, it still looked exactly like a second-hand bicycle.

Tang Lin nodded with a smile. "It's an old bike I picked up from the scrap yard. My daughter, Huihui, helped me modify it. It still rides well, so it's perfect for my commute."

Yang Ying was surprised. "Oh? That girl Huihui knows how to modify bicycles?"

"My daughter has a boyish personality; she loves tinkering, taking things apart, and putting them back together. Last time, she brought home a few old radios from the scrap yard, saying she wanted to fix them to listen to the broadcasts. I didn't have much hope, but to my surprise, she actually managed to fix one by piecing parts together."

"Wow, I didn't expect Huihui to have such a skill?"

The fact that she could fix a radio—a technical task—truly shocked Yang Ying.

A teenage girl who could not only fix bicycles but also radios; without a doubt, she was a talent.

Regardless of her underlying motives, Yang Ying proceeded to shower Tang Lin with praise right in front of her.

Listening to the compliments, Tang Lin beamed, and her mood naturally improved.

***

In the parking shed.

Li Yong's joy was evident when he saw Tang Lin pushing a bicycle inside.

Curiously, he asked, "Comrade Tang is in such high spirits today. Did something good happen?"

Yang Ying was quick-mouthed and couldn't keep a secret; she immediately recounted the story of Leng Hui fixing the bicycle and the radio.

Upon hearing this, Li Yong recalled the talent Leng Hui had displayed while covering shifts previously; she seemed exceptionally gifted at mechanical repairs.

After Yang Ying left, the two walked toward the office side by side.

On the way, Li Yong mentioned the matter of the skill certification exam. "Think about this. Leng Hui has great natural talent. I will bring it up with the higher-ups and try my best to secure a slot for her as well. When the time comes, you and your daughter can take the exam together. If she passes, I hope she chooses to work at our factory."

If Leng Hui could truly take the exam and obtain a certificate, the mechanical factory would naturally be her first choice. Otherwise, if she carried a reputation for being ungrateful within the industry, who would dare hire her?

"I am honored that you think so highly of us, Section Chief. There is no need to 'think about it'—we are naturally willing."

When a pie falls from the sky, why hesitate instead of reaching out to catch it?

Given the current domestic situation, it was impossible to stay in the city without a stable job. To ensure a stable life for mother and daughter in the future, the best way to make a name for themselves was to enter the factory and use the skills learned from the "apocalypse" to carve out a place in this world.

Li Yong nodded. "Alright. I'll notify you once it's processed."

Once they entered the office building, Li Yong stopped mentioning the exam. The two entered the office one after the other.

After arranging the day's work for the Technical Section, Li Yong took a phone call and headed to the conference room.

Tang Lin rested in the office for a while before following her colleagues from the Technical Section down to the workshop to perform routine maintenance on the lathes.

Chen Zhongxiang and Tang Lin were old partners; the two were responsible for the maintenance of the lathes in groups one through three of Workshop Three.

As soon as they arrived at the workshop, they saw a worker wrapping tape around his hand. Upon inquiry, they learned that while processing a part, flying metal chips had grazed the back of his hand, leaving a bloody scratch.

The injury wasn't serious, but the lack of protective devices on the lathe posed a safety hazard.

"Brother Chen, has the factory never thought about installing protective guards on our lathes?"

Even if they weren't fully enclosed, at least semi-enclosed protective doors could be implemented. This would prevent metal chips or coolant from splashing out during processing, thereby ensuring the safety of the operators.

Chen Zhongxiang seemed accustomed to workers sustaining minor injuries and didn't make a fuss. Hearing Tang Lin's words, he simply smiled.

"Most of our factory's lathes are imported from abroad. They didn't come with protective doors. If we install them ourselves, who takes responsibility if something goes wrong later?"

Tang Lin was stunned.

"The Technical Section is supposed to have R&D tasks. Has the factory never thought about following the existing models and modifying these machines ourselves?"

Chen Zhongxiang looked at Tang Lin in surprise. "The way you ask these questions, it's as if it's your first day working at the factory."

Tang Lin scratched her head awkwardly; God only knew what the situation in the factory had been like before.

Chen Zhongxiang didn't think much of it, assuming her previous focus had been on her family and that, now that she was divorced, her focus was returning to work.

He looked around and whispered, "Everyone prioritizes stability. Why would anyone take on such thankless work? Besides, the most important thing is that everyone's technical skill is just so-so. To design and manufacture advanced machinery, you'd need to be at the level of a Chief Engineer."

So, the crux of the matter was that technical limitations restricted innovation.

The talent gap in this era was too large. In a large factory like this mechanical plant, the proportion of high school graduates was likely less than ten percent.

Tang Lin's lips parted slightly, but ultimately, she simply turned and instructed the operators to clean their workstations promptly after work every day; keeping the surface clean could effectively reduce the danger of flying debris.

After circling the workshop and confirming the lathes were fine, Chen Zhongxiang and Tang Lin returned to the office.

Drinking tea and reading the newspaper, as long as the machinery didn't malfunction, life in the Technical Section was quite leisurely. In Tang Lin's words, it was almost like retirement life.

When the time came, everyone grabbed their lunch boxes and headed to the canteen in groups.

At noon, the canteen served three dishes and one soup.

Stir-fried pork with celtuce—though the pork consisted of only a few pitiful slices surrounded by celtuce. There was also a potato dish, a cabbage dish, and seaweed stewed with bones. Though it was called seaweed stewed with bones, the bones were nowhere to be seen; only a few pieces of seaweed floated in the thin, watery broth.

Tang Lin had the cook prepare stir-fried pork with celtuce, cabbage, and three *liang* of sorghum rice.

Just as she had her food and was looking for a place to sit, she saw Li Yong waving at her.

In the crowded and noisy canteen hall, he spotted her instantly; this Section Chief certainly had sharp eyes.

"Section Chief."

"Sit. I have something to discuss with you." Li Yong pointed to a seat beside him.

Tang Lin glanced at the factory leaders sitting nearby, put on a professional smile, nodded to them, and sat down honestly.

"I never thought I'd have the chance to dine at the same table as the leaders in my lifetime."

Her words drew kind laughter from the leaders.

"You've worked in the factory for so many years; you should know most of these leaders without me introducing them," Li Yong said half-jokingly.

Tang Lin nodded. There were very few overweight people in this era; the leaders were all quite thin.

The eldest was the factory Party Secretary, Wu Ruize.

The most handsome middle-aged man among them was the Deputy Factory Manager in charge of production, Qi Nuanyang.

The only balding middle-aged man was the Director of the Factory Office, Wu Guanghui.

The last one was the man with the most resolute features—the famous Factory Director of the mechanical plant, Lei Aijun.

"Don't be nervous. We aren't man-eating tigers."

Lei Aijun's words amused the others. Among them, Director Lei was the most serious, yet now the most serious person was cracking jokes.

"Comrade Tang Lin, is two dishes enough for you?"

Qi Nuanyang was truly like his name—his facial lines were soft, and his eyes were bright and clear, like a deep, tranquil pool containing endless gentleness and kindness. Beneath his straight nose were thin lips that always carried a gentle smile, making one feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.

Tang Lin thought that any woman would find it hard not to feel a sense of goodwill toward such a refined and gentle man. She didn't dislike him either.

"Thank you for your concern, Deputy Manager Qi. Two dishes are enough; if I eat more, it would be a waste."

In this era, frugality was glorified and waste was shameful.

Hearing her words, Qi Nuanyang nodded slightly. "I heard from Section Chief Li that you want to take the skill exam? Why haven't you thought about it for all these years? Why the sudden desire to improve yourself?"

Tang Lin glanced at Li Yong and received an encouraging look. She then saw that the leaders seemed to be waiting for her answer.

It was a sharp question.

Tang Lin took a deep breath, then relaxed, giving a self-deprecating smile. "I used to think I was an 'Iron Lady' who could balance work and family, but... naturally, the results were unsatisfactory."

No one spoke after hearing this. They knew she was divorced, and thus, they knew she had failed to balance both.

"Now that I am free from that marital cage and my child is grown, I feel it is time to live for myself. I want to focus on my work, improve my skills, and make a contribution to the factory."

"Comrade Tang, the failure of one marriage does not mean the rest of your life will be gray. It is very good that you are focusing on work, but life is also important. You are still very young; there will always be a man in this world who can bring you happiness. Don't lose heart."

Tang Lin hadn't expected Qi Nuanyang to have the potential to be a "confidante big sister" from the Women's Federation; he even knew how to provide emotional counseling.

The others seemed unfazed.

Perhaps because Tang Lin's gaze was too obvious, Lei Aijun cleared his throat and took over the conversation. "Nuanyang is right. One failure doesn't mean you will fail forever. Marriage and family are not burdens to work; rather, a good marriage allows you to work with peace of mind. The two complement each other; one cannot exist without the other, otherwise, life would be full of regrets."

Tang Lin couldn't quite read the leaders' intentions today, so she could only nod with a silly smile at their suggestions. Regardless of whether they were right or wrong, nodding was the safest bet.

Having lunch only to receive psychological counseling from the leaders—would she even be able to digest this meal?

Seeing Tang Lin's embarrassment, Qi Nuanyang smiled. "Of course, we have no right to interfere in your marriage. We only mention this today because we want you to have a better life. Regarding your desire to improve your skills, the factory leadership supports you wholeheartedly. As for what Section Chief Li said about your daughter having a talent for mechanics and wanting to take the exam together, the factory is also willing to help."

Qi Nuanyang hesitated slightly. "It's just... if your daughter happens to obtain a professional title, the factory leadership hopes..."

"I will, of course, follow the factory's arrangements." Tang Lin understood the implication of his unfinished sentence.

"That's good then!"

Qi Nuanyang glanced at the other leaders, and a brilliant smile bloomed on his face, drawing many eyes toward him. It was almost dazzling.

Truth be told, men have jealousy too.

Indeed, the other leaders were inwardly cursing him for acting like a showy peacock, spreading his feathers for no reason and making them look dull by comparison.