Siheyuan: Being a fisherman in 1962

Director Yang nodded and signaled to his assistant to take Sha Zhu to report to Workshop No. 1.

With the departure of the two, the kitchen returned to peace again, but this incident left a deep mark in everyone's heart.

Inside the Red Star Steel Mill, machines roared, steam swirled, creating a busy scene.

In a corner of the workshop, a crowd of people gathered and the atmosphere was solemn. Director Yang stood on a high place with a sharp gaze, scanning every employee below. His voice penetrated the noise with unquestionable majesty.

"Dear workers, we have called you here today because a big thing happened in our cafeteria." Director Yang paused and said in a more serious tone, "Chef Shazhu, due to personal reasons, can no longer serve as our head chef. I hope you can learn from this, cherish your positions, and remember your original aspirations."

In the crowd, Ma Hua lowered his head and rubbed the corner of his clothes nervously with his fingers.

He has excellent cooking skills, but due to his introverted personality and lack of self-confidence, he has never dared to take the step to apply for the vacant position of head chef.

All of this was seen by Chen Fei who was standing not far away.

Chen Fei raised his lips into a faint smile, knowing that opportunities always come to those who are prepared.

So he strode through the crowd and stood in front of Director Yang.

"Director Yang, I am willing to replace Master Sha Zhu and become the new head chef." Chen Fei's voice was clear and firm, like a breeze that blew away the dullness around them.

Upon hearing this, Director Yang frowned slightly and looked at Chen Fei up and down, his eyes full of doubt.

"Fade Chen, are you sure? This is no joke. The position of head chef is related to the food of all the employees in the factory, and the responsibility is heavy."

Facing Director Yang's questioning, Chen Fei did not flinch at all. Instead, he straightened his chest more confidently.

"Director Yang, although I am young, I have an incomparable passion and persistence for cooking. I believe that as long as you give me a chance, I will be able to make everyone eat a satisfying meal."

Director Yang pondered for a moment and finally nodded.

"Okay, I'll give you two days to try cooking for two days. If you can satisfy everyone, I'll officially appoint you as the head chef."

As Director Yang left, the crowd gradually dispersed.

Ma Hua looked at Chen Fei's back with both envy and admiration in his eyes. He secretly made up his mind to work harder to catch up with Chen Fei.

At this time, Qin Huairu was standing outside workshop No. 1. She looked through the crowd and unexpectedly saw Sha Zhu's figure.

She was startled, and quickly stepped forward, asking with concern, "Shazhu, why are you here? Did you bring any good news?"

Sha Zhu smiled bitterly, shook his head, and briefly recounted his experience.

After hearing this, Qin Huairu frowned and a hint of worry flashed in her eyes.

She knew that Sha Zhu's departure would be a big loss to the canteen and the entire steel mill.

But on second thought, Chen Fei's stepping forward might be the key to changing all this.

In the cafeteria.

Chen Fei was busy at the stove, the firelight reflected his focused face, and he strived for perfection in every step.

This is not just a trial, but also a stage for him to prove himself and realize his dreams.

Two days passed in a flash. When the dishes that Chen Fei had carefully prepared were served on the table one by one, the entire cafeteria was in an uproar.

The delicious food was full of color, aroma and taste, and every employee who tasted it raved about it, saying that this was the taste they had been looking forward to.

Director Yang stood aside and watched this scene. All the doubts in his heart disappeared, and were replaced by sincere relief and expectation.

He realized that Chen Fei not only filled the vacancy left by Sha Zhu, but also brought new vitality and hope to the Red Star Steel Mill with his talent and courage.

At this moment, a dim light unexpectedly lit up in the workshop, which should have been quiet.

Chen Fei sat at his workstation, holding a crumpled piece of paper tightly in his hand, his brows furrowed, as if he was waiting for something.

But this uneasiness was soon broken by the sound of hurried footsteps.

"Shazhu, why are you coming to the workshop at this time? Are you working overtime?" Qin Huairu's voice came from outside the door, with some confusion and concern.

She is the know-it-all in the factory and can always catch the slightest movement in the factory at the first time.

Sha Zhu got the name "Sha Zhu" because of his straightforward personality and the fact that he often does things that make people laugh and cry.

His face was even darker than the night at this moment. He walked towards Qin Huairu with heavy steps, almost crushing the note in his hand.

"Sister Qin, I...I have something to tell you." Sha Zhu's voice was low and hoarse, as if every word weighed a thousand pounds.

Qin Huairu's heart tightened and she had a bad feeling.

"Is it about Chen Fei? Is there any improvement on his side?" she asked tentatively.

However, Sha Zhu slowly shook his head, his eyes full of bitterness and helplessness.

"No, it's me... I was demoted to the workshop and my salary was cut in half." This sentence was like a bolt from the blue, leaving Qin Huairu stunned on the spot.

"What did you say? Are you kidding me!" Qin Huairu's voice instantly rose octaves. She looked at Sha Zhu in disbelief, as if she hoped that all this was just a ridiculous joke.

But Sha Zhu's heavy expression told her that all this was true.

"If there was a pill to make me regret my mistakes, I would never do this." Sha Zhu muttered to himself, his voice full of regret and self-blame.

He originally thought that he could use some means to make Chen Fei receive the punishment he deserved, even if he would be implicated.

But reality gave him a hard slap in the face, forcing him to face the tragic ending of his own actions.

Thinking back to the various possibilities he had imagined before, Chen Fei was investigated, punished, and even fired...

Every scene played out in his mind, but he never expected that he would be the one to fall in the end.

This is not just "hurt the enemy by a thousand and lost eight hundred of your own", it is literally "lose a thousand of your own and the enemy doesn't lose a single bit".

Qin Huairu looked at Sha Zhu's decadent appearance. She knew Sha Zhu's character well and understood the helplessness and anger behind his impulse this time.

But now that things have come to this, no amount of blame will help.

"Shazhu, it's too late to say this now. The important thing is that we have to find a way to solve the current predicament." Qin Huairu took a deep breath and tried to make her tone sound more determined.

"You're right. I can't just collapse like this. Regarding Chen Fei's matter, I will find an opportunity to talk to him face to face. As for my work... I will work harder and strive to return to my original position as soon as possible."

The night is still deep.

But in this dim workshop, two hearts are closely connected by a common belief.

The road ahead may be full of thorns, but as long as there is light in your heart, hope will never be extinguished.

Inside the courtyard, the morning light was just breaking, but undercurrents were already surging.

Qin Huairu stood in front of the window, her brows furrowed, her eyes full of worry about the future.

Last night, the factory director's assistant's secret conversation was like a bolt from the blue, and her already anxious heart sank to the bottom - Sha Zhu's salary was about to be cut in half, which meant that their family's livelihood would face unprecedented challenges.