Courtyard House: My Wife is Xu Huizhen

Page 298

Unexpectedly, Aunt Yi asked this question. She nodded and said, "It's alright. I've collected quite a few antiques and calligraphy over the years."

Aunt Yi said, "Actually, I still have some dowry. It was my father's life savings, which he converted into gold and antiques to leave to me."

He Yuzhu was somewhat surprised to hear this, but quickly understood.

For so many years, there has been constant warfare and chaos, and the flags flying over the capital have been changing frequently.

Ordinary people are used to storing gold, silver coins, antiques, and calligraphy and paintings at home, as these are all hard currency. Aunt Yi's father was also a technical expert back then, and Yi Zhonghai learned his skills from his father-in-law.

"Auntie, what do you want to say?"

"The older woman is trying to tell you that she doesn't lack money for retirement, but she doesn't have anyone to take care of her."

He Yuzhu nodded. Aunt Yi was worried about her retirement and also about running out of money. She was worried that she would have no source of income when she got old and her dowry was gone.

That's why they care so much about having a formal employee status, and would rather earn more money now to make their retirement funds more abundant.

"I understand. Don't worry, I'll take care of your job."

The woman apologized again and then said, "Zhuzi, I want to discuss something with you. What do you think about me taking Yushui as my goddaughter and Yutang as my godson?"

He Yutang is the son of He Daqing and Wen Yuping, and Aunt Yi also has her own ideas.

Yi Zhonghai had been training Jia Dongxu as his apprentice since he was a child, teaching him skills step by step, hoping that Jia Dongxu would take care of them in their old age.

However, Aunt Yi was not optimistic about this matter. After all, Jia Dongxu's mother was unreasonable and argumentative, and it was uncertain whether Jia Dongxu would take care of her when she got old.

Aunt Yi noticed that He Yuzhu's attitude towards her was no longer as enthusiastic as it had been when they were children, and she no longer expected He Yuzhu to take care of her in her old age.

So he set his sights on Yu Shui and He Yutang, planning to raise them from a young age, take care of them, and adopt them as his goddaughters and godsons so that they could take care of him when he was sick in the future.

If this matter were discussed with He Daqing and his wife, they would likely agree. However, within the He family, He Yuzhu is the one in charge.

Especially when it comes to matters involving He Yushui, He Daqing cannot be in charge and must obtain He Yuzhu's consent.

He Yuzhu now understood what Aunt Yi was thinking. Her telling him, an outsider, that he had a dowry left by his father meant that he had money for his retirement.

Then, when the topic of adopting godchildren comes up, it shows that it's not about taking advantage of them or expecting them to contribute money or effort in their old age; it's just about getting their help.

After all, if you adopt a godson or goddaughter, the godmother will still have to contribute a lot of money when they get married, which is not much different from what the biological father would do.

It is said that a master and apprentice are like father and son, but if you become godparents, they are even more reliable than master and apprentice.

Knowing what Aunt Yi was thinking, I was at a loss for what to do about the aftereffects.

If it were any other matter, I could make the decision for Yushui, but he is still young. Even if I could persuade him now to agree to recognize Aunt Yi as his godmother, it would be difficult to persuade him.

However, there's no guarantee that she won't have objections when she grows up. People can't choose their birth parents, but they can choose someone they like to be their godmother.

He Yuzhu cherishes the fish and water, unlike many people nowadays who act like patriarchs and don't consider their opinions.

"Auntie, don't worry about this. I'll ask Yushui for her opinion later."

As for He Yutang, he was still young at the time, only a few years old, so there was no need to ask. Only his biological parents were in charge.

Aunt Yi didn't expect He Yuzhu to agree in just a few words.

As long as he doesn't object, that's the best news I've received today.

"Thank you, Pillar. I'll wait for your good news."

He Yuzhu returned home by car and bicycle, and after washing up, he lay in bed and talked to Xu Huizhen about the matter.

“We really need to ask Yushui’s opinion on this matter. You can bring him over tomorrow to make her a couple of outfits, and then ask her about it when you have time.”

"Alright."

The next day happened to be Sunday, so He Yuzhu went home and took He Yushui, Wen Yuping, and the children to Chen Xueru's silk shop.

Since they were all acquaintances, they invited her inside. The craftsman took her measurements, and then Wen Yuping took her child home.

He Yuzhu took the rainwater to the Wangfujing Department Store and bought a bunch of snacks and plush toys, which made her very happy.

Although she has grown into a young woman, she still has the mindset of a child.

She held onto the rag doll that was the same height as her, and couldn't bear to let go.

That evening, her family cooked a lot of delicious food for her. After dinner, He Yuzhu asked, "Yushui, is Aunt Yi good to you?"

"It's really nice. The lady herself usually doesn't eat these things, but she bought some pastries for me to eat. She watched me eat while smiling, just like a kind mother."

I was initially happy when I said this, but later I felt a little lost as I thought of my mother whom I had never seen.

How happy I would be if my mother were still here!

He Yuzhu asked, "Yushui, how about letting Aunt Yi be your godmother?"

Chapter 219 Becoming a regular employee

"Brother, what did you say?" He Yushui couldn't believe what she was hearing.

He Yuzhu said, word by word, "I said, how about I recognize Aunt Yi as your godmother?"

He Yuzhu could understand He Yushui's feelings. Although her father had returned from Baocheng, he married a stepmother and had a younger brother and sister not long after.

Although her stepmother didn't beat or scold her and took good care of her, she was still a stepmother and couldn't be her biological mother.

He Yushui was still unconsciously marginalized in this family.

This is why He Yuzhu did not object to Aunt Yi's desire to recognize He Yushui as her goddaughter.

"This... requires recognizing a godmother?"

He Yushui was very surprised and didn't know what to say for a moment. This information was indeed quite shocking to her.

He Yuzhu was also a little undecided. If He Yushui were a five or six-year-old child, he would directly take charge of the matter and make the decision for her.

He Yushui is currently twelve or thirteen years old. She has grown to be a person in terms of height, but she is still a child in terms of mind.

If I were to take charge of things for her, it might provoke her rebellious tendencies.

That's why He Yuzhu negotiated with the rain.

“Your aunt told me about this yesterday, and I said I wanted to ask for your opinion first.”

"But I don't know what to do either?" He Yushui was in a dilemma, feeling caught between a rock and a hard place.

"It's alright, we're not worried about the rain. It's not a big deal. We don't need to make a decision immediately. You can think about it some more."

He Yushui immediately relaxed. After all, she still had a childlike heart and was always hesitant and unsure of what to do when making such an important decision.

He Yuzhu wasn't in a hurry to finalize the matter now, but there was one thing he could do immediately.

The next day at work, He Yuzhu went directly to Factory Director Shen and talked to him about making Aunt Yi a permanent employee.

"Sure, this is no small matter. You've already said it, how could I disagree?" Director Shen said very politely.

When the cannery was first established, the street also approved a few positions for permanent employees, but none of these positions were filled.

Only a limited number of positions, such as factory manager, accountant, and cashier, have been confirmed as permanent employees. The other workshops use temporary workers, who can be sent home at any time if their performance is poor.

This was the plan proposed by He Yuzhu at the time. After all, it was the beginning, and the abilities of these workers were unknown. If some of the less capable workers were made permanent employees, it would be difficult to dismiss them later.

Right now is perfect; we can give Aunt Yi a permanent position.

"Thank you, Lao Shen," He Yuzhu said politely.

Old Shen was also happy, as the equipment and recipes used in the cannery were all provided by He Yuzhu.

Originally, there was only one piece of equipment for producing glass bottles. However, He Yuzhu went to Moscow last winter and acquired three more sets of equipment, giving the glass bottle factory four production lines.

They are currently producing wine bottles, canning jars, and brine bottles day and night, and have even persuaded the neighborhood to expand production, making the cannery several times larger than when it first started last year.

It can be said that He Yuzhu single-handedly established this cannery.

Even so, he rarely interferes with management and is very supportive of his work.

They're asking for a permanent position today, what's the big deal? I'm not going to be stupid enough to create obstacles for myself.

It was just a matter of a word. If Director Shen didn't agree, then other factories could be arranged. In the winter, four or five small factories were added to the street, which solved the employment problem for hundreds of people in the street. This also made Li Hongying the best-performing street director in the district, and she couldn't stop smiling every day.

Director Shen acted swiftly and decisively, summoning Aunt Yi into his office and asking, "Comrade Jiang Liqin, after the office's assessment, we found that you have been working diligently and successfully completing the tasks assigned by the factory recently, demonstrating outstanding performance. We have now decided to transfer your affiliation from the street office to the cannery, making you a formal employee of our factory and appointing you as the leader of the cleaning team."

Aunt Yi's real name is Jiang Liqin, but few people call her by her real name; they all call her Aunt Yi.

Jiang Liqin was very surprised to hear what the factory director said. She thought that it would be very difficult for her to become a permanent employee, and that it would take a lot of twists and turns to get it done.

Unexpectedly, in just one morning, He Yuzhu persuaded Factory Director Shen to agree to resolve his issue as a formal employee.

Moreover, according to Director Shen, he also appointed him as the leader of the cleaning team. Cleaning fruit is the first step in the cannery process, which is usually done by older women.

Just like washing fruit at home, it doesn't require any special skills.

"Thank you, Director Shen. I will definitely wash the fruit thoroughly and make sure there won't be any problems."

As for thanking He Yuzhu, I won't say anything; I'll keep it in my heart and just treat He Daqing better in the future.

Factory Director Shen smiled. Being a cleaner only requires washing fruit, but becoming a team leader means managing the members under one's command. However, being a team leader is just a title; if one doesn't have management skills, it doesn't matter.

This was simply to give He Yuzhu face and make Jiang Liqin's status sound better.

The news that Aunt Yi had become a formal employee spread like wildfire in the courtyard. Although she was a collective employee of the street, it still caused a lot of discussion, with people's words filled with envy and jealousy.

Even Xu Damao's mother was furious with He Daqing and refused their intimate encounter, which made He Daqing grit his teeth in anger.

However, He Daqing also gained something. The number of times he and Jiang Liqin had their trysts increased significantly, and each time, Aunt Yi would cater to him and serve him comfortably.