Chapter 260 Cui Yuan's apprenticeship makes things difficult
Chapter 260 Cui Yuan's apprenticeship makes things difficult (please subscribe!)
On the weekend, the sun is high in the sky.
After being tired for almost a month, Li Kailang finally had a good sleep. He didn't get up until he was full.
"Ah wu——"
"Get up, get up!" Li Kailang stretched and then got up.
"It's the end of the month, send the wine to Mr. Hua first!"
Li Kailang prepared the wine and some food for Mr. Hua to take over.
After delivering the things, Li Kailang left directly and returned to the courtyard.
"Well, who are those two?"
As soon as Li Kailang came back, he saw two strangers walking into the courtyard.
Before he could enter, he was stopped by Yan Jiecheng and Yan Jiefang who were guarding the gate of the compound.
Yan Jiecheng looked alert and shouted, "Stop! Who are you? What are you doing in our yard?"
The two strangers looked at each other, then looked at the door number carefully and confirmed that it was No. 95 Nanluoguxiang.
One of the older men politely replied, "Hello, does Cui Yuan from the steel mill live here?"
"Yes, who are you?" Yan Jiefang asked back.
"Hello, I am Cui Yuan's master, and this is Cui Yuan's senior brother. We came here specifically to discuss some matters with him."
The people who came were Cui Yuan’s electrician master Liu Huazhong and his senior brother Shen Mu.
Hearing the word "Master", Yan Jiecheng's heart moved, and he remembered how Cui Yuan often studied books during this period.
He suddenly realized: "Oh, it turns out to be Cui Yuan's electrician!"
"Yes." Shen Mu replied, "Can we go in and find him now?"
However, Yan Jiecheng held out his hand to stop them: "No, we have a rule in our courtyard. You can't go in without someone to lead you in. Who knows if you are fake or not?"
"Wait a minute. I'll call Cui Yuan and have him lead you in."
Liu Huazhong frowned slightly. They had already revealed their identities, but the other party was still so defensive.
Is it a precaution or a target?
But after all, this was Cui Yuan's courtyard, and it was not easy for Liu Huazhong to say more about the rules of the courtyard. He could only patiently say:
"Okay, then please ask Comrade to call Cui Yuan and have him lead us in."
Yan Jiecheng asked Yan Jiefang to watch over the two of them, and he turned around to look for Cui Yuan, muttering as he walked:
"These two are actually Cui Yuan's master and senior brothers. I don't know how Cui Yuan got so lucky that he could have such a master."
Yan Jiecheng's muttering made the two men frown, feeling a little indignant. He started to make things difficult for them right away and even mentioned Cui Yuan.
"Master, this kid is obviously jealous of Xiao Yuan, that's why he said such things." Shen Mu comforted in a low voice.
Liu Huazhong nodded slightly. There are people like this everywhere.
"Forget it, there are too many people like this, just ignore him. Let's just wait for Cui Yuan here." Liu Huazhong said.
After a while, Yan Jiecheng brought Cui Yuan to the gate of the courtyard.
When Cui Yuan saw Shen Mu and Liu Huazhong, an expression of surprise and joy appeared on his face.
"Master, senior brother, why are you here?" Cui Yuan asked in surprise.
Shen Mu smiled and said, "Why? Can't I come to see you if I have nothing to do?"
Cui Yuan quickly stepped aside and gestured: "Of course you can, Master, Senior Brother, please come in!"
Liu Huazhong suddenly looked at Yan Jiecheng and said, "Comrade, can we go in?"
Yan Jiecheng held his head in his hands, looking nonchalant, and said calmly: "Come in if you want!"
Liu Huazhong and Shen Mu stepped into the yard. After they were away from Yan Jiecheng, Shen Mu asked, "Xiao Yuan, do you have any grudges against him?"
Cui Yuan was puzzled: "No, why did you say that, brother?"
Shen Mu explained: "When I just came in, I reported my identity, but he still wouldn't let us in. He even said bad things about you behind your back, saying that you were lucky to recognize us."
Hearing this, Cui Yan sneered: "Brother, don't worry about him, he is just jealous of me."
Then, Cui Yuan briefly explained what happened. Yan Jiecheng was jealous of him because he worked in a steel mill and was an electrician.
"As for not letting people in, this is not directed at Master and Senior Brother." Cui Yuan added, "This is the rule of the courtyard. People who are not known to us are not allowed in. It is the same for everyone. You can only enter if someone leads you away."
"Is that so!" Liu Huazhong understood. If Cui Yuan was bullied in this yard, he would find a way to get Cui Yuan out of this yard.
When the two entered Cui's house, Cui Yuan introduced Aunt Cui to them.
"Master, Senior Brother, this is my grandma."
"Grandma, this is my master and senior brother."
Aunt Cui hurried over to them, grabbed their hands, and said gratefully:
"It's Xiao Yuan's master and senior brother. Hello, hello. I heard Xiao Yuan talk about you two."
"The child is still young, thank you for taking care of him," Aunt Cui thanked repeatedly, her words full of gratitude.
Liu Huazhong patted Aunt Cui's hand and praised her, "Aunt Cui, you worry too much. Xiao Yuan is very good and motivated. I don't worry too much."
Shen Mu also agreed: "Yes, Xiao Yuan is very hardworking and he has good talent."
After some greetings, Liu Huazhong finally stated the purpose of his trip.
Liu Huazhong said solemnly: "Sister Cui, we are here this time to accept Xiao Yuan as our disciple."
Upon hearing the news, Aunt Cui and Cui Yuan were shocked.
Aunt Cui asked in disbelief, "Really? How can you come for such an important matter? We have to go to your house anyway."
"We have to find a good day to perform the ceremony of paying homage to my master. It's so sudden, I need to prepare quickly." Aunt Cui seemed a little flustered.
Liu Huazhong waved his hand and said, "I made this decision suddenly. I already know Xiao Yuan's character, so there's no need to go through so much trouble."
"Besides, this matter of becoming a disciple is a matter between our two families. There is no need to make it so grand and let everyone know about it."
Shen Mu also agreed: "Yes, I was also so sudden at the beginning. There are not so many rules under the master's door. The most important thing is to do your best."
"That won't do. That won't do. To become a disciple you have to act like a disciple."
Although the two said so, Aunt Cui still insisted on conducting the apprenticeship ceremony in the traditional way.
"Sister Cui, there's really no need to go through so much trouble." Liu Huazhong said.
For Liu Huazhong, compared with the formality of the ceremony, what is more important is whether the apprentice is successful or not. This is what makes Liu Huazhong different from other masters.
In addition, Liu Huazhong also took into account the actual situation of the Cui family.
The Cui family has elderly and young children, and their life is not rich.
It would obviously be unwise to borrow money or spend a lot of money for a ceremony of apprenticeship, and he would rather deal with this matter in a simple and practical way.
Liu Hua explained: "Sister Cui, there is really no need to go to so much trouble. My master and I have been observing Xiao Yuan for several months and are very satisfied with his character and ability."
"This time, I just want to accept Xiao Yuan directly and let him start working in the electrical engineering department next month."
When Aunt Cui heard this, she was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes and she kept saying, "Thank you, Master Liu, thank you so much."
"Xiao Yuan has been sensible since he was young and has always worked hard. It is really a blessing for him to have a master like you to teach him.
"You are Xiao Yuan's master, you have the final say."
"Come, take a seat." Aunt Cui pulled Liu Huazhong to sit on the chair.
As she spoke, she urged Cui Yuan: "Xiao Yuan, kowtow to your master!"
Cui Yuan immediately knelt before Liu Huazhong, kowtowed three times respectfully, and said loudly: "Master, please accept my disciple's greetings!"
Liu Huazhong nodded with satisfaction, helped Cui Yuan up and said, "Okay, from today on, you, Cui Yuan, will be my apprentice."
"You must remember that to be my apprentice, you must not only learn the skills well, but also respect your teacher and get along well with your fellow apprentices."
Then, Liu Huazhong explained to Cui Yuan in detail the rules and precautions of his sect. Cui Yuan wrote them down one by one and said that he would strictly abide by them.
Aunt Cui handed the tea to Cui Yuan at the right time.
Liu Huazhong took Cui Yuan's hot tea and drank it in one gulp. This simple ceremony of becoming a disciple ended here.
It’s very simple, not that grand, but all the necessary rituals are there.
Liu Huazhong said solemnly: "From now on, you are my disciple. When you do things outside, you are representing me. You must be careful with your words and actions."
"Yes, Master!" Cui Yuan responded loudly.
"Congratulations, congratulations to Brother Cui for taking another step forward in life!" Li Kailang congratulated at the right time.
"Cui Yuan has finally made it!" Yan Bugui said.
Outside the Cui family’s door, a whole yard of people gathered. Everyone was happy for Cui Yuan and came forward to congratulate him.
"Thank you, thank you everyone!" Cui Yuan bowed and expressed his gratitude.
"Xiao Yuan, you chat with everyone. I'll chat with Sister Cui." Liu Huazhong gestured.
Before I knew it, it had been almost a year since Cui Yuanjin stepped down from the clothing department.
Liu Huazhong was so anxious to recruit Cui Yuan because he took into consideration Cui's family financial situation and also wanted to prevent someone from snatching him away. This was someone the master and disciple had worked hard to teach for several months.
In addition to his good character, Cui Yuan also has a talent for electrical engineering.
Cui Yuan only used his spare time to learn electrical engineering for less than half a year, but he was no worse than those apprentices who had studied for two years.
Liu Huazhong believed that as long as he taught diligently for another half a year, Cui Yuan would definitely be able to become a first-class worker.
Shen Mu admired and liked this junior fellow very much. After the two of them discussed it, they decided to accept Cui Yuan as the new junior since it would not be long before he left the Unloading and Installation Department. Cui Yuan only needed to stay in the Unloading and Installation Department for another two days before he could go to work in the Electrical Engineering Department.
Only Yan Jiecheng said sourly: "Why are you so happy so early? Who knows if it will work in the future?"
"What's the big deal? It's just being an electrician. I won't do it if the money is so low."
Although his voice was not loud, Cui Yuan heard it clearly. Cui Yuan smiled slightly and ignored his sarcasm.
Although Yan Jiecheng's voice was not loud, Cui Yuan heard it clearly.
Cui Yuan smiled slightly and ignored his sarcasm.
After hearing this, Yan Jiefang quickly pulled his sleeve and whispered, "Brother, keep your voice down so that others don't hear you."
"What are you afraid of? No one can hear you!" Yan Jiecheng said indifferently.
"I won't do this job if my salary is reduced by 7 yuan. Can't I use this money to eat something good?"
Even though his salary was 7 yuan less, Cui Yuan's salary was still higher than Yan Jiecheng's.
Yan Jiecheng is still doing odd jobs in the street office. He earns a lot less money now, less than 15 yuan a month.
This month I only have a little over 10 yuan, and there is not much left after paying the bills to my family.
Cui Yuan had already noticed Yan Jiecheng's jealous look. He sneered in his heart but ignored it.
Li Kailang congratulated him and said, "Brother Cui, you are now very proud of yourself. You have become an electrician and have a bright future."
"I used to dislike you, but now I must be jealous and envious, and I'm cursing you under my breath."
Cui Yuan understood what Li Kailang meant: "Yes! Finally, the hardship has ended and happiness has come!"
When I first worked as a loader, I was often looked down upon by some people in the yard.
Sha Zhu, Jia Dongxu, Yan Jiecheng, and Xu Damao are of course indispensable, and even Chen Tongjing in the backyard has treated him coldly.
After all, the work of the makeup removal department cannot be compared with theirs.
"Oh, what's going on? Who doesn't like my junior brother?" Shen Mu said coldly, supporting his junior brother.
Sha Zhu, Jia Dongxu, Xu Damao and Chen Tongjing were naturally not afraid of Shen Mu's intimidation. They looked fearless.
Except for Yan Jiecheng, he was no match for Cui Yuan before, so there is no need to say more about him now.
Seeing this, Cui Yuan hurriedly advised: "Forget it, Senior Brother, it's no big deal, it's all in the past."
Shen Mu looked at Cui Yuan helplessly: "You, you just lack a bit of blood. You should scold back when you should. Don't forget that you are now the disciple of the master, and you are different from before.
Cui Yuan nodded and replied: "Yes, brother, I will pay attention to it."
He turned his gaze to Yan Jiecheng, and a ripple appeared in his heart.
Seeing this, Yan Jiecheng knew it was boring and left in shame.
At this time, naturally someone will make trouble.
Jia Zhang suggested, "Young man from the Cui family, now that you have become my disciple, you should celebrate it, right? I think you should hold a banquet and have fun with everyone."
She looked at Cui Yuan with ill intentions and continued, "I see your master is here, why don't we just do it today and have everyone help you out, what do you say?"
"No need to go through so much trouble!" When Liu Huazhong heard this, he didn't bother to chat with Aunt Cui. He looked at Jia Zhang coldly.
"It's not a festival, why are you eating so well? Besides, this is a matter between us master and disciple, what does it have to do with you?"
Jia Zhang was naturally unwilling to be outdone, and retorted: "How can you say that? The Cui family kid is from our courtyard. Isn't it a good thing for our courtyard that he becomes a disciple? Isn't this going to be a big deal?"
"It's not a big deal if it's not lively and exciting, everyone, isn't it?"
"Correct!"
"Yes!"
Sha Zhu, Jia Dongxu, Xu Damao and others quickly agreed. They were obviously dissatisfied with Shen Mu's attitude just now.
Sha Zhu: "Cui Yuan! You've been in the makeup removal department for so long, and you finally got out and became my disciple. You should celebrate anyway, right?"
Xu Damao: "Yes, if we don't celebrate, won't you be disunited with the courtyard?"
Jia Dongxu: "I think this is a good idea. Everyone is here. I think we should just do it. It's better to do it today than to wait for a better day. Don't you agree?"
"Yes! The Cui family has a lot of food at home, and there's nothing wrong with taking it out." A busybody echoed.
But more people remained silent. Asking people to hold a big banquet at this time of year, isn't it just to eat other people's food?
Who can't see that this is a malicious act?
Liu Huazhong and Shen Mu frowned, they saw that these people had bad intentions. It was obvious that they wanted to bully Cui Yuan and take advantage of him.
It seems that Cui Yuan's family is not in a good situation in this courtyard and is being targeted.
Liu Huazhong said bluntly: "Why? You all want to eat Xiao Yuan's food, don't you have any food at home?"
"Really? This is a matter between us, master and disciple. It has nothing to do with you. Don't meddle in other people's business."
"If your family is really poor and you have no food, go to the street office and ask for help. It's not like you are yelling here one by one."
Liu Huazhong was obviously restraining his words. After all, Cui Yuan lived here, and it would be bad for the Cui family if he said something harsh.
Yi Zhonghai stepped out to smooth things over and said, "Alas, how can you say that? We just want to have some fun, there's nothing wrong with that."
"However, since Master Liu doesn't want to, then forget it."
Liu Huazhong understood the meaning of Yi Zhonghai's words. It was obvious that he was planning to target the Cui family after he left.
He sneered in his heart, thinking that these people really had a good plan.
Faced with everyone's difficulties, Liu Huazhong did not back down.
To protect his apprentice Cui Yuan, he must show a firm attitude and strength.
Liu Huazhong looked at Yi Zhonghai coldly: "Yi Zhonghai, you are an eighth-level worker, and you are targeting my apprentice like this, right?"
"Okay, Xiao Yuan, you want to host this banquet, and you want it to be grand. I'll pay for the food. But remember, I'll remember everyone who dares to eat at the table."
"I remember that most of you are from the bench workshop. If there is a problem with the circuit of the bench, and it is delayed for ten days or half a month, don't blame me for not reminding you."
Hearing such a blatant threat, Yi Zhonghai frowned.
Jia Dongxu said: "Oh, you are quite impressive. You are not the only electrician in the factory. If you don't want to fix it, find another electrician to do it."
"Hmph!" Shen Mu sneered.
"Boy, don't you know who my master is? There is no electrician in the electrical department who has not received guidance from my master."
"My master has said that not only your locksmith workshop, but all locksmith workshops will have their electricity cut off. Let's see what you will do?"
Jia Dongxu retorted: "If you do this, it will affect the production of the factory. The leader will definitely punish you severely!"
Shen Mu sneered: "You don't think that this is all I have. I won't cut off the electricity all the time, but it's not a big deal to cut off the power from time to time."
"Believe it or not, when you get off work, I will fix the electricity and make you all work overtime!"
"I remember that you fitters still have production targets. I just don't believe that I can't bring you down."
Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai frowned.
If this is true, they really have no way to deal with Liu Huazhong.
After all, a fitter cannot manage an electrician, but an electrician can indeed manage the fitter's workshop.
Most of the machines in their workshop have been used for some time, and the circuits are aging and often need to be repaired by electricians.
"Hmph!" Yi Zhonghai was speechless and could only snort coldly and turn away.
"Hey, uncle, why did you leave?" asked Jia Zhang.
When everyone saw that Yi Zhonghai had retreated, what else could they say? They just dispersed and went home.
"Master, thank you!" Cui Yuan said with sincere gratitude.
Liu Huazhong patted his shoulder and said, "No need, Xiao Yuan. Everyone in this courtyard is targeting you. I think you should move out as soon as possible. I will find you a house to live in during this period."
Cui Yuan shook his head: "Master, there is no need to bother. They can't do anything to me. They are just talking."
"I've lived in this house for more than ten years, and I'm reluctant to leave it."
Liu Huazhong was anxious: "Xiao Yuan, there are not many good people in this courtyard. If you stay here, I'm afraid they will teach you bad things. You'd better move out as soon as possible."
"Don't worry about where to live. I'll figure it out."
But Cui Yuan still refused: "I really don't need you, Master. Didn't you say that you wanted to train my ability to deal with people? I think the people in this courtyard are pretty good."
"Master, to be honest, few people in the courtyard are capable. They just said this because they were sure you would come."
"They didn't dare to say that to me before. Look at my muscles now. Anyone who dares to say that to me is bullying you."
"Really?" The two were skeptical.
"Really." Cui Yuan nodded heavily.
Seeing this, Liu Huazhong said nothing more, "If you can't handle it, tell the master, I won't let you suffer any loss."
"Don't worry, Master!" Cui Yuanying said.
Seeing this, the two of them left the yard. Liu Huazhong was still worried: "Let's go find some empty houses these days and let Xiao Yuan's family live there."
"Okay, got it!" Shen Mu replied.
Cui Yuan didn't leave the yard, not only for training himself, but also because he couldn't bear to leave the grain in the cellar. If so much grain was moved out, people would definitely miss it.
"Okay, grandma, let's go home." Cui Yuan took Aunt Cui home.
(End of this chapter)