Chapter 690 Rejection
On the day when the supply and marketing cooperative was expanding, he climbed up the shaky scaffolding and measured the height of the beams himself. He accidentally stepped on empty air and fell down. His knee was swollen for half a month, but he kept it a secret from anyone.
Not to mention the countless late nights when he squatted under the oil lamp and repeatedly calculated the firing cost of the brick kiln, with densely packed formulas and charts drawn on the manuscript paper...
"The commune has recently built a new brick factory and kiln factory, and urgently needs a responsible, capable person to serve as the factory director..."
Wang Jianguo's gaze suddenly stopped on the word "factory director" and his heart skipped a beat.
What appeared before my eyes were the green smoke coming out of the brick factory chimneys, the dancing flames in the caves, and the smiling faces of the workers covered in coal dust.
He never thought that all the hard work he did day and night was seen by Director Song.
"After many days of investigation and evaluation, I recommend Comrade Wang Jianguo, a villager from Jianye Village, Jianye Farm..."
When he read this, his vision suddenly blurred. The creases on the edge of the letter hurt his palm, reminding him of his mother's hand holding his before she died, which was also rough but warm.
He recalled the relief that flickered in Zhao Shuzhuo's eyes when he patted him on the shoulder and said, "You have a promising future, young man."
I also think of the meals that He Yushui brought to me every day in different ways, and the warmth and care hidden in the lunch boxes.
Director Song looked at him quietly, twirling the pen between his fingers:
"Don't think I don't know. Last time the equipment at the brick factory broke down, you stayed by the machine for two whole days and nights. When the goods from the supply and marketing cooperative had problems, you also rode your bike to the county overnight to coordinate..."
His voice suddenly softened.
“The commune needs people like you.”
Wang Jianguo raised his head and saw the poplar trees outside the window rustling in the wind.
The sunlight shines through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows on the letter paper.
The words with his name on them were no longer just traces of ink, but a heavy weight of trust and expectation. He took a deep breath, and wrinkled the letter paper in his hands:
“Director, this… this is too sudden.”
“Not suddenly,”
Director Song pushed the envelope in front of him.
"You deserve it. Think about it and give me a definite answer tomorrow."
He stood up and patted Wang Jianguo on the shoulder.
The poplar trees outside the window rustled in the wind, and the sunlight shone through the glass, casting mottled shadows on the recommendation letter.
Wang Jianguo's hand holding the letter paper tightened slightly, and his fingertips stroked the three words "Wang Jianguo". The words that had not yet dried in ink seemed to burn his palm.
He read it again word by word, not missing even the punctuation marks. Beads of sweat on his forehead dripped down the ends of his hair onto the paper, leaving tiny marks of ink.
"Director Song,"
Wang Jianguo raised his head, his eyes firm but also a little worried.
“I don’t think it’s right.”
He gently placed the letter on the table, his fingers unconsciously drawing circles on the table.
"It's the same problem I mentioned last time. It's too dangerous for my name to appear in front of the top leaders so early."
Director Song took off his reading glasses, wiped the lenses with the corner of his clothes, and frowned into the shape of the Chinese character "川":
"Jianguo, tell me, what's the danger? Your contribution to the brick factory and the supply and marketing cooperative is seen by everyone. You are worthy of being recommended as the factory director!"
Wang Jianguo stood up, walked to the window and looked at the towering chimneys of the brick factory in the distance.
The smoke rose into the sky and gradually dissipated into the clouds. He took a deep breath and said in a low but powerful voice:
"Director Song, do you remember how Director Li of the Machinery Factory was dismissed when the county came to inspect last month? It was because he was too high-profile that his competitors caught him and he was ruined overnight."
He turned around, his eyes wary.
"My foundation is still unstable. If I am exposed so early, those who are eyeing the fat piece of meat of the brick factory will use some means to deal with me."
Director Song sighed and leaned back in the rattan chair, the back of the chair making a creaking sound:
"I understand your concerns, but this brick factory cannot be without a leader forever! Ever since Shuzhuo left, all the factory affairs have been placed on your shoulders."
"Workers are upset, equipment is malfunctioning, raw materials are not coming in... Which one of them is not your responsibility? I really can't find a more suitable person than you."
Wang Jianguo walked back to the table, picked up the recommendation letter, and read it carefully again, as if he wanted to engrave every word into his heart:
"Director, it's not that I don't want to take on this responsibility. You see, although the brick factory has been built, it's not stable enough."
"Technically, we have not yet fully mastered the tricks of high-temperature firing; management-wise, the enthusiasm of the workers has not yet been fully mobilized."
"In the market, brick factories in neighboring counties have begun to compete by lowering prices..."
He paused, folded the letter, and gently pushed it back to Director Song.
"The most important thing now is to accumulate strength and improve our internal skills. When the time is right, I promise to lead everyone to run the brick factory prosperously."
Director Song stared at Wang Jianguo's young but calm face and did not speak for a long time.
The chirping of cicadas outside the window suddenly became particularly harsh, breaking the silence in the house.
Finally, he reached out and patted Wang Jianguo on the shoulder:
"Okay, I'll listen to you. But you have to hurry up, the brick factory can't wait!"
Wang Jianguo nodded heavily:
"Don't worry, I will come up with a solution as soon as possible. Before that, I'd like to trouble you to help me and prevent anyone with ulterior motives from finding any flaws."
He looked at Director Song's graying temples and a warm feeling surged in his heart.
"When everything is settled, I will repay your trust."
The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window, giving the two figures a golden edge.
Director Song picked up the letter of recommendation again and put it away carefully under the desk lamp.
The poplar trees outside the window are still rustling, as if telling the young man's ambition and forbearance.
The clock in the office was ticking. Wang Jianguo reached out to wipe the sweat from his forehead. The cuff of his work clothes rubbed against the table, leaving a faint gray mark on the yellowed report.
He looked at Director Song's frown, and suddenly grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth, with a determined light flashing in his eyes:
"Director Song, if you trust me, I can recommend two people."
He took out a crumpled handkerchief from his trouser pocket, wiped his hands, and said in a brisk but serious tone:
"They are Cheng Erhua and Liu Erzhu from our village. Do you remember when the supply and marketing cooperative was first built?"
"At that time, supplies were in short supply, and they followed me around, running around. In the middle of winter, they would walk through the snow before dawn to get supplies from the neighboring village."
"Cheng Erhua is very nimble and can even use an abacus better than I can. Liu Erzhu is very strong. Once, the transport team's vehicle got stuck in a mud pit, but he and a few other guys managed to lift the vehicle out."