Transmigration: On the Gossip Front
Chapter 266 True or False First Love 66_1

Chapter 266: Chapter 266 True or False First Love 66_1

Once everything was formalized, the Spring Festival was just around the corner.

Even though the recent events had caused great losses for the steel factory, the leadership still felt that the welfare should remain the same as the previous year.

After all, once the problem was exposed, no one would continue to undermine the factory, and its performance was expected to improve.

The production workshops in the steel factory were still fine, even though some people were implicated, but it did not affect production.

However, in the administrative departments, the problem was serious; there were truly not many staffers left.

Many were doing the job of more than one person, and now it was winter, and high school students had not yet graduated.

In the end, after discussion among the leaders, it was decided to first bring back office staff who had not been retired for two years to their original positions.

As for personnel due to retire, retirement procedures would proceed as normal, but they would continue to work.

Zhou Lina’s mentor, Accountant Feng, although wanting to retire early, could only persevere for another half year. At the same time, she made up her mind to give Zhou Lina more guidance.

In this busy period, Zhou Lina really contributed a lot, and she discovered many problems.

Accountant Feng felt that she must cultivate Zhou Lina properly; otherwise, it would be a great loss for the factory.

To train someone, Accountant Feng obviously needed to let Zhou Lina see more data and better master the skills of cost accounting.

Zhou Lina knew that what she was learning now was what a cost accountant should learn, but she felt it was really tiring.

But there was no choice; at this time, apart from studying diligently, she really had no other solution.

The finance department was indeed short-staffed. If she could study well and transition smoothly from Accountant Feng’s position, she would likely not be the junior cost accountant.

With this in mind, Zhou Lina filled with much confidence, continued to learn and study.

As for the Chinese New Year goods, there were Zhang Shifen and Zhou Xuan, this younger brother was really good.

Knowing that Zhang Shifen and the others were busy, since the start of the winter vacation, he had been going out shopping every day with the aunties from the family compound.

Combined with the New Year goods issued by Zhou Lina and Zhang Shifen, one could say there were plenty of items.

Zhou Lina’s family had prepared quite a few New Year goods, whereas at Zhou Dajiang’s family, the atmosphere was rather poor.

"Can you believe it, you actually gave away all the New Year goods you received to the Luo Family."

"You don’t even have money for New Year preparations." Zhou Dajiang had never imagined that one day he would have to concern himself with these issues for a son who had already left to live independently.

Zhou Yong knew he was in the wrong, but what could be done? The deed was already done.

What could be done now? Seeing Zhou Yong’s face, not feeling guilty at all, Zhou Dajiang was very calm, "Then tell me, what do you want me to do about this?"

Zhou Yong took a deep breath and looked at Zhou Dajiang, "Dad, can you give me a hundred yuan?"

What? Asking for a hundred? Zhou Dajiang also thought that not having anything for the New Year was not acceptable. No matter what, Zhou Yong was his son, and Luo Lili was pregnant with his grandchild.

He thought about just giving twenty yuan; that should suffice for the New Year.

But unexpectedly, Zhou Yong directly asked for a hundred, "Why don’t you just shoot for the moon."

"Your monthly salary is over thirty yuan, isn’t it? You give me five, and give them five, you still have twenty-two left."

"How come the money isn’t enough, how come you are subsidizing the Luo Family again?" Zhou Dajiang remembered the New Year goods distributed by the unit.

He suddenly felt chilled, "You live here, and give me five yuan a month for utilities, and now, taking advantage of the New Year, you’re asking me for a hundred."

The thought made Zhou Dajiang want to cry, "Forget it, I don’t want your fifty a month anymore."

"If you’re not sending the new year’s goods to the Luo Family, then you might as well go live with them."

Zhou Dajiang really didn’t understand. Just a few months ago, Luo Lili had made him lose face, and he had already retaliated by doing the same to her.

They had also had various unpleasant interactions with the Luo Family, and he had thought that Zhou Yong wouldn’t bother with them anymore. Yet, unexpectedly, in such a short time, he seemed to be thinking about them again.

"I’m thinking that after all, I’m newly married," Zhou Yong said, though it made him uncomfortable, he could only try to cheer Zhou Dajiang up.

"Then you gave your new year’s goods to them," Zhou Dajiang had thought he would be very excited, but he didn’t expect to be so calm.

For some reason, seeing the calm Zhou Dajiang, Zhou Yong felt uneasy.

"When you got married, I said you were grown up and needed to take on the responsibility of supporting the family."

"Live within your means."

"If there’s no money, then even just eating plain rice is fine."

"You can’t always rely on me; otherwise, how will you grow up?"

"By the way, the Skill Level exam is coming up soon. Do you have confidence in reaching Level 3?"

With an increase in Skill Level, Zhou Yong could get a raise, amounting to quite a bit over the year.

At the mention of the exam, Zhou Yong’s expression turned awkward, "I, I..."

Ever since that competition where he had not done well and ended up at the bottom, he really didn’t think it was a big deal; in any competition, someone had to come last.

But he didn’t expect that the old master would take such a strong stance, outright saying he wouldn’t teach him anymore, nor would he be his master any longer.

Just like that, his relationship with the old man as teacher and student ended, which infuriated him. He thought about whether he should ask Zhang Shifen, whether she could continue teaching him.

He also knew that even though the old master was strict, he had trained many apprentices who had done quite well and could look after him once they graduated.

Before he could act, the old man had already taken on a new apprentice. If there wasn’t something fishy going on, he wouldn’t believe it.

But no matter how resentful he was, what could he do? It was his own lack of skill that was to blame; it was normal for the master to look down on him.

Even later on, when the factory arranged a new master for him, he just couldn’t compare; the gap in skill was not at all small.

Previously, even if he learned slowly, at least he could see progress. But now, under his current master, the skill level was really poor.

Even after studying for several months, he was still relying on his old skills, not making any new progress—and even Zhou Yong, who wasn’t ambitious, started to panic.

Now that Zhou Dajiang brought it up, he also mentioned it.

Zhou Dajiang had been working in the mechanical factory for many years; he knew which masters were skilled.

As for Zhou Yong’s lack of ambition and the act of returning the goods, what could he do?

Seeing Zhou Yong’s pitiable state, he didn’t have a solution. "Who told you not to study properly at the beginning?"

"If you had studied properly, would others return your goods?"

"It’s no use regretting now," Zhou Dajiang felt that Zhou Yong did regret it a bit and hoped to find a connection to get back under his old teacher’s wing.

He knew that Zhang Shifen wouldn’t help him. She had complained in the past about finding such a good master and yet not knowing how to appreciate it.

"You can’t change masters now, but you can study seriously," was all Zhou Dajiang could dryly offer as comfort.

He told him to study hard on his own since the current master was not serious about teaching anything new, leaving him without any new skills to learn.

"By the way, with the New Year approaching, is Aunt Zhang and her family coming back?" Hmph, even if they don’t help, he could ask Zhang Shifen himself.