Master, That's My Wife and My House! - Chapter 30

Seeing their expressions, Wu Wenhua laughed and said, “Gentlemen, don’t put such vulgar ideas on a young man like Xiao Chen. I know you think he’s only staying temporarily because of the housing allocation.”

“No, no.” ✕2!

In my mind, “That’s it, that’s it.” ✕2!

Wu Wenhua sighed and said, “With a talent like Brother Chen, putting everything else aside, do you think we’d lack housing for him at our Wanhuai Coal Mine? I’m not bragging, but the housing conditions at our Wanhuai Coal Mine are definitely better than your machinery factory’s, right?”

Neither Factory Director Wei nor Section Chief Lin refuted this point. The Wanhuai Machinery Factory existed to support the Wanhuai Coal Mine, and its conditions were certainly inferior to those of the Wanhuai Coal Mine.

“With Brother Chen’s skills and abilities, if he goes to our Wanhuai Coal Mine, I can immediately apply for housing for him.” Wu Wenhua sighed, then said to Chen Feng, “Brother, since you have your own pursuits and ideas, I will definitely support you. You said it yourself, I’ll be waiting for you at Wanhuai Coal Mine in half a month!”

Chen Feng nodded slightly. He wasn’t as ambitious as Wu Wenhua had described. The only reason he chose to stay at the Wanhuai Machinery Factory for housing was to eliminate Zhou Zhenglong, that old eunuch, completely.

Otherwise, if the old eunuch finds out that I’m being transferred to the Wanhuai Coal Mine, he’ll definitely try to cause trouble.

Chen Feng regarded his transfer to the Wanhuai Coal Mine as a turning point in his new life and absolutely would not allow such a scoundrel as the old eunuch to cause trouble.

Wu Wenhua glanced at his watch and said to Chen Feng, “Brother, I have something to do and have to go first. But what I said is true, so you can’t stand me up.”

Chen Feng nodded, “Don’t worry, brother, I’ll definitely come to find you with the things.”

“Okay!” Wu Wenhua smiled, then took out an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Chen Feng, saying, “You saved me and my coworker, two lives in total. I can’t leave without showing my gratitude. Please accept this.”

Chen Feng quickly replied, “No need for that. I’m happy as long as my things can help. I definitely can’t accept them.”

Wu Wenhua didn’t give Chen Feng a chance to refuse at all, grabbing Chen Feng’s hand and saying, “Brother, two lives… maybe more, so don’t argue with me, otherwise it will make my life seem worthless.”

Having said all that, Chen Feng really couldn’t say anything more and could only nod and accept the gifts.

“By the way, that self-rescue device of yours is a good thing. Write an article about its origins and development, and I’ll apply for an award for you at the mining bureau. You might even get a certificate!” Wu Wenhua smiled slightly and then prepared to take his leave. The others wanted to see him off, but Wu Wenhua stopped them.

“Please wait, please wait. Work is important, work is important!” Wu Wenhua cupped his hands in greeting and left.

After Wu Wenhua had walked away, Factory Director Wei suddenly said, “Xiao Chen, this is a good opportunity. Section Chief Wu is young and just at the prime of his career. If you follow him, you’ll have a bright future!”

Chen Feng quickly replied, “Factory Director, you’re joking. I only think about things used in my work. Even if there were a real opportunity, it wouldn’t be my turn!”

Factory Director Wei laughed and said, “Haha, Xiao Chen, don’t underestimate yourself. The opportunities at Wanhuai Coal Mine are much greater than those at our machinery factory. Develop well and come back later. I hope you’ll come back as a leader.”

“Thank you for your kind words.” Chen Feng was both amused and exasperated. Director Wei’s words were a bit too blunt in this era and did not conform to the core values ​​of this time.

After leaving the factory manager’s office with Lin Youwei, Chen Feng pulled her to the shade of a tree, then took out an envelope and asked, “Guess what’s inside?”

Lin Youwei shook her head. “Can’t guess? Money?”

“It shouldn’t be.” Chen Feng felt the thickness; there wasn’t much. Even if it was all ten-yuan notes, it wouldn’t be much money.

Chen Feng didn’t hesitate. He opened the envelope, emptied its contents, and then his eyes lit up.

“Industrial vouchers!” Chen Feng exclaimed in surprise.

What are industrial vouchers?

In the 1970s, it was an era of rationing. If you only had money but no ration coupons, you would starve to death if you went out, because you simply couldn’t buy food.

Not only food, but also grain coupons, oil coupons, sugar coupons, cloth coupons, radio coupons, bicycle coupons, all kinds of coupons, you name it, they had it.

You need grain coupons to buy rice and flour, cloth coupons to buy cloth, and bicycle coupons to buy bicycles. Only with the corresponding coupons and money can you buy the corresponding items.

Industrial vouchers are different. They can be used to buy bicycles, televisions, and even motorcycles, although the value of the items and the quantity required vary. It’s no exaggeration to call industrial vouchers a universal voucher.

The envelope contained nine industrial coupons, not very big, less than half the size of a palm, but of considerable value.

“I remember a TV set only needed seven industrial coupons, and a bicycle needed four or five,” Chen Feng muttered.

“Four tickets, but that’ll cost over two hundred yuan,” Lin Youwei said, the price of the bicycle alone enough to deter most people.

Every era has its own set of “three turns and one sound” for weddings. What are the “three turns and one sound” of this era?

The three essential items were bicycles, watches, and sewing machines; the first sound was a radio. Televisions were not yet widespread, and most ordinary people couldn’t even imagine owning one.

These three items (turning a wheel, turning a knob, and making a sound) are difficult for ordinary people to gather. Usually, being able to produce one or two of them is considered top-notch.

“That’s really expensive.” Chen Feng smiled, then handed the envelope to Lin Youwei and said, “Keep it for me.”

“Me? No, no, these are your things, I can’t keep them for you.” Lin Youwei quickly shook her head.

Chen Feng replied, “Keep it. It’s our family’s business. I’ll be responsible for earning the money, and you’ll be responsible for managing it.”

Lin Youwei pursed her lips, and the thought rose in her mind again: how wonderful it would have been if she had met Chen Feng sooner.

Chen Feng then said, “Master’s wife, I’ll go now. You can have lunch by yourself. I need to go to the Mining University to finalize the article.”

Although Wu Wenhua only mentioned the article casually, Chen Feng took it very seriously. To put it bluntly, people in this era value honor. Holding special medals and certificates can be beneficial for future promotions, salary increases, and even social interactions.

As for the self-rescue device, although it was made by myself, Jiang Rong from the China University of Mining and Technology also contributed. Now that she has made a contribution, I definitely have to tell her.