Chapter 14

Jin Zhicheng still had a calm expression. “Comrade, you’re quite badly injured. You’d better hurry up and ride to the hospital.”

“As for compensation, you’ll need to talk to Chunfeng Parts Factory. We’re all workers from there. If needed, I can testify for you.”

Chunfeng Repair Shop used to be the storefront for Chunfeng Parts Factory. Later, due to the factory’s poor performance and the storefront not making any profit, it was turned into a repair shop. Jin Zhicheng, a technician nearing retirement, was sent there as the manager.

The title “manager” sounded nice, but in truth, he was just a one-man crew handling everything. The factory didn’t care about the repair shop at all.

Hu Ping had connections. The factory didn’t have any official recruitment slots that year, so he was temporarily assigned to the repair shop. Next year, he’d be made permanent and given an office job. Naturally, Hu Ping didn’t take his repair shop work seriously.

He was careless and unskilled, constantly making big and small mistakes.

Jin Zhicheng couldn’t control Hu Ping and always had to clean up after him, which he found incredibly frustrating.

He decided to take advantage of today’s incident—after all, he was about to retire. At worst, he’d burn bridges, but he was determined to kick Hu Ping out of the repair shop early.

Though Hu Ping’s incompetence didn’t directly affect Jin Zhicheng, he simply couldn’t stand to watch Chunfeng Parts Factory and the repair shop he’d worked in for most of his life be ruined by Hu Ping.

Older generations had a strong sense of collective honor and responsibility.

There was no point in making things difficult for an old man. The repair shop was state-owned, and if something happened, the state was responsible. Since Jin Zhicheng refused to take responsibility, the others had no choice but to drag Hu Ping to the factory.

The injured man was also taken to the hospital by some bystanders.

Before being taken away, Hu Ping cursed Jin Zhicheng, drawing a round of condemnation from the crowd.

After the crowd dispersed, only Xin Qi was still standing in front of the repair shop.

Jin Zhicheng looked at the smiling young girl and shook his head. Young people these days—watching a fight like it’s a show, and reluctant to leave even after it’s over.

Xin Qi finally seized her opportunity. “Master, why did you twist the lug nut left three turns and right three turns like that just now?”

Jin Zhicheng was caught off guard that she’d noticed that. After a moment’s thought, he explained, “If you tighten one side all at once, the front and back wheels won’t align properly.”

Xin Qi nodded in sudden realization. “Master, that guy clearly doesn’t know how to fix bikes. Are you looking for a new apprentice here? What do you think about me?”

Jin Zhicheng was stunned for a second, then laughed. A woman fixing bikes? And a young, pretty girl at that?

He chuckled and shook his head. “Women don’t fix bikes.”

Xin Qi knew the older generation had outdated ideas. Even in the future, plenty of people still thought that way.

She wasn’t offended and replied calmly, “Why can’t women fix bikes? Isn’t it about skill, not gender?”

“My dad’s a factory mechanic. I grew up in a repair shop, learning to fix and inspect machines since I was a kid. Fixing a bicycle is honestly beneath my skill level.”

Of course, that was a lie. The original Xin Qi had never set foot in a repair shop. But Xin Qi herself had gotten into bicycles in high school. Over the years, she’d assembled and modified quite a few on her own—she even set up a studio for custom bike builds.

“Master, let me try. I’ll work for free for three days, just as a trial.”

Jin Zhicheng shook his head, smiling. “Come if you want, but there’s no pay.”

The repair shop work was tough—dirty and exhausting. Not a place for a dainty girl. He figured she’d run off before the day was over.

Xin Qi could tell the old master didn’t take her seriously, but she didn’t mind. Actions speak louder than words—he’d see soon enough.

She asked for the shop’s hours and then said goodbye.

The shop was a bit far from the factory’s residential compound, so Xin Qi hurried to catch a bus, hoping to make it home in time for dinner.

Since the last confrontation, Li Huilan hadn’t dared skimp on Xin Qi’s meals. After all, Xin Qi would loudly accuse her of abusing her biological daughter and favoring her son, threatening to report her to the Women’s Federation and factory leadership.

Li Huilan was scared of her now. Xin Guoping cared a lot about reputation. When Xin Qi made a fuss, he couldn’t control her, so he’d end up scolding Li Huilan instead.

After a few blowups, Xin Qi had temporarily cowed her family. Li Huilan didn’t dare provoke her, and she even stopped secretly preparing better food for Xin Liyi.

That had pissed Xin Liyi off so much he hadn’t been home in days.

Xin Qi didn’t care. She went job hunting during the day and made sure to come home for dinner. No reason to spend her own money when she didn’t have to.

She had some savings, but good jobs were hard to come by. Money in hand meant peace of mind.

She was still hoping to buy her own place and live independently. At the moment, her savings weren’t quite enough, so she started thinking of ways to make more money.

Black markets? Not an option. It was only 1975—years away from reform and opening. And this was the capital city, the political heart of the country.

If she got caught on the black market, she could easily get four or five years in prison. Too risky, not worth it. She shook her head—off the table.

For now, the safest path was to quietly work at the repair shop for a year or two. Once the college entrance exam was reinstated, she’d aim for a good university. That seemed like the most reliable path forward.

Fixing bikes was tough, but being able to turn a hobby into a profession—and having a solid skill in this era—was a kind of luck.

When she got home, no one else was there yet. This time of day, only Li Huilan, who usually stayed home folding paper boxes, would be around cooking.

Unexpectedly, Xin Shan was also there, angrily ranting about something to Li Huilan.

When she saw Xin Qi come in, Xin Shan stormed over and questioned her, “Why didn’t you start that job at the state-run store? Did you sell the job quota?”

She’d only just found out that Xin Qi hadn’t started the job and that the quota had been sold off.

Xin Qi glanced at her. “Yeah, I sold the job. I didn’t think a state-run store job was a good fit, so I gave the opportunity to someone more suited.”

“Second Sister, help me find another job, okay? Preferably something in an office.”

Xin Shan was so furious her mouth twisted. “You think jobs grow on trees?”

Li Huilan also looked shocked. “You ungrateful brat! You just gave up a job at a state-run store? If you couldn’t handle it, you should’ve given it to your brother!”

“Who did you sell it to? Go get it back!”

A job at a state-run store was easy and respectable—far better than being a transport worker at the factory, with no exposure to the elements.

If they could resell the transport job, they’d even have money for Liyi’s wedding!

The more Li Huilan thought about it, the angrier she got. Her disappointment in Xin Qi grew.

That girl had no clue after living in the countryside so long. She sold a golden opportunity for a measly thousand yuan, jeopardizing her precious son’s future.

Xin Qi couldn’t understand Li Huilan’s twisted logic and said with some amusement, “I sold it for a thousand yuan. If Xin Liyi wants it, he should at least cover the compensation.”

“If he gives me 1,500, I’ll go get the job back.”