Chapter 10

If awkwardness could ferment, Ye Manzhi at this moment would definitely be the softest steamed bun.

She didn’t know how Wu Zhengrong had picked up on the signs, but if she continued pretending to be drunk, it would make her look petty.

And that would be even harder to accept than the embarrassment.

Therefore, with her mature wisdom and the tingling left leg, Ye Manzhi quickly made a decision—

She changed her position and pretended to sleep, just as he had suggested!

Wu Zhengrong raised the corners of his lips in amusement and asked, taking care of her face, “What’s the special occasion today, why are you so drunk?”

“Ahem, it’s not a special day,” Ye Manzhi lightly coughed, opening her eyes to explain. “Director Mu asked me to talk to my sister-in-law on behalf of the street office. I thought it would be better to discuss things with some wine and meat, so I treated everyone to a meal at the restaurant.”

“If Director Mu gives you more work, won’t you be getting drunk every few days?”

Ye Manzhi awkwardly replied, “Not necessarily, today is a special situation.”

Although society has become more liberal nowadays, and women can freely go to taverns, restaurants, and clubs, it was still quite rare for someone like her to get completely drunk.

Wu Zhengrong glanced back and noticed her flushed cheeks and shining eyes. He couldn’t help but remind her, “Things aren’t too peaceful around here lately, you should be extra careful when going out at night.”

Ye Manzhi immediately asked, “Has something big happened around here?”

The street office and the local police station were nearby, so if anything had happened, she would have surely heard the rumors.

“The factory plans to expand southward and needs to requisition the land to the east of Chenjiatun. The local residents are strongly opposed.”

Ye Manzhi thought for a moment and asked, “I remember that area is a cemetery, right?”

“Yes, there are over three thousand abandoned graves there.”

“…” Ye Manzhi murmured, “No wonder people are resisting. Although there are abandoned graves there, many of our old neighbors are buried in that area. If the factory digs up that land, people will definitely be upset!”

Factory 656 was located at the southernmost edge of the city, in the urban-rural fringe area. Beyond Guangming Street, you were already out of town.

If the factory wanted to expand, it would have to move into the countryside, but she never imagined they would choose to expand onto a cemetery.

“Recently, a lot of people have been protesting at the factory, and there are even patrol teams wandering the area at night. When the situation gets chaotic, it’s easy for others to take advantage,” Wu Zhengrong said with a stern expression. “If you want to drink, do it at home. Try not to go out at night.”

“Oh, I usually don’t drink,” Ye Manzhi quickly clarified, quoting her third sister-in-law. “Today, I’m treating everyone, and I only had a little bit of hawthorn wine.”

“Smell it yourself.”

“Smell what?” Ye Manzhi sniffed her nose.

Wu Zhengrong calmly stated the facts, “The car is filled with the smell of strong liquor.”

Having spent a lot of time in places with the most men, he could tell what kind of alcohol the other person had been drinking just by the smell.

“Ah, you, you, you…” Ye Manzhi was so embarrassed that she couldn’t come up with anything to say.

It was an indisputable fact that she had drunk nearly four liang of sorghum wine, and there was really nothing to say about it.

Noticing that her cheeks and neck were becoming even redder, Wu Zhengrong rarely paused to reflect and wondered if he had been too harsh with his words.

Ye Manzhi suddenly blurted out, “You truly have sharp insight! Even Dzerzhinsky couldn’t compare!”

Wu Zhengrong: “…”

That wasn’t quite the case.

“Aside from the hawthorn wine Director Mu gave me, we also drank a little sorghum wine. But the bulk wine at the restaurant seemed watered down, so the alcohol didn’t hit too hard.”

Wu Zhengrong’s eyes twinkled with a smile. “You even know that bulk wine can be watered down.”

Seems like she’s gained some experience with alcohol.

“It was my fourth brother who told me that,” she replied.

“Mm.”

The car fell silent again.

Wu Zhengrong, sitting at the front, suddenly recalled the promise he had made to his sister-in-law to try and help this young Ye.

He furrowed his brows in thought, and then, as if on a whim, he bent down and pulled out the Maotai liquor he had just gotten from the military district leaders, retrieving it from between the seats.

“The restaurants around Shidao Street often mix water into their alcohol. Take this back with you,” he said, offering the bottle.

Ye Manzhi: “…”

She awkwardly took the bottle, deeply suspicious that she hadn’t sobered up yet.

Who would give a girl alcohol to drink?

Did Wu Zhengrong really think she was a drunkard?

“Captain Wu, this is too precious, I can’t accept it,” Ye Manzhi quickly tried to push the bottle back.

She had never drunk Maotai before, but she knew it was priceless and special-supplied.

“Take it,” Wu Zhengrong said, “I don’t drink much myself.” He thought he was catering to her preferences and, in a good mood, added, “Some bars sell low-quality liquor. Drinking bad alcohol too often harms the body. You should try to stay home at night if you want to drink, and only have good stuff.”

Ye Manzhi: “…”

So he really did think she was a heavy drinker.

She held the bottle, not overthinking it in terms of romantic interest.

They had once considered marriage, but both had politely made their intentions clear, so there was nothing romantic between them.

However, seeing Wu Zhengrong so calm, it didn’t seem like he was feeling guilty for exposing her lie.

Lost in her thoughts, she considered all possible scenarios and finally decided to keep the Maotai bottle.

“Then thank you, Captain Wu. If there’s a chance, would it be alright for my dad to invite you to drink?”

“Sure.”

Ye Manzhi secretly sighed in relief. After spotting her third brother’s figure through the car window, she politely bid farewell to Wu Zhengrong and exited the car on her own.

Although she had drunk a bit much today, her mind was still as sharp as ever!

Since her engagement with Zhou Mu had been called off, her father’s position at the factory had become somewhat delicate.

Based on the production progress of each workshop, her father’s workshop was supposed to be included in the list of advanced collectives and individuals for the first half of the year. However, when the awards were actually being handed out, the factory leadership canceled the award due to someone being 15 minutes late to work.

Her father didn’t say anything, but she felt like her dad was being targeted.

In her mind, the factory leaders were numerous, and without Zhou Zhenye, there were others.

Her father could still use the opportunity to build a relationship with Captain Wu.

A bottle of Maotai was so expensive—he’d have to invite her dad to a few meals to return the favor!

The more they interacted, the closer their relationship would become.

She didn’t expect Wu Zhengrong to speak on her father’s behalf, but as long as he didn’t side with the others, that would be enough.

Given Old Ye’s technical expertise, life should still be pretty good for him!

After that day, news began to spread about the 656 Factory’s plans for expansion and land requisition.

The topic of relocating graves stirred up quite a bit of unrest among the local residents in the military-industrial complex.

Elderly family members of workers could often be found chatting in the hallways, secretly seeking recommendations for reliable masters or shamans.

Old Ye’s family’s ancestral grave was located in the countryside, so the land requisition for expansion didn’t directly affect them.

However, just a few days later, an announcement from the factory office sent shockwaves through the Ye family!

Ye Mantang, who was about to head to the Stalin Automobile Factory for an internship—the same Ye Mantang who had caused a stir with his family’s ancestral grave—suddenly found that his qualification for studying in the Soviet Union had been revoked by the factory!

Wasn’t this the same as digging up the Ye family’s ancestral grave?

Upon hearing the news, Ye’s eldest uncle and aunt rushed to the military-industrial complex overnight.

“Weren’t we told that you could go abroad next month? Why has this been revoked now?”

“Someone filed a real-name report to the factory, claiming my actual work experience doesn’t meet the requirements for studying in the Soviet Union.”

“So, does your work experience meet the requirements or not?” Uncle Ye and aunt asked in unison.

“It used to, but now it doesn’t.”

Two days ago, the factory’s personnel office issued a notice that explained the specific requirements for work experience. According to this explanation, Ye Mantang’s official work experience was only two years, which didn’t meet the qualifications for studying in the Soviet Union.

And just the day after the notice was sent out, an old worker, whose name Ye Mantang had never heard of, had filed a real-name report.

It was clear that someone was deliberately targeting this spot for the Soviet Union study opportunity.

Uncle Ye slammed the table, saying, “I said from the start that we should be careful with the third daughter’s marriage, but you all didn’t listen. Now, we’ve ended up with nothing. The good overseas opportunity that should have gone to Mantang has been taken away!”

“Uncle, the factory changed the rules, what does that have to do with the youngest?” Ye Manzhi countered.

While her family was in a panic, Ye Mantang himself was actually quite calm. Although losing the chance to go abroad was unfortunate, he felt that he had lost in one area but gained in another—at least he wouldn’t have to divorce his wife anymore.

“Why change it now, of all times, right before you go abroad? How can you say this wasn’t done on purpose?” Uncle Ye shifted his focus and began scolding his brother, “If the third daughter hadn’t broken off her engagement, at least someone in the factory could have spoken up for Mantang! Second brother, now isn’t the time for pride. You should go talk to the Zhou family!”

Aunt Ye grabbed Ye Manzhi’s hand and urged, “Come on, you’re sensible—this time, you really have to help your third brother!”

Her husband had originally planned to go through Vice Factory Director Zhou to help their eldest grandson, who had only graduated from middle school, get a job at the 656 Factory. However, when the two families suddenly fell apart, their plan went up in smoke.

Ye Manzhi hummed and responded casually.

The idea had actually been secretly suggested by her third sister-in-law, and now that it was almost coming to fruition, there was no way she’d pull out halfway.

Ye Shouxin had already been worried about his son’s future. Hearing them mention the Zhou family only made him more frustrated. “Big brother, my daughter isn’t going to be left on the shelf. Why does it have to be about hanging onto the crooked tree of the Zhou family? It was the Zhou family that wronged us, I’m not going to beg them!”

“You won’t beg them, but what will we do about Mantang’s situation? How do we explain this to our parents? The old folks back home have already set off firecrackers and held a banquet for this!”

Although Ye Shouxin seemed to have a lot of cultural flair when naming his children, such as calling them “Golden House” or “A Branch of Guilin,” in reality, only a few of his children had actually received an education.

The only one with any hope is Mantang; no one else can be relied on.

If Mantang loses this opportunity to study in the Soviet Union, who knows when the next chance for bringing honor to the family will come.

The second brother and his family are all stubborn and thick-headed. Uncle Ye waved his hand and said, “Forget it, I’ll go back and think of a way for you.”

Uncle Ye had been a materials manager at the cigarette factory, but two years ago, he was reassigned to guard the gate after some tobacco leaves he was in charge of were found to be missing. With his current position, he couldn’t possibly help with the Soviet Union study issue, and everyone just took his words as empty pleasantries.

However, just two days after he said that, Ye Manzhi was blocked by Zhou Mu on her way home from work.

Zhou Mu stood in front of her, grinning with pride, “I heard you regret it? Want to get back together with me?”

Ye Manzhi glanced at the setting sun and mocked, “What kind of daydreams are you having? Who said I wanted to get back together with you? Go find someone else!”

“It was your uncle who came to my house and said it!”

“Then let your uncle get back together with you!”

Zhou Mu chased after her, smiling broadly, “You clearly regret it but won’t admit it! That day when you saw me eating with Su Ying, weren’t you jealous?”

“…” Ye Manzhi was speechless, “Where did you see me being jealous?”

“Heh, you were drunk, drowning your sorrows in alcohol!”

Since Ye Manzhi’s uncle had visited his home with a gift, Zhou Mu had been in an unusually excited state.

In fact, after their engagement was broken off, Zhou Mu had always felt that it wasn’t real, thinking that Ye Manzhi was just angry and would eventually come back to him once her anger passed.

Uncle Ye’s visit seemed to confirm his thoughts.

“I’ve already told my mom, the whole engagement thing is invalid, we still…”

Ye Manzhi interrupted him, “I heard your family has already found you a match?”

“Yeah, it’s true, but it was arranged by my parents, and I didn’t like any of them…”

Ye Manzhi cut him off again, “My family also arranged a blind date for me, and I liked him.”

“Impossible! Who did you go on a date with? I haven’t heard anything about this!”

“It’s possible. Your parents don’t like me, and you’re not nice to me, so why would I just wait around for you?”

Zhou Mu stared at her intently, as if trying to find traces of a lie on her face.

Ye Manzhi’s expression was calm, and she spoke frankly, “My uncle wants to do something for your family, and he used me as a pawn. You’d better think carefully…”

Seeing that she didn’t seem to be lying, Zhou Mu’s expectations were dashed. His stubbornness flared up again, “How can you be so boring! You won’t even admit what you said! I don’t care, you must make up with me, or I’ll starve myself!”

“…” Ye Manzhi, not used to indulging his spoiled behavior, coldly and heartlessly replied, “Then go ahead and starve yourself.”