Chapter 44: Can She Hold An Iron Rice Bowl Too?
It wasn’t just Meng Xia who was shocked; everyone else was too.
Even Old Lu, who always prided himself on being fair and just, had never thought his wife could still participate in recruitment.
After the children become adults, they only think about the children.
Lu Qiaoge: “Mom is just a few months short of turning forty, which exactly meets the conditions.”
Old Lu: …
The Lu Family members all looked at Meng Xia in disbelief, their gazes finally falling on Lu Qiaoge.
No one felt that Meng Xia being forty was actually not old, but in fact, she was about to become a grandmother.
Married at seventeen, gave birth to Lu Zhiguo at eighteen, and because it was a winter month birthday, she was still a few months short of turning forty.
Exactly meeting the minimum standard.
It was just that Lu Qiaoge felt this quota was a bit strange.
She asked the stunned Old Lu: “Were the recruitment drives in previous years like this too?”
Old Lu hesitated for a moment, recalling: “There hasn’t been recruitment for several years now. Most are parents retiring and children taking over jobs, but this year it’s to take care of old workers at level seven and above.”
Lu Qiaoge: “So, we now have four candidates.”
Su Hui stood in the doorway, her eyes red, wanting to say she wouldn’t count herself, but worried that saying so would be wrong.
She kept her head down, twisting her apron with her hands.
Lu Qiaoge glanced at Su Hui, then looked at Lu Zhiguo, her voice somewhat stern: “Older Brother, what nonsense did you say earlier when you took out your anger on Sister-in-law? Apologize first.”
Su Hui hurriedly waved her hands, about to say something, but seeing Lu Qiaoge notice her embarrassment, actually if Su Hui were someone else’s daughter-in-law, there would be many things easy to say.
But this was her own sister-in-law, so she had to choose her words carefully. She said warmly: “Sister-in-law, whenever you want to announce your pregnancy is your freedom. Don’t take it to heart. So I’m going to be an aunt, I’m really happy. And you’re part of the family; it’s normal to strive for your own benefit.”
Then she said to Lu Zhiguo: “No matter when, as family, we must trust and tolerate each other. We can’t blame and shirk responsibility at the slightest problem. Older Brother, apologize.”
Lu Zhiguo embarrassedly scratched his head.
Lu Qiaoge: “I might be responsible for mediation from now on, so you need to set an example.”
Lu Zhiguo amusingly glanced at his younger sister, then readily said to Su Hui: “Sorry, I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that earlier.”
Meng Xia was still in a state of mental confusion and didn’t notice this scene. Su Hui cautiously glanced at her mother-in-law and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Lu Qiaoge said to Lu Qiaoling: “Before things are settled, don’t listen to the wind and take it as rain, making wild guesses and interpretations. For you, Lu Qiaoling, do I still need to put on an act?
Even if it were directly settled for you, what could you do?
Speaking of which, including Grandmother, none of our family’s elders prefer sons over daughters. Look at Xiao Si; his health isn’t good, but has he been spoiled?”
Lu Qiaoling pursed her lips, but since coming back, for some reason, while admiring her second sister, she was also a bit afraid of her, so she said softly: “I only said that out of anger. Sorry, I won’t do it again.”
Lu Qiaoge waved her hand: “Alright, it’s getting dark soon, there’s a storm tonight, everyone has to go to work tomorrow, and dinner hasn’t been eaten yet, so, should we eat first or settle the recruitment quota first?”
Old Mrs. Lu: “I’ll go cook. You discuss it.”
She took Xiao Si to the kitchen.
Because of Qiao Ge, the home truly didn’t lack rice, flour, or eggs. Su Hui hadn’t even started cooking when several people started arguing.
She could farm, so naturally she could cook, but Su Hui always grabbed the bed to do it, so she let her granddaughter-in-law.
But now that she was pregnant, she needed to be careful.
The old woman was also quite happy; her second granddaughter was impressive, quelling the conflict in just a few words.
This cadre role was handled with such skill.
She said to Lu Xiaosi: “Go scoop a bowl of noodles for Grandmother. We’ll make egg drop soup. It seems like it’s going to rain today; eat something hot to ward off the dampness.”
In the courtyard over there, Lu Qiaoge said: “To make a long story short, my opinion is to give the quota to Mom.”
Meng Xia’s heart pounded. Just as she was about to speak, Lu Qiaoge stopped her: “Mom, giving it to you is equivalent to giving it to two people. In ten years when you retire, perhaps Xiao Si can take over your job. By then, both you and Dad will have retirement salary, and you can enjoy retirement life with peace of mind.”
Old Lu’s eyes lit up; this was indeed an idea he had never thought of.
Meng Xia was also extremely tempted.
She had pasted paper boxes for many years; she had followed Old Lu for half a lifetime, missing several recruitment opportunities for one reason or another.
She also wanted a formal job, to hold an iron rice bowl like her second daughter.
But she still had one son, one daughter, and one daughter-in-law without formal jobs.
How could it be her turn?
Lu Qiaoge didn’t let Meng Xia voice her opinion and turned to Lu Zhiguo: “Older Brother, I was just wanting to tell you. Today, Qiao Ling and I, because of the storm matter, visited your work unit leader Captain Jin’s mother’s home. Captain Jin happened to be there too, and when he came out to see me and Qiao Ling off, he said this to me.”
Lu Zhiguo immediately widened his eyes, as if he felt something, lowered his voice excitedly and asked: “Captain Jin, he… what did he say?”
“He told me to tell you to hold steady, definitely hold steady, the opportunity is coming soon.”
Old Lu patted his eldest son’s shoulder, his voice trembling slightly as he said: “Don’t ask anymore, this couldn’t be clearer, just do your job steadily and properly, don’t mix with those good-for-nothings.”
So, is this Captain Jin trying to curry favor with the second daughter?
Otherwise, why not tell the eldest son, but tell the second daughter instead?
Lu Qiaoge looked at Su Hui and Lu Qiaoling again.
Su Hui immediately stood up, with a sincere smile on her face: “I approve of giving the target to our mom, this might be our mom’s last opportunity, if we don’t seize it, there might not be another one later, and my class background is rich peasant, if it’s really given to me, if the authorities don’t approve, wouldn’t the target be wasted in vain? I’ll go cook, you all continue to discuss.”
Meng Xia looked at Su Hui, and for the first time felt that the eldest daughter-in-law was quite good at speaking.
Originally Meng Xia was the leader, but now she had become a candidate, and her heart was in a tumult.
Lu Qiaoge looked at Lu Qiaoling again.
Lu Qiaoling was not stupid, and really felt that giving it to mom was the best choice.
Before Lu Qiaoge could open her mouth, she raised her hand: “I approve a million times of giving the target to our mom, as for myself, I’m only eighteen years old, not in a hurry.”
Old Lu let out a long breath, he handed the form to Meng Xia, and said apologetically: “When the age was relaxed to forty years old, I should have thought of it, this might be the factory giving an opportunity to worker family members like you, but I only thought of the children and forgot about you, sorry.”
Meng Xia covered her mouth, tears silently flowing down.
She had never thought that at her age, she could still have a formal job.
——
Just after finishing dinner, the power went out, then soybean-sized raindrops suddenly arrived, accompanied by gale winds, pattering against the glass windows.
Naughty Swallow told Lu Qiaoge: 【Sleep soundly, our nest is very sturdy, there won’t be any problem.】
Calico Cat hurriedly said: 【Old Turtle asked me to tell you, tomorrow after the rain stops, find an opportunity to go to Hongxing Lake, there will definitely be fish and shrimp washed out in the pits and depressions. Especially the most in the reed marsh.】
No need to think, Calico Cat was missing the fish and shrimp that would be washed ashore tomorrow again.
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