bookrandom Chapter 296 Zhuang Ganmei was transferred to the logistics department to clean toilets
Chapter 296 Zhuang Ganmei was transferred to the logistics department to clean toilets
Chapter 296 Zhuang Ganmei was transferred to the logistics department to clean toilets
The elderly couple pulled out a wad of money from under the blanket; the money was wrapped up tightly.
Grandpa Zhuang stuffed the money into Zhuang Ganmei's hand, while constantly giving her instructions. "Ganmei, remember that those things outside are just temporary novelty. A man still has to return to his family in the end. This is our money for our funerals. If there's a next time, your mother and I won't be able to help you anymore."
Zhuang Ganmei took the money and nodded. "Dad, Mom, I understand. Don't worry, there definitely won't be a next time."
Zhuang Ganmei took the money to Widow Wang, and the two reached a settlement. Widow Wang accepted the money and agreed to testify for him.
Despite Widow Wang's testimony, after a serious meeting of factory leaders, the leaders decided to punish Zhuang Ganmei.
The reason given was that factory rules could not be easily broken, and smoking in the workshop was a serious matter, coupled with rumors of so-called "moral issues," so it had to be dealt with seriously.
Zhuang Ganmei was transferred to the logistics department, where her task was to clean toilets.
After all, skilled workers at levels seven and eight are rare talents in the factory, but fitters at levels three and four are plentiful. One more or one less makes no difference.
Zhuang Ganmei's salary also dropped significantly, from fifty-six yuan a month to thirty-seven yuan. This didn't affect his life much, since he had his parents' pension. The main problem was that he didn't know how to explain to his wife that he had quit his good job as a fitter and was being made to clean toilets.
The machine factory is only so big; there's no way to keep things hidden.
The news that Zhuang Ganmei brought the young widow Wang to testify about had spread before the end of the workday, even though they had arrived in the morning.
Two men in the precision manufacturing workshop, Da Zhou and Er Zi, went to the restroom together.
The men's restroom smelled awful, filled with excrement and urine, but the two men didn't seem to mind the stench as they squatted in the stalls, cigarettes lit in their hands.
Da Zhou asked while blowing smoke rings, "Erzi, do you know Zhuang Ganmei, the fitter in our workshop?"
Erzi frowned and fanned the smoke in front of him with his hand.
"I know, so what? Didn't the factory issue a notice to him a while ago, saying he was smoking in the workshop?"
Da Zhou stuck his butt out and leaned to the side, looking mysterious. "He was having an affair and someone reported him. He even brought this young widow here to testify. I bet he paid her a lot of money, otherwise why would she come to testify?"
Erzi curled his lip, his face full of disdain.
"Going out to have sex without cleaning up the mess, getting people to come knocking on your door, and still going out to have sex like that, you're a disgrace to us men."
At this moment, Zhuang Ganmei was cleaning the toilet in the adjacent cubicle.
Hearing this, he was so angry that his face turned red, and he gripped the mop tightly with both hands until his knuckles turned white.
He couldn't hold back any longer and kicked open the wooden door of the cubicle. The door slammed against the wall with a loud bang. Then, he picked up a bucket of water and poured it hard into the cracks under the doors of the two cubicles.
Da Zhou and Er Zi were startled by this sudden action and shouted loudly.
"Who is it? Someone doesn't know, their shoes are all wet."
The two hastily wiped themselves clean, quickly pulled up their pants, pushed open the door, and saw Zhuang Ganmei standing in the doorway, holding a mop, her eyes full of anger.
When Da Zhou saw that it was Zhuang Ganmei, he felt a little guilty and quickly explained. It was not good to speak ill of someone in front of them.
“Master Zhuang, I didn’t know you were out there. You and that young widow were just ordinary friends, right, Erzi?”
Erzi chimed in, “Yes, yes, Master Zhuang, they’re just talking nonsense, don’t take it to heart.”
Zhuang Ganmei didn't speak, suppressing her anger. She picked up the mop and vigorously scrubbed the floor, following the two people's feet. "Lift your feet, lift your feet! I'm mopping the floor, and you two are right here."
When the two of them came out of the restroom, they were furious to see the filth all over their shoes.
Erzi glanced back and spat, "Pah, if you're afraid of what people will say, then don't do it. He's made my shoes smell bad."
Da Zhou joined in the cursing. "That's right, he can sweep toilets for the rest of his life. Let's go."
Zhuang Ganmei ran out with a mop in his hand. "Get lost! If you keep talking nonsense, believe me, I'll shove this mop in your mouth and clean you up properly." He waved the mop, looking like he was about to charge at him.
When the two saw Zhuang Ganmei chasing after them, they were so frightened that they quickly covered their heads and ran back to the workshop.
Zhuang Ganmei stood there, panting heavily, watching the two figures disappear into the distance. He was now speechless with bitterness.
. . . . . . .
Zhuang Ganmei kept his wife in the dark about being transferred to the logistics department to clean toilets, and he was constantly worried about it.
The clothes you wear after working in the toilet smell like they've been pickled. Even after changing into your work clothes and taking a shower after work, there's still a lingering stench.
But the truth will eventually come out, and he couldn't think of a way to explain it to his wife right away. After all, his salary had suddenly dropped from fifty-six yuan to thirty-seven yuan, and the difference was too obvious to hide.
Early in the morning, Ganmei's wife went to the market to buy groceries as usual.
She carried a vegetable basket in one hand and an enamel basin filled with some lively shrimp in the other, thinking of making Zhuang Ganmei's favorite braised shrimp for dinner.
She's been feeling a bit weak lately, and feeling sorry for her husband, she thought she should give him some extra nourishment.
The neighborhood where they lived was mostly inhabited by former workers from the machinery factory, former colleagues of Grandpa and Grandma Zhuang. Their children also mostly worked at the machinery factory, so everyone knew each other well and saw each other all the time.
Just as the beautiful young woman was about to go home, a middle-aged woman who looked to be in her sixties walked towards her. Her son also worked at the machinery factory.
The beautiful young woman greeted her with a smile. "Sister Wang, out buying groceries so early?"
Sister Wang replied with a smile, "Buying groceries."
But what the middle-aged woman said next left her completely confused.
“Ganmei, don’t worry, cleaning the toilet is no big deal. I’ve watched your Ganmei grow up since he was a child. He’s a good person. He and that Widow Wang are just ordinary friends. Men are all the same, it’s normal for them to have some wandering thoughts.”
The beautiful woman was stunned, her eyes widening. "What, Widow Wang?"
The middle-aged woman, Sister Wang, suddenly realized she had said something wrong. She inwardly cursed herself and an embarrassed expression appeared on her face. "My dear wife, I didn't mean anything by it. If there's nothing else, I'll go home now." With that, she tried to slip away quickly.
How could Ganmei's wife let her leave like that? She hurriedly put the basin on the ground, grabbed Sister Wang's arm, and said urgently, "Sister Wang, please explain yourself! What do you mean, 'widow Wang'? What's wrong with our Ganmei?"
. . . . .