Chapter 308: 308 trivial matters
Kong Mengjie certainly was willing to cooperate with him. Their son was almost a year old now, but her belly hadn't shown any signs yet. The couple almost did it every day but didn't know what was wrong.
In this regard, she was quite satisfied with Huang Hongwei's performance. Although Zhao Zhongshuo was young, he definitely wasn't as capable as Huang Hongwei.
On Saturday, the family of four rode bicycles back home. Tiantian was already in school, so only Huang Jianfeng stayed behind.
"Mengjie, your younger brother and sister are graduating next year. You and Hongwei should think of a way to get them jobs in the textile factory."
Kong Mengjie frowned, "Mom, we don't have that kind of influence. I'll go back and ask around."
"Pay more attention. After all, they are your siblings."
"Mom, isn't the younger brother going to Second Brother's place?"
"Your second brother said it's hard to arrange." Tian Shulan sighed. The second son refused her outright without even considering it.
"Mom, my second brother is now a deputy director, second in command. How can it be hard for him?"
Tian Shulan sighed again, "Why don't you try first? If money needs to be spent, our family will pay. I paid when you started working, and I'll also pay for the two of them."
"Okay, I understand. I'll ask when I get back."
Kong Mengjie really didn't have any fond feelings for this sister, despising her from the heart as her sister looked down on her.
But since her mother mentioned it, she'd ask around when she got back.
When they returned, it was just the three of them, bringing a few pounds of white flour, half a bag of potatoes, and some greens.
Of course, Kong Mengjie also left five yuan for her parents.
Kong Menglin came back from school and saw Huang Jianfeng, her face immediately turned sour, "Mom, when do you ever have time to watch the kids?"
Tian Shulan felt helpless with this youngest daughter.
"Can't you be more considerate? He's my grandson. If your second brother doesn't find you jobs, you'll have to rely entirely on your sister to help find your job too."
Kong Menglin said nothing. She really didn't want to stay in the village. "Don't count on me for babysitting."
"You're such a fool. If you had half the wits of your sister, I'd be at ease. Take care of the kids, and when you work in the future, you can stay at your sister's house. Isn't that more comfortable than the dormitory? You really are—"
"If I go live with her, dare she not let me?" Kong Menglin said defiantly.
"How could they refuse? They've already started a family. I can't force them. Use your brain, spend more time with Jianfeng, make him like you. Your brother-in-law will treat you well in the future."
Tian Shulan was absolutely at her wit's end with this daughter; one was clever, the other was not.
Kong Menglin looked at Huang Jianfeng with reluctance. He didn't seem anything like her imagined brother-in-law. But she didn't care.
"Mom, I got a letter from Big Brother." Kong Dehong came back sweating all over. He was sixteen now, yet still as childish as ever, lacking any steadiness.
"Read it to me."
"Let Menglin read it to you, the Erlong gang is still waiting for me outside." He just dropped the letter and dashed out.
Kong Menglin picked up the letter, read it over, "Mom, big brother says he's getting married, and she's a nurse."
"When's the wedding?"
"It says October 1st. They'll be back for the New Year."
Tian Shulan nodded. Her eldest son was already twenty-eight. She had been anxious for a while now and could finally relax.
In the evening, Kong Zhongyou returned, and he read the letter from his eldest son.
"I'll remit him two hundred yuan tomorrow."
"Yes, that's what I thought too. These past two years, we've had quite a bit of money on hand. By next year, even finding jobs for Dehong and Menglin should be enough. Isn't two hundred quite a bit for the eldest?"
"It's enough. We can't be left with no money. Besides, when Menglin starts working, she'll have to return the family's investment."
Tian Shulan nodded, but deep down she thought her youngest daughter would definitely not obediently hand over the money.
"Do you think the eldest's wife, being a nurse, will take care of us in our old age?"
"You're thinking too much. If the eldest is doing well in the future and doesn't come back, what else can you expect from him? Even if he retires, he'll have a job, living like the second one in the county or city. You can't expect to move in with them, right?"
"So, should we still find a job for the third one?"
"Yes, let all siblings be in the city, so when we're old, we can live around them."
Tian Shulan imagined such a life, with a smile on her face.
"Mengjie came over today. I talked to her about it. She said she and her husband don't have the capability, but she would ask around."
"Alright, let's wait and see. We still have another year."
Kong Zhongyou knew his eldest daughter well; she didn't want to meddle with family matters, but she had no choice in this matter.
When Kong Mengjie and her family returned home, Huang Hongwei prepared bath water for the mother and daughter, and then started cooking. Sometimes this man was really indescribable; with his ex-wife Dong Wenhua, he was someone who wouldn't lift a finger, now he was doing all household chores himself—what a difference.
After the couple's intimate time in the evening, Kong Mengjie talked about what her family asked her to handle today.
"It's not that easy to find jobs for Dehong and Menglin."
Huang Hongwei held his smooth-skinned wife in his arms, deeply attached to the softness.
"I'll inquire tomorrow. Do you think asking Mr. Qian would help?"
"We're not even close to Mr. Qian. How would we ask him?"
"I have a pretty good relationship with Vice Factory Director Yao, I'll ask him tomorrow. Honestly, if Director Jiang were around, it would be even better."
"Do you think I should write to Xinyu?"
"You could try; we have a year anyway."
"Okay, you should also find time to ask Vice Factory Director Yao?"
The next day was Sunday. Kong Mengjie had to work, but Huang Hongwei had the day off, so he played at home with their daughter.
At noon, the two of them didn't cook but went straight to the canteen to eat.
After the meal, he found Yao Shimin, "Vice Factory Director Yao, I've come to request something from you."
Yao Shimin had just finished his meal and wanted to rest, but here came Huang Hongwei.
"What is it?"
"Well, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law are graduating junior high next year. Can we get them jobs at our factory?"
Yao Shimin frowned, "I can't manage that. Our textile factory is not lacking people now. I can't help with job placements."
"Vice Factory Director Yao, not even temporary work?"
"You're in the workshop; don't you know that we aren't short of people here?"
Huang Hongwei had no choice, "Sigh, how could I not know, but my mother-in-law doesn't care about this. She just wants me to find them jobs."
"I really can't help here."
"Sigh, I wonder if my wife has written to Director Jiang? Given our situation, writing to him is still putting people in a bind."
Yao Shimin nodded in agreement; the factory truly didn't need more workers, and no one could do anything about it.
In the evening, when Kong Mengjie got back home, Huang Hongwei recounted the day's events. "Jobs here are really out of the question."