“Jia Dongxu passed away due to a work-related injury. You are taking over his position as an Intern Fitter, and your monthly salary will be 27.5 yuan.”
“The Workshop has penalized you, deducting five yuan, so you’ll receive 22.5 yuan. There’s no issue with that.”
Wang Lif held two pay stubs, one in each hand, and handed them to the two individuals.
“What you’re saying is problematic; it can’t be calculated this way.”
Jia Zhangshi became anxious.
“Why can’t it be calculated this way?”
Wang Lif didn’t understand.
“I took over my son’s work for half a month. For the first half of the month, my son was working.”
“It should be calculated based on his First-Level Fitter salary for half a month, and then my Intern Fitter salary for the other half. Isn’t that right?”
Jia Zhangshi spoke with conviction.
Wang Lif was momentarily stunned.
It seemed… there was indeed some logic to it.
If calculated according to Jia Zhangshi’s method, her salary should be 16.25 yuan for half a month as a First-Level Fitter, plus 13.75 yuan for half a month as an Intern Fitter.
She should indeed receive thirty yuan.
After deducting the five-yuan fine, she would receive 25 yuan, which was correct.
“No, I need to find the Leader.”
Jia Zhangshi clutched the pay stub, her anger unyielding.
“Hey, don’t be so quick. Let’s ask the Comrades in the payroll department first.”
“I’ll help you ask. Just follow me and don’t say anything out of turn.”
Wang Lif said hurriedly.
He had to stop Jia Zhangshi to prevent her from causing trouble for the Leader.
“Squad Leader, I’ll head back if there’s nothing else.”
Chen Jianye said from the side.
“It’s not your concern. Go back and rest early.”
Wang Lif waved his hand.
Chen Jianye left.
Wang Lif then took Jia Zhangshi to find an employee in the payroll department and repeated what Jia Zhangshi had said earlier.
“I understand the situation. According to the rules, it should indeed be the Intern Fitter salary for the replacement employee.”
“If an Eighth Grade Worker had an accident, and his successor came in, they would also receive the Intern Fitter salary for that month.”
The person from the payroll department understood immediately.
Someone else had previously approached the payroll department with similar complaints about a similar issue.
“That’s not right! Why can Chen Jianye receive both Intern Fitter and First-Level Fitter wages?”
“I refuse to accept this!”
Jia Zhangshi’s face was filled with dissatisfaction.
“Who is Chen Jianye? What’s his situation?”
The person from the payroll department looked puzzled.
Wang Lif then explained Chen Jianye’s situation again.
“There’s no problem with Chen Jianye’s wage payment. His situation is very common. It was discussed at a large meeting and personally decided by Director Yang and many Leaders after deliberation.”
“Before the transfer, the salary is calculated based on the previous position. After the transfer, it’s calculated based on the new position. This is to allow employees to experience the salary increase from the transfer immediately.”
The person from the payroll department replied.
“What about me? Why do I have to be paid as an Intern Fitter? My son worked for nothing.”
Jia Zhangshi’s face was filled with anger.
“The person is gone, and the Plant has already provided a severance payment. The relationship with the Plant is over.”
“The Plant calculated his time on the job and didn’t pay you half a month’s Intern Fitter salary; that’s already quite considerate.”
“There’s no problem with your wage payment. If you go to our Leader, you’ll hear the same thing.”
The person from the payroll department was already a bit impatient.
“Zhang Jie, no more questions this time, right?”
“Let’s thank the Comrades from the payroll department and go home.”
Wang Lif reminded her.
“Thank them for what? Is he paying me? The Plant is paying me. What does it have to do with him?”
Jia Zhangshi ran off angrily.
“I’m sorry, Comrade. This person just lost her son and is full of complaints. I apologize for the trouble.”
Wang Lif pulled out a cigarette and apologized to the payroll person.
“It’s fine, I don’t smoke.”
The person from the payroll department waved his hand and returned to his post.
Siheyuan (Courtyard).
Yi Zhonghai sat in his room.
“We need to remind Sha Zhu about paying back the money every month. If we don’t say anything, he’ll pretend not to know.”
“If you’re too embarrassed, I’ll go talk to him.”
First Aunt looked displeased.
Today was payday at the Plant. According to the agreement Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai had signed, Sha Zhu had to pay Yi Zhonghai ten yuan every month.
Once five hundred yuan was repaid, Yi Zhonghai would return the He family land deed to Sha Zhu.
Unexpectedly, on the first payday, Sha Zhu didn’t mention it when he came home.
Was he trying to get out of it or what?
Yi Zhonghai kept it to himself, but First Aunt couldn’t hold it in.
They had truly taken out real money from their home. When it was time for the money to come back, could Sha Zhu pretend to be foolish and evade it?
Impossible.
The Yi Family didn’t need the He family’s house anyway.
The Yi Family only had two people and no children.
“I’ll go. I can talk to Sha Zhu better.”
Yi Zhonghai took a sip of water and stood up.
“Don’t be embarrassed and go for nothing.”
First Aunt reminded him.
Yi Zhonghai didn’t say anything, left the door, turned left, and arrived at the He family’s door: “Sha Zhu, open the door.”
Soon, the main door opened.
A cheerful Sha Zhu appeared behind the door: “First Master, what do you need me for?”
“Do you want some wine or some dishes?”
Sha Zhu thought Yi Zhonghai had gotten paid and wanted to drink a little.
“Sha Zhu, getting wine or dishes is no problem. We can talk about anything, you and I.”
“There’s just one thing, we had an agreement before, do you remember?”
Yi Zhonghai reminded him.
Given his personality, it was indeed difficult for him to say the word “money” when asking for it.
Most people in Four Nine City were like this.
They clearly wanted money but refused to say it.
They felt it was vulgar and would ruin their demeanor.
“What agreement?”
Sha Zhu licked his lips, genuinely surprised.
“This house of yours is nice. When it was mortgaged to me for five hundred yuan, honestly, five hundred yuan was indeed worth it.”
Yi Zhonghai’s gaze swept across the room.
“Ah, I understand, First Master, you’re talking about that, aren’t you?”
“Oh, my bad, my bad, I didn’t think of it!”
With the conversation reaching this point, Sha Zhu slapped his thigh and quickly walked to the drawer, rummaging through it until he pulled out a large unity note.
“I knew you must have forgotten. I thought you’d take care of it naturally when you remembered someday; it’s not something you can renege on.”
“The main thing is that your First Aunt is making a fuss at home, and I have no choice.”
Yi Zhonghai took the money and put it in his pocket.
“First Master, I promise I won’t make things difficult for you in the future. I’ll come to your house as soon as I get paid.”
Sha Zhu patted his chest and guaranteed.
“Good, good, good. I didn’t misjudge you. It wasn’t in vain that I helped you through your difficulties.”
“Work hard and get your position level up. If you can earn forty or fifty yuan a month, everything will be easy to manage.”
Yi Zhonghai encouraged him.
“First Master, I’ll take your auspicious words.”
Sha Zhu nodded cheerfully.
The two chatted for a few more sentences, and Yi Zhonghai took his leave.
Sha Zhu’s face showed a hint of heartache.
He sighed.
He was now an Eighth Grade Worker, and his monthly salary was only 32.5 yuan. Yi Zhonghai had taken ten yuan from him in one go.
That was nearly a third!
His younger sister, He Yushui, was in junior high school. Her monthly food allowance plus study expenses amounted to eight yuan, no getting around it.
The money left for himself was only 14.5 yuan.
His own food allowance and living expenses, eight yuan, were indeed enough.
But for such a large family, there were social interactions, and daily necessities like firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea—all of them cost money.
Even toilet paper cost money.
In the past, he could only eat meat twice a month and have a little wine.
Now, he couldn’t even think about it anymore.
Thinking of this, Sha Zhu regretted it.
He wished he had let Chen Jianye hack Yi Zhonghai to death.
Both of them would have been finished.
Now, these two bastards were living well, one took his money, and the other took his house.
As for himself, he was nothing.
Damn it!