Chapter 86: New Year, New Atmosphere, Scapegoats Take Turns

During the holidays, as the master chef in the cafeteria, Zeng Xiaoxian didn't have many opportunities to serve the people, but he had plenty of opportunities to serve the leaders.
On the eve of the Lunar New Year, while other workers have already started their holidays, those in the kitchen are still busy as usual. It has become a tradition that whenever there is a special occasion, the leaders take this opportunity to showcase their cooking skills.
Like Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Menzel's Birthday, there are multiple reasons to celebrate. Everyone should sit down and celebrate together.
Even if Xu Damao drank himself to death because of accompanying leaders to drink, it didn't affect the appetite of the leaders at all, just made it difficult for the best chef Zeng Xiaoxian.
In addition to him, there are his apprentices Ma Hua and the more special Liu Lan on duty on New Year's Eve.
This is not because Liu Lan has great charm, but Deputy Chief Li still called her on duty, the meaning should be very clear.
Power and money exchanges have existed in every era, and it has nothing to do with Zeng Xiaoxian.
Anyway, Qin Huaizu is not likely to come to the canteen this year to ask him for things. It is even less likely to be seen by Vice Factory Director Li as a threat, attempting to blackmail Qin Huaizu.
There is no need for me to beat up Vice Factory Director Li. Let's just have a peaceful New Year.
Speaking of Vice Factory Director Li, Xiaoxian Li truly admires him and even considers him as a role model for studying in the officialdom.
In order to overthrow Director Yang and take over the position, he even wants to recruit Shazhu, who once brutally beat him, as one of his supporters.
Promised that as long as Shazhu supports him, he will transfer Shazhu back to the canteen as the canteen director.
The position of canteen director is not high, but there is a lot of profit. It is also considered a middle-level cadre managing logistics in the steel rolling mill.
I hope Vice Factory Director Li doesn't come to provoke me, otherwise I can only let him pass away in his dreams.
After Silly Pillar finished his work, he didn't see Vice Factory Director Li, so he took two strong dishes home for the New Year.
Huayu came over to celebrate the New Year with her elder brother and sister-in-law in the He family. This is also the last year she spent in the He family. Next year, after getting married, she will celebrate the New Year in her husband's family.
The deaf old lady still spent the New Year at the Wuya's house as usual. Originally, they planned to celebrate the New Year at the Jia family, but they were stopped by Jia Zhangshi, which made Wuya very unhappy.
Xiaoxian Zeng is also strange. Jiazhang Shi can actually resist the temptation of eating meat and receiving three red envelopes during the New Year, and even stop three elderly people from entering the door. It truly impresses him.
San Da Ye looked calculating. He even hesitated to turn up the volume on the radio, fearing it would consume too much electricity.
Eating melon seeds and peanuts, he also wants to divide them carefully, one by one, and give them to everyone. This is what he believes is fair.
The second uncle, who is neither filial nor kind to his parents, is probably listening to the news and discussing political trends with his family again. This person loves to show off and likes to hold a position.
On the first day of the lunar new year, it is a day for neighbors to pay visits to each other. Uncle Two and Uncle Three proposed to have a group visit, so that they don't have to argue about giving red envelopes.
Uncle One also agreed with this proposal, to finish all the necessary visits, and then everyone can do whatever they want.
Ze Xian Zeng also feels that this group gathering is great, it's effortless and convenient, it's a godsend for people who have social anxiety.
Not long after the New Year's greetings, it was the day of Howie He's wedding. Ze Xian Zeng and his wife brought a gift and attended the wedding, even publicly giving one thousand yuan as a dowry.
He Qiushui was overjoyed. He never expected his big brother to be so reliable.
But just like how Grandpa didn't tell them that the money was their father's allowance, Zeng Xiaoxian didn't say that the money was obtained from Grandpa.
Brother and sister He's family have relied on each other since childhood, but as they grew up, they gradually drifted apart.
Shazhu focused all his attention on the widow, and he arranged everything for his sister.
Hu Yushui also felt that her brother never cared about her as a sister, and he rarely came back to visit his brother after getting married.
Although Zeng Xiaoxian is not fond of this younger sister, their relationship has improved a lot compared to before. The house where He Yushui lived before is now left to Zeng Xiaoxian, along with this 1,000 yuan dowry.
With the new year comes a new atmosphere, and everyone's lives seem to have improved after the Lunar New Year.
Qin Huaru's family has received help from a generous benefactor, and they no longer face difficulties. She no longer needs to find ways to make ends meet and naturally, there is no need to trouble her former classmate Zeng Xiaoxian anymore.
Xu Damao has passed away and no one is stirring up trouble anymore. Lou Xiaoe occasionally comes back to take a look.
Zeng Xiaoxian will proactively say hello when he sees him and ask if there is any place where he can be of use.
After all, he did promise Xu Damao, "Your wife, I will take care of her myself."
As for the three gentlemen in the courtyard, they almost forgot about Fool's Pillar. Zeng Xiaoxian is not as mouthy and likes to offend people like Fool's Pillar. They wouldn't intentionally offend him, and everyone maintained a non-interference attitude.
For a while, it seems that there is no dispute in the courtyard, presenting a calm and peaceful atmosphere.
Unfortunately, just as the trees want to be still, the wind of the times will inevitably blow into this small courtyard.
That day, it was already time to leave work, and Zeng Xiaoxian was about to leave when Liu Lan came over to tell him that the factory director was looking for him.
What could he possibly want? He was just a chef, so it must be about cooking.
Zeng Xiaoxian came to the director's office, and the phone was not hung up. The factory director should be waiting on the other end for his response.
He picked up the phone and said, "Hello, factory director, this is He Yuzhu."
Upon hearing his response, the factory director told him not to leave after work and instead cook a meal. He was instructed not to tell anyone and to wait for a car to pick him up at a designated location.
Xiaoxian quickly packed up his things and arrived at a sparsely populated area by the road. Soon, the car that was coming to pick him up arrived.
Once he got into the car, the factory director reminded him to sit down.
"When we arrive, you just need to cook. Don't say or ask anything unnecessary, understood?"
"Understood!" Zeng Xiaoxian replied concisely.
The factory manager praised, "Good, that's exactly right. No need for extra words."
Afterwards, there was silence inside the car, and the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive. Zeng Xiaoxian even felt that the factory director trusted him because he didn't blindfold him.
It wasn't until they arrived at their destination and parked the car that the factory director told him he could get off.
Xiao Zeng reached out his hand and pushed open the car door. In front of him was a two-story house with a surrounding courtyard. He was not the only one who came, there was also a young man named Yu Zhang.
After Xu DaMao's death, the position of the film projectionist at the steel plant fell into Zhang Yu's hands.
But I heard that he is Director Zhang's nephew, considered to be in the same circle as Director Yang.
Director Yang said seriously, "Zhang Yu, set up your film properly. When Leader He is watching the movie, have the meals ready."
Finally, the factory director emphasized to the two of them, "Do you understand?"
The two nodded to indicate their understanding, and at this moment a young man wearing glasses came out.
Director Yang referred to him as Secretary Chen, greeted him, and introduced the two newcomers. Then he handed over the task of arranging them to Secretary Chen.