The snow in the alley has not been cleared for several days. It has accumulated and is like paving a layer of white floor tiles in the alley.

Xu Qing and Qin Huairu walked side by side on it, slowly walking toward the entrance of the alley.

Last night, when everyone came back one after another, they trampled on the dirty snow. After being covered by the new snow last night, they could no longer see the traces. At this time, there were only the footprints of Xu Qing and Qin Huairu on the snow.

It's still dark, and the chill is still getting a bit darker.

Xu Qing and Qin Huairu were chatting about each other while turning onto the street.

"This damn weather, the closer we get to the New Year, the colder it gets. It's true, I even caught a cold, and I don't know when my Bangge's legs will get better. Alas..."

Xu Qing heard Qin Huairu sigh, and he didn't know whether he was sighing for the stupid pillar or the stick. He raised his head and glanced at the pedestrians on the street who got up early like him.

Xu Qing exhaled and said: "There's nothing we can do about it. It's too cold in winter, and people tend to catch colds easily. Brother Silly Zhu is young, so I guess he'll be fine if he takes two cold medicines. But Sister Qin, your son's leg was broken. I'm afraid

It takes a hundred days of strain to recover."

"Isn't that right?" Qin Huairu stretched out her hand to adjust the scarf around her neck and complained: "I have been worrying about this recently. It seems that the Chinese New Year is coming soon. My mother-in-law has not been able to get a job shaking briquettes recently. I

My son’s leg is not healing anymore, and the family’s expenses are entirely dependent on me. Now I don’t know how I will spend this year.”

Xu Qing didn't answer and walked aside silently.

Qin Huairu turned to look at Xu Qing.

"Xu Qing, have you started buying things for the New Year?"

"No, I am the only one in my family. My three younger brothers and sisters are young and still studying. I have no money, so what can I buy?"

"That's right. Alas, our siblings have a miserable life!"

Qin Huairu sighed again, and then continued:

"Xu Qing, I'm going to borrow some money from my uncle for the New Year, but I'm afraid that my aunt won't lend it to me. You've studied and there's ink in your stomach. You can help me analyze it. What should I say? My aunt will agree."

Xu Qing said with a bitter face: "Sister Qin, I don't know about this either. I have borrowed food stamps from the second uncle before, but I didn't get any. If you ask me about borrowing money, I don't know even more."

”

Qin Huairu gently poked Xu Qing with her elbow and whispered:

"It's not like you don't know who the second uncle is, but he's stingy. He's stingier than the third uncle in the front yard. It would be weird if you could borrow him!"

Xu Qing was speechless and continued walking along the street.

The snow suddenly fell heavily, and the wind blew again. When you opened your mouth, the wind wrapped the snowflakes and went straight into your mouth.

Qin Huairu stopped talking.

More than ten minutes later, Xu Qing walked to the factory gate, pushed open the big iron door, and walked in with Qin Huairu.

When Xu Qing entered the third workshop without a cigarette, Er Mazi came.

Er Mazi is usually the last one to come to the entire workshop, but today he came early for the first time.

Maybe it's because yesterday morning, I saw that the part made by Xu Qing was better than the one he made himself.

Er Mazi didn't stamp the snow on his feet outside the workshop, so he hurriedly ran into the workshop, stood in front of Xu Qing, and watched Xu Qing use the vise to make parts, without saying a word or making a sound during the whole process.

Xu Qing caught a glimpse of Er Mazi out of the corner of his eye, but because he was busy making parts, he didn't say hello.

When Xu Qing finished the parts, Er Mazi immediately took them in his hands eagerly and looked at them carefully.

After a while, Er Mazi looked at the parts in his hands, his eyes full of envy, jealousy, and jealousy.

Yesterday, he felt that it was not impossible for Xu Qing to learn from Lao Zhang for half a year and occasionally make a good one.

But at this moment, Er Mazi felt that Xu Qing had really become a master, and his skills were indeed much better than his own.

Because the part Xu Qing made today is slightly better than the one made yesterday.

With the same vise and the same materials, he could rarely make such fine parts, and it was also difficult to achieve the same precision as what Xu Qing made today.

Er Mazi's heart was filled with emotions, mixed emotions, and indescribable shock.

He was a formal worker, not only a three-year apprentice, but also a full-time employee who had been working in the factory for two or three years. He was unexpectedly recruited by Xu Qing, an apprentice who had only been studying for half a year.

Er Mazi felt numb and felt very uncomfortable. He didn't want to admit that Xu Qing's skills were good, but the facts were before his eyes.

After some thought, Er Mazi secretly realized that it was not Xu Qing's technique that was good, but Lao Zhang's teachings.

If I had not learned from Yi Zhonghai but Lao Zhang, my skills would have been improved by now, and I might have been promoted to a second-level fitter.

When Er Mazi thought about it, he felt that he had been fooling around with Yi Zhonghai for three years and wasted his time.

But Xu Qing didn't know what Er Mazi was thinking, so he reached for the cigarettes in his pocket, shook out one, and handed it to Er Mazi.

"I don't have any cigarettes, let's try it."

Er Mazi reached out to take the cigarette, took out the matchbox from his body, struck a match, and lit the cigarette with himself and Xu Qing.

At this moment, other people from the workshop also came one after another.

See Xu Qing and Er Mazi, especially the part in Er Mazi’s hand.

Someone reached out and picked it up, looked at it, thought it was made by Er Mazi, and grinned:

"Drink, Er Mazi, I didn't expect that you were hiding something secret. You actually made such a precise part this morning. It's really yours!"

When Er Mazi heard the man's words, he felt as if someone had pricked him with the tip of a needle.

But he didn’t want to say that Xu Qing did it, because he knew that if he said it was Xu Qing and not him, he would definitely be ridiculed by everyone later.

Xu Qing didn't say anything. He smoked a cigarette and walked aside to clean the workshop. Anyway, for him, this was just a morning practice.

Two or three minutes later, Lao Zhang also came to the workshop, and he could tell at a glance that the parts in Er Mazi's hands were made by Xu Qing.

After all, the parts made by everyone are different. Although there is no difference at first glance, Lao Zhang is a master craftsman, so his eyes are naturally poisonous.

Besides, Xu Qing was an apprentice with him and had been getting along day and night. How could he not see the parts made by his apprentice?

However, when Lao Zhang saw that others were praising Er Mazi's improved skills and Xu Qing was busy working aside, he said nothing.

After get off work in the afternoon.

As soon as Xu Qing left the workshop, he saw Qin Huairu running over.

"Xu Qing, accompany your sister to the infirmary to buy cold medicine for Sha Zhu. We will return to the hospital together later."

When Xu Qing was eating in the cafeteria at noon, he saw Sha Zhu asking for leave and going back.

But the three little ones in the house were still waiting for him to come home to cook, and Xu Qing wanted to refuse.

But the neighbors in a compound all work in the factory, so they can't get away with it. Besides, no one needs help. Besides, they still buy medicine for Sha Zhu, who is usually kind to him.
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Chapter completed!