The sunset in the west was dissipating. On the canal beach where the remaining snow melted, I waved my arms and legs and stretched my bones, took off my thick cotton coat, hung it on the dead branch of a weeping willow, silently recited the mantra taught by my master in my heart, and started practicing in the ankle-free dry grass. The injured right leg had basically recovered, but the movement was a little bit painful. After I was fully condomed, I did it again. While I was moving and jumping, the sharp-mouthed face of Caoshan Mine appeared in front of me, and the anger in my heart splashed out, and punched and kicked the bad guy's back. The more I fought, the more brave I became, and the more I fought, I pulled the onion on the dry land, jumped up, and roared out the last whirlwind foot. As my legs fell to the ground, a loud cheer came from behind me.

I turned my arms back and tried to close my head, and looked at the person who came. Among the weeds, an old man was floating in white beard and stood with a stick. A figure with a fairy-like trait was covered with sunset.

I gasped slightly, saw the person clearly, and shouted in surprise: "Master Yu Er, how could it be your old man?"

"People say that since ancient times, heroes have become young people, and they are really good at it." Master Yu Er took a crutch and took two steps forward and grabbed my hand.

Holding Yu Erye's thin palm as thin as an osprey, I looked around and said, "Yu Erye, you won't come here alone, where are Teacher Yu and the others?"

"All my children and grandchildren have come back for the New Year, and I have been having a Spring Festival. Today I am going to relax myself. When I get old, sometimes I want to be lively, and sometimes I also want to be quiet alone." Yu Erye's deep eyes were as cunning as a child.

"You are in good health and will definitely live for a hundred years." I looked at Master Yu's kind gaze and sincerely blessed me.

"Life is impermanent, I don't seek for a hundred years, everything goes with the flow." Master Yu Er let go of my hand and smiled and stroked his chin's beard. "You have practiced this set of fists and feet, which should be called 'Lu Style Little Grabbing', right? You seem to have obtained the true teachings, but why did you stop after only playing eight styles?"

"This is what my master Lu Yu taught me when he was in the factory. You are so knowledgeable. How do you know about the 'Lu style little catch'?" I was a little surprised because the master said that this was a secret legend of the Lu family.

"When I was fighting against Japan, I also practiced with the big man Lu, but unfortunately I was stupid and naturally good at literature and hard to martial arts, so I didn't learn it in the end." Mr. Yu Er took off his cotton coat from the tree fork and patted the dust. "Looking at your sweat, hurry up and put on your clothes."

"Do you know Big Lu, and you have learned fists and kicks from him?" I took the cotton jacket handed over by the old man and asked curiously.

"At the time of the War of Resistance Against Japan, we worked together." The old man's face became serious and his deep eyes turned to the distance. "The base area implemented the 'three-three system', and the people democratically elected the county magistrate. Lu Dazi and I were both candidates. Just under the old bell tower in the center of the city, one of us held a big bowl behind us, and the representatives selected from all over the countryside came to vote. Each of us squeezed a soybean in our hands. Those who supported you would throw it into your bowl. In the end, whoever had more soybeans would be elected."

"Where... In the end, who has more soybeans in the bowl? Are you still a big guy in Lu?" I asked in surprise when I heard such a story for the first time.

"Guess?" Yu Erye did not answer directly, and his eyes flashed like a childlike playful look.

"You must be elected, do you still need to guess?" I followed Master Yu and joked as he walked up the big dam.

"Yes, yes, I am two fewer than Lu's big man. He became the first county magistrate of the Anti-Japanese and Democratic Government. I only became a deputy county magistrate. At that time, the whole nation was really united in saving the nation and striving for national disasters." Yu Erye was addicted to his memories, and his vicissitudes of gaze revealed a clear light.

"You have been the county magistrate?" I stopped in surprise.

"At that time, under the ancient bell tower, the people who came to the city to see the election were three floors inside and three floors outside. Everyone didn't believe that their words could count. The people they chose could be the county magistrate." Yu Erye did not take my case and was still immersed in his memories.

"It was amazing at that time, but unfortunately, even our ancient bell tower is not preserved now..." I couldn't hide my melancholy and sighed.

"Oh, when people get old, they like to talk about the past. It's a pity that the ancient bell tower has been for more than a thousand years. The things left by our ancestors have been destroyed in the hands of these unworthy descendants." Yu Erye's anger was beyond words. He used the crutches in his hand to sweep the thatch under his feet.

It was cold in early spring and the cold moon rose. I helped Master Yu down the canal dam and crossed the Nanmen Bridge to enter the city. The street lights on the street were already on. Today is the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. The atmosphere of the New Year set off a small climax. The children ran and played in groups, and firecrackers were crackling from time to time. Master Yu said hello to the neighbors. From everyone's respectful words, they were full of respect for the old man.

I sent Master Yu Er to the door of my house. The old man insisted on asking me to go in and have dinner together. I refused and said that I had sweated a lot just now and needed to take a shower while the bathroom in the cotton opened today. The old man saw that I really didn't want to disturb me, so he stopped insisting. When he said goodbye, he held my hand and told me: "If you have time, come to me and sit down. I heard from my little daughter that you got the first place in this exam. It was a piece of material for studying. I am happy for you. A real man must have a big mind and do great things. Don't be lazy and let your future down."

"Thank you, Master Er. I remember your old words. I will work hard to live up to the trust and cultivation of you and Teacher Yu." I held the old man's big hand with a protruding wrinkle and his heart was beating.

After saying goodbye to Mr. Yu Er, I speeded up and rushed towards the factory. When I left Xizhangzhuang in the afternoon, I saw black smoke coming out of the chimney of the boiler room behind. I asked someone and said that I would go to work tomorrow. Today, the working group made an exception to arrange for the bathroom to open in the afternoon. Because the production in the factory was in a sluggish state, the bathroom had been shut down for a month.

When I arrived at the gate of the cotton mill, I saw many men and women holding washbasins and toiletries gathered downstairs of the blue-gray gatehouse, talking to several guards and women.

"Why don't we let in? In the past, could the family members come to take a shower?" Everyone was excited and shouted in a mess.

"It used to be the past, now it is now, and you can't enter without a work permit in the cotton mill." The guards are all knowledgeable people who can quarrel and quarrel, and they hold their waists and block the door, without showing any weakness.

When I heard the doorman's shout, my heart tightened: It was broken, and I didn't bring my work permit. Since I came back from home, I have not taken a shower yet. Now I have sweated so much. It would be absolutely impossible not to wash it. No one took the work permit seriously before, but now the factory is no longer possible. This work permit is useful, which is really outrageous. Before I could think too much, I squeezed through the cracks of people.

"Work certificate?" A fat girl grabbed me.

"I forgot to bring it. I am Qianyibao, my name is Wu Ping." I smiled flatteringly.

"You can't enter without a work permit." The fat woman glanced at me and answered disdainfully.

"Don't you know me?" I suppressed my unhappiness and continued to explain patiently.

"Forget it, let him go in." A thin man saw that we were about to choke and secretly pulled the fat man's sleeve. "It's not easy for him to pull a sick child with Yin Hong."

I entered the factory gate and headed straight to the bathroom behind. The bathroom was more lively than in front of the gate. The large pool looked like meat dumplings. There were people with bare butts in front of the shower head. I took off my clothes and sat down by the large pool when I heard someone calling my name. In the mist, I lifted the hot water on my body while looking at it. I saw a fat black body waving to me.

"Xiao Wu, why are you here?" Fatty Zhang moved over in the water with great difficulty, and his whole body steamed like a black pig with faded hair.

Seeing the people in the middle of the pool next to each other, I waved my hand reluctantly. Fatty Zhang saw that I was unwilling to go over, and came to me whirred. Behind him, I saw the old Master Huang who was sweating.

"Xiao Wu, have you heard of it? Our factory's contract plan has been reported to the city." Fatty Zhang huffed and pulled me into the pool.

"Xiao Wu, come and soak the hot water." Old Master Huang quickly moved a place and let me squat beside him. "Can you go to the city to ask Lu Yu, who is coming to contract our sponge mill?"

My cold body suddenly submerged in hot water. I was not used to it for a moment, so I quickly wiped it with my hands on my body and said, "Ask me master? What is the use of asking him? He can't control this matter, what can he know?"

"Are you still his apprentice? Don't you know that Lu Yu has been transferred to the Municipal Planning and Economic Commission as deputy director?" Fatty Zhang thought I was perfunctory and said angrily.

"Lu Yu is in charge of our company's contracting matters now." Old Master Huang also added urgently.

Amid the crowds of people, I was a little dazed: the master is the deputy director of the Economic and Economic Commission, and is still in charge of the contracting of our sponge mill... I looked at Fatty Zhang straight: "Master can really take care of this matter?"

"Of course!" Fatty Zhang and Master Huang held their breath and looked at me with anticipation. "Our contract plan needs to be approved by the Municipal Planning and Economic Commission, and in the end, Lu Yu has the final say."

"It seems that our cotton mill is saved." I couldn't help but stand up from the water.

My roar overwhelmed the noise around me. In the steaming fog, people leaned over and looked here, thinking that someone was quarreling.

I spread my limbs in hot water and felt the cold air in my body slowly overflowing, and my heart was filled with a rare feeling. I wanted to tell Sister Hong about the news immediately, letting her know that the mill was saved and we were saved, but I will go to work tomorrow. Sister Hong has not come back yet, and my heart can't help but feel heavy again.
Chapter completed!