Transmigrated into a deeply affectionate male supporting role in a period novel - Chapter 33

Chen Wansheng grew up in the countryside. He had climbed step by step from a small place, carrying a subtle sense of inferiority buried deep within him that was not easily noticeable. When he threw away the steamed bun, someone caught a whiff and turned to look, saying, “Brother, it’s a shame you didn’t eat that bun; it’s gone bad.”

This immediately made Chen Wansheng think that Zhao Lihui and Liu Yaozu could also smell it. Therefore, when Liu Yaozu offered him the bun, Chen Wansheng was convinced that the other party was deliberately trying to humiliate him.

After arriving downstairs, Chen Wansheng was blown by the evening breeze and, looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, felt that he had been too impatient.

He hadn’t always been like this. In the past, when he was at the textile factory, even when people bullied him by saying he had gotten in through connections, Chen Wansheng would just smile and chat with them instead of storming off like he had just done.

Chen Wansheng irritably scratched his head.

Meanwhile, Zhao Lihui had already picked up the bun. Because it was wrapped in an oil paper bag, it wasn’t dirty. He took it out and handed one to Liu Yaozu, saying, “Thanks to you, I’m having a second helping.”

This made the angry Liu Yaozu laugh. The two of them sat by their beds, eating the warm steamed buns bite by bite.

After finishing, they went to the washroom to take a shower. Zhao Lihui’s clothes from the afternoon were already dry, so he put on one set and packed another. He would have something to wear after washing in the evening.

“That guy has a strange personality and an even stranger temper. I don’t want to have any more contact with him. What a waste of kindness, tsk,” Liu Yaozu thought he must be out of his mind for buying those two buns.

“If we can’t get along, then let’s just be ordinary colleagues,” Zhao Lihui said while drying himself. “And besides, the buns weren’t wasted; I even got a second helping.”

“Bullshit, that’s not a second helping!”

Liu Yaozu playfully scolded him. “Once we get back to the city, you should come to my house for a meal and try my mom’s cooking. I’m not exaggerating; after eating it once, you’ll want to eat it again. Back in the day, my dad had plenty of competitors, but in the end, he still married my mom.”

“Just hearing that makes me want to go back to the city right now.”

“Tomorrow afternoon, we’ll be able to go back,” Liu Yaozu said, and as he mentioned his family, his mood immediately brightened. “My little sister will definitely be happy to see the fabric I bought for her.”

“That’s for sure! The colors you chose are very nice,” Zhao Lihui sincerely complimented.

Unfortunately, there was only a limited amount of that fabric available, and he couldn’t buy any even if he wanted to.

After washing their clothes and hanging them out to dry, they returned to their room but didn’t see Chen Wansheng.

“He wouldn’t have gone back to the city, would he?” Liu Yaozu asked.

“Not likely. He’ll come back,” Zhao Lihui replied comfortably as he lay down, picking up the fan provided by the guesthouse to cool himself. “We’re all adults; who would be that willful?”

However, thinking about Sun Dajiang, who hadn’t returned home before coming to the provincial capital, Zhao Lihui felt a bit uncertain. He sat up and quickly lay back down again. “There aren’t even any cars right now. He wouldn’t find his way back on foot, so he’ll definitely come back.”

“True,” Liu Yaozu nodded in agreement.

Another half hour passed before Chen Wansheng returned.

He silently picked up his clothes and went to the washroom. When he came back, he quietly lay down. Once Zhao Lihui turned off the light, the only sound in the room was the gentle rustling of the three of them fanning themselves.

No one spoke.

It wasn’t until Zhao Lihui was about to fall asleep that he heard Chen Wansheng apologize to Liu Yaozu. “I’m sorry.”

Liu Yaozu grunted in response and then turned over to continue sleeping.

Neither Zhao Lihui nor Liu Yaozu had slept well that night, as the other roommate had been “flipping pancakes” all night long—who could sleep well with that going on?

Finally, Zhao Lihui couldn’t take it anymore and turned on the light. Before he could even open his mouth to question him, Chen Wansheng proactively apologized. “I’m really anxious because my father is sick, so I’m sorry for disturbing your rest.”

Zhao Lihui: …

Liu Yaozu: …

What could they say?

It was only natural to be worried and unable to sleep when one’s father was ill.

When they got up in the morning to pack their things, both Zhao Lihui and Liu Yaozu had unsightly expressions.

The last competition of the morning was a practical test, and the rankings would be announced in the afternoon.

The worse Zhao Lihui’s rest was, the more he enjoyed working, so in the morning, his performance could be described as overwhelmingly superior to the other participants.

Chen Wansheng, having seen the other contestants’ performance, not only slowed down his movements but also misaligned the parts, causing the master supervising his machine to signal for him to exit the competition.

“Three mistakes, next one.”

After three mistakes, he was directly eliminated from the competition.

Chen Wansheng pressed his lips together and walked off the stage without looking back.

Liu Yaozu yawned when he saw him come out but didn’t ask anything. When Zhao Lihui came out, Liu Yaozu said directly, “Do you want to go back for a nap or get something to eat first?”

“Nap. I just had breakfast not long ago, and right now, all I want to do is sleep.”

Zhao Lihui yawned as well.

The culprit didn’t say a word, tacitly agreeing with their plans; he had disturbed others’ sleep, and now he was also unable to rest well.

After taking a shower, the three of them lay down and directly slept for two hours. Then they went to find a place to eat. Chen Wansheng ordered just a steamed bun and a bowl of vegetables with meat.

Zhao Lihui and Liu Yaozu each ordered three portions of vegetarian noodles.

“When my dad was young, he could eat a pound of noodles by himself!”

Liu Yaozu spoke of his father with great admiration, occasionally sharing stories about his father’s youth with Zhao Lihui.

“Impressive,” Zhao Lihui said, feeling full just from listening. “I can eat at most half a pound, and I can’t drink water with it; otherwise, my stomach will feel bloated.”

“That’s for sure,” Liu Yaozu nodded. “When I was in my teens, I got into a bet with my dad. We each held a bowl of noodles and raced to eat them. After a few bites, I had to drink two sips of broth. I couldn’t finish even half, and my dad laughed at me for years.”

Zhao Lihui found it hilarious, but Chen Wansheng remained in a bad mood, sulking and eating quietly on the side.

The two of them had more or less ignored him.

When the rankings were announced in the afternoon, Liu Yaozu entered the venue. Now that the competition was over, they could go in too. When he heard Zhao Lihui’s name, Liu Yaozu jumped up with excitement and shook Zhao Lihui’s shoulders vigorously. “Little brother, you got first place! You got first place!”

Zhao Lihui felt dizzy from the shaking.

“Please welcome Comrade Zhao Lihui to the stage to receive the award. That man over there, please stop shaking him; if you keep shaking him, you’re going to make Comrade Zhao Lihui dizzy!”

The short-haired host shouted in their direction, holding a loudspeaker.

“Sorry, sorry! Quickly straighten your clothes and go up to accept the award!”

Liu Yaozu hurriedly released his grip, adjusted Zhao Lihui’s collar, and pushed him onto the stage.

Zhao Lihui shook his head and walked up.

Chen Wansheng stared blankly as he watched Zhao Lihui accept the award and then, at the host’s invitation, say a few words into the loudspeaker before coming back down.

He didn’t even win third place.

How ridiculous he felt.

“What are this year’s rewards?”

Once the three of them got into the car, Liu Yaozu eagerly asked.

Zhao Lihui confidently opened the envelope in front of the two of them, revealing five ten-yuan bills, a ten-jin grain coupon for the province, a five-jin meat coupon, a two-jin sugar coupon, and finally, a one-jin oil coupon.

“Wow, this year’s rewards are quite generous!”

Liu Yaozu’s eyes turned red with envy, not to mention Chen Wansheng, who only had a little over a dollar in his pocket.

“It’s indeed a lot,” Zhao Lihui happily stuffed the items back into the envelope and tucked it away. “Now there’s money for the wedding.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Wansheng choked up and lay back down in the factory just like before.

They left around two o’clock, and there was still half an hour until the end of the workday at the machinery factory.

When Zhao Lihui presented the handwritten award to the boss, the boss nodded with a big smile. “Not bad! You’ve got some skills, kid!”

Master Rong stood tall with pride. “Of course! He’s clever and has a solid foundation. He didn’t just learn a bit and run here; he actually knows something!”

“Master, you’re praising him too much. Which technician doesn’t have something in their head?”

Zhao Lihui said modestly.

But the boss urged him not to be humble and handed the award back to him. “Go on, head over to the finance department with this and claim the rewards the factory is giving.”

“There are rewards from the factory?”

Zhao Lihui was pleasantly surprised.

Chen Wansheng felt his eyes turn red with jealousy.

“Of course there are,” Master Rong said, patting his shoulder firmly. “And it’s not a small amount either. Go on; once you get the stuff, you won’t need to come back. Just make sure to show up for work on time tomorrow.”

“Alright!”

Zhao Lihui ran off happily, clutching the fabric.

What a delightful surprise!

Anyone would be happy in such a situation.

After Zhao Lihui left, the boss turned to the silent Chen Wansheng and asked, “What place did you come in?”

Chen Wansheng: ……

He truly felt that the boss was mocking him, but the boss’s expression made it seem like he believed Chen could achieve a ranking. This made Chen feel quite embarrassed, and he lowered his head. “I didn’t place.”

The boss looked somewhat surprised. After thinking for a moment, he concluded that the rumors must have distracted Chen. “In the future, be cautious with your words and actions. Don’t let those rumors affect your mindset. You should go back to the dorm and rest. Missing this opportunity isn’t a big deal; there are competitions every year once you become a formal technician.”

Every year?

Chen Wansheng perked up a bit upon hearing this. He didn’t stay long and turned to head back to the dorm.

As he walked, Chen Wansheng thought that the boss’s words made sense. If it weren’t for Baozhu’s mother spreading those untrue rumors, he wouldn’t have been affected…

Zhao Lihui arrived at the finance department and was lucky to see the head of the department there. He quickly approached, greeting the other person with a smile, and then presented the award certificate, saying, “Thank you.”

The head of the finance department took the award certificate, raised an eyebrow, and smiled. “Good job, kid! Impressive!”

“Not bad,” Zhao Lihui grinned.

The head of the finance department instructed him to take out the rewards from the province. Zhao Lihui was puzzled but still took out the envelope.

“Xiao Wen, get forty yuan, along with a five-jin grain ticket, a two-and-a-half-jin meat ticket, a sugar ticket, and one for half a jin—never mind, just give him a one-jin oil ticket instead.”

As the head of the finance department counted the items in the envelope, he had someone fetch the factory’s stipulated rewards. Looking at Zhao Lihui’s surprised expression, the finance head said with a laugh,

“The rule has always been that the money is doubled based on your salary, and the tickets are halved from what the province gives. This half-jin oil ticket isn’t good enough, so I’ll just give you a full jin instead. Our factory hasn’t had a first place in years; the factory manager will only think I did the right thing when he hears about this. Don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you!”

Zhao Lihui bowed deeply.

He was naturally grateful for the factory’s generosity.

Since he was holding the cloth and had so many things in his pocket from the envelope, Zhao Lihui took the bus home directly. He wanted to surprise Ye Guidong, so he didn’t go to find her right away but first brought the cloth home.

“Lihui, why did you buy so much cloth? The whole family could make several outfits now!”

“Isn’t this your reward? Lihui, what place did you get in the provincial competition?”

Zhao Lihui saw Hu Eniang open the yard gate and look outside, so he immediately smiled and said, “I got first place! This isn’t a reward; it’s what I bought from the provincial city.”

Hu Eniang quickly stepped outside and called out to Zhao Lihui, who was walking ahead, “Lihui, you went with Chen Wansheng, right? What place did he get?”

“You’d better ask him; I won’t say.”

Zhao Lihui smiled politely and continued on his way.

Hu Eniang frowned but then smiled again, slapping her thigh as she said, “He must have gotten first place too! This is just so I can ask Wansheng myself and get a surprise from him! Baozhen! You go wait at the textile factory gate for your sister to get off work and have her invite Wansheng over for dinner tonight! I’m going to buy some fish now; I hope the fish seller hasn’t closed up yet!”

Sun Baozhen came out from the main room, “Is it true? First place?”

“It’s definitely true. If he hadn’t placed, Zhao Laosan would have said so directly,” Hu Eniang said with mysterious confidence. “Even though he spoke disrespectfully the other day, as an elder, how can I hold that against a younger person? Hurry up and go! What are you just standing there for?”

“Okay, I’ll go right now!”

Sun Baozhen rushed towards the textile factory.

When Zhao Lihui returned home, he found the gate locked, and the house was empty without a dog. He had no choice but to put down his things and heat water for a bath.

He had previously arranged to have dinner at Ye Guidong’s house that evening.

When he finished getting ready to head out, he realized it was already the time when Zhao Dagen usually got off work, but Zhao Dagen hadn’t come home yet, and neither was Chen Cuifang.

Zhao Lihui had a suspicion and walked to the Ye family’s door. Inside, he heard laughter between Ye father and Zhao Dagen, as well as Ye mother asking Ye Guidong to check if Zhao Lihui had come back.

“I’m back!”

Zhao Lihui called loudly as he entered the yard.

Ye Guidong, who was just about to head out, smiled when she saw him. “You’re back! I was just about to look for you.”

“Back already? You must have had a hard time on the way; come sit down and have some tea.”

Ye father greeted him with a smile.

“Did you place?”

Zhao Dagen’s biological father was even more direct.

Zhao Lihui, with his hands on his hips, grinned, making Ye Guidong, who was standing next to him, smile even brighter. “Guess what place I got!”

Chen Cuifang and Ye mother also came out upon hearing the commotion.

Chen Cuifang immediately said, “First!”

Seeing this, Zhao Dagen and the others echoed, “First!”

Zhao Lihui became even prouder. “Yes, that’s right, first!”

“Really?”

“Do you have a certificate?”

“Show it to me!”

“I want to see it too!”

Zhao Lihui took out the neatly folded certificate he had specially brought with him from his pocket.

He showed it to Ye Guidong first.

Ye Guidong read the words on it aloud for everyone to hear, then carefully passed it to Ye mother and Chen Cuifang before it finally reached Zhao Dagen and the others.

“Aren’t I amazing?”

As the four elders gathered around, smiling at the certificate, Zhao Lihui leaned down and quietly asked Ye Guidong in her ear.

“Amazing! You’re really amazing!”

Ye Guidong gave him a thumbs-up, her tone cheerful.

Zhao Lihui gently squeezed her hand. “Your honor is my honor; if I’m amazing, then you’re amazing too. We’re both amazing!”

Ye Guidong’s face turned red. “So that means we’re a couple…”

“That’s just a matter of time,” Zhao Lihui replied, letting go of her hand and picking up the little one, “You’ve gained weight.”

“You’ve only been gone for a few days; how could I gain weight so quickly?” Ye Guidong chuckled, pulling at his shirt as she walked toward the kitchen. “Help me peel some garlic.”

“Sure,” Zhao Lihui set down the little one and scooped some water from the bucket to wash his hands.

Seeing the little one licking the water that had spilled on the ground, Zhao Lihui filled a small bowl with clean water and placed it in the corner. The little one licked at the water, its little tail wagging happily.