Song Yuping and Fang Hanmin were both alumni in junior high school, but she was one grade lower than Fang Hanmin because Fang Hanmin was more famous in school. Since then, she has paid attention to Fang Hanmin, but Fang Hanmin has not had a deep impression of her.

On May Day in the first half of the year, Fang Hanmin returned to his hometown to visit relatives. After the festival, when he was waiting for the bus on the roadside, Song Yuping happened to pass by the bus stop. At that time, Fang Hanmin was the only one waiting for the bus at the station. Song Yuping recognized him at a glance.

Through that chance encounter, they learned about the other party's current situation. It turned out that after graduating from college, Song Yuping was assigned to a middle school in her hometown to be a Chinese teacher. Before leaving, they also left each other's mailing address and contact information.

Since then, the two have contacted each other several times, but have never made a phone call. During the contact, they have a good impression of each other. Song Yuping graduated from the Chinese Department of Normal University and has first-class written expression skills. From the second letter, she not only directly expressed the other party's worship, but also expressed her love between the lines.

During that coincidence, the two chatted for more than an hour. Whether it was speaking or looking, Song Yuping left a deep impression on Fang Hanmin. Through several letters, Fang Hanmin learned more about Song Yuping's inner temperament.

For some time, due to the huge differences in interests and hobbies, Fang Hanmin and his girlfriend Yu Dongmei had some emotional problems. Whenever they were in depression, Fang Hanmin could not help but compare Yu Dongmei with Song Yuping. In terms of appearance, Yu Dongmei was slightly better. However, Song Yuping's calmness, restraint and elegant and casual inner temperament were lacking in Dongmei. These qualities of Song Yuping were exactly consistent with Fang Hanmin's personality.

In the reply letter, Fang Hanmin responded positively to what Song Yuping revealed, and he agreed to continue to contact the other party.

The school has already had winter vacation. There are six teachers in the Chinese teaching and research group where Song Yuping is in. They also take turns on duty during the winter vacation. Today is her duty day. It is about to be over. She wants to know Fang Hanmin’s schedule during the Spring Festival. The teacher on duty at the Academic Affairs Office next door happened to go shopping in the town. Song Yuping used the external contact number of the Academic Affairs Office of the school to try to dial the number of Fang Hanmin’s office, but unexpectedly it was connected.

From May Day to now, in addition to letters, Fang Hanmin has not met Song Yuping for more than half a year. When he suddenly heard her voice, Fang Hanmin felt particularly affectionate. He was a little excited, "You, where are you calling? Are you on winter vacation?"

"It's been winter vacation long ago, and I'm on duty at school. This is the external contact number of our Academic Affairs Office. I want to ask you, will you go back to your hometown for the New Year during the Spring Festival?"

Fang Hanmin informed Song Yuping of the actual situation he faced, "At this critical moment, I must take the lead in on duty during the Spring Festival."

Song Yuping was a little disappointed, "Oh, you won't come back for the New Year! How many days will you have to take?"

"One weekend break, a total of three days off, the first, second and third grades of the lunar calendar are off, and the whole factory is on the fourth grade of the lunar calendar."

"You know, the school will not start on March 1st, and I will not be on duty after the Spring Festival. There is plenty of time. Before school starts, I want to buy a few books at Xinhua Bookstore in the city."

Fang Hanmin understood it, "Okay, I'm more familiar with the situation in the city. I'll accompany you to visit more places."

"You are a busy person, and now you have become the technical department chief. How can you have time to accompany me?"

"Usually, there is really no time, but it is different for you. We haven't met for more than half a year. No matter what, I have to take time to accompany you around." ...

On the evening of the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month, Fang Hanmin had dinner from the cafeteria. After returning to the dormitory, he found a pharmaceutical craft book published in China at that time and read it casually. Because the content in the book was already outdated for time travelers, Fang Hanmin felt bored and threw the book aside. When he was bored, he prepared to put on his coat and go on a walk on the street.

Before he could walk out, he heard someone knocking on the door. Fang Hanmin opened the door from inside and saw his old colleague Jiao Tiehui standing at the door with two bags in his hand.

Before Fang Hanmin could speak, Jiao Tiehui looked at him, "Section Chief, what are you going to do?"

"I want to go outside."

"What's the better when it's cold outside? Just stay in the dormitory." As he said that, Jiao Tiehui walked into the house.

Fang Hanmin closed the door, turned around and asked in confusion: "Tiehui, what are you doing?"

"It's okay, come and have a drink with you."

"Drinking? You know I eat in the cafeteria for three meals a day. I have neither wine nor vegetables here, so what do I drink?"

"You don't, I have it. Look, I brought all the wine and food." Jiao Tiehui took out the wine and food from the bag and placed it on the table.

Jiao Tiehui took out four small lunch boxes, which contained cold pork ears, fried peanuts, fried eggs with sauce and stewed vermicelli with cabbage, and a bottle of locally produced white wine. Fang Hanmin said in a strange voice: "Tiehui, what are you doing? I have had supper in the cafeteria."

"I know you've had a meal in the cafeteria, so there's not a lot of dishes. I brought two pairs of chopsticks and you'll find two cups. We only have this bottle of wine. If you don't drink too much, you'll have to be on duty tomorrow."

Fang Hanmin stood there and felt at a loss, "Tiehui, this New Year's Eve, you don't spend the holiday with your family, but you brought wine and food to me to drink. I really feel sorry for it."

"What are you sorry for? Go and find two cups and sit down before talking about it."

Fang Hanmin cleaned two cups of water, placed them on the table, and sat down on the edge of the bed diagonally opposite.

Jiao Tiehui poured roughly equal amounts of wine into the two cups, put one of them in front of Fang Hanmin, and handed him a pair of chopsticks, "Don't worry, my family doesn't need me to accompany me. Every Spring Festival, our brothers and sisters take their family to my parents' place. Without me there, the whole family is still very lively."

"But..., you told me a long time ago that it would be great to ask me to prepare the wine and food!"

"That won't work. Let you prepare food and drinks and run to you to drink after get off work? Not only will the wife and children not want to, but their parents also have to scold me."

Jiao Tiehui stopped, "Tell you the truth. I originally wanted you to come to my house to celebrate the holiday. On the one hand, I was afraid that others would gossip when they saw it. In addition, our family, you are not familiar with my parents and brothers and sisters, and I am afraid that you will be restrained. So, I greeted my parents and family in advance, saying that I have a brother who is from another place and did not return to my hometown during the Spring Festival. I have to go and see him later. Everyone supports me. I took a few bites of the New Year's Eve dinner and ran to you."

Fang Hanmin was very moved. He took the lead in raising his cup and said affectionately: "Tiehui, thank you!"

The two of them toasted at the same time. After putting down the cup, Jiao Tiehui said calmly: "What are you grateful for? We are both old colleagues of six or seven years and buddies. On New Year's Eve, you are in a foreign land and have a glass of wine with you. There is no need to take it to heart."

In fact, for six or seven years since he started working, Fang Hanmin has never returned to his hometown to celebrate the New Year every Spring Festival. However, on New Year's Eve in previous years, he either worked in the workshop or was at the test site with his colleagues, and at least someone was with him.

The situation this year is special. Fang Hanmin is alone in the dormitory on New Year's Eve. Jiao Tiehui thinks he will definitely feel lonely, so he came from home to drink with Fang Hanmin.

Jiao Tiehui only has junior high school education and looks very rough. He was once a famous thorn in the second workshop. In fact, he is thick and delicate, and sympathetic. As long as the person who convinces him, whether he is a leader or an ordinary employee, he will respect him very much.

Fang Hanmin was a temporary worker at the beginning. Because of his inferiority, his style of conduct was incompatible with everyone. Most of the colleagues in the team looked down on him because Jiao Tiehui heard a word he said casually. Jiao Tiehui not only did not laugh at him, but also conveyed his words to the leaders of the second workshop. Fang Hanmin not only successfully turned what he said into reality, but also hoped that he would make his debut.

In his later work, there were several times when Fang Hanmin encountered difficulties, Jiao Tiehui took the initiative to stand up for justice and gave Fang Hanmin great support.

Some people with dark mentality were talking behind their backs. They said that Jiao Tiehui's purpose was impure and wanted to curry favor with Fang Hanmin. These words came to Jiao Tiehui's ears. Apart from a contemptuous smile, he was not angry. Fang Hanmin was a temporary worker who was almost looked down upon by everyone. What was worth his favor?

Even if Fang Hanmin has now become a real state cadre and has been promoted to technical department chief, there is no need for Jiao Tiehui to curry favor with him.

Because Jiao Tiehui is self-aware, he knows that he is just an operator with a low level of education and has not said anything about his work. As long as the task is explained clearly, he ensures that it is completed on time, quality and quantity, but he just wants to do his job well without any unrealistic fantasies.

Jiao Tiehui's work attitude coincides with Fang Hanmin's emphasis on execution. In actual work, Fang Hanmin needs his cooperation very much, and Jiao Tiehui has never disappointed Fang Hanmin.

When Fang Hanmin became the deputy section chief of the technical department and was ordered to form a scientific research team, he needed to select several skilled operators at the grassroots level. He thought of Jiao Tiehui at the first time. Now, Jiao Tiehui is the head of the technical department test section, equivalent to the section chief of the production workshop, and he is in charge of the more than a dozen workers in the test section. In cooperation with the several tests carried out by the scientific research team, Jiao Tiehui and the workers have successfully completed the task.

On this night when the old and new are reunited, it might be extremely sad if anyone else is, but Fang Hanmin left his parents after graduating from high school. He had long been accustomed to such loneliness. However, when Jiao Tiehui suddenly appeared in front of him with wine and food, it still made him feel warm, "Tiehui, thanks for so many years of care, let's not say thank you, drink, I'll toast you!"

Jiao Tiehui picked up the cup and said, "If you want to say toast, I should toast you! Brother, you have made such a great contribution to Hongxing Pharmaceutical Factory. The employees can reach the current income level. The situation in Hongxing Pharmaceutical Factory is all due to your contribution. In fact, all the employees of the factory should toast you!"

Fang Hanmin quickly made a ban on voice gesture, "That's all! No matter in the future, I can't say this again. My technology has indeed played a big role, but without the support of Director Yuan, my technology cannot be implemented. Therefore, I cannot count all the credit on me."

"I understand this principle. Director Yuan has always supported technological innovation, but so many years have passed, and no major technical problems in the factory have been solved. It was not until you emerged and Hongxing Pharmaceutical Factory was tremendously changed. This is yours!"

"Then you can't say that! If you really do your best for me, you can't say this not only among the employees, but you must stop them from talking about this even if you hear other people say similar things."

"You are too cautious! The employees are telling the truth."

"Have you ever thought about what would they think if such words were heard by factory leaders? Director Yuan has always been generous and he may not care. Will those people with ulterior motives make a fuss about this?"
Chapter completed!