Like a Flowing River (Da Jiang Da He / 大江大河)

Like a Flowing River

Episode 16

Third Uncle.

Why didn't you come over to look for me last night?

I even told my dormmates about it

and kept the door open for you.

Thank you.

That hoodlum hasn't bullied you again, right?

He hasn't.

They only come back early in the morning. It seems like they work the night shift.

He's a laborer in a three-shift system?

Then how did he manage to get into a two-person, high-grade dorm?

I don't know.

Have you realized that this hoodlum

seems to be very familiar with the people in the factory?

Section Chief Chen seems to be a bit scared of him.

Why are you wearing this?

What's wrong with it?

Today, you must meet...you must meet the secretary and factory manager.

They are going to distribute our specific work. Shouldn't you dress a bit more crisply?

Hold on. I'm going to get you a new shirt.

Don't. It's not necessary.

I'm dressing a bit casually to be more comfortable.

If I wear that Shanghai brand shirt of yours to meet our superiors,

I wouldn't know how to place my limbs.

Listen to me. Try it. Just try it.

No, it's not necessary. Let's go.

Those three wearing flowery shirts

are descendants of Jinzhou Factory's old employees. They're vocational students.

They look even more lofty than us college students, right?

Then maybe, my roommate Xun Jianxiang is also a younger generation of this factory's old employees.

Then you have to be even more careful.

These privileged brats are always arrogant and despotic. They might cause you trouble in the coming days.

These people are this year's newly arrived college students.

For these few, no need anymore for introductions.

They're all our own factory's younger generation.

They graduated this year. Came back to succeed their father's jobs to continue building our Jinzhou.

- Have a seat. - All of you, sit.

Which one is Song Yunhui?

Secretary Shui, this is Little Song.

He graduated from Anyun University.

- Hello, Secretary Shui. - Have a seat.

As soon as Little Song arrives, all of us in the cadre department are stunned.

His record and school transcripts all show

that for consecutive years, he was ranked first in his field of study.

Old Fei.

It is also my first time seeing this Little Song, Song Yunhui.

He was recommended by Little Xu.

Since he was recommended by Little Xu,

I did everything I could to bring him here.

So it was Xiao Xu that recommended him.

Before Xu Shu left, he recommended Sleeping Dragon and Budding Phoenix to Liu Bei. [Sleeping dragon refers to Zhuge Liang; Budding Phoenix is Pang Tong; The two and Xu Shu are all famous streategists of the Three Kingdoms Era]

No wonder you personally set out to get him, Old Shui.

Little Song, did you enter college after graduating from high school?

I graduated from middle school then went farming for a year before I took my college entrance exam.

So that's why you're so young.

There are really talented people for every generation.

Secretary Shui, who is Xiao Xu? Why don't I have an impression of him?

We can call him Xiao Xu but you can't.

He is the official of your county, County Governor Xu.

- Right now, he's Secretary Xu, right? - That's correct.

Little Xu came from our factory.

You said that from middle school...

While I was farming, I studied high school courses on my own,

so I can't be considered as someone who graduated from high school. There was no restriction in application.

Old Liu, you were in charge of this year's recruitment, right?

I led the team.

The cadre department and the biotechnology department had people appointed to be in charge of the task.

Old Liu, you came from a technological background.

Why didn't you recruit the ones with the best performance records

and instead hired ones with just flowery skills?

Secretary Shui, I've seen Song Yunhui's graduation thesis.

It has a high level of difficulty and it also has insight. His knowledge foundation was also very firm.

But when our factory goes to universities to recruit people,

we need the school's cooperation and recommendation.

I individually prefer Song Yunhui,

but their university decided to give the recommendation slot to Yu Shanqing.

The school can make recommendations,

but the final decision is within our factory's own hands.

If I hadn't received Little Xu's phone call,

our Jinzhou factory

may have missed out on the most qualified person of this cohort.

Old Shui, when we recruit people, we have to face several schools

and find the appropriate person for the job.

There are so many applicants, but one's energy is limited.

How can he care about so many things?

During the next period of time, the biggest task we have here at Jinzhou factory is to

reorganize our technologies and upgrade our products.

All important work within the factory must circle around these core goals.

Recruiting talented people was naturally also to accomplish this.

These past days, I kept going to the ministry, for I want to earn their support.

I then handed the factory to you people.

Right now, there's a popular saying in the society

that goes as, "laymen cannot lead experts".

But here in Jinzhou, it's so weird.

An important work like hiring talents was given to a cadre with expertise on it,

but he was worse then the laymen.

Secretary Shui, of the 8 college students that have come to our factory this year,

Yu Shanqing's overall performance is the best and Song Yunhui's performance record is the best.

This doesn't mean that our direction in recruiting people is wrong.

Overall performance?

Isn't it just some social gathering organized by the labor union?

Will that help our factory's reorganization of technologies?

Old Fei. This is how I see it.

For these college students, including our factory's younger generation,

shouldn't be assigned any position at the moment. They should first learn a bit on the front lines.

The more must people with outstanding grades be trained in actual practice.

Based on principles, I agree with the decision of Secretary Shui.

Let the young ones stay in the reorganization office.

Understanding Jinzhou will also help

their future work.

Third Uncle.

Xiao Hui.

You don't need to wait for me to get to work every day.

Why?

Haven't you noticed how every one looks at us?

It's as if I've taken advantage of you.

The eyes are with them. They can look in whatever they want.

Aren't you afraid that secretary Shui will not be happy

by being so close to me?

Technically, I don't know Secretary Shui personally.

But I think that since he's in such high position, he wouldn't be so petty.

You're right.

If in the future, I get delegated to the workshop and will take three-shifts duty,

I might not even have the time to go to work together with you.

I heard from old technicians

that Jinzhou hasn't become luxurious enough to make college students laborers.

Don't overthink it, let's go.

It's over.

What?

Do you see that yellow safety helmet?

That is for the person who will be placed in the No. 1 Factory.

The hardest and most tiring No. 1 Factory.

It seems among us, one is destined to go down the ranks and be a laborer.

That doesn't mean it will be you.

Please have a sit, everyone.

Before I announce the assignments,

first, let us give a warm round of applause to welcome Director Liu,

who will be representing the factory's superior in giving everyone the important instructions.

Please welcome him.

It's not really some instructions. I'll just say two things.

It's about the factory's current two main tasks.

First, exploit potentials, reform, and change. The country's foreign exchange is limited.

It's impossible for us to import advanced international equipment in a grand scale.

We can only base ourselves in our factory and exploit the potentials of the equipment that we have.

Focus the core of your work into the direction of the raw materials of consumer goods.

Second, realize the reorganization work that the superiors have assigned.

Strengthen and perfect the economic responsibility system.

Strictly follow economic appraisals

and job responsibility regulations. Create a good system of reward and punishment.

Perfect and strengthen everyone's work discipline.

I heard about everyone's performance in the front line.

According to your performance, the factory superior

made respective job assignments.

Come, you say it.

Next, I will official make the announcement.

- Zhou Huaijun. - Here.

- Li Xuyan. - Here.

- Xue Zhongshen. - Here.

You three will report in the Reorganization Office.

Go pick up your safety helmets and work uniforms over there.

- Come, follow Department Chief Du. - See that?

The place where the factory descendants go is still better.

- Fang Hongsheng. - Here!

- Liu Xuedong. - Here!

- Zhao Gang. - Here!

And Yu Shanqing.

Yu Shanqing, the four of you will report to the biotechnology department.

Department Chief Li, I will leave them to you.

Okay. Don't worry.

Song Yunhui.

You will report to the No.1 Factory.

Hey, come back!

Big news! Big news!

Song Yunhui, that college student, got assigned to No. 1 Workshop Factory to be a laborer.

- Like me, he's under the three-shift system. - Three-shift system?

Song Yunhui! This time, the status difference between us has been evened out.

I got assigned to No. 1 Workshop. I'll be reporting there tomorrow.

The No. 1 Workshop is good! I work there.

Haven't you heard that No. 1 Factory is hard and exhausting.

The No.1 Workshop of the No.1 Factory is Jinzhou's prisoner labor reform center.

Where are you going?

- The Dormitory Section told me to move to the 6-person room in the old building. - Six...

Who told you to move?

Section chief Chen.

Damn him! He's bullying you too much!

Seeing how Head Shui was taking care of a college graduate like you when you just arrived here, he placed you in a 2-people room.

You just got assigned to the hardest No.1 Workshop and he already moved you to a 6-people room? That's too snobbish!

Don't move!

Section chief Chen is still waiting for me downstairs. He asked me to hurry for he needs to get off of work.

Just say I'm not letting you move and tell him to come see me if there's any problem!

Xun Jianxiang, can you stop giving me such a hard time?

What are you doing?

Stay here and don't move. If you go down now, there's no going back.

Section Chief Chen, right? I'll entertain him with a big bat!

- Da Xun! Da Xun! - What are you doing? - All of you, move aside!

- No! You don't need to do this! - Get lost! - What are you doing?

They will think I am stirring up trouble if you do this!

If someone will be stirring up trouble here in Jinzhou Factory, it won't be you.

Let me tell, Song Yunhui, as long as I am here, even if a hole appear in the sky,