Laid-off model worker Zhang Chaoyang's romantic encounter with a green bean

  After having breakfast, Zhang Chaoyang sat on the balcony. His eyes stared straight at the east mountain of the park, hoping that the sun could climb up and shine its brilliant light for him. However, those thick layers of clouds piled up there, making it impossible for the sky to clear up. Outside the window, autumn was heavy with a desolate atmosphere. Occasionally, the autumn wind would blow, and the leaves on the poplar trees planted along the road would gradually turn from green to yellow and fall to the ground with a rustling sound. Only in front of the district government building, a flowerbed with five-colored flowers still bloomed cheerfully, bringing a hint of brightness to the dull autumn that seemed out of place.

  August 15th, the moon is obscured by clouds, and this year we've encountered another heart-wrenching day!

  Zhang Chaoyang looked at the sky and then at his own home, the more he looked, the angrier he became.

  He now lives in a house on a very dilapidated old street, the cobblestone road is said to have been paved since the Qing Dynasty. The houses on both sides of the street are all very old and show a grayish appearance. The district government has always wanted to demolish this street for renovation, but it's hard to relocate many households due to insufficient funds, so it was abandoned and no one cared. Zhang Chaoyang was born on this street and grew up day by day on this street.

  This is a two-bedroom, one-kitchen house with crooked doors and windows, the wood has turned black, making you involuntarily think of an old man in his twilight years. This house was built by Zhang Chaoyang's grandfather during the early years of the Republic of China, it can be said that it is already very old. Zhang Chaoyang's father passed away two years ago, after hearing that Zhang Hongkun had a stroke and died after being laid off. At that time, his mother and younger brother still lived with them. His younger brother was unwilling to work in the factory; he messed around with small business every day, for this reason, Zhang Manyang often criticized him for not doing legitimate work. However, later on, when he himself was also laid off, his younger brother congratulated him: "You are finally free! Let's do it together!"

  What freedom, I'd rather know it's going to be like this and just take care of myself from the start!

  At this time, Zhang Chaoyang suddenly remembered his father. His father was a laborer under Japanese rule in the old society. Later, after the victory of the War of Resistance, he still worked at the Heavy Machinery Factory, relying on his good skills, and his father was very popular in the factory. He remembered that his father was a very stubborn old man who believed in the creed of hard work and entrepreneurship, and also believed in the famous saying "thirty years on the east bank, thirty years on the west bank". For this reason, he advised his son to focus on studying technology, with technology, you don't have to worry about not having food to eat. However, Zhang Chaoyang, despite becoming a skilled technician under the cultivation of the old man, did not escape the fate of being laid off. Now that his father has passed away, he will no longer scold him or go to the factory to lose his temper. In fact, even if he were still alive, he could only face the current situation with a bitter smile, because the Heavy Machinery Factory was about to be sold by the prodigal son president. It is said that it will be sold to an individual entrepreneur, so they, these workers who have been working in the factory for many years, will have to scatter and find their own way, becoming strangers to each other.

  Just like all state-owned enterprises have had their heyday, the Heavy Machinery Factory was once very prosperous. The reason for its prosperity was not only because it was a century-old factory, but also because it was always technology-driven and was the technical equipment factory of Northeast Heavy Industry Company, which was directly led by the Ministry of Heavy Industry in the past. The minister called it the "equipment department" of the national economy. Later, after the system reform, the ministry became the China National Heavy Industry Corporation; however, this factory's products still provided the most advanced technical equipment for the heavy industry across the country. In recent years, when Xue Jianhua was the factory director, he organized technical personnel to develop the most advanced heavy industry equipment "fs01", but during the trial run, something went wrong and it malfunctioned. After that, the factory's operation encountered difficulties. At this time, Factory Director Xue Jianhua was transferred to Northeast Heavy Industry Company as vice president, specifically responsible for laying off workers... He and his wife Su Hong were also laid off and lost their jobs in this wave of layoffs...

  Zhang Chaoyang suddenly stood up, took the crutches beside him, and shouted at his wife Su Hong and daughter Hong Ye: Let's go!

  His wife, who was wiping the furniture in the room, put down the rag in her hand and came over to persuade him: "Hong Yang, let's not go."

  Go, why don't you go? Zhang Chaoyang firmly put on those work shoes. Those shoes were given to him by the mayor when he came to the shantytown for poverty alleviation.

  The mayor has come to visit you, and they've even sent rice and noodles. What more do you want?

  I want to work, I want to labor! Zhang Chaoyang struck the floor with his crutch: What's the point of being a national model worker if I'm not doing anything?

  It's not just you who got laid off... Besides, your leg...

  What's wrong with your leg? Isn't it the injury from responding to Xue Jianhua's call and working hard during Mid-Autumn Festival? Now, what right does he have to send me back home?

  Forget it, forget it, he was also asked by his superiors to handle the diversion of funds, what can he do? His wife sighed.

  Yeah, you're still talking to him. The husband discontentedly hummed at his wife: Hongye, come with Dad!

  Daughter Hong Ye's heart was racing as she glanced at her father and whispered: "Dad, I'm not going to work today. The boss is going to fire me!"

  Fire me? You're not even qualified to fire me! What kind of job is this? Zhang Chaoyang's emotions worsened: Damn it, making the daughter of a national model worker like me go to a sauna for a massage, what kind of nonsense is that?! Today, we're going to make the government evaluate its reasoning, how are they supposed to take care of a national model worker like me?!

  Forget it. His wife saw him coming with a bad temper again, and let out a deep sigh: Hongye, take your dad to the park for a walk...

  Dad, don't be angry. Let's go! Eldest daughter Hongye came over to support him. Zhang Chaoyang sighed, put on his clothes and shoes, went to the kitchen to wash his face, and casually rinsed his mouth with a rotten toothbrush. He declined his daughter's company and left alone. He wandered aimlessly on the street, unable to see the prosperity and beauty of the street at all. All he saw in his eyes was desolation, because his own mood was desolate. He hated those who drove luxury cars, hated himself for not being able to endure, and hated that the world was becoming more and more devoid of human touch.

  At the end of the street, there was a park that was built in the 80s. The predecessor of the park was the city's botanical garden. Later, the municipal finance could not afford the expenses of the botanical garden and handed it over to the district government. The district government piled up several fake mountains in the botanical garden, repaired several flower beds, built several gates, and turned it into a park. He walked to the entrance of the park, hesitated for half a day, and finally took out one yuan, bought a ticket, and stepped into the park. It had been at least seven or eight years since he last set foot in the park. In the past, it was because of work, and recently it was because of his bad mood. He remembered that the last time he came to the park was with a pair of twin daughters to see the dinosaur exhibition. Through that exhibition, he learned that 140 million years ago, there were giant monsters living on Earth, which were dinosaurs. They thrived on Earth for 120 million years and eventually became extinct. The Earth slept and brewed for 120 million years, and then gave birth to humans. Humans' plundering of the earth was no less than that of the dinosaurs 140 million years ago. Dinosaurs only roamed the surface, while humans not only destroyed the surface but also dug into the ground to extract oil, copper, iron, gold, and so on. Sooner or later, the Earth would become a barren desert, and even dogs would not be able to survive. Then the Earth would sleep and brew new species again.

  Alas, God created humans but didn't establish a natural enemy for them, so they developed rapidly. In every corner of the earth, there are two-legged insects digging for survival, cutting down trees or hunting animals. Two thousand years ago, humans were also called insects; our country's Taoist teachings refer to people as insects.

  As he thought about these things, the more he felt that it was meaningless. Zhang Chaoyang lay down on a lawn and started sunbathing. He lay there motionless, only smoking and gazing at the adults and children strolling in the park. He felt that this world had become increasingly indifferent, with everyone rushing for money. Everyone he knew was worried about their income, and money had become the measure of all values. He thought again about how his generation had been wronged: they went to school, only to encounter the suspension of classes due to revolution; after graduation, it was going up to the mountains and down to the countryside. Finally, when they returned to the city and arranged for work, they encountered layoffs and downsizing. Thinking back on those dinosaur stories, he felt that now there was a kind of end-of-the-century mood, with things happening that shouldn't have happened. He remembered 1975, when he and Su Hong were both assigned to work in the city, and on their first day at the Heavy Machinery Factory, how excited they had been! At that time, the park was holding a Chrysanthemum exhibition. After work, they strolled hand in hand through the exhibition. He was 25 years old then, and Su Hong was only 21; the two young workers were full of passion, feeling that the sky was blue, the trees were green, and everywhere was filled with vibrant chrysanthemums - the world was truly beautiful! Chrysanthemums are beautiful, but she is even more so. He had many beautiful feelings for her, and he had poured a lot of youthful energy into her. He remembered the first time he kissed her, the excitement on her face, and the trembling all over her body. That trembling was like a drumbeat, causing goosebumps to rise on his skin. Ah, ah, don't do that. She was afraid, fearing that he would kiss her endlessly, and also fearing that he would make other moves. Thirty-five years had passed, and those beautiful feelings were now just memories. Memories are painful, but he really wished he could go back to the past, even back to his youth, but he knew it was impossible.

  He sat on the grass in this park with few visitors for half a day. During this time, he felt hungry, painful and shy, because there was only more than one yuan in his pocket, not even enough to buy a bottle of Wahaha mineral water. His stomach started to protest against him, first barking like a hungry dog, then croaking like a frog. He remembered that today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and it's almost time for lunch.

  He walked out of the park and strolled on the street, looking around. The noon sun made the world bright and clear, in this bright world, he saw vehicles and pedestrians flowing endlessly on the welcoming road, the noise was like a forest wrapping his body. He felt even more strongly his loneliness and desolation...