Transmigration: On the Gossip Front-Chapter 957 - 958 Countryside Orphan Girl 2

After the workers left for their shifts, many housewives in the courtyard began to wash clothes or go out to buy groceries.

In short, the previously lively courtyard suddenly quieted down. Zhang Yu quietly slipped into Li Cui’s room and mentioned that Liu Hong’s job might have already been snatched by Liu Jianshe.

Li Cui, upon hearing this, immediately sat up in a panic. "What? How can this happen?"

"You’re about to graduate from high school. What will you do in the future?" Although Zhang Yu was the family’s only child and wouldn’t be sent to work in the countryside, finding a job these days was no easy task.

Over the past few days, Li Cui had been racking her brain. Liu Hong had passed away — an unfortunate but unchangeable fact. She had been hoping they could potentially secure a replacement for his position.

Jobs at the mechanical factory were still highly sought after. But who would have thought that damn Liu Family went ahead and stole the job?

"No, this won’t do. How can they behave like this? I must go talk to the leaders." Li Cui said angrily.

Seeing that Li Cui was ready to storm off to the mechanical factory leadership, Zhang Yu grabbed her by the arm. "Grandma, if we just barge in like this, they might not even let us into the factory."

"Why wouldn’t they let us in? Your father sacrificed his life for that factory," Li Cui asserted confidently, convinced she could still gain entry with Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu was completely unfamiliar with the inner workings of the mechanical factory. "Grandma, if they really had a shred of decency, they would’ve acknowledged my father’s contributions and reached out to us when this happened. Why haven’t they said a word?"

"They’re well aware of the strained relationship between my father and the Liu Family. Calling it ’cutting ties’ would be putting it mildly."

"And now they just hand over my father’s job to Liu Jianshe without asking a single question? Shouldn’t that strike them as odd?"

"Shouldn’t they at least come here and ask us? But has anyone come to ask us anything?"

"The fact that they haven’t already shows where they stand."

"Do you really think they’d let us in at this point?"

"And even then, wouldn’t the factory leadership need to approve any changes for this to happen?"

"Grandma, if we’re going to make a scene, let’s make it a big one. I refuse to believe they can just walk all over us!"

Bursting into the factory to kick up a fuss? That would only lead to humiliation. For the factory’s reputation, they’d likely pressure the two of them into swallowing their grievances.

"But you..." Li Cui knew escalating the situation was the only way to get attention, but as an old woman, she also worried. "You’re still planning to work at the mechanical factory in the future."

Work at the mechanical factory? What a joke. Zhang Yu didn’t know what the future held for this factory, but many large state-owned enterprises had crumbled disastrously after reforms.

There was no way she’d work there—especially after all this. "I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to switch jobs with someone else."

"Switch jobs?" Li Cui was puzzled, unclear about where Zhang Yu planned to work instead.

"I plan to either join the police station in a logistics role or work at the neighborhood committee," Zhang Yu said. Both were government positions, promising better benefits and job security compared to the mechanical factory.

Working in those places? Li Cui gave it some thought and nodded in agreement. "That actually sounds like a good idea."

"If this mess escalates and we break all ties with the Liu Family, working at the community office or police station would put us in a stronger position to deal with them."

"If you stay at the mechanical factory, they’ll gang up on you—you’ll always end up on the losing side."

Most importantly, the mechanical factory was filled with disgusting people. They even suggested Zhang Yu work as a security guard, a grueling and thankless position.

With their plans set, the two packed up their prepared materials and marched boldly to the mechanical factory gate.

Across from the factory’s main gate, Zhang Yu unfurled a banner. With Li Cui holding one end, the two boldly lifted it into the air: "Mechanical Factory Mistreats the Children of Martyrs."

"My father died on duty and was declared a martyr. The factory’s compensation was inadequate, and his job was stolen from us."

"The mechanical factory’s leadership shows no accountability and disregards the welfare of a martyr’s family."

Liu Jianshe didn’t dare stand guard at the gate, fearing exposure to more witnesses. Heaven forbid word reached Liu Cui’s ears through their relatives and associates.

Being new to the factory, Liu Jianshe had been relegated to patrolling inside and was unaware of this unfolding drama at first.

The security staff stationed at the gate immediately noticed the protest. Truth be told, when Liu Jianshe replaced Liu Hong, many of them had already raised objections.

But the section chief dismissed their concerns, claiming it was an order from higher-ups and instructing them not to stir up trouble. Though they felt it was unfair, they had little choice but to stay quiet.

No one imagined Zhang Yu would be so bold, standing across the gate with her banner. In no time, a crowd began to gather.

Realizing they couldn’t handle it, the security staff rushed to inform their superiors. This was far beyond what their small department could resolve.

The security section chief, after hearing the news, was stunned. Rushing to the gate, he saw the bold signs and heard the rising commotion from the gathered onlookers.

The section chief now had just one thought: "Why today? Of all days, why today?" Senior officials from the ministry were visiting to assess whether the factory could meet its production quotas.

And this girl picked today to stir up trouble. If the higher-ups saw this, the factory director and party secretary were bound to face harsh consequences.

And as for him, the security chief? While his position was appointed by the People’s Armed Forces Department, the factory leadership could still make things difficult for him. It would undoubtedly leave its mark.

He wanted to send his staff to handle the matter, but they all shook their heads in unison. "How could we possibly approach this?"

"Exactly. When Brother Liu was alive, he took good care of us. And now, barely a month after his death, this happens."

The words left the security chief with no choice but to sigh. "Fine, I’ll deal with it myself."

Zhang Yu had Li Cui rest under a tree. The old woman had never been in the best health, and after losing her husband, daughter, and son-in-law, her condition had only worsened.

Zhang Yu laid everything bare, recounting how the factory treated them after Liu Hong’s death. "My father’s been gone for more than a month, and the factory hasn’t reached out even once."

"I only found out by chance that my father’s position had been handed off."

"And while it went to my father’s nephew, let’s not forget—my father was a husband-in-law. When he joined the Liu Family, they even demanded a ’nurturing fee,’ claiming they couldn’t raise a son-in-law for free."

Li Cui had filled Zhang Yu in on these family details during their walk to the factory, explaining how the Liu Family couldn’t be relied upon for support. Instead, they had seen Liu Hong as someone to exploit.

The crowd, overhearing this, was shocked. Initially, some thought it wasn’t a big deal for a job to pass to a nephew. But when they heard the husband-in-law story along with the so-called nurturing fee, they were dumbfounded.

"And my father only had one child: me. Why wasn’t the job passed to me?"

"Even if I can’t inherit it, shouldn’t I, as his daughter, at least have the right to be informed? To have a say in what happens to it?"

"My household is just me and my grandmother. Without a job, how are we supposed to survive?"

"Finding work these days is nearly impossible." Zhang Yu raised her voice in indignation.

The crowd wholeheartedly agreed. "She’s right!"

Jobs were already hard to come by, and with the government’s ’send educated youth to the countryside’ movement, positions were even more coveted. Not just permanent roles—even temporary jobs were fiercely competitive.