Chapter 534: Stupid Without Knowing It – Daily Gossip in the Sickly Aunt’s Compound

"Chapter 534: Too Dumb to Know She’s Dumb – The Sickly Young Aunt’s Daily Drama-Fueled Life in the Compound"

"Director Zhong from the Personnel Department is truly impressive. Even someone as difficult as Zhang Mengyun was wrapped around his finger," Lin Qing remarked sincerely.

"Hahaha! Zhang Mengyun wasn’t talked into it by Director Zhong—she only caved when she saw the pay scale he listed!"

After the incident spread, many went to the security office to inquire, and the security guards spilled the beans without holding back, recounting the entire conversation.

Thus, knowing the whole backstory, it was easy for them to guess why Zhang Mengyun folded just like that.

"Hah!" Lin Qing agreed with Mother Jiang’s reasoning.

Tang Xihua also laughed. "I bet she never considered that before reaching the third grade, there are still three tiers below it: apprentice, first-grade, and second-grade levels."

As soon as Tang Xihua finished speaking, the rest of the office burst into laughter.

"Hah!"

Truth be told, they guessed right.

Zhang Mengyun was indeed sucked in by the wages of the third and fourth grades, completely overlooking the fact that she’d first have to go through the apprentice, first-grade, and second-grade stages—none of which paid particularly well.

But with the tempting prospect of higher wages at the third and fourth grades dangling before her like a big carrot, Zhang Mengyun either didn’t think about it or didn’t care. All she remembered was how high the wages could be.

She stopped making a scene immediately, afraid that Jin Jianhua might actually be assigned to a dead-end labor job.

Then, under the gaze of the onlookers, she bolted out of nowhere.

After watching the spectacle, Lin Qing and the others also headed back, buzzing about it along the way.

"That Zhang Mengyun has guts, daring to cause a scene at the factory." They wouldn’t dare—they were too afraid of risking their family’s jobs.

"If she weren’t bold, would she have done so many outrageous things?"

"..." The group fell silent. The things she had stirred up were indeed not something your average person would pull.

Mother Su thought Zhang Mengyun was dumber than a box of rocks. "She’s the kind of fool who doesn’t even realize she’s being fooled, completely snowed under by the factory leaders’ smooth talk."

"Mother Su, how can you say that?" Mother Li was mortified.

"Am I wrong?"

"Having a job at all is already a blessing—some people would kill for a job like that!"

Mother Su rolled her eyes and said, "She’s just plain stupid. Everyone knows skilled workers make bank! But that’s only at the third and fourth grades! Below that, their wages aren’t even as high as white-collar staff.

Besides, how many years would it take for Jin Jianhua to reach the third or fourth grade? And you still say she’s not foolish?"

"..." The group remained silent.

Mother Li, of course, understood the logic, but still argued, "What if he’s some prodigy?"

"Even at his best, it’d take at least two years minimum to reach the third grade!"

"..."

"Still, you can’t dismiss that skilled workers can go places too! Take our neighbors Gu Hang and Jiang Yang—aren’t they doing exceptionally well?"

Mother Su still had a look of disdain. Though she didn’t get along well with Mother Gu and Mother Jiang, she had to admit Gu Hang and Jiang Yang were outstanding. But Jin Jianhua?

Hah! A pretty boy who got ahead by leeching off a woman—if not for Zhang Mengyun, the daughter of the Deputy Factory Manager, who knows what backwater he’d still be stuck in?

That shameless Qin Xianglian had worked for so many years and was still at the first grade. Who knew how long it would take Jin Jianhua to reach the second grade, let alone the third? Zhang Mengyun’s in for a long wait!

They all went back to the courtyard and, to everyone’s surprise, started singing cheerfully.

“……” For a second, they were speechless.

Enjoy it while it lasts—you’ll be crying soon enough.

But some people just loved to stir trouble. While Mother Lin and the others wanted nothing to do with her, Zhang Mengyun actually shot them a smug look.

“Hmph!”

“……” Mother Lin and the others couldn’t help but roll their eyes.

What was her problem?

……

Jin Jianhua was struggling at the factory either. The workshop work was grueling and messy, far from the ease of office work.

Half a day in, he had been scolded nonstop and was utterly exhausted.

Dragging himself to lunch, exhausted, he overheard others gossiping about Zhang Mengyun’s little stunt.

Jin Jianhua saw red. What was that idiot doing now? Hadn’t she ruined him enough?

When he returned to the workshop in the afternoon, his coworkers crowded around him.

“Oh, Jin Jianhua! Too good for the workshop, big shot? Had to get your wife to throw a fit, tsk tsk…” Yes, everyone assumed Jin Jianhua was unwilling and had pushed his wife to protest.

Jin Jianhua scowled. “I didn’t—”

No matter what he said, nobody bought it, leaving him fuming.

Worse still, he was lousy at workshop work. Every mistake he made was mocked by the workshop supervisor, who never let him live it down.

That evening, he blew up at Zhang Mengyun. He had always told himself to endure, but today, he couldn’t take it anymore.

Hearing the commotion, Mother Lin and the others immediately pulled up stools to eavesdrop by the door.

“Zhang Mengyun, why’d you go causing trouble at the factory?”

“Brother Jianhua, I was just trying to help you!” Zhang Mengyun nearly burst into tears from his shouting.

Jin Jianhua was too pissed to care.

Pacing back and forth, his thoughts churned wildly.

If you did it for me, why didn’t you push harder to get me transferred back to the office?

Huh? If it was for my sake, why didn’t you try harder?

All you did was cause a pointless mess, leaving a terrible impression on the factory leaders. How was he supposed to get promoted now?

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. “You’re completely hopeless. All you do is screw things up…”

Jin Jianhua launched into a furious tirade, and Zhang Mengyun was straight up made to cry by his words.

The onlookers outside were totally stunned!

Wasn't Jin Jianhua always playing the role of a good man, a good husband?

Why was he suddenly holding nothing back?

Wasn't he afraid Zhang Mengyun would cut him loose?

But as they watched further, they realized they had overthought it—Zhang Mengyun wasn't your average person.

After venting his anger, Jin Jianhua finally snapped out of it and tried to comfort her when he saw Zhang Mengyun crying uncontrollably.

"Yunyun, I'm sorry!"

Others might have put up a fight in such a situation, but not her—she loved to fawn. The moment her master smiled at her, she was practically eating out of his hand.

Zhang Mengyun’s tear-streaked face immediately brightened into a smile at Jin Jianhua’s sudden kindness.

"..." Holy crap, what a sight indeed!