Super Soldier in the City
Chapter 551 - 562 Uncle-in-Law Loses His Job

Chapter 551: Chapter 562 Uncle-in-Law Loses His Job

Yiyi immediately said, "Auntie, if it weren’t for your care over the years, I wouldn’t know where I’d be by now. Yiyi has always been very grateful to you. In the past Yiyi couldn’t repay you because I lacked the means, but now with Yifei, my circumstances have improved a lot. How could Yiyi forget you, Auntie?"

"You dear child, having that intention is enough. Now making money is so difficult; how can you spend it so recklessly? Sigh, your Uncle and I together don’t even make four thousand a month, and now things are even tighter, with your Uncle about to be laid off again."

With that, Yiyi’s aunt let out a heavy sigh.

Yiyi asked with concern, "Doesn’t Uncle work at the Tax Bureau?"

"He used to be okay there, but as you know, your Uncle is just a driver, and not a regular staff member. Despite having worked at the Tax Bureau for over twenty years, being non-regular staff means he’s basically a temporary worker. Not only does he earn less, but they can also let you go whenever they want without any recourse."

Yiyi frowned and said, "Uncle’s been working there for over twenty years. According to labor law, shouldn’t he have been made a permanent employee by now?"

"Labor law, that’s just a tool to fool people. A few days ago, they started some kind of labor outsourcing. Those shameless bastards at the Tax Bureau transferred all their original employees to an outsourcing company, which then sends them back to work at the Tax Bureau. So, although they’re working at the Tax Bureau, they have no real connection with it anymore, and nobody cares about any labor law."

"But that’s a government law enforcement agency. How can they knowingly break the law?" Yiyi exclaimed, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"It’s precisely because these law enforcement agencies don’t obey the law that there’s no solution. If it were some company breaking the law, you could still go to the Labor Bureau to complain, but since they’re a law enforcement agency themselves, the Labor Bureau doesn’t care at all. Just tell me, after working so hard for so many years, my husband gets dismissed just like that. Is there any justice in that?"

Yiyi’s aunt grew more agitated and angry as she spoke, while Yiyi felt utterly helpless. She somewhat understood how things worked with jobs, especially for sought-after departments like the Tax Bureau, where becoming part of the permanent staff was incredibly difficult. Now, if her uncle lost his job, relying only on her aunt’s casual labor earnings would be absolutely insufficient.

At this moment, the sound of a door unlocking and opening was heard, and a middle-aged man entered with a dejected expression, his head lowered, not even noticing Li Yifei and Yiyi.

"Uncle," Yiyi stood up and greeted him.

This man was, of course, Yiyi’s uncle. Hearing Yiyi’s greeting, he lifted his head, a look of surprise showing on his face, and said, "Yiyi, what brings you here?"

Yiyi’s aunt chimed in, "Yiyi came over with her boyfriend to see us. By the way, what did your workplace say?"

Yiyi’s uncle gave Li Yifei a nod and forced a smile, then sighed heavily again, saying, "What can they say? They just tell you they don’t need you anymore and that they’ll give some compensation, maybe ten or eight thousand yuan."

He then flopped onto the couch with a look of despair and pulled out a cigarette.

Li Yifei quickly offered his own cigarettes, saying, "Uncle, have one of these." As he brought out the cigarettes, he suddenly remembered Su Mengxin; these were still the cigarettes Mengxin had left him.

Yiyi’s uncle took a cigarette, and Li Yifei lit it for him. Taking a deep drag, not really discerning the quality of the cigarette, he said, "It’s useless arguing with them. I’m thinking of looking for another job."

Yiyi’s aunt slapped her thigh in anger, exclaiming, "Those damn bastards, all they do is take and take, never caring about other people’s lives. Nowadays, all the leaders can drive themselves; they fear drivers are inconvenient and dismiss them all. Sooner or later, I hope each of them crashes their car and dies."

Auntie Yiyi’s personality was clearly rather fiery, quite different from Yiyi’s. But as ordinary people, aside from venting at home and cursing those in power, what else could they do?

Li Yifei didn’t understand labor law and whether this situation was compliant or not, so he didn’t interject unnecessarily. Helping Yiyi’s relatives didn’t have to mean getting involved with that Tax Bureau again. Working elsewhere would do, like at the Ye family—big family, big business. If he introduced them to a driver, they would certainly not refuse.

"Enough about that. I’m a grown man. Even if I stop working here, I won’t be unable to find a job. If all else fails, I’ll just drive a taxi. I can make three or four thousand a month, easy. I’ve already looked into it."

Yiyi’s uncle was a down-to-earth man. Although he was extremely upset about losing his job, he didn’t want to worry his wife too much and puffed out his chest, showing the demeanor a man should have.

At this point, Li Yifei joined in, saying, "Uncle, if you’re looking for a job, I might be..."

Li Yifei was about to offer his help, but Auntie Yiyi suddenly slapped her thigh excitedly, interrupting, "Yes, yes, I just remembered someone. He’s an old classmate of mine, works at the Tax Bureau, and is apparently an official. I’ll go talk to him, see if I can plead our case."

Su Yiyi’s uncle-in-law’s eyes lit up and he said, "Why didn’t you mention this before?"

Filled with excitement, Su Yiyi’s aunt exclaimed, "I just didn’t think of it until now. As soon as I saw Yiyi, it suddenly came to me. I’ll call and ask right now."

Although Li Yifei really didn’t understand why seeing Su Yiyi reminded her aunt of that old classmate, since Yiyi’s aunt didn’t offer any explanation, he didn’t feel it was his place to ask.

After getting through on the phone and chatting for a bit, Yiyi’s aunt hung up, visibly thrilled, and announced, "I’ve made arrangements with him already. We’re inviting him to lunch today."

Yiyi’s uncle-in-law asked eagerly, "Did he say it was feasible?"

Yiyi’s aunt, beaming with joy, replied, "Absolutely. He said it was no big deal, that the Tax Bureau wouldn’t care about the tiny sum they pay you monthly. It’s just that most of the leaders drive their own cars, but he can take care of it with just one phone call."

Seeing the couple’s enthusiasm, Li Yifei felt no need for further comment. Looking at them, he realized that even though he wished to be an ordinary person, he hadn’t truly managed to become one yet. Yiyi’s aunt and uncle were truly ordinary folks, struggling and toiling for a living, enduring hardships for a bit of money, with their moments of joy but also their sorrows.

After the excitement subsided, Su Yiyi’s aunt took her hand and said, "Yiyi, it’s your visit to our place with your boyfriend, and I should really treat you properly. But with your uncle’s current situation, we’ll just have something simple at home for lunch. I’ll cook something special for you in the evening."

Su Yiyi quickly responded, "It’s no trouble at all. You and uncle have your hands full. Yifei and I just came to see you both, we’ll be leaving shortly anyway."

"How can that be? It’s not every day you come to your aunt’s, and you’ve even brought your boyfriend. We can’t just let you leave like that. Your boyfriend might think your aunt doesn’t value you."

Yiyi’s uncle-in-law quickly intervened, "We’ll all go together for lunch then. It will show that we take this seriously."

Thinking it over, Yiyi’s aunt nodded and agreed, "That makes sense, let’s all go together."

Su Yiyi hesitated, "Wouldn’t that be inappropriate?"

Her aunt laughed it off, "It’s fine, let’s all go together."

With her anticipations set, Yiyi’s aunt shifted the conversation to Li Yifei, inquiring about his background. Upon learning he was a department manager at a company, she was thoroughly pleased with him.

"Yifei, Yiyi is a wonderful girl. It’s just that her father is quite a handful. I know Yiyi is a dutiful child, and eventually, her father will likely cause you some trouble. Please, for Yiyi’s sake, try to be patient with him."

Li Yifei immediately assured her, "Don’t worry, Auntie. Uncle Su has already kicked his gambling habit."

"He’s quit gambling?" Yiyi’s aunt said, skeptical. She had a strong disdain for her brother-in-law. If it weren’t for him, her sister wouldn’t have passed away so soon, and her niece wouldn’t have suffered so much.

Su Yiyi quickly interjected, "Auntie, my dad really has stopped gambling. He hasn’t gone for a long time now. He even found a job as a night watchman. He doesn’t earn much but he doesn’t cause me trouble anymore."

Yiyi’s aunt’s eyes widened with surprise and delight, exclaiming, "That’s wonderful news! You’re a good child; I was worried you wouldn’t be able to find a good family because of your father. Now, I can rest assured."

Li Yifei declared earnestly, "Auntie, don’t worry. Someone as wonderful as Yiyi, I’ll definitely treat her well. I will not allow her to suffer any injustices. Yiyi’s father is also my father, and I will take good care of him."

It was true that Su Yiyi’s father had given up gambling, but only because Li Yifei had managed to intimidate him. Otherwise, it would not have been so easy for him to quit. A son-in-law like Yifei was indeed hard to come by.

"That’s good to hear. Seeing Yiyi so happy puts my mind at ease."

After chatting until eleven o’clock, the four of them left the house and took a taxi to a moderately-priced restaurant in the provincial capital. They couldn’t afford to dine at a high-end establishment; even eating at a place like this might cost over a thousand, which was already quite luxurious. If it weren’t for the work-related matter, Yiyi’s aunt and uncle would never willingly come here to eat.

Once they had secured a private room, Su Yiyi’s aunt and uncle, along with Yiyi and Li Yifei, waited in the lobby. It wasn’t long before they saw the people they were waiting for arrive. There were two of them: one was Yiyi’s aunt’s classmate, and the other looked quite young, not even thirty. Upon seeing Su Yiyi, the man’s eyes sparkled, betraying a strong desire to possess her.