Chapter 104 Preparing for the Sports Meet

During the Qingming Festival, it is advisable to: clean, offer sacrifices, seek medical treatment, and do nothing else. It is also taboo to: do anything inappropriate.

Today, the steel rolling mill organized some employees to visit the Martyrs' Cemetery to pay tribute, mainly some leaders and party members. It didn't say that all of them would go. After all, there are several thousand people in the steel rolling mill. It would look awkward if they all went together.

Li Shengli was not among the group. He weighed some offerings and rode towards the cemetery. In front of his father's grave, Li Shengli arranged the offerings and then talked about what had happened to him recently.

After paying tribute to his father, Li Shengli came to the Monument to the People's Heroes holding a bouquet of white chrysanthemums. Lined up in front of Li Shengli were different groups wearing various clothes, including workers in blue coats, cadres in Zhongshan suits, and students in school uniforms.

Li Shengli followed me in the crowd. After it was Li Shengli's turn, he followed the people in front of him to line up and went in. He bowed three times towards the Monument to the People's Heroes and then placed white chrysanthemums in front of the monument.

After completing the worship process, Li Shengli left the monument, sighed deeply, and felt that life was not easy to come by.

I went back home and rested at home. Today is Qingming Festival, so it is not suitable to go out and visit people.

The next day during working hours, Li Shengli was listening to factory gossip in the kitchen.

"Hey, have you heard? Our factory is going to hold a sports meeting on May Day this year." Yao Qin was spreading the gossip she had heard with a few aunties in the kitchen.

"real or fake."

It’s a good thing to have a sports meet, as I don’t have to work that day.

"Of course it's true. I heard that the leaders have all gone to the meeting."

"This is our second sports meet. The last one was six years ago." An older man who had worked in the factory for several years said after thinking for a while.

"Tell me quickly, what was it like last time."

Li Shengli listened and seemed to be thinking deeply. He had not joined the factory at that time and did not know about these things.

"Hello~Hello." At this time, the announcer's voice test came from the radio.

"Comrades, now I am going to announce a notice. In order to enrich the spare time of our factory workers and enhance their physical fitness, the factory leaders have decided to hold a staff sports meeting on the 30th of this month. I hope everyone will sign up and participate. Other relevant details have been displayed on the notice board. Please read them carefully. The announcement is over."

The broadcast was repeated three times in a row, and the news was now confirmed.

Li Shengli was not in a hurry. Since the broadcast had already notified him, Wang Tiezhu would be here soon.

"Comrades, is there anyone in our cafeteria who wants to sign up for the project?" At about noon, when everyone was free, Wang Tiezhu gathered everyone and shouted.

"This..." Everyone looked at each other in confusion after hearing what Wang Tiezhu said.

On the day of the sports meet, the security department and logistics department were very busy, so there was no time to participate in the sports meet.

"Team leader, what projects are there and what rewards are there?" a kitchen helper asked what everyone was thinking.

"Let me take a look. There are high jump, long jump, short-distance running, long-distance running, table tennis, rope skipping, shuttlecock kicking, tug-of-war, shot put, and many more events." Wang Tiezhu said as he looked at the registration form in his hand.

"Each person can sign up for one individual event, and everyone must participate in the team competition." Wang Tiezhu added, "Everyone must prepare their own clothes and shoes for the competition, and sign up according to their own conditions." The people below still didn't speak.

"This won't do. No one in our cafeteria wants to participate in the project. It will make us seem like we're not sociable." Wang Tiezhu got anxious when he saw that no one was talking and no one was signing up.

"Team leader, don't we still have a tug-of-war competition to participate in?" Li Shengli remembered that the tug-of-war was divided according to each department and workshop, and when the time came, whichever workshop or department they were on the field would be the winner.

"We must participate in the tug-of-war. There are only a few people in our cafeteria. Besides, we can't rely solely on this activity. We may not be able to beat the people in the workshop." Wang Tiezhu mobilized everyone. The people in the workshop were also quite strong.

"Squad leader, let these youngsters participate. We are all old." Master Yang, who had achieved relatively good results, shouted. He said that he could still run and jump, but he could not compare with these youngsters.

"Squad leader, you haven't told me what the rewards are for the top three?" the young man who asked the question earlier asked again.

"The top three will receive certificates. The first place will receive an enamel basin, an enamel pot, and a towel; the second place will receive an enamel basin and a towel, and the third place will receive an enamel pot and a towel. The other contestants will receive a towel as a souvenir." Wang Tiezhu talked about the rewards given by the factory.

"Why are you all here for the reward? Is the reward important? What's important is participating in it." Wang Tiezhu scolded everyone in a pretentious manner.

"Sergeant, where did you hear this? The way you speak is nothing like you." Someone in the audience started to make a fuss.

"Haha, I learned this from Director Xu." Wang Tiezhu smiled without any embarrassment and said, "No one signed up, so I'll call the roll."

"Why don't you two young people take part in some shorter events?" Wang Tiezhu arranged for two young kitchen helpers to participate in the sprint.

"Team leader, but we don't have sportswear." The entire kitchen helpers indicated that they could not participate.

"It's still early. You can go and borrow it and try. If it doesn't work, just wear your work clothes and participate. The most important thing is to participate." Wang Tiezhu didn't make it difficult for them, nor did he force the two of them to buy a set of sportswear.

"Shengli, what project are you planning to participate in?" Wang Tiezhu turned and asked Li Shengli.

Li Shengli thought about it and realized that there was nothing he could do. Long-distance running was a waste of time and he still had work to do. As for ball games, who knows which leader might participate, and it wouldn't matter whether he won or not.

"Squad leader, please sign me up for the long jump." Li Shengli thought for a long time. He was tall and had long legs, so both the long jump and the high jump were suitable for him. The most important thing was to participate.

"Then I'll fill it in for you." Wang Tiezhu didn't expect Li Shengli to apply for this project.

After filling out the registration form, Wang Tiezhu handed it to Xu Weimin, who then selected people from all the people in the kitchen who would participate in the tug-of-war competition. They were all big and strong men, and Li Shengli was one of them. Li Shengli was tall and strong, and although he did not look that fat, he had some strength to juggle a big spoon.

After determining the candidates and projects to be registered, Wang Tiezhu handed the registration form to Xu Weimin.

"Wang Tiezhu, why isn't your name on the list?" Xu Weimin looked at the registration form two or three times but didn't see Wang Tiezhu's name.

"Director, look at my figure." Wang Tiezhu said, patting his big belly.

"Participation is the most important thing. How about this? I'll sign you up for table tennis." Xu Weimin said as he filled in Wang Tiezhu's name on the registration form.

"Director!" Seeing Xu Weimin start writing, Wang Tiezhu had no choice but to agree.

(End of this chapter)