aircannonsinc Chapter 1168 Nothing Found
Chapter 1168 Nothing Found
He Yuzhu laughed even harder, his eyes crinkling into wrinkles. Just as he was about to say something more, Old Wang from the street office walked over with two young men in cadre uniforms, each carrying a blue notebook. Old Wang's gaze swept between the two men, as if weighing something, before he walked straight up to Qin Huairu: "Qin Huairu, I have something to ask you."
Qin Huairu's heart leaped into her throat, and she nearly dropped the cloth bag in her hand. Her voice trembled as she asked, "Director Wang... is... is something wrong with Bang Geng?"
Seeing her tense expression, Old Wang already knew what was going on, but deliberately said in a deep voice, "Bang Geng ran away. We came to see if he had gone back to your house."
Qin Huairu's heart was pounding like a drum, so loud she could hear it herself, but she forced a calm expression: "He ran away? I don't know. I've been working at the factory these past two days, leaving early and coming home late, and I haven't seen him come back." Despite her words, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief—this child is clever, she hadn't spoiled him for nothing.
"We need to go in and take a look." Old Wang didn't waste any more words, waved his hand, and led his men towards the courtyard house.
Jia Zhangshi was sitting at the door picking vegetables, snapping green beans into pieces with a "crunch, crunch" sound. When she saw them coming, the green beans fell to the ground with a "thud," getting covered in dirt. "What are you doing here? My family's green beans haven't broken any laws! What right do you have to trespass on my property!"
No one paid any attention to her rant. The two young people walked straight into the house, opened the wardrobe door and rummaged through it, finding old clothes scattered everywhere; then they squatted down to look under the bed, even tapping on the bed frame; finally, they even rummaged through the firewood in the stove, the ash making them cough. The furnishings in the house were very simple: a patched mattress covered the earthen bed, half a bag of sweet potatoes was piled in the corner, and the water in the vat was almost gone; they turned it over and over, but couldn't find a single person.
"How is it?" Old Wang asked from the doorway, his voice sounding a little faint in the empty room.
"No." The young man shook his head, scribbling down two notes in his notebook. "There's no one in the house, no signs of anyone hiding, and the window latches are all in good working order."
Madam Jia Zhang jumped up and down, cursing, "I told you there wasn't! You bunch of people, do you have nothing better to do? If anything happens to my grandson, I'll never forgive you! I'll spend my life fighting you!"
Old Wang ignored her tantrum and only glanced at Qin Huairu. Seeing her standing in the courtyard, pale-faced, clutching her cloth bag tightly, yet with an unusually calm expression, he nodded inwardly—it seemed Banggeng really hadn't returned home. He closed his notebook with a snap: "Alright, let's go ask around at other houses. If Banggeng comes back, hurry to the office and let them know, don't make us come back again, or things won't be so easy to talk to then."
After saying that, he turned and left with his men, his leather shoes clattering on the cobblestone path in the courtyard. He left the Jia family grandfather and grandson standing there; one slapped his thigh and cursed, while the other stared blankly at the corner of the wall, lost in thought. Qin Huairu watched their departing figures, quietly clenching the cloth bag in her hand—Bang Geng had run away, which was a good thing, but could he run forever? She glanced in the direction of He Yuzhu's house, secretly hoping that he would bring good news tomorrow, something that would make life a little easier.
Once the onlookers in the courtyard had dispersed, the door to the east wing creaked shut, and the mournful look on Jia Zhangshi's face vanished instantly. A wide grin spread across her face, and she almost burst out laughing. She sat down on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), slapped her thigh, and felt a surge of joy—it had all gone according to plan! Although Banggeng hadn't returned home, he had at least escaped the list of those sent to the countryside, which was better than anything else! As long as he could escape this ordeal, there would be plenty of opportunities for him to come back later; it was far better than him toiling in the countryside, digging in the ground and drinking watery porridge.
Qin Huairu looked at her mother's arrogant yet obsequious demeanor, her brows furrowed tightly, her hands twisting the apron into a pretzel, her tone urgent: "Mom, this idea was clearly taught to Banggeng by you. Before he ran away, you should have known where he went, right?"
Madam Jia's heart skipped a beat, and her gaze unconsciously drifted to the window—she knew perfectly well that she and Banggeng had already discussed it three days ago in the woodshed. They had arranged for him to head south to his maternal grandmother's house to hide; it was a secluded place, unlikely to be found, and they would make further plans once things calmed down. She had specifically instructed him not to tell anyone, especially Qin Huairu. That woman was incredibly perceptive and might pry into the matter; if word got out, all their efforts would be wasted.
She immediately stopped smiling, her face blank again, and shook her head: "I just told him to run, no matter where he went, just get away first. How was I supposed to know which direction he ran in? That kid has always been very shrewd. How could I, as his grandmother, control his legs?"
Qin Huairu stared at the empty steps by the door, where dust still clung to the ground where Banggeng had run off that morning. Her voice betrayed her deep worry: "Are you sure? Banggeng only had two steamed buns on him, and the few yuan he had in his pocket was something I secretly slipped to him. What will he eat and where will he stay? If you knew the area, I could at least send him some money and food coupons. I can't let him starve and freeze out there, especially if he runs into bad people..."
Jia Zhangshi felt uneasy under the question, her fingers unconsciously picking at the seams of the straw mat, unsure whether Qin Huairu was genuinely worried or trying to trick her into revealing information. She simply stiffened her neck, making her act even more convincing, her voice rising several decibels: "I really don't know! If I knew, would I hide it from you? Banggeng is my own grandson, would I let him suffer outside? Do you think I'm just a grandmother for nothing?"
Looking at Jia Zhangshi's confident demeanor, Qin Huairu still harbored some doubts—she could somewhat guess her mother-in-law's ulterior motives—but then she thought, no matter how harsh Jia Zhangshi was, she still loved Banggeng. Perhaps she really hadn't asked about his whereabouts in detail, and was afraid that asking too much would only make the child panic. She sighed, didn't press the matter further, and turned to walk towards the kitchen, intending to clean up the dishes she hadn't finished washing that morning. But her heart felt heavy, like a stone was pressing down on it—Banggeng's running away was no small matter; it was called fleeing famine, and if he were caught by the neighborhood committee, the punishment would be far more serious than being sent to the countryside; he might even have a criminal record.
The news reached Gu Nan's ears within half a day. He was organizing production reports in his office when a worker familiar with the courtyard came in to report on his work, mentioning in passing that the Jia family's child had run away. Gu Nan merely raised an eyebrow, his pen pausing briefly on the report, not taking it too seriously.
Bang Geng ran away? That kid's got some guts, but he's a bit stupid, thinking running away will solve everything. These days, with your household registration in your hands, it's not so easy to hide.