aircannonsinc Chapter 1061 Qin Huairu can only rely on He Yuzhu
Chapter 1061 Qin Huairu can only rely on He Yuzhu
He Yuzhu was startled by her sudden outburst. The cigarette in his hand wobbled and almost fell onto the greasy stove. Instinctively, he wanted to hide in the storage room deep in the kitchen—he was most afraid of Qin Huairu's anxious manner, her loud voice, and her reddened eyes, making her look like she had suffered a great injustice, which would make others think he was bullying someone. But he had only taken half a step when his lower back bumped into a stack of iron pots with a loud bang. Qin Huairu had already caught up with him and blocked his way, leaving him no way to hide.
He awkwardly stubbed out his cigarette, pressed it into the iron pan on the stove, and the sparks hissed out. He forced a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Sister Qin, what brings you here? I was just about to go. I was thinking of preparing the braised pork for lunch. The meat is all cut up and ready to be cooked. If I'm late for lunch and the workers go hungry, Deputy Factory Director Li will say I'm incompetent again."
"Prepare the food, prepare the food! I knew you'd want this!" Qin Huairu took two steps forward, her chest heaving with anxiety, tears welling in her eyes. Her voice rose, trembling with sobs, "Bang Geng is going to the countryside soon! The people from the street office came to register him yesterday. Once the list is published in a couple of days and the train leaves, it'll be too late! When are you going to see Deputy Factory Director Li? Can you give me a definite answer? I'm so worried, I can't sleep!"
"I'll go right away, I'll go right away!" He Yuzhu quickly took a half step back, patted his chest and promised, his tone extremely earnest, almost as if he were swearing an oath, "Sister Qin, don't worry, I'll wash my hands and change into clean clothes right away, and then I'll go to the office building to wait for him! With my friendship with Deputy Factory Director Li over the years, he'll definitely give me face and make sure he gets the sticks sorted out for you! You just go back to the workshop and wait, I'll definitely bring you good news this afternoon!"
Seeing his confident and reassuring expression, Qin Huairu felt a little relieved—after all, she had no other choice but to rely on him. She sniffed, wiped her eyes with her sleeve, nodded without saying anything more, and quickly left the kitchen. She had to hurry back to the sewing group; several stacks of work clothes were waiting to be mended. If she missed work hours, she would have her wages deducted at the end of the month. Her family was already strapped for cash, and with three children waiting to be fed, they couldn't afford this kind of trouble.
As soon as Qin Huairu disappeared through the doorway, He Yuzhu's smile vanished instantly, all traces of his previous earnestness gone. How could he dare to go to Deputy Factory Director Li? Last time, he had only mentioned it under the pretext of delivering vegetables, and Deputy Factory Director Li had glared at him, pointing his finger at him and saying that he "couldn't distinguish between important and trivial matters, only meddling in petty neighborhood squabbles and delaying the factory's business." That scolding almost woke him up.
He paced around the stove a couple of times, kicking away the coal dust under his feet, making a plan in his mind—he'd dawdle here for a while, start stewing the braised pork, then leisurely chop the scallions, ginger, and garlic. Later, he'd go back to the workshop and tell Qin Huairu that Deputy Factory Director Li was busy with a leadership meeting, and the secretary at the door wouldn't let him in; he couldn't find him. A few days later, Bang Geng really would be sent to the countryside. The die was cast, and Qin Huairu naturally wouldn't bother him anymore. She couldn't very well force him to pull him off the train, could she?
He picked up the spatula and tapped the edge of the pan absentmindedly, making a dull "clanging" sound, as if he were making excuses for himself or venting his anger. The smell of cooking oil mixed with the smell of gas and the aroma of braised pork being cooked in the pan, all intertwined and made his throat tight, but what bothered him even more was the mess he couldn't get rid of—why couldn't he get rid of this mess?
Frankly, He Yuzhu couldn't be bothered with such trivial matters. He and Lu Jia were living a good life together, having saved up money to replace their earthen bed with a wooden plank bed and add a wardrobe in the spring. They were enjoying their simple life, so why should they be entangled in the Jia family's mess? Sending laborers to the countryside was a policy requirement; why should he be an exception? He didn't want to upset Lu Jia over this, nor did he want to be scolded by Deputy Factory Director Li again, affecting his job in the kitchen. This was a life for himself, not a stepping stone for others.
As soon as Yi Zhonghai returned to the workshop, he was already busy, barely sitting down before grabbing a familiar old colleague and huddling in a corner, whispering about Gu Nan's exam. "You guys didn't see it, Deputy Factory Director Gu became a senior engineer at such a young age, like a rocket, there's bound to be something fishy going on here!" He spoke with such conviction that his spittle almost splattered on the other person's face. "I bet he got his hands on the exam questions beforehand because of his position as deputy factory director, and got special treatment on the official exam. Otherwise, how could it be so smooth?"
Although many knew that Gu Nan's dedication to technical work was evident, and he had solved several difficult problems in the workshop, making it unlikely he would go astray, Yi Zhonghai's constant nagging was unbearable, buzzing around their ears like a fly. Some, already harboring a sour jealousy, perked up at the mention of his success and embellished the story. Before long, rumors spread throughout the factory that Gu Nan had abused his position to obtain the senior engineer title, even fabricating details like "witnessing him secretly talking with the examiner before the exam." These rumors spread faster than official news, gradually gaining momentum and even causing many previously respectful older workers to look at Gu Nan with suspicion.
A day passed, and these words naturally reached Gu Nan's ears. He was in his office reviewing the new technical upgrade plan when his secretary mentioned it, and he understood perfectly well—it was nothing more than some people who couldn't stand seeing others progress causing trouble behind the scenes; they wouldn't cause any real waves, and it would only make them look petty. What truly concerned him was Deputy Factory Director Li. He was certain that Deputy Factory Director Li was involved in this matter, after all, the two had been openly and covertly competing in the factory for a long time, with the other always looking for an opportunity to put him down. But Deputy Factory Director Li hadn't made a move yet, clearly waiting for the rumors to ferment, wanting to wait until things escalated before stepping in to "uphold justice," using the pretext of "rectifying the atmosphere" to kick him while he was down—a shrewd calculation indeed.
Meanwhile, Liu Haizhong, living in the courtyard, also returned home with ulterior motives. He had overheard Gu Nan being promoted to senior engineer at the factory, but he didn't take it to heart—today was the day his son, Liu Guangtian, was coming home, which was far more important than any engineer title.
I didn't expect this brat to have some skills. He was crying at home a while ago, saying he couldn't avoid going to the countryside. I don't know what connections he pulled, but he actually didn't have to go. Liu Haizhong stood in the yard, looking at Liu Guangtian who had just entered. There were dark circles under his eyes, some stubble on his chin, and his face looked tired from the journey. He looked like he had been through some hardships.