aircannonsinc Chapter 1039 A surprising remark from a stick.
Chapter 1039 A surprising remark from a stick.
Qin Huairu nodded repeatedly, the faint hope that Yi Zhonghai had just ignited in her heart flickering like a candle in the wind. She hastily wiped her face with her sleeve, wiping away the wetness from the corners of her eyes, and walked with her head down towards her small courtyard. Her steps felt heavy as lead, each one like walking on cotton, incredibly unsteady. Yi Zhonghai stood there watching her retreating figure, letting out a soft sigh. The sigh held a hint of helplessness, and a touch of detached indifference. He walked slowly back into the house, hands behind his back—whether this matter would succeed ultimately depended on Qin Huairu's own abilities, and how much of her past affection for He Yuzhu still held any value.
As soon as they pushed open their courtyard gate, Jia Zhangshi and Banggeng rushed out of the house like a gust of wind, their faces filled with such urgency that they seemed ready to devour them. Jia Zhangshi took two steps forward, her triangular eyes wide open, her voice shrill enough to pierce the air: "How did it go? Did it go smoothly? Did that brat Gu Nan give in? Did he agree not to let Banggeng go to the countryside?"
Qin Huairu looked at them, a chill running down her spine—they had clearly seen everything that had happened at Gu Nan's door earlier, hiding in the corner, and he hadn't even given her a second glance, wouldn't even let her in. Now, instead, they were questioning her. She pursed her lips in annoyance, her voice filled with suppressed grievance: "No, Gu Nan ignored me completely, wouldn't even let me in. How could I beg? I couldn't just kneel on the ground and pester him, could I? That would only make him dislike me more!"
Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi's face darkened instantly, as if covered in soot. She leaned forward, pointed at Qin Huairu's nose, and scolded, "I don't know how you can be so useless! You can't even handle such a small matter, what else can you do? Where's your ability to flirt with He Yuzhu and coax him to deliver grain and meat to your family? How come you fail when it comes to important matters! I think you just didn't take Banggeng's matter to heart!"
Just then, Banggeng, standing beside her, stiffened his neck and looked at Qin Huairu with a resentment beyond his years, as if he were looking at an enemy: "I don't have a useless mother like you! Get out of here! If my father were still alive, he would definitely have the ability to prevent me from going to the countryside. How could you be like this, completely useless!"
Qin Huairu was stung by these words, her whole body trembling as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her head, chilling her to the bone. She stared at Bang Geng in disbelief, her lips trembling—over the years, for this family, for him to have enough to eat and wear, she had humbled herself, begged countless people, endured countless scornful looks, and shed countless tears in secret. She never imagined hearing such words from her own son. Her voice trembled, choked with sobs: "You…you actually talk to me like this? I'm your mother! Do you know how much I've suffered for you, how many unspeakable things I've done? To let you eat more meat, I swallowed my pride and begged He Yuzhu; to buy you new sneakers, I saved up half a month's savings…have you forgotten all that?"
Bang Geng felt no remorse whatsoever. Instead, he curled his lip into a cruel, cold smile. In his mind, he was about to be sent to a remote, impoverished mountain village, where his life might be ruined. What use was family affection to him? He stiffened his neck, his voice shrill and sharp: "So what if you're my mother? If you're so capable, then find a way to prevent me from going to the countryside! I'm about to be sent to that godforsaken place, with no hope for the rest of my life. What's the point of living? You're worse than no mother at all! Whether you're here or not, I'm still going to the countryside, aren't I?"
These words were like an icy knife, piercing Qin Huairu's heart and making her feel as if her internal organs had shifted. She staggered back a step, barely managing to steady herself by grabbing the doorframe. Looking at her spoiled, unruly, selfish, and cold-hearted son, she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine—the person she had tried so hard to protect had, in the end, accused her with such resentment. All the suffering and hardship she had endured over the years seemed like a joke, all for nothing. Tears finally streamed down her face, soaking her clothes and leaving a small, dark stain.
Qin Huairu stared at Banggeng standing in the corner, her brows furrowed into a deep knot, her heart feeling suffocated as if it were stuffed with damp cotton. This child had just argued with Xu Damao's child at the courtyard gate, hurling insults like "little brat" and "no father to teach him," all vulgar language. The neighbors overheard and gossiped, making her face burn with shame; she wished she could disappear into the ground.
Just as she was about to start scolding, Jia Zhangshi, who was standing to the side, slammed down her sewing basket and spoke up first: "Alright, alright, why are you blaming the child at this crucial moment?" She pulled Banggeng behind her like a mother hen protecting her chicks, glaring at Qin Huairu, "Don't you see what the situation is like right now—Banggeng is about to be assigned to the countryside. Who wouldn't be happy about that? What's wrong with throwing a tantrum? It's better than getting sick from holding it in!"
Looking at Bang Geng's drooping head, Qin Huairu's anger instantly dissipated. Yes, after all, he was her own flesh and blood, cherished and protected from harm since childhood. Now, he was being sent to the countryside thousands of miles away, to toil in the fields. If he wasn't happy, who would care? If she had to watch him suffer like that, she, as his mother, wouldn't be able to sleep soundly at night.
Bang Geng wanted to argue, "He was the one who insulted me first by saying I had no father," but he caught a glimpse of Jia Zhangshi's wink—a look that said, "Don't argue," and "Go along with it." His heart skipped a beat, and he instantly realized: now was not the time to throw a tantrum. If he really angered his mother and she didn't help him, his spot in the rural area would be a sure thing, and he wouldn't even have a chance to cry then.
Seeing that Banggeng had calmed down, Jia Zhangshi turned to Qin Huairu, her tone urgent and pressing: "I've thought long and hard about this, and only Gu Nan can help. He's a big shot at the factory now, in charge of labor relations, and his words carry a lot of weight. But if he's determined not to help, who else can we three ask?" She pulled Qin Huairu's arm, lowering her voice, "Go talk to him again, even if... even if you just lower your head and admit your fault, it'll do. We can't really send Banggeng to the countryside to eat dirt, can we?"
As she spoke, she secretly gave Banggeng a look. Banggeng understood immediately, and with a "thump," he knelt down in front of Qin Huairu, his knees hitting the cement floor with a dull thud. His eyes instantly reddened, large tears welling up, and he said in a sobbing voice, "Mom, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have argued with that person, and I shouldn't have said those stupid things. Please give me another chance. I promise I'll be obedient from now on, work hard, and never make you angry again. Please help me, please, don't send me to the countryside, okay? I heard the ground there is as hard as stone, and in winter it's so cold you can freeze your ears off, and they drink porridge so thin you can see your reflection in it every day..."