Chapter 80 Lively

After graduation, Xin Tianyi stayed on campus as an English lecturer, teaching reading. A year later, he also took on the role of freshman counselor. Besides teaching during class hours, he spent the rest of his time with the students and handling daily affairs.

Cheng Tianlan said she was asking for trouble. Why was she being a counselor when she couldn't just teach? The work of a counselor was exhausting and tedious.

But Xin Tianyi likes it. She thinks that in a limited life, she should try to experience more life so that it will not be lived in vain.

After being busy for more than a year, Xin Tianyi would go home every week to visit Wang Yuxiu.

Wang Yuxiu is seventy-three years old and in excellent health. His eyesight and hearing are sharp, and he makes a daily trip to the market, rain or shine. The round trip takes over an hour, with a brisk walk on the way there and a leisurely stroll on the way back. He always carries the freshest fruits and vegetables from the market that day, along with some snacks.

Xin Tianyi was worried that Wang Yuxiu had no one to talk to and no one to accompany her, so she asked Wang Yuxiu many times to come and live with her, but Wang Yuxiu refused.

He was used to hanging out near the cotton mill's living quarters, where his old friends would hang out, playing chess and having a few drinks. But when he arrived at Tianyi's, he didn't like the unfamiliar surroundings and was trapped in a high-rise building. He didn't like it, and he wasn't used to it. He preferred the bustle of the larger compound.

Wang Yuxiu said that when people get old, they just want to have some fun. Only with that kind of fun can life have meaning.

But in recent days, the house has been too "lively".

First, two years ago, the cotton mill’s kindergarten closed down, and Liu Meilan returned home unemployed.

Because Wang Gang was still working in the factory, Liu Meilan did not make a fuss. In the past two years, she had no income and just sighed at home, looking forward to being called back to work.

But recently a notice came down that the factory was undergoing restructuring and Wang Gang officially lost his job.

Without any restraint, the family fell into chaos.

Wang Yuxiu sat in his room and did not come out, silently listening to the insults from Wang Gang and Liu Meilan outside.

The two were also very angry. Liu Meilan had no income for more than two years, and Wang Gang suddenly lost his job. They originally thought that at least one person had been saved and there was still some hope for the family. Who knew that both of them were abandoned by this society at once.

Liu Meilan cried and shouted: "What should I do? Mingjie is not married yet!"

Liu Meilan hadn't thought about how she would live in the future. The first thing that came to her mind was that Wang Mingjie was not married yet.

Wang Mingjie took the college entrance examination twice. He failed the first time and after repeating a year, he barely got into a junior college.

Now I have graduated from a junior college and have been assigned to work in a company, specializing in communications technology.

Half a year ago, I was introduced to a girlfriend by an acquaintance. Now we have been dating for a while and feel that we get along well. We are discussing whether to get engaged and get married after the New Year.

But before they could get married, Liu Meilan and Wang Gang lost their jobs.

When people get married, they consider not only the partner but also the family. The sudden disaster left Liu Meilan bewildered. She wondered if the other party would still agree to their family. She was terrified, and with no other options, she could only curse.

Wang Gang joined in the scolding, but his words were meant for Wang Yuxiu to hear. He meant that Wang Yuxiu had been so kind to Zhang Liangpeng, but he hadn't expected him to be such an ungrateful person. If anything went wrong in the factory, the first person Zhang Liangpeng would sacrifice to the gods would be his own son!

Wang Gang cursed for a while, then he felt thirsty and could not curse anymore. After a long time, Wang Yuxiu came out of the room.

He didn't even look at Liu Meilan and Wang Gang, but just walked out.

The old man didn't know how long he had been gone. It was cold and dark outside. Liu Meilan was a little worried and asked Wang Gang to go out and look for him. Wang Gang went out angrily, but came back a short while later. He couldn't find him. He was not in the compound. He didn't know where he had gone.

Wang Yuxiu didn't come back until after ten o'clock in the evening, and he smelled of alcohol when he came back.

Wang Gang helped him in and asked him where he had been. Wang Yuxiu then said slowly, "Don't worry. I've asked, but the specific implementation is still uncertain. You and Mingjie's mother are almost reaching retirement age, so you can apply for early retirement."

"Really?" Wang Mingjie asked immediately, "Can I apply for early retirement?"

"There are length of service and age restrictions. Liang Peng and I have calculated it for you. You both meet the requirements, so there's no problem applying for early retirement." Wang Yuxiu said, looking at Wang Gang. "You're already an adult, and your son is getting married soon. You can't be so impulsive. They just announced the list of employees to be reassigned today, and you started making a fuss when you saw your name wasn't on it. How could they include you? They only make young people and college students! You're almost retired, so you must be in a different category. But you started making a fuss before your name was even announced."

Wang Yuxiu glared at Wang Gang and asked, "I heard you were the one who started the riot this afternoon?"

Wang Gang scratched the back of his head embarrassedly: "I didn't take the lead, I just asked a few questions."

"You can keep making trouble. If you keep making trouble, I won't grant you early retirement. Let's see what you're going to do!"

Wang Yuxiu was merely warning Wang Gang. He knew the country had policies, and as long as the conditions were met, they would grant the application. However, making a fuss like this wouldn't benefit anyone. Since the situation was already settled, it would be better to work out the best solution, to be fair to themselves.

Wang Gang immediately stated that he would never make trouble again and would stay at home and wait for news.

The next day, Wang Yuxiu called Xin Tianyi and said that he wanted to stay with Tianyi for a while during the New Year and celebrate the New Year in the provincial capital.

Xin Tianyi rushed back during the weekend.

When he came back and saw Wang Yuxiu packing his luggage, he smiled and asked, "Grandpa, didn't you say you wouldn't come to my place? How did you suddenly come to your senses?"

"Hey, let's go out and hide. We'll avoid being bothered at home." Wang Yuxiu said.

"What's bothering you?" Xin Tianyi was helping Wang Yu clean up. Seeing that no one was home, he asked, "Is my uncle on duty today?"

"The cotton mill is going bankrupt," Wang Yuxiu said. "There will be no one on duty anymore."

Xin Tianyi suddenly realized why Wang Yuxiu wanted to stay with him for a while.

During this period, the cotton mill must have been in turmoil, and there were many people who tried to use their connections to get in through the back door. After all, Wang Yuxiu was Zhang Liangpeng's master. Those who couldn't get through Zhang Liangpeng would most likely come to Wang Yuxiu.

Wang Yuxiu took the opportunity to go out and hide, not wanting to deal with all this mess.

Xin Tianyi was worried about Wang Gang and Liu Meilan, so he asked, "What about my uncle and aunt? What did they say?"

"They're lucky. They meet the requirements for early retirement." Wang Yuxiu looked at Xin Tianyi. "Liang Peng said they can definitely retire."

"That's good." Xin Tianyi said.

"But whether or not I can get my pension is another matter." Wang Yuxiu had almost finished packing his luggage and said to Xin Tianyi, "The Chinese New Year is just over a month away. Will your mother be home this year?"

"It hasn't been decided yet." Xin Tianyi said, "She called and said she'd pick you up over there. Do you want to go?"

"No."

"Then let her come back." Xin Tianyi took Wang Yuxiu's luggage and said, "Grandpa, should we leave now or after lunch? There's another bus after lunch."

"Let's go now." Wang Yuxiu wanted to leave quickly and ordered, "Write a note to your uncle and leave it on the table. I didn't tell him I was coming to your place."

"good."