Chapter 211

The brick factory in Honghe Township has changed owners; it used to be a cooperative and was now owned by a private owner.

After repeatedly confirming with the township committee, Old Zhang's family learned that the person who bought the red brick factory was indeed the boy who had stayed at their house years ago.

The poor relative's son, who used to be like a stray dog ​​lodging in their house and was despised by them, has now transformed into the owner of a brick factory in the village.

This incident was extremely difficult for the Zhang family to accept.

That's just how people are sometimes.

Especially in such poor and remote places, even relatives always like to compare themselves with each other.

They hate that you have it, laugh at that you don't, despise that you are poor, and fear that you are rich.

They're jealous of your success, look down on your failures, and constantly gossip and criticize you.

Old Zhang's wife said sourly, "Now that Lei Tingjun has become successful, he should at least express his gratitude to us relatives who have been kind to him in the past!"

Why should Old Cui be allowed to continue working as a logistics manager in the brick factory?

Old Cui and Old Zhang used to work at the same coal mine; they were more than capable of being logistics managers.

Old Zhang's wife said, "Old Zhang, go talk to Lei Tingjun and ask him to replace Old Cui and let you be the logistics manager."

Old Zhang said, "This... isn't quite right. After all, Old Cui has worked at the brick factory for so many years."

Old Zhang's wife shouted, "What's wrong with him? When he was little, he lived in our house for two whole years and ate so much rice from us!"

"If it weren't for us taking him in back then, would Thunder Army be where it is today?!"

Zhang's wife had slanted eyes and eyebrows, giving her a sharp and mean appearance, and she always spoke in a way that contradicted the facts.

She doesn't even consider how Lei Tingjun lived as a dependent during the two years he stayed at their house.

They lived in a small room next to their kitchen where they stored miscellaneous items. There was a 1.2-meter wooden bed next to it, and piles of miscellaneous items.

If I come home late from school in the evening, there won't be any food left.

Zhang's wife would often deliberately hide food from Lei Tingjun, leaving him hungry.

Furthermore, when Lei Tingjun stayed at their house, his grandmother provided him with living expenses every month.

It wasn't like I was eating and staying at their house for free.

A distant relative of the Zhang family took the money that Lei Tingjun's grandmother had painstakingly saved from selling vegetables. Not only did he make Lei Tingjun live in the storage room, but he also deliberately didn't give him any food.

This behavior, in her words, has now become a great favor that her family has done for Lei Tingjun.

She didn't even consider why Lei Tingjun left the Zhang family and returned to his rural hometown in the first place.

It was because Old Zhang's wife hid the steamed buns at every meal that Lei Tingjun, a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy, was so hungry that he went to the kitchen to find something to eat to fill his stomach.

He was falsely accused of stealing by Lao Zhang's wife, and that's how Lei Tingjun got kicked out.

It's not like I'm kicking them out.

Lei Tingjun himself was very proud and arrogant, and he was unwilling to continue living under their roof, so he took the initiative to leave.

The two families had a very ugly falling out at the time. Later, after Lei Tingjun's grandmother died, Lao Zhang did not go to the funeral. Instead, he asked a relative he knew to bring some gifts and go to the prison.

The register is a book used in their countryside to record the gifts given by relatives and friends during weddings and funerals.

At that time, Lei Jun was just a teenager who was not even twenty years old and was supporting his family on his own.

Neither the Lei family nor the Zhang family had offered him any help.

They are not even as good as the neighboring villagers in Xiahe Village.

Now that Lei Tingjun has some money, those distant relatives who used to avoid him are now flocking to him like leeches.

The market day in Honghe Township is held on the 2nd, 5th, and 8th of each month.

This day was the fifth day of the month, market day, and Lei Xiangshun's family also came from the village to the township to attend the market.

Old Zhang knew that Lei Xiangshun would usually come when he went to the market, because he liked to play some long cards.

He usually had to work in the village, and his wife kept a close eye on him. Only when there was a market day could Lei Xiangshun find some free time to sneak into the Changpai teahouse at the market and play Changpai with people for half a day.

Old Zhang was already waiting at the Changpai Teahouse.

Lei Xiangshun, carrying a bamboo basket on his back, couldn't wait to come to the teahouse to play mahjong after selling all the sweet potatoes he had brought.

"Lei Xiangshun!" Old Zhang immediately called out to him.

"Brother Zhang, what are you doing here?" Lei Xiangshun hadn't seen Brother Zhang in a long time.

They were cousins. Because Lei Xiangshun's wife's father-in-law's family was relatively well-off, the Zhang family and Lei Xiangshun would visit each other during holidays.

However, they don't usually welcome them visiting their home.

"Has your nephew, Lei Tingjun, come back to see you?" Old Zhang asked. He knew that Lei Tingjun's only relative in the Lei family was his uncle, Lei Xiangshun.

Lei Xiangshun and Lei Tingjun's fathers are brothers.

Lei Xiangshun was of medium build with sallow skin. Because he was always strictly controlled by his wife, he had a timid and cowardly appearance.

Mentioning Lei Tingjun, his face scrunched up: "Him? I don't know where he's gone. I haven't heard from him for years."

Old Zhang chuckled: "So you still don't know."

"What's wrong? What's the matter?" Lei Xiangshun asked.

“The brick factory in our township has changed owners. The owner who bought the brick factory is your eldest nephew, Lei Tingjun,” Old Zhang said.

Lei Xiangshun shouted, "He's become a big boss? He even bought a brick factory? I don't believe it."

Old Zhang didn't argue with him: "If you don't believe me, go to the township committee and ask the director yourself."

“I bet you don’t know this, so I came here specifically to tell you,” Old Zhang said meaningfully. “Look at you, you’re Lei Tingjun’s only relative, his own uncle. He’s made a fortune, but he doesn’t even come back to show you any respect. I’m one of those distant relatives, but you’re different. You’re Lei Tingjun’s own uncle.”

Lei Xiangshun's face indeed looked ugly.

Old Zhang continued, "That brick factory is really short-staffed right now; I heard they're hiring. You know Old Cui, right? Just because he got on good terms with Lei Tingjun, Lei Tingjun actually let him continue managing the brick factory. How could they let an outsider take such an important position? Tell me, which of us isn't closer to Lei Tingjun than Old Cui?"

"Back in the day, Lei Tingjun boarded at your house when he was in elementary school, and at mine when he was in junior high. Now that he's successful, sigh, he doesn't know how to be grateful at all..."

After hearing this, Lei Xiangshun stopped playing cards, picked up his basket, and turned to leave.

He went to the brick factory in the village to inquire and learned that the brick factory had indeed changed owners, and the new owner was named Lei Tingjun.

After returning from the market, Lei Xiangshun immediately told his wife about it.

Upon hearing this, Lei Xiangshun's wife immediately raised her voice and said, "What an ungrateful Lei Tingjun! Now that he's making money, he's forgotten about us poor relatives? Doesn't he remember how he cried and begged us to take him in when he was a child?"

"Lei Xiangshun, go find Lei Tingjun and make sure he arranges a job for you at the brick factory!"