Zhou Xiang collected and took some money. Ling Ran put 36 wads of money into a large cloth bag. Seeing him leaving, Zhou Xiang asked, "Did the director bring the cashier?"

Ling Ran shook his head, "He's the only one."

"You can go with me to the supply and marketing cooperative and give it to the cashier in person. It's better to waste some time than to be blamed."

Ling Ran nodded, "Okay! I'll take the director back."

"Should we ask the accountant and cashier to take care of the accounts at the building as well?"

"No, it's not appropriate for them to know too much. Hasn't Ma Gua asked for the money yet? You can handle it directly."

"Then don't record this money."

"good."

Ling Ran returned a long time later. It turned out that the employees from the supply and marketing cooperative had surrounded the office, wanting to divide up all the money at once. With over forty people, each only getting a few thousand yuan, what would happen next? The employees refused to agree to the buyout and even tried to grab the money. If Ling Ran hadn't been there, the money would have been taken.

Ling Ran kicked a few people away, and the employees' heated minds calmed down. He then accompanied the accountant and cashier to the bank before returning.

Regardless of whether someone instigated this incident, the director cannot blame anyone. From the high income in the past to the basic living expenses now, the psychological gap and the rapidly developing economy have made these people unable to find their future. It would be strange if they were not crazy.

Zhou wanted to understand these people, but he did not sympathize with them. Each of them still looked at today's society with the old ideas. If the planned economy era was gone, would these people not be able to survive?

Zhong Lan went downstairs to find Zhou Xiang and thanked her personally. "Thank you, Miss Zhou. Tomorrow morning, I will return to the capital with Mr. Wu. I understand what you and the boss mean. Mr. Wu and I need to work things out. If it's really not suitable, I won't compromise myself for the sake of the child."

Zhou Xiang straightened her body and said, "No need to thank me. In my heart, I just hope that you and An Wen are happy."

Zhong Lan nodded, "Yes."

Ling Ran and Wu Haotian were out for quite a while before they came back. Neither Zhou Xiang nor Zhong Lan asked about them.

The next day, after Wu Haotian's car left the parking lot, Zhou Xiang told her mother that she was going to the county town. Zhou's mother just asked her to be careful.

This time, because it involved Zhou Xiang's secret, Ling Ran did not call Uncle Chen and his son.

In order not to attract attention, the car was parked at the foot of the dam. After walking a long way up the embankment and seeing no signs of human habitation, Zhou Xiang took out his bicycle.

Ling Ran rode his bike with Zhou Xiang, "Wife, we should buy another bike. I'll keep this one in my ring."

"Yeah! Let's buy an electric car for my godfather together."

After riding slowly past Huaixi Village, Zhou Xiang got off his bicycle and walked side by side with Ling Ran.

"It's around here."

Zhou wanted to gain a foothold.

Ling Ran pushed his bicycle down the embankment, observed for a while, then turned back to look at Huaixi Village.

"Let's come back at night! Just because there aren't many people passing by this embankment doesn't mean no one comes."

"Okay! Then let's go buy a car first."

When the bicycle was moved into the trunk, Ling Ran "collected" it and drove to the motorcycle store on Guofang Road.

Electric cars were not yet popular, and there were no specialized stores in Huai County. They were only sold in two-wheeled motorcycle shops. The batteries at that time were relatively large and were wet-type batteries, requiring regular maintenance.

When Zhou Xiang heard that he would have to check it frequently and add distilled water, he decided to buy a power-assisted bicycle.

Power-assisted bicycles are lighter than motorcycles and have more horsepower than electric vehicles. Wait a few years until electric vehicles are replaced and power-assisted bicycles are banned, and then replace them.

After a test ride, Ling Ran chose a black 48cc scooter, and also bought two helmets and a large lock.

Zhou wanted to ride the power-assisted bike, but Ling Ran was worried, so he asked Zhou to wait in the store. He would ride away first and come back to drive the car later.

Zhou Xiang was sitting on a small bench at the door of the shop, feeling bored. He heard the scolding from the neighbor next door.

"How can you be so stupid? I told you the merchandise isn't arranged correctly. You can't sort it by color. Ouch! I'm so pissed off! Hurry up and get out of here! Grab your tattered blanket and go!"

Zhou Xiang didn't care. How could one not be annoyed while working?

Not long after, Ling Ran came back. Zhou Xiang went down the steps at the door and walked towards Ling Ran, but something hit him at his feet.

She looked down. At her feet was a pile of rolled-up quilts, so black they couldn't tell their original color. She looked up. On the third step, a timid man lowered his head. Beside him was a fat man with a face full of flesh. He was pointing at the man's head. "Get out of here right now! If I didn't feel sorry for you, I wouldn't hire you! You can't do anything right, and you eat too much."

Zhou Xiang narrowed his eyes and said, "Boss, take your fingers away, or I'll be rude to you."

Ling Ran stood beside his wife, looking at the two men on the steps and frowned.

The fat boss turned around and saw the rolled quilt at Zhou Xiang and Ling Ran's feet. Thinking that they had been hit, he quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention and just threw it out. Didn't it hit you?"

Zhou Xiang raised his finger and pointed at him, "Now, I'm pointing my finger at you, how do you feel? Put your finger down immediately."

The fat boss looked at his finger that was still pointing at the man's head, and quickly retracted it and put it down.

Zhou Xiang lifted his legs and climbed the stairs, standing in front of the timid man. "Big brother, why don't you come to me? Didn't I tell you that if you can't make it at home, come to me?"

The timid man finally raised his head, his eyes red. "Sister, I don't want to bother you, because you're right, Mom doesn't want me to get better. She was happy at first, but then she scolded me even more fiercely than before. It turns out that she's not happy just because I'm better."

As he spoke, tears rolled down the man's face.

Zhou Xiang shook his head. "That's not the case. It's because it's too late, 30 years too late. Many things have happened so long ago, like happiness. It's been so long that it can only exist in memory. When I look back at it, it's not happiness, but sadness and powerlessness."

When the man heard what Zhou Xiang said, he squatted down and hugged his body and cried bitterly. Since he recovered, everything he encountered was different from what he had imagined. He was so tired and wanted to cry, but he didn't dare. He still had to face his mother with a smile. He was afraid that if he cried, his mother would dislike him even more.

He tried hard to make it up to his mother, but was rejected time and time again. In the end, she even threw him a tattered quilt and told him to fend for himself.

He has found several jobs, but he couldn't keep any of them for long. Others looked down on him for being stupid and eating too much.

He wanted to go find his sister, but he had forgotten where she was. Moreover, if he went back, would he be despised by his sister, the only one who was kind to him?

In his heart, he also blamed his mother for being cruel. Now, his sister told him that his mother might not be what he thought. Regardless of whether it was true or not, his sister's consolation made him let go of all the grievances in his heart, and he wanted to cry.

The man's loud crying attracted many people's attention.