Chapter 12 Director Wang's Difficulties

Xu Zhili felt a weight in her palm; there was a small, hard, neatly folded cloth bag.

"Take it!"

Wang Jianguo lowered his voice, his tone firm and unyielding, while quickly glancing at the door to make sure no one came in.

"This is just a small token of my appreciation, twenty yuan, and... five jin of national grain coupons, and three industrial coupons (needed to buy industrial goods such as thermos flasks and washbasins). I don't have any extra cloth coupons... Don't tell anyone, buy your brother a warm coat, and yourself a good pair of cotton shoes. A poor family needs to be prepared for a long journey, and with a child on the go, you can't be without some emergency money!"

His eyes were filled with the pity and helplessness of an elder for a younger generation.

Although she sympathized with the siblings' trip to the countryside and gave them money and tickets, this gesture stemmed more from the kindness shown to her maternal grandfather.

Back then, she was taken care of a lot by her maternal grandfather, who was also her mentor. When her grandfather was reported and sent to the countryside, he was powerless to help in many ways and could not even protect himself.

They didn't even manage to say goodbye.

Xu Zhili was stunned.

The cloth bag in my palm felt like a branding iron; the scalding heat instantly spread from my palm to my heart.

Having lived through forty years of the apocalypse, she had long been accustomed to the extreme scarcity of resources and the extreme indifference of humanity, where people would fight to the death for half a piece of moldy bread.

This pure, selfless kindness was so foreign to her, a "visitor from another world," that it made her soul tremble.

A wave of sourness suddenly rushed to the tip of my nose, and my eyes instantly felt hot.

She instinctively wanted to refuse—Xu Zhili's social etiquette told her that accepting gifts often meant paying a higher price in terms of social obligations.

But seeing Director Wang's concerned, worried, and even slightly "I'll get angry if you don't accept it" look in his eyes, she forcibly suppressed her instincts.

She is no longer the post-apocalyptic superhuman who only believes in the survival of the fittest.

This is 1968, and here are ordinary people with kind hearts like Director Wang.

She needs to learn to accept it, to be grateful, and to respond to this warmth in a way that is appropriate for peacetime.

"...Thank you, Director Wang!"

Xu Zhili's voice carried a barely perceptible sob. She bowed deeply, clutching the heavy sentiment in her hands, along with the official document.

This time, her gratitude was incredibly genuine. Beneath that deliberately restrained "peaceful" exterior, for the first time, a genuine warmth belonging to this era was revealed.

The younger brother, Xu Zhian, seemed to sense his sister's emotional fluctuations. He gripped her trouser leg tightly with his little hands, looked up at his sister, and then at the kind uncle.

He was taciturn, but not really stupid.

They could see the uncle's good intentions and were able to discern them.

"Go quickly and get ready as soon as possible."

Wang Jianguo waved his hand, his tone softening, carrying the words of an elder's admonition, "Be careful on the road, keep an eye on your younger brother, when you get there... sigh, do a good job, and take care of yourself."

His gaze fell on Xiao Zhian, filled with worry and reluctance.

Those were his teacher's grandchildren.

Alas, fate is cruel.

"I will. I'll call you Uncle Wang from now on, thank you!"

Xu Zhili thanked him again solemnly, then took her younger brother's hand and turned to leave the office.

That small, upright figure carried a weight and determination beyond its years.

Almost at the same moment Xu Zhili and her brother disappeared down the corridor, the office door was pushed open with a bang.

An eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl with two braids stormed in, her face flushed red.

Without even glancing outside the door, she rushed straight to the desk, grabbed the porcelain mug in front of Wang Jianguo, and gulped down the cool boiled water inside. She drank so fast that water dripped down the corners of her mouth.

Completely unaware, she roughly wiped her mouth.

"dad!"

The girl slammed the empty cup down on the table with a dull thud, and cried out in a tearful voice, "I've searched everywhere, but I still can't find a job. It's all over now, I really have to go to the countryside, what am I going to do!"

Looking at his daughter, Wang Jianguo recalled the small figures that had just left. His face showed even more exhaustion. Helplessly, he took off his reading glasses, rubbed his sore nose, and let out a long, heavy sigh.

This sigh contained not only worry about his daughter's future, but also an unspeakable deep pity for his young children who were about to head to the Great Northern Wilderness.

He reached deep into the drawer and pulled out an oil paper package, pushing it in front of his daughter, his voice a little hoarse.

"Stop wailing. This is a glutinous rice sausage that your Aunt Wang left for you. Take it with you to tide you over on the road. Also, take the thick woolen pants your mother knitted, and... pack two packets of brown sugar in case... you get a stomachache."

He took out his daughter's letter of introduction for her time as an educated youth, his movements far less swift than when he was handling the paperwork for Xu Zhili earlier. With a heavy heart and hesitation, he slowly and carefully folded it and placed it in his daughter's hand.

Inside the office, Wang Yuting's sobs pierced Wang Jianguo's heart like sharp icicles.

"Dad, the Great Northern Wilderness, what kind of hellhole is that? In winter, it's freezing cold. I heard that even pee can freeze into icicles. How could I possibly survive if I went there?"

Wang Yuting gripped the edge of the table tightly with both hands, her knuckles turning white, tears streaming down her face. "Why does it have to be so far away? Can't we go to Grandpa's place in the suburbs? You're the director of the educated youth office! Dad! Please, just find me a temporary job, sweeping the streets, pasting cardboard boxes, anything is fine as long as I don't have to go to the countryside."

Her voice was filled with immense fear of the future and a final longing for city life.

Because there are people she's waiting for there, and if she goes to the countryside, where will they go?

Wang Jianguo felt a tightness in his chest, as if a huge boulder weighing a thousand pounds was pressing down on him.

He irritably pulled open the drawer, fumbled around for a while before finally pulling out a crumpled pack of "Da Qianmen" cigarettes, and pulled one out with trembling hands.

It took several strikes of the match to light, and the faint flame reflected his furrowed brows and the few new gray hairs at his temples.

He took a deep drag, the pungent smell of the cheap tobacco making him cough twice. Amidst the swirling smoke, his voice was deep and hoarse, filled with profound weariness and powerlessness.

"Yuting..."

He exhaled a smoke ring, his voice like it had been sanded, "Dad... how can you feel good about this? Can you watch me rush into that freezing cold? But because your father is in this position, so many eyes are watching! 'Backdoor deals'? 'Special treatment'? A single spit could drown someone!"

Do you think your dad still wants to wear that hat? Finding a job? You think Dad hasn't shamelessly begged and pleaded? But there's only one opening, and so many eyes in the city are eyeing one job these days! Temporary work? That depends on whether there are any openings! Without openings, even the King of Heaven can't help you!

He pounded his thigh hard, the pain of being a father yet feeling powerless almost overflowing.

As the director of the educated youth office, he seemed to be in a glamorous position, but in reality, he was walking on thin ice.

There was a deputy director who had long coveted his position; his ambitions were like needles hidden in the dark, impossible to guard against.

After all, petty people are unpredictable, and you never know when they will trip you up behind your back.

Fortunately, he has a son in the military, so no one dares to cause him trouble. However, he is worried about his youngest daughter's future.