Niu Daxiong smiled innocently, but Qiao Lu felt that there was a hint of cunning in his smile. She didn't know whether it was a psychological effect or an illusion.
He scratched his head and shouted, "Sister!"
Although Niu Daxiong is the youngest child in the Niu family, he is only a few months younger than Qiao Lu and has a strong face. When he is called "sister", it makes me feel uncomfortable.
Without showing it on her face, Qiao Lu smiled faintly and sat down opposite the two of them: "What's your name?"
Niu Qiaoli replied: "His name is Niu Daxiong, you can just call him Daxiong."
Qiao Lu nodded and curled her lips: "Big Bear, this is it, Haizhou is still busy working outside right now, if you want to see him, you may have to wait a while."
Niu Daxiong waved his hands nonchalantly: "What's the big deal? Just wait!"
It's so nice to wait for someone here. You don't have to work, it's so comfortable to sit, and you don't have to go outside in the sun. June in Li'an is really hot.
Besides, the host family would definitely provide meals for relatives when they came, right? He had observed that there was a radio and a bicycle in the house, and there was also a clock hanging on the wall. It was obvious that the family was well-off.
No wonder his sister said that she would be able to help him find a job in the city, it turns out her sister-in-law is so capable... I heard that she is dating a big boss in the city, the more I think about it, the more I feel that the job is certain.
Niu Daxiong is a person who can't sit still. After drinking a glass of water, he stood up and walked around, looking here and there.
I walked to the front of the bicycle, touched the seat and the body, and then I lifted my thighs and actually wanted to ride it!
Before Qiao Lu could even utter a scolding, she saw Niu Daxiong getting on her Forever bicycle. However, he didn't know how to ride a bicycle and had never ridden one before, so when he sat on it, he fell straight down.
Hope the car is ok!
Qiao Lu was a little angry. She went forward to help Niu Daxiong up and quickly checked if there was any serious damage to the bicycle.
Fortunately, bicycles these days are made of genuine materials, so it wasn't damaged after the fall, except that a small piece of the paint on the surface was scratched off, which made Qiao Lu feel very uncomfortable.
His eyebrows were furrowed, and his tone of voice inevitably carried some unhappiness and complaints: "Big Bear, this is in a room, how can you ride a bike in a room? Be careful not to knock over the table."
"It's okay, he doesn't know how to ride a bike, he's just playing around." Niu Qiaoli waved her hands nonchalantly, "Big Bear, come and sit here, don't touch your sister's things, I'll be angry if you damage them!"
Qiao Lu: “…”
Big Bear was not willing to listen. He walked up to Qiaoan again and was particularly interested in the radio in Qiaoan's arms.
Pointing at it, he said, "This is a radio, right? The village chief has one. I've seen it before."
Caught off guard, he reached out and randomly pressed the buttons on the radio. Qiao An was sitting, otherwise with Da Xiong's strength, he would definitely have pressed the radio into the ground.
"Brother, please don't press it. Today is Monday. There are no good programs."
Qiao Lu took a deep breath and waved her son over.
Qiao An stood up, picked up the radio, ran to Qiao Lu, and handed the big box to her like a treasure: "Give it to Mom."
Give mom protection, he is too young to be protected.
Qiao Lu took it, stuffed it into the chest of drawers and locked it: "An An, take Big Bear to the yard to play for a while."
If I leave him at home, I don’t know how many things he will break.
"good!"
The young man turned around, grabbed Niu Daxiong's clothes and tried to pull him out the door, but he didn't go out. His tone was a bit fierce, which frightened Qiao An immediately, and he went into Qiao Lu's arms.
"Tsk, don't pull me, I'm just sitting inside, it's too hot outside and I don't want to stay here."
"Hmm..." Feeling that this brother was not very polite, Qiao An didn't want to talk to him. He took a step with his short legs and ran into the room to play with Bubble and Xiaobai.
Unexpectedly, Niu Daxiong followed closely.
"Oh, you still want two fish." He walked into the house with great swagger, looked here and there, and everything he saw was new.
The houses in the city are really different from those in the countryside. They are clean everywhere. They are nothing like the mud houses in the countryside, which have no concrete floors. Not to mention the yards, even the bedrooms have one or two piles of chicken droppings on the floor.
Niu Daxiong walked around the bedroom and finally wanted to sit down on the bed.
Qiao An was frightened and her voice broke as she screamed, "You can't sit here!"
His pants were covered in mud, how could he sit on their bed!
The young man hurriedly grabbed him, but he couldn't hold him and just watched him sit down.
"Big Bear, An An, you two come out and play!"
"Oh! Mom, I'm here!" Without further ado, Qiao An ran out quickly.
Qiao Lu went straight into the room to catch the man. When Big Bear's butt was about to touch the bed, she picked him up and dragged him out of the house.
"Hey hey - my clothes, they've been deformed by you!" The clothes were originally very thin, with a thin layer sticking to the flesh, and it could be torn if you used more force.
"Big Bear, either sit here quietly or go for a walk in the yard, and don't come into my bedroom." Qiao Lu wanted to treat these two people politely, but she didn't expect this fool to be so tactless. She was so angry that she immediately lost her good face.
Niu Daxiong is not good at reading people's facial expressions, but Niu Qiaoli is. Seeing that Qiao Lu was obviously unhappy, she quickly pulled her brother back.
Gritting his teeth, he said, "Stupid! Sit still, or I'll break your legs if you move!"
After all, she is Xu Haizhou's wife. There is no benefit in offending her.
Although she thought Qiao Lu was a little arrogant, since she married Xu Haizhou, she thought she was no longer a farmer, despised farmers, and looked down on their poor relatives.
Humph, just wait and see, when her brother also gets a government job and brings his family into the city, it’s hard to say who will be more senior in the future!
They waited from 9:30 to 10:30. Niu Qiaoli was getting a little impatient. Niu Daxiong couldn't sit still and ran to the yard to harm the children. With a ferocious face, he threatened to catch the children and roast them. The children ran around in panic. Niu Daxiong chased them and hasn't come back yet.
Qiao Lu didn't let her son go out to play with Niu Daxiong because that brute was so reckless that he was afraid of hurting anyone.
Qiao An nestled obediently in Qiao Lu's arms. Even though he was bored, he said nothing, as if he had returned to being the silent, sensible child he used to be.
"Why haven't you come back yet?" Qiao Lu pretended to look outside anxiously. In fact, she knew that her man would usually come back around one o'clock. It was not even twelve o'clock yet, so of course he couldn't be home.
So let’s cook first.
Because Niu Qiaoli was there, Qiao Lu hid the meat and fried two vegetarian dishes and a bowl of egg drop soup. After finishing the meal, she looked at the time and when it was about 12:40, she took off her apron and started to go out.
"Sister-in-law, I'm going to see why Haizhou hasn't come back yet." She wiped her hands on her apron and poured her a glass of water.
Niu Qiaoli took it and waved her hand: "Go ahead, don't worry about us."
After saying this, his eyes couldn't stop glancing into the house.
Qiao Lu winked at her son, and the little boy understood what she meant. He followed her and held his mother's hand.
"An An, you help me watch over my aunt at home. If she wants to enter our bedroom, you have to stop her and don't let her in. Do you understand?" She handed the small lock in her arms to her and said, "If she insists on entering, just lock the door. Do you know how to lock it? Mom taught you before."
Being entrusted with such an important task by his mother, the young man looked serious, his brows tense, and nodded solemnly, "Yes! I will, Mom, I know!"
"My son is awesome." After saying that, he turned around and disappeared in a puff of cigarette.
Qiao Lu waited at the entrance of the alley for Xu Haizhou to come home. He was very punctual today and arrived home at 1:06.
Li Hongjun was also behind. His home was in an alley at the end of Ziyuan Street, and it took about five or six minutes to get there by bike.
"Hey, sister-in-law, are you so impatient today?" Li Hongjun raised his eyebrows and said jokingly.
Qiao Lu grabbed Xu Haizhou's hand and pulled him off the bicycle: "I have something urgent to do with him."
"What's the emergency?" Li Hongjun asked.
Qiao Lu shook her head and took Xu Haizhou's arm: "My relatives are coming home, so I won't talk to you anymore. See you later!"
"Okay, I'm leaving then!"
As they walked, she told him about Niu Qiaoli's arrival. Xu Haizhou didn't show much surprise, but only raised his eyebrows slightly: "Your sister-in-law is here?"
"Yeah, he even brought his brother, whose name is Daxiong, and asked you to help him find a job!" His head was swollen when he talked about this: "I don't know how to refuse. You said last time that you had a way, so you should drive those two away for me, otherwise I will be angry with you!"
It was the first time Xu Haizhou saw Qiao Lu get angry, and he felt funny but also serious.
He patted the back of his wife's hand soothingly: "Don't worry, we will let them go."
When meeting Xu Haizhou, Niu Qiaoli's performance was much more enthusiastic than when she met Qiao Lu, which made people wonder who her real relative was.
"Sister-in-law, what are you doing here? Why don't you see my brother?"
Xu Haizhou walked into the house slowly with his wife and parked the bicycle under the eaves. Niu Qiaoli's heart skipped a beat when she saw this. She turned around to look at the Forever brand in the house, and then looked at the bicycle that Xu Haizhou had just taken... Two? This is crazy!
There are only three people in the family, two adults and one child, buying two bicycles? What kind of extravagance is this?
Although he was shocked, he did not forget the important matter: "Your elder brother is working in the countryside and cannot leave."
Hurry up and pull the big bear over from under the loquat tree outside the yard.
He was teasing a child so much that the child started crying. It was so funny. In the end, he was dragged into the house by his sister.
He was a little impatient and made a click of the tongue. Niu Qiaoli's fist turned into a weight and hammered him on the back: "Stupid! Be honest and perform well!"
After saying this, his expression changed faster than turning the pages of a book, and he licked his smiling face.
"This is my third brother, Niu Daxiong." When she came to Xu Haizhou, Niu Qiaoli pushed him and said, "Come on, call me brother-in-law."
"Brother-in-law." After being hit by a burning fist, Niu Daxiong did not dare to act rashly. He lowered his head and bowed his waist, calling people in a polite manner.
When I looked up again, my heart skipped a beat.
Wow, this brother-in-law is so tall. He claims to be the tallest and strongest man in the village, but I didn’t expect that his brother-in-law is half a head taller than him!
Moreover, he had thick eyebrows, big eyes, regular and delicate features, and wore a simple white shirt and ordinary gray trousers. His steady temperament reminded him of the commune secretary. Yes, not the village cadre, but the commune cadre! A higher-level figure.
Especially when he frowned, he had an aura of majesty without even getting angry, and Niu Daxiong shuddered out of nowhere.
Looking at him casually, Xu Haizhou poured himself a glass of water and asked, "Well, what do you want to talk to me about?"
Niu Qiaoli came up with a smile on her face. What she was best at was putting on airs. If someone was lower than her, she would look down on them. If someone was higher than her, she would look down on them with her head.
"Haizhou, didn't I tell you last time that I wanted you to help my brother find a job in the city? It doesn't matter what kind of job it is, even sweeping the streets, as long as I can eat government food... You promised me, didn't you remember?"
After drinking half a glass of water, Qiao An, who was standing at the bedroom door as a little security guard, rushed into Xu Haizhou's arms in a flash.
They still feel safer with dad. With him around, no one can enter their bedroom!
"Oh... so that's why." Xu Haizhou curled his lips slightly, held his son in his arms and sat him down: "I have already arranged it in advance."
"Oh! Really? Oh, that's great." Niu Qiaoli was overjoyed and quickly pulled Daxiong to Xu Haizhou again.
Before I could say anything, the silly Niu Daxiong said, "Sister, why are you pulling me again?"
Niu Qiaoli really wanted to strangle him to death. He had grown a lot of muscle in vain and his head was bigger than others, but he didn't have more knowledge than others and his reaction was slower than a pig!
"Why are you so arrogant! Didn't you hear what your brother-in-law said? He told you to thank him right away! He found a job for you!"
Scratching his head, Niu Daxiong looked at Xu Haizhou: "What kind of job?"
He would not want to do it if it was harder than farming in the countryside.
It would be best if you could sit in an office and do nothing all day long, just order people around.
As a result, Xu Haizhou's next words were: "Sit in the office."
"What?" Niu Daxiong scratched his ears, thinking he had heard it wrong.
Xu Haizhou cast a cold and indifferent gaze on his face and repeated, "Sitting in an office, leisurely work, high salary."
"Oh my!" Niu Qiaoli slapped her thigh excitedly and squeezed Niu Daxiong's arm flesh: "Hurry up, thank your brother-in-law quickly! Look at this, this is too...Oh my, I don't know what to say! Thank your brother-in-law quickly!"
"Thank you, thank you, brother-in-law..." Bear, who was as slow to react as Niu, was dumbfounded at this moment.
What kind of background did this brother-in-law have that he could find him an office job? He had originally prepared to sweep the streets, after all, he was from the countryside and only graduated from elementary school… Actually, graduating from elementary school was just a compliment to him. He stopped studying after the fourth grade, and with that grade, it would only be a waste of money to continue studying.
Xu Haizhou put his son's face close to his chest and breathed in a breath of milk before putting him down. He stood up and said, "It's dinner time and they are home. Come with me now."
The kid subconsciously followed his father's footsteps and walked out of the room. Xu Haizhou stopped him with a smile: "Go back and have dinner with mom first. Dad will be back later. You don't have to wait for me."
"Dad, don't you want to eat? I'm hungry." Qiao An wanted his father to eat before leaving.
Xu Haizhou shook his head. He had no appetite for the meal unless he sent Niu Qiaoli and her brother away.
She rubbed his head and said in a soft voice: "Go back, and remember to tell mom that I'm leaving first."
Jolu went to the public toilet two minutes ago and hasn't come back yet.
"Okay then, Dad, please come back soon. Mom and I will eat slower."
"good."
Xu Haizhou rode his bicycle to take Niu Daxiong away and asked Niu Qiaoli to wait here, but she was unwilling to do so. She was worried about letting Niu Daxiong go alone.
Even if others don't know, she knows it, that her third brother is a fool. Although he has graduated from primary school, he is not very smart. As for why she wants to send him to the city, it is because there are three children in the family. The eldest brother Niu Tieshi is a simple and honest man. He can't do anything except work, has no education, has very poor interpersonal relationships, and stutters when talking to people.
Although Niu Daxiong was a little slow to react, he was still smart. If it weren't for taking care of her daughter and husband, Niu Qiaoli really wanted to do it herself. Besides, men can do more work than women. Her brother is very strong and can handle any rough work! So she decided to send him to the city after considering many aspects.
If I can learn some housekeeping skills, I won’t have to worry about my future!
"You guys just ride your bikes and I'll run behind you. Don't worry, I'm very nimble and I can definitely catch up with you!" Niu Qiaoli was so excited that she even forgot that Qiao Lu had a bicycle.
"Okay, I'll try to ride slower." After saying that, he rode away on his bike.
Niu Qiaoli hurried to catch up. Even though she was used to doing farm work and her legs were nimble, there was no way she could catch up with four wheels. She ran down the winding road, with big beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. She was so tired that she almost ran out of energy to catch her breath.
After running a few more laps, she felt like she would pass out from gasping for breath.
Listening to the footsteps getting farther and farther away behind him, Xu Haizhou's lips curled up.
She didn't seem to notice that she had run one more circle around the alley.
Twenty minutes later, they finally arrived at the great leader's house that Xu Haizhou mentioned. It was a five-story tube-shaped building. By this time, Niu Qiaoli was exhausted. Her legs were weak and she collapsed in the corner, unable to stand up.
"Hai, Haizhou... didn't you tell me to slow down? I, I almost couldn't catch up with you. Oh, I was so tired..."
But, as the saying goes: If one person succeeds, the whole family will benefit!
Be patient and keep calm for a while. When Big Bear becomes successful in the future, the hardships you endure now will be rewarded with sweetness in the future!
With such an Ah Q spirit, it doesn't matter how tired you are.
After resting on the ground for two or three minutes, he followed Xu Haizhou to the third floor of the tube building, came to the house in the middle, and knocked on the door.
Squeak——
"Haizhou?"
The family that came were Xu Haizhou's friends, Li Yu and Miao Hui.
The situation outside has been tense recently, and the couple is timid. For safety reasons, they have closed their business and stayed at home for almost a week. When they saw Xu Haizhou, they thought he had some latest news about the policies from above.
"Director Li, this is my wife's sister-in-law whom I told you about before."
Niu Qiaoli, who was walking slowly in the corridor, rushed up upon hearing the words, not caring about her weak legs, and took two steps at a time to hold his hand:
"Hey, Director Li, I've heard Haizhou mention you a long time ago. Thank you for your help! Thank you for giving my Daxiong a chance!"
"Well, um, you, cough cough——" Xu Haizhou's arrival today was too sudden. Li Yu really didn't react at all. He kept recalling the aura of those directors in the factory and pretended to cough: "Well, it's called...Niu..."
Li Yu seemed to vaguely remember Haizhou telling him that his sister-in-law was called Niu something.
"Director, you are a forgetful person. Just call me Qiaoli!"
Niu Qiaoli's face was all smiles as she looked at Li Yu.
The man in front of her was 1.77 meters tall and looked younger than her. Wouldn't that be even more amazing? He became a director at such a young age. What would he be like when he was older?
"Okay, Comrade Qiao Li, please come in and sit down first." Li Yu took a step back and let the three people enter the house.
There are two rooms in the house. The one at the entrance is the main room, which is slightly bigger than Qiao Lu's house and very spacious.
Coming here, she felt much more restrained than staying at Qiao Lu's house. Because she was the "big director", Niu Qiaoli didn't dare to walk around, and she held her brother's arm tightly to prevent him from touching her things.
Looking around, I couldn't help but sigh in my heart: As expected of the director's house, there is a TV! Oh, and an electric fan too, these things are not even available at Qiao Lu's house, especially the big square box, it's so expensive!
"What's going on?" Li Yu's wife Miao Hui asked in a low voice.
She knew Xu Haizhou, but what about this man and woman? Judging from their attire... they didn't look like city people...
Li Yu only replied with two words: "Acting."
When Miao Hui heard it, she understood it immediately without any further explanation.
Miao Hui went back to the kitchen and made brown sugar water for the three of them. Li Yu took it, pushed it in front of Xu Haizhou, and looked at Niu Daxiong: "What's your name?"
Niu Qiaoli glanced at the brown sugar water, then smiled and looked away: "My brother! His name is Niu Daxiong, Director, you can just call him Daxiong!"
"Okay, Big Bear, drink some water." Li Yu pushed the brown sugar water that his wife had just prepared in front of the brother and sister.
The brother and sister held the cups of water and drank happily, and couldn't help sighing in their hearts: Not bad, really not bad, the conditions are obviously better than Qiao Lu's house, they use cups to drink water, and they are made of transparent glass. Buying one of these can be equivalent to three ceramic bowls, right?
"It's like this. I have already arranged your brother's job in advance, but Comrade Qiaoli, you should also know that competition in the office is always fierce..."
"Ah!" Before Li Yu finished speaking, Niu Qiaoli looked worried: "What should I do? Are there many people who want to take my brother's seat?"
Li Yu: “…”
The matter hasn't even started yet, why are you asking someone to take your brother's place?
Li Yu touched his nose and said, "Well, you can say that. Since the competition is fierce, and I have a good relationship with Haizhou, it's okay to use a backdoor, but I still have to do the surface work, otherwise other leaders will have opinions."
Niu Qiaoli nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, what else do you need? Go ahead, my brother has plenty of strength!"
This sentence really made people laugh. Li Yu waved his hands and said, "This is an office job. It doesn't require any effort."
"Great, it doesn't require any effort. It's so nice to sit in the office." It's sheltered from the wind and rain, and it's so classy!
Look at Qiao Yan and her husband, both of them work in offices. Every time they go back to her parents' home, they act very arrogant, but we dare not say anything to her. They live in the city and have high salaries, and people who work in offices are confident.
Li Yu: "Well, that is to say, before joining the company, Daxiong needs to take a test."
"What, an exam?" This time it was Niu Daxiong's turn to be surprised.
How many years has it been since he graduated from primary school? He just turned twenty this year, which means at least nine years. He can recognize some words, but not many, let alone exams. Not to mention writing and arithmetic, just looking at those words is enough to give him a headache.
It seems that working in an office is not an easy thing!
Niu Daxiong was a little hesitant at this time. Niu Qiaoli saw what he was thinking, pinched his thigh hard under the table, and threatened him with her eyes to try harder!
Niu Daxiong didn't dare to say a word. He gritted his teeth and listened patiently to Li Yu's next sentence.
"The exam is actually not difficult. I have prepared for it in advance. It is just a process. The difficulty is about the same as that of first or second grade primary school. You can do math, right? You can write, right? It is that simple."
“Oh, of course I can!” Grades one and two are just questions for kids around six, seven or eight years old, so how difficult is that?
Even though she herself has never been to school, she can still do simple arithmetic. With Daxiong's level, there is no way she can be dumber than a seven or eight-year-old kid!
So he immediately responded, "No problem! My brother has just graduated from elementary school, he will definitely be able to do it!"
He was so confident that he felt that Niu Daxiong could firmly hold the position: "Thank you for your help, Director Li! If Daxiong secures this position, I will definitely give you a big gift!"
Li Yu: “Ahem…”
It was so straightforward that he couldn't help but wonder, is this how all rural people talk?
"But there is one thing, I'll say it first. If Daxiong can't even pass this test, it shows that his IQ... No matter how powerful I am, I can't let someone with an IQ problem sit in my office." At this point, Li Yu suddenly paused: "What does IQ mean, Comrade Qiao Li, do you understand?"
"What, what does that mean?" She really didn't understand.
Glancing at Niu Daxiong, Li Yu said, "That is to say, maybe there is something wrong with his brain."
Niu Qiaoli immediately looked embarrassed and twisted her body uneasily: "Well, that will definitely work. My brother's reaction is a little slow, but his brain is fine. He is the smartest child in our family."
Niu Daxiong straightened his body, his expression tense and serious, as if responding to his sister's words.
"Okay, that's all." Li Yu suddenly stood up after looking at the wall clock. "There are people in the office now, so there's no time to waste. I'll take you there directly."
"Hey, good!"
Led by Li Yu, the group entered a food factory. In fact, this was the factory where Li Yu's father-in-law worked. His father-in-law was the deputy factory director, and his biological father was also a big leader in the factory, the secretary of the factory committee.
The two families have joined forces, and the couple's family conditions are truly among the best among their peers.
As for why the couple chose to set up a stall to start a business, it can be said that it is because they each have their own pursuits. Although their family members tried to stop them, they were ultimately powerless.
Li Yu led the three of them into an empty office. On the way, they passed a production workshop. The clean workshop and the various canned yellow peaches on the table made the brother and sister, who had not yet had lunch, hungry.
If I could work here, and even work in an office, I would be able to walk around the village with confidence in the future, and I would be someone that all the villagers would look up to!
Even before they passed the exam, the brother and sister began to have sweet daydreams.
"I will ask someone to get the test paper right away. It will take an hour, and you can hand it in early after you finish it."
"Good." Niu Qiaoli patted her brother on the back: "Big Bear, I'm counting on you! Do well in the exam!"
Big Bear nodded firmly, but he was unsure in his heart and was so nervous that his fingers were shaking.
In her sister's words: He is the hope of the whole family!
Half an hour later, Niu Daxiong, whose brain was about to explode, handed in the paper ahead of time. Li Yu asked a man wearing glasses who looked very knowledgeable to mark the paper, and he finished it in ten minutes.
After correcting the test paper, he handed it to Li Yu, his eyes full of disappointment, shaking his head: "Take a look for yourself."
Li Yu took it and was shocked: "This..."
Niu Qiaoli was sweating with nervousness. Is it okay? Tell me quickly, stop breathing so hard!
As she was roaring madly in her heart, the test paper was handed to Niu Qiaoli again: "Your brother's score, check it yourself."
Niu Qiaoli looked at Li Yu's expression, the situation was not good...
She quickly took it, but she could not recognize a few big words. The densely packed words and numbers made her feel overwhelmed. After reading through it, her head was dizzy.
Fortunately, I finally found the two red numbers at the top of the test paper, which read 1 and 5...
Niu Qiaoli pointed at the two red words on the test paper and asked, "What...what does this say? What does it mean? Is this a score? Is this one? Is this five? One-five, fifteen? Fifteen points!?"