162 hopped on the bus
Early Saturday morning, Guan Yuehua returned to school, and Zhang Desheng also moved away from Ginkgo Hutong with his wife and youngest son.
Ever since Zhang Desheng graduated and was assigned to the Municipal Education Bureau, his neighbors knew he would move away sooner or later, so they were not surprised by his departure.
However, some topics were brought up again, such as, "See, reading is still the best thing."
When he got home, he grabbed his child's ear and said, "I don't expect you to get into university, I'd be so happy if you got into the factory's technical school! Keep playing around, if you fail your final exams this semester, you'd better watch out!"
If we're talking about who cares most about Zhang Desheng moving out, it has to be Aunt Xie.
Aunt Xie had been looking forward to living in a small villa since Xie Zhenhua was assigned back to the factory as an expert. She waited for more than half a year, but her villa never came. Instead, Zhang Desheng, who had just been assigned to the factory, moved into the villa first.
Aunt Xie didn't dare to complain to Liu Axiu, and she knew that Xie Zhenhua never cared about family matters, so she could only wait for Tingting, who was in junior high school, to come home from school and sigh to her.
"Your father was a college graduate, and he also went on to get a master's degree. Zhang Desheng only graduated from elementary school. If it weren't for favorable policies, would he have been able to get a master's degree?"
"If Zhang Desheng can live in an apartment building, then the factory should allocate a small villa to your dad!"
"That's not fair!"
Tingting also let it go in one ear and out the other. Only after finishing her homework did she listen carefully to her grandmother repeating it again.
“Dad said our car factory has a lot of skilled workers, so it’s understandable that we didn’t get a villa,” Tingting said. “I just love living in Ginkgo Alley, I don’t want to move.”
She told her parents, and they said that if she didn't want to move, then she wouldn't move.
Seeing that her grandmother was about to slap her thigh and wail, Tingting immediately covered her ears and slipped out the door, saying, "I'm going to find Southwest."
She and Southwest were not in the same class, but they and other classmates from the same grade in the alley went to and from school together every day.
Now no one is listening to Aunt Xie's nagging anymore.
Aunt Xie held this grudge for half a month, and then, with the cold autumn wind blowing, she fell ill.
At first, he just felt dizzy and refused to take cold medicine. But when he coughed so much that he couldn't speak a coherent sentence, he still wanted to stay at home and lie down. But he didn't get his way, and Liu Axiu dragged him to the Workers' Hospital for an injection.
I happened to run into Guan Yuehe, who was at the Workers' Hospital for a prenatal checkup.
Guan Yuehe was startled. "What's wrong with Aunt Xie? Is she that sick?"
Over the years, Aunt Xie stopped finding fault with Liu Axiu and Xie Zhenhua. She ate and drank well every day and didn't have to help take care of the children. In her spare time, she would go for walks with the old men and women in the alley. She lived a good life and was in good spirits.
At this moment, Aunt Xie seemed to have all her energy drained away, like an abused old woman.
"She's making things difficult for herself, and she's gotten sick from it." Liu Axiu wanted to curse; this old lady was just so dramatic.
Despite her anger, Liu Axiu still busied herself registering for an appointment and finding a doctor.
"You're here for a checkup? Why don't you go and queue up?" Liu Axiu spoke to her a few steps away. The woman was pregnant, and it wouldn't be good for her to be sick after that.
"After the examination, Lin Yiku went to pay the fees and pick up her medicine."
Liu Axiu followed her gaze and smiled, "Your Commander Lin is someone who knows how to take care of the family."
Guan Yuehe did not deny it, but still corrected her, "Sister Xiu, it's Deputy Regiment Commander Lin."
“Sigh, Xie Zhenhua said it’s only a matter of time before he removes the word ‘deputy’ from his name.”
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
Lin Yiku came over with the prescription and a bottle of nutritional supplements prescribed by the doctor, and then heard Guan Yuehe say with a smile, "Sister Xiu was just praising you."
"What did you praise me for?"
"I'm praising you for being family-oriented."
Liu Axiu didn't want to watch the young couple being so lovey-dovey anymore, so she turned around and helped Aunt Xie to the infusion room.
Aunt Xie, who had just been listless, suddenly became agitated and said she didn't want to get the foreign medicine. Liu Axiu pretended not to hear her.
Guan Yuehe behind her laughed and said, "To deal with someone like Aunt Xie, you have to use swift and decisive measures!"
Lin Yiku nodded and looked at her, saying, "A strong fist can defeat all demons and monsters."
Guan Yuehe rolled her eyes at him. Don't think she didn't understand; he was implying that she was a local bully who relied on her fists.
"Slow down."
Guan Yuehe didn't argue with him about this and quickly slowed down. Sheng Zuiba, still unconvinced, said, "The doctor said she's perfectly healthy."
However, the doctor told her to prepare herself mentally, as she might give birth around the Lunar New Year.
Guan Yuehe hopes to have children after the New Year.
Lin Yiku finished what she hadn't said, "We can't let you miss your big New Year's Eve dinner, right?"
"We're really in sync," Guan Yuehe laughed heartily.
—
As the weather grew colder and her belly grew bigger, especially after December arrived, she finally decided to give up her bicycle and take the bus to work every day.
To avoid the busiest times, Guan Yuehe now goes out with Lin Yiku every day. He gives her a ride to the bus stop, clears the way for her when the bus arrives, and then rushes off to work.
So, the gatekeeper noticed that Director Guan had stopped riding her bicycle to work recently and was arriving at the office much earlier. The cafeteria lady saw her coming in for breakfast every day.
Guan Yuehe also tried to minimize overtime work and left work at the normal time almost every day.
However, there are exceptions. When there is urgent work that needs to be completed on the same day, or when someone urgently needs to see her, she inevitably has to work overtime.
That day happened to be a day when I had to work overtime.
As the first Sino-foreign joint venture hotel in China, Jianguo Hotel was established early on, but its opening date was repeatedly delayed due to construction and management issues. Now, it is arguing about service standards and operating philosophy after its opening.
After the mediation was completed and the person in charge who had come in a huff demanding an explanation was seen off, Guan Yuehe realized that it was already dark outside.
I glanced at my watch and it was exactly 7:30 p.m. The bus I usually take had already finished its shift.
The security guard poked his head out of the guardhouse and reminded her, "It's not safe for you to walk back. There are cars available at the company. In special circumstances, you can take the car first and then apply for a car later. I'll call a driver for you."
There is a landline in the guardhouse, where you can call the company's fleet office.
Guan Yuehe was about to nod when she suddenly saw someone outside the company gate waving a flashlight toward her.
"Yuehe." The person shone a flashlight on her and called her name.
Guan Yuehe waved her hand to indicate that she was okay, and thanked the old man again, saying, "No need to trouble the driver to take me, my dad is here to pick me up."
The gatekeeper leaned out halfway and met Guan Canghai's gaze.
A short while later, under the watchful eye of the gatekeeper, Guan Yuehe put on a military overcoat, wrapped her head in a scarf, and slowly drove away in the direction illuminated by the flashlight.
Sitting on the back of her father's bicycle, Guan Yuehe said regretfully, "If you hadn't come, I could have taken the company bus home."
"Hey, so you're saying I made it harder for you to get a ride in the car?"
"Of course! Otherwise, I could ride back to the alley in a car and brag about it all the way until the New Year."
Guan Canghai was amused by her, "When we get back, I'll tell your mother that she shouldn't have urged me to leave early to pick you up. If it had been later, you could have gotten into the car."
"You didn't even get a seat, what's there to say?" Guan Yuehe immediately changed the subject, asking, "Why didn't you let Guan Aiguo come?"
Guan Canghai snorted irritably, "He went to see a movie with his girlfriend. They've been dating for a while now, and we still don't know who he's seeing outside."
"He's not home, and Yiku hasn't come back either, so it's my turn to come."
Guan Yuehe immediately switched to her sweet and caring daughter-in-law act, "Dad, you really are my dad. You're so old and you still come out to pick me up in this cold weather. I should give you an award for being the best dad this year."
Guan Canghai was both amused and annoyed by her words. Her words of thanks contained a hint of insult, which made the bicycle wobble a couple of times.
“Your thick skin has its advantages; you can say a few nice things when you need to,” Guan Canghai said. “When your sister was pregnant with Guyu, I offered to drive her to and from get off work, but she complained that my car was unstable and insisted on taking the bus every day.”
But unlike other factories, Wuxing Automobile Factory has its own shuttle bus service between the residential compound and the factory. Even if you work overtime, you don't have to worry about it, as there is a bus back to the residential compound at 9 p.m.
"Is that so? I must criticize her to her face when she comes back next time."
Now it was Guan Canghai's turn to stop her. "It's been several years, there's nothing to say."
Guan Canghai changed the subject, asking her what she'd been busy with lately, since she was so pregnant and couldn't leave work on time.
"I'm busy with work, but things don't always go my way. Some tasks are just too busy to finish quickly and I get anxious. What can I do?" I have to work overtime.
"Never mind, I don't understand the work you're busy with anyway." Guan Canghai was secretly quite pleased: his daughter was busy with national affairs.
"Ouch! Which bastard shone a flashlight in my face?" Guan Canghai cursed as he was hit by the flashlight halfway through his ride, but his expression changed the next second. "Remembering the bitter past?!"
Guan Yuehe immediately peeked out from behind Guan Canghai, and then moved the scarf that was blocking her view aside, and saw Lin Yiku, who was still in his military uniform.
"Alright, get out of the car now, my old bones can't carry you anymore."
Guan Yuehe immediately hugged the old man and beckoned Lin Yiku to follow, "No, today you can sit in the back seat of my dad. There will be plenty of opportunities for Lin Yiku to show off in the future."
"I told you your unlucky daughter is such a headache," Guan Canghai said angrily, but he pushed off with his foot and continued to slowly drive her home.
Lin Yiku followed behind, slowly pedaling the wheel, listening to Guan Yuehe and Guan Canghai bickering.
He probably noticed that Yuehe was much more eloquent now, and every word she uttered could make her father angry.
Upon arriving at the alley entrance, as soon as Guan Yuehe got out of the car, Guan Canghai said, "You don't need that 'advanced award' anymore. Just give me a bottle of the wine you've been hiding at home as a prize."
Guan Yuehe didn't reply. "I'll make you a banner and send it to the barbershop another day. Okay, I'm going home now."
As soon as she got home, she busied herself making brown sugar ginger water.
In the end, she took the lead, while Lin Yiku did the actual work.
"If you're late getting off work another day, just wait for me at the office for a while, and I'll come pick you up."
“If you don’t pick me up, I can hitch a ride on the company bus,” Guan Yuehe joked.
Lin Yiku knew immediately that her words were unreliable, so they agreed that if he didn't return by 8:30, they would hitch a ride on the company bus.
Then I heard her laughter, and she came closer, whispering, "Are you also afraid that my old dad will drop me? I'm quite afraid too."
Lin Yiku couldn't resist reaching out to pinch her cheek. "I've noticed that you're particularly good at talking nonsense these days."
Guan Yuehe slapped his hand away, "The water's boiling, hurry up and put the eggs in."
He also specifically instructed, "Make three, and give one to Master Guan too... Never mind, I made a lot of brown sugar ginger water, so I'll make three more so they can all warm up."
She really knows how to treat everyone equally.
Steaming hot ginger and brown sugar water with eggs was brought to courtyard number three, but Guan Aiguo came empty-handed and said indignantly, "Everyone else has some, why don't I?"
"Yes, you have plenty of brown sugar ginger water."
Guan Aiguo looked at the eggs in the bowls of his elders, frowned, and remained silent, but his expression conveyed his thoughts.
"Who knew you were home? We thought you were still out watching a movie with your boyfriend and hadn't come back yet."
Jiang Guiying immediately seized the opportunity to ask, "We've been talking for half a year, but we still don't know who she's talking to. When are we going to visit her at her house? Has she said she wants to come and see our house?"
"We'll talk about it later." Guan Aiguo refused to bring it up again, afraid of being pressed for answers. He took a bowl of brown sugar ginger water and went to the front yard to find Zhang Yuanbin.
As soon as he left, Jiang Guiying guessed, "I guess the girl didn't like him and didn't want to come."
Guan Yuehe nodded. This was perfectly normal. It was Guan Aiguo who would spend all his time at home bragging about how popular he was with the women in the factory.
"I'm really worried. What if they bring me back someone who's hard to get along with... Oh well, if it really doesn't work out, they can just move out and live their own lives."
Jiang Guiying slurped down the brown sugar ginger water in a few gulps and reminded Guan Yuehe to put a few slices of ginger in her foot bath before going to bed.
I held back and held back, but I still didn't tell her to put her work aside.
They didn't understand her job. But she got into the Ministry of Foreign Trade and became a section chief entirely on her own merit. Her job was hard-earned, and her family were just ordinary workers who couldn't help her, so they didn't want to cause her any trouble.
The family helped Guan Yuehe with the work behind the scenes.
From December to January, Guan Aiguo came to pick her up, and Lin's father also came to pick her up. Even Gu Mannian was sent to be her "driver." Of course, Lin Yiku came the most often.
Guan Yuehe would always complain, "Oh dear, I can't get a ride on the company bus anymore."
But she was determined to get motorcycle licenses next year and spend a fortune to buy two! From then on, she and Lin Yiku would also drive to work with a "clattering" sound.
With New Year's Day over, there's less than a month until this year's Spring Festival. Many things are happening at this time, and once you get busy with work, time flies by.
Guan Yuehe had just finished her work report and came out for some fresh air when Director An, who followed her out, asked her when she planned to take a break.
"I plan to come back after the New Year to submit my application."
"Is everything arranged?"
"It's all arranged."
She didn't have much work left, and she'd already shared some with Gao Zhiyuan and the others. Even if she went to have a baby now, it wouldn't affect her work progress. But the baby in her belly didn't seem to want to be born before the new year, and she didn't feel any discomfort.
Director An smiled and said, "Alright, take a good rest and recuperate when you take your vacation."
The leader didn't mention it, but Guan Yuehe clearly understood the other meaning: "Take a good rest. When you come back, we'll give you more work!"
Guan Yuehe shuddered.
But she didn't expect that her estimate was wrong.
Two days before the Spring Festival holiday, after she finished signing the last document, she stood up and stretched, ready to loosen up her muscles, when she suddenly realized something was wrong.
It's too early to say. This kid just wants to come out early and join in the festivities of this year's Spring Festival.
While she still had the energy, she first called the neighborhood committee office, asking them to notify her family. Then she called Gao Zhiyuan's office, asking who was available to accompany her to the hospital. Finally, she called the company's vehicle fleet office, telling them she was about to give birth and asking them to send a car.
Gao Zhiyuan and Zhu Huacai came to accompany her to the hospital. Fortunately, they had a car, and it didn't take long to drive to the workers' hospital at the car factory.
However, it took Jiang Guiying and her group a little longer from being notified by the street office staff to rushing to the hospital with their prepared bags.
They had barely arrived when Guan Yuehe went into the delivery room.
"This kid is just like Gu Yu; he's also impatient when it matters."
Everyone was prepared and waiting for the baby to be born after the New Year, but today labor suddenly started.
But this is good too. Guan Yuehe had been complaining about not being able to hitch a ride on the company bus for a long time, and this time she finally managed to do so.
If she were at home, we would have to take her here by tricycle.
Thinking about it this way, everyone started praising the timing of the launch.
By the time Lin Yiku got off work and rushed over, the baby had already been born. Guan Canghai was busy watching over the baby, while Jiang Guiying stayed with Guan Yuehe.
This was the first time he had seen Yuehe so weak, and his eyes couldn't help but well up with tears.
Guan Yuehe didn't have time to talk to him, just then Aunt Fang came over carrying two insulated boxes.
Let's eat first, she's been hungry for half a day.
Author's Note: [Laughs out loud]
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