Chapter 61
Xu Changhe's face stretched long, and he spat in Chai Yaozu's direction before replying, "He said the bridge would be closed in April, and then everyone in our village would be sent back to farming! We worked for him for two years, day and night, and he really showed no mercy!"
Chen Sanzhu looked at Xu Changhe's greedy face and laughed in his heart.
If he really worked day and night, wouldn't it have taken two years for the dam to finally close? He spoke so righteously, as if his dissatisfaction with Chai Yaozu was all for the sake of his own villagers. In reality, wasn't he just afraid that if the dam project was halted, he wouldn't be able to withhold the villagers' wages, and thus, wouldn't be able to fill his own pockets?
He looked down on Xu Changhe, but he would not tell him directly. After all, they still had to cooperate, and Xu Changhe was still useful to his elder brother.
"Okay, stop being so sullen. Chai Yaozu is the chief engineer. He's only in charge of how the project is built, how long it will take, and when it's finished. Isn't it the workers who have the final say?" Chen Sanzhu took a step closer to Xu Changhe and lowered his voice. "The deputy director asked me to tell you that if the project is delayed a little longer, the compensation will be coming right away."
When Xu Changhe heard this, he immediately turned around and asked Chen Sanzhu: "How much is the supplementary payment?"
Chen Sanzhu smiled and said, "Don't ask about this. Knowing too much is not a good thing. Anyway, you will get the benefits."
After rolling his eyes, Xu Changhe asked the next question: "How long do you want me to delay?"
Chen Sanzhu made the number six in front of him.
Xu Changhe glared. "Six months?! That won't do. Don't you see the dam is almost finished? Even if I delay, it won't be six months. Besides, six months from now, it will be almost September, and the flood season will be over!"
Chen Sanzhu was speechless: "Who said six months? I meant to let you delay it until June!"
"If you calculate carefully, it's only three or four months!"
Xu Changhe counted on his fingers and to be honest, three or four months was quite difficult. However, people always come up with solutions. If he had to wait until June to get the new benefits, then he could do it if he tried hard.
The solution can be thought of later. Xu Changhe wanted to find out how much benefit he could get. However, Chen Sanzhu was very tight-lipped and he could not find out no matter how hard he tried. Xu Changhe had to give up.
However, he still had a smile on his face, which was very different from when he was facing Chai Yaozu before.
Chai Yaozu is a black-hearted contractor, and Chen Sanzhu, who represents Chen Dazhu, is his favorite God of Wealth.
Walking beside Chen Sanzhu, Xu Changhe said, "Secretary Chen, have you heard that two educated youth came to our village? One of them is prettier than the Seven Fairies. Secretary Chen's new wife is one of them. I think you'd be quite interested in her, right?"
As he spoke, Xu Changhe laughed obscenely. Chen Sanzhu frowned. He was a playboy, but not vulgar. He had never forced anyone to do anything. Love was a matter of mutual consent. He was not a fool like Xu Changhe, whose only useful part was his lower body.
Chen Sanzhu: "I heard about it, but what does it have to do with me? I'm married now, but the one at home is still a tigress. If I look at someone else for even a second, she'll strangle me to death."
Xu Changhe laughed out loud: "Then you should look at other women! This educated youth from our village is not only good-looking, but also quiet. Oh, the old women in the village can't compare to her. Even my son has been obsessed with her these past few days, always talking about Wen Zhiqing."
Chen Sanzhu chuckled, "Forget it. The educated youth all have a certain arrogance. No matter which educated youth, they are all like this. They can't let go and like to show off. I don't like that. The women in our country are better. They are smart, bold, and most importantly, they are exciting!"
Everyone has their own preferences. Finding that Chen Sanzhu really didn't like people like Wen Zhiqing, Xu Changhe stopped trying to sell him something. But after a while, Chen Sanzhu brought up the topic again, "You just mentioned your son. Which son?"
Xu Changhe was stunned for a moment, "Secretary Chen, I only have one son."
He has five children, four of whom are daughters. Since she is his only child, the whole family treats her like a treasure.
Chen Sanzhu recalled and remembered, "His name is Xu Jie, right?"
Xu Changhe laughed quickly, "Yes, Secretary Chen, you have a really good memory."
…
He had just forgotten that he only had one son, but the next moment he praised him for his good memory. Xu Changhe is truly a talented person.
Chen Sanzhu: "I remember Xu Jie was arrested and put in jail, wasn't he?"
The smile on Xu Changhe's face froze. "It was all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. I explained it to him, and then he was released."
What misunderstanding? Others might not know about it, but Chen Sanzhu was now a well-connected person. He heard that Xu Jie had hugged a twelve-year-old girl in town and even touched her waist. The girl's parents saw him, beat him, and sent him to prison. Xu Changhe must have spent a lot of money to get Xu Jie out of prison, otherwise, Xu Jie would be on his way to a labor camp by now.
Chen Sanzhu knew it in his heart, but he didn't say it out loud. He just reminded him, "Captain Xu, the educated youth are different from the villagers. They responded to the call of the country and took the initiative to help build the countryside. They have homes and families. If your son can't control himself and makes a big deal out of it...tsk tsk tsk tsk, our dam has just been built and something like this happened. It's too unlucky. When my eldest brother finds out, he will definitely not let him off easily."
Xu Changhe hadn't expected this. At the same time, he also felt that Chen Sanzhu was making a big deal out of nothing. How could his son's love for an educated youth be related to the dam issue? However, since Chen Sanzhu said so, he laughed it off and agreed. "I know, I know. I've always taken Secretary Chen's words as good advice. Wait, when I get home today, I'll make it clear to my son and tell him to stay away from the educated youth in the village!"
Chen Sanzhu looked at Xu Changhe's face and felt that his flattery was disgusting, but he also felt that seeing others treat him so humbly was very beneficial. Chen Sanzhu couldn't help but put his hands behind his back, pretending to be a leader, and continued to walk forward with a swagger. After finishing his words, Chen Sanzhu left Xujiawan. At the same time, Chu Jiujiu and Han Shengyi walked through the bamboo forest and finally saw the memorial archway of Xujiawan again.
Early in the morning, the educated youth also had to eat and took turns doing housework. Today it was Lu Wanhua's turn, and another male educated youth, Ren Shengli, immediately went up to help. Wen Xiuwei sat aside, watching them silently, confirming once again that they really had a special relationship.
The earliest educated youth went to the countryside in the 1950s. Unless they had jobs in the city, they would stay in the countryside for the rest of their lives. Many of them would find partners locally. It was not uncommon for couples like Ren Shengli and Lu Wanhua, who were paired by educated youth.
Wen Xiuwei couldn't help but think of herself. She was fifteen this year. In four or five years, she would be old enough to get married. But by then, would she still be working in the fields, marrying a local farmer? Or would she stay single and remain a maid forever?
Wen Xiuwei lowered her head. She didn't have to get married, but if she didn't get married, she would never have a family again. She would live alone and die alone, truly coming and going without any worries.
Imagining that scene, Wen Xiuwei suddenly felt desolate.
At this moment, Chu Jiujiu and Han Shengyi walked in.
Chu Jiujiu said happily: "Wen Zhiqing, I'm here again!!!"
Han Shengyi nodded politely to her: "Wen Zhiqing, good morning."
Wen Xiuwei smiled at them and took them out to talk.
As they walked out, Wen Xiuwei asked Han Shengyi, "Shengyi, why are you here too? Jiujiu told me that you have to take care of the vegetable fields in the village. You are so busy, why are you still running around with Jiujiu?"
Han Shengyi explained: "It's okay, I'm not busy. I can finish the work in the vegetable garden in half a day. Come over in the morning and I'll do it when I go back in the afternoon."
Chu Jiujiu followed up, saying, “Grandpa Han and Grandma Han no longer let me come here alone. They said I’d be targeted by robbers, and it’s safer to have someone with me.”
Thinking of the pervert she met yesterday, Wen Xiuwei paused, then nodded in agreement, "Grandpa Han and Grandma Han are right. There are too many bad people out there. Jiujiu must protect herself."
Chu Jiujiu chuckled, "Wen Zhiqing, I'd be embarrassed if you cared about me so much."
Wen Xiuwei also laughed: "Jiujiu, don't call me Wen Zhiqing from now on. Call me Sister Xiuwei or Sister Weiwei, either is fine."
Chu Jiujiu blinked, "But I like the name Wen Zhiqing."
Wen Xiuwei was stunned for a moment, but didn't force her, "Then let's just be Wen Zhiqing."
She is now forced to call her grandfather "brother" in front of outsiders. If she calls her grandmother "sister", Chu Jiujiu feels that her family will be in complete chaos.
Speaking of address, Wen Xiuwei thought of Chu Shao yesterday. She asked Chu Jiujiu, "Jiujiu, Chu Shao came over yesterday. He saved me and helped me with some work. I didn't even thank him much, and then he left. Did he say anything to you after he left?"
Wen Xiuwei asked casually. She thought Chu Shao must have told Chu Jiujiu when he returned. However, after hearing her words, Chu Jiujiu and Han Shengyi both stopped, both with a look of doubt on their faces.
Chu Jiujiu: "Chu Shao was here yesterday???"
Han Shengyi: "Chu Shao will also help others with work???"
Several times, he wanted to play with Chu Jiujiu for a while longer, so he asked Chu Shao to water his vegetable garden. As a result, Chu Shao never agreed once!
Han Shengyi would help the Chu family with work, and Chu Shao would help the Han family with work, but once it came to Han Shengyi himself, Chu Shao would become unmoved. He said that he only respected the elderly and loved the young, and that Han Shengyi had hands and feet, so he should do it himself.
He has hands and feet, but Wen Xiuwei is not missing any limbs, right?
It’s confirmed, Chu Shao is engaging in sex discrimination!
It’s a pity that Chu Shao is not here. If he were here, he would tell Han Shengyi arrogantly that I don’t discriminate against gender, but against you.
…
Seeing their expressions of shock, Wen Xiuwei couldn't help but be shocked as well, "Why, didn't he tell you after he went back?"
Chu Jiujiu is a little loudmouth. She comes to see Wen Xiuwei every day. She knows most of the current situation of the Chu family. Wen Xiuwei knows that the two children of the Chu family are now living with the Han family. Their father is in a distant army and distant water cannot quench a nearby fire. Apart from sending money and things every month, they can't help in any other way. Therefore, in a sense, the grandparents of the Han family are the current parents of these three children.
In this situation, Chu Shao, Chu Jiujiu and Han Shengyi are extremely close to each other, almost like real siblings. That's why Wen Xiuwei was surprised. Why didn't Chu Shao tell these two people at all?
In a few seconds, Chu Jiujiu figured it out. Chu Shao was just childish. He was taking revenge on her! He deliberately kept it a secret and waited until she came over today to find out about it from Wen Xiuwei, making her look like a big fool!
Chu Jiujiu felt that she should be angry, but she couldn't be angry at all, because Chu Shao had finally crossed the threshold in his heart and came to see Wen Xiuwei!
He came to see Wen Xiuwei, helped Wen Xiuwei with her work, and saved Wen Xiuwei. Oh my god, every beautiful love has a romantic beginning. Yes, she unilaterally announced that this giant ship of love has begun to set sail -
etc.
Chu Jiujiu was stunned. "What do you mean he saved you yesterday? What happened to you yesterday?"
Chu Jiujiu's temper was too loud, and Wen Xiuwei didn't want to make her worry too much, so she cut out the beginning and the end of the story and embellished it a little. "Yesterday, I was walking on the road, and someone suddenly appeared and scared me. I wanted to leave, but he wouldn't let me go. I was terrified, and it was Chu Shao who came out to help me out."
She did not describe Xu Jie's perversion at all, but she forgot that the two people opposite her were both very smart.
Chu Jiujiu asked doubtfully, "Not letting you go? He just blocked your way, so why are you so scared? Did he do something else?"
Han Shengyi frowned. "I know Chu Shao. He doesn't like to interact with people. Normally in Qingzhu Village, he wouldn't say a word. How could he help others in Xujiawan? If you say that he helped you beat the bad guy away, then I believe it."
Wen Xiuwei: “…”
Are you two really children?
There was no other way, so she had to tell the whole story. Last night, she also told the other educated youth, but after listening, they either advised her not to take it to heart, or said that she was overthinking it. The other person might really have just wanted to say a few words, but she reacted too much, causing misunderstanding.
However, after Chu Jiujiu and Han Shengyi heard this, she was furious. "How could there be such a disgusting person? He actually said right away, 'Wen Zhiqing, you're so pretty.' He's completely blatant!"
Han Shengyi's face darkened. "This man is very dangerous. He dares to follow you in broad daylight, which means he's not afraid of being caught. He's no different from a desperado. Wen Zhiqing, you really need to be careful. Never go out alone again."
Han Shengyi said the same thing as Chu Shao, and Wen Xiuwei felt relieved. She agreed, "I know. From now on, I will go out with other educated youth and never go out alone."
After hearing her assurance, Chu Jiujiu was still worried. If a thief wanted to steal things, no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't stop him. What's more, a bold thief might turn into a robber.
Thinking of what Grandpa Han said about the eldest daughter of the branch secretary, Chu Jiujiu became even more worried.
As usual, when the time came, Wen Xiuwei asked Chu Shao and Han Shengyi to leave, but today neither of them left and insisted on sending Wen Xiuwei to the fields.
Wen Xiuwei had no choice but to let them go with her. She found that there were two little followers following her. The villagers laughed and joked with her, saying that Wen Zhiqing was very popular. Not only adults, but even children liked to follow her.
She smiled and said goodbye to those people politely. When she arrived at the field, before Wen Xiuwei went down, she found that Chu Shao was sitting on the edge of the field.
He didn't know how long he had been sitting there. During this time, he had been using a piece of grass to play with the ants on the ground. Hearing footsteps, he raised his eyelids and saw the three of them walking towards him together. Chu Shao put one hand on the ground and jumped up easily.
Brushing off the dirt in his hands, he said to Wen Xiuwei, "I've finished all the work here. It should be seven work points. Remember to tell the team leader and don't let him give you less."
After saying that, he looked at Chu Jiujiu and Han Shengyi again and said, "Let's go home."
Arranged by size, Wen Xiuwei, Han Shengyi, and Chu Jiujiu formed an arithmetic progression. They opened their mouths one after another and looked at him in shock.
Chu Shao: "...What are you looking at?"
Chu Jiujiu reacted the fastest. She suddenly shut her mouth and looked at Chu Shao with great admiration, as if she had seen her own big white pig finally grow up. Han Shengyi despised him even more. He came here on his own initiative without anyone asking. It was really shameful to watch.
Also, he and Chu Jiujiu are indeed brother and sister. Their visions are so consistent. Chu Jiujiu likes Wen Xiuwei and treats her well for no reason. Unexpectedly, even Chu Shao is like this. They are all like possessed by ghosts.
Wen Xiuwei was stunned for a long time. She took two quick steps and came to Chu Shao. "Brother Chu Shao, thank you for your help these past two days, but you don't have to help me so much. I can do all these things by myself. I'm just not very skilled now. I just need more practice. If you do this... I'll be so embarrassed if I tire you out."
Chu Shao finally managed to stop blushing when facing Wen Xiuwei, but was brought back to his original form by her words "Chu Shao, younger brother". To be honest, she should really call him brother, as he was only thirteen years old and she was already seventeen.
Chu Shao didn't know that Wen Xiuwei's age had been changed. He thought there was a four-year age difference between them. For a child, two years old is a chasm, and four years old is a chasm. She is truly mature, and he is just pretending to be mature.
Chu Shao's ears turned red, and Chu Jiujiu looked puzzled. He was silent for a while before saying, "I know, but Jiujiu wanted me to help you. She said you were too tired and needed to rest."
Chu Jiujiu: “……?”
When did she say that? Oh, she said that yesterday afternoon.
But Grandpa, weren't you helping out with the chores yesterday morning? You really have the heart to use your beloved granddaughter as a shield?
Facts have proven that Chu Shao was very cruel. Chu Jiujiu felt aggrieved for a long time, but finally smiled at Wen Xiuwei. "Yes, Wen Zhiqing, I often say this to Chu Shao, but I didn't expect that he would actually come. It seems that he is not so cold-blooded and heartless."
Chu Shao: “…”
Wen Xiuwei was stunned, "But, that's not..."
Seeing that she was about to refuse, Chu Jiujiu quickly stopped her, "It's okay, Chu Shao is very capable. You don't know that we don't actually need to work at home, but Chu Shao really likes to do farm work! He goes to work in the morning and comes back to study in the afternoon. My family buys food in town, so whether he has work points or not is not important anymore. If he wants to do it, just let him do it. It's the same everywhere anyway."
Han Shengyi nodded at the side and said, "Wen Zhiqing, there isn't much work in Xujiawan. We all want to help you. I'll come when I have time. It's because you have a connection with us, especially with Jiujiu."
Chu Shao pushed Chu Jiujiu out to take the blame, while Han Shengyi sincerely wanted to help Wen Xiuwei because of Chu Jiujiu. His words moved the two women. Chu Jiujiu looked at him with bright eyes, and Wen Xiuwei looked at him with a smile on her lips. It was obvious that she was moved by his words.
Chu Shao: “…”
Damn it, why?
…
Wen Xiuwei didn't have to work today, so Chu Jiujiu pulled her and wanted to take her to the mountain to see the newly blooming apricot flowers and the beautiful mushrooms. Wen Xiuwei was pulled by her to run in front, and Han Shengyi and Chu Shao followed slowly behind.
The mountain on the Xujiawan side is a small branch of the mountain that leads to Qingzhu Village. Halfway up the mountain, there's a small platform where you can sit and watch the sunrise and sunset. However, they arrived too late today and didn't see the sunrise. They only saw the dazzling sun. The sunlight hit their faces, mixed with the air filled with negative ions. Chu Jiujiu asked Wen Xiuwei to do the same as her, taking a deep breath to fill her lungs, and then slowly exhaling.
Wen Xiuwei was a lady from a noble family, and she was dignified in every movement and stillness. She would never run if she could walk fast, and would never droop her lips if she could smile. She even never spoke loudly. Watching Chu Jiujiu's movements, she was a little uncomfortable, but after Chu Jiujiu urged her twice, she also imitated her, taking a deep breath of the mountain air, and after her chest was completely inflated, she relaxed her shoulders and exhaled all the turbid air in her lungs.
It was a feeling that was really hard to describe. For the first time, Wen Xiuwei discovered that the air in the mountains was so beautiful. It was a feeling that made her whole body feel invigorated and refreshed. After experiencing it once, she wanted to experience it again.
This is something that big cities will never have - nature and remoteness.
After taking two breaths, Wen Xiuwei turned her head and looked at Chu Jiujiu. She laughed heartily. Her laughter was like a silver bell, more sweet than that of a tit. At this moment, Wen Xiuwei finally began to fall in love with this land: the rolling mountains, the emerald green bamboo forests, the endless wheat fields that exuded the fragrance of life, and the children who had nothing to do with her but were always kind to her sincerely.
She was right. City people just loved to spread rumors. Life in the countryside really wasn't as bad as she had imagined. In fact, it was gradually becoming wonderful.
No longer needing to live under someone else's roof or bow their heads in obedience, this vast world belongs to all of them.
Wen Xiuwei had a great time in the mountains and even gained some insights into life. However, the educated youth at the foot of the mountain were not so lucky, especially Sun Yuqin. She arrived at the field half an hour late and found that Wen Xiuwei had finished her work but not hers as before. Sun Yuqin didn't care about work points. Her father sent her ten yuan every month, and with this money, she felt that she had enough to eat whatever she wanted. But she cared about her reputation and didn't want to be pointed at by the team leader and called lazy!
After looking around the fields for a long time, she couldn't find where Wen Xiuwei had gone. In addition, she had been too lazy before, so the team leader had been keeping an eye on her and insisted on seeing her finish the work today. Sun Yuqin was a bully and afraid of the strong, so she didn't dare to quarrel with the locals. She could only hold her nose and swing the hoe again and again.
Before lunch, Chu Jiujiu and a few others returned to Qingzhu Village. She wanted to invite Wen Xiuwei to her home, but Wen Xiuwei was afraid that the educated youth center had tasks to do in the afternoon, so she didn't agree.
After returning home, Chu Shao went to light the fire and cook, while Chu Jiujiu ran into the bedroom, took out a piece of letter paper, lowered her head and began to write on it stroke by stroke.
Chu Jiujiu's handwriting has improved greatly since she started practicing calligraphy. However, in order to change her handwriting, she always thinks about the copybook in her mind before she puts pen to paper. As a result, her writing speed becomes much slower.
Chu Shao steamed the rice. There were no fresh vegetables at home, and the mini vegetable garden was in the lean period. The jar of pickled vegetables that Chu Jiujiu had pickled had been eaten up long ago. She was a person with a short-lived enthusiasm, and even after learning how to make them, she always forgot to pickle some more for the family. Fortunately, there was Grandma Han, so the two of them didn't have to eat just rice.
He closed the lid, took out a plate from the cabinet, and prepared to go to Grandma Han to get a plate of pickles. Last year, Grandma Han pickled many kinds of vegetables, including spicy cabbage, pickled cowpeas, sauerkraut, preserved vegetables, and a kind of small pickle that Chu Shao couldn't even name.
Chu Jiujiu especially likes to eat that kind of pickled vegetables. When Grandma Han was pickling them, she specially contributed two taels of rapeseed oil and added enough oil and salt. Not to mention, the pickled vegetables tasted even better. Even if there was no meat at all, it was still everyone's favorite dish at the dinner table. When the pickled vegetables and soup were mixed into the rice, Chu Shao's appetite doubled.
Every time she saw Chu Shao eating with big mouthfuls, Grandma Han would say that he would definitely grow two meters tall in the future.
Chu Shao didn't have a specific expectation of how tall he could grow, as long as he was taller than Han Shengyi.
…
Holding the plate, Chu Shao was about to walk out of the yard when he heard the hens in the house clucking. Chu Jiujiu could accurately distinguish the two hens because she had always been the one feeding them, but Chu Shao couldn't tell them apart. He walked into the chicken coop and saw a pink and white egg lying inside. He was stunned for a moment, then looked at the hen that kept walking around his feet as if showing off.
"Well done, Da Huang. Let's make another one tomorrow."
Hen: My name is Erhuang!
…
The hen finally laid an egg, which meant that the Chu family would soon be living a happy life with two chicken butt banks. Chu Shao was in a good mood. He brought back the pickles from Han's house. He walked into the bedroom and called Chu Jiujiu, "Stop writing and come out to eat."
Chu Jiujiu couldn't be called up for dinner, but the hens could lay eggs. When she heard that there were finally eggs at home, Chu Jiujiu immediately put down her pencil and rushed out like lightning. At that time, Chu Shao had already fried the eggs into poached eggs.
The first egg was very important, so Chu Shao put a little more oil in the pan and fried it until the bottom was golden brown and crispy, the white on top was cooked, and the yolk was still bright red. Chu Shao learned how to make a sunny-side-up egg without any instruction. He scooped out the poached egg with a spatula and placed it on Chu Jiujiu's bowl. Master Chu Shao said kindly, "Eat it. You fed the chickens, so the first egg should be yours."
Chu Jiujiu was very touched: "Grandpa..."
Then, Chu Shao said, "Give me food tomorrow and the day after tomorrow."
Chu Jiujiu: “…”
You are Chu Baopi!
After dinner, Chu Jiujiu went back to write a letter. She wrote about both Wen Xiuwei and the eggs. She didn't mention Wen Xiuwei, but only said that a beautiful educated youth had come to Xujiawan and that she liked her very much, so she had been hanging out with her recently. She spent a lot of time describing how wonderful Wen Zhiqing was. Children's words are always childish, without many flowery words. After receiving the letter, Chu Liqiang read it carefully and realized that Chu Jiujiu really liked this educated youth. He couldn't help but smile.
Little girls seem to have this kind of big sister complex. This is the first time he saw Chu Jiujiu so excited in the letter.
Chu Shao and Chu Jiujiu always mailed together, using the same envelope but different stationery. Chu Jiujiu would write three or four pages, sometimes even five or six. Chu Shao, however, only wrote one, except for the very beginning. Even Chu Liqiang found his letters dry and boring. It was just his son's nature; he was always frugal with words when nothing was going on.
Chu Liqiang first read the letter written by Chu Shao, and sure enough, it was still the same as before. Then he read the letter from Chu Jiujiu, and only then did he know what kind of life the two children had lived in the past half month.
Seeing that Chu Jiujiu liked Wen Xiuwei, Chu Liqiang thought that she was just thinking like a little girl and he didn't need to care about her. But when he saw what she said later, that Wen Xiuwei was not having a good life, so she gave her some things to help her through the difficult times, and that when Chu Shao had time, he would go to help her with the work, then Chu Liqiang frowned.
An educated youth who had just known him for two days had suddenly coaxed his two children to revolve around her. Could this person have ulterior motives?
Chu Liqiang became deeply worried. This was the disadvantage of not having children around. He couldn't see what they looked like now, so any hidden danger would be magnified into a strong sense of crisis.
Putting down the letter, Chu Liqiang took the notebook beside him. He calculated that there were only a few days of vacation in a year, and he had been in this unit for less than a year. The headquarters was so busy now. Even if he really had a vacation, the higher-ups would probably not let him go.
Chu Liqiang was calculating his vacation days and the possibility of taking the train back and forth from Qingzhu Village when suddenly someone knocked on the office door. Chu Liqiang immediately closed his notebook and said, "Come in."
The door opened and a head popped in. Seeing that it was Nie Bai, Chu Liqiang's body relaxed instantly. He gave a familiar smile, "Why are you here?"
Nie Bai looked at it curiously, walked in, closed the door, and looked at Chu Liqiang again. He couldn't control the smile on his face.
"Of course! Political Commissar, you're so awesome wherever you go. It's only been a short time, and you're already my equal!"
Chu Liqiang: "You are in the combat unit. Even if we are of the same rank, I cannot be considered your equal."
Nie Bai: "Of course not, they're all battalion-level. Judging from your promotion speed, I estimate that by next year, you'll be promoted to regimental level. Not bad, not bad, after all the hardships, there is happiness! Political Commissar, how does the saying go? If you become rich, don't forget me!"
Chu Liqiang was helpless: "It's because of my previous foundation, plus the fact that the headquarters is so short of people, that they pushed me up so quickly. It won't be so easy in the future."
Chu Liqiang was being modest. In fact, his ambition was even greater than what Nie Bai said. Nie Bai was a man of high aspirations. He thought that as long as Chu Liqiang could return to his previous regimental level, it would be enough. However, Chu Liqiang did not take the regimental level seriously at all. He wanted to climb higher.
For four years, he has been reduced to nothing, while those people have been rising to prominence. Of course, he has to work twice as hard.
Chu Liqiang's expression was calm. Nie Bai scratched his head and looked around the independent office again. Suddenly, he remembered why he was here. Nie Bai pulled up a chair and sat down. "By the way, Political Commissar, didn't you ask me to find out for you how my brother and the others are doing in the capital? I asked an old comrade, and he happens to be still in the capital."
If it was good news, Nie Bai would have told him with a big mouth. Now he is hesitating like this, which means that what he is going to say is definitely not good.
Chu Liqiang comforted him: "My mother passed away a long time ago, and my father's wife is his second wife. My two younger brothers are half-brothers and we are not close. Just speak frankly. I won't be influenced by them."
Despite what he said, Nie Bai still felt uneasy. After all, when he heard about Zhang Fengjuan's passing, he'd reacted so violently that he'd been bedridden for days. They were all family, even if they didn't share the same mother, he'd probably be sad after hearing the news.
Nie Bai sighed, "Then I'll tell you. After I told my old comrade about this, he didn't go out to inquire because he already knew about it. Not only him, but the entire capital knew about it. Not long after you were locked up, they took your father, Commander Old Chu, away as well. They should have arrested your whole family, but as soon as your father left the house, your mother... ahem, your stepmother, chased him out with a rolling pin and beat him out. She said in front of everyone that there was something wrong with your father and that she had wanted to draw a line between her and your father a long time ago."
At this point, Nie Bai took a breath. He stole a glance at Chu Liqiang's face, but found that his expression didn't change at all. Unable to figure out what he meant, he had to continue, "She reacted very strongly, and she also said she would report it. Others must have believed her, so they never arrested her. Later, your stepmother and your brother jointly published an advertisement in the newspaper, saying that they were severing ties with your father and would never see him again in this life. After that, your father was demoted. I don't know what happened next."
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