Chapter 76 I'm quitting.
Luo Hong went to the car dealership with the money in his pocket, finally able to openly swear.
He used up all the knowledge he had accumulated in the streets and alleys during the first half of his life, and his uncivilized behavior, which had been hidden by his slight upbringing, was fully exposed, and he kept talking about it.
After he finished cursing, Zhou Weifang said, "In half a month, let's beat him up."
The "he" refers to Wang Tumao, Luo Hong's colleague.
The two had a long-standing grudge and had even fought before; this time, they were competing for the same spot as a model worker.
As soon as the notice was posted, Wang Tumao was jumping around in the workshop, feeling extremely unwilling. After searching for almost a month, he finally found Luo Hong's weakness: he had used his connections to help the car dealership get credit at the factory.
These days, bicycles are easy to sell, so factories rarely offer payment terms. Except for a few large state-owned stores that have large order volumes and can get government guarantees, everyone else has to pay cash on delivery.
Individual business owners like Zhou Weifang naturally prefer to complete transactions on a cash-on-delivery basis.
However, the purchase price of a car is around a hundred yuan, and if you order several cars, the factory won't give you the necessary approvals. It's definitely unaffordable to have all your money tied up in inventory. So, since the beginning of this business, the car dealership has only been able to pay half the price each time they order, and then pay the balance after selling a batch of cars.
This isn't exactly a violation of the rules, and Luo Hong doesn't have that much influence, but if you really want to be strict, it's a loophole.
Once someone voices their opinion, his reputation becomes even less valuable. People are unwilling to take any "risk of poaching employees," so they urge him to settle the bill quickly and say that he must pay in full from now on.
When the mountain of money came crashing down on him, Luo Hong was caught off guard. He apologized to his childhood friend, saying, "If I deal with him myself, it will only cause you trouble."
Zhou Weifang: "Don't give me that nonsense, just tell me how much you can get."
Luo Hong: "Eight hundred and fifty."
Zhou Weifang: "That's enough. I can still scrape together another three thousand."
Luo Hong wasn't bothered by that. He said, "That's enough this time. What about next time?"
Zhou Weifang's only option was to "borrow".
Borrowing several thousand yuan at once is not so easy. Luo Hong said, "I think it's better for me to go home and get it."
Zhou Weifang hadn't given up on Luo Yan yet, so this choice naturally had to be put last: "Alright, I'll handle it."
Luo Hong: "That won't do. We'll share the debt."
Zhou Weifang punched him on the shoulder, then remembered to ask, "Did it affect your application for model worker?"
Luo Hong: "No, it's just that my part to speak on stage was canceled. Luckily, I didn't mention it to my family, otherwise I don't know how I would have explained it."
He was actually quite looking forward to it, especially since his parents were going to attend the awards ceremony. Although he always tacitly acknowledged his sister's excellence, he was always in high spirits because it was a rare opportunity to show off.
Zhou Weifang even helped him review the speech draft. The two of them spent a long time revising it, and now they could barely manage to say, "At least we managed to hide the embarrassing draft."
Luo Hong pulled it out and slammed it on the table: "Writing this stuff is quite a hassle."
How much education could he possibly have? His knowledge was so limited it barely amounted to anything, and his childhood friend wasn't exactly a heavyweight either.
Zhou Weifang comforted him, saying, "One day when you're a leader, you'll hear things that annoy you."
Luo Hong clicked his tongue and shook his head: "I don't think the people in this class will last until they become leaders."
Zhou Weifang couldn't help but laugh: "You keep saying you don't want to do anything, but you've become a model worker."
Luo Hong: "Now that I'm getting paid, I have to work hard."
He was in a position to fulfill his duties, and he was a reasonable person.
Zhou Weifang gave a thumbs up and asked, "Want a drink?"
He went to the restaurant next door to cook two dishes and brought back a liter of draft beer.
Luo Hong is not a complainer. Once he has vented his anger, he considers the matter over and then moves on to talking about other random things.
Zhou Weifang hadn't seen Luo Yan for a few days, and asked about it seemingly casually.
Luo Hong could easily tell the difference. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "What else can she do? She goes to school from Monday to Saturday and goes to the library with her classmates on Sunday."
Zhou Weifang: "It seems she's doing well with her classmates."
Luo Hongzhen didn't want to be the one to stab him in the heart, so he mumbled, "It's alright."
Before he could say anything definitive, two small flames ignited in Zhou Weifang's eyes: "What's wrong with it?"
Luo Hong: "I didn't ask in detail, but she seemed happy every day."
Zhou Weifang didn't know who he was saying this to: "As long as you're happy."
Luo Hong changed the subject: "By the way, my sister is getting married next month, right?"
The eldest sister, Zhou Yuyao, and Wang Delin's relationship is progressing steadily. After meeting each other's parents last week, they started discussing marriage.
Zhou Weifang: "Yes, she originally said she wasn't in a hurry, but when my mother mentioned that my second brother had just had a wedding and that having another one might clash with the wedding, she immediately said yes."
From the perspective of feudal superstition, Luo Hong said, "It seems that there is such a saying."
It wasn't just out of spite. Zhou Weifang said, "If we delay for another year, Brother Wang will be several years old, and he has younger brothers."
Speaking of this, Luo Hong said, "Once your second sister has a boyfriend, it'll be your turn, right? What kind of person are you looking for? My mom's really good at playing matchmaker."
He was certainly not the type to pressure others into marriage; his intention was simply to hope that his childhood friend would fall in love with someone else.
But Zhou Weifang was destined to disappoint him, saying, "I still have a long way to go."
Waiting for what? Are we really going to wait until my sister's wedding day?
Luo Hong himself had no such experience and could not imagine what kind of emotion could drive a person to wait for so long.
For a second, he felt mentally on his childhood friend's side and wanted to say something to encourage him, but then he thought it wouldn't be good to give him too much hope, so he scratched his face.
Zhou Weifang himself didn't want to continue the topic, and joked, "When's your turn?"
Luo Hong spread his hands: "Look at how clean I am, with nothing to my name."
Zhou Weifang wouldn't say things like, "Your parents must have prepared it." He knew his childhood friend's personality too well. He would say, "If we make more money this year, we'll go and pray for it later."
Luo Hong: "That makes sense. Let's choose an auspicious day."
He had to go to work the next day, so after saying a few more words, he went home and found his sister's room light still on. He knocked on the door and asked, "What are you doing?"
Luo Yan was full of energy: "There's a quiz on advanced mathematics tomorrow."
She sniffed and smelled: "Drinking again."
Luo Hong gestured with two fingers: "I only drank this little bit."
Luo Yan scoffed and rolled her eyes slightly.
Luo Hong ruffled her hair, glanced at the time, and realized that the bathhouse was already closed. He decided to take a quick shower at home.
Luo Yan came out for a drink of water and saw her brother drying his hair. She asked, "Are you using cold water?"
Luo Hong pretended not to hear, but his sister still slapped him on the back. He grimaced and said, "Murder!"
Luo Yan: "If you keep using cold water like this, I'll kill you without even having to tell you."
She kept nagging her brother, and Luo Hong responded with "I know, I know," moved the recliner to the yard, and lay down to sleep without caring whether his hair was dry or not.
Many people sleep outdoors in the summer, but it's only the end of April. Luo Yan wanted to call him back, but upon closer listening, she found that her brother was already snoring. She punched him and said, "Stop pretending, you don't snore."
Luo Hong wasn't embarrassed at all when he was exposed; instead, his snoring grew even louder.
Luo Yan had no choice but to scold him a couple of times, and then complain to her mother the next day.
My son has a fiery temper and has always been sensitive to heat.
Liu Yinfeng: "I'll wash the fan today, and you can move it inside to use."
Luo Hong sighed and started fixing his messy hair in front of the mirror.
As Luo Yan passed by her brother, she said, "You should get your hair cut; you have to go on stage to receive an award next week."
These words reminded Liu Yinfeng, who said, "Son, come and try on this dress."
Luo Hong's already hesitant hand became even more so. He turned around and said, "Why make new clothes when it's neither a holiday nor a festival?"
Liu Yinfeng held up the clothes to her son and said, "It's a holiday every year, not an award every year."
Luo Hong now regrets telling his parents too early, and he worries that something unexpected might happen and he might even lose his eligibility to receive the award.
He was on tenterhooks for several days, and finally May Day arrived.
The commendation ceremony didn't start until nine o'clock, so Luo Hong went out first.
As soon as he arrived at the entrance of the factory auditorium, he bumped into the unlucky Wang Tu Mao, clenched his fists, and walked past him.
Wang Tumao, now convinced he was about to make a move, taunted, "Oh, who do we have here?"
Luo Hong originally wanted to endure it, but before he could do anything, his master scolded him: "Alright, don't embarrass me."
The master was domineering and forbade his apprentices to offer any opinions, somewhat like an emperor in the old society. He even enjoyed listening to the slander of Wang Tumao, the eunuch. Although Luo Hong had been promoted, he was still working under someone else. Taking a few deep breaths, he calmed down and treated the person in front of him as a clown, laughing as he went to rehearse.
This infuriated Wang Tu Mao, but when he caught a glimpse of Luo Yan out of the corner of his eye, a plan came to mind.
Luo Yan went out by bicycle and arrived earlier than her parents who took the bus.
She seemed to know her way around the bicycle factory well, even greeting people occasionally. But when her eyes caught sight of Wang Tumao, her expression became serious.
Wang Tu Mao recognized her, of course, but he didn't give her a friendly look and said some sarcastic things to her.
Luo Yan roughly knew that the person was trying to tell her, but since they hadn't named anyone, she couldn't just rush to claim them. So she moved aside a little and waited for her parents.
Seeing that she didn't react, Wang Tumao became even more audacious, and started using profanities in his speech. Suddenly, someone pushed him.
Luo Yan recognized the person blocking her way and said, "Brother Qiaosheng."
He Qiaosheng turned around and nodded at her, but didn't give Wang Tumao a friendly look.
Wang Tu Mao wasn't afraid of him either, and said, "You mute, how dare you push me?"
The word "mute" ignited Luo Yan's fury. She hated it most when people talked about such things. She pointed her finger forward and said, "You're the one with a mouth! You can't speak human language."
The commotion attracted the attention of someone who knew Luo Yan, who came over and said, "Old Wang, don't go too far. The model worker award is determined by the factory. You've already messed up Hongzi's affairs, and now you're bullying that young girl. What kind of person are you?"
Indeed, others echoed his sentiments, making Wang Tu Mao flee in terror, which clearly demonstrated Luo Hong's popularity.
Luo Yan knew how to write the word "polite" and said thank you to others, but she also caught the key information: "Why are you getting involved with my brother?"
Didn't she know? The person being asked stammered and dodged the question, and finally, not knowing how to deal with it, simply ran away.
Only He Qiaosheng was left.
They were all from the same factory, so of course he knew the inside story. When he saw the gaze turn to him, he was thankful for the first time that he was mute, and waved his hands.
Luo Yan didn't make things difficult for him. Just then, she saw her parents arrive, put on a different expression, and introduced them to each other.
He Qiaosheng pointed to his throat, nodded to the elders to express his greetings, and then used sign language to indicate that he had to go and get back to work.
The Luo couple naturally wouldn't keep him. After he left, they asked their daughter, "Have you seen your brother?"
Luo Yan: "I don't know, let's go into the auditorium and stand there."
The bicycle factory's auditorium was small, and the few seats available were all allocated to employees, so family members who wanted to watch had to stand.
The family of three found a spot with a clear view of the stage, while trying to find their son/brother.
Luo Hong is also looking for them.
He had just learned from his coworkers what had happened at the auditorium entrance. Seeing her from afar, he went straight to his sister and asked in a low voice, "Are you alright?"
Luo Yan shook her head slightly, seeing her brother's eyes blazing with anger: "It's alright."
They were afraid he would get into another fight.
Luo Hong gritted his teeth: "That bastard."
The microphones were being tested on set, and the parents didn't hear the siblings' whispers. Luo Yan pulled her brother a few steps away and asked, "Did he cause you trouble?"
Luo Hong tried to brush it off, but Luo Yan looked aggrieved and said, "Although I can't help you, I can at least scold him a few times for you."
Luo Hong laughed: "What can you possibly curse?"
Luo Yan moved her mouth but couldn't get anything out, staring at her brother.
After Luo Hong finished telling her the whole story, he saw his sister's eyes widen with anger and said, "No matter what he does, I'm still the model worker. He's already furious."
That's true, but Luo Yan also said, "I have money."
The leaders on stage started speaking, and Luo Hong said, "I know, I know, I'll talk about it when I get home."
Luo Yan nodded and moved back to her parents' side.
Liu Yinfeng couldn't help but ask, "What are you muttering about again?"
Luo Yan, who has extensive experience in covering for her brother, said, "I've talked about it a lot."
She casually made up a few, and Liu Yinfeng didn't suspect anything. She was just happy: "With this model worker title, your brother will soon be able to be promoted to second-level."
Workers in all industries are basically divided into eight levels. Those who have just been promoted to the first level are first-level workers, and many people can only reach the third level at most after working for decades.
Luo Yan was happy for her brother, but for some reason she was also a little worried. When she heard the host call out her brother's name, she craned her neck to look.
Luo Hong knew his family was watching him from the corner, so he waved in their direction when he received the award.
Neither the father nor the daughter had very good eyesight, but Liu Yinfeng exclaimed excitedly, "I can see it! I can see it!"
Where? Luo Yan stood on tiptoe, but still couldn't see anything.
Liu Yinfeng: "They've all stepped down."
Luo Hong went straight here after stepping down from the stage to show his family his award certificate and asked his mother to take it back first.
Luo Xinmin's legs started to feel uncomfortable after standing for a while, so he patted his son's shoulder and said, "I'll treat you to dinner tonight, let's go to Donglaishun for a meal."
Luo Hong: "Okay."
He saw his parents off on the bus, then turned back to await his sister's interrogation.
Luo Yan didn't mention anything else, only saying, "The money is yours, I'm leaving."
She also invited Chen Yingying to lunch.
The more casually he was told, the more Luo Hong took it to heart. He suddenly felt an urge to run to the car dealership to find his childhood friend.
Seeing his expression, Zhou Weifang thought something had gone wrong at the commendation ceremony and asked, "Did something happen?"
Luo Hong: "No, I just wanted to discuss something with you."
They were still discussing it, using rather polite language. Zhou Weifang poured him some tea and said, "Go ahead and say it."
Luo Hong: "What's the situation with that shop at Jiaotong University you mentioned last time?"
Zhou Weifang gained more than just knowledge from attending the training course.
With his keen business sense, he quickly realized that the area near the school was a good place to open a car dealership. He even gave the security guards a few packs of cigarettes to inquire about it, and now he relayed the information exactly as he said: "There's a 17 or 18 square meter shop, the property is in the school's logistics department, it shouldn't be hard to rent."
He said it wasn't difficult, that it was a sure thing. Luo Hong said, "Then you help me rent it."
Zhou Weifang: "I think the location is good. There are so many faculty and staff there, so business is definitely possible. But you have to think it through, because once you start, there's no turning back."
Strangely enough, Luo Hong had thought about this matter many times and tossed and turned more than once, but today he was very firm and said, "I really can't continue like this."
His parents wanted him to have a stable job, and his younger sister was also rather conservative. He only told his childhood friends about his many grievances at work.
Zhou Weifang didn't try to persuade him further, but said, "You should also discuss it with your family."
Once a person makes up their mind, they become impatient. Luo Hong said, "I'll tell you tonight."
Zhou Weifang: "Not waiting for the license to be issued?"
Luo Hong: "That's too much of a fait accompli. I really won't be able to explain it later."
Of course, he was also worried about getting through the night test, so he practiced for a long time, preparing to go to Donglaishun with a whole bunch of thoughts in his mind.
Luo Yan arrived first, holding a book in her hand, waiting for her family at the store entrance.
Luo Hong parked the car and first gave his sister a heads-up.
Luo Yan hesitated several times before speaking, but somehow she had a feeling that this day had finally come. She sighed and said, "I'll put in a good word for you with Mom and Dad later."
What Luo Hong wanted to hear was, "I didn't spoil you for nothing."
The brother and sister whispered and discussed how to cooperate, pretending nothing was wrong when they saw their parents coming.
Liu Yinfeng had no idea that her son was about to give her a "big surprise." While eating hot pot, she looked to the future, saying, "Who knows, my son might be able to be rated as an eighth-grade worker in the future."
Luo Hong was terrified upon hearing this, and gave an awkward laugh.
After all, she was his biological son. Liu Yinfeng glanced at him suspiciously and said, "Why are you smiling like a thief?"
Luo Hong hadn't felt this guilty after getting into trouble in many years, and he coughed awkwardly, "I didn't do anything wrong."
Even Luo Xinmin could see through it now, and picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks: "Are you still hiding money from your parents? Are you short of money?"
Luo Hong, fearing he wouldn't be able to eat the meat with his chopsticks, said, "Really, there isn't any."
For some reason, Luo Yan felt that his determination to resign was gradually fading. The years of sibling affection made her realize something at this moment: perhaps her brother didn't just want to quit today, but had been enduring it because of their parents, and even her.
She suddenly felt a pang of self-reproach and quickly said, "Yes, something is wrong."
Luo Hong glanced at his sister and gave her a meaningful look.
Luo Yan gently nudged her brother: "Mom and Dad will support you too, tell me."
In short, Luo Hong made his parents sit up straight, and with the arrow already on the bowstring, he decided to go all out: "I want to start my own business."
Liu Yinfeng's first reaction was, of course, to object. The word "no" was already between her teeth, but for some reason, she couldn't say it.
Luo Xinmin then blurted out, "If you don't do a good job, you can take over my job in two years."
Perhaps because of what she had said beforehand, Liu Yinfeng's expression actually relaxed: "Okay, you do it."
To be honest, Luo Hong knew his parents would eventually agree, but he didn't expect it to be so casual. He even doubted his ears and turned to look at his sister.
Luo Yan said proudly, "See? I told you Mom and Dad would support you."
Seeing her daughter's complete trust, Liu Yinfeng patted her hand and said, "You've already said what you wanted to say, how could I possibly disagree?"
Unable to hold back any longer, he blurted out his true feelings: "After the three of you returned to the city, your mind started to wander. Do you think your father and I didn't notice?"
Luo Hong felt that his mother's words contained a hint of blaming someone, so he distanced himself, saying, "It has nothing to do with him."
No matter what, if the child does something slightly "wrong", the parents will always be the first to make excuses for him and find fault with the people around him. Liu Yinfeng didn't say it, but she still had some opinions about Zhou Weifang.
She said, "You're all grown up now, you can make your own decisions."
That's what she said, but she still worried a lot and kept interrogating him after he got home.
Luo Hong explained the general plan with such fluency that it didn't seem like a spur-of-the-moment decision.
Liu Yinfeng could tell: "How long have you been thinking about this?"
Now that she's recovered, she seems to be settling scores a bit.
Luo Yan sat next to her mother and said in a spoiled tone, "Don't talk about him."
Liu Yinfeng recalled what her daughter looked like when she was little and said helplessly, "I'll beat you up too later."
Even Luo Hong wasn't intimidated, saying, "I really have nothing else to offer in this life but good fortune and being born into the right family."
Don't think you can get away with saying a few nice words. Liu Yinfeng: "You're the one who deserves to be hit the most."
Luo Hongtou leaned over to let his mother hit him, and Liu Yinfeng slapped him twice without hesitation, then asked, "How much money do you need to open a shop?"
Luo Hong: "We don't lack anything for now. Everything is readily available from the third party. All we need to do is get a license."
Although Liu Yinfeng didn't want to open her pocket either, she still said, "That won't do. Even brothers have to keep clear accounts. Money that needs to be spent in business must be spent."
Luo Hong: "Yes, we keep a separate account."
More than money, Luo Xinmin said, "No matter what position you're in, do your job well and be true to your conscience."
Otherwise, why would Luo Hong be able to receive the model worker award? He would give a proper salute and say, "I will never let down the leader's trust."
Luo Xinmin: "The leader will give you 100 yuan, that's all."
Normally, Luo Yan would definitely have said "I want one too," but today she unusually didn't say anything.
But how could Luo Xinmin forget his daughter? He said, "You have one too."
Luo Yan had almost never received so much money before. Her eyes widened as she nudged her brother with her elbow, saying, "Quickly, beg me."
Luo Hong: "Shouldn't you have given me this moment, such a heartwarming one?"
Luo Yan: "You're shameless."
Seeing that the siblings were arguing again, the parents washed up and went back to their room first, but the couple were destined to have a sleepless night, and even for a long time afterward, they could not find peace of mind.
Even if you weren't their child, you could probably guess that.
Luo Hong sighed deeply, which reminded Luo Yan of something: "You wouldn't beat up Wang Tu Mao as soon as you resigned, would you?"
In her mind, he's just a man who only knows how to use his hands? Luo Hong: "He and his master have benefited a lot from the factory. I may not say anything, but I know. Just wait, I'll report him in six months."
This can be considered as him enduring hardship and biding his time. Luo Yan breathed a sigh of relief: "As long as there's no fighting, it's fine."
He was also a little happy: "The shop is located on our school campus, so I can deliver lunch to you."
Luo Hong added, "I'm afraid having a brother who's self-employed will embarrass you."
These days, it's definitely not a respectable thing.
"What's so shameful about that?" Luo Yan criticized him, "You're not stealing or robbing anyone, your thinking is very disrespectful to working people! Today is Labor Day!"
It was such a huge compliment that Luo Hong couldn't bear it, and he apologized very sincerely.
Luo Yan reluctantly forgave him on behalf of the working people, said a few more words, and went to wash up.
Luo Hong was left alone in the living room, seemingly lonely, but he knew he was not alone in this world.
-----------------------
Author's note: This chapter was too difficult to write. I revised it several times, but in the end I decided to let Luo Hong resign in a gentle way.
P.S.: It took a whole month of dancing to this rain!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com