Chapter 158 Veteran
"Tsk, who are you kidding?" Zhou Chang glared at her. "I heard that the Ji family loves you like a piece of their eyeball. They even pushed their own son aside. Who would believe you if you said you have no money?"
"There's no need for me to lie to you." Ji Huayan's face was stiff, trying hard to suppress his anger.
Zhou Chang waved his hand and said, "We can talk about other things later. First, find us a place to take a bath and get rid of the bad luck on our bodies. We can finish celebrating the New Year first."
"By the way, have we got our residence permits?"
Ji Huayan: "It will take some time. It's not something that can be done overnight."
She didn't dare to make a big fuss about this matter, for fear that it would get to the ears of Ji Nian Shan, and then the truth would be exposed.
"Then you have to do it as soon as possible. Also, your adoptive father will definitely give you money during the New Year. You can give it to us then."
Ji Huayan endured it.
These two people really cannot be kept, but how can they be eliminated without anyone noticing? It would be best if Zhou Nuan could do it, so that she can rest assured.
She has to think of a solution.
————
Zhou Nuan went to the department store. It would be New Year's Eve in two days and the holiday would be coming soon. She came to distribute bonuses to the employees. In addition to the bonuses, she also prepared a big red envelope for each person.
Everyone was delighted when they received the generous red envelopes. They couldn't hide the smiles on their faces and thought they had a good boss.
The business was supposed to be closed for vacation tomorrow, but Liu Miao and Li Baijie volunteered to stay and open the business.
Li Baijie smiled and said, "My hometown is far away, and I have nothing to do during the holidays. During this period, my salary increased because of Xiao Nuan. After I sent it back, my family was very happy and asked me to work hard."
This was the first time she had the courage to contact her family after coming to Haicheng. If it weren't for Zhou Nuan, she would still be working hard outside. She worked sincerely.
"Besides, if business is good, our dividends will be higher, right? The New Year is the best time for business, and I have to go to work."
Zhou Nuan had no choice but to ask Liu Miao, "Sister Miao, how about you?"
"I won't go back either. Why would I go back?" Liu Miao raised the corner of his lips sarcastically. "My mom and the others only want to see the money, not me. That's why I won't go back."
The two insisted, so Zhou Nuan had no choice but to stop persuading them and plan to invite them to her home on New Year's Eve to have a New Year's Eve dinner together.
After coming out of the department store, she passed by the alley that Xie Xiuzhen had taken her into. She glanced inside casually and saw the shoe repair stall.
It was empty inside, as if it was not in the same world as the bustling outside. The old man sat there blankly like he did that day, his eyes staring into the empty distance, his back looking lonely and desolate.
Zhou Nuan felt a sudden sour sensation in her nose, and before she could react, her feet had already walked towards the shoe repair stall.
She stopped in front of the old man.
The old man heard the noise, focused his gaze, and looked at her with a pair of cloudy eyes.
Zhou Nuan smiled slightly, "Uncle, do you remember me? Last time, I came here with Sister Xie Xiuzhen to get my shoes repaired."
The old man didn't move, only his damaged eyeball moved slightly, and it was unclear whether he reacted because he heard Xie Xiuzhen's name.
He suddenly bent down, wiped the non-existent dust on the broken stool with his hand like he did that day, and then motioned for her to sit down.
Zhou Nuan sat down and the old man extended his hand to her again.
"..." She thought about it and took off her shoes and handed them over, even though there was nothing wrong with the shoes.
While the old man was checking, she carefully asked, "Uncle, where are you from?"
"The New Year is coming the day after tomorrow. Aren't you going home? Won't your family be worried about you?"
The old man didn't even raise his eyelids.
"You were a soldier, right? You got this injury on the battlefield? Why don't you go to the relevant department to collect your allowance? You can completely enjoy your old age with the government's subsidies, why did you fall to this point and set up a stall to make a living?"
The old man frowned, but still ignored it.
Zhou Nuan continued to ask, "Could it be that something went wrong? Someone was obstructing or claiming the money?"
This is not impossible. She has seen reports that some bad guys with bad intentions have done this. If it is true, she can ask Gu Xiyue for help.
As soon as she finished speaking, the old man stopped what he was doing and said with difficulty, "Yours, the shoes are fine, you can go."
Perhaps because he hadn't spoken for a long time, his voice was hoarse and dry, and very unpleasant to hear, but it was still clear.
His accent was very familiar, obviously from the Jiangzhou area, the same as Qin Yuezhi and He Rongsheng's accents.
Zhou Nuan was stunned for a moment, "Uncle, are you from Jiangzhou? I'm from Jiangzhou too, we're from the same hometown."
The old man was slightly startled, and then his cloudy eyes were filled with nostalgia.
His expression became better. "Girl, you have a kind heart, but you must remember to be on guard against others."
After he started talking, he spoke more and more fluently, and when he said this, his brows were full of pain.
Seeing that he was willing to communicate, Zhou Nuan perked up, "Old man, are you a soldier who retreated from the battlefield?"
“…”
"Did you suffer these injuries at that time?"
“…”
Not denying is admitting.
Zhou Nuan didn’t understand how a soldier who had sacrificed so much for his country could end up having to make a living by repairing shoes. Could it be that someone had claimed the money for him, as she said?
“Why doesn’t the country care about it?”
The old man was angry. "It has nothing to do with the country. The country is doing well! I am the one who doesn't want to receive the title. Don't make wild guesses here!"
His back was straight, and his one normal eye was full of sharpness, like a soldier fighting bravely to defend his country and never allowing anyone to slander his motherland.
Zhou Nuan was shocked by his reaction and it took her a long time to react.
"I'm sorry, old man, I thought too much," she apologized sincerely, "but why did you..."
That was the compensation he deserved. He should have been a hero respected by everyone, but why was he willing to live in this shabby little stall and couldn't even afford enough food and clothing?
The old man looked much older in an instant. His face was filled with guilt and his tone was full of sorrow. He muttered, "Everyone is dead, and I am the only one alive... Why should I survive?"
Zhou Nuan was shocked. She had thought of many reasons, but she had never thought that it was because of this. The old hero actually felt guilty and uneasy because all his comrades had died while he lived. He probably would rather have died at that time than live in vain.
The war is over, but some people will never get out of it.
"Uncle, this is not your fault..." Zhou Nuan wanted to persuade him.
The old man waved his hands, and his back, which had been straight just now, suddenly collapsed. "Girl, you don't understand. Go away. Just let me be like this. I will feel better."
The sky became increasingly gloomy. Even though it wasn't raining, it felt like the rain had never stopped.
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