Chapter 337 If only my brother were still here
Father Cao noticed his daughter's emotions, followed her gaze to look at the photo, his eyes slightly reddened, and then he sighed softly.
"Mom should be back soon after buying medicine."
The girl calmed down, stood up and looked towards the door.
Just at this moment.
A middle-aged woman in a black coat, holding a plastic bag, walked in hurriedly.
"This late spring cold snap is freezing people to death."
After entering the house, she put the bag of clinker on the table and rubbed her hands and blew on it.
"Lao Cao, I bought you some cough medicine."
Cao's mother shouted into the room, "This is from Dr. Zhu in town. This old doctor is very good at treating coughs."
"It seems there's no gas at home. I'm going to borrow some hot water from Uncle Quan next door for Dad's medicine."
The girl turned around and was about to go out.
"Why do you need boiled water? Just drink the cold water." Cao's mother waved her hand.
The girl gave a wry smile.
It’s okay to take medicine with cold water.
"I went out to buy medicine. Those bastards didn't come looking for trouble again, did they?"
Mother Cao took a long time to calm down and her body became much warmer. As she spoke, she took out the medicine from the plastic bag.
The girl shook her head. "Mom, they didn't come."
The "bastards" the two men were referring to were members of the demolition team.
Renhe Village has a good location and is close to the industrial park. Someone from above is planning to buy the entire piece of land to build a factory.
But the demolition compensation is ridiculously low.
No resettlement housing was provided.
After selling the house, I only had enough money for a down payment in the city.
Many neighbors who had fields and land found it very cost-effective after calculation, so they happily took the demolition compensation and moved away.
There are still some families like the Cao family, whose main income comes from working and whose house is their only shelter.
Those who refuse to accept the demolition conditions become "nail households."
"These people just keep urging us to move out, and they haven't explained the compensation clearly."
Cao's mother placed the medicine box on the table, her brows knitted into a knot. "Life is so hard these days. They're targeting those of us without connections, trying to drive down the price."
"Those who have moved out don't know where they'll live in the future. We can't just hand over the house without knowing what's going on."
Cao's father also sighed.
For those at the bottom of society who have no background, they are at the mercy of others.
This period of time.
Because they refused to move out, the demolition team started cutting off water and electricity.
It’s so cold, and life is really hard without water and electricity.
"Xiaoying, don't worry about the power outage. Mom bought a high-power power bank. I bring it to the factory when I go to work and fully charge it before bringing it back."
Cao's mother is more optimistic. "We can just take the little bit of money from the factory and barely keep our family's electricity going."
"Mom, this... isn't a good idea?" Cao Ying was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
"What's wrong with that?"
Cao's mother was very confident. "I work like a horse for 13 hours a day in the factory. I'm doing the work of three people. What's wrong with getting a little extra money?"
"At worst, I'll volunteer to work overtime for an hour to make up for it."
This is the truth.
There doesn't seem to be anything wrong.
"By the way, don't we still have medicine for external injuries?"
Mother Cao seemed to have thought of something. She walked towards the cabinet and said as she searched, "I just came back and heard Aunt Zhao say that Uncle Zhao refused to move and was pushed down by the demolition team, and his leg was injured. Although this medicine is ordinary, it can at least help him in an emergency."
"How could those people do this! Is there no one to stop it?"
Cao Ying was very angry when she heard this.
Cao's mother found the medicine and sighed softly, "We are ordinary people. Who can we expect to take care of us? This world is just like this sometimes, bullying people."
"If my brother were still here, they wouldn't dare to bully people like this!"
Cao Ying clenched her fists in hatred.
The young face was filled with anger.
Mother Cao placed the medicine on the table and shook her head helplessly. "Son, don't think about it. Your brother... is gone. Don't let him miss us over there."
Although it sounded easy to say.
But her red eyes still betrayed her sad thoughts.
Cao Ying lowered her head, not wanting her mother to recall her brother's sadness, and quickly put away her sad thoughts, "I know, Mom."
"I'll go take the medicine to Aunt Zhao."
Cao Ying picked up the food on the table and walked out into the yard.
Before I had taken a few steps, I saw several unfamiliar figures.
The leader was a man wearing glasses and a neat suit. He looked gentle, but he exuded an aura that made people afraid to approach him.
He clutched a sheaf of papers tightly in his hand.
Following behind him were a few burly guys with fat faces, and it was obvious that they were not good people.
"mom--"
Cao Ying's heart skipped a beat.
Her intuition told her that these people were from the demolition team.
Subconsciously, I wanted to hide in the house.
"Hey, little girl, what are you afraid of?" The man with glasses smiled helplessly and shook his head slightly, "We are not monsters."
Cao Ying didn't dare to believe it and paused.
He still stared at them warily, his hands unconsciously clenching the corners of his clothes.
at this time.
Cao's mother heard the noise and walked out quickly.
Protecting Cao Ying behind him, he looked straight at the man with glasses, "What are you doing here again? We don't agree with the demolition. There's no room for negotiation."
"Aunt Cao, don't be so hasty to refuse."
The man with glasses stepped forward and handed over the document in his hand. "This is the latest demolition compensation plan. The higher-ups have recalculated it, and the conditions are much better than before. Take a look."
A smile played on his face as he spoke.
Although this smile seems gentle, it gives people the feeling of a smiling tiger.
"How much better can it be?"
Cao's mother didn't reach out to take it. She snorted coldly, "The little money you gave us before wasn't even enough. You want us to move out? It's impossible."
Cao Ying hid behind her mother and looked at the group of people in front of her.
At this time, a burly guy became impatient.
He took a step forward and shouted in a gruff voice, "Don't be so shameless! This is already a favor from the higher-ups. If you delay any longer, you'll end up in trouble!"
"Aunt Cao, is this no longer negotiable?"
The gentle smile of the man with glasses gradually disappeared, replaced by an indifferent expression, staring straight at Cao's mother.
"No room for negotiation!"
Cao's mother was very stubborn. "1,500 yuan per square meter, are you trying to pay for beggars? My family depends on this house for their livelihood. This little money is not even enough for a down payment in the county town!"
Although the Cao family's house was a bit shabby, they did not live in poverty.
The old couple can usually cover their expenses by working in the factory, and Cao Ning used to send money back from the army every month.
After Cao Ning's death, the army received a lot of pensions.
But Cao's parents did not plan to use the money to buy a house in the county town, and they were even more dissatisfied with selling the house in their hometown at such a low price.
"You old woman, if you don't accept my toast, you'll be punished!"
The burly fellow was completely enraged by Mother Cao's attitude. He took another big step forward, waving his strong arms and roaring loudly: "If you don't sign today, I will make you suffer tomorrow!"
As he said this, he pretended to rush into the house.
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