A passerby noticed an old woman lying on the ground, her clothes patched and covered in dust.
"What's going on here?" a middle-aged woman on the street asked, pointing to the person on the ground.
When Zhang Xiufen saw someone coming, she immediately got up and hugged the leg of the street official.
"You have to stand up for me! My son won't even support me anymore, what kind of nonsense is this!"
This kind of situation is actually very rare. After all, city people usually just talk a big game. They wouldn't actually throw a tantrum like that; it would be too low-class and make them a laughing stock.
But Zhang Xiufen wasn't afraid. She wanted the whole city to know, and everyone would know.
The neighborhood committee member remained calm and helped the old lady up. "Grandma," he said, "let's talk this out. Did you get a letter of introduction from the city? Which brigade are you from?"
letter of introduction?
Zhang Xiufen was taken aback. She had decided to come on short notice and hadn't thought about getting a letter of introduction.
“Um, I don’t have a letter of introduction. Why would I need a letter of introduction to come to my son’s house?” she asked matter-of-factly.
The street official smiled faintly and said, "You can't do without a letter of introduction. You must leave tonight. If you don't leave, we'll send you back to the brigade, and then your brigade will give you a lecture."
"What the heck?!" Zhang Xiufen was stunned. She didn't understand what was said before, but she understood the last part about letting the brigade educate her.
How embarrassing!
The neighborhood committee member wasn't trying to scare her; after all, you can't go anywhere without a letter of introduction, especially in the city. You want to stay overnight here? You'll need a letter of introduction.
"If you don't have a letter of introduction, leave now! Otherwise, if the police come, they'll arrest you as a vagrant." The people on the street were not polite either.
After all, dragging things out is not only time-consuming, but it also delays their work.
Such force can easily scare away an old lady, effortlessly and saving time—a win-win situation.
Zhang Xiufen was indeed frightened. She didn't dare to throw a tantrum at the man in front of her who looked like a cadre. She could only turn around and glare at the Wang family members with resentment.
Then she said to Xu Guangtian, "Even if I can't come today, I can come tomorrow! Anyway, you have to take care of me in my old age. Get this house ready for me, and I'll bring a letter of introduction tomorrow!"
After saying that, she turned and left.
Having said that, Zhang Xiufen's meaning was clear: once the letter of introduction arrived tomorrow, no one would be able to control her!
Wang Xiumin looked worried, after all, her mother-in-law was a woman of her word, especially when it came to things that were in her best interest.
Seeing that everyone had left, the street officials were also about to leave.
Wang Zhongshan hurried over to see the person off, saying, "Comrades, thank you for your help today."
The neighborhood official waved his hand and said, "Serving the people is our duty, but if she brings a letter of introduction tomorrow, then there's nothing I can do. Even an upright official can't settle family disputes; you should discuss it carefully."
They didn't have any good solutions for people like Zhang Xiufen.
After all, she doesn't know how to be shameful, and when she throws a tantrum, no one can do anything about it.
Wang Zhongshan nodded, then saw the person off.
When they returned, everyone in the yard hung their heads, looking dejected.
This is easy to handle. If they come, just send them away. But Xu Guangtian is here. No matter what, she is his mother, the one who gave birth to him and raised him.
Even if Zhang Xiufen is being unreasonable, it would be truly excessive for Xu Guangtian to actually chase her away.
Wang Zhongshan sighed and said, "Go do what you're supposed to do, don't just stand here."
The neighbors were all watching the spectacle, and to be honest, they all felt embarrassed.
But what can you do when you have such in-laws? You can only put up with it.
Xu Guangtian remained silent, his mind filled with thoughts. He was able to come to the city this time thanks to the job his father-in-law found for Xiangyang.
He knew in his heart how his mother had treated him all these years, so he didn't dwell on it anymore.
Therefore, it's absolutely impossible for Zhang Xiufen to move in; he certainly won't agree.
Whether or not someone is filial is one thing; if your elders can't do that, then you can't criticize others.
Moreover, he also gives out retirement money every year, and he has done everything he was supposed to do.
He no longer cares how his family treats him; now that he's married, he just needs to take care of his own little family.
Inside the house, Granny Wang looked outside with a worried expression at Xu Guangtian, who was lost in thought.
She turned to her daughter and asked, "Xiumin, do you think Guangtian will soften his heart?"
In this day and age, filial piety can be a real burden. If Xu Guangtian dared to abandon his elderly mother, he would probably be the subject of gossip and criticism.
Even if Zhang Xiufen is a terrible person, she is still his own mother.
Upon hearing her words, Wang Xiumin laughed and confidently said, "Mother, you don't need to worry about that. Don't let Guangtian's quiet nature fool you; he puts Xiangyang and me first in his heart. My mother-in-law wants to come and stay here? Let alone whether we agree or not, Guangtian certainly won't agree either. Don't worry."
This is why Wang Xiumin has never looked down on him all these years.
Although the man is not ambitious, he always puts her and the children first.
A man who knows how to love his children and wife is a good man, much better than those who are blindly filial and only listen to others.
Like the Xu family, they're listless and do whatever others say. Such families have no future.
She was very satisfied. Her man loved her, her child was successful, what more could she ask for?
Grandma Wang frowned. Although this was a good thing, she couldn't help but feel a little worried.
"Mom, don't worry, everything's fine!" Wang Xiumin smiled and comforted her for a couple of minutes before going about her business.
Xu Xiangyang worked a full day, which basically consisted of sitting in the office, and the company would use a car to help him with some errands.
After work, I will take Director Yang home.
While driving, Director Yang, sitting in the back seat, said, "Xiao Xu, do you think our unit has a lot of people?"
The question caught Xu Xiangyang off guard, but the Grain Bureau was huge, so of course there were a lot of people. Why ask this?
He nodded and said, "Yes, there are quite a lot of people."
Director Yang sighed, "Our unit has a lot of people, but only so much work. How many people are being supported for nothing?"
That's how it is now, but it's normal when things get busy, otherwise we wouldn't have enough manpower.
Xu Xiangyang glanced at him in the rearview mirror. He was the only one who heard what he said. If others had heard it, they would have accused him of something.
He felt he still needed to give a reminder. Regardless of how many problems Director Yang had, he was a person who cared about the country and was a good director.
"Director Yang, it's fine to say these things in private, but you can't say them like that in public," Xu Xiangyang earnestly advised.
However, Director Yang became somewhat angry upon hearing this.
What do you mean by "can't say it in public"?!
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