Director Yuan was being criticized in the factory director's office. There was not only the factory director in the office, but also leaders from other departments and two deputy factory directors.
"Old Yuan, Old Yuan, what can I say about you?"
"Our factory has never been so embarrassed before, and now we've lost face twice in a row."
"Other factories are pretty honest except when they have to deal with the police when they catch thieves."
"Our factory just sent away Tian Chengping, who was looking for trouble, a while ago, and now here comes another rumormonger. Our factory is a place for serious workers, and now it's as busy as a vegetable market every day."
"Look at you, a good director, how can your ideological awareness be so low? Without even asking clearly, you said it was the fault of the person who spread the rumor. Now the rumor is directed at you. Tell me, are you wrong?"
"I've never seen you act like this."
Director Yuan lowered her head, feeling somewhat unconvinced and aggrieved. How could she have known that things would develop to this point? In the past, when the young workers were scolded by their leaders, none of them dared to report the case. But this old lady Xia had become restless since her divorce, causing constant turmoil in their factory.
"It's all because of Comrade Xia's restlessness. If it weren't for her, how could so many things have happened?" Director Yuan was still unwilling to be scolded, and wanted to put the blame on Mrs. Xia as soon as he opened his mouth.
The factory manager burst out laughing on the spot.
"Old Yuan, I think you're taking your position as director for granted. When Comrade Xia asked you questions in the conference room, which one of your statements was wrong? Was it that you were wrong to call someone in for a confrontation, or that you were wrong to investigate the source of the rumors?"
Director Yuan: "Her attitude is wrong. If she had spoken to me nicely, would I have made things difficult for her?"
The factory director stood up from his chair, hands behind his back. "Old Yuan, if you continue to be so unrepentant, I think you should quit your position as deputy director. Do you treat those veteran workers the same as the young workers you used to scold so freely? Who are they? They're the ones who dared to storm into my office and challenge me. They're frontline workers, far more important than you. When you say this now, what position do you place yourself in, and what position do you place them in?"
Director Yuan: "Well, I'm at the same level as the workshop director. Can't they show me some respect?"
The factory manager said, "Then you should do something that will earn people's respect. Look at what you've done. If you think about it, it's you who brought shame to our factory this time."
Director Yuan: "Even if she was unhappy, the worst that could happen is that she would rush to your office to complain, just like you just said. But now, there's no chance of easing up, and she's directly reported it to the police."
The factory director pointed outside the door and said, "Who do you think she is? How many women of her age who dare to divorce are easy to mess with? How many people have been sent to the hospital in their compound every year, and how many cases have been reported? You dare to mess with someone like this? Are you stupid?"
Old Mrs. Xia followed Chen Xiangbei to a remote and dilapidated alley in the east of the city. They soon found the earthen house that Chen Xiangbei had inquired about. There were many houses like this in the area. When you looked inside from the outside, the house was pitch black even in broad daylight.
Before he knocked on the door, he heard Tian Chengping's angry curses from inside.
Chen Xiangbei couldn't help but feel a little worried. If the person inside was really his aunt, considering how much his mother cared about his aunt, his mother would probably go crazy on the spot.
If I had known to bring my second brother along, he would always find a way. Chen Xiangbei felt a little regretful.
Old Lady Xia knocked on the door, and Tian Chengping inside cursed and shouted, "Who is it?"
The person who opened the door was an old woman with tired eyes. Although her hair had turned a lot whiter and some strands were scattered, a closer look revealed that her hair was combed neatly. Her fingers were red and rotten, and there were water droplets on her hands, as if they had been soaked in water for a long time.
She was very thin, her whole body seemed to be skin and bones. The corners of her mouth drooped, and her numb eyes looked like she saw no hope in life and was just trying to survive.
Old Mrs. Xia was looking at her, and she was also looking at Old Mrs. Xia.
Suddenly, she opened her eyes wide, pushed the person out, and slammed the door shut.
Tian Chengping's voice was heard from inside the house again, "Who on earth is this?"
Old woman: “Someone I don’t know.”
After swearing a few times, Tian Chengping said, "Just because you don't know him doesn't mean I don't know him. He's really getting more useless as he gets older. He doesn't even ask his name."
He staggered over and tried to open the door, but the old woman stopped him, "Don't open the door."
How could a bastard like Tian Chengping listen to his mother? He raised his hand and pushed her to the side, not caring that she fell to the ground, and opened the door directly.
"You..." Tian Chengping was stunned, and then he was furious. "How dare you come to my house to find me? Do you still want to beat me?"
He pushed Old Lady Xia, causing her to stumble. Chen Xiangbei was furious, "How dare you push my mother?"
Old Lady Xia was also angry, "Beast."
Tian Chengping: "Who are you calling a beast? I just cursed at you a few times and you sent me to jail. Now you're coming to my house to curse me. You're the beast, right? Damn old woman."
Old Mrs. Xia thought of the old woman just now. Even if she was so thin, even if so many years had passed, there was no way she would not recognize her.
She is only ten years older than me, how could she look so old? How much suffering must she have endured to have such a lack of light in her eyes?
Wasn't she married to the village? Why did she appear here again, with a beastly son like Tian Chengping?
Old Mrs. Xia had a lot of questions she wanted to ask, but the person in front of her kept bothering her and stopping her.
The two sides started pushing and shoving each other, and Xia Yu'e inside finally couldn't help it and came out.
"You guys... stop arguing."
Tian Chengping turned around and pushed her hard again, "What business have you got here? If you have time, wash some clothes for others and earn some extra money. Your son, I've lost my job because of this damn old woman. I'm going to starve to death. If you really starve me to death, how will you face my father in the future?"
The neighbors who were watching the fun couldn't stand it when they heard this. Even though they had had many conflicts with Tian Chengping and didn't want to get involved in this trivial matter, they couldn't help it.
"Your father was pissed off to death by you, and you still have the nerve to mention him?"
"Even though you earned money as a worker, I never saw you give any money to your mother. She couldn't even afford to eat enough."
"How shameless! Raising you is even more useful than raising a chicken."
"Poor Auntie Tian. Her husband beat her when he was still alive, and now her son is still abusing her after he died."
"She's not content with earning a few cents washing clothes, and now that Tian Chengping is unemployed, I'm afraid even that little money will be taken away. She's going to starve to death."
"Why didn't God take away this kind of beast?"
Old Mrs. Xia pieced together what other people had said about the hard life her sister had lived over the years, and her eyes suddenly turned red. Her sister's life was simply not a life for a human being.
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