Chapter 174 No matter how tough things get, we must not give up.
"The police arrived suddenly, without even giving us a chance to explain, and then they handcuffed us and took us away."
"Since you've been wronged, go talk to the leaders and explain it to them! Go to the factory manager's office and reason with them. If that doesn't work, write a report and submit it to higher authorities!"
Zhou Shufen became anxious, and her tone became agitated.
As soon as she spoke, she suddenly stopped, a hint of guilt flashing across her face.
She was able to run her grocery store peacefully on this street entirely thanks to Guo Zhenyi's connections at the supply and marketing cooperative.
But in this world, how many people have such connections?
Some people don't even have the chance to meet their superiors.
"Big sister, it's no use."
Yang Yunmu gave a wry smile.
“They had already laid out the evidence clearly. The money was in my husband’s pocket, not a penny missing. Thirty-two thousand six hundred yuan, neatly bundled up, wrapped in oil paper, and stamped with the finance department’s seal. As soon as the police found it, they immediately determined the nature of the crime.”
"Then just return the money, okay? You can find another job, you won't starve! How did you end up like this?"
Zhou Shufen couldn't help but raise her voice.
Yang Yunmu slowly shook his head.
“That money… we didn’t take it. But who would believe that? There were people in the factory who had been watching that position for a long time. As soon as Hu Da fell, a new person took over the next day. The ledgers were also changed, and the warehouse records didn’t match up… but no one listened to my explanation. Even the factory doctor wouldn’t give me a sick leave certificate. I was fired after being absent from work for three days.”
"He heard that the policy had been relaxed a bit, so he started trading cotton yarn with others, hoping to make some quick money..."
“He left early that morning, saying he was going to a neighboring county and would be back by evening. I made him a scallion pancake and put it in his cloth bag for him to take on the road. But… but he didn’t come back by nightfall.”
"He was caught on the spot."
Her tears flowed uncontrollably, falling in strings to the ground.
“The factory said I was a family member, that they knew about this but didn’t say anything, and fired me on the spot. There was no prior notice, no explanation, and I didn’t even have a chance to defend myself. I stood at the office door, listening to them read out the disciplinary decision, and I was completely numb. It was a very windy day, and I was standing in the yard, shivering with cold, but I didn’t know if it was because of the cold weather or because my heart was cold.”
"All my belongings were taken away to pay off debts, and my mother-in-law said I was a jinx and brought bad luck to my husband, so she kicked me out of the house..."
Her voice trembled.
"They took away the cabinets, the bed, the pots and pans, and even the baby's cotton-padded coat. My mother-in-law stood on the doorstep, pointing her finger at me and yelling, 'You jinx! You killed my husband, and now you want to kill our whole family? Get out! Don't dirty my floor!'"
She looked up at Zhou Shufen.
“I can’t go back to my parents’ home. My parents passed away a long time ago, and I didn’t make it to see them one last time. My brother and sister-in-law think I’m a disgrace, saying I’m bringing shame to our ancestors, and they won’t even let me in the door. I stood at the door, kneeling and begging them to let me stay for one night, just one night. But they bolted the door from the inside, closed the windows tightly, and wouldn’t even give me a bowl of hot water.”
"Sister Zhou, I really have nowhere else to go..."
Her voice lowered.
"Can I sleep on the floor here? I won't be picky, I won't make a fuss, and I won't cause any trouble. I'll do your laundry and cook for you. As long as you're willing to take me in and let me have a hot meal, I'll be content. Even a bowl of porridge will warm me up..."
"Where are the children? Don't you have a son and a daughter?"
Zhou Shufen's voice softened.
"My mother-in-law won't let me take care of her."
She gave a wry smile.
“She said the children are the root of the Zhou family and cannot bring shame to the family by following me, a ‘family member of a sinner.’ They… do not want to suffer with me either. My son is only eight years old, but the way he looks at me is like he is looking at a stranger. My daughter hugs her doll and whispers to her grandmother: ‘Is Mommy a bad person?’… When I heard this, my heart broke.”
Last month, she was wearing her newly bought Dacron shirt, standing in the sunlight smiling as she said she wanted to save some money to make a new cotton-padded jacket for her child.
At that time, her face was glowing and her eyes were full of hope.
How long has it been?
In just a few dozen days, he became so thin that he was practically a shadow.
"Don't panic."
Zhou Shufen gently patted her hand.
"It's cold, you're not dressed warmly enough. The wind will seep into your bones and cause you to get sick. Put this coat on first."
She turned and went into the inner room, found a faded padded jacket, and gently wrapped it around Yang Yunmu.
Yang Yunmu suddenly grabbed Zhou Shufen's hand.
"Big sister...you saved my life, I...I could never repay you even if I did anything for you..."
"Don't say anything more."
Zhou Shufen interrupted her.
“You don’t need to repay me. I understand, I understand everything. In a few days, you’ll come with me to Ningcheng. I’m short-handed there, working in an electronics factory, with room and board included, and you can earn a good amount a month. When you go, you can start over, and no one will know your past.”
"You can stay at my rented room for now. Jiaqi lives at school and doesn't come back often, so the room is quiet. There's an empty bed in the west wing, and I'll air out your bedding this afternoon. Settle in without worry."
She paused, then added.
"Don't worry about the food. It's just an extra pair of chopsticks. If I can eat, you can eat too."
Yang Yunmu knelt down with a thud, raising his head to kowtow to the ground.
Zhou Shufen caught her.
She stared into Yang Yunmu's eyes.
"Don't do this. We've all suffered. Kowtowing won't save you, and tears won't save your life. Stop kowtowing, save your energy. Living is more important than anything else."
Zhou Shufen frowned, her tone carrying a hint of reproach.
“Kneeling like this isn’t a good way to live. We’ll see each other all the time. Everyone has their ups and downs in life. Everyone has their difficulties. Yunmu, you have to pull yourself together. No matter how hard life gets, you can’t give up. The sun will rise every day, and the sky won’t stay dark forever.”
"Big sister, I'm really not afraid of hardship. I can do even the most tiring work."
Yang Yunmu bit her lower lip, trying hard to suppress the soreness in her eyes.
"I also want to be like you, to earn my own future little by little through my own efforts. I don't want to rely on anyone's charity anymore, and I don't want to be looked down upon anymore."
"good!"
Zhou Shufen nodded heavily.
“With this kind of drive, you’re not afraid of not going far. You should rest and recuperate for a few days and save up your strength. I’m leaving for Shenzhen in ten days. If you want to come with me, you can come with me.”
After saying that, she lowered her head and skillfully moved the beads on the abacus.
Meanwhile, Yang Qingshan was squatting behind the counter, carefully sorting through stacks of newly arrived goods.
Just then, several customers pushed open the door and came in, and the once quiet little shop instantly became lively.
Yang Yunmu sat on a small stool in the corner of the room, listening to the noise outside, and couldn't sit still any longer.
She quickly stood up, gently patted the hem of her clothes, and hurried over.
"Brother Qingshan, let me lend a hand. You can't handle it all by yourself."
As soon as she finished speaking, she began to help greet the guests.
Zhou Shufen stood to the side, her eyes glancing over unintentionally.
Seeing Yang Yunmu's busy figure, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.
While Cheng Jiaqi was having evening self-study at the town's middle school, she suddenly heard Principal Wu from the next class mention that Zhou Shufen had returned.
Her heart warmed, and without thinking twice, she immediately raised her hand to ask the teacher for leave.
"Auntie!"
Just as she put dinner on the table, she heard familiar footsteps coming from outside the courtyard gate.
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