At this point, Sister-in-law Xu's voice choked up, and tears welled up in her eyes as she continued, "Life at home is very difficult; we eat coarse grains and wild vegetables every day."
“We all gritted our teeth and persevered, never thinking of bothering him in the slightest. And what happened? He came back and immediately called off the engagement without saying a word.”
"He even offered such a large sum of money and job opportunities to compensate them! Did he ever think about you, his older brother? Only you, foolishly willing to go through all that trouble for him!"
After saying this, Sister-in-law Xu could no longer suppress her anger and grievances, and tears welled up in her eyes, turning them red.
Brother Xu, like a child who had done something wrong, silently lowered his head, held the child, and turned to walk slowly towards home without saying a word.
Throughout the journey, no matter how much Sister-in-law Xu criticized and complained, he remained silent and did not respond to a single word.
Over the next few days, Xu Wenhua ran around like a madman.
He rushed to the county's labor bureau and humbly asked the staff if there were any suitable job opportunities, but all he got were cold shakes of the head and perfunctory answers.
Afterwards, he went to great lengths to find several of his old comrades-in-arms who had served together in the army and were now in leadership positions in various factories, hoping that they could help him out of consideration for their past friendship.
However, the result was still disappointing.
Finally, with nowhere else to turn, Xu Wenhua even resorted to using all sorts of connections to try and contact his friends in the provincial capital, hoping to get a glimmer of hope from them.
But reality is always cruel and merciless. Despite his best efforts, running around until his legs were sore and his lips were worn out, he ultimately gained nothing.
Xu Wenhua walked slowly to the post office entrance with slightly heavy steps. He looked up at the old but familiar sign and a complex emotion welled up in his heart.
He hadn't contacted Chen Mengmeng for several days. So, without hesitation, he went into the post office.
After entering the post office, Xu Wenhua went straight to the public telephone stand.
“Hello, I’m making a call,” Xu Wenhua said to the staff.
"Go ahead and call! It's 10 cents a minute for locals, and 30 cents for those from out of town," the woman casually stated the price.
Xu Wenhua nodded, picked up the receiver, and skillfully dialed the number he knew by heart.
Not long after, a clear and pleasant voice came from the other end of the phone: "Hello, this is the Chen family. Who are you looking for?"
Hearing that familiar voice, Xu Wenhua's lips curled up slightly, and he replied softly, "Mengmeng, it's me."
Chen Mengmeng on the other end of the phone was clearly surprised, but her surprise was quickly replaced by joy: "Brother Wenhua, it really is you! I miss you so much, when can you come back?"
Her cheerful voice was like a ray of sunshine piercing through the gloom in Xu Wenhua's heart.
Xu Wenhua took a deep breath and replied with a slightly tired tone, "There are still some things to resolve here, so it may be a while before I can go back."
Chen Mengmeng asked eagerly, "Is there anything else that hasn't been taken care of? Is there anything I can help with?"
As she spoke, she cautiously glanced around, and finding no one in the house, she lowered her voice and continued into the microphone, "Wenhua, has your engagement been called off?"
Xu Wenhua stood there quietly, remaining silent throughout.
On the other end of the phone, Chen Mengmeng was extremely anxious, urging repeatedly, "Brother Wenhua, please tell me! Don't hide it from me, what exactly happened?"
Hearing Chen Mengmeng's anxious voice, Xu Wenhua's lips moved, but he finally said helplessly, "Mengmeng, the annulment of the engagement hasn't been successful yet..."
Upon hearing this news, Chen Mengmeng's eyes widened, and she asked incredulously, "What? Why is this happening? Did you become unable to part with that woman as soon as you got home? What am I then?"
As she spoke, her voice began to tremble slightly, carrying a hint of a sob.
Xu Wenhua quickly explained, "Mengmeng, please don't misunderstand, I really have no feelings for her anymore."
"But her family has set some conditions, and if these conditions are not met, the marriage cannot be called off."
Upon hearing this, Chen Mengmeng calmed herself down slightly and asked, "What conditions are so difficult to meet? Tell me, maybe I can help you!"
Xu Wenhua took a deep breath and slowly said, "Their family is asking for two job openings."
Chen Mengmeng thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up and she hurriedly said, "I have a solution! I have a relative who is the manager of a textile factory in town. I'll call him now and ask if he can help solve the problem of these two spots."
Before she could finish speaking, she quickly hung up the phone and dialed her relative's number.
With a mix of trepidation and excitement, Chen Mengmeng dialed the phone number of her great-uncle's factory in the town, a place she hadn't contacted in a long time.
She waited anxiously, silently praying that everything would go smoothly.
Just then, a familiar, slightly aged voice came from the other end of the phone: "Hello? Who is this?" Upon hearing the voice, Chen Mengmeng immediately exclaimed excitedly, "Uncle! It's me, Mengmeng! It's been so long since I've contacted you!"
It turned out that the person answering the phone was none other than Director Chen himself, who was busy handling various matters in his office.
"Oh, it's Mengmeng. What made you suddenly think of calling your uncle?" Director Chen asked.
Chen Mengmeng quickly began to plead sweetly, "Uncle~ I need your help with something, you have to promise me!"
"Oh, you actually have something to ask of me? What is it? Tell me."
Chen Mengmeng's shy voice came through the microphone, "Uncle, could you give me two job openings?"
Factory Director Chen replied somewhat awkwardly, "Mengmeng, the factory is already at full capacity. I really can't bring in any more people. And what do you need the quota for?"
Hearing this reply, Chen Mengmeng did not give up, but continued to plead in an even sweeter voice: "Uncle~ please, please help me, okay..."
Perhaps unable to resist Chen Mengmeng's persistent pleading, Factory Director Chen finally relented and said, "Alright, alright, I really can't resist you, you little rascal."
"Have your friend come to my place tomorrow to pick up the letter of introduction. The factory is planning to expand its workforce, so two more people wouldn't be a problem. But this is a one-time thing, okay? Don't do it again. I really can't help you like this again!"
Although Director Chen's tone was rather cold, Chen Mengmeng, who was completely absorbed in her joy, did not notice and happily hung up the phone.
After hanging up the phone, I couldn't wait to call the post office back.
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