Chapter 37 Boss, Do You Feel Pity for Me?
The second batch of persimmon cakes were packed with brochures printed by Tian Xin, and were placed in specialty stores in the ancient city along with billboards.
In order to expand her influence, she plans to go there in person to see if she can put up some billboards in scenic spots or places along the route.
"Zhang Shuai, you'll need to stay for two days this time. Please arrange all the work you have on hand."
Tian Xin helped load the truck while giving instructions to Zhang Shuai.
Zhang Shuai has been shuttling back and forth between the quarry and the clinker factory for the past six months. He looks thinner and his skin is tanned.
"Oh, okay! Then I'll go tell everyone and arrange the work for the next two days!" Zhang Shuai turned around and called the factory.
Tian Xin saw someone hanging around outside the company's gate.
This man had been standing at the door all morning, neither answering questions nor coming in.
It was almost December and the weather was very cold, but this man was wearing a very thin coat and was dirty all over, as if he had not washed for a long time.
His hair was messy and sticking up on his head, and his face was covered with untidy beard. If you didn't look closely, you really couldn't recognize him!
Tian Xin thought for a long time, but couldn't remember having seen this person before.
"Grandpa Liu, who is that person at the door? Why doesn't he come in?"
Grandpa Liu glanced at Zhang Shuai and gave Tian Xin a wink.
"Zhang Shuai? You mean he's looking for Zhang Shuai?"
Grandpa Liu came up to Tian Xin and whispered, "This is Zhang Shuai's father."
Zhang Shuai's father—no wonder she had no impression of him. He was always away from home, often playing cards. Zhang Shuai's mother had run away from home years ago, unable to make ends meet, leaving Zhang Shuai to wander the village alone.
The two families lived far apart, Tian Xin's home was in the north, and Zhang Shuai's home was in the south. Tian Xin had only seen this man a few times since she was a child.
Tian Xin glanced at Zhang Shuai's father and felt inexplicably angry. How could Zhang Shuai have such a father?
Zhang Shuai was still on the phone explaining work matters. It was almost the end of the year and the factory had tasks to do.
If she wasn't delivering the goods, she wouldn't have disturbed Zhang Shuai, but in order to ensure that the goods could be delivered safely to the specialty store, she still spoke to Li Baiwan.
"Zhang Shuai, your dad is here!" Tian Xin walked behind Zhang Shuai, patted him on the shoulder, and motioned him to look at the door.
Zhang Shuai was on the phone and just glanced at his father before turning his head back.
Tian Xin reminded him again: "Zhang Shuai..."
"Boss, don't worry about him, we'll leave after I finish the call!"
Zhang Shuai interrupted Tian Xin and continued on the phone.
A few minutes later, he finished his instructions, turned around, asked Tian Xin to get in the car, and prepared to set off.
"Don't you want to ask your dad why he came to see you?" Tian Xin got in the car and motioned to Zhang Shuai.
Zhang Shuai started the car, rolled up the window, and stopped looking at his father: "I don't want to ask, I don't want to care!"
"Zhang Shuai, no matter what, he is still your father..."
"Boss, don't worry about it. I don't have a father like that!"
Zhang Shuai stepped on the accelerator and the car drove out of the company gate. When passing by his father, Zhang Shuai did not look back.
Tian Xin turned around and saw Zhang Shuai's father still at the factory door, looking in the direction of the car.
"Boss, stop looking. If you run into him next time, ignore him!"
"Why did he come to see you?" Tian Xin asked.
"What else can I do? I need money!"
"Money? He wants money from you?"
"He's been here every month for the past six months since I came back. How could I have such a father? Other parents are only worried that their children will suffer injustices outside, but what about me? My mother abandoned me when I was young, and she was so happy to leave me to this bastard, leaving me with no food to eat! If it weren't for you, Boss, I don't know where I would be now."
Zhang Shuai grew increasingly angry as he spoke. "I've been out there for four years, and he didn't care. As soon as I came back, he asked me for money. What did he do with the money? He'd just go play cards and drink with his friends. Look at him. How could I have a father like that?"
Tian Xin saw that Zhang Shuai was in a bad mood, so she quickly asked him to pull over.
At this moment, the car had just driven out of the village, crossed a ditch, and reached a relatively flat section of the road.
Zhang Shuai parked the car on the side of the road, got out, lit a cigarette, squatted on the side of the road and stared into the distance in a daze.
Tian Xin got out of the car and squatted beside him.
The weather was extremely cold, and the sunlight did not provide any warmth on their bodies. They squatted on the side of the road, with the cold wind blowing straight into their necks.
Tian Xin wrapped her scarf and coat tightly and glanced at Zhang Shuai beside her.
Only then did she notice that Zhang Shuai was wearing very thin clothes and his face was red from the cold after squatting there for a while.
She quickly took off her scarf and put it on Zhang Shuai: "You idiot, aren't you cold? Why are you wearing so little?"
Zhang Shuai didn't say anything or move. He watched Tian Xin put a scarf around him and then put out the cigarette in his hand.
He looked at the mountains in the distance and asked Tian Xin in a calm tone: "Boss, do you think I am pitiful?"
Tian Xin was shocked and didn't know how to answer for a moment.
When she first met Zhang Shuai, she did feel pity for him, but also hateful. A grown man with all his hands and feet, but he didn't go out to find a job and just lived off the food and drink in the village.
Later, she found a job for Zhang Shuai in the city. Zhang Shuai worked very hard, and she felt that he was not hopeless.
After returning to the village, Zhang Shuai spent the next six months leading the team, working day and night, rising early and going to bed late. Li Baiwan said his monthly performance-based salary was more than double that of others, and he worked like a madman.
She couldn't explain how she felt. Zhang Shuai always called her "Boss, Boss" and stayed by her side during her most difficult times. In her heart, Zhang Shuai was like a family member.
Seeing him sad, she felt bad too.
"No, I never felt sorry for you!" Tian Xin said firmly: "You are now supporting yourself with your own ability, which is already very good! It's not like you can't eat, what's there to be pitiful about!"
She turned her head to look at Zhang Shuai and asked calmly, "You've been working so hard lately. Are you giving him money every month?"
Zhang Shuai was silent for a long moment, then sighed: "What else can I do if I don't give it to him? He's my dad after all. Look at him like that, I really want to just give up and leave him alone!"
"Then why did you ignore him just now?"
"He's already contacted me three times this month. I work my ass off for so little money. I really can't afford him squandering money like this!"
"Boss, what do you think I should do? Should I continue to care about him?"
"Of course you still have to take care of it, but you can't do it like this. You're just encouraging bad habits." Tian Xin said lightly.
"Don't give him so much money anymore. Give him enough for living expenses every month and let him go back to take care of the land at home. Tell him that if he works hard on the land, he will get living expenses, but if he doesn't, he won't get any. Let him figure it out for himself."
"Our land has been fallow for many years! Can he go back to farm in this condition?" Zhang Shuai sighed!
Tian Xin was annoyed!
She reached out and slapped Zhang Shuai on the back of the head.
"Hey, I'm really impressed by you. You said you're usually a very nice person, and just now you said you didn't want to care about it, so why are you worried now?"
"Your father has both hands and feet. If things continue like this, can you afford it? What will you do in the future? You're twenty-five this year, right? Won't you marry and start a family? Won't all this cost money? Have you considered this?"
Zhang Shuai was shocked when he heard Tian Xin say this!
He turned his head and looked at Tian Xin with a strange look: "Boss, what are you talking about?"
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