Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Clean Up

"The factory doesn't care?"

After a while, Wang Nian asked a question dryly, but then he understood...how to manage it.

They didn't take up Qian's workstation, and there was nothing to complain about in the factory.

It's going to rain, and my mother is going to get married.

The most the factory could do was some ideological work to see if they could persuade Li Sufen to live with the two children, or find relatives from the Qian family to take care of the two children.

As long as Li Sufen insists, even the old man cannot stop her from getting married.

"How can I face these two kids in the future?" Huang Qiuhong looked at Qian Hong in Liu Chaoxian's arms and said, "You really did something bad with good intentions."

"In fact, this matter cannot be blamed on my sister-in-law at all." Wang Nian put down his chopsticks and picked up Qian Hongmian who was sitting next to him: "I think she has had this intention for a long time, but she just never found the opportunity."

In fact, many thoughts have already appeared, but outsiders have no way of knowing.

The two children were wearing summer clothes, and Granny Qian was lost and no one was looking for her. These were all the thoughts that came to Li Sufen's mind.

No matter how well she pretends or whether she can't bear it, remarriage is a foregone conclusion.

"Instead of getting entangled and regretting it later, why not think of a way to help the two children." Shi Xiangming hesitated for a moment, and then tried to suggest: "If the children's relatives are unwilling to take over, this matter... the children and their parents really have to take care of it in the factory."

The factory union and the Women's Federation both have regulations regarding the management and assistance of factory employees' families. Shi Xiangming was familiar with the various regulations when he entered the factory.

Rules are below, human feelings are above...

There is no way out if the factory intervenes. Before that... we still have to try to get through Lao Qian's relatives.

The topic came to an end here, and everyone fell silent.

Qian Hong clapped her hands, pointed at the food and then at her own mouth: "Eat...eat meat."

Qian Tiedan's attention was completely focused on the model opera on the black and white TV. His eyes rolled around. Unlike the others, he was not curious about the plot but was attracted by the actors' every move.

This night was destined to be the beginning of a change in the fate of the brother and sister.

***

In the following months, Wang Nian knew that Li Sufen would have even less time to manage the household, so she often called the children and Grandma Qian to her house for meals.

As time went by, the Hulutou siblings spent most of their daytime hours in Building 43.

There are so many children in the house that there is always noise.

Early in the morning, Wang Niangang said he wanted to transplant the eggplant seedlings in the shed outside, and several kids insisted on coming to help.

It was already very difficult for Wang Nian to bend over with her almost seven-month-old belly, so she simply acted as a supervisor.

"Who's going to use the shovel and the hoe?" Wang Nian sat at the door to the backyard and pointed at the tools at the corner of the wall.

Shi Xiangming took some time out of his busy work to make two small shovels for the brother and sister using discarded parts. They are just right for two children of a few years old to play house.

"For my two sisters." Zhang Liye immediately patted his chest and said proudly: "A real man should use a big hoe to dig a hole."

Shi Shuwen raised his head and wanted to say that they could plant faster with handy tools, but he felt that he should not let Zhang Liye lose face, so he could only sigh and take the big shovel.

Hulutou was much more direct, pointing to the corner of the wall: "You use the biggest one, I'll play with Shuwenzhong."

Just one small thing can reveal the distinct personalities of the children. Wang Nian was smiling even as he was a spectator.

Several people wanted to plant, but no one wanted to go into the greenhouse to dig up the seedlings, for fear of being dug up and becoming a "criminal".

Then there was another quarrel.

In the end... Shi Shuwen stepped forward and assigned tasks to several people.

Shi Shuwen and Hulutou used small shovels to dig holes, Wu Zhenzhen and Shi Wan put the seedlings in the holes, and Zhang Liye was responsible for filling the holes with soil.

As for Qianhong, who knew nothing, he got one of the few tomatoes on the shelf and sat under the eaves enjoying eating it.

After traveling through time, Wang Nian did not become the heroine to ride the wind and waves, nor did she live a life full of ups and downs.

On the contrary, life in this third-tier factory, which is a small world of its own, is simple and peaceful.

Having been a strong woman for nearly twenty years in her previous life, she enjoyed the simple life in this life. She just half-lying on the chair, watching the children playing, and looking up at the blue sky and white clouds from time to time.

If you feel so comfortable that you feel sleepy, just close your eyes and take a nap.

"Brother, Mom is asleep." Shi Wan saw Wang Nian had closed his eyes at the door, so she lowered her voice to report to her brother, and then turned around to remind others: "Keep your voice down."

The children raised their index fingers to remind each other to stop making loud noises and began to discuss quietly.

"Is Comrade Wang Nian at home?"

But there is always someone who shows up at an inopportune time to interrupt the peace. Wang Nian’s nap was interrupted and he was frightened.

This guy's voice is so sharp that it can pierce the eardrum, and he also has some splits in his voice. Once you hear it, you will never forget it.

Wang Nian stood up with difficulty and turned towards the door while agreeing.

Then the familiar figure of Wang Nian appeared in front of him. Huang Qiuhong had a red armband of the Women's Federation on her right arm, and she looked like she was at work.

"Sister." Huang Qiuhong winked at Wang Nian.

Wang Nianqian smiled and nodded: "Hello sister-in-law, hello comrades from the Women's Federation."

Three female comrades stood together at the door like a signal grid. The leading female comrade first introduced her job title and name: "Hello, Comrade Wang, I am Jiang Mei from the Women's Federation, and these two are my colleagues."

"Hello." Wang Nian invited everyone into the house.

Jiang Mei was the shortest, the one with the split-voice voice just now. She had a square face with deep wrinkles, which made her look very serious.

"Qian Tiedan and his sister are here with you, right?"

"It's in the backyard!" Wang Nian pointed to the backyard and said quickly, "I'll go and help you call."

The people from the Women's Federation came, and it seemed that the matter with Li Sufen had been settled, and in the end the factory had to intervene.

Wang Nian sighed inwardly and was about to call for help, but Jiang Mei stopped him with a wave of her hand.

Huang Qiuhong waved her hands and said quietly: "Let them play in the backyard. Come out. We have something to ask you."

Does this have anything to do with her?

Wang Nian followed them out in confusion, but unexpectedly, Liu Chaoxian and Zhang Guiqiang, who were supposed to be at work, were also there.

Several people went into the next room and sat down.

Liu Chaoxian stood up and poured water for everyone, looking at Wang Nian with a smile that made Wang Nian even more surprised.

"This is what happened!" Jiang Mei took the teacup and took a sip. Her expression became even more serious, much like the posture a leader would have before speaking.

After everyone focused their attention, he began to speak in a serious tone: "You should all be clear about Comrade Qian's family affairs..."

Wang Nian: “…”

Jiang Mei's speech was too long-winded. She started by talking about values ​​and then said that no matter how hard the Women's Federation tried to persuade Li Sufen, it was of no avail.

The final conclusion is... Li Sufen returned Lao Qian's job and house, and decided to marry Wu Gang in the near future.

The Women's Federation's persuasion was futile, so they contacted Qianyuan's sister who was still in mourning.

After my sister got married, she and her husband both worked in a plastic factory. Due to limited financial resources, they only agreed to support my mother-in-law, and were unable to provide for their two children.

So after a meeting in the factory it was decided that the old man's salary would continue to be paid, and the money would be used to pay for the children's food and clothing, and Tiedan could take over the job when he was sixteen years old.

Since Qian Hong was just one year old, the Women's Federation and Li Sufen discussed and decided to find an adoptive family for her.

As soon as the news of Li Sufen's marriage came out, Liu Chaoxian wanted to adopt Qian Hong, so he has always been very concerned about this matter and privately expressed his willingness to adopt to Huang Qiuhong.

So once the Women's Federation held a meeting and made the decision, Liu Chaoxian became the first priority adoptive family.

Today we are mainly here to check on the two children, and secondly to check on Liu Chaoxian's family situation.

Several people had seen through the window a group of children busying around, including Zhang Liye and Hulutou, so there was no need to take a closer look to see what was going on.

The last... and most important thing is related to Wang Nian.

"We have consulted Comrade Li Sufen, and she suggested that you take care of Qian Tiedan's life..."

Grandma Qian went to live with her daughter, Qian Hong was adopted by Liu Chaoxian and his wife, leaving only Qian Tiedan, who was almost nine years old, with nowhere to go.

In other words, the Women's Federation gave Lao Qian's salary to Wang Nian, hoping that the child could eat here until he was sixteen years old.

"You can live in the house of Lao Qian's family. The factory women's union will provide you with clothes regularly. You just need to eat." Jiang Mei finally concluded.

Huang Qiuhong didn't figure out whether Wang Nian was willing or not, so she added, "It's okay if you're not willing, we can find another one."

There should be many families in the factory who are willing to provide food and drink for their children with one month's salary. It is a personal decision whether to agree or not.

Deep down, Wang Nian was definitely unwilling.

It is easy for the Women's Federation to say that we only need to take care of food and drink, but how can we only provide three meals a day for such a big child at home?

Just as Wang Nian was thinking, Jiang Mei suddenly waved towards the door.

"Qian Tiedan, bring your sister in."

After planting the eggplant seedlings, the children were afraid to water them easily and wanted Wang Nian to check them, so they all rushed outside.

Qian Tiedan walked into the house with his sister, with a stern face.

Jiang Mei asked him directly: "Your mother has already told you, right?"

Qian Tiedan nodded.

Jiang Mei asked again: "Aunt Liu adopted your sister, and she will be called Zhang Hong in the future. What do you think?"

Qian Tiedan sighed. Although he was just a young boy, he had a lot of delicate thoughts in his mind that adults didn't have.

"It's too hard for my mother to raise us and grandma alone, not to mention that my father used to beat her. Aunt Liu is a good person, and I feel relieved that my sister is with her..."

Wang Nian didn't want to delve into whether Li Sufen was a bad person or just helpless. He just listened quietly to what Hulutou said.

"What about you? What are you going to do..." Jiang Mei was also somewhat moved by such a sensible child. She sighed and continued, "After your grandma passes away, you will be left alone."

"Auntie, I can make a fire and cook, and I can live on my own." Hulutou tried hard to raise the corners of his lips to smile, but his smile was uglier than crying.

Wang Nian's heart moved.

Then Hulutou continued to make plans for himself: "I am nine years old now. In another seven years, I will be able to work. It will be quick!"

Wang Nian sighed in his heart.

"What did your mother tell you?"

Hulutou lowered his head, and even though he didn't have a runny nose, he still sniffed out of habit, as if he didn't want others to see his tears, and he didn't raise his head for a long time.

Wang Nian's eyes fell on his trousers with a hole in them, and then on the pair of hands full of frostbite that were nervously grasping his trousers.

"Did your mother ask you to come to my house for dinner?" Wang Nian asked again.

Hulutou nodded.

"Then why didn't you tell me you were coming to my aunt's house this morning?"

"I don't want to cause trouble for my auntie. She has been good enough to us." Hulutou said in a muffled voice.

Wang Nian couldn't remember where he had heard this saying: The child who grows up first in a family often lives the unhappiest life.

Because they know more than other children, they have to take on more responsibilities.

"Then do you want to have dinner at my aunt's house?" Wang Nian asked again.

The hand that was grabbing the pants changed to folding the pants legs. After a long while, Hulutou finally squeezed out a word: "I want to."

Not only because Wang Nianhao was not attracted by the salary, but also because he could see his sister more often in the future.

"Then you can come to Auntie's house for dinner from now on." Wang Nian touched the tuft of hair on his head and said, "Auntie will take you to get a haircut tomorrow."

A bald head is much better looking than this gourd.

Hulutou raised his head suddenly, his eyes were already filled with tears, and after blinking twice, the tears rolled down.

Wuwuwu——

The first person to cry was not Hulutou, but Shi Wan, who had listened to the whole thing at the door.

The little girl wiped her face with tears and snot, then turned to her brother and said seriously: "Brother, you are not allowed to bully Hulutou in the future."

Shi Shuwen: “…”

It's only been two years and my sister has forgotten what their lives were like before, and now she feels sympathy for others.

"Don't you need to discuss this with Mr. Shi?" Jiang Mei didn't expect Wang Nian to make the decision on his own. She was worried that he would regret it later, so she asked in advance.

"I have the final say in our family." Wang Nian gently stroked her belly, smiling.

If Shi Xiangming really wanted to calculate, why didn't he raise his opinion earlier when Wu Zhenzhen often came to his house for dinner? How could he let Hulutou and his sister eat here for nothing for more than a month?

"That's fine!" Jiang Mei sighed as if relieved, and stood up on her knees: "If you haven't changed your mind tomorrow morning, come to the Women's Federation to handle the formalities."

Lao Qian received a monthly salary of 43 yuan, and also received a number of bills, all of which required signature and seal before he could withdraw them.

"You should discuss this with Xiang Ming. It won't be a one-day thing. As long as you agree to take care of the child for at least seven years..."

Before the women's federation members left, Huang Qiuhong explained everything to Wang Nian again in a serious tone.

Wang Nian said "OK"

After a few people left, Wang Nian took the children back to the backyard, confirmed that the eggplant seedlings were planted well, and arranged for everyone to water them.

"Don't go in the creek."

After Wang Nian finished his instructions loudly, he turned around and nodded to Liu Chaoxian who had followed him home, and the two of them sat down at the door.

"You've been planning on Qian Hong for a long time, right?"

"I'm just jealous of your Shi Wan! In the future, I'll also have my own concubines to serve tea and water, and I won't have to envy you anymore." Liu Chaoxian was very proud.

"From now on, Hulutou will eat at my house, and Qianhong will stay at your house. Aren't you afraid..."

After all, they are siblings, it is impossible to prevent them from recognizing each other... But if they recognize each other, what if the children don't get close to their adoptive parents in the future?

"In fact, I was also hesitant at first." Liu Chaoxian said, looking at Qian Hong following behind a few older kids with a gentle gaze, and rubbed the tip of his nose with a smile: "In fact, it was you who gave me the courage."

"I?"

"That's you! When Chief Engineer Shi's two children came, they were much older than Qian Hong. Now they keep calling me mom."

Because Wang Nian was sincere to the two children, he was finally rewarded with sincerity.

Liu Chaoxian didn't want to hide Qian Hong's background. Whether they were biological parents or not didn't prevent them from becoming a family.

"I will have both a son and a daughter in the future." Liu Chaoxianle narrowed his eyes and imitated Wang Nian to lie on the recliner: "The chair made by Carpenter Wang is really comfortable."

"Grandma Hu, are you breathing well?"

Wang Nian believed...definitely not!

"That's Zhang Guiqiang's business. If you want to find her, go find her son."

Zhang Guiqiang, who was invited by the Women's Federation to the office to discuss adoption matters with Li Sufen in person, was pushed out by his wife to take the blame.

"As for you, will you be able to take care of one more child in the future?"

"It's the same whether I'm herding one sheep or a flock of sheep..." Wang Nian smiled and stretched his waist, then slowly closed his eyes again: "Besides, they still get a salary of several dozen yuan every month, unlike you... who don't get a penny."

Liu Chaoxian: “…”

***

The weather was still clear and crisp in early December, but the temperature dropped rapidly in the middle of the month, and thick frost could be seen everywhere in the mountains at the end of the month.

“It’s snowing!”

As soon as he opened the window, Wang Nian saw a thin layer of snow on the roof of the chicken coop in the backyard, and snowflakes were still falling from the sky.

Shi Xiangming walked over and touched Wang Nian's belly before looking out the window: "It looks like it snowed last night."

Wang Nian has been here for so many years, and there was only one frost the year before last, and he has never seen snow.

"Will people be frozen to death like last year?" Wang Nian was particularly worried.

Shi Xiangming shook his head: "It snowed in the mountains the first year I came here, but not outside. I heard from the elders that it actually snows every year in Changshenggou, but last year was an exception."

The terrain of Changshenggou is higher than that of Changshengpo, so it will snow in the mountains when it is frosty outside, but it will basically stop after one or two days.

When the weather was cold, Wang Nian would stay in the house by the fire, and had no idea that it could snow in the mountains.

"That's good. If this year is the same as the year before, I really won't be able to grab food." Wang Nian held her bulging belly. Now she couldn't even see her toes when she lowered her head.

"I'm here." Shi Xiangming suddenly leaned over and kissed Wang Nian's forehead before quickly withdrawing his kiss, showing his tenderness: "I'll go in a while."

"I'm worried. What if Li Sufen empties the house? How will the children live?" Wang Nian shook his head.

Li Sufen is getting married today. Grandma Qian has been escorted back to Anhuan, and Qian Hong is already living in Liu Chaoxian's home. Only Hulutou is left at home, and Wang Nian is really worried.

"Hold me now and don't let go. The road will definitely be slippery."

"Um."

Fortunately, Hulutou lived just opposite, so Wang Nian called Liu Chaoxian and his wife, and Luo Shunli, who was bored, insisted on going along to join in the fun.

So, in the rustling snow, the five adults and four children walked across the road, one step deep and one step shallow, and arrived at the family building No. 42.

This was the first time Wang Nian had walked into Hulutou's house in such a long time.

The second room on the first floor.

There were people standing in front of every door in the corridor, and some even blocked the door of Hulutou's house, talking loudly.

"Look... the couple who will take over Hulutou are here."

"And the family that adopted Qian Hong."

"What are they doing here?"

"What can they do? They must be worried that Li Sufen will take everything away from home, and even the child will be under their care in the future. They just want to make more money!"

"If I had known that Lao Qian's salary would only provide me with three meals of gourd heads a day, I would have accepted it. After all, I still have such a big house!"

"You wish!"

"You didn't think about it? You're here to make some money, don't think that others can't see it."

"Then what are you doing here? You have the nerve to say that I..."

Amidst the heated discussions, those with bad intentions still accounted for the majority.

Especially when Li Sufen left, there was only a child left in the room, and I was afraid that someone who came to borrow things would be able to break through the door.

Wang Nian, who was considered by his neighbors to have taken advantage, was naturally unwelcome.

“Get out of the way!”

Wang Nian was not polite to shameless people. She walked over with her big belly proudly and said, "You are blocking the door to send off the bride!"

Shi Xiangming stood by his side, using his tall figure to block all those gazes behind him.

This was the first time Wang Nian entered Hulutou's house.

The one-bedroom, one-living room house is about 45 square meters. The living room is packed with things, and only the bed board is left of the bunk bed against the wall.

There are a lot of furniture in the house, and everywhere on the table and sofa you can see traces of this family once living together.

A ball of wool fell alone beside the tea table, and the thread ends guided everyone's eyes to the inner room.

He was wearing a red floral cotton shirt, black trousers and black cloth shoes. He bent down to pick up the wool, then stood up and looked at the people.

"Why are you here?"

He looked cold and indifferent but not unhappy, just like a few strangers suddenly came into the room, feeling a little surprised.

"It's snowing." Wang Nian said in a neutral tone, and then looked into the inner room: "Where's the gourd head?"

I don't hate Li Sufen as much as others do, but I don't like her much either.

"Are you so worried that I will steal things from your house?" Li Sufen glanced at Wang Nian and sneered sarcastically: "It's not your house now!"

"Can I chase you away if you don't leave?" Wang Nian said, looking around the room: "Your feet are on your own legs."

"What do you know!" Li Sufen suddenly became excited and pointed at the portrait of Lao Qian on the wall: "Such a bastard, do I have to help him stay a widow?"

Wang Nian still said the same thing: "Your feet are on your own legs. It's up to you where you want to go and who you want to live with."

"We only take care of the gourd head." Liu Chaoxian followed.

"You are just showing off because you married a good man!" Li Sufen looked up at the ceiling and slowly exhaled: "I will definitely live a better life than all of you in the future!"

Contradiction and self-consolation...

Perhaps after Lao Qian's death, Li Sufen tried hard to support the family, but later found that she could not bear it at all, so when Wu Gang appeared, she immediately grabbed that life-saving straw.

I definitely feel guilty towards my children, but I also look forward to a better future.

And Wang Nian undoubtedly made her confident in her choice, because Li Sufen was accustomed to relying on men.

A man and two children...she chose herself.

So don't take care of the children; don't work; you must cut off your past life completely before you can rush to your new home without looking back.

After wiping away her tears, Li Sufen turned and walked into the inner room.

Hulutou just stood at the door and watched everything quietly. Li Sufen came out carrying a suitcase and said, "The money I've saved over the years of marriage will be my betrothal gift. I hope I didn't raise two children in vain."

“…”

Li Sufen walked to the door carrying the luggage bag, but just as she raised her hand, Hulutou turned his head away.

"Don't call me mom when you see me from now on. Call me Aunt Li."

The hand hanging in the air was put down with a smile, and Li Sufen walked into the snow without looking back.

Both parties were getting married for the second time. Li Sufen had no wedding banquet or gift-giving ceremony when she got married. She just ran towards the path she had chosen alone.

Wang Nian didn't say much and waved towards Hulutou.

"Where have you been?"

"I'm going to chop wood. I don't have any wood to boil water to wash my face at night." Hulutou sniffed his nose and took off his cotton hat that was soaked by snow water: "The snow in the mountains is much thicker than in our factory."

The young boy tried his best to hide his panic and sadness, but he forgot that his body was shaking slightly.

This family fell apart within a year.

"Who asked you to go into the mountains to chop wood?" Wang Nian pretended not to notice and asked sternly, "Remember what I told you a few days ago!"

Hulutou was stunned for a moment, then he replied guiltily: "My aunt asked me to go to your house to get firewood, and I absolutely cannot go into the mountains."

"Then why did you go?" Wang Nian's tone became heavier.

Shi Xiangming looked at the cold room, took off his gloves and put them on again. As soon as Wang Nian finished speaking, he said, "Go pack some clothes."

Since he had promised to take care of the child, he could let him get cold in the house. Shi Xiangming made a prompt decision to let Hulutou spend the winter at his home.

Hulutou was silent and didn't move. Liu Chaoxian simply pushed him and said, "Hurry up and pack your clothes. Your sister is waiting at home."

Wang Nianlou took his shoulder and led him into the house: "Auntie will help you clean up."

In the middle of the living room, Shi Xiangming and Zhang Guiqiang were discussing follow-up matters.

"The house is empty now that the child has been taken away. There must be a lot of evil spirits plotting to lure people into it." Zhang Guiqiang stamped his feet in cold anger.

It's also on the first floor, but Building 43 has a party office building behind it to block the wind, and the terrain is also higher, so it's not as cold as here.

"I'll go to the Housekeeping Department later and talk to them." Shi Xiangming thought for a moment and said, "And ask the Housekeeping Department to change the lock. This room needs a new lock."

"Then I'll go to Carpenter Wang and get two wooden strips to fix the window frame so that the window can't be opened from the outside."

The two people's worries are not groundless. After all, the public housing in the factory is not theirs.

There have been cases in the past where someone claimed to be renting the house but refused to move out, and in the end the house was actually allocated to Lao Lai by the factory.

There is only one child in the Qian family now, so we really have to be careful.

After the two of them finished discussing, they started to tidy up the clutter in the living room. When they came across items that were obviously from lesbians, they put them away and waited for Hulutou to make a decision.

With the help of the two aunts, the people in the room quickly packed their clothes.

Liu Chaoxian took off the sheets and pillowcases, put the quilt on his shoulders, and planned to take it apart and wash it in the sun when the weather got better.

The house was cleaned up so thoroughly that even the last traces of life were wiped away.

Wang Nian closed the window and drew the curtains.

"Shuwen, you guys help Hulutou carry the clothes back home first."

Several children who had been waiting for a long time rushed forward and urged Hulutou to go home and play shuttlecock.

The quarrel instantly dispelled the pain of parting.

Hulutou was immediately attracted by the idea of ​​going to the chicken coop to pluck chicken feathers to make shuttlecocks, and he immediately joined the discussion.

"You still know how to deal with children!"

Liu Chaoxian gave Wang Nian a thumbs up... As expected, only children can be coaxed by themselves.

The children rushed home in the snow to eat chicken, while a few adults stayed behind to put the dishes away inside.

After everything was packed up, Shi Xiangming turned around and locked the door.

Although he didn't see anyone in the corridor, Wang Nian knew that there were eyes everywhere watching this place.

The four of them walked out, and Wang Nian said loudly, as if talking to himself, "If anyone dares to touch Hulutou's house, we'll see you at the Political Department!"

A casual addition to a file by the Special Branch is more humiliating than having your pants stripped in public.

If Wang Nian doesn't talk about reason, then he will talk about face with you!