Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Leaving

Meng Cheng said the procedure would take a day, and it actually took almost the whole day.

It was already noon the next day when Zhou Yuying was invited to the factory director's office. Wang Nian's family, who were not involved in the incident, went to work or school as usual.

As the sun slowly sets, the sky becomes darker and darker.

"They won't come, will they?"

Wang Nian stirred the steaming rice porridge in the stone pot and looked away: "Tell the children to eat."

The hungry children cheered and busily served the dishes, fearing that Wang Nian would change his mind and make them wait again.

"Nothing will happen, right?" Liu Chaoxian also looked towards the bamboo forest, and suddenly his eyes lit up: "It's Doctor Zhou."

The man and woman walking side by side were Zhou Yuying and Meng Cheng.

"We're waiting for you to eat!" Wang Nian waved his hand, and Shi Xiangming quickly told the children, "Bring two more bowls and chopsticks."

"I told you that Wang Nian would definitely wait for us to eat." Zhou Yuying glanced at Meng Cheng with a smile, and even nudged him with her elbow, "Fortunately I didn't listen to you."

"I saw that you had no appetite in the morning, so I cooked some seafood porridge in the evening."

"You still miss me."

Looking at the expressions of the two people, Wang Nian knew that the matter was handled very satisfactorily in the afternoon. Zhou Yuying was even in the mood to go back to the dormitory and change into a light green floral blouse.

Meng Chenghan smiled and rubbed his face: "Sorry to trouble Comrade Wang."

"It's not a big deal, just two sets of bowls and chopsticks!" Wang Nian smiled, but he still set up the steamer and heated up a few more steamed buns just in case.

“…”

Facts have proved that her move was absolutely correct. Meng Cheng's appetite is worthy of his height of nearly 1.9 meters.

He ate seven steamed buns and three bowls of porridge neatly, and then wiped his mouth with a silly smile.

"Comrade Wang's steamed buns are really delicious. I haven't eaten such delicious steamed buns in many years since I was transferred to the south!"

"Are you ashamed?" Zhou Yuying raised her lips slightly, with an imperceptible softness in her eyes: "How can the children eat after they have eaten everything?"

Meng Cheng smiled awkwardly.

There's something going on between these two!

Wang Nianzuo looked at it again and again, and decided to ask Zhou Yuying quietly when he had the chance, and joke in front of everyone... If he got it wrong, there would be big trouble.

"Has the outcome of Doctor Zhou's case come out?" Shi Xiangming asked the business at the right time.

Meng Cheng sighed and shook his head slowly.

Zhou Yuying said directly: "Snakes and rats of the same nest." The contempt on her face was obvious, and then she emphasized: "The factory leadership team will be re-elected at the beginning of next year, and everyone unanimously hopes that I will not make a fuss about this matter to the provincial public security bureau."

"Director Luo of your factory..." Meng Cheng waved his hand: "He doesn't want to offend anyone. He is just a peacemaker."

I don’t know if it’s due to external policy changes or because he just wants stability as he gets older, but Luo Yongde has become more conservative in factory decisions in recent years.

Shi Xiangming has a deep understanding of this.

Last year, the R&D team improved the tool holder structure of the horizontal lathe and proposed applying it to the factory's lathes, but was repeatedly rejected.

The reason is that the factory has received a lot of orders recently and it is impossible to shut down the machine for engineers to conduct experiments.

Luo Yongde's words, "The more you do, the more mistakes you make; the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make" became the only truth Shi Xiangming received.

At that time he knew that Luo Yongde had already thought about retiring, and now he just hoped not to make any mistakes and could retire peacefully.

Meng Cheng added: "They talked about human relationships and difficulties, hoping that Yuying could solve this problem within the factory. We disagreed, and then..."

"They threatened me by saying that the files were still in the factory!" Zhou Yuying replied.

If Zhou Yuying insisted on making a big deal out of this matter, and she wanted to transfer the files later... she didn't say it explicitly but everyone heard it clearly.

As long as the factory does not agree to transfer the files, it will be impossible for Zhou Yuying to return to Anhuai in the future.

"But... they couldn't keep threatening me. Deputy Director of the Political Department, Tan Ming, received a call from his superiors and had retrieved my political file."

After reading the political files, the faces of several leaders changed faster than the sky.

At first, I thought that Meng Cheng from the Anhuai City Public Security Department could not control Changshenggou, but I didn't expect that a commander would appear later...

Wang Nian shook his head: "I have already guessed where this is going!"

The Municipal Public Security Bureau took away Deputy Section Chief Qin and his colleagues who were suspected of extorting family members of military officers. The evidence still needs to be submitted to the South Central Military Region for review.

Factory 431 has no right to interfere in any investigation and will soon receive a red-headed document mainly criticizing and requiring rectification.

Zhou Yuying put down her chopsticks and suddenly patted Wang Nian on the shoulder.

"I will leave Changshenggou with Meng Cheng tonight."

"So hasty?" Wang Nian was surprised. He knew Zhou Yuying would leave, but he didn't expect her to leave in such a hurry.

"Grandpa told me to send Yuying back to the Zhou family safely. If I go back alone, I'm afraid I won't even be able to enter the Zhou family."

"I don't want to stay in this place for even a day." Zhou Yuying pretended not to hear Meng Cheng's teasing and continued, "Meng Cheng is just about to go back to Anhuai, so it will save me some trouble if I go with him."

These few days have completely chilled Zhou Yuying's heart. She didn't even want to wait for the time of transfer and directly submitted her resignation.

"Go back and have a good rest." Wang Nianhui shook Zhou Yuying's hand and smiled: "We will have plenty of opportunities to meet in the future."

Zhou Yuying smiled and nodded, her expression now looking better: "I almost forgot that you guys are going back to Anhuai too."

No matter how reluctant you are, separation will always come.

Wang Nian didn't expect that today's stomach-warming porridge would become a farewell banquet. After the meal, Meng Cheng and Zhou Yuying would set off with the Municipal Public Security Bureau.

"Take care on your journey."

Waving goodbye to the car that gradually disappeared into the darkness, Liu Chaoxian couldn't help but wiped away his tears quietly.

First, I learned that Zhou Yuying was leaving, and later I learned from Zhang Liye that Wang Nian and his family were also leaving.

And she didn't expect that the transfer order would come so quickly.

Liu Chaoxian thought that the process would take at least half a year, and leaving would be half a year later, so it was still not too late to say goodbye slowly.

But things are always unpredictable. When the news just came out, the first people to arrive were those who had robbed Wang Nian's house earlier.

"Who are you looking for?"

As soon as he opened the door, Liu Chaoxian saw someone peeking around in the corridor, and someone even reached out to touch the broken porcelain pieces inlaid on the stove.

"Hello." The man grinned and pointed to the next door: "We just came to check out the house in advance, nothing else."

"They haven't left yet! What are you looking at?" Liu Chaoxian asked loudly and angrily, not giving a good face to those who might be his neighbors in the future: "Don't block me from lighting the fire and cooking!"

Several people turned away angrily. Before they could finish talking, Liu Chaoxian picked up the face-washing water and splashed it at the door.

"What a nuisance! I will never have to deal with neighbors like this again!"

Zhang Hong stood up, turned off the TV, and went back to her desk to pretend to do her homework.

Zhang Guiqiang quickly looked away, fearing that his wife's anger would fall on him in the next second.

"There aren't many people in our factory who can compare to Sister Wang Nian."

Granny Hu's eyesight and hearing problems have become increasingly severe in recent years. Today, she actually heard her daughter-in-law's complaints very clearly and unexpectedly expressed her agreement.

"I want to go with them," Liu Chaoxian said again.

"Other people are pursuing a good future, but our future lies in the factory...it's different from theirs." Granny Hu was clear-headed.

Shi Xiangming returned to Anhuai, thinking that it was a promotion and his future was limitless, so the whole family was naturally very happy.

If they leave Factory 431, they can only wait until the factory closes down.

To them...it was like the sky was falling.

"I'm just complaining." Liu Chaoxian wiped his eyes and sat down at the door with his head down, "It's just that I think I may never see you again, and I feel so depressed."

Isn't life all about being happy? Ever since Wang Nian and I became neighbors, I can just talk to her about any unhappiness I have.

After this departure, I will no longer have anyone to talk to.

"Ah!" Zhang Guiqiang couldn't help but sigh.

With Shi Xiangming's departure, the future of the R&D team remains unknown. According to the current practices in the factory, it will most likely be laid off.

The departure of the neighboring family did have a big impact on their family.

"Why is there no movement next door?" Liu Chaoxian sat for a while, and saw that the door of the next door was closed, and he was a little confused: "Normally, he should have gotten up early."

"Sister Wang Nian went to the credit union a long time ago,"

"Credit union?"

One has to either deposit money or withdraw money at the credit union. Liu Chaoxian immediately understood that Wang Nian wanted to withdraw the deposited money. The factory area credit union and Anhuai City credit union were not in circulation.

But this also means that Wang Nian is already preparing to leave.

“…”

In fact, Liu Chaoxian guessed half right. Wang Nian went to the credit union to withdraw money, but not entirely because he was leaving.

"What do you mean?"

After Wang Nian came back from the credit union, he went straight into Liu Chaoxian's house and handed her a stack of money.

"It's for Zhenzhen's child." Wang Nian smiled, stuffed the money into Liu Chaoxian's hand and clenched it tightly: "Don't be in a hurry to refuse."

Liu Chaoxian moved his mouth and then calmed down.

"You know Zhenzhen's situation. If I give her that much money directly, Feng Liang will definitely snatch it away."

Wu Zhenzhen didn't seem to show any sadness about their leaving, but Wang Nian knew that this child was very thoughtful and she cried many times in private.

How could someone who slept in the living room of the Feng family every day have a place to hide money?

What's more, the Feng family has Feng Liang, a lazy but greedy man. If he is discovered, he won't be able to keep any money.

"I know what you mean."

"Zhenzhen is a little girl. I'm afraid she will encounter more troubles in the future than Hulutou." Wang Nian sighed: "If she encounters any difficulties in the future, this money can at least be of some help."

Not to mention discussing a distant job partner, even now that Zhenzhen is starting to grow, Duan Hehua is reluctant to buy a vest for the child.

Later, Wang Nian discovered that Zhenzhen always walked with a hunched back, so she took her to the store to buy two pieces of underwear.

If this is the case with small matters, don't even think about counting on your mother for big matters.

"Don't worry, I will take care of Zhenzhen." Liu Chaoxian promised: "In the future, let her come to my house for meals. She can eat whatever my two children eat."

Wang Nian nodded: "Zhenzhen, I will have to trouble you from now on."

"Don't talk about that. Someone just came to see your house." Liu Chaoxian still felt angry when he mentioned those people: "The news must have spread in the factory a long time ago."

"Let them watch if they want. It's not my house anyway." Wang Nian didn't care.

The coolness of tea can be felt in all aspects.

"It's just that I feel empty inside now that you're gone." Liu Chaoxian patted his chest, his face full of depression: "Without you, how can I take advantage of you in the future?"

Wang Nian smiled: "Now is a good time for you to get a bargain."

After seven years, there is a huge pile of pots, pans, and utensils in the house, and the furniture and appliances in the house cannot be taken away.

"You're not taking anything away?" Liu Chaoxian was surprised.

Even if the belongings in Wang Nian's house were left there now, they would make many people jealous. The home appliances alone would be worth a lot of money.

“I can’t take it with me!”

Everything in the house was bought by Wang Nian himself, but An Huai was more than 2,000 kilometers away, so he couldn't take anything away even if he wanted to.

“Sell it to a recycling station and you’ll get some money back,” Liu Chaoxian suggested.

Wang Nian shook his head: "I'll give you everything that you can't take away from home. Shi Xiangming and I have the same idea."

"How can that be possible!" Liu Chaoxian shook his body excitedly.

"Don't get excited. I'm talking about things that can't be taken away. I'll still take away the things that can be taken away."

And this is just one of the reasons. Wang Nian pushed the man to sit down and suddenly lowered his voice: "Tell Brother Zhang to go to the Housekeeping Department to apply for a room change tomorrow. Shi Xiangming has already informed the Housekeeping Department."

Liu Chaoxian's eyes suddenly widened.

"It's better for you to live in the house than for others to ruin it."

Liu Chaoxian: “…”

Those who came to see the house must have heard the news and rushed to see if there was any bargain they could get, even if it was just a bowl.

"Ah..." Liu Chaoxian sighed again: "Since you said so, I always feel that you will leave tomorrow."

Wang Nian also felt a little melancholy.

The scene of walking into the new house for the first time seven years ago is still vivid in my mind, but now leaving has become so easy and casual.

As soon as the transfer order was delivered to the factory, Anhuai City Design Institute sent someone to supervise the completion of the handover procedures.

With the presence of people from the Design Institute, the procedure went very smoothly.

The days of collecting and packing always go by quickly, and the day to leave finally arrives.

"Sister-in-law, these are the only bags you need to take away, right?"

The yellow driver from the design institute who was responsible for picking up people ran around and loaded all the luggage bags into the car in just a few trips.

"If you have the chance in the future, please come back to see us."

In front of the bamboo forest, Liu Chaoxian cried until her eyes were red, and she squeezed Wang Nian's hand vigorously.

Wang Nian was so choked up that he couldn't speak and could only nod.

Wang Nian cried yesterday when she returned to the Red Flag Brigade. Her voice was hoarse from crying, and now she could feel the burning pain just from the tears accumulating in her eye sockets.

"Sister-in-law, have a safe trip." said Sun Xiumei.

"Xiang Ming, have a safe trip." Zhang Liang and Huang Qiuhong just smiled and waved.

"See you again if we're lucky." Zhang Guiqiang said.

"Auntie, have a safe journey." Wu Zhenzhen smiled and waved, as casually as if she was seeing off an elder who would be returning home in a few days.

"Goodbye!"

No matter how reluctant we are, in the end it can only turn into a blessing that remains in everyone's heart.

A month ago, it was Wang Nian who watched Zhou Yuying's car gradually drive away, and this time it was their turn to disappear from other people's sight.

It was so far away that he could no longer see anyone, so Wang Nian turned around.

Among those people, perhaps more than half of them will never see each other again in this life.

After his sadness subsided a little, Wang Nian started to worry about the kids in the car behind him: "Will those brats tear the car apart?"

"Mom, do you think that is the mother of Gourd Head?"

The car stopped briefly in front of the supply and marketing cooperative, and Shi Xiangming planned to get off the car to buy some dry food for the train.

Shi Wan, who was sitting in the front seat, suddenly pointed at Li Sufen who was walking out of the supply and marketing cooperative.

At this time, Hulutou and Shi Shuwen in the car behind were also walking towards the supply and marketing cooperative while joking around, and Shi Feiying followed behind them, jumping up and down like a monkey.

"Mom, Brother Calabash Head really doesn't want to go with us?"

"Hulutou has his own choice, and we can only respect it."

After several days of careful consideration, Hulutou decided to stay in Changshenggou to study. After Wang Nian learned about it, he could only respect the child's decision.

However, it is gratifying that Hulutou does not plan to attend a technical school to make money, but plans to go to Changshengpo to study in high school, and then reunite with everyone after being admitted to a university in Anhuai City.

As long as we have this goal, we will be reunited one day.

Li Sufen obviously also saw the gourd head. She opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but was suddenly interrupted by a little girl who suddenly rushed out.

The child called "Mom" happily, holding snacks in his hands, and suddenly hugged Li Sufen's legs.

All the words finally turned into a smile and dissipated in the breeze.

Just as the mother and son passed each other and walked away in different directions like strangers, a woman with a slightly hunched back walked out of the supply and marketing cooperative.

Although he looks to be in his twenties, his figure appears to be in his forties or fifties.

Since Huang Xiaohui nearly died in the delivery room due to a difficult labor, she has become old and frail at a very fast rate.

However, the baby in her belly could not be saved and died of suffocation due to the prolonged labor.

In the past few years, Wang Nian has not heard any news about her and Xie Hua.

Huang Xiaohui stopped, looked at Shi Shuwen a few more times, and finally her gaze fell on the lively Shi Feiying.

There was envy and pain in his eyes as he just watched the children run into the supply and marketing cooperative.

Finally, she looked at the jeep. After a brief pause, Huang Xiaohui sighed and walked back onto the road.

She might have known who was in the car, but she still didn't have the courage to walk up and say goodbye.

Wang Nian also watched in the car as these people who once played a significant role in her life at the third-tier factory gradually walked away.

"Let's go!"

The only sound in my ears was Shi Xiangming talking softly to the driver.

***

Anhuai Railway Station.

After a day and two nights, the train landed. The noisy sound on the train platform sounded like a ball of cotton in his ears. Wang Nian shook his head, but still felt top-heavy.

Shi Xiangming held Wang Nian's arm and asked the children to stand where they were and wait.

"We will go out after the people leave."

Big cities have gradually cancelled the requirement for referral letters for travel, and now it has become much easier to travel far away to visit relatives and friends or to work.

In addition, Anhuai is one of the most developed cities in China, and there are many people coming here to pursue their dreams.

This small platform is like a microcosm of the entire city, quite crowded and... fashionable.

Wang Nian looked down at his own shaggy gray dacron shirt, then at the women around him wearing brightly colored skirts, and instantly felt like a country bumpkin entering the city.

"Mom, I also want to wear a beautiful skirt." Shi Wan and Wang Nian had the same feeling.

"The person who is waiting for us is outside the station. Let's go."

When most people leaving the station had left, Shi Xiangming held Wang Nian's hand and walked towards the exit.

Anhuai has changed a lot over the years. The station has been expanded and renovated, and there are six exits alone.

The family asked for directions three times and finally found Exit 3 with the guidance of a kind person, and found the person sent by the design institute to pick them up at the exit.

The little girl was wearing a red polka dot skirt that just reached past her knees, and a pair of red high-heeled leather shoes were particularly eye-catching.

If she were in Factory 431, she would definitely be the subject of much discussion if she was wearing such an outfit. However, in the busy station, the girl's outfit looked normal.

"Hello, Chief Engineer Shi." The girl extended her hand and shook hands with Shi Xiangming, then enthusiastically tried to grab the luggage bag in Wang Nian's hand: "You are Chief Engineer Shi's wife, Ms. Wang Nian, right? I am Jiang Yuting."

Wang Nian smiled and nodded: "Hello, Comrade Jiang."

Jiang Yuting was slightly startled, but she kept a perfect smile on her face: "Ms. Wang, just call me Xiao Jiang."

In the rapidly developing Anhuai, it is no longer popular to call people "comrade". Instead, people just call them by their name plus "Ms." to show sufficient respect for women.

Jiang Yuting was a little dazed when she heard it, as if she had gone back to five or six years ago.

"The car is waiting outside."

A black van with a special license plate stopped outside the exit. When the driver saw the person he was going to pick up had arrived, he quickly opened the door and ran out to greet him.

Wang Nian took over all the luggage in his hands and elbowed Shi Xiangming while Jiang Yuting was putting down the luggage.

"What kind of position is this? Why does someone come to take over?"

Shi Xiangming said his position was engineer, but the level of attention the design institute gave him was completely different from what an ordinary engineer would be treated.

"Go back and rest first." Shi Xiangming just smiled, with a mysterious look on his face.

"Mom, I'm so sleepy!"

After the initial novelty wore off, Shi Feiying was so sleepy that she couldn't even open her eyes, and she couldn't close her eyes while hugging Wang Nianyao.

"Go back and have a rest first. I'll take you to see the house in the afternoon." Jiang Yuting turned around and smiled at them.

Anhuai and Xinding City in the 1980s were like two different eras, with numerous cars on the clean streets.

The roads are wide, the flow of people is endless, and the prosperity is so eye-catching.

“What a tall house.”

Shi Wan curiously counted the tall buildings on both sides of the road. Although some of them were old buildings left over from the colonial era, they were still just as imposing.

"That house existed when I was a child, and now it has been turned into a department store." Shi Xiangming talked enthusiastically about the things in his memory.

But his memory couldn't keep up with the development, and the unrecognizable streets seemed as unfamiliar to him as if he had seen them for the first time.

Jiang Yuting also enthusiastically introduced every place the car passed by. "

Wang Nian had seen the most magnificent skyline in her previous life, so the current Anhuai was only slightly better than Xinding to her.

In fact, my greater feelings come from the fact that this city will be the place where I will settle down in this life.

Wang Nian tilted his head and slowly leaned on Shi Xiangming's shoulder.

“I wonder what our home will be like?”

"You'll know when you see it!" Shi Xiangming smiled and his eyes fell on the scenery passing by outside the window.

Jiang Yuting secretly looked at the family of five in the rearview mirror.

The two older children in the back seat were already drowsy after the initial novelty wore off.

Wang Nian in the middle leaned on Shi Xiangming's shoulder, and the couple talked about their beautiful guesses about their future life as if no one was around.

In their arms, the youngest child was already sleeping soundly.

This must be a very happy family... Jiang Yuting thought.