Chapter 160 Living a Quiet Life
Lin Shuhong left, leaving Liu's family alone in the house, crying and cursing in misery.
They cursed Liu Mei for ruining the whole family.
They cursed Lin Shuhong, the man Liu Mei had found, saying he was not human.
He called Lin Jinyao a little beast.
The father and daughter completely forgot about all of this.
"Dad, where are we going?"
Lin Shuhong held Lin Jinyao's hand in his pocket and said, "Go to Tingzhou. Dad has a job now. Dad will make sure you have enough to eat and wear from now on."
Lin Jinyao smiled, "They all said before that you didn't want me anymore."
Lin Shuhong said, "Don't listen to those bastards' nonsense. They all have bad intentions. How could I not want you? Dad just wants to find a good job that's easy and respectable, and that I can take you with me."
Lin Jinyao asked, "So how did Dad find him?"
Lin Shuhong said casually, "Just keep walking, and you'll find it."
The job search was far more difficult than he had imagined. If he hadn't been lucky, he probably would have gone back to the construction team to do manual labor in such cold weather.
He wanted to get away from Liu Mei, so he walked all the way to Tingzhou territory.
Walk and walk, until you collapse from hunger.
He was lucky; he was taken in by an elderly Hui woman in a remote commune under Tingzhou.
After eating a few meals at the old lady's house, he left some money and set off again. The commune's brick factory was hiring temporary workers who did manual labor. He worked to earn some food while looking for other job openings.
After some time, he learned that the sugar factory in Tingzhou was hiring.
He had no connections, so he thought he could use money to pave the way and slowly inquire about jobs, no matter what, he had to get a job from the person in charge of recruitment.
Before leaving, he stopped by to visit an elderly Hui woman. He bought some things and went to her house.
When he arrived, the old woman was lying unconscious on the doorstep. He quickly carried her to the hospital.
The elderly woman suffered a stroke, and he took care of her in the hospital for a while until her son finally came to the hospital.
The old woman's son looked no different from a Han Chinese, spoke fluent Mandarin, and was dressed in respectable clothes, like a cadre. Later, he learned that the old woman's son was a cadre in Tingzhou, and a rather high-ranking one at that.
Lin Shuhong was then fortunate enough to get a formal job at a chemical plant.
He originally asked the other party to transfer his and his child's household registration back to their hometown, but the other party said it was impossible, so he had to give up.
Despite some setbacks, the outcome was positive.
In order to take the child away, he left his address, but Liu Mei will be staying here for several more years. He doesn't know what will happen in a few years, so he can only leave it at that for now.
After walking for a while, Lin Jinyao asked in a low voice, "Where's Mom?"
Lin Shuhong remained silent for a long time.
Having received no answer, Lin Jinyao didn't ask any more questions.
Looking at the gray sky, Lin Shuhong thought to himself that he and his daughter would just live a quiet life from now on, and he didn't want to deal with anyone anymore.
…
Stone City.
Today is a day off, and Song Lubai and the others didn't sleep in at all in order to make breakfast.
For the past two days, the cafeteria has been giving them a boiled egg every morning, and this egg is what motivates them to get out of bed.
After enduring the hardships of the 25th Company, the treatment they received from the Commercial Department was like entering paradise.
Steamed buns with red bread, porridge with plenty of rice, cabbage with slices of meat, and occasionally you can even find soup noodles in the broth.
Song Lubai felt that the food in the canteen here was even better than the food in her mother's food factory canteen.
After finishing her meal, it was her turn to carry the bamboo basket and collect the coal.
Watching Sun Hong carrying the basket ahead, Song Lubai didn't call out to her.
Sun Hong prefers to be alone. Even though she accompanied her to the hospital twice, their relationship, where they could talk and interact, always ended automatically after she left the hospital.
Before she even reached the coal collection room, she heard someone shout from not far away: "Song Lubai, someone is looking for you. They're at the main gate."
Song Lubai carried the basket to the front gate.
The staff on duty at the main gate are changing the sign. The sign that used to read "Commercial Department" has now been changed to "Supply and Marketing Department".
I heard that the building next door that was under construction belongs to the supply and marketing department.
Song Lubai thought it was Li Guangming looking for him, but when he saw the tall figure waiting by the roadside, he was somewhat surprised.
"Comrade Wei, what brings you here in this freezing weather?"
Wei Yang handed her the salted duck egg wrapped in a cloth bag and said without hesitation, "I came here to study and stopped by to see you. This is a salted duck egg. The yolk is oily and it's a bit salty, but it's very fragrant."
He said casually, "I received the cotton you gave me. I've already stuffed it into my cotton coat. It's very warm to wear."
He didn't care what she meant by giving him cotton; it didn't stop him from using it as an excuse to give her things.
Melancholy is not in his nature. If he wants something, he has to act decisively and overcome any obstacle.
Song Lubai felt that Wei Yang was a little different today, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was different.
His gaze remained fixed on her, mixed with other indescribable emotions. Her image was reflected in his dark brown pupils, giving her a sense of belonging to him.
She got goosebumps and instinctively took the salted duck egg.
"I've never eaten at a state-run restaurant in Shicheng. I'll pay the bill, and you pay the bill, how about it?"
After accepting the salted duck egg, Song Lubai composed herself and nodded in agreement after a moment's thought.
Wei Yang's lips curled into a slight smile.
He knew she didn't like to take advantage of others, and she would always want to return anything she received from someone.
"Wait here for a moment, I'll go get the coal first."
Wei Yang nodded in a good mood.
Song Lubai carried the basket back, determined not to be fooled by his sweet talk.
He may be a good catch, but if he were to lay a hand on her, she would be the one getting beaten. Also, she insisted on staying at the Shicheng headquarters and wouldn't go to the lower-level regiments for anyone's sake.
Looking at the salted duck egg, she felt remorseful. She had already planned to distance herself from him, so why had she inexplicably accepted the salted duck egg he brought her? If she hadn't accepted the gift, she wouldn't have had to keep inviting him to meals.
Halfway up the road, Sun Hong was squatting on the ground helping a lame man pick up coal that had fallen to the ground.
This man is new here from yesterday. He has a problem walking with his left leg, one of his eyelids is drooping, and his whole face looks a bit strange.
He lived alone in a dormitory room on the first floor. It was said that he was a military officer before his demobilization, but no one knew his specific position.
They're currently going through a merger, and apart from those who are taking classes, the other staff members in the department seem to be very busy.
Sun Hong scooped up all the dust and debris from the ground with her hands, cleaning the entire area up.
Coal is a rare commodity, and not a single scrap can be wasted.
Sun Hong, carrying a basket of coal in each hand, said to the man, "I'll carry it back for you."
The man nodded and said politely, "Thank you."
Song Lubai looked away and hurried to collect the coal. After collecting the coal, she still had to deal with the person outside.
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