r18novel Chapter 1130 What to do
Chapter 1130 What to do
Tie Dan, standing next to him, leaned in to peek at the paper. When he saw the extra name at the end of the string of names, he suddenly grinned, revealing two rows of sun-kissed, white teeth: "Brother Nan, judging from your expression, you probably expected this to happen, right?"
Gu Nan raised an eyebrow, shifting his gaze from the notice to the face of the boy, and was genuinely surprised. Tie Dan usually seemed carefree, running and playing wildly with the other kids in the yard, but his mind was quicker than anyone else's. He deliberately put on a stern face, but couldn't hide the smile in his eyes: "Oh? How are you so sure I know?"
Tie Dan scratched the back of his head, chuckled, and shrank back, saying, "Brother Nan, you're really capable. How could you miss the slightest movement in the courtyard? Besides, the names on this list..." He paused halfway through his sentence, his eyes darting around. He didn't elaborate on his guess, only vaguely saying, "I was just guessing, but I didn't expect it to actually come true."
Gu Nan was amused by his cleverness and gently patted the back of his head with a light tap, a gesture that showed a senior's indulgence towards a junior: "You rascal, you're not that old, but you've got a lot of tricks up your sleeve. Alright, it's getting late, hurry home and have dinner, stop fussing over adult matters here."
Tie Dan knew he was pretty close to the truth, so he cheerfully replied "Yes!" and like a light little bird, he hopped and skipped into the depths of the alley, his figure quickly disappearing behind the old wall at the corner.
Gu Nan watched his retreating figure, the smile slowly fading from his face. He carefully folded the notification paper and slipped it into his shirt pocket, his fingertips able to feel the sharp edges of the paper through the fabric. This matter had nothing directly to do with him, but the sudden increase from two spots to three made him feel that something strange and inexplicable was behind it all. However, he was too lazy to think about it further and turned to walk home—the grudges and entanglements of the other families in the compound were all there; let them do what they wanted, he didn't need to get involved.
At the Liu family's house on the other side of the alley, the atmosphere was as if it had been frozen. Liu Guangtian slumped in the armchair in the main room, his face as white as a piece of rough paper that had just been pasted on the wall. He was clutching the list of people to be sent to the countryside tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning blue from the force, almost crushing the paper.
"Dad! What on earth is going on?" He slammed the list onto the table, his voice trembling uncontrollably. "Didn't you say it had nothing to do with me? Just two days ago you told me that the names were Bang Geng and Yan Jiefang, and had nothing to do with me! How come, in the blink of an eye, my name is written at the very bottom? Who's behind this?!"
Liu Haizhong was also bewildered. When he went to the neighborhood office to inquire that morning, the clerk clearly said there were only two spots available. How could things have changed so quickly in just half a day? He picked up the list on the table, squinted, and examined it several times. The three characters "Liu Guangtian" were written clearly and forcefully; it was definitely not a mistake. He frowned deeply and clicked his tongue heavily: "How was I supposed to know? This is weird! There were clearly only two spots, how come you were suddenly added?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Guangtian was so anxious that he almost jumped off his chair. He had never suffered any hardship in his life. He couldn't lift a finger, and a few years ago he even spent a few days in the police station for fighting. If he really went to the countryside, facing the loess soil and working in the mud every day, wouldn't his delicate skin and bones be worn out?
"Dad! You know what I'm capable of!" he cried, his voice trembling. "I'm just a good-for-nothing! Besides, I've been to the police station before. If I go to the countryside, will those educated youth and villagers even want to see me? If I really go there, I'm finished! I can forget about ever going back to the city!"
Seeing his son's pathetic state, Liu Haizhong was furious. He raised his hand, wanting to scold him, but swallowed the words back—his heart was burning with anxiety. If his son really went to the countryside, how could he, this "old man," maintain his dignity in the courtyard? Who would respect him anymore? He racked his brains for every possible solution, but to no avail. He could only sigh heavily, "I'm helpless. This quota was decided by the street committee, stamped with their official seal. What can I do?"
"You have to think of something, Dad!" Liu Guangtian almost slid off his chair with a "thud," grabbing Liu Haizhong's arm tightly as if he had grasped at the last straw. "If you don't help me, I really don't know what to do! I can't just go and stay in that poor, remote place for the rest of my life, can I?"
Liu Haizhong, unable to bear his pestering any longer, frowned and paced around the room twice before suddenly stopping: "Then tell me, what can I do?"
Liu Guangtian's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had seen a light in the dark night. He quickly said, "Find Gu Nan! Deputy Factory Director Gu! He's the deputy factory director of the steel rolling mill now, he must know those people in the street office well! Besides, our family hasn't offended him recently, and we've been very polite to him when we meet. He might be able to help us with this!"
Liu Haizhong also had his eye on it. Gu Nan was a different person now; he was a leader in the factory with real power, and his influence was definitely much greater than that of an ordinary worker like him. If he could get Gu Nan to put in a good word for him with the neighborhood committee, they might actually be able to remove his son's name from the list. He nodded: "Okay, you wait at home, I'll go to Gu Nan's house and see what he says."
Liu Guangtian breathed a sigh of relief, a smile of relief spreading across his face: "Dad, you're so capable! Director Gu is so competent, this little thing is a piece of cake for him."
Liu Haizhong had initially considered bringing something from home as a gift, such as the two pounds of fruit candy he'd just bought a couple of days ago, or the bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) he'd been saving for himself on the top shelf. But then he thought, Gu Nan is now the deputy factory director, earning a high salary; what doesn't he have at home? Bringing his meager gifts would likely be beneath him, making him seem rather stingy. He hesitated for a moment, then decided to leave empty-handed—based on their shared courtyard, a few kind words and a mention of their past neighborly camaraderie should be enough.
He didn't notice, however, that the moment he stepped out of the house, the slight ease on Liu Guangtian's face vanished like a popped soap bubble, replaced by a deep unease. He stared at the doorway, his heart pounding—would Gu Nan really help them?
Liu Haizhong arrived at Gu Nan's door. Actually, Liu Haizhong couldn't understand why things were like this. This matter clearly had nothing to do with his son, Liu Guangtian, but now, what was going on? His son was going to the countryside too. This was not a good thing.
Liu Haizhong looked at the big black dog at the door and was at a loss for what to do.