Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
After more than half a month of work, Hu Ruoyun finally completed the construction of his house. However, with all the preparations and the subsequent tidying up at home, he had been busy for nearly a month.
Mao Na was somewhat upset because Hu Ruoyun had no time to visit her in the county town. His house was in disarray, and she felt that her presence would only add to the chaos, making her hesitant to seek him out.
Ouyang Xiaxue and Li Shengnan were usually busy with their jobs, and when they had free time, they had to spend it with their respective partners. Especially Ouyang Xiaxue, who would boast every time they met: “Oh, the baby just kicked my belly again… Mao Ni, you have no idea how unruly this little one is…”
Mao Na couldn’t help but feel frustrated but didn’t dare to confront her as she used to.
Since learning what “meat tastes like,” Li Shengnan had shed her previous modesty and no longer acted like a diva in front of Yao Wei. Whenever the two were together, they unabashedly flaunted their affection, leaving Mao Na feeling sidelined.
This only added to Mao Na's dissatisfaction with Hu Ruoyun.
The new house had its tiles laid down, and Zhao Meirong called Hu Ruoyun over: “Go check on Mao Na; if you don’t go soon, she’ll be back at school!” A mother knows her child best.
He bought several pounds of beef from Old Temple and some lamb skewers from Eternity, preparing two roast chickens as well.
Hu Ruoyun boarded the bus heading to Annan County City. Mao Na’s new home was in a community called Shengshi Jiayuan in Chengguan Town. Although he had never been there before, he followed the directions Mao Na had given him and easily found her apartment on the third floor of Building 8. When he arrived, it was Mao Na's mother, Zhang Xiuzhen, who opened the door. Seeing Hu Ruoyun standing there, she quickly ushered him inside: “Oh, it’s Xiao Hu! Is your house finished?”
She took the items from his hands as well.
Mao Na and Mao Jie had gone out shopping, while Mao Weiguo was attending a meeting in the county. Zhang Xiuzhen seized this rare opportunity to speak with Hu Ruoyun alone.
She invited him to sit on the sofa and poured him a glass of water before asking seriously: “Xiao Hu, the college entrance exam results should be coming out soon, right?”
Hu Ruoyun felt a bit shy: “Auntie, they should be out soon.”
Zhang Xiuzhen pressed further: “How do you feel about your performance?”
Hu Ruoyun blushed: “Auntie, my grades have never been very good…”
“What are your plans next?” Zhang Xiuzhen asked again.
This was the ultimate question.
Hu Ruoyun knew that even if he said he would go for vocational training or self-study if he didn’t get into college, it wouldn’t satisfy her. As long as he couldn’t secure a position within the system, he wouldn’t be able to bridge the gap with Mao Na.
He wasn’t sure how to respond.
Zhang Xiuzhen didn’t press him further but handed him a banana: “I can see that since Xiao Na became friends with you, she has been very happy. This makes both her father and me very pleased. But we can’t predict the future; there are some harsh realities you both need to consider! Xiao Na doesn’t like hearing me say these things, but from a responsible standpoint for both of you, these are issues you will have to face sooner or later.”
Although Hu Ruoyun felt pressure from her words, he understood a parent's feelings—who wouldn’t want their children to have a good life and a promising future? He replied earnestly: “Auntie, you might not know how poor my family was before high school… My parents couldn’t even read or write; they were farmers who could easily be manipulated by someone as simple as a production team leader!”
Over the past few years, life at home has improved significantly. My parents seem to have become younger...
What I want to say is that regardless of whether I can go to college or not, I will work hard to keep up with Mao Na, not just to make her happy now, but to ensure her happiness in the future! If I fail to do these things and let Mao Na suffer alongside me, I won't be able to forgive myself!
Hu Ruoyun spoke calmly, but inside he felt an immense pressure. Though he didn’t explicitly state it, his words were a promise!
Anyone can talk big, but putting those words into action is truly not that easy!
Zhang Xiuzhen's expression softened considerably. "Mao Na's father thinks very highly of you. Please don't blame Auntie for being realistic. One day, when you have children of your own, you'll understand how Auntie feels right now."
Hu Ruoyun replied sincerely, "Auntie, I understand!"
Just then, the door lock turned, and Mao Jie and Mao Na entered with bags full of items. Upon seeing Hu Ruoyun sitting on the sofa, both of them were filled with joy.
Zhang Xiuzhen called out to her children, "You two keep Hu company while I go prepare dinner!"
Mao Na wanted to rush over and punch this black charcoal a few times to vent her frustrations from these past days. However, this was her home, and in front of her mother and brother, she could only pout playfully at Hu Ruoyun. "Do you still remember who I am?"
Before Hu Ruoyun could respond, the door lock clicked again. Mao Weiguo entered with a briefcase and immediately spotted Hu Ruoyun sitting at home. His face lit up with joy. "Xiao Hu is here! I was just saying that I should have Zhang Qiang get in touch with you. Now it's perfect; I can talk to you directly!"
Hu Ruoyun quickly stood up to greet him.
Mao Weiguo set down his bag while speaking. "You sit tight; we'll talk in the study in a bit!" He then headed to the bathroom to wash his face.
Mao Jie nudged Mao Na with a wink. "Aren't you going to say something important to Hu before you lose your chance?"
During this time, Mao Weiguo was busy yet happy. If Gaoqiao Town had reached new heights under his leadership, his current ambition was to elevate it even further on a county-wide scale.
However, he constantly faced various issues at work, and this time the problem was particularly tricky.
As the new Vice County Head, he had developed a good rapport with Zhang Qiang, the new secretary. Thanks to Zhang Qiang's impressive turnaround, even leaders from Xipo Store Township who had previously ignored him were now maintaining good relations.
A few days ago, representatives from Xipo Store Township led by Liu Tiechui came to the County Government seeking Zhang Qiang’s assistance:
"Cadre Zhang, you've been in Xi Po Dian; you know we are just simple farmers. We really had no choice but to come find you today. Please speak on our behalf in front of the county leaders; it's so hard for us farmers... Take my family as an example: there are four of us, and we have to pay for township planning fees, village contributions, share the salary of private teachers, fund road repairs... It adds up to over two hundred sixty per person! After deducting the Grain Tax money for all these expenses, we barely make ends meet!"
Zhang Qiang had heard similar complaints when stationed in Xipo Store Township. Seeing these weary faces made him feel sorrowful as well. He first settled them in the reception room for a moment before heading back to his office to call Song Hongbiao, the head of Xipo Store Township...
To his surprise, when he got through and briefly explained the situation, Town Chief Song was also full of grievances: "Brother, you have no idea! Right now in our village, aside from Agricultural Tax, we hardly have any income... After paying public officials' salaries and public school teachers' wages, our accounts are practically empty! But we still need funds for road repairs and electricity installation while also covering salaries for private teachers... Brother, I'm not trying to shirk responsibility; I can't speak for the whole country, but at least here in Annan and Jinan—and even across Jiangbei Province—it's all like this!"
After hanging up the phone and returning to the reception room, Liu Tiechui immediately recognized the expression on Zhang Qiang's face and understood the outcome. He stood up with a group of people and said, "Cadre Zhang, we know you are a good person, but there are some things you may not have the authority to decide. So, we won't make it difficult for you. We'll go to Ji Nan; at worst, we'll report this situation to the Province!"
Zhang Qiang knew that he absolutely could not let these people go!
Comment 0 Comment Count