MM Racing Chapter 1162 Looking for someone
Chapter 1162 Looking for someone
Although the people at the neighborhood office didn't know what "Jia Geng" had done to be sent to the countryside, they nodded in agreement since it was an order from above. A few people huddled in the office whispering, "The other day, when we sent Liu Guangtian and Yan Jiefang, those two seemed pretty reliable; they went right away. Why is it that Jia Geng ran away after only two days?"
Someone, smoking a cigarette, analyzed: "I guess the novelty wore off when he first left, the journey was bumpy, and he heard life in the countryside was tough, so he backed out. In my opinion, he's just a kid, he didn't have much money with him, he definitely won't be back anytime soon. Let's wait here for news, and in a couple of days, we can go to the courtyard house and ask his mother, Qin Huairu. Maybe we can find out where he went."
At this time, the Jia family in the courtyard was still completely unaware that Banggeng had run away. However, Qin Huairu had been visibly distracted these past two days. On the dining table sat hard cornbread and a bowl of bland cabbage soup; she would eat a couple of mouthfuls, then put down her chopsticks, her eyes fixed blankly on the wall, as if lost in thought. She also tossed and turned at night, unable to sleep, her eyes filled with regret and pain as she recalled Banggeng's reluctant departure.
Although Banggeng was usually mischievous and naughty, stealing chickens one day and catching fish the next, causing her a lot of worry and stress, she was still her own flesh and blood, someone she had raised from infancy. Now that she was going to such a far place, she wondered if Banggeng would have warm clothes to wear in the cold weather, if he would have enough to eat, and if he would kick off the covers at night... These thoughts crawled around in her mind like insects, making her feel as if she were hanging in mid-air, restless and uneasy.
That evening, the setting sun bathed the walls of the courtyard in a warm yellow hue. Yi Zhonghai returned from his stroll, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan. He saw Qin Huairu sitting alone on the stone steps at the courtyard gate, lost in thought, not even noticing him approaching. He went over and asked, "Huairu, what are you thinking about? You seem completely lost in thought."
Qin Huairu glanced at him, her disappointment barely concealed. Deep down, she didn't really want to care—Yi Zhonghai had boasted that he had some connections with the newly appointed factory director, Zhu, and could ask someone to look after Banggeng, ensuring he suffered less in the countryside. But what happened? He was still crammed into the truck, received no help whatsoever, and left without even a decent suitcase.
But then she thought, Yi Zhonghai was, after all, a veteran of the factory, and had been a respected elder in the courtyard for so many years. He had a wide network of connections and could probably talk to Director Zhu. If Banggeng ever needed anything in the countryside, he might be able to help him. So she suppressed her displeasure and said in a slightly choked voice, "Master, you know, Banggeng just went to the countryside, and I don't even know if he needs clothes or enough to eat. I'm fine during the day, but I can't sleep at night. His image is all I can think about. I keep wondering if he's suffering there..." As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.
Yi Zhonghai twirled his well-worn pipe rapidly, the copper bowl gleaming softly in the lamplight. A gentle, elder-like smile graced his face, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes revealing concern: "Bangeng, that kid, has been clever since he was little, very quick-witted, just a bit wild and unruly." He paused, then changed the subject, his tone becoming firm, "In a while, I'll find an excuse to talk to Director Zhu. We'll transfer him back from the countryside and give him an easy job in the factory, like managing the warehouse accounts or delivering documents in the office—it won't be difficult."
Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu's eyes lit up instantly, like two oil lamps being lit. The shoe sole she was sewing almost fell to the ground with a "clatter." She quickly took two steps forward, her knees almost touching the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), her tone filled with undisguised urgency and a hint of disbelief: "Master, is what you're saying true? Can...can you really be transferred back?" Bang Geng had only been in the countryside for half a month, and she hadn't slept a full night. Every time she closed her eyes, she dreamed of her child bending over in the black soil, cutting wheat, crying from exhaustion, his hands covered in blisters.
Yi Zhonghai knew perfectly well that he hadn't mentioned this matter to Factory Director Zhu at all. Factory Director Zhu was currently busy negotiating a major cooperation with a manufacturer in the south, and the threshold of his office was practically worn down by suppliers. He was in meetings until the wee hours every night, so how could he have time to care about the life or death of a sent-down youth? But he didn't show it on his face at all. He just sighed heavily, his tone as heavy as if a stone was pressing down on him: "Hey, would I lie to you? Although Banggeng isn't my biological grandson, I watched him grow up. He's been following me around calling 'Grandpa, Grandpa' since he was a toddler. Now that he's suffering in the countryside, how can I feel good about it?"
He picked up his pipe and tapped it on his shoe, the ash falling in a flurry, the embers flashing twice before going out: "I've been thinking about this a lot these past few days. I've already asked Old Wang from the labor and personnel department to keep an eye out for vacancies in the factory. Don't worry, there's always a way to overcome difficulties, and we'll get it done eventually."
This was half true and half false—he did indeed ask someone for help; Old Wang was his former colleague and had indeed put in a good word. But whether it would work out, he himself wasn't sure. Yi Zhonghai didn't care. What he wanted wasn't to get things done immediately, but to appease Qin Huairu first. This woman had been frowning all day because of the incident with the stick, never smiling at anyone, and had become much colder towards him. She used to come to the yard often to help with tidying up, but now she rarely came. He was calculating in his mind: once she was in a better mood and her life was more stable, maybe he could bring up that matter again. If she could conceive his child, she would have someone to rely on in her old age, and wouldn't end up destitute. That was the most important thing.
Qin Huairu wanted to ask for more details, such as when Lao Wang would send a letter and whether there were any signs of a change in the situation with Director Zhu, but Yi Zhonghai suddenly changed the subject, his gaze slowly falling on her lower abdomen with a hint of inquiry and something indescribable: "Huairu, speaking of which, how long has it been? Why is there no sign of anything going on in your belly?"
Qin Huairu's face flushed crimson, as if doused with hot water; even her ears burned, and she nearly pricked her finger with the steel needle in her hand. She wondered to herself: ever since she got together with her master, she hadn't taken any birth control pills, and they'd been intimate many times at night, yet her stomach showed no signs of pregnancy. Could it be… that her master was getting old, almost sixty, and his body couldn't keep up?
She dared not say these words aloud, and could only bury her head low, her voice barely audible, almost swallowed by the silence of the room: "Master, I don't know either... Maybe it's because I've been thinking about the stick lately, and I'm anxious, upset, and feeling suffocated, so... Maybe it will be fine after a while."