Siheyuan: I just came across and wanted to chase me away

Chapter 1155 This is a tough situation.

On the way back, the car was quiet except for the slight rumble of the engine. Zhang Li watched the streetlights flash by outside the window, their light casting flickering shadows on his face; Zhu Tao stared at the steering wheel, his knuckles unconsciously rubbing the leather cover, his mind churning over Gu Nan. That kid was really slippery, like an eel. Last time, he sent Li Jianjun to ambush him, but not only did Li Jianjun not gain any advantage, he also gave Gu Nan a handle to use against him and landed him in jail. Later, he tried to trip Gu Nan up at the factory by deliberately giving him difficult-to-machine parts, but Gu Nan worked flawlessly, even the workshop foreman praised him for being clever and capable, unable to find a single fault.

"So," Zhang Li suddenly spoke, breaking the silence, his gaze shifting from the window to Zhu Tao, "have you come up with any way to deal with Gu Nan?"

Zhu Tao sighed, shook his head, and said with a hint of frustration, "Gu Nan is indeed a bit troublesome. I checked his background, and he's just an ordinary worker. His parents died early, he has no relatives to help him, and he only goes to work and goes home. He doesn't even join card games. He's completely unyielding. He's extremely law-abiding, so it's hard to find anything wrong with him."

Zhang Li nodded, pulled out a small, worn-out notebook from his pocket, and flipped through a couple of pages: "I've also asked around. This kid looks honest and unassuming, but he's actually quite shrewd. Last time the factory was selecting outstanding employees, someone tried to rig things to replace him, but he went directly to the factory manager with the attendance sheets and production records, presenting everything logically and with solid evidence. In the end, he managed to get the spot back, and nobody had a say." He closed the notebook and put it back in his pocket. "If force doesn't work, you have to try a softer approach. If you need any help, just ask. I can get manpower and money."

"Thank you, Teacher." Zhu Tao stepped on the brake and the car came to a smooth stop downstairs at Zhang Li's house. "I'll go back and think about it. If I really need help, I'll definitely let you know."

Zhang Li waved his hand: "Go ahead, young people are quick-witted, they can always come up with a solution." Watching Zhu Tao's car drive away and disappear into the night, the smile on his face gradually faded, and he turned and slowly went upstairs. In his heart, however, he was making his own calculations—it would be best if Zhu Tao could win, that kid Gu Nan was too much of an eyesore, and didn't know the rules; even if he lost, it had nothing to do with him, since he didn't personally get involved, at most he would get a reputation for "misjudging people," which wouldn't matter.

Life passed by at a leisurely pace, like the old locust tree in the courtyard, its leaves turning yellow and falling, only to sprout again. The courtyard was still bustling with activity every day: the eldest uncle practiced Tai Chi at the gate before dawn, each movement slow and deliberate; the second uncle stood with his hands on his hips, scolding his son in the courtyard, his voice so loud it could be heard across the street; the third uncle squatted by the wall, wearing his reading glasses, counting how much coal ash he had collected that day and how much money he had made, his abacus clicking away.

While the other children in the courtyard were still running and playing wildly at the alley entrance, only Banggeng, Huaihua, and Xiaodang wore perpetually heavy-hearted expressions of worry, their usual playful energy gone from climbing trees and raiding bird nests. Their notices to go to the countryside were spread out on the table in the main room, bright red paper stamped with a bright red official seal, like a red-hot branding iron, making their hearts race with unease—in another half month, they would have to pack their bags and head to the Great Northern Wilderness, thousands of miles away.

"I'm not going!" Banggeng grabbed the notice, crumpled it into a ball, threw it on the ground with a "thud," and then stomped on it, deforming the paper with the sole of his shoe, as if venting his anger. "That godforsaken place is a godforsaken place. Erzhuzi said that in winter your nose and ears can freeze off, and the work in the fields can kill you. Do you think I'll come back alive?" He stiffened his neck, his eyes were bloodshot, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.

Huaihua hugged her younger sister, Xiaodang, the two sisters huddled on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), tears streaming down their faces like broken beads, falling onto their clothes. Huaihua's voice trembled with sobs as she stammered, "Mom, I'm scared... I heard it's all wasteland over there, not even a decent house, just mud-brick houses, and wolves howling at night... I don't want my brother to go, I want him at home..." Xiaodang, too young to understand much, only thought she was going to be separated from her mother, and clung to her sister's neck, crying loudly, "I want Mom... I don't want to go..."

Qin Huairu's eyes were red-rimmed, swollen like walnuts, and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes still held traces of undried tears. She knelt down, wanting to touch the children's heads, but her hand stopped halfway in mid-air. She could only harden her heart and persuade them, "Silly children, this is an order from above. How can an ordinary family like ours disobey orders? Go and work hard, listen to the leaders, get along well with your comrades, be diligent, and maybe you can come back in a few years. Mom is saving up food coupons for you at home, waiting for you to come back..." Halfway through her sentence, her throat was blocked, and her voice choked with sobs.

Jia Zhangshi sat on a small stool to the side, clutching a cane and pounding it on the ground, sighing and cursing incessantly: "It's all that brat Gu Nan's fault! If it weren't for him, would that deputy factory director have gotten in the other day? If the deputy factory director hadn't gotten in, would our family have gotten a spot in the factory? Now look what's happened, even the child is going to be sent to that godforsaken place to suffer... What a jinx! He's a real jinx!" She cursed with spittle flying, her cane pounding the ground with a "thud," but even the harshest words couldn't pierce the paper notice.

Despite the scolding, the red stamp on the notice was clearly visible, like an unsolvable knot that no one could change. The three children in the courtyard stood in the yard, watching the locust leaves fall in the autumn wind, one after another swirling down. They all knew in their hearts that the liveliness of this courtyard and the aroma of food wafting through the yard would probably never be related to them again.

Despite Jia Zhangshi's tantrums and crying at the neighborhood office, and despite Qin Huairu's efforts to plead her case, the inevitable still happened. On the day of departure, the loudspeaker in the courtyard repeatedly broadcast mobilization slogans. The truck was parked at the alley entrance, its bed piled high with luggage. The three children, carrying canvas bags, stood by the truck, their faces devoid of their usual stubbornness, only filled with bewilderment.

What's even more heartbreaking is that the three children are going to different places—Banggeng is going to the production brigade in Beidahuang, while Yan Jiefang and Liu Guangtian are going to a pasture in Inner Mongolia. Although they can keep each other company, they are still far apart.

Qin Huairu held Banggeng's arm and repeatedly urged him, "Banggeng, you must do well when you get there. Talk less and work more. Don't get into conflicts with anyone. Try to be recognized as an advanced worker as soon as possible. Maybe you can come back sooner. Mom... Mom is waiting for you at home."

Banggeng simply lowered his head and nodded sullenly. He knew in his heart that it was useless to talk to his mother about this; she couldn't even take care of herself. It would be better to go back and ask his grandmother; perhaps she could find someone to help him, even if it was just to let him stay on a nearby farm. He pulled away from Qin Huairu's hand and moved closer to Jia Zhangshi, his eyes darting away, not daring to look at his mother.