MM Racing Chapter 1129 List of People Sent to the Countryside
Chapter 1129 List of People Sent to the Countryside
Watching the police car merge into the traffic ahead and gradually disappear into the distance, Gu Nan stood by the roadside, scratched the back of his head, and smiled—a smile tinged with a sense of relief. A cool evening breeze blew, brushing against his cheeks, dispelling his weariness and the pent-up frustration of the past few days. He carried his lunchbox, walking briskly home, thinking to himself that he should treat himself to an extra dish tonight. Ah, life could finally be a little more peaceful.
Dusk, like a piece of cotton cloth soaked in ink, slowly enveloped the gray tiles and earthen walls of the courtyard house. The crickets chirping at the foot of the wall had barely finished their first two calls when they were drowned out by a chorus of voices—"Have you heard? The official document has come down, the list of educated youth going to the countryside is finalized!" "That's right, my son didn't dare go out all afternoon, afraid he'd be called on!" "Our courtyard is probably going to be included too, just you wait, there's bound to be some drama!"
Small groups of neighbors gathered at the gate, clutching half-picked vegetables or carrying pipes, their voices low but each word penetrating to the heart. The setting sun cast its slanting rays on the screen wall, making the characters "Hongxi" appear somewhat pale, but no one was in the mood to appreciate the scene; everyone was straining to hear, afraid of missing a single word.
Gu Nan walked into the alleyway bathed in the golden light of the sunset, carrying an oil paper bag containing braised pork hock he had just bought from a braised food shop. Just as he rounded the screen wall, he saw Tie Dan squatting on his doorstep, a chipped enamel basin in front of him, intently picking at a bunch of spinach. The boy also had half a cucumber dangling from his mouth, its bright green skin glistening with water droplets, which he was crunching away with relish, his legs swinging back and forth, looking even more energetic than the spinach in the basin.
Two years ago, Tie Dan was just a greenhorn who couldn't even hold a kitchen knife properly. After learning cooking skills from Gu Nan for a while, he's become quite successful—the veteran chefs at the state-run restaurant all praise his powerful wok-flipping and skillful ingredient preparation, saying that in another two years, he'll be a head chef without a problem. Right now, he's wearing a faded work jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms, and he really does look like a chef in the kitchen.
"Brother Nan!" Tie Dan, with his sharp eyes, called out before he could even finish swallowing the cucumber in his mouth. He threw the spinach in his hand into the bowl, jumped up, and almost kicked the bowl over. "You're finally back! I have something to tell you that I guarantee will make you laugh!"
Gu Nan walked over, placed the oil paper package on the doorstep, leaned against the door frame, and looked at his beaming face. A smile appeared on his lips as well: "What could make you so happy? Your mouth is practically stretched to your ears. Be careful the wind doesn't get in and you'll catch a cold."
Tie Dan tossed the half-eaten cucumber stem into the corner, wiped the water off his hands on his pants, and leaned close to Gu Nan, whispering mysteriously, "Brother Nan, you don't know, the official list of those going to the countryside has been released! Just now, the people from the neighborhood committee came to the courtyard to read it out, and our courtyard has taken up three spots!"
"Oh?" Gu Nan raised an eyebrow, reached out and unwrapped the oil paper package. The aroma of braised pork knuckle wafted out instantly, mingling with the smoky scent of the alley, making everyone's mouth water. "Besides that idiot Jia Jiachang, who else could it be? It can't be you, you brat, can it?"
He was clearly joking. Tie Dan had just been promoted to a permanent position at the state-run restaurant last year, his household registration had long been changed to a commodity grain ration, and his personnel file was locked in a metal cabinet at the unit, so he wasn't even on the shortlist.
"Hey, Brother Nan, don't tease me!" Tie Dan quickly waved his hand, his face turning red. "With my status, I couldn't go even if I wanted to. The other one is Liu Guangtian from the Liu family in the backyard!" At this point, he suddenly covered his mouth, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably, and the laughter in his eyes almost overflowing. "You didn't see what happened just now! Liu Guangtian was standing on tiptoe in the crowd watching the fun, patting his chest to his parents, saying, 'With my qualifications, I definitely won't get a chance,' but when the comrades from the neighborhood committee read out the list, he was the first one there!"
As Tie Dan spoke, he mimicked Liu Guangtian's actions, leaning back suddenly, spreading his hands, and deliberately pretending his legs were weak: "Guess what? His face turned white instantly, like he'd just been pulled out of a flour vat, and his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground with a 'thud'! He couldn't get up for a long time, his hands still flailing about on the ground like he was grabbing at a straw, making everyone in the courtyard cough—wanting to laugh but not daring to laugh out loud. The sight was absolutely hilarious!"
Gu Nan listened, a slight smile playing on his lips, unsurprised. A few days ago, when he went to the neighborhood office, a friend had secretly mentioned that Liu Guangtian's family background was already sensitive and had long been on a watch list. This guy, however, refused to believe it, spending his days idly, either squatting by the wall playing cards or stirring up trouble, always boasting that he knew "people in high places" and could suppress the matter. Now it seemed the policy was strict, leaving him no loopholes.
"He brought it on himself." Gu Nan picked up a piece of freshly torn pork knuckle and handed it to Tie Dan, his voice indifferent. "He never does anything productive and just wanders around aimlessly. This is a good opportunity for him to go to the countryside and practice. Maybe he'll learn a lesson."
"That's right!" Tie Dan took the meat, stuffed it into his mouth and chewed it vigorously, saying indistinctly, "I think it's karma! A while ago he was mocking Bang Geng, saying that Bang Geng would definitely not escape, but he himself was the first to be 'hit'! Just now when his parents were carrying him home, he kept grumbling, saying 'Someone must be playing tricks,' and his voice was so loud that half the alley could hear it!"
As the two were talking, the old lady next door passed by carrying an empty basin. Hearing this, she couldn't help but chime in: "Are you talking about Liu Guangtian? That kid really needs to go out and gain some experience, so he won't be so domineering at home. He's quite something. I heard Qin Huairu is crying in her room right now. She can't bear to part with him, but there's nothing she can do. The policy has been implemented, and no one can escape it."
Upon hearing this, Tie Dan couldn't help but laugh again: "Third Aunt, you didn't see how dejected Bang Geng looked! I ran into him in the yard just now, his head was almost buried in his chest, he looked like a wilted eggplant!"
The afternoon sun slanted through the old locust trees in the alley, weaving dappled shadows on the ground. Gu Nan held a thin notice between his fingers—the list of people going to the countryside, which he had just retrieved from the mailroom. He looked down at the handwriting on the paper, a half-smile playing on his lips. Although he knew what was going on, he still muttered to himself, "How interesting."
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?"