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

Chapter 1062 Liu Haizhong's Promotion

Although this son is usually as stubborn as a mule, arguing with him over every three words and always going against him, he is still his own flesh and blood, the eldest son he has longed for for many years. Liu Hai felt a pang of tenderness in his heart and wanted to say, "Are you tired?" but he swallowed the words back.

But this pity was quickly overshadowed by another thought—more important than letting his son rest was going out to "show off." He cleared his throat, deliberately keeping a straight face, but his tone couldn't hide his smugness: "You're back? You've suffered on the road these past few days."

Liu Guangtian was stunned for a moment, almost thinking he had misheard. From childhood to adulthood, his father had always either glared at him or scolded him, and would even hit him when things got heated. When had he ever spoken to him in such a gentle tone? He scratched his head, his hair disheveled, and said somewhat awkwardly, "Dad, it's not hard work. At least... I don't have to go to the countryside anymore, it's worth it."

Liu Haizhong nodded emphatically, chin held high, his smugness barely concealed: "It's really good news! Huge good news! Come on, let's go for a stroll. Let the neighbors see that we're back today, and thanks to the factory leaders, we don't have to go to the countryside anymore!"

Liu Guangtian was completely bewildered, not knowing what had suddenly gotten into his father, but he still gave a vague reply. He followed Liu Haizhong out of the courtyard gate and saw his father deliberately slowing down, deliberately walking through the busiest parts of the alley. When he bumped into Aunt Zhang carrying a vegetable basket, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Aunt Zhang, look at my Guangtian! He's back! He doesn't have to go to the countryside anymore!" When he saw Old Li squatting at the door smoking, he went over and yelled, "Old Li, look at my son! The factory took care of him, he stayed!" He acted as if he wanted to bring a megaphone and stand at the alley entrance to shout, determined to let the whole alley know about this "glorious" good news. Liu Guangtian followed behind, his face almost red to the roots of his neck, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

As Liu Guangtian was leaving, his head drooping, he was about to step into the yard when he bumped into Xu Damao, who was returning from outside. Xu Damao was riding a bicycle with a net bag hanging from the handlebars, containing a bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), clearly having just returned from a business dinner.

Liu Haizhong, with his sharp eyes, immediately put on a smile that covered his wrinkled face and quickly went to greet him, "Da Mao, you're back a little late today. Did you just come back from drinking outside?"

Liu Guangtian was much more docile than before. When he saw Xu Damao, he timidly shrank behind Liu Haizhong and whispered, "Brother Damao, I'm back." His voice still carried a hint of timidity.

Xu Damao got off his bicycle, propped it up, and glanced sideways at Liu Guangtian. Seeing that he was wearing an old, faded, and pilling shirt, his cheekbones were unnaturally red, his eyes were sunken, and his face showed an undeniable haggardness, Xu Damao knew perfectly well that the father and son were probably back at this time to show off in the yard how respectable Liu Guangtian was for not going to the countryside.

He nodded indifferently, then looked at Liu Haizhong with a half-smile on his lips: "It's good to be back. You do look quite thin. You must have suffered a lot in there."

Liu Guangtian nodded hesitantly, his fingers tightening around the hem of his clothes, and said nothing more. He had suffered a lot during his time inside, and after coming out, he became much more reserved and quiet, habitually keeping his head down when he saw people.

Liu Haizhong waved his hand, looking considerate of his son, but his eyes were glancing at the figures coming and going in the yard: "You must be tired too, go back and rest early. I'll take Guangtian for a walk in the front yard. After all, it's been a long time since we've been back. Let him get to know the neighbors and avoid feeling estranged."

Xu Damao scoffed inwardly. How could he not know what Liu Haizhong was thinking? He just wanted to show the Jia and Yan families, whose children were waiting to go to the countryside, that Liu Guangtian had returned safely without having to toil in the fields. Xu Damao, however, remained outwardly calm, even offering a wry smile in agreement: "Yes, he should take a stroll. I bet everyone in the courtyard is thinking about Guangtian." With that, he pushed his bicycle, turned, and went back to his room, too lazy to get involved in this carefully staged performance.

Liu Haizhong, leading Liu Guangtian, strolled leisurely towards the front yard. Just as they reached the screen wall, they bumped into Yan Bugui, who had just returned from buying groceries. Yan Bugui was carrying a faded cloth bag containing a few wilted greens and a small bunch of scallions. Upon seeing Liu Haizhong, he merely nodded indifferently without stopping, clearly not intending to engage in further conversation.

How could Liu Haizhong let him leave like that? His show had only just begun, and he hadn't even achieved his goal yet. He quickly took two steps forward, deliberately lowering his voice, his tone mysterious, as if he were talking about some huge secret: "Old Yan, you don't know yet, do you? Gu Nan is now a senior engineer, a title specially awarded to him by the factory, and I heard his salary has increased to over a hundred!"

Yan Bugui paused, his brows furrowing instantly, his eyes filled with disbelief: "What did you say? Gu Nan? How old is he? He's barely grown up yet, how did he become a senior engineer? You must have misheard, a senior engineer title isn't given out casually."

Just as he was about to ask a few more questions, he saw Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu return from outside, one after the other. Qin Huairu was carrying a piece of blue cloth that she had just torn, the edges of which were tied with thin hemp rope. She wanted to make a new outfit for Banggeng so that the child could look presentable when he went to the countryside.

Liu Haizhong's eyes lit up instantly, and he was overjoyed—it's true that timing is everything, everyone who's supposed to be here is here, and it's perfect for the publicity! He gestured with his chin towards Yan Bugui and raised his voice a bit: "Old Yi's back just in time. You can ask him, I'm not making this up, it's all posted on the factory bulletin board!"

Yan Bugui looked at Yi Zhonghai with suspicion, his eyes filled with inquiry: "Old Yi, is what Liu Haizhong said true? Is Gu Nan really a senior engineer now?"

Yi Zhonghai's heart skipped a beat, inwardly cursing Liu Haizhong for being so talkative. He knew these words couldn't be spoken in the courtyard—Gu Nan was currently enjoying great success, and if these words reached his ears, he might think people in the courtyard were gossiping about his promotion, needlessly causing offense. He nodded vaguely, gave a mumbled "hmm," and wanted to pull Qin Huairu away quickly to avoid being bothered by Liu Haizhong.

"Hey, Lao Yi, Lao Yan, you're back just in time!" Liu Haizhong wasn't about to let them go, so he quickly stepped forward to stop them, his smile becoming even more smug. "I have something to say to you, I won't take up much of your time."

Yi Zhonghai was seething with anger—he hadn't even sorted out his own exams yet, and was already annoyed; he had no mind to listen to his nonsense. But in front of Qin Huairu and Yan Bugui, he couldn't afford to lose his temper, so he could only stand there motionless, his face so dark it could drip water.