MM Racing Chapter 1037 Nobody Cares
Chapter 1037 Nobody Cares
Just then, He Yuzhu and Lu Jia returned from outside. He Yuzhu was wearing a white coat from the cafeteria and carrying a net bag containing a few apples; Lu Jia, who was pregnant, was wearing a loose floral shirt and walked slowly, being carefully supported by He Yuzhu. The two had just entered the courtyard when they witnessed this scene, and He Yuzhu frowned slightly.
Qin Huairu, as if grasping at a lifeline, turned sharply to He Yuzhu and cried out, "Zhuzi! You're finally back! You're also a long-time resident of this courtyard, and you watched Banggeng grow up. You used to secretly give him candy when he was little! Please help me plead with Deputy Factory Director Gu to be lenient and let Banggeng go! If he goes to the countryside, his life will be ruined!"
He Yuzhu wanted to say, "Let's talk this out," but when he looked down and saw Lu Jia's slightly protruding belly, his pity instantly vanished—his wife was pregnant and needed peace and quiet to rest. These troublesome matters with the Jia family were hard to shake off once you got involved; it was best to stay out of it. He hardened his heart and said coldly, "This is your family's business, it has nothing to do with me. Policy is policy, no one can change it. Even if the factory director came, it wouldn't make a difference, let alone Deputy Director Gu."
Lu Jia nodded to the side, her face expressionless. She just smiled faintly at Qin Huairu without saying a word. She had heard He Yuzhu talk about the intricacies of the courtyard before. The Jia family was the best at moral blackmail, and she was too lazy to bother with such matters. She just wanted her own family to live a peaceful life.
Qin Huairu was completely stunned. She never expected that He Yuzhu, who used to be so devoted to the Jia family, would say such things. She glared at He Yuzhu, her voice trembling and sharp: "Zhuzi, how can you talk like that? Have you forgotten how much our family helped you back then? When you were penniless, who secretly slipped you white steamed buns? When Xu Damao bullied you, who stood up for you?"
"Sponsor?" He Yuzhu scoffed, about to retort—the grain coupons and money he had given the Jia family over the years were enough to buy a trainload of steamed buns—but his words were interrupted by footsteps. Yi Zhonghai, hands behind his back, slowly walked out from the central courtyard. Seeing this scene, and then looking at Qin Huairu's red, tear-filled eyes and kneeling posture, he instantly understood seven or eight parts of the situation.
Yi Zhonghai frowned as he looked at Gu Nan, his tone carrying a hint of an elder's dissatisfaction with a younger person: "Gu Nan, we're all neighbors living in the same courtyard, we see each other all the time, how could you do this? Bang Geng is still a child, with delicate skin, can he withstand the hardships of the countryside exposed to the wind and sun? If something really happens to him, can you bear to see him suffer?"
Gu Nan raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on his lips, and retorted, "Uncle Yi, I don't understand what you're saying. What did I do? Did I put Bang Geng's name on the list of people to be sent to the countryside? Or did I stop him from staying in the city? You need to explain yourself clearly, don't accuse me for no reason."
Yi Zhonghai was taken aback, his face turning somewhat grim. He then raised his voice, "We're all from the same compound, it's only right that we help each other out! Bang Geng is young and the only son of the Jia family. You have a lot of influence in the factory, so why can't you think of a way to let him stay in the city? Why send him to that poor mountain village? If something happens to him, can you live with yourself?"
Gu Nan sneered, not giving an inch: "Then, Uncle Yi, tell me, if I were to show favoritism and let Bang Geng stay at the steel mill instead of going to the countryside, then according to the policy, who should be sent to this group of eligible young people in our courtyard? Your precious apprentice Jia Dongxu? Or... yourself?"
These words struck Yi Zhonghai like a hammer blow, leaving him speechless. He opened his mouth, his face flushed red, and the veins on his neck bulged, but he couldn't utter a single word—he couldn't possibly let himself or his own disciple suffer that kind of pain, could he?
Yi Zhonghai wanted to come up with some more arguments, such as "Gu Nan, you are very capable" or "There are always more solutions than problems," but Gu Nan was too lazy to argue with him. He just smiled faintly and said, "I've already said that this is a national policy, it has nothing to do with me, and I can't control it. If you want to stand here and preach, then keep standing; if Qin Huairu wants to kneel down and beg, then so be it."
After saying that, Gu Nan turned and went into the house, slamming the door shut and shutting out the crying, arguing, and accusations outside. The inside instantly returned to silence, with only the faint babbling of the child remaining.
He Yuzhu glanced at Qin Huairu, who was still crying on the ground, then helped Lu Jia up beside him and said in a low voice, "Let's go home too. This is none of our business." After saying that, he carefully helped Lu Jia and walked home without looking back. Sunlight filtered through the leaves and dappled the ground, casting the shadows of the two of them together, quiet and steadfast.
Lu Jia nodded, took He Yuzhu's arm, and turned to walk home. She had heard Qin Huairu's tearful complaint at Gu Nan's door, and felt nothing but annoyance. Everyone has their own difficulties; always trying to rely on others to solve problems is never that easy. She should avoid getting involved in the gossip in this courtyard if possible.
"Let's go, it has nothing to do with us." Lu Jia said in a low voice, without stopping. He Yuzhu didn't turn around either. He had long seen through the Jia family's scheme and was too lazy to get involved.
At the courtyard gate, Qin Huairu watched the two figures walk away. The sobs she had been holding back finally broke free, and tears streamed down her face like a broken string of pearls. She was filled with anger and anxiety, her nails digging deep into her palms. She gritted her teeth and cursed under her breath, "He Yuzhu, you bastard! Before, when you were begging me, you called me 'Sister Qin,' but now you're turning your back on me like this! Don't blame me for turning my back on you later!"
She squatted against the wall, her shoulders shaking with sobs. If Gu Nan refused to help, Bang Geng would have to go to the countryside with the troop next month. That child had been pampered in the city since childhood, even complaining about carrying water. How could he endure the hardship of working in the fields and earning work points in the countryside? What if he went astray in the countryside, or suffered a serious illness from the hard work? His life would be truly ruined. Just thinking about it made her heart ache as if it were being squeezed.
But Gu Nan's family didn't take it to heart at all. Inside the house, Gu Nan was changing Ran Qiuye's baby's diaper, listening to the gradually fading cries outside the yard, his face expressionless. He had never bothered with the Jia family's affairs—Qin Huairu was always scheming, and Bang Geng had been stealing chickens and dogs in the yard quite a bit; now they had ended up in this state, which was ultimately their own doing.
Ran Qiuye held her daughter, gently rocking her to sleep, and couldn't help but frown as she said, "Gu Nan, do you think the Jia family is a bit out of their depth? Sending people to the countryside is a policy from above, not something we can decide. Why did they specifically target us? The way Qin Huairu said it just now, it's as if if we don't help her, we'll be letting her die."