69novels Chapter 1040 Bang Geng Quickly Admits His Mistake
Chapter 1040 Bang Geng Quickly Admits His Mistake
Qin Huairu looked at her son kneeling on the ground, and her heart softened instantly, as if pricked by needles. No matter how angry she was, she couldn't muster any more anger at that face that so closely resembled Jia Dongxu's—especially those eyes filled with fear. She sighed, reached out and pulled him up, patting the dust off his knees: "You child, get up quickly, the ground is cold, be careful not to catch a cold."
Madam Jia quickly pressed her advantage, saying, "That's right, the child knows he was wrong and has admitted his mistake. You should think of another way. Banggeng is the only son of the Jia family. If he really goes to the countryside, I don't know if he can endure it..."
Looking at the expectant eyes of the old woman and the child before her, Qin Huairu felt a mix of emotions swirling within her. She remained silent for a long while before slowly speaking, "I went to see Gu Nan the day before yesterday, and he just said 'follow the rules,' without giving an answer. However..." She paused, as if making up her mind, "I did think of someone else."
Banggeng's eyes lit up instantly, and he quickly asked, "Mom, who is it? Who can help me? Tell me quickly! I really don't want to go to the countryside. I heard that the mosquitoes there are so bad they can carry a person away, and it's full of snakes, insects, and rodents..."
“It’s He Yuzhu,” Qin Huairu said in a low voice. “You don’t know, Yuzhu is getting close to Deputy Factory Director Li now. He goes to dinner parties with him every day. I heard that Deputy Factory Director Li values him a lot and consults him on many things in the factory. I’m planning to go see him and have a good talk with him. After all, he used to come to our house often. Maybe he can help out out of our past relationship.” She gritted her teeth. “If he really can’t help me, I’ll go all out and go directly to Deputy Factory Director Li to beg for his help. I’ll even serve him tea and water and see if he can make an exception.”
Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi's face crinkled into a wide smile. She slapped her thigh and said, "He Yuzhu? That kid has always had a good relationship with our family. Banggeng used to call him 'Silly Uncle Zhu.' He dotes on Banggeng like a nephew, so he'll definitely help! And Deputy Factory Director Li, as long as you can get on his good side, with your silver tongue, this matter is sure to be settled!"
Banggeng breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had seen a glimmer of hope. He grabbed Qin Huairu's arm and shook it vigorously, saying, "Mom, then hurry up and go! Go now! I'll wait at home for your good news!"
Qin Huairu nodded, but a heavy weight pressed on her heart, leaving her uncertain. Although He Yuzhu had often helped the family in the past, he was now doing very well under Deputy Factory Director Li's guidance, and his standards had likely risen considerably. Would he still remember their past favors? But regardless, for her son's sake, even if there was only a sliver of hope, she had to try. She straightened her clothes, turned, and walked towards the door, her steps heavy, but she didn't stop—for Banggeng, she couldn't stop.
Bang Geng pretended to be confused, but he knew perfectly well that he would most likely escape being sent to the countryside. As for who Qin Huairu would have to beg for help or how much effort she would have to put in to please others, he couldn't be bothered to think about it. At this moment, he was leaning against the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), his legs crossed high, his toes idly rubbing the ground, a smug look on his face as if he had nothing to do with the whole thing.
Sitting on a small stool opposite, Jia Zhangshi sighed and pounded her back while staring intently at Qin Huairu with her triangular eyes. Her tone was threatening: "You'd better watch out! If this goes wrong, and Banggeng really gets sent to the countryside to toil in the fields every day, I might as well die! I'll die right here at your doorstep so the whole neighborhood can see how filial you are! Then we'll see who dares to say that my daughter-in-law is unfilial!"
Qin Huairu lowered her head, clutching a crumpled rag in her hand, her knuckles white from gripping it so tightly. She remained silent for a long time, finally nodding listlessly. A heavy weight pressed on her heart, making it hard to breathe, but seeing Jia Zhangshi's tantrum and unreasonable behavior, she couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal—reasoning with this old woman was a complete waste of breath.
Seeing this, Banggeng quickly slid off the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), ran to the table, picked up the thermos, poured Qin Huairu a cup of hot water, and handed it to her with both hands, his face plastered with an unprecedentedly ingratiating smile: "Mom, I know I was wrong. I was feeling really upset just now, so I talked nonsense and made you angry. Please don't take it to heart. I promise I'll be obedient from now on, come home from school to help you with chores, and never make you angry again."
Qin Huairu took the water glass, her fingertips touching its warmth, a mix of emotions welling up inside her. This son of hers could drive you crazy when he was being unreasonable, but when he was being obedient, it was impossible to be harsh with him. She sighed, her voice hoarse: "Alright, good that you understand. Behave yourself these next few days, stay home and avoid causing trouble. Help out in the yard, sweep the yard, take out the trash, let the neighbors see what you're capable of, and stop letting them say you're disobedient."
Banggeng nodded vigorously, patting his chest to assure her, "Mom, don't worry! I'll stay home these next two days and help you out. I can do everything from starting the fire to picking vegetables. I promise I won't cause you any trouble!" He knew perfectly well that in the countryside, he'd heard that mice were bigger than cats, and that you had to work in the fields every day to earn work points. You'd be exhausted, if not dead. As long as he could get away with it, what did it matter if he had to play the good grandson for a couple of days?
Just thinking about Gu Nan made his teeth itch with hatred—it was clearly Tie Dan from the front yard who stole the steel bars from the factory first, so how come he was the one who ended up being punished and almost put on the list of people sent to the countryside? Gu Nan must have been behind this! He couldn't swallow this insult until he got his revenge!
Looking at Banggeng's obedient appearance, Qin Huairu felt a little relieved: "Alright, I'll go rest for a while and recharge. I still need to go to the factory to find someone tomorrow."
After Qin Huairu went into the inner room, Banggeng immediately sidled up to Jia Zhangshi and asked in a low voice, "Grandma, do you think my mom will make it? Gu Nan is so stubborn, he wouldn't even let my mom in the door when she went to beg him last time. And He Yuzhu is unreliable, now that he's married Lu Jia, he doesn't care about our family anymore..."
Madam Jia frowned, her fingers twirling the worn patch on her sleeve, her expression uncertain: "Who knows? We can't count on Gu Nan now, so we can only ask He Yuzhu. That boy used to care so much about our family, bringing us food every few days. Maybe he still remembers our past relationship and can lend a hand..." Though she said this, her heart pounded—after He Yuzhu married Lu Jia, he had clearly become indifferent to the Jia family's affairs. Last time, he even made excuses to borrow some flour. Could they really be relied upon?
She patted Banggeng's hand and lowered her voice even further: "If all else fails, just run! Run to your grandma's house. The mountain roads are difficult to travel, and they might not be able to catch up. Your grandma loves you the most, and she'll definitely be able to give you some food. It's better than suffering in the countryside."
Banggeng's eyes lit up, and he nodded emphatically: "I understand, Grandma, you still love me the most!"