69novels Chapter 1090 Gu Nan completely ignored it
Chapter 1090 Gu Nan completely ignored it
Qin Huairu was a little annoyed by his feigned ignorance, but since she needed his help, she could only be patient and put on a worried face: "Uncle Yi, have you forgotten? We agreed before that we would ask Deputy Factory Director Li to arrange a good place for Banggeng to go to the countryside, preferably a commune close to the city where he could get enough to eat. Now, Deputy Factory Director Li has been arrested, and this matter... what do you suggest we do? Banggeng is still young and can't do anything heavy. If he's really sent to some remote, godforsaken place, I, as his mother, am really worried."
As they were talking, He Yuzhu walked out of the yard carrying a tool bag stained with grease. His eyes were still bloodshot from lack of sleep, and he looked tired, but his lips were pursed, revealing his barely concealed anger. He was still doing odd jobs in the kitchen, and the chef position he had been longing for had been taken by a distant relative of the factory manager. He was burning with anger and had nowhere to vent it.
Qin Huairu, with her sharp eyes, rushed forward as if she had seen a savior and stopped him: "Zhuzi, wait a minute! Look at the matter of Banggeng going to the countryside, we can't count on Deputy Factory Director Li now. You have many connections, can you think of another way? Even if it's just to find a place where we can suffer less."
He Yuzhu was already annoyed, and hearing this made him even more impatient. His brows furrowed, and his tone was sharp: "Sister Qin, wasn't this all about Deputy Factory Director Li? He has power and can put in a good word for us. Now he's in trouble himself and locked up. What can I do? I'm just a cook. I don't have any connections except for the stove and the knife. It's no use you coming to me."
Qin Huairu wanted to plead a little more, clinging to He Yuzhu's arm and refusing to let go. He Yuzhu caught a glimpse of Gu Nan walking out of the opposite house, dressed in sharp work clothes, carrying a briefcase, his expression indifferent. He immediately felt a jolt, as if pricked by a needle, and abruptly shook off Qin Huairu's hand. Without saying a word, he waved vaguely, "I'm going to be late for work, I'm leaving now!" He then hurriedly walked out of the courtyard, his steps as fast as if he were rushing to his death—he didn't want to get involved with Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu, those two "troublemakers," especially in front of Gu Nan, lest he be mistaken for one of them and get himself into trouble for nothing.
Qin Huairu watched his retreating figure, feeling neither angry nor anxious. She could only stomp her foot inwardly, cursing He Yuzhu for being heartless. She turned around and saw Gu Nan walking this way. Her eyes lit up, and she quickly went to greet him, her face beaming with a warm smile: "Deputy Factory Director Gu, are you going to work? Regarding the matter of the stick I mentioned to you before... could you perhaps make an exception?"
To everyone's surprise, Gu Nan merely glanced at her indifferently, his eyes devoid of emotion, as if looking at a stranger. He said nothing and walked straight past her. He knew in his heart that he had already told Qin Huairu that sending corn to the countryside was a policy regulation, and it had to be done according to procedure. It had nothing to do with him, the deputy factory director, so naturally he wouldn't interfere in such an illegal matter.
Qin Huairu was left standing there, her smile frozen like a stone, unable to save face. She turned to Yi Zhonghai and complained, "Uncle Yi, look at Gu Nan's attitude! We all live in the same courtyard, we see each other all the time, why can't he help each other out? He has no humanity at all, what kind of person is he! He turns his back on people now that he has power?"
Yi Zhonghai sighed and didn't reply—he was barely able to take care of himself and couldn't even salvage his own dignity, so how could he have the mind to meddle in other people's business? He just silently followed behind Gu Nan, inching his way into the factory, his back looking as desolate as a reed wilted by frost.
In the past, Yi Zhonghai, relying on his seniority as an eighth-grade fitter, might have spoken up a bit when it came to factory matters, but the situation was different now. The superficial harmony between him and Gu Nan was long gone; there was really nothing to say to each other. Although Gu Nan was now the deputy factory director, everyone in the factory knew that after the old director retired, the director's position would most likely be his, his power growing daily, and even the factory leadership had to defer to him. Yi Zhonghai was just a demoted fourth-grade fitter; how could he dare to speak out? He could only stand aside, neck hunched, silently waiting, not daring to breathe too loudly, afraid of saying something wrong and incurring repercussions.
After Gu Nan and his secretary left in a hurry, Qin Huairu, as if grasping at the last straw, turned to Yi Zhonghai with a face full of anxiety and helplessness, her voice trembling with tears: "Uncle Yi, what can we do about this? Banggeng is just a child, he can't lift a finger. If we really send him to the countryside to work in the fields, how will he survive? You have to help me!"
Yi Zhonghai fidgeted with his fingers, momentarily at a loss. He pondered to himself that the policy of sending rice to the countryside was a regulation, and it didn't really concern him, so why take on this hot potato? He looked at Qin Huairu's reddened eyes and said with a hint of perfunctory helplessness, "Qin Huairu, this is really difficult to handle. You know, Gu Nan is the one who calls the shots at the steel mill now. Our relationship with him, sigh, it was so strained before, it's really hard to explain. With my old arms and legs, how can I possibly get involved?"
Qin Huairu's eyes reddened, tears welling up, and she almost cried again. Yi Zhonghai looked at her and said in a deep voice, "Alright, stop crying. Crying won't solve anything. This matter of sending Banggeng to the countryside is really difficult. See if you can ask Gu Nan for help and talk to him properly. Maybe there's still a glimmer of hope."
Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu felt a mix of emotions, a jumble of flavors swirling within her. She knew all too well what Yi Zhonghai was up to—he wanted to use the pretense of helping her to force her into agreeing to that shady affair, to bear him a child to support him in his old age, before he would truly commit. But now, for the sake of her husband, she had no other choice. She could only suppress her awkwardness and humiliation, and softly reply, "Uncle Yi, I'm going to work now." With that, she turned and hurried away, her retreating figure revealing an indescribable sense of dishevelment.
Yi Zhonghai watched Qin Huairu's retreating figure, his brows furrowing. A sudden, inexplicable unease crept into his heart, like a worm crawling on it. He felt something was about to happen, but couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. All that remained was a restless anxiety, to the point that he could barely hold the wrench steady.
Gu Nan went to work at the steel rolling mill early in the morning. As soon as he entered his office, the phone on his desk started ringing incessantly. He held the highest position in the factory, and all matters, big and small, had to be handled by him. From production scheduling in the workshop to the distribution of supplies in the logistics department, he had to worry about everything. He was so busy all day that he didn't even have time to drink water. He had never wanted to be a factory manager; he just wanted to focus on his technical work. But his position made it impossible for him to refuse many things, so he had to grit his teeth and bear it all.