allonlinenovel Chapter 481 A Lonely Man!
Chapter 481 A Lonely Man!
"Jianlibao?!"
The neighbor's eyes lit up, then he became somewhat skeptical.
"Are you bragging again? That's a big factory, it's not that easy to get in."
Cao Gang chuckled, offering no further explanation, only saying one thing.
You'll find out later!
After saying that, he walked briskly toward his own "watchtower". He had been unemployed at home for more than a year and had had enough of the gossip and strange looks from his neighbors.
Now, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
He crawled into that low, cramped "blockhouse" and told his wife about finding a job.
His wife was a simple, honest woman from northern Shaanxi. Although she wasn't particularly beautiful, she was more than a match for him. Over the years, she hadn't enjoyed any of the good things in life, but she had endured a lot of hardship without ever uttering a complaint. She took care of everything, both inside and outside the house.
He was stunned upon hearing this, his voice thick with accent, a mixture of surprise and doubt:
"Me too? Uh... I can't do anything, and I can't read. Would I just be a burden to you?"
What are you afraid of!
Cao Gang grasped her hand, his voice filled with unprecedented confidence and anticipation.
"I'm here. I'll teach you slowly. My good friend owns the factory; he's the boss. He specifically said he'd send you there too. My husband and I are both full-time employees."
"That'll add up to over two hundred yuan a month. If we work hard for a few years, tighten our belts, and save up, maybe we can buy a small house, move out, and never have to live in this cramped pillbox again!"
His wife listened, her eyes instantly reddening. She nodded vigorously, but tears still streamed down her face.
The two children playing nearby were already attracted by the drinks in their father's hand. Each of them held a can, pulled the tab with a "pop," and carefully took a sip. The sweet, bubbly liquid made their eyes light up.
"Dad, this tastes so good!"
The youngest son smacked his lips, his face beaming with pure joy.
Looking at his child's satisfied smile and then at his wife's tearful yet smiling face, Cao Gang felt incredibly comforted. It was as if the heavy stone that had been pressing on his chest for over a year had finally been pried open, letting in a ray of light.
Almost the same scene played out that afternoon at the homes of Zhao Dayong, Qian Zhimin, Guo Jie, and others.
In the dilapidated house, a long-lost, warm, and powerful vitality surged forth because of a sudden and real hope.
It seems that a new chapter is finally about to begin.
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Liu Jing is now in charge of most affairs in Beijing. Gao Yue has been assigned to follow up on the cooperation project with Zheng Rong Group, and she's been so busy that she barely has time to come over.
Xiaobai works at the hospital during the day, while Xiaoling'er is sent to the kindergarten in the compound. His father is now living a carefree retirement life, playing chess and fighting birds with a few old comrades, or going to the park to dance with a group of old ladies. He is very enthusiastic and busier than when he was working, often going out early in the morning and not returning home until it gets dark.
His daily routine basically consists of taking his child to kindergarten, then taking his wife to the hospital, and picking her up in the afternoon. There's not much else to do, so he's the one left behind in the compound, guarding an empty courtyard, which really gives him a sense of being a "lonely man".
July and August arrived in the blink of an eye, the hottest and most unbearable time of year in Beijing.
That afternoon, I lay under the lush grapevines in my yard, in an old rattan recliner, idly fanning myself with a palm leaf fan. The cicadas overhead were chirping loudly, making the air seem even hotter. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
"Leap People!"
A loud and familiar voice came from the courtyard gate, pulling him out of his half-asleep state. He opened his eyes slightly, glanced at the gate, and saw Zhang Haiyang, whom he hadn't seen for quite some time.
Zhang Haiyang, dressed in faded casual clothes and carrying a bulging black briefcase under his arm, strode into the courtyard, his face showing undisguised fatigue and anxiety.
He walked straight to the stone table under the grape trellis, plopped down on the stone bench, glanced at the pot of chilled plum juice still steaming on the table, and without saying a word, grabbed the clean cup next to him, poured himself a large cup, tilted his head back and gulped it down.
"Ha, cool!"
He let out a long sigh, wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, and looked at Zhong Yuemin, who was still reclining in the chair, his tone filled with envy and complaint.
"Yuemin, you really know how to enjoy life. I think it was a huge mistake to take your advice and join the criminal investigation team. I'm so busy all day long that I don't even have time to sit in the toilet properly. Damn it, I'm regretting it so much!"
Zhong Yuemin sat up a little straighter and, using the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees, looked the man over. He was indeed darker and thinner, with faint bluish tinges under his eyes, clearly indicating that he hadn't been getting enough rest for a long time.
"ocean,"
Zhong Yuemin spoke slowly.
"Director Liu entrusted the criminal investigation team to you because he valued your abilities and had the intention of cultivating you. You can't let him down. You have to work hard, persevere for a few years, and once you've accumulated enough seniority and merits, you can be promoted to deputy director or director and then sit in an office and relax."
"Come on, don't give me that!"
Zhang Haiyang waved his hand, his face clearly unconvinced.
"You don't know me. If I really wanted an easy job and an office, wouldn't it have been better to stay in the military headquarters? Why would I come here to suffer like this? I'm just venting to you. This job is alright, isn't it? I feel like my abilities are being utilized and I'm realizing my self-worth."
As he spoke, he took out a cigarette case from his pocket, lit one for himself, and then habitually offered one to Zhong Yuemin.
"Have one?"
"I'm not smoking anymore, you do it yourself."
Zhong Yuemin shook his head. He did smoke, but not much. His wife wouldn't let him smoke because she thought he smelled of smoke.
My gaze fell on his right index and middle fingers, where he held the cigarette; those areas were noticeably yellowed from the smoke, indicating he'd been relying on it to stay awake lately.
"You should smoke less too, it won't do you any good."
Zhang Haiyang lit his cigarette, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled the smoke through his nose, creating a hazy mist.
"There's no other way. Being a criminal investigator is incredibly stressful. You can't keep going without a couple of puffs."
When it came to serious matters, his brow furrowed slightly as he looked at Zhong Yuemin.
"Yuemin, I'm here to see you today because we've really hit a snag. There's a case our team has been watching for a long time, but we haven't made any progress. Now we're completely stuck, we're at our wits' end."
I've been holed up in the office these past few days trying to come up with a solution, but I haven't managed to. You're quick-witted and full of ideas, so I came here hoping you could help me think of something and give me some advice.
"What kind of case could leave even Staff Officer Zhang helpless!"